As much as I love Emancipation, I truly believe that the production is rubbish, one of his worst of his entire career.
Am I the only one who thinks that songs like Right back here in my arms, Somebody's somebody, White mansion or the entire third CD would have worked far better with an organic production (like Diamonds and pearls). But instead they sound artificial, plastic and...cheap!!! (just like the art-work of the booklet).
[Edited 5/6/07 5:47am]

I actually think the 'plastic' production worked well for that album.

Well, I wouldn't use D&P as a yardstick for much of anything for a start...

Now, if it had aproduction similar to , Come or TGE that would have worked okay for me.

I actually don't mind the production on most of Emancipation. There are some songs that could have benefitted from a little different treatment but, overall, it works and fits his mood at the time.

I like it very much thank-you!

I gotta admit - I agree. I've listend to "Mr. Happy" so many times wishing that it had been done with the same production of his "Exodus" or "The Gold Experience" album. It's a shame because those songs were pretty good -- but the painful synthesizers and overall corny sound make it lame I feel the same about New Power Soul -- imagine that album with the same production as Exodus or TGE -- that album would be raw funk.

JoeTyler said:

OH PLEASE! Emancipation is for the most part... WONDERFUL!

CD #2 is a GEM of a product and contains some of Prince's most heartfelt and sincere music... and BEST and most UNDERATED slow jams.

CD #1 has some classics that simply go overlooked... like YES... White Mansion and Somebody's Somebody... and although CD 3 is my least fave of the bunch, One of Us is pure MAGIC, Style is a BLAST, and many others are thought provoking, and relaxing to just sit back and groove to.

Honestly, I think The Gold Experience is OVER PRODUCED to annoying degree... but I still like many of the songs individually.

It's funny how just when we're ready to dismiss an album, we play it again for the first time in a long time, and then realize how much we like many songs on it.

In my opinion, the only album that was probably underproduced was The Truth... but even that album is Prince as an artist in the purest sense of the word... at work.

I just think it needed some live drums.

bobsteezy said:

Agreed, some of the songs would have sounded miles better with live drumming. Well, that and for crap like Sleep Around to be left off the cd.

Ifsixwuz9 said:

lol,I think "Sleep Around" should have been the first single

yeah, the plastic sound is mildly annoying.
but the sound doensn't matter if the song is real good and there are great songs on Emancipation (Jam of the Year, In This Bed Eye Scream, The Love We Make, the title track, Style, White Mansion, Face Down...)
but the weaker songs seem even weaker BECAUSE of the poor sound to go with it, i agree.

SoulAlive said:

Why? What radio station do you think would have put an ode to step areobics into their regular rotation?

I don't know what "organic production" means.

SoulAlive said:

I agree! That seemed like exactly the right song to fit radio at that period (or at least as close as Prince was going to get with anything from E).

SOME great songs. MOSTLY clumsy production.



probably 80 minutes of keepers over all. or maybe a double disc set at 50 minutes a piece, if you throw in some of the better outtakes.

Nothing to add, just had to show up and post the requisite to express my disdain for all things Emancipation.

ian said:

I think they mean...music that is made with "real" instruments (drums,piano,bass guitar) as opposed to music made with machines (drum machines...that fake,plastic programmed bass that you hear in so much 90s R&B,etc).Alot of songs on 'Emancipation' feature the latter.

jtfolden said:

woulda been a big club hit,too.

SoulAlive said:

My fave on the album. Great track.