...and what is it in particular that you dislike about it?

I think mine would probably be Newpower Soul. I appreciate that it is officially credited to the NPG, but Prince's input is significant throughout the offering and it unfortunately exemplifies to me a maddening weakening of what made Prince's "funk" so funky, the title track alone represents a stupefyingly diluted brand of so-called newpower soul. Lovesexy would crawl in its grave to hear that this is what became of that phrase's evolution. Of course, there are some plus points and guilty pleasures throughout the record, including the two mainstream singles (Come On and The One) and the bonus track (Wasted Kisses). I perhaps should also mention that whilst the backing band at the time stands as being amongst my least favourite, numerous of the aftershows performed during this era were surprisingly good and although the production quality on the record itself leaves alot to be desired, there are also some nostalgic and nice touches sprinkled sparingly throughout, such as the excellent piano keys (Mad Sex), the altered Bob George-esque voice (Freaks On This Side), and the crowd shout outs/Doug E Fresh/Larry Graham featured moments (Push It Up and I Like Funky Music). But, overall, it just seems weak and uninspired. In retrospect, I appreciate that this must have been a particularly difficult period in Prince's personal life, so perhaps it all stands to reason.

love,

Spirit

Kamasutra.

Genesia said:

Kamasutra.

second. If ur talking just like regular album rave.

Planet earth by a long shot.

Kamasutra is the worst thing he's done, period. N.E.W.S. is a pretty close 2nd. If you're talking about non-instrumental albums I'd have to say Lotusflow3rMPLSound mess. Lotusflow3r for the lazy guitar work and MPLSound for the horrid lyrics. I'll take New Power soul over ANY of these records. Easily.

Graffiti Bridge of the non-instrumental albums.

I really only like Joy In Repetition and The Question of U.

NewPowerSoul. It's the only physical release* I've never bought, 'cause I played it a few times in the record store I was working at and just didn't feel it.

*I never bought 20ten ('cause it wasn't available here) and Kamasutra ('cause it didn't come with my CB), so I've never heard those.

Normally I would say Kamasutra but its not really an album and just muzak. Its hard to judge Prince by this and cruel.

I am not going to say Newpowersoul either as half of you will say its an NPG not a Prince album, either way I say its a Prince album and it has 3 great songs on it, The One, Wasted Kisses and Come On which is a classic, the trobbing beat and the line "I got the butter for your muffin". All of the other tracks are preety fillery but at least they funky and are not truly awful.

Not Chaos and Disorder either, why that album gets so much hate is beyond me, theres a couple of silly skits on it yes, but the rest is some fairly great rock and roll type music, and some of his finest singing and playing with Sonny T and Michael B backing him up.

My one therefore leaves the old whipping boy, The Rainbow children, okay it has great musicality and a few decent songs, but theres a lot of bad sampling, maudling jams, the god awful Darth Vader voice and thats before we deal with the lyrics, Sexism, Anti Semitism and Racism all through, all it proved was Prince was a small minded git and with the jazzique backing, an arrogant small minded git. This album truly sucks shit. Its the worst ever album he has made, it makes Batman look like the work of a genius.

Totals so far:

Graffiti Bridge | 1 vote

Kamasutra | 3 votes

Newpower Soul | 2 votes

Rave | 1 vote

The Rainbow Children | 1 vote

Planet Earth | 1 vote

MPLSound | 1 vote

20Ten | 1 vote

Newpower Soul.

I wouldn't even call it a "least favourite album", because it's just a bad record in overall.

We need some more votes, Kamasutra is just a suite of music rather than album, lets break this tie.

The Rainbow Children...UGH.

This would be Kamasutra. NOT, like many fans, because I consider everything that's not pop, rock or funk as being elevator music, but precisely because I listen to experimental, contemporary and ambient music. When you do, you realize how clumsy Kamasutra is by comparison to the works of other modern composers (I actually loved it at first when I was much younger and had less musical education). Prince made a big mistake: he assumed he could do this kind of music without listening to what others were doing and the result was a caricature of classical music. It has some good moments, though (Cutz come to mind).

This being said I DO respect the fact that Prince wanted to do something different. He failed at it but it was a daring move and it was even more daring to release it when it would have been so easy to leave it in the vault alongside all the other outtakes.

My other least favorite album would be Carmen Electra. For one thing her rapping sucks and, while I really dig the hip-hop and funk tracks on that album, I just can't understand how pieces of crap such as Fantasia Erotica, Go Go Dancer, Good Judy Girlfriend and This Is My House made their way out of the vault. These 4 songs alone have to make the whole album one of my 2 least favorite Prince albums ever.

And reading the other's comments about Kamasutra not being an album and therefore not counting I see again how uneducated people are

There are HUNDREDS of albums of instrumental (orchestral or otherwise) music released every year. Are you gonna dismiss the works of giants such as Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Terry Riley, Harold Budd, Jon Hassell, Brian Eno, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Amon Tobin, Aphex Twin or Bill Laswell just because they don't do pop songs?! And I'm not even talking about all the jazz artists! C'mon, gimme a break!

If instrumental albums count, "Kamasutra."

If we're talking albums with words, for me it is definitely "The Slaughterhouse."

If we're talking 'in-store' releases, "Rave," "Chaos & Disorder," "Planet Earth," "20Ten," and "The Rainbow Children" and "MPLSound" come to mind, but I've gotta go with "Planet Earth." Each of the albums I mentioned is saved by at least one track (and sometimes only one track, yes, you, MPLSsound) but nothing saves "Planet Earth." "Chelsea Rodgers" and "The One U Wanna C," are okay, but not that okay.

[Edited 6/19/13 10:29am]

jillybean said:

If instrumental albums count, "Kamasutra."

If we're talking albums with words, for me it is definitely "The Slaughterhouse."

If we're talking 'in-store' releases, "Rave," "Chaos & Disorder," "Planet Earth," "20Ten," and "The Rainbow Children" and "MPLSound" come to mind, but I've gotta go with "Planet Earth." Each of the albums I mentioned is saved by at least one track (and sometimes only one track, yes, you, MPLSsound) but nothing saves "Planet Earth." "Chelsea Rodgers" and "The One U Wanna C," are okay, but not that okay.

[Edited 6/19/13 10:29am]

C what I mean? Why on EARTH wouldn't they count? Who ever said that vocal music had to be separate from intrumental music? On what grounds? Then what? Whe decide that an album also doesn't count if the lyrics isn't in English because only English counts. Then that only male or female vocalists count? Then that if the songs are more than 3 minutes long on an album it doesn't count as an album? And also if a song doesn't have a proper verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/verse/chorus structure then the album has to be dismissed as well? Do you realize that categorizing art like this, dismissing everything that's not the most popular format is what basically destroys art, make it a pawn to corporate industries that don't give a shit about art or the artsist they use to make money, make it soulless for it has to be a slave to the most common denominator? That's how we end-up with artists fighting against publishers/producers/labels/whatever that tell them "we can't release this, it's too weird, it's really good but it's too different from the mainstream to find an audience". This is how talented artists end-up starving while Ke$ha is making millions. This is how people who work hardall day are told by the media that they are too tired after work to THINK, and that for this reason they must be satisfied with listening to/watching/reading easy to grasp crap, and they buy it the poor souls! And y'all condoning this abomination? This is madness!!!

For me, it's hard to displace Rave from that prestigious pedestal - that first playthrough, it was the moment I finally accepted defeat. Even NPS I enjoyed, with the full knowledge it was a shit toss off, but Rave wow. I felt someone quietly lick their pale thin fingers and put out that last tiny flickering light that was burning within - the excitement for new Prince music.

.

The candle lay there in the dark and I'd look at it every so often and remember it's warm light fondly, then MPLSound was released and that same pale figure out of the dark lunged down it's ugly boney foot with its scabby, curled yellow toenails, stamping on that fragile candle squashing it forever.

.

.

So it's a coin toss between Rave & MPLSound.

NouveauDance said:

For me, it's hard to displace Rave from that prestigious pedestal -

I felt the same way until I had rave playing in the studio a month ago.

I really dig it now.................

Graycap23 said:

Planet earth by a long shot.

This.

Planet earth. That one made me nervous, first P album that i only really dug one track (chelsea rodgers). It was a relief to me when Lotus came out, esp Dreamer, C minds, Love like jazz, Here.

I dont have any of his instrumental albums btw.

NPS gets alotta stick but i like most of it. Differant strokes & all that.

[Edited 6/19/13 21:17pm]

Diamonds and Pearls

TOTALS so far:

------------------------------

Graffiti Bridge | 1 vote

Diamonds & Pearls | 1 vote

Kamasutra | 4 votes

Newpower Soul | 3 votes

Rave | 2 votes

The Rainbow Children | 2 vote

Planet Earth | 4 votes

MPLSound | 1 vote

20Ten | 1 vote

Kamasutra is dreadful. Xpectation and N.E.W.S are dull (N.E.W.S. is more technically impressive though).

Of the more conventional releases, MPLSound gets my vote.

worst, least fave Prince:

01. Kamasutra
02. Indigo Nights live cd
03. One Nite Alone ...Live (I don't understand why this jazzy funk concert snippet cd is praised by some)
04. N.E.W.S.
05. One Nite Alone ...Piano
06. Newpower Soul
07. Planet Earth
08. 3121
09. Slaughterhouse
10. The Chocolate Invasion
11. The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale
12. Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic

8up said:

Diamonds and Pearls

really..? ok a matter of different tastes then..

I really the BIG singles deeply - Gett Off, Cream, D&P, Insatiable, Money Don't Matter 2Nite.