The Rainbow Children

It was with a lot of anticipation that I grabbed my copy of The Rainbow Children when it arrived in the post. The first album of new material in what seemed like a long long time. Studying the cover art I flicked through the booklet and put on the cd.

Sitting back I wondered when Prince was going to take me, now he had reclaimed his name was he freer to explore new sounds rather than try to establish a new identity? Well a new direction it was indeed.

With the effected deep vocal intro of Rainbow Children I was a little “hmmmmm what’s going on here?”. It took little time to discover this was Prince’s concept album. With its jazzed tinged melody line and it seemed stripped back arrangement the thing that grabbed me was how clear this cd sounded. Others felt muddy compared to it. This seemed to be on a less swamped mix, allowing each instrument to fall into its place without overshadowing another. When the chorus hook hit with the aid of a vocoder I just let myself dive into the track and let it wash over me. Part freeform jazz piece, part structured hypnotic groove the song seemed to best place a free man in a new setting of musical exploration. What I was hearing sounded fresh, not tired, not tried and true. Reading along (and ahead) with the lyric book the obvious religious message was ever present if not a little force feed but for now I was willing to let the song just build. By the time the song ended I was smiling with the inclusion of my fave line from “sexuality” and felt that the songs crescendo and breakdown was a climatic clash of a new born artist (and a vocally tweak nod to George Clinton).

Laid out on velvet is how I see Muse 2 the Pharaoh. A song that with its bubbling Rhodes melody line just seduces. I particular love Prince’s lyrical structure here, how the lines run short at times then never seem to stop in a continuous flow. Lights out for this one, just sit and chill.

Digital Garden felt a little too polished and whilst it was interesting to hear him explore a new style it wasn’t a track that instantly grabbed me.

The Work (Pt 1) had been a fave since I first heard it on the NPG site. Funky to the max, and steeped in a James Brown vibe. Its arrival in this mix was on point, reviving the fun from the deeper and mellower feel of RC and M2TP. And how can resist the horn and drum accent breakdowns. The man is back on fire here.

Everywhere reminded me of a Tevin song on Quincy Jones solo album. It seemed a little too joyous and bright and even ballroom dance-esque. At least that was my initial reaction. And over the years, whilst it hasn’t suddenly leapt to be an all time fave, I have grown to appreciate the rapid structure and energy of the track, and hey, it is fun to drum to.

Sensual Everafter sounded too much like Phil Collins Face Value era (check out Drone) and that’s all I could hear it for. Not a bad thing but again not a track that instantly struck me.

Back on the seduction track Mellow is as it sounds. A beautifully lush arrangement and production that just comforts you as you listen to it and makes you feel all toasty and warm.

If there was a classic Prince track on this album it was 1+1+1=3. Borrowing heavily from erotic city this track is just pure funk, heavy and slammin. And who would have thought you could be sooooo funky and still educate and use words like theocratic order. This song had me from the first listen and has had me ever since. I remember looping this song 7 times and just getting lost in it. Once again there is a George Clinton vibe to the song, and while certain lines progressed the overall concept of the album, it wouldn’t have felt out of place on any release.

Ok now many of you will have issue here, but the first time I heard She loves me for me I was not impressed. It wasn’t until several months later I was sitting in a café and the album was being played (it goes extremely well with hot chocolate for those playing at home) that I really discovered this song. And now I view it as a truly beautiful love song that rejoices in acceptance.

Ok who let the showtunes out? Wedding Feast, I’m sorry, I can’t help but laugh and hear Rogers and Hammerstien sitting somewhere say - hey the little purple one is taking us on.

Family Name was obviously a subject close to prince’s heart for many a year. I remember reading an interview he gave with Q magazine that talked about his family name of Nelson – he asked who was Nell? And who was her son? What I love about this song, was that for all it’s thought provoking stimuli he still grounded it in a truly funky song that prob had many singing along without knowing what they were singing. With the whole renaming (government vs family name) of a population steeped in the African American psyche it seems foolish for a white Australian to even comment, but I did find the whole song enlightening and loved the passion and energy contained in it. When he wants to make a point he does convincingly. Doubly so when musically its just as funky.

And to go from FN to The Everlasting Now was a stroke of genius. These two high energy tracks that fit. Breeding funk in the studio (although we are lead to think its live) the powerful tom tom led drum rhythm was one I feel in love with and as soon as I sat on my kit sat there and studied it and didn’t get up til I could play it. It still trips me up and makes me laugh when I play it, and Mr Blackwell makes it look sooo easy. And that fuzzbox bass is just threatening. An instant classic in my books.

Last December was the cool down after 17 minutes of pure funk. Starting off like yet another Purple Rain inspired final track on yet another Prince album, it soon takes its own form, gets wings and soars. And here it really feels like Prince is talking to you rather than talking to a mass of listeners, more intimate than detached. With a similar glow and feel to that of Gold this track moved me with its arrangement and build. A beautiful discovery on an album that truly surprised and delighted me.

It’s just a shame that the majority of people who were exposed to Prince’s most popular recordings missed out on some of his most powerful.

Is this his most contentious album? It seems to bring up a lot of love / hate amongst fans.

What do you think?

Amazing concept album. A real original. One of my favourites.

Musically, a great album. I have a lot of mixed feelings about it overall. And the Darth Vader voice is one of his worst choices.

I love this album. Don't care for the lyrics or for "Family Name" but I love the music very much.

Spinlight said:

I love this album. Don't care for the lyrics or for "Family Name" but I love the music very much.

No to family name? :O

But it's soooooooooo funky.

Spinlight said:

I love this album. Don't care for the lyrics but, I love the music very much.

[img:$uid]http://www.myurbanhangout.com/images/smilies/agree.gif[/img:$uid]

Great album.... I couldn't disagree more with the sexist theology.

i was in the group of the very first fans to hear this album at paisley park, no-one that wasn't on the payroll had heard it before us. before we got to hear it we were given lyric books, and we read the lyrics before hearing the album. we just laughed at some of the lyrics, had prince lost his mind?

then we heard the album and followed with the lyric book. yup, prince lost his mind. wedding feast? wtf!

and that was fans of prince. just imagine what normal people would think if they heard the album for the first time

right now i consider it a great album, albeit flawed (i mean wedding feast? wtf?), and probably his last great album. not his last great peice of music, as he's still knocked out a few great tunes, just the albums haven't been so consistent. it's mainly the JW influenced lyrics that put most people off, but then prince seems to have been writing from the heart and making an album he wanted to make, instead of making one he hoped people would like, and that's when prince does his best work, when he doesn't try to make a hit record. i wish he would do more stuff like that, instead of pulling out the linn drum and trying to make a record that sounds like "old prince" as he'll never be that guy again

I thought (and still think) that this is his best album since 1988. I was surprised and confused by all the hate for it when it came out. And then it struck me: almost all of the nay-sayers had read the lyric booklet, which seemed to sour it for them. I've never had that problem since, unless we're talking about someone like, say, Nick Cave or Elvis Costello, I generally can't be bothered to pay attention to lyrics.

Great album!

Totally luv this album. Its one of my all time favorites. I hated this album 4 many years. I never played it until I joined this site. There were so many different topics regarding this album, that I had 2 gave it another try. Then one day it clicked. The Rainbow Children is absolutely a masterpiece

[Edited 10/11/10 13:28pm]

pennylover said:

Totally luv this album. Its one of my all time favorites. I hated this album 4 many years. I never played it until I joined this site. There were so many different topics regarding this album, that I had 2 gave it another try. Then one day it clicked. The Rainbow Children is absolutely a masterpiece

[Edited 10/11/10 13:28pm]

It's great how an album you once wrote off can come back and surprise you and end up being one that you love.

Sometimes it's all about the place you are in when you hear it again.

How can anyone not love this album?

Take "wedding feast" as a segue and every track is nothing less than great. It's hard for me to pick out a favourite. I remember getting stoned one night and someone put on this album and half way in I realised it sounded familiar and incredible. I was told it was da man and although I had already delighted in it It conquered me anew.

I really can't fathom the bad press it often recieves on the org.

One of Prince's BEST released projects.

I agree, it's a great album and it was a welcome comeback after more than 13 years of mediocre to bad albums. It's not perfect... as far as I'm concerned there's a number of songs that were better left of. Apart from the atrocious lyrics the only thing that really sours the album for me is Prince's insistence of making a Purple Rain out of every album. I couldn't stand the song Purple Rain then, can't stand it now. And Last December is just about as annoying. If he ended it on the Everlasting Now, you'd take the cd out of the player with a smile. Now you need to run to the player when it's about to end, as otherwise that travesty comes on and ruins the good mood that the music brings on.

So yeah, I can see why the album is controversial.

mediumdry said:

Now you need to run to the player when it's about to end

Now you need to run to the player when it's about to end.

My favorite album of the last 15 years.

Without this one I may have lost interest in Prince new albums.

[Edited 10/20/10 6:21am]

eyewishuheaven said:

Now you need to run to the player when it's about to end.

I just don't play that mp3

I would also love a sequel to this one!

Prince’s best mix of tracks ever, it’s like one song. The voice gives a unique twist, and works the atmosphere. Definitely up there in my top 5 albums. Never understood the controversial aspect, this cd is a trip to beyond.

TRC – Hints of funk and jazz set the mood; you know you’re in 4 an unusual ride. Strange mix of guitar with merry chorus, the Donald duck voice, I mean you have to laugh. But no, then it’s “Stand up organize…Rise….” tension ascends, dismounts and pure artistic freedom again until the freaky climax.

Muse to the Pharoah – super alternative, smooth rap with soul and crystal clear lyrics transitioning seamlessly into

Digital Garden – the blend of tribal beat, alternative vocals, multiple musical switches, echoing lyrics, mood swings, the digital garden seems to travel thru the matrix, get wild and then falls into

The work – which is an alarm clock of energy, funk, perfect jazz and melody, interrupted by the host to bring u back to beyond, and place you on a pond lily leaf like Thumbelina to..

Everywhere – it’s like day break, the bees are buzzing from flower to flower, nature’s at work, it’s paradise, yeah “feel it everywhere”….and where there is light there must be dark too. The extension to-

The sensual everafter – Haunting, raising questions without words. It’s bliss, rhythmical and builds to the almost logical follow on of urgency. I normally need to adjust the volume here though.

Mellow – abrupt but welcome change. Subtle flute, pure calmness, soothing lyrics. Like witnessing a beach sunset on a perfect summer day.

1+1+1=3 Dusk takes over, unfolding into a lovable funk affair with the perfect ending.

Deconstruction - I love the way the story unfolds. The digital garden being observed by the banished ones. The hazy dream, the rains bring awareness…you’re in a movie, your mind is free to go wherever it wants.

Wedding feast – I bet no one’s imagination thought the mood snap would be this! A wake up call, the dream is over, it’s pure theatre and then the “unless it snows” reminds you it’s all still a bundle of joy!

Family Name – One of my favourite tunes! Dirty bass, mechanical voice and your historical roots, a perfect spectrum of contrast. The track initially reminds me of the track “What do you do in the bath?” by Lemon Jelly. But as it progresses the funk gets finer and funkier. “Mirror mirror, what you see?” Can the track get any better? Yes… ”bridge” “Oh teacher, what you say?” “Oh preacher, preacher….that ain’t true!” “Maybe we should just start again?” Donald duck joins the party, things gets WILD, the contrast again, and then the King of freedom fighting, arrives for the finale. Brilliant!

The everlasting now – “The colour you are don’t mean a thing” the lyrics are great, the music just maintains it fusion of funk jazz and the vocals a mix of soul rap. And then that 2.47 double tempo part…so many elements in each song, plus here, the hint to the following track “if you should die before you wake, have u got any last requests to make?” From 4.44 the changed vibe.....I could listen to hours of these kind of unpredictable journeys. This is what music is all about!

Last December – what can you say about this one? I think it’s just meant to be felt. What a grand finale. The message is clear and the music allows you to assimilate your thoughts of the ended journey. The Hot air balloon ride has brought you safely to the ground.

Graycap23 said:

One of Prince's BEST released projects.

A very intriguing piece of music with provocative lyrics and an interesting storyline. I dig it a lot. I even like Wedding Feast...amusing and light hearted fun. I only wish that Digital Garden was longer.

Bohemian67 said:

The everlasting now – “The colour you are don’t mean a thing” the lyrics are great, the music just maintains it fusion of funk jazz and the vocals a mix of soul rap. And then that 2.47 double tempo part…so many elements in each song, plus here, the hint to the following track “if you should die before you wake, have u got any last requests to make?” From 4.44 the changed vibe.....I could listen to hours of these kind of unpredictable journeys. This is what music is all about!

Great summary of the album, especially this.

Without doubt one of the highlights of my life was standing right next to the man front of stage when he sang this live in Sydney.

Was always a standout track for me before that night in 2003, now more so.

One of my fave albums. I will never forget the first time I listened to it, with earphones and turned off the lights.

aiden said:

Masterpiece... Something like this only comes around once. If I ever heard of plans for a sequel I would be in there like swim wear!

Agreed, easily Prince's best album since the '80s.

I would say that musically, Lotusflow3r sounds like TRC Part II. Not quite as good as TRC but both have the organic sound, and the opening track From the Lotus ... sounds very Rainbow Children imo

Yes, the Lotus Flow3r is in the same vein. And great to be listened to with earphones.

Swa said:

The Rainbow Children

It was with a lot of anticipation that I grabbed my copy of The Rainbow Children when it arrived in the post. The first album of new material in what seemed like a long long time. Studying the cover art I flicked through the booklet and put on the cd.

Sitting back I wondered when Prince was going to take me, now he had reclaimed his name was he freer to explore new sounds rather than try to establish a new identity? Well a new direction it was indeed.

With the effected deep vocal intro of Rainbow Children I was a little “hmmmmm what’s going on here?”. It took little time to discover this was Prince’s concept album. With its jazzed tinged melody line and it seemed stripped back arrangement the thing that grabbed me was how clear this cd sounded. Others felt muddy compared to it. This seemed to be on a less swamped mix, allowing each instrument to fall into its place without overshadowing another. When the chorus hook hit with the aid of a vocoder I just let myself dive into the track and let it wash over me. Part freeform jazz piece, part structured hypnotic groove the song seemed to best place a free man in a new setting of musical exploration. What I was hearing sounded fresh, not tired, not tried and true. Reading along (and ahead) with the lyric book the obvious religious message was ever present if not a little force feed but for now I was willing to let the song just build. By the time the song ended I was smiling with the inclusion of my fave line from “sexuality” and felt that the songs crescendo and breakdown was a climatic clash of a new born artist (and a vocally tweak nod to George Clinton).

Laid out on velvet is how I see Muse 2 the Pharaoh. A song that with its bubbling Rhodes melody line just seduces. I particular love Prince’s lyrical structure here, how the lines run short at times then never seem to stop in a continuous flow. Lights out for this one, just sit and chill.

Digital Garden felt a little too polished and whilst it was interesting to hear him explore a new style it wasn’t a track that instantly grabbed me.

The Work (Pt 1) had been a fave since I first heard it on the NPG site. Funky to the max, and steeped in a James Brown vibe. Its arrival in this mix was on point, reviving the fun from the deeper and mellower feel of RC and M2TP. And how can resist the horn and drum accent breakdowns. The man is back on fire here.

Everywhere reminded me of a Tevin song on Quincy Jones solo album. It seemed a little too joyous and bright and even ballroom dance-esque. At least that was my initial reaction. And over the years, whilst it hasn’t suddenly leapt to be an all time fave, I have grown to appreciate the rapid structure and energy of the track, and hey, it is fun to drum to.

Sensual Everafter sounded too much like Phil Collins Face Value era (check out Drone) and that’s all I could hear it for. Not a bad thing but again not a track that instantly struck me.

Back on the seduction track Mellow is as it sounds. A beautifully lush arrangement and production that just comforts you as you listen to it and makes you feel all toasty and warm.

If there was a classic Prince track on this album it was 1+1+1=3. Borrowing heavily from erotic city this track is just pure funk, heavy and slammin. And who would have thought you could be sooooo funky and still educate and use words like theocratic order. This song had me from the first listen and has had me ever since. I remember looping this song 7 times and just getting lost in it. Once again there is a George Clinton vibe to the song, and while certain lines progressed the overall concept of the album, it wouldn’t have felt out of place on any release.

Ok now many of you will have issue here, but the first time I heard She loves me for me I was not impressed. It wasn’t until several months later I was sitting in a café and the album was being played (it goes extremely well with hot chocolate for those playing at home) that I really discovered this song. And now I view it as a truly beautiful love song that rejoices in acceptance.

Ok who let the showtunes out? Wedding Feast, I’m sorry, I can’t help but laugh and hear Rogers and Hammerstien sitting somewhere say - hey the little purple one is taking us on.

Family Name was obviously a subject close to prince’s heart for many a year. I remember reading an interview he gave with Q magazine that talked about his family name of Nelson – he asked who was Nell? And who was her son? What I love about this song, was that for all it’s thought provoking stimuli he still grounded it in a truly funky song that prob had many singing along without knowing what they were singing. With the whole renaming (government vs family name) of a population steeped in the African American psyche it seems foolish for a white Australian to even comment, but I did find the whole song enlightening and loved the passion and energy contained in it. When he wants to make a point he does convincingly. Doubly so when musically its just as funky.

And to go from FN to The Everlasting Now was a stroke of genius. These two high energy tracks that fit. Breeding funk in the studio (although we are lead to think its live) the powerful tom tom led drum rhythm was one I feel in love with and as soon as I sat on my kit sat there and studied it and didn’t get up til I could play it. It still trips me up and makes me laugh when I play it, and Mr Blackwell makes it look sooo easy. And that fuzzbox bass is just threatening. An instant classic in my books.

Last December was the cool down after 17 minutes of pure funk. Starting off like yet another Purple Rain inspired final track on yet another Prince album, it soon takes its own form, gets wings and soars. And here it really feels like Prince is talking to you rather than talking to a mass of listeners, more intimate than detached. With a similar glow and feel to that of Gold this track moved me with its arrangement and build. A beautiful discovery on an album that truly surprised and delighted me.

It’s just a shame that the majority of people who were exposed to Prince’s most popular recordings missed out on some of his most powerful.

mein hase und dein banny wird was schönes daraus.

wenn ja dann bin ich glücklich with you und die Wiese

Action said:

Amazing concept album. A real original. One of my favourites.

A great piece of work, absolutely brilliant album (whether or not you agree with the lyrical content or can't even get past it, there is no arguing with the music, its presentation, production and musicianship - just flawless).

I still don't understand why Wedding Feast gets such a knocking and gets taken so seriously. Its a joke and a bit of a segue. Its different and is a product of exactly one of the things I love about Prince - his "I'll do whatever the fuck I want" attitude and taking a style (I mean, this is hundreds of years old baroque/classical mash-up!) that you entirely wouldn't expect and making it his own. Its a joke about being vegetarian and done in an almost comic take on some very old styles of music that virtually no other pop artist might attempt. Prince even gives us a massive clue not to take it too seriously, as the last sound you hear on the track is Prince laughing!

Be open, embrace difference and originality.

Musically, Prince was at his best on TRC. The guitar work is awesome, but some of the lyrics are far from his best.

I certainly do enjoy listening to this cd from time to time though. It shows his sophistication with his music.