Ever since the whole LOTUSFLOW3R project came and went, I had to reaccess the MPLSoUND album and look real closely at the songs as well as what was happening in pop music during 2009-2010. I feel that if he would've released this album individually and put some work into promoting it further, it would've been a surprise hit from the jump. Almost every song seems like it could've appealed to almost everyone, specifically the pop and urban audience. As far as radio appeal, it wouldn't have been a fluke either. "Ol' Skool Company," "Valentina," "Dance 4 Me," "Chocolate Box," "Here," "No More Candy," and "You're Gonna C Me" would've definitely made some type of impact. It's widely known that LOTUSFLOW3R failed to achieve what was it was expected to do impact-wise, even though it was a success for Prince at this point in his career and it was a great deal overall. Not that P really cares anyway. But I feel that MPLSound as an individual album would've given him a surprise hit and the era itself would've blown up.

So, what do you all think? Was it a missed opportunity? Or, did the entire LOTUSFLOW3R project and era meet and exceed your expectations overall?

[Edited 7/12/12 14:34pm]

I was listening to it today. Liked it when it was released and still do now. Chocolate Box is the only one I can do without but still managed to get to the end without skipping any of it.

I agree! I think both albums could have been hits if they had been properly promoted. Imagine if he had a video for "Dance 4 Me" and released it online as well as sent it to the media outlets. With a little radio promotion, he could have had a BIG hit with this song.

I also think "Here" and "Ol' Skool Company" could have been hits.

It seems like his last few albums (except for 20Ten) had so many potential radio hits. Too bad Prince refuses to play the commercial game now.

daPrettyman said:

I agree! I think both albums could have been hits if they had been properly promoted. Imagine if he had a video for "Dance 4 Me" and released it online as well as sent it to the media outlets. With a little radio promotion, he could have had a BIG hit with this song.

I also think "Here" and "Ol' Skool Company" could have been hits.

It seems like his last few albums (except for 20Ten) had so many potential radio hits. Too bad Prince refuses to play the commercial game now.

Say word! I was listening to "Dance 4 Me" and "Valentina" and imagining the videos for those two. P could've did MPLSoUND up. It would've been one of 2009's biggest albums.

Dunno it seems to be very difficult for anyone over 40 to have a hit these days, you have to somehow get into the "in" crowd with the teenagers. Having said that i think you're right this album had the most potential to sway the young crowd, namely the first 3 tracks, they sound pretty hip to me.

I like it, but I think it needs one more uptempo song and one less ballad.

I messed with placing Feel Better, Feel Good in there. It needs something like that with that basic funky rock beat.

Toofunkyinhere said:

Dunno it seems to be very difficult for anyone over 40 to have a hit these days, you have to somehow get into the "in" crowd with the teenagers. Having said that i think you're right this album had the most potential to sway the young crowd, namely the first 3 tracks, they sound pretty hip to me.

But he pioneered this sound. He would've easily knocked The Black Eyed Peas and the rest of 'em of the map with this one. Urban and pop radio would've eaten this thing up, if you ask me. Prince needed to just tour more here. The 'Welcome To America' tour would've been the perfect vehicle for not only MPLSoUND, but for the entire set. Prince and his Jehova high horse...SMH!

NDRU said:

I like it, but I think it needs one more uptempo song and one less ballad.

I messed with placing Feel Better, Feel Good in there. It needs something like that with that basic funky rock beat.

That song sucks, it's one of his worst song on the album! Thanks for reminding me how crap this song is.

OzlemUcucu said:

NDRU said:

I like it, but I think it needs one more uptempo song and one less ballad.

I messed with placing Feel Better, Feel Good in there. It needs something like that with that basic funky rock beat.

That song sucks, it's one of his worst song on the album! Thanks for reminding me how crap this song is.

you try so hard to deflect our sexual tension!

Hit albums have to do with promotion and major label/corporate backing/pushing and little to do with actual quality/content.

MPLSound could have been a megahit (many of Prince's albums have that potential), but Prince didn't seem interested in playing the game to the extent that it would have taken. Just a few TV appearances and concerts and he was done with promoting it.

Compare that to what U2 or Madonna does with a new album.

[Edited 7/12/12 16:38pm]

NDRU said:

OzlemUcucu said:

That song sucks, it's one of his worst song on the album! Thanks for reminding me how crap this song is.

you try so hard to deflect our sexual tension!

Did u rather mean your sexual tension with your guitar when you practise to perform in nude clubs doing the striptease and all that high calibre things?

skywalker said:

Hit albums have to do with promotion and major label/corporate backing/pushing and little to do with actual quality/content.

MPLSound could have been a megahit (many of Prince's albums have that potential), but Prince didn't seem interested in playing the game to the extent that it would have taken. Just a few TV appearances and concerts and he was done with promoting it.

Compare that to what U2 or Madonna does with a new album.

[Edited 7/12/12 16:38pm]

But it was a megahit. I don't know what universe you live in as a skywalker but here where I am this album was the bomb!

OzlemUcucu said:

NDRU said:

I like it, but I think it needs one more uptempo song and one less ballad.

I messed with placing Feel Better, Feel Good in there. It needs something like that with that basic funky rock beat.

That song sucks, it's one of his worst song on the album! Thanks for reminding me how crap this song is.

WHAT? I personally wouldn't say it was the worst, but its place on the album was questionable. Then again, LOTUSFLOW3R was a more of a musician's record, than just a rock-pop juggernaut. I respect your opinion highly though because I was alittle disappointed when I first heard it. It was like a car hitting a rockblock.

silverchild said:

OzlemUcucu said:

That song sucks, it's one of his worst song on the album! Thanks for reminding me how crap this song is.

WHAT? I personally wouldn't say it was the worst, but its place on the album was questionable. Then again, LOTUSFLOW3R was a more of a musician's record, than just a rock-pop juggernaut. I respect your opinion highly though because I was alittle disappointed when I first heard it. It was like a car hitting a rockblock.

Yes, the song is meant to cause an anticlimax "Feel shit, feel shitter and fuck off" that is my interpretation of Feel Wonderful - it just is shitty rock, and that is shit unless you wanna dance nude as some here can testify

OzlemUcucu said:

NDRU said:

you try so hard to deflect our sexual tension!

Did u rather mean your sexual tension with your guitar when you practise to perform in nude clubs doing the striptease and all that high calibre things?

I rest my case

OzlemUcucu said:

skywalker said:

Hit albums have to do with promotion and major label/corporate backing/pushing and little to do with actual quality/content.

MPLSound could have been a megahit (many of Prince's albums have that potential), but Prince didn't seem interested in playing the game to the extent that it would have taken. Just a few TV appearances and concerts and he was done with promoting it.

Compare that to what U2 or Madonna does with a new album.

[Edited 7/12/12 16:38pm]

But it was a megahit. I don't know what universe you live in as a skywalker but here where I am this album was the bomb!

It was a top ten hit, yes, and it transcended further on the charts when it re-charted constantly. That's an amazing feat in itself. But, impact-wise, it was misguided because of Prince's unwillingness to go further with promoting it. It's like he did his little stint here in the US by doing a few TV appearances and then jump out the US to do concerts. I just feel like if he released those albums individually, it would've been far more interesting. MPLSoUND would've been the biggest album, commercially and impact-wise. People, including the youngsters, would've been in awe. Not sure about the LOTUSFLOW3R album, but that would've done well too.

OzlemUcucu said:

silverchild said:

WHAT? I personally wouldn't say it was the worst, but its place on the album was questionable. Then again, LOTUSFLOW3R was a more of a musician's record, than just a rock-pop juggernaut. I respect your opinion highly though because I was alittle disappointed when I first heard it. It was like a car hitting a rockblock.

Yes, the song is meant to cause an anticlimax "Feel shit, feel shitter and fuck off" that is my interpretation of Feel Wonderful - it just is shitty rock, and that is shit unless you wanna dance nude as some here can testify

Best response I've heard all week.

NDRU said:

OzlemUcucu said:

Did u rather mean your sexual tension with your guitar when you practise to perform in nude clubs doing the striptease and all that high calibre things?

I rest my case

Isn't it a perfect song to dance nude to?

silverchild said:

OzlemUcucu said:

Yes, the song is meant to cause an anticlimax "Feel shit, feel shitter and fuck off" that is my interpretation of Feel Wonderful - it just is shitty rock, and that is shit unless you wanna dance nude as some here can testify

Best response I've heard all week.

It just really is an awful song and totally destroys the feel of the whole album. It just is a filler and nothing more...one of the best is Valentina tho, very underrated!

OzlemUcucu said:

silverchild said:

Best response I've heard all week.

It just really is an awful song and totally destroys the feel of the whole album. It just is a filler and nothing more...one of the best is Valentina tho, very underrated!

you are so weird!

OzlemUcucu said:

silverchild said:

Best response I've heard all week.

It just really is an awful song and totally destroys the feel of the whole album. It just is a filler and nothing more...one of the best is Valentina tho, very underrated!

"Valentina" would've been a smash. Given the controversy it had gotten, I'm surprise it didn't catch on with too many. The synths and drums are killer. Prince's cocky swagger was all over MPLSoUND.

Favorite part of the song is at 1:33-2:00.

NDRU said:

OzlemUcucu said:

It just really is an awful song and totally destroys the feel of the whole album. It just is a filler and nothing more...one of the best is Valentina tho, very underrated!

you are so weird!

Why? He's talkin about Valentina cause he can't bang her, I think this song is reflective to everyday life like no other. Besides the drums are a killer, I love drums that's why I love Bacon Skin

"I got a box of chocolates that'll rock the socks off..."

....for that reason alone, it doesn't deserve to be.

The main problem is what NDRU said though--it needs one less ballad and one more uptempo song to be a hit in today's environment.

imago said:

"I got a box of chocolates that'll rock the socks off..."

....for that reason alone, it doesn't deserve to be.

The main problem is what NDRU said though--it needs one less ballad and one more uptempo song to be a hit in today's environment.

Horrible song...with the meow meow guitar sound in between those lines...that song in particular is like a sleeping pill to me. The album has 4 songs, rest are fillers but I think that's okay

imago said:

"I got a box of chocolates that'll rock the socks off..."

....for that reason alone, it doesn't deserve to be.

The main problem is what NDRU said though--it needs one less ballad and one more uptempo song to be a hit in today's environment.

Alot of guys nowadays love ballads and what have you...folks would've ate it up.

Proper promo could've made all the difference. I just wished Prince had taken advantage of the promo he did have with Musicology and 3121.

If Katie Perry or Lady Gagonit ect had released this it would still be on the charts, and would be talked about as a classic album, possibly the greatest album of all time, no joke. Modern music is all corrupt in my opinion, that is all.

Timmy84 said:

Proper promo could've made all the difference. I just wished Prince had taken advantage of the promo he did have with Musicology and 3121.

MPLSoUND, in general, would've had bigger impact than both albums combined. Especially if he had done a tour in the vein of 'Wecome 2 America.' I think almost every song on MPLSoUND would've had a big splash on not only the public, but radio as well. But that's never been Prince's style to focus on one album for a long time. Just a thought.

He doesn't wanna be like Madonna, he wants be known as indy artist which is kinda weird. I don't understand why he's not sharing his knowledge with folks, his interviews are so crap and cryptic nothing makes sense....even MJ had documentaries made about his life some sort....nothing genuine of Prince really exists.

Sometimes I think Prince may be weirder than MJ was represented to be. He may be indeed very sick and weird and not the Prince fans think he is.

Lotta people really don't have a damn clue unless you been around for long, very long as a fan...

but the org has lotta new ones, which is kewl.

[Edited 7/12/12 17:32pm]

Toofunkyinhere said:

If Katie Perry or Lady Gagonit ect had released this it would still be on the charts, and would be talked about as a classic album, possibly the greatest album of all time, no joke. Modern music is all corrupt in my opinion, that is all.