An album that stands alongside:

Dirty Mind
Controversy
1999
Purple Rain
Around The World In A Day
Parade
Sign 'O' The Times
Lovesexy
The Gold Experience
The Truth
The Rainbow Children?

love

maybe not a classic, but still one of my favorites

I'd say so... it is full of different styles of music and yet each piece combines to make a cohesive whole. The compositions and instrumentation of each are easily some of Prince's best. And the lyrics are so deep in places that one could spend years searching out the treasures hidden inside. He put a lot of work and thought into this one. It stands alongside 1999 as another Prince classic for ages to come.



edit: and yes, like someone says below... it sounds "fresh and alive" unlike many of his other albums
[Edited 6/12/05 16:36pm]

It's up there or thereabouts.

(Personally, as an album I'd exclude 'The Truth' - just like I'd exclude 'One Nite Alone' - but they each include magic that keeps us captivated - I'd rather hear a near acoustic piano solo piece like 'Condition Of The Heart', or a similar guitar piece as with 'Reflection', or an acoustic section in the live setlist - or something different again thrown into the mix on an album. It surprises, and it reaffirms what you've suspected or known all along - he can also touch when it's stripped down to the bare minimum).

Back to TRC, I think the manner of proselytizing adds another angle to the intrigue - -but I understand it's not to everyone's taste.

.

I listen to this album with my finger on the FF button, so as to speed buy the narration and the songs not sung by Prince.
IMO, this was still his best since, ironically, C&D, which was essentially labled a collection of throwaways.
It was the first time since then that his music sounded fresh and alive, and not like it came out a weak r&b/top 40 processor, ala "Emancipation" and "Rave".

In my humble opinion 'The Rainbow Children' is up there with Sign 'o' The Times'
Prince had made an album so rich and diverse in sound that it demanded the listeners full attention, just in case you missed one of the many wonderful organic sounds that eminate from all over this true 'classic'. Think people, did this not remind you what the Man is all about? Did it not challenge and ultimately fill your mind with pleasure as to what an artist can be capable of if allowed to search and express one self totally free from the 'music industry' which seeks to control and dictate.

I will always see this as perhaps Prince's greatest statement, 'The Rainbow Children' is pure genius, the musical arrangements seem so organic in texture that the sound seems to grow out of your speakers! The lyrics are the among the most crafted to have come from his pen!

I think that the true testament to this wonderful album derives from these thoughts:

Only Prince was capable of delivering this album. (it does not sound like anything else anyone has ever done).

Only Prince would have the musical convictions to produce this record. (No record company would entertain this sound and Prince new this way back in the day and he got out)

Only Prince could be responsible for such a work of sheer brilliance and not give a shit that it would possibly be ignored/overlooked by the vast majority of the public. (He knows how good it was and knows that the cream will always float to the top, eventually!)

SPOOKYGAS said:

Co-sign.

The Rainbow Children is positive, sho' nuff, but let's not praise it as perfect.

Firstly, in 'Everywhere,' Prince's layered chorus is so overlayered that you cannot even detect a single voice. It is so over-layered that it's hard to tell which note is being sung.

Also, nuff respect to the messages of 'Family Name' and 'Everlasting Now,' but these songs are over-played James Brown type rhythms that we've heard how many times before.

Immediate favs on TRC, I love Digital Garden, She Loves Me 4 Me, and 1+1+1 is Funky!

That's just me though.

thanks2joniandu said:

Co-sign.
Even though some of the lyrics are definitely not my cup of tea ( 1+1+1, the Work, Everlasting Now are songs that I always skip.Just can´t relate to them.
Even though, as a non-Christian, I still love Last December and as a non African_American, I still LOVE Family Name. It´s still packed with factual errors though....the Jews were FORCED to have those "beautiful" names like Rosenbloom and Goldstruck, so if he really wanted to use that unfortunate comparison, he should have read some history books before instead of pissing of some of his Jewish fanbase...and I´m not even Jewish.)
Then again, I can´t relate to some of that Jesus propaganda on Lovesexy, but still love the uplifting, positive, "Christian" message behind it without necessarily buying it.
The Rainbow Children is a true masterpiece, one of his boldest and most daring statements.
Musically, it´s one of my all time favorites.
Everywhere, Digital Garden, She Loves Me 4 Me, Muse 2 the Pharaoh, Family Name, Last December and Rainbow Children are among my all time favorite songs, even though they could even be better if the lyrics were a bit more accessible.
Digital Garden for instance....I love the vocal delivery and the music, only Prince could pull off something like that, but how many more people would love that song ifthey could relate to the cryptic lyrics ?? I mean I love that song, but I guess the average Joe would also love it if the lyrics were about a relationship, it has that airy atmosphere of songs like Dreamin About U.
Then again, this album probably wasn´t made for the average Joe.
I also like the Sensual Everafter, but when I played it to a good friend of mine he immediately said it sounded like some porn background music, and he might have a point there
Anyway, I love that album.

No.

It's very good, but I wouldn't call it a classic.
(and I wouldn't include The Truth as a classic either)

Yes.

Seems that either you get it, or you don't.

Absolute tosh if im honest. Yeah musically it's some feat and is occasionally stunning but cmon does anyone really love this album? I find it almost impossible to get on with. The only tracks that do anything for me is She Loves Me For Me and Family Name. The rest is just aural wallpaper.

BorisFishpaw said:

Nor would I include Controversy, Around The World In A Day, Parade, Lovesexy or The Gold Experience.

Anji said:

SPOOKYGAS said:

I couldn't have said it better.

PurpleKnight said:

Co-freaking-sign

Appears to me that this is indeed Prince's most controversial album, amongst his fans at least.

Snap said:

That people like it doesn't surprise me. We all have different things that make our boat float. That people would put it in the same zip code as Sign, PR, Parade, 1999, and Lovesexy is what I don't get. I can see how people might like this album (even though I do not) but I do not understand how people can LOVE it. This is like the Bermuda Triangle of Prince albums for me.

No. Its my most disappointing album of all time. Its kinda like the feeling I got after leaving an opening night showing of "Batman and Robin".

DarkKnight1 said:

Big co-sign on this, and an even bigger one for the Batman & Robin comment.

TRC is a classic in my eyes, it has a cohesive sound and there is a lot of strong instrumentation on that album. One of my favs...

the classic title could be argued allot amongst people.,, but personally its a very strong album and an important Prince album to his creation...


i love it

Yes it is a classic.


If you dont like this then you are not a real Prince fan.

muirdo said:

Does anybody want to buy several thousand dollars of Prince merchandise? I just found out that I am not a real Prince fan.

not my favorite album. in fact it's where i began to part company with prince . .

love the music, can't stand the lyrical content

TRC is the complete opposite of the beloved Lovesexy.

As great as the music is, and there are a couple of cool songs like "Last December," it is on the bottom of the pole, where Lovesexy is on top.

Cloudbuster said:

Fair point.
The original list ncluded:

Dirty Mind
1999
Purple Rain
Sign 'O' The Times

With the possible xception of Dirty Mind, these albums r CONsidered classics by the musical world. Within the Prince fan community, eye'd also say that Controversy, Around The World In A Day, Parade, Lovesexy and The Gold Experience r commonly CONsidered Prince classics. There r others, such as The Black Album and Come. The Truth is certainly debatable.

If The Rainbow Children received the xposure Prince njoyed n the 80s, eye do blieve it would b universally held as a classic.

peace

Anji said:

Yep, they're the four.



The Truth is a great album. My fave of his from the 90s.



I don't.