it would've been one of those "We are The World" tracks

I agree. I'm a little bit astounded no political party or organization picked up on the patriotic theme of this song.

It's damn near a Lee Greenwood-type ode to America.

I know! I LOVE THIS SONG!!!

I went for about 7, 4th of July's in a row playing both "Free," and "America," before going to see fireworx.

One of my least favorite P songs. Corny, simplistic, jingoistic, weak lyrics, worst song on 1999. It's decent live tho.

jdcxc said:

Agreed. "Moonbeam Levels" would've kicked its pants.

billymeade said:

hell no,Free is way better espesially when he start screaming

jdcxc said:

I love Free , imo the worst track on 1999 is 1999

can't see this as a single....

but i love it....but not as much as i love
something in the water

Probably my favorite song on that album, aside from "DMSR".

I'm suprised that this song is getting any type of love on here. Usually in the past, 98% of the people on here stated that they DESPISED the song Free. I thought I was the only one on here who truly dug this song. I've written at least 3 threads about the song in some form or another. But that can be said about most of the threads I've written about the 1999 album alone. So yeah, as many times that I have championed the song "Free", no, I don't think it should have been a single. Like I've stated on here in the past, the songs that I think should have been the singles from this album are :
And in this order...

1999
Little Red Corvette

D.M.S.R. (instead of Delirious which to me is the weakest song on the album. Didn't really need to be a single though because black radio played it TOO Death anyways!)

Automatic (instead of LPWM) An edited 45 version of this song would have been bangin' and not only would it have gotten much airplay on black radio, it would have gotten much airplay on the pop stations ala Little Red Corvette. KROQ Radio which is out here in So Cali, in the 80's, were the leaders of New Wave in the U.S. They played Automatic anyways. If it were a single, it would have done very well. Much better than LPWM did anyways.

not a fan. absolutely should NOT have replaced Moonbeam Levels, a superior song in every way.

That's like the only one I skip on that album.

errant said:

I think that P was at a place where he had to decide between A Better Place 2 Die (that's what I always called it) and Free. Because both songs musically, are VERY similar. Similar arrangement, similar tone, both employs rock in the ballads. I've always loved A Better Place 2 Die. It's a beautiful track. BUT to me, I always thought P chose Free because I think he simply dug his singing on the track. His screaming on this song, like elsewhere on the 1999 album, is superb. It's basically a gospel song mixed with rock and I think P wanted to showcase this because like I said, his vocal performance on Free destroys his vocals on Moonbeam Levels. His vocals on Free, especially after the brigde, are VERY heartfelt. You can tell P was feeling that shit. And also I think he chose Free because it had Vanity along with Lisa, Jill and Wendy on the backing vocals, his choir, so to speak.
[Edited 6/3/09 0:17am]

blackguitaristz said:

yeah, no, sorry. I respect your opinion, but Moonbeam Levels completely destroys Free on all levels. I think he just picked Free because it was newer and he'd probably grown tired of ML and he was temporarily enamoured with Free and wanted an overtly political song in there somewhere.

errant said:

I can dig it. I respected your thought as well...Just giving my thought on the matter and what I believe. Like I said, I know that many on here prefer Moonbeam over Free. I too love A Better Place 2 Die. I just think Free overall, is a stronger and better song, that's all. It's like the same thing with EI and The Beautiful Ones. I love EI but I don't think it's a stronger song that The Beautiful Ones. Just my opinion.

I love Free from 1999, great song, it's the same kind of song as the later Purple Rain title song...

and I like the message: Free to change your mind, free to go most anywhere anytime

"Free" is a wonderful song,but I don't think it should have been a single.For the most part,I was satisfied with the single choices from this album,except...

"Automatic" should have been the third single,instead of "Delirious".I agree with Blackguitaristz,"Delirious" is the weakest song on the album.It's fun but not nearly as powerful/intriguing as "Automatic".

i don't care for it much, but i think it pointed to where he would be going in a few years time.

SoulAlive said:[quote]"Free" is a wonderful song,but I don't think it should have been a single.For the most part,I was satisfied with the single choices from this album,except...

"Automatic" should have been the third single,instead of "Delirious".I agree with Blackguitaristz,"Delirious" is the weakest song on the album.It's fun but not nearly as powerful/intriguing as "Automatic".[/quote]
agreed

least listened to song from 1999 for me along with something in the water

classic album, delirious/dmsr/automatic all favs of mine.

LRC/1999- 2 of the most recognised P songs in the general public

lady cab driver..oh to have that Prince back
[Edited 6/3/09 4:40am]

As much as I like it - it would've killed any momentum the album had already built up...1999 was one of the few he got spot on with single releases really.

Yeah, I thought Free was one of Prince's weakest songs ever until the Piano version came out on ONA. For sure MoonBeam would have been a much better choice. Another good substitution could have been Baby, U're a Trip

blackguitaristz said:

That's what I'm talkin about! Agreed. "Automatic" was the cut on 1999 I played the most, along with "Lady Cab Driver" and "DMSR". In fact, "Automatic" pretty much made me a Prince fan, and 1999 was my first Prince album. I then went back, and got every other album from the beginning, one by one... saving whatever money I could, and running 2 the record store. I was just a kid in 1982 when 1999 was released... already listened 2 Hendrix, Santana, Parliament, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Fela, King Sunny Ade, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Stanley Clarke, Defunkt, Peter Gabriel, Albert King, Albert Collins, etc, etc. Not 2 go on 2 much, but the point is that I was already steeped in a rich, diverse, and talented musical web of influences before I heard Prince. It took quite a bit 2 impress me back then, even as a kid, and guess what?

"Automatic" did it.

That being said, I really dug "Free" as well.

Something about Prince's screams really spoke 2 me, as a rebellious kid in the '80s, under Reagan.

.
[Edited 6/3/09 6:57am]

I like Free and I think it would have done very well as a single, but I do agree that Moonbeam Levels is a stronger song... but I think it might have been a bit out of place on the 1999 album. Free seems to be a better fit.

As for the singles, I think Delirious is the weakest song for sure on the album, and yet it was a Top 10 hit, so I guess you can't really 2nd-guess it as a single too much (it charted higher than 1999 itself and nearly matched LRC.) That said, I think LPWM was a mistake because (although I adore it) it was too racy for radio airplay. Automatic would have been my choice.

blackguitaristz said:

Uh hum... I love Free.... and check out this thread from a while back "All those motherf*&kers....yeah" !! ? http://prince.org/msg/7/276564

Oh, and here's the original thread too http://prince.org/msg/7/228677?&pg=1
[Edited 6/4/09 15:24pm]

TheKing662 said:

I kind of agree... it could have been an anthem ish song .. Although it's hugely better than We are the World!
[Edited 6/3/09 13:14pm]

I think Prince nailed it with the single choices for this album. And "Delirious" was a top 10 hit, people! It's one of the catchiest songs on the album, and makes total sense as a single!

As for the "Free"/"Moonbeam Levels" debate, I love both songs a lot. I do prefer "Moonbeam Levels" and think it would have been an awesome closer to the album. I don't see why he couldn't have included both though. Time constraints?

I wonder....if "Free" had been a single, and relatively well known and successful as such, would people have viewed "Purple Rain" as a copy of that? Both are more gospel tinged, almost anthemic type songs. They start small and build up, both damn near requiring a choir behind them. Both are "feel good" songs. Of course no one ever accused Prince of recycling ballads (except Scandalous/Insatiable, but he totally borrowed Insatiable from another song totally not his), but would they have accused him of "just trying to make 1999 part 2" going from "Free" to "Purple Rain". Critics and fans are fickle that way, and obviously can nit pick anything.

Perhaps, based on all that, "Free" not being a single was a wise choice. Too bad "International Lover" wasn't out there more instead. Man, that song never fails me.

Moonbeam said:

With some editing (remember he already had edited "Delirious" down) of things like "Automatic", he could have easily gotten "Moonbeams" on there. Each disk could have had it's own beginning, middle and end, yet still worked as two disks. SOTT is much the same lay out. Both have strong starters and enders, and good middles.

I just want a release of "Moonbeam levels" FUCK I love that song!
[Edited 6/3/09 19:58pm]

ernestsewell said:

I'm glad he didn't edit "Automatic"- that song is sublime as is. I really love "Moonbeam Levels" too. Hence, the username.