PurpleMedley122 said:

KingSausage said:

It sounds the same as BFTP v2 to me too. But I need to listen more carefully.

Just played the two side by side on Audacity in lossless quality with $130 headphones. it is LITERALY the same version as BFTP v2, no bullshit. Right down to the compression artifacts and amateur noise reduction in the drum intro, opening verse, and fade out. Even the waveforms are the 99.9% the same (the BFTP v2 is slighly more compressed). Either that's how the master tape sounds (unlikely) or the Estate half-assed the relese of one of Prince's most famous outtakes by making us pay for a bootleg (likely).

[Edited 11/22/16 19:10pm]

[Edited 11/23/16 4:35am]

More than likely it's how the master tape sounds (hell, the master might sound worse). From all indications Prince didn't take care of his recorded material very well and tape deteriorates. I have a feeling a lot of the material that we have already heard on boots in good/great quality will be the same if it ever gets officially released. I personally don't mind though. I like my Prince music to sound "analog".

On a side note, I played the Roadhouse Garden leak right after Moonbeam Levels..... I got a feeling.....

[Edited 11/23/16 5:15am]

(screen grabs from the 4ever digital booklet)

[Edited 11/23/16 6:09am]

KingSausage said:

It sounds the same as BFTP v2 to me too. But I need to listen more carefully.

And nooooobody believed me. So now the question is, if this is sourced from the master, how did the bootleggers who put out BFTP 2 get ahold of it? Surely WB wouldn't source bootleg material for official releases! Or, if Prince submitted this himself to WB, did he intentionally source it from BFTP 2 as a lil' fuck U. That would make my soul smile a little.

SchlomoThaHomo said:

KingSausage said:

It sounds the same as BFTP v2 to me too. But I need to listen more carefully.

And nooooobody believed me. So now the question is, if this is sourced from the master, how did the bootleggers who put out BFTP 2 get ahold of it? Surely WB wouldn't source bootleg material for official releases! Or, if Prince submitted this himself to WB, did he intentionally source it from BFTP 2 as a lil' fuck U. That would make my soul smile a little.

IF true, that would be hilarious and a classic Prince move.

I feel weird knowing that we have a bootleg quality track on an official release. I can just imagine if he knew about it how unhappy he would be. You know that he'd never release something unifinished on an album. I wan't to hear everything released as much as anyone but... I don't know, I can't explain how I feel.

SchlomoThaHomo said:

KingSausage said:

It sounds the same as BFTP v2 to me too. But I need to listen more carefully.

And nooooobody believed me. So now the question is, if this is sourced from the master, how did the bootleggers who put out BFTP 2 get ahold of it? Surely WB wouldn't source bootleg material for official releases! Or, if Prince submitted this himself to WB, did he intentionally source it from BFTP 2 as a lil' fuck U. That would make my soul smile a little.

BFTP 2 came out in 2014. Prince's new deal with WB (which this greatest hits package is a part of) was announced in April of 2014. Coincidence? I think not. It's the same song because it is the same! It's not that hard for things to leak. Don't be surprised if the unreleased songs on PR Deluxe are from the "sequel" to Purple Rain....

[Edited 11/23/16 7:32am]

KlyphIsBackAgain said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

And nooooobody believed me. So now the question is, if this is sourced from the master, how did the bootleggers who put out BFTP 2 get ahold of it? Surely WB wouldn't source bootleg material for official releases! Or, if Prince submitted this himself to WB, did he intentionally source it from BFTP 2 as a lil' fuck U. That would make my soul smile a little.

BFTP 2 came out in 2014. Prince's new deal with WB (which this greatest hits package is a part of) was announced in April of 2014. Coincidence? I think not. It's the same song because it is the same! It's not that hard for things to leak. Don't be surprised if the unreleased songs on PR Deluxe are from the "sequel" to Purple Rain....

[Edited 11/23/16 7:32am]

I don't remember that one, what was on the "sequel" to Purple Rain?

djThunderfunk said:

KlyphIsBackAgain said:

BFTP 2 came out in 2014. Prince's new deal with WB (which this greatest hits package is a part of) was announced in April of 2014. Coincidence? I think not. It's the same song because it is the same! It's not that hard for things to leak. Don't be surprised if the unreleased songs on PR Deluxe are from the "sequel" to Purple Rain....

[Edited 11/23/16 7:32am]

I don't remember that one, what was on the "sequel" to Purple Rain?

Roadhouse Garden was the album Prince was supposedly working on after Purple Rain, but decided to go in another musical direction instead.

KlyphIsBackAgain said:

djThunderfunk said:

I don't remember that one, what was on the "sequel" to Purple Rain?

Roadhouse Garden was the album Prince was supposedly working on after Purple Rain, but decided to go in another musical direction instead.

Ah, ok. Didn't realize Roadhouse Garden was referred to as a sequel.

KingSausage said:

It sounds the same as BFTP v2 to me too. But I need to listen more carefully.

Yeah it does actually, I had completely forgotten that we had previously got a version of this track that sounded this good, which I guess makes 4ever completely redundant for hardcore fans instead of almost completely redundant still, I'm glad that the track got an official release at all so that's something positive at least.

KlyphIsBackAgain said:

PurpleMedley122 said:

Just played the two side by side on Audacity in lossless quality with $130 headphones. it is LITERALY the same version as BFTP v2, no bullshit. Right down to the compression artifacts and amateur noise reduction in the drum intro, opening verse, and fade out. Even the waveforms are the 99.9% the same (the BFTP v2 is slighly more compressed). Either that's how the master tape sounds (unlikely) or the Estate half-assed the relese of one of Prince's most famous outtakes by making us pay for a bootleg (likely).

[Edited 11/22/16 19:10pm]

[Edited 11/23/16 4:35am]

More than likely it's how the master tape sounds (hell, the master might sound worse). From all indications Prince didn't take care of his recorded material very well and tape deteriorates. I have a feeling a lot of the material that we have already heard on boots in good/great quality will be the same if it ever gets officially released. I personally don't mind though. I like my Prince music to sound "analog".

On a side note, I played the Roadhouse Garden leak right after Moonbeam Levels..... I got a feeling.....

[Edited 11/23/16 5:15am]

Many of Prince's albums aren't exactly hi-fi (Dirty Mind, for example) but what I hear on this track are not the kind of artifacts you have from tape deterioration. Put plainly, they booted a boot.

jjam said:

KlyphIsBackAgain said:

More than likely it's how the master tape sounds (hell, the master might sound worse). From all indications Prince didn't take care of his recorded material very well and tape deteriorates. I have a feeling a lot of the material that we have already heard on boots in good/great quality will be the same if it ever gets officially released. I personally don't mind though. I like my Prince music to sound "analog".

On a side note, I played the Roadhouse Garden leak right after Moonbeam Levels..... I got a feeling.....

[Edited 11/23/16 5:15am]

Many of Prince's albums aren't exactly hi-fi (Dirty Mind, for example) but what I hear on this track are not the kind of artifacts you have from tape deterioration. Put plainly, they booted a boot.

u mean this wasnt taken from the vault to release???

jjam said:

KingSausage said:

Spanky said:

KingSausage said:

It sounds the same as BFTP v2 to me too. But I need to listen more carefully.

What is BFTP2?

Blast From The Past 2. It's a bootleg collection of outtakes that came out in 2014.

SchlomoThaHomo said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

KingSausage said:

It sounds the same as BFTP v2 to me too. But I need to listen more carefully.

And nooooobody believed me.

My apologies - I forgot what a good quality version of Moonbeam Levels was on BTFP 2.0...

I just converted the AIFF file I had of the 4ever version to a 192kbps MP3 - if this was sourced from a MP3, I would expect to hear artifacts indicating the file's origins...and I haven't.

So, to summarise, it doesn't appear to be a MP3 source, but it certainly is from the same source as the BTFP 2.0 version, which certainly isn't a first generation copy (though it's close).

The version on BFTP 2.0 is from a leaked .mp3. Of course there is more compression on the BFTP 2.0 version.

Have any of you thought that maybe the leaked version that came out prior to 4Ever was leaked by someone at WB? This compilation was approved by Prince before his death.

4Ever sounds better than BFTP 2.0 to my ears.

[Edited 11/23/16 11:21am]

jjam said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

And nooooobody believed me.

My apologies - I forgot what a good quality version of Moonbeam Levels was on BTFP 2.0...

I just converted the AIFF file I had of the 4ever version to a 192kbps MP3 - if this was sourced from a MP3, I would expect to hear artifacts indicating the file's origins...and I haven't.

So, to summarise, it doesn't appear to be a MP3 source, but it certainly is from the same source as the BTFP 2.0 version, which certainly isn't a first generation copy (though it's close).

Exactly. It is the same source as BFTP 2 but it's not the same exact file as BFTP 2. The audiophile in me is curious as to WHY it's obviously not first generation, but I don't believe it's some conspiracy by the "estate" (this isn't an "estate" release anyway. This was put together before Prince even died.) The master tapes could have been bad, the master tapes may be gone completely and only copies exist.... there could be multiple reasons why it sounds like it does, which honestly is still very good sound.

bfunk said:

The version on BFTP 2.0 is from a leaked .mp3. Of course there is more compression on the BFTP 2.0 version.

Have any of you thought that maybe the leaked version that came out prior to 4Ever was leaked by someone at WB? This compilation was approved by Prince before his death.

4Ever sounds better than BFTP 2.0 to my ears.

[Edited 11/23/16 11:21am]

That was exactly my point.

This was recorded during the 1999 sessions. Have you guys listened to that album? Many tracks on that album have similar sound to Moonbeam Levels. A bit of distortion with the vocals and Synth effects. Delirious, Automatic, LRC, for example.

bfunk said:

This was recorded during the 1999 sessions. Have you guys listened to that album? Many tracks on that album have similar sound to Moonbeam Levels. A bit of distortion with the vocals and Synth effects. Delirious, Automatic, LRC, for example.

That too. Little Red Corvette is one of Prince's most horrible sounding recordings. It's hot, distorted.....

gilliaj said:

Do you suppose that there is still a version of Moonbeam Levels completely retooled for the unreleased Rave album? Or was he just gonna slap this 1982 version at the end of it?

I like this question!! GOOD question...... hell if I know! lol

djThunderfunk said:

Marrk said:

No it isnt!

Apologies if already answered, but, how is it better?

Excuse me whilst i tuck in to some humble pie. Seems you're right.

Marrk said:

djThunderfunk said:

Apologies if already answered, but, how is it better?

Excuse me whilst i tuck in to some humble pie. Seems you're right.

It's all good, Marrk!!

OnlyNDaUsa said:

the cover looks like something from SNL...

appently it was use for SNL

KingSausage said: