Just finished listening to these two back-to-back. It's obvious they fit a template for Prince: blues- and jazz-infused numbers that point to his more mature sexual formidability. OK, got it.

But, while lyrically, they're like two sides of the same coin (like JJ's "Let's Wait a While" and "Someday is Tonight"), I'm feeling the need to choose between the two.

I think his B-3-sounding work on OTC is better, but I like the organ sound better on Satisfied. I also prefer Prince's drum work on the former. Overall, the rhythm section is much more in the pocket in On the Couch. The guitar work on both is passable. He still seems to shy away from putting a real, killer solo on his straighter blues numbers, of late; OTC would've benefited from one, I think.

I love the mix of horns and vocalized horn parts on OTC. In fact, the vocal arrangement really gives it the edge over Satisfied, for me.

SATISFIED!!!

On The Couch could have been on Sly's There's A Riot. That is how good and murky it really is...

Anji said:

Interesting suggestion.

JoeTyler said:

Because...

satisfied by far. his vocals are perfect in that song

ThreadBare said:

the chorus flows better, the sound is sexier and Prince sings like if he's actually making love!

InsatiableCream said:

i agree

I like both songs, Satified is my favourite The first time i heard it was at the o2 it's brilliant live I loved the way everyone screamed every time he said I'm gonna get you satisfied.

I still play "Satisfied"

I just played "On the Couch" the other night, first time I had in a while.
Now I see why I don't play it

The music is very good, I'll give it that much. But the lyrics are just... too simple. I understand the dilemma is painful for him and I always try to get a feel for whatever pain is in his music. At this point, I think I gave up on feeling for him
Cuz the song just bores me to tears

Last I checked, "Satisfied" was growing me. Such seductive lyrics
Though I didn't like the AI performance of it, which I saw almost a year b4 I got the album (and joined this site)... so I already had a bit of distaste for it. Though back then, I preferred his upbeat tunes.

Definitely "Satisfied" is the best of the two cuz at least its enjoyable to an extent.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

hcuoc peels

hcuoc peels <<<<<----- you just got to know where to stick it

I find both songs very corny and boring and can count the times I have listened to them with one hand. I always skip them and find the lyrics embarrassingly bad.
That doesn´t mean that he´s lost his talent to write great ballads , I really love Somewhere Here On Earth and the song with the similar title, Here On Earth.
But On the Couch and Satisfied do absolutely nothing for me, musically or lyricwise.

"Satisfied" could definitely conclude a paper on Prince's exquisite and alluring talent. "On The Couch" is also beautiful, However, Prince, could sleep anywhere He wants 2 over here.

On The Couch

This one's easy...

Studio version - "On The Couch"
Live version - "Satisfied"

I never really liked "Satisfied" until I heard the live versions last year.

KoolEaze said:

Totally agree! I reallllly don't like On the Couch (Satisfied is a bit better IMO) but I love Somewhere Here on Earth and songs like it

"On the Couch"

"Satisfied"

I like Satisfied better!

Hmmm well I love them both, and obviously they're very similar, but I think On the Couch just wins it for me because there's more subtle innuendo in the lyrics whereas Satisfied is pretty literal! I love the 'baby it's so hard' double entendre in OTC. I also love 'I can get you out of your body, have you ever felt like you were dying' in Satisfied but as I said it's pretty literal... not that I wouldn't give my right arm to get a chance to see him prove it to me hoho!