Ok,I know that im late as FUCK on this,and I apologise if there are any recent threads on this - but I finally listened to this album in its entirety.Cindy C , 2 Nigs and Rockhard In A Funky Place are enjoyable - but beyond the collectable/Spooky Electric made me do it aspect , what is the big deal about this release ? And whats so evil and dark about it? Besides the profanity in Bob George I didnt hear it. I read a review that said that "Superfunkycali...." could have easily fit on Parade. I dont hear that either.Im very surprised that P was gonna release this as a follow up to Sign O The Times. Perhaps I would have appreciated it more if I caught it back in the days , but I dont think so....I think that someone here said that Bare My Naked Soul was to Jesse as the Black Album is to P. Was that from a rarity standpoint or saying that they both were at their Zeniths?
[Edited 11/30/09 22:41pm]

so are you new to his music or just new to the black album....I am sure we could all make some fine music u might enjoy

Hey, yeah, I don't see what is so dark about this album (apart from the cover

I often wonder, if it had been released back in the day, what would have happened, would it have sunk without trace soon after release, as it is so different compared to Sign O The Times

The wikipedia shit was real cute, but of course its general surface info. I was just wondering what some of the diehards here thought. I am not new to Prince's music. Been down since 78...just never had an interest in the Black Album. @lil j...was your comment supposed to be cute as well?.....thanks smillian...

jayquan said:

yes it was a CUTE comment mf

Guess every board has its share of [Snip - luv4u]

jayquan said:

Then don't be one of them, mmkay?



.
[Edited 12/1/09 12:14pm]

jayquan said:

[No need for that have a civil discussion]

luv4u said:

Ahhhhh, you snipped my snip! You snip snipper!

ernestsewell said:

Quit trying to be me or I'll snippy you!

luv4u said:

Bigger women have tried and failed! hahahahaha

ernestsewell said:

It'll be the kindest snip of all [scalpal edit]

luv4u said:

!!!!!

Ive only ever been snipped once

Squirrel meat!?

I bought it years ago and never liked it.

Dayclear said:

awww it has some good funk on it.

jayquan said:

First of all, Prince was responding to the detractors that said his music had become "too white", by making a hard pounding album full of funk.

Secondly, what you have to remember is that the mystery surrounding this in the 80's was crazy. Most people who heard it, heard 2nd or 3rd generation degraded quality bootleg tapes, and somehow, the degradation of sound quality and sonic warmth of the cassettes just added to the mystique and the dark/heavy vibes of some of the tracks.

I don't agree that "Superfunky..." would have fit on Parade either, I don't know who wrote that but they probably weren't well versed in Prince's music.

The evil and dark vibe is more to do with the stories surrounding the album and why Prince pulled it more than anything else.

Anyway, it's an enjoyable release and one of the most interesting releases of Prince's career with all the stories and history around it. I believe it is the most bootlegged album of all time also.

Thanks for an intelligent response militant.

jayquan said:

No worries!

Militant said:

Actually, I believe it was the second most bootlegged album in history, second only to Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes. Easy win for Dylan though as most of that content still hasn't been released and more seems to show up every few years, whereas the Black Album is at least semi-officially available and is a complete release.

I remember hearing a really high-quality copy of it from an infamous Noir 69 vinyl edition. Really clean copy with the complete ending and everything. I later purchased a vinyl boot only to find it was incomplete (started late, ended early, missing the true ending) and mastered at the wrong speed. When I finally got an actual Noir 69 copy I held onto it until the CD was officially released, then I stupidly sold it. Awful mistake, but at least I've got an official CD.

What I think you have to keep in mind is when this was released it was extremely controversial for it's time. Nowadays it's rather pedestrian in regards to it's lyrics and sound. There are far dirtier records getting played on regular radio than most of these songs, and the anti-rap stance is utterly ridiculous (have a rap in one song but dis rappers in the next one?), but for 1988 it was bleeding edge stuff! Hell, it was pretty cutting edge for several years thereafter, but now it is often looked at as an embarresment. But if you were there when it wasn't easily available, it was like finding the holy grail!

Remember, when the Black Album appeared it was a time of mystery when people relied on press and word of mouth to discuss things of this sort, whereas now the album would leak to the internet, we'd listen to some bad quality copies, better if not perfect copies would show up shortly thereafter and the mystique would be completely different. About the only thing I can think of to compare it to by today's standards would be the original version of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine. Prior to it's leaking, all the fans had were stories and rumors. When it finally leaked, they had the full album and some more stories, but not the full picture. The album finally came out, albeit almost completely re-recorded, but a lot of people, myself included, still prefer the original, completely different and unfinished version. The only advantage Ms. Apple's album has over the Black Album is that it's sound isn't so firmly grounded in a certain time. Years from now, people will be able to listen to both versions and think about them in the context of their original era of release as well as the era they live in then, but the Black Album is always going to be stuck in 87/88. They just don't make records like it anymore, for better or worse.

Militant said:

Pffft, they played it in its entirety on radio in Holland in pristine quality.

You jaywquan are basing your impression or expereince of the FUnk Bible in the context of today.

Its hard to explain, but then, it was the most exciting music to hear, because you had to somehow hunt for the album and that made it even darker and more exciting.

You missed out. Good.

pastawrangler said:

I remember how excited I was when I found a Noir 69 Black Album CD. I still have it.

Sotengro said:

No im not. As with most things you probably had to hear it at the time. Its not terrible , but with all the hype that I have heard for the last 20 + years I was a litle dissapointed. I guess its like when I tell my kids about how great 70s and 80s arcade games and cartoons were - then I show them.....they are dissapointed , and im like "damn I remember this being much better that this"....thanks for the replies..
[Edited 12/7/09 6:02am]

BartVanHemelen said:

Well I'm sure not even every Prince fan in Holland heard that broadcast....so my statement "Most people" still stands.

Black ALbum is dark because it features Prince in a uniquely misogynistic, murderous, voodoo-like, ghetto, mode of thought (aside from When 2 R in Love) and the music itself is arranged with a lot of masculine muscle with a lot of mid range and bass heavy elements. Just the monster rhythm noise in Le Grind are dark. It takes funk and dance and makes it sound a bit out of control and deranged. His lyrics are very braggart. He also speaks of sex in a very physical non spiritual way.

Remember this was 1988. His peers are Michael Jackson and Madonna and U2 and INX... etc

Braggart: "Is that your boyfriend? I don't care. I can do tricks he could never do, we'll get naked and you'll see the real you"

Voodoo: Brother Lois should be around in a minute
With a bucket filled with squirreled meat

The blood is real good if u drink it real fast
But the aftertaste just lasts and lasts
If u do 2 much, your skin will be sensitive 2 touch
The first person that touches u, u want 2 fuck
U take them 2 your crib and u tie them 2 a chair
Then u make funny faces til they get really scared
Then u turn on the neon, then u play with yourself
Til u turn them on
This chair goes round and round, I feel like a clown
Cuz I'm stripped down, It's all fun and games
Til the very next day, til, damn, u don't remember my name
Maybe I'll see u next Thursday night, maybe I won't
But that's alright, cuz in my possession, there's a signed confession
that says, I was the best u ever had

Ghetto Murder:
Please, who do I look like baby?
Yesterday's fool?
Don't u know I will kill u now?
U're fuckin' right.
I gotta gun
U think I don't?
Then what's this?
Oh, u quiet now
uh uh!
Little? Yeah, right. It might be little but it's loud

Yeah, right.
Uh uh!

Now put that suitcase down
And go in there
And put on that wig I bought U
No, No
No, No
The reddish-brown one
Bob, ain't that a bitch?
Oh
Gotcha
Got ya

I think its a weak album overall...

Some tracks are pretty strong. When 2 R In Love is still great.

This and Lovesexy have so much little vocal overdubs and chatter, you can listen to them a hundred times and hear something new every time

shonenjoe said:

funny, I think it's his strongest, most cohesive and interesting album ever.