OK, I finally listened to this again, loud and without interuptions. Together, this is a really great disc. You forget how many styles he can do until you properly listen. His recent live versions of Dance 4 Me and No More Candy are actually upsetting as a lot of us would like to hear them the way he played them rather than how they are on MPLS SOUND which still stinks after a repeat listen.

Also, with all of these tv appearances...how has he managed to convince himself not to play Colonized Mind? Wall of Berlin would really have been a showcase of his skillz...

JoeyCococo said:

Cool review , but I was impressed how he played Controversy w/ a stripped down funky ass guitar groove.

pickle said:

What are skillz?

LotusFlower by itself is one of my favorit prince albums in a long long time.
but i care very little for MPLSOUND. it's like a nice disc of b-sides to me,
but not a very strong album. the middle portion is weighed down by too many
ballads and the 2 opening songs grow tired very very quickly.

however, the cool tracks "old skool company", "dance 4 me" and to a certain
extent "no more candy 4 u" are all top notch.

getting back to LotusFlower, i like every single song, except possibly some
parts of "4Ever". i just think the chorus is a bit to screechy. too many of
those layered vocals and they all sound so whiny. it's also pretty standard
fare for prince, songs like this.

the rest of the album is imo just amazing. love the instrumental in/outro's
and the psychedelic babble on "back to the lotus".

love the flow of the album (the retail version with crimson and clover, not
the website version with the morning after). closest in feel to this one is
imo "the gold experience", altho they are too different and from era's that
are too far apart to compare them in a fair way.

still, LotusFlower is the first album since 2002 that i've listened to more
than 50 times and enjoy every single time. good songs, good melodies, strong
guitar playing and enough quirky stuff to keep it interesting even after the
initial spins.

many people seem to dislike this album, and it beats me as to why they would
since this has all the ingredients of former classic prince albums. perhaps
it's because he's not breaking that much new ground anymore? but what's wrong
with doing what you do best, and executing it so extremely well?

the album is much more cohesive than "musicology" or "3121" or "planet earth",
which all felt like mixed tapes. they all had some great songs, but as albums
i, personally, thought they were seriously lacking in an overarching theme or
feel.

Lotusflower is a typical, strong prince album and it has it's own personality
and vibe. the concept is loose but strong enough to make it feel purposefull
and interesting.

in short: i love it

IstenSzek said:

Agree with that!

IstenSzek said:

Nicely put. I'm with you: Lotus Flower is a tremendous album, a real knock-out. The version I've had on for months, though, includes both The Morning After & Crimson & Clover - double knock-out. I'm grooving to the purple rock & roll all the time.

Mouse said:

IstenSzek said:

Its right up there with his classics and a modern day classic overall. I can only think of few albums that can challenge it in recent day like Kate Bush's Aerial.

As for style and what he can do, this album and whole set is further testament to the fact not ONE other artist, dead or living does it like Prince. G.O.A.T.

I think some take this 3 disc set for granted. If anyone else did it, we would hail it a masterpiece all day, all night and say Prince should take note. But, that won't happen...because no one else CAN do it.

I think it's a great album. I have 7 tracks from the Lotus and 6 from MPLS. Dreamer is not my cup of tea and a few others, but my appreciation of the songs I listen to.

From the lotus - Prince at his best

Boom - took me a while to get used to this but it flows so well from the lotus and the intro is gorgeous. The lyrics are moving & there's a build up to it which you can get into if you're just listening to music and nothing else. I would have preferred softer guitar in the intervals though. Those damn lyrics "run your finger up and down the obelisk" had me playing with my mouse on lotusflower to see if there unhidden things on there!

4Ever is easy listening and a pretty tune with intelligent lyrics. Nice song to sing along to.

Colonised mind - I love it. It's got this dark but sensual feel to it. The darkness in it, is probably why he didn't play it in EU. Also find myself singing along to it as the build up is smooth & steady. I like the lyrics too, especially the part "if you look you're sure gonna find."

Love like jazz - One of my favourites. Sensual, interesting music changes, nice lyrics, and the music emulates the title perfectly. Again nice to sing along to.

77 Beverley Park - This one is sheer musical perfection. A journey. The mix from the previous track is spot on qua mood shift and continuation. He's mixed the dark with the light like Rembrandt. Two completely opposite different sounds that fit like hand to glove. Anyone who's ever been to Greece should surely feel some kind of wake up call to this in the track. It has history, mystery and pleasure all bundled into one.

$ - At first I didn't like this one, but it's almost a favourite now. This is such a playful, naughty track. It feels like a toy to me. I hear it and I have to dance, co-sing & play with it. Fun track.

All this love - Bria - This track could easily make a Hed Kandi cd. Lyrics are sensual, interesting enough to keep you listening but the overall sound says chocolate to me. Creamy and soft, and gets better as it melts in your mouth.
The video on lotusflower though, which is another song is disappointing. I find it too glossy. Dressed in an exotic green dress on the beach looks very out of place. She should have either been in a classy restaurant or cafe in Istanbul or in more natural clothing on the beach.

Chocolate box - Can jump start my day if I need it. The initial lyrics are catchy & overall kind of funky. The tune is fun if you're in the right mood.

Dance 4me - The whole funky congregation...thank the almighty for you baby! Well here is the old Prince again. It's a nice song, don't like the remix yet. Hopefully there will be better ones done. The live version now heard, is way better that the recorded version. His voice & the lyrics are a little batman like in the recorded version. I won't be fully immersed in this song if I listen, just because the beat is not enough for me to dance to.

U're gonna C me - This is a beautiful song. Lyrics and music. Some classical touches and it's soft, it's gentle, and it's great for singing along too.

Here - Another lovely track. The accoustic guitar always throws soul into a track. The words are perfect imo, his voice sounds lovely and when he changes it, it matches the lyrics and storyline well. It's a peaceful experience this one.

Better with time - A very serious track for special occasions. Anyone growing older will love this track. It's true to life, profound lyrics and lovely piano. "Like the wind going thru the trees" reminds me of life and getting older. This invisible breath that eventually takes us all. And age being "a cage" I don't know if I've ever heard a better analogy to aging ever before.

No more candy 4 u - Cheeky song and you have to be in the right mood to jig and sing to this one.

Crimson and Clover - This is kind of my comeback track to Prince. The first time I ever went to Lotusflower, this song was on the radio.
[Edited 10/21/09 12:04pm]

Having only just got hold of the 3CD set, I'm still listening to the albums as new. To me they're neither of them immediate, although Lotusflow3r is my preference over mplsound.

It does seem to me though that a number of the tracks sound like Rainbow Children outtakes - From the Lotus and Back to the Lotus being obvious examples, and the instrumentation and style of musicanship on some of the other tracks echo TRC too for me.

This isn't a bad thing as TRC is a lost masterpiece IMHO but on the other hand it's a bit disappointing to see those kinds of links between albums that are 10 years apart, when in his 'heyday' one album was completely different from the next.

IstenSzek said:

Co-sign...

I love the Lotus cd I wish he would do the intro to 77 Beverly Park followed by Boom. I'd be in guitar heaven