So, I just recently started listening to the P&B Podcast. (It's criminal how funny those guys are ).

Anyway, during the review for (I think) The Love Symbol, Captain mentioned how if Prince had've taken a few songs off and/or added a few, that it would have been close to a perfect Prince album; or something to that effect.

And it got me curious.

Now, this isn't one of those 'What songs whould you add/take off a cartain album' types of thread. However, if Prince were to record an album that catered to your specific musical tastes, what would that album sound like? What themes/stories would Prince sing about? What would the look of the album be? You can be as detailed or vague as you like, I'm just curious to hear what people think.

If I'm gonna start off, I'd like to see Prince experiment a bit more; maybe record some more organic music. I don't mean Lotusflow3r organic (though I do love that record). I'm talking more of a Tom Waits style of music. I'd love to hear Prince create fucked up, other worldly sounds using real, organic instrumentation. No synthesizers. No drum machines. DEFINITELY no auto-tune! Also, the album would be thematically dark. One my biggest issues with Prince's music is that he doesn't write enough dark material. As a songwriter he never seems willing to tap in to darker feeling and emotions, something that a lot of great art has stemmed from.

'Bout you guys? What would be your fantasy Prince record?

http://prince.org/msg/7/400883

maybe take a look at this thread to see what some posted as their 'perfect' album

timmie said:

http://prince.org/msg/7/400883

maybe take a look at this thread to see what some posted as their 'perfect' album

I missed that thread.

But I don't want to start a "which outtakes would you put together to make an album" thread. Forget outtakes for now. If Prince were to record an entirely new set of songs to your specifications. what would those songs sound like?

In other words, what kind of musical direction would your fantasy Prince album follow?

Had Parade included Sexual Suicide, There's Others Here With Us, Old Friends 4 Sale and All My Dreams I believe it would have rivalled SOTT as Prince's crowning acheivement.

I made a playlist that essentially is The Black Album/Lovesexy mashed together, sprinkled with a couple of Dream Factory outtakes such as Movie Star, Crystal Ball, A Place in Heaven, Last Heart and Witness For the Prosecution. That would have made one hell of an album.

[Edited 9/15/13 2:48am]

An album is restrictive in it's format.

Because it demands that the songs sound good together.

I can imagine one makes a beautiful piano ballad after a love dovey day in the sun.

A week later, things are not going well and he feels like making a dark, heavy, song with his electric guitar as his spokesman.

Next month, there's a great get together weekend with friends. All kind of different musicians, having a great time. So, he's inspired to a feel good, inspirational song with all kind of instruments.

For me, that is Prince. He is versatile. His music is not one style or trick he has repeated over the decades. It's always indistinguisable Prince. But it never is the same.

To answer your question:

I think he has got enough great material over the years that he can add to the two or three fantastic songs of late.

An all intstrumental dark album, would be fantastic. But I think it's more realistic that he would be in that mood for a couple of days, and make a few songs the are perfect. It takes to long to make it into a whole album. He gets bored with it by then.

Why does he need to make an album?

Aren't albums something of the past?

Now it's about releasing songs, right?

He can realease songs as he wishes. And people can add them to their own fave playlists.

And in due time, when he has enough perfect songs that sound good enough to arrange it on an album, he can release it. But I think that when he forces himself to make songs that fit in the structure of an album, the songs are just that; fillers.

I prefer his songs that are from his heart.

No matter it his heart is dark, heavy or light. It's all good if it's from the heart.

I prefer heartfelt songs above an audiance pleasing album.

My fantasy album would be something along the lines of TRC production-wise (very organic sounding) but more funky than jazzy.