Officially unreleased material and not just fan favs - a tight double album of epic proportions to knock out 1999 and Sign o The Times.

Blow away all his other albums? I doubt it Possibly though
An album double (CD's 80 min) of 1980 - 1990 unadulterated tracks that we all know and love, some we dont with no crappy fillers
Now that could would be epic

But we dont live in Oz and this is not Disney Land, so this Dream wil never come true

No. Compilations aren't albums.

Everything is "unreleased" until he releases it, so based on what he's done sine SOTT I'd say no. Prince is still fully capable of releasing music way better than anything already in his catalog. I think he's lost focus on making the album as outstanding as possible. He enjoys the rest of the process just as much: the rehearsals, the styling, photoshoots, interviews, etc. Over the past 10 years or so, there are so many songs he played live, that are better put together and superior to the album versions by far. Yet he has pretty much no hit singles.

BartVanHemelen said:

No. Compilations aren't albums.

funksterr said:

Everything is "unreleased" until he releases it, so based on what he's done sine SOTT I'd say no. Prince is still fully capable of releasing music way better than anything already in his catalog. I think he's lost focus on making the album as outstanding as possible. He enjoys the rest of the process just as much: the rehearsals, the styling, photoshoots, interviews, etc. Over the past 10 years or so, there are so many songs he played live, that are better put together and superior to the album versions by far. Yet he has pretty much no hit singles.

funksterr said:

Everything is "unreleased" until he releases it, so based on what he's done sine SOTT I'd say no. Prince is still fully capable of releasing music way better than anything already in his catalog. I think he's lost focus on making the album as outstanding as possible. He enjoys the rest of the process just as much: the rehearsals, the styling, photoshoots, interviews, etc. Over the past 10 years or so, there are so many songs he played live, that are better put together and superior to the album versions by far. Yet he has pretty much no hit singles.

Did someone hack your account, funksterr?

JoshuaWho said:

erik319 said:

JoshuaWho said:

KCOOL, do you realise you've used the wrong login?

paulludvig said:

erik319 said:

paulludvig said:

... And again! Seriously you're not having much luck today are ya bud?

I don't subscribe to the idea that there's a lot of genius cuts in the vault. I am sure there is certainly some very interesting music there but all this great material, not likely. Prince is not stupid. If there was great music in there it would have been released.

So yeah there's a reason they're in the vault. That's where they belong.

I wish he kept more in the vault.

radici27 said:

I don't subscribe to the idea that there's a lot of genius cuts in the vault. I am sure there is certainly some very interesting music there but all this great material, not likely. Prince is not stupid. If there was great music in there it would have been released.

So yeah there's a reason they're in the vault. That's where they belong.

I wish he kept more in the vault.

Do you realize we've already heard hundreds of songs that are "in the vault"? The bootlegged outtakes constitute a large part of what's there. There's some other stuff too, but just because the bootlegged material has gotten passed around among fans doesn't mean that Prince wouldn't keep the originals in that vault of his. A track like "Moonbeam Levels" is a "vault" track.

Most fans that collect outtakes would agree that there are many "genius cuts" that didn't get released and that a lot of the material is at least as good as what ended up released on the albums.

I felt that the Dream Factory / Crystal Ball / SOTT era tracks on the 1998 Crystal Ball release would have constituted a release that would have been stronger than anything he put out in the 1990s. (I like TGE a lot, for example, but those older songs are just classic Prince all the way).

So, I wouldn't say a hypothetical outtake collection would be better than the best albums he put out in the 1980s, but a strong collection of outtakes from that era could easily be a stronger release than most of the albums he's put out in 20+ years.

erik319 said:

paulludvig said:

... And again! Seriously you're not having much luck today are ya bud?

haha

radici27 said:

I don't subscribe to the idea that there's a lot of genius cuts in the vault. I am sure there is certainly some very interesting music there but all this great material, not likely. Prince is not stupid. If there was great music in there it would have been released.

So yeah there's a reason they're in the vault. That's where they belong.

I wish he kept more in the vault.

A lot of artists/bands leave off genius cuts. Sometimes because they're stupid - or at least lack perspective, sometimes because it never seems to fit with the other material on an album.

novabrkr said:

radici27 said:

I don't subscribe to the idea that there's a lot of genius cuts in the vault. I am sure there is certainly some very interesting music there but all this great material, not likely. Prince is not stupid. If there was great music in there it would have been released.

So yeah there's a reason they're in the vault. That's where they belong.

I wish he kept more in the vault.

Do you realize we've already heard hundreds of songs that are "in the vault"? The bootlegged outtakes constitute a large part of what's there. There's some other stuff too, but just because the bootlegged material has gotten passed around among fans doesn't mean that Prince wouldn't keep the originals in that vault of his. A track like "Moonbeam Levels" is a "vault" track.

Most fans that collect outtakes would agree that there are many "genius cuts" that didn't get released and that a lot of the material is at least as good as what ended up released on the albums.

"Most fans that collect outtakes"

Well see the beginning of this statement doesn't do much for me as I am simply inclined to disagree with most of those fans. I understand a lot of the bootlegs we hear are unfinished/demos/outtakes and it would be unfair to compare them to the finished tracks on the albums. You say there is vaulted material as good as some material on the album. I can buy that on a track by track basis, that is I have no doubt there are tracks in the vault as good as some of the mid-level/weaker material on his albums ( I would sincerely hope so). I am skeptical however that there is anything in the vault as good or even close to Prince's best material. Pentacle said a lot of artists leave off genius cuts. Maybe they leave off good cuts. I can't see anything on the caliber of Doves, 1999, Red Corvette, Sign, + The Time's best shit, etc, spending any significant time in a vault. That's just my humble opinion.

paulludvig said:

funksterr said:

Everything is "unreleased" until he releases it, so based on what he's done sine SOTT I'd say no. Prince is still fully capable of releasing music way better than anything already in his catalog. I think he's lost focus on making the album as outstanding as possible. He enjoys the rest of the process just as much: the rehearsals, the styling, photoshoots, interviews, etc. Over the past 10 years or so, there are so many songs he played live, that are better put together and superior to the album versions by far. Yet he has pretty much no hit singles.

Did someone hack your account, funksterr?

He still has all the tools. I get excited when I think about the fact that he can still do the things that made most of fans in the first place. He needs a reset in the way he's approaching writing and producing, but his skills as a musician and performer are essentially undiminished. There is no excuse for Prince dropping whack albums. I think he basicaly does it on purpose.

I think there are only enough brilliant tracks for 2-3 CDs in the Vault. If you were to assemble those tracks in good quality, the result would easily make up the best LP since Lovesexy.

erik319 said:

JoshuaWho said:

KCOOL, do you realise you've used the wrong login?

HAHA. That SNL performance warts and all, showed me Prince is still the best in the business, even when his material is not phenomenal. He has a lot of interesting talent around him right now. I don't think they are delivering albums right now as strong as what they may come up with going forward.

radici27 said:

novabrkr said:

Do you realize we've already heard hundreds of songs that are "in the vault"? The bootlegged outtakes constitute a large part of what's there. There's some other stuff too, but just because the bootlegged material has gotten passed around among fans doesn't mean that Prince wouldn't keep the originals in that vault of his. A track like "Moonbeam Levels" is a "vault" track.

Most fans that collect outtakes would agree that there are many "genius cuts" that didn't get released and that a lot of the material is at least as good as what ended up released on the albums.

"Most fans that collect outtakes"

Well see the beginning of this statement doesn't do much for me as I am simply inclined to disagree with most of those fans. I understand a lot of the bootlegs we hear are unfinished/demos/outtakes and it would be unfair to compare them to the finished tracks on the albums. You say there is vaulted material as good as some material on the album. I can buy that on a track by track basis, that is I have no doubt there are tracks in the vault as good as some of the mid-level/weaker material on his albums ( I would sincerely hope so). I am skeptical however that there is anything in the vault as good or even close to Prince's best material. Pentacle said a lot of artists leave off genius cuts. Maybe they leave off good cuts. I can't see anything on the caliber of Doves, 1999, Red Corvette, Sign, + The Time's best shit, etc, spending any significant time in a vault. That's just my humble opinion.

If you don't consider at least some tracks that were originally left unreleased, like "Moonbeam Levels", "Extra Loveable", "Electric Intercourse", "The Dance Electric" or "Crystall Ball", to be on the level of the best cuts on the albums then that sounds you've just made up your mind about this issue and allow that to hinder your enjoyment.

radici27 said:

I don't subscribe to the idea that there's a lot of genius cuts in the vault. I am sure there is certainly some very interesting music there but all this great material, not likely. Prince is not stupid. If there was great music in there it would have been released.

So yeah there's a reason they're in the vault. That's where they belong.

I wish he kept more in the vault.

I do agree that much of the material is probably ideas or sub-par material. Many songs are probably demos.

But, I would imagine there is a substantial amount of ready-to-release great stuff in there.

I mean, we know that he's recorded 50+ music videos, fully produced, that he simply placed in the vaults. I would find it hard to believe that Prince would go through the effort to do that if he considered all the stuff just crap.

I suspect that from 20Ten until now, he's amassed a shitload of music that he has stashed in the vault, and AOA and PE is but a smidgen of it--whether it's the good stuff from the batch or just what he's into now, I would have no clue.

Blixical said:

radici27 said:

I don't subscribe to the idea that there's a lot of genius cuts in the vault. I am sure there is certainly some very interesting music there but all this great material, not likely. Prince is not stupid. If there was great music in there it would have been released.

So yeah there's a reason they're in the vault. That's where they belong.

I wish he kept more in the vault.

I do agree that much of the material is probably ideas or sub-par material. Many songs are probably demos.

But, I would imagine there is a substantial amount of ready-to-release great stuff in there.

I mean, we know that he's recorded 50+ music videos, fully produced, that he simply placed in the vaults. I would find it hard to believe that Prince would go through the effort to do that if he considered all the stuff just crap.

I suspect that from 20Ten until now, he's amassed a shitload of music that he has stashed in the vault, and AOA and PE is but a smidgen of it--whether it's the good stuff from the batch or just what he's into now, I would have no clue.

Actually that makes more sense, it wouldn't make sense to go through the effort and make fantastic stuff...and than not releasing it. What's the point of that?

Blixical said:

radici27 said:

I don't subscribe to the idea that there's a lot of genius cuts in the vault. I am sure there is certainly some very interesting music there but all this great material, not likely. Prince is not stupid. If there was great music in there it would have been released.

So yeah there's a reason they're in the vault. That's where they belong.

I wish he kept more in the vault.

I do agree that much of the material is probably ideas or sub-par material. Many songs are probably demos.

But, I would imagine there is a substantial amount of ready-to-release great stuff in there.

I mean, we know that he's recorded 50+ music videos, fully produced, that he simply placed in the vaults. I would find it hard to believe that Prince would go through the effort to do that if he considered all the stuff just crap.

I suspect that from 20Ten until now, he's amassed a shitload of music that he has stashed in the vault, and AOA and PE is but a smidgen of it--whether it's the good stuff from the batch or just what he's into now, I would have no clue.

The circulating outtakes alone prove that there are hundreds of songs that sound completed and aren't demo-like at all. Only a small percentage of them sound like demos. Many of the tracks that he didn't end up releasing actually have higher production values than what he put on the albums (orchestral overdubs and everything).

That's probably partly due to how in the old days of analog recording it made sense to complete one project at a time. You couldn't just keep them all as protools / cubase / whatever project files and return to them at any time you wish as you can do now. You needed to set up the tapes, the synths, the effects and all that.

Spot on Sausage.

Off the top of my head:

The Dance Electric, Moonbeam Levels, Extraloveable, Lust U Always, Baby You're a Trip, and Purple Music sound like they could hang together.

Old Friends 4 Sale, All My Dreams, Others Here With Us, In a Large Room With No Light, Splash, and Neon Telephone go together.

Roadhouse Garden, Possessed, Our Destiny, Noon Rendezvous, All Day, All Night, and a cut of Billy would all go together.

And so on. There's so many possible configurations of cohesive album that would be as strong as his 80s output. I secretly hope there's a whole album worth in the style of Cosmic Day. Or another load of Camille tracks. Or a load of hard rock tracks. Or weird, out there experiments. But either way, even with the outtakes we know, Prince could have at least 4 or 5 really strong albums. Will he ever? Probably not.

[Edited 11/14/14 3:56am]

What Sausage said.

Sad but basically true.

Side note: Man is that Basement Tapes Complete box great!

Keeping my Tree With Roots set just because it's so legendary as a boot, and I kinda like the home-made feel of it.... but so fantastic to have that music in the best quality we're ever likely to hear it....

was diggin Sexual Suicide the other day and this song blows anything from AOA out of the water .. so yes .. many classic albums could be made with even some of his worse songs from the rev era