What will be for you the perfect tracklist?

It's a toss-up, really.

One one side, it'd have been nice to have a sprawling 3-LP set of just a bunch of songs post-Revolution. It could have served as an almost transitional album. We've heard every song on there, and every song has been released (in some fashion), except "The Ball". But even that can be argued since it evolved into " No".

On the other, it was a varied set of styles of music. When WB made him whittle it down to only 2- disks, it became a very different record. Gone were the poppier songs like "Good Love" or the audacious "Shockadelica", and with a random track taking on the responsibility of the title track, the whole set took a darker feel. "Crystal Ball" has its own mood, but to open an album with a song like "Sign O The Times" (a "Sunday" song, yet dark in tone) was a pretty brilliant move.

It's not totally lost, but the momentum of it at the time can never be recouped. Luckily because 99% of the songs have been released, we can at least put them together, and listen to Prince's thought process at the time. (Sorta the same with Dream Factory.)

For me, SOTT is a perfect album. It's a fan and critic favorite for a reason. There's not a stinker or filler on it. It's sequenced perfectly, and each disk has its own feel, yet they both work together like close sisters.

I'm not totally sure, with so much content, that Crystal Ball would have gotten the same sort of critical attention. The 1998 edition, which was still a bunch of random songs, was ignored in a lot of ways, other than the bad press after its release (eg: shipping; fulfillment).

TrivialPursuit said:

It's a toss-up, really.

One one side, it'd have been nice to have a sprawling 3-LP set of just a bunch of songs post-Revolution. It could have served as an almost transitional album. We've heard every song on there, and every song has been released (in some fashion), except "The Ball". But even that can be argued since it evolved into " No".

On the other, it was a varied set of styles of music. When WB made him whittle it down to only 2- disks, it became a very different record. Gone were the poppier songs like "Good Love" or the audacious "Shockadelica", and with a random track taking on the responsibility of the title track, the whole set took a darker feel. "Crystal Ball" has its own mood, but to open an album with a song like "Sign O The Times" (a "Sunday" song, yet dark in tone) was a pretty brilliant move.

It's not totally lost, but the momentum of it at the time can never be recouped. Luckily because 99% of the songs have been released, we can at least put them together, and listen to Prince's thought process at the time. (Sorta the same with Dream Factory.)

For me, SOTT is a perfect album. It's a fan and critic favorite for a reason. There's not a stinker or filler on it. It's sequenced perfectly, and each disk has its own feel, yet they both work together like close sisters.

I'm not totally sure, with so much content, that Crystal Ball would have gotten the same sort of critical attention. The 1998 edition, which was still a bunch of random songs, was ignored in a lot of ways, other than the bad press after its release (eg: shipping; fulfillment).

The original tape has leaked in pristine sound some time back.

databank said:

TrivialPursuit said:

It's a toss-up, really.

One one side, it'd have been nice to have a sprawling 3-LP set of just a bunch of songs post-Revolution. It could have served as an almost transitional album. We've heard every song on there, and every song has been released (in some fashion), except "The Ball". But even that can be argued since it evolved into " No".

On the other, it was a varied set of styles of music. When WB made him whittle it down to only 2- disks, it became a very different record. Gone were the poppier songs like "Good Love" or the audacious "Shockadelica", and with a random track taking on the responsibility of the title track, the whole set took a darker feel. "Crystal Ball" has its own mood, but to open an album with a song like "Sign O The Times" (a "Sunday" song, yet dark in tone) was a pretty brilliant move.

It's not totally lost, but the momentum of it at the time can never be recouped. Luckily because 99% of the songs have been released, we can at least put them together, and listen to Prince's thought process at the time. (Sorta the same with Dream Factory.)

For me, SOTT is a perfect album. It's a fan and critic favorite for a reason. There's not a stinker or filler on it. It's sequenced perfectly, and each disk has its own feel, yet they both work together like close sisters.

I'm not totally sure, with so much content, that Crystal Ball would have gotten the same sort of critical attention. The 1998 edition, which was still a bunch of random songs, was ignored in a lot of ways, other than the bad press after its release (eg: shipping; fulfillment).

The original tape has leaked in pristine sound some time back.

Pristine? Hardly.

bluegangsta said:

databank said:

The original tape has leaked in pristine sound some time back.

Pristine? Hardly.

I've never heard of that, but perhaps it did. The songs are out there anyway (even most of the alternate versions if memory serves). I'd like to hear a much clearer version of "Rebirth of The Flesh", but there is the live NPGMC version.

What I would be has leaked is someone's compilation from all sources, including official.

NorthC said:

Imagine this had been released as a 3 LP set back in 87 right after the fiasco of Under the Cherry Moon and the success of the Kiss single and the Parade tour.. Music critics would have spontaneously combusted, calling it the best album ever since Dylan's Blonde on Blonde while sales would have bombed... But it's one hell of a paisley fantasy. The greatest lost triple album in the history of rock & roll... Prince was right and WB was wrong... What do y'all think?

.

Absolutely. I was thinking about this the other day. It would have been incredible. I'm surprised he didn't leave WB a couple of years later, but instead he signed a terrible contract with them. The one that caused him to write "Slave" on his face, even though it was his fault for signing such a long-term deal. One of the biggest mistakes of his career.

bluegangsta said:

databank said:

The original tape has leaked in pristine sound some time back.

Pristine? Hardly.

It may sound better than SOTT on CD though

That's pristine enough for me.

TrivialPursuit said:

bluegangsta said:

Pristine? Hardly.

I've never heard of that, but perhaps it did. The songs are out there anyway (even most of the alternate versions if memory serves). I'd like to hear a much clearer version of "Rebirth of The Flesh", but there is the live NPGMC version.

What I would be has leaked is someone's compilation from all sources, including official.

Not perhaps. I have it. It was released alongside The Flesh by some japanese bootleg label.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unreleased_Prince_projects#Prince_and_the_Revolution:_Dream_Factory

i think the june 1986 side 3 is absolute perfection. sex / afterglow.

although maybe...

joy in repetition

crystal ball

power fantastic

SHUT IT DOWN

[Edited 8/16/16 9:23am]

Totally agree. It would have been amazing... he was on his height of creativity/ production and the songs were awesome.

Never understood how WB lost the oportunity of making history on this one.

databank said:

Not perhaps. I have it. It was released alongside The Flesh by some japanese bootleg label.

.

What was the label that released it? I might not have all the versions yet. Always looking for cleaner versions of some of those tracks.

.

Unrelated side note, did a clean version of the full Joy In Repetition ever surface? I hate the party noise at the start of the released version and love the slow build up of the drums in the proper version. But I've only got a really bad sounding version of it..

databank said:

TrivialPursuit said:

I've never heard of that, but perhaps it did. The songs are out there anyway (even most of the alternate versions if memory serves). I'd like to hear a much clearer version of "Rebirth of The Flesh", but there is the live NPGMC version.

What I would be has leaked is someone's compilation from all sources, including official.

Not perhaps. I have it. It was released alongside The Flesh by some japanese bootleg label.

I doubt that the label is Japanese. Just a ruse.

mediumdry said:

databank said:

Not perhaps. I have it. It was released alongside The Flesh by some japanese bootleg label.

.

What was the label that released it?

Irukandji.

TrivialPursuit said:

The 1998 edition, which was still a bunch of random songs, was ignored in a lot of ways, other than the bad press after its release (eg: shipping; fulfillment).

It could be argued that one was a multi disc masterpiece with music from Prince at the top of his game, while the other is a multi disc mess made up of a few outtakes and a bunch of remixes.

TheDigitalGardener said:

NorthC said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

It could be argued that one was a multi disc masterpiece with music from Prince at the top of his game, while the other is a multi disc mess made up of a few outtakes and a bunch of remixes.

No arguing there. That's a FACT.

NorthC said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

It could be argued that one was a multi disc masterpiece with music from Prince at the top of his game, while the other is a multi disc mess made up of a few outtakes and a bunch of remixes.

No arguing there. That's a FACT.

NorthC, I feel like you're holding back.

databank said:

TrivialPursuit said:

I've never heard of that, but perhaps it did. The songs are out there anyway (even most of the alternate versions if memory serves). I'd like to hear a much clearer version of "Rebirth of The Flesh", but there is the live NPGMC version.

What I would be has leaked is someone's compilation from all sources, including official.

Not perhaps. I have it. It was released alongside The Flesh by some japanese bootleg label.

And OMG wasn't The Flesh fucking cool as fuck? I was truly ecstatic when that came out. Now I need the CB release!

Has the original joy in repetition surfaced in better quality - the version with the very slow sparse drum intro??? Now that is something i need...

databank said:

TrivialPursuit said:

I've never heard of that, but perhaps it did. The songs are out there anyway (even most of the alternate versions if memory serves). I'd like to hear a much clearer version of "Rebirth of The Flesh", but there is the live NPGMC version.

What I would be has leaked is someone's compilation from all sources, including official.

Not perhaps. I have it. It was released alongside The Flesh by some japanese bootleg label.

Databank i have that too- but i'd read someone had taken songs from best sources available and slapped that together - are you saying its from the original source?

TrivialPursuit said:

jstar69 said:

databank said:

Not perhaps. I have it. It was released alongside The Flesh by some japanese bootleg label.

Databank i have that too- but i'd read someone had taken songs from best sources available and slapped that together - are you saying its from the original source?

I heard it's from a in-house cassette tape. Hince the complete intro of the The Ball. I love this set!!! I love how they even used the original tile of Adore as "Adore(until the end of time)".

jstar69 said:

databank said:

Not perhaps. I have it. It was released alongside The Flesh by some japanese bootleg label.

Databank i have that too- but i'd read someone had taken songs from best sources available and slapped that together - are you saying its from the original source?

I am. So does Princevault and anyone with reliable sources.

databank said:

jstar69 said:

Databank i have that too- but i'd read someone had taken songs from best sources available and slapped that together - are you saying its from the original source?

I am. So does Princevault and anyone with reliable sources.

Cool - listening to again. Any ideas on the JIR early sparse drum intro version - has this surfaced in pristine quality?

jstar69 said:

databank said:

I am. So does Princevault and anyone with reliable sources.

Cool - listening to again. Any ideas on the JIR early sparse drum intro version - has this surfaced in pristine quality?

Nope