Does anyone think this album has aged well? Cause I think it has...the more I listen to it lately the more I think it sounds as good if not better than it did when it came out.

I have a feeling that fellow Orgers aren't going to agree, however, the more I listen to this lately the more I am realizing how enjoyable it is. There are songs I HATED when it came out...like Betcha By Golly Wow, I Can't Make You Love Me, One Kiss at a Time, Savior, Dreamin about U, and Slave come to mind, that now I really like. The songs I dug then, The Love We Make, Sleep Around, Sex in the Summer, Face Down, and Joint 2 Joint to name a few are Prince classics imo. There are still a few clunkers...Mr Happy is sad as hell, Get Yo Groove On sounds like he wrote and recorded in about 5 minutes, and I still think the title track is weak. But for a 3-disc set I think this has held up surprisingly well over the years. Do you agree?

No..I still listen to joint to joint..but there rest are a mere memory..
[Edited 8/16/09 19:45pm]

I love Get Yo Groove On!

I think it has for the most part. Disk 1 is still good on shuffle. Almost any configuration of songs from Disk 1 plays out well. Disk 3 has some weird shit that doesn't sound good now, it's a bit more eclectic than any other of the others. Disk 2 is still good for me.

It has aged very well. This is probably his most open work in his entire career. The amount of covers and collaborations with artists(not from his inner circle) is unprecedented. That hasn't been repeated on that level with the exception of Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic. Plus the live shows of this material he was positively beaming and very playful on stage. Great memories of Roseland & Jones Beach!

I've always liked it.
I remember getting it and sitting through it and thinking so this is the way it's going to be now that he's not a slave! Yes, it is unrealistic, but hey every now and then we can dream.

There are some flat spots, but we're talking about over 3 hrs of music on one release. It's been argued over and over again it could have been a 2CD set etc., but it isn't and should be accpeted for what it is, a very good set.

Specifically, the flat spots I refer to IMO are the covers. They did not add anything and just dont do it for me.

ernestsewell said:

I agree totaly...disk 3 seems like dude wasd trying to exspiriment with a alot
of house/dance sound though there are still many gems on the 3rd disk.

face down
style
my computer
one of us
the love we make...

the 1st disk is the absolute best....folks tend to diss the drum programing
but I think these drums made the album age so well....call me crazy but this
album is a 36 song masterpeice....including "the Plan" lol

Definately not aged well IMO. The stand-out tracks are still the stand-out tracks, the production is still just as lacking and soul-less, the bloat is still bloat.

Some of the stuff that at the time seemed relatively interesting, like 'In This Bed I Scream' and 'Joint 2 Joint' sound pretty run of the mill. The techno stuff sounds cheesy, even 'New World', which I really like.

It's the production mainly, I wouldn't mind hearing some of the better tracks re-recorded now, as he has done a few times with other songs recently.

nyse said:

The Plan is no masterpiece. I do think some live drumming or "studio takes" with the band would have enlivened the disks a bit more. A perfect example is the studio cut of "Somebody's Somebody" on the single. SUCH a better take. "Courtin' Time" would have been even better with live drums. It was the one part of the whole album that suffered - the lack of live drums overall.

Yeah the set would have been better with live drums to accompany many of the tracks...also I wish there were more guitar driven cutts on the album...

none the less it is what it is and I love it 4 what it iz....