Our little Survivor game is fun, but it has me a little startled at the mindset of the Org. (now there's a first)


I shouldn't be surprised that some people actually like Gold better, but my brain refuses accept it.

I was going to let it go, but then someone mentioned "lyrics" as a reason that Controversy should go.

and here I am.

So i'm going to post my MANY reasons that I feel that Gold is the WORST Prince album, with the exception of maybe Rave and New Power Soul.

I'll even go track by track.

The album as a whole is over-produced and awkward.

P Control? Besides stupid strippers with breast implants, what's to like about this song? "AHHH! Pussy Control! Owww! Yeah, that's some quality songwriting.

Endorphinmachine? Tippy tippy tin?
The Dippy dippy wave of my do?
Ugh.

Shhh? I'd rather do you after school like some homework?
Sounds okay coming out of Tevin's mouth, but Prince's old ass? Stop.

We March is a boring song.

Most Beautiful was great as a single, but to make it fit on this over-produced nightmare, he brasses it up. Ruined.

Dolphin. Wow. What wasn't bad about this track?
"If i came back as a dolphin, would u listen to me then?" "If you cut off all my fins?"
This is by FAR the dumbest thing Prince ever wrote.

Now. Prince trying to be ghetto is just sad.

319. Not bad.

Shy. Also not bad.

Billy Jack Bitch. The most Prince sounding track on this whole fiasco.

I Hate U. Not bad for this horrible album, but as Prince ballads go it's sad.

And as far as Controversy goes, you had to be there. It was 1981. Reagan was in office, and people were miserable. I won't do a blow by blow, but this album was amazing. The tracks that people seem to like to pick on are Ronnie, which was a huge political statement as to how young BLACKS in the country were feeling at the time (i emphasized that to remind folks that Prince was primarily a BLACK artist before 1999.) Ditto with Annie Christian. Do Me Baby is in the Prince ballad Hall of Fame.

Okay.

Now discuss.
[This message was edited Tue Sep 24 9:53:17 PDT 2002 by ButterscotchPimp]

yeah...Do Me, Baby is an R&B classic...Controversy and Let's Work are Prince classics. This is my favorite pre-1999 Prince record.

Pussy Control was kinda spooky the way he introduced it in concert, that keyboard line was cool. It had potential on the album and still kicks on some days. Could have used better sounding drums on it though Endorphinmachine is certainly overproduced but still the band give it all they got. Perhaps should have opened the album or Interactive. Shhh is excellent althougth the guitar solo should have been tweaked up. We March never had a chance when it replaced Days of Wild. The Most Beautiful Girl and Dolphin are both classics from that era. Now sounded better live. 319 and Shy do not have the weight to KO any of the other tracks. Billy Jack Bitch, I Hate U and Gold all have classic Prince touches; they form the most impressive part of the album. Overall, the Gold Experience still makes for an interesting listen but something just doesn't work for me. Perhaps, it's a 'what could have been' record.

Controversy, on the other hand, is fluid, raw, and masterfully produced. Essential Prince listening all the way through.


[This message was edited Tue Sep 24 10:14:45 PDT 2002 by Anji]
[This message was edited Tue Sep 24 10:16:42 PDT 2002 by Anji]

ButterscotchPimp said:

Totally agree with you on this cut.

I think I picked Gold over Controversy because I lump Gold in with Come & Exodus plus all the cd singles from this period & I just have listened to Gold over the years more than Controversy. Also I started listening to Prince when 1999 was released so anything prior to that is Prince History while anything fromm 1999 on is Prince Now because I bought this music when it was new & fresh & current. It's the way I connected to the music that makes me pick which cd goes & which stays on Prince Survivor.

?
[This message was edited Wed Feb 26 4:11:49 PST 2003 by IstenSzek]

I'm a little biased towards The Gold Experience being that i saw the material played live at Glam Slam & it kicks anything he's released since on "stage". I've been around since the beginning so it's not like i'm talking out my ass here. The Gold Material breathed new life into Princey's career, at least creatively methinks. Although you can't go wrong with Do Me Baby, Let's Work, etc. it was to me just steps in the developement of a talent that would change music for years to come.

Man, I neva anderstood whats the REAL concept behind "SHY" and "Annie Christian"

319-I love it, THE FUNKIEST track in that LP.

Shy-Dark and Edgy, the guitar ending is the BEST.

I Hate U-Jimmy and Terry produced a song 4 the Mary J's LP "MARY" I 4got its name. They both have similar intro.

The Most beautiful-Is just beautiful

Gold wipes the floor with Controversy. With the exception of the title track and Annie Christian theres little here he didnt do way better later on. Do Me Baby is vastly overrated and bores me shitless and there are so many throways. Jack U Off is stupid, Ronnie Talk To Russia is even worse. Private Joy and Lets Work are fun but slight. Gold is almost a masterwork. Pussy Control and We March aside it's Princes rock n roll album. Loud, brash, confident, arrogant and ridiculous all in one but never boring. Gold is terrific fun and is in his top 5.

LOL... why is it I hate Shy and Annie Christian, the 2 that so many people seem to name as keepers from these 2 albums?

ButterscotchPimp said:"someone mentioned "lyrics" as a reason that Controversy should go".

"and here I am",that guilty "someone". The last thing i'm looking 4 is 2 get involved in public slanging matches with Prince fans from the other side of the world but i suppose i am now obliged 2 reply,seeing as i have unintentionally ruffled some feathers merely,as always, by expressing my (VERY possibly WRONG!) opinion.

I didn't really mean 2 give the impression that i voted off Controversy purely on the basis of its lyrical content(after all,a goodly proportion of TGE lyrics r pretty naff 2,as u have amply illustrated).


I'm sorry if it offends u that the lyrics 2 RT2Russia hold little relevance 4 me. I've never even set foot on american shores, so ,not having lived there in 1981,i really don't have the 1st iota about the social/political issues 2 which u refer.

3 albums were under consideration 4 my vote: ATWIAD stayed largely 4 sentimental reasons(i'm afraid i'm a nostalgic soul at the best of times!), TGE survived on account of the fact that i dig it out occasionally 2 listen 2 songs like I Hate U, Billy Jack Bitch(love its kick-ass horn arrangement!),Shhh,Shy & Gold(admittedly a tad cheesy but enjoyable nonetheless),whereas i plumped 4 Controversy because,although its strongest tracks (esp.Let's Work & Do Me,Baby) surpass anything off TGE,only 3 killer cuts out of just 8 songs simply does not cut the mustard with me.

It's not that i dislike it musically (FAR from it!) and Controversy as an album almost certainly represents a more cohesive piece of work than TGE. Yet i'd vote the same way again 2day probably,even though it wasn't easy 4 me 2 come 2 a decision originally.

Oh...& u r dead right about the tendancy 2 err 2wards over-production on TGE eg.Endophinemachine rocked live but sounded a tad over-cooked on the album(well,more like burnt 2 a crisp,if i'm being entirely honest!).


Don't think i'll bother voting again, if i'm going 2 offend people with my perceived ignorance/abysmal taste.(Would have voted TGE next,then ATWIAD just 4 the record).


If it's any consolation,it looks as though a personal favourite of mine (Dirty Mind) is about 2 bite the dust & my not-so-dirty mind boggles at that!
[This message was edited Tue Sep 24 13:01:48 PDT 2002 by DorianGray]

the winner, by a tko: controversy!!!

P. Control is one of the few Prince songs I have played for non-fans that they have loved right away. People like nasty stuff, even if it's silly.

The only reason I listen to Controversy less than Gold is because Controversy is the last of Prince's "early" work to sound "old" to me. Just sounds like 1981 to me. 1999, Purple Rain and beyond all sound like they could've been released yesterday.

My biggest complaint about Gold is that Days of Wild was removed...our perspective of that disc would be much different if that hadn't happened.

I agree with some of what you say, but "Eye Hate U" is one of my favorite Prince songs ever. Looove it, love it!! And the rock on Gold Experience is too cool. Can't get enuff of Prince's guitar. (Yeah, Controversy is better tho).

Your statement about Reagan is not quite justified. Both parties do us dirty. I was alive during that time and I know how miserable people were during Carter's administration. Remember the long gas lines, and the price of peanut butter? We were poor and all I got was bread and butter, but some peanut butter sho woulda been nice. Inflation is no fun.

Okay... carry on folks...

stop holding on 2 the GATDAMN 80's!!!
ITS OVER!!!

Funny how ppl totally FLAME the song "We March" without knowing what it is about. One person said they had no clue what it was about (in another thread), and now ButterscotchPimp says it's a boring song?! WTF?! Granted it isn't one of P's stronger songs, but it has a strong message behind it. It seems a lot of people like songs that don't really have a message, and say nothing but "how'd you get your legs to do that? ooo shit!" Come on now.

Controversy (sorry to those who didn't even see the outside of the scrotum at that time) has a LOT of strong points to it, such as the political scene at the time, strong sexual times coming on the heels of the free 70s, Let's Work's feel-free-to-funk-it-up feel, etc. This does not demerit Gold in any way. Different time frame people, different mindset for both us and P.

I adore both of these albums a lot. I prefer "Gold" a little, but both have great merit, in my opinion. "The Gold Experience" was the first Prince album that I so eagerly anticipated. I knew many of the tracks beforehand from the Soul Train performance, etc. and was hyped about each one. The album delivered well. Those who think "Dolphin" is a weak song aren't getting the point- it is probably the best song on the album, with its plea for acceptance, but not at the cost of conformity. "Controversy" has grown on me a lot in recent years and has become a classic in my mind.

They're both great but neither are as good as what came immediately before them.

Gold sounded great when I bought into all the hype Prince was creating about leaving WB.

Years later many of the songs sound corny and overproduced to me.

I get the same feeling when listening to the Symbol album, and to a lesser extent Diamonds & Pearls. There were some great melodies and lyrics, but they get lost in the final package because Prince overproduced them and embelished the album too much with segues and other crap.

Well, this conversation went about the way I thought it would go.

But it lends me to wonder the ages of the people in here.

Reason i'm asking, is with me being 35, i've been down with Prince since day 1.

For You was the first real record I got into as a kid. I spent my allowance on Prince albums, and often wore them out.

I had to buy 2 copies 1999, cuz i wore the first one out.

I actually saw the Controversy tour, and the 1999 Triple Threat tour, the Purple Rain tour and the birthday/Parade concert in 86. I literally grew up listening to Prince.

So i understand the genius of For You, Prince, Dirty Mind and Controversy. The Gold Experience offends me. And i'm not joking when i say that. Listening to Dolphin makes me physically ill. Ditto with New Power Soul. Rave isn't offensive just a bad record.

And the Rainbow Children gives me hope.

Which leads me to start a new thread...

If I was going on a road trip & only had room for 1 more CD, between these 2 I'm grabbing Controversy. I like Gold (Eye Hate U is GREAT, the drums on Shhh kill me) but once you put Let's Work into the equation...

Controversy and Let's Work are both brilliant, but the Gold Experience is more consistent. The Gold Experince is just asking to be cranked up, especially P Control, Endorphinmachine, 319 and Billy Jack Bitch. We March is dull, and TMBGITW is a bit of a cheesefest at times, but let us not forget that Annie Christian is truly crap.

ButterscotchPimp said:

I think I understand you. I love Controversy and got it after I already had Gold. I do like Controversy more than Gold, New Power Soul and Rave. But age has little to do with it. I also don't appreciate the fact that people don't understand how timeless P's early music was. To answer this question is simple. It is hard for me to listen to Gold today because it seems dated( with the exception of the ballads). I could listen to Controversy and Dirty Mind today and just be in a whole different mood because I know it didn't just come out, but it doesn't make me feel like "Oh that was soo last decade". I am younger than you Butterscotch, but I appreciate P's old work as much as the recent. I also appreciate the meaning and the messages behind Controversy more than Gold.

Hmmm...

That's funny because I find Dirty Mind and Controversy to sound much more dated than Gold Experience. I love all three though. And for music to sound dated to me is not necessarily a bad thing. I dig the 80s sound anyhow. I also love the sound of the Gold album...

If made now controversy and Dirty Mine would be one album, there 16 songs with both now a days thats one set.

The ONLY good things about "GOLD"

SHHH- good song, great drums, nice vocal stylings

SHY- decent song, pretty, happy

319- decent song, get on the dance floor people

Billy Jack Bitch- bitch-slappin' funk (literally)

and THAT'S IT!!!

Endorphin Machine, Pussy Control and Dolphin are God-Awful!!!

They are so bad! Prince, listen if U came back as a dolphin, YES, I would cut off your fins, your tail and I'd shove that symbol shaped guitar so far up your blow-hole, U'd have nickel-plated shit for months!

Now, Controversy...

Ronnie Talk To Russia- I can't stand this song! I don't think I've ever made it all the way through.

I'll Jack U Off- I did make it through this one, once.

The rest of the album...ALL OF IT, is magical and legendary!

All U young fans can say "ummm, my tastes are my own, and everyone's entitled, bla, bla, bla", but,

there's just nothing to the songs on the Gold Experience, nothing on there makes me dance (except BillyJack), nothing makes me think!! nothing makes me cry, or get shivers, or laugh, or make me think "Prince is one strange MF!"

Controversy does.

I and I like Dirty Mind even more!!!

feltbluish said:

NO WAAAYYY NEAR HAPPY