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Revisiting the Black Album - Prince's last great album??? This week I have been revisiting the Black Album .
This album always makes me smile . Fun time in my life . (first time out of college ... out of the roost ... girlfriends ... own places ... trips ... etc ) ...
and the album is Prince ... funky ... alil dirty ... and more or less PARTY MUSIC .... which i like ... I have said it before - but I think the first 3 songs are "near perfect" Prince songs ... killer .
From "dirty mind" to "1999", "purple Rain" and then "sign of the times" .... I do think all that time Prince had a hell of a run ... I always loved the "lovesexy" - Black Album period ....
As I was driving , listening to it ... i realized ... I think this was the beginning of the end for Prince in some ways ... SURE some of his later "hits" had some neat stuff on it .. but as an album goes ... I think this is his last great album ...
thoughts? Colonel Angus may be smelly. colonel angus may be a little rough . but deep down ... Colonel angus is very sweet. | |
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the end of the 80's Prince era. the last album he made without all the time and toys in the world that Paisley Park brought him. it's creeping in here, the denseness and the fiddley nature of his production techniques of years to come. but it still has that starkness, the sparseness, the space. the gutteral, visceral youth he employed so deftly before he moved on. | |
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No, it's not his last great album
Love Symbol in 1992
TGE in 1995
and other solid/strong albums
D&P in 1991
3121 in 2006
Lotus in 2009
20Ten in 2010 | |
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I agree. While he continued to sprinkle his albums with a few good songs here and there, but nothing in the league with the tunes here. The originality and timelessness of Bob George or Rock Hard cannot be understated. [Edited 2/21/11 18:35pm] | |
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i agree with Joe. surely not his last great album. for me, TRC qualifies as does Graffiti Bridge (just his songs), and Lotus | |
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and no, I don't think it's his last great album. I'm not even sure I think it's a great album. he's made some better ones since this. | |
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i think the following are great albums IMO:
- Love Symbol (1992) - 8/10
- The Gold Experience (1995)- 8/10
- 3121 (2006)- 8/10 | |
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oh yee prince fans of little minds ...
hehe (just kiddin)
I used to think it was not his greatest album . Hence , my re-visiting it ...
After listening to it pretty much all week in my car ... i have to say ... I DO THINK IT IS HIS LAST GREAT ALBUM .
Diamonds and Pearls . puhlease . Not even close . So much filler I dont have to discuss here.
Love symbol . (1992) . hello ? Tony M ? classic great album . I think NOT .
The Gold Experience . While I do think it returned Prince in my mind to "some form" . Too much "pop" stuff with little funk. imo.
To me, the BLACK ALBUM has no filler. Sure over the years I have "not liked " as much some of the songs (2 Nigs, Supercalifragi) but ... they have this way of growing on me. Like Classical music ... this album has grown on me ... and has special meaning in my life . Lets not forget , back then ... in 1988 , Rolling Stone gave the Black Album and Lovesexy "best album" of the year mentions - not that I always agree with Rolling stone ... but ... again ... just my lil argument and my .02 ....
so i rest my case . it was the last great classic album by Prince. Colonel Angus may be smelly. colonel angus may be a little rough . but deep down ... Colonel angus is very sweet. | |
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I do not think it's his last great album
Great albums recorded after Black Album (8/10 to 10/10)
LoveSexy (1988) Batman (1989) Diamonds and Pearls (1991) (1992) The Undertaker Video Album (1995) The Gold Experience (1995) Old Friends 4 Sale (1999) 3121 (2006) Lotusflow3r (2009) | |
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colonel sir, you'r one jaded listener, sir | |
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Black Album was not his last great album imo. I think it's overrated just because it once was rare, and "mysteriously black! oooh. Prince is rapping som funny lines on here, even though he cannot rap. Only a few of the songs are really great. However, he's got some of the coolest ideas ever on this record. His use of effects, sounds, programming etc sounds very different to me, yet it sounds a bit to rushed together. Sounds like a really good bootleg imo. But as an album as a whole, yet it got the sound and feel, but it just doesnt sound finished imo, and any really remorable tracks except Rockhard, When2rinlove and Bob George?. | |
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oh I am not saying I have not enjoyed other albums by Prince ... since 1988 .
When Graffitti Bridge came out ... i really thought that was a classic (at first) ... but over time ... it just hasnt weathered that well ...
and I kinda look at it as Lovesexy and the Black album came out at the same time ... (not Lovesexy coming out afterwards ... )
"Scandalous" - a classic? wow . I actually think with "scandalous " all the Prince ballads started sounding the same to me ... you can meld "scandalous" and about 8 other Prince ballads into one song ... imo ... thats why I always thought "when 2 r in love" was so original ... for a Prince ballad .
And song on the Black ALbum NOT being memorable... wow ... Bob George .... Cindy C ... Dead on it ... i personally just LUV cindy c because I think it is PRince at his best ... spontanaous and fun ... party ... etc ... Colonel Angus may be smelly. colonel angus may be a little rough . but deep down ... Colonel angus is very sweet. | |
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Dead On It is like his worst song of the 80's... I don't hate it, but I always skip it, it's just bad bad bad... | |
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Lovesexy is better.
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Yeah, not the last great album, but it and Lovesexy are a definate bookend to an era. | |
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............. Lovesexy deserves maximum imo. Prince 4Ever. | |
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Things certainly went downhill from The Black Album. I love that record. It's a lot of fun. Prince had such agreat imagination. | |
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No for two reasons. First, it isn't even in his top ten albums...songs are meandering and not very well written, and though it's very funky, it just isn't as memorable or lasting ad many other albums of his. Second, better albums than it have been released since. Just a listen to TGE will disprove the "last great" claim. =0P Brace yourself
The best is yet to come | |
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Still not sure how I feel about it, my opinion changes constantly. | |
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perhaps you mean his last great funk album...not that he has many albums that can be labeled/categorized as pure funk. I would rate TGE,TRC greater than Black. Now as far as FUNK is concerned , black has the better tracks, funk wise. [Edited 2/22/11 13:36pm] Stand Up! Everybody, this is your life!
https://www.facebook.com/...pope2the9s follow me on twitter @thepope2the9s | |
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lovesexy was way better.
have u not herd lotusflower and 2010
2010 was sick | |
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Well it gave me the cramps. | |
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One of the great things about Prince - everyone has an opinion.
I loved what this critic said about the first 2 tracks :
Right off the bat, the opening track "Le Grind" shows right away that this album has a point to prove. A straight up party anthem, Prince calls out the listener to "clap yo hands, double time", in which you do because it is so catchy and intoxicating. Running a bit long, it still is a great song, and an even greater way to start an album off with. Another good mention is the music itself, with some fantastic bass playing by Prince, and an even greater piano segment.
Colonel Angus may be smelly. colonel angus may be a little rough . but deep down ... Colonel angus is very sweet. | |
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Lotus Flow3r is pretty damn good...I even added The Morning After after Crimson & Clover. I can even tolerate Love Like Jazz and 77 Beverly Park (reminds me of Venis De Milo or Alexa De Paris).
Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records. | |
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sorry 2 here that each 2 their own. | |
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i would love to hear "2010" but ... i havnt yet . I dont have much "faith" in Prince these days from what I heard ...
I did like 3121 and Planet Earth ... but ... like I said ... Great albums? nah .
TRC . give me a break . Musically I did appreciate it ... but I can honestly say ... I never pick that one up and listen to it ... maybe I should again ...
Lovesexy . Hmm. I think I did wear that album out of me . The problem with Lovesexy from my standpoint is that there is no "great song" /single . I liked Alphabet St .. but ... not sure it qualifies as a great single . That is why i like the Black Album better . In my opinion - the first 3 songs on the Black Album are classic . (and fun songs ).
Colonel Angus may be smelly. colonel angus may be a little rough . but deep down ... Colonel angus is very sweet. | |
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what are the criteria for a "great" Prince album? Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016
Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder | |
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for me ? its personal appreciation as well as the "critics" appeciation ...
i have a pic in my office of Prince winning the Pazz and Jop Poll in 1988 (March 1988) - it may have been for Sign of the Times ... but it was around the Black Album and Lovesexy ... i just remember how Prince was on top of the world ... and his output from like 1980 til around that time was really remarkable...
To me - Purple Rain and Sign of the Times are classic Great Prince albums . Some would argue Dirty Mind also ... I always liked 1999 (first Prince album i really liked ) ...
but - the Black album to me - still has that "classic feel" ... almost like classical music ... i dont get sick of it ... Colonel Angus may be smelly. colonel angus may be a little rough . but deep down ... Colonel angus is very sweet. | |
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