Like most folks, I'm saying this has been his best work in a long time. For me, it is his best since Rainbow Children, which is a strong statement because Musicology and 3121 and even LotusFlower were very strong albums. But, Musicology and 3121 were considered great to me because he gave us almost exactly what we wanted. Songs like If I Was the Man in Ur Life, Million Days, Call My Name, Fury, Love and Word and others were awesome songs. But, while those albums were great, there was not really any edge to them.

AOA may not have a Fury or a Million Days on it, but it has an edge and for that reason alone I love it. Dirty Mind, SOTT, Rainbow Children and other great Prince albums all had an edge to them. Put AOA in that category. I like Emancipation, Gold Experience and Purple Rain as much as any Prince fans. He has albums like those that have a bunch of great songs, but I tend to appreciate the albums that are pushing the envelope like AOA. It is hard for a 56 year old man that doesn't curse and is not vulgar to come out with an album with an edge, but he managed to do it here.

I'm enjoying both albums and don't have any desire to declare they're better or worse than previous works.

Aren't I special?!

I'm really shocked how some people praise this garbage and compare it to much better material. Signs of the apocalypse?

AOA has a certain amount of edge, on a couple of songs, but it also has too much of the blah sound of much of Prince's later work. I just listened to 3121 last night in anticipation of today's releases, and right off the bat that album has more edge, with the title track, which rocks. I like Musicology and 3121 better than AOA (after one listen of the latter)-- the songs are simply better, and so is much of the production. There is nothing that comes close to a "Black Sweat" on here, for instance. Haven't listened to the 3rd Eye yet. But those putting this among Prince's top ten of all-time, and saying it's better than Chaos and Disorder, and several of the albums that came before that? Way off, in my opinion.

Holy cow, though-- two songs into PLECTRUMELECTRUM, and I am loving it! This is way more like it. More like Chaos & Disorder, more to my tastes.

ludwig said:

I'm really shocked how some people praise this garbage and compare it to much better material. Signs of the apocalypse?

How can you really be "shocked" when you''ve been all over the Org for days gnawing at it?

You don't like the records? No sweat, eh sorry it's not your cup of tea, but please, PLEASE... have a cuppa joe -- have two in fact, no sense spending all this time repeating over and over how upset you are that the albums are not to your liking. You don't want to be like some people who have been here for 15 years posting their bitter posts pointlessly instead of chanelling that energy elsewhere for something that matters.

Aerogram said:

Aerogram said:

I don't need no advice from you. If you don't stop praising that crap, I'm not stopping to respond.

It has an edge, moreso than some of his other recent efforts. But I wouldn't say it's as edgy as some of his work in the 80s. Nevertheless, this is a welcome return to form.

I have a confession-- after a few days listening to both over and over, ART OFFICIAL AGE has grown on me a bit. I still like the other record better (listen to it more), but AOA is a top-notch work of art, as well. It will be interesting to see how I and everyone else will rank all of these with 3121, etc., a year from now.

There's a good amount of "edge" maybe on a track like "The Gold Standard", but that's just because it's him doing his old sound.

But tracks like "Breakfast Can Wait" or "What It Feels Like"? Edgy? Not really.

Depends how you define edgy. It has moments where it comes close to sounding like it's going to be. But never quite makes it imo. I suppose simply being contemporary is quite edgy for Prince these days.

It's certainly more contemporary sounding than anything he's done since TGE. Of the two records mentioned Musicology is incredibly dull and 3121... has a nice album cover. Being edgier than either of them is a non-accomplishment.

EroticDreamer said:

I'm enjoying both albums and don't have any desire to declare they're better or worse than previous works.

Aren't I special?!

I agree. Why do people constantly need to say this is better than that anyway?

Bore off!

I think the best songs on 3121 and Musicology undoubtly has some edge, and and are on the level of OA, even though AOA is better as whole.

I also think that half of 20ten is brilliant...

Future Soul Song
Lavaux
Act of God
Sticky Like Glue

these are all very good to great Prince songs

while the other songs partly have som corny memorable lines and weird hooks etc

If it wasn't for 20Ten, we wouldn't name him The Purple Yoda