I love this song. Prince's vocal delivery is so earthy and upfront. I like the vocal tone is uses which is similar to the way he sung on "Still Would Stand All Time". His low-register is woefully underutilized. The singing is urgent and gospel like and the songwriting is enigmatic. Some of the lines can be interpreted in so many ways, which is always makes for great art.

QUESTION: Is that Kat Dyson playing the 3-note riff at the end of the first verse?

Funny how people judge their perception of music in different ways.

You call his singing urgent and gospel-like... i call his singing restrained and calculated.

And i don't think there is anything enigmatic about the songwriting. Gold is a calculated attempt at creating a Purple Rain for the nineties (at least there IS a song), while in my ears The Love we make sounds like a SKETCH based on a power-ballad like Purple Rain (the songwriting is barely there).

Pr1nceQuik said:

just1lousydime said:

The majority of the people on this thread have said no such thing.

Sometimes people see or read the things their minds want them to see or read

I don't know if that made any sense lol.

It didn't.

missfee said:

NewYorkMike said:

Emancipation, Disc 3.

The "Emancipation" album has a lot of diamonds in the rough.

[Edited 10/10/11 16:30pm]

It really does. I think what I love most about it is that rarely do two fans compile a similiar list of tracks from the three discs that they are equally crazy about. It just goes to show how varied the man's style is, as well as how different his fans are.

NewYorkMike said:

missfee said:

The "Emancipation" album has a lot of diamonds in the rough.

[Edited 10/10/11 16:30pm]

It really does. I think what I love most about it is that rarely do two fans compile a similiar list of tracks from the three discs that they are equally crazy about. It just goes to show how varied the man's style is, as well as how different his fans are.

Exactly. The common complaint about Emancipation is that it would have made a great single disc but there is very little consensus about what the twelve best tracks are and every fans single disc version is different.

Heck, most folks do seem to agree that "We Gets Up" is the worst song on the album but I quite like it.

Love this song so much and watching him do it on the north sea show was amazing and yes the guitar solo rocked love it...

Dreamer20ten said:

I agree with this whole-heartedly! I absolutel love the live version of this song, and it always reminds me of Purple Rain. Especially because Prince plays both songs with so much passion. And the guitar ... WOW!!!!

one of my lovely favourites!! makes me feel all floaty & fluffy

Great song, too bad the studio version does not have a guitar solo...

KoolEaze said:

Very uplifting song. I love, love , love the 2010 live version. Something to listen to when you have a bad day and your spirit´s low. The 2010 live version is, IMO, much better than the album version.

What 2010 version? Please do tell! Haha

I really enjoy this song and several other songs from the "emancipation' Prince was very inspired and fulfilled with passion.

Sigh

one of my absolute favorites! Which is why I have the words

as a tattoo surrounding the prince symbol on my back.

The live version, esp where he opened up with this in LA, is truly beautiful. The keyboards are very moving. I have to take back a previous comment where I stated that Prince hasn't fully recovered after moving away from the Fink-Lisa era. It is still as beautiful as ever...just a different dispensation.

[Edited 10/14/11 2:14am]

should have been the last song on Emancipation..not Emancipation..I hated how that came next

First time I heard this live was at a 2:00 AM gig at the House Of Blues in Vegas in 2004.

Hearing this live in a club at 4:00 am was a surreal experience.

Became one of my favorites after that..

best song on the album, by far. one of his best songs in the last 2 decades.

I listen to it all the time, beautifully written and sang!! "Sacred is the prayer that asks for nothing".

One of his best imo.

thedance said:

Great song, too bad the studio version does not have a guitar solo...