Ok...I see a bunch of us hardcore P fans disliking it and to be honest when I first bought it years back at Borders I hated - I was an 80's P fan looking for the sound.

Years later I rate it as one of his best- a hidden gem. I really dig the Segue sections and the jazzy funk of it all. Sort of James Brown meets Dr. Dre. Great horns....no masterpieces like When Doves Cry but a solid funky departure. I think it is much better than it's twin The Black Album

3chainsofgold said:

Ok...I see a bunch of us hardcore P fans disliking it and to be honest when I first bought it years back at Borders I hated - I was an 80's P fan looking for the sound.

Years later I rate it as one of his best- a hidden gem. I really dig the Segue sections and the jazzy funk of it all. Sort of James Brown meets Dr. Dre. Great horns....no masterpieces like When Doves Cry but a solid funky departure. I think it is much better than it's twin The Black Album

Really glad you brought this topic up- I've had this on the backburner of albums I want to dive into and now I'm gonna make it a priority- I've been curious about this album for years and I love NewPowerSoul which I think is also very underrated. Can't wait to dive in...

People don't like it because Tony M is all over it.

Agreed...if im honest i picked out a few stand out tracks on first listen , but haven't really given it my time it deserves...the stand out track for me would be 2Gether.

My only reservation on this album is that it is very 90's sounding?....can it travel and turn me on in 2011?...

[img:$uid]http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc1/Joyinrepatition/f4c51fe5.jpg[/img:$uid]

Joyinrepatition said:

My only reservation on this album is that it is very 90's sounding?....can it travel and turn me on in 2011?...

Only if you like the 90's sound.

How (and I mean on which GALAXY) is GN 'a twin' of TBA? (and on which UNIVERSE is it better?).

I don't think it's that bad as to be one of the most forgotten about Prince works, but -honestly- claiming it's 'one of his best' is being unnecessarily generous.

[Edited 5/13/11 7:15am]

[Edited 5/13/11 7:16am]

tony m suited this sound miles more than rapping on d+p and symbol. a good, funky, party album and a gazillion times better than NPS.

^Agreed. Terrible rapper as he is, his voice and flow somewhat match these jazzy funk jams.

This is Tony's homegarden. the cd fits well and it all breaths fun as opposed to the more serious symbol album.

This album is not even in the same league as The Black Album.

That said, Tony M aside, I quite like this album, it's very funky.

TheDigitalGardener said:

This album is not even in the same league as The Black Album.

That said, Tony M aside, I quite like this album, it's very funky.

I like it.

minneapolisFunq said:

I like it.

Me to..but one of his best?....no

this is very mucha Tony & Levi album, to my ears. Prince is involved of course, but the other two are the dominant creative forces on it.

coming from someone whos name is threechainsofgold this thread is no surprise

"Goldnigga one of his best"...

no

When I got my hands on my copy of it I was curious to see how much involvement Prince would have in this NPG recording. No matter who was playing on what, I always felt like an NPG recording would all be Prince penned tracks.

Putting the CD in my player, I sat back and let the laid back funk of the GOLDN*GGA hit me. With its cool groove and creeping horns the song’s catchy chorus left this white Aussie boy in a dilemma. So here it is, though I never have used the “N” word in my life, when faced with it in so many places in the musical landscape should I or shouldn’t I sing it? I always opted not to and as stupid as it may sound, still to this day I never utter it in sing a longs.

So if the title track was laid back “Oil Can” gave us a quick hit of jazz funk more reminiscent of MadHouse than NPG, The drumming, which I always notice, is sublime with quick timed rolls. This track packs a punch.

I’ve never been a fan of segues on albums, it's become too commonplace and feels like an almost knee jerk reaction to trying to make the album seems more cohesive.

Deuce & a Quarter feels like true D&P/ era funk, tinged with a choral chorus a la Pavement. And there is a positive sense of P in the chorus. And whilst I like Tony’s timber, it’s the layers of music underneath that get me in, the smattering of a guitar solo throughout (wonder who’s playing that)

Black M.F. in the House, sounds like a reworked Jughead meets Partyman horns. Instantly hooked, the groove just bops along not letting go of you til the final note. Prince’s rap is typically tinged with humour as he adopts a “white” point of view. It always struck me as funny that they end with “stop racism now” yet play just as many stereotypes depicting “white folks”. I also love hearing that “Come on ya’ll” and am now conditioned to break into Get Wild, but that’s an album to come.

Gold N part 2 – much of the same.

Goldie’s Parade – for some reason this always reminded me of Calhoun Square, I think it’s just the intro and the drums. Layered with sweeping wah wah guitars and samples this is another example of where Madhouse would have been.

2Gether was the standout track. First heard on 1800 New Funk (for me – not sure if it preceded this release). With solemn verses and pleading choruses this song just builds in its brilliance.

Call the Law again was a song I had previously heard. It always felt like a bit of a throw away track. Not one of the finer moments on the cd.

Johnny with its live recording feel and P on vocals, always felt like it would have been a fun live track but no so much thrilling as a studio song. Too long and drawn out for my liking. Once prince fades off the main vocals I have to admit my interest fades too.

And once again we return to Gold N Part 3. by the end of the album though what sounded smooth and inviting now just seems uninspired and played out.

Listening to this album now, the first time in many years I’m still left with that feeling of disappointment. I had always hoped that the NPG albums would be the Funkadelic to Prince’s Parliament. A place for experimentation without the pressure of being a Prince “must shift units” album. Unfortunately this album failed in that offering, instead the tracks seem tired even before they make it out your speakers.

Thankfully by the time Exodus hit – the ratio of quality songs had increased.

It's fun, has moments, is forgettable. I like it.

802 said:

People don't like it because Tony M is all over it.

i agree, i don't like it. Although i like songs like Love 2 the 9's, Sexy MF etc.

I've never heard anyone say "Goldnigga" was one of his best. But hey, to each his/her own huh...

Oh hell naw!!!

I just don't like it

It sucks

On Ice

chelsearodgerslovesya said:

802 said:

People don't like it because Tony M is all over it.

i agree, i don't like it. Although i like songs like Love 2 the 9's, Sexy MF etc.

I think 802's reply is about the NPG album GoldNigga, not the album.

Effortlessly written funk grooves! I wouldn't claim it's the best, but I like it!

erik319 said:

Twin to the Black Album? Lovesexy, yeah... But goldni**a? Not seeing it I'm afraid. It's like saying the Carmen Electra album is the twin to Parade.

lol

It's strange to think he put out Goldnigga, then the Carmen album, sat back and said "Damn, I'm on a roll!"

I like it too and I agree its better than the black album. Personally I think the black album is pure garbage with the exception of Dead on it. The rest is AWEFUL to me

Don't know about it being one of his best, but it definitely has a nice little flow to it. And Tony M. really isn't that bad imo. I started listening to it again all last week. It's fun, just like I remember the early 90's. Btw, do I hear Carmen's voice on a couple songs/skits here & there?

[Edited 5/14/11 18:09pm]

dandeeland said:

I really love this album.

Let's not forget that no matter how obvious it seemed to try it, it was kinda visionary at the time to mix jazz and hip-hop. Goldnigga was released only one year after Doo Bop and 3 months after Jazzmatazz, which were both critically acclaimed (even Brooklyn Funk Essential's first album, released one year later in 1994, was still labeled as being visionary by critics). WB refused to release it but the funny thing is that this one album could have been an underground hit: not a huge mainstream hit but a critically acclaimed album that could have sold better than most Paisley Park's releases. But no one ever heard about it except for us hardcore fans.

Anyway, weither one can tolerate Tony's presence or not, Goldnigga is a very rich album, musically speaking. Might not be Prince's best album ever, but a small gem for sure.

I hope than when/if Prince chooses to remaster and rerelease it one day, Guess Who's Knocking will be included, as the album is kind of "amputated" without it.