I love everything from For You up to Emancipation. There isn't an album in those years that I dislike. However, Rave U2 was bad, and it seems to me like it was the beginning of the period (from Rave U2 through Planet Earth) where Prince was at his worst musically.

Does anyone else think this, too? That up until Lotus Flow3r and MPL Sound, Rave U2 started a downward spiral for Prince?

I honestly dont see much difference between anything released after Emancipation (and perhaps including) through today other than TRC(not for always good reasons) and some of the more interesting cuts on Slaugherhouse/Chocolate Invasion.

That not to say there are not many good cuts but there are just slight differences of degree not kind.
[Edited 4/3/09 12:10pm]

Personally, I don't think Prince has had a "mediocre" phase that has run consistently. Rave was weak, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the crap album that preceded it (New Power Soul). Love it or hate it, The Rainbow Children wasn't mediocre, and definitely was a daring move on his part musically.

His efforts in this past decade have been incredibly inconsistent, and he's had some mediocre songs here and there, but overall that hasn't been a trend.
[Edited 4/3/09 12:18pm]

JediMaster said:

I second that.

The problem with Rave is not the quality of the tracks, imo. I happen to like quite a few songs on there. The problem is that this is one of those instances where Prince's diversity worked against him and all these disparate tracks simply didn't gel "together" as an album.

So, I don't believe Rave is of a lesser quality than Emancipation or Musicology/3121... it's just not very cohesive as a whole.

the main thing about P that ALWAYS gets overlooked on these threads is.....he may be the coolest-the greatest to us-whatever-we plainly think he's ok..But he is like a kid in a toy shop STILL to this day where music is concerned. Coolness-how much the musos watching will worship me now.....these thoughts dont come into it for him. He still gets excited by ideas and sounds-thank God.
He may be a bit jaded to record companies-the net-alot of stuff-but I think where music is concerned he will never be able to control his buzz of creation-we may not love it all-but he does in buckets-and thats why alot of us are still with him

Batman was the beginning of Prince's mediocrity.

therat said:

You must be out of your MIND! Batman soundtrack was incredible! I thought Prince's so-called drop off was The Gold Experience through The Rainbow Children and one slight slip with Planet Earth. Musicology,3121, and Lotus Flow3r/MPLSound is jammin' on the box.

I disagree I thought Rave Un2.. Was the end of a "low run" Which started i think with Diamonds and Pearls to Rave Un2 and ended with release of "The Rainbow Children" The whole 90's to me is Prince's is lowest point. They're are some great songs on those albums and a even awesome overall albums during that time in "Come" and "The Gold Experience" which are some my all time fav. Prince albums. But no i dont think it was the beginning of medocrity and i dont think Prince has ever been that. But i do think it was the end of a run for Prince that wasn't up too his par of his 80's and 00's albums.