Why does everyone hate ATWIAD so much ??? It is a great album.....The only problem was that it followed the Commercial wonder that was and is Purple Rain.

purpledisc said:

I don't see it as a problem rather the need for P to challenge himself and his new worlwide audience to something completely different from pop/funk and exploring a psychedelic, deeper form of rock/funk a la Prince

I am so glad to see someone else who isn't afraid their "Prince fan card" is going to be taken away if they are truthful about their reaction to these albums. That was my exact same reaction to all three of those albums when they were released.

It didn't take long for me to like "Around The World In A Day", after all it is a good album, but I was anxious for the next album to hurry up and be released because Prince had ended a great party (no I was not looking for another "Purple Rain" party by the way). I was ready for him to get back to throwin' down, and I mean hard like he had been doing for years. I was ready for The Beatles to leave and Prince to come back. The next year I still didn't get Prince back. Instead, I got Lawrence Welk.

I love your "hell to the naw" and "orchestra elevator shit" reaction to "Parade" because that was my reaction also. I was so pissed with "Parade", I had to stop my self from actually smashing it against the wall.

I had the same reaction as you about "Sign O The Times" also. I thought it was better (although nothing near as good as pre-Purple Rain stuff) but it kept me from dropping Prince altogether. Looking back now, I like "Around The World In A Day" better than "Sign O The Times" but there are parts of "Parade" that I will always hate. To this day, I would never play a song like "Venus De Milo" or "Do U Lie" in front of anyone else unless we were going to make fun of the songs.
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[Edited 8/12/06 9:48am]

vainandy said:

Venus De Milo is THE weakest song on Parade. THAT'S one song that I would skip in a minute!!! Do U Lie is a good song (IMO) only because Prince could have gave it away to Dean Martin!

Graffiti Bridge- THE ALBUM WAS BULLS**T!!!!! And as far as the MOVIE, The Time SAVED THAT MOVIE!!!!!

Why does everyone hate ATWIAD so much ??? It is a great album.....The only problem was that it followed the Commercial wonder that was and is Purple Rain.

purpledisc said:

Yeah, if he wanted to follow up Purple Rain so bad and so quickly, instead of putting out ATWIAD he should have put out a funky dance album called...

Moonbeam Levels

1. All Day, All Night (Instead of giving it to JJ-she fucked it up IMHO)
2. Dance Electric (Instead of giving it to that no talent ass clown AC)
3. Electric Intercourse
4. Purple Music
5. Moonbeam Levels
6. Turn It Up
7. Extraloveable
8. Do Yourself a Favor

Would that have rocked or what?

I know--WISHFUL THINKING

Why does everyone hate ATWIAD so much ??? It is a great album.....The only problem was that it followed the Commercial wonder that was and is Purple Rain.

purpledisc said:

...I don't think most folks hate it...it was just a HUGE departure from what we were used to hearing from him...I love the album but I must admit I was a lil' confused at the time...maybe I did want Purple Rain II, who knows, but I know I wasn't expecting Prince's Lonely Hearts Club Band...

Well hes been making royal stinkers from the start. For You wasnt that great and Prince was predictable, but ATWIAD was the first fuck upette, it did have Condition of the Heart as a saving grace. Next is Lovesexy, now that shit dated fast!!!!!
Batman was contract plodder but it has two Ok songs Partyman and Scandalous, Grafitti Bridge was great but started to showcase his ability to wibble. Ditto with D and P remove Jughead, Push and Walk dont walk and u have a tight ass album. Symbol starts well ut goes truly self indulgent, Three Chains o Gold is like Queen at their most overblown. All of these albums have parts of fuck uppityness, but were not enough to be a true fuck up. You want that honour to go to the mother of FUCK UPS called Chaos and Disorder, now that was shit Crazy Fucked up. Its the only album I bought on the first day waking up and feeeling excited yet by bedtime forgetting that shit already and counting down to Emancipation? which has a album of fuck ups in itself.
After that 1998 -2003 is Prince FUCKED UP PERIOD, everything was fucked up, u cant listen to that shit, Larry Graham fucked him up. But now its changing slowly, is Prince blowing that fool or what!!!!!

tane1976 said:

I agreed. Then Musicology and 3121, imho, I started to say "Hey Prince made some good albums for the first time since Emancipation." Although those albums weren't groundbreaking like in his early days, still they were much enjoyable than his 1998-03 period.
[Edited 8/16/06 10:44am]

Not even Raspberry Beret as well??

His big album 'Prince' is a big step forward allready, cutting down the overproduction and delivering more direct, comcise songs.

And with 'Dirty mind' he for the first time seems to find his own 'sound', not only in the music, but also in the lyrical content.

... en antisemitism in the lyrics. With this record Prince almost lost me as a fan.

Going on: other 'fuck ups' in my opinion.

Certainly not Around the world in a day. Purple Rain is just the ultimate result from a progress that started with Dirty Mind: mixing funk, rock and electronics, combining them in original music, and at the same time conquering the world with it. I mean, artistically there was no need for 'Purple Rain part 2'.
So Around the World in a day was a fresh, new thing for him. Apart from the sometimes silly lyrics, its one of his records that has aged very well. Would it not have come after Purple Rain, it still would be a very strong record musically wise. And apart from that, it isnt the kind of musical watershed that people often seem to label it, it uses much of the musical elements (linn drums, female background vocals, melodies influenced by psychedelic pop and rock) that can be heard on Purple Rain.


Very good answer, I agree with it entirely, as with 3121, like most people I got very excited with it on release, but realised its dated with some maturity.
I really agree with your comments on Come and Emmancipation (Autopilot and plastic). The music is great, but its like his heart isnt there, hes just this music machine churning out mildly appealing melodies at this time. The albums in an essence have been manufactured as opposed to crafted.
Alltough i was quite underwhelmed by hearing 'Batman'when it was released, in retrospect its a fine, constantly strong funk-pop record, with the lyrical connections Prince drawns between himselve and the movie characters adding a certain depth to the music. Also the dark undercurrents and the use of humor lend this record a certain depth.

After that i think Princes lyrics and music seemed to go 'downhill', not to say that he made a lot of very bad records, but in the eighties the albums on itselve seemed very strong, while in the nineties most albums had a few stand out tracks, and quite a lot of mediocre material. Apart from that Prince seemed to lack interesting lyrical idea's. I mean, on 'Lovesexy' Prince seemed have to found the answers to the tension between the carnal and the spiritual elements in his character. After that his 'spiritual redemptions' on Graffiti Bridge, Gold, Emancipation and The Rainbow Children made me think sometimes, ooh, here we go again... sigh

As i said, his nineties records were not on par with his eighties records, but his first bad album during that decade in my opinion was 'Come', not only it offers anything new musically and are most tracks very mediocre, Prince even sounds bored, on automatic pilot on most of the tracks.
'Chaos and disorder' is often referred to on the org as a throwaway, i agree when it comes to the substance of the music and the quality of some compositions, but on the other hand i like this record because of its lively feel, and Prince sounds as he is having fun making music, you hear him put his spirit in it (contrary to 'Come')

The next dissapointment for me was Emancipation, the first Prince record i didnt buy immediately (it was too expensive, and i was very underwhelmed by hearing some tracks of it). As some people in here have noticed, there is some of the best songwriting on the set since 'Sign of the Times', the point is: its often ruined by plastic, stalled sounding production. Apart from that, three records is way too long. Nonetheless, scaled down to one longplayer and with a better, more organic, more original production this could have been Prince best record since 'Sign'.

The next 'bad' record in my opinion was New Power Soul. Together with For You, Come and Rave, this must certainly be his worst release ever. Mediocre funkjams, sounding uninspired and directionless. I dont own this record and apart from the One and Freaks by the side, i cant remember any cut from it.

His first attempt at a 'commercial comeback' called 'Rave unto the joy fantastic' i also consider very mediocre. I dont own that record either, but i rented it from my library a few times. Conclusive thoughts: dated production, mediocre songs, what the use of famous guest artists when you 'filter' them away in the production?, Prince did sound predictable on most of this record. But a welcome surprise where some of the sparsely arranged ballads on this cd, him sounding affectionate and 'pure' on these tracks.

Musically the Rainbow children seemed to offer something of a new direction: more organic sounding, with real drums, a more loose, jazzy sound. But unfortunately the cd is ruined by very smallminded, dogmatic lyrics. I once and then listen to this CD, but i have the tendency to turn it off most of the time because of the stupid sexism en antisemitism in the lyrics. With this record Prince almost lost me as a fan.

I am not that committed a fan, i guess, that i purchased the NPG releases like Expectation and Kama Sutra. I never heard them, so i cant judge over them.

Musicology was a mild surprise for me, alltough not being a great album, at least its a fine, compact one with compositions and lyrics showing a more matured Prince (not some 40 year old singing "I wanna get hot with you, get you underneath the cream and woooh'). Not groundbreaking, but a pleasant record in general. Reaching the goals it aimed for (a commercial and critical comeback).

3121, alltough compositionwise stronger then musicology, confuses me a bit. Its a retrosounding record in the sense that it takes musical elements from his past but somehow he doesnt manage to say something strong or new with it. Next to that the JW-preaching returns (alltough more subdued then on the Rainbow Children), its a believe that probably helped him in a difficult period (the death of his baby, his divorce from Mayte, the death of his parents), but it isnt exactly a religion that seems to 'connect' with his general musical tendencies and his character, that is: to explore, to try new things, to keep himselve interested in the music he is playing. As a result of that 3121 sounds halfbaken, confusing when it comes to the goals its trying to achieve.