I realize that each of Prince's albums are unique. It is something I love about him. However, there are some albums in his discography that seem like complete departures from his usual sound, such as The Truth, One Night Alone, N.E.W.S., and HnR1 among others I am curious to hear about your favorite departure album and why. No need to limit yourself to the ones I mentioned above. It would be interesting if you do pick one not listed here to say why you think it represents a departure from his signature sound more than just his usual variation.

My favorite is One Night Alone. To me, it is Prince's CD that best fits the genre of "mood music". I play it when I am in a quiet and contemplative mood. The album is so lush and gorgeous. I also think it contain 4 songs that are in the upper quadrant of all his songs: One Night Alone, Avalanche, U're Gonna C Me, and his interpretation of Case of You.

The Vault Old Friends 4 Sale.

Love Jazzy Prince.

TKO said:

Yes, the Vault is a wonderful peice of departure music that has some coherance despite it's title.

AOA

OldFriends4Sale said:

AOA

Yes, I didn't really think of it when I did the post but it wasa a departure of him, especially how contemplative and vulnerable he seemed in it.

I observe as his album with most divergence in style to be Graffiti Bridge.

>

Although some of those songs had been recorded in the past and it is a movie soundtrack as well, he seems to place the persona of The Time more prominently in the mix of his own album. He did this differently during the Purple Rain era--The Time had their Ice Cream Castles. He uses the New Jack Swing style on here, and Prince copping a trendy beat was pretty new at that time. He puts a rapper prominently in the mix for the first time with T.C. Ellis. There were more featured vocalists here, in Morris Day, Tevin Campbell, Elisa Fiorillo, George Clinton, and Mavis Staples. There is a reprise in exposing his sprituality on "Still Would Stand All Time" and the title track.

>

It is a great album, tho', and it took me a little bit of time to really appreciate it. It was Departure City for me!

OldFriends4Sale said:

NEWS is certainly where he pushed his boundaries the most. I had never, ever expected him to do something like that back then, and I was overwhelmed: I truly hoped Prince would embrace more projects like that, do more things he'd never done before. After 16, Kamastutra, The War and suddently Xpectation, C-Note and N.E.W.S. in a row, it wasn't unthinkable that he'd keep doing those kind of records. Unfortunately the next thing I know there's an album titled Musicology and Prince embraced a "neo classical Prince" phase that lasted pretty much until the end of his career.

Nevermind

[Edited 1/16/17 11:52am]

[Edited 1/16/17 11:56am]

Lovesexy.

Felt like an entirely different experience....and still does. From the religious tone to the no track breaks. That album is an outlier and brilliant. Its uniqueness is only trumped by its greatness.

Every one of his albums was a departure from the one before it.

Germanegro said:

NorthC said:

gandorb said:

I realize that each of Prince's albums are unique. It is something I love about him. However, there are some albums in his discography that seem like complete departures from his usual sound, such as The Truth, One Night Alone, N.E.W.S., and HnR1 among others I am curious to hear about your favorite departure album and why. No need to limit yourself to the ones I mentioned above. It would be interesting if you do pick one not listed here to say why you think it represents a departure from his signature sound more than just his usual variation.

My favorite is One Night Alone. To me, it is Prince's CD that best fits the genre of "mood music". I play it when I am in a quiet and contemplative mood. The album is so lush and gorgeous. I also think it contain 4 songs that are in the upper quadrant of all his songs: One Night Alone, Avalanche, U're Gonna C Me, and his interpretation of Case of You.

I love One Night Alone for the very reasons you stated I can get lost in it

NorthC said:

Germanegro said:

Nevermind

[Edited 1/16/17 11:52am]

[Edited 1/16/17 11:56am]

I never heard that one. Another one of his lost projects?

Alexander Nevermind

N.E.W.S.

Reciprocity said:

gandorb said:

I realize that each of Prince's albums are unique. It is something I love about him. However, there are some albums in his discography that seem like complete departures from his usual sound, such as The Truth, One Night Alone, N.E.W.S., and HnR1 among others I am curious to hear about your favorite departure album and why. No need to limit yourself to the ones I mentioned above. It would be interesting if you do pick one not listed here to say why you think it represents a departure from his signature sound more than just his usual variation.

My favorite is One Night Alone. To me, it is Prince's CD that best fits the genre of "mood music". I play it when I am in a quiet and contemplative mood. The album is so lush and gorgeous. I also think it contain 4 songs that are in the upper quadrant of all his songs: One Night Alone, Avalanche, U're Gonna C Me, and his interpretation of Case of You.

I love One Night Alone for the very reasons you stated I can get lost in it

Welcome to the Org. Like your taste in music!

Guitarhero said:

NorthC said:

Germanegro said: I never heard that one. Another one of his lost projects?

Alexander Nevermind

LOL! Nah, nothing like that! I just realized soon after posting that I had contributed one long-winded and likely borderline-unfit set of comments--full of Prince-enthusiasm but not quite on the mark of the thread, so I censored myself.

>

Prince had quite a few jump-off points in his creative recording career!