I've seen that many fans are not big on these 2 albums whatsoever. I personally wasn't big fans of either one myself. So here's my question: Which of these 2 albums do you prefer & why?

Shockedelicus said:

Rave is only slightly less mind-numbingly boring than NPS.

NPS is kinda weird to me. I never undertstood why he did that album.....

There are good and bad tracks on both albums, for me, Rave... sounds less plastic than NPS, so that would be my choice of the two. But Rave In2... is actually the one I would tend to listen to more.

Definitely Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic. Probably half of that album is good while Newpower Soul only has a few good tracks. I'll take The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale over either one of 'em.

they're both steaming turds, prince looks ridiculous on both covers. new power soul is slightly redeemed by containing "the one" which is lush and "come on" which is listenable, whereas rave is totally bereft of anything resembling a melody, in my opinion the worst album of his career.

robertgeorgeakabob said:

they're both steaming turds, prince looks ridiculous on both covers. new power soul is slightly redeemed by containing "the one" which is lush and "come on" which is listenable, whereas rave is totally bereft of anything resembling a melody, in my opinion the worst album of his career.

"The Greatest Romance...." is a dope song though.....

Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic anyday, sure it's The Artist Formerly Known As Prince pretending to be Prince pretending to be brought back to life in a then modern context, but i would rather take someone thinking they're inspired, than with NPS and inspired to write an album of 90% duds.

Definitely Newpower Soul. I like most songs of this album. For some reason I never liked Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic as an album but only a few songs. Anyway, I rarely listen to the album or single tracks.

NPS: There is this "flow" I enjoy about it. I liked the album back then and I still do know.

Rave would have been excellent if he released the Rave album as configured in 1988 but remastered. That would have gone down very well.

TheFreakerFantastic said:

Rave would have been excellent if he released the Rave album as configured in 1988 but remastered. That would have gone down very well.

I've never seen the original tracklisting for "Rave.....". Feel free to post it if you don't mind.....

Tittypants said:

TheFreakerFantastic said:

Rave would have been excellent if he released the Rave album as configured in 1988 but remastered. That would have gone down very well.

I've never seen the original tracklisting for "Rave.....". Feel free to post it if you don't mind.....

2 possible tracklists:

The late 88 tracklist would have been a masterpiece IMO.

Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic 1 Octobert 27th 1988
The Voice Inside
Melody Cool
Rave Un2 The joy Fantastic
God Is Alive
If I Had A Harem
Stimulation
Still Would Stand Alll Time
Elephants & Flowers
Big House
We Got The Power

Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic 2 (late 1988)
Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic
If I Had A Harem
Good Judy Girlfriend
Pink Cashmere
Electric Chair
Am I Without U?
God Is Alive
Still Would Stand All Time
Moonbeam Levels

[Edited 5/20/11 15:47pm]

I like NewPower Soul a lot. It was kind of a weird follow-up album to Emancipation, but still, I think it's good, albeit not great.

Rave has a few very good tracks, but it's a really bad album overall.

TheFreakerFantastic said:

Tittypants said:

I've never seen the original tracklisting for "Rave.....". Feel free to post it if you don't mind.....

This is one of the potential tracklists, however it seems to be missing 'Good Judy Girlfriend' which I believe was also slated for release.

1.The Voice Inside

2. Melody Cool

3. Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic

4. God Is Alive

5. If I Had A Harem

6. Stimulation

7. Still Would Stand All Time

8. Elephants & Flowers

[Edited 5/20/11 15:42pm]

Interesting tracklist....

I prefer Rave. Most of these songs I like except Hot Wit U, Baby Knows(however I like this track live), Greatest Romance ( ok but just NO, nice video though), that horrible, horrible cover song, and Pretty Man should have been left off. Also the sun the moon and stars is kind of filler. I actually like that track but the lyrics are just not that great. All the rest was not bad at all to me personally. My faves are the title track (I do like the Small Club version better though), I Love You But I don't Trust You Anymore, Man O War, and W.Y.G.W.E.Y.D.( I can see why a lot of people would think this track is boring though). So Far So Pleased is also pretty damn good.

Rave.

Better songs.

Rave by a long shot, the songs are better and its more musically diverse than the funk lite weak feel of NPS. Rave also has "The Greatest Romance ever sold" which is a very strong ballad, also "Hot Wit U", Baby Knows, and The Sun Moon and Stars, all NPS has is the One and Wasted kisses, which are more kind of okay rather than great. Plus you have to skip some hollow tracks to get to Wasted Kisses, maybe he could have done this gimmick with more forgettable tracks on the album.

Both of them have blood-curdling songs on them ("Freaks on this Side", "Push It Up", "Silly Game", "Everyday Is A Winding Road", etc). They both feel much less satisfying than the albums that flanked them. Perhaps its because I skip so many songs. Even the decent ones on each album are just not that great. There's so many other songs you could spend that time listening to.

New Power Soul. I actually love that album.

Newpower soul is shit? NewPower Soul is THE shit!! Come on, its funky sexy madness.

I like them both for the albums they are.

NPS I favor just a little bit more than rave.

NPS has Come On.

Rave has Strange But True.

All I need is 1 classic song to not hate an album, and they each have at least 1.

That said, they both are weak "albums", but both are better than Musicology, IMO.

RumAndRaisin said:

Newpower soul is shit? NewPower Soul is THE shit!! Come on, its funky sexy madness.

With a little editing I agree with you.

I love Rave.

Rave by a mile

For me, Rave > NPS

Rave sounds low energy when I try and listen to it or when I did try to listen to it when I had it awhile back. Sounds just so lifeless. New Power Soul I only like half the songs.

That having been said I guess i'd pick NPS.

[Edited 5/21/11 18:51pm]

Hey different palette, different preferences. I've never understood criticisms of Rave and NPS because I find both albums infinitely listenable. I like Rave better because Greatest Romance, Hot With U, Sun Moon Stars, Everyday Is A Winding Road, Man O' War, Baby Knows (what an intro), and my fave for this cd Wherever U Go. Further, I wish I could get another 2 minutes of Tangerine, and everytime I listen to So Far, So Pleased, I can't stop singing it.

As for New Power Soul, I can dig the title track, Mad Sex, Until You're In My Arms Again (so tender), Push It Up, Freaks On This Side (love the faux live vibe, and I was actually at a concert when he got that chant going), Come On, and of course The One. NPS is a solid album!

It's not in the class of Sign Of The Times, or Dirty Mind, or Musicology, or Around The World In Day. But I listen to NPS just as much as I listen to The Gold Experience, and some say that album is great.

Now I can make an argument for Rave Unto The Joy Fantastic being a GREAT album. If he had included Beautiful Strange on the original then the album would unarguably be his best of the 1990's. I don't necessarily care for the remixes on Rave In2. Romance and Man O' War are nice, but I like the originals too.

Dave1992 said:

New Power Soul. I actually love that album.

I do too.