Which album do you prefer and why?
My pick: Planet Earth

Chaos and disorder.

Because of the rough rock vibe, some legacy of 'The gold experience' era. It has weaknesses too, such as 'Dig U better dead', but that's just a minimal part.

I mostly like the angry and frustrated sound in it. 'Planet earth' is a good album, but it's Prince in a state of grace. Best work comes out in two different conditions:

1. When inside of U, there's a riot going on

2. When the riot has just died away and you're beginning to relax

Chaos and disorder comes out from solution No.2.
[Edited 4/16/08 2:30am]

As for my reasons, whilst I thoroughly enjoy having Chaos & Disorder rip through my music system LOUD (especially I Like It There, Dinner With Delores, The Same December, Zannalee, Into The Light, I Will & Had U), there are one too many strange moments (the "I would only fuck with one" lyric in Chaos & Disorder; Right The Wrong's country twang just being wrong; Steppa Ranks appearance on I Rock Therefore I Am). In a bizarre way, I kinda dig all those missteps, too, as it's part of C&D's charm, but you can see why the PR machine suggested it was recorded within a week and simply thrown out there. It's the equivalent of P doing a piece of homework and knowing it wil come back as B- but saying what the hell?! It also marked the first time I'd seen P deliberately sabotage his back catologue; chaos & disorder, indeed.

As for Planet Earth, it feels to me like it's his most cohesive record written since The Gold Experience. I don't think giving it 'away' did it too many favours amongst the hardcore (a haircut for free never quite feels as good as when you pay top dollar for a hairdresser with the most beautiful pair...) but I certainly think it piqued the interests of those casual observers who stumbled across it. When PE comes good, it's really a trip down all that is excellent regarding P. It's not groundbreaking but neither was Lovesexy (which I regard as a top-tier P record). To me, PE is really up there with many of his strongest albums. Killer melodies, the majesty of the power trio and perhaps the three best cuts P has committed to tape in ages (Somewhere Here On Earth, Future Baby Mama and Lion Of Judah). I also think The One U Wanna C is the catchiest pop tune he's written since Raspberry Beret. Of course, it's a different time now.
[Edited 4/16/08 3:11am]

Whilst C&D is a legacy of The Gold Experience era, it could easily have been so much more with just a little give and take.
I would hazard a guess that P deliberately held back some of the good stuff.

Can you imagine for £13.99?

Chaos & Disorder by
01 Chaos & Disorder
02 I Like It There
03 Dinner With Delores
04 The Same December
05 Da Bang
06 Zannalee
07 Hide The Bone
08 Into The Light
08 I Will
10 Calhoun Square
11 Empty Room
12 Had U

[Incl. Bonus Disc...]

The Undertaker by Prince
01 The Ride
02 Poorgoo
03 Honky Tonk-Woman
04 Bambi
05 Zannalee (prelude)
06 The Undertaker
07 Dolphin

There would have been a riot going on inside many of us!

Anji said:

Oh, well, about this, I'm totally with U

The albums definitely give different emotions as whole collections...In my opinion...Planet Earth has the feeling that would relax me, and I would choose to put it on...more regularly...however...I have those days, or nights, when "Chaos and Disorder." is the speed I wanna go.
[Edited 4/16/08 4:33am]

CHAOS & DISORDER

Planet Earth,bcuz of the balladz.

Planet Earth marks the first album in 18 yrs that I have not bought in the 1st week without even hearing a song.

I remember hearing about C&D in early summer, and running out in July (if I remember correctly). I thought some of it was cheesy on some songs as mentioned above by others but there were still brilliant moments.

3121 burned me so bad with the production, songs with exception of Fury (SNL Version), not studio, the distorted clipping sound etc. That I am just done with his new stuff. It's no longer innovative.

I will see him live and buy any outtakes collection he may release but this new journey he is on of (IMO) mediocre material that follows conventional r&b boring formats, I can not be involved with.
[Edited 4/16/08 13:23pm]
[Edited 4/16/08 13:24pm]

They're both rush albums from different periods in time.
C&D is quite underrated IMHO.

They do sound like thro-togethers though,

'dre

C & D. Better songs.

No comp.! C&D by a long way! :giutar:

C&D by a mile.

Angry/frustrated Prince tends to produce more interesting and energetic music than a mellow/calm Prince.
[Edited 4/16/08 22:14pm]

chaos and disorder came a long way from being obscure little prince album to prince fan favourite.
even prince knows that,thats the reeason he plays some of the songs from it recentlu "chaons and disorder" i like it there

Anji said:

Bingo.

Thinking of different times, it would have in fact fitted perfectly on Dream Factory, wouldn't you say?

Anji said:

Kind of like comparing a green turd with a brown one.

viewaskew said:

Oh & since you don't answer your own question, let me ask it - why Planet Earth?

Do you know how to read, viewaskew?

love

Anji said:

Better than you know how to write, genius. Look at your initial post & tell me where you answer your own question there. Oh no...you seem to have forgotten to do so & posted a follow-up to your own question. [Flame snipped - June7]

love

Planet Earth

Dayclear said:

Planet Earth.

It's a cohesive album from start to finish. Whereas Chaos And Disorder is just
a collection of songs. They're two very different animals. They both contain
some great tracks that I love and they also both contain tracks I think are just 'ok'.

However, Planet Earth feels like a proper album. It flows well and the whole
thing adds up to something more than just the sum of it's parts (like a real
'album' should). Chaos And Disorder certainly has some great songs on it,
but it doesn't hang together as an 'album' in the same way. It sounds more
like what it is... a collection of tracks thrown together to get out of his
contract. It's fine as a collection of outtakes like Crystal Ball, but it's clear
that had Prince and WB not fallen out, these tracks would never have been
released in this form. I've always thought it would have been better titled as
"The Vault... Chaos And Disorder" like "Old Friends 4 Sale" was. As they
were very much sister discs.

I have to go with C&D. The gems on that album far out-weigh the best on PE.

Chaos & Disorder by a mile. Wrong album cover I know

viewaskew said:

Anji answered his question in great detail. U just have 2 follow the thread, and read the posts before posting, that's all. His answer is just 2 replies down from the original post.

THAT being said, I don't like any "album vs. album" threads or thinking, but if I must answer, then it is 'Planet Earth' all the way. "BorisFishPaw" and "Anji" have both nailed it pretty well.

...and 4 those who R saying there's no "fire" in 'Planet Earth', how do U hear the title song from the 5:00 mark until the end?

There is pure Prince all over this album. On some songs, he uses voices he hasn't used in ages. The mix is perfect on every song. The guitar is prominent, funky, fierce, and melodic. The album has a perfect sequence.

The only bad thing about 'Planet Earth' is "Mr Goodnight", which could've been great, if it weren't 4 the generic drum programming, and if he had sung the lines, instead of the spoken word style... he could have had one verse spoken and the rest of the verses sung though. That would've worked.
[Edited 6/5/08 8:05am]

Planet Earth easily. Theres only a couple of tracks on it im not found of. Chaos and Disorder starts off good(first three songs) and then never recovers. The songwriting on there is often really poor too, a couple of truly horrendous songs. Planet Earth is a more consistent, albeit unspectacular record. I like its unfussy nature.

Chaos was a disaster waiting to happen F- that

Chaos and disorder b/c Planet Earth has its great moments, but there are too few and its bad moments are realllly bad (Mr. Goodnight, Lion of Judah )

Whereas C&D is more or less consistantly good through out
Besides, I like it when P rocks out on guitar more on albums

God i really wanted to like Planet Earth. But i just find it really disappointing. Musicology was ok - a nice return to standard record making, but i wouldn't put it on now. 3121 was a lot of fun with some great moments.

Planet Earth just sounds lifeless with few inspired moments and too many really really bad moments - e.g mr goodnight. Saying all this, there is one absolute beauty- somewhere here on earth


So for me it has to be Chaos and Disorder. Yes it may be a collection of songs flung together for contractual purposes, but there's real feeling there. even if that feeling is anger