These new releases seem like what should have come after TRC. The music also puts me ina feeling as if Musicology, 3121, and PE were a dream and I woke up and this is what is here.

Don't get me wrong. There was some great material on those albums (Couch, The Word, SHOE to name a few) but the new releases have a different vibe to it. The material is way beyond the past three imho. I dont know how it could be with it just coming a year or so after the last one, PE.

It's like he was saving this higher quality material for a while and said "I'll finally release this stuff now."

Maybe it took the last three to get it out of his system?

xlr8r said:

I think if you take the last 3 (and add Rave), you can hear him struggling to recapture something and also to be all things to all people, recapturing that kaleidescopic SOTT vibe with varying degrees of success. the NPGMC stuff and TRC were, to me, him trying something drastically (in the case of TRC) and slightly (NPGMC) different, with different levels of enthusiasm.

but to me, after hearing LF/MPLS, it's clear that the 3 Prince's (the songwriter, the musician, and the producer) were not integrated. he seemed to be focusing on only one at a time at the expense of the others with those releases.

with the new albums, I feel like he's reintegrated those 3 sides of his talent. the musicianship of TRC/NEWS/C-NOTE/etc. has been reuntied with the (relatively) intelligent songwriter and the pandering-but-curious producer.


that's a rough estimation of what's happening here, from my view.

I think we got both. Lotusflow3r is the trippy, psychedelic rock follow-up to TRC while MPLSound is the next in the Musicology, 3121, PE set.

errant said:

I thik th e npgmc stuff he was beign true to himself for 90% of the material

errant said:

I agree with this but less pandering then previously

December1984 said:

After the TRC release and tour, I kept saying "his next release will be awesome just watch."

He gave us Musicology. Which was pleasant to me but not what one would expect after the consistent and above par TRC.

I feel like Lotus Flow3r should have come right after. But Im glad it came out now for some reason. It's fits todays zeitgeist rather than coming out in 2004.

.
[Edited 4/1/09 20:45pm]

xlr8r said:

he's just pandering to US this time, rather than the wider mainstream audience

xlr8r said:

I guess my point is sort of summed up by saying that he's married the TRC and Musicology sides of his output from this decade.

errant said:

Ok cool. I like when he does that better.

But what would it be if he wasnt pandering I wonder. I want to hear something that he just does for himself, true indulgent inspiration.

xlr8r said:

yeah, I think we got that with the High/Peace stuff and TRC/NEWS.

I'm glad for the balance that the new releases have given us.

In hindsight, I think something like Musicology and/or 3121 is entirely predictable after TRC. Prince has a habit of stepping in one direction (Purple Rain or Sign O' The Times) and then immediately going somewhere else afterwards (ATWIAD/Parade, LoveSexy).

I don't think these releases are vastly superior to Musicology or 3121 in theory. However, in reality these albums are more cohesive and are all the more enjoyable for it.

LoutusFlow3r is the organic, live-style Prince
MPLSoUND is the electronic, one-man-band Prince

The other difference is that Musicology and 3121 and are sort of in the "living Legend" mold. Prince was making new music but it was a celebration of his past.

LotusFlow3r and MPLSoUND are more forward thinking (even MPLSoUND is not a throwback because it's an updating of his traditional sound, in a similar way to the bulk of SOTT), imo.

jtfolden said:

Maybe the guy is in love. He had some great material during the Vanity, Susanah, and Mayte era. Love brings out the creative juices. Hey, hey, don't go there!! hehehhehehehhehehehehe!!!

dolorespark said:

Dont be putting the pussy on a pedestal


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[Edited 4/1/09 21:52pm]

xlr8r said:

actually, it's pussy and misery that i think get his creative juices going. his relationships with Susannah and Vanity were tumultuous when he was doing his best work in the 90's, he had 3 girls thinking he was going to marry them (or at least 2, with one on the side just for fun)


love seems to stifle him creatively

jtfolden said:

I can agree with that.

3121 is as good an album as MPLsound and Lotusflow3r.

3121, Lolita, Te Amo Corazon, Black Sweat, Love, Fury, The Word, The Dance, Get On The Boat.

I think the new albums are more consistent but the highs on 3121 are some of his very best stuff.

mushmackalenta said:

I think 3121 is his best album of the decade. I'd say it's more consistent and has higher highs. However, I do really like the new albums.

Moonbeam said:

Why can't we enjoy both albums for what they are? Personally, I am enjoying the new output, but that does not mean we have to compare like this?!

shellyann said:

Who's saying we can't? Just offering an opinion!

shellyann said:

It's not mutually exclusive. People can enjoy them each for what they are and STILL compare them.

Of course, you are perfectly free to avoid conversations that don't interest you... that seems like a better idea to me than questioning the discussions that others choose to have.

Prince overall has delivered a wide range of style within his own music. I love everything Prince has 2 offer.

shellyann said:

I'm just saying that whereas the New albums are Great I don't really think they that there way ahead of recent releases.

3121 and Planet Earth are just as good I think.

I personally don't think he ever released a really bad album a few I would describe as OK in the late 1990's and some of the Jazz stuff I don't listen to much, but the last 5 proper studio albums have all been great albums.

3121 was great. i'd like to pretend PE didn't happen. ugh.

errant said:

Interesting points, but where would you put One Nite Alone in all this?

Planet earth had Prince songs and kingdom Hall remixes. Planet Earth did not happen..... all that matters is on PE is


1. Planet Earth - Would've worked in Lotus flower extra track
2. Guitar
3. Somewhere Here on Earth
4. One U Wanna C, The
5. Future Baby Mama
6. Mr. Goodnight
7. All the Midnights in the World -kingdom hall inspiration
8. Chelsea Rodgers -waste of website and extra growling from Shelby
9. Lion of Judah -kingdom hall inspiration
10. Resolution- please add to never play again- every body all over the world lalala

[Edited 4/2/09 4:28am]

Musicology great live I don't dig it out to play it Reflection is the only one I play. The rest cd wise doesn't stick with me


AND 3121 still gives me thrills !!! but there is something different with LOTUSFLOWER with the commercial-Leno shows - website- that purple buzz is in the air again.

Individual tracks on LF/MS blow away anything on Musicology, 3121 and PE, but I do think he did himself a disservice by splitting it up into the two concepts.

xlr8r said:

to be me TRC didnt exist

MendesCity said:

I disagree. So far, nothing from the new albums has blown me away immediately like "3121", "Love", "Fury" and "Lion of Judah" did when I first heard those. But the new albums are both quite strong.

utopia7 said:

I love the funk/disco vibe to Chelsea.