Started listening to every Prince album in release order today. Amazing how they keep getting better and better with every release. Just finishing up Purple Rain right now.

First thoughts...[my fav tracks]

For You...not so good, but you can hear the potential. [Soft & Wet, I'm Yours]

Prince...ah! There's that potential! [Sexy Dancer, Bambi]

Dirty Mind...whaa? He's taking it to a whole new level! (But you can still hear that "original" Prince sound. [Uptown, Head, PartyUp]

Controversy...Onward and upward. Keeps getting better with every release. [Sexuality]

1999...ambitious! Pop hits and quirky experiements galore. [All the Critics, Lady Cabdriver, International Lover]

Purple Rain...pretty much perfection. I absolutely love each and every track.

Around the World in a Day...this is a complete departure. It's Prince 2.0. So exciting to hear a completely new sound. [Pop Life, The Ladder]

----

I've never listened to P's work in order before. It's cool to hear the progression. Up to this point each album clearly built upon the previous release(s). With ATWIAD he seemed to throw away everything and start from scratch. Amazing. Soooo ballsy considering the enormous success of Purple Rain.

Well that's where I'm at now. Hearing "Pop Life" right now. I'll update as the journey continues.

It's cool what you're doing...but i'm grateful that I lived it.

My first Prince exposure was the Purple Rain album when I was 12 years old. I wore that cassette out! But I was only 12...wasn't really "following" any sort of music or artists. When I heard he was doing music for Batman, I remembered loving Purple Rain and that's when things got out of control. I've been a P nut ever since.

G3000 said:

It's cool what you're doing...but i'm grateful that I lived it.

Listening in order now is just one part of the story. You always have to consider the time factor. That's why it's absolutely ridiculous if people claim over and over again:"This new song is as good as Purple Rain (or SOTT) material. If it was released in 1984 (or 1987) it would have been a huge hit!"

I always feel a brand new fan should listen to his albums in order, but

that his first 3 albums are non-essential (even Dirty Mind).

After listeniing from Controversy until LoveSexy, then the listener

should listen to the first 3 to see just how much he expanded.

As far as the 90s + material, the listenner might as well

skip around as they'd like.

imago said:

I always feel a brand new fan should listen to his albums in order, but

that his first 3 albums are non-essential (even Dirty Mind).

After listeniing from Controversy until LoveSexy, then the listener

should listen to the first 3 to see just how much he expanded.

As far as the 90s + material, the listenner might as well

skip around as they'd like.

I do agree.. as I became a fan at Purple Rain... and followed the career chronologically up to the Sign O' The Times album and that year.. discovering the back catalog... actually backwards from 1999 to For You... It was a WILD ride as a young kid turning into a teenager.... PLUS.. each album was carefully digested in a year.. Enoyed the experience of the album.. buying the singles, exploring a bside every few months. (With an extended or remixed EP).. Waiting on radio to see what song was being promoted.. Hoping the clip would magically appear one afternoon on MTV.. and the world of protege and other Paisley Park projects where a WHOLE new world... I remember going to Best Buy or other stores at the time and scan the R&B section for ANYTHING that had that little Paisley Park logo on it... and storing the title in memory bank, that that album has SOMETHING to do with Prince - Many times buying it for that reason.. knowing Nothing about the artist or what was going to be on the album... What a treat to find something like Madhouse or Jill Jones. We didn't have internet.. It was always a treat to have a little babysitting money stored in the wallet and that Wonderful trip to the record store.. it was Way different and I think made the journey as a fan MUCH more fullfilling. Along came memories.. When and How u first heard of a song.. How u found out about it... What you were doing in your life. What store you bought a release at... getting out of school (or sometimes skiping) on a TUESDAY on a release date... hoping you could get to the record store... on and on.. the experience was soooooo cool. I try to remember those days when I see an Online post about something new... and within 5 minutes, I"m buying, downloading and automatically listening to.... It lost a litle (well big) something.

sovembol said:

imago said:

I always feel a brand new fan should listen to his albums in order, but

that his first 3 albums are non-essential (even Dirty Mind).

After listeniing from Controversy until LoveSexy, then the listener

should listen to the first 3 to see just how much he expanded.

As far as the 90s + material, the listenner might as well

skip around as they'd like.

I do agree.. as I became a fan at Purple Rain... and followed the career chronologically up to the Sign O' The Times album and that year.. discovering the back catalog... actually backwards from 1999 to For You... It was a WILD ride as a young kid turning into a teenager.... PLUS.. each album was carefully digested in a year.. Enoyed the experience of the album.. buying the singles, exploring a bside every few months. (With an extended or remixed EP).. Waiting on radio to see what song was being promoted.. Hoping the clip would magically appear one afternoon on MTV.. and the world of protege and other Paisley Park projects where a WHOLE new world... I remember going to Best Buy or other stores at the time and scan the R&B section for ANYTHING that had that little Paisley Park logo on it... and storing the title in memory bank, that that album has SOMETHING to do with Prince - Many times buying it for that reason.. knowing Nothing about the artist or what was going to be on the album... What a treat to find something like Madhouse or Jill Jones. We didn't have internet.. It was always a treat to have a little babysitting money stored in the wallet and that Wonderful trip to the record store.. it was Way different and I think made the journey as a fan MUCH more fullfilling. Along came memories.. When and How u first heard of a song.. How u found out about it... What you were doing in your life. What store you bought a release at... getting out of school (or sometimes skiping) on a TUESDAY on a release date... hoping you could get to the record store... on and on.. the experience was soooooo cool. I try to remember those days when I see an Online post about something new... and within 5 minutes, I"m buying, downloading and automatically listening to.... It lost a litle (well big) something.

YES!!!

Whew, chile--a Prince album used to be an event.

continued...

First thoughts...[my fav tracks]

For You...not so good, but you can hear the potential. [Soft & Wet, I'm Yours]

Prince...ah! There's that potential! [Sexy Dancer, Bambi]

Dirty Mind...whaa? He's taking it to a whole new level! (But you can still hear that "original" Prince sound. [Uptown, Head, PartyUp]

Controversy...Onward and upward. Keeps getting better with every release. [Sexuality]

1999...ambitious! Pop hits and quirky experiements galore. [All the Critics, Lady Cabdriver, International Lover]

Purple Rain...pretty much perfection. I absolutely love each and every track.

Around the World in a Day...this is a complete departure. It's Prince 2.0. So exciting to hear a completely new sound. [Pop Life, The Ladder]

Parade...again you can hear how ATWIAD's "new" sound continued and evolved into this album. This album is very much a soundtrack album though. Lots of very short tracks with a heavy "French Caberet" style (fitting the film). "Mountains" and even more so, "Kiss" don't sound like they belong on this album but were added to make the album more marketable. [Kiss, Anotherloverholenyourhead, Sometimes it Snows in April]

Sign O the Times...the classic "favorite" prince album. Nearly every track is great...and another "new" sound. [Dorothy Parker, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Adore]

The Black Album...The "dark side" of Lovesexy. Some really great funk jams on this album! [Cindy C, Bob George, Rock Hard in a Funky Place]

LoveSexy...This has always been a favorite of mine. Ethereal, uplifting soundscapes. This is also the first album that sounds what might be called "over produced". There are a million sounds going on at once on nearly every track. I think it works for this album though. [Anna Stesia, Positivity]

Batman...funky, slick, slick, slick. Too slick on some tracks, for others it works. This album really sounds like P all alone with very few "real" instruments. This is the album that brought me back in the fold. As a 17 year old dork, I was obsessed with Batman leading up to the release of the movie and this album. [The Future, Lemon Crush, Scandalous, Batdance (sorry), and Sex from the Scandalous Sex Suite]

to be continued...

[Edited 3/20/13 13:32pm]

[Edited 3/20/13 13:54pm]

bloody hell .. this is too much time consuming effort!

its been a good journey ...

FOR YOU ( some potential . but only one standout song SOFT AN WET .. this album alone wouldnt have made me or many of us becomen fans __ CONTROVERSY/DIRTY MIND was when the sound was happening)

20TEN (finished as he began . with a so so album that although it is cool to play .. it aint nothing ground breaking an nothing standout .. apart from one song COMPASSION .. )

all the abums in between are better than the 1st an the last

continued...

First thoughts...[my fav tracks]

For You...not so good, but you can hear the potential. [Soft & Wet, I'm Yours]

Prince...ah! There's that potential! [Sexy Dancer, Bambi]

Dirty Mind...whaa? He's taking it to a whole new level! (But you can still hear that "original" Prince sound. [Uptown, Head, PartyUp]

Controversy...Onward and upward. Keeps getting better with every release. [Sexuality]

1999...ambitious! Pop hits and quirky experiements galore. [All the Critics, Lady Cabdriver, International Lover]

Purple Rain...pretty much perfection. I absolutely love each and every track.

Around the World in a Day...this is a complete departure. It's Prince 2.0. So exciting to hear a completely new sound. [Pop Life, The Ladder]

Parade...again you can hear how ATWIAD's "new" sound continued and evolved into this album. This album is very much a soundtrack album though. Lots of very short tracks with a heavy "French Caberet" style (fitting the film). "Mountains" and even more so, "Kiss" don't sound like they belong on this album but were added to make the album more marketable. [Kiss, Anotherloverholenyourhead, Sometimes it Snows in April]

Sign O the Times...the classic "favorite" prince album. Nearly every track is great...and another "new" sound. [Dorothy Parker, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Adore]

The Black Album...The "dark side" of Lovesexy. Some really great funk jams on this album! [Cindy C, Bob George, Rock Hard in a Funky Place]

LoveSexy...This has always been a favorite of mine. Ethereal, uplifting soundscapes. This is also the first album that sounds what might be called "over produced". There are a million sounds going on at once on nearly every track. I think it works for this album though. [Anna Stesia, Positivity]

Batman...funky, slick, slick, slick. Too slick on some tracks, for others it works. This album really sounds like P all alone with very few "real" instruments. This is the album that brought me back in the fold. As a 17 year old dork, I was obsessed with Batman leading up to the release of the movie and this album. [The Future, Lemon Crush, Scandalous, Batdance (sorry), and Sex from the Scandalous Sex Suite]

Graffiti Bridge...another soundtrack and this time a "true" soundtrack including tracks from various artists. Really dig a great many of the tracks. SOOO happy to hear The Time again! This album also introduced me to the amazing Mavis Staples. [A Question of U, We Can Funk, Joy in Repetition]

Diamonds & Pearls...This one is a bit hit or miss for me. Really can't stand "Push", "Jughead". A few other tracks are just so-so. I was really surprised at the sucess of the singles "Money Don't Matter Tonight" and "Diamonds & Pearls" as I've always thought those tracks were fluff. A few gems remain though. Some of my favs are b-sides from this album. [Insatiable, Gett Off, Willing & Able, Horny Pony, Do Your Dance]

Symbol...While I could do without most of Tony M's rapping, I really enjoy most of this album. [My Name is Prince, Sexy MF, Damn U]

Come...call me weird, but this is one of my favorite albums. [Space, Papa, Loose!]

Gold Experience...what a great album. I enjoy pretty much every track. The NPG Operator segues are silly, but that's a minor complaint. Great song after great song. Oh - and it's LOUD. This cd plays much louder than nearly any other cd I own. [P Control, Endorphinmachine, Billy Jack Bitch, I Hate U]

Chaos & Disorder....When I purchased it, I gave it one listen and shelved it in disgust. Now nearly 17 years later listening to it again, I've discovered it's got a couple good tracks. The rest is still a big mess. [Chaos & Disorder, I Like it There]

to be continued...

continued...

First thoughts...[my fav tracks]

For You...not so good, but you can hear the potential. [Soft & Wet, I'm Yours]

Prince...ah! There's that potential! [Sexy Dancer, Bambi]

Dirty Mind...whaa? He's taking it to a whole new level! (But you can still hear that "original" Prince sound. [Uptown, Head, PartyUp]

Controversy...Onward and upward. Keeps getting better with every release. [Sexuality]

1999...ambitious! Pop hits and quirky experiements galore. [All the Critics, Lady Cabdriver, International Lover]

Purple Rain...pretty much perfection. I absolutely love each and every track.

Around the World in a Day...this is a complete departure. It's Prince 2.0. So exciting to hear a completely new sound. [Pop Life, The Ladder]

Parade...again you can hear how ATWIAD's "new" sound continued and evolved into this album. This album is very much a soundtrack album though. Lots of very short tracks with a heavy "French Caberet" style (fitting the film). "Mountains" and even more so, "Kiss" don't sound like they belong on this album but were added to make the album more marketable. [Kiss, Anotherloverholenyourhead, Sometimes it Snows in April]

Sign O the Times...the classic "favorite" prince album. Nearly every track is great...and another "new" sound. [Dorothy Parker, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Adore]

The Black Album...The "dark side" of Lovesexy. Some really great funk jams on this album! [Cindy C, Bob George, Rock Hard in a Funky Place]

LoveSexy...This has always been a favorite of mine. Ethereal, uplifting soundscapes. This is also the first album that sounds what might be called "over produced". There are a million sounds going on at once on nearly every track. I think it works for this album though. [Anna Stesia, Positivity]

Batman...funky, slick, slick, slick. Too slick on some tracks, for others it works. This album really sounds like P all alone with very few "real" instruments. This is the album that brought me back in the fold. As a 17 year old dork, I was obsessed with Batman leading up to the release of the movie and this album. [The Future, Lemon Crush, Scandalous, Batdance (sorry), and Sex from the Scandalous Sex Suite]

Graffiti Bridge...another soundtrack and this time a "true" soundtrack including tracks from various artists. Really dig a great many of the tracks. SOOO happy to hear The Time again! This album also introduced me to the amazing Mavis Staples. [A Question of U, We Can Funk, Joy in Repetition]

Diamonds & Pearls...This one is a bit hit or miss for me. Really can't stand "Push", "Jughead". A few other tracks are just so-so. I was really surprised at the sucess of the singles "Money Don't Matter Tonight" and "Diamonds & Pearls" as I've always thought those tracks were fluff. A few gems remain though. Some of my favs are b-sides from this album. [Insatiable, Gett Off, Willing & Able, Horny Pony, Do Your Dance]

Symbol...While I could do without most of Tony M's rapping, I really enjoy most of this album. [My Name is Prince, Sexy MF, Damn U]

Come...call me weird, but this is one of my favorite albums. [Space, Papa, Loose!]

Gold Experience...what a great album. I enjoy pretty much every track. The NPG Operator segues are silly, but that's a minor complaint. Great song after great song. Oh - and it's LOUD. This cd plays much louder than nearly any other cd I own. [P Control, Endorphinmachine, Billy Jack Bitch, I Hate U]

Chaos & Disorder....When I purchased it, I gave it one listen and shelved it in disgust. Now nearly 17 years later listening to it again, I've discovered it's got a couple good tracks. The rest is still a big mess. [Chaos & Disorder, I Like it There]

Emancipation...A triple disc album that could easily have been condensed down to a double album (maybe even a long single disc album). [Right Back Here in My Arms, Dreaming About U, Style, Sleep Around, One of Us]

Crystal Ball...Another triple disc album. Yet this time it's full of amazing tracks! I know this is mostly old material, but I'm listening to them in release order. This album is FULL of my favorite P stuff. Lots of funk. Love it. [Crystal Ball, Ripopgodazippa, Cloreen Bacon Skin, Days of Wild, Goodbye]

The Truth...I have to admit thought I've had this album for years, I've never listened to it until today. What a fool I was! I really dig this album. [The Truth, Don't Play Me, Circle of Amour, One of Your Tears, Comeback]

The Vault...I've always enjoyed this album. I really love the piano, keyboards and horns throughout. Great jazzy stuff. [The Rest of My Life, It's About That Walk, 5 Women, The Lonely]

Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic...another one which I purchased, listened to once and shelved. And again, I've now discovered there are a couple gems on here (and a whole lotta shit). [Eye Love U, But Eye Don't Trust U Anymore, Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do, Prettyman]

Rainbow Children is next!

[Edited 3/21/13 14:16pm]

[Edited 3/21/13 14:18pm]

Thanks for sharing your ezperience with this. Im really enjoying your recaps. Dont agree 100% with everything but hey that would make life boring right?

Black Album didn't come out until '94

You did say release order...

Or you could start to play the Black Album before Lovesexy, then recall it, and put it on the shelf until '94.

continued...

First thoughts...[my fav tracks]

For You...not so good, but you can hear the potential. [Soft & Wet, I'm Yours]

Prince...ah! There's that potential! [Sexy Dancer, Bambi]

Dirty Mind...whaa? He's taking it to a whole new level! (But you can still hear that "original" Prince sound. [Uptown, Head, PartyUp]

Controversy...Onward and upward. Keeps getting better with every release. [Sexuality]

1999...ambitious! Pop hits and quirky experiements galore. [All the Critics, Lady Cabdriver, International Lover]

Purple Rain...pretty much perfection. I absolutely love each and every track.

Around the World in a Day...this is a complete departure. It's Prince 2.0. So exciting to hear a completely new sound. [Pop Life, The Ladder]

Parade...again you can hear how ATWIAD's "new" sound continued and evolved into this album. This album is very much a soundtrack album though. Lots of very short tracks with a heavy "French Caberet" style (fitting the film). "Mountains" and even more so, "Kiss" don't sound like they belong on this album but were added to make the album more marketable. [Kiss, Anotherloverholenyourhead, Sometimes it Snows in April]

Sign O the Times...the classic "favorite" prince album. Nearly every track is great...and another "new" sound. [Dorothy Parker, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Adore]

The Black Album...The "dark side" of Lovesexy. Some really great funk jams on this album! [Cindy C, Bob George, Rock Hard in a Funky Place]

LoveSexy...This has always been a favorite of mine. Ethereal, uplifting soundscapes. This is also the first album that sounds what might be called "over produced". There are a million sounds going on at once on nearly every track. I think it works for this album though. [Anna Stesia, Positivity]

Batman...funky, slick, slick, slick. Too slick on some tracks, for others it works. This album really sounds like P all alone with very few "real" instruments. This is the album that brought me back in the fold. As a 17 year old dork, I was obsessed with Batman leading up to the release of the movie and this album. [The Future, Lemon Crush, Scandalous, Batdance (sorry), and Sex from the Scandalous Sex Suite]

Graffiti Bridge...another soundtrack and this time a "true" soundtrack including tracks from various artists. Really dig a great many of the tracks. SOOO happy to hear The Time again! This album also introduced me to the amazing Mavis Staples. [A Question of U, We Can Funk, Joy in Repetition]

Diamonds & Pearls...This one is a bit hit or miss for me. Really can't stand "Push", "Jughead". A few other tracks are just so-so. I was really surprised at the sucess of the singles "Money Don't Matter Tonight" and "Diamonds & Pearls" as I've always thought those tracks were fluff. A few gems remain though. Some of my favs are b-sides from this album. [Insatiable, Gett Off, Willing & Able, Horny Pony, Do Your Dance]

Symbol...While I could do without most of Tony M's rapping, I really enjoy most of this album. [My Name is Prince, Sexy MF, Damn U]

Come...call me weird, but this is one of my favorite albums. [Space, Papa, Loose!]

Gold Experience...what a great album. I enjoy pretty much every track. The NPG Operator segues are silly, but that's a minor complaint. Great song after great song. Oh - and it's LOUD. This cd plays much louder than nearly any other cd I own. [P Control, Endorphinmachine, Billy Jack Bitch, I Hate U]

Chaos & Disorder....When I purchased it, I gave it one listen and shelved it in disgust. Now nearly 17 years later listening to it again, I've discovered it's got a couple good tracks. The rest is still a big mess. [Chaos & Disorder, I Like it There]

Emancipation...A triple disc album that could easily have been condensed down to a double album (maybe even a long single disc album). [Right Back Here in My Arms, Dreaming About U, Style, Sleep Around, One of Us]

Crystal Ball...Another triple disc album. Yet this time it's full of amazing tracks! I know this is mostly old material, but I'm listening to them in release order. This album is FULL of my favorite P stuff. Lots of funk. Love it. [Crystal Ball, Ripopgodazippa, Cloreen Bacon Skin, Days of Wild, Goodbye]

The Truth...I have to admit thought I've had this album for years, I've never listened to it until today. What a fool I was! I really dig this album. [The Truth, Don't Play Me, Circle of Amour, One of Your Tears, Comeback]

The Vault...I've always enjoyed this album. I really love the piano, keyboards and horns throughout. Great jazzy stuff. [The Rest of My Life, It's About That Walk, 5 Women, The Lonely]

Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic...another one which I purchased, listened to once and shelved. And again, I've now discovered there are a couple gems on here (and a whole lotta shit). [Eye Love U, But Eye Don't Trust U Anymore, Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do, Prettyman]

Rainbow Children...many are turned off by the creepy "Darth Vadar" voice segues and the albums overly preachy lyrics. I'm not. The "Vadar" voice is no more silly or annoying than all the other weird segues he's had on a ton of other albums. Being a devout atheist I've never really put a whole lot of deep thought into the quirky JW lyrics. With all that said, I LOVE this album. The music is a weird mix of jazz and rock and I love it. [Sensual Everafter, Mello, 1+1+1 is 3, Everlasting Now]

One Night Alone...yet another album I'm listening to for the first time for this marathon. High hopes met by bitter disapointment. The title track being the only thing on this disc worth listening to. Ugg. [One Night Alone]

to be continued...

Good idea, I just find it really hard to listen to them all in order, as I will listen to a song which will refer me to another track off a later album.

I think his last birthday I did listen to them all from For You to Lovesexy, I got tired after Batman, as its a pretty poor album, but definetley listening to the first 11 albums is great, you can see and feel the evolution of his sound from album to album.

So after Musicology I suggest you then listen to the SST single before you do 3121.

So I am assuming your path now

NEWS, Musicology (Unless you have Slaughterhouse/C Note/Chocolate Invasion). SST, 3121, Planet Earth, Indigo Nights, Lotusflow3r Mplsound, 20Ten, Rock and roll love affair. 3rd eye girl tracks.

You did miss New powersoul, or are you one of those people who does not believe its a prince album.

You have inspired me too, in the 10 minutes I hgave read this thread, I am already up to Soft and Wet

Have you done any more listening Mr Bear?

2nd night and I am now up to Lady Cab Driver.

Listened all the way up to Head yesterday, every album builds upon the last.

Today started at Siuster and have noticed the leap from Controversy to 1999. That album has the first fully baked Prince sound, miles away from the disco synthesised fluff of For You.

continued...

First thoughts...[my fav tracks]

For You...not so good, but you can hear the potential. [Soft & Wet, I'm Yours]

Prince...ah! There's that potential! [Sexy Dancer, Bambi]

Dirty Mind...whaa? He's taking it to a whole new level! (But you can still hear that "original" Prince sound. [Uptown, Head, PartyUp]

Controversy...Onward and upward. Keeps getting better with every release. [Sexuality]

1999...ambitious! Pop hits and quirky experiements galore. [All the Critics, Lady Cabdriver, International Lover]

Purple Rain...pretty much perfection. I absolutely love each and every track.

Around the World in a Day...this is a complete departure. It's Prince 2.0. So exciting to hear a completely new sound. [Pop Life, The Ladder]

Parade...again you can hear how ATWIAD's "new" sound continued and evolved into this album. This album is very much a soundtrack album though. Lots of very short tracks with a heavy "French Caberet" style (fitting the film). "Mountains" and even more so, "Kiss" don't sound like they belong on this album but were added to make the album more marketable. [Kiss, Anotherloverholenyourhead, Sometimes it Snows in April]

Sign O the Times...the classic "favorite" prince album. Nearly every track is great...and another "new" sound. [Dorothy Parker, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Adore]

The Black Album...The "dark side" of Lovesexy. Some really great funk jams on this album! [Cindy C, Bob George, Rock Hard in a Funky Place]

LoveSexy...This has always been a favorite of mine. Ethereal, uplifting soundscapes. This is also the first album that sounds what might be called "over produced". There are a million sounds going on at once on nearly every track. I think it works for this album though. [Anna Stesia, Positivity]

Batman...funky, slick, slick, slick. Too slick on some tracks, for others it works. This album really sounds like P all alone with very few "real" instruments. This is the album that brought me back in the fold. As a 17 year old dork, I was obsessed with Batman leading up to the release of the movie and this album. [The Future, Lemon Crush, Scandalous, Batdance (sorry), and Sex from the Scandalous Sex Suite]

Graffiti Bridge...another soundtrack and this time a "true" soundtrack including tracks from various artists. Really dig a great many of the tracks. SOOO happy to hear The Time again! This album also introduced me to the amazing Mavis Staples. [A Question of U, We Can Funk, Joy in Repetition]

Diamonds & Pearls...This one is a bit hit or miss for me. Really can't stand "Push", "Jughead". A few other tracks are just so-so. I was really surprised at the sucess of the singles "Money Don't Matter Tonight" and "Diamonds & Pearls" as I've always thought those tracks were fluff. A few gems remain though. Some of my favs are b-sides from this album. [Insatiable, Gett Off, Willing & Able, Horny Pony, Do Your Dance]

Symbol...While I could do without most of Tony M's rapping, I really enjoy most of this album. [My Name is Prince, Sexy MF, Damn U]

Come...call me weird, but this is one of my favorite albums. [Space, Papa, Loose!]

Gold Experience...what a great album. I enjoy pretty much every track. The NPG Operator segues are silly, but that's a minor complaint. Great song after great song. Oh - and it's LOUD. This cd plays much louder than nearly any other cd I own. [P Control, Endorphinmachine, Billy Jack Bitch, I Hate U]

Chaos & Disorder....When I purchased it, I gave it one listen and shelved it in disgust. Now nearly 17 years later listening to it again, I've discovered it's got a couple good tracks. The rest is still a big mess. [Chaos & Disorder, I Like it There]

Emancipation...A triple disc album that could easily have been condensed down to a double album (maybe even a long single disc album). [Right Back Here in My Arms, Dreaming About U, Style, Sleep Around, One of Us]

Crystal Ball...Another triple disc album. Yet this time it's full of amazing tracks! I know this is mostly old material, but I'm listening to them in release order. This album is FULL of my favorite P stuff. Lots of funk. Love it. [Crystal Ball, Ripopgodazippa, Cloreen Bacon Skin, Days of Wild, Goodbye]

The Truth...I have to admit thought I've had this album for years, I've never listened to it until today. What a fool I was! I really dig this album. [The Truth, Don't Play Me, Circle of Amour, One of Your Tears, Comeback]

The Vault...I've always enjoyed this album. I really love the piano, keyboards and horns throughout. Great jazzy stuff. [The Rest of My Life, It's About That Walk, 5 Women, The Lonely]

Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic...another one which I purchased, listened to once and shelved. And again, I've now discovered there are a couple gems on here (and a whole lotta shit). [Eye Love U, But Eye Don't Trust U Anymore, Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do, Prettyman]

Rainbow Children...many are turned off by the creepy "Darth Vadar" voice segues and the albums overly preachy lyrics. I'm not. The "Vadar" voice is no more silly or annoying than all the other weird segues he's had on a ton of other albums. Being a devout atheist I've never really put a whole lot of deep thought into the quirky JW lyrics. With all that said, I LOVE this album. The music is a weird mix of jazz and rock and I love it. [Sensual Everafter, Mello, 1+1+1 is 3, Everlasting Now]

One Night Alone...yet another album I'm listening to for the first time for this marathon. High hopes met by bitter disapointment. The title track being the only thing on this disc worth listening to. Ugg. [One Night Alone]

One Night Alone...Live!...As much as I like The Rainbow Children album, I'm not all that excited about hearing it live. Starting this live album off with Rainbow Children and Muse 2 the Pharaoh and then Xenophobia...meh. Show really picks up after that rather lackluster start though. [Anna Stesia]

One Night Alone: The Aftershow, It Ain't Over!...absolutely fantastic. The first track alone is worth the price of admission. Wow. [Joy in Repetition, The Ballad of Dorothy Parker]

Xpectation... Do Not Own

N.E.W.S....what is there to say? Cool funky jazz.

Musicology..."Fun" is my first impression. The first track is a straight up party song. The second track is hilarious (listen to the lyrics!). A Million Days could have been a radio hit. That's then followed up with another party song. Really enjoy this album. [Musicology, Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance]

The Chocolate Invasion... Do Not Own

The Slaughterhouse... Do Not Own

C-Note... Do Not Own

3121...Another party album. "Lolita" reminds me of an old Time song (in a good way). [Lolita, Black Sweat]

Planet Earth...this album opens really, really strong. The first three tracks are all superb. Can it sustain? Nope. "Future Baby Mama" is dreadful. This won a Grammy? I suppose it's more that ridiculous lyric/title. Ugg. Chelsea Rodgers is the funkiest track in six years (2001's 1+1+1 is 3) [Guitar, Somewhere Here On Earth, Chelsea Rodgers]

Indigo Nights...Almost the opposite of the One Night Alone Live! album, this one started with great energy and then kind of fell apart (with one last great song at the very end). [Girls & Boys, Just Like U, Beggin' Woman Blues]

to be continued...

continued...

First thoughts...[my fav tracks]

For You...not so good, but you can hear the potential. [Soft & Wet, I'm Yours]

Prince...ah! There's that potential! [Sexy Dancer, Bambi]

Dirty Mind...whaa? He's taking it to a whole new level! (But you can still hear that "original" Prince sound. [Uptown, Head, PartyUp]

Controversy...Onward and upward. Keeps getting better with every release. [Sexuality]

1999...ambitious! Pop hits and quirky experiements galore. [All the Critics, Lady Cabdriver, International Lover]

Purple Rain...pretty much perfection. I absolutely love each and every track.

Around the World in a Day...this is a complete departure. It's Prince 2.0. So exciting to hear a completely new sound. [Pop Life, The Ladder]

Parade...again you can hear how ATWIAD's "new" sound continued and evolved into this album. This album is very much a soundtrack album though. Lots of very short tracks with a heavy "French Caberet" style (fitting the film). "Mountains" and even more so, "Kiss" don't sound like they belong on this album but were added to make the album more marketable. [Kiss, Anotherloverholenyourhead, Sometimes it Snows in April]

Sign O the Times...the classic "favorite" prince album. Nearly every track is great...and another "new" sound. [Dorothy Parker, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Adore]

The Black Album...The "dark side" of Lovesexy. Some really great funk jams on this album! [Cindy C, Bob George, Rock Hard in a Funky Place]

LoveSexy...This has always been a favorite of mine. Ethereal, uplifting soundscapes. This is also the first album that sounds what might be called "over produced". There are a million sounds going on at once on nearly every track. I think it works for this album though. [Anna Stesia, Positivity]

Batman...funky, slick, slick, slick. Too slick on some tracks, for others it works. This album really sounds like P all alone with very few "real" instruments. This is the album that brought me back in the fold. As a 17 year old dork, I was obsessed with Batman leading up to the release of the movie and this album. [The Future, Lemon Crush, Scandalous, Batdance (sorry), and Sex from the Scandalous Sex Suite]

Graffiti Bridge...another soundtrack and this time a "true" soundtrack including tracks from various artists. Really dig a great many of the tracks. SOOO happy to hear The Time again! This album also introduced me to the amazing Mavis Staples. [A Question of U, We Can Funk, Joy in Repetition]

Diamonds & Pearls...This one is a bit hit or miss for me. Really can't stand "Push", "Jughead". A few other tracks are just so-so. I was really surprised at the sucess of the singles "Money Don't Matter Tonight" and "Diamonds & Pearls" as I've always thought those tracks were fluff. A few gems remain though. Some of my favs are b-sides from this album. [Insatiable, Gett Off, Willing & Able, Horny Pony, Do Your Dance]

Symbol...While I could do without most of Tony M's rapping, I really enjoy most of this album. [My Name is Prince, Sexy MF, Damn U]

Come...call me weird, but this is one of my favorite albums. [Space, Papa, Loose!]

Gold Experience...what a great album. I enjoy pretty much every track. The NPG Operator segues are silly, but that's a minor complaint. Great song after great song. Oh - and it's LOUD. This cd plays much louder than nearly any other cd I own. [P Control, Endorphinmachine, Billy Jack Bitch, I Hate U]

Chaos & Disorder....When I purchased it, I gave it one listen and shelved it in disgust. Now nearly 17 years later listening to it again, I've discovered it's got a couple good tracks. The rest is still a big mess. [Chaos & Disorder, I Like it There]

Emancipation...A triple disc album that could easily have been condensed down to a double album (maybe even a long single disc album). [Right Back Here in My Arms, Dreaming About U, Style, Sleep Around, One of Us]

Crystal Ball...Another triple disc album. Yet this time it's full of amazing tracks! I know this is mostly old material, but I'm listening to them in release order. This album is FULL of my favorite P stuff. Lots of funk. Love it. [Crystal Ball, Ripopgodazippa, Cloreen Bacon Skin, Days of Wild, Goodbye]

The Truth...I have to admit thought I've had this album for years, I've never listened to it until today. What a fool I was! I really dig this album. [The Truth, Don't Play Me, Circle of Amour, One of Your Tears, Comeback]

The Vault...I've always enjoyed this album. I really love the piano, keyboards and horns throughout. Great jazzy stuff. [The Rest of My Life, It's About That Walk, 5 Women, The Lonely]

Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic...another one which I purchased, listened to once and shelved. And again, I've now discovered there are a couple gems on here (and a whole lotta shit). [Eye Love U, But Eye Don't Trust U Anymore, Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do, Prettyman]

Rainbow Children...many are turned off by the creepy "Darth Vadar" voice segues and the albums overly preachy lyrics. I'm not. The "Vadar" voice is no more silly or annoying than all the other weird segues he's had on a ton of other albums. Being a devout atheist I've never really put a whole lot of deep thought into the quirky JW lyrics. With all that said, I LOVE this album. The music is a weird mix of jazz and rock and I love it. [Sensual Everafter, Mello, 1+1+1 is 3, Everlasting Now]

One Night Alone...yet another album I'm listening to for the first time for this marathon. High hopes met by bitter disapointment. The title track being the only thing on this disc worth listening to. Ugg. [One Night Alone]

One Night Alone...Live!...As much as I like The Rainbow Children album, I'm not all that excited about hearing it live. Starting this live album off with Rainbow Children and Muse 2 the Pharaoh and then Xenophobia...meh. Show really picks up after that rather lackluster start though. [Anna Stesia]

One Night Alone: The Aftershow, It Ain't Over!...absolutely fantastic. The first track alone is worth the price of admission. Wow. [Joy in Repetition, The Ballad of Dorothy Parker]

Xpectation... Do Not Own

N.E.W.S....what is there to say? Cool funky jazz.

Musicology..."Fun" is my first impression. The first track is a straight up party song. The second track is hilarious (listen to the lyrics!). A Million Days could have been a radio hit. That's then followed up with another party song. Really enjoy this album. [Musicology, Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance]

The Chocolate Invasion... Do Not Own

The Slaughterhouse... Do Not Own

C-Note... Do Not Own

3121...Another party album. "Lolita" reminds me of an old Time song (in a good way). [Lolita, Black Sweat]

Planet Earth...this album opens really, really strong. The first three tracks are all superb. Can it sustain? Nope. "Future Baby Mama" is dreadful. This won a Grammy? I suppose it's more that ridiculous lyric/title. Ugg. Chelsea Rodgers is the funkiest track in six years (2001's 1+1+1 is 3) [Guitar, Somewhere Here On Earth, Chelsea Rodgers]

Indigo Nights...Almost the opposite of the One Night Alone Live! album, this one started with great energy and then kind of fell apart (with one last great song at the very end). [Girls & Boys, Just Like U, Beggin' Woman Blues]

Lotus Flow3r...certainly doesn't come out of the gate impressing. The Morning After sounds like something I'd expect to hear on Sesame Street. Bleck. I have to struggle through four tracks until I reach a song I like. From that point things pick up nicely. [Feel Better, Feel Good, Feel Wonderful, $, Dreamer]

MPLSound...I recall when I first heard this album I instantly loved it. Still do. [Box of Chocolates, Dance 4 Me, Ol' Skool Company, No More Candy 4 U]

20Ten...This was on of those albums I gave one listen to and then shelved. Let's see what a little time has done to it. Is it a fine wine or is it still garbage? Meh. A couple decent tracks. Most of the rest was a yawn. [Beginning Endlessly, Laydown]

Well, there it is! I should also say I LOVED the new RNR7 remix of Rock 'n' Roll Romance. Made it my ringtone!