Eric Leeds deserves some recognition - I understand his work is too much jazz for the average pop music fan to comprehend but it is som quality writing and playing. Plenty of Prince and SHeila E on his first Paisley Park record. I would consider him a protege since his first solo albums are on Prince's label and he was half of Madhouse.

I dont see any Prince spin off with more substantial material on record.

purplenuts said:

databank said:

The issue is that most of them recorded very interesting music but at the same time none ever did anything as sophisticated or original than what Prince was doing at the time. In the end I'd say that I really like 80% of the material they all released after leaving Prince, and some albums were even small gems in their own musical category, but noone was either as prolific or as crazy as Prince musically speaking.

Wendy & Lisa were probably amongst the most interesting: Eroica in particular was a very ambitious record and its a pity that their carreer kinda collapsed after that. The first two albums remain really cool pop classics, and their 2 later albums are nice though not as challenging IMO.

Bobby Z's album was an absolute disaster.

Fink's solo album wasn't very interesting either.

BrownMark's albums are really cool but nothing more than basic MPLS sound.

Dez Dickerson recorded some interesting new wave stuff in the 80's, that was released recently, then turned to a disastrous christian rock act.

André Cymone was amazing: his first album is a new wave masterpiece and the 2 others, as well as The Girls' Girl Talk, were great experimental synth-funk, but he remained in the shadows and disappeared.

Morris Day did some of the best MPLS sound records ever with his first 2 album, which feature a very agressive sound, then his thirs album and the Day Z's album (of which I've only heard 2 songs) were very decent new jack swing efforts, but then his career collapsed as well.

Jesse Johnson is a bit overrated IMO: I like everything he did from his solo albums to Ta Mara & The Seen but in the end he did nothing more than being yet another basic MPLS sound act like BrownMark and Morris Day, then he turned into a Hendrix copycat in 96, and eventually released a really challenging album... last year!

I haven't heard Monte Moir's solo album.

Jam & Lewis turned into the succesful producers we all know and did memorable albums, notably with Janet Jackson. They almost recreated the MPLS sound with her and other acts, giving it a very powerful trademark of their own, and another merit of theirs is that they evolved really well into the modern sounds of the 90's and 2000's.

St. Paul's first album was a really cool, though unsurprising, MPLS sound effort, then he tried to become a pop act and his later albums turned absolute disasters.

Sheila E. released a really great new jack swing album in 1991, which would have deserved more success. Her 2 later albums, though nice to listen to, are nothing more than generic jazz-funk-soul music.

Vanity recorded a very average album in 84, then released a pop masterpiece (which she didn't write nor produce) in 86, on which every song is delicious, then she disappeared.

Apollonia's only solo album was a dance oriented, forgetable disaster.

Eddie M. released several solo albums, I only heard one but it was a disaster as well, kind of pseudo jazz with lame drum machines.

Eric Leeds released a decent album on PP in 93, but his third album is actually much better, ending-up being a real jazz album, and a really nice one.

Rhonda Smith' 2 albums are really cool, but they sound a bit like Me'shell Ndegeocello without Me'shell's weird genius.

Taja Sevelle released a dance-oriented piece of crap in 1991, then released the amazing "Toys Of vanity" in 1998, which is a very deep pop album with R&B and trip-hop influences and astonishing lyrics. But that masterpiece didn't sell and that was the end of her.

I've never heard Kat Dyson's album.

I've never heard Jill Jones' 2000's album.

Mazarati's second album, though nowhere as strong as the first one which is a classic, is nice & funkly, but remains an unoriginal MPLS sound disc.

Ingrid's long awaited second album last year is really beautiful and ambitious. Not as hypnotic as the first one, but very pleasant and original. It was worth the wait!

I probably forgot a few, but that's a quickly written review of what I've heard.

I always liked Andre Cymone but I wouldnt call anything he has done a masterpiece.

I always wouldnt dismiss Dez Dickerson just because he does christian rock - his One Man album is very good.

Pnuts, From your response it doesn't sound like you really know Livin' in the New Wave and Survivin' in the 80's. I encourage you to try Survivin' in the 80's again. At the very least it should be a treat that feels like new music that you are listening to.

allsmutaside said:

purplenuts said:

I always liked Andre Cymone but I wouldnt call anything he has done a masterpiece.

I always wouldnt dismiss Dez Dickerson just because he does christian rock - his One Man album is very good.

Pnuts, From your response it doesn't sound like you really know Livin' in the New Wave and Survivin' in the 80's. I encourage you to try Survivin' in the 80's again. At the very least it should be a treat that feels like new music that you are listening to.

I bought those albums when they were released. IN fact, I have 3 copies of Livin and 2 copies of Survivin. I also have the 12" Make We Wanna Dance. I have been listening to these albums for nearly 30 years and I put my knowledge of them up against anyone's.

I was a new wave fanatic in the early 80s and I loved seeing Cymone make an attempt to move into the genre when few black artists did. If a well known new wave white artist had released either of these albums, it would have been on MTV and garnered at least a hit.

gunner82 said:

Of all the artist Prince put on, who made the best music after he stopped working with them [besides Wendy & Lisa]?

Not sure wat u meant by "besides" did u mean there music was the best post P? & u wanted 2 kno who was second 2 them, r u jus didnt wanna see wendy/lisa a billion time?

Because there not my 1st pic, i'd have 2 go with the members of the time. I mean just take ur pick. Morris achieved success in his post-prince yrs, so did Jesse Johnson, and Lewis/Jam um who hasnt worked with them? there hit makers

ItsGonnaBLonely said:

gunner82 said:

Of all the artist Prince put on, who made the best music after he stopped working with them [besides Wendy & Lisa]?

Not sure wat u meant by "besides" did u mean there music was the best post P? & u wanted 2 kno who was second 2 them, r u jus didnt wanna see wendy/lisa a billion time?

Because there not my 1st pic, i'd have 2 go with the members of the time. I mean just take ur pick. Morris achieved success in his post-prince yrs, so did Jesse Johnson, and Lewis/Jam um who hasnt worked with them? there hit makers

I took it as, we spend a ish load of time debating w&l and their legacy, how 'bout we concentrate on others for a change.

databank said: Which Brownmark's last 2 CD's? I knew he had an band but...

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