2the9s said:

Has anyone gotten their t-shirts yet?

And it only cost $20.10 this time.

Genesia said:

2the9s said:

Has anyone gotten their t-shirts yet?

And it only cost $20.10 this time.

Hmmm, it´s happening the same thing that when I read the first reviews of Planet Earth. And, since I didnt like MPLS much (I prefer Lotus Flow3r), I am not that excited. Hope I am wrong.

GustavoRibas said:

Hmmm, it´s happening the same thing that when I read the first reviews of Planet Earth. And, since I didnt like MPLS much (I prefer Lotus Flow3r), I am not that excited. Hope I am wrong.

I was not a fan of Planet Earth. I like this better.

GustavoRibas said:

Hmmm, it´s happening the same thing that when I read the first reviews of Planet Earth. And, since I didnt like MPLS much (I prefer Lotus Flow3r), I am not that excited. Hope I am wrong.

Don't read any reviews then. Listen and form your own opinion.

Genesia said:

On first listen - I like it. For once, it doesn't sound like he's trying too hard. Nothing feels forced - which is a good thing after stuff like Feel Better and Chocolate Box (not to be confused with Disco Jellyfish).

Compassion - Same sort of flavor as No More Candy 4 U, but without the "fuck all y'all" attitude. It's a odd combo of hippy happy lyrics and driving, punky, Linn-ish melody. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Beginning Endlessly - Basic trying to bag a babe lyrics, backed by dirty-sounding keys. Catchy.

Future Soul Song - Nice, mellow groove. Dreaming about flying...singing a song of the soul. Female voices on the backing tracks. Gets his religion in there..."In the absence of fear and control...is the sound of the surrendering soul." Not in an overbearing way, though. Nice.

Sticky Like Glue - I have no idea why we're together, but we're sticky like glue. Fizzy...the bubbles tickle my nose.

Act of God - Music, okay. Lyrics, bleh. My least favorite on the disc.

Lavaux - Y'know...somebody referenced The Pointer Sisters "Automatic" - and I hate to say it, but I do hear that. I ain't hatin', because it goes somewhere better from there. Has the most Minneapolis sounding keys I've heard in a long time.

Walk In Sand - Light, breathy falsetto. Nothing too serious here. He's just walkin' on the beach - and it sounds exactly like that. Like you could see two people running in slow mo with their hair flying, falling down laughing in the sand.

Sea of Everything - What can I say? It's a baby-makin' track. Has a Future Baby Mama vibe - both melodically and lyrically. "Will you wander the wilderness searching for a king? Will you settle for a Prince...and a sea of everything?"

Everybody Loves Me - Wow - I want to like it, but I definitely don't, at this point. He didn't try on this one, at all. A throwaway. Maybe it'll grow on me. I hope it does.

Laydown - Oh, man - vainandy is gonna hate this one. I like it, though - think it's kinda catchy. Ends way too abruptly.

I think SquirrelMeat is right - this thing's gonna sink like Planet Earth. But it's nice to have something light and new to blast for the summer.

i know where i'm gonna be blasting this! all the way to funkin arras.. channel tunnel ain't gonna know what's hit it

I think it's gonna be a premature decision to give a rating for this album after a few listens.. it's quite a bit to digest on first few listens.. You got Prince trying to dip into an already established sound he created back in the 80's.. and I actually think this is a good thing.. I just think it might take a little longer to let this all sink in and see the longevity of how these tracks develop over time..

I think he developed a more simplistic sound (for the better) with this album.. I like how the album has a flow to them. I am still hearing a little too much production in certain spots.. but my goodness.. compared to what i've heard over the years.. it's an improvement I can deal with.

It has a contained energy I dig.. I am not crazy about the female choir singing in certain parts.. I think it's a little too much for some spots.. but I like his approach with the album. It's got an accessible feel to it.. It's a little too perfect in certain areas but I do think he is heading in a right direction. To me, this sounds like a very laid back Prince that is trying to create a moment with an album that might be ultimately turn into multiple listens for some of his fans that couldn't quite get into his previous work.. but like I said.. it's way too early for me. But it is a good sign when I can make it fully through each song.

I won't bother doing an extensive track by track analysis. Others can do that better. I'll say this: I don't think it should take much longer than the combined length of 20Ten for it to be forgotten. There just isn't anything particularly awful or great about the album, and that's the problem with it. It's a consistently harmless MLPSound II (well, harmless aside from the dreadfully insipid last track) replete with pleasant but ultimately forgettable synth and linn drum beats, superficial lyrics that mean nothing, and by-the-numbers ballads that are forgotten the second they finish. It's rarely embarrassing, but it's also unaffecting. This is the sound of an album Prince casually threw together and wasn't particularly moved by while in the studio recording it.

I'd give it **1/2 out of *****.

I will agree there isn't anything that has a true stand out on the song that captures what he is capable of.. but I'd rather hear half decent than flat out awful.. and i'm up to my ears with that side of his music.

Sdldawn said:

I will agree there isn't anything that has a true stand out on the song that captures what he is capable of.. but I'd rather hear half decent than flat out awful.. and i'm up to my ears with that side of his music.

I would say it is as far below the gems of Lotus and MPLSound as it is above the lows of both.

This is the first time that we've gotten a full Prince studio album with no indication of a single, correct?

Question for folks: say this album was released in the mid-80s (or 90s, even), and you were in charge of WB Records and had to decide 4 singles.

Which would you choose, and which order?

PurpleKnight said:

Sdldawn said:

I will agree there isn't anything that has a true stand out on the song that captures what he is capable of.. but I'd rather hear half decent than flat out awful.. and i'm up to my ears with that side of his music.

I would say it is as far below the gems of Lotus and MPLSound as it is above the lows of both.

All three seem to try to bring back a Prince we all know with a different mindset but it's just not CLICKING. Sure there's some funk but I feel the funk is more condensed than used fully.

and another question - where does Hot Summer fit into all of this? Was it an advanced single that he dropped because he didn't like the reaction? Or just an extra track, to be treated as a b-side perhaps? Stylistically it would fit perfectly well on this album.

The more I hear it, the more I think "Act of God" would make a strong 1st single from this album.

NoVideo said:

This is the first time that we've gotten a full Prince studio album with no indication of a single, correct?

Question for folks: say this album was released in the mid-80s (or 90s, even), and you were in charge of WB Records and had to decide 4 singles.

Which would you choose, and which order?

Okay...you can't say 80s or 90s - because the choices would be totally different.

In the 80s...I'd put out...

Compassion

Sticky Like Glue (because it has sort of a Dorothy Parker vibe - though the lyrics aren't as good)

Future Soul Song

Lavaux - unless the Pointer Sisters had already released Automatic

Genesia said:

NoVideo said:

This is the first time that we've gotten a full Prince studio album with no indication of a single, correct?

Question for folks: say this album was released in the mid-80s (or 90s, even), and you were in charge of WB Records and had to decide 4 singles.

Which would you choose, and which order?

Okay...you can't say 80s or 90s - because the choices would be totally different.

In the 80s...I'd put out...

Compassion

Sticky Like Glue (because it has sort of a Dorothy Parker vibe - though the lyrics aren't as good)

Future Soul Song

Lavaux - unless the Pointer Sisters had already released Automatic

I just mentioned 80's or 90's in terms of singles actually being released during those periods. If that was still the case w/ Prince - that he released multiple singles from each album - would you make the same choices for today?

and you're right on about Lavaux... it's totally Automatic.

[Edited 7/8/10 20:18pm]

Can't wait 2 hear it 4 myself but so far eye see mixed reviews!

rbrpm said:

Can't wait 2 hear it 4 myself but so far eye see mixed reviews!

Which would make it a Prince album.

rbrpm said:

Can't wait 2 hear it 4 myself but so far eye see mixed reviews!

Well not everyone's gonna love everything, if you love what you hear from start to finish then that's your opinion. No one's gonna look at it the same way. If you wanna wait until you hear it, then wait until Saturday if you're in Europe in the countries where you can get it with your local tabloid lol.

No reason why this can't be the "Review" sticky for now...

Whatever the song was on the commercial, it sounded really good to me. , I can picture that song gettin good reviews.

[Edited 7/8/10 20:25pm]

Mars23 said:

No reason why this can't be the "Review" sticky for now...

Thank you for not making me transfer anything.

I love, love, love Beginning Endlessly. I dig how the guitar climbs out of the mix toward the end! And from there, Future Soul Song... Beautiful...

[Edited 7/8/10 20:27pm]

I'm gonna call this album "20Ten: Prince & the Princesses". Reason why: the women are singing louder than he is.

Everybody Loves Me is awful.. sorry but damn.. i don't see how he chose that out of the mountain of songs he has..

Sdldawn said:

Everybody Loves Me is awful.. sorry but damn.. i don't see how he chose that out of the mountain of songs he has..

Close your eyes, then imagine Spongebob Squarepants or Sesame Street, vintage Adam Ant, The Time Warp from Rocky Horror without the dance moves and a cheerleader pep rally in middle school, put some purple on it, swirl it up, put a vocoder on it, there you go: "Everybody Loves Me".

this album is a grower I think. it's getting better on repeated listens. future soul song is gorgeous; definitely been a long while since i've liked a ballad as much as this one.

LOOOVE the vocal arrangement.

[Edited 7/8/10 20:30pm]

NoVideo said:

this album is a grower I think. it's getting better on repeated listens. future soul song is gorgeous; definitely been a long while since i've liked a ballad as much as this one.

LOOOVE the vocal arrangement.

[Edited 7/8/10 20:30pm]

On my sixth listen, that song and "Beginning Endlessly" are obviously the GEMS on this one.

Prince is the man... Everybody Loves Me is brilliant. That's the most fun song on the album. Lavaux is the best song, by far. Act of God would sound great bundled with "Witness 4 the Prosecution".

My prefered track listing is Lay it Down in the #1 slot, then right into the "dirty new sound" of Compassion. Prince is a special artist... 3121, Planet Earth, MPLSound, Lotus, 20ten... five different sounding albums in five years. You could even mix and match tracks from MPLSound and 20ten to make a really killer retro album. Don't like the ballads? Take em off. Want the New Wave Sound? Put No More Candy 4 U and Everybody Loves Me on the same disc. Nothing can stop Prince.

Future Soul Song has a nice little ring to it..