His best album of the 90's IMO. I love Diamonds & Pearls and , but for sheer expression, this is without a doubt his most powerful. Comeback is one of the best things he's ever written. 2 minutes to remind you what makes prince so great.

Its frustrating that this album was never released as there were enough great songs on here to repair Prince's reputation. Instead the next thing the public got were New Power Soul & Rave...

CrozzaUK said:

Without a doubt the best thing he released during the 90's.
It seems insane that people can say Prince fell off during the 90's when you hear this, but then i guess there aren't that many that would have heard it due to Prince putting it as an extra CD on the back of a three CD boxset costing 50 bucks at the time!

The Truth *was* released...it was the fourth disc in the Crystal Ball set available through 1-800-NEW-FUNK and at retail stores. The sets sold through 1-800-NEW-FUNK also included "Kamasutra" as a fifth disc.
[This message was edited Mon Feb 3 11:36:20 PST 2003 by Doozer]

Doozer said:

oh reeealy

Doozer said:

i think crozza meant that it wasn't released as an album in its own right. Just a bonus cd, that doesn't do it justice.
[This message was edited Mon Feb 3 12:03:45 PST 2003 by Sly]

Dionne - Mary, Claire, Denise and Belle...

I donated a copy to the library, and they circulate it as "The Truth: the acoustic album by / Prince" -- gotta get it in the people's hands!

This "notion" that "The Truth" is his best album of the 90's is rediculous.


What is so great about "Don't Play Me"? Or "Man In A Uniform"?

This album lacks energy. This album is lacking in any truly standout songs. This album lacks any cool grooves or neat sounds that Prince excels at. This album has solidly decent songwriting, but lacks the musicianship and execution that makes Prince music entertaining.It's just solidly GOOD album: You Prince fans want so badly to have SOMETHING to call a WICKED late-90's Prince release, that "The Truth" wins by default!

"Gold Experience","Symbol","Come","Emancipation (while over-long), and "The Vault" are more entertaining albums! They have stand-out tracks, although inconsistant. "The Truth" is just consistantly AVERAGE. I'd rather have inconstant Prince surrounded with "Savior","Phermone", or "7", than, say, "3rd Eye". Anyone who goes for average Prince probably digs "Rave in2" as well.


...give me "Love 2 the 9's anyday!

The Truth is/was definitely overlooked, underated and misunderstood by even some of Prince's most devout fans.

To this day, I can't see how anyone can call themselves a die-hard Prince fan and not hear the brilliance of The Truth. And it's almost irrelevant whether or not someone personally likes all of the songs. But taken as a body of work, it is an artistic venture that takes Prince to another higher level. Unfortunately, I think it was yet another transition in Prince's career that many people just weren't ready for.

I was glad to see and hear how Prince's performance of "Don't Play Me" and "The Truth" at the Celebration received such a warm welcome. It is really and trully a musician's masterpiece and it's really too bad that a lot of fans can't "feel it" the way I do.

pimpytheclown said:

To each his own. But, The Truth is definitely NOT on the same level as "Rave in2" and it's definitely NOT average work in my opinion.

Pimpy, I just have a question. Are you a musician or have you ever been musically trained by a professional?

pimpytheclown said:

WHOAH...that is just crazy talk. The Truth contains some of my favorite work by Prince and those two songs are two of my favorite from the CD.

"I put my ass away
and the music I play
ain't the type of stereo
you're tryin' 2 feed
don't play me"

I always thought of Don't Play Me is a really well written song about Prince's attitude toward commercial success. By now he's pounded those beliefs into our heads so many times that we could probably do without it, but Don't Play Me was his best message in that regard.

Man in a Uniform is just fun. I dig it.

pimpytheclown said:

Well, the thing about it is, The Truth was his most cohesive, solid piece of work from the '90s. Every other album you mentioned is tainted by some inconsistancy, annoyance, or some controversy.

Gold Experience, the version released, is not the version Prince wanted to release. And because of this, it isn't the album it could have been. Prince scarred the album(with Pussy Control) so that when he gave it to Warner Bros, it would be tainted. It's a really good album, but inconsistant. Kick ass tracks one minute, We March the next minute.

Symbol is a really good album, but suffers from appearances by Kirstie Alley. Therefore it is tainted. This isn't one you can pull out and enjoy from beginning to end. At least, I can't.

Come and The Vault are both okay with, like you said, stand out tracks, but both are weak because they don't have a concept. They are just collections of songs.

Emancipation could have been great, but it IS too long, and suffers from appearances by Scrappy Doodle, or whatever that rapper's name is. And, worst of all, it contains FOUR covers of non-Prince songs. What was he thinking by doing that? Emancipation could have been an excellent SINGLE CD release, about 15 tracks of goodness, but he was so pent up from being held down by Warners, that he shot this massive load. Some of it tasted good, while some of it was...bitter.

The Truth, I feel, is goodness from beginning to end. I never skip a track. EVER. It is an achievement.

To each his own. But, The Truth is definitely NOT on the same level as "Rave in2" and it's definitely NOT average work in my opinion.

Pimpy, I just have a question. Are you a musician or have you ever been musically trained by a professional?[/quote]

Hi, FutureShock!

Thanks for your question! Yes I am a professional musician and professionally educated, although I think that's irrevelant here. I just look for from Prince is an entertaining new cd. "The Truth" ain't it!

"The Truth" is on the same level as "Rave In2" in that neither have a standout composition per se, and the tempo and energy level are about even. Lyrically, "The Truth" is far superior, i'll grant that. BUT, is "The Truth" really more brilliant a stretch as say "Rod Stewart Unplugged" or Paul McCartney's "Flaming Pie", which was mostly acoustic? Paul's cd was all new material, like "The Truth".And far better.

What Prince fans think is, "What an incredible feat and example of Prince's versitility ("The Truth")!See, he can do acoustic, in addition to rock, or funk!!!

Big Deal.

McCartney, for example can do acoustic, rock, even reggae. Prince fans want to hail this as a new direction Prince took that some weren't ready for, as has been suggested above^

Rediculous!Chaka Mad!

It's not like acoustic is so revolutionary, and quirky, personal Prince lyrics: nothing new there.And we have all witnessed Prince Playing every instrument in concert or record. ("Circle of Amour", and "Comeback" are beautiful, but there is not a truly exciting track in "The Truth".

A bold direction is Madonna going Techno-pop. That's bold. It sure ain't "Material Girl", or "Cherish". How different is "Welcome 2 the Dawn" to "The Cross", really??

Is there such a thing as a new Prince album that can be seen as "bold" anymore?

pimpytheclown said:

I think that The Rainbow Children was extremely bold.

pimpytheclown said:

I guess each person has their own opinion, but how can you say that it lacks musicianship, energy or any standout songs? The Truth stands out because of it's creative expression and heartfelt emotions. Anyone with one ear knows this album is well above average and ranks up there with some of his best work ever. The first time I heard Comeback I was in tears. I truely felt his pain and loss through this song. It's one of the most powerful 2 minutes of musicianship I've ever heard from Prince. I mean really, it's only average? Come on.

Doozer said:[quote]

pimpytheclown said:

WHOAH...that is just crazy talk. The Truth contains some of my favorite work by Prince and those two songs are two of my favorite from the CD.

"I put my ass away
and the music I play
ain't the type of stereo
you're tryin' 2 feed
don't play me"


1) is it true that "Comeback" was about his dead son, or was that just media mistruths?

2) Not everyone goes for self-indulgent lyrics ala "Don't Play Me". It's like "Freedom 90" by George Michael, when an artist has willfully exploited himself, then pulls himself out of the limelight. Then, he wants to sing about his predicament. It's just too self centered.

CrozzaUK said:

Completely agree. I didn't hear this gem of an album till many years after it came out and I was totally floored by it when I did. It's incredible.

'Comeback' made me cry it was so beautiful.

I agree wholeheartedly that if this album would've gotten more exposure to the general public, things would probably be far different now in terms of Prince's reputation.

SnowQueen said:

There isn't really ANYTHING that would restore Prince's reputation, because


1) it takes a cult following to accept a skinny, falsetto singing, high-heel wearing non-conformist

2) most music buyers are not devoted to artists- just hits, top 40 and fads.

3) By the time NPS and RAVE came out, the public wasn't paying attention anymore. It would have been no different for "The Truth". Prince just released a first-ever live box...do you think the world at large even knows/cares? Would they care if the "Truth" came out as a cd all it's own?

Sadly, the answer is no.

I don't know how you can claim that The Truth is his best album of the 90's!

There are several great songs on that album, but there is NO way it compares to Graffiti Bridge, , or Gold!

But I agree with some of the opinions here: The Truth does have a raw, personal sound which is a stark contrast to Prince's mostly overproduced sound of the 90's. I think that reason alone makes it unique.

But I can't get over Animal Kingdom -- the silliest, crappiest Prince song IMO. I always skip over that one, and to me it tarnishes the whole CD.

pimpytheclown said:[qoute]
Hi, FutureShock!

Thanks for your question! Yes I am a professional musician and professionally educated, although I think that's irrevelant here. I just look for from Prince is an entertaining new cd. "The Truth" ain't it!

---
Interesting. What do you play? I also have to ask, do you consider yourself a Prince fan? Or are you just a Prince admirer who only likes certain things from Prince?

My question is relevant, because You said: "This album has solidly decent songwriting, but lacks the musicianship and execution that makes Prince music entertaining."

And I figure that if you're going to comment on someone else's musicianship then you yourself must also be a musician.

As a musician, do you really honestly and truly believe The Truth lacks musicianship and execution? Or am I misunderstanding your point. If so, I have to ask, how then do you define musicianship and execution? And As a professional musician and one who has been professionally trained, what then could Prince have done to make you feel that the album embraces musicianship and was smartly executed? (Assuming the original compositions in and of itself is not enough)



---
"The Truth" is on the same level as "Rave In2" in that neither have a standout composition per se, and the tempo and energy level are about even.
---

First of all I disagree (unless your definition of "standout composition proves otherwise). So, can you define "standout composition" for me? I mean, what exactly do you mean when you say "standout composition" . And secondly, I would never classify The Truth and Rave In2 as being on the same level simply because I believe they are two totally and completely different bodies of work. It would be like comparing apples and oranges.
---



BUT, is "The Truth" really more brilliant a stretch as say "Rod Stewart Unplugged" or Paul McCartney's "Flaming Pie", which was mostly acoustic? Paul's cd was all new material, like "The Truth".And far better.
---
Obviously that is a very subjective question. Each person is going to have a different answer depending on what he or she likes. Obviously, you like Rod Stewart and Paul McCartney's work. But to hear either of those artists do acoustic work is really not a stretch for either of them. So, obviously hearing either Stewart or McCartney perform an acoustic set would be much easier to accept than someone like Prince who we are only accustomed to hearing mostly funk or rock.



---
What Prince fans think is, "What an incredible feat and example of Prince's versitility ("The Truth")!See, he can do acoustic, in addition to rock, or funk!!!
---



Maybe some Prince fans think that way, but I do not. I think The Truth is brilliant in it's own right regardless of Prince's proven track record in Funk and Rock. To me, it's great because I don't listen to The Truth for what I think it should be, I listen to it and enjoy simply for what it is. I think The Truth would've been much better received had it not been billed as an "acoustic set". Because, once Prince gave it a genre, then people's minds started to close. In reality, The Truth is much, much more than "acoustic".
---


Big Deal.

McCartney, for example can do acoustic, rock, even reggae. Prince fans want to hail this as a new direction Prince took that some weren't ready for, as has been suggested above^


Rediculous!Chaka Mad!

It's not like acoustic is so revolutionary, and quirky, personal Prince lyrics: nothing new there.And we have all witnessed Prince Playing every instrument in concert or record. ("Circle of Amour", and "Comeback" are beautiful, but there is not a truly exciting track in "The Truth".
---



I do believe a lot of people were not ready for The Truth, including you. It's not that acoustic is revolutionary, and I never claimed it as such. But using "acoustics" as a framework for developing an album was certainly a new direction for Prince. So because a lot of people such as yourself are much more comfortable hearing Prince do rock or funk or would much RATHER hear Prince do rock or funk, then it's much harder to accept hearing an album from Prince that is based on an acoustic format. So in that regard, I most certainly believe a lot of people were not ready for the new direction. It may not be new for other artists, but it was certainly new for Prince, and it is that newness that people such as yourself were not ready to accept.
---



A bold direction is Madonna going Techno-pop. That's bold. It sure ain't "Material Girl", or "Cherish". How different is "Welcome 2 the Dawn" to "The Cross", really??
---
You have to be kidding me. Are you really going to offer up Madonna and TECHNO-POP as being a bold direction for MADONNA??? You have to be kidding. Techno-Pop is not a far stretch at all from the dance oriented pop music that Madonna had already created through out her career. So what... Madonna got a new producer who likes and specializes in Techno... WHOOPI! Big Deal! That's not bold, that's called cashing in! If anything, something like Justify My Love (also NOT written by Madonna) was more bold than the Techno-Pop that her record company threw millions at to be commercially successful. Give me a break.

Okay, you picked One song "Welcome 2 the Dawn" and "The Cross". That's one song. What do the other songs on The Truth remind you of in Prince's collection???


Also, as a professional musician, I assume you can create something like The Truth any time you feel like it... being that The Truth lacks so much musicianship and execution. I mean, you make it sound like it's so simple and un-amusing that anyone could do it, so I assume you could create something like it if you wanted to right?

pimpytheclown said:

Well, there is a difference between what you term as the self-indulgent lyrics of Don't Play Me and the self-indulgent lyrics of Freedom 90. George Michael laid out his song for the world to see as a single and a video that no one on earth could escape. Don't Play Me was like a hidden gem...only for his true followers. Just IMHO.

I understand what you're saying about there not being anything super-spectacular about an a-list musician playing acoustic music. What made The Truth so fabulous was that Prince had turned in the King of Overproduction on previous efforts (a la Emancipation), so The Truth *was* a bold move for him. A simple album with a rare chance to hear Prince's voice take center stage on all the tracks...no rapping, no scratching, etc.

What you said about Madonna's move to techno music being bold is counter to your feelings about Rave, which in my opinion, is a fairly techno album for Prince (see "Rave," "Strange But True"). If Prince made an entire album that sounded with songs like "The Human Body," would that be a bolder move than an acoustic album in your opinion?

The Truth - One Nite Alone [piano album] - TRC - Expectation


equals

Parade - 8 - Sign O The Times - 16


I don't consider "The Truth" to just be the best album of
the 90's I consider it to be equal to some of his best
work in the 80's. Go ahead and say that's rediculous, but
it's just my own view. I love the album.

The only slightly negative thing I can think of about this
album is that it didn't have it's own jewelcase with nice
artwork and lyrics. Other than that, it's a gem.

"I don't consider "The Truth" to just be the best album of
the 90's I consider it to be equal to some of his best
work in the 80's. "

Se7en said:

It is silly indeed. I'm still puzzled by the line "if God wanted milk in me the breast I suck would have a line around the hood" (???). Anyone have any ideas what the hell this means?

I loved "the truth" i wish he would do more acoustic guitar and songs he does'nt have to do a whole album just add a few here and there prince always want's to do a whole album of something and then you get bored of it quick i don't know about you but im bored with ona live and the download jazz 9 song's i went back to listen to something else.

I listened to the TRUTH once.

Once.

It sounded like he knocked the whole thing out in an afternoon, fluffing songs out of a kernel of an idea. No going back and polishing, nothing.

But again, I DID just listen to it only once. I'm gonna go home and listen to it again. And then, what the hey, I'll listen to Ecrapcination again too.

But Rave Un2 - that will ALWAYS be a coaster for my beer.

i love it

it starts as an accoustic album

and changes but thats alright

animal kingdom

one of my faves