Seriously, I agree with the sense one had of Parade at the time: that this was P & the Revolution's statement, this was who they were. I think it stands as a pretty comprehenive snapshot. (Maybe, 'tis true, the same can be said about SOTT.)

love Parade!!!

Am i wrong 4 liking Do U Lie?

ARock said:

Not at all. I see some stylistic foreshadowing of Adore in Do U Lie?

What a charming CD! Parade does indeed have a joyous vibe to it. It still sounds like Prince, but there's a bit of a "European" flavor, for lack of a more precise description, that gives it a twist. It feels mature but it's still playful and fun. Definitely one of Prince's finer outings.

ARock said:

"Do U Lie" is one of my faves, too. I just wish there were more of it.

FOR ALEXA DE PARIS ALONE !!! PARADE IS A GEM and I like that everyone doesn't get it ! keeping riding the PR train ...we'll be in the South of France




and my love for period films

That whole period was the best. My favorite Prince "era". The Family, Romance 1600, then Parade (regardless of actual recording dates). I'd love to see a double disc special edition with all of the music from the film. The extended version of Mountains is so wonderful. I'll stop gushing now.

Cus i was a senior in high school LOL. And it officially shook loose the bandwagon riders in my school, they went back to whatever was selling and left my homie alone LOL.

I think it has all been said already here but i just love this album. I remember at the time that this album was an absolute revelation to me. Even though of course by this stage i adored Prince and thought he could always probably surprise me I just could not believe the sophistication of this album. After this even if he produced crap I knew I would probably defend this bloke til the day I died. The album was so "Clean", people have said it here but clean is the only word I can think of to describe it-it was and is the musical equivalent of sucking an extra strong mint. Also it works completely as a package, even Kiss which was not written with the film in mind fits perfectly.Perfect perfect perfect

When I first back-tracked and got Prince's past CDs I was "meh" about Parade.

I was expecting everything to be like Kiss, I sort of knew Girls and Boys, Anotherlover and Mountains but the rest of the album was a bit of a shock and it took me a few years to realise it was a work of genius. Very consistent in theme and sound (in fact now Kiss is the track that almost jars you out of the listening experience).

So what makes it great? It melds well with the film UTCM - If music can be compared to cinema then this is a black and white oldie, classic, clean sounding, unfussy, crisp. the lyrics are fun and clever, the Clare Fischer strings/orchestration are lush, the Revolution input seems to be omnipresent, much moreso than on PR and ATWIAD. This is the peak of Prince with the Revolution.

vainandy said:

This is the artsy fartsy thing with you isn't it???

Imago said:

I think thats it, the fact its an ALBUM, it flows and works like a story which of course compliments the film but I think that is also why purple rain is so popular because the album flows from one song to the next, other prince albums feel more like compilations of disjointed work. Even musicology is disjointed but has parts that flow beautifully.

Parade is a complete work so to speak, it has fillers and ballads and fun - just like the film, it is also beautifully put together and very experimental.

To me it encompasses all that Prince was, sadly although he is undoubtedly a fabuluus musician his more recent works merely exhibit technique and perhaps an ability to churn stuff out. Parade for me is more like a great novel, from its cover to its back cover you need to hear the whole to enjoy the sum of its parts.

minneapolisFunq said:

Um, what??? Then who wrote it then???

ThreadBare said:

I think Dream Factory would have really made an impact on music culture if released, it is like an explosion of Parade+Sheila E+the Family

Parade had a special touch to it, and you kinda get it when you pull out the album sleave cover and it all comes together

jdcxc said:

yes that's true, what we hear on Madhouse is drawn from Yes & Susannahs Pajamas (& Feline) the Family had a mature upscale sound Madhouse had a crazy gangster urban sound, and Jill Jones Mia Bocca must have been made during the Parade era and some others, the rest where made during another great time Purple Rain

utopia7 said:

Yes the B side were great for this album
Alexa de Paris, Love or Money
Old Friends 4 Sale should have been released as one

and the video renditions of the singles were top notch too:Kiss Girls & Boys Mountains are a visual of the quality of the album

A Love Bizarre was the video represenation of that Parade era


[Edited 8/5/09 6:46am]

polkadotbliss said:

I love the contrast between the very minimalist tracks and the lush, layered tracks. Brilliant, really.

Ha, I will get me some wine, some to eat and listen to this masterpiece tonight.

The tour is what makes the cd so great. This is one of the biggest and best tours he's ever done. Missed getting tickets to the Detroit b-day show and look how electrifying that show was. The live tracks are what made the cd great.

Phishanga said:

jimmyrogertodd said:

that song was crafted by David Z. and Mazarati

you clearly need to do some research and get schooled on the subject,trying to act all bitchy when im simply stating facts.

sorry

minneapolisFunq said:

Questions with ??? does not = bitchy.

the melodies are so playful, my daughter was taken by this album especially, & it's the only one she'll hum along to
he looked really good during this era, the whole concept was so artistic & classy from the album 2 UTCM which is totally underrated & complimemted the album perfectly if only to a fan
when she first clapped eyes on UTCM, my daughter announced he looked like 'a genuine ice skater'

Genesia said:

Oooohhh couldn't have put it better myself..!

FrenchGuy said:

Ya listened to Mountains?? OMG That song is sheer genius!! And the extende 12inch version is just extended genius!!

Have you seen the vids?? Watched the concert??

Anotherloverholeinyerhead... need I say more..?

pepper7 said:

My favorite song from the album, such a happy song
the video is just beautiful
and I love the rhythm change at the end of the album cut that goes into the extended version

minneapolisFunq said:

Now how in the hell was that acting bitchy? And I think that Prince wrote that and then David Z made the arrangement since I haven't done the research point out where I am wrong.

Venus De Milo!

Parade is my number 1 FAVORITE album!

I just love the feel of it.

Parade



I'm speechless about this album, just like I am about The Gold Experience. Those two are so different and still I find myself everytime I listen to either. I love Parade so much there are days I could even call it my favourite Prince album ever. But it will always stay in my top three.





Parade



Dan

It's definitely cinematic, due to the near-constant orchestra.

You've got that sparse jazz/funk running through many of the songs but augmented with a full orchestra... I don't know. I can't explain it.

It sounds like wet paint.

I just wish it was remastered as a two-disc set with a second CD of the extended single versions, B-Sides, a few outtakes... It'll never happen.