Depending on the day you ask, my favorite Prince album is either Parade or Lovesexy.

I just finished listening to Parade from start to finish for the first time in over a year (so many boots/alternate versions etc), and a few things really struck me.

One - The cow bell on Life Can Be So Nice is obnoxiously high, and it really hurts the 2nd half of the song. I absolutely love the bridge but the incessant cowbell is a real distraction. It definitely should have been lower throughout the entire track and to me, flat out removed for the bridge.

Two - I forgot about the jarring ends of Life Can Be So Nice and Kiss. I suppose the transition into Venus De Milo from Life is O.K., biut it certainly could have been executed better. The abrupt cut off before that majestic guitar riff at the end of Kiss is such a missed opportunity to me. Just by simply keeping a measure or two of that uber-funky guitar before transitioning into AnotherLover would have worked so much better.

That being said, I'm curious if anyone else has particular moments in their favorite albums and/or songs that they would have done differently.
[Edited 9/12/09 11:33am]

As far as Parade goes I would add "Sexual Suicide", "In A Large Room With No Light", "It's A Wonderful Day" & "Old Friends 4 $ale" 2 the tracklisting,as well as extended "Mountains" 2 at least include the horn solos from the long version (like the way it was done in UTCM during the love making scene).That,IMO would make an already stellar album even greater! As 4 "Sign O' the Times", I'd prefer the 1987 "Crystal Ball" album, and 2 that I'd add "U Got the Look",and Prince's version of "Wouldn't U Love 2 Love Me?" that he gave 2 Taja Seville,and let "Dorthy Parker" and "Strange Relationship" play longer and not fade out like they do. That's my holy grail
[Edited 9/12/09 12:52pm]

Mindbells9 said:

Couldn't agree more on Mountains. That extended outro may be my all time favorite extended mix from any artist. What a song.

Remaster.

squirrelgrease said:

Funny you say that. I deliberated adding that I would actually reMIX a few songs on Parade too, (not to mention the mastering).

In addition to the cowbell fiasco, some of the string/horn arrangement are really muddy and buried in the mixes. It's such a shame because they really add a dynamic element.

On the plus side, I forgot how magnificent the two bass parts were on Anotherlover. Very heavy indeed.....

squirrelgrease said:

Only if Prince in his current state of whatever it is, he's calling it these days, has NOTHING to do with it!

.
[Edited 9/12/09 14:40pm]

My favorite is The Batman album. I would include the original version of Electric Chair which is longer. & I would add Dance With the Devil to the album. that song was too great not to be on the soundtrack or in the movie.
[Edited 9/12/09 16:56pm]

I think Purple Rain with the full versions of most of the songs is the obvious answer for quite a few of us. I think it's just When Doves Cry that IS the full version.

Emancipation - I woould of liked some more Rock based songs...

nyse said:

Agreed.

Along with Rainbow Children, I believe Emancipation tends to see the most debate between those that think it is brilliant, and those that think it is something else.

I tend to fall into the camp that supports this album but agree that the main reason to critique it is the lack of more organic, edgier material. To me, there are about one and a half brillant albums in there, and one and a half something else. The highs are really high, and the lows are REALLY low.

"For You," is my favorite and it's perfect.

Black album should've been released when it was originally planned.Camille shouldve been released also.I still listen to the songs on my Ipod in their original order like on the album.

To echo kanoohead's thoughts :

I would turn Purple Rain into a triple album with
1) extended versions of the Revolution songs (with the exception of "I Would Die 4 U" which is fine as released - the 30-min. version is MUCH too long), plus a studio version of "Father's Song" on piano
2) all the B-Sides (the full versions)
3) all the non-Revolution songs from the movie (The Time/Dez/Appolonia 6, the full versions)

Not sure if all that would even FIT on 3 discs???
[Edited 9/12/09 22:29pm]

On Sign of the Times on the actual song I would like to change one word.

"We'll have a baby and we'll call it Nate"

The lyrics of this song are absolutely brilliant but this Nate just doesn't fit the finesse of the song. I would have preferred "Kate" if it's a girl.
It sounds more natural to me.

Taken off all the NPG Operator crap on The Gold Experience.

I really, really hate how the guitar at the end of I Hate U carries over into the next NPG Operator track.

I agree the Purple Rain Soundtrack should have had ALL the songs on it. Not just Prince and the Rev Stuff. I will always wonder they did it that way

Dirty Mind

I would include Lisa

1999

I would add Extra Loveable and put the extended version of Delirious on there also.

Around The World In a Day

We become a double album with the extended version of pop life and side 3 just being the long version of America and I'd lose Temptation and end the album with The Dance Electric.

Parade

I Would include Alexa De Paris.

After Parade I'd release Dream Factory with The Following track list.

Dream Factory
It's A Wonderful Day
Teacher, Teacher
Train
Splash
Cosmic Day
Adonis And Batsheba
Power Fantastic
Crucial
Go
Last Heart
Sexual Suicide
Movie Star
Empty Room
In A Large Room With No Light
Witness 4 The Prosecution
Old Friends 4 Sale
All My Dreams

Which would of course be considered his greatest album then I'd release



Sign O The Times

Would just become Crystal Ball triple set as intended but with U got The look on it as well but no Rock Hard as I need that to be on the Black Album.

The Black Album would lose When 2 R In Love but would have the Electronic version of Witness

After Batman in late 1989 I'd release Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic with The Following songs on it

Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic
Good Judy Girlfriend
The Voice inside
Your love is So Hard
God Is Alive
Pink Cashmere
Big House
Good Man
If I Had Harem
Moonbeam Levels

Diamonds And Pearls would have the extended version of Gett Off on it and I'd get rid of JugHead and Live 4 Love.

The Gold Experience

I would start with Interactive going into the earlier version of Come and I'd get rid of We March and include Acknowledge Me and Days Of Wild.
[Edited 9/16/09 13:06pm]

I would release the original version of The Gold Experience.

mushmackalenta said:

Great stuff. I agree that Lisa is a bada$$ jam.

Of all the unreleased tracks you listed, there were only two I have never heard before.

Cosmic Day
Adonis And Batsheba

Were those ever released on a boot?

To be clear, I am not asking someone to tell me how to get these, I am only trying to clarify what boot they were on, if any.

Thanks

Fenwick said:

Cosmic Day and Adonis And Bathsheba are only floating around in less than one minute snippets, give or take. Seems the person who leaked these (and other non-circulating tracks) has the full versions on a tape - or so the story goes. There's an easily available boot with 600+ songs called iVault that has these tracks. Most of the iVault is only 128kbps mp3, though. But it's a good starting point and reference as to what's out there.

More Videos, I wish every song had a video

I would remove Kiss and Anotherloverholenyohead from Parade (even though I LOVE the latter, I'd prefer it on another album) and replace them with Pink Cashmere and The Screams of Passion, with he and Susannah on vocals.
[Edited 9/15/09 0:29am]

bluefish said:

Cool idea, but did many people even have "discs" back then? My copy of the Purple Rain album was on tape. And I also had a 45 of When Doves Cry with 17 days on the back.

godyssey said:

Wow. Remove Anotherlover? Now that's really bold, (which I love). But I can't imagine Parade without that song. What about it makes you feel like it belongs on another album, (and which album would you put it on)? The song feels right at home and is one of Parade's highlights to me so I'm really curious what you are hearing differently.

And thank you Squirrelgrease for the clarification on where Adonis and Cosmic come from. I guess there's a reason I haven't heard them if they're only snippets.

Fenwick said:

I LOVE the way Kiss stops and Anotherloverholenyohead starts... one of the best parts of the album to me. I can't imagine Parade without those songs. I think i'd shorten Boys and Girls and Mountains a bit. Particularly Boys & Girls.
[Edited 9/15/09 12:21pm]

Paris9748430 said:

Me too.

Fenwick said:

Don't get me wrong I LOVE Anotherlover...but for the most part,to me, Parade has mostly an airy, whimsical feel to it (sorry, that's the best way that I can describe it) and Anotherlover sounds more hard like a funk song.

I like the way it comes on directly after KISS but like I said I would remove that too. Although, I guess another way to look at having those songs on the album, would be to say that it shakes it up.

I would put Anotherlover and perhaps Kiss too on SOTT.
[Edited 9/15/09 16:34pm]

shonenjoe said:

I wouldn't touch Girls and Boys or Mountains.
[Edited 9/15/09 16:37pm]

Replace Slow Love with Crucial

Make them all 60 minutes L O N G E R.