skywalker said:

I do like some of both, really. I mean, all of his music that I've been exposed to, I'm only found maybe 5 out of 50+ songs that I can't listen 2...

The songs he does go over "with a fine tooth comb", I tend to like quite a bit since it shows how much attention he plays to detail. That anyone can spend so much time working out the different kinks of a song... I wouldn't have the patience for that.

His songs don't have to be completely formulaic for me to like them, though.
Some of the tracks of 3121 are great because he uses perfect judgement on where they end... he drags out "Love" and "Get on the Boat" a few extra minutes because it works for him. I admire that sense of judgement.

"The Dance" I believe he combines the best of the two worlds. He adds instruments here and there to make it sound great and it doesn't follow a straightforward path either.

UCantHavaDaMango said:

That's beautifully worded
Rainbow Children is a masterpiece with brilliance sprinkled all over it. My son brought this 4 me when it was first released. I must admit I didn’t like it at first and put it as far from me as possible. Thanks 2 all the RBC threads. Last year I gave it a really good listen 2 and omg it’s been on and crackin every since. It's so beautiful and artistically arranged. This cd shows how Prince has grown as an artist. Musically he’s in a league of his own and shows growth beyond his years.
3121 gets lots of airtime and Miscology I love very much

I got a chance to be in the Kevin Smith Doc. at Paisley Park and asked Prince when he was going to release TRC because it was brilliant...he said he didn't think he would put it in the stores...I told him he should, who cares what the critics may think...I also asked him how long it took to make TRC, he said "about a week".

Oh yeah...The Rainbow Children by far...Musicology and 3121 are better than most music out there, but it is far too safe and pop friendly for my Prince taste.

Rainbow Children by a mile.

Lyrically it's JW nonsense, but musically it's interesting and often pretty adventurous - I find more to like the more I listen to it. I just tune out the Darth Vader narration and the more religiously-explicit lyrics.

Musicology is a runner up. It's concise and more craft-based than anything, but I like it. Good album to just chill to, because it doesn't try too hard or become overbearing with excessive production techniques.

3121 is just dull and lethargic to my ears. Some bright spots are certainly there (love TAC and Black Sweat), but it doesn't sound like any heart or energy went into the record.

Risico said:

agreed. That's why I tend to favor it over 3121.

there's some heart in 3121... but it's not quite as obvious.

it depends on what u want to get out of a prince album. some like prince the pop singer and some like prince the creative mad genius. TRC definitely isnt one thats gonna get on the radio but its hard not to hear the inspiration that went into it and appreciate it as a creative effort. some just wanna pop on a prince album and sing along and dance and admire him and his funkiness. 3121 is a good one for that. musicology was a pretty good "hey remember me" type of album for the masses.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

To me the songwriting is more inspired on 3121. It's more hooky & melodic. Musicology is good, but it sounds more forced. It sounded to me like he let the songs for 3121 marinate just a little longer before recording them.

Musically (arrangements & performance) & artistically I'd say they're about equal, though.

All three are really good albums.

I think The Rainbow Children just edges it just, Then 3121 and Musicology.

PurpleKnight said:

I don't own TRC, so I wouldn't know. 3121 seems more commercial 2 me... and a bit rushed. If he spent more times with certain tracks, they could have sounded so much better (in other words, pack a little more punch).
Ugh, I'm really not liking how I'm coming across today, being 2 hard on Prince.

Strange, though. Cuz Musicology and I didn't hit it off the first time. There was an almost instant connection with 3121, but I guess I've lost that along the way.

The Rainbow Children
3121
Musicology

make mine lovesexy.

2elijah said:

Ditto.

PurpleKnight said:

It's like he's saying what I'm thinking, man!

The Rainbow Children --- no doubt about this being the best album since... The Gold Xperience

Musicology --- I love its vibe

3121 --- I love its vibe 2

Cloudbuster said:

I SO agree.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

I think "The Marrying Kind" is the most interesting track on Musicology by far. It and it's follow up, to me, are reminiscent of some of his best 90's work. The rest of Musicology plays as very safe, like it was intentionally made to remind people of 'traditional Prince music without ever really creating a cohesive sound of it's own. Virtually all the tracks there seem like they were tailored to evoke thoughts of an earlier period, imo. Even the whole mantra of "real instruments, played by real musicians" is just a retread of what he was saying about Diamonds & Pearls and 15 years ago.

I will readily agree that On The Couch is just another typical Prince ballad, though.

Overall, Musicology plays like a "Greatest Hits, but not", if you know what I mean.




I think, on the surface, Musicology is an easier listening experience because it's all so planned out and safe. 3121 is similar in that many of the tracks, also, recall earlier periods but a lot of it seems more spontaneous and unscripted. Plus, even when songs do sound like they come from an earlier period (like Lolita, Black Sweat, Fury) they don't tend to sound like they ape a specific album or track in particular (unlike Musicology).

I never did like Musicology at all.

Rainbow Children blew me a way so I would choose that CD but I still enjoy 3121 alot.

Hey guys, in case you're interested, keep an eye on my blog...
http://www.xanga.com/DreamyPopRoyalty

I'm checking out 3121 right now and im onto something interesting and I'm gonna post it here when I'm done listening.

Forgive me Prince 4 me being so hard on u earlier about your efforts on 3121.

I'll be around to further comment on it and Musicology in about 1/2 an hour or so.

nevermind, I'll post my latest thoughts on 3121. Excuse the length... I definitely like it better now than I did earlier. Man, I change my mind a lot. Ugh, whenever I speak out against Prince, I feel like I gotta beg for his forgiveness... I really hate talking badly about his decision-making. Today I haven't been very kind, so I'll be my knees begging for his Greatness's forgiveness.

3121 has an interesting thing going on. It came off as an album of experimenting. With the first track, it starts out pretty routine. A track about a "party" to invite you into the magic the album holds within it. I can just picture Prince messing around in the studio with that song, adding all kinds of different sounds and different versions of his own voice. It kinda shows how far he's come... and I totally dig the guitar solo at the end.

Lolita, one of the track I dubbed "studio plastic", came off differently to me. When I was listening to Prince's voice, he actually sounded his age and I imagine him as he appears now at 48. I know, I'm being a hypocrite, I don't believe in age when it comes to this guy, but the track shows it more than others. The dialogue and the tone of his voice pretty much points how old he is, especially compared to "Lolita". Who knows if this is just Prince storytelling or if it was something that really happened to him? It's a fun track, hearing him joke about this girl as he's so much more mature and sophisticated than her. That same sophistication lasts to the next track, which remains my favorite due to the personal connection we have. I kept wondering which verses I'd sing to him and vice versa, it could very well work to either of our advantages. I call it a seductive track because Prince smooths me with his voice and tempts me to fall in love with him, which I do nearly every time.

Then he changes things up a notch. Black Sweat gives me the vibe that he's experimenting with the sounds of today's music and getting back in touch with the person he used to be (like in his mid-20's from the 1999-Parade era)... I get a vibe from him that says he's dropped 20 years from his current age. Black Sweat is a dance track. Incense & Candles is seductive, but tonite, I wasn't going for it. I got the vibe that his mental age dropped back to his mid-20's, especially with what he does with his voice and the rap he does... dude, that's weak, haha (sorry I just wasn't in the mood tonite). Love is where he goes all out, experimenting with all kinds of different sounds, from laser beams to record scratches... brings me back to 3121 earlier, with what he does. The words talk of a different matter, of course, but that same "younger Prince" vibe still remains. I still am crazy about the track, thu.

Then it's back to full maturity and sophistication with Satisfied. I'm still not crazy about it, but I listen to it cuz it's a great transitional song. Prince goes right back to the mature vibe I got from Lolita & Te Amo Corazon. I don't pay too much attention to it, but still, it chills me out for the rest of the album. Fury holds an interesting theory for me. Could it possibly be connected to Lolita in any way? The two of them sound a little alike with the vibe I get. They're both narratives, but Fury is just one verse after another with slightly diff. guitar solos each time... u gotta admit Prince, the track is a little weak.

The Word starts a two-parter "spiritual" journey, I guess you could say. Prince addresses his listener, trying to send them a message. Who's to know what "The Word" really is... is it something spiritual or is it "sex", plain and simple? Maybe a combination of the two? Him saying "c'mon let's get saved," and talking about "safeguarding against the forked tongue and the trechery of the wicked one" tell me its something spiritual/religious. It's an intruging track and one of his best here. Beautiful, Loved & Blessed is a feel-good track that's also good to chill with. I think that Prince is talking about himself, but my heart says that he wants me to feel the same about myself... TMBGITW was in my head b4 I started listening to the 3121 album, so obviously I'd make that connection. For feel-good value, it's a good track, but kinda disappears among the others.

The Dance is a masterpiece where Prince is doing EVERYTHING. Experimenting any way he can, but this time with "real" instruments, piano, flute, strings, you name it. Not to mention the different versions he adds of his voice. It's a long narrative, but it showcases his personality in so many ways. I can only wonder if, like Lolita, it talks of something that happened to him personally or its just him storytelling? I get the feeling that it has to be autobiographical in some way...

Get on the Boat closes out the album pretty good, but it's kinda hard to pay attention to with all of the other stuff going on in the album. Prince sure picked a bunch of brilliant musicians to back him up, I doubt even he could do it all himself (yeah, I know, it's crazy, but there are some things that even Prince can't do). He certainly couldn't have pulled it off as well. Sheila E's percussion was awesome and the horns on behalf of Maceo... just make it all sound great. It's a different take on 3121, it's about joining the party, but with real instruments.

It's interesting how the tracks connect to one another the way they do. His strongest points in the album are the sequencing of the tracks and determining the perfect length for each of them. Some were formulaic (Te Amo Corazon, Fury, The Word), but others were more spontaneous (Lolita, Love, The Dance)... each had their strong points. But it was cool how I find different sides of Prince in each of the different tracks. When it comes down to it, though, I enjoy the tracks more when he sounds like his age with that same level of sophistication I knew him for b4 my journey even began.

@ DPR

Anx said:

my sentiments exactly

Rainbow Children, this album has so grown on me over the years.
Then Musicology.

PurpleKnight said:

What he said!

It's so obvious. TRC is a million times better than 3121 and Musicology.

DreamyPopRoyalty- yo never cease to amaze me with your analyzations. I admire you!

Rainbow Children!!!!! It's more deep.

tznekbsbfrvr said:

thanx

Yeah... (this is Prince). you can place some of the blame on Prince, though. It's not entirely my fault that I write so much... he just makes it impossible for me to stop. I have a few choice words for him on that, but I don't even say them out loud.

I don't know what he was trying to do to me this morning, though. I had "The Dance" playing in my head and almost felt like he was making me feel guilty for the way I spoke of his efforts on 3121 yesterday. But what can u do?

I guess I haven't been "feeling" him lately because my mind's on other things. The semester here ends next Wednesday, so until then, my mind's gonna be a little warped, I guess you could say.
It's strange, though. I feel like I force myself to listen to 3121 sometimes... sometimes it works 4 me, sometimes it does.

Last night, my mind was in another place, so I had no preconceived judgements in my mind when I started playing it. When my mind is clear, it's easier to get a feel for what he's trying to get across.

As for the central message of 3121, I'm still not sure, but it feels like he's experimenting with diff. genres to touch on diff. parts of himself. I dunno.
All I know is that he wrote this album with something particular in mind, a certain message to get across (like he always does), so I gotta figure out what that it is. As much as I say "I wish he had done this there, etc.", he made it the way it is for a reason. And one of these days, I hope to figure that out.

A lot of people here probably think I'm reaching 2 deep, that's fine. But I would if Prince himself said I'm making way too much of this. Which I kinda feel like I am... but I can't help it. I have a belief he thinks differently than other artists and therefore, his albums should have a deep, underlying message all the same that each of his songs touch on so many diff. areas.

it's a toss up b/w 3121 and Musicology. Dependin on the mood i'm in
There r great songs on both. I'm still getting into Rainbow Children. I put it in my mp3 player and go to sleep listening to it to "soak it all in"

squirrelgrease said:

agreed