I love Lotus Flower and the years have not diminshed that love. It's a great record.

Parade.

Luved it from day 1 and to this day this never a skipped track.

That's the only album by anyone that I can make that claim.

I enjoy the movie, too.

Graffiti Bridge... Subtract the fillers from the other artists... It could've been one of the strongest Prince albums ever.

20ten. It's not among his best, and IMO it should have included "Rich Friends" and absolutely should have had "Cause and Effect" on there (fucking love that song), but I like it more and more as time goes by. Even the Tampax commercial is a beautiful song.

Around The World In A Day took me a while to appreciate, but now I love it.

As for Rave, I personally loved that album from day one (incl Everyday Is A Winding Road!). I have noticed in recent years when reading threads ranking Prince's albums that Rave is often placed mid-way in people's lists, whereas albums like Musicology, 3121, 20Ten are usually placed very lowly.

I think time has been kind to Rave and a lot of fans have begun to see its redeeming qualities, particularly when put in context with what came after.

I Love U But I Don't Trust U Anymore and the title track alone trump pretty much everything he's done post-1999 IMO.

feeluupp said:

Graffiti Bridge... Subtract the fillers from the other artists... It could've been one of the strongest Prince albums ever.

Definately. We Can Funk, Joy In Repetition, Still Would Stand All Time, Question of U, Thieves In The Temple.... all killer jams!

I'd have to say The Black album. With all the drama and hoopla that surrounded it for years, when I finally heard it-- I was literally expecting the Funk Bible-- and was for the actual first time when it came to Prince-- rather disappointed. But over the years, thanks to some wonderful adventures around the internet and the strength of Bob George and Superfunkycalifragisexy LIVE. I've honestly come to appreciate it.

[Edited 10/23/14 0:13am]

Parade was an album I couldnt get my head around for a long time. I couldnt understand the love it was getting on the org for many years. It was only in the last couple of years that I revisited it (for lack of anything new and boredom with what I was playing) that I have come to realise how awsome it is. So much so that it now tops my list, kicking Lovesexy off the top spot.

Controversy.

It was called a "disappointing" follow-up to Dirty Mind in many of the written pieces on him in the 80s or the 90s, so I sort of went with that and wasn't able to see the music on it on the same level as the stuff on Dirty Mind and 1999.

KingSausage said:

But I think Rave deserves a critical reassessment.

NouveauDance said:

Just about EVERY album after Lovesexy , except for Rave UNto and Musicology (yawn)

One of the benefits of Prince producing himself is that you can't always tell what decade he's in with an album.---that is when he's not tryig to rap.

But, some albums have aged better than others: Emancipation is a prime example.
Others, not so much: The Gold Experience (though I do love it), COME, and Love Symbol albums.

Chaos and Disorder.

Very disappointing at the time: ugly cover, the atrocious "NPG to da maximom" (which made you feel some shameful hint of Tony M. nostalgia creeping), and only a bunch of songs to keep...

But in fact, here is Prince doing the Letitgo for real again, since maybe Dirty Mind.

Dirty Mind this ain't.

But this is Prince's "How I Fought depression In 10 Easy Lessons". Remember the times? No piece o'cake, no piece o' pie for Poor Old Skipper.

The raw spirit (Chaos and Disorder),
the introspection (Into the Light/I Will .../find My Way Back Home?),
the vengeance (Right the Wrong, Dig U Better Dead),
the gospel (The Same December),
the funny sex songs (I Like It There, Zannalee),
and as always, sparkles of sheer genius (Dinner with Delores, Had U),
sum up to a record to reconsider I think.

King, I'm with you on Rave. I leave Everyday out, and put the full tangerine and Beautiful Strange in and its a great listen.

Killer tracks are I Love U, Wherever U go, Rave, Sun Moon and Stars, Strange But true and Tangerine. I can see why Prince was really happy with it at the time.

Other albums I thought were OK and I now love a lot more are NEWS and Prince.

I'm also really appreciating great tracks that got lost in the noise, Like Until U're In My Arms Again, I Like Funky Music, My Medallion, Dig U Better Dead and Resolution.

SquirrelMeat said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

BobGeorge909 said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

I'd have to say The Black album. With all the drama and hoopla that surrounded it for years, when I finally heard it-- I was literally expecting the Funk Bible-- and was for the actual first time when it came to Prince-- rather disappointed. But over the years, thanks to some wonderful adventures around the internet and the strength of Bob George and Superfunkycalifragisexy LIVE. I've honestly come to appreciate it.

[Edited 10/23/14 0:13am]

Ure welcome...

Come --- I think its very cohesive and true to Prince aesthetic. IT stands the test of time.

1. The Black Album

2. Come

These were considered pedestrian efforts. greeted that they were with the now familiar criticism that he wrote songs he could do in his sleep. But today, post-Emancipation, they sound like two solid Prince albums. As much as some seem to miss "dirty" Prince today, it's a fact that many found the sex schtick increasingly boring at the time so these actually sound better today than they did then.

3. Chaos and Disorder

If Prince is going to have only a few true "rock" albums in his career, then Chaos and Disorder fits the bill and at least sounds like he meant the range of vibes he goes for on this record. He tried it with Lotus Flower and PlectrumElectrum, and to this day Chaos and Disorder and especially The Undertaker sound better.

Rave: no I can't -- not with the first song. I'm surprised enforcement agencies have not yet discovered ithat Rave on 2 the Joy Fantastic can clear an hostage situation in less time than any other mean known to man.

[Edited 10/25/14 12:15pm]

Aerogram said:

The album.....it has some awful and badly dated songs on it (My Name Is Prince, The Flow,The Continental, etc. etc.) but it also has some very strong and timeless masterpieces on it, some very personal and political lyrics (The Sacrifice Of Victor), and some really romantic, heartfelt and melodic songs like Damn U, God Created Woman and Sweet Baby.

It suffers from the horrible narration and segues with Vanessa Bartholomew/Kirstie Alley, the Tony M. rap parts, the Prince rap parts and that pseudo-esotheric Egyptian motif or rock opera story but it really has some very strong and memorable songs on it, probably more than Diamonds and Pearls,which was shorter and had weaker songs on it but still managed to be so much more successful in terms of commercial success.

I liked and still like both albums but I think this was a wasted opportunity.

Can I say Crystal Ball? (I know, I know...it's not the original album as intended.) Cloreen Baconskin bacame an instant favorite for me. Just so absurd and fonkay. And a remix of Pussy Control? Yes, please. I also enjoyed the liner notes. A nice mix bag of Vault songs.

AOA has grown on me, but I still cut out a bunch of songs and pasted the remainder in my post-90's compilation (we all have one.)

I know it's blasphemy, but I HATED SOTT, Prince and Dirty Mind when I'd just gotten into P, but now I play them all the time.

Shockedelicus said:

AOA has grown on me, but I still cut out a bunch of songs and pasted the remainder in my post-90's compilation (we all have one.)

I know it's blasphemy, but I HATED SOTT, Prince and Dirty Mind when I'd just gotten into P, but now I play them all the time.

---

I was under whelmed with SOTT at first, but it grew on me until eventually I got addicted to it. Prince (and For You) took a lot longer, but eventually I found them to be sort of charming.

---

As for Dirty Mind, "Head" and "Party Up" are kind of cool I suppose, but I've never been able to get into the rest of it. No matter how much I've tried, no matter how much I've listened to it, I just can't see the appeal.

theblueangel said:

20ten. It's not among his best, and IMO it should have included "Rich Friends" and absolutely should have had "Cause and Effect" on there (fucking love that song), but I like it more and more as time goes by. Even the Tampax commercial is a beautiful song.

I loved that album.. and in my version rich friends & cause & effect are definitely on there.. I subtract Walk in Sand though..