EVER SINCE PRINCE DEPARTED WARNER THE PRESS HAS SLAMMED EVERY ALBUM HE HAS EVER MADE AS MEDIOCRE.THE ONLY ALBUM TO GET A GOOD WRITE UP WAS THE RAINBOW CHILDREN BUT WHAT DO FANS THINK ABOUT CDS LIKE EMANCIPATION,NEW POWER SOUL,AND RAVE UN2 THE JOY FANTASTIC?.I LOVED THEM ALL MYSELF AND THINK THE PRESS ARE CLUELESS MORONS."my name is still prince and im still funky"

I think they were ALL mediocre including TRC which i think is one of his worst albums.Rarely ever played it.

I think that if half of the songs were left out, the albums would have been classics and that the less-cluelessmorons of the press would have appreciated them more..

Rebs said:

So each album would have about SIX songs,yeah they would definitely become classic :LOL:

4LOVE said:

I feel the same.

It just seems to me that the rope that was around Prince's neck (or so he claims) that held him back, actually forced him to only release the good stuff. I'm not saying they allowed hime to release ALL the good stuff - but something, ever since Prince and Warner parted ways, just isn't right.

It could be that I was under the wrong impression. I thought his freedom from record companies would loosen up Prince's music and videos...instead, he is now in control, and seems to base everything on HIM, with not much thought of the audience he is making his living on.

I appreciate that he wanted to release his art, his way. I just wish he would stop for a moment, and consider that maybe, just maybe - he was wrong. Whatever Warner was doing, or not doing - I loved every album Prince produced within his association with them, EXCEPT his "contract fulfillment" records - which ultimately showed his frame of mind at the time...

I will wait and see what Prince comes up with in his next studio album.

4LOVE said:

I agree. TRC has a few bright moments, Emancipation and ONA too, but Rave, CBall, C&Disorder, NPS really suck in comparison to his past work.
I'm hoping ONA live and Xenophobia are decent albums or i'm going bye bye to the club.

LaVisHh said:

co-sign.

I THINK THAT PEOPLE WERE TOO USED TO THE WARNER COMMERCIAL STUFF AND NOT WILLING TO GIVE STUFF LIKE TRC A CHANCE.OPEN UR MIND PEOPLE.

PlastikLuvAffair said:

I couldn't agree more. I can't help but feel the 'restraints' of WB were just holding back his preaching and soapboxing.

DIAMONDGEEZA said:

For the sake of sharing my opinion with you, I have to say that if we didn't open up our minds, and give stuff like TRC a chance...we would have never bought them.

They all mediocre.

Imagine if when Prince got mad at WB he said fuck it & only released what he was bound to by his WB's contractlike he threatened. He would have released Chaos & Disorder thru WB and then:
No Emancipation
No Crystal Ball
No The War
No New Power Soul
Then he would have released The Vault thru WB and then:
No Rave Un2
No Greatest Romance CD single
No Rave In2
No You Make My Sunshine
No Hit N'Run singles
No NPGMC Year One
Then he would have released Best of Prince thru WB and only then he would be truly free of WB's contract & fans could get the cd they have been waiting all these years for.
Is that the scenario that some fans would preferred?

thedoorkeeper said:

Take out Crystal Ball and you got a deal!

LaVisHh said:

co-sign! in short: no crap!

TRC is a true artist pushing musical boundaries and challenging attitudes.

The music may not be to your taste and the lyrics not what u believe but nevertheless it has more conviction, direction and quality than anything since LoveSexy. It is genius at work!

As for the albums between Diamonds and Pearls (which had it's moments) and TRC, I agree, mediocre! Especially Rave... urgh!

i don't see how anyone who has been following prince's career for more than 10 years or so can continually direspect what he has done since being free from WB. all this talk about "the last classic/genius thing he has done is lovesexy" is nonsense.
i love lovesexy too, but i never want him to repeat it. let the man grow, let the artist evolve. if there's one thing i've learned by now it's that if a new prince album is not up my alley, just wait. happened with parade. when that came out, i was like, "huh? where's the rock?" the last thing i wanted to hear from prince in '86 was 'do u lie?' or 'sometimes it snows...' well, i just didn't get it. so glad he didn't ask my opinion back then.

fms said:

Tru Dat,I liked GOLD and there have been at least two tracks on every album i have liked(except trc which has none).I will admit i am always anxious to hear what he's gonna put out next because i know he is still one of the most talented people out there.

thedoorkeeper said:

Who know what WB would have made him release.
Maybe roadhouse garden,A real live cd from each year he toured,A crystal ball with COMPLETE tracks and songs he knew we wanted on there.And who knows what else,all i know is WB's trackrecord is
1.dirtymind
2.controversy
3.1999
4.purplerain
5.UTCM
etc i think you get the picture

WHY ON EARTH ARE WE CONTINUOSLY WRITING WITH CAPS AND NOTHING BOTHERING TO FILL OUR SENTENCES WITH ANY SORT OF PUNCTUATION AND BORING FIRST PERSON VIEWS BY PRESCHOOL STICK-IT-IN-MY-ASS-I-HAVE-AN-OPINION-AND-YOU-ALL-ARE-WRONG -MAMMALS THINKING THEY CAN ACTUALLY RAISE ANYBODY'S INTEREST BY NOT SHUTTING THE EF YUU CEE KAY UP LIKE THEY OBVIOUSLY SHOULD.

...geez.

If you enjoy his post WB stuff, thats all that really matters.

I have to agree with the critics calling his stuff mediocre. I'm sorry, but tracks like Somebodys Somebody, Until U're In My Arms Again, and other stuff, sound like generic R&B. There's already plenty of that out there. Prince's music used to be unique, exciting, and ambitious.

The truth is, most people on this site haven't been Prince fans in 10 years, are absolute musical snobs, and think the only good music has been created by either The Beatles, Bjork, Madonna, or Radiohead. And if it's a big name artist other than those, forget it. It's gotta be by someone too weird for the mainstream to be accepted by these snobs.

I'll stick to my own opinions.

What had Warner to do with the music he put out? He made it.




Pfff. They didn't allow him to release Crystal Ball (back then, as a 3-LP-Set)...

jtgillia said:

Wrong!I've been listening toprince probably longer than you have been on the planet.I probably have more prince songs(official and boot)than you do.I'm not a music snob.The recent albums just don't move me.

Emancipation - A wonderful, rambling, romantic album. If not for the strangely 'plasticky' sound, I would view it as one of his greatest albums.

Crystal Ball - Part awesome, part less so.

The Truth - Why has noboby else mentioned this on this thread? One of his best ever.

New Power Soul - Apart from 'The One', and maybe 'Mad Sex', I agree, not one of his finest.

Rave - Was disappointed at first, but playing it again recently, I quite liked some of it, eg 'Rave', 'Sun, Moon, Stars', 'Man o' War'. The production on this album is gorgeous in places. Try it on headphones. So many little details and variations in the music and sopund - one of the reasons I love Prince's music. And 'Prettyman' is worth the price alone ...

U Make My Sun Shine/ When Will B Paid single - 'Sun Shine' is OK, 'When Will We' is just amazing. Possibly his best cover song - Another classic modern blues track from Prince, a la 'Sign o' the Times', 'Papa', and so on. I would recommend this to anyone who hasn't got it. Quintessential Prince, all in one track.

'Rainbow Children' - His best album since 'Sign'??? If you get over the religious aspect, this has just got to be his best outing as a musician on record EVER. Listen to the title song - one of his best ever tracks. I'm not religious, but when I listen it sure makes me want to 'stand up and organise' - too funky! Also, '1+1+1', 'Family Name', Last December', 'The Work' - I wish he'd release 'Xenophobia' if it sounds anything like this album!

Prince's recent record career has been a little variable in quality, but overall, I think his post-Warners work measures up pretty well against his Warners stuff.Those 'Purple Rain', SOTT times, though great, are long gone. Let's live for now. And, if 'Rainbow Children' and his recent live work are anything to go by, in my view, he's back, better than he's ever been! A touch less 'God' on his next studio album, some good publicity and some proper advertising, and he might be onto a winner commercially too. Well, one can dream ...

I think his WB records are a lot better. Still as creative as his stuff now, but wanting to hit the mainstream. Im not saying his recent efforts are crap. Emancipation is great, esp the 3rd CD. But IMO not as good as "older" stuff.

OK, here's my opinion
Emancipation - Mostly awful. The very first album by Prince that I truly disliked(Before then, I even loved Grafitti...)
Crystal Ball - Very Expensive. Could have done with half the material. Half of it is not much good
Truth - Very Good
New Power Soul - The first time I thought Prince was losing it
Rave - The time I was convinced I would no longer buy his shit.
Rainbow Children - Damm!! I'm a fan again, best thing for years and years..
Overall, I'd say his post WB isn't as good as the WB stuff. Far too much filler, far too much ego, far too little control. Still, I'll forgive him on account of TRC, which is awesome.