What do you think of this song??...I'm listening to it now...I wasn't all that crazy about it way back when Emancipation came out, but for whatever reason right now I'm really diggin' it...

What do you think?...Is it an overlooked gem, or an underwhelming song??

More overlooked than underwhelming. I dug it the first time I heard it.

It's overlooked, but also overproduced.

Excelent song. I liked it from the very first time I heard it.

sabaisabai said:

me 2

I think it's one of a kind creation. I really haven't hear anything else like it. And I like the self-pitying lyrics, they sound so... honestly dishonest. That's always a good thing in my book.

I see it as the track on "Emancipation" that I actually like. It reminds me of his starker songs ("Bob George", "Sign O The Times", "Alphabet Street", "Kiss") and I always liked those because they sounded so unusual. The rest of the album I can do without, but I've always had a thing for "Slave."

Self-pitying toss.

I love it. You can tell it was made before the main Emancipation sessions. Its got a rawer feel. More Gold/Chaos than Emancipation. Same goes for Right Back here in your arms. Different production all together.

.

I always enjoy it when I hear it, but I also always forget it
as soon as "New World" begins.

With some real drums on it and some quirky guitar strokes in
a few places it would be a true gem.

The way it is now, it's a nice fun track but it just doesn't
have any real magical ingrediënt added to it.

IstenSzek said:

Now that you mentioned it...



Yeah, that "hard sidestick" sound he used on it was maybe a bit too harsh and stood a bit too much in the mix - on the other hand that was starting to became trendy in the following years. But a nice low-pitched snare would have worked much better,

It's not actually "sidestick", it's just a very dry high-pitched funk snare, though. But functions the same way.

I friggin' hate it, ESPECIALLY whenever I hear the demo to "Slave 2 The System" that Prince did. Far superior track than the Emancipation cut

JediMaster said:

"Slave 2 The System" is far more catchy, but it isn't as edgy - I can understand why Pince put out "Slave" one instead. They aren't really the same song either.

IstenSzek said:

That's pretty much how I feel about the song too. I see I'm not alone in that thought.

I think "slave" is great and is one of my fav prince cuts. As is "new world"

"slave" is funky, good track to dance too.....

I have always absolutely loved this track from the very moment I heard it. The programming is the same used in Mayte's "Aint No Place Like U", which I thought was pretty fierce as well.

I've been in a deep "Emancipation" mode for the last day or so...I'm 're-listening' to a number of tracks with new ears.

This is probably the album by Prince that has constantly gotten better to me over the years..
[Edited 2/9/05 12:33pm]

Novabreaker said:

I agree, but they are very similar. S2TS is just better. Personally, I don't find "Slave" all that edgy.

Wow, what's with the praise for Slave? What next, ppl putting over Da,Da,Da as a hidden gem?

Byron said:

I still feel as you did before your revalation.

Whoops..misread a post edit..lol
[Edited 2/9/05 14:01pm]

SquirrelMeat said:

Yes Slave was done earlier then most of Emancipation. He gave out cassette copies of Slave/New World at a Paisley Party about a year before the album was releaased.

It's original, but not that exciting. It's okay as a sort of intro to the disc. Sometimes the first song on an album is meant to simply build tension, and it does that pretty well.

But I don't like those beginnings like Slave "Eee hee hee!" or Interactive "Are You Ready? beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep" or Starfish & Coffee "BRRRRRIIIINNNNNGGGGG" They're cute the first time, but they get old quick.

JediMaster said:

I totally agree.

And I'm not a big fan of "New World"....I don't like it when he tries to be all techno-y, sounds kind of embarassing usually.

Byron said:

I agree, When I first got the album I never really listened to it but at some
Point I started playing it and really grew to appreciated it

"Slave" is not bad but definitely no hidden gem
I'd rather listen to "The Human Body" if we're on disc3