Just got hold of a copy of NPG Music Club Year 1 and I am listening to it to the first time. I know this was available as a "free" download on the old music site (too bad that isn't the case now!). I am wondering what org members think of this music set (prepared for whips and chains! LOL). So far the songs are pleasant but I'm not blown away...like I have been by past collections. I haven't listened in 15 yrs; now I'm playing catch up. What do you think of these songs? I'm still listening and digesting... The track listings are as follows:

Disc One:
1-Peace
2-Mad
3-Funky Design
4-Splash
5-Habibi
6-Northside
7-Props and Pounds
8-Sm Groove
9-Van Gogh
10-Hypno Paradise
11-Instrumental
12-Judas Smile
13-Madrid 2 Chicago
14-Breathe

Disc Two:
1-High
2-My Medallion
3-Vavoom
4-Sex Me, Sex Me Not
5-Y Should Eye Do That, When Eye Can Do This?
6-Golden Parachute
7-When Will We Be Paid? (Note: Already Been Paid--LOL)
8-Gamillah
9-Supercute
10-Underneath The Cream
11-The Daisy Chain
12-Jukebox With a Heartbeat
13-Silicon
14-U Make My Sunshine
15-When I Lay My Hands On U
[Edited 2/18/10 21:40pm]
[Edited 2/18/10 21:42pm]

Track Corrections:
3-Funky Design
10-Hypnoparadise

8-Gamillah

I think there were more tracks than that. There were also a lot of Ahdio Shows, 1 each month. Although the month of October or November was just The Rainbow Children album. There was also "Contest Song". A lot of those songs were from the aborted High album, although I'm not sure a real track listing was ever leaked, because Prince was worried about bootleggers putting it out.

Some of the Ahdio Shows are good because he put out big chunks of the Hit N' Run tour from 1986 (Parade). But then he also started editing his own music, like "P-U-S-S-Y" in "New Position" being reversed, yet he'd skip and leave a word like "damn" in a song. He also "released" "Horny Pony", which sounded like it was from an old cassingle but had a spoken disclaimer at the beginning, saying the song did not endorse premarital sex. It was just the beginning of the end with his JW bullshit.

Overall, I wasn't impressed with all this stuff. I have no idea what he was trying to accomplish with some of that music, but it was just horrible. "Props and Pounds" in title alone is embarrassing beyond belief.

In my opinion they all suck except for "When eye lay my hands on u"

ernestsewell said:

Corrections duly noted and made! Man, I either need new glasses or better lighting! LOL So far, I like "Supercute" and "Underneath The Cream" but nothing blows me away like, for instance, the last Prince LP I bought when it came out--which was the Gold Experience. None of this stuff is as compelling as when I laid that album down and heard the first sounds pop out of the speakers! Maybe this stuff sounds better in concert but it is...pleasant, not compelling...

dance4me3121 said:

Finally! I am grabbed and compelled by the two last tracks--"U Make My Sunshine" and "When Eye Lay My Hands On U." These two are great in my opinion, compared to the other mediocre offerings. So, you are right, dance4m3121, about that last track--it is great! Anyone else really liking the last two tracks?

dance4me3121 said:

Wow, listening for the second time and this song is better the second time around! Why can't he do more stuff like this!

poetcorner61 said:

Just a note, in case you didn't know: "When Will We Be Paid" is an old Staples Singers song, and is a bit more upbeat and not so dreary as Prince's version.

There's a video for "U Make My Sun Shine" as well.

ernestsewell said:

Well, I do like the Staples Singers--although I haven't listened to them in a long time. I'll make a point of listening to their original version of "When Will We Be Paid." Don't understand Prince at all--two great songs at the end, and such mediocrity on other songs, including the cover that you mentioned! As I've stated before, there are one or two songs that I really like, even on his not so hot collections, but I do understand why people make their own compilations out of frustration with so much prolific activity on P's part--sometimes, less is more!

I'll do the 1-5 s thing with these tracks (not based on Prince's entire body of work).

Bad -
Meh -
Good -
Very Good -
Excellent -

In my humble opinion...

Disc One:
1-Peace -
2-Mad -
3-Funky Design -
4-Splash -
5-Habibi -
6-Northside -
7-Props and Pounds -
8-Sm Groove -
9-Van Gogh -
10-Hypno Paradise -
11-Instrumental - (funny, because I can't stand The Holy River)
12-Judas Smile -
13-Madrid 2 Chicago -
14-Breathe -

Disc Two:
1-High -
2-My Medallion -
3-Vavoom -
4-Sex Me, Sex Me Not
5-Y Should Eye Do That, When Eye Can Do This? -
6-Golden Parachute -
7-When Will We Be Paid? -
8-Gamillah -
9-Supercute -
10-Underneath The Cream -
11-The Daisy Chain -
12-Jukebox With a Heartbeat -
13-Silicon -
14-U Make My Sunshine -
15-When I Lay My Hands On U -

Agree with some of your stars...and it doesn't have to be "humble" opinion! Everyone is entitled to whatever opinion they have, with no apologies!
[Edited 2/19/10 0:09am]

squirrelgrease said:

Inconceivable!!!

It's funny. I think a lot of these songs were far better than most of his albums in the 2000s, but I believe I am amongst the vast minority who think so. It is my general impression that many folks find these songs and the One Nite Alone piano album to be uninspiring, but I find these to be his best work of the past decade by a large margin.

Yet here you are giving a lot of these songs very favorable reviews, imagine that.

Given that we agree on so many of these songs, perhaps what is more ironical, is you have reserved your lowest ratings for three of my absolute favorite tracks. How could we agree on almost everything and then disagree about the best ones?

Inconceivable!!!!

(I keep using that word, perhaps I do not know what it means).

By far and away Splash is my favorite song. The time signatures changes really make this song quirky. I love it.

U Make My Sunshine, when Angie Stone comes in. Beautiful.

Supercute - I don't understand how so many folks don't like this one. It's so darned catchy.

On the flip side, the songs I just can't listen to are Funky Design, Mad, Props and Pounds and the song that makes me want to go on an interstate killing spree, Hypno Paradise. (I don't really want to hurt anyone, I just dislike that song like no other in his entire catalog). Perhaps excepting that FIGHT song.

poetcorner61 said:

Thses songs (most of them ended up in The Chocolate Invasion & The Slaughterhouse albums) are wonbderful IMO. U should also try to put ur hands on the NPG Ahdio shows and videos that were released thru NPGMC: the Ahdio Shows in particular contained many unreleased tracks from the Vault, both studio & live. NPGMC 2001 was wonderful for fans, i wish Prince'd do it again...
[Edited 2/19/10 7:34am]

I think most of these tracks are really nice

The best thing about the NPGMC year one were the live tracks to me. Those live trax made me an even bigger P fan. The rehearsal trax were good, also.

"Rebirth of the Flesh" is missing.

daPrettyman said:

So is "Return of the Bump Squad" and "Letitgo". I agree with your assessment of the live/rehearsal tracks. I grew to love "Bump Squard" in a whole new way after that live take.