just listening again to the hits b-sides album after a while...and the brilliance of some of these tracks from the 80s just hits you all over again...it makes me realise again that whatever the guy might have lost when it comes to writing great music now...his work in these tracks..which were deemed not good enough for his albums...is superb...these b-sides are better than almost everyone elses best work in the 80s...he was soo far ahead of everyone else in that decade that its not even funny.

[Edited 11/13/13 3:32am]

Listening to them in order of release is a great experience, like an alternate best-of from the 80's. Bit of a struggle around the 2 versions of God though.

blackbob said:

just listening again to the hits b-sides album after a while...and the brilliance of some of these tracks from the 80s just hits you all over again...it makes me realise again that whatever the guy might have lost when it comes to writing great music now...his work in these tracks..which were deemed not good enough for his albums...is superb...these b-sides are better than almost everyone elses best work in the 80s...he was soo far ahead of everyone else in that decade that its not even funny.

I don't think they weren't include because they weren't good enough for the album.

.

I thought it was just that he had so much to include or they didn't work directly with the album

.

ie Hello works perfectly as a Bside 2 Pop Life, but because it was a 'story' of a particular personal social event, I could see how it wasn't include on the album

.

GOD the Dance Electric, because it wasn't in the movie PR I wouldn't see how it would fit in the movie, the same with 17Days Erotic City Another Lonely Christmas

.

Escape, is a perfect Bside 4 Glam Slam, but I don't t think it fit the album directly

.

* Parade should have had 1 or 2 more Bside since he had so many outtakes from that period:Old Friends 4 Sale, A Beautiful Day, Mia Bocca -since all of those somehow were in the movie

OldFriends4Sale said:

blackbob said:

just listening again to the hits b-sides album after a while...and the brilliance of some of these tracks from the 80s just hits you all over again...it makes me realise again that whatever the guy might have lost when it comes to writing great music now...his work in these tracks..which were deemed not good enough for his albums...is superb...these b-sides are better than almost everyone elses best work in the 80s...he was soo far ahead of everyone else in that decade that its not even funny.

I don't think they weren't include because they weren't good enough for the album.

.

I thought it was just that he had so much to include or they didn't work directly with the album

.

ie Hello works perfectly as a Bside 2 Pop Life, but because it was a 'story' of a particular personal social event, I could see how it wasn't include on the album

.

GOD the Dance Electric, because it wasn't in the movie PR I wouldn't see how it would fit in the movie, the same with 17Days Erotic City Another Lonely Christmas

.

Escape, is a perfect Bside 4 Glam Slam, but I don't t think it fit the album directly

.

* Parade should have had 1 or 2 more Bside since he had so many outtakes from that period:Old Friends 4 Sale, A Beautiful Day, Mia Bocca -since all of those somehow were in the movie

I agree: it's not so much not being good enough than belonging or the mere fact that albums were only 45mn and no matter how brilliant the songs, P had to chose and make it work as a whole.

As for this thread being yet another vicious excuse for saying how Prince has lost it and is over and done and blah blah blah, you know what I think about this so I ain't gonna repeat myself

i dont think prince has lost it completely ..i think he has lost the ability to write really great songs...he is still capable of writing good music...has he has done in the last ten years..but it is normal to write your best music in your 20s/early 30s....look at mccartney...stevie wonder..david bowie..just about everyone loses an edge to their music after their 20s...someone said that rock music is a young persons music and its very true i think...he is still a great artist.

blackbob said:

i dont think prince has lost it completely ..i think he has lost the ability to write really great songs...he is still capable of writing good music...has he has done in the last ten years..but it is normal to write your best music in your 20s/early 30s....look at mccartney...stevie wonder..david bowie..just about everyone loses an edge to their music after their 20s...someone said that rock music is a young persons music and its very true i think...he is still a great artist.

Fair enough. U're not like them. My bad

His 80's b-sides deserve proper remastering just as the albums do. I hope they are not neglected if/when remasters are on the cards.