I never liked the Family album. I had never listened to it for 10 years. I recently read an interview with Eric Leeds (a talented guy i have much respect for) saying it was Prince's material he loved the best. So i listened to the album with new fresh ears. But it still sounds corny to me. Do you like the album ?

trickykid59 said:

I never liked the Family album. I had never listened to it for 10 years. I recently read an interview with Eric Leeds (a talented guy i have much respect for) saying it was Prince's material he loved the best. So i listened to the album with new fresh ears. But it still sounds corny to me. Do you like the album ?

(walks away very slowly)

trickykid59 said:

I never liked the Family album. I had never listened to it for 10 years. I recently read an interview with Eric Leeds (a talented guy i have much respect for) saying it was Prince's material he loved the best. So i listened to the album with new fresh ears. But it still sounds corny to me. Do you like the album ?

I love it, i'm not a big fan of Petersons voice, but i think he might have sounded better if he had been allowed to sing the songs how he wanted and not follow Prince's guide vocal down to the last detail.

And also remember that this is basically a Prince album, Prince wrote all the songs (almost), and played nearly every instrument. The Family album was quite a departure for Prince in terms of sound, the live drum sound, after using the Linn drum machine for so long, and it is also one of the first times he utilized the use of Clare Fischer's string arrangements, the use of saxaphone was quite a departure for the Prince sound too.

I love this album, classy, funky, it has the lot.

ButterscotchPimp said:

trickykid59 said:

I never liked the Family album. I had never listened to it for 10 years. I recently read an interview with Eric Leeds (a talented guy i have much respect for) saying it was Prince's material he loved the best. So i listened to the album with new fresh ears. But it still sounds corny to me. Do you like the album ?

(walks away very slowly)

I love it, i'm not a big fan of Petersons voice, but i think he might have sounded better if he had been allowed to sing the songs how he wanted and not follow Prince's guide vocal down to the last detail.

And also remember that this is basically a Prince album, Prince wrote all the songs (almost), and played nearly every instrument. The Family album was quite a departure for Prince in terms of sound, the live drum sound, after using the Linn drum machine for so long, and it is also one of the first times he utilized the use of Clare Fischer's string arrangements, the use of saxaphone was quite a departure for the Prince sound too.

I love this album, classy, funky, it has the lot.

I agree Prince tried something new with this project, but it doesn't sound really elaborate to me. I guess it's a mattter of personnal taste as many people like the album.

The positive about it for me is Prince starting to work with Eric Leeds whose horn arrangement on the Lovesexy tour are absolutely superb.

trickykid59 said:

I love it, i'm not a big fan of Petersons voice, but i think he might have sounded better if he had been allowed to sing the songs how he wanted and not follow Prince's guide vocal down to the last detail.

And also remember that this is basically a Prince album, Prince wrote all the songs (almost), and played nearly every instrument. The Family album was quite a departure for Prince in terms of sound, the live drum sound, after using the Linn drum machine for so long, and it is also one of the first times he utilized the use of Clare Fischer's string arrangements, the use of saxaphone was quite a departure for the Prince sound too.

I love this album, classy, funky, it has the lot.

I agree Prince tried something new with this project, but it doesn't sound really elaborate to me. I guess it's a mattter of personnal taste as many people like the album.

The positive about it for me is Prince starting to work with Eric Leeds whose horn arrangement on the Lovesexy tour are absolutely superb.

Look that word up - and then choose another.

trickykid59 said:

I love it, i'm not a big fan of Petersons voice, but i think he might have sounded better if he had been allowed to sing the songs how he wanted and not follow Prince's guide vocal down to the last detail.

And also remember that this is basically a Prince album, Prince wrote all the songs (almost), and played nearly every instrument. The Family album was quite a departure for Prince in terms of sound, the live drum sound, after using the Linn drum machine for so long, and it is also one of the first times he utilized the use of Clare Fischer's string arrangements, the use of saxaphone was quite a departure for the Prince sound too.

I love this album, classy, funky, it has the lot.

I agree Prince tried something new with this project, but it doesn't sound really elaborate to me. I guess it's a mattter of personnal taste as many people like the album.

The positive about it for me is Prince starting to work with Eric Leeds whose horn arrangement on the Lovesexy tour are absolutely superb.

Oh man, I love this album

If you mix songs from this album with Parade, some Dream Factory outakes, songs from Sheila E. Mia Bocca, and a few Madhouse, you got Purple Maturity.

Screams of Passion is serious Purple Music

This album is just another avenue in Uptown, this is the living room, this was a Prince & Susannah Melvoin love letter

you also get a taste of Madhouse

trickykid59 said:

I never liked the Family album. I had never listened to it for 10 years. I recently read an interview with Eric Leeds (a talented guy i have much respect for) saying it was Prince's material he loved the best. So i listened to the album with new fresh ears. But it still sounds corny to me. Do you like the album ?

If you haven't, check out the Prince & the Revolution studio session of Screams of Passion

Oh man, I love this album

If you mix songs from this album with Parade, some Dream Factory outakes, songs from Sheila E. Mia Bocca, and a few Madhouse, you got Purple Maturity.

Screams of Passion is serious Purple Music

This album is just another avenue in Uptown, this is the living room, this was a Prince & Susannah Melvoin love letter

What is interesting with this forum is to see how each one of us loves a different Prince. I personnally prefer a funkier prince. I think he was at his (recording) peak on 1999, purple rain & sign o the times. Parade is ok but i don't like it all. From the dream factory, i like Witness 4 the Prosecution and Movie Star. But my favourite unreleased song from that era is purple music (which i think i'm the only person on earth loving it so much). I think sheila e really brought some incredible energy (and quality in arrangements) onstage, but i don't like that much her albums. I've got mixed feelings about Madhouse.

I'll try to catch screams of passion.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Oh man, I love this album

If you mix songs from this album with Parade, some Dream Factory outakes, songs from Sheila E. Mia Bocca, and a few Madhouse, you got Purple Maturity.

Screams of Passion is serious Purple Music

This album is just another avenue in Uptown, this is the living room, this was a Prince & Susannah Melvoin love letter

you also get a taste of Madhouse

Spot on.

I really dug it personally. Like what I am hearing from the new one more. Which- frankly- shocks me.

Zannaloaf said:

I really dug it personally. Like what I am hearing from the new one more. Which- frankly- shocks me.

Fdeluxe is going to embarass Prince.

trickykid59 said:

I never liked the Family album. I had never listened to it for 10 years. I recently read an interview with Eric Leeds (a talented guy i have much respect for) saying it was Prince's material he loved the best. So i listened to the album with new fresh ears. But it still sounds corny to me. Do you like the album ?

Well at least you are honest. I loved the album. I like growth. And what uncle Prince did with this album was show another side to his musical genius. Natually uncles Jelly, Rome, Paul, Eric, and aunt Susie, were all still young, but you could see Paul's growth and talent back then. To me, this was one of Prince's best works.

I like the album a lot. Not a huge fan of Screams of Passion, but Mutiny, Yes, High Fashion and Suzannah's Pajamas are among Prince's best from that era. The 1-2 punch of High Fashion and Mutiny are an amazing way to start the album (sort of like the 1-2 punch of 1999/LRC on the 1999 album). The introduction of Clare Fisher's orchestration was also a turning point for Prince.

You can hear the genesis of Madhouse as well.

Overall, I look at The Family disk as one of the most important Prince side projects (outside of The Time and Sheila's work-which really are canon for die hard Prince fans). It can be considered a the beginning of a new direction. Parade, Madhouse, SOTT and other music from that era can be traced back to The Family's album.

i think this album would of been better recived if prince had of released with with his vocals instead of paul i love desire its so beautiful

cbarnes3121 said:

i think this album would of been better recived if prince had of released with with his vocals instead of paul i love desire its so beautiful

um. No. Actually Paul's voice fit far better (imo). Even with him doing a "Prince" read on the vocals. What REALLY would have made it better received is if Prince let them go on the road like they were supposed too. Or perhaps a second video, but he was too tied up in his own self to bother promoting PP acts (unless they were chick projects). Could have been why the label failed.

Zannaloaf said:

cbarnes3121 said:

i think this album would of been better recived if prince had of released with with his vocals instead of paul i love desire its so beautiful

um. No. Actually Paul's voice fit far better (imo). Even with him doing a "Prince" read on the vocals. What REALLY would have made it better received is if Prince let them go on the road like they were supposed too. Or perhaps a second video, but he was too tied up in his own self to bother promoting PP acts (unless they were chick projects). Could have been why the label failed.

Screams of Passion should have been Prince in his Camille voice instead of Paul.

cbarnes3121 said:

i think this album would of been better recived if prince had of released with with his vocals instead of paul i love desire its so beautiful

Naw, Prince was still at a purple height, they should have been doing shows and they should have been in the movie Under the Cherry Moon, along with the Revolution, Sheila E & Jill Jones

I've heard the Prince & Revolution studio rehearsal of Desire w/the guitar solo and I love it, but it's just rendered differently. Just like the Prince & Revolution live 1st Ave rendition of Noon Rendezvous with the guitar solo, very different from Sheila E's cut but both just as beautiful.

StonedImmaculate said:

Zannaloaf said:

um. No. Actually Paul's voice fit far better (imo). Even with him doing a "Prince" read on the vocals. What REALLY would have made it better received is if Prince let them go on the road like they were supposed too. Or perhaps a second video, but he was too tied up in his own self to bother promoting PP acts (unless they were chick projects). Could have been why the label failed.

Screams of Passion should have been Prince in his Camille voice instead of Paul.

Why? It would have sounded goofy. I liked Camille but for that song? Back in my college people LOVED the Family - BET played their video and all the black girls loved Paul.i think the main thing is it was killed before it got started. Sort of the way Prince handled many of his "label" acts.

Zannaloaf said:

StonedImmaculate said:

Screams of Passion should have been Prince in his Camille voice instead of Paul.

Why? It would have sounded goofy. I liked Camille but for that song? Back in my college people LOVED the Family - BET played their video and all the black girls loved Paul.i think the main thing is it was killed before it got started. Sort of the way Prince handled many of his "label" acts.

Maybe I should rephrase...I WISH Screams of Passion was Camille and Susannah.

Dont get me wrong...I love that album from beginning to end, but that Screams of Passion beat is so fonky...it just screams CAMILLE.

Just me wishin...