So many are praising AOA as Prince's strongest and most cohesive album since TGE and yet I think it has one of the worst opening tracks of all the post-WB releases. Among those that are better are Chaos and Disorder (way better), Jam of the Year, Crystal Ball (way better), Rave, Rainbow Children, Musicology (way better), 3121 (way better), Planet Earth (way better) and WOW (way better). The only ones worse were Newpower Soul, From the Lotus, Another Like Me and Compassion. Throughout his career, the majority of Prince's albums start off pretty strongly.

I wish AOA kicked off more with a bang than such a mish-mash WTF type of track. It could well be the weakest track on AOA. Imagine how solid AOA would be if it began with a top-tier Prince jam.

Who's with me?

To each their own; I personally dig it, mostly though for the last minute or so.

Its nowhere close to as good as anything else on there I think but I don't think its horrible. I would love to have heard something like Eye ain't gonna miss you on either one of them somewhere but I don't think it'd fit. Mos' Def' not on AOA.

Huge fan of the opening track, just curious what alien language that woman is speaking though.

For me, I don't get into rankings, or verses this verses that, how a song/album ranks to me personally is all that matters, no outside influence can change that.

[Edited 10/2/14 10:43am]

leadline said:

leadline said:

Huge fan of the opening track, just curious what alien language that woman is speaking though.

Alien? It's danish.

AOA is a concept album so you'd have to compare it to other albums like that:

Lovesexy - I know - Horrible song regardless of it's placing.

- My Name is Prince - not a bad song but not great. It sounded better in the year it was released

The Gold Experience - P.Control is a great opener

The Rainbow Children - TRC 10 minutes of dullness.

AOC I think could have been toned down to make it more of a generic dance track, but I get the feeling he was trying to encompas "the feedback loop" in one song. So there's a bit of everything in there.

The only negative thing I would say about the positioning of the track is that it gives the impression the album is going to be upbeat when for the most part it's actually an album of slow jams.

[Edited 10/2/14 11:00am]

Noodled24 said:

AOA is a concept album so you'd have to compare it to other albums like that:

Lovesexy - I know - Horrible song regardless of it's placing.

- My Name is Prince - not a bad song but not great. It sounded better in the year it was released

The Gold Experience - P.Control is a great opener

The Rainbow Children - TRC 10 minutes of dullness.

AOC I think could have been toned down to make it more of a generic dance track, but I get the feeling he was trying to encompas "the feedback loop" in one song. So there's a bit of everything in there.

Interesting observation about it being a concept album and so should be compared to such. I agree Pussy Control is the best of what you list, but I do like Eye No.

robertgeorgeakabob said:

leadline said:

Huge fan of the opening track, just curious what alien language that woman is speaking though.

Danish.

Nice, thank you.

WorldofPeace said:

leadline said:

Huge fan of the opening track, just curious what alien language that woman is speaking though.

Alien? It's danish.

Any translation?

leadline said:

WorldofPeace said:

Alien? It's danish.

Any translation?

Ladies and gentlemen, kings and queens and everything in between, welcome to the class, you are about to do something that will change your life forever open the cage.

Don't quote me

It's a horrible track, just like that horrible Funknroll remix. I will never ever listen to those tracks again. I also try to forget that "U know" exists. Three total stinkers on one album. I like the NPS album much more than this.

[Edited 10/2/14 11:14am]

I respectfully disagree with OP. Come to think of it there haven't been that many bad album openers. The 20Ten album comes to mind ('Compassion'), but that's about it. I love 3121 (the song) and Rave (the song) for instance, when it comes to the more recent albums.

[Edited 10/2/14 12:27pm]

Noodled24 said:

AOA is a concept album so you'd have to compare it to other albums like that:

Lovesexy - I know - Horrible song regardless of it's placing.

- My Name is Prince - not a bad song but not great. It sounded better in the year it was released

The Gold Experience - P.Control is a great opener

The Rainbow Children - TRC 10 minutes of dullness.

AOC I think could have been toned down to make it more of a generic dance track, but I get the feeling he was trying to encompas "the feedback loop" in one song. So there's a bit of everything in there.

The only negative thing I would say about the positioning of the track is that it gives the impression the album is going to be upbeat when for the most part it's actually an album of slow jams.

[Edited 10/2/14 11:00am]

All are great album openers. Eye No is probably the best one, but you call it horrible...

I suppose you wish Daddy Pop was opening DAP instead of Thunder, right?

AOC is DREADFUL. Goes in his worst songs ever list for me. It's all over the place, has no hook, sounds dated, is too preachy....I could go on.

Thank god the album recovers after that.

[Edited 10/2/14 14:01pm]

Noodled24 said:

AOA is a concept album so you'd have to compare it to other albums like that:

Lovesexy - I know - Horrible song regardless of it's placing.

- My Name is Prince - not a bad song but not great. It sounded better in the year it was released

The Gold Experience - P.Control is a great opener

The Rainbow Children - TRC 10 minutes of dullness.

AOC I think could have been toned down to make it more of a generic dance track, but I get the feeling he was trying to encompas "the feedback loop" in one song. So there's a bit of everything in there.

The only negative thing I would say about the positioning of the track is that it gives the impression the album is going to be upbeat when for the most part it's actually an album of slow jams.

[Edited 10/2/14 11:00am]

I Know and the Rainbow Children are shit songs?! Wow. Just wow.

Why an album should have a need for some cohesion ? An album just needs good songs. That is what AOA terribly lacks. Personnally, I love when Prince do on the same album different styles in a good way, that's why I like him. It would be boring, if as in AOA there was so much teenager rnb in his albums.

The is no more cohesion in AOA and PE than in other Prince's album (especially in PE : rock, raggae, funk, rap, pop, rnb...). You think there is a cohesion just because of the voice of the girl. That's crazy

ludwig said:

It's a horrible track, just like that horrible Funknroll remix. I will never ever listen to those tracks again. I also try to forget that "U know" exists. Three total stinkers on one album. I like the NPS album much more than this.

[Edited 10/2/14 11:14am]

How you gonna play Bea Arthur like that? "Feminine-izing, recognizing anything but tranquilizing, RIGHT ON MAUDE!"

[Edited 10/3/14 5:59am]

SuperSoulFighter said:

^ Ask thedance, he's from Denmark. Oh and AOA is not a post WB album.

Im danish -- I love AOC by the way.

^ and the intro is in danish,


Bass-Ida (I guess its her), is speaking danish at the beginning of "Art Official Cage"

Quote:

"Mine damer og herrer, konger og dronninger og alt det midt imellem, velkommen til timen, I skal til at gøre noget der vil forandre jeres liv for evigt - åben det her bur".

as a dane that's a HUGE surprise.... to hear her shouting that, I think her accent / dialect is from the city Aarhus in Denmark, rather cool and also funny too.

Translation:

"Ladies and gentlemen, kings and queens and everything in between, welcome to the class, you are about to do something that will change your life forever - open this cage."

ilo said:

It's mad. It's camp. It's out of touch. It's wrong. It's a mess. It's also... Flamboyant, fun, gloriously Prince, brave, unafraid, unaware, reckless and joyous. It's a Scissor Sisters gig opener, a Eurovision winner. In short, I fucking love it!

Exactly!

Lol about the Scissor Sisters comment...

iLo: u just made post of the day, thanks...

stillwaiting said:

Noodled24 said:

AOA is a concept album so you'd have to compare it to other albums like that:

Lovesexy - I know - Horrible song regardless of it's placing.

- My Name is Prince - not a bad song but not great. It sounded better in the year it was released

The Gold Experience - P.Control is a great opener

The Rainbow Children - TRC 10 minutes of dullness.

AOC I think could have been toned down to make it more of a generic dance track, but I get the feeling he was trying to encompas "the feedback loop" in one song. So there's a bit of everything in there.

The only negative thing I would say about the positioning of the track is that it gives the impression the album is going to be upbeat when for the most part it's actually an album of slow jams.

[Edited 10/2/14 11:00am]

All are great album openers. Eye No is probably the best one, but you call it horrible...

I suppose you wish Daddy Pop was opening DAP instead of Thunder, right?

It's no secret I'm not a fan of the Lovesexy album at all. The only song I liked from it was the title track, annastasia and the extended version of IWUHeaven pt1,2,3. The title track would have made a good opener. I know us shockingly bad.

D&P isn't really a concept album. But no, Thunder is an ok opener.

jackmitz said:

Noodled24 said:

AOA is a concept album so you'd have to compare it to other albums like that:

Lovesexy - I know - Horrible song regardless of it's placing.

- My Name is Prince - not a bad song but not great. It sounded better in the year it was released

The Gold Experience - P.Control is a great opener

The Rainbow Children - TRC 10 minutes of dullness.

AOC I think could have been toned down to make it more of a generic dance track, but I get the feeling he was trying to encompas "the feedback loop" in one song. So there's a bit of everything in there.

The only negative thing I would say about the positioning of the track is that it gives the impression the album is going to be upbeat when for the most part it's actually an album of slow jams.

[Edited 10/2/14 11:00am]

I Know and the Rainbow Children are shit songs?! Wow. Just wow.

I know is just annoying (I must however congratulate you sir for calling it "I know" as opposed to "Eye know" well done.)
The Rainbow Children goes on and on and on and ultimately nowhere.

thedance said:

SuperSoulFighter said:

^ Ask thedance, he's from Denmark. Oh and AOA is not a post WB album.

Im danish -- I love AOC by the way.

^ and the intro is in danish,


Bass-Ida (I guess its her), is speaking danish at the beginning of "Art Official Cage"

Quote:

"Mine damer og herrer, konger og dronninger og alt det midt imellem, velkommen til timen, I skal til at gøre noget der vil forandre jeres liv for evigt - åben det her bur".

as a dane that's a HUGE surprise.... to hear her shouting that, I think her accent / dialect is from the city Aarhus in Denmark, rather cool and also funny too.

Translation:

"Ladies and gentlemen, kings and queens and everything in between, welcome to the class, you are about to do something that will change your life forever - open this cage."

[Edited 10/3/14 10:50am]

Noodled24 said:

jackmitz said:

I Know and the Rainbow Children are shit songs?! Wow. Just wow.

I know is just annoying (I must however congratulate you sir for calling it "I know" as opposed to "Eye know" well done.)
The Rainbow Children goes on and on and on and ultimately nowhere.

Really? Man....the horns on I Know are BANGIN! The dense harmonies just dig in deep, right to my core. And the drums are recorded so well...bright, but not tinny. Agree to disagree, though I might be shaking my head a tad bit.

And, as for the Rainbow Kids...The guitar work on that track is just sick! And, again with the harmonies.

Noodled24 said:

stillwaiting said:

All are great album openers. Eye No is probably the best one, but you call it horrible...

I suppose you wish Daddy Pop was opening DAP instead of Thunder, right?

It's no secret I'm not a fan of the Lovesexy album at all. The only song I liked from it was the title track, annastasia and the extended version of IWUHeaven pt1,2,3. The title track would have made a good opener. I know us shockingly bad.

D&P isn't really a concept album. But no, Thunder is an ok opener.

I have to question your view of Lovesexy. One common mistake many fans who have barely

listened to it make, don't even know the names of the songs. It seems you do to a point...but "Anna Stesia" is the name of the song. It is not "annastasia." I think "annastasia" is a Disney movie.

So perhaps, you haven't listened to it enough to really like or dislike it.