I've been revisiting my tracklisting of Graffiti Bridge today, which omits all the collaborative stuff (apart from We Can Funk) and the incredibly cheesy title song. I can honestly say it's now my favourite 90's Prince album.

Here's the tracklisting

1. Can't Stop This Feeling I Got

2. New Power Generation

3. The Question of U

4. Elephants and Flowers

5. We Can Funk

6. Joy In Repetition

7. Tick, Tick, Bang

8. Thieves In The Temple (extended version)

9. Still Would Stand All Time

If you listen to the album with this tracklisting, it's an amazingly strong line up of songs. I always felt that the collaborative stuff killed any momentum the album had. For me, the songwriting, the production and the lyrics are outstanding on these songs. If only Prince had spent more time on this album than on the shitty movie, it could have been something outstanding.

I was really disappointed with this album when I first heard it, but in hindsight it has aged really well and deserves a second listen.

Whiskas31 said:

I've been revisiting my tracklisting of Graffiti Bridge today, which omits all the collaborative stuff (apart from We Can Funk) and the incredibly cheesy title song. I can honestly say it's now my favourite 90's Prince album.

Here's the tracklisting

1. Can't Stop This Feeling I Got

2. New Power Generation

3. The Question of U

4. Elephants and Flowers

5. We Can Funk

6. Joy In Repetition

7. Tick, Tick, Bang

8. Thieves In The Temple (extended version)

9. Still Would Stand All Time

If you listen to the album with this tracklisting, it's an amazingly strong line up of songs. I always felt that the collaborative stuff killed any momentum the album had. For me, the songwriting, the production and the lyrics are outstanding on these songs. If only Prince had spent more time on this album than on the shitty movie, it could have been something outstanding.

I was really disappointed with this album when I first heard it, but in hindsight it has aged really well and deserves a second listen.

If we're gonna edit down the best 9-track album of the 90's, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better than the Gold Experience. GB doesn't hold a candle to this...

1. P Control

2. Endorphinmachine

3. Shhh

4. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

5. Dolphin

6. Shy

7. Billy Jack Bitch

8. I Hate U

9. Gold

[Edited 7/22/11 14:15pm]

Whiskas31 said:

1. Can't Stop This Feeling I Got BLAND. 80s original version is the one

2. New Power Generation. Bland production. Cheesy lyrics.

3. The Question of U EXCELLENT

4. Elephants and Flowers EXCELLENT

5. We Can Funk Ok, but the 80s version is better

6. Joy In Repetition EXCELLENT

7. Tick, Tick, Bang

8. Thieves In The Temple (extended version) EXCELLENT

9. Still Would Stand All Time Uneven gospel song. Never liked it. You all know that you hear this song only because is a Prince song.

I would add 10.New Power Generation Reprise. Enter Tony M as a member of the family

That's a "B" / 3.5 stars album anyway. Probably better than D&P and Come (and obviously than any 96-99 album, and Batman), but not as good as or TGE

[Edited 7/22/11 14:25pm]

UltraLash said:

If we're gonna edit down the best 9-track album of the 90's, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better than the Gold Experience. GB doesn't hold a candle to this...

1. P Control

2. Endorphinmachine

3. Shhh

4. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

5. Dolphin

6. Shy

7. Billy Jack Bitch

8. I Hate U

9. Gold

???

that's pretty weak, you need Now and 319 between Dolphin and Shy

Graffiti Bridge is my 2nd least favorite Prince album, and taking out songs does nothing to make me like it more. Also, I think it's aged very poorly.

Still, I like 'The Question Of U', 'Theives In The Temple', 'Still Would Stand All Time' and 'Graffiti Bridge', but the rest is fairly average or weak (imo) and I don't find any of the songs to be that great.

Whiskas31 said:

I've been revisiting my tracklisting of Graffiti Bridge today, which omits all the collaborative stuff (apart from We Can Funk) and the incredibly cheesy title song. I can honestly say it's now my favourite 90's Prince album.

Here's the tracklisting

1. Can't Stop This Feeling I Got

2. New Power Generation

3. The Question of U

4. Elephants and Flowers

5. We Can Funk

6. Joy In Repetition

7. Tick, Tick, Bang

8. Thieves In The Temple (extended version)

9. Still Would Stand All Time

If you listen to the album with this tracklisting, it's an amazingly strong line up of songs. I always felt that the collaborative stuff killed any momentum the album had. For me, the songwriting, the production and the lyrics are outstanding on these songs. If only Prince had spent more time on this album than on the shitty movie, it could have been something outstanding.

I was really disappointed with this album when I first heard it, but in hindsight it has aged really well and deserves a second listen.

i actually listen to a list almost exactly like this, i kinda like 'release it' though

JoeTyler said:

Whiskas31 said:

1. Can't Stop This Feeling I Got BLAND. 80s original version is the one

2. New Power Generation. Bland production. Cheesy lyrics.

3. The Question of U EXCELLENT

4. Elephants and Flowers EXCELLENT

5. We Can Funk Ok, but the 80s version is better

6. Joy In Repetition EXCELLENT

7. Tick, Tick, Bang

8. Thieves In The Temple (extended version) EXCELLENT

9. Still Would Stand All Time Uneven gospel song. Never liked it. You all know that you hear this song only because is a Prince song.

I would add 10.New Power Generation Reprise. Enter Tony M as a member of the family

That's a "B" / 3.5 stars album anyway. Probably better than D&P and Come (and obviously than any 96-99 album, and Batman), but not as good as or TGE

[Edited 7/22/11 14:25pm]

Tony M is not on Graffiti Bridge.

UltraLash said:

If we're gonna edit down the best 9-track album of the 90's, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better than the Gold Experience. GB doesn't hold a candle to this...

1. P Control

2. Endorphinmachine

3. Shhh

4. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

5. Dolphin

6. Shy

7. Billy Jack Bitch

8. I Hate U

9. Gold

For me, removing tracks can never make an album better. But then again, I don't listen to albums start-to-finish so I don't mind if there's some weak spots. Also, I find it strange that you decide to keep 'Billy Jack Bitch' - I, and probably most people consider that the weakest song on the album.

TwiliteKid said:

JoeTyler said:

That's a "B" / 3.5 stars album anyway. Probably better than D&P and Come (and obviously than any 96-99 album, and Batman), but not as good as or TGE

[Edited 7/22/11 14:25pm]

Tony M is not on Graffiti Bridge.

no? I've always thought that the rapper of NPG.pt2 was Tony M

am I wrong?

TwiliteKid said:

JoeTyler said:

That's a "B" / 3.5 stars album anyway. Probably better than D&P and Come (and obviously than any 96-99 album, and Batman), but not as good as or TGE

[Edited 7/22/11 14:25pm]

Tony M is not on Graffiti Bridge.

I could've sworn one time when I saw the film and at the ending of it when the rapper shows up that that was Tony M. Then who was it?

JoeTyler said:

TwiliteKid said:

Tony M is not on Graffiti Bridge.

no? I've always thought that the rapper of NPG.pt2 was Tony M

am I wrong?

It's TC Ellis. Even hardcore Prince fans don't buy his albums anymore?

Timmy84 said:

TwiliteKid said:

Tony M is not on Graffiti Bridge.

I could've sworn one time when I saw the film and at the ending of it when the rapper shows up that that was Tony M. Then who was it?

See above.

TwiliteKid said:

JoeTyler said:

no? I've always thought that the rapper of NPG.pt2 was Tony M

am I wrong?

It's TC Ellis. Even hardcore Prince fans don't buy his albums anymore?

I don't own GB

TwiliteKid said:

Timmy84 said:

I could've sworn one time when I saw the film and at the ending of it when the rapper shows up that that was Tony M. Then who was it?

See above.

I see.

One of my friends here was nice enough to send me the Prince tracks of this album.
I'd heard so much about this album's mediocrity that I didn't want to touch it with a 20.5 foot pole.
But he talked me in2 it.

First off, I hadn't heard it nearly as many times as The Gold Experience and Come, my two favorite Prince 90's albums, so my opinion is a little biased.

But even with the brilliant gems like "The ? of U," "Joy in Repetition" and the great solo single "Theives in the Temple," I wouldn't consider this to be the best 90's album under his name or even under the "artist formerly known as".

Track by track,

the first track has me believing that he'd ripped it off of "Footloose"... the two sound uncannily similar.
"We are the new power generation"... I actually like quite a bit, so it's an exception.
LOVE the unique egyptian/mid-eastern flair of "The ? of U" and "Thieves in the Temple"... I might have been checking too much into the D&P videos at the time, but I was getting the impression of something out of 1,001 Arabian Nights when I heard that song for the first time... instead we get the urban imagery, for me it doesn't quite work.

But yeah, love that song even now after the days I listened to "the very best of" had long passed.

"Elephants & Flowers"... for some reason always kinda rubbed me the wrong way... maybe cuz he didn't even try to disguise the innuendo... it was all up front and ridiculously obvious, but hey, I've got a naive mind, so it comes off differently to me than to other people

"Tick Tick Bang"... I don't buy into at all, but I say this on the grounds that I've heard the 80's outtake version multiple times... and despite how obvious it is about what it's about, I kinda dug the beat... when he made it over with the 90's flair he had going on, I lost complete interest in it.

"Joy in Repetition" is probably the only song on the entire album where I think it stands up to the majority of his greatest songs of all time... really believe in how amazing it is.

"We can funk"... I'm indecisive about... I have good days and bad days listening to it

"Still would stand all time".... still hasn't grown on me yet, but the fact that after a million no's I finally said yes to "3 chains o' gold" there's still some hope.

Then of course, the title track goes without saying... it's like something out of a musical, uncharacteristic and doesn't go with much of anything on the record.

If I were to rank the 90's album I do own, I would rank:

The Gold Experience
Come
::
D&P
Emancipation
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic

above this... although Rave is negotiatable and I need to listen to Emancipation more... for the time being, the only thing I own that is less listenable is NewPower Soul... for a lot of reasons

JoeTyler said:

UltraLash said:

If we're gonna edit down the best 9-track album of the 90's, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better than the Gold Experience. GB doesn't hold a candle to this...

1. P Control

2. Endorphinmachine

3. Shhh

4. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

5. Dolphin

6. Shy

7. Billy Jack Bitch

8. I Hate U

9. Gold

???

that's pretty weak, you need Now and 319 between Dolphin and Shy

Gosh, I was just sticking to the 9-track thing. As an "album," it doesn't flow very well this way, but as a collection of songs, it's great. I always thought "We March," "Now," "319" and "Billy Jack Bitch" were weaker tracks.

The1592 said:

UltraLash said:

If we're gonna edit down the best 9-track album of the 90's, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better than the Gold Experience. GB doesn't hold a candle to this...

1. P Control

2. Endorphinmachine

3. Shhh

4. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

5. Dolphin

6. Shy

7. Billy Jack Bitch

8. I Hate U

9. Gold

For me, removing tracks can never make an album better. But then again, I don't listen to albums start-to-finish so I don't mind if there's some weak spots. Also, I find it strange that you decide to keep 'Billy Jack Bitch' - I, and probably most people consider that the weakest song on the album.

"Billy Jack Bitch" is one of my favourite tracks on The Gold Experience. It makes me violently thrust my head and throw air punches. Incredibly funky.

UltraLash said:

JoeTyler said:

???

that's pretty weak, you need Now and 319 between Dolphin and Shy

Gosh, I was just sticking to the 9-track thing. As an "album," it doesn't flow very well this way, but as a collection of songs, it's great. I always thought "We March," "Now," "319" and "Billy Jack Bitch" were weaker tracks.

ah hoochie, don't do that

There's a lot to like on GB, but for me, it's just hurt so badly by New Power Generation (arguably the centrepiece of the album), that it just never recovers. That song just sounds like a Pepsi commercial to me (maybe because 2/3 of its title are from a Pepsi commercial). After Lovesexy, I just expected so much more from a song called 'New Power Generation'.

Strangely enough, I don't hate the title track, though, mostly due to that 'standing on a mountain top' electric guitar - it sounds like it walked right in from the Glam Slam session.

Still, the presence of 'Gold' on The Gold Experience clinches it for me. There's just nothing quite as moving as that on GB.

pretty tough to beat this one too

1. My name is Prince

2. Sexy MF

3. Love 2 the 9's

4. The Morning Papers

5. The Max

6. Blue Light

7. Damn U

8. And God Created Woman

9. 7

or this one

1. Jam of the Year

2. Somebodys Somebody

3. Betcha by Golly wow

4. In This Bed I Scream

5. The Holy River

6. One Of Us

7. The Love We Make

8. Friend Lover Sister Mother Wife

9. Emancipation

Actually several could be substituted on this one too. Its tough to narrow this one down to 9.

I actually agree with ya, Whiskas.

When you trim away the collaborations and guests, Graffiti Bridge is a damn quirky and fun album with a unique energy to it. I tend to look at GB as the last gasp of Prince's '80s talents, released on the edge of his change in direction at the start of the new decade.

The Question of U, Thieves, Tick/Bang, Elephants & Flowers... just fantastic stuff.

[Edited 7/23/11 1:32am]

Whiskas31 said:

I've been revisiting my tracklisting of Graffiti Bridge today, which omits all the collaborative stuff (apart from We Can Funk) and the incredibly cheesy title song. I can honestly say it's now my favourite 90's Prince album.

Here's the tracklisting

1. Can't Stop This Feeling I Got

2. New Power Generation

3. The Question of U

4. Elephants and Flowers

5. We Can Funk

6. Joy In Repetition

7. Tick, Tick, Bang

8. Thieves In The Temple (extended version)

9. Still Would Stand All Time

If you listen to the album with this tracklisting, it's an amazingly strong line up of songs. I always felt that the collaborative stuff killed any momentum the album had. For me, the songwriting, the production and the lyrics are outstanding on these songs. If only Prince had spent more time on this album than on the shitty movie, it could have been something outstanding.

I was really disappointed with this album when I first heard it, but in hindsight it has aged really well and deserves a second listen.

I actually liked loved this album a lot when I first heard it. The movie's a completely different story, but that's another subject altogether!

I'd say that this album, even with the other tracks, is his best of the 90s. MUCH better than D&P and ! Gold would be a very close #2, but GB still does it for me, even if some of the songs were 4-5 years old at the time.

Plus, at the time, we had The Time's Pandemonium that came out too, and it was great hearing that album, which was their 3rd best but still quite strong. The Jerk Out video was one of the best ever to come out of the Prince camp!

JoeTyler said:

TwiliteKid said:

It's TC Ellis. Even hardcore Prince fans don't buy his albums anymore?

I don't own GB

Whaaaaaaat??? Get off this site and go to Amazon and get this album (or download it from your favorite source! )! There's just no excuse for this!

alexnvrmnd777 said:

Whiskas31 said:

I've been revisiting my tracklisting of Graffiti Bridge today, which omits all the collaborative stuff (apart from We Can Funk) and the incredibly cheesy title song. I can honestly say it's now my favourite 90's Prince album.

Here's the tracklisting

1. Can't Stop This Feeling I Got

2. New Power Generation

3. The Question of U

4. Elephants and Flowers

5. We Can Funk

6. Joy In Repetition

7. Tick, Tick, Bang

8. Thieves In The Temple (extended version)

9. Still Would Stand All Time

If you listen to the album with this tracklisting, it's an amazingly strong line up of songs. I always felt that the collaborative stuff killed any momentum the album had. For me, the songwriting, the production and the lyrics are outstanding on these songs. If only Prince had spent more time on this album than on the shitty movie, it could have been something outstanding.

I was really disappointed with this album when I first heard it, but in hindsight it has aged really well and deserves a second listen.

I actually liked loved this album a lot when I first heard it. The movie's a completely different story, but that's another subject altogether!

I'd say that this album, even with the other tracks, is his best of the 90s. MUCH better than D&P and ! Gold would be a very close #2, but GB still does it for me, even if some of the songs were 4-5 years old at the time.

Plus, at the time, we had The Time's Pandemonium that came out too, and it was great hearing that album, which was their 3rd best but still quite strong. The Jerk Out video was one of the best ever to come out of the Prince camp!

Graffiti Bridge better than ?

Reading all of your comments has made me happy. It's reminded me how much great material Prince released during the 90's.

Perhaps suggesting GB as his best 90's album was stretching it, but after listening to it again last night, I was pleasantly suprised at how good it still is (imho)

In hindsight Gold and Symbol are definitely stronger, but I think GB (with or without the collaborations) is as good as D&P (which has some great tracks ruined by 'gangsta' jams) and way better than the overrated COME (A couple of great tracks, but not enough decent material for a whole album).

I have mixed emotions with Emancipation. It should have been Prince's 90s magnum opus. imho there is some very strong tracks on that album, but it plays it too safe with the production. Perhaps if Prince took a few more risks with the production it could have been one of Prince's best albums. I always enjoy listening to it, but it just doesn't challenge the listener. (Which is the feeling I get with most of Prince's recent output).

Rave and New Power Soul for me aren't even in the same league as any other 90's album. I always felt Prince exhausted his creative talents on Emancipation and was ultimately disappointed with the lack of interest for it. I think he lost enthusiasm for his music on Rave and NPS.

I don't think of Chaos and Disorder as a proper Prince album, it feels like it was recorded solely to keep WB happy. I know Come was released in similar circumstances, but it does contain songs that were specifically produced for an album, not as a contractual obligation.

alexnvrmnd777 said:

JoeTyler said:

I don't own GB

Whaaaaaaat??? Get off this site and go to Amazon and get this album (or download it from your favorite source! )! There's just no excuse for this!

I did, some years ago I saved Question of U, Round and Round, Release It, Joy, and Elephants. I erased the rest of the album

Whiskas31 said:

Reading all of your comments has made me happy. It's reminded me how much great material Prince released during the 90's.

Perhaps suggesting GB as his best 90's album was stretching it, but after listening to it again last night, I was pleasantly suprised at how good it still is (imho)

In hindsight Gold and Symbol are definitely stronger, but I think GB (with or without the collaborations) is as good as D&P (which has some great tracks ruined by 'gangsta' jams) and way better than the overrated COME (A couple of great tracks, but not enough decent material for a whole album).

I have mixed emotions with Emancipation. It should have been Prince's 90s magnum opus. imho there is some very strong tracks on that album, but it plays it too safe with the production. Perhaps if Prince took a few more risks with the production it could have been one of Prince's best albums. I always enjoy listening to it, but it just doesn't challenge the listener. (Which is the feeling I get with most of Prince's recent output).

Rave and New Power Soul for me aren't even in the same league as any other 90's album. I always felt Prince exhausted his creative talents on Emancipation and was ultimately disappointed with the lack of interest for it. I think he lost enthusiasm for his music on Rave and NPS.

I don't think of Chaos and Disorder as a proper Prince album, it feels like it was recorded solely to keep WB happy. I know Come was released in similar circumstances, but it does contain songs that were specifically produced for an album, not as a contractual obligation.

If that is true I do not believe that it had the intended effect.

JoeTyler said:

alexnvrmnd777 said:

Whaaaaaaat??? Get off this site and go to Amazon and get this album (or download it from your favorite source! )! There's just no excuse for this!

I did, some years ago I saved Question of U, Round and Round, Release It, Joy, and Elephants. I erased the rest of the album

rialb said:

Whiskas31 said:

Reading all of your comments has made me happy. It's reminded me how much great material Prince released during the 90's.

Perhaps suggesting GB as his best 90's album was stretching it, but after listening to it again last night, I was pleasantly suprised at how good it still is (imho)

In hindsight Gold and Symbol are definitely stronger, but I think GB (with or without the collaborations) is as good as D&P (which has some great tracks ruined by 'gangsta' jams) and way better than the overrated COME (A couple of great tracks, but not enough decent material for a whole album).

I have mixed emotions with Emancipation. It should have been Prince's 90s magnum opus. imho there is some very strong tracks on that album, but it plays it too safe with the production. Perhaps if Prince took a few more risks with the production it could have been one of Prince's best albums. I always enjoy listening to it, but it just doesn't challenge the listener. (Which is the feeling I get with most of Prince's recent output).

Rave and New Power Soul for me aren't even in the same league as any other 90's album. I always felt Prince exhausted his creative talents on Emancipation and was ultimately disappointed with the lack of interest for it. I think he lost enthusiasm for his music on Rave and NPS.

I don't think of Chaos and Disorder as a proper Prince album, it feels like it was recorded solely to keep WB happy. I know Come was released in similar circumstances, but it does contain songs that were specifically produced for an album, not as a contractual obligation.

If that is true I do not believe that it had the intended effect.

Haha, ok. Correction: 'recorded solely to piss WB off'. Better?