Neversin said:

"Father's Song" is nice but not the finished studio version but the rehearsal guide tape with flourishes to work on...

Goddammit I would've been happier if I didn't know this. But it makes sense...there's a bum note on one of the chord changes Prince never would've let on a released version. How different is the finished version? Same synths, different piano? Or additional melodies altogether? Would kill to hear it...

[Edited 6/23/17 13:22pm]

OMG...I am loving this.

Dance Electric...I am diggin this Prince-only version...glad its not the one we all know.

Love & Sex is HOT. Understand why he left it off as its not up to par with anything on the album or its b-sides, but holy hell...the passion is incredible.

Computer Blue...I've been waiting for YEARS for a crystal clear version.

Electric Intercourse...like DE so glad we got a different version. Still like the live version but this is cool.

Our Destiny/RHG...not crazy about this one...I totally dig the live one, and this one doesn't have the oomph...but glad its on here.

Possessed...again, SO glad its not the one I know. I really LOVE the other version, but this one is pretty friggn awesome too.

We Can Fuck....WOW. Don't think it matches my love for the 86 version...but its HOT. Down and dirty Prince...love it.

Fathers Song...haunting.

Velvet Kitty Cat is the definite proof he liked us ladies fat and proud :heart:

FullLipsDotNose said:

Velvet Kitty Cat is the definite proof he liked us ladies fat and proud :heart:

He has had references to big girls before. Just a few that spring to mind.

Gett Off. I like 'em fat, I like 'em proud.

Possessed from the '84 birthday show. He sings about 300lb, big 'ol soul sisters

The whole of Work That Fat

My Lord...."We Can Funk"....SICK SICK SICK......Why did he keep this HEAT????????

darkroman said:

It's interesting you like Computer Blue but not Father's Song - but that's cool.

At the moment I hate Love And Sex, but give it time.

I thought that too but they are completely different really. Computer Blue obviously incorporates Father Song, there's nothing wrong with the actual notes which are being played, but Computer Blue does it in a much more up beat and enjoyable way, at least for me.

As Dr. Funkenberry stated in his podcast, Velvet Kitty Cat doesn't belong in the PR DELUXE... It's a track from the aborted Vanity 6 album...

[Edited 6/23/17 14:58pm]

Neversin said:

So sad... WBR and Prince had numerous archivers contact them over the years to start or help out with a "Purple Rain" Expanded set and provide them with material to let them know what was out there... Hearing this disc now is just sad and seems like a half-assed rush job for a payday...
"The Dance Electric" is the version before the guitar dub and the final edit, so why this one was included is just mind boggeling especially since this has been "out there" for years in better quality than this release...

"Love And Sex" is awesome and new to me...

"Computer Blue" is out there in better quality and without glitches...

"Electric Intercourse" is awesome and a huge upgrade to the 2.5 minute warped tape sample that was out there...

"Our Destiny/ Roadhouse Garden" now this is a real bad cut and paste job... The "Our Destiny" ending is longer and segues perfectly into "Roadhouse Garden", where this came from is just a big WTF moment for everyone I talked to the last days...
"Possessed" is awesome and new to me, only heard the instrumental of this...
"Wonderful Ass" and "Velvet Kitty Cat" is the same as the original tape that has been going around for eons... I just need a better version of the re-recorded "Velvet Kitty Cat" from "Parade" era, that would be perfect...
"Katrina's Paper Dolls" is Prince's first re-recorded version in great quality, the second version is the most awesome though...
"We Can Fuck", Holy fuck this is AWESOME! Only heard 6 minutes of this one in true steaming pile of shit quality for about 20+ years, this is truly amazing!
"Father's Song" is nice but not the finished studio version but the rehearsal guide tape with flourishes to work on...

So all in all, as I've said before, WBR/NPG never listened to fans, collectors or archivers who were more than willing to help out FOR FREE and without the need of any credit whatsoever...

Neversin.

Definitive review right here.

Although now I feel like it's Neversin dangling a carrot in front of us, any chance of a track listing of the sources you're referring to? Seriously i'd just like to see some kind of definitive list of what's out there and in what quality and what may eventually get released at some point before I DIE.

I love WA, WCF it's quite interesting but the 86 version is the best. Love Father's Songs sounds alike the theme from Stranger Things. Electric Intercourse, love it now 'cause i didn't like ti some time ago when i listened the first time. Not sure about the others, not yet.

Well, who knew that "We Can Fuck" was related to "Crystal Ball" and also went into a big 1999 style sex-o-logue to a girl.

Well, I listened to Our Destiny/Roadhouse Garden just now with headphones - that's a lovely click that can be heard at the segue point.

Such an inept edit.

I think what really pisses me off about this and other crap on the release is that this is a landmark album from one of the biggest artists in music history.

And it's not been given due care and attention with shite like this.

If anyone has seen the PR movie workprint, Al Magnoli uses a portion of Father's Song (starting at 1:26) to accompany a couple of extra shots of the Kid sleeping after he destroys the basement. These extra shots are not in the finished version of the film.

The track as a whole is pretty haunting.

Anybody else got the unresistable urge to play Darling Nikki after listening to Computer Blue ("Hallway Speech")? Or is it just me?

very interesting. As a hardcore fan, this is what I went straight for.

It helps paint the era and see it for a slightly different vantage point. Can't say I like everything but it's great to get to hear it.

jjam said:

Well, I listened to Our Destiny/Roadhouse Garden just now with headphones - that's a lovely click that can be heard at the segue point.

Such an inept edit.

I think what really pisses me off about this and other crap on the release is that this is a landmark album from one of the biggest artists in music history.

And it's not been given due care and attention with shite like this.

Overall, I'm really pleasantly surprised by what ended up on this disc. Yes, someday I'd love to see vault material released in a comprehensive, well-documented way, a la the Miles Davis Columbia box sets, but my guess is that is a ways off--I would have been shocked if WB did anything along those lines this soon after Prince's death.

For me:

Dance Electric - love having a high quality version of the Prince version of this one. I love this tune. Sure, it goes on forever, but I think of it sort of like an extended 12" dance mix of a really strong tune.

Love and Sex and Katrina's Paper Dolls - so far, to me these are kind of mediocre songs for Prince's work from the time, but even a mediocre Prince song from this era is a pretty great song, and I will always be thrilled to hear material I've never heard before.

Computer Blue - agree that this version has long been one of my absolute favorite vault tracks, so I am incredibly psyched to have a higher quality version. I've been playing this way, way too loud on my stereo all day and letting it transport me. (I'm not hearing any glitches BTW--listening to the Amazon AutoRip.)

Electric Intercourse - Really like the studio version. I suspect I could get to like this as much as the live version. Not quite yet though.

Our Destiny/Roadhouse Garden - When I first heard the studio versions of these songs, I thought, meh. I was used to and loved the live versions. But man did they grow on me. So I'm loving having clean versions of them. That said, yeah, I literally laughed out loud when I heard that weird splice connecting the two songs. It's like they didn't even try.

Possessed - I was really pleasantly surprised at this version being included. I still like the older '83 version better ("Bobby Z, step on it!"), but this is a really interesting variation on it to me. Much darker and more sinister-sounding to my ears. Awesome to hear it with vocals.

Wonderful Ass - Another of my vault favorites, but this seems to be more or less the same quality as what was already circulating.

Velvet Kitty Kat - Sounds better than the version I had, but only an okay outtake to me.

We Can Fuck - This was such a great surprise! I guess the 83 version is the only one that would make sense for this set, but I was still worried they would just sneak the 86 version we all already know on there. Nope! I do still like the 86 version best, actually, but this version is awesome in its own way. And yeah, it's striking how much more like the released version the whole middle part of this song is than the 86 version. Cool to see how it changed and partially reverted over time.

Father's Song - This song never interested me all that much--I just kind of thought of it as a throwaway, pretty straightforward piano interpretation of Computer Blue--but this version is quite lovely. I actually love when the super 80s synths kick in.

So yeah, I'm really happy with this release, though, to be fair, that is probably at least in part because my expectations were not very high.

[Edited 6/23/17 17:33pm]

jjam said:

Reading many of these comments I sure am glad I haven't been chasing bootlegs for years. Other than the Dream Factory/Crystal Ball stuff out there all other bootleg material is new to me and that doesn't cloud my impression of these tracks. I don't have any any complaints other than wishing more had been included. 2 Discs worth. Fascinating and even though the tracks are new to me it makes me feel all nostalgic and shit.

[Edited 6/23/17 18:04pm]

The '86 version of We Can Funk is probably my favourite outtake ever but...We Can Fuck is just superb. Pretty incredible considering how underwhelming I've always found the Grafitti Bridge version.

It's garbage to me. Katrina's Paper Dolls and Love And Sex are jokes and it seems like they picked the most UNFUNKY versions of Possessed and We Can Fuck/Funk to release.

TheThem said:

It's garbage to me. Katrina's Paper Dolls and Love And Sex are jokes and it seems like they picked the most UNFUNKY versions of Possessed and We Can Fuck/Funk to release.

I thought Possessed was the pre-Aphex techno version of itself, Disco Biscuit version

[Edited 6/23/17 19:12pm]

I would be some good scratch that Possessed is a remix version and not the original. It has almost every quality of a remix. Still it is a damn awesome version nonetheless.

Our Destiny is so tingly - it's like that time that existed before everything

emesem said:

Have to spend more time with this but I have to say I'm a bit disappointed. Electric Int and Possessed are much much better live. They should have included those versions here. The 88? Version of We can Funk with the Camile voice is way better than this one. All that said. It's great to finally see some stuff out.

But the live versions would be better as part of live releases (in my view). I want the studio tracks. Now, they decided not to do an audio disc of the DVD (that would have been your Possessed live version right there)--but maybe the August 3 1983 show might still see release, and isn't that where the live Electric Intercourse really belongs, instead of being pulled out of context?

oh bloody fuck off Spotify, me not leaving the house to spend £19.99 on a physical artifact

TheThem said:

It's garbage to me. Katrina's Paper Dolls and Love And Sex are jokes and it seems like they picked the most UNFUNKY versions of Possessed and We Can Fuck/Funk to release.

Oh god, imagine if it was John Shuttleworth with his yamaha workstation

would be poetic https://www.youtube.com/w...W6wI0Z1tH0