i agree with others in that the vagueness in what is complex
is making this a tough question,

but i would say based on the complexity of the arrangements
i would vote for Parade.

strings, horns, layer upon layer of percussion.

if i'm remembering right, it's the first album where he
really brought horns into his arrangements and when you
look at the journey that is the first few tracks, it's
a bit dizzying. (in a good way)

[Anxiety¤

News moderator


04/29/05 9:15am
Joined 2/02
mods this forum


SPOOKYGAS said:

Musicology!!!


no!

dumb all over

/quote]

Its always getting played in my local shopping complex.

Parade.

SPOOKYGAS said:

i'm not saying it's a bad album. i actually really like it. but i wouldn't say it's his most complex. in fact, i think he took great pains (for him, anyway) to make it accessible.

Anxiety said:

Well I think its a complex album, think about this, its played at my shopping complex,Ive heard it out of someone's car window at my work's parking complex, hell ive even heard it being spun at my sports complex! If thats not a complex album I dont know what is.

SPOOKYGAS said:

i'm gonna give you a complex in a minute.

RealMusician said:

simple = anything easy to notice

examples: simple bass riffs, pop melodies, vocal hooks, etc.

complex = not simple

examples: too many notes!!! overdubing vocals or riffs, etc.
[Edited 4/29/05 10:44am]

TonyVanDam said:

I don't think it's that simple...

Complex? The Rainbow Children....when i heard that i thought, WTF is wrong with that fellow?

Serious now, on a musical level Lovesexy is by far his most complex album:
- Mixing about 3 - 5 musical styles in every song;
- Horn arrangements which are often disordant or in another key then the rest of the music
- harmonies and melodies interweaved with the main melody (an obvious George Clinton-influence);
- The use of raps, spoken word parts, soundscapes
- Jazz-rock breaks reminding me of Frank Zappa

The amazing thing is that while these songs are musically very complex, most of the songs are still catchy, and by using the same band and instruments on all the songs 'soundwise' this record is his most coherent since Purple Rain.

For me this is Prince being on top as an 'arranger': its not always an easy record to listen to, but when youre in the mood for music that sounds very 'busy' on a superficial level, and focus on the basslines while listening to this record (yes, it really works) listening to this record can be a mindblowing experience...

Reading back a bit, The Rainbow Children isnt really as complex as many seem to think in here, maybe it does because it sounds more organic then most Prince-records (very much a result of John Blackwells drumming), and Prince throws some jazz-influences into a few cuts...

But when you listen to the Madhouse-records and, as i stated before, Lovesexy, and even the Black Album, you hear much more musical complexity

And no one STILL has mentioned The Black Album? Interesting.

I did, I did

I mean the way he uses background vocals, soundeffects and dissonant horn parts did pave the way for the Lovesexy-sound

Riverpoet31 said:

Whoops! My bad...

I'd say Lovesexy is the most complex-sounding of his albums , to the point of being a mish-mash at time .Parade and The Black Album are similar, lots of different things going on in the songs , but theyre better albums than Lovesexy.
Or am I confusing "musical complexity " with "too much going on" ?

Lovesexy is just too layered to me, that it sounded like a chaotic and mish-mash-type album: I guess he was using more of today's modern production jobs than doing a fresh and live-sounding production like Dirty Mind, Sign O The Times, and 1999 presented.
[Edited 4/29/05 12:54pm]

I don't think it's Parade. A departure for Prince sure but songs like New Position, I Wonder U, Sometimes It Snows (of course), Do U Lie, Mountains, Kiss, and AnotherLover seem kind of simple to me-- in a good way.

Lovesexy would be my vote followed by TRC and Symbol. Lovesexy has so many sounds coming at you it's crazy. It sounded cluttered to me at first until I navigated through it all. Crystal Ball would have been at home on this album.

TRC has it's moments of musical complexity but is much like Parade. However,the album has a theme which makes it a little more complex. The symbol album walks a fine line between complexity and just a plain mess but again, I like it.

The Rainbow Children is easily his most complex album. It's like a more mature Lovesexy.

This question would be best left to real musicians/composers...but to the average listener I'd say symbol or TRC.

origmnd said:

Is that a slight? Well I never!

Lovesexy 0f course.
It's so complex that most non prince fans just didn't get it and alot of prince fans still don't understand it.

shorttrini said:

I agree--either this or TRC. With all the instruments, crazy arrangements, symbolic lyrics, different styles, all produced seamlessly, I'd go with . Though TRC gets points for being more of a solo effort than .

Pre 1990, I'd say Lovesexy/The Black Album and Parade.
[Edited 4/29/05 16:55pm]

RealMusician said:

It varys.

Riverpoet31 said:

See there....TRC is not simple!!!

Eroticist said:

But Le Grind & When 2 R In Love were simple tracks but very good.

TonyVanDam said:

And see, I was working under the auspices of complex, meaning "his head trippin'." The Black Album was some place he didn't wanna be...so to me that made it complex.

Eroticist said:

Since that's the case, Prince's drug dealer owes him a discount because Dead On It was wack!!!

TonyVanDam said:

LOL! Aw damn!

The Rainbow Children, Symbol, Lovesexy. In that order, though Lovesexy's complexity is more down to the use of sound-effects and multi-layered synths than overt compositional complexity.