This album is just soooo adventurous. Exactly what i want from prince.

Even weaker tracks fall together to a coherent listening experience.
I think it's pretty amazing this one came out of nowhere, with zilch promo and no singles or videos.

Favourite track: probably Muse to the Paraoh

What's yours?

Track 15.

i like it alot

and my favorite track is Muse 2 The Pharoah as well

Very timely topic, as I've just now pulled it out after several years for a fresh go round. Definitely adventurous, and I love the music, the textures, even how it takes some curious and unexpected turns - the Wedding Feast anyone? This is definitley Prince making music that he wants to, and I like that.
Overall, the album sounds to me like a rock/jazz musical (from the Rainbow Children till She Loves Me 4 Me) with a 3-song coda tacked on at the end (Family Name, Everlasting Now, Last December). Those three songs seem not directly connected to the storyline, but in my opinion, are among some of the best stuff Prince has ever done.
And by the way, I used to have a high tolerence for this, but I find the narration to be very obtrusive (like many others).

My favourite tracks are rainbow children, digital garden, everlasting now, the sensual everafter, and mellow. But Last December...now that is a jewel! The narration is not the hottest thing since sliced bread, but easy to skip over so things can start...and start they do! Don't know all the lyrics or ever a few as yet, but the music speaks loads for me. Some tracks are mini symphonies.

I just ignore the lyrics completely on this album and enjoy the hell out of "Everlasting Now," "1+1+1 Is 3" (which in my personal reimagining is a song about a threesome instead of whatever he's actually singing about), "Last December," and "She Loves Me 4 Me."

Great album.



She Loves Me 4 Me

Family Name

Last December

Great album...I love that the "Rainbow Children," album builds on a story with a great message.
(Serving Love and not destruction) and (the love story between the Muse and the Pharoah.)

My fave tracks would be 1+1+1=3. She Loves Me 4 Me

the whole concept i don't mind (jesus jazz , ) and i like all the music on it . the darth vader voice narrator is hella annoying after a while though. it's one of his joints i have to REALLY be in the mood to listen to, if that makes any sense . i can only listen to it in it's entirety, so i can't really say i have a "favorite". i'm taken with the title track and everywhere especially, if anything . i dig the live instrumentation and jazzy and junk too. wouldn't mind him doing more shit like this actually, just without the fucking voice though

I don't like the "darth vader" voice effects

luv4u said:

"Bev, your father never told you about your sistah!"

ernestsewell said:

If ur Last December came
What would u do?
Would anyone remember
2 remember U?

THE RAINBOW CHILDREN

It was with a lot of anticipation that I grabbed my copy of The Rainbow Children when it arrived in the post. The first album of new material in what seemed like a long long time. Studying the cover art I flicked through the booklet and put on the cd.

Sitting back I wondered when Prince was going to take me, now he had reclaimed his name was he freer to explore new sounds rather than try to establish a new identity? Well a new direction it was indeed.

With the effected deep vocal intro of Rainbow Children I was a little “hmmmmm what’s going on here?”. It took little time to discover this was Prince’s concept album. With its jazzed tinged melody line and it seemed stripped back arrangement the thing that grabbed me was how clear this cd sounded. Others felt muddy compared to it. This seemed to be on a less swamped mix, allowing each instrument to fall into its place without overshadowing another. When the chorus hook hit with the aid of a vocoder I just let myself dive into the track and let it wash over me. Part freeform jazz piece, part structured hypnotic groove the song seemed to best place a free man in a new setting of musical exploration. What I was hearing sounded fresh, not tired, not tried and true. Reading along (and ahead) with the lyric book the obvious religious message was ever present if not a little force fed but for now I was willing to let the song just build. By the time the song ended I was smiling with the inclusion of my fave line from “sexuality” and felt that the songs crescendo and breakdown was a climatic clash of a new born artist (and a vocally tweak nod to George Clinton).

Laid out on velvet is how I see Muse 2 the Pharaoh. A song that with its bubbling Rhodes melody line just seduces. I particular love Prince’s lyrical structure here, how the lines run short at times then never seem to stop in a continuous flow. Lights out for this one, just sit and chill.

Digital Garden felt a little too polished and whilst it was interesting to hear him explore a new style it wasn’t a track that instantly grabbed me.

The Work (Pt 1) had been a fave since I first heard it on the NPG site. Funky to the max, and steeped in a James Brown vibe. Its arrival in this mix was on point, reviving the fun from the deeper and mellower feel of RC and M2TP. And how can resist the horn and drum accent breakdowns. The man is back on fire here.

Everywhere reminded me of a Tevin song on Quincy Jones solo album. It seemed a little too joyous and bright and even ballroom dance-esque. At least that was my initial reaction. And over the years, whilst it hasn’t suddenly leapt to be an all time fave, I have grown to appreciate the rapid structure and energy of the track, and hey, it is fun to drum to.

Sensual Everafter sounded too much like Phil Collins Face Value era (check out Drone) and that’s all I could hear it for. Not a bad thing but again not a track that instantly struck me.

Back on the seduction track Mellow is as it sounds. A beautifully lush arrangement and production that just comforts you as you listen to it and makes you feel all toasty and warm.

If there was a classic Prince track on this album it was 1+1+1=3. Borrowing heavily from erotic city this track is just pure funk, heavy and slammin. And who would have thought you could be sooooo funky and still educate and use words like theocratic order. This song had me from the first listen and has had me ever since. I remember looping this song 7 times and just getting lost in it. Once again there is a George Clinton vibe to the song, and while certain lines progressed the overall concept of the album, it wouldn’t have felt out of place on any release.

Ok now many of you will have issue here, but the first time I heard She loves me for me I was not impressed. It wasn’t until several months later I was sitting in a café and the album was being played (it goes extremely well with hot chocolate for those playing at home) that I really discovered this song. And now I view it as a truly beautiful love song that rejoices in acceptance.

Ok who let the showtunes out? Wedding Feast, I’m sorry, I can’t help but laugh and hear Rogers and Hammerstien sitting somewhere say - hey the little purple one is taking us on.

Family Name was obviously a subject close to prince’s heart for many a year. I remember reading an interview he gave with Q magazine that talked about his family name of Nelson – he asked who was Nell? And who was her son? What I love about this song, was that for all it’s thought provoking stimuli he still grounded it in a truly funky song that prob had many singing along without knowing what they were singing. With the whole renaming (government vs family name) of a population steeped in the African American psyche it seems foolish for a white Australian to even comment, but I did find the whole song enlightening and loved the passion and energy contained in it. When he wants to make a point he does convincingly. Doubly so when musically its just as funky.

And to go from FN to The Everlasting Now was a stroke of genius. These two high energy tracks that fit. Breeding funk in the studio (although we are lead to think its live) the powerful tom tom led drum rhythm was one I fell in love with and as soon as I sat on my kit sat there and studied it and didn’t get up til I could play it. It still trips me up and makes me laugh when I play it, and Mr Blackwell makes it look sooo easy. And that fuzzbox bass is just threatening. An instant classic in my books.

Last December was the cool down after 17 minutes of pure funk. Starting off like yet another Purple Rain inspired final track on yet another Prince album, it soon takes its own form, gets wings and soars. And here it really feels like Prince is talking to you rather than talking to a mass of listeners, more intimate than detached. With a similar glow and feel to that of Gold this track moved me with its arrangement and build.

On a whole it was a confronting album. A little heavy handed in parts, a little played out with the vocoder narrative, and a little bit weighed down by its own complexity. Initially I played it for a few days and then let it slide. After a few months I came back to it. Maybe it was listening again without expectations that made me more accepting than I had initially. And from there I feel in love with several of the songs and began to appreciate more what Prince was working towards.

It’s just a shame that the majority of people who were exposed to Prince’s most popular recordings missed out on some of his most powerful, but this was not to be the album that would bring them back.

Swa

I was actually @ PP the night this was released....and it truely was amazing hearing this on the speakers in there. Everyone was thinking maybe Prince might play something but he never did. Just stood around watching what people thought of it. Funny thing is people were laying on the floor just listening to it.
It is one that I haven't listened to much. Not my favorite by any means but sometimes his music takes a while to grow into u

lilJ said:

moments of brilliance shine thru :: title track :: digital garden :: everywhere :: last december :: it's a die hard fan collection though

gr8 album. reignited my purple passion. bold, conceptual, cohesive, musical, in

spite of the blatant JW homage. was VERY pleasantly surprised upon first listen

The Work, Last December, Family Name (regardless of what folks say) and Everlasting Now are all great songs. I can do without the Darth Vader voice, but I like the album. I wish Prince would do more gospel-his voice is great for those songs.

Brilliant album (love it from the 1st track to the last).

It's my fav album "love it"

luv4u said:

Oops, how could I forget the 1+1+1=3 one. It's also a good one!
[Edited 11/7/09 12:05pm]