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What makes PARADE great? I know there are a few people who don't like it, but for the most part, it's a highly loved Prince album.
For me it's so quirky and experimental in parts that I just fell in love with it. I admit, I wanted to 'Purple Rain' style album so I was a bit let down when I first bought it (it was the first Prince album I actually bought--I had copies of 1999 and Purple Rain, but I had not bought those). But I love how experimental it sounds (I wonder U, Life Can B So Nice, and Mountains). There are just so many great tracks. He took the formula from ATWIAD and added a certain style to it that just made him such a unique sound during that part of the 80s. | |
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The hell if I know.  Andy is a four letter word. | |
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vainandy said: The hell if I know.
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What makes PARADE great?
Everything.  | |
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NouveauDance said: What makes PARADE great?
Everything. word! | |
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Imago said: NouveauDance said: Everything. word! I totally love everything about this album. The sound quality is outstanding, the songs r so well crafted and each song falls nicely in2 the next one. This classic album makes me love it more 2day than yesterday. Great thread Imago  | |
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Its timeless. The production is unlike anything price did or has done since. The black/white motif underlines the clean sound on even the crazy tracks (mountains and Life can be so nice). Its music from another dimension. Unlike the stale old new jack, hip hop, tired R&B, faux jazz, or by the numbers rock that Prince still thinks is what people want to hear. | |
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Parade is an amazing album!
I wrote a simillar thread a few years ago and got so many positive replies!! I love this album! One of my fav songs is Do U Lie - which I think is such an under-rated Prince song! Shut up already, damn. | |
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Umm... let me try to explain 
Parade is great because... The sheer stylistic diversity that could have been a mess (according to many, it IS), but somehow 'works' very well (according to me... lol) He is going from: 'Magical mystery tour' - Calypso funk - 'I am the Wallrus' - a Brecht / Weill-like ballad - goofy, minimalistic 'avantfunk' - a cacaphonic burst of joy - to a sugarsweet 'Pet Sounds' instrumental on side one. On side two, he moves from a surreal take on Sly and the Family Stone - a Parisian jazz chanson - minimalistic electro-funk and an overproduced slice of bombastic funk-rock to an acoustic Joni Mitchell-ballad. Even though some songs are rather 'sketch-like' and not really developed, the mixture of 'sketches' and fully 'worked out songs' works magically IMO. Why? Probably because Prince and The Revolution don't sound pretentious about it. Its not like you hear some symphonic rock band or a band like Tool, 'shoving' all kind of rhythem changes and patterns into their music in a way like they are saying: Hear how clever I am!. It sounds more like Prince and the Revolution are simply trying out new things in the studio, and they just have fun expressing their creativity without making a 'big deal' about it. Its like Prince said to his engineer 'just push the record button', and that they put those tapes right unto an album without much afterthought (Maybe it didnt really happen that way, but Parade just gives me that 'vibe'). There is just something very carefree / joyfull about this album that makes the music 'breathe'. Something that is empathized by the production: playfull, breezy, 'springlike'. Like the songs have been produced right on spot, at the moment of recording. I know this may sound a bit weird, because Prince did send the demo's to Clare Fisher to put orchestral arrangements unto it, but EVEN these sound like Prince did cute and paste them rather quickly and intuitively, instead of trying out for months and months what the best arrangement could or would be. Its this combination of stylistic variety, playfullness, intuition, 'laissez fare' and breezy production that makes Parade so great IMO. [Edited 8/4/09 12:33pm] | |
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Sometimes it snows in April' | |
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pennylover said: Imago said: word! I totally love everything about this album. The sound quality is outstanding, the songs r so well crafted and each song falls nicely in2 the next one. This classic album makes me love it more 2day than yesterday. Great thread Imago Me too! I love how even the tracks I'm not crazy about STILL compliment the album. | |
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Man its sooooo stripped and funky-so sexy and stylish
The drum sounds alone are superb-but man when I first heard Girls and Boys-I was totally blown away-still one of my ultimate fave P tunes and Kiss.that track set the world on fire-and though not on the album-man its one of the best 12 inches ever-by anyone it got me cuz it was-and still is such a new sound for Prince and the Revolution Man i nearly waved my damn arms off in the o2 and Indigo in 07 everytime he did Girls and Boys-in fact im gonna go listen to my fave o2 show now-saturday aug 18th  | |
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Yeah really great album and I agree that there is such contrast on there from bare boned minimalism (Kiss, New Position) to tunes that are really dense and complex (Life Can Be So Nice, Mountains)
I think that Clare Fischers arrangements are crucial they give the tunes he worked on real depth. I love those versions of I Wonder U that surfaced a couple of years ago where he was demonstrating how he approached the tune.  if you've gotta pay for things that you've done wrong I've gotta big bill coming at the end of the day- Gil Scott Heron
Prince.org where fans of Prince meet and stay up too late | |
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soulyacolia said: Yeah really great album and I agree that there is such contrast on there from bare boned minimalism (Kiss, New Position) to tunes that are really dense and complex (Life Can Be So Nice, Mountains)
I think that Clare Fischers arrangements are crucial they give the tunes he worked on real depth. I love those versions of [b]I Wonder U that surfaced a couple of years ago where he was demonstrating how he approached the tune. [/b It was fascinating to hear that. How he would play a richly layered version, and then the version that eventually ended up on the album. I liked all the versions. They have such a dreamy quality to them. | |
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Diverse, but it all flows so perfectly. I agree with pretty much what everyone said about it, especially the b&w thing too just underlining it all. | |
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To a certain extent, Parade is like Musicology for me. Both albums have a lot of songs that I would never claim to be my among favorites, but taken as a whole the albums are great. However, Parade does have one of my all time top 10 songs in Girls and Boys. I abdicated the throne in Ithaca, but now I am...
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everything from the cover on down | |
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Riverpoet31 said: Umm... let me try to explain
Parade is great because... The sheer stylistic diversity that could have been a mess (according to many, it IS), but somehow 'works' very well (according to me... lol) He is going from: 'Magical mystery tour' - Calypso funk - 'I am the Wallrus' - a Brecht / Weill-like ballad - goofy, minimalistic 'avantfunk' - a cacaphonic burst of joy - to a sugarsweet 'Pet Sounds' instrumental on side one. On side two, he moves from a surreal take on Sly and the Family Stone - a Parisian jazz chanson - minimalistic electro-funk and an overproduced slice of bombastic funk-rock to an acoustic Joni Mitchell-ballad. Even though some songs are rather 'sketch-like' and not really developed, the mixture of 'sketches' and fully 'worked out songs' works magically IMO. Why? Probably because Prince and The Revolution don't sound pretentious about it. Its not like you hear some symphonic rock band or a band like Tool, 'shoving' all kind of rhythem changes and patterns into their music in a way like they are saying: Hear how clever I am!. It sounds more like Prince and the Revolution are simply trying out new things in the studio, and they just have fun expressing their creativity without making a 'big deal' about it. Its like Prince said to his engineer 'just push the record button', and that they put those tapes right unto an album without much afterthought (Maybe it didnt really happen that way, but Parade just gives me that 'vibe'). There is just something very carefree / joyfull about this album that makes the music 'breathe'. Something that is empathized by the production: playfull, breezy, 'springlike'. Like the songs have been produced right on spot, at the moment of recording. I know this may sound a bit weird, because Prince did send the demo's to Clare Fisher to put orchestral arrangements unto it, but EVEN these sound like Prince did cute and paste them rather quickly and intuitively, instead of trying out for months and months what the best arrangement could or would be. Its this combination of stylistic variety, playfullness, intuition, 'laissez fare' and breezy production that makes Parade so great IMO. [Edited 8/4/09 12:33pm] Wow such a beautiful review.. thank you Riverpoet31.. [Edited 8/4/09 14:47pm] Shut up already, damn. | |
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the sideburns "What kind of fuck ending is that?" | |
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The songs sound as fresh today as they did in 86.
Great songs and instrumentation, a time when prince was original and his production perfect. On the production side of it, you can feel the passion, and can tell people put some effort into it sounding cool. Everything all the way down to packaging was awesome, ….like most of his 80’s records. From 1990-the present a lot of his work has sounded dead and dated on arival, like a master artist just going through the motions . [Edited 8/4/09 15:24pm] | |
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I did not get into Parade until 90/91 which was much later after the album was released but the one song that hit me exactly in the time period was Alexa de Paris. I loved Kiss and Mountains because they were easy on the 16 year old's ear. Alexa was more on the line of the quirky songs in the Parade album but I loved it from jump. |
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pepper7 said: Riverpoet31 said: Umm... let me try to explain
Parade is great because... The sheer stylistic diversity that could have been a mess (according to many, it IS), but somehow 'works' very well (according to me... lol) He is going from: 'Magical mystery tour' - Calypso funk - 'I am the Wallrus' - a Brecht / Weill-like ballad - goofy, minimalistic 'avantfunk' - a cacaphonic burst of joy - to a sugarsweet 'Pet Sounds' instrumental on side one. On side two, he moves from a surreal take on Sly and the Family Stone - a Parisian jazz chanson - minimalistic electro-funk and an overproduced slice of bombastic funk-rock to an acoustic Joni Mitchell-ballad. Even though some songs are rather 'sketch-like' and not really developed, the mixture of 'sketches' and fully 'worked out songs' works magically IMO. Why? Probably because Prince and The Revolution don't sound pretentious about it. Its not like you hear some symphonic rock band or a band like Tool, 'shoving' all kind of rhythem changes and patterns into their music in a way like they are saying: Hear how clever I am!. It sounds more like Prince and the Revolution are simply trying out new things in the studio, and they just have fun expressing their creativity without making a 'big deal' about it. Its like Prince said to his engineer 'just push the record button', and that they put those tapes right unto an album without much afterthought (Maybe it didnt really happen that way, but Parade just gives me that 'vibe'). There is just something very carefree / joyfull about this album that makes the music 'breathe'. Something that is empathized by the production: playfull, breezy, 'springlike'. Like the songs have been produced right on spot, at the moment of recording. I know this may sound a bit weird, because Prince did send the demo's to Clare Fisher to put orchestral arrangements unto it, but EVEN these sound like Prince did cute and paste them rather quickly and intuitively, instead of trying out for months and months what the best arrangement could or would be. Its this combination of stylistic variety, playfullness, intuition, 'laissez fare' and breezy production that makes Parade so great IMO. [Edited 8/4/09 12:33pm] Wow such a beautiful review.. thank you Riverpoet31.. [Edited 8/4/09 14:47pm] +1 
U almost made me love the album... But I still don't. And I'm wondering why, cause so many ppl seem to lve "Parade".. But it never caught me that much. Besides "Sometimes It Snows In April" and "Kiss", I dont find the album that catchy... Whats the matter, doctor?  Everybody is somebody, but nobody wants to be themselves. | |
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The best parts of Parade:
the transitional drumming from New Position to I Wonder U to UTCM. He supposedly did all the drumming for three songs in one take. The bass on New Position..sweet The slow groove of I Wonder U..and the ending of it with that heaviness...and that muted horn throughout..and the girls laid back vocal...and the geetar picking at the very end In UTCM where Prince goes "thats alright" in the breakdown bridge..and U can hear the horns having a field day with headphones How Girls and Boys has that push me pull you rubbery bottom like Bowies Fame. When the girls sing I Love U Baby, I Love U so Much--damn!The kazoo keyboard and the linn drum "kuhh!" sound at the end how Life Can Be So Nice starts up real fast and has that "kah" sound at the beginning with the keyboard lines..then it stops when Prince starts to sing...when he says "Kisses never lie" it all starts up again--this is Roadhouse Garden material--really. Then near the end it all comes crashing together with the vocals going wild! the drums live being played furiosly, then it ends how Venus just pops up giving the sense of having just reached climax and now your laying there letting it happen....and the mournful horns polaying near the end--I picture an overcast dock when they play..and that last piano key played then the very best part is the opening of Mountains..that linn drum making it like rubber and the "puhc puck' sounds interlaces throughout the fake heavy drums...the falsetto--nice and "dry"...the part that says "the sea would one day overflow with all your tears, and love will always leave ya lonely"..the ethereal choir (or is it synth) that gets higher in register...the horn blasts like staccato keyoard synths..the break fucking down...the part where he says "guitar and drums on the one, huh!"..then the guitar strumming..slurp..then part where he goes "and the girls say/sing"... the bass seprated in Do U Lie...when he says "mama mama" or something like that..and when he comes back for the bridge and says "when I lie..." the JB geetar lick that opens Kiss..almost like a reverse of when Venus starts, inside out..the push push sound like moving furniture...the denseness of the production..sounds like its "air tight"...the drum sound and that synth tha spounds like nothing else...the wah wah geetar part..saying Dynasty, one of the only few pop culture references hes ever used..the ending geetar licks like its being strangled the droning strains of Anotherlover..and the drums beating like they're waitng for something..then the boom of the piano and sludge...the bottomness of the whole song..his lackadaisical singing..(this song is POP Life inside out btw)...how the girls etc sing with Prince a few beats behind then it all comes together for the chrous after the second verse...the geetar strains in th e bridge..and when he says "baaad"...thers gonna be a riot and when they say that thers that piano key rise real quick Sometimes Snows In April..The "ahs ahs oh ohhhs", the tuba sounding Prince singing with that first ones..then the real horn blwoing...the strumming of the acoustic...the chorus voices mixed on the title part and when they sing "sometinmes I feel so bad"...when he says "now looking at his picture I realize"... | |
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Riverpoet31 said: Umm... let me try to explain
Parade is great because... The sheer stylistic diversity that could have been a mess (according to many, it IS), but somehow 'works' very well (according to me... lol) He is going from: 'Magical mystery tour' - Calypso funk - 'I am the Wallrus' - a Brecht / Weill-like ballad - goofy, minimalistic 'avantfunk' - a cacaphonic burst of joy - to a sugarsweet 'Pet Sounds' instrumental on side one. On side two, he moves from a surreal take on Sly and the Family Stone - a Parisian jazz chanson - minimalistic electro-funk and an overproduced slice of bombastic funk-rock to an acoustic Joni Mitchell-ballad. Even though some songs are rather 'sketch-like' and not really developed, the mixture of 'sketches' and fully 'worked out songs' works magically IMO. Why? Probably because Prince and The Revolution don't sound pretentious about it. Its not like you hear some symphonic rock band or a band like Tool, 'shoving' all kind of rhythem changes and patterns into their music in a way like they are saying: Hear how clever I am!. It sounds more like Prince and the Revolution are simply trying out new things in the studio, and they just have fun expressing their creativity without making a 'big deal' about it. Its like Prince said to his engineer 'just push the record button', and that they put those tapes right unto an album without much afterthought (Maybe it didnt really happen that way, but Parade just gives me that 'vibe'). There is just something very carefree / joyfull about this album that makes the music 'breathe'. Something that is empathized by the production: playfull, breezy, 'springlike'. Like the songs have been produced right on spot, at the moment of recording. I know this may sound a bit weird, because Prince did send the demo's to Clare Fisher to put orchestral arrangements unto it, but EVEN these sound like Prince did cute and paste them rather quickly and intuitively, instead of trying out for months and months what the best arrangement could or would be. Its this combination of stylistic variety, playfullness, intuition, 'laissez fare' and breezy production that makes Parade so great IMO. [Edited 8/4/09 12:33pm] Yeah that just about sums it up!! Well said. I adore Parade. Such a wonderful little album. * * *
Prince's Classic Finally Expanded The Deluxe 'Purple Rain' Reissue http://www.popmatters.com...n-reissue/ | |
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wow
So many others have said so much that's true to the heart of this project Parade had a kind of maturity to it, I call it Purple Chic like the time leading up to Purple Rain with all that was happening the proteges:Vanity 6 the Time Sheila E Parade era had the same thing that made the album so great there was a lot of creativity happening w/the Family Mazarati Sheila E + Around the World in a Day ... the sojourn in France the connection with the musicians from the Revolution and other band just had a kenetic energy that really helped Prince bring this album to completion http://prince.org/msg/7/306081 Prince's Parade Procession 1986 | |
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"saying Dynasty, one of the only few pop culture references hes ever used"
because he didnt write those lyrics. You're so glam, every time I see you I wanna slam! | |
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Perfect, brilliant and underrated. Whenever I see those Greatest lists in Rolling Stone or other music mags I can't believe this album doesn't get the proper respect. The Europeans loved this album more than America.
It's great because it's a perfect combination of experimental musical ideas, baroque instrumentation on top of Princely beats and melodies and revolutionary minimal funk with a new maturity and uniquely Prince worldview. To me, it was ATWIAD perfectly realized. And unbelievably, SOTT improves on some of the same musical ideas. | |
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I love it because it is, quite possibly, the most joyful album Prince has ever done. Even Sometimes It Snows In April is more wistful than melancholy.
That album is the aural equivalent of a sunny summer morning. We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves. | |
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OldFriends4Sale said: wow
So many others have said so much that's true to the heart of this project Parade had a kind of maturity to it, I call it Purple Chic like the time leading up to Purple Rain with all that was happening the proteges:Vanity 6 the Time Sheila E Parade era had the same thing that made the album so great there was a lot of creativity happening w/the Family Mazarati Sheila E + Around the World in a Day ... the sojourn in France the connection with the musicians from the Revolution and other band just had a kenetic energy that really helped Prince bring this album to completion http://prince.org/msg/7/306081 Prince's Parade Procession 1986 Well put. So much creative energy during this period (Jill Jones, Pre-Madhouse Jazz-funk) | |
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The rock guitar solo that Prince meant to put on there.
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