Dreamer is f*cking hot.

I just received a physical copy of the album today in my PO Box.

Trust me, it makes a hell of a lotta difference listening to this version on a great system with your headphones on and the volume cranked all the way up to 10.

You just cannot compare the quality.

"Lotus Flow3r" is a KILLER album and I never knew it!!!

Eventually, I'll do a track for track review.

Actually, I already did one but I'm not happy with it so I'm gonna have to start from scratch.

I haven't read all the posts in this thread (obviously), but after listening to the two Prince CDs it just sounds like remixed versions of old P hits with different less-interesting lyrics. I've been a fan for over 25 years and I've heard everything he's released. I think that's part of the problem.

#1 - I am glad I only paid $12 at Target.

#2 - I doubt I will buy another Prince album unless it's something completely different that is getting rave reviews.\

[EDIT]

I am listening to and enjoying the 3rd CD. I wanted to add that I only expected to get a handful of decent songs out of a 3 disc set that only sells for $12 so I probably got my money's worth.
[Edited 4/27/09 13:30pm]

Just got them today from America (Theres a target sticker still on it, got some serious listening to do...

I figured I'd come out and say this before people REALLY start wondering

It's taking me a long time to get a review together for this album because I'm still breaking it in. And maybe not really to strip it down and write what I typically write about the new albums I get.
My mind's just not as in it as I'd like to be.

I've heard it 5 times now and I would have written a review based on last night. But I've been sick for almost two weeks now and my sudden urge to cough during a bunch of the things kinda took away from it. (Don't worry, probably just recovering from a sore throat or tonilitis or something like that... I'm better than I was a week ago at this time)

And I gotta fit my mind into the album's mindset. Which is hard to do because I'm listening through the catalog chronologically ( to those who suggested I do that when I first came here... as much as I love TGE, its ruining my stride).
And just maybe the interview scewed my mind a bit too just the transition from Prince speaking to his musical persona is a lot to digest.


Either today or tomorrow, I can't say exactly when. But before next Tuesday, I promise to at least have a review of this album posted here.

My opinion.

Overall Not bad album, was expecting a bit more, some near filler here but 3 or 4 standouts that are worth the wait, definitely a lot better than Planet Earth and Indigo nights and some songs are his most focussed in years, however the sequencing is terrible, instrumentals follow poppy tracks and then a rock song is followed by a dance floor ramp. Its Prince chopping and changing all the time. Not Sign o the Times, but Prince 2009 is quite nice indeed 72/100 on my scale, between Gold Experience and 3121
Tracks Out of 10

From the Lotus, Bizzarre starter, lots of feedback, a bit umm 5/10
Boom, Good opener and interesting lyrics and guitar, not remarkable though 6/10
Crimson and Clover, I just love this song, and excellent cover with great guitar and I love how he incorporates Wild thing, its running thru my head hes actually great at doing covers 9/10
4Ever, I quite like this song as well, a good rock ballad a la Dolphin meets The 1 u wanna c 8/10
Colonized Mind, A real standardout great guitar and build up a real standout, mature adult rock feel to this one. 10/10
Feel Good...., Bot bad dancy poppy song, will admit its gets tiring but not bad 7/10
Love like Jazz, I am not really a fan of the romantic pop song ballads, its alright not great, sounds like a lot of lesser songs 5/10
77 Beverley Park, Ok instrumental track, but dosen't do much, great for chill out I guess 6/10
Wall of Berlin, another great breezy blesy pop type song, quite catchy and interesting lyrics 7/10
$, A good song quite jazzy and poppy urban sound, a loving homage to Camille and Musicology, great for dancing and a better song 8/10
Dreamer, Againer a standout, good Hendrix style guitar and great lyrics, just a brilliant track 9/10
Back yto the Lotus, Interesting and proficent musical track, dosen't really add much though, still its great in a light show type setting 6/10

After listening for a couple days, my favorites are:

Dreamer
Colonized Mind
Boom
4ever
Love Like Jazz

I think this is a really solid CD. The majority of tracks are now on my
almost full MP3 player - 1GB, but it only cost $20

Caroline

The only way to really sum this up is for the majority, this is a guitar-driven album. It's almost always the main instrument and therefore a guitar solo to match. The only two songs that lacked this element were "77 Beverly Park" and "$"

The album begins with an instrumental track. The first few times, it came off to me as something similar to what you hear on "The Rainbow Children," though it slightly differs. It's a jazz number with electric guitar thrown in quite a few places. I thought of it as a resemblence of Prince's roots. His parents were jazz musicians, so jazz is in his blood. Then his love and proficency in guitar makes an appearance here to start things off.
To me, it sounds a little like Santana's cup of tea.

"Boom" is one of many, many words that comes to mind when one thinks about sex. The lyrics pretty much suggest it with "butterscotch mountains" and "volcano magic" among other bits of innuendo. The overall sound of it has a few different degrees to it. On the one hand, during the verses, he alters his voice the way he did with songs such as "Incense & Candles," something that strikes me as modern. The sound of the guitar during the solos, now that I think about, reminds me a bit of Michael J. Fox performing at his parents' dance on electric guitar. The smoothness and ease of the flow of music strikes me as something one would hear in the 60's. As a whole, though, the song feels similar to something he's done before, but I can't quite pinpoint it.
With this and a lot of the other tracks, I need to look into the lyrics. It's especially difficult to tell what he's saying here.

"Crimson & Clover" continues to hit me as one of my favorites on the album. And he didn't even write this one. He puts his own mark on it with his guitar, which in places, sounds like the opening measures of "Welcome 2 the Dawn" from The Truth album. It probably is the song I know the most words to because it just sticks in my mind. And I'd heard all of the other tracks of the album two times more than it (since the first 2 times, I was checking out the downloaded version of the album).

It started a little rocky for me with "4ever." My inital reaction weeks ago was that it sounds like it could become one of my favorites, but the chorus annoyed me somewhat. It didn't feel like it was on the same level with the rest of it. I can't help but think of sunshine when I listen to this one. The verses and the phrasing he uses really makes it catchy, so the words are starting to stick here too. Then it collects bonus points because of the last measure of the song. Just feels so right.
So I like the song more now than I did the first couple of times. The only thing that feels off for me is the chorus. It ends a little too soon. I feel like it should have a third "4ever."

"Colonized Mind" has lyrics I'd LOVE to look into. So I can review them and get beyond the surface. What I get now of this brilliant song is only the chorus that helps sum up the track well. I'd regard this as one of the best and/or possibly the best song on the album. That's just my opinion of course. The sound is very surreal. Then when you get to the guitar solos thrown here and there, that's purely Prince right there. You hear his unique sound in that guitar.

"Feel Better, Feel Good, Feel Wonderful" is yet another track that's growing on me. It's not as strong as the live performance obviously, but whatever lyrics I'm picking up make it work. They're fun and funny to listen to. The title pretty much says it all as far as the message is concerned and Prince would even wish it on his enemies. All about love.

"Love like Jazz" has verses that sound/remind me of "Lion of Judah," but each quatrain ends on a completely different note. The other half of the song sounds like it would fit in an elevator. Not quite one of my favorites, but I get the overall message of it. Love at its best isn't planned, its improvized, just the same as the best jazz musicians do it.

"77 Beverly Park" says to me either class & sophistication or I'm sitting in a fancy restaurant that plays instrumental Italian love songs. "That's Amouré," anyone? That's the vibe I get. Since this is named after his live-in address, this is probably what his home says to him. What the colors of the walls and decor "sing" to him when he glances at them. If his house could sing, it would sound like this. That's the gist I get from it.

"Wall of Berlin" sounds like it has a wacky scenario, but I don't know too many lyrics to be completely sure. It's a bit of an odd ball, but I like it just the same. The rhythm and sound of his rapping brings me back to "Sun, Moon & Stars" in the reggae rap that nearly everyone but me hates. The song itself is crazy because its relaxed half the time and then it picks up with an electric guitar solo.

"$" is a track I'm still kinda wrapping my head around. I'm liking it more each time, but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece in the sense everyone thinks it is. The return to form or whatever you want to call it, I give those honors to "Colonized mind." The Camille voice was a nice touch for this and some lyrics, I can dig. That line about going broke and ink & chlorophyll is my favorite in the work.

And then we have the coolest guitar work in this album with "Dreamer." Each verse is amped up with a guitar riff and it ends with a fall and rise in the instrument. I still need to study the lyrics for this one even though I have them on me. It wouldn't hurt to take a look and see how the song fits with Prince's source of inspiration.

The album ends on a note similar to how it began. This time, there's more excitment and distorted voices are added for effect. Prince is obviously trying to give us a message and its a matter of finding what his distorted voice is saying. When I heard it the first time, I got the impression that this is the first track with additions added to it now that Prince has experienced different methods of expressing his musical soul. The different genres and such.

Overall, I can dig the album pretty well

Ok, I'm ready for a new album..lol

2freaky4church1 said:

Hes got one its called MPLSound

BSK3478 said:

i'm also not impressed... altho if i had to choose one, i'd pick mplsound.

mypancakeplaces said:

WTF? morning after isn't on my cd!

TheEnglishGent said:

fuckaries

LOL Crimson & Clover is so much better than The Morning After it isn't even funny.

My album dosen't have the morning after on it, but from waht most of you are saying, I am not missing much

sassybritches said:

u need 2 listen 2 Bria's cd "all the way through" and u find a very soothing, sensual, sexy feel. It's the romanticism that is missing from today's female artists...i find most men find her voice/her music very inviting.

Still Jammin'!

You can hear a little bit of "Dreamer" on "Last December" (check out 3:29 to 3:39).

Lotusflower is by far the best of the 3 cds. Dreamer, Colonized mind, wall of berlin, clemson clover are the hilights. lots of great hard gutar play. the other CD MLPSSound, i just cant stand. strage how 1 cd can be pretty good (6 out of 10) and the other so bad (2 of 10)

From the Lotus. . .

I like instr. intros but I don't count this as a song.


Boom

melody sounds a bit like "mrs Robinson" from Paul simon, but I don't fault it on that. A fair enough/promising opener, even if it's difficult to make out the lyrics.


Crimson and Clover


Nice job, done well. 2 great songs neatly welded together and princified. still it's not his song. Would've been a stunning bootleg cover and not the trophy song of his new album.


The Morning After


I hate this song and don't think it belongs anywhere, on any album.
sounds like a poor bloodless Tom Petty song.


4EVER

I like the sound of the piano and the verses. playful and unpretentious.
However the chorus is dreary, and anyway how did prince know my old boys' term of endearment. If this was on vinyl this might've been the end of the first side. Luckily for me, things do start tio improve.


Colonized Mind

This is good, naive, direct and intuitive. This song should be on a better album (If the rest of he album acts as a frame, this obviously out of place)


Feel Good, Feel Better, Feel Wonderful

Good ol' prince stuff, not really memorable though. Great vocals.


Love Like Jazz

Chilled out and jazzy. 'like it.


77 Beverly Park

nice little interlude to an album that has stopped and started but hasn't taken off yet. Not too offensive on da ol' eardrum thingy, but... er... next, please.



Wall of Berlin

This is fun and interesting. I live in Berlin.


$

great song that flows out of the last 1, like something that flows well (a river, perhaps). And it has a point. I'm not at all familiar with this type of music. 'like it.


Dreamer

This is really great! Why is it on this album? Why doesn't da lill' fella' do a political / social message album with sober lyrics, leaving out this bubble gum jizz-in-jockstrap stuff? Collonized mind would find a happy home there too.

. . . Back to the Lotus

I like instr. outros but I don't count this as a song.
I like The TRC vibe to this.

Why must he continue to exhibit his skill in the diversity of his styles. He needn't do that anymore, he's well established.
A very patchy album. "dreamer" as good as "The morning after" is bad.
I'll give it 6/10.

4.5 good songs in here, not bad at all. But this is Prince, therefore it's not good enough.

I prefer the MPLS album to this.

tscha! And I thought I wuz a wocker!