andykeen said:

Worse looking album aswell

I never noticed this picture up close...is that a corset he has on?...oh lawd.

Huggiebear said:

RenHoek said:

TRC blows hard...

the only good thing that ever came outta that disc is this...

NO ITS NOT THAT ARTWORK IS GOD AWFUL, HE LOOKS LIKE A BLEACHED SATAN FIGURE.

(I do agree with everything else you say about it though)

The Rainbow Children is not the worst album just because of its misguided and controversial lyrix, but also the dreadful standard of musicality

* One of the best trax 1+1+1 is 3 is based on the groove of Erotic City

* Prince's slowed down god voice makes it hard to get into the groove

* Wedding Feast is the most self indulgent experiment he has ever made

* Despite the bad lyrix Last December, the Everlasting Now and She loves me for me are passable but not good songs, the fact that these 5/10 quality songs are the highlights on this album make it even more dreadful.

* The Everlasting now and Muse to the Pharaoh are ridiculous noize

* The rest of the album suffers from weak song writing, bad melodies, phone in beats and dirge like vocals that just put you to sleep

* Cover and CD art are beyond wretchable

* The best part is it ending and the CD makes a good coaster

* Weak song writing, bad melodies, offenisve lyrics, slipshod musicality, weak voices and the fact its not only 9 songs long like most of his better albums make this album a royal stinker.

[Edited 12/10/10 15:04pm]

Not matter what you want people to believe with that statement, TRC has some qualities which other albums of his clearly don't:

- a cover that goes hand in hand with the music (jazzy, live band feel, warm sound)

- wonderful warm live band sound

- a new artistic vision

- an original concept

- great musicianship

funkomatic said:

Huggiebear said:

The Rainbow Children is not the worst album just because of its misguided and controversial lyrix, but also the dreadful standard of musicality

* One of the best trax 1+1+1 is 3 is based on the groove of Erotic City

* Prince's slowed down god voice makes it hard to get into the groove

* Wedding Feast is the most self indulgent experiment he has ever made

* Despite the bad lyrix Last December, the Everlasting Now and She loves me for me are passable but not good songs, the fact that these 5/10 quality songs are the highlights on this album make it even more dreadful.

* The Everlasting now and Muse to the Pharaoh are ridiculous noize

* The rest of the album suffers from weak song writing, bad melodies, phone in beats and dirge like vocals that just put you to sleep

* Cover and CD art are beyond wretchable

* The best part is it ending and the CD makes a good coaster

* Weak song writing, bad melodies, offensive lyrics, slipshod musicality, weak voices and the fact its not only 9 songs long like most of his better albums make this album a royal stinker.

[Edited 12/10/10 15:04pm]

Not matter what you want people to believe with that statement, TRC has some qualities which other albums of his clearly don't:

- a cover that goes hand in hand with the music (jazzy, live band feel, warm sound) (IN THE SENSE THAT ITS JUST AS CRAPPY AS THE MUZAK IN SIDE)

- wonderful warm live band sound (Recorded in one take to make it even cheaper and nastier sounding)

- a new artistic vision (That fortunately ceased after this album was released)

- an original concept (Not likely, crappy Christian fundamentalist albums have been around since the 1950s at least)

- great musicianship (Maybee for a 2nd grade music class, its very poor by Prince's august high standards, how many of those players are still with Prince now?)

^You're so far from being objective, somebody needs to clean your ears and glasses...lol

[Edited 12/11/10 3:08am]

ufoclub said:

I think despite one or two gems, Chaos and Disorder or The Vault are really pitiful compared to any of his other album concepts.

Wow, I love both of those and listen to them on heavy rotation.

I also love the Rainbow children, P.E and 2010.

I think Musicology is bilge tho.

u ppl r way too critical

there r none... he is not always perfect, but on every album there r always more that 4 great tracks

Hell, with the exception of "Chaos and Disorder," "One Night Alone," and "Musicology" - everydamnthang after "Emancipation!" I just find it so amazing that he pitched and bitched about how WB was treating him and how he wanted to "free the music" and instead of doing so, released some of the most piss-poor music he could ever drop!

landaliustruefield said:

physco185 said:

u ppl r way too critical

there r none... he is not always perfect, but on every album there r always more that 4 great tracks

Exactly. Here's everyones saying "since this (fill in the CD title) it's been (fill in the derogatory adjective)" but here they are (fill in the years) later still buying the product!

Also I find it amusing that whenever Prince is on a roll of getting positive press and attention that the negativity threads around here start to multiply exponentially!

physco185 said:

u ppl r way too critical

there r none... he is not always perfect, but on every album there r always more that 4 great tracks

Uh, NO. There are not 4 "great" tracks on TRC. There are a couple middling, non-offensive cuts but that's about it.

Chaos & Disorder.

Not to mention that he blatantly put out a shitty record to get back at WB, and didn't give a fuck about the fans - which I found even more offensive than the fact the record was a big steaming turd.

mchl88 said:

but let's face it, we all love the 80s and 90s stuff way more than the newer material

It's funny... the people that try to speak for everyone tend to be wrong.

mchl88 said:

landaliustruefield said:

Hell, with the exception of "Chaos and Disorder," "One Night Alone," and "Musicology" - everydamnthang after "Emancipation!" I just find it so amazing that he pitched and bitched about how WB was treating him and how he wanted to "free the music" and instead of doing so, released some of the most piss-poor music he could ever drop!

I've often thought the same thing. Emancipation was solid but after that his post WB work has gone steadily down hill. We all expected amazing CDs to be released every 6 months, like we'd be trying to sip from a fire hose, but let's face it, we all love the 80s and 90s stuff way more than the newer material

I prefer his albums from 2001-2010 to any of that bland NPS/Rave/Chocolate Invasion/Slaughterhouse stuff. and half of Emancipation.

Xibalba said:

Chaos & Disorder.

Not to mention that he blatantly put out a shitty record to get back at WB, and didn't give a fuck about the fans - which I found even more offensive than the fact the record was a big steaming turd.

I love Chaos and Disorder. Side A is the best rock music he ever recorded.

rialb said:

Xibalba said:

Chaos & Disorder.

Not to mention that he blatantly put out a shitty record to get back at WB, and didn't give a fuck about the fans - which I found even more offensive than the fact the record was a big steaming turd.

I love Chaos and Disorder. Side A is the best rock music he ever recorded.

Good for you, I'm so happy for you.

I however, think it's interminable shite.

jasontate said:

ufoclub said:

I think despite one or two gems, Chaos and Disorder or The Vault are really pitiful compared to any of his other album concepts.

Wow, I love both of those and listen to them on heavy rotation.

I also love the Rainbow children, P.E and 2010.

I think Musicology is bilge tho.

I respect some tracks of these albums (I really like Had U and Dig U Better Dead for example), but I just don't think they are strongly conceptual (thematic), and with Prince, I always appreciate and expect some kind of concept to his albums.

http://prince.org/msg/7/348543

Aside from instrumentlas, I have to go with The Rainbow Children...I just haven't acquired the taste for it yet. I like the idea behind it, musically it just misses me. Well, on second thought, I don't really care for the Black Album either, so its a tie between those two.

20ten hands down.

NEWS was at least a failed experiment. As was the Rainbow Children. On both those albums Prince was going for something artistic and grand, he just missed his mark by a lot.

20ten is nothing. It's not artistic, catchy, fun, funky, poppy, inventive, fresh, well produced, or even themed. It contains none of the elements one would expect in a classic Prince release. At least MPLS had an idea it was centered around.

What's the difference between 20ten and a sack of goat crap? the Sack.

Everyone has different opinions on what they consider best or worst. For me, I find The Rainbow Children and Planet Earth as albums are my least favorite. Although I do like a few isolated tracks on each.

Xibalba said:

Chaos & Disorder.

Not to mention that he blatantly put out a shitty record to get back at WB, and didn't give a fuck about the fans - which I found even more offensive than the fact the record was a big steaming turd.

this album is a throwaway.Uninspired and boring.I like the lyrics on "Dinner With Delores" though.

you know we all have different tastes - this is true for chaos and disorder, i rather am fond of this album, especially side 1, which I think is near flawless. The problems with the record are in side 2, a couple thowaway songs which dont fit in, plus it was not well produced, sounds rushed, almost "live". but side 1 is almost as good as side 1 on purple rain, full of energy and attitude, brilliant to listen to in the car as well with the windows up!!

I think, and like many others here, the worst has to be TRC, it has the poor production techniques of chaos, but the difference is in it's self importance and it's forced religious and very pointless cryptic messages. You cant get into any songs, because that stupid deep voice just goes on and on, and in addition to that, there are long and very boring funk jams near the end of the album. the best song for me is she loves me for me, which sounds like an afterthought or a throwaway from a previous album and it's brilliance is in it's simplicity, which in a strange way shows up the album for what it could have been and was a frustrating morsel of what prince could actually do when he kept it simple.

Basically, TRC is a mess.

vinx98 said:

you know we all have different tastes - this is true for chaos and disorder, i rather am fond of this album, especially side 1, which I think is near flawless. The problems with the record are in side 2, a couple thowaway songs which dont fit in, plus it was not well produced, sounds rushed, almost "live". but side 1 is almost as good as side 1 on purple rain, full of energy and attitude, brilliant to listen to in the car as well with the windows up!!

I think, and like many others here, the worst has to be TRC, it has the poor production techniques of chaos, but the difference is in it's self importance and it's forced religious and very pointless cryptic messages. You cant get into any songs, because that stupid deep voice just goes on and on, and in addition to that, there are long and very boring funk jams near the end of the album. the best song for me is she loves me for me, which sounds like an afterthought or a throwaway from a previous album and it's brilliance is in it's simplicity, which in a strange way shows up the album for what it could have been and was a frustrating morsel of what prince could actually do when he kept it simple.

Basically, TRC is a mess.

Funny, Rainbow Children to my ears has some of the most formal and careful production of any Prince album period... even to point of being conservative by Prince's usual "just quickly get it out there with everything up to 11" attitutude on most of his records. A song like Digital Garden is almost like some kind of 70's progressive fantasy rock cut, and the title track is very disciplined in it's glorious gospel jazz build up. Family Name is also like a retro funky 70's track and sounds like School House Rock gone crazy and a bit adult in theme.

Different ears like different tunes! Chaos and Disorder the album sounds like big mess to me (and maybe it was supposed to be judging from the cover), although I really like "Dig U Better Dead" and especially "Had U". "Had U" impresses many non prince music fans I know.

Rave and MPLSound. Never thought I'd give Rave any sort of props, but I think I'd rather even listen to it than MPLSound which makes my flesh crawl just thinking about it.

I pretty much dig all P albums on some level but I will say my least "go to" albums are probably Diamonds & Pearls and Symbol album. I know there's good material on both but overall, I dunno.

Maybe it's the trying hard to be hip(rap) factor.

And I like Chaos & Disorder. Always have. Matter of fact, some friends of mine who weren't necessarily Prince fans really got into that album and have been Prince fans ever since. And they are musicians, In bands. Sometimes covering Chaos & Disorder(song) in their live sets!

It's all about what moves you. Not other people. Simple as that.

PurpleJedi said:

nate87 said:

does any body agree with me apart from n.e.w.s it has to be 20ten, it was so disappointing apart from sticky like glue and the hidden track, for prince it was poor you always get at least 5 decent tracks from an album, the whole thing sounded rushed, tinny and cheap

First of all, N.E.W.S. cannot be taken into consideration as "worst album" simply because it was more of a project than a commercial endeavour. It's a JAZZ album, consisting of 4 tracks dedicated to the four cardinal points. How can you POSSIBLY lump that in with the pther fodder that he's put out?

Second; compare 20TEN to Planet Earth. Both are dissapointing, and both are fairly new. But at least 20TEN is an attempt to re-claim that 80's sound that made him what he is, as opposed to just mediocre tunes of "inspiration" and "eco-conscience" set to band music.

I'm not even touching Lotusflow3r.

I didn't even bother getting Louts Flow3r after I hear Planet Erath.

vinx98 said:

you know we all have different tastes - this is true for chaos and disorder, i rather am fond of this album, especially side 1, which I think is near flawless. The problems with the record are in side 2, a couple thowaway songs which dont fit in, plus it was not well produced, sounds rushed, almost "live". but side 1 is almost as good as side 1 on purple rain, full of energy and attitude, brilliant to listen to in the car as well with the windows up!!

I think, and like many others here, the worst has to be TRC, it has the poor production techniques of chaos, but the difference is in it's self importance and it's forced religious and very pointless cryptic messages. You cant get into any songs, because that stupid deep voice just goes on and on, and in addition to that, there are long and very boring funk jams near the end of the album. the best song for me is she loves me for me, which sounds like an afterthought or a throwaway from a previous album and it's brilliance is in it's simplicity, which in a strange way shows up the album for what it could have been and was a frustrating morsel of what prince could actually do when he kept it simple.

Basically, TRC is a mess.

Thank you you sum up the fact that this album is also severely lacking in musicianship as well as having odious lyrix and help prove to all these people who love it, that the reason we don't is not because of the born again preaching, but also the very slipshod musical delivery of this album. You also correctly point out that the God voice really kills the enjoyment factor too.

Huggiebear said:

vinx98 said:

you know we all have different tastes - this is true for chaos and disorder, i rather am fond of this album, especially side 1, which I think is near flawless. The problems with the record are in side 2, a couple thowaway songs which dont fit in, plus it was not well produced, sounds rushed, almost "live". but side 1 is almost as good as side 1 on purple rain, full of energy and attitude, brilliant to listen to in the car as well with the windows up!!

I think, and like many others here, the worst has to be TRC, it has the poor production techniques of chaos, but the difference is in it's self importance and it's forced religious and very pointless cryptic messages. You cant get into any songs, because that stupid deep voice just goes on and on, and in addition to that, there are long and very boring funk jams near the end of the album. the best song for me is she loves me for me, which sounds like an afterthought or a throwaway from a previous album and it's brilliance is in it's simplicity, which in a strange way shows up the album for what it could have been and was a frustrating morsel of what prince could actually do when he kept it simple.

Basically, TRC is a mess.

Thank you you sum up the fact that this album is also severely lacking in musicianship as well as having odious lyrix and help prove to all these people who love it, that the reason we don't is not because of the born again preaching, but also the very slipshod musical delivery of this album. You also correctly point out that the God voice really kills the enjoyment factor too.

How are the tracks in any way slipshod musicianship? Can you point out a slipshod part? And if you don't like the God voice, then you might not like a typical Prince gimmick... you know, like how he starts 1999.

ufoclub said:

Huggiebear said:

Thank you you sum up the fact that this album is also severely lacking in musicianship as well as having odious lyrix and help prove to all these people who love it, that the reason we don't is not because of the born again preaching, but also the very slipshod musical delivery of this album. You also correctly point out that the God voice really kills the enjoyment factor too.

How are the tracks in any way slipshod musicianship? Can you point out a slipshod part? And if you don't like the God voice, then you might not like a typical Prince gimmick... you know, like how he starts 1999.

The "God" voice on 1999 and TRC can't e compared. The God voice on TRC is interupting the music all the way. Extremely frustrating. But Prince knows how to test his listeners. Sometimes I would wonder if he just puts out crap for the fun of it. With his amazing talent, he should have been alot more recognized than he is. But he is working against it on purpose I guess.

njin said:

ufoclub said:

How are the tracks in any way slipshod musicianship? Can you point out a slipshod part? And if you don't like the God voice, then you might not like a typical Prince gimmick... you know, like how he starts 1999.

The "God" voice on 1999 and TRC can't e compared. The God voice on TRC is interupting the music all the way. Extremely frustrating. But Prince knows how to test his listeners. Sometimes I would wonder if he just puts out crap for the fun of it. With his amazing talent, he should have been alot more recognized than he is. But he is working against it on purpose I guess.

I guess it depends on if you're into the storytelling concept or not. I like the god voice on the title track, because it's like the lead drama. The rest (music and chorus) kind of supports it. The concept of the song is that you are being told a story. It worked for me live too.

It's similar to "The Exodus has Begun" as well.