Giovanni777 said:

Pretty much. Well, I wouldn't put it so black-and-white, as I do think that there are people who simply don't like it, which is fine. Personally I am thankful for the musical enjoyment it brings me.



Interesting. For some folks that may be true.



Incredibly.

It turns out it's controversial after all!

I've sung lots of religious material I don't agree with, but the music is inspiring. I don't believe that "the lord God omnipotenth reigneth" but I love the Hallelujah Chorus. Likewise I don't believe in "the father" or "the Son," but I do believe we need to come together as one, and the music is inspiring.

I think his respect for women is quite apparent as the real inspiration for the record, and his belief in equality is evident in his use of the MLK quote. Prince has always gone to dark places on his records only to return to the light by the end ("yeah do that baby, just like a dog," anyone?).

I love TRC because it's Prince taking chances as he hadn't since the 80's. It's the first "Prince" record since 1994 and the first since Graffiti Bridge to really sound like Prince. I didn't think he could still surprise me like this.

But the fact that even devout Prince fans can't hear past the Darth Vadar voice tells me maybe he shouldn't have used it. I hear it as part of the music, but it just doesn't communicate to some folks.

andyman91 said:

Yup. I get the story line. I understand his reasons. The voice doesn't work for me. Mainly, because if you just want to put on a P CD and jam it's hard to with this one. The voice is 'over' alot of the album. You have to wade thru the "Barry White" toned voice to enjoy the music. Another words, it isn't a great CD if you want it on in the background. Even and Gold had segues, but they didn't interfere with the actual body of the songs as drastically. With that out of my head, I must add, I do like the album.

setyrmindphree said:

The cd is not meant to be played in the background. It was intended to be played without distraction. Prince wanted you the listener to hear the message with distraction.

setyrmindphree said:

True. One of Prince's strengths and weaknesses is that his music grabs your attention, but that it doesn't always work as background music. It's too varied & weird to just lay in the background. A few exceptions might be NEWS, Emancipation, Come, D & P, Or the older stuff, which are all pretty even, IMO.

Prince should do a techno-style album. Not techno exactly, but something which has flow from beginning to end that you can play for the dancefloor. I suppose a good dj could do it himself, but I do wish Prince wouldn't interrupt the flow sometimes.

shorttrini said:

Yeah, I know, I listen to every P album about 50 times undistracted(and at times it ain't easy - ADD and all), at full attention and really immerse myself(headphones are a must) into his latest musical growth spurt. On the 51st time I like to ribnick(ask Funkmistress - I don't know) and have his music on in the background.

If I listen more than 50 times to RBC without distraction, then I may become a JW. Hey.....wait a minute. Prince you little sneaky pooh pooh head.

Has andbody played that shit backwards!!!

setyrmindphree said:

It's not a verb.

FunkMistress said:

Damn, you found me, can't it be a verb if I want it to be. Verbs are so much more interesting than adj. They imply action. You could just sit there and have an adjective. It seems to me you would have to be doing something active in order to get your rib-nicked. No?
[Edited 12/30/05 12:11pm]

setyrmindphree said:

Not an adjective.

Not a noun.

It is something that you'll never understand.

FunkMistress said:

It's a woman thing. I'll never experience. Kinda like a guy getting cracked in the stones. Women will never know what it feels like. Men will never know what it feels like to give birth. I suppose those two examples may be the defining explanation as to which sex claims the title of most important..

FunkMistress said:

that'd be a helluva lesson/song on an episode of the electric company.

BSK3478 said:

heyyyy, you guyyyys! It'll never beat you! It'll never lie!

FunkMistress said:

you wanna be an american idiot!

FunkMistress said:

we're gonna turn it ooooon...turn it out, all night looooong, make you shout

fckmee

I agree. This album redeemed Prince musically. It's funny because I see a few parallels between John Coltrane's A Love Supreme and Prince's TRC: The artist gets spiritual and it throws the fanbase in an uproar. What's funnier is that when Prince was spewing off a bunch of bullshit about falling in love with the heavens on top of an album of uneven music, folks had no problem calling it "classic". Now, that the man and material seem focused, it's deemed as incoherent and passionless.

gargamelgibson said:

careful now, you gon' get people throwing poisoned "" signs at you n'shit.

BSK3478 said:

poisoned????

Giovanni777 said:

- Yes! I was listening to Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic yesterday...and, man, even the real drums sound plastic! (like "Baby Knows" that featured the amazing Michael B)
TRC was a great surprise in terms of sound...the sound quality is amazing and Prince did a great job as arranger and producer there. Prince at his best as musician, for sure.

shorttrini said:

- Agreed. I never forget the first time I listened to it. I put my earphones, turned the lights off and just concentrated on the music...needless to say, I was so excited I couldn´t sleep. The music just flows.

PurpleKnight said:

Indeed... The Prince of Uptown is dead.

gargamelgibson said:

Actually, I agree. TRC is a great album and very focused. It's not as subtle as ALS mainly because P has a hard time containing himself when he's enthusiastic about something. I also agree with your comment about Lovesexy.

Funny indeed.

I don't see how the voice of TRC is any different from the voice at the beginning of "1999": "don't worry, I won't hurt you.." it didn't bother me at all, nor take away from the genius of the music. Sorry, but TRC is a masterpiece, and the naysayers just can't handle it.

WaterUdrink said:

Actually, the idea that any album is a 'masterpiece' is entirely an opinion. It doesn't matter whether one person or a million believes it.

In the case of TRC, however, I notice two things. Half the people that thinks it's a great album still seem to require disclaimers to think of it as such (like ignoring the content of the lyrics, ignoring the narration, etc). Another large portion who thinks it's a masterpiece look upon it as such a perfect record that they seem troubled with those that don't and are constantly trying to discount negative opinions as if they don't carry just as much weight (by defining those people as naysayers or narrow-minded, or discrediting their taste, etc). It's like they 'just can't handle' the fact that some people just think it's an embarrassing mess.

Lots of people think Lovesexy is great but I don't see them looking for reality bending excuses to discount the people that don't.

I don't mind the voice at all-- It genuinly fits into the atmosphere of the music.
It's a pity Musicology got more attention while it cannot be even compared to the TRC which is far better nad more original.. I had to order it from U.S. and have waited 4 it two months.. And when it finaly came, it was really worth it.. It's a kind of winter music and I think people are often frightened or repulsive towards anything that sounds a bit mystical or non-understanding to them.

jtfolden said:

I said it's a masterpiece, and that's what I meant.

I don't care for over intellectualized analyses of my opinion. I'm quite aware that it is an opinion, I was not born yesterday. I'm not trying to prove anything to anybody. Not to you, nor to anyone else. I think both the narration and the music are incredible. Let me repeat that, in case you think I'm playing. I said they're both incredible. And I also stand by my assertion that those who who don't get it are naysayers.
[Edited 1/1/06 10:38am]

Well, almost 5 years after the release of TRC, the fiery debate still rages.
The line is drawn--on one side, the fanbase hates it (the majority of this side decrying the lyrics, but accepting the musicianship, although a small faction of this side can't even stand the musicianship) and on the other side, the fanbase calls it a masterpiece (some enjoying the musicianship and the lyrics, others saying the musical arrangement and production outweighs any lyrical deficiencies).

That having been said, my conclusion is this: Regardless of my opinion on TRC (which I enjoy immensely, lyrically, musically and otherwise) Prince delivered on his advertisement of TRC which I quote the sticker saying: "The controversial new album by Prince."

There has never been a release by Prince where fans have analyzed, dissected and critiqued and dissected again and again piece by piece where these thoughts continue to be debated:

1) The Rainbow Children is a classic, a masterpiece, the best work Prince has done in (insert #) years/No! It's the worst! That Darth Vader/Barry White voice is unbearable, and the lyrics are racist/he's trying to convert/divide his fanbase...

2) I didn't like TRC when I listened to it on CD, but in concert, the songs came to life...

3) Prince needs to get the Linn drum machine out and get back to makin funk/Prince has gone back to basics and finally taken chances with a sound that's not overproduced, yet brilliantly arranged...

The fact that the fanbase as a whole has strong, defined opinions (be it yay or nay) of TRC to date since its release in 2001 has shown the staying power of TRC.
It has forced people to bring out what they are and where they stand on several issues that many would have otherwise not stated their opinions/beliefs/point-of-view. Arguably, TRC is the reason there is a P&R forum here on the org. The months before and after it came about was a virtual online warzone after TRC was released. Now people are generally much more civil and respectful in airing their religious and political views. And some members of the fanbase have made friends with others they wouldn't have otherwise connected with, online or in the real world.

No matter what one's feelings are of TRC, it certainly changed the landscape of Prince fandom on the org, in the real world, and dare I say it, a pivotal moment in Prince history.
[Edited 1/1/06 11:53am]

Housequake2K2 said:

right on Even the people who hate can't stop starting debates and talking about how much they hate it...that says a lot...
[Edited 1/1/06 11:59am]

jtfolden said:

- Well...one thing that is funny for me is that 90% of the people who hate TRC hate it because of the LYRICS only...I rarely heard negative comments about the music. It´s more like "the lyrics offend me" or "Prince is a JW brainwashed", etc.
Ok, lyrics are an important part of the music...but Prince was always a better musician than lyricist. I don´t like the storyline itself, I think it´s silly to talk about Muses of the Pharaohs in 2001, but the music is great, the production is great, there are some real funky tunes, great arrangements and nice melodies...musically it IS a great album