I'm familiar with everything up to Come and C&D but not TGE. Then there's a blank until TRC etc...

So could you kind people recomend any tracks I should check out?

Ta

Xplanet said:

I like most of it. I would sudgest New Power Soul. Of course, you can always find Emancipation at a discounted price, but I think there are several good cuts off that album. You are not very spicific as to what is "good" 2u.

Well, there are lots of great tracks worth checking:

First of all, there is the Truth album, which you should listen to in its entirety.

Then, there is:

from TGE: P Control, Shhh, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, Dolphin, Shy, I Hate u, Gold

from Emancipation: Jam of the Year, Right Back Here in my Arms, In this Bed I Scream, Sex In the Summer, Joint 2 Joint, The Holy River, Dreamin' about U, Saviour, Face Down, Sleep Around, Style, The Love We Make

from Rave: Undisputed, Tangerine, So Far So Pleased, Baby Knows, I love U But I don't Trust U Anymore, Strange But True, Prettyman

from The Vault: When The Lights Go Down, There Is Lonely, Extraordinary, Old Friends 4 Sale

Also listen to The War (1998), Chocolate Invasion (NPGMC, 2000) and Slaughterhouse (NPGMC, 2000).

IMHO, the only great track from this period is Wasted Kisses (hidden track on NPS). Absolutely brilliant.

Some occassional decent stuff on Emancipation, The Truth and even Rave. If you're talking about when stuff was released, as opposed to recorded, same goes for Crystal Ball and The Vault.

I really like most of his stuff throughout this period, if I'm honest.

TGE is by far my favourite album EVER.

And like every other Prince album, there's something on every one that makes you realise why you got into Prince music in the first place. Emancipation has some really good songs on it, as does Rave and NPS, in my humble opinion.

Every 96-01 album has its standout track(s)
I'd say Chaos and Disorder has Same December, Into the Light/I will
Emacipation has In This Bed I Scream, The Holy River, Saviour and The Love we make.
The Truth is a cool little album.
Rave un2 the Joy Fantastic has the title track, Strange but true, Tangerine, Greatest Romance.
Chocolate Invasion has the gorgeous When I lay my hands on you.
Rainbow Children has 1+1+1=3 and She loves me 4 me!

Very subjective, but these are the real gems IMO.

Oh, and New Power Soul has
Come On and
The One!

there's TONS of good stuff from then.

Standout tracks from that time period and TGE:

Shh!
I Hate U
Don't Play Me
Dionne
Comeback
In This Bed I Scream
Soul Sanctuary
Joint 2 Joint
Holy River
The Love We Make
Mad Sex
I Love You But I Don't Trust You
Beautiful Strange


There are lots of other good tracks but these are my favorites.

Since Sign O' The Times, every Prince album has an eclectic mix of styles. You could listen to individual tracks from them but it wouldn't really give you an idea of the whole album. There are gems from every album - but everybody chooses completely different songs.

My personal favourites are:
From TGE: P. Control, Endorphinmachine, Gold
from Emancipation: In This Bed I Scream, Face Down, My Computer, One Of Us, The Love We Make
From Newpower Soul: Push It Up, Freaks On This Side
From The Vault: The Rest Of My Life, 5 Women, When The Lights Go Down, There Is Lonely, Old Friends 4 Sale, Sarah
From The Crystal Ball: Crystal Ball, Ripopgodazippa, Hide The Bone, Interactive, Da Bang, Calhoun Square, What's My Name, Strays Of The World, Days Of Wild, She Gave Her Angels, The Ride
From The Truth: The Truth
From Rave Un2: Hot Wit U, So Far So Pleased, Baby Knows, Prettyman
From Rave In2: Beautiful Strange

BanishedBrian said:

Absolutely!!! That song makes the entire cd worth it.

Emancipation is the best album of that era.

i dif to beggar

"When Eye Lay My Hands On U" <-- one of many great tracks from '96-TRC
"When The Lights Go Down" <--- i like that one too

TGE is my fav all time P album. As u might guess, everything on there is golden.

After Chaos, it's still all good. Despite what people say, NPS and Rave are both fun albums.

From 1996 to 2001 my "album" would be: The Love We Make, Sleep Around, Somebody's Somebody, Curious Child, When the Lights Go Down, Tangerine, High, Baby Knows, Beautiful Strange, The Truth, The Ride (Live), The Greatest Romance Ever Sold, Last December, White Mansion, The One.

Lots of wodnerful tunes from this time, but my favourite would have to be What's My Name? I loves it.

CinisterCee said:

Disagree...the worst


Btw, why is 'Wasted kisses' everybodys darling?
That's no song, 'The One' is far better than that tune

Pellwormer said:

I agree - it is an interestingly odd song in it's subject matter and the way Prince sings it - but is it enjoyable to listen to? No, I'd rather listen to Prettyman as a hidden track!

XxAxX said:

..thats what I was gonna say...but I guess once again, it just comes down to a persons taste...
...As for "Wasted Kisses", Its just a cool song, imo, and I think it reminded alot of folks of an 80's B-side when fans were feeling a lil' less than excited about P's new music...

Pellwormer said:

Seconded!

Quite possibly his worst album ever in my opinion.

TGE is one of my favorites, all eras confounded.
And Emancipation, although unfocused, contains much more outstanding songs IMHO than other universally acclaimed albums by fans, like Lovesexy.

Both are must have if you love Prince. Always IMHO.

The Gold Experience is one of his best albums ever. But there are some real nice tracks on every album (even New Power Soul has "The One"- one of his best ballads ever).

Nasalhair said:

Also agree. It should've been a single cd. Then maybe a good album. Such a shame he left "Goodbye" of that album.

SexualSuicide said:

A single CD of... Your own personal favourites? Or mine, which would be completely different. Or somebody else which would be completely different again?

Prince purposely tried to produce an album which had 'something for everybody' as he once even said in an interview.

Follow my logic - the only reason we even know we can all compile a decent single CD of Emancipation tracls is because Prince gave us 3 CDs of varied material to choose from in the first place.

Personally, I wish he'd done 3 CDs for Musicology, then I could have made one good album that suited my personal tastes with that as well...
[Edited 3/1/06 10:31am]

metalorange said:

Something for everybody? That would be two songs for me then, so it could have been a 7" single or a flexidisk (remember them?)

metalorange said:

If any other musician had released Emancipation they would have been praised like no other. But this release from Prince is just another Prince album. Even his worst critics admit he's in a class all by himself. This album had too much of a "Demo" or "filler" feel for my taste. I agree with your point but being a Prince fan/follower or whatever for the past 25 years it was an OK album.

We all have our favorite albums, songs etc. There is so much of his catalog that should be released that isn't. Prince himself stated before his split with WB that his major complaint was being unable to release more than 1 album per year. Emancipation as we all know has 3 discs. Your normal record buyer can't even sit through 2. So yes for my personal taste it should've a single cd.

Nasalhair said:

You must have missed this one:

CinisterCee said:

I have a record review from 96 stating this was the years most over looked album of the year.

SexualSuicide said:

Well everything makes sense now.

CinisterCee said:

In all honesty I think C&D is a better album than Emancipation as it at least has an edge to it and isn't massively overproduced. It is also short, and crap that doesn't last long isn't as insufferable as interminable crap that goes on forever.