I have to admit that I was not going to dig the album before it came out. Honestly the album isn't bad. But for what it advertised I am disappointed. The problem I think I have had with a lot of the last 3, 4 albums is that a lot of it sounds like he threw a drum loop, keyboard loop, or mainly focused on 1 riff and gave us 3 1/2 minutes of it. I don't think Lotus does that too much. But my point is, when you say you are going back to that 80's sound, the linn better have sick drum hooks like automatic, the synth's should hit like All day, All night or Dance Electric. Thank goodness for iPod's. I can take, gee, 30 years of music and make one insane playlist of Prince music. I aint hating. There's always a few great songs on each album. But I just got to say that after all these years I hear those old songs and go daaaaang. No one still has topped that stuff. Why should I expect even him to top that. The amazing songs he wrote in the 80's, most artists are lucky to strike gold 2 or 3 times in their whole career.

The album title sure does promise more than the music delivers in terms of Minneapolis sound and quality. Still a solid album though.
[Edited 6/29/09 18:54pm]

Interested in what make a post get edited.

richvan29 said:

Oh, just wanted to erase the part of me being a satanist No, sometimes I write the sentence that immediately comes to mind and then on second thought there's a better or more effective sentence.

the 80s sound is all analogue and hiss. the lack of bass is on account of the use of proTools and having to avoiding digital clipping.

that is why every single album recorded on Protools is shit.
Cx
[Edited 6/29/09 19:30pm]

mrsquirrel said:

There r ways to avoid the clipping and make the bass prominent if needed..
[Edited 7/1/09 4:06am]

ahhhh. I though a moderator censored you.

mrsquirrel said:

Oh that's bs. I don't even use Protools and I know that's bs. Digital clipping in the bass, dude, reduce the high to increase the low end no matter what you are using.

It's a combination of how it was recorded and how it was mixed... Has little 2 do with ProTools being used 4 mastering.

4 some reason, Prince hasn't wanted the Linn up and out of the mix, like he used 2. He has been preferring 2 place it down in the mix in nearly every recent example, with one MAJOR exception: "Black Sweat", from '3121'.

Also, "No More Candy 4 U" and "Valentina" have the Linn up in the mix somewhat, but it wasn't recorded the same way as the old days. "Valentina" has a Linn part 2 die 4, by the way.

He MAY have, in fact, sampled his Linns, and not even recorded the machine itself.

But yeah... U push the signal in an analog setting, on 2" tape, and U get some serious fatness right there.

Also, he's not putting much effects on the Linn parts... U do hear some nice flanging on the Linn on "Here", which is essentially a perfect song.

.
[Edited 6/30/09 6:28am]

C'Mon LinnDrum/LM-1 freaks!

This is a Linn discussion. GET IN HERE!

mrsquirrel said:

Record at -3 db and problem solved.

mrsquirrel said:

its not pro tools that makes the sound, there are a lot of other factors including compression, EQ, effects, etc that could either be IN pro-tools (soft synths) or external hardware.

The other thing I must say is that if Prince wasnt using pro tools, he would be using some other software like logic, nuendo, etc alongside some high class mastering systems, hardware and synths - so the point is who gives a fuck that he uses pro-tools!

Giovanni777 said:

i think he might have too. I think back to my old Korg M1 and I seriously could not remember how to use it, although the sounds are amazing, the O/S is so archaic - unless he had lots of patience to relearn the thing...

i would die if he brought back the linn from "She's always in my hair" or "Beautiful Ones", your right in that "Here" has an excellent Linn sound, but JT came out with some killer linn riffs that I love too on "till the end of time".

I don't think anyone had the linn sound down like Bobby Z & Sheila E especially in the live shows. That sound just made the live music sound like Prince music, not just a great or good drummer showing their stuff on the set

I go back the 6.7.84 birthday show at first Avenue, the music was tight energetic and it sounded distint, like the studio cuts with just more spead or different variations

my favorite songs with the 'Minneapolis Sound' are

space
beautiful ones
computer blue
lets go crazy
When Doves Cry
Most of the 1999 stuff including outtakes
America

does anybody think the linn sounds, sound actually too false and computer generated?

on occasions, especially at louded volumes they actually hurt my ears.


there good in Valentina, but they annoy me in no more candy 4u
[Edited 6/30/09 11:30am]

Wow, if there is one thing about MPLS that I am proud of it's the linn programming. Sorry, P has that on lock. The programming on Chocolate box and There'll never b another is amazing. H8! H8! H8!

larksanders said:

Thats what i thought!

i also a tad agree with the post above. They sound a little different to other recent linn trax like Future baby mama or What do u want me 2 do.

Giovanni777 said:

I should've included "Chocolate Box" in this post. I love the programming, but it has only a couple of Linn sounds, and I thought the sidestick should've been up in the mix more, and used more frequently.

Still... that beat IS bangin'.

Same goes 4 "Dance 4 Me". So PRINCE. Just need the sidestick up in the mix.

.
[Edited 6/30/09 13:35pm]

I think prince wasn't trying to emulate the 80s sound on this album, he always wants to push into new territory, which i think he has achieved on this album; the classic linn sound but more mature and blended into the song as a whole rather than the way he used to do it: create a drum track then add bass/guitar/synths/vox. Apart from the cheesy lyrics Chocolate Box and They'll Never banother are amazing pieces of work. Listen with headphones and you'll be smiling at the intricateses (sic) held within.

jethrouk said:

on this album it does sound too obvious
not like on say Space or America Computer Blue or Lady Cab Driver

mrsquirrel said:

UH, no. Wrong on all counts.

OldFriends4Sale said:[quote]I don't think anyone had the linn sound down like Bobby Z & Sheila E especially in the live shows. That sound just made the live music sound like Prince music, not just a great or good drummer showing their stuff on the set



The drum machine was used a lot during the lives shows from early on up until Michael Bland became Prince's drummer.

JudasLChrist said:

Yeah.

Let's start with the fact that the LinnDrum is a digital piece of equipment itself.

Giovanni777 said:

This pretty much sums it up.

LOVE quoting myself. LOVE it.

IN Old School Company he says "Prince and the NEW Minneapolis sound can't be beat"

not the old minneapolis sound

OldFriends4Sale said:

Sadly Bobby Z wasn't mentioned in the "Ol School Company" song when Prince was listing " the real drummers". He named Michael B., Morris Day, Jelly Bean, Shelia E. and John Blackwell. But no Bobby Z. I was a bit confused.

NDRU said:

That is an excellent point, and they truly shouldn't be compared.

I think the original poster was saying the Linn wasn't prominent enough on the new stuff, so I wanted 2 discuss the difference between programming and method/style of recording... effects, placement, and overall mix.

I'm gonna say it again, though... NOTHING beats 2" tape, when you're using the actual old school gear, like the Linn LM-1, LM-2 (LinnDrum), OB-8, MOOG, etc, etc.

But the original poster's dissatisfaction with the Linn sounds has NOTHING 2 do with ProTools, as ProTools is mostly 4 mastering. YES, it could have been recorded directly into ProTools, unlike 'Lotusflow3r', but the original poster LIKELY could have been satisfied if the mix was slightly different, i.e. tuned down sidestick up in the mix a bit, and slightly aggressive via EQ. That may be what he's missing from the old Linn days.

.
[Edited 7/1/09 11:08am]

... Protools is mostly for mastering?

Well, this is news to me.

Giovanni777 said:

Gotcha.

I am not at a cd player to make comparisons, but my general impression of Prince's music is that the beat in general (the thump, I suppose) is more prominent on his later music than stuff in the 90's & later. It seemed to get a bigger bottom end around Graffiti Bridge.

But there are obviously more factors in that than just placement of the Linn in the mix, so it doesn't necessarily contradict what you guys are saying.

But I do think that this album is the closest he's gotten to that classic sound in a long time. Much more than, say, Rave. I could easily believe that a few of these songs were 80's outtakes ala Crucial.

NDRU said:

Oh yes, there was a dramatic boost in the bottom end on 'Graffiti Bridge', most definitely.

With 'Rave...', the Linn was BURIED in the mix on "Everyday Is a Winding Road", and that was unfortunate, so I hear U.