Do you really find Parade "grounded"? I mean, sound-wise it may be less dense than Lovesexy (even though the fat reverb effects on some drum parts - f.e. in CTP makes Parade quite blurred and ambiguous too, in my opinion), but song-writing-wise, lyric-wise and especially arrangement-wise (special thanks to Clare) Parade is at least as "mysterious" sounding to my ears as Lovesexy.

If I were left with just one album, I'd pick The Gold Experience, with Parade and 1999 being close second and third choices.

Grounded in as much as it had a very focused vision. Stating the obvious but the fact that it is a soundtrack to a movie set in France really tied Prince to the project. The whole feel is concrete. I listen to it and know where I should be. Not sure if any of that makes sense (a lot more sense than some of the posts here though!).

To summarise I guess it's Parade: a love story set in France, Lovesexy: a spiritual journey. So as far as themes go I think I was right to state one is more grounded than the other.

Instrumentally however I agree, Parade is a ensemble masterpiece along with Lovesexy. Perhaps that's why the two are the ones I couldn't live without? A feast for the ears, a smorgasbord for the soul. Sorry couldn't help it. I've got my own coat, it's okay...

I'm always baffled when other people fail to get as excited as I do by these two albums. I just can't understand how they can't hear what I hear.

I see!

And yeah, how can you not find listening to Parade and Lovesexy exciting? I often thought that the "European" (imperfect, extremely analog feel) style of Parade was what put many listeners off, who were expecting a series of banging singles, a la Purple Rain. Concerning Lovesexy, the themery is probably too "out there" and unique for many people to just sit back and trust the music and experience...

Parade was all over the place musically but i loved it. he really went head first in the jazz

direction. probably his first true artistic album.

for me it would have to be Emancipation or crystal ball. mainly fo the fact that it contains

so much material.

nyse said:

Parade was all over the place musically but i loved it. he really went head first in the jazz

direction. probably his first true artistic album.

for me it would have to be Emancipation or crystal ball. mainly fo the fact that it contains

so much material.

I agree with all of that.

iloveannie said:

I'm more quality than quantity.

eh... if you trimmed Emancipation or Crystal Ball down to just the great songs, you'd still have more songs than either Parade or Lovesexy has.

CrabalockerFishwife said:

I can dig both ur arguments. caus emanipation and Parade are both classic albums in

their own right. But yet both albums contain a element that the other is missing.

in a way they sound like two totally different artists lol

1999

Easy choice for me, 1999.

The shelved Dream Factory album (19 track configuration).

If I had to go with officially released albums : Around the world in a day. Yeah, I said it

CrabalockerFishwife said:

iloveannie said:

I'm more quality than quantity.

eh... if you trimmed Emancipation or Crystal Ball down to just the great songs, you'd still have more songs than either Parade or Lovesexy has.

But Parade doesn't need to be trimmed, or added other songs. It's perfect the way it is. *go away Charade lovers* No matter how many great songs Crystal Ball has, it's a themeless compilation album to me.

Emancipation89 said:

nyse said:

I can dig both ur arguments. caus emanipation and Parade are both classic albums in

their own right. But yet both albums contain a element that the other is missing.

in a way they sound like two totally different artists lol

As much as I'm a Emancipation junkie, I'd disagree. Emancipation was a shout-out from Prince. He emphasized that "freedom" more than focusing on creating a musically revolutionary album, so he put a lot of songs and covers that don't quite fit in, almost as if just to convey that message, "I'm free now so I can release whatever I want". Parade on the other hand, gets my vote for #1 album, not just from Prince but of all time.

But my favorite is still Emancipation & Come

eh... if you trimmed Emancipation or Crystal Ball down to just the great songs, you'd still have more songs than either Parade or Lovesexy has.

I agree with your take on Emancipation.

iloveannie said:

...I guess it'd be between Parade and Lovesexy. Something about those two that encapsulates Prince for me. So much experimentation with the music and flawless song writing. Yet one is so grounded but the other so mystical (not quite the word I was looking for).

2010 sea of everything

I know many of you will object, but I would choose "One Night Alone...Live!"

It has many classic hits, songs from "The Rainbow Children" (which is my favourite Prince-album post 1988), unreleased songs (Xenophobia), rarities (The Other Side Of The Pillow), a great "Prince alone on piano"-section and it captures one of my favourite tours. I also love the jazzy mood of the whole show.

Can I choose Work It?

So this thread's not about what album we'd pick, it's just about what album you'd pick, right?

novabrkr said:

iloveannie said:

I guess it boils down to whether you view an album as just a collection of songs or

I do. Very few albums are great start-to-finish, so I just listen to the songs I like.

CrabalockerFishwife said:

iloveannie said:

I guess it boils down to whether you view an album as just a collection of songs or

I do. Very few albums are great start-to-finish, so I just listen to the songs I like.

I always felt a great album relied on not just the songs themselves but the sequence. In this post CD/iPod era it's easy to skip or re-order an album on the fly, but for those of us who grew up with vinyl & tape you pretty much listened to the album the way it was originally created (an added factor was also where the album was split between sides 1 & 2). If you look older albums that are considered classics (pre-1990s, that is) often you'll see how the artist created a mood or story through the sequence of tracks. Mind you I love the new technologies that allow me to make my own versions of an album, but it's sad to see that most artists now seem content to just put out a bucketfull of songs...

Getting off the soapbox, easily my choice is Dirty Mind: short and focused with no filler...

If I had to choose it would be SOTT, but I would cry if you wouldn't allow to have Parade as well. Tough to decide between the two. While Parade is my favorite album, SOTT is his masterpiece IMO, and it's a great sampler of all genres of Prince music. So that I can never forget all Prince has the ability to do, I would choose SOTT (and sneak in Parade).

TheEnglishGent said:

Can I choose Work It?

Nice

Around the World in a Day

+ the Bsides/long versions

it's a feast of different colors and sounds

Hard to choose. SOTT is his best album, but I would miss the musicianship/live band feel of TRC. Gold Experience has my fave band and brings me some great feelings.

Yeah Lovesexy or Parade for me also..

I don't understand ONA.. Live... I just can't stand that recording, yuck.

sign o the times