I would say it's very good.

Emancipation gets a lot of flack for its style of 'production'. But that 'problem' is mainly reserved to disc/chapter I of the album.

I believe disc II is not the very best of his best, but it is highly unique and of a very high quality, in every way - songwriting and lyrics, performance and sound production, with the exception of a few tunes maybe (the piano on Let's have a bay for example; great song but the piano is lost in some sort of hall playing effect)

Somehow much of the music on this disc has been playing in my mind for weeks already, so I feel a need to express myself positively on it, lol..

I especially like Soul Sanctuary, Email, Joint 2 joint, the Holy River, Saviour and Friend, lover, sister, mother, wife.

I have not listened to it in literally years and years but I'll listen so I can discuss it with you.

Emancipation is one of my least favorite Prince albums.

Stymie said:

I have not listened to it in literally years and years but I'll listen so I can discuss it with you.

Emancipation is one of my least favorite Prince albums.

I would be interested to hear what you think of it now, after all these years

I like all 3 discs......... but my fave is disc II

Funny thing... Emancipation is my Fav Prince CD...and I play Disc II EVERYDAY in my car

Saviour is my ringtone...FLSMW is and was my beloved ex-honey's ringtone...(the only ringtones on my cell) I still cross my legs back and forward with One Kiss At A Time, E-Mail, Curious Child, Let's Have A Baby, Holy River, Dreamin About U, Soul Sanctuary, The Plan, and U kidding me >>>Joint To Joint? Please just listening to some of these songs make think I need to go for a extra long run...to eliminate the sexual energy they cause me.

Love Disc I Right Back Here In My Arms, Betcha By Golly Wow, I Can't Make U Love Me...LOL...Mr. Happy and especially Somebody's Somebody

Love Disc III The Love We Make

Did I say I say I Love Saviour...that's how good Emancipation is to me...#1

it's a pretty solid disc up to and including "the holy river"

but after that it just falls apart. i hate everthing after it

we all know what prince was going for and for that, it's

a unique disc and really rather sweet. but i do hate the

last part of that disc with a passion though

journey 2 the center of ur heart and goodbye would've

been great choices for songs to include there imo.

"Emale" is my favorite song on the album,and it's on disc two,so the 2nd chapter gets a thumbs up from me

Best of the 3, especially love the later songs.

Since I first bought this album, the 2nd disc seemed the strongest to me. With that said -- I'm not drawn to it (though I still enjoy it). I listen to his more recent albums much more.

kok said:

Funny thing... Emancipation is my Fav Prince CD...and I play Disc II EVERYDAY in my car

Saviour is my ringtone...FLSMW is and was my beloved ex-honey's ringtone...(the only ringtones on my cell) I still cross my legs back and forward with One Kiss At A Time, E-Mail, Curious Child, Let's Have A Baby, Holy River, Dreamin About U, Soul Sanctuary, The Plan, and U kidding me >>>Joint To Joint? Please just listening to some of these songs make think I need to go for a extra long run...to eliminate the sexual energy they cause me.

Love Disc I Right Back Here In My Arms, Betcha By Golly Wow, I Can't Make U Love Me...LOL...Mr. Happy and especially Somebody's Somebody

Love Disc III The Love We Make

Did I say I say I Love Saviour...that's how good Emancipation is to me...#1

Yeah I've done that too, playing disc II EVERYDAY. Everytime Prince sang the high notes on Soul Sanctuary ......... Yeah I was getting my voice up there on those high notes

It's funny, over the years Disc II has easily been my least favorite of the three discs. On release, Disc III was my preference (New World is just such a great track, that alone makes it worth the spin), followed by Disc I (which has many flaws, but does have Courtin' Time...although I'll never understand why he didn't use a real horn section on that one).

Disc II? I mean, sure it has Joint 2 Joint which I loved for a while (but now doesn't do as much for me), and Holy River (which I still think is one of his better spiritual songs), but it also has Soul Sanctuary... I know many of you love that song, but WOW. To me, it's just dreadful to the point where I can't even listen to it - which is somewhat of a rarity for me. And the same goes for "One Kiss At a Time," "Curious Child" and "Dreamin' About U." Ick. So sappy and boring.

Of course, it does start with Sex in the Summer, which I always liked. And Emale is good as well. Let's Have a Baby always skeeved me out even before I understood why - just a very unfortunate song in every way.

Interestingly, I've always rather enjoyed Saviour and F/L/S/M/W ... yes, they are among the cheesiest songs he's ever recorded but something about his vocals wins me over.

Totally agree with IstenSzek that Goodbye and Journey 2 the Center of Your Heart would have made a lot of sense on this disc. And in my mind, She Gave Her Angels (suuuuuuuuuuuuch a gorgeous song) should replace Let's Make a Baby, but obviously that wouldn't have happened when it was originally released.

theblueangel said:

It's funny, over the years Disc II has easily been my least favorite of the three discs. On release, Disc III was my preference (New World is just such a great track, that alone makes it worth the spin), followed by Disc I (which has many flaws, but does have Courtin' Time...although I'll never understand why he didn't use a real horn section on that one).

Disc II? I mean, sure it has Joint 2 Joint which I loved for a while (but now doesn't do as much for me), and Holy River (which I still think is one of his better spiritual songs), but it also has Soul Sanctuary... I know many of you love that song, but WOW. To me, it's just dreadful to the point where I can't even listen to it - which is somewhat of a rarity for me. And the same goes for "One Kiss At a Time," "Curious Child" and "Dreamin' About U." Ick. So sappy and boring.

Of course, it does start with Sex in the Summer, which I always liked. And Emale is good as well. Let's Have a Baby always skeeved me out even before I understood why - just a very unfortunate song in every way.

Interestingly, I've always rather enjoyed Saviour and F/L/S/M/W ... yes, they are among the cheesiest songs he's ever recorded but something about his vocals wins me over.

Totally agree with IstenSzek that Goodbye and Journey 2 the Center of Your Heart would have made a lot of sense on this disc. And in my mind, She Gave Her Angels (suuuuuuuuuuuuch a gorgeous song) should replace Let's Make a Baby, but obviously that wouldn't have happened when it was originally released.

Cheezy. Its so interesting the different take people have on music. What a person brings to the music is as important has the music itself. I remember first listening to disc two and tearing up because I could feel the emotion prince was feeling in performing those songs. He was deeply in love and happy.

This album has held up suprising well for me. I was not the biggest fan when it came out but it has grown on me over the years. I love disc 2 the most. Every song on that disc is exceptional. The weakest is disc 1...I don't like the covers and We Gets Up makes me cringe.

It's really, really good but I have to be in the right mood to listen to it in its entirety.

However, I can listen to "The Holy River" all day, every day. That is my favorite Prince guitar solo of all time (yes, I like it even better than "Just My Imagination").

"Joint 2 Joint" is definitely the best song of the entire "Emancipation" set, and one of his quirkiest, most innovative tracks ever. "The Holy River" is amazing... up until that weird coda, where he ruins the vibe of the song by proving how many key and tempo changes he can accomplish at once.

Unfortunately for me, though, the shine wore off of the rest of "Emancipation" rather quickly after I got it. The songs just never clicked, even though I tried my hardest to let them in. I can enjoy "Right Back Here In My Arms", "In This Bed Eye Scream", "Damned If Eye Do" (I just wish it didn't have all that trend-chasing Latino crap in it), and maybe "New World". But that's it. All the others just leave me cold, and they sound thin production-wise.

Oh Mr. Tremolina. You are so lucky we are close friends.

*

I found the disc to be as unlistenable as I did when I first heard it back in 1996.I fought hard not to skip through several tracks. Prince trying to use "cool" language in Sex In the Summer really grated my nerves.

*

The one exception and the only song I will listen to more than once other than Dreamin' About U is Savior. Such a wonderful song. I also didn't hate F/L/S/M/W and Soul Sanctuary.

*

I am grateful to you for helping me rediscover Savior so I guess I don't hate you for making me listen to this.

The problem with Emancipation for me is that there are some really, really good songs on there (both in terms of melody and lyrical content). It's just that the production on most of them is dogshit.

If he just took a piano or acoustic guitar and sang those songs they would sound 173 times better. That's a scientific fact.

IstenSzek said:

it's a pretty solid disc up to and including "the holy river"

but after that it just falls apart. i hate everthing after it

we all know what prince was going for and for that, it's

a unique disc and really rather sweet. but i do hate the

last part of that disc with a passion though

journey 2 the center of ur heart and goodbye would've

been great choices for songs to include there imo.

Lars!! What about "Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother, Wife"?! That must be the epitome of Prince sweet balladery (incl. all the "cold" production)!

Disc 2 is definately the best of the three. The whole album is a little light and plastic, but I still reckon it could have made a great single/double album - lose the covers and the really awful songs like Da da da. I would have some mix of the following:

Jam Of The Year

Right Back Here In My Arms

Somebody's Somebody

White Mansion

One Kiss At A Time

Soul Sanctuary

Emale

Curious Child

Dreamin' About U

Joint 2 Joint

The Holy River

Let's Have A Baby

Saviour

Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/ Wife

Slave

New World

My Computer

The Love We Make

Emancipation

This is a really strong set when you look at it

Dave1992 said:

IstenSzek said:

it's a pretty solid disc up to and including "the holy river"

but after that it just falls apart. i hate everthing after it

we all know what prince was going for and for that, it's

a unique disc and really rather sweet. but i do hate the

last part of that disc with a passion though

journey 2 the center of ur heart and goodbye would've

been great choices for songs to include there imo.

Lars!! What about "Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother, Wife"?! That must be the epitome of Prince sweet balladery (incl. all the "cold" production)!

Agreed! What is Isten on?! Let's Have A Baby is SUBLIME, in a similar vein to the superlative nature of Silver Tongue. Saviour is a brilliant rock ballad in a similar vein to 3 Chains of Gold and featuring Michael B and Sonny T i.e. what is there not to like?! Just imagine that song on Chaos and Disorder after Into The Light/I Will. It would have been the perfect New Power Trio of rock ballad songs. Finally, I can't understand how ANYONE cannot hear the genuine emotion and almost desperation to connect through his vocals on Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife. It's seriously HEARTFELT. I think it's one of the best sections of the Emancipation set - The Holy River onwards until the end of Disc 2, which is why I was shocked when I saw Isten's tastes! He has much to answer for.

SpiritOtter said:

Dave1992 said:

Lars!! What about "Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother, Wife"?! That must be the epitome of Prince sweet balladery (incl. all the "cold" production)!

Agreed! What is Isten on?! Let's Have A Baby is SUBLIME, in a similar vein to the superlative nature of Silver Tongue. Saviour is a brilliant rock ballad in a similar vein to 3 Chains of Gold and featuring Michael B and Sonny T i.e. what is there not to like?! Just imagine that song on Chaos and Disorder after Into The Light/I Will. It would have been the perfect New Power Trio of rock ballad songs. Finally, I can't understand how ANYONE cannot hear the genuine emotion and almost desperation to connect through his vocals on Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife. It's seriously HEARTFELT. I think it's one of the best sections of the Emancipation set - The Holy River onwards until the end of Disc 2, which is why I was shocked when I saw Isten's tastes! He has much to answer for.

I don't always agree with you but i love how the "spirit" is always a part of how you experince prince's music. Disc 2 is really prince at his most open and heartfelt. i'm amazed at those who can't hear and feel that.

i guess i just find it too sugar coated and schmaltzy, that's all.

it's not like i hate those songs and would not consider listening

to them ever again. i pretty much enjoy everything prince ever

did, on occasion. but some things i just think are too much of a

certain sentiment.

.

like i said, i know the disc was in essence a present for mayte

and the thought behind it is really nice. and i do love all of the

songs up to and including "holy river" a lot.

.

but i just can't get with "let's have a baby" or "f,l,s,m/w" -but

i have to agree with dave1992 that the 'cold' production of that

last one is really nice - i just hate the lyrics

.

yet, 3 songs that were taken off the album at some point, that

i really love to death are "journey 2 the center of ur heart",

"goodbye" and the sublime "she gave her angels". now those

have some pretty honey soaked lyrics too, but somehow the

melody, the delivery and just the right balance in the words

really lifts those songs way beyond any of the other ballads

mentioned above.

.

but it's also understandable why he took them off the album

since those last 4 songs on emancipation II do change up the

flow of that disc a little bit toward the end. with "journey" and

"goodbye" on there it would have all felt a bit too much alike

i guess.

.

the plan - just had no place on there really, but it makes sense

to prince and mayte because he wrote the whole kamasutra for

her and since this disc is another gift to her in celebration of

their love, i get it. but i don't have to like it's place here

.

lastly, "saviour", i just don't feel it. same way i don't really get

"planet earth". sometimes he gets there tracks absolutely right

and other times i just feel "meh" about them.

.

but as always, with his entire catalogue, there are people who

hate something and others who go "are you mad? that's one of

his best ever songs!"

.

i have the same reaction whenever someone says they hate

"dolphin". different strokes i guess.

SpiritOtter said:

Dave1992 said:

Lars!! What about "Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother, Wife"?! That must be the epitome of Prince sweet balladery (incl. all the "cold" production)!

Agreed! What is Isten on?! Let's Have A Baby is SUBLIME, in a similar vein to the superlative nature of Silver Tongue. Saviour is a brilliant rock ballad in a similar vein to 3 Chains of Gold and featuring Michael B and Sonny T i.e. what is there not to like?! Just imagine that song on Chaos and Disorder after Into The Light/I Will. It would have been the perfect New Power Trio of rock ballad songs. Finally, I can't understand how ANYONE cannot hear the genuine emotion and almost desperation to connect through his vocals on Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife. It's seriously HEARTFELT. I think it's one of the best sections of the Emancipation set - The Holy River onwards until the end of Disc 2, which is why I was shocked when I saw Isten's tastes! He has much to answer for.

oh please

as soon as he goes:

"if i ever shared a bed, it was only cause i wanted to live up 2 what the people said"

so either he's been fucking around because that's what people expect of him, or he

never did and just went along with the press and their stories because it was a good

commercial angle to stay in the news and sell more records.

either way and a totally off putting sentiment to put into a song like that

i don't like "let's have a baby" because i find it painful to listen to, for the obvious

reasons. plus, it's just too much already. as a private song for mayte it is just a

gorgeous intent, but shared on an actual album it becomes weird for me. i don't

want that look into their lives.

saviour, i just hate i'm sorry but i do. (yet i love songs like 3 chains of gold,

strays of the world, etc).