At the time that GB came out it got good reviews, and I loved it too. From "New Power Generation" to "the Question of U" and "Joy in Repetition" I rank this album in the top 3 Prince albums to date. Since the time that I joined the org, GB hasn't gotten any respect. Yes, the movie sucked, but the songs are great. His collabos with The Time, GC, Mavis Staples and Tevin Campbell showcased his genius even more. Fellow orgers, tell me what you think.

Not everyone hates it.

I think generally the main points of criticism are:

- The mix of Prince and other artists on the same album
- Rap / TC Ellis
- The rub-off from the movie
- Old songs included in inferior versions
- The opinion that after SOTT or Lovesexy, Prince's quality control decreased

At it's core, the 9 Prince tracks are largely great, with few stinkers (the same can be said for the other artists material IMO).

A lot of people prefer the earlier versions of stuff like We Can Funk, Can't Stop, and the un-segued version of Joy In Rep.

i can stomach it a lot better since i made my own version of it:

can't stop this feeling i got
god is alive
new power generation
the question of u
elephants & flowers
we can funk
joy in repetition
get off
tick, tick, bang
thieves in the temple
still would stand all time
god is alive (reprise)



thieves in the temple is the extended version, god is alive + reprise are
both outtakes and get off is the one from the new power generation maxi.

I don't hate it! Prince looked delicious in Graffiti Bridge...what's to hate?

Sure, if you were looking for plot, substance and an academy award winning performance, I can see where it might have disappointed but I wasn't looking for that...I was looking for Prince to be fine and in 29 years he has never disappointed me in that department!!
[Edited 2/15/07 4:54am]

IstenSzek said:

everybody seems 2 hate Graffiti Bridge
everybody's looking 4
everybody's looking 4
everybody's looking 4 more

i don't hate the GB soundtrack. i think it's deeply flawed, and YES it's when the decline of his product quality started, and OH YES the movie was utter crap (except for his hair), but there's a lot of good stuff on that album. i listen to it quite often, though i will admit to hitting the skip button a few times.

Graffitti Bridge was the first Prince project that made me feel embarrassed as a fan. The title track, the movie, lyrics like "There will be peace for those who love God a lot" and "Love as solid as a rock"--all sent me ducking into my happy place, hoping this would all just go away.

It seems to me, from Lovesexy to Graffitti Bridge, Prince went through an inordinately feminine phase (even for him), and a childish femininity at that. He was acting like a little girl. His hair was girlishly long and neatly trimmed. He had all male backup dancers. A lot of the stage choreography of his Nude Tour was homoerotic. Meanwhile the album and movie were strangely UNerotic--the love ballads, Question of U and Joy in Repetition are more existential than romantic. His Kid character doesn't have sex, doesn't worry about money, just wants to talk to God and get encouragement. He's a pouty, solipstistic little naif. And the vibe of the whole thing wasn't that of a dangerous rock star--it was a family-oriented neighborhood church potluck type of thing.

The commercial failure of the record and movie slammed the door on this nymph-like Prince persona. He would next put up his hair, hire some smoking hot female dancers, drop the daddy's little girl act and crank out his most dispassionate, workmanlike CD, Diamonds and Pearls.

Whoever was his muse during the Graffitti Bridge era must have been a naive, dreamy young thing without a clue about the world.

Graffiti Bridge is my favorite album and I am not kidding.

padawan said:

very well thought out bit of writing there.

.



I don't hate it...
But it's not 1 of my favourite albums.
It doesn't put me in a mood


But it's

I think the GB album has a few truly outstanding songs ("Elephants and Flowers","Thieves In The Temple","We Can Funk") but it's kinda inconsistent."The Latest Fashion" is embarassing filler...."New Power Generation" is generic and corny..."Round and Round" sounds exactly like most R&B songs that came out in 1990...and when you get to the title track,you have to hit the "skip" button again.


It's just not a superb Prince album.The previous album 'Batman' is a much stronger,more exciting album imo.

I feel it was the first Prince album (ignoring his first two efforts) where the just-OK or filler songs outweighed the number of good songs. Even on Batman, you had at least 7 killer tracks (out of 9!). Also, I really don't want to hear other people singing on a Prince album.
[Edited 2/15/07 8:02am]

With Release It, The Question Of U, We Can Funk, Joy In Repetition, Tick,Tick,Bang and Thieves In The Temple and Still Would Stand All Time...how can I hate it? I just skip the tracks that are not so good.

padawan said:

That's nice..but I'd rather see that than the rappin gangstaglam pimp with a cane mess he was doing after that.

I'm Graffiti Bridge because of this thread

And I'm it

we don't hate it...we appreciate it.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

It sucks and its the most cheesy movie EVER !!!!!

Love the movie! Love the album! LOVE Prince!

theodore said:

Just finished

I liked it

gypsyfire said:

Oh my lawd, yes I fully agree.

padawan said:

Very well said. But I have to add a low point for me was watching the Arsenio Hall show when he performed Daddy Pop and there was a point when during one of his dances he slid through the legs of one his male dancers and his male dancing partner grabbed him by his little buns and pulled them towards his privates while gyrating in a circular motion. My guy friedns who were not big P fans just looked at me. I had nothing to say except Dhoh!

I found it to be too hodge podge. I think for every good song on there, there is another song that is filler...this includes the guest tracks. I don't feelt he album flows all that well either.

at the time of it's release, one of my freinds used to sing "everybody's quiffing on graffilthy bridge"

Spangly stockings and suspenders effed up the Thieves in The Temple video even though it's one of his best extended versions.

My skip button gets a workout on that cd but there are maybe half a dozen songs that I think are great.

i went to the movie premier in new york (with Prince there)..It blew mind that I actually was talking to the person i went with (also a huge Prince fan) during the movie saying this is the worst film I ever have seen in my life !

I just posted two days ago that I love this album - minus the other artists. Although I prefer the alternate versions of We Can Funk and Tick Tick Bang, I think the Prince songs on GB are great in any incarnation. There is some fantastic stuff on GB.

padawan said:

Wow, what an interesting read !

See, posts like this are rare and it´s such a pleasure to read such well thought out comments like yours.

Just one thing : Diamonds and Pearls wasn´t really that bad....it had some great stuff on it. But that´s just my opinion....

You wrote some really deep stuff.

prettymansson said:

I remember that at the afterparty at a club, Prince was seen sinking low and avoiding people according to a photo and blurb, he was wearing one of those skintight white camel toeing outfits with the baggy top over one shoulder.