1979... OTW v Prince .... OTW
1980....Triumph v Dirty Mind .... Triumph
1982....Thriller v 1999 ..... Thriller
1984...Victory v Purple Rain... Purple Rain
1987...Bad v SOTT..... SOTT
1991...Dangerous v Diamonds and Pearls... toughest one yet.. Dangerous
1995...History v The Gold Experience .... its a defo tie
1997 Blood v Crystal ball.... Crystal Ball
2001 Invincible v TRC.... Rainbow Children

All round its a tie breaker... but then all the p albums in between hehe

FunkyBrotha said:

I agree with all except Thriller..I didn't think about these...

FunkyBrotha said:

I think your spot on with them, cant argue with that.
but for me personally as i love pop i would call Bad (SE) and SOTT a draw as i think 8 songs from each are strong as each other.


SOTT
sign of the times
play in the sunshine
housequake
slow love
hot thing
u got the look
i could never take the place of your man
it's gonna be a beautiful night

BAD
bad
the way you make me feel
liberian girl
another part of me
man in the mirror
i just cant stop loving u
dirty diana
smooth criminal
leave me alone
streetwalker (SE)
fly away (SE)

I was in nappies/daipers back in 1979 so really can't comment

id give 1979 to MJ. he was really funky then before he turned to pop. At the triumph tour 1981 he was singing all them types of songs which were recorded in the late 70's except dancing machine.

dont stop till u get enough
off the wall
working day and night
things i do for you
dancing machine
shake your body
lovely one
enjoy yourself
this place hotel
show you the way to go

vainandy said:

damn..Walk right now...
I had the 45 back in the day... ..Yes that album is Superbad ! and creative..like you said they were still raw ie: BLACK ! and still getting creative Like with:
can u feel it and heartbreak hotel..but there was SOUL in it..It wasnt for the masses as much as it was 4...
the ASSES ! even the songs the brothers did on the album were baaad ! and the TOUR !!!!! Forget about it ! thats the last great jacksons tour..Victory was some pepsi cola Bullshit ! half the crowd came to see a damn glove ..a red leather jacket and the moonwalk !
[Edited 8/28/07 17:09pm]

prettymansson said:

This post made me laugh! "pepsi cola Bullshit!" Hilarious!

If someone already stated this sorry for the repeat, But I don't consider "Off the Wall" a funk album. More R&B than funk.....I love this album, a true classic, but I think putting it in the "funk" category is not correct.....[b][/b]

URTHE1 said:

Well, if thats the case..then Prince has never done a Funk album. Its a bit of a mix..but the Core is FUnK

Funk anthems are determined by the response to the first 4 bars, DMSR is a funk anthem the song basically put the Minneapolis Sound in perspective in about 8 minutes. Prince will also be known for Shut up already Damn!. Mike was funkier earlier but prince caught up real fast with songs that take on an epic quality in funk terms.

1979..I remember when both of these albums dropped...1979....MJ hands down..I remember jamming at those block parties to the WHOLE OTW album damn near....and at the time it was a while before I even realized that IWBYL was by the same guy that sang soft and wet. I am a bigger P fan than a MJ one and always have been...but OTW and This Place Hotel ruled...MJ had a more "traditional" sound and at that time P's sound was so new,,so different,,that it almost had to grow on you...na'mean?..

URTHE1 said:

Well, I did actually say in an earlier post that Off the Wall wasn't a funk album per se but it was funky.

whatsgoingon said:

Dayum... I was just gonna post that, using the exact same words

Both albums suffer greatly from the cd-format.
They both have an obvious A-side and a B-side.

Prince’s middle part becomes too soft putting the last track of side A and the first track of side B in one sequence (When We're Dancing Close And Slow / With You).
Both sides of the album are balanced, but putting them on one single disc destroys the balance in the middle part of the album. This transfer to the cd-format puts the album in the R ‘n B category instead of the Funk. But if you’ve listened to the vinyl album you know this album is FUNKY.

Micheal’s album suffers even more from the cd-format!
Off The Wall has two different sides. In essence, side A is rougher than side B (if rough is the right word for a MJ album). Side B is the sweet side. Of cause there’s a reference to the other side: side A ends a bit sweeter, and side B ends rough. But putting both sides in one sequence destroys the balance completely. Off The Wall is considered funky mainly due to side A. Putting both sides together makes it a defusing album. Listening to the vinyl gives you the choice which side you feel listening to.

One great difference between R n B and Funk is the roughness ... which makes Prince more Funky.
But listening to side A of Off the Wall makes me doubt this easy choice.

Maybe Off The Wall is the better album, but I prefer listening to Prince

Quincy Jones, perhaps.

Definately OFF THE WALL is Classic...can never get tired of this album.
like Stevie Wonder time stands still with this one.
Off the Wall period is everyones fave MJ period. But I still say
Dangerous is his best work thus far anyway. His Growth in songwriting and so many hits far outreached with Dangerous album. But hits aside, he showed more humanity on this album or more of himself. Kind of like the HIStory lp too.
And like Prince's Controversy, Lovesexy or Sign O' the times Graffiti Bridge or Gold Exp or Madonna's Like a Prayer/American Life lps. Those are the albums that touched the fans hearts the most. Or like he said in the Tavis Smiley interview once (WB gave him the opportunity at least to have creative/artisic freedom of expression over is work!) that connection him with his fans. The creative artistic expression freedom that connected that bond with his fans.
So even though the general public as well as most fans miss and adore the off the wall period the most (he was 2fine in those tight glittering pants and rhinestone boots! & those glittering eyes n that amazing smile!)....Its the albums that made that connection with the fans that we hold dear the most.
As For Me....Besides the Basic crossovers of Thriller, Purple Rain, and Like a Virgin, Its those albums with the most meaning or Message and passion that I hold dear to my heart.
(1999, Sign o the times, Graffiti Bridge, Gold Exp, Like A Prayer, American Life, Dangerous & HIStory for me.!!) although History is alot like American life in it was a personal Rebellion against what was happening to them, to our our world &/or our country, Injustices. MJ's "They Dont care about us" & Tabloid Junkie, & Madonna's "Like A Prayer", "Nobody Knows Me" & "Intervention".
Tabloid Media...(Misery Loves Chaos/Merchants of Chaos!) "Nobody Knows Me" "Dont want your Social Disease"!Fascist Tabloid Administration using celebrities Misery to take peoples minds off of "the WAR" (by the way the War single gives me the creeps does prince have ESP?) and :Intervention"."I know the road looks lonely, but that's just satan's game" reminds me of "Never let that lonely monster take control of you" in the song "Free"
of course prince did his thang with CJ on "Billy Jack Bitch"!
loved that! should have been a longer jam released on that track! keep going!!!!

I really miss the "Money Dont Matter 2Nite", Free, Peace, Anastasia, America, The Ladder, NPG, Race/We March, Controversy/Sexuality, Signothetimes.... kind of songs that speak out and speak from the heart! About our Country and social issues injustice ect ect ect ect!!!
Michelle Basart
Portland, Oregon
www.myspace.com/MichelleBasart
www.OnthelineNW.com
www.everybodyfanclub.com
[Edited 8/30/07 0:36am]
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whatsgoingon said:

Ouch. that's cold

I most certainly agree*

Off The Wall had it's funk moments.Prince was more pop,but I think Prince was much more enjoyable. Almost all of the songs on Prince was redone by someone.

fantasticjoy said:

Yes, Prince was really writing some great songs. Everybody was trying 2 get a bite of the Purple Rock.

FunkyBrotha said:

Nope - sorry - 1999 easily tops Thriller.
Its a fact.

Really interesting discussion...and weird because just this morning I was walking to work and the shopping centre here was playing 'Working Day And Night' which got me thinking about MJ and Prince's respective positions back then. I came to the conclusion that MJ was funkier and the songs and arrangements that little bit tighter and better than Prince had managed so far, even if Prince's second album is up there for me as one of his finest.
But, as has been mentioned, MJ had many years experience at his disposal before recording Off The Wall.....Vocally, he was way ahead of Prince in terms of his confidence and ability to really get a song across. Of course, Prince in time raced on.....
Thriller Vs 1999??? Well, Thriller was the first album I ever bought. Huge part sentimentality, huge part apprectiation for wonderful music, but for me personally, it still pips 1999 by a notch or two. Though 1999 has great great tunes, and a fantastic vibe, there's still nothing on it that tops my favourites from Thriller....Wanna Be Startin' Somethin and Human Nature.

FunkyBrotha said:

1979:I gotta give it to OTW! MJ was on point, Prince album was good, but MJ 's album is still al better listen long term. The music was so organic and natural, blending all of MJ soul he crafted with Motown with the disco & funk sounds.

I disagree with your view of the years 1982 & 1995. Thriller (82) was a monster, but it is so grand in scope that it comes across as boring and safe. 1999 finally saw Prince carving a bigger niche in the pop world, bringing his style of funk and charisma.

If you look at 1995, HIstory was a letdown. I bought it and excluding disc 1 (the Hits), Disc 2 was not a strong album. Some good moments (Scream, SIM) followed by cringe worthy material (History-title track:ill2: , 2 Bad , Earth Song) which was MJ playing it by the numbers. Gold Experience had an interesting backstory with the whole name change thing/fight with WB and the music was Prince reborn for the 1990's. He sounded alive (unlike the Come album, where he seemed to not care)

Very interesting post though.

wasnt prince making the 1st the time album??

prince could be funkier if he wanted to but he chose to play more styles of music.

If you are asking what album was is funkier between OTW and Prince it would easily be OTW...but take into account the question should be "MJ+Quincy Jones vs Prince...1979...Who had a funkier album?

Mike was at his creative peak here. He never made a better album. Unfortunately, because of his association with Quincy, people shortchange him. Mike had demos before the album was created which sound funky as hell. He did not play the instruments but (like Elvis) he was the arranger and creator of the music in this situation. The ideas are his, Quincy and co. merely polished them. The bass lines, rhythm all come from him, in other words, the best pards of Off The Wall. His vocal chops were never better either. Mike's funk was aggressive, more densely rhythmic than anything Prince offered on Prince. Prince was a fantastic album which to me, showcased Prince's songwriting gifts more than anything, although there is some very funky soloing and instrumentals on it. I'd have to give the 79 vote to Mike. Let's face it, these are both two of the all time greats, we don't have to put either down to build the other up.

mozfonky said:

mozfonky said:

true and as funkier does not equal to "better"...everything is cool in a MJ-P thread for a change

electrorock said:

Thats the way I like it. No Hatin..just appreciation

off the wall was on point.the only time micheal's lp was better than prince's..but as funky as off the wall was ...as a whole,sexy dancer was by far the funkiest cut to come out that year(it did make the dance charts at #2)

khemseraph said:

Ehm... NO.