I used to love the hell out of this album. Then i realized how immature and silly half of it is. I used to now mind Prince in his hip-hop phase. And i still don't mind some of his hip-hop songs. But got damn! prince was like what 34? when this album came out. Talks about having a midlife crisis.

The use of the n word on the album by him is silly. And sounds like he's trying way too hard. Prince obviously wanted to be in the in crowd. I think Prnce chased trends a lot in the 80's. But he was so damn good at making it his own unique thing.

Dirty Mind & Controversy for example. Sounded like a mix of 70s funk. With 80's New Wave (Blondie, The Police, Elvis Costello), late 70's punk. And i hear a lot of Talking Heads Remain In Light & Peter Gabriel's melt too. It sounds like he heard all those artists. And made his own unique thing with it.

The symbol album doesn't sound unique at all. It sounds like princey chasing trends to be hip. And by 1992 his sexual prowness was a little off base too.

There are still some great tracks on it (7, Blue Light, 3 Chains O Gold, Morning Papers, Love 2 the 9's) but it's like i can finally understand. Why so many of you dislike his early 90's output

I dig the project....even now.

Gunsnhalen said:

I used to love the hell out of this album. Then i realized how immature and silly half of it is. I used to now mind Prince in his hip-hop phase. And i still don't mind some of his hip-hop songs. But got damn! prince was like what 34? when this album came out. Talks about having a midlife crisis.

I disagree with your assessment of the album. Also, 34 is too old for what? What do you make of Prince rapping on Art Official Age in his mid 50's?

The use of the n word on the album by him is silly. And sounds like he's trying way too hard. Prince obviously wanted to be in the in crowd. I think Prnce chased trends a lot in the 80's. But he was so damn good at making it his own unique thing.

Prince had used the "n word" waaaaay before this album.

-

I agree that Prince chased trends in the 80's....a lot of people don't see it that way, but he definitely used what was current and hip and made it his own thing. I think that is a continuation of this formula. The difference is that early 90's rap/hip hop was more bold and in your face than any other style he had ever put into his purple mix. Taking/using elements of Costello, Blondie, etc is a lot more subtle than using elements of early 90's rap. I mean, there was nothing subtle about rap at that time, so it stood out more when Prince played with it.

Dirty Mind & Controversy for example. Sounded like a mix of 70s funk. With 80's New Wave (Blondie, The Police, Elvis Costello), late 70's punk. And i hear a lot of Talking Heads Remain In Light & Peter Gabriel's melt too. It sounds like he heard all those artists. And made his own unique thing with it.

The symbol album doesn't sound unique at all.

This is where I disagree with you the most. In 1992, NOTHING sounded like the album and nothing sounds like it today.

-

Listen to that record from start to finish. No one is/was putting sounds like Sexy MF and The Max with sounds like 7 and 3 Chains O' Gold. No one could and no one would dare. That whole album is an extention of the sounds that Prince started with Diamonds and Pearls and a bridge to what he did later with Come and The Gold Experience. To me, the is unique as hell. The whole thing is totally Prince as he was in the early 90's for better or worse.

It sounds like princey chasing trends to be hip. And by 1992 his sexual prowness was a little off base too.

Sexual prowess was off? You ever see the video for The Continental?

There are still some great tracks on it (7, Blue Light, 3 Chains O Gold, Morning Papers, Love 2 the 9's) but it's like i can finally understand. Why so many of you dislike his early 90's output

Man, I get if people don't like his early 90's output. It was a departure from what the late 80's had been and definitely incorporated/acknowledged hip hop in a big way. That said, did Prince ever let go of rapping? Did he ever let go of taking new music trends and putting them in his purple mix?

-

Listen to Art Official Age and you have your answer....

[Edited 11/6/14 18:30pm]

Sorry you feel that way. Its my favorite album and its the only Prince album I play pretty regularily. Peoples taste change through the years so it happens. No big deal

it's my guilty pleasure .. cant stand tony m but i still love this record .. i learned to play drums playing along to this tape over and over .. lots of good stuff on it ... his last great moments before the huge slide

skywalker said:

Gunsnhalen said:

I used to love the hell out of this album. Then i realized how immature and silly half of it is. I used to now mind Prince in his hip-hop phase. And i still don't mind some of his hip-hop songs. But got damn! prince was like what 34? when this album came out. Talks about having a midlife crisis.

I disagree with your assessment of the album. Also, 34 is too old for what? What do you make of Prince rapping on Art Official Age in his mid 50's?

Sexual prowess was off? You ever see the video for The Continental?

There are still some great tracks on it (7, Blue Light, 3 Chains O Gold, Morning Papers, Love 2 the 9's) but it's like i can finally understand. Why so many of you dislike his early 90's output

Man, I get if people don't like his early 90's output. It was a departure from what the late 80's had been and definitely incorporated/acknowledged hip hop in a big way. That said, did Prince ever let go of rapping? Did he ever let go of taking new music trends and putting them in his purple mix?

-

Listen to Art Official Age and you have your answer....

[Edited 11/6/14 18:30pm]

*

Well said, Skywalker...well said.

I love this album.The music throughout sounds lively and inspired.

Songs like "7","And God Created Woman","The Continental","Sexy MF" and "Love 2 The 9s" are classics,imo.

It's as if Prince thought that the previous album ('Diamonds And Pearls') was a little too "soft",and so on the follow-up,he really takes things to new levels

Yeah, there's way too much bullshit on this. From the "story line" to the segues to Arrogance, The Flow, The Max, I Wanna Melt With U (which I love), 3 Chains O' Gold, My Name Is Prince... it's just too much. It's too long. There's a really fantastic album in there somewhere, but he gilded the lilly.

"Parts of the Symbol album are so cringe" would be a more accurate thread title. Morning Papers, 7, Blue Light, Damn U, Love 2 the 9's? No, this is definitely not an entirely cringeworthy effort!

Also, age has nothing to do with anything.

Awsome album. His last flawless effort before the rot started to set in.

The LAST real Prince album.

It's weird, it's the one massive fan album that I almost like nothing on. It's all so pompous and over-produced, agree totally with the first post. I realize that it's some peoples favourite and i'm cool with that, prince fans fall into all types, but man is it ever not for me.

Askani said:

Yeah, there's way too much bullshit on this. From the "story line" to the segues to Arrogance, The Flow, The Max, I Wanna Melt With U (which I love), 3 Chains O' Gold, My Name Is Prince... it's just too much. It's too long. There's a really fantastic album in there somewhere, but he gilded the lilly.

I have to agree with you here, there is some stellar material on this album but it is too long and dumbed down by the annoying segues/ story line and bad filler tunes.

I also agree with jaawwnn who says it is "pompous and overproduced". Still, the good songs on this album are fantastic!

I have a strange relationship with the Symbol album.

I can see the quality, I can see the skill, I can see why it is so appreciated from fans.

Even so, to my ears sounds "Too Much" in many ways.

Too long, too rich, too "bombastic" sometimes, too full.

There are many pearls in the box but also something weak (for example, probably I'm in a minority but to me "My Name Is Prince" is one of the most embarassing song and single from P).

I like it, but for my taste "Come" is a better P listening than "Symbol", to say.

Maybe less worked, maybe less rich... but more P.

JMO

sexy mf is an absolute classic to me... even if you don't really dig his vocals, musically it's off the chain

MoBettaBliss said:

sexy mf is an absolute classic to me... even if you don't really dig his vocals, musically it's off the chain

and the horns on this and all over the album

You cringe.

So what does that say about you?

Amazing album " ",


much better than most post-1995/post-Warner albums..

- imho...

I love the Symbol album. Granted, there's a few duds on there (MNIP, The Flow), but Sweet Baby and Damn U are two of his finest ballads and I loved how organic sounding the NPG were on this record, with all the hammond organs and Levi's jazzy guitar licks.

The Morning Papers, 7, Sexy MF, Blue Light and even 3 Chains O Gold are also top drawer material.

Hell, I even dig Arrogance.

I think it's actually improved with age - at the time, I was put off by the lack of great singles, but now that I'm used to years with no hits from the man, I can hear it for its strengths: great playful energy and musicianship.

Jughead still sucks, though.

MendesCity said:

the lack of great singles, >> what.... fantastic singles imho...

Jughead still sucks, though.>> That is not this album its on: D&P..

this album's got some of my favorite individual tracks, but i rarely (if ever) listen to it start to finish anymore.

i dislike it solely for the fact that it's got those damn segues, the introduction of which i think is the bane of too many subsequent albums. but honestly, the segues make it a more cohesive album.

you got a sense of the man trying to provide artificial cohesion on the diamonds and pearls artwork (stringing the song titles into a sort of rap), but he finally went all the way with this one. he's since ruined a couple of great albums with npg operators and skits and various bs.

strangely, though, the segues on art official age kind of work....took a long time, though.

I think it's the first album where his fans were more sophisticated than him about the genres he was trying to work in. Referencing Gary Numan, Sly Stone, George Benson...these felt more like cultural references that he could create original ideas from....even James Brown was just getting played out and people were recognizing samples, because his audience was a few steps ahead of him thanks to radio and CD reissues ...so there's absolutely nothing avant garde or edgy about the record.

My least favorite Era of P's career - early 90's. Hip Hop isn't a natural fit for him.

He's a master of every musical artform with the exception of hip hop, which is fine. since he wasn't raised listening to HipHop it makes sense. It's the only "musical" form he listened to as an outsider, and tried to fit in. In something as grassroots and organic as 80's and early 90's hip hop, it just doesn't work that way.

The NON HipHop sounding ballads from this album are nice.

But he's still the baddest MuthaFucka to ever do music In My Opinion - ever.

[Edited 11/7/14 12:24pm]