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Reply #90 posted 02/24/06 9:01pm

Byron

"Forever In My Life"...in retrospect, it may be THE perfect song at THE perfect time on this album...from the front cover art of Prince being a "man alone in the studio", this sparse and almost demo-like ballad is put smack dab in the middle of the album, as if allowing us a moment within his creative process with him...like an author letting us see his novel before it's finished. The overlapping vocals add a great aural effect, and the guitar at the end is understated, melodic and propel the song to its fade...

Just a different way of looking at it, I suppose...
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Reply #91 posted 02/24/06 9:10pm

Barbefunkorama
que

avatar

PurpleKnight said:

I just listened to it again, and I am absolutely shocked that so many consider this to be his greatest album ever.

Don't get me wrong, as is the case with all of Prince's 80's projects, there's a lot of brilliance on it.

Even so, there's so much standard Prince fare you have to wade through first to get to the gold. It? Hot Thing? It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night? Play in the Sunshine? U Got the Look?

It's got absolutely brilliant songs on it too, but it just feels so padded with average material.

Also, the tracklisting makes NO sense.

A brilliantly haunting political opener is followed by a run of the mill, happy pop song?! Where's the logic in that?!

There are definitely some amazing songs on this album, but the album itself is not amazing overall.

Purple Rain, 1999, Dirty Mind...all leagues better imo.
I may have the jelly 4 ur peanut butta but u got 31 hours and 21 minutes left.
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Reply #92 posted 02/24/06 9:14pm

Byron

"Hot Thing"...an absolutely stellar funk number, the tension between that beat and the fuzzed-out guitar sound is so thick you could cut it with a knife...the lyrics are sexy and playful ("Tell 'em you're coming home late, if you're coming home at all")...and as other have already mentioned, the snakey synth lines are infectious and embed themselves into your head forever. And I didn't even mention that cool-as-hell sax solo in the middle...and after working you up to a heated sweat, Prince just leaves you with that beat and fuzzy guitar bouncing off each other, the tension still there as it fades out...

Geez, finding all that's right with these songs is embarrasingly easy...
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Reply #93 posted 02/24/06 9:23pm

Barbefunkorama
que

avatar

PurpleKnight said:

I just listened to it again, and I am absolutely shocked that so many consider this to be his greatest album ever.

Don't get me wrong, as is the case with all of Prince's 80's projects, there's a lot of brilliance on it.

Even so, there's so much standard Prince fare you have to wade through first to get to the gold. It? Hot Thing? It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night? Play in the Sunshine? U Got the Look?

It's got absolutely brilliant songs on it too, but it just feels so padded with average material.

Also, the tracklisting makes NO sense.


i hope people respond to u in a respectful way but that would be a surprise. to understand ANY ALBUM you must understand its context. one not only must not just have listened to an ALBUM but also must have listened to it in a worl were you had but two choices (8b track was out by then and cassette was in. In other words FIRST you must have been:

a.princes target audience at the time of its release (over 16 or so in 1986-7)
b. you must have never heard of a CD (although at that time we knew it was down the pike)


A brilliantly haunting political opener is followed by a run of the mill, happy pop song?! Where's the logic in that?!

LOgic and art.... its like you completely miss the point you so perfectly verbalized. Like saying "whats with the dumb assed smile on mona lisa's face?"

There are definitely some amazing songs on this album, but the album itself is not amazing overall.

here we honor your opinion but that is what is so hard about opinions on prince in here. someone said it perfectly the otherb day at my work... "i liked princes old stuff... like 7 and creame" you see prince is such a prolific artist that his work is now spanning decades... add that to an artist who spans genres and you have too many discorses on what is best. if the funk, r and b, and rock people bought a prince cd... and he had a third of each genre of songs on his cd... the buyers would think 2/3rds of the cd sucked

his talent often is his own worse enemy





Purple Rain, 1999, Dirty Mind...all leagues better imo.
I may have the jelly 4 ur peanut butta but u got 31 hours and 21 minutes left.
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Reply #94 posted 02/24/06 9:28pm

Barbefunkorama
que

avatar

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

xt1000 said:

prolly cuz ya use a spl chkr ths y !!

yeah, i use a spell-checker. it's called my brain.



reading
[Edited 2/24/06 14:14pm]

lol lol

snaps i read this and heard
'days o wild
'

i use spell checka, and its called ma brain, shoot a mutha fucka not 2day
I may have the jelly 4 ur peanut butta but u got 31 hours and 21 minutes left.
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Reply #95 posted 02/24/06 9:37pm

Byron

"U Got The Look"...even though a more conventional rock/pop song, Prince still throws in some unique ingredients to spice it up in a way very few others at the time would have even dared...for starters, inserting his "Camille" voice, which promptly took the song over from his normal voice...I really doubt Bruce Springsteen, Bono or MJ would have dared fucked with their voices on such a conventional single...lol...not to mention that in 1987, singing a line like "Let's get 2 rammin" on a radio single was extremely rare. "U Got The Look" is pure, straight ahead rock and roll, laced with a bit of funk and soul, and sprinkled with all those one-of-a-kind Princely touches which makes his music so unique...
[Edited 2/24/06 21:38pm]
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Reply #96 posted 02/24/06 9:52pm

DynamicSavior

avatar

YES!!
LOVESEXY OWNES SOTT!!!headbang
One of Dansa's org hornies woot!
Supa is my gay messiah and he eats homeless dandruff sammitches on the bus.
mad HULK NEED LAID, HULK SMASH!! mad
The reigning queen of GD. All bitches step down.
Prince.org: Where's Mani?
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Reply #97 posted 02/25/06 1:24am

whodknee

avatar

PurpleKnight said:

Byron said:


Eh, no wonder I don't post here more often...lol lol

For the record, I love the song "It"...I think it's a great song because the beat is pure sex, steady pounding...Prince's vocals are absolutely sick, especially when he says "With you, I swear, I'm a maniac...alright!"...it really underscores the sex fiend persona that he's trying to get across with the lyrics...and the Pink Floyd-type guitar solo in the middle is close to perfection.

Now THAT is something in the vicinity of using "valid reasoning" to back up an opinion...I didn't stop at "It's a great funk tune, one of his best"...I've yet to see that type of insight or analysis from the thread starter...


So I have to offer a song-by-song breakdown? I wasn't as detailed and insightful as you maybe would've liked, but my reasons for not thinking it's as amazing as most do were very fair.



You're entitled to your opinions and you don't have to explain them. It's your matter-of-fact tone that causes people to react the way they do and I suspect that's what you're aiming for. Personally, I wouldn't expect any different from somebody that can't appreciate TRC. razz
I'm not going to pretend my opinions are fact but SOTT is definitely one of the top Prince albums for me. I still prefer Purple Rain, 1999, and others.
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Reply #98 posted 02/25/06 1:35am

PurpleKnight

avatar

LOL Why wouldn't I state my opinions as if I think they're facts? To me, they are. My own personal facts. But I don't think my opinion is any more "right" than anyone else's.

I just don't like getting accused of holding an unpopular opinion for attention. That's really not what I do at all.

Do we really need to now be careful with how we word our opinions? I don't think I should have to add "imo" at the end of everything.

[Edited 2/25/06 1:36am]
The world is a comedy for those who think and a tragedy for those who feel.

"You still wanna take me to prison...just because I won't trade humanity for patriotism."
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Reply #99 posted 02/25/06 2:18am

kpowers

avatar

Hot thing, play in the sunshine, u got the look, it's gonna be a beautiful night are awesome!!!!! Whats next, putting down Purple rain???? What are ya gonna say??? how bad when doves cry, let's go crazy, the beautiful ones are???
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Reply #100 posted 02/25/06 2:47am

GoldenGlove

avatar

PurpleKnight said:

I just listened to it again, and I am absolutely shocked that so many consider this to be his greatest album ever.

Don't get me wrong, as is the case with all of Prince's 80's projects, there's a lot of brilliance on it.

Even so, there's so much standard Prince fare you have to wade through first to get to the gold. It? Hot Thing? It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night? Play in the Sunshine? U Got the Look?

It's got absolutely brilliant songs on it too, but it just feels so padded with average material.

Also, the tracklisting makes NO sense.

A brilliantly haunting political opener is followed by a run of the mill, happy pop song?! Where's the logic in that?!

There are definitely some amazing songs on this album, but the album itself is not amazing overall.

Purple Rain, 1999, Dirty Mind...all leagues better imo.


I have been thinking this for some time, SOTT is overrated. it's really nice to see that there are people on the org who speak there minds and are honest, i respect that thumbs up!
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Reply #101 posted 02/25/06 3:16am

kpowers

avatar

GoldenGlove said:

PurpleKnight said:

I just listened to it again, and I am absolutely shocked that so many consider this to be his greatest album ever.

Don't get me wrong, as is the case with all of Prince's 80's projects, there's a lot of brilliance on it.

Even so, there's so much standard Prince fare you have to wade through first to get to the gold. It? Hot Thing? It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night? Play in the Sunshine? U Got the Look?

It's got absolutely brilliant songs on it too, but it just feels so padded with average material.

Also, the tracklisting makes NO sense.

A brilliantly haunting political opener is followed by a run of the mill, happy pop song?! Where's the logic in that?!

There are definitely some amazing songs on this album, but the album itself is not amazing overall.

Purple Rain, 1999, Dirty Mind...all leagues better imo.


I have been thinking this for some time, SOTT is overrated. it's really nice to see that there are people on the org who speak there minds and are honest, i respect that thumbs up!





The fact of the matter is that purpleknight was almost 2 years old and you weren't even born yet Goldenglove. You really can't speak if you weren't there at the time.
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Reply #102 posted 02/25/06 3:28am

GoldenGlove

avatar

kpowers said:

GoldenGlove said:



I have been thinking this for some time, SOTT is overrated. it's really nice to see that there are people on the org who speak there minds and are honest, i respect that thumbs up!





The fact of the matter is that purpleknight was almost 2 years old and you weren't even born yet Goldenglove. You really can't speak if you weren't there at the time.


The surroundings may have changed, but the album remains the same. cool
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Reply #103 posted 02/25/06 3:43am

bunnyman

blasphemy!!
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Reply #104 posted 02/25/06 4:04am

Militant

avatar

moderator

GoldenGlove said:

PurpleKnight said:

I just listened to it again, and I am absolutely shocked that so many consider this to be his greatest album ever.

Don't get me wrong, as is the case with all of Prince's 80's projects, there's a lot of brilliance on it.

Even so, there's so much standard Prince fare you have to wade through first to get to the gold. It? Hot Thing? It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night? Play in the Sunshine? U Got the Look?

It's got absolutely brilliant songs on it too, but it just feels so padded with average material.

Also, the tracklisting makes NO sense.

A brilliantly haunting political opener is followed by a run of the mill, happy pop song?! Where's the logic in that?!

There are definitely some amazing songs on this album, but the album itself is not amazing overall.

Purple Rain, 1999, Dirty Mind...all leagues better imo.


I have been thinking this for some time, SOTT is overrated. it's really nice to see that there are people on the org who speak there minds and are honest, i respect that thumbs up!


I like you GoldenGlove, but what a ridiculous thing to say. Listen, I absolutely love "3121" after hearing it - and i would say it's eclecticism reminds me of SOTT, WAY MORE than anything else. Even the title track has a Camille-ish voice....So if you think SOTT is overrated, I really can't say if you will like 3121.... (and btw, studio version of "Fury" is a lot different to the live versions)
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Reply #105 posted 02/25/06 4:13am

GoldenGlove

avatar

Militant said:

GoldenGlove said:



I have been thinking this for some time, SOTT is overrated. it's really nice to see that there are people on the org who speak there minds and are honest, i respect that thumbs up!

(and btw, studio version of "Fury" is a lot different to the live versions)


WHAT!?!? mad please explain...
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Reply #106 posted 02/25/06 4:16am

Mr7

I love SOTT.

Most Prince albums are under-rated in my experience.

I think SOTT deserves recognition.

You are looking at it from the perspective of a listener in 2006, not 1987. That is the problem.
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Reply #107 posted 02/25/06 8:22am

ufoclub

avatar

When I listened to it in 1987 on record, I felt that the songs that were killer were: Sign o The Times, Housequake, Ballad of Dorothy Parker, Starfish & Coffee, If I Was Your girlfriend, The Cross.

At that first listen, I thought the other stuff was filler, or rushed, and I went back to listening to the Beatles and a bit of David Bowie.
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Reply #108 posted 02/25/06 8:57am

Byron

GoldenGlove said:

PurpleKnight said:

I just listened to it again, and I am absolutely shocked that so many consider this to be his greatest album ever.

Don't get me wrong, as is the case with all of Prince's 80's projects, there's a lot of brilliance on it.

Even so, there's so much standard Prince fare you have to wade through first to get to the gold. It? Hot Thing? It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night? Play in the Sunshine? U Got the Look?

It's got absolutely brilliant songs on it too, but it just feels so padded with average material.

Also, the tracklisting makes NO sense.

A brilliantly haunting political opener is followed by a run of the mill, happy pop song?! Where's the logic in that?!

There are definitely some amazing songs on this album, but the album itself is not amazing overall.

Purple Rain, 1999, Dirty Mind...all leagues better imo.


I have been thinking this for some time, SOTT is overrated. it's really nice to see that there are people on the org who speak there minds and are honest, i respect that thumbs up!

Pretty much everyone on this site meets that description... rolleyes...I hate when only criticism and cynicism are treated as "honest" and "speaking the truth"...or worse, only those views that match our own.


.
[Edited 2/25/06 8:58am]
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Reply #109 posted 02/25/06 9:22am

Byron

Also, the tracklisting makes NO sense.

A brilliantly haunting political opener is followed by a run of the mill, happy pop song?! Where's the logic in that?!

For starters, as someone put so perfectly above, insisting that logic and art always co-exist in order for any work to be worthy of high praise is ridiculous...the best art is about expression, not logical calculation.

Secondly, to write off "Play In The Sunshine" as a "run of the mill, happy pop song" shows how little you really grasp what you're hearing. You take the song, and I suspect the entire album, on a much too superficial level. "Play In The Sunshine" actually has some rather politically tinged commentary when it comes to several topics:

"We wanna be free
Without the help of a Margarita or Exstacy"

"We gonna love all our enemies
Till the gorilla falls off the wall
We're gonna rock him
We're gonna roll him
We're gonna teach him that love will make him tall (somehow)"

"Aah, pop goes the music
When the big white rabbit begin 2 talk
And the color green will make your best friends leave ya
It will make them do the walk"

Commentary on drugs, war and the music business...hardly topics you'd find in a "run of the mill, happy pop song", wouldn't you say?

Not to mention that "Play In The Sunshine" is musically tight, infectious and performed with razor-sharp precision...and all by one man. That's the important part. Think that's no big deal??...Go find any musician and tell them to put together that kind of crispness and energy in a musical run-through like Prince did in this song, complete with the production values, and tell them they HAVE to do it alone...AND make it sound like it's really a band playing together. You'll be gone a LONG while before you find someone able to do so as perfectly as Prince does...and that may be the ultimate "political" statement he's making with that song...he's yellin' for the "drummer...do your thing!" and he's the damn drummer..lol. And the darker, slowed-down, choppy last few moments of music in the song are in stark contrast to the "happy peppy" music that flowed for three minutes beforehand (and he does this after the "Shave and a haircut" exclamation..lol..damn, that's perfection)...which is a great, and with many artist an unheard of, touch that leads perfectly into the brilliance that is "Housequake"...

Seriously, PurpleKnight...there's a LOT going on in this disc that I think just flew right over your head. Will it make you like the album more?...Probably not. Personal taste is personal taste, and it's why I always try to not announce my own as "fact" simply because of the fact that it exist. I can give a lengthy factual explanation as to why asparagus is one of the best foods you could possibly eat, but it won't make you like the taste any better. But it should help keep you from pronouncing "I just ate some asparagus, and it really isn't all that great a food to eat as you guys make it out to be."

.
[Edited 2/25/06 9:37am]
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Reply #110 posted 02/25/06 9:30am

mapaul

This sucker will KICK when it is finally remastered . . . . SOTT was the music I was waiting for after he was done dicking around with the Revolution . . . just P, his imagination, some instruments and a studio. I always imagined the cover art was Prince walking away from his music instruments like a little boy walking away from his toys saying, "I'm done playing now . . ."
"Tell that little purple motherfucker to contact me!" - Miles to Alan Leeds . . .
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Reply #111 posted 02/25/06 9:31am

Byron

mapaul said:

This sucker will KICK when it is finally remastered . . . . SOTT was the music I was waiting for after he was done dicking around with the Revolution . . . just P, his imagination, some instruments and a studio. I always imagined the cover art was Prince walking away from his music instruments like a little boy walking away from his toys saying, "I'm done playing now . . ."

Exactly...exactly. nod
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Reply #112 posted 02/25/06 9:43am

Aerogram

avatar

PurpleKnight said:

Aerogram said:



This is way over the top. Who is actually threatened by whose opinion? You don't see me taking away your right to free speech.

If you choose to express an opinion contrary to a strong consensus that is fine but don't expect compliments on your taste or critical judgment.


Certain people are threatened by a minority opinion, though. It's like they want everyone to agree with them and accept certain things as fact. That's always the way it is on the internet. It's an elitism issue, and it's always very annoying.

Anyone who isn't as in love with the most popular thing of a hardcore fanbase as the majority will always be called a "hater" or similarly have his opinion unfairly dismissed.

I didn't mean certain fans are trying to take away my right to free speech. lol

I was just referring to the hypocritical way in which some act like this is a discussion forum, and yet they simply don't wanna hear out certain types of opinions.


Do I go around calling people "haters"? I simply disagreed with you. I called you a "contrarian" because you tend to go against the general consensus somewhat predictably. It's your right to create topics like "SOTT really isn't that great" or "1999:The New Master is superior to the original", but you've got to put up with the reaction as long as it isn't abusive. Questioning your taste and critical judgment isn't abusive.

As for the accusations of elitism, I'd say that casually putting down a classic album, book, film or work of art is an elitist cliched behavior that is unfortunately all too common. There isn't an aspiring candidate to the intelligentsia that hasn't said something like "The Trial is a better film than Citizen Kane" or "Michelangelo's overrated" or "Beethoven's Ninth Symphony just drags on and on".

Perhaps you are taking things too seriously. Anyone creating a thread like this one has to know it's likely to get a strong response. That is what you got and you should be saying "Mission Accomplished!" instead of complaining.
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Reply #113 posted 02/25/06 9:53am

ufoclub

avatar

I for one, applaud the voicing of dissenting opinion. It's what keeps things interesting. PurpleKnight rocked it!
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Reply #114 posted 02/25/06 10:05am

EmancipationLo
ver

avatar

PurpleKnight said:

I just listened to it again, and I am absolutely shocked that so many consider this to be his greatest album ever.

Don't get me wrong, as is the case with all of Prince's 80's projects, there's a lot of brilliance on it.

Even so, there's so much standard Prince fare you have to wade through first to get to the gold. It? Hot Thing? It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night? Play in the Sunshine? U Got the Look?

It's got absolutely brilliant songs on it too, but it just feels so padded with average material.

Also, the tracklisting makes NO sense.

A brilliantly haunting political opener is followed by a run of the mill, happy pop song?! Where's the logic in that?!

There are definitely some amazing songs on this album, but the album itself is not amazing overall.

Purple Rain, 1999, Dirty Mind...all leagues better imo.


Well, if your argument against SOTT is that it is too uneven and has filler on it and if that is the reason why you dislike it, then I can't see why you prefer the other albums mentioned.

"Purple Rain" - Would you really tend to say that songs like "Darling Nikki", "Computer Blue" (the vocal part, the intrumental section is brilliant imo) or "I Would Die 4 U" are on the same level as "Let's Go Crazy", "When Doves Cry" or the title track?

"1999" - Do you think that "Delirious", "Automatic" or "Something in the water" are on the same level as "1999" and LRC?
prince
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Reply #115 posted 02/25/06 10:53am

Moonbeam

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EmancipationLover said:

"1999" - Do you think that "Delirious", "Automatic" or "Something in the water" are on the same level as "1999" and LRC?


I know this isn't addressed to me, but I'll answer with a "Hell yes!"

"Something in the Water" is my favorite song of all time. "Delirious" and "Automatic" both get a nod from me over "Little Red Corvette". In reality, though, I can't fault anything on that album.
Feel free to join in the Prince Album Poll 2018! Let'a celebrate his legacy by counting down the most beloved Prince albums, as decided by you!
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Reply #116 posted 02/25/06 10:57am

GoldenGlove

avatar

Byron said:

Also, the tracklisting makes NO sense.

A brilliantly haunting political opener is followed by a run of the mill, happy pop song?! Where's the logic in that?!

For starters, as someone put so perfectly above, insisting that logic and art always co-exist in order for any work to be worthy of high praise is ridiculous...the best art is about expression, not logical calculation.

Secondly, to write off "Play In The Sunshine" as a "run of the mill, happy pop song" shows how little you really grasp what you're hearing. You take the song, and I suspect the entire album, on a much too superficial level. "Play In The Sunshine" actually has some rather politically tinged commentary when it comes to several topics:

"We wanna be free
Without the help of a Margarita or Exstacy"

"We gonna love all our enemies
Till the gorilla falls off the wall
We're gonna rock him
We're gonna roll him
We're gonna teach him that love will make him tall (somehow)"

"Aah, pop goes the music
When the big white rabbit begin 2 talk
And the color green will make your best friends leave ya
It will make them do the walk"

Commentary on drugs, war and the music business...hardly topics you'd find in a "run of the mill, happy pop song", wouldn't you say?

Not to mention that "Play In The Sunshine" is musically tight, infectious and performed with razor-sharp precision...and all by one man. That's the important part. Think that's no big deal??...Go find any musician and tell them to put together that kind of crispness and energy in a musical run-through like Prince did in this song, complete with the production values, and tell them they HAVE to do it alone...AND make it sound like it's really a band playing together. You'll be gone a LONG while before you find someone able to do so as perfectly as Prince does...and that may be the ultimate "political" statement he's making with that song...he's yellin' for the "drummer...do your thing!" and he's the damn drummer..lol. And the darker, slowed-down, choppy last few moments of music in the song are in stark contrast to the "happy peppy" music that flowed for three minutes beforehand (and he does this after the "Shave and a haircut" exclamation..lol..damn, that's perfection)...which is a great, and with many artist an unheard of, touch that leads perfectly into the brilliance that is "Housequake"...

Seriously, PurpleKnight...there's a LOT going on in this disc that I think just flew right over your head. Will it make you like the album more?...Probably not. Personal taste is personal taste, and it's why I always try to not announce my own as "fact" simply because of the fact that it exist. I can give a lengthy factual explanation as to why asparagus is one of the best foods you could possibly eat, but it won't make you like the taste any better. But it should help keep you from pronouncing "I just ate some asparagus, and it really isn't all that great a food to eat as you guys make it out to be."

.
[Edited 2/25/06 9:37am]


Now u do have a point! i agree with this! cool
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Reply #117 posted 02/25/06 10:58am

GoldenGlove

avatar

EmancipationLover said:

PurpleKnight said:

I just listened to it again, and I am absolutely shocked that so many consider this to be his greatest album ever.

Don't get me wrong, as is the case with all of Prince's 80's projects, there's a lot of brilliance on it.

Even so, there's so much standard Prince fare you have to wade through first to get to the gold. It? Hot Thing? It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night? Play in the Sunshine? U Got the Look?

It's got absolutely brilliant songs on it too, but it just feels so padded with average material.

Also, the tracklisting makes NO sense.

A brilliantly haunting political opener is followed by a run of the mill, happy pop song?! Where's the logic in that?!

There are definitely some amazing songs on this album, but the album itself is not amazing overall.

Purple Rain, 1999, Dirty Mind...all leagues better imo.


Well, if your argument against SOTT is that it is too uneven and has filler on it and if that is the reason why you dislike it, then I can't see why you prefer the other albums mentioned.

"Purple Rain" - Would you really tend to say that songs like "Darling Nikki", "Computer Blue" (the vocal part, the intrumental section is brilliant imo) or "I Would Die 4 U" are on the same level as "Let's Go Crazy", "When Doves Cry" or the title track?

"1999" - Do you think that "Delirious", "Automatic" or "Something in the water" are on the same level as "1999" and LRC?


ALl albums have "Standout" tracks so what's your point?
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Reply #118 posted 02/25/06 11:12am

EmancipationLo
ver

avatar

GoldenGlove said:

EmancipationLover said:



Well, if your argument against SOTT is that it is too uneven and has filler on it and if that is the reason why you dislike it, then I can't see why you prefer the other albums mentioned.

"Purple Rain" - Would you really tend to say that songs like "Darling Nikki", "Computer Blue" (the vocal part, the intrumental section is brilliant imo) or "I Would Die 4 U" are on the same level as "Let's Go Crazy", "When Doves Cry" or the title track?

"1999" - Do you think that "Delirious", "Automatic" or "Something in the water" are on the same level as "1999" and LRC?


ALl albums have "Standout" tracks so what's your point?


As this is usually the case, my point is that it's indeed no point to find not-so-strong songs on albums. It's just a question of the ratio and the actual quality of the not-so-strong tunes. If something like "It" is considered to be filler on an album, that is more an argument for the strength of the record than for its weakness, I think.
prince
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Reply #119 posted 02/25/06 11:29am

Housequake2K2

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Byron said:

Also, the tracklisting makes NO sense.

A brilliantly haunting political opener is followed by a run of the mill, happy pop song?! Where's the logic in that?!

For starters, as someone put so perfectly above, insisting that logic and art always co-exist in order for any work to be worthy of high praise is ridiculous...the best art is about expression, not logical calculation.

Secondly, to write off "Play In The Sunshine" as a "run of the mill, happy pop song" shows how little you really grasp what you're hearing. You take the song, and I suspect the entire album, on a much too superficial level. "Play In The Sunshine" actually has some rather politically tinged commentary when it comes to several topics:

"We wanna be free
Without the help of a Margarita or Exstacy"

"We gonna love all our enemies
Till the gorilla falls off the wall
We're gonna rock him
We're gonna roll him
We're gonna teach him that love will make him tall (somehow)"

"Aah, pop goes the music
When the big white rabbit begin 2 talk
And the color green will make your best friends leave ya
It will make them do the walk"

Commentary on drugs, war and the music business...hardly topics you'd find in a "run of the mill, happy pop song", wouldn't you say?

Not to mention that "Play In The Sunshine" is musically tight, infectious and performed with razor-sharp precision...and all by one man. That's the important part. Think that's no big deal??...Go find any musician and tell them to put together that kind of crispness and energy in a musical run-through like Prince did in this song, complete with the production values, and tell them they HAVE to do it alone...AND make it sound like it's really a band playing together. You'll be gone a LONG while before you find someone able to do so as perfectly as Prince does...and that may be the ultimate "political" statement he's making with that song...he's yellin' for the "drummer...do your thing!" and he's the damn drummer..lol. And the darker, slowed-down, choppy last few moments of music in the song are in stark contrast to the "happy peppy" music that flowed for three minutes beforehand (and he does this after the "Shave and a haircut" exclamation..lol..damn, that's perfection)...which is a great, and with many artist an unheard of, touch that leads perfectly into the brilliance that is "Housequake"...

Seriously, PurpleKnight...there's a LOT going on in this disc that I think just flew right over your head. Will it make you like the album more?...Probably not. Personal taste is personal taste, and it's why I always try to not announce my own as "fact" simply because of the fact that it exist. I can give a lengthy factual explanation as to why asparagus is one of the best foods you could possibly eat, but it won't make you like the taste any better. But it should help keep you from pronouncing "I just ate some asparagus, and it really isn't all that great a food to eat as you guys make it out to be."

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[Edited 2/25/06 9:37am]


This has got to be the best commentary I've heard on Play in the Sunshine, and exemplifies what makes SOTT such a compelling, and arguably P's best album to date. As much as I've always enjoyed just listening to Prince's music, when Sign 'O' The Times (the song) first played on the radio, the lyrics were what impressed me more than the music. The commentary on AIDS, gang violence, hurricanes and the space shuttle exploding drew me in more than the bass line.
When the album came out, I remember running to the store to go buy it, but my dad refused to let me get it, which pissed me off. (I was 17 at the time) We leave the store and get in his truck, and he smiles and he plays the tape and hands me SOTT--which he bought for me the day before!

I go home to listen to it, and I can honestly say that SOTT made me a Prince fan for life. Housequake in particular being the main reason, and the birth of my org identity years later (LOL)

There are songs I may prefer more than others on SOTT, but it's a CD I never skip a track to, because there's a little bit of everything. The musical styles are eclectic and shows his range yes, we all know that. But as Byron said, the lyrics were taken to another level on the majority of the songs. And as corny as the lyrics to U Got the Look can seem, it fits the eclecticism of the album, and it was cool rock n roll song with disguised with a tinge of funk to make everybody get on the dance floor.
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