It's after Midnight here in NYC, the 21st and today marks a year since 3121 finally hit the "Wrecka Stow"! What was your first impression of 3121 and has it changed any since then? What are your favorite songs off the CD now if you have any? What was the most memorable moment or moments of this era for you?

I loved it from the first listen and it got better and better with each listen. I played it the other day and I realized that it's still fresh and I still love the CD. It's nice to have a recent Prince CD that I can play from start to finish and enjoy. Every now and then I don't play Beautiful Loved and Blessed and Incense and Candles but I still jam to the rest. I have no problem saying that this CD is in my personal Top 10 Prince CD's.

As for memorable moments, mine were:
The SNL performance of Fury,
The Black Sweat video on heavy rotation on MTV
Seeing Prince live at Bryant Park this summer for Good Morning America
Prince doing the American Idol Season Finale and the Super Bowl
[Edited 3/20/07 21:28pm]

I bought the album 2 Sundays ago and listened to it for the first time this past Saturday.

Here's my thread with my full review of it.
http://www.prince.org/msg/7/221299

But in a nutshell, my first impression of it was a great one. I felt like Prince and I were on the same wavelength, our minds became one and he seemed to read my thoughts, taking his album exactly where I wanted to go.

That's truly an incredible feeling, feeling like Prince & I have an understanding thru an album.

Good thread. I love 3121, even more a year later. What a wonderful album. I hope something big is planned for tomorrow.

Jakeasaurus said:

That would be nice but I'm not holding my breath. But with Prince you never know. I'm glad I'm not the only one who still digs 3121.
[Edited 3/20/07 21:31pm]

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

That's great DPR!

purplecam said:

Ditto... I'm also glad that some people here do dig 3121, cuz when I was looking for ideas for albums, I heard a few people say that it and Musicology weren't as good as Prince's previous albums.

I loved it
and
now
I love it more

I like it much more now than a year ago. It had to grow on me a bit, except for Black Sweat and Fury- which I loved immediately.

Most memorable moment of course is my trip to Vegas, dinner at the 3121 cuisine, main show and AFTERSHOW in what felt like his living room. For that aftershow alone, this album will forever hold a special place in my heart.

The Superbowl of course was a highlight this year, but I don't feel I will always connect it to 3121 when I look back on it years from now. (although it sure did feel good to see him on that massive stage, in front of all those people both in the Stadium and on TV, a mere 2 weeks after I shook his hand in that intimate room of about 50+ people).

I too, am hoping for news of what's next very soon. I miss the "good ole days" where we could count on a new album every year without doubt. Like waiting for a cigarette break, it's easier to do when you know it'll be here any moment. Right now I feel like there's a lot up in the air.

Princology05 said:

I agree with all of those.

A lot of the songs were really great.

Te Amo Corazon is my hand's down favorite though, simply becuz it was the first one I saw him do... Brit Awards... amazing performance.
I like all of them except for Satisfied (although it attempted to grow on me yesterday, lol)... but Prince has a way of doing that. And I hate to say that I don't like a Prince song because he's so dedicated and works so hard on perfecting them. Good news is that I like a lot of his work, about 95% of what I've heard so far.

Wow! A year old already?It seems like only yesterday that I was camped outside of the local wrekka stow,credit card in hand,2 buy cases of 3121,in hopes of locating a purple ticket.Not sure how many copies I purchased that day,but after tearing thru hundreds of copies of the cd and coming up emptyhanded,I exhaustedly sat back 2 give the music a listen.I loved the entire disc from 1st listen,and I love it even more 2day.Absolute faves r Lolita,Te Amo,Black Sweat,Satisfied,and The Dance.As 4 memorable moments,American Idol just did it 4 me.My screams should've been heard around the world! Don't know if I was more surprised r more xcited!Happy 1st year,3121! I adore u!

I thought it was a decent album a year ago, and I still feel that way a year later.

I don't feel like there're any real standout songs on the album though - No killer single or album centerpiece. Just a string of nice, listenable tunes, but nothing really inspired.

And there are still a few misfires - Get on the Boat is painful, Fury lacks fury, and The Word is a huge missed opportunity. Such great music squandered with obnoxiously preachy lyrics.

I thought it was shit when I first heard it and still think it's shit now.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

To me, Musicology and 3121 are totally different animals. I'll take 3121 in a heartbeat over Musicology.

The album is all right. But what I really love about it a year later is the memories I have of hearing so much of it live -- especially hearing Sheila kick it with the band on "Get On the Boat" at a Vegas aftershow.

Good minds think alike. I created a thread like this on the bump Squad with the same title without seeing this post.

purplecam said:

Yeah, they definitely are completely different, but yesterday, I was mixing songs from them together. I listened to Te Amo Corazon and Fury
then I listened to Musicology as a whole (with a couple of songs here and there that I replayed in video form... having a visual sometimes makes them more enjoyable).

After I spend more time with both albums, I can determine which one I like better. My first impression of 3121 was better than that of Musicology, but Musicology has its own charm that Prince is slowly explaining to me.

That's what makes an album good, when Prince himself tries to teach you through the lyrics and melodies he's created. There's more to admire abou Musicology, though because in nearly all the tracks, he plays all of the instruments (in one interview, he said its the first time he's done so in a while)... and it's more "raw"- meaning that the songs actually do sound like "real" music as he tried to emphasis, not using futuristic technology to get a certain sound for the songs.

Wow... I think I just got Prince's message in Musicology. heh, now the two are gonna play tug-o-war w/my heart regarding which is better. But I'm okay with that because there's only 2 years difference between them, I can handle that. It's not as drastic as comparing either of them to TGE... out of my albums, that truly is a horse of a different color.

Wow... I guess I have to listen to 3121 again to see how they compare, but I dunno. I kinda want to go back to Musicology, at least to figure out a couple of the songs, as to whether I like them or not. (Tracks 8-10)

I still love it! It's still the only cd that never leaves my car
and I'm actually listening to Love right now

Risico said:

You just listed my three favourite tracks on the album!

I think that it's a pretty good cd. I still listen to it almost daily. I'm just glad Prince had not sold out like most artists from his time.

A big thumbs up to Prince for staying with his one true passion!

I this album, it jams and it is a very sexy sounding album too!!! one of my many favs....

Good job on 3121 Prince

All i can say is that i haven't listened 2 the album in many months; i don't think i've listened 2 it this year and frankly, i don't have the desire. The only song that i listen on a regular basis is Black Sweat just because it's my ring tone.

rainbowchild said:

oooh yer missin out, the more I hear it the more i love it. Did you give the album a chance????

Like most Prince albums they grow on me more and more as time goes on.

I remember listening to Parade for the first time and thinking "No this is wrong, this is not Prince". Listened to it a few more times and it is now one of my fav albums of all time.

Yes, I can say that 3121 has grown on me more since i first heard it and i now think it is a very well rounded album with something for evey1.

Where did the year go? My goodness!

I have to admit, I only listened to it in it's entirety a handful of times. I have listened to my favorite songs from it several times tho. Overall, I like the album, but I haven't listened to it as obsessively as some of his other albums. I think it's because I had a very busy and stressful year.

I actually listened to it on way to work this morning and it's still great! It offers a variety of styles and some strong songwriting. The only thing that annoys me is the keyboard sound in Black Sweat(it hurts my ears!) but apart from that the song is good...fav songs The Word and 3121...

Best songs on this album for me would be...
Lolita
Satisfied, this song kicks ass! SEXY

My favorites include:

Lolita
Te Amo Corazon
Black Sweat
Incense and Candles
Love
The Word
Fury
Beautiful, Loved & Blessed

... I know that's a lot of favorites...

I also like 3121, even though I don't agree with the way Prince set it up. The little robotic/alien/chipmunk w/e you wanna call it voice in it annoys me a little, but the song has its charm.
I'm not sure how I feel about The Dance and Get on the Boat yet... Satisfied is trying to grow on me, but I find it a little dragged out and boring, but that's me.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Try watching the performance on American Idol on HQ, it may grow on you a little quicker the rest of your post i agree with, The Dance and get on the boat, I usually skip over those on my CD, although I really enjoyed GOTB when he performed at the SB press conference!

When I 1st got it this past summer break, I listened to it all the time. It was all I was listening to. I just can't get away from it. I was hooked.