Irish Times review: https://www.irishtimes.co...-1.3928324

lurker316 said:

I love the photo of Prince on the CD cover, but it's not from the right era. That's a Dirty Mind photo, but most of these songs came from the 1999/PR era.

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See!

Even b00tleggars do not make those mistakes anymore.

What do the credits in the Target CD say about the "Cinematic Mix"?

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I mean, WRT who mixed it etc. The only photo I've found of the Traget CD's "booklet" showed this:

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[Edited 6/22/19 5:58am]

BartVanHemelen said:

What do the credits in the Target CD say about the "Cinematic Mix"?

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I mean, WRT who mixed it etc. The only photo I've found of the Traget CD's "booklet" showed this:

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[Edited 6/22/19 5:58am]

"All songs Mixed by NIKO BOLAS except: 'Love... Thy Will Be Done' Mixed by MICHAEL KOPPELMAN; 'Nothing Compares 2 U' Mixed by TONY MASERATI'

What's with the mono reverb on the vocals for Noon and the Cinematic Mix? Very odd.

OnlyNDaUsa said:

stillwaiting said:

As much as Originals was an improvement over the last release, I want them to move on to just releasing the best outtakes available. Witness, Original Old Friends, 86 versions of Can't Stop, Data Bank...which would've been the best track on Originals to begin with, as The Time's version is terrible in comparison.

they have the same problem Prince had... too much music... and as far as I know they are still working on getting it all archived and organized and cataloged.

Still, as nice as Originals is, it is by far not the best of what is there. Piano & A Microphone was a huge let down, not that it's bad, but a poor place to start, and only 34 minutes? Really? As much as I would have liked a 20 hour boxset over 15 discs, I understand it takes time, but we have the vault left in the fumbling bumbling hands of these stooges who don't know Jughead from Soft And Wet. Of course, it could have been a lot worse, so trying to bite my tongue and be glad we don't have 45 remixes of The P...which actually as dumb as it is, is better than Jughead lol.

BartVanHemelen said:

rdhull said:

lurker316 said:

I love the photo of Prince on the CD cover, but it's not from the right era. That's a Dirty Mind photo, but most of these songs came from the 1999/PR era.

No way!

Sarcasm noted. I realize I was stating the obvious (I should have phrased it in a way that got that point across), but I was surprised no one else was complaining about it. After all, there were about five pages of posts of people complaining about the orange tint to the photo on the cover of The Beautiful Ones.

lurker316 said:

I purchased the digital version of this album from iTunes. There was a bug where iTunes wouldn't download the final track, NC2U. I spent an hour on the phone with iTunes support.

What they suspect happened is that iTunes was confused because I'd bought the stand-alone version of this song that was released last year -- so iTunes thought I already had it. That shound not happen because the songs are on different albums, and therefore each version has a unique identifier associated with the different albums. To be clear, even if from a musical/content standpoint the files are identical, iTunes should still recognize them as different songs since they are on different albums with different metadata and artwork. Apple understands that customers may want two identical copies of the song if they want to ensure their albums are properly sequenced, and that's why each version has its own unique identifier associated with a specific album.

For example, this would be like if you purchased Purple Rain Deluxe and iTunes refused to include 17 Days because you already had a digital copy from The Hits/The B-sides. That should not happen. Even if the file is the same, they are on differennt albums with different metadata and artwork -- and iTunes assignes each its own unique product code -- so you should be able to download both copies of 17 Days to ensure that both albums (The Hits and PRD) are properly sequenced in your music library.

Anyway, the supervisory customer service rep who helped me was great. She eventually found a work-around and was able to download The Originals version of NC2U to my library. Nevertheless, she escalated the case to the engineers incase anyone else is having this problem, and because its such a mystery. (Obviously I could have edited the metadata and artwork for the stand-alone version of NC2U and got it to sequence with the Orginals, but I shouldn't have to do that. This is Apple -- they should be on the ball.)

Oh, here's a funny acadeote from my conversation with the iTunes customer service rep.

As she was looking through my account she saw a third version of NC2U that I'd purchased years ago (the live version from The Hits/The B-Sides). In iTunes that version is credited to "Prince featuring Rosie Gains". Long ago I'd deleted and hide it so that it wouldn't show in my iTunes library.

The iTunes rep wanted to be helpful, so she offered to unhide it for me. She read the exact title so I'd know what it was: "Nothing Compares 2 U by Prince featuring Rosie Gains... would you like me to unhide it?"

I said to her in a very casual tone of voice, "No thank you. Rosie Gains is awful."

I don't think this lady had any idea who Rosie Gains is, but she thought that was hilarious and busted up laughing. Maybe it was deadpan delivery.

I am LOVING this CD! Too bad they didn't include a demo of "Nasty Girls".

Got mine at Target today and I love it.

E319 said:

PennyPurple said:

FUNKNROLL said:

PennyPurple said:

Got mine at Target today and I love it.

Can you describe what is different about NC2U Cinematic Mix?

as has been stated in this thread multiple times, it's got a trap beat and features pitbull

FUNKNROLL said:

PennyPurple said:

Got mine at Target today and I love it.

Can you describe what is different about NC2U Cinematic Mix?

It is more upbeat and faster moving. It is by far my favorite on the CD.

MIRvmn said:

I prefer the Cinematic Mix

Me too.

bsprout said:

E319 said:

It hasn’t even arrived to any of the Target’s in my area (Miami). They told me they have a truck coming in tomorrow and it should be in stock then. Smh.

Yup. That’s what they told me yesterday morning, too. They said none of them had received their shipments yet 🤔 I went to another Target today and they didn’t have any, either.

That's stinks! I am fortunate the west coast distribution center for all Targets is located in WA state! So, we get the stuff-Doesn't have far to go.

Review in Oor (Dutch music magazine), but it's for subscribers only: https://oor.nl/albums/originals/

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The opening line is partly revealed at the site's homepage and features the claim that the inheritence has been settled. I really don't get where these idiots get such nonsense.

TrevorAyer said:

The cinematic is way better but the drums still sound like shit ... its no wonder prince shelved this one

i want to hear it, but no way I’m buying a CD for one track.
I wonder how much the Estate got for the Target “exclusive”

If it’s a Target CD only exclusive, that essentially means it’s going straight to “free” on the internet. ...without any streaming sevice revenue.

But Im sure it will end up on streaming services or available for download eventually.

kewlschool said:

bsprout said:

kewlschool said:

That's stinks! I am fortunate the west coast distribution center for all Targets is located in WA state! So, we get the stuff-Doesn't have far to go.

Glad you were able to get yours. (And the Target headquarters are in Minnesota:) ) I just wonder what is really up with the delay over here. Anyway, I’m not going to scour the neighborhood for it. I figure I’ll eventually pick up the CD on one of my inevitable trips to Target.

When I picked up mine, Target probably had about 30 copies of it, it was listed at $13.99 but when I checked out it was on sale for 11.99. It is well worth it, hope your store gets them in soon.

OK I read this entire thread.

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Why do they say Sex Shooter 'fades out'..... it just abrubtly cuts off at 3:06

Wouldn't You Love to love me is so good!

I'm probably going to regret doing this, but what the hell, here's my review:

It may be a bit cheesy to talk about the "imperial phase" of an artist called Prince, but Originals is a glowing testament to the fact that there really was a Prince empire in the 80s, with numerous proteges and completely independent artists alike serving as ambassadors of his ravenous productivity. As such, Originals serves a key role in representing Prince's towering legacy, providing a peek behind the curtains of some of the hundreds of songs he gave away. It's a clever idea that was hatched thanks to the positive reception of last year's release of the original, soulful take of "Nothing Compares 2 U", also included in this set. That said, the selection of songs is so inspired that Originals is more than just an interesting glimpse into his glory days - it's an essential entry in his catalog, one that manages to find a great balance of appealing to the masses and hardcore Prince fans alike.

Over the course of fifteen songs, we're taken on a whirlwind tour of many of the things that made Prince such an exciting artist. We get ass-shaking synth funk jams ("Sex Shooter", "Jungle Love", "The Glamorous Life"), soulful R&B ballads ("Baby, You're a Trip", "Gigolos Get Lonely Too", "Nothing Compares 2 U"), psychedelic pop-rock ("Manic Monday", "Dear Michaelangelo"), cartoon funk ("Holly Rock"), ruff 'n ready rock ("Wouldn't You Love to Love Me?"), spiritual sanctuary ("Love... Thy Will Be Done") and some vibrant experiments ("Noon Rendezvous", "Make-Up", "You're My Love") all tucked into a neat package. While the presence of these and other gifted gems unveiled different corners of his psyche back in the 80s, hearing them now performed by Prince feels like a more intimate revelation. As such, Originals is as sprawling as any of his 80s albums, packed with songs generally worthy of the standard set by his own contemporaneous releases. Amazingly, this album then can serve as a fine introduction to Prince for newcomers despite the fact it doesn't feature any of his own well-known hits.

A lot of discussion in the press seems to be focusing on determining whether the versions included here or the ultimately released versions are superior, but this feels misguided. Prince's intentions were clear – these songs were deliberately given to other artists, and as such, their versions are more in keeping with his vision. We can roughly divide the songs into two camps – those that serve as a dry run for released versions which remained faithful to these incarnations, and those that developed into something substantially different upon release. The tracks that steer closest to the released versions still unlock new dimensions to these songs that make them fascinating and worthy of release. For example, "Sex Shooter" and "Jungle Love" sizzle with the same libidinous spark as the versions released by Apollonia 6 and The Time. That said, hearing Prince's feminine seduction on "Sex Shooter" back-to-back with the more playful, macho braggadocio of "Jungle Love" shines a light on the duality of his persona. Likewise, the Linn drum machine madness and rumbling synth bass stabs of the dark electronica standout "Make-Up" are similar to what was released on the Vanity 6 version, a sort of early precursor to electroclash. But Prince's deadpan delivery, delivering lyrics like "if I wear a dress, he will never call, so I'll wear much less, I guess I'll wear my camisole" renders it all the rawer and more subversive.

At times, Prince's vocal delivery may seem like it undersells a song's potential, but as these songs served as guides for other artists to follow, it makes sense that his performances are not the balls-to-the-wall bonanzas he would release himself. Nonetheless, these moments offer insight into the spirit underlying these songs. The kaleidoscopic splendor of The Bangles' version of "Manic Monday" is hard to beat, but Prince's delivery here is endowed with a sleepy dreaminess that suits the storyline of the lyrics and the feeling of being stuck in a rut of doldrums. Likewise, Prince's tone on "Gigolos Get Lonely Too" lacks the cool swagger that Morris Day injected into The Time's version. The song is a sort of thematic cousin of "Little Red Corvette", where instead of telling the object of his affections to slow down, he turns the message inward. Both songs feature beautifully textured synths to cast an evocative atmosphere, while "Gigolos" is given an extra thump in the groove to complement the narrative of a man who has been around the block too many times for meaningless trysts and now seeks genuine connection. It's a theme that Prince eventually developed into an entire film (Under the Cherry Moon), so it's one that he obviously felt pretty deeply. His downtrodden performance here conveys a more believable yearning than The Time's version, the falsetto sections charged with more desperation, making for another spellbinding highlight.

In fact, the only time that one of these "vocal guides" feels a little perfunctory is on "The Glamorous Life", which is nonetheless a badass jam even without Sheila's percussion. An obvious exception to the apparent guide vocal treatments is "Baby, You're a Trip". Having long been a favorite among hardcore fans, hearing Prince's wailing vocal theatrics with such clarity is a delightful testament to how great a vocalist he was. Infused with gospel fervor and wonderfully intertwined with Jill Jones' backing vocals, it's a show-stopping performance filled with blood-boiling screams that will leave any fan mesmerized. Similarly, "100 MPH" had long done the bootleg rounds, and hearing its hefty thump in this clarity is a delight for long-time fans.

The songs that depart greatly from the released versions are perhaps more interesting. "Holly Rock", for instance, is produced as a sort of proto-"Housequake" frolic that works better with the drier feel than the version released by Sheila E. Also given to Sheila E., "Dear Michaelangelo" is a wonderful slice of psychedelia that places greater focus on some inspired guitar shredding, later repurposed for The Scandalous Sex Suite. "Wouldn't You Love to Love Me?" went through various incarnations, originating as a groovy disco track in the late 70s before ending up as frothy pop/funk-lite when released by Taja Savelle in 1987. Here, it's decked out as a rumbling new wave rocker from 1981, giving the lyrics a more assertive punch that serves the song well. The inferior sound quality kind of suits the gritty nature of the track, connecting it to the Dirty Mind imagery on the album's cover. Another song with admirable versatility, "Noon Rendezvous" is one of the most precious songs Prince has ever recorded. Its lush synthpop release by Sheila E. made it the opulent jewel in the crown of The Glamorous Life, while live performances from 1984 often elevated the beautiful chord sequence into jaw-dropping guitar apotheosis. Here, the sparse production allows the naked longing of Prince's breathy falsetto to shine, backed only by piano and a minimal Linn drum heartbeat. Breathtakingly intimate, it's no wonder that it was revived for the acclaimed Piano and a Microphone shows in 2016. It's one of the most gorgeous songs Prince ever wrote and it's an absolute godsend to hear it like this.

Elsewhere, the ethereal calm of "Love… Thy Will Be Done" had long been one of Prince's most prized outtakes, embodying a sacrosanct spiritual wholeness that my wife likes to say is "worthy of ascension". More stripped down than the version that became a hit for Martika, it revolves around a gentle keyboard pulse that accents Prince's hushed, prayer-like delivery, which grows increasingly beautiful with lovely backing harmonies and a closing gospel choral coda. Although it does not fit the 1981-1985 timeframe of the other songs, it is likewise a highlight of his career, arguably better than anything he released in the surrounding years.

Most surprising of all, "You're My Love" showcases a crooning vocal style that Prince never adopted on any other song. Recorded in 1982, it nonetheless recalls the sort of breezy balladry of For You, eventually finding a home with Kenny Rogers. Zooming in to 1982, "You're My Love" captures the spirit of Originals well - it's remarkable that a song like this was recorded in the same year as futuristic anthems like "1999", the alien funk soundscapes of "Automatic", paranoid electro nightmares like "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)", and scorching funk rockers like "Lady Cab Driver", not to mention early versions of "Raspberry Beret" and "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man". Prince inhabited a lot of worlds and characters during these years, and that breadth is reflected well throughout Originals.

It may be true that Prince would have never approved of a release like this. Moreover, I'm sure most Prince fans would trade the opportunity to hear these lost gems if it meant that Prince was still alive and well. Nonetheless, Originals is a vital album and one that significantly adds to Prince's legacy. Vault curator Michael Howe has suggested that if Originals is a success, further volumes may follow. Here's hoping!

Moonbeam said:

...Moreover, I'm sure most Prince fans would trade the opportunity to hear these lost gems if it meant that Prince was still alive and well...

[Snip - luv4u]

christobole said:

[Snip - luv4u]

[Snip - luv4u]

christobole said:

Moonbeam said:

...Moreover, I'm sure most Prince fans would trade the opportunity to hear these lost gems if it meant that Prince was still alive and well...

[Snip - luv4u]

nice troll statement, i won't react anymore than that because you'll just feed off of it like a troll does.