I was listening to this album for the first time on my new system(first time on system; heard cd years ago).

The mixing is horrific! I know Prince was 100% happy with his voice then but DAMN you can hardly hear him.

The music however sounds pretty damn good!

Well, remember that it was recorded in Prince's home studio more than a quarter century ago...

Doozer said:

yes but the music sounds good(when turned up)


Please remaster all your albums Prince or better yet get Jimmy page and mariano to do it!

why aren't these albums remastered;oh lord whhhhhyyyyy

mikek1 said:

You should maybe check you equalizer or your bass and treble settings on you system. I am listening to my copy now and it sounds fine.

Doozer said:

not to mention that all the songs were originally demos.

Doozer said:

Analog recording form 25 years ago is the WAY to GO! New recordings sound like shit IMHO. I make great recordings on 4 track cassette, thank you very much. digital can suck it.

JudasLChrist said:

JudasLChrist said:

I hear you --

My point was that if you think the state of Prince's affairs are a bit wonked out here and now in 2006, imagine what it was like 26-27 years ago, pre-Purple Rain fortunes, pre-1999, pre-Controversy. Probably not the tightest ship in the world.

I like the fact that it sounds homegrown and unpolished, though. That's what puts the "dirty" in it.

aaaaand on top of all that the basement studio he created dm in was raggedy as hell...if folks are actually expecting dm to sound crystal clear despite of all the surrounding factors behind its creation, i cordially invite you to get hip, dammit.

the raggediness of the album is one of the reasons why it should be given kudos. it proves that you don't have to use state-of-the-art studio equipment in order to create something great. and yes, digital can definitely suck it.



this edit's being held together with patches
[Edited 9/21/06 12:02pm]

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

My point is that you don't NEED state of the art studio equiptment to make something great...quality sounding recording.

JudasLChrist said:

that's what i just said. 'sides, i wasn't talking to you...i was kinna ranting at mikek1.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I'ma listen to this damn album right now.

Digital don't suck it when it comes to organizing your own music -- click -- Dirty Mind starts playin'. Even here at work among the suits.

Yes, the aural quality of the album is lo-fi but that's what gives it its character (just like "There's A Riot..."). I'd hate to hear it remastered and re-EQ'd.

Doozer said:

the only benifits that come from digital recording are in terms of editing and ease of manipulating the sounds ...it does Sound like shit compared to warm/fuzzy goodness !!!!!

It sounds fine to me. I've never had a problem hearing the vocals or the clarity of the music. The vinyl is much clearer than the CD though. The CD, as well as the rest of Prince's early CDs, sound like they were recorded from a cassette tape. Back when they recorded the albums onto CD, they should have done it from the vinyl instead of tape. For instance, I burned all my Prince 12 Inches onto CDs and they sound just as well as "The Ultimate Prince" that just came out.

Now, if you want to talk about horrible sound quality, "The Black Album" sounds absolutely muffled and horrible. That's the one he needs to have clarified.

I really don't see where it sounds raggedy. Of course, the first time I heard it was on a damn Snoopy record player back in 1980. Then, the year after that on tabletop stereos for years. When the 1990s came around and I got myself a nice component system, the damn thing sounds like it was made yesterday.

"My mixes have always been terrible, he says with a slow deep laugh and humorous gleam in his eye. All of them. Listen to anything--1999 darling nikki purple rain. They're all that way."

Keyboard
dec 1999

origmnd said:

Why does that make me all ?

FunkMistress said:

it wouldn't be the laugh n'gleam, would it?

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I think it's just the rare moment of vulnerability in which he admits that something about his work has "always been terrible." It's just fucking adorable for some reason.

FunkMistress said:

i sense more humbleness than vulnerability in that statement, for some reason...

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I hear you - another fairly rare thing.

FunkMistress said:

vainandy said:

Holy co-sign, ditto, double that, right on, and WORD.
Nail on the head.
I believe that MikeK1 was listening 2 a CD...
Good thing I still have all of my Prince vinyl.
I did the same thing with my 12" collection... remastered them myself years ago. I did some EQing, and they actually sound better than the "Ultimate" versions.
I think I will remaster the full length albums 2... Lord knows... 'Sign O The Times' needs it badly.
None of the released Prince CDs were done any justice at all... at least up 2 and including 'Lovesexy'.

Easy.

G.

Go buy yourself a BBE sonic maximizer.....and listen again.

6sixx6 said:

Muso strikes again!

Seriously tho', Dirty Mind is relatively inaudible but I think Mountains on
Parade was just drowned out, maybe thru the over produced nature of half the album in general.

'dre

Giovanni777 said:

No doubt this works wonders. It actually helps if you have a good sound system as well. When I pop into friends homes and they have these cheap ass systems that they think is great, I just laugh to myself.

Ironically, The Time's first album was cut on the same exact equipment. Even the song "Oh, Baby" was actually cut from the sessions the produced P's second album.

strange, but could it be he's NOT releasing remasters cause of the rerecording of the catalogue?

in that Keyboard mag he mentions how
easy its gonna b easy to rerecord the music because the gear is easier to use
and how good its going to sound