No matter how weak or full of filler I may think Diamonds & Pearls is, there are a few songs on that album that are absolute favorites of mine - "Thunder", "Gett Off", and...oh my goodness...WILLING & ABLE.

Heck, I can even tolerate Tony M's stoopid rapping in this song.

And as if the album version wasn't good enough, the version on the Diamonds & Pearls video collection completely blows me away (though, with a coupla minor exceptions, I think the rest of the videos just blow). When he starts getting all into his dancing in that video, it's just freakin' perfection - Exhibit A in why I love all things Prince.


Said I'm willin' and I'm able
I'm ready 2 place my cards on the table
I've been holdin' back this feelin'
4 far 2 long
Now that I'm willin', it's a fact
Is truly mighty strong
Like a child lost in the wilderness
'Till I reach my destination, I won't rest

Cuz I'm willin' (willin')
and I'm able (able)
I'm ready 2 place my cards on the table (table)

There's some kings in my deck and a queen or 2
So u know there ain't nothin',
Nothin' that I wouldn't do (Nothin' that I wouldn't do)
It 'twas a long time coming,
but now that it's here
All the non-believers better fear me

Cuz I'm willin (willin' and able)
and I'm able
I got good and plenty cards
2 place on the table (table)

Been holdin' back this feeling 4 far 2 long
(Been holdin' back this feeling 4 far 2 long)
Now that I'm willing, (this feelin')
This feelin'
It's truly mighty strong (truly, I... I)

I'm willing (willin')
and able (able)
My vision is all clear, I'm feelin' kinda stable
U know I am, u know I am
Ready 2 whisper (whisper, whatcha say)
Ready 2 shout (shout, now whatcha say)
Ready 2 scream (scream, now whatcha say)
from the highest mountain top (whatcha say, whatcha say)

Lord, I'm willing and able
I wanna dance and sing, somebody watch me do my thing

(willin')
(able)
(willin' and able)

(willin')
(able)
(willin' and able)

I wanna dance and sing, somebody watch me do my thing
(dance and sing, let me watch u do your thing)
(bring it to me)

Let me take a bite
2 see if u're ripe
I'm kinda thinkin' about
takin' a hunk, chunk
a piece of your love tonight

Well hello, MC T on a mello
swing low to the tempo
as I flow on a roll
here we go, willing and able
start the show right
with that type of hype
lay my cards on the table tonite
don't take me light
my flow hits u just like a lead pipe
while I'm clockin'
u just say 'fess
about the boots I'm knockin'
it ain't like that
[somethin' to keep the Jimmy so get] off my back
in fact u lack the knack
step back before I show u how a fool acts, baby

yeah




Ahhhh...that's better.

If you want me to be completely honest, this is the only song i skip over on D&P.

I feel you, Anx. I love this one too.

OdysseyMiles said:

awww, thanks. i knew SOMEone else would be digging on it....and i usually LOATHE songs with choirs in 'em...i think in pop music, choirs are the kiss of death and CHILDREN'S CHOIRS are the FRENCH KISS of death - but it works in this song...there's just something happy and gospel-flavored and scrappy about this song and it makes me do the happy dance, so there.

Yup... this one does it for me too... easy one of my favourite tracks on the album!

Anxiety said:

Are the Steeles considered a choir? There were only five of 'em singing the background vox on the song. I guess they kinda sound like a choir.
For all the criticism that D&P gets on this site, I dig several tunes from that album. The diversity is a refreshment.

OdysseyMiles said:

ermmmm....choral? can i get away with choral? it's no "i want to know what love is", that's for sure, but thank goodness for that.

I never really dug "Willing And Able" but I have to admit it is a slightly different sound for Prince. i know it doesn't make a lick of sense but for some reason "Willing And Able" has always reminded me of Van Halen. Sammy Hagar era Van Halen.

Anxiety said:

Yes, thank you gawd.

rialb said:

On goes D&P.. i dig this tune (hope it's diggin me too)

Oh lawddy yes Mistah! Love the album version, and really loved the 'Superbowl' version that was recorded with The Steeles at GlaM SlaM - but I had the misfortune 2 see him trample it 2 death with his little heels on the Diamonds & Pearls tour in '92 - and it WAS NOT pretty.

The annoying thing was, he didn't need 2 ruin the arrangement, as we'd seen him perfom it live the previous year (aforementioned 'superbowl' performance).

I don't know - I'm not saying the version he did on the D&P tour was absolutely dreadful, but it really left me cold. It was like he was trying TOO hard.

Ok. it WAS terrible. There.

The video version is superior to the album version. I love it. "from the highest.. from the highest...from the highest..highest ...HOUSE!"

Like this song...nice acoustic, mellow, and sweet sounding song that completes transplants me back to that era. Does anyone remember the video premiere during the Super Bowl...something must have happened after that because it was supposed to be the next US single and then Money Don't Matter was picked instead. I don't know if Willing would have done better on the charts (Money got stuck in the 20s). It was a hard single choice to make, as Cream and Diamonds were both absolutely perfect radio songs and there wasn't really another strong single choice after that.

Could someone please explain the "kings in my deck and a queen or two" line. Was he talking about the makeup of the NPG? For some reason, I always thought it might also be a veiled comment about his sex life but I never could figure it out.

GottaLetitgo said:

Perhaps. Sounds reasonable. He could also be talking about the "strength of his hand" (comparing his ability and style with a winning poker hand).

You might be thinking too hard with that one.

I L O V E T H I S S O N G !!!!!
it makes me do the happy dance too Anxiety!
theres just something about it, some funky - and held back too... u jus know by the end of the song that it'll b great... and it does certainly deliver

[This message was edited Tue Aug 3 9:58:06 2004 by Jolene870]

Anxiety said:

I did say "it doesn't make a lick of sense".

rialb said:

WHOOO....!!!

I used to like this song, but I can't hang with it anymore. I find most of that album to be quite shitty.

I think this would have been a super single.

This song makes every cell in my body ROCK. From the start, where he's ready to lay his cards on the table,Prince knows what's up!!! It's his willingness, his openness that makes all the things he does possible. He wasn't ruling anything out, he was stepping up to the bat. "Until I reach my destination, I won't Rest,..... And so he has, and he didn't fear anyone, he showed us just how willing and able he is.

And it makes me smile, and it gives me a feeling of power (even if only for a minute) to be able to think that this is all it takes: being WILLING and ABLE . Just set out to do whatever you're willing and able to do.....hmmmm


[This message was edited Tue Aug 3 11:00:21 2004 by mzflash]

I like em both....
but I like the video version a lil better

I'm indifferent to it. Its all too shiny and Hanna-Barbera.

I do agree that Tony's rap isn't the worst thing about it.

Its the damn shiny-ness! I don't even mind glossy cartoonish music. I love it! I just hate it when you know it could have gone another way but it doesn't.

I can't explain it. Everything in the 90s has that damn shiny sound.

If Purple Rain had been recorded in the 90s, it would have Tony rapping something like:

"Purple Rain,
It drives me insane,
Hmm... Let me get the skinny,
On the right-side of your...
Brain,
Yeah - yeah"

Rosie fucking Gaines would be drowning out the Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh bits with her man-sized lungs, singing:

"Whoah-ho-ho-ho
A ho-wah-wah ho
Woah, no, no, no
Don't give me that Purple, that purple, don't give me that purple
P-U-R-P-L-E, that purple, that damn purple,
Raaaaaiiiiinnnnn"

The drums would be splashing away in the background like somebody eating popcorn noisily in a cinema during the tense bit of a movie.

God I HATED, HATED, HATED most of his 90s output.

mzflash said:

damn. never quite put that spin on it before, though i'm digging it. see, now you got me liking it even more.

If Prince hadn't been so eager to release the "" album and leave Diamonds And Pearls
behind, there's no doubt that 'Willing And Able' would have had a single release after 'Money
Don't Matter 2night'. The album was very successful, and WB wanted to continue promoting it.
There's a good chance that 'Thunder' would've also been released as a single too (in fact it
was released in the UK as a limited edition 12" picture disc).

my favorite song on D&P.....im a sucker for gospel music and this song definitely has that gospel influence.....luv it!!!

I've just recently started listening to this Song.....I've really gotten into it.

mymocha


Said I'm willin' and I'm able
I'm ready 2 place my cards on the table
I've been holdin' back this feelin'
4 far 2 long
Now that I'm willin', it's a fact
Is truly mighty strong
Like a child lost in the wilderness
'Till I reach my destination, I won't rest

Cuz I'm willin' (willin')
and I'm able (able)
I'm ready 2 place my cards on the table (table)

There's some kings in my deck and a queen or 2
So u know there ain't nothin',
Nothin' that I wouldn't do (Nothin' that I wouldn't do)
It 'twas a long time coming,
but now that it's here
All the non-believers better fear me

Cuz I'm willin (willin' and able)
and I'm able
I got good and plenty cards
2 place on the table (table)

Been holdin' back this feeling 4 far 2 long
(Been holdin' back this feeling 4 far 2 long)
Now that I'm willing, (this feelin')
This feelin'
It's truly mighty strong (truly, I... I)

I'm willing (willin')
and able (able)
My vision is all clear, I'm feelin' kinda stable
U know I am, u know I am
Ready 2 whisper (whisper, whatcha say)
Ready 2 shout (shout, now whatcha say)
Ready 2 scream (scream, now whatcha say)
from the highest mountain top (whatcha say, whatcha say)

Lord, I'm willing and able
I wanna dance and sing, somebody watch me do my thing

(willin')
(able)
(willin' and able)

(willin')
(able)
(willin' and able)

I wanna dance and sing, somebody watch me do my thing
(dance and sing, let me watch u do your thing)
(bring it to me)

Let me take a bite
2 see if u're ripe
I'm kinda thinkin' about
takin' a hunk, chunk
a piece of your love tonight

Well hello, MC T on a mello
swing low to the tempo
as I flow on a roll
here we go, willing and able
start the show right
with that type of hype
lay my cards on the table tonite
don't take me light
my flow hits u just like a lead pipe
while I'm clockin'
u just say 'fess
about the boots I'm knockin'
it ain't like that
[somethin' to keep the Jimmy so get] off my back
in fact u lack the knack
step back before I show u how a fool acts, baby

yeah




Ahhhh...that's better. [/quote]

BorisFishpaw said:

could you imagine how kick-ass a video for THUNDER coulda been?!

of course, given the man's track record, i'm sure they'd find SOME way to make the video tedious...

I like "Willing and Able" also. Call me crazy but one of my favorite tracks from that album is "Strollin".

Thunder was my Favorite song besides Live 4 Love but Willing And Able I Like Prince's voice.

Yup...I mentioned on another thread...this one definetely makes a difference...