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Thread started 03/23/09 7:37pm

masbas

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USA Today Review

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Reply #1 posted 03/23/09 7:40pm

nurseV

eek Only 2 stars for Elixer lol But still a nice review.
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Reply #2 posted 03/23/09 7:44pm

Tame

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Nice. cool
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight...
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Reply #3 posted 03/23/09 7:45pm

salaciousV

^^Yeah I mean I dont like her voice and all, but its getting to be kinda sad.

neutral
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Reply #4 posted 03/23/09 7:47pm

nurseV

salaciousV said:

^^Yeah I mean I dont like her voice and all, but its getting to be kinda sad.

neutral



Poor Bria-just can't catch a break
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Reply #5 posted 03/23/09 7:49pm

masbas

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USA Today is always kind to Prince. Nice to hear that LotusFlow3r rocks like we all thought it would and I feel even more reassurance that MPLSound is good because from what I heard on the samples, I was a bit scared. Looking forward to "feel good..." reworked for LF.
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Reply #6 posted 03/23/09 7:49pm

alandail

At the end of the review, it says

>>; Download: The aforementioned tracks, 4Ever, $, Crimson and Clover,

Everytime>>; Skip:Immersion, Home,

Better With Time


anyone have any idea what that's about?
[Edited 3/23/09 19:49pm]
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Reply #7 posted 03/23/09 7:50pm

2020

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the rock-guitar-fueled LOtUSFLOW3R (* * * ½ out of four)
electronic-infused MPLSoUND (* * *)


Looking very very good!!! wink
The greatest live performer of our times was is and always will be Prince.

Remember there is only one destination and that place is U
All of it. Everything. Is U.
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Reply #8 posted 03/23/09 7:50pm

masbas

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alandail said:

At the end of the review, it says

>>; Download: The aforementioned tracks, 4Ever, $, Crimson and Clover,

Everytime>>; Skip:Immersion, Home,

Better With Time


anyone have any idea what that's about?
[Edited 3/23/09 19:49pm]


It means that if you have the option to download (via iTunes for example), these are the standout songs to put on your ipod and the others the reviewer does not like.
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Reply #9 posted 03/23/09 7:51pm

jstarr99

alandail said:

At the end of the review, it says

>>; Download: The aforementioned tracks, 4Ever, $, Crimson and Clover,

Everytime>>; Skip:Immersion, Home,

Better With Time


anyone have any idea what that's about?
[Edited 3/23/09 19:49pm]

Reviewer recommendations, pointing out which ones are good and which ones aren't worth the time.
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Reply #10 posted 03/23/09 7:51pm

xlr8r

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I think half the problem is nobody knows who the funk Bria is? Some newbie with a cd nobody is familiar with aint gonna be too happening regardless.

None of his proteges got any love from critics.

Plus the days of him having them are ova.

I cant wait to hear Ol Skool Company studio version. Gonna blast it headbang
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Reply #11 posted 03/23/09 9:40pm

mzsadii

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Its still someone's opinion. I plan to have my own mind.
Prince's Sarah
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Reply #12 posted 03/23/09 9:56pm

shellyann

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Nice review! This is exactly what I expected. I am looking forward to it!
Wake up!......Wake up!
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Reply #13 posted 03/23/09 11:45pm

vinx98

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Bria suffers from the fact that he is singing Prince's songs in Prince's way. You can almost HEAR Prince through her vocals (if you know what I mean?) its reminiscent of early Sheila E (A Love Bizarre) and The Time (Get it up) when Prince's vocals were so loud you thought Sheila was the backing vocal!

The problem is that Bria suffers a complete lack of identity because of this and therefore a lack of personality shines through on the music and as a consequence, we dont care at all about Bria. At least Sheila had a gift (as a brilliant percussionist) and Morris Day... well he was so COOL cool inevitably we dont get to see Bria's personality, she comes across to us as plastic.

In a way, I think it's also great that he included Bria on Elixir, because if he didnt, perhaps he wouldnt be giving us a Rock and FUNK album, but he would be giving us Elixir instead. So what Im saying is that we NEEDED Elixir in order to have MPLSOUND and LOTUS and all the brilliant self indulgence that goes with those two records. As I have said many times, use Elixir as a frisbee, but enjoy MPLS and LOTUS.
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Reply #14 posted 03/24/09 12:05am

Swa

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For those who can't be bothered clicking....

Prince likes defying conventions, and this time he's doing it with a 3-D sonic assault. He strikes out in several creative directions on a trio of new albums — the rock-guitar-fueled LOtUSFLOW3R (* * * ½ out of four), electronic-infused MPLSoUND (* * *) and pop-flavored Elixer, featuring protégé Bria Valente (* *).
The albums are available today as free downloads to fans who pay the $77 annual membership fee for his new LotusFlow3r.com website, marking Prince's official return to cyberspace since shutting down his pioneering NPG Music Club in 2006. The three discs will be sold exclusively at Target starting Sunday in an $11.98 bundle.

This isn't the first time the major-label-averse artist has bypassed traditional retail. He gave away 2007's Planet Earth as an insert in the U.K. national newspaper The Mail. Ticket buyers for 2004's Musicology tour got copies of that album with their purchase.

The new records are a bargain both in terms of the nearly three hours of listening time and audio treasures. LOtUSFLOW3R is loaded with rip-roaring guitar riffs and booty-agitating grooves as he explores love, politics and love's politics. Feel Good, Feel Better, Feel Wonderful is an orgiastic funk workout, while the hypnotic Colonized Mind and anthemic Dreamer share his worldviews.

MPLSoUND finds Prince revisiting the synth vibe of the '80s with his outsize ego intact on tracks like (There'll Never B) Another Like Me and Ol' Skool Company, which reunites some of his Minneapolis cohorts. The sly Valentina, bouncy Q-Tip-assisted Chocolate Box and wicked No More Candy 4 U also stand out.

Prince has toned down his music's Dirty Mind raunchiness since becoming a Jehovah's Witness in 2001. Still, the pop-lite Elixer, showcasing Valente's sensual yet indistinct vocals, could have really used a whiff of Prince's old Do Me Baby spice. Though there are a few tantalizing moments, the overall effect is more tepid than torrid — even with Prince producing and playing guitar.

Taken together, the three albums confirm that the eccentric genius still has his creative passion. And even if everything he tries doesn't hit a high note, it's still a pleasure to hear the Purple One work out.
"I'm not human I'm a dove, I'm ur conscience. I am love"
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Reply #15 posted 03/24/09 3:10am

japanrocks

he strikes out?

usa today?

i bet rolling stone gives it 3 stars too, bcuz they give everything 3 stars
[Edited 3/24/09 3:12am]
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Reply #16 posted 03/24/09 3:27am

Dayclear

Scroll down to vote! biggrin
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Reply #17 posted 03/24/09 6:27am

livewire

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I wish Edna Gundersen had reviewed Lotusflow3r for USA Today. I'd really like to hear her thoughts on the set.
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Reply #18 posted 03/24/09 6:59am

NuPwrSoul

livewire said:

I wish Edna Gundersen had reviewed Lotusflow3r for USA Today. I'd really like to hear her thoughts on the set.


I was thinking the same thing. She had written about her visit to his house and her sneak preview of some of these songs, though, so maybe they figured let someone else review?

As someone who's followed Prince's career very closely, she's one of the few who can really talk about his music substantively. She, and folks like John Bream.
"That...magic, the start of something revolutionary-the Minneapolis Sound, we should cherish it and not punish prince for not being able to replicate it."-Dreamshaman32
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Reply #19 posted 03/24/09 7:03am

2freaky4church
1

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I like Elixer and I am usually hard on Prince.
All you others say Hell Yea!! woot!
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Reply #20 posted 03/24/09 7:18am

dartluv5

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Soon all these reviews will be irrelevant to me. Once I listen to all 3 albums, I'll know which one is the best cool. I'm leaning towards Lotusflow3r though...
follow me on twitter - Lovenharmony1 aka @DAPfan2c
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Reply #21 posted 03/24/09 7:18am

purplecam

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This is a cool review. Even with that, I am reserving full judgment till I've heard everything and that includes Bria's CD. I hope that I like her set but I won't be shocked if I don't but I'm going to give it a chance.

The countdown is on...
I'm not a fan of "old Prince". I'm not a fan of "new Prince". I'm just a fan of Prince. Simple as that
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Reply #22 posted 03/24/09 7:40am

4bjb

purplecam said:

This is a cool review. Even with that, I am reserving full judgment till I've heard everything and that includes Bria's CD. I hope that I like her set but I won't be shocked if I don't but I'm going to give it a chance.

The countdown is on...


I feel the same. Also, I think people just want to hear Prince and are not ready for Bria. Sorry, buts thats their problem. Prince does just what he wants. I hope Bria's cd is fine. I hope the fans rate her fairly. I hope she will be on J.Leno with Prince wherein we will get a chance to preview her. Lastly, I think Prince expects lots of criticism about Bria....it started some time along.
Lemme
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Reply #23 posted 03/24/09 8:16am

Anxiety

discuss this review here:

http://prince.org/msg/7/301816

lock
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