Payt said:

That's a really unusable plug-in.

I just hope that all of the folks enjoying the leaked album plan on actually buying a copy when it drops. I have no problem with folks hearing it ahead of time (I'm doing so myself), but let's do the right thing and actually purchase it upon release.

Not that we need one, but here's my review all the same:

3121 - Feels more like a groove, an intro, than a full-fledged song. Has a little head-bobbing effect and a bit of idiosyncracy about it (quirky guitar, voices), which sets it apart from some of the other tracks. Had potential for being something a little better, but all in all it's alright. Could've done without those synth horns. Doesn't quite satisfy.

Lolita - Goes straight in with a keyboard riff that reminds me of 'IWBYL', but the actual keyboard sound could've been better. It's straight up fun pop, kinda catchy but ultimately not my thing. A little too fluffy and Emancipation-eque. Wouldn't have made my 1 disc CDR of that 3 disc album.

Te Amo Corazon - Sweet track, beautiful production and instrumentation, but doesn't conjure up any more exciting adjectives than 'nice' or 'pleasant'. I wouldn't skip it, I'd enjoy it, but it could pass me right by if I weren't sitting there specifically to listen to it.

Black Sweat - Sparse, electronic funk track that is too short and for me never really hits stride. Another that doesn't quite satisfy. Some funky rhythm guitar would've improved it in IMHO, but even with that addition wouldn't feel like a good song.

Incense and Candles - Sexy, without a doubt, with some nice touches, but again just not that good a song. Production is good, some nice sounds and a smoothness to it that in this case I don't think detracts, but in conclusion only an average track.

Love - A kinda funky track which combines electronic elements with some nice rhythm guitar licks. The hook is nice, but the verses are pretty poor. The ending is where the track gets funkiest the more the guitar is prominent.

Satisfied - As many have said, very similar to 'On The Couch' but lacking something interesting like the vocal horns on the aforementioned track. Nice instrumentation, pleasing loose feel to the structure and playing, but passes by without really registering. Pleasant enough, but hardly taxing for ol' boy. He could write 3 of these a day and I'm beginning to think perhaps he does.

Fury - As suspected, and often feared, disappoints compared to the SNL performance. Sounds pretty soft, keyboards too prominent, guitar not prominent enough, vocals just so-so and a little quiet in the mix. Even the scream towards the end has a perfunctory feel about it. A cool song that I do quite like, but having seen the SNL performance it's hard not to feel a little disappointed. Knew it was coming though, unfortunately.

The Word - Acoustic guitar is a nice touch and there's quite a nice feel about this track. Lyrics aren't the best, but it's not a big issue. An enjoyable track without being that catchy or interesting. The usual nice touches here and there, some cool guitar work and a good vibe about it, but certainly not a great song.

Beautiful, Loved and Blessed - A decent pop Rnb track, some nice vocals from both Tamar and Prince. Good structure and quite catchy and a funky coda at the conclusion. All in all quite a well put together track with decent instrumentation. Quite good, will probably work well on Tamar's album. Doesn't break any molds but is a pleasant listen.

The Dance - Greatly improves on the other version. Has a nice mood about it and some subtly emotive singing. Piano work is good and fits well. I think this is one of the stronger tracks on the album. It feels more fully thought out. Again, it doesn't really jump out at you but there is some beauty in the subtlety. Ends with passionate pleading, emotion that is very welcome and sadly missing from much of the rest of the album.

Get On The Boat - Fun and funky with some nice solos in there. A very weak hook though, and verses almost identical in rhythmic delivery to 'Pretty Man'. The backbone to the song is chugging and funky though and the overall effect is a nice groove. Could've been a little grittier, but the playing is pretty tight. Not bad.


So, hardly the most positive review on here. In fact, I've not been exclusively positive about a single track on the album. The problem for me is that while it's quite consistent and I wouldn't have a problem with putting the disc in and letting it play all the way through, there's nothing really great on here. A few nice tracks, some cool music, a handful of good ideas, some wasted opportunities, some pretty weak songwriting, some questionable choices of instrumentation and production, and an overall pleasantness that ends up disappointing more than enthusing due to the man's obvious talent and our expectations of what should be capable of.

2.5/3 out of 5.

then again.. a real musician can make music with anything

Funny how he is heavy into the electronic thing after all that musicology crap about real musicians, real music, blah blah blah.

You all are a trip . . . you anxiously drool for the next release and then write a negative take on it after hearing it for one day, two days tops . . . ha ha ha. I wish Prince would shit on you all and not release anything for a decade.

You all are a trip . . . you anxiously drool for the next release and then write a negative take on it after hearing it for one day, two days tops . . . ha ha ha. I wish Prince would shit on you all and not release anything for a decade.

mapaul said:

Did you read the first post?

[something]

You all are a trip . . . you anxiously drool for the next release and then write a negative take on it after hearing it for one day, two days tops . . . ha ha ha. I wish Prince would shit on you all and not release anything for a decade.

How come people have got to review the album - Was there some promotion or something??

Have I missed summat???

mapaul said:

You don't have to love it just because it's a new Prince album. It isn't horrible it just isn't great.

And I know he is older but you have artists like Van Morrison, Neil Young, Neil Diamond making some of the best music of their careers now. He just isn't playing to his potential from what we have seen live. He's a shitty producer.

I still love him and I want so bad to be proven wrong with every new album.

Why can't he make a great album of drop dead funk like Pretty Man? He would slay the naysayers. This chasing pop radio thing he has been trying is selling himself and his fans short.

This thread should be removed now, because all of the reviews, opinions, etc from before R gone, due 2 the Drama that a few felt necessary. Without showing the initial reactions of listeners anymore, this thread is useless now.

purpledisc said:

Its been leaked mate!

roanmairin said:

See, this is a pattern that's been going on for some time now. About a decade I'd say.

He has his bid for the mainstream, and then slips away for awhile to rethink things and tend to his hardcore fanbase. I don't think it's been intentional, but that's just the way it's gone.

For every Emancipation that's meant to be enormous and the most important release of his career, you get 5 projects out of the glaring spotlight like The Truth, The War, Crystal Ball, whatever. Even more so after Rave.

We're just in an unusual phase where his bids for the mainstream are actually taking hold and getting him somewhere not only critically, but commercially. I'm fine with that. I know we'll get another C-Note and another Rainbow Children someday.

I'm just happy to go with the flow and see what happens. I'm not gonna fall in love with everything, but I'm also not ready to throw in the towel every time something doesn't line up exactly with my expectations. That's the key.

I'm just happy that it sounds like Prince is having fun again and combining the things that made him interesting in the first place.

andykeen said:

Oh !!!

I was just curious. Thanks for telling me. I thought because Universal and NPGMC had done this WorldWide promo I thought maybe some "lucky" Fans got a look in too.

Giovanni777 said:

not really--like what 'nana mentioned earlier, he'll be able to pull up the relevant reviews from the other thread if you ask 'im to, so it's totally not all at a loss.

at least we've been given the chance to start anew with this thread, and hopefully people will not act a fool again (i dunno what went down on the other one, but i'm figuring that people acted stupid and that's what ultimately killed it).

...and there it is.

roanmairin said:

See, this is a pattern that's been going on for some time now. About a decade I'd say.

He has his bid for the mainstream, and then slips away for awhile to rethink things and tend to his hardcore fanbase. I don't think it's been intentional, but that's just the way it's gone.

For every Emancipation that's meant to be enormous and the most important release of his career, you get 5 projects out of the glaring spotlight like The Truth, The War, Crystal Ball, whatever. Even more so after Rave.

We're just in an unusual phase where his bids for the mainstream are actually taking hold and getting him somewhere not only critically, but commercially. I'm fine with that. I know we'll get another C-Note and another Rainbow Children someday.

I'm just happy to go with the flow and see what happens. I'm not gonna fall in love with everything, but I'm also not ready to throw in the towel every time something doesn't line up exactly with my expectations. That's the key.

I'm just happy that it sounds like Prince is having fun again and combining the things that made him interesting in the first place.

GangstaFam said:

...and there it is.

... you have artists like Van Morrison, Neil Young, Neil Diamond making some of the best music of their careers now...