TRC, Musicology, and 3121 are solid albums. Why anyone would give up expecting a great Prince album, i'll never know. I'm glad I have taste though. All this "he hasn't released a great album in 20 years" talk is just BS. If you don't think at least one of the following is a great album (TRC, Musicology, 3121, Planet Earth) then I'd hate to have your set of ears.

Hearing the actual CD is just amazing. The interplay between the rhythm guitar and the bassline on Chelsea is just SICK. And another think I'm loving about this album is Prince's focus on melody. I feel like it's way more prevelant in this batch of songs than the last couple releases. Maybe thats why it sounds like a REAL Prince album to my ears.

swdee said:

I must agree - As I listened the first time it struck me what a departure it was from the last album. I reminded me of why I have loved Prince since 1978 - he always gives us something new and original. I recalled the reacti to Around the World in A Day on the heels of Purple Rain. Everyone expected Purple Rain 2 and got something that was almost completely different - yet is was still great.

I'd say the CD on the whole is quite drab, uninspiring, and completely forgettable, like the last few albums he's produced in fact.

i find with each release, I am less and less interested in Prince's output and less and less moved by the music he writes.I just don't have any affinity to this album, which is sad really as I was excited about it's release. I guess I'm just a sucker for all the hype, but I was also hoping he'd have something fresh for his tour in the UK.

Prince certainly isn't my benchmark for quality original music anymore, I think those days are clearly long gone. I'm just glad I've found other new artists which are moving things forward creatively.

IstenSzek said:

I noticed on another thread you said this was one of your favs! Personally I don't care for it. Will give it another few listens but if it hasn't hooked me it will be skipped forever (along with Graffiti Bridge the song and Arms Of Orion)

lspear76 said:

I'd say they're all good, with Musicology and PE bordering on great.

I love this album...


Smoking Hot to Love it after a few more listens

1. Somewhere Here On Earth
2. Planet Earth
3. Resolution
4. Mr. Goodnight
5. Chelsea Rodgers
6. Future Baby Mama
7. All The Midnights In The World
8. Guitar
9. The One U Wanna C
10. Lion of Judah

Bewdy said:

I totally agree. i dont mind sparking a debate here. I would like to start a new thread but for fear of being locked by the mods.. its here. And here I go:

I hate to say this guys but Bewdy doesnt just have a point, I think he's right. I think we should all accept Prince's output quality is nowhere near what it used to be.

However, I will attempt to justify in a lucid, coherent rational manner.. Here goes:

NPS, Emancipation, Musicology, 3121 and Planet earth, the list goes on.. most albums since the Gold Experience (with the exception of TRC - a masterpiece of non-commercial genius) are in my humble opinion average albums. A once or twice listen, perhaps a tweek of the eyebrow occasionally, and then never again.

The main problem for me, is the severe lack of a coherent album feel, since the disappearance of the original NPG band.

The album songs sound like they were recorded at different places, at different times, with different artists, and then - the no.1 flatliner for me - a song with all instruments performed completely by prince.

At this point, this is where the production really sucks. Take for example the song planet earth. Doing well up until the bridge. Horns come in.. played by (i assume) prince! Horns!! on a goddamn synth keyboard! they sound totally unrealistic, cheap and rushed - back of a bedroom, like he couldnt be bothered to wait to finish the mix and couldnt afford to hire/pay for ppl to play real horns.

Next up - track 3 Somewhere here on earth. How rediculous. The track actually opens with fake flutes. synth flutes! what a waste of time. Cheap, quick, crass production. He is a multimillionnaire and he cant be bothered to get a real band together for the album mix. Lots of albums have suffered from this. Before emancipation he never did that. He had a REAL band that played the music. A bassist playing bass.. not prince running his fingers over a keyboard.

Yes prince sometimes lets others contribute a little bit - but just Renato on a piano solo and fake everything else doesnt work for me.


No wonder some of you want to hear these songs live. Even I thought, wow, at least some of these songs might be good live. Because the studio mix is appaulling.

Couple that with really bad or basic and even childlike lyrics at times, and not very memorable or legendary melodies.. it all makes for wave after wave of rushed, mediocre tripe that only means something to prince, to satisfy his ego.

Future Baby mama... another prime example. Just listen to those drum and percussive sounds.. all fake. From a korg synth. And those sounds he used with wendy and lisa many times.. 20 years ago! its like he hasnt even upgraded his synth.

I dont like his new stuff. They are not albums. They are a malaise. A something for everyone approach. yuck.

Prince would do a lot better to severly cut back on his output, stop churning his every thought into a half baked song, and spend a lot more time working on a coherent album, classing up his lyrics, and classing up the production and throw away that rediculous, outdated korg synth he is using and get a real band to record and produce the album. Fake sounds trying to be real is just the worst.

until prince makes that decision.. we r going to be bombarded with mediocre/ rushed everything. Quality not quantity is the rule. The most basic rule you learn in first grade.

There you have it. My opinion.. in a not-so-small nutshell.

PurpleHouse said:

co-sign.

its a shame that after being away from the org for so long, what lured my back was the politics forum. commenting on a new record/performance was just a side note.

i was able to enjoy some of the trax more once I got a clean version.

As i've already said, this is his best since Lovesexy.

8,5/10

jaypotton said:

fair enough

grafitty bridge is one of the few prince songs i skip as well, although
i can handle arms of orion -sometimes, lol.

i got a copy yesterday as well and it's starting to grow on me but will take about a weeks listening on and off to make a proper decision. There are a few catchy tunes on here that could be potental hits if released with the correct markting on back of the concerts.

Is this the eaxct version that will be released because it comes in at exactly 45 mins long and I thought it was meant to be slightly longer. Not being a techi I don't know if the Mail on Sunday cut it down to 45 mins to save on costs. Guitar seems to fade just at the point Prince is about to unleash a solo.

My biggest concern is still the fact that now he is free we are getting new music then when he was signed to Warners!

I was so disappointed with this album i nearly cried, what was truly lacking for me was emotion. In the past on any album prince has relaeased, he always had the ability to make me feel something, Joy, Pain, optimistic, passion, he does'nt seem to sing the songs with any emotion its cold! the album felt thrown togeather and rushed, id heard most of the lyrics before, and frankly im just glad i did'nt have to pay for it, maybe thats why it was free, he could'nt sell this album if he tried. Sorry to be so blunt, but i was truly pissed off at the content, because to me it was 'i don't give a shit album' the same type of crap given to us on chaos and disorder!

2903dad said:

I think this says more about you than Prince's music. Why would you cry over an album release? Oh, and Chaos and Disorder was a great album.

Madhouse6 said:

you don't need weeks to know good music from bad.

2903dad said:

but even half of chaos and disorder is pretty good.

I rate the album 7/10... the one or two tracks don't do anything for me... the rest I can jam out to... nothing groundbreaking though...

sassybritches said:

The first five songs of Planet Earth are perfect, A+ material.

lezama said:

There is no music that is groundbreaking.....hasn't been for... years and years. To expect something groundbreaking, is ridiculous.

Bewdy said:

What new artists are moving things forward creatively? And out of those new artists, how many will be "pushing things forward" in another 10 years? I can't wait to hear your response.

lspear76 said:

i can stomach the title track. the next bunch are awful until chelsea rodgers, which is a lot of fun. then lion of judah is cool. that's it for me. two good tracks and a tolerable one, out of 10, do not make even an acceptable cd in my mind.

like i said earlier, i'll buy those two tracks on itunes and call it a day.

sassybritches said:

Two tolerable tracks? I'd agree with you, if the album only consisted of Planet Earth and Guitar. The first five songs alone are A+ quality. The only "iffy" song on the whole album is "Mr. Goodnight." The rest after that are fantastic, Lion of Judah in particular. Get your ears checked. <3

lspear76 said:

i nearly cried because i had to get up early on a sunday morning, to purchase this crap, and i could of stayed in bed!

lspear76 said:

one tolerable track (planet earth) and two good tracks (chelsea and lion) is what i actually said.

and my ears are good. as is my taste. hence my dislike of this new record.

Why do people get jumped on if they don't like this album? Get your ears checked? GTFOH!!

lspear76 said:

Well since you ask, I think Herbaliser is doing some mean tracks at the moment, I'm also digging boards of canada, Me'schell Nigelicelo or however you spell it, she's putting some good stuff down. The roots last three albums were blinding, and also, Paul Mc Cartneys (I believe he's been around a few years) last two solo albums were highly original, innovative and packed with emotion and new ideas. The same which I don't feel I can say about prince.

How many of these guys will still be doing it in 10 years time quite honestly does not interest me, and that is hardly a defense for a series of poor albums in my opinion, because to my ears prince aint doing it any more, at least not to the standard I fell in love with. But hey if you like it, god for you!

Lothan said:

it's all good. i'm hoping it's all in good humor. i don't begrudge anyone for liking it...though i do question those who say it's as good as lovesexy, lol!

sassybritches said:

Did someone actually say that?

Lothan said:

i think so. someone def said its his best since...