First of all, I know a lot of people love this album. And I know there's a lot of people that hate it too. But whenever I listen to it I can't help but think it's a shame about the religious lyrics and tiresome and tuneless edited vocals, because the music is incredible. Some alterations and I think it could have been one of Prince's best albums (which I know a lot of people think already). 1+1+1 is 3, She Loves Me 4 Me, (especially She Loves Me 4 Me, a really beautiful song) and Last December are outstanding. Rainbow Children is pretty good as it stands too.

thisisreece said:

First of all, I know a lot of people love this album. And I know there's a lot of people that hate it too. But whenever I listen to it I can't help but think it's a shame about the religious lyrics and tiresome and tuneless edited vocals, because the music is incredible. Some alterations and I think it could have been one of Prince's best albums (which I know a lot of people think already). 1+1+1 is 3, She Loves Me 4 Me, (especially She Loves Me 4 Me, a really beautiful song) and Last December are outstanding. Rainbow Children is pretty good as it stands too.

I agree i think the music is absolutely one of his best works, but that freaky voice ad the religion really ruin it....

well u hit that nail on the head .. i think most peoples hatred of nuPrince comes from some damn good nuPrince musical ideas completely decimated by the worst most un listenable lyrics possible .. and worse .. he tends to out do the horror that his ahem .. poetry has become .. with each new release .. for decades .. its .. almost .. as .. if .. someone ... else .. wrote .. the .. lyrics ... to all .. his .. good .. songs .. from so long ago ...

terrig said:

thisisreece said:

First of all, I know a lot of people love this album. And I know there's a lot of people that hate it too. But whenever I listen to it I can't help but think it's a shame about the religious lyrics and tiresome and tuneless edited vocals, because the music is incredible. Some alterations and I think it could have been one of Prince's best albums (which I know a lot of people think already). 1+1+1 is 3, She Loves Me 4 Me, (especially She Loves Me 4 Me, a really beautiful song) and Last December are outstanding. Rainbow Children is pretty good as it stands too.

I agree i think the music is absolutely one of his best works, but that freaky voice ad the religion really ruin it....

No you ruin it, just because of that "freaky voice and the religion".

Nothing about the lyrics or the Bob George voice bothered me one iota, because I understood it was meant to be a concept album, not an album of pop songs and radio-friendly tunes. I listened to it as a soundtrack to a movie...some story that I don't quite understand but get the general jist of just the same. Then again, I was never one to have Prince's personal viewpoints have any real effect on me one way or another. I was just glad this specific viewpoint seemed to inspire him artistically in a way that I hadn't heard in years. Rave, New Power Soul, Chaos & Disorder...none of those sounded even remotely inspired.

....phooey.

[Edited 10/12/13 19:14pm]

Byron said:

Nothing about the lyrics or the Bob George voice bothered me one iota, because I understood it was meant to be a concept album, not an album of pop songs and radio-friendly tunes. I listened to it as a soundtrack to a movie...some story that I don't quite understand but get the general jist of just the same. Then again, I was never one to have Prince's personal viewpoints have any real effect on me one way or another. I was just glad this specific viewpoint seemed to inspire him artistically in a way that I hadn't heard in years. Rave, New Power Soul, Chaos & Disorder...none of those sounded even remotely inspired.

....phooey.

[Edited 10/12/13 19:14pm]

I love Bob George, it sort of plays like a radio drama. It's brilliant. The voice works on that track, because it is Prince being a character. Also, it's just playful and very fun, great black humor. The voice on TRC which is even deeper and more drawn out is just preachy and there's no rhythm to it like the voice in Bob George.

thisisreece said:

Byron said:

Nothing about the lyrics or the Bob George voice bothered me one iota, because I understood it was meant to be a concept album, not an album of pop songs and radio-friendly tunes. I listened to it as a soundtrack to a movie...some story that I don't quite understand but get the general jist of just the same. Then again, I was never one to have Prince's personal viewpoints have any real effect on me one way or another. I was just glad this specific viewpoint seemed to inspire him artistically in a way that I hadn't heard in years. Rave, New Power Soul, Chaos & Disorder...none of those sounded even remotely inspired.

....phooey.

[Edited 10/12/13 19:14pm]

I love Bob George, it sort of plays like a radio drama. It's brilliant. The voice works on that track, because it is Prince being a character. Also, it's just playful and very fun, great black humor. The voice on TRC which is even deeper and more drawn out is just preachy and there's no rhythm to it like the voice in Bob George.

On TRC, it's the voice of a narrator. On Bob George, it's the voice of the lead character.

There's not supposed to be a rhythm outisde of speaking in a clear tone and with the right inflections at the right moments. The voice on Bob George, for all intents and purposes, was being sung/"rapped".

Byron said:

thisisreece said:

I love Bob George, it sort of plays like a radio drama. It's brilliant. The voice works on that track, because it is Prince being a character. Also, it's just playful and very fun, great black humor. The voice on TRC which is even deeper and more drawn out is just preachy and there's no rhythm to it like the voice in Bob George.

On TRC, it's the voice of a narrator. On Bob George, it's the voice of the lead character.

There's not supposed to be a rhythm outisde of speaking in a clear tone and with the right inflections at the right moments. The voice on Bob George, for all intents and purposes, was being sung/"rapped".

That's exactly what I mean. I get the intent, I just don't like it.

Byron said:

thisisreece said:

I love Bob George, it sort of plays like a radio drama. It's brilliant. The voice works on that track, because it is Prince being a character. Also, it's just playful and very fun, great black humor. The voice on TRC which is even deeper and more drawn out is just preachy and there's no rhythm to it like the voice in Bob George.

On TRC, it's the voice of a narrator. On Bob George, it's the voice of the lead character.

There's not supposed to be a rhythm outisde of speaking in a clear tone and with the right inflections at the right moments. The voice on Bob George, for all intents and purposes, was being sung/"rapped".

*

Bingo! I like what you said on this thread and on the “Breakfast Can Wait” Thread. And, for the record, I love the music and lyrics of The Rainbow Children.

thisisreece said:

Byron said:

On TRC, it's the voice of a narrator. On Bob George, it's the voice of the lead character.

There's not supposed to be a rhythm outisde of speaking in a clear tone and with the right inflections at the right moments. The voice on Bob George, for all intents and purposes, was being sung/"rapped".

That's exactly what I mean. I get the intent, I just don't like it.

Therefore, it's a shame that you "just don't like it". Not, that TRC is a shame.

Byron said:

Nothing about the lyrics or the Bob George voice bothered me one iota, because I understood it was meant to be a concept album, not an album of pop songs and radio-friendly tunes. I listened to it as a soundtrack to a movie...some story that I don't quite understand but get the general jist of just the same. Then again, I was never one to have Prince's personal viewpoints have any real effect on me one way or another. I was just glad this specific viewpoint seemed to inspire him artistically in a way that I hadn't heard in years. Rave, New Power Soul, Chaos & Disorder...none of those sounded even remotely inspired.

....phooey.

[Edited 10/12/13 19:14pm]

the shame is that THIS isn't the predominant viewpoint of this album!!!!

thisisreece said:

Tremolina said:

thisisreece said:

That's exactly what I mean. I get the intent, I just don't like it.

Therefore, it's a shame that you "just don't like it". Not, that TRC is a shame.

I should have said, I get the intent, it's just not very effective. I like the idea of it, it just doesn't seem to work. And like I said initally, I know some people like it, but there's an awful lot that doesn't.

thisisreece said:

Tremolina said:

Therefore, it's a shame that you "just don't like it". Not, that TRC is a shame.

I should have said, I get the intent, it's just not very effective. I like the idea of it, it just doesn't seem to work. And like I said initally, I know some people like it, but there's an awful lot that doesn't.

I think what you'd probably find is that the overwhelming majority of those who don't like the voice also don't like that it's a concept album...they were wanting and expecting "regular" album with "normal" pop song structures of verse-verse-chorus, verse-verse-chorus, all packed into a 3 1/2 minute song they could sing along to in their cars. Nothing whatsoever wrong with that, but that's most definitely not what Prince wanted to do with TRC. Much rarer to find those who said "I love TRC, but the narrator voice sucks."

By the way, for me I never liked Kirstie Alley's spoken comments throughout the Symbol album. The only time I liked it was at the beginning of "Arrogance" ("Why...are...you...so ARROGANT!" lol). The rest of the time I thought the added spoken "skits" with her fell flat. Also never liked the computer narrator throughout The Gold Experience...it ends up dating the CD even though damn near the entire album still holds up 15+ years later.

1725topp said:

Byron said:

On TRC, it's the voice of a narrator. On Bob George, it's the voice of the lead character.

There's not supposed to be a rhythm outisde of speaking in a clear tone and with the right inflections at the right moments. The voice on Bob George, for all intents and purposes, was being sung/"rapped".

*

Bingo! I like what you said on this thread and on the “Breakfast Can Wait” Thread. And, for the record, I love the music and lyrics of The Rainbow Children.

Thank yew...

Byron said:

thisisreece said:

I should have said, I get the intent, it's just not very effective. I like the idea of it, it just doesn't seem to work. And like I said initally, I know some people like it, but there's an awful lot that doesn't.

I think what you'd probably find is that the overwhelming majority of those who don't like the voice also don't like that it's a concept album...they were wanting and expecting "regular" album with "normal" pop song structures of verse-verse-chorus, verse-verse-chorus, all packed into a 3 1/2 minute song they could sing along to in their cars. Nothing whatsoever wrong with that, but that's most definitely not what Prince wanted to do with TRC. Much rarer to find those who said "I love TRC, but the narrator voice sucks."

By the way, for me I never liked Kirstie Alley's spoken comments throughout the Symbol album. The only time I liked it was at the beginning of "Arrogance" ("Why...are...you...so ARROGANT!" lol). The rest of the time I thought the added spoken "skits" with her fell flat. Also never liked the computer narrator throughout The Gold Experience...it ends up dating the CD even though damn near the entire album still holds up 15+ years later.

I'm guess I'm one of the few then, because I quite enjoy TRC despite what I have said. And I agree with you 100% about The Gold Experience segues. I liked the Love Symbol ones though.

[Edited 10/13/13 9:42am]

[Edited 10/13/13 9:43am]

[Edited 10/13/13 9:43am]

Tremolina said:

terrig said:

I agree i think the music is absolutely one of his best works, but that freaky voice ad the religion really ruin it....

No you ruin it, just because of that "freaky voice and the religion".

the freaky voice and the religion is why it will be under appreciated as the work of art that it should be.

i GOT the concept...its not done well. the music however is INCREDIBLE.

[Edited 10/13/13 17:35pm]

terrig said:

Tremolina said:

No you ruin it, just because of that "freaky voice and the religion".

the freaky voice and the religion is why it will be under appreciated as the work of art that it should be.

i GOT the concept...its not done well. the music however is INCREDIBLE.

[Edited 10/13/13 17:35pm]

It's not so much underappreciated by those who aren't that bothered by the voice and the religion.