Alexandernvrmind said:

damn dude can you make a single post without taking a dig at 'rock' fans.

Alexandernvrmind said:

I remember that too. Really shows you to not take these reviews seriously .

Fuck! The Org deleted my message. I wrote up a super long review.

Basically, I think MPLSOUND avoids a lot of the usual pitfalls of a lot of Prince's newer albums. It knows when not to take itself too seriously, and it manages to avoid self-indulgent tracks with forgettable, meandering melodies. The songs here are like aural cartoons; rife with overt sexuality, cockiness and hooks that grab you by the throat. There is not one dull song here. Most of all, it sounds like Prince really enjoyed himself in the studio. The songs have urgency; Prince actually sounds interested.

Overall: ****/*****

I still really wish F.U.N.K. had been saved for this one. It would have been a seamless fit.

NouveauDance said:

Whew, for a second there I thought you were talking about me.

I've loved both performances so far, and will be at Target on Sunday.

PEJ said:

I sooooo have to agree with you.

NewPowerToad said:

I agree! WTF do these people expect.. I am enjoying this set just as much as I enjoyed emancipation and TGE and thats saying alot because those were two of his better albums he released "recently"

-Dolphinking23

shipoffools said:

I crip walk to Ol' Skool Company at least twice a day. that beat is so gangsta lol

-Dolphinking23

What does Chocolate Box represent??? is a metaphor for balls or penis?

whats your interpetation of it??

-Dolphinking23

Dolphinking23 said:

Dolphinking23 said:

I think it's the full package.

PurpleKnight said:

Oh, that´s too bad....I was especially looking forward to reading your review.

And yes, F.U.N.K definitely should have been on it, maybe instead of Chocolate Box or the first song.
Are these the first albums without a title song ? Except for the Chocolate Invasion, which I don´t really count as a legit album, all albums had a title track, and Prince has said in the past that every album should have a title track...strange that these albums don´t really have one.
[Edited 3/27/09 17:18pm]

KoolEaze said:

No no no...
I luv ChB. (was underwhelmed by the video though)

Shoulda just tossed it in and made it an even 10 for the download. The only track which I wouldn't have minded getting dropped is maybe.... and a big maybe Another Like Me

The spelling bit in Chocolate Box and a lot of its vibe seems to be a rip of..... oh no.... that "bananas" kind of vibe from that Gwen Stefani single that was ripping of the Housequake beat in a way....

KoolEaze said:

Me too. If you have the time, we'd love to hear what you think of each song.

hollywooddove said:

co-sign

A version of "Dance 4 Me" with normal vocals would be amazing. That song is crazy, but the helium voice.....pointless. The music on that song is fucking outstanding however. Let's hope for an alternate version with normal vocals.

NouveauDance said:

I agree wholeheartedly. Quite possibly the worst opening one-two of any Prince album.

BigDaddyHQ said:

I understand the criticism of '(There'll Never Be) Another Like Me.' it's certainly been heard before, but I think it's certainly executed better here.
I thought 3121 was horrid and I skip it when I listen to the album.
But alas, it is merely filler.

Nikeze said:

I like more songs on both 3121 and Musicology, but it's still early. MPLSound is listenable all the way through. "Dance 4 Me", and "Valentina" have joined the ranks of my favorites. '4Ever' and 'Dreamer' are the faves on Lotus Flow3r.
I do like both albums. Lotus has been getting more airplay early. I can see playing NewPowerSoul and MPLSound back to back (Spare me, I don't want to hear it.)

Valentina kicks my ass all over the room. Like it muchly.

I think it must be saying something so far, but MPLS is the one I reach for first, although I dislike more tracks on it compared to Lotus. It has in its funkier parts a more feel good factor...

This raises a very serious question though, what if we reversed everything and Sign O the times is what we are listening to right now, what would we say then?

Daft idea I know, but this is some of the most serious works we have seen from Prince since then, there is no concept agenda going on, apart from the obvious nature of each album...

Not sure if I have made any sense...I will get my coat

@Ol skool company@,-This song is fucking incredible, love it!!, Prince you pulled it out the bag!

GodzHand said:

I dig the vocals in that song.

There are a few tracks that I don't think I'll listen to much, but the ones I like, I really like. Dance for me and Ol' Skool Company are amazing. And I would have never expected, judging from the snipet we heard, that I'd like Chocolate Box this much!

I saw "Dreamer" on the Leno show and was very underwhelmed. Is it really considered one of the better tracks on LF? It sounded very derivative and like many, many songs Prince has done in the past. Not much artistic growth or development, I'm afraid. What will the verdict be on LF and MPLSoUND in 10 years? P

pernil said:

Another forgettable album

NouveauDance said:

Well to be fair Chaos & Disorder was a lackluster, unfocused, toss off of an album....But you don't hear any of Prince's "R&B fans" complaining about the few rock songs on there that were good ("I Like It There") or GREAT ("Dinner With Delores"). Prince's "R&B fans" don't go out of their way to shit on the man's rock-heavy work...But Prince's "rock fans?"...That's another story...

Prince's R&B fans for the most part call it like it is when it comes to his plastic shit....lol...."There Never Be..." was criticized on this very board for being tepid BS...And deservedly so...

But when you hear the "rock fans" shitting on some of the R&B slow cuts this album or on past albums (remember the civil war on the Org when it came to "Future Baby Mama") it underlines the way his "rock fans" don't like Prince to be too R&B....They want Prince's R&B to be more fusion.

It sounds like a poor mans Sam Sparro.

I quite like Sam Sparro.

P still playing pop catch up, stick to the leftfield rock, your better at it.

TheKnowledge said:

saying this and then i read the post above it...