I think 3121 is the closest Prince has come to producing a great album.

In Fact if you remove Satisfied, Beautiful Loved And Blessed and Get On The Boat you have a great album, if a little short at around the 39 minute mark.

I did this and added Funk as the last song and It's fantasic. That song is far far too good not to be on an album.

Opening with Camille and ending with Camille, just great

For me 3121, Te Amo Corazon, Black Sweat, Love, The Word and The Dance are amongst his finest songs ever.

3121 and The Word are the two real gems of this album.

[Edited 11/26/11 10:40am]

Apart from Incense And Candles i think it's great

So you're saying that Prince has never done a great album?

It is always in my top 5 and my favorite from albums released after 2000, hands down.

novabrkr said:

So you're saying that Prince has never done a great album?

No.

I was going to say since Lovesexy, my son came in in tears as I was posting, freting about his Christmas play so I got a little distracted.

I've always thought the more electronic stuff was the best on 3121.

I gree those are the 3 weakest.

BLAB should have just be lef on Tamar's album.

Satisfied is dull, insipid. One of only a few Prince tracks I didn't bother put on my IPOD.

Get On The Boat is OK, but It's just a pretty standard JB funk jam, nothing special about but it's not bad.

Of the songs left Incense and Candles would be the weakest but I think it fits the album well and certainly belongs, is a good song.

All the others are great.

As far as Funk wasn't recorded after this was released, however it's a great song and I do consider it from with he same era.

I also think FBM and Mr Goodnight would have gone nicely on 3121.

Both are great songs but they don't sound like they belong on Planet Earth

I like Get on the Boat, Beautiful Love and blessed, and Satisfied. They are good songs, though not amazing

I would have prefered a rawer version of fury, like he played on SNL. He watered down the sound on the album version, still a very good song though

I would remove incense and candles, can't stand it.

His last great one IMO

Interesting that you don't like "Get On The Boat". I know a lot of casual/non-fans who really dig that one. For me it's a great album. But to be honest, I probably haven't listened to it properly in about 2 years!

toejam said:

Interesting that you don't like "Get On The Boat". I know a lot of casual/non-fans who really dig that one. For me it's a great album. But to be honest, I probably haven't listened to it properly in about 2 years!

I heard Get On The Boat over the summer playing at Pei Wei restaurant through their piped-in music. It was nice to hear, but also a little weird considering it's a non-single track from a 5-year-old album!

I think it's a great & diverse album

Correction

3121 is his BEST 00s album

3121 is his BEST mainstream album (better than D&P, anyway)

3121 : included in his top12 albums list...

3121 is probably only 4th on my favourite albums of the 2000's

JoeTyler said:

Correction

3121 is his BEST 00s album

3121 is his BEST mainstream album (better than D&P, anyway)

3121 : included in his top12 albums list...

I agree. It's a great album.

I love 3121, it's banging.

Black Sweat, Lolita, 3121, The Dance, and yes, even Satisfied = .

flawless album, the songs vary from classic to "just" good

CLASSIC: Black Sweat, 3121, Love, Fury, The Word, The Dance

VERY GOOD: Lolita, Te Amo Corazón

GOOD TRACKS: Incense & Candles, BL&B, Satisfied, Get On the Boat

I am so glad to hear that I am not alone in feeling much this way. While 3121 is no SOTT or Purple Rain, I find it to be the best album he has put out since that era. It is proffessional and polished. I too could do without BLAB or GOTB. And I maintain The Dance should have been a longer song, it cuts off just as it really starts to get powerful. While not his creative best, the rest of the songs are indeed very good. I wish he would do something this interesting again.

there's no saving this album. there are a few great tracks on it, but the rest is bland mainstream pandering weighed down by soul-sucking production.

Almost? It IS a great album!

Dewrede said:

Apart from Incense And Candles i think it's great

i played 3121 out when it came out

Hahaha, I first heard 'BLAB' on the peach and black Podcast. That is so funny to me! Haha...ANYWAYS

I love 'BLAB' on 3121 and everything else, with the exception of 'GET ON THE BOAT' I love that song LIVE, like when he did it on the Super Bowl! What makes that song great is the guitar! I wish he added more guitar on the album, like he did live.

Satisfied is also a filler..It's annoying. But I much rather listen to that than Lolita!!!

I mean am I the only one that song SUCKS! haha, I mean it's over-produced!!! I rather Incense & Candles over Lolita!

It is an exceptional album! But it would be one of the best if not for 'Lolita, Get On The Boat, & Satisfied.'

But somehow they all come together and make 3121! Haha

I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEE The Word, it's my jam now as well as 3121!

I dig it.

novabrkr said:

So you're saying that Prince has never done a great album?

I'd say that 1999 is the closest he's ever come, myself

But I agree, it's almost great. It's spoiled in a couple key places.

Lolita and Te Amo spoil it early for me. They fit in terms of the flow, but they simply feel empty. Certainly not bad, but more like the discarded shells of better Prince songs. You could say the same about Black Sweat, but that still has some life to it.

From there it is pretty good until Beautiful Loved and Blessed (yes I even like Incense and Candles). BL&B is a good enough tune, it just feels out of place. It could have been a revival of his great tradition of classic B-Sides, but instead he kills the momentum and ruins the vibe.

The production bothers me, Black Sweat hurts my ears, as does the guitar in 3121--two of the better songs on the album.

But it's close. He had a cool single in Black Sweat, a couple great tracks, a good flow, a good sound, a good energy...but it will only be ranked as the best of the worst IMO.

I think Prince could have created a constantly strong MOR-album (a more accessible, calmed-down take on his own legacy) by using the best songs from:

- Musicology

- 3121

- Planet Earth.

What that 'best' songs would be is subjective of course... Probably just as difficult as distilling 'your favourite songs from Emancipation on one single CD'... lol

Weak album:

the title song is great played live, I dislike the sound on the album.

Black Sweat is cool.

The rest is garbage.

Imo.

NDRU said:

But I agree, it's almost great. It's spoiled in a couple key places.

Lolita and Te Amo spoil it early for me. They fit in terms of the flow, but they simply feel empty. Certainly not bad, but more like the discarded shells of better Prince songs. You could say the same about Black Sweat, but that still has some life to it.

From there it is pretty good until Beautiful Loved and Blessed (yes I even like Incense and Candles). BL&B is a good enough tune, it just feels out of place. It could have been a revival of his great tradition of classic B-Sides, but instead he kills the momentum and ruins the vibe.

The production bothers me, Black Sweat hurts my ears, as does the guitar in 3121--two of the better songs on the album.

But it's close. He had a cool single in Black Sweat, a couple great tracks, a good flow, a good sound, a good energy...but it will only be ranked as the best of the worst IMO.

I like your wording with discarded shells of better Prince songs. I think every album since SOTT could be called discarded shells of better Prince albums. The whole joy to Prince albums for me has not been to own them for the popular singles, but for the treasures on the rest of the album. Lotus, Planet Earth, and 2010 have had as much treasure as a dollar general store. And that is, for me, far below par for Prince.

why does everybody love Black Sweat? really not feeling it. everything about it. the weak ass dr dre kind of high synth line just hate it. maybe some parts in the end when u hear the clavinet/keyboard thing is ok.

SpookyElektrix said:

why does everybody love Black Sweat? really not feeling it. everything about it. the weak ass dr dre kind of high synth line just hate it. maybe some parts in the end when u hear the clavinet/keyboard thing is ok.

The high pitch is irritating, BUT, the words are cool, the groove is cool, the drums are cool, and the video is really cool.