databank said:

violetcrush said:

So, Crystal Ball - you are saying was sequenced based on sound and/or song style, but not to create a "storyline" per se, as the timeline for the recordings is all over the place.

When you start studying Prince's recording process you realize that many an album features tracks from many many years earlier, even if the bulk of the recording was relatively recent.

.

I don't think any Prince albums really create a "storyline" except maybe Lovesexy, and TRC, and yet we are far from a proper narrative even with those. At best, Prince albums are thematically cohesive, which is satisfying, but this has more to do with lyrics and the overall "vibe" than with when the songs were recorded.

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My point regarding CB is that it's been conceived as a party album or mixtape of sort: the songs are sequenced in order to flow into each other and maintain a non-stop pace: it's in fact a pretty exhausting record (in the best sense of the term), designed in such a way that the listener is washed off after 2 hours and a half of an intense funk marathon.

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After a few listens, the fact that certain songs have the sound palette of the 80's and others the sound palette of the 90's becomes totally irrelevant: they work perfectly as a sequence, with one track leading into the next very naturally.

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The problem, if you ask me, is that more than any other Prince records, CB suffered from prejudice and fans' expectations: because it wasn't what the fans had expected, or wanted; because it was 2/3 90's and 1/3 80's; because too many songs on it had already been made available in one form or another; and because they couldn't take their mind off its apparent (mostly apparent, in fact) chaotic nature... The consequence was that many fans wouldn't accept to see the structure behind it, or to simply let themselves enjoy the music for what it was. They just wouldn't let go.

.

Personally when I bought it back then, opened it and saw the tracklist in the booklet, my first reaction was to be extremely disappointed because, I, too, expected a more organized retrospective that would feature more 80's material, as well as songs that were all entirely unreleased. Then I played it once. Then I played it twice. Then I realized I was blown away, and I never cared for any of this anymore: I just enjoyed it for what it was, and I kept enjoying it more with each new listen. 20 years have gone and I've played it to death ever since and yet, evrey time I listen to it again, I trip how how wonderfully that MF flows

.

Now that's just me, people are free to dislike it. But they should realize that Prince didn't just roll a dice when it came to decide which tracks would be in it and how they'd be sequenced: he clearly worked hard on making it a cohesive statement just as much as he did for any other, more era-focused, album

Of course, you are right. Prince very carefully structured CB. However, it's deliberately very shabby and ultimately it does a disservice to the music. It's like Joy in Repetition and Question of U on GB - two career highlights buried on a substandard album. If presented properly the material is elevated.

thisisreece said:

databank said:

When you start studying Prince's recording process you realize that many an album features tracks from many many years earlier, even if the bulk of the recording was relatively recent.

.

I don't think any Prince albums really create a "storyline" except maybe Lovesexy, and TRC, and yet we are far from a proper narrative even with those. At best, Prince albums are thematically cohesive, which is satisfying, but this has more to do with lyrics and the overall "vibe" than with when the songs were recorded.

.

My point regarding CB is that it's been conceived as a party album or mixtape of sort: the songs are sequenced in order to flow into each other and maintain a non-stop pace: it's in fact a pretty exhausting record (in the best sense of the term), designed in such a way that the listener is washed off after 2 hours and a half of an intense funk marathon.

.

After a few listens, the fact that certain songs have the sound palette of the 80's and others the sound palette of the 90's becomes totally irrelevant: they work perfectly as a sequence, with one track leading into the next very naturally.

.

The problem, if you ask me, is that more than any other Prince records, CB suffered from prejudice and fans' expectations: because it wasn't what the fans had expected, or wanted; because it was 2/3 90's and 1/3 80's; because too many songs on it had already been made available in one form or another; and because they couldn't take their mind off its apparent (mostly apparent, in fact) chaotic nature... The consequence was that many fans wouldn't accept to see the structure behind it, or to simply let themselves enjoy the music for what it was. They just wouldn't let go.

.

Personally when I bought it back then, opened it and saw the tracklist in the booklet, my first reaction was to be extremely disappointed because, I, too, expected a more organized retrospective that would feature more 80's material, as well as songs that were all entirely unreleased. Then I played it once. Then I played it twice. Then I realized I was blown away, and I never cared for any of this anymore: I just enjoyed it for what it was, and I kept enjoying it more with each new listen. 20 years have gone and I've played it to death ever since and yet, evrey time I listen to it again, I trip how how wonderfully that MF flows

.

Now that's just me, people are free to dislike it. But they should realize that Prince didn't just roll a dice when it came to decide which tracks would be in it and how they'd be sequenced: he clearly worked hard on making it a cohesive statement just as much as he did for any other, more era-focused, album

Of course, you are right. Prince very carefully structured CB. However, it's deliberately very shabby and ultimately it does a disservice to the music. It's like Joy in Repetition and Question of U on GB - two career highlights buried on a substandard album. If presented properly the material is elevated.

thisisreece - I tend to agree. Also, I had recently read where HM Buff stated it only took about 2 weeks to edit and sequence the CB record. He said he really liked that one, because it was a quick process. Now, Prince may have taken more time beforehand to decide which tracks and how they would be placed, but he said it was a very quick turnaround time from the time he pulled the tracks out of the vault to the completion. Disc 1 is somewhat time sequenced from earlier to later, except for So Dark, but that was a later remix, so technically it is a "later" track. Disc 2 goes from later to earlier, except for Strays Of The World which is the last track. Disc 3 is mostly later tracks, except for Last Heart, Make Your Mama Happy and Goodbye.

*

This is the sequence that I would have liked for the older tracks:

Crystal Ball

Dream Factory

Movie Star

Make Your Mama Happy

Crucial

An Honest Man

Good Love

Sexual Suicide

Last Heart

Goodbye (I know it was a '91 recording, but I think if fits here)

*

Other than The Ride, So Dark, and Ripopgodazippa, I'm not a big fan of the 90's tracks he put on there. The ones I like he had already released on Gold and Emancipation

[Edited 7/1/18 8:46am]

[Edited 7/1/18 8:49am]

My copy of "long" version of this from last boot has sum clicks on it (a few tracks do), but I'm currently jamming to it n belting my own version 4 all 2 hear . Beautiful, 1 of his (their w/e) best ...

violetcrush said:

Fun Fact, I have a puppy mini Pomerainan and she sleeps to Power Fantastic as part as her Puppy playlist. It makes me so happy that my baby has good taste!

TrevorAyer said:

violetcrush said:

Per Princevault.com:

*

Power Fantastic is the 20th and final track (second of two previously-unreleased tracks) on The B-Sides compilation (included as the third and final disc on The Hits / The B-Sides). The song was based on a track written by Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, entitled Carousel, but Prince wrote new lyrics, and their names are missing on the official credits.

The track was recorded live on 19 March 1986 (the same day as And How) at Prince's Galpin Blvd Home Studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota, during initial sessions for the Dream Factory album (The Hits / The B-Sides liner notes incorrectly state that it was recorded at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota). The song was not included on the late April configuration of the album, but was included on a configuration made on 3 June 1986, before being removed again for the July configuration. The instrumental intro to the song was removed when the track was placed on The Hits / The B-Sides in 1993.

*

Wendy and Lisa wrote the song together. Prince added lyrics to the music. There was also the instrumental intro that Prince removed for The Hits/The B-Sides....

[Edited 6/28/18 8:49am]

[Edited 6/28/18 9:00am]

Yup ... paul is just speculating and being negative

Right. Wendy and Lisa have ALWAYS written songs together (hence, their performing name "Wendy And Lisa"). All of their albums were collaborative efforts, and all of their scoring work is as well. They are both talented in their own right. Lisa on Piano/Keyboard and Wendy on Guitar. When you put them together, along with their songwriting ability and ear for the full production, well....you get beautiful music.

QueenofPurplePalace said:

Fun Fact, I have a puppy mini Pomerainan and she sleeps to Power Fantastic as part as her Puppy playlist. It makes me so happy that my baby has good taste!

TrevorAyer said:

violetcrush said:

paulludvig said:

TrevorAyer said:

Yup ... paul is just speculating and being negative

Wendy probably has a habit of taking credir for Lisa's songs, just as she has a habit of taking credir for Prince's songs. The chords for PF was obviously written on the piano. Who wrote the melody is an open question. Probably Prince, just like he wrote the melody for Mountains.

Not true. Wendy does not take credit for Lisa's songs. How are the opening chords to PR "obviously" written on the piano?? It has now been confirmed by all of the band members that they were all working out the music to the song in rehearsal, and Wendy did change the original chord progression on the guitar piece.

violetcrush said:

paulludvig said:

violetcrush said:

Right. Wendy and Lisa have ALWAYS written songs together (hence, their performing name "Wendy And Lisa"). All of their albums were collaborative efforts, and all of their scoring work is as well. They are both talented in their own right. Lisa on Piano/Keyboard and Wendy on Guitar. When you put them together, along with their songwriting ability and ear for the full production, well....you get beautiful music.

They claim to write songs together, but it is usually pretty clear if one of their songs is a Lisa song or a Wendy song. They have different styles.

Of course there have been songs written by Wendy or Lisa - obviously, the piano pieces like MN #1 and MN #2 and other songs that are strictly piano based, but most of their songs are joint collaborations in terms of the final production. If you look at the song credits on their Eroica album, for example, each had creative input on every song. Their music is not just piano or guitar. They work together to creat the full sound.

so now we have to thank W&L for THIS song too.....were does it end?

luvsexy4all said:

luvsexy4all said:

so now we have to thank W&L for THIS song too.....were does it end?

But you do, because the song was theirs, and they gave it to Prince, who changed the lyrics and title. This doesn't take anything away from Prince's genius though. The lyric is beautiful, and what he did with it is fantastic (pun intended). Would the original song "Carousel" have been as good? Hard to say - probably not. However, it is widely known (by now) that Prince collaborated more than his album credits may show. This goes back to Andre, Morris, and even Sandra St Victor, who was going to sue him for a few of the songs she gave him that he re-worked, but didn't give her credit.

paulludvig said:

luvsexy4all said:

so now we have to thank W&L for THIS song too.....were does it end?

The list is pretty short actually. They co-wrote Power Fantastic, Mountains and Sometimes it Snows, perhaps a couple of others.

Don't forget Around The World In A Day - at least the instrumental portion, which was Wendy, Lisa, Jonathon Melvoin and David Coleman. They gave the taped recording to Prince, and he asked if he could have it.

I love the song but have always wondered what tempo the song is? its one of the slowest songs Ive ever heard if the snares on the 2 and 4.

lonelyalien said:

I love the song but have always wondered what tempo the song is? its one of the slowest songs Ive ever heard if the snares on the 2 and 4.

I just used this site to tap out the tempo through the entire song. It starts around 77 bpm and gradually increases to 82 bpm by the end, I guess they didn't use a click track while recording this one but the increase in tempo feels totally organic. All of that practice paid off, I suppose

mbdtyler said:

lonelyalien said:

I love the song but have always wondered what tempo the song is? its one of the slowest songs Ive ever heard if the snares on the 2 and 4.

I just used this site to tap out the tempo through the entire song. It starts around 77 bpm and gradually increases to 82 bpm by the end, I guess they didn't use a click track while recording this one but the increase in tempo feels totally organic. All of that practice paid off, I suppose

AH thanks for the info I always felt like the tempo was'nt the same throughout.