Just a little curiousity of mine. When people discuss essential studio bootlegs, they usually say the Work It series and the 30 Years of Unreleased Funk series. It is really necessary to have both? Does 30 Years have something that Work It doesn't?

I can't tell, but The Work vol. 1 to 5 (20 cd's) are fine for me.... when it comes to studio outtakes.

I have never bothered to look for Work It, but I guess Work It is kind of an updated version of The Work.

Let others comment on this.

Work It is way more complete than 30 Years.

I think the reasoning is 30 Years is newer, so better quality (tweaked, whatever)?

Just guessing, not up on this stuff. Might as well get them all any way, it's just hard drive space right.

NouveauDance said:

I think the reasoning is 30 Years is newer, so better quality (tweaked, whatever)?

Just guessing, not up on this stuff. Might as well get them all any way, it's just hard drive space right.

I believe Work It (not to be confused with The Work) is newer.

I could be wrong, though - I'm just thinking about the order in which I came upon them.

Both Genesia and NouveauDance are correct.

Work It 2.0 is way more extensive than 30 years. 30 years has a handful of outakes which are not on Work It, and it has a few outakes which are in slightly better quality.

Work It 2.0 is a much newer updated version of The Work series, essentially the same, with just a few additions and some outakes in much better quality than what they were on The Work.

The differences between 30 years and Work It 2.0 is more about quantity than anything else.

If you want everything, then i suppose you need both bootlegs. And to be even more up to date, you could do worse than to get The Lotus Box from eye records. They have rounded up stuff which is available on other boots etc, (a nasty trick) but it is nice to have them all in the same collection. Having all 3 will take you up to and including the Lotusflower/Mplsound album outakes, Box Of Chocs, some internet only tracks, and Cause And Effect and Purple & Gold tracks.

[Edited 7/14/10 14:02pm]

^Forget about Lotus Box. They simply ripped Box O'Chocolates, inserted some futile tracks which are not new, nor promo, nor 'Prince mix' and for the rest of the tracks well, we all should have them as they have been available everywhere since they came out.

Work It (forget about The Work, please. Especially Vols. 1-5) is pretty complete but:

30 Years Of Unreleased Funk came out later including some tracks that weren't out and some tracks that had a rather improved quality (in Melody Cool #1 and The Grand Progression the difference with what was already out is abysmal).

Box O'Chocolates features a lot of tracks which were already circulating (and included on Work It 2.0) but in an unheard and -by now- unmatchable quality.

So to be complete outtake·wise you need the updated version of Work It 2.0, the 30 Years Volumes and BOC.

[Edited 7/14/10 14:32pm]

Thanks for the responses guys I suppose I may as well get 30 Years as well.

Genesia said:

NouveauDance said:

I think the reasoning is 30 Years is newer, so better quality (tweaked, whatever)?

Just guessing, not up on this stuff. Might as well get them all any way, it's just hard drive space right.

I believe Work It (not to be confused with The Work) is newer.

I could be wrong, though - I'm just thinking about the order in which I came upon them.

That's what I'm thinking too, and I'm sure I had Work It way before 30 Years, although there's been a few updates of Work It itself IIRC.

I remember when the mystery continued....

When the "Rainbow Children," went in search of those....

"Willing 2 do the Work!"