I didn't see any active threads on this album so I had to make one.

.

What are your favorite tracks on this huge album and how do you like it in general?

.

My favorites are probably:

.

Saviour (this would have made a great closer - it's an absolute classic Prince track the guitar is warped and it is just glorious)

.

and One Kiss at a Time (it's so warm but frigid at the same time).

.

I have been revisiting it since I put in disc 2 wanting to hear the first four songs and after that was a bit surprised that I barely remembered the songs on it. Because of this I had to re-explore and was pleasantly surprised all over again. Thus, this thread. It's totally intimidating and there are a lot of songs that sound the same (mostly midtempo tracks as well) but if you have the patience and the time then delve in and start on a journey.

Seriously I love this damn thing. I just sat thru all three discs and my evening is spent and I want to do it again tomorrow.

.

I must say this - I think if I met someone who said they didn't like it I'd tell them that is cool and I respect their opinion but it's definitely a work that gives you more when you spend some time with it. A cursory glance of this thing means you lose so much of what is happening. I'm just so impressed with it.

26ten said:

I didn't see any active threads on this album so I had to make one.

.

What are your favorite tracks on this huge album and how do you like it in general?

.

My favorites are probably:

.

Saviour (this would have made a great closer - it's an absolute classic Prince track the guitar is warped and it is just glorious)

.

and One Kiss at a Time (it's so warm but frigid at the same time).

.

I have been revisiting it since I put in disc 2 wanting to hear the first four songs and after that was a bit surprised that I barely remembered the songs on it. Because of this I had to re-explore and was pleasantly surprised all over again. Thus, this thread. It's totally intimidating and there are a lot of songs that sound the same (mostly midtempo tracks as well) but if you have the patience and the time then delve in and start on a journey.

The Saturday after 4/21, my library was having a poetry event and I sent the lyrics of The Love We Make to all staff (along with a Shakespeare sonnet and another poem). It's a fave. Also, Dreaming About U, and White Mansion. My favorite disc is disc 3, and the first three tracks are almost always road trip music for me.

I think Slave is a really interesting song. A lot of Prince songs move from despair to triumph or transcendence. Slave is (I think) one of the few that starts bitter and ends, uh, bitter-er.

I like it in general. I love these 'outrageous' 2 or 3 discs albums artists sometimes indulge in. It usually means a lot of filler, which i take for granted, but the pearls are also there to be found.

Favourite tracks:

- Right Back Here In Your Arms

- Somebody's Somebody

- Soul Sanctuary

- Curious Child

- Dreamin' About U

- The Holy River

- Slave

- Face Down

- My Computer

- The Love We Make

Totally love his rendition of "I Can't Make U Love Me." Totally defiles the song....lol

[Edited 10/7/16 17:57pm]

Saviour

The Love We Make

Courtin' Time

Somebody's Somebody (Studio Mix)

One Kiss At A Time

In This Bed I Scream

Sleep Around

White Mansion

Damned If I Do

Actually, you can pretty much put Disk 1 on shuffle, and any order makes a great CD.

this is interesting becuse when I first listened to Emancipation I was like there is only one good song.. but its grown on me sooo much:

the second side which he dedecated to Mayte:

One kiss at at Time

Dreamin' About You

Friend, Lover, SIster Mother/Wife

Lets have a baby

But now I love all of the above, plus:

Sombodys Sombody

Courtin Time

Slave

Style

The Love We Make

Face Down

The Human Body

Nearly the whole Album

26ten said:

I didn't see any active threads on this album so I had to make one.

.

What are your favorite tracks on this huge album and how do you like it in general?

.

My favorites are probably:

.

Saviour (this would have made a great closer - it's an absolute classic Prince track the guitar is warped and it is just glorious)

.

and One Kiss at a Time (it's so warm but frigid at the same time).

.

I have been revisiting it since I put in disc 2 wanting to hear the first four songs and after that was a bit surprised that I barely remembered the songs on it. Because of this I had to re-explore and was pleasantly surprised all over again. Thus, this thread. It's totally intimidating and there are a lot of songs that sound the same (mostly midtempo tracks as well) but if you have the patience and the time then delve in and start on a journey.

Its a generous album with a lot of songs.

Its probably amongst my list of preffered 90's albums.... but I dont think it packed as much of a punch as LoveSymbol or even Diamonds&Pearls.

I didnt feel it was an album that seemed very unique for Prince, like I mean considering the hype around it leading up to its release I think I was expecting something like another "Sign of the Times" type thing. But I dont think it had the freshness, originality and uniqueness that albums like SOTT, or even Parade, or Lovesexy had when they came out.

Emancipation is a record I can enjoy, and has some tracks that I really do like, but overall it wasnt a record that suprised me in a blow you outta the water type way.

Ive often felt the number of mediocre tracks on it almost equal or outnumber the quite good tracks.

For that reason I have thought instead of it being a 3 cd album it could have been like a really good 17 track album similiar to LoveSymbol.

For me songs I like on Emancipation are : White Mansion, In This Bed I Scream, I cant make u Love me, Dreamin' About U, My Computer, One Kiss at a Time, FriendMotherSister Lover Wife.

[Edited 10/7/16 5:41am]

One of the biggest missed opportunities of his career. The much-ballyhooed separation from WB resulted in a severely bloated, terminally sterile, overly indulgent collection of mostly subpar material. The arrangements are generally underdeveloped. Kirk's drum programming is so anemic, it renders much of the album lifeless.

.

That said, there are some good songs on it. Trouble is, they're stuck on one of his worst-produced albums.

.

Just like any multi-disc set by a major artist, fans will never agree on what (if anything) should've been cut to make the album tighter.

.

Unfortunately, the album set the template for the post-WB era. And that era didn't result in the release of any truly great albums. Great songs, yes. But from 'Emancipation' onward, no P album came anywhere near the best of what was issued during the WB era.

.

For my money, the other '96 release 'Chaos and Disorder' was a far greater and more essential album than 'Emancipation.'

This is one of my favorite albums both musically and sentimentally. I was 19 years old when it came out and it was my Bible for the next couple of years. JOTY was the first Prince tour I saw as well. So many good memories from this album!! I also love the artwork and promo items from Emancipation (the hanging mobile, the cardboard cutout standee of ). His apperances on Oprah and the Muppets.... It's all just so awesome. I would LOVE to have this on VINYL.

.

My favorites are:

.

"Jam of the Year"

"Right Back Here in My Arms"

"Somebody's Somebody"

"Courtin' Time"

"White Mansion"

"I Can't Make U Love Me"

"Mr. Happy"

"Sex in the Summer"

"One Kiss at a Time"

"Soul Sanctuary"

"Emale"

"Curious Child"

"Dreamin' About U"

"Joint 2 Joint"

"Slave"

"New World"

"The Human Body"

"Face Down"

"Style"

"Sleep Around"

"My Computer"

"The Love We Make"

"Emancipation"

[Edited 10/7/16 5:25am]

CAL3 said:

One of the biggest missed opportunities of his career. The much-ballyhooed separation from WB resulted in a severely bloated, terminally sterile, overly indulgent collection of mostly subpar material. The arrangements are generally underdeveloped. Kirk's drum programming is so anemic, it renders much of the album lifeless.

.

That said, there are some good songs on it. Trouble is, they're stuck on one of his worst-produced albums.

.

Just like any multi-disc set by a major artist, fans will never agree on what (if anything) should've been cut to make the album tighter.

.

Unfortunately, the album set the template for the post-WB era. And that era didn't result in the release of any truly great albums. Great songs, yes. But from 'Emancipation' onward, no P album came anywhere near the best of what was issued during the WB era.

.

For my money, the other '96 release 'Chaos and Disorder' was a far greater and more essential album than 'Emancipation.'

I realize this is the common opinion, but I disagree in almost every regard. I've tried accepting the theory that it is indeed bloated, but I can't pick songs I'd actually remove. Sure, I like some better than others, but I don't hate any of them. I come back to this album far too often to write it off in any respect. I think everything about this album was deliberate. Even the production. Whether or not you like the production, it is consistent. Prince was trying to make a point by showcasing the diversity of his songwriting chops, so he let the music speak for itself without any fussy gimmicks. It's so much more straightforward than his early 90's output. Emancipation has a monochromatic production aesthetic to be sure, but Prince was very proud of this record. He was in a happy place when he recorded it, so it's not nearly as dark as some of his more experimental work. A few songs could probably benefit from tighter edits, but those examples just negate the need for extended remixes. Prince was letting it all hang out, warts and all. I appreciate his hubris at the expense of commercial appeasement. There's no way a three-disc set was going to be a smash, especially 12 years after a zeitgeist driven, inconceivable career high like Purple Rain. I love Emancipation. I saw him twice on this tour (2nd row in Charlotte!), and he absolutely blew me away both times. I have a love/hate relationship with some of his output. I loathed The Rainbow Children upon release, for example (I have yet to give it another chance). So, I'm not just a lackey who laps up everything he does. But I stand behind Emancipation wholeheartedly. I also believe Prince released albums worthy of his imperial period status post his original Warner Brothers run. I think 3121 and Art Official Age are both master strokes.

[Edited 10/7/16 7:15am]

brassneck said:

CAL3 said:

One of the biggest missed opportunities of his career. The much-ballyhooed separation from WB resulted in a severely bloated, terminally sterile, overly indulgent collection of mostly subpar material. The arrangements are generally underdeveloped. Kirk's drum programming is so anemic, it renders much of the album lifeless.

.

That said, there are some good songs on it. Trouble is, they're stuck on one of his worst-produced albums.

.

Just like any multi-disc set by a major artist, fans will never agree on what (if anything) should've been cut to make the album tighter.

.

Unfortunately, the album set the template for the post-WB era. And that era didn't result in the release of any truly great albums. Great songs, yes. But from 'Emancipation' onward, no P album came anywhere near the best of what was issued during the WB era.

.

For my money, the other '96 release 'Chaos and Disorder' was a far greater and more essential album than 'Emancipation.'

I realize this is the common opinion, but I disagree in almost every regard. I've tried accepting the theory that it is indeed bloated, but I can't pick songs I'd actually remove. Sure, I like some better than others, but I don't hate any of them. I come back to this album far too often to write it off in any respect. I think everything about this album was deliberate. Even the production. Whether or not you like the production, it is consistent. Prince was trying to make a point by showcasing the diversity of his songwriting chops, so he let the music speak for itself without any fussy gimmicks. It's so much more straightforward than his early 90's output. Emancipation has a monochromatic production aesthetic to be sure, but Prince was very proud of this record. He was in a happy place when he recorded it, so it's not nearly as dark as some of his more experimental work. A few songs could probably benefit from tighter edits, but those examples just negate the need for extended remixes. Prince was letting it all hang out, warts and all. I appreciate his hubris at the expense of commercial appeasement. There's no way a three-disc set was going to be a smash, especially 12 years after a zeitgeist driven, inconceivable career high like Purple Rain. I love Emancipation. I saw him twice on this tour (2nd row in Charlotte!), and he absolutely blew me away both times. I have a love/hate relationship with some of his output. I loathed The Rainbow Children upon release, for example (I have yet to give it another chance). So, I'm not just a lackey who laps up everything he does. But I stand behind Emancipation wholeheartedly. I also believe Prince released albums worthy of his imperial period status post his original Warner Brothers run. I think 3121 and Art Official Age are both master strokes.

[Edited 10/7/16 7:15am]

It's interesting that I agree with both of you actually haha it's true that he was shooting himself in the foot with this release and ultimately had he recorded and put out a single disc album of say the 10 best tracks he had done that year it likely would have been another hit and he could have rode that gravy train again for some time just to do it again later.

.

With that said I think that we're so used to how Prince works now, and these records have been out now for some time, so we've sort of lost the novelty of how insane this album is. This guy was risking so much by releasing this that that alone should be applauded.

.

It's a man who is clearly not caring at all how he is perceived (well, maybe a little bit) but at least still caring more about what he wants to do than anything else. In the end we've got a bunch of material and I'm happy with every second of it. Could he have controlled his releases more to ensure more commercial appeal? Yeah totally. But apparently he just didn't care haha

Certainly not one of my favourite Prince albums, and I rarely listen to any of the three discs all the way through. It's obviously going to get much love on a thread dedicated to it, but for me at least it always felt like a collection of songs rather than a structured album. You could take 36 amazing songs and throw them together over three discs, and that in itself doesn't make for a great, flowing studio album.

I do however really love several songs across the discs.....


Right Back Here in My Arms

Somebody's Somebody

White Mansion

Dreamin' About You

The Holy River

Face Down

My Computer

I don't greatly dislike any of the 36 tracks, but far too many of them are just okay to me and a few are unnecessarily overlong.

This album is a mixed bag for me, as I could easily narrow the tracklist down to a single disc set I'd love. Also, I could do without the covers (but I do have fond memories of hearing his Betcha By Golly Wow as a kid on the radio)

highlights for me are...

Jam of the Year
Somebody's Somebody
One Kiss at a Time
In This Bed I Scream
Sex in the Summer
Emale
Joint 2 Joint
The Human Body
Sleep Around
Face Down
Style
My Computer

NorthC said:

Yeeeaaahhh! We have "What If Emancipation Were 1 CD" post!

It's not a proper Emancipation thread until someone says it

I've never paid that much attention to this album but lately I've discovered more songs that I like from it.

Jam Of The Year

Somebody's Somebody

I Can Make You Love Me

In This Bed I Scream

Emale

The Holy River

Face Down

CAL3 said:

NorthC said:

Yeeeaaahhh! We have "What If Emancipation Were 1 CD" post!

I actually already mentioned the idea back in post #9.

I imagine there is a lotta people that probably feel that way.

But then again not too many artists could get away with releasing a 3cd of mostly original tracks.

Who does that these days ?

26ten said:

luvgirl said:

26ten said:

It's interesting that I agree with both of you actually haha it's true that he was shooting himself in the foot with this release and ultimately had he recorded and put out a single disc album of say the 10 best tracks he had done that year it likely would have been another hit and he could have rode that gravy train again for some time just to do it again later.

.

With that said I think that we're so used to how Prince works now, and these records have been out now for some time, so we've sort of lost the novelty of how insane this album is. This guy was risking so much by releasing this that that alone should be applauded.

.

It's a man who is clearly not caring at all how he is perceived (well, maybe a little bit) but at least still caring more about what he wants to do than anything else. In the end we've got a bunch of material and I'm happy with every second of it. Could he have controlled his releases more to ensure more commercial appeal? Yeah totally. But apparently he just didn't care haha

I totally agree with your comments. One of the things I admired most about Prince was his conviction in anything and everything he wanted to do, and he never backed away from them because of public ridicule. You were either his fans or not. You either dug a particular album or not. He really didn't give a damn. He just wanted to make his music they way he wanted to make his music. End of story... I'm so proud of him for this. Emancipation is a brilliant album to those it's a brilliant album to. That was his ultimate goal. [Edited 10/8/16 9:01am]

Word luvgirl!

I don´t like the artwork at all, I think it´s really tacky, but there are some great songs. Disc 1 is my favorite from the three. My favorites are

Right back here in my arms

Mr Happy

In this bed I scream

Dreaming about U

Style

New World

Sleep around

I will admit that I have not listened to all of "Emancipation." It is not available on iTunes and I have yet to find it at a brick and mortar music store. (I don't like ordering CDs online because a couple of times, the cases have come to me cracked.) Can't really afford Tidal right now.

--

That said, I have listened to probably 10 songs from the album. I wanted to comment on this thread mainly to praise "The Love We Make," which is an absolute masterpeice in every way...lyrics, melody, harmony, vocals, instrumentation, and production. I don't even completely understand all of the lyrics, but they are beautiful nonetheless and incredibly poetic. TLWM is one of my top 5 favorite Prince songs. Also, Prince's live performances of TLWM are exquisite, especially this one: https://www.youtube.com/w...RRSdRhfRA. The guitar in this live performance is absolutely incredible.

--

I also like the songs "Betcha By Golly Wow," "Friend Lover Sister Mother/Wife," and "Let's Have a Baby." They are all beautiful songs. I think his cover of "Betcha By Golly Wow" is very well-done. I love the video--it is very loving. "Friend Lover Sister Mother/Wife" is also a very loving song; it's a shame that his marriage with Mayte did not last. "Let's Have a Baby" is a beautiful song. The lyrics are really poetic and heartfelt. However, I find it very difficult to listen to the song because the sentiments and hopes he expresses in that song were never fully realized and ended in such a devastating way.

This is difficult to articulate because I'm also revisting it since April.

I loved it when it first came out and played it nonstop when I first heard it. So much of it spoke to me. It was joyous and I couldn't find one song that I didn't like.

Then my marraige started to dissolve and one by one the songs became unlistenable for me. This was right around the time that I found out Mayte had lost the first baby and Sex In the Summer made me cry when I heard the heartbeat.

As my marraige unravelled, Sweet Baby would have me sobbing. Finally, I put the CDs away and I haven't listened to it in years. It held so many painful memories.

Now when I listen to it, with everything that's now history in my life...and in P & MG's relationship...it's bittersweet but doesn't hold the same crushing sadness for me. It's like a time capsule of the hopeful feelings when MG was still pregnant, they were happy, and my marraige was intact, and I can be a bit more objective about it.

[Edited 10/10/16 2:20am]

LBrent said:

This is difficult to articulate because I'm also revisting it since April.

I loved it when it first came out and played it nonstop when I first heard it. So much of it spoke to me. It was joyous and I couldn't find one song that I didn't like.

Then my marraige started to dissolve and one by one the songs became unlistenable for me. This was right around the time that I found out Mayte had lost the first baby and Sex In the Summer made me cry when I heard the heartbeat.

As my marraige unravelled, Sweet Baby would have me sobbing. Finally, I put the CDs away and I haven't listened to it in years. It held so many painful memories.

Now when I listen to it, with everything that's now history in my life...and in P & MG's relationship...it's bittersweet but doesn't hold the same crushing sadness for me. It's like a time capsule of the hopeful feelings when MG was still pregnant, they were happy, and my marraige was intact, and I can be a bit more objective about it.

[Edited 10/10/16 2:20am]

That is very hard to deal with - I'm sorry you had to endure that, and also that what had been a nice timecapsule turned bad based on that.

.

A friend of mine has told me she is unable to listen to certain music as she associates it with past events and people she no longer wants to think about and I can definitely understand how outside feelings and experiences trickle in and associate themselves with certain triggers.

.

I hope one day you're able to listen to this album and make new memories - good ones - with it. I really appreciate you posting your comment on this thread - that in itself is pretty brave.

Right now i just discovered another song from this album, My Computer and i like it a lot.

roxy831 said:

Totally love his rendition of "I Can't Make U Love Me." Totally defiles the song....lol

[Edited 10/7/16 17:57pm]

I loved the Bonnie Raitt version and at the time this came out, I wasn't in the mood for a remake. (I also think I was pissed at Prince for some weird-ass reason)and hated it. Listened to it again via Tidal (which has been a blessing x 10000 to me) and I was like "I love this version! It IS better than the original!" I don't know if I needed to grow up a bit to 'get it' or what but this is on heavy rotation at my house.

Dreaming about you has an interesting Sting-like vibe to it, I think. I have no idea why I didn't like this album back in the day but there are many songs on there now I really dig.