It's almost time for spring break, meaning almost time for me to go home.

If I happen to go the mall in the next week, I'll most likely buy "Purple Rain" if Blockbuster no longer carries it.

I'll probably go on a mini-Prince shopping spree. I know I want to get "3121" (I've heard 4 songs and I like them all) and "Musicology", but here's my question.

Which I should buy for a third?
Emancipation
or
Rave un2 the Joy Fantastic
or is there another really great Prince CD that I should get? [My dad already owns "Purple Rain" the soundtrack]

Emancipation has a little something for everyone, but most likely is more expensive. Rave has gotten less than "rave" reviews (no pun intended), but I'm curious about it because Prince wanted so bad to release it and WB wouldn't let him.

I now own
The Very Best of...
Purple Rain (my dad's)
The Gold Experience
Musicology
3121

[Edited 3/7/07 12:22pm]
[Edited 3/7/07 21:51pm]
[Edited 3/8/07 18:22pm]
[Edited 3/12/07 8:41am]

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

I've seen emancipation for $2/3 for the set.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

really?

WB never tried to block the release of "Rave."

You would be better served shopping online for a copy of Emancipation or looking for it in a cutout bin. It is cheap. You can also get Rave on amazon for $1.50:

http://www.amazon.com/Rav...440&sr=8-1

You can probably get both online or in cutout bins for less than you'd pay for "Rave" alone in the mall.

suomynona said:

I could have sworn I heard him mention in an interview. I heard him say something like it's something he's wanted to release for a long time, but couldn't until 1999.

Emancipation has more music and it's cheaper than Rave. But eventually get both. Rave has gems, too.

Go for Parade or Dirty Mind if you don't have those yet.

As for Prince not being able to release Rave's songs, I'm 99% certain that those tunes were written in '98/'99, long after his WB contract expired.

Anyway, I like both Emancipation and Rave about the same, but I'd give Rave the slight edge. Neither one is a great album, but they both have their strong moments.
[Edited 3/7/07 12:42pm]
[Edited 3/7/07 12:44pm]

Thanks for the advice so far, guys.

I figure that if I needed advice on what CD's to get, I could come here.

Although when I start spending, I can't stop until I reach a certain limit (other than cash, of course), I'm also very careful about what I buy. Prince hasn't disappointed me, but I really want to own the best of him. That's what I'm truly looking for here, starting my own little collection of what I feel is the best of Prince's music and best showcase his abilities.

Call me lame, but these future buys (Musicology, 3121 and one other) are going to be my Prince collection. I don't own anything of his yet, my dad owns the "Purple Rain" soundtrack. Imagine, a Prince fan that doesn't own any of his CD's. My only outlet was the Internet where I saw various videos and appearances featuring diff. songs.

I'm open to more opinions because it'll be a few days before I go on my shopping spree.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

In that case pick up the Best 3 cd set. The Collection I think is the title.

I forgot to mention The Gold Experience - It is glorious.

It can be difficult to find as it's out of print, but new copies are still around out there.

Risico said:

The title song was written during the Batman period. The sheet music is actually shown in Grafitti Bridge.

I would go for Come or The Gold Experience over either Rave or Emancipation but between the two, Emancipation gets my vote. Pretty Man is the best song on Rave and its the bonus track..

Sounds like you don't have many of Prince's albums. I'd say buy stuff from the 80's first.

Sign Of the Times, Parade, Dirty Mind, Around the World, 1999, and of course Purple Rain, for starters.

then maybe Gold, , Diamonds & Pearls, The Rainbow Children, Chaos & Disorder, 3121

Emancipation & Rave should be among the last ones you buy. Of the two it's a toss up rave always sounded like disc 4 of Emancipation to me. It's probably easier to digest since it's shorter.
[Edited 3/7/07 14:37pm]

There are so many other albums worth getting.

But between the two, I enjoy Emancipation much more. There are 36 songs (i think), and I dislike about 6 or 7 of the songs. That leaves alot of songs I mildly like or really like.

The material is not super strong, but it's a better album than Rave. On Emancipation , Prince still sounded like he cared about something. By the time Rave was released, he was just basically going through the motions.


Both albums are about vaginas.

Ahh,
just download some porn.

I think if I was starting out right now as a younger fan, i'd first of all buy the 3cd hits set as mentioned before, just so I have the feel of the popular stuff you already know.

I would then go right back to "FOR YOU" and slowly, as ur money dictates, buy the collection thru from beginning to end and discover Prince thru the stages of his careeer in the way us older fans did back in the day, one album at a time.

I'd love to be just getting into an artist like Prince now, with such a rich and lenghty catalogue to work my way thru. Hope U enjoy the ride, there's a few bumps along the way but some inspiring albums 2. Good luck

prettylies said:

that would be fun

NDRU said:

Correction: I personally don't owe ANY. I felt like I just hurled myself into this dimension where Prince is just plain huge to me and he's one of the three things on my mind (the other being school and the other being home). And I'm talking about the best here. I don't want to go out of my way and spend a great amount of money in one spot just to satisfy the rush of buying his music. [I once spend over $250 on animé DVD's from one series... I don't want to repeat that with Prince.]

I knew someone was going to bring up "The Gold Experience" and I'm not quite so sure about it, only because even though TMGITW was a good song that I liked, I'm not sure if I'd want to hear Prince when he's not exactly himself, like he's unsure of himself... the whole thing he went through in his "slave" days.

Prince was advertising these albums with a lot of passion in his interviews so I thought that I should follow his lead and buy into them (literally). Emancipation seems like a safer bet because of the variety of genres and Prince did say that there was something for everyone on there. I read a bunch of lyrics on it and he wrote some great lyrics. He wanted to push Rave with so much passion that I wanted to see if there was something to it. "The Greatest Romance..." was the only song on there that I heard on it. and I liked it.

I just want to know which investment would be more worthwhile. If anyone would care to agrue what showcases Prince the best, feel free to send your opinions. I'm completely open for all suggestions.

Another question:

I've done some searching and I came across two collections of Prince hits.

One is called "The Ultimate" and the other is "The Very Best of Prince"

Both of which contain my favorites (Little Red Corvette, 1999, etc.), but is one really better than the other?

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

The first greatest hits package was "The Hits I & II & The B Sides." I think that's the most comprehensive package. You can still find that, maybe used. Very Best of is best for the very casual fan who wants only the top hits of Prince. Ultimate (the most recent) also has some extended versions (12 inch) of some hits. I don't have it but some people say it's remastered, I'm not so sure.

Again, I think Rave & Emancipation are good, but definitely pretty low on the list of greatest Prince albums. The 80's albums I listed are his glory days. If you really want the best get those.

Gold isn't much like TMBGITW on the whole, and I would suggest you get that that if you're looking for "later" Prince music as opposed to "oldies."

But I like every Prince album. They all have something to offer.

But it also depends on what kind of music you like. What are your favorite Prince songs?
[Edited 3/7/07 16:49pm]

Rave or Emancipation? Hmmm... personally, I'd go Rave. It's his most underated album IMO. Both are great though.

Ultimate or The Very Best Of Prince? Easy... Ultimate by a long shot.

You seem like the kind of fan that's in it for the long haul, which is great. There's nothing more anoying than people who go out and buy all the CDs at once and pretend they're "real fans" for a year before moving on.

I was like you when I started. I wanted to digest all the albums slowly, one at a time, and I think that's the best way to go (but watch out, it's addictive stuff!)
[Edited 3/7/07 16:53pm]

If I was going to buy one, I'd probably buy Emancipation. It's simply a bigger experience. It's panned by some diehard fans, but it's apretty remarkable achievement. Three distinct cd's making up a fairly cohesive whole. Each cd is exactly 60 minutes long. Prince plays virtually every instrument. In general it's a good feeling album, and with it you get a pretty good sampling of his music.

And if you're really interested in supporting an album he was pushing, that would maybe be the one to get. His ode to freedom.

I see Rave as something of a postscript to Emancipation, anyway, so why not get the original?

In fact disc II of Emancipation alone may be better than Rave. But I'm sure I could make a case for Rave, too
[Edited 3/7/07 16:59pm]

Rave is ok but I think Emancipation showcasts first and foremost Prince's songwriting abilities...it has so many great tunes...Holy River, The Love U make, Face Down, Jam of the year, Savior, Soul Sanctuary(one of my all time favourites), Style, Joint 2 joint and more...the album offers a lot of variety....anyhow..of course U should put Sign Of the Times on top of your shopping list along with Parade...and...Controversy is also a great album.

Parade

1999

If U have those 1s... then Emancipation



.
[Edited 3/7/07 17:06pm]

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Well, for what it's worth, I think T.G.E. would really surprise you. Personality train-wreck aside, of all his albums it probably has the most dynamic and polished production values that still stand up now all these years later (a fantastic example being the sublime Hate U), the lyrics are fantastic, the melodies infectiously catchy and all the arrangements are tight as hell - all backed up by one of the slickest bands he's ever had. Taken as a whole, it's a wonderfully rounded album and insanely relistenable.

But, in answer to your main question my advice would be:

E
m
a
n
c
i
p
a
t
i
o
n

BananaCologne said:

Totally.

Contrary to the symbol craziness at the time, TGE feels like Prince genuinely rediscovered himself, personally and creatively. I'd go as far as to say that it easily smokes his other '90s albums - They all have their moments, but TGE is a neo-classic that few artists achieve after so many albums.

toejam said:

Whoa, you're right on with that. My becoming the Prince fan I am now was a very slow process because there were substantial distances in time between the appearances I caught. "Purple Rain" had to be have been at least a year or several months b4 seeing his Idol appearance, GMA was a month or two after that, but the SuperBowl was somewhere between 6-18 months later and for the past month, I've been running high on Prince. He has that kind of effect.

I checked out the list of songs under Ultimate, noticing that there were plenty of remixes and such on there. Actually, that's the whole of the 2nd disc. But I think I'd rather have the Very Best, only because it had the originals and I dig the originals.

I liked that little comment about the lame fans that get every album and move on. Sure, I did move on from Prince, he brightened my day and I rave about him for a couple of days (in the case of Purple Rain, weeks) afterwards before moving on, but whenever he presents himself to me again, I'm there in a flash. I don't want to get all of his albums just because not just cuz of money, but also because I see Prince as the best there is, so it's only right to own his best so I'll always remember him being the best. I only picked those two albums because he was pushing those in his interviews and I definitely want to get into the albums he feels are great accomplishments on his part.

I love all of these comments coming in everybody, being so helpful and giving me all kinds of views. I'm leaning towards Emancipation right now. Are there any songs on Rave that make it worth getting (besides "Greatest Romance..." which I already love)?

If you can, get Rave in2 rather than Rave un2. Rave in2 is a remix CD, and I like it much better. The version of Greatest Romance is the same.

Eventually, you MUST get The Gold Experience! Maybe I'm biased, because it's my favorite album, but it is awesome. Some of the songs are fun, while others are more personal. If you want to hear more of the personal side of Prince, spring for the 4 CD set, Crystal Ball. The bonus album, The Truth, is mostly acoustic, and some of the songs will rip your heart out (especially the one written about his son) The whole thing is just brilliant. The Truth is in my top 4 favorite Prince albums. (the others being The Rainbow Children and Parade)

UCantHavaDaMango said:

Then again, I might either buy the first one I see/find and get the other one for my bday... oh man, that's 4 months and 22 days away... when I turn 21.

I only count the days when I bring up the thought of my 21st bday.

Anyway, yeah, I think I'll end up putting the one I can't find or the one I don't get on my gift list.

I definitely remember you being the one who kept pushing The Gold Experience. I've only heard 2 songs and one was a hit (TMBGINW), the other was a miss (Dolphin). I still can't get that Letterman appearance out of my head, I found the whole display hard to watch. Even if it was an act, just looked like he was suffering to me, dealing with his "slave" of a contract and being a "slave" to himself. I started a thread a while back on it, so that's why I'm not so sure about it. But if the opportunity presents itself to me as if by fate I meant to get/listen to it, I'll jump on it.

Oh no, you're breaking' my heart over here! Dolphin is my favorite Prince song. Please, wipe the memory of the Letterman performance from your mind, it was a horrible representation of that song. I even feel uncomfortable watching that performance, and Dolphin has been my favorite song for almost 12 years. Watch the video. It's beautiful, and you'll be able to hear the words better. I think you'll appreciate them.

Yes, the Slave Years were a rough time for , but he still made some awesome music. Watch the special Love4oneanother at HQ. Prince still rocked, and even had a sense of humor during that time (if you can believe it). His suffering was from the business end of things, not the musical end.