I feel better for having said it and I stand by it!

I cannot get past the fact that he has, and reminds us that he has, an innumerable number of tunes in The Vault... Release them!

If your only competition is, well, you in the past... show us how good that competition was!

I'll stop now. I just wanted to get this off my chest....

...I can't get this bloody Crimson and Clover out of head at the moment and it's making me nuts.

I wouldn't be too upset. He really doesn't release that many. Not including one-off singles or downloads, there's really only a handfull of covers he's released on his albums. And don't forget, we're talking 35+ albums over a 30 year career!

I've never really understood the hatred towards covers. Some people see them as a musical sin - but that's hardly the case. Covers can be just as inspiring and influential. Before the 1960s, covers were pretty much standard in all genres of music. Jazz musicians inparticular made great art by reinterpreting the popular songs of the day. I think today there's almost too much of an emphasis on being "original" that we sometimes forget to just enjoy music for what it is.

"Crimson And Clover" is hardly a weak rendition. He's put his own spin on it, and mixing it with "Wild Thing" was a nice touch. He's just paying his dues to the era that he was brought up in. Nothing wrong with that. It's one of the stronger tracks on the album.
[Edited 5/7/09 2:15am]

I'm so over hearing people complain about Prince doing covers specifically Crimson and Clover. I enjoy his cover of this song and with every listen to the lotus album I think it fits into the first three songs just fine
[Edited 5/7/09 2:15am]

PEJ said:

Honestly, his playing and performance in this song are thrilling beyond words. If he keeps playing covers like this and "Creep" and Jimmy Eat World and "Best of U/All Along The Watchtower" and the like, then I say bring 'em on. Hell, I'd take a whole covers album with shit this good.

I even enjoyed the covers on Emancipation.

I don't really need to hear the Sly Stone or Santana or "Play That Funky Music" covers anymore, but you can tell he has fun paying tribute and he's switching it up enough lately to keep it interesting and fun.

Look at his covers during the SOTT/Lovesexy aftershow period. It's some of the best stuff I've ever heard from him.

I say, more covers please if they're going to be of this calibre.

Only live, though... I'd rather have my long player stuffed with In a Large Room With No Light, In All My Dreams, et al.

Curiously, I'd not seen that Trent Reznor thread before I started this one, but I partly agree with what he's saying... Prince has this stockpile.. stockpiles are there to be used... just ask the Bush Government.

BoySimon said:

Ye so what. Next.

BoySimon said:

...ok.....
Movin right along

whatever

Blatant honesty...it's spreading!

TRON said:

don't forget A Case of U that is beautifull too...

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

BBS...Blatant Bull Shit..now that spreads.Haters.Next.

Remember, for years, Prince never released a cover on an album. To my knowledge, the covers on Emancipation were the first time on official record. I had long waited for him to cover something on record. In concert versions are usually loose and off the cuff, but a studio version would show is real interpretation of a song. I like "I Can't Make U Love Me", but it got a little long when he got into the talking "bedroom slash church" speech. It wasn't "International Lover"; but it felt like he was trying to make it into that.

A cover here and there is fine. But to release the stuff in the vault. It ain't gonna happen. He's against his old stuff because it has curse words in it, and WB owns it. Also, I heard part of the separation deal w/ Wb was that Prince had final say so on anything they released, so he'll NEVER let that old stuff out, not without editing the fuckery out of it. I've said it before and I'll say it now: It will take Prince DYING before we hear stuff from The Vault, and since most of us are near his age (within 10 years), we might be close to death too.

SPOOKYGAS said:

101 said:

You are so right. His version of "A Case of You" has brought tears to my eyes literally!. I must add that seeing him cover The Cars "Lets Go" in a few of his last live shows was a treat and had me singing along out loud.

ernestsewell said:

the curse words can be rerecorded and dubbed. but are you sure his vault material is owned by Warner Bros. That I doubt.

PEJ said:

WB took possession of a lot of things. It's been a huge debate over the years. He may or may not. It would SEEM, at some points, he doesn't. He released a Revolution song in 2001 via NPGMC. Crystal Ball was a lot of old stuff. Even "Contest Song" was probably from 1981 or so.

But there's the other side where his separation agreement with WB was that if they release something, he has a final say so on it; his rubber stamp approval. So even if WB did own it, he could still block its release.

Ergo, here we are with rubbish like Musicology, etc.

In essence I dont mind artists releasing cover-versions, as long as they are good or great ones.

But unfortunately most of Princes cover-versions have been poor.

Just a few examples: he spoiled the sincere lyrics of 'I can't make you love me' by Bonnie Rait with unneccesary 'sex parts' at the end, His version of One of Us is really terribly produced, and lacking the down-to-earth feel of the original, on a song like A Case of U, he ommits certain verses, doing the impact of the original lyrics no justice, and his live versions of The Long and Winding Road and Creep are way to polished 'vegas-like' for their own good.

I really can't think of any cover version by him that can be called a 'succes'. I mean, a cover doesnt have to be as good as the original to be succesfull. But in Princes cases he often makes such clumsily choices while covering a song, that he doesnt even succeed in making it his own.

toejam said:

What Toejam said.

Riverpoet31 said:

I disagree Crimson and Clover and Lets Go are badass live!

PEJ said:

I like "miss you" too

BoySimon said:

"I've gotta box of chocolates," on loop in your brain is more difficult. I woke up in the morning and that was the first thing my mind said.

Yeah, I'm trying to think of a cover of his -- beyond Just my Imagination -- that I'd call superior to the original.

Well, I like the groove of "When Will We Be Paid?"
[Edited 5/8/09 21:40pm]

As long as he keeps the covers at a low level I'm ok with that. His best cover is One Of Us. He really did make a nice rocky rework there.

I do enjoy the fact that people take the time to type an 'I'm not interested' comment. Funny.

Anyhoo... Covers - No! Live, possibly - do remember that most of his best covers have come from live aftershows. The version of Miss You on the 86 tour was an 'Oh look Ronnie's here...' Just My Imagination is an 88 aftershow, I believe... A Case of U started life as an aftershow turn, again, I believe.... On stage, possibly... on vinyl, no thanks. (not when he has so many songs of his own... not when the covers aren't that good.)

BoySimon said:

I love how you bumped your thread again.

I've been away! Damn thing called 'work' got in the way of internet time!