When Emancipation came out I had given up on Prince. Social media wasn't the way it is now so after Old Friends 4 Sale, Chaos & Disorder came out I thought Prince had lost "it." I didn't know he was intentionally trying to sabatoge the name "Prince." Emancipation's first single Betcha By Golly Wow did nothing for me (I've changed my opinon of course) so I didn't give Emancipation a chance. It wasn't until I was in Germany in 2001 and saw it in the bargin bid for about $12 so I decided what the hell and bought it. I didn't like what I heard. It wasn't until maybe 3 years ago that it really clicked for me now I love the hell out of this album. 3 years ago I started dating the love of my life, I guess Emancipation is an album for you when you are in love. Knowing Prince's history this album must be hard for him to hear....

EmmaMcG said:

The Rainbow Children. At first listen, I was very disappointed. I had read some comments on here about some people rating it as one of Prince's best but all I heard on first listen was religious nonsense and Wedding Feast. My God, Wedding Feast.... But over time, I've come to look past the religious aspect of the album and appreciate the SOUND of the music. I may not agree with all the lyrics, but in terms of musicianship, the album is very good indeed. 1+1+1=3 is funky as hell. Muse 2 The Pharaoh and Family Name are among my favourite songs of that era.

I think a lot of people do seperate the musicanship from the lyrics and enjoy it that way. I also find concept albums interesting.

Great idea for a thread. I think for me it was Chaos & Disorder whose rough edges I came to appreciate more after the polished era of Emancipation that followed.

I also have to say that I was listening to Planet Eart the other day and I just love 'The one U Wanna C', I really think this could have been a hit with the right video, a really accesisble song. At first I wasn't a huge appreciator of the album aside from a few songs but I am enjoying it more and more. One of the many great joys in being a Prince fan is delving back into the catalogue and re-discovering new love for an album

For You, sweet record, but lacking a song that really bites and packs a punch, and the one that does (Im Yours) is hidden away at end of record. The hooks and sweet soul, and the slightly odd tracks, ie Crazy You, For You are pleasant to ear and win you over very nicely with time. Funny how he could have been using 4 and U s even back then in song titles instead of for and you

"S.O.T.T"...It was a little too much to take at first listen. I thought it was cluttered, dark and too all over the place. Didn't have the slickness and polish of "Parade" or the rawness of "Dirty Mind". Even though "P.R." was a soundtrack, all of the songs flowed well together with the film..."S.O.T.T." to me felt too abstract...it took me until 1991 to really appreciate the sounds and colors of that record. Now it's my favorite number 2 record by P.

AOA...but i m not crazy about it...just like it better

The Lotusflow3r

I was driving from Pa. to Fla. on the interstate through the night and put it on for the first time to give it a listen. Maybe i was tired I'm not sure but I just wasn't feeling it. I'm not kidding when I say it was almost 2 years until I put it on again and it seemed like a whole different album! WOW.....I honestly love it from begining to end!

PARADE.

In the beginning I felt there was something missing as an overall whole... It felt incomplete when I listened to his earlier records like Dirty Mind, Controversy, 1999, Purple Rain... However as time went on and I matured in a musical sense, I can say with confidence... PARADE is pure brilliance, and imo ranks in his top 5 personal best albums amongst, SOTT, PURPLE RAIN, 19999 and LOVESEXY.

Digifuwill said:

Controversy.

It was typically described as a less ambitious follow-up to Dirty Mind by people writing all those career retrospectives on Prince (I think it was referred to as a "disappointing" release even in the liner notes to The Hits compilations). So, I had already made my mind up what it was going to be like when I finally got the CD. But, yeah, once I really started giving it the attention it deserves I've started to consider it one of the most rewarding Prince releases. The songs kick serious ass, of course, so it's a bit of a mystery why it was overlooked by the critics and other people writing on Prince for so long.

[Edited 3/12/16 11:37am]

None. The ones I thought were shit are still shit.

I love all 1978-1988. Batman was the album i took ages to get used too.

Love Symbol

*

I have always shook my head at the hip hop element in Prince's 90s output, and for years I paid no attention to it. Bought all the CDs when they came out of course, gave them a few listens and went back to my beloved 1980-1988 obsession...but recently I revisited Love Symbol. The hip hop still bugs me, but it is an awesome album overall. Eating crow, and digging it.

NorthC said:

Digifuwill said:

The Lotusflow3r

I was driving from Pa. to Fla. on the interstate through the night and put it on for the first time to give it a listen. Maybe i was tired I'm not sure but I just wasn't feeling it. I'm not kidding when I say it was almost 2 years until I put it on again and it seemed like a whole different album! WOW.....I honestly love it from begining to end!

Pa is Pennsylvania and Fla is Florida? How long does that take?

Yes, Penn to Fla, About 12 hours....long ass drive!

NorthC said:

The Vault/ Old Friends for Sale. I didn't like it very much and even sold it at a used record shop, but I decided recently to give it another chance and it's much better than I thought it was.Hardly a masterpiece, but I like the sound of the NPG without all the rappers and samples. 5 Women, When The Lights Go Down and especially There Is Lonely are really good.

For me this song is one of his best of the 90's.

By the way, 1999 i'm startin to discover this album. So far i love 1999, LRC,LCD,LPWM, Delirious and IL.

Parade, Chaos, Emancipation, Plectrum Electrum (This one's starting to grow on me)

[Edited 3/14/16 2:21am]

Dirty Mind. I was too young and my taste wasn't that developed. Now it's one of his most played.