I really like betcha by golly wow and crimson and clover both of which I think at least stand up to the originals.

I think his track record is all over the place.

Another Love is my favorite song on AOA, and Crimson and Clover works.

Eye Can't Make U Love me is a pass, Everyday is a Winding Road is a hard pass.

I get swept away by the guitar and atmosphere of Creep - too bad about the skipped word in the chorus - and I think his One of Us was good for it's time, but the song lyrics seem embarassing today.

Another Love is on PleactrumElectrum. Wonderful version by Prince.

[Edited 2/26/18 10:58am]

For the most part, I like them. The only one I really, truly hate is Eye Can't Make U Love Me - but that's not Prince's fault. I just hate that song, in general.

[Edited 2/26/18 11:50am]

Genesia said:

For the most part, I like them. The only one I really, truly hate is Eye Can't Make U Love Me - but that's not Prince's fault. I just hate that song, in general.

[Edited 2/26/18 11:50am]

I thought that was a prince song who's the original by?

lonelyalien said:

I really like betcha by golly wow and crimson and clover both of which I think at least stand up to the originals.

To this day I am still annoyed that there is original material in the vault and covers on CDs...it's like my one hopelessly irrational opinion on Prince's music. I love his version of Betcha By Golly Wow and Another Love but I would have much preferred to have had Prince songs instead...especially when All My Dreams, There's Others Here With Us, etc. still sit on the shelf.

lonelyalien said:

Genesia said:

For the most part, I like them. The only one I really, truly hate is Eye Can't Make U Love Me - but that's not Prince's fault. I just hate that song, in general.

[Edited 2/26/18 11:50am]

I thought that was a prince song who's the original by?

Bonnie Raitt.

MattyJam said:

La La Means Eye Love U never gets any mentions on the org, but I think he nails it.

Love that one - and also Betcha By Golly Wow. Probably because I'm old enough to remember the originals.

Genesia said:

MattyJam said:

La La Means Eye Love U never gets any mentions on the org, but I think he nails it.

Love that one - and also Betcha By Golly Wow. Probably because I'm old enough to remember the originals.

.

Yes! Its a great complement to Betcha By Golly Wow, I actually prefer La La. I also love his cover of "A Case Of U" and of course Purple House.

MattyJam said:

Who? What? Huh?

Genesia said:

lonelyalien said:

I thought that was a prince song who's the original by?

Bonnie Raitt.

Thanks for the info willl have to check the original.

Genesia said:

lonelyalien said:

I thought that was a prince song who's the original by?

Bonnie Raitt.

Its funny it wasnt that long a go I heard a female busker singing it and thought I know that then thinking thats unusual for someone to be singing a fairly unknown prince song I didnt realise it had a life before the prince version.

dance4me3121 said:

"Nothing compares 2 u" is my favorite cover he did

Firstly, the OP said ""on record.
Secondly, you're joking, right?

bonatoc said:

dance4me3121 said:

"Nothing compares 2 u" is my favorite cover he did

Firstly, the OP said ""on record.
Secondly, you're joking, right?

bonatoc said:

dance4me3121 said:

bonatoc said:

Firstly, the OP said ""on record.
Secondly, you're joking, right?

It's on the hits/b sides set.If "one of us" counts then so should NC2U and of course I am

Ow shoot. You got me there.
I have this tendency to obliterate "The Hits" entirely.
Somehow, Prince and the concept of "Best Of" album do not match in my head.

Then again, Prince covering himself is a bit of a stretch...
But OK, let's say that technically, it wasn't his song when released.

ANOTHERLOVE kicks ass, and differs from the original enough to qualify as a good cover in my book.
One day, "La La La Means..." came softly on the radio, and it took me a while to realize it was not Prince.
While impeccable, the two Emancipation Philly covers don't add much to the table for me,
they're too close to the original versions, both in sound and spirit.
That's SKipper's curse, we have little tolerance when he goes for the standard way.

There are days when I can dive happily, almost with fervour, into the grandeur of "One of Us".
Other days (all 364 of them), it just sounds ridiculously over the top.
The original has a kind of humbleness in the production that suits the lyrics and the subject of christianity better.

While the intensity of Prince's affirmation in his beliefs is indisputable, trading the chorus melodic line
for these two-note yells, these slammed snare/synth stabs... well it's just too pompous to these ears.
Oh, and there's also this fucking high locust chirp that never stops. What sonic torture!
And the big boom at the end: "Prince hath spoken!"
No, really, it's like the sum of the worst of what SKipper could sometimes produce.

Now jump to the spareness and the miraculous subtleties of "4 The Tears In Your Eyes" (spare yourself the hideous imagery).
Now we're talking. "The Cross" only needs one, one single snare roll drenched in reverb. That's all.
All the rest stays dry as the desert, and therefore humble, even when it turns to apocalypse.
"The Cross" sounds like it was recorded in a stable. Again, form meets substance.

In general, only classical composers should be allowed to speak of Godly things at 11.
This kind of stuff. Or This (wait for it). Examples abound.

The only exception being, of course, this : right from the intro,
"One of Us" quickly hides under a rock, all ashamed.

Grandiloquence... I don't know why it works so well on, say, "God (instrumental)", but so bad on Emancipation.
Even "The Love We Make", while a song with undeniable good intents, has synth pads all over the place,
and sounds like Prince just went randomly through all the factory presets of his new synth,
playing a line on one before switching on to the next.
This enormous reverbs, these totally-standard strings pad,
it reeks of musical bourgeoisie, like Pink Floyd getting old, it's music for '40 & over',
the kinda shit you listen to in your luxury sedan before switching to Bloomberg's stock market newsflash.

My inner teenage self pisses on this presomptuous stuff.
"The Needle And The Damage Done" this ain't.
Neil says it all, in just two minutes and some.
The gravity of the subject requires it.


Given the small selection of songs we're dealing with here, I think "cover of others — live!"
is a more interesting subject. In which case, I'll play my Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" card,
reworked as a fierce Black Power anthem.
Now this is true apocalyptic gospel funk. "One of Us" this(he) ain't, in the best possible sense.
I'll be here, patiently waiting for the soundboard version.

I usually like them better than the original

^ One reason for that is that many of his covers are of acts I don't listen to or care for, so that helps. Of course he he had been covering songs I loved in the first place by artists I appreciate, my judgement would be different, but given the circumstances I usually end-up liking P's treatment more than the original artist's.

lonelyalien said:

Genesia said:

For the most part, I like them. The only one I really, truly hate is Eye Can't Make U Love Me - but that's not Prince's fault. I just hate that song, in general.

[Edited 2/26/18 11:50am]

I thought that was a prince song who's the original by?

You want to read album credits in the future