It sounds like it was ripped from disc 2 of Emancipation.

Even the guitar solo sounds very "Holy River".

Sort of like the way the guitar on "God Is Alive" proves its a Lovesexy outtake.

origmnd said:

i thought the word sounds like a reworked lovesexy outtake.

The Word sounds pretty new to me. If anything, it reminds me of "7"

origmnd said:

I was just listening to disc 2 of Emancipation last evening and I played The Word right after that and I thought exactly the same!

Cheek said:

be honest. you were really listening to the bootleg
Gangster Glam remix single, weren't you cheeky?

I really want it to be new. It gives hope for Prince´s music
in the future. I love love that song.

origmnd said:

I don't think he really started using a tremolo bar for his solos until fairly recently and the tone is new too, so....

sallysassalot said:

I thought the same - the guitar just sounds like classic Lovesexy to me - I wondered on the first few listens whether he even used a cloud guitar.

Prince can't win. It's "He's crap now." Then, when he does a song as equally good as anything he's ever recorded, he gets accused of knocking up an old vault track.
Seriously, you people are mentally ill if you think The Word isn't a new song.

Number23 said:

It hardly makes us mentally ill...alot of songs throughout the years have been reworked tracks. Besides its not knocking him, just an observation.

origmnd said:

It does. It makes you mentally ill.

calldapplwondery83 said:

Exactly... that is what gives it away.

off topic, I got the vibe that Lolita is a vault track...what do u think?

What is it with all you numbnuts who think very song is a vault track?

Makes me think of stuff off The Truth..

Personally I'm more disappointed that The Dance got it's 3rd release !

To me, The Word sounds like it was recorded the same time as Van Gogh - the bass, the horns - it all sounds so similar.

And aren't all songs "vault" tracks? Surely he never releases a song the day he records it...

The reason The word sounds so familiar is the guitar. It is almost identical to 777-9311
I kept thinking that this song, (a great song by the way) sounded familiar.

I think it's just cuz his production values haven't changed much with the times.

billymeade said:

there's a difference between a song that's been sitting in "the vault" for a few years or more and a song that was recorded for a new project four months ago. most of us know what peeps mean when they say "from the vault."

boomboomboom said:

Sounds like Shoo Be Doop (whatever it's called) from Newpowersoul to me.

It has similarities in style and vocals to White Mansion and has all the enthusiasm of Emancipation era songs, it also borrows from Shoo Bed Ooh but i dont think it is vault as the quality seems better - he may have re-recorded it.
[Edited 5/17/06 12:33pm]

It's easy to wonder because The Dance is definitely not new, and the rest of the album sounds like old Prince. But my guess is most of it was recorded (if not written) recently.