mypancakeplaces said:

If Chocolate Box was recorded before Q-tip's album The Renaissance was released this shouldve been included on his album too it wouldve been a good edition... if you guys havent heard Q-tip's album its worth checking out too.

-Dolphinking23

From my post in another thread:

I definitely am!! MPLSound sounds extremely contrived, and they almost all have the same Linn drum beat. He thinks that if he adds that sound to the song, it'll automatically make it funky. There's barely any variation of it!! He even added it to U R Gonna C Me, and it sounds awful. The Minneapolis Sound was about more than just that drum machine. It was about those grooving synts, walking bass lines, and MELODY!!!!! He should've put F.U.N.K. on here, as it was closest thing he's made to that "sound" in about damn near 20 years! I kept skipping tracks, hoping to find one that stood out, but most of it was mish mesh. There are a couple that are okay, but that's about it, and I can't even state which ones because they all pretty much run together.

Haven't fully listened to LotusFlow3r yet, save for the tracks already out and Dreamer, which sounded like a rip off of Voodoo Child. This entire project is just more confirmation for ME that he's not capable of writing good shit anymore and that he's permanently lost his mojo. Guess it happens to them all. Off to my boots.....

I think MPLSound is pretty dire.

There'll Never Be Another Like Me sounds like something that ended up on the cutting room floor because it wasn't good enough to get onto the Chocolate Invasion, Dance 4 Me and Ol' Skool Company sound dated already, are tune free, plodding and go absolutely nowhere whilst the rest is either merely pleasant or instantly forgettable (with the possible exception of Valentina)

I think Lotusflow3r is far better, especially with Boom, $ and Feel Good, Feel Better and Feel Wonderful. The production on both albums is a vast improvement on recent releases, though.

It greatly recalls the sound and style of The Chocolate Invasion on first listen.

Dsoul said:

Not at all. 100x better for sure.

yep yep, I love the 80's vibe with current sound

Fabulous!
[Edited 3/26/09 5:47am]

calldapplwondery83 said:

would you believe me if i told you i loaded those 3 on my ipod
and played them back 2 back for an hour and a half last night?



brilliant!

I don't expect originality from Prince anymore, just hope its not cringeworthy.

Lotusflow3r is not great, but good.
I think Colonized Mind and Dreamer are about as good as he can do right now, and maybe just barely a tad cringeworthy, but probably his best effort in more than 10 years.

This thing MPLSOUND on the other hand yikes IS the very definition of cringeworthy.

It bookmarks TRC as dim-witted cringeworthy companions on either side of the Prince spectrum.

One is a kiddie pop disposable casio mess that even Hanna Montana would deem beneath her, the other lame and ultimately asinine cringeworthy 70's fusion.

Which is worse, i'll have to flip a coin.
[Edited 3/26/09 7:17am]

alexnvrmnd777 said:

I agree 100%. There's nothing on here that even sounds remotely like the MPLS sound. Using Linn samples or plugins doesn't make it so. Prince used to do crazy weird things with the Linn, these samples sound like they were straight out the box.

Putmarroussia said:

Really? I don't hear anything as good as The Dance, When I Lay My Hands On U, U Make My Sunshine etc

Number23 said:

My overall first impression (I just listened ot it on my way to work this morning) is that the album starts and ends well, with some muddling around in the middle.

EmeraldSkies said:

indeed!

So - now that I've listened twice. I make my plea for a producer again..the drums KILL anything even good on it. They are SO in the front - the stuff used to lay below the tracks which made them work. The first 4 tracks are totally forgettable in my opinion. "Here" would be great imo with just the guitar and his vocals. All that other stuff just clutters it. "Valentina" is kinda funny, but that synth line kills me after a short time. The guitar part makes it interesting again for a minute. "Better With time"...done better many times by him. "Ol Skool" is funky, but that linn drum is killing me (as in annoying) here too. That is what I'm hearing right? Is his high range shot? Can he not hear how loud it is? Wicked rhythm and lead guitars, mostly an extended jam- but I'll take it. ALso- that synth sound - same as Valentina? I remember when he made sounds rather than taking them out of the box. No More Candy just sounds cheesy. It's something in the production. I don't mind the parts art all. Just the combination.Like some of the parts well enough. Wow. Huge not playing anytime soon. I must be a hater on the internet now. I honestly believe from this disk that he misses what it is that made the sound and feel (HIS sound and feel) from back in the day work, as it is an homage to his own sound that he created. I tell you- if someone else did this record- EXACTLY like this people would call it a pale impersonation of the early work of Prince. Please let me like Lotusflow3r. I am purposely avoiding commentary on his lyrics overall because I had almost no expectations in that department. oh yeah - all IMO.

CarrieMpls said:

I wrote that awful analogy at 4am, sad bastard that I am, after sneaking downstairs with a credit card and a heavy heart. I still hadn't had my coffee or even my morning EST with Dr Williamson, the ward medic.
It's still an awful-sounding production on that new version of Ur Gonna C me, like the sound of one of those Fisher-Price plastic big cassettes babies get to load into big plastic fake players playing twinkly twinle little star or something. Like an electric xylaphone. However, it is not a peadophile. It is just a bad over-egged re-work of what was originally a lovely wee tune.
Fisher-Prince! That's mine motherfuckers.

NouveauDance said:

it's really weird...it's like prince trying to sound like these new cats who are trying to sound like prince. it's like the weirdest musical ouroboros (sp?)...

WetDream said:

um. i really don't think so. I am not huge fans of these guys "music", but they make better SOUNDS than this. Why would they rip off an overdone linn effect, and WAY cheesy casio keyboard sounds? I wonder why Prince would do it considering he can PLAY real instruments. Some people can use the cheese and make it work. the danger is letting the cheese use you. Which imo has happened on this album.

Prince-influenced producers like Timbaland, The Neptunes, The-Dream, ?uestlove etc would likely deliver a better Prince album than Prince can sadly.
[Edited 3/26/09 6:59am]

Dsoul said:

I hated those tunes...especially When I Lay My Hands... uuuuugghhhhh

Dsoul said:

Many of us thought they were going to hate Mplsound and we enjoy it big time. Don't act like if your opinion was some kind of ultimate statement.

I love Mplsound like a vast majority of people here. And god knows many of us thought we would be bitching about it.

Dsoul said:

Yeah, I think a lot of it sounds like they could have been outtakes from the last Janet Jackson album or even Kylie's.

BSK3478 said:[quote]

paisleypark4 said:

THANK YOU!!! OMG I needed that banner so many times!!

I have been here and there. I work @ M&I Bank Downtown Mpls. I think I saw you one time way down the street but I was too far to say anything to you. Guuuul' Where U b at?

AnywayAfter hearing the album about 7, 11 times I think it can go right in the Batman category again. Its good. Enjoyable. Yeah there are about 2 songs I may skip but I know I will be playing it for a while. Havent heard Lotus Flow3r yet. Waiting till Sunday.

OL SKOOL COMPANY!! HAS GREATEST ROMANCE LOOP IN THERE !

and after letting one more play happen in my car (cause sometimes driving is a better mind opener) I stand by my earlier take with this addendum - except for the stalkerish lyrics "Valentina" got pretty good in the middle. And props to Prince for ALWAYS having cool harmonies. He never seems to get credit for that. It is too bad this is what thy are wasted on, cause NO ONE does 'em like this.

I have not read all bazillion pages of this so I apologize if it has already been said but I wish Disco Jellyfish was on this album. Seems like it would be a good fit.

sonicfreak said:

Listen to the second part of Ch Box, it's there.

I like how people keep calling this album cheesy. It's Prince for godsakes! One of his biggest hits was Raspberry Beret!(ever listen to those lyrics?) What the hell kinda shit is that? His music has always been extremely pop, almost cheesy. But for him it works. The man stands 5'3, 5'7" with heels on. He ain't threatening nobody. So what kinda record were you expecting him to put out? The sequel to Dr. Dre's Chronic 2001?

MplSound is hella funky! Valentina and No More Candy for you are instant classics IMHO.

Love it P, absolutely love it!

Dsoul said:

Thats the truth.

After reading the 'amazing' reviews on Prince.org ... I'm wondering if i'm listening to the same albums ?

NewPowerToad said:

yes Prince is the king of cheesy... when it works (and it has alot in the past) its great. When it doesn't well you get songs like Gold or Graffiti Bridge

Lotus Flower and Mplsound are the best complilation of Prince music in a really really really long time. I am really feeling both.

I simply cannot remember the last time I felt this excited about material he has released. Sure there are always gems. But liking half of Musicology and 3121 and 2 songs from PE... and not really having felt TRC... these songs feel great!

johnny2000 said:

Thats why you should have LISTENED to the album to make up your own mind before you read the reviews.

Better With Time..
anyone know who this song is about? I thought perhaps Joni Mitchell..?