After months of chatting with you guys, many have mentioned the Rainbow Children cd. So, this past weekend I looked for it, found it, and bought it. I've been listening to the tracks and I'm impressed. Prince gets real spiritual on this compilation. It's probably the closest thing to a gospel album he will ever make. The gospel narrator threw me off at first but the more I listen to it I know he trying to tell us a story within the songs. There are a number of tracks I'm really impressed with. First the title track. If you love jazz like I do than I know you'll love this one. It's very jazzy appeal can easily be tied with jazz legends like Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. It sinks you in and persuades you to listen on. Also, 1+1+1 is 3 is a very funky track. This song could've easily been done with the Revolution. It gets your feet tapping and body moving. For my third fave track, Last December, is just riveting. Sounds like a song George Clinton could've composed with Funkadelic. Now only it had meaning but it sounds good. Larry Graham is bumping the bass on this one like he never bump before. Its strong and soft all at once. Finally, the track Family Name really gets you thinking. Makes you wanna find out who you are and where you come from. This song is politcal as well as spiritual. There are just a couple of tracks I'm still not sold on but overall I will give it a B+. So thanks to all of you for convincing me to buy the cd. I appreciate your thoughts and comments. It persuaded me. I still wouldn't put this in my top 10 but good nonetheless. Thanks again!

Been too long since I've had this playing. About time again!

Nice cd. Just don't like the "darth vader" voice

luv4u said:

Just speed it up until you get a Camille vibe. The rest of the album sounds like it's being performed by the mice from the movie Babe that way, too.

I like this album quite a bit actually. I hate most of the lyrics though. And the tone of the spirituality. Lovesexy's spirituality was about inclusion and joy, whereas The Rainbow Children's is about exclusion and gloom.

luv4u said:

Exactly my issue with it, as well.

Okay...except for the whole 1+1+1=3 nonsense. And Family Name. (I ain't goin' there again and you can't make me.) And Wedding Feast is pretty lame, too.

Other than that, it's fabulous.

Raze said:

from last december..."we need to come together , come together as one.."....yeah, that excludes alot of peeps....

thepope2the9s said:

I'm talking overall. Even that line is saying that we all need to have one mind/belief, rather than existing together with diverse opinions and beliefs.
[Edited 6/5/07 13:10pm]

thepope2the9s said:

actually it does, in the same way John Lennon's "Imagine" does
in other words "drop your beliefs" and be assimilated, or else

best prince album of the 00's this far

Snap said:

Well put.

I love it. It's in my top 3. The jazzier sound and the extended jams make up for the annoying Darth Vader voice. Although, if he were to re-record it without the voice, I certainly wouldn't mind!

UCantHavaDaMango said:

to be honest i don't mind the voice at all. listening to that album for
the very first time the day it was released online was just such a cool
treat. it completely blew me away cuz i was expecting more of the same,
nps, rave etc production and drum machine, stale production and songs i
would be able to sing along to till the end after the 1 minute mark.

but boy was that album a breath of fresh air. it had me laughing in the
office saying stuff like "f'in hell man, this is incredible" and bustin
grin after grin after grin.

it's complex, organic, melodic and very very well produced. just the
songwriting alone on it is lightyears removed from anything nps, rave
or slaughterhouse.

which is why i was kind of saddened when he went n released musicology
after TRC, the ONA tour, the ONA piano album, Xpectation, Cnote, NEWS,
etc.

it seemed like a step back instead of a continuation of the new path
and regained vibrancy in his releases.

^ I agree! When I first heard the Rainbow Children, I felt like doing a cheer! Prince was showing us what he was really capable of. It was the first time in a long time that a Prince album had excited me so much. I haven't felt that way since, but I hope I will soon.

UCantHavaDaMango said:

i see many people on here sweating over what prince said about him
taking a break and studying the bible after this tour and album.

last time he said and did just that, he released rainbow children!

so i'm all for a spell of chillin and reading

IstenSzek said:

I really like TRC especially Muse to the Pharoah, 1+1+1 is 3, Everlasting now, The Work, and Last December...I just listened to ONA Live and just totally melted...I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HIM IN MN!!! I hope he plays some Planet Earth tracks.

ejnbmore said:

me too, i love it when he plays some new tracks. people keep bitching
about how 3121 live is a song "no one wants to hear" blablabla or how
"lolita" doesn't work at all in a live setting.

still, i'd rather have him perform some new cuts than another medley
of raspberry beret/take me with you, lol.

if he plays that it london i will rip out my pubes one by one untill
that dreaded medley is over.

IstenSzek said:

I hear somebody mentioned gloomy. Quite the opposite to me, he sounded pretty happy and enthusiastic.

But the song "She Loves Me 4 Me" leaves a rotton taste in the mouth now if you know what I mean its sad too coz its such a sincere song.

Am I the only person who didn't get the religious messages throughout the album? First time I listened to it, I had no idea about Prince being heavily into JW, so I popped it in and started thinking "COOL! Prince is doing his own jazzy musical Lord of the Rings saga kinda thing." Came as a surprise later when I found out it was supposed to be somewhat biblical.

Love the album, love the music; could've done without the voice overs.

IstenSzek said:

:
a funny and painful visual.