Just listened to this after many years and I actually love it. Some will class it as cheesy / OTT & bombastic whilst others may see it as a 'personal statement' type song highlighting his faith. I think the NPG play great on this, love his voice - sounds powerful & fragile in equal measure, love the guitar and the live version rocks hard.

What do you lot think?

LOVE it.

Although the album 'Diamonds and Pearls' is one of my least favourite albums (along with 'The Gold Experience'), "Thunder" rocks.

I extremely love it. One of the best starts of a Prince album.

I agree:

"Thunder all thru the night.."

Thumbs down for me!

Hate the song and his wall of voices!

I like the D&B album, but never was much into this song. I think there's something about the drum, maybe the voices are too strong for the beat.

funkyhead said:

Just listened to this after many years and I actually love it. Some will class it as cheesy / OTT & bombastic whilst others may see it as a 'personal statement' type song highlighting his faith. I think the NPG play great on this, love his voice - sounds powerful & fragile in equal measure, love the guitar and the live version rocks hard.

What do you lot think?

Prince - all vocals and instruments

[Edited 8/29/13 8:41am]

Love it

Great song For some reason the instrumental break starting at 4:36 reminds of the sounds from Lovesexy.

funkyhead said:

Just listened to this after many years and I actually love it. Some will class it as cheesy / OTT & bombastic whilst others may see it as a 'personal statement' type song highlighting his faith. I think the NPG play great on this, love his voice - sounds powerful & fragile in equal measure, love the guitar and the live version rocks hard.

What do you lot think?

See bolded part above, this track is a mess IMHO.

funkaholic1972 said:

funkyhead said:

Just listened to this after many years and I actually love it. Some will class it as cheesy / OTT & bombastic whilst others may see it as a 'personal statement' type song highlighting his faith. I think the NPG play great on this, love his voice - sounds powerful & fragile in equal measure, love the guitar and the live version rocks hard.

What do you lot think?

See bolded part above, this track is a mess IMHO.

To be followed by Daddy Pop, another embarrassing mess of a track. For me the album starts at Diamonds & Pearls....

SpiritOtter said:

Do not forget to enjoy the Joffrey Ballet Extended Suite version of Thunder, an early indicator of the quite phemonenal instrumental pieces dedicated to Mayte e.g Overture Suite 8, which of course was a pivotal motif within Kamasutra.

I've always loved Thunder, imi it's a classic Prince track. Love the beautiful, mad extended version too, and still find it an awesome listen. The son of Thieves in the Temple, in an era when Prince's arranging skills when on form were tremendous.

I wish he would bring this back in concert with big guitars, could be amazing. Bring back Thunder and Live 4 Love, live, with 3rdeyegirl .

YES! Thunder and Live4Love rock and are great tracks

funkyhead said:

Just listened to this after many years and I actually love it. Some will class it as cheesy / OTT & bombastic whilst others may see it as a 'personal statement' type song highlighting his faith. I think the NPG play great on this , love his voice - sounds powerful & fragile in equal measure, love the guitar and the live version rocks hard.

What do you lot think?

I believe it has been confirmed that Prince plays all instruments and performs all vocals.

http://princevault.com/in...hp/Thunder

I wasn't a fan when I bought the album on its release date, but grew to love it and it's one of my favorites on the album, along with Cream (great top 40 song) and Live 4 Love.

2020 said:

YES! Thunder and Live4Love rock and are great tracks

My opinion is that Diamonds & Pearls is great from beginning to end.

I'm open to being corrected here but to my ears this song, for better or for worse, invented that whole Backstreet's Back late 90's pop sound that was around for a while. I can't think of anyone who was doing it before Thunder.

luv4u said:

2020 said:

YES! Thunder and Live4Love rock and are great tracks

My opinion is that Diamonds & Pearls is great from beginning to end.

Songcraft-wise, it may even be Prince's best album. Such a shame that "Ganster Glam" isn't in the place of "Jughead", so that the record could be a definitive 10.

Love it.

luv4u said:

< Yes

SuperSoulFighter said:

I dislike everything about this track. The cluttered sound, but most ofall the stupid lyrics. Jesus in the morning light? What?? First I'll fuck you silly and then I'll give you a bible lecture? This almost sounds like self-parody. The only thing worse than this on Diamonds & Pearls is... The rest of it! I wouldn't get so upset about it if it had not been hyped as the big comeback with Prince calling it his best album ever. That's why D&P was such a big letdown. The tour was good though.

I have a different interpretation of the lyrics. I read it as a song about spiritual awekening, as many others in Prince's catalogue. There's a direct relationship between epiphany and love, which is also quite common in Prince. But I can't see any sex here, just spirituality.

-------

Actually, Diamonds And Pearls hasn't much sex on it (apart from "Gett Off" and "Insatiable"), and also not much spirituality. The lyrics of the album are quite interesting to me, frequently about individual empowerment, very upbeat lyrics.

[Edited 8/29/13 23:40pm]