TheEnglishGent said:

Lotusflow3r is one of the best albums he's ever done, well the single disc anyway. I've been listening to it regularly since its release and I'll happily put it up there with Purple Rain, The Gold Experience and The Rainbow Children.

Agree. It is very cohesive as a whole. The intro/body/conclusion of the entire album is well put together. Much like Gold/Lovesexy/TRC...all in the same vein.

it's a decent album. lotusflow3r > MPLSound

SoulSplash said:

squirrelgrease said:

I like Lotusflow3r quite a bit. But Colonized Mind can't really be credited to Prince, can it?

well that really pisses me off

and i don't say things like that lightly

I had the same reaction when I compared the two songs.

I quite like Lotusflower, it's the other two discs i have major problems with.

aiden said:

Lotusflower is a work of genius IMO. I believe that "PFUNK" was the start of a new chapter of amazing music from Prince and I'm so pleased that 20TEN is keeping up with the quality. I think Prince should re-release Lotus, MPLSound and 20TEN for download. He seems to have given up fighting YouTube recently, it's time to make friends with iTunes. These records are excellent and I am PROUD to be a Prince fan.

Lotusflow3r was great, MLPSound not so much. Love Like Jazz is one of the worst filler pieces I've heard on any album though.

i adore this CD , this was a big return to form IMHO i.e. the guitar was right up in the mix and had a great , raw feel [unlike say the studio version of Fury], there were some great head scratchers , some classic P sounds in fact abit of everything. All the songs were solid, well written and some groove. Jesus how can $, dreamer, wall of berlin, feel better..., colonized mind, crimson and boom be dismissed so quickly by some. It blows away much of what he did in 00's.

RumAndRaisin said:

ernestsewell said:

People like me? Oh, you mean people who don't eat up everything Prince serves as perfection? You mean people like me that recognize when Prince is really making great music, or even good music, and when he's on auto-pilot? Yeah, people like me.

You obviously have no idea what you're talking about. If you'd have read any of my posts, you'd know I'm as much a fan of the 90's stuff as I am the 80's, and even like some stuff in the 00's.

People like you should until you know what you're talking about.

See, the difference is that I attacked the music. You attacked me. That speaks volumes more than Prince could ever record.

well, i wouldnt exactly call what i said 'an attack'

but even if it was..... really, who could blame you?

Ernest, how do you get on Paisley Radio? You are so negative..lol

It would get the credit it deserves if it deserved the credit.

squirrelgrease said:

And don't forget it's got Colonized Mind on it... my favorite Prince song.

What do people not like about it??

I like Lotusflow3r quite a bit. But Colonized Mind can't really be credited to Prince, can it?

Wow, nice find!

I have been hyping Colonized Mind myself as one of the one true outstanding Prince songs in ages and now i find this!

Yeah its almost identical, if there was no deal made this artist she should be on the phone with her lawyer to recoup the $77 dollars Prince made off of her.

LF would be a great album - if it weren't for 4ever!!!

it's worse than Arms of Orion on Batman - i think I wore out the skip button on that track.

squirrelgrease said:

I like Lotusflow3r quite a bit. But Colonized Mind can't really be credited to Prince, can it?

yeah, the riff is very simlar and that bit from 1:47-2:13 is completely eerie in its resemblance.

But, the overall execution is quite different. Either way, thanx - loving this Miriam Makeba track!

my reasons 4 like in prince is his ability 2 challenge his listners. his albums r fantastic

lotusflow3r included. The diffrence being his no longer in the mainstream 4 us. so u

don't get the singles & then the album that u would get if your with a record co. You don't

get the anticipation u did back then in the yesteryears. sometimes its 2 much music at once.

Feel the same way I've always felt about this release. I like it a lot, but it's extremely bloated. Same way I've always felt about Emancipation. There are VERY REAL reasons why triple albums of NEW material are almost NEVER released to the public. Retrospectives and box sets are something different (like Crystal Ball). In those cases the public is either familiar with the material or is aware that some material may be outtakes or demos not worthy of a regular release. But three cds worth of new material is just too much. Most of it will get skipped over for years by fans, and never get played live, either.

For me, edit Lotusflow3r down to one full-length disc and it could have been something really powerful. And there's probably more than one albums worth of GOOD songs in there, too. But is there really more than one albums worth of GREAT songs? Not for me. But if there was, after he'd dropped one incredible album, drop another one six to nine months later to keep the momentum flowing. Three at once, though. Nah, too much.

And let me be clear, I don't hate all of the Brea disc. I happen to really like Immersion, Home, Another Boy and Elixer. But I didn't need to hear an entire disc of that light jazz, easy listening, romantic pablum. I actually would have bought Prince believing she was something special if he would have just included a few of her songs in one or two of his own releases.

wasitgood4u said:

it's worse than Arms of Orion on Batman

I'm not actually sure that's possible.

Cerebus said:

wasitgood4u said:

it's worse than Arms of Orion on Batman

I'm not actually sure that's possible.

"The Arms of Orion" is a beautiful song.

ernestsewell said:

Cerebus said:

I'm not actually sure that's possible.

"The Arms of Orion" is a beautiful song.

Yes. It's in regular rotation on the 8th level of hell. I hear it's a favorite of Azazel's because it only takes five or six listens for most denizens to begin screaming in agony and frustration.

I'm definitely among the Prince fans who prefer the sound of Lotus, an album that utilizes a full band and musicianship, over the more superfluous retro sound of albums like 20Ten.

Lotus at least has moments where it sounds like he's trying to explore rather than simply impress. Nothing on an album like 20Ten, for instance, is half as interesting or experimental as the intro or 77 Beverly Park. I also think Lotus more nicely balances out the trademark fun pop numbers with the more serious subject matter compared to works like 20Ten. Songs like $ and Feel Good... sound like he's having fun rather than desperately clamoring for the attention of the MTV crowd.

Of course there are still a couple of duds. 4Ever might be one of the worst ballads he's ever composed, and Love Like Jazz is criminally dull given its interesting sounding title. Still, it's his most well produced and consistent album since the ONA piano CD.

[Edited 7/12/10 20:59pm]

Cerebus said:

ernestsewell said:

"The Arms of Orion" is a beautiful song.

Yes. It's in regular rotation on the 8th level of hell. I hear it's a favorite of Azazel's because it only takes five or six listens for most denizens to begin screaming in agony and frustration.

I'm not a fan of that song either. But even if I was, that descritpion is priceless.

As far as Lotus is concerned, it's got 5 or 6 good songs. Nothing genius, but no real stink bombs either. Quality album in my book.

Another clarification, when I talk about editing down to make one disc I am referring to all three CDs. It's always kinda bugged me that it was called Lotusflow3r, but actually contained two albums with different names. I know, probably just me. But it bugs.

I have about 11 songs, taken from all three albums, that i occasionally listen to. Very occasionally.

For me, the biggest problem w/ Lotusflow3r in particular is the lyrics. Ouch.

I'm not a fan of metaphysics, new age platitudes, or social comentary in my music. So as a result I don't relate to many of the songs - even ones like Colonized Mind or Dreamer, where the music and performance is interesting.

Second, he sort of lost his ear for great hooks. Or he's choosing to not have them. Whatever, I miss them.

And last, I hear something disspassionate on both albums. More in subject than sound; it feels like he's not asking questions anymore, because he's got all the answers. He seems very content and pleased with himself, which kind of grates.

Anyway. Doesn't add up to a very fun, exciting, or engaging album, to these ears.

Mintchip said:

I have about 11 songs, taken from all three albums, that i occasionally listen to. Very occasionally.

For me, the biggest problem w/ Lotusflow3r in particular is the lyrics. Ouch.

I'm not a fan of metaphysics, new age platitudes, or social comentary in my music. So as a result I don't relate to many of the songs - even ones like Colonized Mind or Dreamer, where the music and performance is interesting.

Second, he sort of lost his ear for great hooks. Or he's choosing to not have them. Whatever, I miss them.

And last, I hear something disspassionate on both albums. More in subject than sound; it feels like he's not asking questions anymore, because he's got all the answers. He seems very content and pleased with himself, which kind of grates.

Anyway. Doesn't add up to a very fun, exciting, or engaging album, to these ears.

Very interesting take.

ernestsewell said:

Cerebus said:

I'm not actually sure that's possible.

"The Arms of Orion" is a beautiful song.

That may be among the most inflamatory statements you've ever made.

squirrelgrease said:

SoulSplash said:

well that really pisses me off

and i don't say things like that lightly

I had the same reaction when I compared the two songs.

I REALLY wish you hadn't found this....

The Lotusflow3r disc might be my most-played Prince album. I'm much more a fan of Prince as a live act, rather than an album artist, but Lotus' more organic sound and production stands up to the live versions that I've heard. While it's not a rock record through and through, it's the closest he's gotten to the Hendrix-inspired, psychedelic guitar album that I didn't even know I wanted. I prefer the guitar tone, placement in the mix, riffs, and solos on this album to any other.

MPLSound, IMO, sounded like something he just threw out there in a half-assed attempt to appease his early 80s fans. I think he did a much better job on 20Ten.

Elixer was pleasant enough, but disposable.

squirrelgrease said:

I like Lotusflow3r quite a bit. But Colonized Mind can't really be credited to Prince, can it?

Definitely similarities there, but I like this more. I'll have to seek out more of her work.

[Edited 7/13/10 0:35am]

djThunderfunk said:

ernestsewell said:

"The Arms of Orion" is a beautiful song.

That may be among the most inflamatory statements you've ever made.

it certainly discredits his opinion on all music.

There's a few tracks I'd switch out for the best tracks on PE, and you'd have a brilliant follow through on what TRC started.

(I'm talking about the title CD here, MPLSound has been erased from history as far as I'm concerned).

NouveauDance said:

There's a few tracks I'd switch out for the best tracks on PE, and you'd have a brilliant follow through on what TRC started.

(I'm talking about the title CD here, MPLSound has been erased from history as far as I'm concerned).

The only song on PE I would replace is the title track but I don't see how that would fit. It would make the whole album too slow. I think Cinnamon Girl would fit nice. I would switch that with 4Ever.