Dear .Org,

I remember at the time that Prince released Chaos & Disorder, my initial impression was more akin to disbelief. After the serious credentials and power of what I would suggest was effectively The Dawn era in terms of everything but name (i.e. Come, The Gold Experience, Exodus), I could not believe I was hearing what on first impressions appeared to be a sloppily, shoddy, compilation of songs, none of which appeared to be A-list material. For me, I think it was the first time I thought to myself, "How could he ruin his musical legacy like that?" It was akin to cutting one's nose to spite one's face.

I remember at the time that a long time fan had suggested to me to reframe my appreciation of the album as how one would view someone deliberately handing in a piece of homework knowing full well that it would be graded a B- for the greater good of focussing on coursework of greater value. Whilst that reframe helped at the time, it was only in later years (perhaps when I had grown distant from the immediacy of the effect of a new Prince album), that I began to start hearing the collection as quite an enjoyable, fluid and organic album. In many ways now, I appreciate it more than some of Prince's more meticulously crafted deliberate albums, such as The Rainbow Children, 3121 and Lotus Flower. I think the reason being that there is a certain "I couldn't care less" freeiing approach to Chaos & Disorder which allows the listener to hear Prince in a raw, organic, rehearsal-like space, which as I have learned to appreciate all side of his musical palette, I have particurlarly grown to appreciate.

In a similar sense, I must admit, I now also really enjoy The Vault: Old Friends For Sale compilation. Yet again, unlike Prince's meticulous delibrate studio efforts, The Vault showcases a really fluid, organic, care-free approach, perhaps best exemplified by the likes of When The Lights Go Down. Unfortunately, the downside (if there is one) of these releases is that I think they created the first blueprints for Prince to "coast", if you will, by releasing short-styled compilations which can easily pass as the new Prince album, but on closer inspection are nothing more than a 10-or-so song hodge podge of the usual Prince styles, but with no cohesive underlying artistic theme or sense of artistic pride, as was the case with almost all Prince releases until Batman (e.g. 1999, Purple Rain, Lovesexy).

Thus, nowadays, we have releases more like the blueprint of these contract fillers, which whilst enjoyable (e.g. Musicology, Planet Earth, 20Ten), they appear to have less longevity than the big guns in Prince's canon. Whilst we might all hope for a grand artistic statement for Prince to make, I think I have come to realise that these grand statements were made when Prince actually wanted to be a grand artist. But perhaps, like many others, I have realised the growth of an artist cannot be replicated other than the time it is genuinely coming to fruition, without rhyme or reason. It just is. Thank God, then, for Prince's period between 1980-1988, when everything came together.

What do you make of Prince's contract fillers, then, and now, in retrospect?

love,

Spirit

I love C&D and always have. Except for Dig U Better Dead, I Rock Therfore I Am and Had U.

The Vault has always been enjoyable and I've never had a problem with it, there's some really good tracks on that disc. The only blip on that one for me is My Little Pill.

[Edited 1/14/13 2:43am]

Surely not?

I simply cannot imagine how someone called TheEnglishGent would not warm to Steppa Ranks' contribution to I Rock Therefore I Am?

I am completely with you regarding My Little Pill. I mean, WTF?!

love,

Spirit

SpiritOtter said:

Surely not?

I simply cannot imagine how someone called TheEnglishGent would not warm to Steppa Ranks' contribution to I Rock Therefore I Am?

I remember when Chaos and Disorder came out and although it was touted as a contractual obligation, the early reviews were good and praised his guitar work on the album a lot. I enjoyed the album and the title (to me) represented his world at the time, the pulling together of some of the tracks and so much more. I love the title track to this day too and think the albums that were considered contract fillers were more “old material” than unfinished pieces.

If Prince became conscious of what his output and legacy would be in 88 and pulled the Black Album for favour of Lovesexy then he sure wouldn’t release an album he feels would do him discredit. C&D can be seen as angry, rebellion-fuelled and a less arranged piece of work than some of his crafted visions and the reason may be because during this era the politics of his relationship with WB overshadowed the music, message and resulting albums. He still performed Dinner with Delores everywhere and did a video for it. The Vault: Old Friends for Sale seems a compilation album made of never released gems which are aimed at providing a glimpse into his leftovers that have been withheld from release by choice. It’s an interesting album because of its content and neither of these can really be considered well promoted or high profile. My impression is that these were part of the angry messages he was sending out to WB.

Your view on Come, Exodus and The Gold Experience is interesting and on reflection makes a lot of sense. I loved this era, and remember the interviews Prince was giving about pitting Come against the Gold Experience which he pretty much did with the Beautiful Experience TV special, and it worked fabulously. I loved both albums and they were so different and can’t believe he seemed to be dismissing Come at the time because it was “old material”. The 3 Chains O Gold video came out at the same time as the Come album and it was a good time for available output for anyone. Then touring with The Gold Experience and performing outrageously funky shows which incorporated tracks from all 3 albums at aftershows and then full Gold sets on tour all added up to a real experience for Prince fans at the time.

I don’t agree with the statement that nowadays the music has the blueprint of the contract fillers because to me Musicology was a complete experience. The album itself had a lot of cohesion between tracks and themes and the announcement which came with the scratch of a needle to vinyl that kicked off heavy promotion on TV and began a very successful tour which celebrated live music and began for a new generation of audiences the live Prince experience all worked in every way. Planet Earth had the hype about being given away overshadowing it and unfortunately relegating its worth to a newspaper freebie (and the relevant publications own pre-release hype about how it was the best thing since Purple Rain) all overwhelmed the album itself bringing too much expectation and no chance for exploration. Guitar, Somewhere Here on Earth, Chelsea Rodgers, Future Baby Mama and Mr Goodnight got a lot of love in terms of airplay and live performances. The overall feel of the album was about the now, the future and the overview. I liked it but not as much as some of his other work but in the UK at least it seemed everyone had it – a copy for their car, their work, their home, their nephew – everything – because it was given away so much by the newspaper and during the 21 Nights in London.

I think 20Ten suffered some of the same pre-release hype as Planet Earth because of the newspaper thing – another example of the situation overshadowing the album, but it was interesting to see the direction the songs were going.

I think all these still reflect growth and the struggle to find new avenues to release music in times when the music industry is considered to be battling piracy, the death of physical sales and even albums. Despite these headlines, Prince has managed to find ways to get his music out there on his terms (ensuring he gets paid too) and promote the albums by playing their songs on tour and releasing videos for the songs. The lyrical content is as thoughtful as ever and there’s more range in terms of vocal ballets than some of the earlier stuff.

I guess everyone likes different things about Prince’s work and albums. I loved the Gold live experience because it was like experiencing an album you couldn’t officially buy and doing it live while knowing all the words to the songs too. I read some places the live shows weren’t filled and in Japan they even had a clause added to make him play a few “hits” so people didn’t feel cheated. Now he plays the hits all throughout his tours and we miss the obscure tracks and intimate aftershows. Different strokes for different folks.

This viewpoint mirrors what I think about having a fan-run website and allowing a consensus to choose the music that is purchased – you’re taking away individual choice. If I say I want to listen to Soul Sanctuary and someone else wants Adore, I respect that but in the new site only one of us will get the experience we want.

Good idea to reflect on Prince’s work during this era though, some gems are unearthed much later and you find something you enjoy a lot more now than when it came out.

It's better than Newpowersoul but nowhere near as good as emancipation (although thats not fair because it's 3 discs long). Overall, the reason i have trouble labeling it as a bad Prince album is because there are alot of albums with worse songs on them but the problem is that those albums had many amazing songs to go with the bad songs. Where chaos and disorder didn't have any amazing songs just a few good ones and some really terrible or okay songs.

of4s was a great record .. the i'll do anything songs were not great but the other songs were .. its the album prince should be making now .. it's perfect for the starbucks push that some of the other older artists have done recently ...

chaos is an album i liked at first .. like many albums in this era .. but upon revisiting over the years i have fallen out with this era .. mostly due to lyrics .. i find chaos to be heads and shoulders above gold and emancipation and maybe a close second to new power soul

i am one of those who finds new power sould to be one of his last works that has true prince gems on it .. the one , come on , and wasted kisses are all classics ... the other songs would hold up better with a few lyrical changes and the funk jams are not that bad if u don't mind the simple lyrics

i love dig better, had u, zanalee, dinner, i will, into the light and i even used to love i rock therefore i am .. purely as a guilty pleasure cuz it is so hokey .. but still

songs like chaos, right the wrong, same december, i like it there, annoy me lyrically .. they just seem to cutesy and played out, not really written by god as some artists tend to suggest. as in they sound too thought up and not felt when written

ultimately these albums seem better in hindsight because of what came after them .. being even worse. at the time chaos, gold, emanc, were all a lowpoint in prince artistic credibility. honestly they all have really great music on them and it is the lyrical deliver that really ruins these records .. too many stupid lines or stupid raps or overly confident boasts that seem cheap and shallow, or pretend tributes to mayte that just plod along .. u want them to be good and grand but they just go no where .. so many great musical ideas tho .. its easy to appreciate these records when trying to get into his even newer work

interestingly .. after for you .. prince has always taken a somewhat rushed approach to putting out records .. the last time he really obsessed over making a great album was probably the symbol record that came after dnp .. but dnp seems like it came together fast .. just listen to the vocals on money dont matter .. perhaps if he had obsessed over those records more he would have removed tony m .. but clearly he just said .. tony rap .. take print done .. ship it ..

and then there is the fact that prince early stuff was hugely collaborative .. i am reading dmsr right now .. fantastic book .. and the quote that comes to mind comes i think from matt fink ... "we were making a record but we didn't get to play on the record" prince would come up with songs during long jams with his band, who were his close friends back then, but prince would just record everybodys parts himself. it was quicker that way and he got to keep his .. i do everything myself like stevie wonder .. status .. prince future working with hired hands and not people he grew up with really sucked the life out of his work .. it is easy to see the difference and understand that post 88 is not the work of a man surrounded by his best buds .. like the beatles or the stones .. but more the work of prince with no friends trying hard to make new friends in his new band .. and it sounds awkward .. especially when prince tries to impress his new black friends by rapping poorly

i would say the template for quick records has been there all along .. lovesexy was certainly very quickly done .. even sott was a widdled down collection of a ton of quickly done music .. there was just so much of it that the final product was bound to be great

i say it is more who he is surrounded by that affects the output than that he does these songs quickly .. even dirty mind was super quick and raw like chaos ..

i am concerned more with who prince is surrounded by than his method of recording .. simply because prince is more of a sponge than a driven artist .. he can take his influences and spit out something better than all the individual parts .. but if his influences are poor .. prince puts out subpar material .. prince laboring over perfection is what kills his records .. for you and his recent work seem too perfect and lifeless as a result .. i would say he could use a little of the reckless abandon that came out of his end of wb carelessness .. but with better lyrics of course

i now must come to the realisation that i am the only Prince fan to love "my little pill"

hell! its even my message ringtone!

ah well...i first heard "chaos and disorder" at the NPG cafe in camden on a preview (god im old)

and i just recall thinking"he sounds sad"

i also recall how i would have enjoyed slapping the idiot behind the counter whom insisted on air guitaring to everything

I think that how the music is presented is very important, and counts for a lot. First impressions and all that.

There is some stellar material on Chaos & Disorder, but because it seemed like Prince didn't care about it...why should we? You can feel the lack of enthusiasm before you even listen.

Imagine if every album was built up/properly promoted like Diamond & Pearls or Musicology. Are those albums two of Prince's very best? Not in my opinion, but they are held in high regard partly because Prince really took care of them promotionwise.

Basically it comes down to this:

If Prince offers a new song as a "hurry up and get it" youtube ripped mp3 or as a proper 99cent digital download, it does impact perception of the song. How you showcase, present, and frame your art does matter.

Chaos and Disorder is better than the lame disclaimer would have you believe, and it deserved better than to be put out by Prince at such a bitter time.

[Edited 1/14/13 11:44am]

I love C&D. It's one of those rare Prince albums where if he has a point to prove or a topic to get off his chest like The Rainbow Children or Lovesexy or Grafitti Bridge, it's gonna be good for me.

I still love that album. Top 5 for me it is.

[Edited 1/14/13 16:31pm]

jonylawson said:

i now must come to the realisation that i am the only Prince fan to love "my little pill"

You're not. I always liked it; I was surprised when it was actually released (I figured it would stay an outtake because it seemed so tied to the film--it really doesn't fit any persona Prince has presented). I really like the "A pixie does my laundry and the universe my will."

However, my pick on the album is There Is Lonely. I figured it would eventually get released--it's well up on my list of all-time great Prince tracks. Sure, there's nothing to it--but I still love it. "Perhaps only Cain when he'd slain his brother would ever come close to knowing how"? Surprisingly touching, The whole thing works for me, from the opening finger snap, through those echoing cymbals, the solo, that little drag on the "perhaps" at about 1:50, the break on "brother" after it. And especially the end. That last "how I feel right now," the way it just hangs there, just sounds so, well, lonely. Then the final soft "krssssshhhhhhhhhh...."

Brilliant.

Now, the Albert Brooks version--clearly played for laughs. But Prince's is played straight--and fantastic.

i think chaos & disorder had all the makings of a really great album but was seriously

marred by a few bad song choices. "empty room" was supposed to be on there but it

got taken off, i guess prince decided he'd rather not have warners own the maters to

it?

anywho, imagine the 93 empty room sitting on this album along with a few other cuts

that are better and you could have had something like this:

01. chaos and disorder

02. i like it there

03. dinner with delores

04. da bang

05. same december

06. zanalee [original]

07. calhoun sq

08. into the light

09. i will

10. empty room

11. had u

now surely, no one would piss on that as much as they do on the album now.

granted, there are a few killer tracks replacing the stinkers that ARE on it but

still, it tells you something about the strength of the rest of the material if you

can alter your own perception of an album that much through the replacement

of just 3 tracks.

SpiritOtter said:

Thus, nowadays, we have releases more like the blueprint of these contract fillers, which whilst enjoyable (e.g. Musicology, Planet Earth, 20Ten), they appear to have less longevity than the big guns in Prince's canon.

very good point indeed.

The "contract fillers" are better to me than NewPower Soul and Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic. Those two albums were apparently "the best" what he himself could offer at the end of the 1990s and he wasn't "obliged" to put them out.

I've understood that Come was something he had wanted to put out despite the problems with WB (or before they escalated). Maybe not with the same track listing but close enough to what we got in the end.

IstenSzek said:

anywho, imagine the 93 empty room sitting on this album along with a few other cuts

that are better and you could have had something like this:

01. chaos and disorder

02. i like it there

03. dinner with delores

04. da bang

05. same december

06. zanalee [original]

07. calhoun sq

08. into the light

09. i will

10. empty room

11. had u

The album is weaker because of the middle section, so just some work on it would have made it more appealing. Or he could have just filled up the CD a bit more to get some of those rock and blues tracks out the time (The Ride, Da Bang etc.).

People don't really complain that much about the 1970s double-LPs having "filler" material on them, even if everyone from Genesis to Todd Rundgren did that. It became more of an issue later on when the critics started to feel the need to criticize everything.

As albums they have flaws, but no more so than Graffiti Bridge, D&P, Batman etc. There are individual songs on there that stand the test of time, and I think OF4S especially has aged well as a collection of songs.

I remember when I met michael bland at the airport back in 2009 and I told him that I actually liked chaos and disorder cd because it was all out rock n roll and he told me that hardly nobody liked that album and I also like just a few tracks from the vault: old friends for sale since I have it in the car.

[Edited 1/15/13 18:42pm]

I would listeng to Chaos & Disorder a thousand times over compared to 20Ten or MPLSound.

C&D was an interesting F-U to Warners Music(C). An album that wasn't good enough to be successful, but

not terrible enough to be completely written off. Hence, an album some fans could enjoy

but largely impossible for WB to promote and make much money off of.

To me the most perplexing contract filler wasthe COME album.

I can't for the love of god understand how anybody could love that album.

The title track is bloated, the songs are all coldly sterile feeling, and even

the rock-out 'scream' moments have a cold exactness to them that makes

the entire affair feel...paint-by-numbers for Prince. He was obviously doing a

"Mapplethorpe" with it... You know how Mapplethorpe's works have a picture

of a huge throbbing uncut penis beside a picture of a pretty little flower. Well,

The Gold Experience is the penis--it excites---while COME was it's flowery sister.

Who wouldn't want a big, throbbing uncut penis over some wilty lilly, lawd?

At lest with C&D, you get a messy album. Prince is best when he is messy.

[Edited 1/16/13 10:06am]

the undertaker and chaos & disorder are very similar in production as they were recorded around the same time. I know because I read that the song "chaos and disorder" was recorded in 1993.

outsideofthebox said:

I remember when I met michael bland at the airport back in 2009 and I told him that I liked chaos and disorder cd and he told me that hardly nobody liked that album and I also like just a few tracks from the vault: old friends for sale since I have it in the car.

[Edited 1/15/13 18:49pm]

SpiritOtter said:

What do you make of Prince's contract fillers, then, and now, in retrospect?

love,

Spirit

Wasn't EVERYTHING released from 1993-1996 contract fillers, though? Wasn't it the end of 1992 or early 1993 that he changed his name and tried to retire, rather than put out music for WB.

smileyhappyperson said:

I remember when Chaos and Disorder came out and although it was touted as a contractual obligation, the early reviews were good and praised his guitar work on the album a lot. I enjoyed the album and the title (to me) represented his world at the time, the pulling together of some of the tracks and so much more. I love the title track to this day too and think the albums that were considered contract fillers were more “old material” than unfinished pieces.

If Prince became conscious of what his output and legacy would be in 88 and pulled the Black Album for favour of Lovesexy then he sure wouldn’t release an album he feels would do him discredit. C&D can be seen as angry, rebellion-fuelled and a less arranged piece of work than some of his crafted visions and the reason may be because during this era the politics of his relationship with WB overshadowed the music, message and resulting albums. He still performed Dinner with Delores everywhere and did a video for it. The Vault: Old Friends for Sale seems a compilation album made of never released gems which are aimed at providing a glimpse into his leftovers that have been withheld from release by choice. It’s an interesting album because of its content and neither of these can really be considered well promoted or high profile. My impression is that these were part of the angry messages he was sending out to WB.

Your view on Come, Exodus and The Gold Experience is interesting and on reflection makes a lot of sense. I loved this era, and remember the interviews Prince was giving about pitting Come against the Gold Experience which he pretty much did with the Beautiful Experience TV special, and it worked fabulously. I loved both albums and they were so different and can’t believe he seemed to be dismissing Come at the time because it was “old material”. The 3 Chains O Gold video came out at the same time as the Come album and it was a good time for available output for anyone. Then touring with The Gold Experience and performing outrageously funky shows which incorporated tracks from all 3 albums at aftershows and then full Gold sets on tour all added up to a real experience for Prince fans at the time.

I don’t agree with the statement that nowadays the music has the blueprint of the contract fillers because to me Musicology was a complete experience. The album itself had a lot of cohesion between tracks and themes and the announcement which came with the scratch of a needle to vinyl that kicked off heavy promotion on TV and began a very successful tour which celebrated live music and began for a new generation of audiences the live Prince experience all worked in every way. Planet Earth had the hype about being given away overshadowing it and unfortunately relegating its worth to a newspaper freebie (and the relevant publications own pre-release hype about how it was the best thing since Purple Rain) all overwhelmed the album itself bringing too much expectation and no chance for exploration. Guitar, Somewhere Here on Earth, Chelsea Rodgers, Future Baby Mama and Mr Goodnight got a lot of love in terms of airplay and live performances. The overall feel of the album was about the now, the future and the overview. I liked it but not as much as some of his other work but in the UK at least it seemed everyone had it – a copy for their car, their work, their home, their nephew – everything – because it was given away so much by the newspaper and during the 21 Nights in London.

I think 20Ten suffered some of the same pre-release hype as Planet Earth because of the newspaper thing – another example of the situation overshadowing the album, but it was interesting to see the direction the songs were going.

I think all these still reflect growth and the struggle to find new avenues to release music in times when the music industry is considered to be battling piracy, the death of physical sales and even albums. Despite these headlines, Prince has managed to find ways to get his music out there on his terms (ensuring he gets paid too) and promote the albums by playing their songs on tour and releasing videos for the songs. The lyrical content is as thoughtful as ever and there’s more range in terms of vocal ballets than some of the earlier stuff.

I guess everyone likes different things about Prince’s work and albums. I loved the Gold live experience because it was like experiencing an album you couldn’t officially buy and doing it live while knowing all the words to the songs too. I read some places the live shows weren’t filled and in Japan they even had a clause added to make him play a few “hits” so people didn’t feel cheated. Now he plays the hits all throughout his tours and we miss the obscure tracks and intimate aftershows. Different strokes for different folks.

This viewpoint mirrors what I think about having a fan-run website and allowing a consensus to choose the music that is purchased – you’re taking away individual choice. If I say I want to listen to Soul Sanctuary and someone else wants Adore, I respect that but in the new site only one of us will get the experience we want.

Good idea to reflect on Prince’s work during this era though, some gems are unearthed much later and you find something you enjoy a lot more now than when it came out.

Thank you for your thoughtful contribution, smileyhappyperson.

I concede; perhaps I was stretching, suggesting that the contract filler CDs presented an early working blueprint for his albums from 2004 onwards. I guess what I was trying to allude to is that the actual albums themselves since 2004 seem, at least to my mind, to be less of the DNA/theme of the actual experience of that era.

A strong, cohesive, tightly concentrated album (1982-1988) provided the definitive stamp on each of the eras within, whereas nowadays the albums seem more like appetisers for the era rather than a solid defining point of the era itself. For example, I would suggest that the Musicology album itself did NOT define the Musicology era in the same way that the Rainbow Children album DID define the One Night Alone era. Again, even if the 3121 or Lotus Flower albums are considered highlights of the decade, did those albums actually and unmistakablt define their respective eras?

Perhaps, I am wrong, but it just seems to me that Prince is defining his body of work less by the albums he puts out nowadays (thus, they are psychological "contract" fillers, of sorts) and has concerned himself far more with the business model and live setting/performances as definers of an era. Since the One Night Alone era, the subsequent eras are far less thematically distinct and instead blend into one another far more fluidly. I suspect that is because Prince has placed less attention on creating strong DNA within his actual albums (perhaps, Lotus Flower being a noticeable exception, although even then his concentration seems to have wavered on MplsSound).

Since 2004, his albums seem loosely compiled to me, like contract fillers of sorts (even though I actually really quite enjoy them all). His albums since 2004 certainly don't seem like the striking centrepoints of the eras within. Instead, it has been more like one BIG evolving greatest hits tour for 8 years, with loosely compiled (by Prince's standards) studio output every two years or so.

love,

Spirit

IstenSzek said:

something like this:

01. chaos and disorder

02. i like it there

03. dinner with delores

04. da bang

05. same december

06. zanalee [original]

07. calhoun sq

08. into the light

09. i will

10. empty room

11. had u

^ Yes!

Great tracklist..

It seems that some people are confused about these so called "contract fillers". Prince didn't make Come, TGE, and Chaos and Disorder with the mind set that they would be given to WB to fulfill his contract with them. Most of that material was already recorded by the time they came to an agreement on how many more albums he owed them. By the time Come was finally released in 94, and TGE in 95 those songs were "old" in Prince terms...considering most of them were done by 93.

motherfunka said:

It seems that some people are confused about these so called "contract fillers". Prince didn't make Come, TGE, and Chaos and Disorder with the mind set that they would be given to WB to fulfill his contract with them. Most of that material was already recorded by the time they came to an agreement on how many more albums he owed them. By the time Come was finally released in 94, and TGE in 95 those songs were "old" in Prince terms...considering most of them were done by 93.

You could argue that he was recording heavily during that period to spite WB. But that stuff was released to fill his contractual obligations. Hence they are fillers, you said so yourself the stuff was old by then. Count Hits 1,2, B-sides compilation and Black Album also.

Adisa said:

motherfunka said:

It seems that some people are confused about these so called "contract fillers". Prince didn't make Come, TGE, and Chaos and Disorder with the mind set that they would be given to WB to fulfill his contract with them. Most of that material was already recorded by the time they came to an agreement on how many more albums he owed them. By the time Come was finally released in 94, and TGE in 95 those songs were "old" in Prince terms...considering most of them were done by 93.

You could argue that he was recording heavily during that period to spite WB. But that stuff was released to fill his contractual obligations. Hence they are fillers, you said so yourself the stuff was old by then. Count Hits 1,2, B-sides compilation and Black Album also.

I agree they fulfilled his contractual obligations, but there is a big difference as to why the Black Album was released compared to why the Gold Experience was released. The stuff was old by then, because it took them so long to come to an agreement.

There is NO WAY Prince considered Come and TGE to be contract fillers. He poured his heart and soul into those albums. The song lists were constantly changing and interchangeable between the two albums.

Prince wanted to release both albums in the same year to compete with each other Prince vs but Warners were having none of that.

In the end TGE became a contract filler and came out almost two years late. By that time Prince had well and truly moved on. His whole "creative" focus on what would become Emancipation.

To fulfill his now untenable contract with WB he dug out some old songs (many form the Come/TGE sessions) and supplied C&D amongst others.

I forget now the order of events )where's my copy of The Vault by Uptown) but at one point he was going to give WB three albums titled The Vault vol 1, 2 and 3 but that all changed.

Totally agree that C&D had the potential to be another great (rock) album had Prince's song choice been more "generous" by including songs recorded during the same era such as Empty Room, The Ride, Calhoun Sq, Da Bang AND if he had dropped that awful rapper on IRTIA which would have otherwise been fine!

Personally I think giving WB another great/solid album would have been a better FU as it would show them "look what you are going to be missing" and it would have probably sold better! Could have then been leverage for a better outcome.

Oh well *sigh*

[Edited 1/23/13 2:45am]

As someone said Come and TGE are not contract fillers. C&D is a contract filler as Prince states on the cover that this music was intended for private use. Having said that, I like the album over all.

And Imago I love the vibe of the Come album.