SchlomoThaHomo said:

Animal Kingdom - No.

and

"Comeback" came on in the car... and I really like it as a standalone track. Would have been a great b-side if b-sides were a thing.

KingSausage said:

Comeback is mega depressing. When I first got the album I thought Circle of Amour was about Mary, Claire, Denise, and BILL. I was like damn, I don't know who this Bill is, but he's got a good thing going!

It's an artier album vs a pop album so the reception by the masses is understandable. These types of releases rarely garner much mainstream attention, but loved y those who care and love art.

It's not for everyone, that's for sure. Certain voices here may call it boring becasue they long whatever in the many facets they love about Prince. So it's not for those who's appreciation of Prince is narrow and one dimesional.

KingSausage said:

NorthC said:

KingSausage said:

Comeback is mega depressing.

When I first got the album I thought Circle of Amour was about Mary, Claire, Denise, and BILL. I was like damn, I don't know who this Bill is, but he's got a good thing going!

You're funny!
But... I don't think Comeback is depressing at all.
"If U ever lose someone dear 2U, never say the words "they're gone" and they'll come back"
That's not depressing. I know what it's like to lose someone dear to you and I find it hopeful and uplifting.

dodger said:

NorthC said:

You're funny!
But... I don't think Comeback is depressing at all.
"If U ever lose someone dear 2U, never say the words "they're gone" and they'll come back"
That's not depressing. I know what it's like to lose someone dear to you and I find it hopeful and uplifting.

Totally agree on Comeback; if you've lost someone close it strikes a chord. It's maybe his most personal song, after what happened back then.

dodger said:

NorthC said:

You're funny!
But... I don't think Comeback is depressing at all.
"If U ever lose someone dear 2U, never say the words "they're gone" and they'll come back"
That's not depressing. I know what it's like to lose someone dear to you and I find it hopeful and uplifting.

Totally agree on Comeback; if you've lost someone close it strikes a chord. It's maybe his most personal song, after what happened back then.

iZsaZsa said:

KingSausage said:

I've been saying for years that The Truth is HIGHLY underrated. There are no skip-able tracks on it, imo. Even "Animal Kingdom" is such a wacky song that it's still an interesting listen. The Truth deserves far more respect than it gets.

KingSausage said:

I think The Truth is the most ignored Prince album. I understand why the general public doesn't know about it, given that maybe .000000003% of them bought Crystal Ball. But even on the Org, The Truth comes up for discussion far less often than other Prince albums. This sucks, because it's a masterpiece! Runner-up for most ignored Prince album: One Nite Alone (the piano album). Discuss or something.

Question: any accoustic songs in the future?
TheArtst: the truth album is almost completely acoustic

http://prince.org/msg/7/404685 the Truth 1997/98 Emancipation Music

The Truth is the first track on Prince's 21st album The Truth (his fifth under the name ), but a year before the album's release, The Truth was released as the album's first and only single by mail-order only.

Specific recording dates are not known, but the track is believed to have been recorded in Autumn 1996 at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA (along with the rest of the album). -PrinceVault

iZsaZsa said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

iZsaZsa said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

For me, it's the imagery of the opening lines. He's a little warm from running up the stairs, and is feeling refreshed by a "sweet wind," then suddenly realizing that the wind was a passing spirit. What an incredibly heartbreaking and personal moment to share in a song.

The first time I heard it, I got goosebumps, welled up, and then felt completely numb. That's never happened with any song before or since.

I can see the uplifting aspect of it, but the opening lines are just too much.

KingSausage said:

iZsaZsa said:

The line that gets me is when he sings "but I think you already know." It breaks my heart every time.

agreed. THAT should have been a regular release CD.

KingSausage said:

I think The Truth is the most ignored Prince album. I understand why the general public doesn't know about it, given that maybe .000000003% of them bought Crystal Ball. But even on the Org, The Truth comes up for discussion far less often than other Prince albums. This sucks, because it's a masterpiece! Runner-up for most ignored Prince album: One Nite Alone (the piano album). Discuss or something.

The Truth = THE worst Prince album ever!

Excuse me, but going the MTV Unplugged route is a good idea if you're Eric Clapton (who I blame for giving MTV this idea in the first place!) and Mariah Carey. But if you're Prince? No! Listen to Prince's music without electricity is just plain wrong and not natural.

OK, rant over.

[Edited 6/10/15 19:57pm]

Doozer said:

TonyVanDam said:

The Truth = THE worst Prince album ever!

Excuse me, but going the MTV Unplugged route is a good idea if you're Eric Clapton (who I blame for giving MTV this idea in the first place!) and Mariah Carey. But if you're Prince? No! Listen to Prince's music without electicity is just plain wrong and not natural.

OK, rant over.

The Truth is faaaar from the worst Prince album. Nothing at all unnatural about hearing his music without electric guitar solos. There's more than enough of that to go around, and some of it is truly his worst work. [Edited 6/10/15 19:51pm]

You tell me which Prince album worst than The Truth.

TonyVanDam said:

KingSausage said:

TonyVanDam said:

You tell me which Prince album worst than The Truth.

Really? Please. Planet Earth. MPLSound. NPS. Musicology. NEWS. Emancipation.

Musicology?!? Emancipation?!? Oh bullshit! You can NOT be serious. Both albums were Prince's greatest career comebacks. And both albums were NOT boring.

The Truth, for what it is as a Prince album, is boring! No keyboard synths (apart from Circle Of Armore, if you're into ambient-inspired synth pads)? No electric guitar? No good drum patterns from drum kit or drum machine? Excuse me, but The Truth really is the worst Prince album ever.

I stand by my words.

TonyVanDam said:

aaroncanderson said:

Over the weekend I listened to the Peach & Black Podcast and they reviewed this album and recommended listening to it on headphones. I did and man it is more than just an acoustic album there is a lot happening in these songs.

Yep, this album is definitely a great headphone listen

[Edited 6/11/15 0:53am]

Rolling Stone

On the title track of The Truth, the Artist comes off like Tracy Chapman's older brother, the formal genius, turning his meticulously natural singing voice to tough questions about responsibility and honesty. Of course, he knows as well as anyone that there's no more "truth," necessarily, in this style of music than there is in "P. Control." But the game here is up-close folkiedom, and hearing the Artist minus his usual musical constructs is interesting. On songs like "Don't Play Me" and "One of Your Tears," the Artist reconditions his sensational studio style, buffing everything down to a fine shine on a guitar line or two. The shocker is "Circle of Amour," a Joni Mitchell-ish ballad with a quietly twisted rhythm track. This remarkable portrait of female friendship before and after cheerleading practice hits with the same wallop of teenage truth as Big Star's "Thirteen." Certainly not all of Crystal Ball scales such heights. But for Paisleyheads, it's one long party. (RS 785)

-- JAMES HUNTER

DETROIT FREE PRESS * December 26, 1997

Detroit asks the questions,
and the artist reveals himself as a prince of mystery

BY BRIAN MCCOLLUM Free Press Pop Music Writer

THE ART

Q: You play so many instruments. Which are you primarily using for writing these days?

A: I write in my head. The rest is just dictation.

Q: Does the standard eight- to 10-song album still hold interest for you, or has it become too constricting?

A: 2 constricting, although with some sets, like "The Truth," it's cool.

FUTURE WORK

Q: The last three months alone, two bootleg, three-CD sets of very good-to-perfect quality artist outtakes have been released. I also have the unreleased album "The Truth." Does it concern you that bootleggers seem to be getting a jump on releasing material fans want to hear?

A: ZZZZZ!