purplerabbithole said:

GiggityGoo said:

Ah, the Symbol album. When this came out, I was having a great time in life. So many awesome memories. And I listened to this CD for weeks. But after giving it a zillion spins, it slowly dawned on me...

.

This was the first time I felt like Prince was trying too hard.

.

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of great stuff on this album. "Morning Papers", "7", "Get Off"... but there's also a lot of filler too. The segues, the edited reporter stuff that doesn't hang together, fluff like "Blue Line", "The Max", "Arrogance", "The Flow"... Revisiting this over the years, it just doesn't entertain like it did when it was new.

.

But the one song I can't believe I ever liked: "My Name Is Prince". Maybe moreso than "Dead On It" from "The Black Album", and the pointless raps on "Diamonds & Pearls", this song was a clear sign that Prince was feeling his time on the top of the pop hill beginning to wane. It's a bizarre, cacophanous, unnecessary, chest-thumping reminder to the world that Prince is cool. He didn't need to do it. He was always cool.

.

Anyway, I don't want to come across like I'm slagging this album. It's definitely enjoyable. But as I've matured as Prince fan, I can look back at his catalogue with a discerning eye and be honest with myself about what works and what doesnt.

I agree with you about MNIP. MNIP isn't a song to which I listen very often. It's just okay to me; I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. MNIP absolutely has a place on the album because this album is all about Prince exploring and asserting his identity and place in the world, and he's clearly asserting his identity ("My name is Prince") and place in the world ("I am funky" and "the one and only"). MNIP is absolutely a period peice that fits in with the vibe of early 1990s rap and house music. The song is fun and upbeat, and purposeful---he's trying to make that point that he is still relevant in this brave new world of early 1990s popular music.

.

There are plenty of songs from the early 1990s that are corny but fun ---"Rump Shaker" by Wreckx-N-Effect, "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred, and "Rhythm is a Dancer" by Snap! being some other examples. But there's absolutely a place for fun. Sometimes, people just want to dance their cares away or sing in the shower, and MNIP is a great song for those purposes.

Great album somewhat marred by annoying interludes from a scientoligist that get tiring after the first listen. Still have my CD. Sounds fantastic.

TheFman said:

the first P album i actually really disliked. It's a mess from start till end, filled with fillers hiding as works of art.
I actually like only Sexy MF, and could listen to MNIP and 'Melt' - that one even only in Kirk's remix version.
All the rest is depressing to me.

I'm with you on most of this. I'd been buying everything Prince had put out for almost 10 years by the time rolled around, and I was extremely underwhelmed by this album from the off. 25 years on and I've never really warmed to it. I quite like '7' and 'Sweet Baby' and I do love 'Blue Light' , but for my taste most of the rest of the album sounded like someone trying way too hard in places to be hip and relevent to the new kids coming through, and it leaves the album sounding particularly dated to these ears.

The only thing I'm not with you on is Sexy MF, which, along with My Name is Prince, remain two of my all time LEAST favourite Prince singles. It's cool that other fans remember this era fondly and love the album, but yeah, this wasn't for me. The first Prince album that didn't get listened to enough for me to learn every word to every song.

For me, the album always comes as a breath of fresh air after Diamonds and Pearls, where I felt Prince strayed too far into being a follower of trends instead of a leader. While obviously not as good, Love Symbol is more obviously the mind of the guy who did Purple Rain: it's focused and ambitious and taut and the writing and music coalesce very well.

It's also one of the few albums I can think by P that aren't top heavy in terms of quality; from "7" to "The Sacrifice of Victor," you get the album's best moments in its last four or five songs ("Love Me 2 the 9's" and "Sexy MF" both would work better without the raps and spoken interludes, although the purely P portions are awesome).

"Sweet Baby" and especially "And God Created Woman" are really underrated, the latter has such a great landscape to it.

feeluupp said:

Probably his best album of the 90's... Where there are some fillers towards the end... And God Created Woman has to be one of the best Prince songs ever.

AGCW is masterful; it's one of my favourite tracks on the album.

But Blue Light has Prince at his cheekiest- 'I'll be standing naked with nothing but a....smile....on'!

thedance said:

luv4u said:

Love the entire album

I this entire album as well... especially the hit single releases


- however, minus 1 song, Blue Light = P doing reggae wtf.!?

I scored on the limited edition version that is all gold foil with the purple symbol on it at a closeout sale at some recored store! I think I paid something like $4.98 for it!!!

ISaidLifeIsJustAGame said:

This album contains a few of my all time favorite songs.

My CD only has an embossed I just looked on PrinceVault and apparently it is an initial copy of the CD.

I love that line from "Blue Light," so funny!

kingricefan said:

But Blue Light has Prince at his cheekiest- 'I'll be standing naked with nothing but a....smile....on'!

thedance said:

I this entire album as well... especially the hit single releases


- however, minus 1 song, Blue Light = P doing reggae wtf.!?

Hi Controversy99: lots of feelings in this reply...

Please, cool from you, to give a grating to the songs, but track 1 = I disagree with you on, this,


I was so trippin' in october 1992, when the second single My Name Is Prince was released on single and video, played on MTV/VH1..

I was so enjoying the lyrics to MNIP (and the song & music as well), the Michael Jackson mocking comment in MNIP wow, was really something I was amazed about.

And the B-side "2 Whom It May Concern", with the bragging-line, "there's no kings.. only princes".... so great, and spot on, (in case you agree with me/ and others, that Prince was second to none).

To me, it was like Prince-religion, like being part of something new, something "great". I remember the Act 2 tour later, we (fans), we talked a lot about MNIP + 2 Whom It May Concern.

I enjoy it still, MNIP, its so edgy (song and video), - and I mean that in a good way, and no its not my joke. The black outfit, those gloves w. golden-symbols on, the chainhat, P smashing a guitar, dancing in water, also those fire-torches, Mayte and the intro with Vanessa Bartholomew.... it's a very enjoyable musicvideo, imo.

Ok just imo, I understand why "some fans" got a problem with this song, because it is a lot of "product". I guess you either love or hate it..

Still to me it was a huge trip. Love this song My Name Is Prince, excellent, and I still enjoy the entire album*.


The 1992-videos were brilliant, lots of attitude in those... and especially in MNIP & Sexy MF.

7, this was a great and strong "pop" follow-up, with a beautiful musicvideo as well imo.

*) only 1 song on the album, "Blue Light", is not that good = reggae, ok... imo.

One of my favorite albums by Prince. I still listen at least once a week.

The Ryde Dyvine and Act 2 were some of my favorite Prince videos/Performances.

The live performance of I Wanna Melt With U and The Sacrifice of Victor was sublime.

^ you are right C'99,


a huge diversity, Prince was really different because he could do it all, all styles and genres.

Something different, most of the times.

muleFunk said:

One of my favorite albums by Prince. I still listen at least once a week.

The Ryde Dyvine and Act 2 were some of my favorite Prince videos/Performances.

The live performance of I Wanna Melt With U and The Sacrifice of Victor was sublime.

Agree on all points.

.

Shame a soundboard of Act 1 has never surfaced as I thought it was great the way he played virtually the whole (Symbol) album first half then some hits and B-sides the second half.

.

My favourite version of The Sacrifice Of Victor was at the DNA aftershow.

GiggityGoo said:

Ah, the Symbol album. When this came out, I was having a great time in life. So many awesome memories. And I listened to this CD for weeks. But after giving it a zillion spins, it slowly dawned on me...

.

This was the first time I felt like Prince was trying too hard.

.

Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of great stuff on this album. "Morning Papers", "7", "Get Off"... but there's also a lot of filler too. The segues, the edited reporter stuff that doesn't hang together, fluff like "Blue Line", "The Max", "Arrogance", "The Flow"... Revisiting this over the years, it just doesn't entertain like it did when it was new.

.

But the one song I can't believe I ever liked: "My Name Is Prince". Maybe moreso than "Dead On It" from "The Black Album", and the pointless raps on "Diamonds & Pearls", this song was a clear sign that Prince was feeling his time on the top of the pop hill beginning to wane. It's a bizarre, cacophanous, unnecessary, chest-thumping reminder to the world that Prince is cool. He didn't need to do it. He was always cool.

.

Anyway, I don't want to come across like I'm slagging this album. It's definitely enjoyable. But as I've matured as Prince fan, I can look back at his catalogue with a discerning eye and be honest with myself about what works and what doesnt.

Didn't you get the "trying too hard" feeling with D&P? Everything's personal, of course, but I much prefer this album to the other.

Love the description of MNIP - tongue firmly in cheek in this song and video, I feel.

Great time in my life. I was starting my first job out of college,got my own apartment fell and in love with a different girl every month.

Musically however this album was a disappointment. Not as modest and straightforward as D&P with only 3 stand out tracks (Sexy MF, Love 2 the 9s and Sacrifice of Victor) but even Love 2 the 9s was somewhat broken with the middle section. In retrospect, I'm kinda used to it now but at the time it was a jarring sequence bracketed by possibly Prince's best ever vocal performance (or at least 2nd to Adore).

The "rock-opera" gimmick was whacked and corny, gun-mic embarrasing, the story incomprehensible, also given Mayte's age when they met, a bit creepy.

Still it was a real and complete album that followed the normal album creation and release protocols. The last one in fact. After this one we go down the "Slave" rabbit hole that, in many ways, he never recovers from. In many ways, this album marks the end of Prince as mainstream artist.

Yeah, I absolutely fucking adore "Love 2 The 9's"

http://prince.org/msg/7/412608

feeluupp said:

Probably his best album of the 90's... Where there are some fillers towards the end... And God Created Woman has to be one of the best Prince songs ever.

for sure....after "For You", this is my favorite Prince album...some of my very favorite songs of all time, are on this joint...

Love 2 The 9's

Arrogance

And God Created Woman

The Flow

Sweet Baby

The Continental

Damn U

My Name Is Prince

one of his best - the opening four songs are just incredible and the rest is nearly as good.

Latin said:

Check out this article published by Diffuser entitled "Prince Battles a Bedroom Prude Under a ‘Blue Light'": http://diffuser.fm/prince-blue-light/

Thank u 4 posting. I understand the song better after reading this article.

RJOrion said:

feeluupp said:

Probably his best album of the 90's... Where there are some fillers towards the end... And God Created Woman has to be one of the best Prince songs ever.

for sure....after "For You", this is my favorite Prince album...some of my very favorite songs of all time, are on this joint...

Love 2 The 9's

Arrogance

And God Created Woman

The Flow

Sweet Baby

The Continental

Damn U

My Name Is Prince

Dude - For You does NOT get the love it deserves.

Latin said: