I just got both of these the other day,yeah I'm late...
SO WHAT!!!

Anyway,guess which one I like the most,NOT Controversy!

I much more enjoy listening to COOL,Get It Up, and The Stick than basically anything on Controversy,except maybe Do Me Baby...

oooh, this is a toughie...

get it up...or let's work...

oh, baby(which i think p shoulda kept, btw)...or do me, baby...


gimme a while 2 think this over...

I suggest you get yourself a copy of The Time's second album, 'What Time Is It?'. It's far superior and definitely more funky than their debut.

And no, 'The Time' is not better han 'Controversy'


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giotto said:

definitely.

giotto said:

But 1999 is better!!!

gypsyfire said
But 1999 is better!!![/quote]

Shhh...Don't tell Anji!!!


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Funny you should bring this up. Lately I cant stop playing Controversy. What Time Is It? is bloody good tho.

I thought the ballads on the Time's first album were horrendous. Certainly "What Time is It" was their definitive album...

But Controversy I prefer to them both!

since it's BOTH Prince it's just 1 take on Funk & the other take is Glam Slam Funk...

giotto said:

G, I actually agree. 1999 is a better album than Controversy on so many levels but I still think Controversy is a funkier experience. There is something altogether more biting and impactful in Controversy's swagger than 1999's meandering grooves. I like both but for entirely different reasons.


[This message was edited Fri Mar 14 11:14:05 PST 2003 by Anji]

Anji said:

Granted, there are too many "excursions" on the '1999' double album for it to be as tight or as compact sounding as 'Controversy'. However, '1999' is the album that best showcases Prince's mastery of the groove much more effectively than 'Controversy'.During early 1981 he had yet to mutate into the funky animal he evolved into during subsequent recording sessions later that year. Those sessions were feverish workouts that at times lasted for over 48 hours non-stop without food or water and the man was well...possessed.

If you think I'm kidding just get an earful of 'Lady Cab Driver/All The Critics Love U In New York' at eardrum-splitting volume ( and to hell with your posh neighbours)

For further enjoyment and appreciation of this period, the following unreleased demos and alternate versions are essential listening as well. I dare you to play them at full blast too:

'Feel U Up/Irresistible Bitch'
'Turn It Up'
'Do Yourself A Favor'
'Moonbeam Levels'
'Extra Loveable'
'D.M.S.R.' (demo version)
'Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)' (demo version)
'Delirious' (the unedited version) (7:07)
'Baby, You're A Trip'
'Purple Music'
'Cloreen Bacon Skin'

Even now it's amazing to think that the above were just leftovers from the '1999' album. They definitely kick the leftovers from the 'Controversy' era into a cocked hat.


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giotto said:

i have a good majority of what's on this list, and yes people--listen 2 these!!!

giotto said:

A friend of mine has just made an album featuring most of the songs you mention. Given your description of that era, I absolutely cannot wait to hear it. Damn!

giotto said:

Spooky! eh, Anji!
(...almost done!)

Wait a sec...weren't we debating over The Time's debut vs. Controversy? My vote's on Prince, even though he did create both. Face it, there's more songs, more styles, and more artistic statements by our hero.

Yeah, back on subject..

I'd have to go with Controversy, so much more diversity
in the music (though I could do without 'Ronnie Talk 2
Russia'...definitely should have only been a b-side)

NWF said:

Oh, and lest we forget the New Wave that he was fitting into his sound

BorisFishpaw said:

mmm, not quite a b-side, imo...if it were longer, yeah...

BorisFishpaw said:

Hey, I liked "Ronnie...". That's one of his best Punk-style songs.

BorisFishpaw said:

I actually really like Ronnie Talk To Russia. In the context of the album, I find it works as a cool little number. And don't get me started on the segues between Private Joy, Ronnie Talk To Russia, Let's Work and Annie Christian. Amazing!


[This message was edited Fri Mar 14 12:28:04 PST 2003 by Anji]

Anji said:

He does that same segue trick on Dirty Mind too, if you notice.

giotto...
YES...your points i agree with.
digs yo' outtake list.

CLOREEN bacon skin is GREAT. i don't care ho long it is-
if you listen to it you'll see how PRINCE created MORRIs's
character and morris's drumming is FUNKyyy!!!

does anybody recall that Morris was going to be the
DRUMMER in the TIME...but prince put him out front,cuz
ALEXANDER o' NEAL wouldn't go with da program as the lead
vocalist?

the time with alexander...that's funny.

morris is a good drummer.
i think he's the drummer on the single TRICKy.

The Time's first album is great fun- I love it a lot. However, it can't compete with "Controversy" on any level. "Cool," "Get It Up" and "The Stick" are standout tracks, but the rest is rather weak in my opinion.

It's somewhat.. pointless.. to compare these 2 albums.

Sure, they both came out the same year,
& yes, they're both essentially "Prince" albums in that he did most things on both albums..


Take a moment to look at the "context" under which both albums were released:

It has often been said that "The Time" was basically released as an "outlet" for Prince's funkier musical side, supposedly for Prince to put out music that he might not put out on 1 of his own albums. The group itself was apparently a "payback", as legend has it, for Morris "giving" Prince the song "Party Up", which was on Prince's previous album Dirty Mind. Further, as The Time was a new "group", the goal of this album was probably to establish the group for what it would be known for:
danceable, synthesizer-driven funk.

"Controversy", on the other hand, was Prince's 4th studio release at that time. It can probably be safely said that what he wanted to do on Controversy was at least a little different from what he wanted to accomplish with "The Time." Prince probably had no interest in "limiting" himself to "just funk" on Controversy, & songs like "Jack U Off" & "Ronnie, Talk.." bear that out.


In this thread, it was said that "What Time Is It?" is funkier than "The Time." That's hard to say, in my opinion. Really now:

Is "The Walk" really funkier than "The Stick"?
Hmm..

Is "777-9311" that much funkier than "Get It Up"?
I don't know..

The biggest difference between the 1st Time album & the 2nd is that with the 2nd, the "personalities" of the band members came out more on the 2nd album, they came across as being more comfortable with their (prescribed) image, & they came across as having more fun, being crazier or whatever.
Then, of course, during the 1999 tour,
all their personality & craziness came out even more, which is probably why so many people preferred The Time's performance to Prince's on that tour. This was certainly the case when they came through Richmond in February of '83. The whole show was excellent, but when people talked about it afterwards, more people said they dug The Time's set than Prince's..
& you KNOW Prince TOTALLY wore us out, as it was!
You couldn't touch Prince back in the day, he was SO "bad"!



Granted, each person has their own personal preferences between these 2 albums, but really..
they're both VERY GOOD works of music.

NWF said:

I know, I love that too.

I apologize!!!
I do LOVE the Controversy album...ok


Only wish Let's Work were longer!

gypsyfire said:

Brilliant!

Prince vs Prince?

Controversy hands down!

You guys should stop disrespecting The Time album. There is hardly anything funkier than Get It Up especially the opening riffs..and the vocals (background vocals too). And the groove on Cool..shit. This album is way funkier then Controversy and many parts of the What Time Is It album...its funk is more bottom heavy if you will...and I didn't even mention The Stick

gypsyfire said:

Without a doubt...my vote would have to be with Controversy...but since Prince was the creative force behind The Time at that time...it's his "funky" input that you enjoy so well.