Sign me up but you know this is not how it will play out.

I think this would be absolutely ideal. I think it makes the most sense on both a practical level and in terms of potential success with the releases. You put out the live show first because it was his final recorded performance and might be the most sought after at this particular moment in time. (And Prince had made mention of a live album from this tour anyway, right? So this would honor that wish.)

Then you do the 2-disc remasters series. I think the Paul McCartney Collection is a great model for what could be done here. More than 2 discs for some albums would be nice, but I think one bonus disc for each album is reasonable and maybe some of the other things from that era can get out down the road.

If you do these things, you give the estate and the handlers of the estate plenty of time to make the right decisions about the contents of the vault and what will happen with them. You give the hardcore fan base better sound quality copies and throw us a few bones, and you give the casual fans copies of Prince's most successful works sooner as opposed to later (since you start at the beginning) and they don't have to pay $100 for an out of print copy.

I'm in the camp that some of you mentioned about not dumping it all out there at once. One of the things I've been mourning the most this past week is that I'd no longer experience the excitement of something new suddenly dropping. I would love to get that feeling again someday!

We just need to concentrate on getting the Piano & A Microphone, Live in Atlanta out. That is most important musically. This show NEEDS to be heard by people.

soladeo1 said:

2nd Step: Release every 4 months remastered classic Warner Bros. albums starting with FOR YOU in December '16 through LOVESEXY, each album supplemented with period B-Sides 3rd Step: Have the "Prince Trust" hire Susan Rogers and Wendy and Lisa start reviewing, cataloging, and mixing and mastering The Vault. 4th Step: Once the last Warner Bros. remaster is released start releasing Prince's Vault Volumes. These would be full albums of pristine unreleased albums. 5th Step: Set up Paisley Park as a "living" museum. Host for the paying public all sorts of amazing Prince artifacts. 6th Step: Set up in the Minneanapolis area free public school music programs in Prince's name.

Wendy and Lisa are needed for the Vault? Just 3 white women; not people of color (of which Prince was one) who contributed as much or more to the legacy? They were not even around for the majority of what is in the Vault.

paulludvig said:

As for number 3 - and archival project should be handled by professionals, not former bandmembers.

SO true - number 3 would be a disaster. I doubt Prince would want that

The existing albums and b-sides don't need re-releasing - that's a waste of time and money.

.

They can already be bought.

.

Prince wanted the Live album released so that should be.

.

That does about cover things from a fan's perspective. However... there is going to be pressure for a Prince hit single or two, so ineveitably there will be someone tasked to create something out of the vault material that will sell. I vote Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, just to keep it in the Purple Family.

Theres so much wishfull thinking going on, the fact is, it could be years before all the issues of his estate are resolved. Im hoping myself, that it isnt the case, but its all down to the lawyers now. So dont expect a quick resolve.

I've said it before - the idea of someone in his band putting together vault material (or "finishing" it for that matter) is nauseating. Not a single one of them is up to the objective task and they all seem to have their spin on their relationships with Prince (which sometimes differed from his own).

It is not interesting nor compelling to think of Wendy, Lisa, Sheila, Levi, Fink, or anyone else to pick through the garden and try to recreate what they thought Prince would want. No, no, let it be a third party, a professional archivist, who can present the material in its unadulterated state. Just the facts. Just the document itself. Take a look at David Bowie's Five Years set (and the next one coming shortly). You think his band members had fuck all to do with it? Not a one. That's how it should be.