batman89 said:

Yes...purchased it recently in tribute support. Have The Hits B Sides & Ultimate and so never opted for The Best of CD for that reason. As it's the current Australian version, it has the predominantly negative artwork.

There are various versions of the artwork? Interesting, I had no idea. Could anyone post a link? A quick google search didn't turn up anything. Thanks.

I got the Gold experience as my first album then grabbed the Black album and WTFed (I was too young and was expecting an accessible end to end experience like Id found Gold Experience to be) and I bowed out for a while but was buying albums by other people who I didn't realise cited prince as their main influence - I didn't know the deal with WB and the Slave thing so I thought this was Prince's idea of a Best of !

I found it very spotty lots of those B-sides I still don't dig.

heres hoping there are multi disc collections in a year or two that have around 60 songs that are all killer

suomynona said:

prb said:

yes, coz its prince. its good in the car for my non fam family

i also have ultimate and hits/bsides

[Edited 5/29/16 3:17am]

Yes that is when I play it too in the car as I dont like to take my other P CDs in the car so keep them on the iTunes but that album I put on when I dont have my iTunes/iPhone handy. Lives in my glove box.

No. Like everyone else here I already have all of the hits. But I probably will but it for my mom because she recently asked for it. Kind of surprised me because she hated his guts throughout the 80's. I think the CD is perfect for the casual or newbie fan.

suomynona said:

If you're going to buy one, buy the The Hits/B Sides 3CD set (because of all of the otherwise unavailable versions on CD.) If you already have that, then get the Ultimate Prince (because of all the extended versions otherwise unavailable on CD.)

No sense on buying the Very Best Of. Not even to give to a friend who isn't hip to Prince's music. Why? You can make a better mix CD then that -- choosing 17 songs you think they might like.

Those are exactly the same reasons why I don´t have that CD. A very unnecessary CD for any true fan.

Nope. As others have said there is no need if you have his albums.

I have the hits/b sides for the b sides disc.

Thanks for reminding me about prince ultimate having the 12"s disc. Forgot that so that will be my next purchase. Have them on vinyl but would be good to have them digitally.

[Edited 5/29/16 6:16am]

Moonbeam said:

No. I was very adamantly opposed to buying it at the time - I had bought into the battle with Warner's, and it was such a crass cash grab that it turned me off. It was released on the heels of dozens of others "The Very Best of" titles that must have sold well enough to keep pumping them out. There were TV commericals in those days that would advertise these collections, and they all seemed rather superficial. Seeing the Prince commercial was very odd. The titles of these collections also annoyed me - call them "The Biggest Hits of" or something like that, but to imply that the very best of each of these artists just happened to be the radio smashes rubbed me the wrong way.

In time, I realized Prince's battles weren't my battles, but I still find it such a thoughtless release. I understand that it is difficult to satisfy everyone with a single disc for an artist with so much material, but it's just so lazy. No album that completely ignores Dirty Mind, Controversy, Batman, and Symbol can purport to be "the very best" of Prince - there's a lot of important history that's missing there. An unassuming listener could think "Wow! Prince started out with this smash disco hit and then disappeared/spent 4 years doing disco music/read a lot of Nostradamus/insert wild theory here until '1999'". Add to that the fact that Diamonds and Pearls is put on equal footing with Purple Rain with 4 songs, doubling the representation of 1999 and Sign o' the Times. Even the album cover is lazy: of the 9 images, 3 come from Parade and a further 4 come from 1989-1990? To advertise a collection that contains exactly 2 songs from that time period? And hey, let's put on the Dirty Mind album cover but not include any songs from the album!

You've said everyting that I intended to say, so I'll just quote ya.

My review of this album in an post in another thread about a week ago on choosing 17 songs for your own Very Best of Prince

.

I agree that the very best of Prince is a great introduction and even did a video about it on my channel. But it leaves a lot of gaps. This is the list of trax.

.

1. I wanna be your lover (Ok good start, most true newbies think Prince starts with 1999)

2. 1999 (Edit)

3. Little Red Corvette (album mix at least, you really need to hear the 12 inch, but better than the 3.08 mix on the original single)

4. When Doves Cry - Its a given, but this song is essential and has the goods.

5. Let's go crazy (As above, but you need to get the 12 inch version too)

6. Purple Rain (It actually has the full 9 minutes of it, very good for the newbies to understand the concept of extended songs Prince does)

7. Iwould die 4 u (Okay 4 songs off one album now,but it is Purple Rain)

8. Raspberry Beret - Essential but edited

9. Kiss - Of course

10. Sign o the Times - great to see it here, even if a single edit

11. U got the look - as above and an edit for the 7 inch

12. Alphabet Street - Album version, 5.38 of joy

13. Thieves in the Temple - 7 inch edit

14. Gett Off - great to see these 2 here, even if editted

15. Cream - of Course

16. Diamonds and Pearls

17. Money don't matter 2 nite - Okay 4 songs off D and P

.

Good points are at least they have a full purple rain and a few decent mixes of some other hits, and it covers his 1979 - 1991 period well. the packaging is quite decent too. I have the original 2001 version, and I know the cover was redesigned a few years ago, but I am sure it is the same album.

.

Bad points

1. There are 4 songs each from Purple Rain and Diamonds and Pearls, these are 2 albums out of 40 or so or at least the 17 WB they could have chosen from.

2. There are no songs at all from For You, Dirty Mind, Controversy, Batman, Lovesymbol, The hits, Come, TGE or Chaos and Disorder. Batman has some copyright brouhaha, but the rest could have songs. It is not a complete over view.

3. No songs post Warners (Understandable, but the newbies will know nothing about the last 20 years of his career, and not even know he has made about 30 albums more of official and less offical music.

4. Even for Warners material, this one stops in 1991, at elast the others go to Lovesymbol or the new songs on the Hits (1993). Did Prince's 1992 contract ban any songs going on hits sets.

5. Too many edits, 3 minute versions of songs that sound better at natural length (Like 1999 and Lets go crazy).

.

I don't think it is the worst thing in the world to buy it, the argument about it being a Warners Cash grab, wellbuying any of his pre 1994 WB albums is a cash grab to Warners and they will get the moolah everytime you buy that extra copy of 1999, Purple Rain, the Hits etc.

I never bought it. I usually never buy "greatest hits" stuff, unless it's an artist I only listen to a few song by and all of the "hits". Because I owned everything else I did not find the need for it. Now I see it everywhere on sale. There was a whole rack dedicated to Prince on a local music store here. It had 1 copy of Graffitti Bridge, a few copies of HitnRun Phase One and Two and tons of copies of the Hits cd. Tons.
Been trying to get PlectrumElectrum, to no avail. It's the only one missing in my collection

of course I own The Very Best Of Prince on CD...

(I wish ths was released on VINYL LP as well....)


I am gonna buy every release,

this includes the compilations...

Nope

Nah, I have always made my own Prince mixes . The only greatest hits disc I have had to buy was Disc 2 of The Hits/B-Sides because I didn't have Peach.

MMJas said:

I never bought it. I usually never buy "greatest hits" stuff, unless it's an artist I only listen to a few song by and all of the "hits". Because I owned everything else I did not find the need for it. Now I see it everywhere on sale. There was a whole rack dedicated to Prince on a local music store here. It had 1 copy of Graffitti Bridge, a few copies of HitnRun Phase One and Two and tons of copies of the Hits cd. Tons.
Been trying to get PlectrumElectrum, to no avail. It's the only one missing in my collection

Just got back from HMV music store (UK). PlectrumElectrum was there - in fact, there was a fairly impressive array of Prince stuff, including DVD documentaries, his films, a couple of books, a reasonable selection of CDs and vinyl...However, I was hoping for 'The Gold Experience' and 'Emancipation'. No such luck on those.

I think so, since I've bought every single thing released (no pun intended). Post a pic! Is this the one with the 12" disc too?

Dibblekins said:

MMJas said:

I never bought it. I usually never buy "greatest hits" stuff, unless it's an artist I only listen to a few song by and all of the "hits". Because I owned everything else I did not find the need for it. Now I see it everywhere on sale. There was a whole rack dedicated to Prince on a local music store here. It had 1 copy of Graffitti Bridge, a few copies of HitnRun Phase One and Two and tons of copies of the Hits cd. Tons.
Been trying to get PlectrumElectrum, to no avail. It's the only one missing in my collection

Just got back from HMV music store (UK). PlectrumElectrum was there - in fact, there was a fairly impressive array of Prince stuff, including DVD documentaries, his films, a couple of books, a reasonable selection of CDs and vinyl...However, I was hoping for 'The Gold Experience' and 'Emancipation'. No such luck on those.

Really? Need to get a friend to grab me a copy of PlectrumElectrum and one book. Which book would you recommend?

No, I have the hits/b-sides (because of the b-sides

And all the records officially released and some other stuff as well

No, but I do I have The Hits/B sides

MMJas said:

Dibblekins said:

Just got back from HMV music store (UK). PlectrumElectrum was there - in fact, there was a fairly impressive array of Prince stuff, including DVD documentaries, his films, a couple of books, a reasonable selection of CDs and vinyl...However, I was hoping for 'The Gold Experience' and 'Emancipation'. No such luck on those.

Really? Need to get a friend to grab me a copy of PlectrumElectrum and one book. Which book would you recommend?

I don't have any books about him, tbh - but there is a very recent thread on here making recommendations. I'll have a look-see and post back.

In the meantime, in answer to the OP, no - I have the 3 disc set / B-sides, and the Ultimate Collection for the car (and the less 'discerning' passenger, lol)!

ufoclub said:

I think so, since I've bought every single thing released (no pun intended). Post a pic! Is this the one with the 12" disc too?

no it's the other one, the single disc item (you are referring to 'Ultimate')

Yeah, but I have no idea where it is, since I found out it's no point in me ever playing it because the hits aren't what I listen to the most.

Nah. Like most people here, I just made my own Best Of.

Well of course.

.

I buy everything Prince releases - never a doubt.

.

This cd has When Doves Cry CUTTED IN HALF. That's why I think this is only a bait to trick new listeners. Hence, if you dig his music, and having When Doves Cry cutted in half, you'll HAVE to buy more of his albums.

I'd like to see a complete singles collection (I think it would be at least 7 cds of material), James Brown had a similar series a few years back that had every 7" single A/B side in chronological order.

In this sense i would except the 7" edits as part of the whole thing, but to edit When Doves Cry on a best of is unexceptable!!!! Also I noticed the most popular version of WDC on itunes is the edit!!!! you dumb idiots, its the same price for the full length version! why would you buy the edit???