I was recently listening to Carmen Electra's CD, and I can't believe how bad it is. I was also looking at the Ryde Dyvine (or how ever you spell it) special, and the music just sucks.

That early 90s period, from like 1991 through 1994, I think was just awful. What was Prince thinking? He had just come out of one of the most amazing decades of new, innovative music, and then BAM! We suddenly get crap. Was it the cheesy keyboards? The really bad hip-hop programmed drum patterns? (Some of the drum patterns he used sounded like bad 80s rejects. Yuck!!) The lame-ass attempt at rapping? Tony Mosley?

I'm not that big a fan of "Diamonds and Pearls" or the symbol album. I like some song from them, but not all. Even during "Ulysses" the music was tettering. I think he started to come out of his bad period with "Come" and "The Gold Experience." At least "The Gold Experience" was a live band sound.

Anyway, I'm curious what you guys think. Do you agree or disagree? Do you think any of his music from this time period will be lasting? What do you think is Prince's worst period of music?

i have to agree, the whole gansgta glam shit was pretty bad

1991-1992 without a shadow of doubt (I still love it all, but nowhere near as much as other times during his career)

gnations said:

You know I keep my Carmen Electra CD hidden in a drawer, I have this fear that some of my friends might find it and crucify me...lol..

1990-1993. With few exceptions. Or, 1999-2002, with even fewer.

1989, 1997, 1998 The lean years...

I don't know if you can call it a period, but whatever time in which 'New Power Soul' was created. Yuck!

Haystack said:

Much like you, I like it all, but from 95-98, he just released too many albums for me. Either overproduced or under-marketed, its hard to really enjoy one enough without absorbing the others. He had (this may not been entirely accurate, so do not shoot :

1995
The Gold Exp.
Girl 6
The Black Album

1996
Chaos & Disorder

1996-1998
Emancipation
Crystal Ball
Kamasutra
The Truth
New Power Soul


It was almost like he wanted to prove he can still be the prolific songwriter he always was. No one argues that, but the overflow of material did not produce too many quality pieces of music (insert New Power Soul here) and at times it seemed like he was stretching himself thin.

Its often been pointed out on this board that a culmination of songs from some of these albums would have made about 2-3 great albums for that given period vs. 9 albums released during this era. The music of this time sounded so average and was not intense, raw, or thought-provoking, so although I initially hated the Rainbow Children, it's better than most of his work from this era.

He's found his groove again, so I'm interested in seeing what he has in store next.

Peace,

Shit, can you say the whole 90's please?? Of course without 'Come' and 'Emanc'. Some of the things in GB, O+>, D&P worth the listen.

1998 - present,
throwing in with that period "Chaos & Disorder"

since "new power soul" (or whatever that album was called) in '98, there's been more trend-following than trend-setting, too much bad word spelling, too much shit-talking & namecalling, unnecessary lawsuits, all the revolving (& mostly inferior) band members, too many misguided attempts at who-knows-what, too many distractions..
all these things have contributed to the decline of this once musically UNTOUCHABLE, peerless musician..
from "Dirty Mind" to "Rave Un2..":
that's a long fall.


That I'm not at all into his music of the last 5 years or so (& I've tried a little to be) doesn't mean that I hate him or anything like that..
I've simply grown away from Prince, musically. What he wants to put out now hardly excites or even interests me, & it seems it would take an extraordinary album (of which I believe he's still capable of making) just to pique my curiosity/interest in him again. Oh well, it was a great ride for me, while it lasted..


yeah, these last 4-5 years are exactely why I am a "recovering Prince fan"..

Haystack said:

Agreed! I would expand it from 1989-1992. Way too commercially minded and it shows in how dated some of production techniques are. The albums released then sound like products of their times.

WildheartXXX said:

i totally disagree...Diamonds and Pearls, especially, showed Prince was still in the now...not so much "Push", but with Gett off and Cream, Rosie's singing, his new jazz sound and lyrics on Strollin.

That whole album got people back into him, from Thunder thru Live 4 Love--just brilliant IMO.

Now the Come album, Chaos & Disorder, the 'extra's" on Crystal Ball, NPS...not really for me.

Thinkin' we're right in the middle of it ... 1996-present!

Only the strongest of us will survive the purple holocaust!

Anything after Emancipation.

If Mayte helped give us Emancipation, and Mani helped give us The Rainbow (Flag) Children, please give me more Sex in the summer, Joint 2 Joint, In this bed I scream, Somebody's Somebody, etc.


I long for the good ole days