mynameisnotsusan said:

When 2 R In Love is an overlooked ballad - at least Anna Stesia got revived during the ONA Tour

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Exactly.

I remember I found it a bit out of tune on The Black Album (and now i can't miss it when I hear the whole album again),

Fortunately what a well fit reuse on Lovesexy. Blends in perfectly with the rest.

I remember the completely black video that came much later in 1994 I believe.

Was very suprised they showed it on MTV (maybe just once, dunno).

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Give Prince a drum computer and he's a true magician when it come to make absolutely

original and warm recognizable beats.

From the first two beats of the song's opener you know what to expect.

His whispering and 'dry' synths warms this song and pulls you in.

And what demure sounding vocal performance, backings and vocal arrangements.

When the song ends, I only want more.

it's also a song where I don't miss a guitar (but would've prefered real horns at the end, oh whatever. ) Hope there is an extended version of this,

or maybe just an instrumental version, would be great too.

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I sometimes wish we could have insturmental versions of all Prince albums,

as well as 'a capella' version albums !

Imagine.

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[Edited 3/21/20 3:27am]

mynameisnotsusan said:

Pokeno4Money said:

slyjackson said:

This might be his only missed point in an otherwise perfect paragraph.

Nothing blows away "She's Always In My Hair". It's an incredible song that surely would have been a hit if it had been released as a single in the states.

I'm so glad Prince embraced the song in his later years by performing it often.

It's not even in my top 5 B's (maybe not in my top 10), but I do respect how ferociously people advocate for "She's Always in My Hair." Of course it's awesome.

Another song that doesn't get enough love .... 17 Days

In Prince's case, I wonder if some of his most underrated songs aren't just the obscure neglected ones, but the popular ones that are so damn good you can't listen to them without your brain taking over and thinking "Do people even know how good this song is!? Why are people going about their daily lives right now like this song doesn't exist!?".

Can you listen to "Beautiful Ones" without thinking about how good it is? Maybe that's the mark of an underrated song. It's celebrated as one of his best, and that's still not giving it the proper due. I also can't tell you how many people I meet that say they like Prince, but haven't heard "Girls and Boys" or "Mountains", so those are somehow underrated in 2020.

Some others....


Automatic - I think Youtube really gave this one the life it deserved. It's taken over the spot in my heart Delirious once held.

Le Grind - This could have been a hit. Just undeniably a classic, and it sounds like it could have come from a few different Prince eras. I prefer it to Alphabet Street.

Shockadellica - Same thing, it's so solid, and could have been a hit in a few eras.

Feel U Up - It feels like a classic Prince song that should have been on a record, and could have been a hit instead of tossed on a b-side years later. It feels like he must have played it live all the time, it's comforting to hear it like it's one of his core songs, but it wasn't. Wonder why he didn't give it to any of his artists, it would have worked for...maybe all of them.

I'll Never B Another Fool - So damn good, so slept on. It's on Playtime, so I think this still counts. I love that he's singing this falsetto tracking for Chaka. Nothing ground breaking, it could have been from the 70's era, but this one still personafies underrated Prince for me.

Black Sweat - I always say this one is underrated for what it meant culturally with Prince's career. Not obscure, or particularly slept on, I hear it at baseball games, and in commercial playlists...but still underrated with his own fans, and it's not like anyone says it's their favorite Prince song. It's just a simple party record, but of all the "Prince's still got it" songs, this one stuck.

7 - I don't have a good argument for why I think this belongs, but it still seems underrated to me.

(Woops, I didn't stick to the 1989 cut off)

[Edited 3/22/20 0:08am]

"2 Nigs United 4 West Compton"

I've always been a huge fan of P's jazz stuff, and this one is no exception. Yeah, it kinda sounds like a noisy mess, but it is one of my favorite tracks on "The Black Album".

Pokeno4Money said:

slyjackson said:

This might be his only missed point in an otherwise perfect paragraph.

Nothing blows away "She's Always In My Hair". It's an incredible song that surely would have been a hit if it had been released as a single in the states.

I'm so glad Prince embraced the song in his later years by performing it often.

I just wish the guitar had a more prominent sound, or should I say more in front of the mix.

mtlfan said:

Pokeno4Money said:

Nothing blows away "She's Always In My Hair". It's an incredible song that surely would have been a hit if it had been released as a single in the states.

I'm so glad Prince embraced the song in his later years by performing it often.

It's not even in my top 5 B's (maybe not in my top 10), but I do respect how ferociously people advocate for "She's Always in My Hair." Of course it's awesome.

It really should have been on the PR album and one of the released singles, I think it would have done well on the charts.

I've always felt the weak link on the Purple Rain album was Take Me With U, if I were Prince I would have definitely substituted it with She's Always In My Hair.

RJOrion said:

Vannormal said:

Pokeno4Money said:

Another song that doesn't get enough love .... 17 Days

You're right.

Annie Christian

Private Joy

Life Can Be So Nice

It

Walk Don't Walk

and God Created Woman

Sex in the Summer

In This Bed I Scream

Same December

When the Lights Go Down

U Know

Dance On gets a lot of weird hate. I think it's pretty cool and does some tricky studio stuff that's I've always enjoyed from Prince.

Trying to think of songs that get routinely get ragged on...

So let's stay with the Lovesexy album and go with Positivity for slot 2. My Lovesexy tracklisting in terms of enjoyment seems to backwards from everyone else's.

I think both songs are standouts on the record.

Also, I Wonder U is another oddball one that people consider a throwaway but I really dig it. Reminds me of Prince channeling Peter Gabriel from his early albums and I like that nifty little guitar segue that leads into the title track on UTCM.

...

Most of u guys are picking songs everyone almost universally loves. Anna Stasia, When U Were Mine, Do Me Baby, SAIMH, 17 Days, Alphabet St, DMSR, Vicki Waiting, Adore, Beautiful Ones, AUtomatic...

These are all very much appreciated tracks with several classics and hits listed here. Or are we saying people don't like them ENOUGH?

[Edited 3/22/20 13:51pm]

herb4 said:

Dance On gets a lot of weird hate. I think it's pretty cool and does some tricky studio stuff that's I've always enjoyed from Prince.

Trying to think of songs that get routinely get ragged on...

So let's stay with the Lovesexy album and go with Positivity for slot 2. My Lovesexy tracklisting in terms of enjoyment seems to backwards from everyone else's.

I think both songs are standouts on the record.

Also, I Wonder U is another oddball one that people consider a throwaway but I really dig it. Reminds me of Prince channeling Peter Gabriel from his early albums and I like that nifty little guitar segue that leads into the title track on UTCM.

...

Most of u guys are picking songs everyone almost universally loves. Anna Stasia, When U Were Mine, Do Me Baby, SAIMH, 17 Days, Alphabet St, DMSR, Vicki Waiting, Adore, Beautiful Ones, AUtomatic...

These are all very much appreciated tracks with several classics and hits listed here. Or are we saying people don't like them ENOUGH?

[Edited 3/22/20 13:51pm]

Well I think I made my point for why I included DMSR. While the general public only knows the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Prince's output, I do think DMSR could have been a pernnial cultural mainstay with more exposure. I don't think it's underrated by fams.

I agree Dance On is underrated. I particularly love the percussion (obviously), the metal shredding buried in the mix, the meta "there's a bass guitar in this." I see a lot of love for Positivity around here but agree it's amazing.

herb4 said:

Dance On gets a lot of weird hate. I think it's pretty cool and does some tricky studio stuff that's I've always enjoyed from Prince.

Trying to think of songs that get routinely get ragged on...

So let's stay with the Lovesexy album and go with Positivity for slot 2. My Lovesexy tracklisting in terms of enjoyment seems to backwards from everyone else's.

I think both songs are standouts on the record.

Also, I Wonder U is another oddball one that people consider a throwaway but I really dig it. Reminds me of Prince channeling Peter Gabriel from his early albums and I like that nifty little guitar segue that leads into the title track on UTCM.

...

Most of u guys are picking songs everyone almost universally loves. Anna Stasia, When U Were Mine, Do Me Baby, SAIMH, 17 Days, Alphabet St, DMSR, Vicki Waiting, Adore, Beautiful Ones, AUtomatic...

These are all very much appreciated tracks with several classics and hits listed here. Or are we saying people don't like them ENOUGH?

[Edited 3/22/20 13:51pm]

This one might be another that falls into the already-much-appreciated category.

But since you mentioned I Wonder U, I'll thrown in how I adore New Position.

herb4 said:

Most of u guys are picking songs everyone almost universally loves. Anna Stasia, When U Were Mine, Do Me Baby, SAIMH, 17 Days, Alphabet St, DMSR, Vicki Waiting, Adore, Beautiful Ones, AUtomatic...

These are all very much appreciated tracks with several classics and hits listed here. Or are we saying people don't like them ENOUGH?

[Edited 3/22/20 13:51pm]

Basically, yes, being a beloved album cut is not enough, they wish everything was a hit Top 10 single that makes the whole world sing.

Wolfie87 said:

Private Joy. It sounds like a song made for a screwball comedy in 1985. But it's made in 1980-81. Ahead of his time. And yes, I know about LaToya and Weird Science. But Private Joy is definitely the most bubblegum Pop hit he ever wrote and composed in the 80's. Would've been a hit.

I totally agree.This should have been a single!

PrettyMan72 said:

Pokeno4Money said:

WhisperingDandelions said:

But it wasn't a single. It's not eligible for any of those lists.

Huh?

https://en.wikipedia.org/...o_Me,_Baby

"Do Me, Baby" is a 1981 ballad performed by Prince, from his fourth album, Controversy. It was released as the third and final US single from the album.

As long as there's a radio station with a late night "Quiet Storm" show, Do Me Baby will never die.

*

As for underrated joints, I'll go with Anotherloverholeinyohead and Lovesexy.

CoolMF said:

Pokeno4Money said:

Huh?

https://en.wikipedia.org/...o_Me,_Baby

"Do Me, Baby" is a 1981 ballad performed by Prince, from his fourth album, Controversy. It was released as the third and final US single from the album.

As long as there's a radio station with a late night "Quiet Storm" show, Do Me Baby will never die.

*

As for underrated joints, I'll go with Anotherloverholeinyohead and Lovesexy.

That's a GREAT point about late night radio, it really is the perfect time for Do Me Baby.

I agree with you about Anotherlover, but not so much about Lovesexy.

Pokeno4Money said:

purplepolitician said:

Pokeno4Money said:

Another song that doesn't get enough love .... 17 Days

a personal favorite.

see that's the thing though. It gets a tremendous amount of love. In 1984 Prince was breaking through with b-sides (Erotic City, 17 Days and, later, SAIMH) that even made it onto radio rotation. I hadn't seen that since Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. Even non fans know those songs.

Pokeno4Money said:

How "She's Always in my Hair" didn't wind up on ATWIAD as a lead single is one of them head scratchers. It would have made a great opening track for side 2 (or anywhere) and is better than any song on the album.

This was the beginning (or continuation one could argue) of Prince openly fucking with us. Obviously he did it before and always seemed one step ahead of "the game". The difference being that this was on the heels of the massive, world changing bomb of Purple Rain so him playing with folks was amplified.

"Raspberry Beret" is fine and a good song but imagine SAIMH htting radio stations out of nowhere in Spring of 85 similar to what he did with "When Doves Cry". I think that song's inclusion alone would have bumped reviews of the album up a star/number and would have generated a ton of buzz. But knowing Prince, he purposely relegated it to a b-side. He seemed like to feed us gradually, at his own pace, and keep us wanting. Seeking.

Come to think of it, all the b-sides from ATWIAD should have been on the album (Girl, SAIMH, Hello) but Prince was gonna Prince.

God bless him but it's a better record with those songs on it. Maybe not Hello which kind of feels like a b-side but the other 2 I think were more developed as the psychedlic tracks he was striving for and would have made for a stronger album.

Sorry for the rant.

herb4 said:

How "She's Always in my Hair" didn't wind up on ATWIAD as a lead single is one of them head scratchers. It would have made a great opening track for side 2 (or anywhere) and is better than any song on the album.

This was the beginning (or continuation one could argue) of Prince openly fucking with us. Obviously he did it before and always seemed one step ahead of "the game". The difference being that this was on the heels of the massive, world changing bomb of Purple Rain so him playing with folks was amplified.

"Raspberry Beret" is fine and a good song but imagine SAIMH htting radio stations out of nowhere in Spring of 85 similar to what he did with "When Doves Cry". I think that song's inclusion alone would have bumped reviews of the album up a star/number and would have generated a ton of buzz. But knowing Prince, he purposely relegated it to a b-side. He seemed like to feed us gradually, at his own pace, and keep us wanting. Seeking.

Come to think of it, all the b-sides from ATWIAD should have been on the album (Girl, SAIMH, Hello) but Prince was gonna Prince.

God bless him but it's a better record with those songs on it. Maybe not Hello which kind of feels like a b-side but the other 2 I think were more developed as the psychedlic tracks he was striving for and would have made for a stronger album.

Sorry for the rant.

You're not lying though.

herb4 said: