Does anyone else just love this album?

Screams Of Passion has to be one of the most gorgeous, sophisticated pop songs he's ever given away, High Fashion & Mutiny just kick my ass every time and the instrumentals are as funky and playful as anything on the two Madhouse albums.

Give it up for The Family!

Definately! It's one of the best associated artist's albums from start to finish imo!

100 % agree... I LOVE THIS ALBUM !!!

Great album.

Hey yall, though I do like this album, I just like it better when Prince sings these songs! I feel awkward when I hear that other guy. It feels weird when ya hear a Prince song and Prince isn't singin!

Screams of passion is on a mix cd I've been listening to recently. I like that album very much and I loove P's versions,as well.I wish I had a mint copy of High Fashion and Mutiny w/P on vacals. He should have kept those jams for himself.

I had the album. Lost the album. saddy poo poo poor me.
Screams of Passion is on fire. Still even after all these years.

I've always said it's arguably the best "Protege Album" of all (up there with Glamorous Life and the Time's 1st 2).

It is more complex and was a precursor to what was to come (Eric on sax, strings used in an innovative way etc.)

Weirdly, I prefer High Fashion and Mutiny to SOP.

And I much prefer the Family versions of these songs to anytime I've heard Prince do them.

I think St. Paul's voice is extremely resonant and smooth, and when I've heard P do Mutiny or NC2U I don't think his vocals are that great.

GaryMF said:

agreed on all levels. well, except that i prefer SOP over HF and Mutiny.

GaryMF said:

I remember reading about when Paul was recording the vocals...spent hours on them 'cause Prince wanted it to sound more like 'him'.

Loved the album photography and art direction inside... All the way vogue.

Love the whole album, one of the best, I think.

I love The Family album. It's up there with What Time Is It, The Glamorous Life, Vanity 6, and 6 by Madhouse. It's a great album. Prince versions and alternates of this album is just as great, if not better. I think it's better. I hear of this great rehearsal outtake of The Screams of Passion/Body Heat (a James Brown remake) from 1984 that's great. I've never heard it but, people say this outtake is close of a demo (of that song) u're gonna get.

The Family album is phenomenal. I wish Prince has kept it for himself.

Yesterday I was thinking how great 1985 would have been if Prince hadn't rushed out ATWIAD, had waited til the PR sndkt was over 12 months old, and released an lp containing (not nec. in this order):

America
She's Always In My Hair
High Fashion
Mutiny
Screams of Passion
A Love Bizarre
Toy Box
Raspberry Beret
Hello
The Ladder

That would have been fared much better than ATWIAD and been better for his career IMO.

Forgot "Bizarre" edit....
[Edited 1/16/07 7:45am]

Adisa said:

Get rid of Toy Box and replace it with Paisley Park and i'd buy that

r1ghteousone said:

You'd buy it if it was 50min of Prince snoring over a Linn drum loop.

Adisa said:

i'll take what i can get at the moment

Clare Fischer a.k.a. "The Strings Of Passion"!!!!!
Lotta Clare Fischer strings on this LP.....LOVE IT!!!!

gotta replace Hello on that substitute "album" too. it wouldn't be "cohesive" IMO, not that ATWIAD was, but that title helps it. what would u call that album? but i guess i'm one of those who only heard SOP and not the whole Family album. dag! i was reluctant for fear that it was only a one jam album. gotta keep diggin' and find me a copy.

woogiebear said:

Agreed!
No one can deny the magic touches of great musicians (besides P) like Fischer and Eric Leeds to make this album great! Listenable melodies rock from start to finish!

I played this album for my roomate when it first came out. He asked me,Who is that? I told him, The Family! He then responded, Wow!... you sure have talented people in your genes!

Had a chance to get a Jap import CD of The Family back in 1993 and I told myself that I'd come back tomorrow and get it and the shit was gone. I hate myself to this day for that.

St. Paul's rendition of NC2U is the best out of all 3 versions and SOP is so dope that it's a crime no one has re-made it. I can see Kindred remaking it in their own style.

Great album. I have it on wax at least.

woogiebear said:

Yes, yes, yes! Clare Fisher really makes this album stand out. He is an unofficial member of The Family.

The only song I don't like is "Nothing Compares 2 U". I give Sinead credit for actually making that turd listenable.

One of the weakest protegee albums of the 1980s. Before it was released, everyone knew The Time had broken up so we were thinking this group was maybe their replacement since The Family had some of The Time members in it. When I got that album home and heard that classical shit on it, I wanted to throw it up against the wall and break it in as many pieces as I could.
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[Edited 1/18/07 15:56pm]

vainandy said:

Holy Goodness!
I didn't know this album ever actually came out besides like a single!
I love S/O/P and sing the girl part in the shower sometimes. It's a fun song.
Ok- I have to find a copy this week... It should be brilliant because it's from the PARADE era!

LollyPopLife said:

If you like the "Parade Era" this is right up that alley...Funky, it's not..but it's fun and one of my faves

IDEJJD said:

C'mon...High Fasion and Mutiny are very funky.

r1ghteousone said:

Totally.... Eric Leeds himself said these 2 are total funk (wth their original basslines).

GaryMF said:

Oh, don't get me started on the demo versions with the bass intact...

vainandy said:

I know you aren't the biggest fan of Clare Fischer.