the only thing you need to do is go back to that store and get yourself that copy of "come".

planet earth is so-so. i never listen to it. but i do like a few of the songs. "lion of judah" and

"all the midnights in the world" are the ones i liked at the start and still like now. the rest is

a bit 'mehhh' for me. and there's a couple i just can't listen to at all, which is exceptional for

me regarding prince.

now, "come" on the other hand. get thee to that wreckastow. NOW.

they had Purple Rain, ATWIAD, SOTT, and Come and you narrowed it down to Emancipation, The Rainbow Children, and Planet Earth?

errant said:

they had Purple Rain, ATWIAD, SOTT, and Come and you narrowed it down to Emancipation, The Rainbow Children, and Planet Earth?

i just figured she already had those albums and just mentioned them because

the store had them in stock.

it didn't even register with me that someone could pass up on ATWIAD or PR,

let alone SOTT in favor of Emancipation or Planet Earth

TRC tho, is still a good choice. but i'd go for his classics first and then work my

way into his later stuff.

NikkiAndTheRevolution said:

Hehe.. uhh.. I only have 3121, Purple Rain, The Hits/The BSides and The Very Best Of Prince.... i have alot to learn. I'mmma go back and get Come tho!

ummm... Sign O' The Times.

I guess I'm one of the few people who really likes the song "Planet Earth."

l love the planet earth album as l have played tht album over and over again....

its a great album

I like Planet Earth just fine. But there are choices on that list that are required listening before going anywhere near Planet Earth.

or maybe not. maybe hearing Planet Earth before things like SOTT, PR, and ATWIAD will help that album out.

It has one song I like, and I think it's one of the man's best: Somewhere Here on Earth.

The rest is just so average, one of his weakest albums.

Those are solid albums in my opinion epecially the Rainbow Children.

In a way, if you get the more recent albums like those, acclimatise yourself to that stuff, and THEN go back and get the real shit. The 80s bonanza. You're mind twill be blown.

I like Planet Earth ALOT!! There is not a bad song on it in my opinion. Actually of his cds in the 2000's era the only one I like better is Lotusflower. Planet Earth would be my number 2.

Actually I have to correct myself. I dont care for Guitar very much. The others I like quite a bit

Both are excellent albums

trax said:

Couple things.

I remember when i bought 3121. I bought the cd and decided that instead of catching the bus home i would walk and listen to the cd. I popped the CD in the player and when i heard the funk of the first song(3121) i was like oh shit, we got a live one here ! By the time i got home i was convinced that 3121 was the best prince album in years. Years later and i still feel that way.

Fast forward.

After 3121 i was stoked about hearing a new prince album. I decided i was going to do the same thing with Planet Earth as i did with 3121.

I bought the cd, popped it in the cd player and started walking home..

Lets just say the feeling of being underwhelmed is an understatement.

Its not a bad album, i just dont thinks its all that interesting. Most of the songs sound by the numbers but I do like Lion of Judah, Planet Earth, Guitar and future Baby Mama though.

NikkiAndTheRevolution said:

I took a trip 2 my local Wecka Stow and went to the soul section of the store. They had Prince CD's for days! Emancipation, Come, Around The World In A Day, Sign O The Times, 3121, Planet Earth, The Rainbow Children, Purple Rain, aaalll that good stuff! I narrowed it down to 3 choices. Well it was originally 4, but I couldn't buy Come..Oh no not with my mother there! Anyway the choices were Planet Earth, Emancipation, and The Rainbow Children......I think I made a bad choice.... Ya see, I've read alot of negative comments about Planet Earth, and I thought some of U guys were just bashing the album for the hell of it, but I guess not Is this one of those albums that U have to listen to over and over again to like? I hope thats the case, cause right now, I'm not feelin' it. I shouldve listened to ya'll

It's one of those albums that you might learn to appreciate when you've listened to Prince's stuff for years. Not necessarily because the music is so "complex", but because it captures some of the essence from some of his most productive periods (that is, the mid-80s era and the early-90s era).

novabrkr said:

NikkiAndTheRevolution said:

I took a trip 2 my local Wecka Stow and went to the soul section of the store. They had Prince CD's for days! Emancipation, Come, Around The World In A Day, Sign O The Times, 3121, Planet Earth, The Rainbow Children, Purple Rain, aaalll that good stuff! I narrowed it down to 3 choices. Well it was originally 4, but I couldn't buy Come..Oh no not with my mother there! Anyway the choices were Planet Earth, Emancipation, and The Rainbow Children......I think I made a bad choice.... Ya see, I've read alot of negative comments about Planet Earth, and I thought some of U guys were just bashing the album for the hell of it, but I guess not Is this one of those albums that U have to listen to over and over again to like? I hope thats the case, cause right now, I'm not feelin' it. I shouldve listened to ya'll

It's one of those albums that you might learn to appreciate when you've listened to Prince's stuff for years. Not necessarily because the music is so "complex", but because it captures some of the essence from some of his most productive periods (that is, the mid-80s era and the early-90s era).

Can't answer the Op's question--I do listen to Emancipation as well as Planet Earth periodically--but now, I am currently enamoured with Bowie's album The Next Day.

Blimey, do yourself a BIG favour and get these:

SOTT

ATWIAD
PARADE

Lovesexy (tracked)
GOLD (if you can find it)

Controversy

You will be amazed, I promise.

Enjoy finding these gems. Sometimes I wish I had a machine which meant I could listen again for the first time. Just don't put PControl on with your Mum about

jasontate said:

Some people's responses seem a little condescending to me. It's awesome that younger people are getting into Prince, and it's not always clear which album to buy next. Not only that, but tastes can vary pretty wildly even among people who all appreciate Prince's genius.

I first got into Prince when I was 11 or 12 (in the early 1990s). I bought Lovesexy first, since it was on sale used at my local wrecka store, and I got super-into it (especially "Glam Slam" for some reason). Next, I bought Diamonds and Pearls because that was his current album. After that, I got Purple Rain because everybody told me that was his biggest hit album, and I loved it... actually preferred it to D&P and Lovesexy. "The Beautiful Ones" became my favorite song at the time (which didn't make me very popular at school where everyone either liked grunge or gangsta rap).

After Lovesexy, D&P and Purple Rain, I had no idea what to get next. I heard SOTT was supposed to be really good, but as a double CD it was more expensive. For that reason, it was actually one of the LAST Prince CD's I bought -- $6 extra is a lot when you're 12 and from a poor family. I bought ATWIAD next, which just didn't do it for me. I know... I'm stupid and gauche and this and that... but I just couldn't get into it at that age. I actually returned it and traded it in for Graffiti Bridge, which I thought was somewhat uneven, but I fucking LOVED Thieves In The Temple and The Question of U. Then I gradually discovered the rest of Prince's oeuvre... whenever I saved up enough to buy a new (used) Prince CD it was a big event for me.

Nowadays, I'm 33, and SOTT is my favorite Prince album (well, either SOTT or Parade), and I totally appreciate ATWAID. My point, however, is that people (and especially kids) will discover Prince in their own way at their own pace. I would say that Dirty Mind and Lovesexy will be good choices for a preteen or young teen if they're anything like me, as they combine great musicianship with a risque element that is really compelling at that age.

What a bad choice! I'm sorry for you!

If you want to know why Prince is relevant to pop music, it's all about the 80s!