Squaring off 1996's "Emancipation" with the 3-disc "Crystal Ball" set (discs 1,2,3 only, not counting the truth, to be fair).

When "Crystal Ball" was released, I remember thinking that it didn't quite measure up to "Emancipation", but over the years I have come to appreciate Crystal Ball much better, and in fact, now think it's better than "Emancipation" by a wide margin.

What do you think?

EMANCIPATION ALL THE WAY FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!

It's fav album of his!

I never really cared about Crystall Ball, the only song on this album I play on repeat is Don't Play Me, which is actually on the 4th, for the rest, not many songs on that album stood out enough for me to be recognizable.

For me its Crystal Ball

i think calhoun square might be one of his best songs, so ill go with crystal ball

Emancipation. There's a reason those Crystal Ball tracks were in the vault.

Crystal Ball is so much better but I like a few songs from Emancipation.

Crystal Ball is not even a real album. It's a collection of a bunch of unrelated songs from different time periods. So you can't really do a valid comparison of the two.

FunkiestOne said:

Crystal Ball is not even a real album. It's a collection of a bunch of unrelated songs from different time periods. So you can't really do a valid comparison of the two.

When I listen to Crystal Ball, it sounds like Prince in better days... Prince in better times. It sounds like I'm listening to the "glory days" of Prince. I LOVE IT!

Emancipation simples....

I don't give a damn if 'Crystal Ball' is outtakes, It's better than 'Emancipation' to me. Tracks like Sexual Suicide, Crucial, Dream Factory, Last Heart, title-track, etc are stronger than mostly everything on Emancipation, period! Emancipation is cool [Don't get me wrong], but I know for a fact that I've listened to Crystal Ball waaaaaaaaaaayyy more than I have Emancipation.....

"Pay your fuckin' beeper bill, Bitch!"-Author Unknown

CB stands up just for the quality of the title track, 2morrow, Goodbye, and Crucial, whereas Emancipation has the more solid set of songs throughout. There's some dross like Emale, but not nearly as much as on CB. I'd could still pare down CB into a decent single disc album mind.

Crystal Ball for sure for me. And it's sequence of songs works as good as any album he's put together. Except for the 3rd disc... Just the first two discs.

Crystal Ball

i think crystal ball beats the regular version of emancipation

but i think my version of emancipation beats crystal ball. my version is missing 12 songs (within seconds of an hour of material actually lol), making it a double album instead. its like the third disc was full of the songs i dislike, and i threw it out when i got it

FunkiestOne said:

Crystal Ball is not even a real album. It's a collection of a bunch of unrelated songs from different time periods. So you can't really do a valid comparison of the two.

I've always said that same thing. You can't rate Crystal Ball as a 'typical' Prince CD. It was not intended to have the flow of an album. They're both pretty good for what they are in my opinion. Some tracks I can do without but for the most part they're good listening.

mydrawers said:

Squaring off 1996's "Emancipation" with the 3-disc "Crystal Ball" set (discs 1,2,3 only, not counting the truth, to be fair).

When "Crystal Ball" was released, I remember thinking that it didn't quite measure up to "Emancipation", but over the years I have come to appreciate Crystal Ball much better, and in fact, now think it's better than "Emancipation" by a wide margin.

What do you think?

Thats a Good Question; I'd think I would go with CB also.

The best of "Crystal Ball" is better than the best of "Emancipation", but "Emancipation" is much more cohesive.

^Yeah, that's pretty much how I see it. Other than "Crystal Ball", "Dream Factory", "Acknowledge Me" and "Movie Star", there isn't a whole lot that interests me on Crystal Ball.

Emancipation has its flaws, yes, but it's a much more cohesive triple-album with many good and a few great tracks.

I agree the highs on Crystal Ball are better than anything on Emancipation - but oh, those lows

My vote goes to Emancipation. It's THE last great Prince album before The Artist started to musically fall off. Given that the album was release at the height of the Prince/Mayte lovefest at the time, all of the tracks sounds like they brought on the same album.

The tracks on Crystal Ball are hit & miss.

[img:$uid]http://pinboardblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Prince-Emancipation-135751.jpg[/img:$uid]

Crystal Ball doesn't even have a cover I can post (at least my version doesn't), therefore Emancipation is greater.

rialb said:

Crystal Ball doesn't even have a cover I can post (at least my version doesn't), therefore Emancipation is greater.

Crystal Ball, gets my vote: the epic title track alone is fantastic. Acknowlede Me, Hide The Bone, Days Of Wild, Interactive... there's some really great tracks.

Emancipation has always been a plastic-disappointment to me, even tho I have learned to enjoy it, somehow.

I have always preferred when Prince is funky, there ain't much raw funk on Emancipation. Too polished. Too saccharine.

thedance said:

Crystal Ball, gets my vote: the epic title track alone is fantastic. Acknowlede Me, Hide The Bone, Days Of Wild, Interactive... there's some really great tracks.

Emancipation has always been a plastic-disappointment to me, even tho I have learned to enjoy it, somehow.

I have always preferred when Prince is funky, there ain't much raw funk on Emancipation. Too polished. Too saccharine.

dyvrdown said:

i think crystal ball beats the regular version of emancipation

but i think my version of emancipation beats crystal ball. my version is missing 12 songs (within seconds of an hour of material actually lol), making it a double album instead. its like the third disc was full of the songs i dislike, and i threw it out when i got it

Just curious. What's your tracklist?

FunkiestOne said:

Crystal Ball is not even a real album. It's a collection of a bunch of unrelated songs from different time periods. So you can't really do a valid comparison of the two.

I know, right. It's not even a contest. Crystal Ball, for sure!!

They don't even deserve to be in the same breath or sentence.

Not that I'm gonna change my idea, but I'm listening to Crystal Ball with more attention (cause there are so many I never really took the time to enjoy them separately) and the album is growing on me...

But Emancipation still wins for me, I just love it.

AhPook said:

dyvrdown said:

i think crystal ball beats the regular version of emancipation

but i think my version of emancipation beats crystal ball. my version is missing 12 songs (within seconds of an hour of material actually lol), making it a double album instead. its like the third disc was full of the songs i dislike, and i threw it out when i got it

Just curious. What's your tracklist?

jam of the year

right back here in my arms

somebodys somebody

get yo groove on

courtin time

betcha by golly wow

white mansion

i cant make u love me

in this bed i scream

one kiss at a time

soul sanctuary

curious child

dreamin about u

the holy river

lets have a baby

saviour

the plan

friend, lover, sister, mother/wife

slave

la la la means i love you

style

sleep around

the love we make

emancipation

i absolutely love the album that way. it makes it one of my favorites. i dont skip any of them.

i dont remember what the names of all the songs i took out were, because.. i totally deleted them lol so.. =p

Crystal Ball. I have great Love for the title track.

^Right, the song "Crystal Ball" alone is better than anything on "Emancipation"!