Q: was Prince unlucky that the EMI label folded during his 2-3 project to promote Emancipation or would it have fallen away anyway?

I've never been a huge fan of this album - it's only ok. It was the last album, before Musicology, that I bought on the day of release. For me after the guitar driven and 'live' instrument sound of the previous two albums C&D and TGE - brilliant IMO - Emancipation was a big let-down.

Prince did state Emancipation contained 18 singles [half the tracks on the album] I think this figure is VERY generous myself. Maybe 4-5 good ones.

Let's face it his choice of single can be very poor and it certainly was with this album:

Betcha and Face Down being the worst choices for awhile.

Anyway what you'all think?
[Edited 10/12/04 6:56am]

KAB said:

I agree his choice of singles around that time was very poor - he seemed intent on scoring a hit with a ballad at all costs when at that time there was a huge amount of r'n'b soul ballads in the charts anyway.

I think that there were some potential singles on the album if released at the right time - The Love We Make I always thought would have been great at Christmas, Sex in the Summer released in summer (obviously). But at that time I think people had written Prince off and were bored with him somewhat, I think he could only have had a big hit if it had been some of the greatest stuff he's ever done, and Emancipation clearly wasn't that.

I love 'The love we make' but I'm not sure it's a chart hit.

At the time he needed a big charting hit single to consolidate his position.

One with a catchy chorus/melody/tune.

Sex in the Summer, maybe.

Maybe: Sleep around, Damned if I do. Somebody's Somebody was a good single release but later down the line.

I remember saying there was going to be perhaps 6-8 singles of the album - the potential ones were premiered at a listening party a few months prior to the album's release. If my memory serves me right the songs were, in no particular order:

Betcha By Golly Wow!
The Holy River
My Computer
Sex In The Summer
Damned If I Do
Sleep Around
One Of Us (?)
Let's Have A Baby (?)
(*the last two could also have possibly been "The Love We Make" and "The Jam Of The Year")

Strangely enough, "Somebody's Somebody" which did get a release wasn't mentioned at all.

metalorange said:

I think people had written Prince off because at the time....he wasn't even Prince. He was an unpronouncable symbol, sitting on Oprah telling tall tales about having another personality and whatnot. Hey, I was a hardcore at the time, and I thought he was looney.

Emancipation could have been a masterpiece, though, if trimmed correctly. I think there's at least a single disc of greatness there.

my computer is the best song on Emancipation just wish u could her Kate Bush a little more style I thought was a good track also.But for some reason did seem a let down at the time I think that 36 songs was a little 2 much 2 take in.It could have been an awesome single album

Heehee...Prince cant win. We want more music and then when he gives a 3cd set it's like 'It would have been a good single album'...which I actually agree with. It began with the premise of making a 3 hour set which he hadn't done before. Losing your baby is probably a good way of putting a dampener on your project...not to mention your label folding on you. For what its worth I think he should have made an 18 track single cd and released 6 singles with 3 bonus tracks on each around a different theme. e.g a covers e.p Would of given the project a continued momentum...and it would have felt like getting a new mini album for the hardcore fans every couple of months.