Unlike most fans here, I actually quite like Rave & NPS albums. Not his best sure, maybe its because I got serious about Prince's music at around this time, but I like em.

Anyone else???

I like them both just fine. I think NPS was a lot more like The Black Album than most people realize. Rave was more like a summing up of his career in recording. Like Grafitti Bridge was.

Both, to me, represent Prince dealing with his divorce and summing up his love and love lost for Mayte.

Musically, Rave is sub-par. There are some gems that I would share, though..."Tangerine", "ILYBIDTYA". I like a lot on NPS, too, especially, "Until You're In My Arms Again" and "When You Love Somebody" and "Come On"...

Just thoughts...

Tina (~!~)

NettieSmiles said:

Hit the nail on da head there. One of things I like about it

I'm torn about NPS.

On one hand, it'll always have a special place for me as it brings me back to the Paisley Parties when he worked on all of that material. (WAY back in the day when it was FUN to see Larry come on-stage) And it has some killer funk/dance on it. (Come On, Mad Sex, etc..) but the stinkers (Push It Up and Freaks On This Side) are so painful that it brings the album down for me.

Rave is good enough. It has some good stuff and some awful stuff. It was a true disgrace in marketing as well. Like Diamonds and Pearls it was chock full o' sub-par music, but very commercial music. It is a shame that this album disintegrated as TGRES failed on most radio stations...

Ugh. If there was one album I could erase from Prince's discography, it would be NPS.
At least Rave had a few good songs on it. I can't say the same for NPS.

I enjoy both Rave and NPS, but I wouldn't put either on my list of favorite P albums. If I had to compile a list of my 5 least favorite P albums, Rave would be on the list.

NPS is a better listen in my opinion. It's a good party CD...nothing that I'm embarrassed to play for others. While there are some excellent tracks on Rave, there is some stuff that is just not anything that I want to share with non-P fans.

I think there is good songs and weak songs on both cds.

When I first heard NPS I remember thinking, I hope his future stuff is better than this.

If you take the few good [best] songs off each of those
albums you can barely compile one great, strong cd.

IstenSzek said:

OK let's see if we can reach 34 minutes... (which is after all the average lenght of ONA and Xpectations)

from NPS:

1- Come on 6.00
2- The One 7.05
3- Wasted Kisses 3.00

from Rave:

4- TGRES 5.30
5- Baby knows 3.18
6- ILBIDTYA 3.36
7- Strange but true 4.12
8- Wherever U go 3.20

Well I guess that could be done, that's about 35 minutes. The two albums combined could make up for one short disc of pretty good music and one huge disc of ... well... you know.

Aside from these songs from NPS -- Wasted Kisses, The One, Come On (I prefer the hypermix from the single) -- the album is pretty terrible.

I remember feeling embarrassed playing this for others, and rightfully so.

Rave, on the other hand, is a FAR better album. The songs don't feel "cheap" like they do on NPS, and the songwriting is quite good.

I agree, most fans dont like "rave & NPS".. I on the other hand loves these cds.. of course its NOT the best work prince has done, but its definitely good!! I really like them!!..

NewPower Soul is one of the greatest Prince albums of all time, goddamnit!

NPS - i like the title track on there, for some reason i find the chorus uplifting , i like the horns on it alot.

I also like The One and Mad Sex a great deal too.

The ONLY ones of Prince that I don't have...oh and 1999 The New Master...

But I do own Chaos and Disorder.

LaVisHh said:

Hmm, well they're not so bad that you shouldn't buy them
at all. Especially if you have all the other albums.

Agreed, they both have some pretty dull shit on them but
they've also got some nice tunes worth checking out.

I don't know where you live, but over here in Europe, most
Prince albums end up with a 75% discount before they're a
year or two old, so you should be able to pick bost of them
up at some store near you for about $10.

IstenSzek said:

It never hurts to check out the bargain baskets anyway,
for instance, last week I found a new copy of "Come" in
a record store, the jewel case was cracked, but the cover
and insert were pristine, as was the cd.

Yet is was priced down to 3 Euro's, which is, what? $3.50?

Picked it up right away and enjoyed listening to Loose in
the car on my way home.

IstenSzek said:

I live in Minneapolis...you are right...if I went looking for it, they just might be in the .99 cent bin.

No offense, but here in MPLS, he just isn't easily found...ah the irony.

I really, really don't understand what is wrong with the rave album. I listen to and like it a lot more than D&P or th 92 symbol album. Most of the songs are good, not brilliant but good. The songs I don't really like are the title track, so far so pleased, baby knows, silly game and I hate everyday is a winding road. but that leaves enough good tracks. The NPS album: I love the title track, really funky, and I think the one is terrible. I realise there won't be too many people agreeing with me on those two but hey...!

Hey, everyone, it's all good. Everyone has their opinion, and no one has to agree with you to validate it.

Personally, I like Rave and NPS. Especially NPS, because it really shows his funk roots. There are strong influences from Parliment/Funkadelic and Sly.

I only bought Rave a few months ago, and probably listened to it about 2 or 3 times a day for the first couple of weeks. I was impressed with it and still enjoy it!

I can deal with NPS every once in a while, but Rave was a turd.

Freekclaassen said:

Actually I don't disagree that much with that, since I basically only like the bass line, melody and solo. The lyrics and the rest of the performance really don't do it for me.

NPS has the most beautiful song on it.
Any of U that have sat and listened 2 track 32 will agree with me no doubt. It pisses all over songs like Joy in Repetition and The Beautiful Ones and Anna Stesia can only dream of being what this track is.

I kid U not!

I think they're both decent records. Both are leagues above Chaos and Disorder.

I think that those albums especially rave was oriented twards the new younger prince fan generation or snaging younger listeners which for them they probably sound pretty damn good compared to anything these days

Me too!!!