Listening to "Everlasting Now" on the way to the office this morning - it packs such a punch! Such an energetic song, really takes it back to the Minneapolis funk sound. Definitely one of my favourite Prince songs nowadays. There's so much going on in this song - the 'live' crowd sound reminds me "Beautiful Night" off SOTT and also "Baby I'm a Star" off PR.

Compare the music in "Everlasting Now" to something like "Get On the Boat".

EN is very dense musically - lots of subtleties and nuiances. It sounds extraordinary and you can lose yourself in the sound with a good pair of headphones. In contrast, GOTB sound tinny and over-produced with few layers musically.

"Everlasting Now" and "Last December" are two of the best songs Prince songs in recent years, blowing aways anything on 3121 or Musicology.

Has Prince ever sounded more like Jimi Hendrix than his guitar interlude in the middle of "Last December" ?!?! It's like the ghost of JH on that song.

I really like Rainbow Children. More organic sound but P was still able to keep it funky. As I told my brother (who is an orger), just ignore the Vader Voice.

3121 is very nice as well, but it's more of a "been there, done that" album.

They are both different sounding albums but both very good.

Its like saying what is better...hot dogs or beefburgers?..theyre both good.

Yeah, I agree DaveDare79.

As much as I love the 3121 album, the only track that is on equal ground with The Rainbow Children stuff is "3121" (the song). I would even rate "Everlasting Now" in the top 10 of all time, period.

I actually don't mind the Vader voice either. I mean, the story kind of gets lost along the way, but I think it gives the album a really unique flow.

Gees, now that I think of it, I haven't listened to TRC for a while now... I might have to drag it out again

Dan said:

Beefburgers are better. Ok so which album is that?

What would you say was the best Prince guitar moment on 'The Rainbow Children'?

Also does the song 'The Same Decmember' from the 'Chaos And Disorder' album have any of Prince's guitar playing on it or am I getting this song and the one from 'TRC' album mixed up?

3121 is a return to form to me is a much better album than Rainbow Children

is this even a debate? The Rainbow Children has an infinite amount
of musical ideas compared to 3121 and, say, Musicology.

it feels driven, cohesive, all enveloping, colossal and intimate,
all at the same time. it's an organic sounding, inspired, epic lp
with some of his best songwriting in years.

even the narrative voice (which i don't mind at all) can't take
away from the fact that this was an album no one really expected
from prince at this point -after emancipation, nps, and rave.

this was a return to form, drive, ambition and all out genius rock
n funk. the first album in years that surprised and had songs you
had to listen to more than 2 times (like those on nps, rave etc),
ere you could remember the lyrics or the changes in melody etc....

3121 is a step up from Musicology, but The Rainbow Children it is
most certainly not.

If You ask me, I think Rainbown Children whip everything Prince did for the last 16 years(production wise). I think Prince was very happy, calm, cool and collected when he did this album, he wasn't trying to prove anything to anybody.

Harlepolis said:

and thus came up with the most amazing music in a long long time.
genuine magic shines through on a lot of the tracks, something we
had all been missing for some time in most of his music.

IstenSzek said:

If you're fimiliar with the mid-late 70's sessions he did with Andre Cymone, I think this album is somewhat influenced by those sessions.

Dan said:

Rainbow Children is really more of a top sirloin though.

Of course TRC is better,,,,most fams know this.
TRC is not as commercially friendly though and alot of
peeps hate the jw refrences and the vader voice narrating the album
but I believe it is P's best album since TGE

TRC over 3121. Love the guitar work on TRC.

Apples and oranges. BUT if I had to choose, I'd agree TRC explores more interesting concepts and sounds. (Although, any project could benefit from some Black Sweat-brand funk! )

I'll call this 1 a draw,with 1 being as fabulous as the other!

raunbow kids is his best album ever

thebanishedone said:

ok what the hell is a raunbow kids

But I think we all can agree that Musicology is the "Empire Strikes Back" of this trilogy. All are good , but Musicology touches and inspires in a way that the "Rainbow Children" and 3121 can only dream of.

TRC is the business.

I do like a couple off 3121 but that albums about selling product and TRC is about making music eh?

IstenSzek nailed it. Best thing since .. since whenever.
My youngest brother got me this live DVD form 2003 (Las Vegas) with 4 TRC cuts on it, live this stuff stacks up too, only SOTT is better for me.

all hail the Rainbow Children , criminally underrated.

Why compare?

runningbear said:

xplain urself

There is no comparison.

The Rainbow Children compares with ANY Prince album musically. IMO, the musicianship on TRC is his best effort on tape. In addition, the album has a flow and an organic concept which, while off-putting to some with the Darth Vader narration and explicitly religious theme, makes the album whole.

3121 is a fun album which a few great tracks (Black Sweat, Fury, the Word, BLB) but as a whole is just simple pop/r&b/funk music. Better than 99% of the stuff out there by other artists but pedestrian by Prince's standards.

My God it used to be endless RC threads ...and then endless 3121 threads...and now they're being COMBINED !!

runningbear said:

U must be dreaming....

If U took the best tracks off Musicology and the best tracks off 3121 U STILL wouldnt have a better album than TRC

I agree, I think RC is better than 3121.

I'm just thrilled to see TRC getting the props it deserves.

IstenSzek said:

Co-sign.

I personally thought TRC was the best album he'd come out with in years. Sure, I didn't care for the lyrics much, and that voice seriously grates after a while...but you can't deny that musically it's a tremendous album.

runningbear said:

Shit, if Musicology were any 'Star Wars' film it'd be 'Attack Of The Clones'.

r1ghteousone said:

Hey, "Attack Of The Cones" was quite a good movie, if you really want to know

.