I know it is a fan's favorite, but Sign 'O' The Times, Dirty Mind and even 1999 are always the critics darlings. SOTT for its diversity, Dirty Mind for the groundbreaking lyrics and new wave and punk influences and 1999 obviously for the irresistable combination of electro and funk.
I get that, but none of these albums can match the exciting arrangements of tracks like Life Can Be So Nice and Mountains, don't have something extremely catchy as Kiss and Girls & Boys. The whole sound of Parade is so highly original and fresh, not to mention the instrumentation! To me it's his artistic peak.
I know it's a matter of opinion but I mean this pure technically, so especially for the musicians and long time fans over here:

Why isn't Parade considered Prince's artistic highlight?

Hope you guys can help me out!

1) It got tainted by association with Under the Cherry Moon -- which the critics more or less hated.

2) The Parade tour only happened in Europe.

Genesia said:

Yes that crossed my mind too, really a shame.

it would be considered his best by much more people if he'd
not messed with the tracklist and left "Old Friends 4 Sale"
"Others Here With Us" and "All My Dreams" on it.

and perhaps the 'extended' version of "AnotherLover".

as it is now, it's actually already my fav album of prince,
but with those tracks on it, it would be simply stellar!

Easy-bcuz it isn't 1 of his best.

Parade is one of his best.
I'll take it over Purple Rain any day.

sexxydancer said:

Strange u say that because as good as it is,it isn't one of my favorites either.New Position,Girls and Boys,Mountains,Kiss and Anotherloverholenyohead r my faves.Granted that's most of the album but still...

I think however that it is probably considerd his most underrated album by both fans and music critics alike.

sexxydancer said:

Why do you think that? (try to answer in more than 1 sentence.)

This is THE album imo that has aged the best over the years. When it came out I, of course, loved it, but I really listened to the "highlights"...AKA, Kiss, Girls & Boys, Mountains, and Anotherlover...it took me a few years to appreciate it as a whole. Now when I put it on i have to listen to it from beginning to end. It has so much going on within each song and then the next song totally switches gears. Its just as fresh now as it was then. I personally think it IS one of his best.

Wonderwall said:

Me too. I always listen to it from start to finish, and I rarely skip a song. I especially love how the first five tracks seem to lead into one another.

Risico said:

My favorites are Parade and ATWIAD because there aren't any tracks I skip... I think Parade is my favorite Prince album.

BT11 said:

I think Parade is his best. I wish all the music from the movie was on the album... I love the whole French sound to it(accordian)... that jazzy piano...

Parade's timeless...theres not too many Prince albums from the 80's you can say that about.

BT11 said:

I've never been in2 the whole Wendy and Lisa thing,and I guess,4 me,that 2 many songs on there have their kind of vibe.That being said,while I LOVE Prince and ALL that he does,I don't consider Parade his best work.

Risico said:

You guys said it very well.



I think Parade is a gem and has aged the best --- it could be released now and still seem fresh. You can't really say that about a lot his albums.

What I like most about it is that it was a meditation on a French theme that was so different and exquisite. I loved the way he played with the genre. At once elegant and proper (Sometimes It Snows), and then playful and naughty (New Position).

It's the perfect little album. I love it.

(And, yes, I like to listen to it from beginning to end as well -- as it was intended. With the way things are headed in music nowadays, this way of enjoying albums -- as unified wholes -- is going the way of the Dodo bird.).

It's not his absolute best, but it should at least be in the top 5.

Genesia said:

this would be incorrect as the first live Prince show I ever saw was for Parade at Madison Square Garden....I don't recall if there was a full blown tour but there were some dates at least.

BT11 said:

Prince was his usual non-business minded self. Great album, flopped movie. Great single, but the rest of the album was a further divergence that started with atwiad. It was brilliant but not created to capture the pop audience or the people who bought purple rain.

Any Prince album from Dirty Mind to Lovesexy should be highly rated by any Prince fan.Parade is no exception. The album was a critical smash but was hindered from commerical success because of a lack of top ten songs outside of Kiss.

Personally the 3 singles from the album rank at the top of my Prince list.

gypsyfire said:

Agreed!

Parade is, by far, my all-time fave!!

"why isn't it considered Prince's artistic highlight".

Well it is a class record... can't think of any artist who wouldn't want this in their back-catalog.
But
Parade did not change my outlook on Music like SOTT did.
SOTT is also "heavy" where Parade is "light" and for me that means a lot. I like thinking when I'm listening , mostley. Intellectually Parade misses out here (and aloso to Come and Rainbow Children).

I think if you asked the British Music Press it would get the nod for Prince's best... always rated from dim memory NME made it best of '86(?) and "Kiss" always turns up in genius moments of music.

Maybe because of the sound quality people can't really appreciate the dynamics, textures and production.

The drums sound poor and weak.

A well remastered version would sound BRILLIANT!

foal30 said:

You prefer Come and Rainbow Children over Parade?

paisley16 said:

One US date does not a US tour make.

I think it's down to the ear that hears it. My favourite Prince release is impossible to say, but I have a favourite era, and it's ATWIAD to SOTT including the Black album.

Parade is genius! But its hard to consider it his best. He was in a good creative place during that period. However I still don't consider that as his xenith.

paisley16 said:

I was about to say that too.... I saw him both nights @ the Garden (This was his Hit and Run shows of 86)