Dave1992 said:

Top three for me too.

Genesia said:

Good to hear. I know the feeling.

ernestsewell said:

I totally agree with that. Listening to it on nice headphones/super loud... you can hear it all. The space within the song is what makes it so effective to me.

Parade is kind of like Around the World in A Day to me, its an album that I tend to think differently about every time I listen to it. In my mind, no other album he has ever made quite sounds like it... and in some respects, it is his best-produced 80's album.

The sequencing of the first four tracks, to me, is great. From the hazy, ominous "Christopher Tracy's Parade" (which in some respects, reminds me of how cloudy and... dare I say... "druggy" "3121" is), to the forward funk of "New Position", which does not overstay its welcome. Both "New Position" and "I Wonder U" have buried bass lines, and "I Wonder U"'s is particularly slippery. "Under the Cherry Moon" is a slick ballad with some really hot piano and some great lower-range crooning from Prince.

From there, the album's rhythm, to me, is a little thrown off. "Girls & Boys" is a fun if not flimsy jam that goes on for too long. "Life Can Be So Nice" seems to pick up where "Christopher's" left off, and is a really dense "song" that isn't much of a sing-along as it is an atmospheric piece, which is why "Venus De Milo"'s calm, jazzy interlude serves as a proper aftershave to it.

"Mountains" is a neat jam with some great drums, maybe a little too long. "Do U Lie" is somewhat of a genre exercise, but Prince never lets it fall into kitsch territory, and I come to like it every time I listen to it, more and more. "Kiss" still sounds futuristic twenty years later, and remains a perfect piece of streamlined funk. The abrupt intro of "Anotherloverholenyohead" is cool and the song is even cooler; particularly the enormous lift the song seems to have when the chorus rolls around. And "Sometimes" cools it all down with what might be the most tender song Prince has ever put on an album.

A strong album and a unique one.

I love Prince's "weird" pop/rock tracks like "Life Can Be So Nice." After hearing something like "Large Room With No Light" I have to wonder if there are more of those gems lurking in the vault.

I don't rate Parade as highly as most of you but I still dig it. Seems like there were so many great songs from this era I can't help wishing he had released some of the vault songs and vaulted some of the released songs (does that make sense?) Of course, I'm sure if he did that I'd still think the same thing.

My favourites are "Life Can Be So Nice," "Mountains," "Anotherloverholenyohead" and "Sometimes It Snows In April."

shonenjoe said:

Oh for real? Surely it's a little too short!!!

Swa
[Edited 7/5/09 1:28am]

Havent listened to this in a while, but your reviews have me thinking I need to go get some of my older cds back in rotation. I enjoy many of these songs and dont know why I havent listened to this in a while?

micknme said:

Any new thoughts based on the relisten?

Swa

It might be my favourite of the Revolution trilogy. I didn't know what to make of some of the song structures on the first few listens, but that was fine by me - if anything, it drew me in a bit more.

Prince is a fantastic drummer/percussionist/programmer, and Parade is a fine vehicle for these strengths from beginning to end (especially the first four pieces). Having said that, "Do U Lie?" is the song I revisit most often (with Jonathan Melvoin serving up a sweet parlour jazz beat that melts like butter into the already lush/tasty arrangement).

There's a lot of heart, style and grace to be found on Parade and I love it more today than yesterday, etc....

Okay how can anybody not like UTCM or Do U Lie??

Just great songs to me.

My fav Prince era!

coltrane3 said:

I agree.

pepper7 said:

As I mentioned - DO U Lie doesn't do it for me - it's the only track on the album I consider filler. So what is it about the song that you like? What am I missing?

Swa

Parade!!! Ahh i love everything about this era. The cover artwork, inner sleeve, the b-sides, his Christopher Tracy look, and most importantly the music on the album. I can def. listen to this album from beginning to end. Its def. in my top 3 of Prince albums

Swa said:

May i just say that i love Do U Lie.... its so different and wacky and the way he sings.... is obviously not to be taken that seriously but it def. fits 4 me.
[Edited 8/10/09 9:59am]

ernestsewell said:

that will always be a question as to why luv and $ was not on the soundtrack. One of my favs

I love this era fun times for me

Swa said:

I would love to explain why Do U Lie is sooooo gooood but I just can't.

I don't know where to begin. It's like I laugh at things you might not laugh at - and cry at things you may not cry at.

Or do I lie...?? hehe!

thedance said:

I've never seen this full-length image before... I think I can see the outline of his pecker.

GirlBrother said:

I loved how the album gatefold was a two sided image of Prince. Its rare to see good artwork for albums these days - especially in the less inspiring CD format.

Swa