Well?


I see alot of "which album dissapointed you the most" type of threads.


So let me ask ya--what albums where you expecting to be so-so or even aweful, that ended up making you say "whao!!! I gotta drop my panties and sleep with this man!!!!"


For me it was the symbol album.

I was expecting something that was Diamonds & Pearls meets Graffiti Bridge. But the album was D&P meets (The future) Gold Experience.

I think Prince fans prepare themselves for the worst because we like to be pleasantly surprised. When I heard Te Amo I certainly expected 3121 not to be awesome, but thankfully its one mediocore song on an AWESOME album. So I guess this answers the question.

After I figured Prince had probably peaked, so I wasn't expecting much when I bought Come....but once I listened to it I was blown the hell away right into earth orbit!!!

gcu1

Actually, when I first listened to a whole (Prince) album it was because someone lent it to me after they listened to a couple songs (they listened to it and then said basically if I wanted to hear more I could listen).

Well, to be honest I thought I wasn't going to like it that much even though I knew and liked some of the singles. I figured it would only be "OK." Then I didn't want to return it..but it was a hits compilation that I first listened to, and since then I've had a very open mind and never thought right off the bat that I wouldn't like something. Because here I sit, obsessed.

For me it was Chaos & Disorder.
(I know I know, most of y'all hate it...)
My expectations were so low for this album, that I didn't get it for almost a year after it was released.
And while it obviously is not a classic,
I was quite surprised how much I enjoyed it.

Illustrator said:

This one had to grow on me as well, but now I love it!

gcu1

Chaos & Disorder. It's starts off great and does tail off, but it has a nice energy. All the reviews were awful.

Come. The perception was it got bad reviews, although Entertainment Weekly actually gave it a great one. But all I'd heard was bad things before I got it. And I thought it was great.

u2prnce said:

I agree with Come. I thought it would be terrible and it's a great CD .

I popped in "Chaos" this weekend and re-checked it. Great work.

I also re-checked out "Musicology" and actually enjoyed it. I think I may have listened to it once or twice back in 2004. But now that I've re-listened to it, it's not that bad of a CD.

u2prnce said:

Emancipation & The Black Album

"The Truth" album is all that!!!! Never thought, but it's hot!!!!!

TGE- I was out of the loop and had missed all the boots. All I knew of Gold was IHateU which left me definitely underwhelmed. I still don't get off on it. It was the first P album I waited for a long while b4 I bought, and it still took a while to reach its legendary status in my catalogue.

3121

Spinlight said:

I was seriously expecting Musicology pt 2

When Gold Experience came out...it was marketed as the best thing since D&P....and the first thing i thought of was "what about come? what about ?...so i went into GE not expecting much but i'm still loving it now and 10 years on (cant believe its 10 years old) it keeps getting better...its getting to the level of SOTT.

Reading about New Power Soul before I heard it I was expecting it to be completley horrible...but omg it's one of my favorites...the funk is off the charts in this one...I don't care what other fans think about it...I can't stop bobbing my head when I blast it!

Krystal666 said:

Amen! I couldn't agree more!!!

I didn't know he had a new album out. After Emancipation and Crystal Ball I figured it would be a long wait before the next release. I'm not sure what I originally went to the CD shop for, but I made the obligatory glance at Prince's section and "SURPRISE!"

( Like) Funky Music

gcu1

gcu1 said:

me 3

The one album that had me really impressed in the end was the rainbow children.It was so different from his previous work with elements of the prince we all loved.But it was also the most original and damn weird album i have listened to since the millenium hit me right between the eyes and i still appreciate it today.1+1+1=3 was funkee as hell,Last december was diamonds and pearls epic,and lets not forget the excellent Family Name.But in the beginning the first listen was the biggest letdown ever.How wrong i was.I also loved getting my teeth into N.E.W.S.another intense disk.

Spinlight said:

Definitely. I was shocked that it wasn't terrible.

The Rainbow Children

first we read all those reports about people at the celebration how it was
such a weird album. then someone posted the lyrics and I said to myself oh
god this is going to be very ugly indeed.

then it took 2 days and a heart condition to download the fucker on my low
speed modem and i was just about ready to give that album the worst review
ever.

until I pushed the play button.

man I was jumping around the room, making faces, laughing loudly from joy
and excitement. not since Lovesexy had a Prince album sounded so alive or
layered and organic.

it truly went beyond and above any expectation I had for a new prince cd
after those "plastic" years and the whole Rave/High projects.

I was expecting more plastic produced wanna be hip-hop guest rappers and
larry graham rambling.

instead we got a true album with fire, a cohesive rock of a concept album
with some of the best songs in ages. yeah, well, even if the deep voice
got on some people's tits, there's no denying that there isn't anything in
his catalogue like this.

it's one of those unique projects, like 1999 or Parade. and it came as not
just a surprise, it came as a shock.

IstenSzek said:

Exactly my experience.

personally i dont think the stuff between The Gold Experience and Musicology was that bad overall.Rave had its moments,N.e.w.s. was another underated gem and new power soul was cool.I can see genius in all his post-warner stuff.What i want to know is what people would have made of all the releases on smaller labels if they had all been released on another major label like warner.seems reviewers and members of the public are only too willing to shoot a man when he is down.if the rainbow children was on emi or universal would it have gone down better with everyone.would N.e.w.s be considered awesome if it was on virgin.I think so as heavily promoted material always goes down better with a mindless joe public.

DIAMONDGEEZA said:

I feel the opposite. If you are on a small label and can't afford to spend a lot recording your album (this may not apply to Prince) then I will cut you some slack. But if your album is released on a major with all the bells and whistles at your disposal then it had better be damn good.

IstenSzek said:

I was equally impressed on first listen.
And subsequent listenings yeileded more layers of the albulm I hadnt' heard the first time.
"everywhere" is one of the most joyous songs he'd every written and 1+1+1=3 is a great "non erotic" revamp of Erotic City with better musicianship--the groove is more natural.

But for some reason I can't listen to the album anymore. The Darth Vader voice, the extreme length, the wierd concept (which required narration) just didnt' work for me. Plus, lawd do I get bored with Jazz fushion.

Overall though I think it will be given better acclaim as the years pass than it got initially.

Imago said:

Crystal Ball

3121

oh and Come
[Edited 5/2/06 10:09am]

Purple Rain -- seriously, I thought, "How can he top 1999?" I remember the critics raving about Purple Rain before it came out, and I was like, "Yeah, right!"

Besides that, 3121 and The Rainbow Children also surprised me how good they were.

i didn't have much expectation of The Rainbow Children. i thought it was going to suck considering what i had read about even tho the reviews on here and the Club were generally good.

but then.....it was brilliant.