I think it's outstanding. I wouldn't mind having an instrumental version too.

I have it on repeat now....doggone you people,

It's killin' me!

Love the heart beat as he's being revived and throughout the song. The strings and flute are amazing. been missing this type of stuff.

I agree with the dominant opinion appearing on this thread... the Affirmations and WBH are the masterpeice of this album. He is really sharing something deep and true here.... I was listenening to it today, having a day dream about how awesome it woud be if people around the world heard it... not just "listened" to the song, but feel it and hear it from their soul. I feel we would all feel more united somehow. I also agree with the interpretations of the song posted here, "home" is coming back to where he started, back to himself, back to his spirit, back to God.

The flow of these pieces reminded be of the second side of Abbey Road, which I always regarded as the Beatles' masterpiece.

The is a fantastic album. Prince is a genius, we've known that for decades. But this album really captures that special transcedent quality that we see when we see him play live, that is so hard to capture on a record. He captures it here. Really it is a creation of pure beauty.

SquirrelMeat said:

Coupled with Way Back Home, this music is a genuine new direction.

It doesn't sound like Prince and I love it. We've had a hundred RnB Breakfasts and Breakdown power ballads, but WBH and Affirmation III sound the freshed things he has done since The Rainbow Children.

He has clearly taken his time on these tracks, and avoided any pre-listen.

I'm reading the majority of reviews considering it a filler or throwaway, Really??

The strings, the chords, the wierd thrashing sounds, the keys and the stunning vocals. I love it.

From the album, I hate AOC, Affirmation I&II and....Affirmation III....

SquirrelMeat said:

Coupled with Way Back Home, this music is a genuine new direction.

It doesn't sound like Prince and I love it. We've had a hundred RnB Breakfasts and Breakdown power ballads, but WBH and Affirmation III sound the freshed things he has done since The Rainbow Children.

He has clearly taken his time on these tracks, and avoided any pre-listen.

I'm reading the majority of reviews considering it a filler or throwaway, Really??

The strings, the chords, the wierd thrashing sounds, the keys and the stunning vocals. I love it.

You are not alone.

Yep. It kills the album, lol! Prince ain't even on this track and it's HIS ALBUM! It's filler. This reminds me of all the Scandolous Sex Suite remixes. Completely pointless. Really all the ballads on AOA are beyond terrible. The last half of the album is as messy as those maxi-singles Prince put out in the early 90's. The 40 sec combined Affirmation I and II (how can it have 2 parts when the entire track is less than a minute long?), that leads into the ear-piercing ain't-no-way-I-can-let-my-boys-catch-me-listening-to-this Way Back Home, which is about ( ???), then jarringly into a one-shot sample heavy Funkandroll remix, then Time, a funk-slap bass, err, duet ballad ( ?) also about ( what again???) then into Affirmation III where it becomes really clear that Andy Allo needs a glass of water for that dry throat... .

I am laughing my azz off at the idea that this is the ahem, 'killer' track, when it's not even a Prince track!. I told y'all before those supposedly spiritually enlighted, Jehovah's Witnesses, around Prince these days are asskissers first, musicians second. A bunch of phonies. And they ain't no kind of loyal to Prince, either. I guess they are too young to know that this has all happened before. I thought this group may hold together for a few albums, but I see a lot of slick comments out there. At some point it's going to get back to Prince and then it's back to Youtube, for everybody.

funksterr said:

Yep. It kills the album, lol! Prince ain't even on this track and it's HIS ALBUM! It's filler. This reminds me of all the Scandolous Sex Suite remixes. Completely pointless. Really all the ballads on AOA are beyond terrible. The last half of the album is as messy as those maxi-singles Prince put out in the early 90's. The 40 sec combined Affirmation I and II (how can it have 2 parts when the entire track is less than a minute long?), that leads into the ear-piercing ain't-no-way-I-can-let-my-boys-catch-me-listening-to-this Way Back Home, which is about ( ???), then jarringly into a one-shot sample heavy Funkandroll remix, then Time, a funk-slap bass, err, duet ballad ( ?) also about ( what again???) then into Affirmation III where it becomes really clear that Andy Allo needs a glass of water for that dry throat... .

I am laughing my azz off at the idea that this is the ahem, 'killer' track, when it's not even a Prince track!. I told y'all before those supposedly spiritually enlighted, Jehovah's Witnesses, around Prince these days are asskissers first, musicians second. A bunch of phonies. And they ain't no kind of loyal to Prince, either. I guess they are too young to know that this has all happened before. I thought this group may hold together for a few albums, but I see a lot of slick comments out there. At some point it's going to get back to Prince and then it's back to Youtube, for everybody.

Why does he need to sing on it to be a Prince track? Alexa De Paris is killer too.

Fine if you don't like it, but that doesn't make it crap. Its far more refreshing than run of the mill tracks Like Breakfast, U Know and This is what it feels like.

SquirrelMeat said:

funksterr said:

Yep. It kills the album, lol! Prince ain't even on this track and it's HIS ALBUM! It's filler. This reminds me of all the Scandolous Sex Suite remixes. Completely pointless. Really all the ballads on AOA are beyond terrible. The last half of the album is as messy as those maxi-singles Prince put out in the early 90's. The 40 sec combined Affirmation I and II (how can it have 2 parts when the entire track is less than a minute long?), that leads into the ear-piercing ain't-no-way-I-can-let-my-boys-catch-me-listening-to-this Way Back Home, which is about ( ???), then jarringly into a one-shot sample heavy Funkandroll remix, then Time, a funk-slap bass, err, duet ballad ( ?) also about ( what again???) then into Affirmation III where it becomes really clear that Andy Allo needs a glass of water for that dry throat... .

I am laughing my azz off at the idea that this is the ahem, 'killer' track, when it's not even a Prince track!. I told y'all before those supposedly spiritually enlighted, Jehovah's Witnesses, around Prince these days are asskissers first, musicians second. A bunch of phonies. And they ain't no kind of loyal to Prince, either. I guess they are too young to know that this has all happened before. I thought this group may hold together for a few albums, but I see a lot of slick comments out there. At some point it's going to get back to Prince and then it's back to Youtube, for everybody.

Why does he need to sing on it to be a Prince track? Alexa De Paris is killer too.

Fine if you don't like it, but that doesn't make it crap. Its far more refreshing than run of the mill tracks Like Breakfast, U Know and This is what it feels like.

He's not on it period. He didn't play on it, sing on it, nothing.

funksterr said:

Yep. It kills the album, lol! Prince ain't even on this track and it's HIS ALBUM! It's filler. This reminds me of all the Scandolous Sex Suite remixes. Completely pointless. Really all the ballads on AOA are beyond terrible. The last half of the album is as messy as those maxi-singles Prince put out in the early 90's. The 40 sec combined Affirmation I and II (how can it have 2 parts when the entire track is less than a minute long?), that leads into the ear-piercing ain't-no-way-I-can-let-my-boys-catch-me-listening-to-this Way Back Home, which is about ( ???), then jarringly into a one-shot sample heavy Funkandroll remix, then Time, a funk-slap bass, err, duet ballad ( ?) also about ( what again???) then into Affirmation III where it becomes really clear that Andy Allo needs a glass of water for that dry throat... .

I am laughing my azz off at the idea that this is the ahem, 'killer' track, when it's not even a Prince track!. I told y'all before those supposedly spiritually enlighted, Jehovah's Witnesses, around Prince these days are asskissers first, musicians second. A bunch of phonies. And they ain't no kind of loyal to Prince, either. I guess they are too young to know that this has all happened before. I thought this group may hold together for a few albums, but I see a lot of slick comments out there. At some point it's going to get back to Prince and then it's back to Youtube, for everybody.

Are you really worried about what your boys think about what you're listening to? Were they into Do Me Baby or Eye Would Die 4 U? Cause the classic slower cuts have always been part of the story

[Edited 10/16/14 4:10am]

No need to go frantic about it.

It's just a reprise. Fine orchestration, and a perfect closure to the album. I like the track sequencing as it is. I mean, Sign Of The Times was followed by Play In The Sunshine, so what's the problem with the big laugh intro of FunknRoll?

Seriously, as much as I like the album, and Way Back Home, Holy River, Dolphin, Welcome 2 The Dawn, a Million Days have already been a showcase of Prince wearing his heart on his sleeve.

I'm happy we have an album where he finally let himself sing again and play with studio tricks, but compared to The Cross or 4 The Tears In Your Eyes, or God (vocal), Way Back Home is "just" a beautiful ad lib on top of Little Red Corvette's verses chords.

funksterr said:

SquirrelMeat said:

Why does he need to sing on it to be a Prince track? Alexa De Paris is killer too.

Fine if you don't like it, but that doesn't make it crap. Its far more refreshing than run of the mill tracks Like Breakfast, U Know and This is what it feels like.

He's not on it period. He didn't play on it, sing on it, nothing.

Probably why its his best new track then

Actually when I reviewed Art Official Age (on first listen) to me it seemed to be the stand out track on the album. I didnt even realise that it was a reprise of "Way Back Home", but the way it was arranged, the beautiful strings, the angelic vocals, etc just was like nothing I had heard from Prince before. And that's probably why I liked it so much... After a few listens, I really see how Affirmation III holds the album, no actually defines the album (kind of like "Carry that weight" does on Abbey Road).

vinx98 said:

Actually when I reviewed Art Official Age (on first listen) to me it seemed to be the stand out track on the album. I didnt even realise that it was a reprise of "Way Back Home", but the way it was arranged, the beautiful strings, the angelic vocals, etc just was like nothing I had heard from Prince before. And that's probably why I liked it so much... After a few listens, I really see how Affirmation III holds the album, no actually defines the album (kind of like "Carry that weight" does on Abbey Road).

Spot on. Its not single, but like the end on Abbey Road, it turns a segue into an opus.