Going through and organizing my CDs I came across Crystal Ball. I don't even know honestly if I ever listened to it all the way through (it was during my Prince down time)...but after reading the song descriptions again, it seems like there's a lot of interesting stuff on it.

Did I miss something? Was this some fantastic compilation I never really listened to? If you say so, I will focus on it this week...if not, I guess it can collect a little more dust.

Thoughts?

Best to get the Work Sets, or older bootlegs.... b/c Crystal Ball set is a disgrace.

It's pretty good in my opinion, but I'm a diehard, best to listen to it for yourself.

This is crucial. that's all.

Crystal Ball is awesome, i dont understand y it gets such bad comments. 2 much good stuff on here

Crucial,Acknowledge Me, Goodbye,Ripopgodazippa,18 & over, She Gave Her Angels. and the Truth and Kamsutra are good 2 if those were included in ur set

but wat was missing in this set were

All My Dreams,Grand Progression,Wonderful Ass, and much more. Enjoy the crystal ball set and still seek The Work set.

its not so bad.some gems on there.but i remember it cost alot like 50 bucks or so

On it's own merits, it's a great set. But then there's always the argument that it could have been a lot better. Most of the tracks come from either the 1986-87 Dream Factory/Crystal Ball sessions or the 1993-95 NPG Gold/Come sessions. It would have been nice to include some tracks from the early years, the Batman/Grafitti Bridge years, and of course, some Revolution outtakes.
[Edited 9/3/07 0:19am]

mine didnt come with kamasutra, so i bought that seperatly. its amazing. the title track is such a good piece of music, and rather beatifull. its got something about it which i cant put my finger on.

cb is 7/10, Lovesign is my fav song from it. Crucials a good ballad, and Interactives a good rocker. theres alot of songs on the 3 discs and everyones garunteed to find something they like.

The Truth is a underated album. evry song on the album blew me away, Animal Kingdom and Welcome To The Dawn are superb.

RumAndRaisin said:

hey ur kidding with ur top 5 albums, right?

electrorock said:

yeah, cos Emancipations awfull, jam of the years a disgusting song. One kiss at a time a time?? what was he thinking. Newpower soul?? that was the worst thing ive ever heard!!! the one is such a poor song.

and what about planet earth??? Chelsea rodgers???!!! how embarresing.


but purple rain is amazing isnt it?? evry prince fan HAS to like that album, yeah, its just tooo good.

(cant i just like what i like and you like what you like??)

RumAndRaisin said:

with that list u seem to be a provoker

RumandRaisin, you should understand that your opinion is just that, YOUR opinion!
[Edited 9/3/07 5:28am]

wlcm2thdwn said:

shouldnt you be saying that to electrorock??

RumAndRaisin said:

well my opinion is mine, of course...

dont get jealous just because my opinion is better than urs

Crystal Ball is a very big disappointment!
Lousy choice of songs, mostly focussed on the 90's
There are many outtake-boots that are 100 times better.

The nicest boot to begin listening to the demos and outtakes of the 80's is this one (although there are more complete and superior boots released later):

The Work - Concise Edition
6 CD-set Length 7 Hours 38 Minutes

It’s a compilation of the Work Volumes 1, 2, 6 and 7 with some extra tracks. Most unfinished / instrumental demos are not included, nor the demos that don’t differ much from the official released version. Tracks released on the official "Crystal Ball" release are included in their original / superior versions.

Disc One : 1977 - 1982
1 Down A Long Lonely Road 1:20
2 We Can Work It Out 3:00
3 Make It Through The Storm 2:46
4 Wouldn't You Love To Love Me? [#2] 5:03
5 Donna 4:08
6 I Miss You 1:55
7 Baby, Baby, Baby 2:52
8 Nadeara 1:54
9 Lisa 5:59
10 Broken 3:05
11 Tick, Tick, Bang [#1] 3:18
12 She's Just A Baby 4:46
13 Feel U Up 6:38
14 Irresistible Bitch 4:33
15 Turn It Up [#2] 5:16
16 Do Yourself A Favor 8:43
17 Purple Music [#2] 10:41

Disc Two : 1982 - 1984
1 Extra Loveable 7:26
2 No Call U 3:04
3 Something In The Water
(Does Not Compute) 4:07
4 Moonbeam Levels 3:59
5 Baby, You're A Trip 3:45
6 Chocolate 5:52
7 G-Spot [#1] 5:16
8 Possessed [#1] 8:41
9 Electric Intercourse 4:54
10 A Million Miles (I Love You) 2:06
11 All Day, All Night 6:01
12 High Fashion 5:01
13 Mutiny 3:48
14 Desire 5:18

Disc Three : 1984 - 1986
1 The Dance Electric 11:44
2 100 MPH [#1] 3:22
3 Others Here With Us 2:43
4 Old Friends 4 Sale [#1] 3:35
5 Neon Telephone 3:47
6 Heaven 7:15
7 Sexual Suicide 3:36
8 Splash 4:06
9 Wonderful Ass [#1] 6:21
10 Eternity 3:58
11 Can I Play With U? 4:10
12 U Gotta Shake Something 15:21
13 Dream Factory [#2] 3:30
14 Train 4:18

Disc Four : 1986
1 Power Fantastic 6:11
2 Last Heart 3:01
3 A Place In Heaven [#1] 2:51
4 All My Dreams 7:11
5 Teacher, Teacher 3:09
6 It's A Wonderful Day [#1] 3:47
7 Witness 4 The Prosecution [#1] 4:00
8 Crystal Ball [#1] 11:11
9 In A Large Room With No Light 3:18
10 Movie Star [#2] 4:23
11 A Place In Heaven [#2] 2:42
12 Girl O' My Dreams [#1] 1:24
13 Can't Stop This Feeling I Got [#1] 2:07
14 We Can Funk [#2] 5:42
15 Data Bank [#1] 7:51
16 Euphoria Highway 2:05
17 Get On Up 4:33
18 Baby Go-Go 3:30

Disc Five : 1986 - 1989
1 Joy In Repetition [#1] 5:28
2 Witness 4 The Prosecution [#3] 4:55
3 Rebirth Of The Flesh 4:56
4 The Ball 4:59
5 Big Tall Wall 5:52
6 Crucial [#2] 7:23
7 If I Love U 2nite [#3] 4:16
8 The Line 7:35
9 The Sex Of It 3:34
10 U [#2] 4:16
11 Pink Cashmere 6:02
12 Cookie Jar 5:35
13 Soul Psychodelicide [#1] 11:01

Disc Six : 1982 - 1989
1 Delirious 6:06
2 Computer Blue [#2] 12:07
3 I Would Die 4 U [#2] 30:43
4 Around The World In A Day [#1] 6:00
5 Superfunkycalifragisexy 7:13
6 Electric Chair [#1] 7:02
7 We Can Funk [#5] 10:26

it was nice but could have been far better. still, i can't complain
because it came with the new disc "The Truth" which is one of my
personal top 5 prince albums of all time. it's just something else.

crystal ball itself felt like only half of what it could have been
since there were only 10 songs on each disc, so enough space left
on every one of them for at least 5 more songs and there were too
many remixes or slightly alternate tracks of released songs on it.

it would have been better with 3 discs, 16 songs each, covering a
timespan from 1979-1997.

it was perhaps too heavy on post 1992 material, although the songs
from that era on there are absolutely kick ass. so i'm not saying
i wanted something else instead of them just something more from
the other eras as well. a lovesexy outtake, a purple rain outtake
a dirty mind outtake etc etc.

VickiWaiting said:

I think the first two discs are great to listen to straight through!

For diehards only, the third and fourth CD are even uneven

WOW! The Work sounds amazing! WOO!
Good job I'm not allowed to ask where to find it!
Phew!
[Edited 9/3/07 13:48pm]

bullshit

crystal ball is AMAZING.

from the title track to moviestar to days of wild to whatsmyname to interactive to crucial

and the truth....arguably perhaps his BEST album in at least 10 years

staggering.....

I have only just heard Crystal Ball as of a few months ago because I couldnt get it in my state of AUstralia and I personally love the set!!
There are some brilliant songs on there as far as I am concerned and I dont think u have to be that much of a die hard fan to like them....course I can see there are people that disagree with me...
Aint that just too bad

i liked the album but I wish he'd come out with a new Crystal Ball every once in a while. It would be a great place for him to release all those songs that dont fit on his regular albums or to houseclean his vault. If he needs a maid...

Got Loose! is my favorite.

It is one of the most essential Prince listens. Those with bootlegs spoil it, arguing about tracklistings and so forth. There are several absolutely essential songs on it, and many other good to great ones.

Moonbeam said:

I seriously think the sequencing of the first two discs is spot on, much better than the bootlegs which mainly just compile outtakes (sometimes chronologically) and don't really try to create a musical flow.

To listen to all the great outtakes, you have to get bootlegs, to get perfect sound quality and some Princely sequencing of a few outtakes/songs/remixes, you should get Crystal Ball.