I'll certainly buy the Target version just to get Crimson & Cover, and then burn my own version of the CD (which will probably also include the title song to "Elixer" - since it's a duet with Prince, and the only one I can see myself listening to in the future. It's a terrific track).

A shame after spending $77.00 that I'll have to spend another $12.00. They should have a deal to ship the physical copy CDs to you when you sign up to the website so fans get both for spending that much $$$.

IstenSzek said:

I'm with you on that. It makes you say "Planet Who?" I also love how the songs go right into each other. In the last couple of years, I've really gotten to like that in a CD. In a way, its like a story when that happens. Prince sounds into what he's singing too. I love the Camille voice in "$" and in "Boom". I can't wait to see what he does for Jay Leno this week.
[Edited 3/25/09 7:14am]

purplecam said:

knowing prince he will probably perform a brand new song one nite,
a song that's not even on any of these albums, lol. maybe he'll
put it on the site next week.

NoVideo said:

i think thats a good idea - trade it in for the T-Shirt anyday!

Lotus Flow3r

From the Lotus *
- Intro track. I'm was really having The Rainbow Children vibes.

Boom ** 1/2
- More Rainbow Children vibe. Not sure why... but it did... and that's NOT a good thing seeing how TRC is among my least liked Prince albums. I can hear the appeal in it others might get... but it just wasn't registering on all cylinders with me.

Crimson & Clover ***
- I actually enjoy listening to this. I love the video as well. Its not on the digital download... but I'm including it anyway... it'll be on MY digital DL.

The Morning After ***
- The keyboards in this one had me thinking I was listening to The Doors. Which is probably why I liked this track on any level.

4Ever ** 1/2
- Another classic rock sounding track which just left me some where. Pleasant melody and very listenable... but I probably won't be loading it into my Muzik Box any time soon.

Colonized Mind ****
- I'm not sure if the groove grew on me after hearing it for awhile... or was it just good from the start. One of his better tracks to be a rock song.

Feel Better, Feel Good, Feel Wonderful ****
- I didn't think Prince would make an album with out at least one funky numbers... and he didn't. Where's James Brown...? Reminded me a lot of Musicolgy... but much better.

Love Like Jazz * 1/2
- I really was bored with this track. Nothing more to say than that.

77 Beverly Park *
- Why did I get a Sicilian vibe in this instrumental. I almost expected to hear the Godfather talking over the music. Didn't like.

Wall of Berlin **
- I still don't like this track much even after hearing it for a couple months. Just too much a TRC like groove.

$ * 1/2
- At this point I was ready to turn off my media player.

Dreamer *** 1/2
- Hendrix inspired and probably my favorite on the album. Rock in its purest form. I really needed this track after several of the others just didn't do it for me.

... Back 2 the Lotus *
- More of the opening track.

OVER ALL: 2 and a half out of 5 stars
Generally... I'm not a big fan of 'classic' rock music. I do have my exceptions The Doors, Queen, Bowie and a few dozen songs scattered here and there by others... but not enough for me to say I'm a fan. Because of that... I wasn't feeling a lot of the album... though I recognize some pretty good solid tracks. If C&C had been on the digital DL the album may have scored a solid three star rating from me on the strength of what I did like. But for now... the tracks I don't like and that Rainbow Children vibe I get drags down the album as a whole.

Has anyone read the "fine print", as far as the rules/etc regarding the Lotusflower site? Just wondering.....

vinx98 said:

Yeah, I didn't even bother with the t-shirt. I'm not big on memorabilia anyways, to me it's all about the music... and I didn't feel like paying $7.00 for shipping for a shirt I'd never wear.

I am loving "Boom". Instant classic.

IstenSzek said:

That's our Prince for you!

if you combined the two ablums with all the best tracks. this would be prince's best album in 10 years + (probably more).

though it would be a very electic, mixed album.

the only song i don't like is, 77 bev, it started off amazing.

Well, when I can actually get the darn things downloaed, I will listen to each one...and then I want to post what my feelings are on the songs...
I love what I hear thus far, really love it!
But I need a great set of speakers and some time to chill to really get into this....so far I have been unable to enjoy it properly because I am stressing about not being able to download the darn things...
Always getting an "empty or corrupted" prompt when I try to extract...
Grrrrr

jethrouk said:

Yeah, when it started off I was like...OH hell, that is tight...
Then it fizzled a bit...BUT, I have not listened all the way through yet...
When I do I will be able to tell if I really like it or not.

NoVideo said:

Well thats exaktly why they made two versions of one album: milk the cash cows.

npggirl77 said:

it's kinda like the token generic rnb tracks he insists on filling albums with. slightly better tho, with an excellant start.

dreamer is one of the most amazing songs ever. it sounds like an outake from chaos and disorder without the naffness that, that, album aforded.

i think that must have been the all out rock track he was talking about in interviews (the one he said he was unsure if he would ever release)

wow, just wow.

this is going to go down in prince history as one of his all time masterpieces.

we should be thankful that we are living in the same time as a musical master. No one could do this but prince. just cant believe the same guy also made mplsound...

i have no words to say....

10/10
[Edited 3/25/09 8:31am]

I just finished listening to Lotusflow3r for the first time and I love it. I had pretty low expectations, too. I've liked Prince's past few albums, but I thought with these three albums the quality would be spread out too much resulting in three fancy frisbees. I was so wrong. Granted, I'll have to listen to it a few more times to form a full opinion but I've never liked a Prince album instantly only to hold it in low regard later. I'm sure my favorite songs on the album will change around a lot, but I can imagine Lotusflow3r being in my regular Prince album rotation for a while. Definitely a solid 8.5/10 in my opinion, possibly better.

anybody else think F.U.N.K. should've been on this record? For me it fits nicely. I think I'm going to add it near the end when I burn my version of Lotusflow3r to disc.

NoVideo said:

I think it would fit well with it. The guitar was heavy on F.U.N.K. so I don't see why he didn't put that on there. Thank God it's still great even without it.

From the Lotus - A rather inauspicious beginning, I must say. Why does he start weak? He did that on Planet Earth, too. Bring it, man! If the track really set up what's to come, I'd feel better about it. As it stands, it's okay. I don't hate it, but it didn't blow my socks off.

Boom - Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Nice melody...a fun, trippy sort of verse...then into searing guitar. Yes! Sometimes we go boom - oh, baby...I love it when you go boom. Do it some mo'.

The Morning After - What a sunny, hippy-dippy kind of fun this is. Makes me wanna grow some Marcia Brady hair, paint my jeans and put on some love beads. Someone else mentioned Manic Monday. Yup - same vein.

4ever - This song brings a li'l tear to my eye. I love the wistful Prince - the one who's still searching for that perfect someone. It's so relatable. The song itself reminds me of Splash - another one I love.

Colonized Mind - Full disclosure: I usually hate it when Prince gets political. I think that most times, he comes off as a simpleton - and it's not a function of whether I agree or disagree with him. Here, I think the sort of hypnotic, "drugged out" vibe of the music plays perfectly with his idea that people just go along to get along - not really thinking about the implications of anything. I really, really like this song.

Feel Better, Feel Good, Feel Wonderful - I'm still not sure how I feel about this one. My sense is that it's too...vocal. Maybe it'll grow on me. Stranger things have happened.

Love Like Jazz - Oh, dear. What do I do with this? How did a song with such a wonderful title end up so...meh? This is the one I was most looking forward to (based on the title alone) and...wow...I'm just underwhelmed. I could see it being something great performed live, though.

77 Beverly Park - This instrumental put a squeeze on my heart. He starts and ends with insane guitar...like he's been working...and then comes out into a gentle, lovely fado-ish guitar ensemble. It's almost like the track represents a vacation from the work. It sounds nothing like Alexa de Paris...but it gives me the same feeling: a happy man wrote it. It makes me want to sit in a sunny courtyard, drinking wine and eating olives.

Wall of Berlin - Fun and funky. A trifle - but an enjoyable one. And when the guitar kicks in...have mercy!

$ - Geez...singing' about another Chelsea Rodgers chick. Fortunately, this song wears better than Chelsea. I could see shakin' a tail feather to this.

Dreamer - Okay, I admit it, I rushed reviewing the last two songs so I could get to this one. It starts off with a Hendrixian "Machine Gun" riff and just goes off from there. This song blew out all my fillings and made me wet myself. I looked down and all my clothes had been blown off. This is the track, people. The track. May God have mercy on your souls.

Back 2 The Lotus - He gives you about two minutes to recover from Dreamer...then goes off into another minute-long guitar tirade. After that, it all winds down into atmospherics. As I listened, I thought of the Wicked Witch of the West..."I'm meeeeelting! Meeeeelting!" Or Contact...when Jody Foster seems to be "outside" herself. An interesting ending.

NoVideo said:

yea, i think it was probably made for this album. as these tracks were around during the 3121 session, according to an interview.

blacksweat said:

Okay...but then why is the Creep video on the site...?

I will let you know when I download it from r_ _ _ _share. I can already tell that MPLSound looks and sounds like a outtakes compilation.

I will give everyone the most honest review as well
There will be no overt praising or Dr Funkenberryesque review

I gotta find out when is it going to be released here, IF, it´s going to be released here.

Genesia said:

Creep is only streamed. The albums are for download and to keep. A mechanical royalty should be payable to the publisher. There is no dealer price here, so what would the publisher (EMI) be entitled to out of the $77...

blacksweat said:

Ohhhhh - okay. Thanks for clearing that up!

Genesia said:

No worries.

Where is the creep video?

Jonfun said:

'

In the world inside Prince's chin.

Genesia said:

77 beverley park. Started out so good. Dark, menacing and brooding. I was just about to slap my todger out and give it a good tug and what happens? You guessed it.. it breaks into gentle background music from a softcore.

Fuck this.