Rimshottbob said:

My home-made Deluxe Edition (in iTunes and Vox) of the album currently runs like this.

I'll soon be updating with lossless files... so would be good to know what else should go on there, what should come off.

Disc 1: Album Outtakes & Alternate Versions

01 - Madrid 2 Chicago.mp3
02 - Breathe.mp3
03 - Habibi.mp3
04 - Come On 'Bone'.mp3
05 - Wasted Kisses (Alternate Version).mp3
06 - The War.mp3

Disc 2:Remixes

01 - Come On (Remix).mp3
02 - Come On (Late Nite Mix).mp3
03 - Come On (Extended Mix).mp3
04 - The One (Remix).mp3
05 - The One (Alternate Concept Remix).mp3
06 - The One (Shelter Vocal).mp3
07 - The One (Shelter Dub).mp3

Wow, perfect. This is why I started the thread! (Knowing well that NPS doesn't always garner the most enthusiasm around here.)

As I've said before, I think it's a gem of a record, with probably the best use of horns in all of Prince's catalogue. I don't begrudge those who don't like it -- it'll be there for them, on the right day -- as long as they don't begrudge my dislike of Rave (which is eternal).

dustoff said:

Rimshottbob said:

My home-made Deluxe Edition (in iTunes and Vox) of the album currently runs like this.

I'll soon be updating with lossless files... so would be good to know what else should go on there, what should come off.

Disc 1: Album Outtakes & Alternate Versions

01 - Madrid 2 Chicago.mp3
02 - Breathe.mp3
03 - Habibi.mp3
04 - Come On 'Bone'.mp3
05 - Wasted Kisses (Alternate Version).mp3
06 - The War.mp3

Disc 2:Remixes

01 - Come On (Remix).mp3
02 - Come On (Late Nite Mix).mp3
03 - Come On (Extended Mix).mp3
04 - The One (Remix).mp3
05 - The One (Alternate Concept Remix).mp3
06 - The One (Shelter Vocal).mp3
07 - The One (Shelter Dub).mp3

Wow, perfect. This is why I started the thread! (Knowing well that NPS doesn't always garner the most enthusiasm around here.)

As I've said before, I think it's a gem of a record, with probably the best use of horns in all of Prince's catalogue. I don't begrudge those who don't like it -- it'll be there for them, on the right day -- as long as they don't begrudge my dislike of Rave (which is eternal).

Rave >>> NPS every day of the week.

It's a cash grab album with 3 strong tracks: "Come on", "The One" and "Wasted Kisses". The rest is utter garbarge.

I often think New Power Soul would have sounded better as a half live album. Heck, even Purple Rain was a part live album and that's maybe best album ever. Trax Push It Up, Freaks on this Side, I Like Funky Music deserved the live treatment, maybe opening track and a couple of others as well.

It's not one of his best but I've still played it over 100 times. Anywho Prince, never one to have loose hold on live stuff, didn't put out a live album until the 00's. But noteworthy for me is how after One Nite Alone... Live came out 2002, he released Indigo Nights six years later with the same sound, which probably has to disappoint some fans.

Lovesexy tour aftershow ('88), The Sacrifice of Victor ('93), and Cafe De Paris ('98) all sound remarkably different, don't they? Why concoct the same brew again.

fortuneandserendipity said:

I often think New Power Soul would have sounded better as a half live album. Heck, even Purple Rain was a part live album and that's maybe his best album ever. Trax "Push It Up," ''Freaks on this Side," "I Like Funky Music" deserved the live treatment, maybe opening track and a couple of others as well.

There's a lot of truth in this.

So many times we've heard new life in a Prince song when we hear it live. Even something like "Get Yo Groove On," with its falsetto delivery on record sounded 100x better live during the Emancipation Proclamation concert when he was singing in his regular register. I'd love to have heard stuff like "Damned If I Do," "White Mansion," "My Computer," and similar in a live setting.

Back to NPS: songs like "Push It Up," or "Freaks on This Side" sound like demos compared to how it could've sounded with a live setting or no drum machines. That dry, compressed, and narrow drum sound in "Freaks On this Side" and "I Like Funky Music" (which is a chant song waiting to happen, but is stillborn) are just boring as hell. You take similar hype songs like "Get Wild" or "Return of the Bump Squad" with a full band and they're alive, organic, and kinetic. Even the NPGMC released live version of "Return of the Bump Squad" had a whole other level of hysteria on it. "Freaks on This Side" sounds like a dead fish being thrown against a brick wall.

Going back a couple of years for another example: "Thunder" - one man show, sounds thin, tinny, not so great, but good. Then you hop over to something like "The Morning Papers," where the whole band played, and even with Michael Bland making a mistake on the drums, it has a whole different vibe being a band-oriented song.

RobotFix said:

It's a cash grab album with 3 strong tracks: "Come on", "The One" and "Wasted Kisses". The rest is utter garbarge.

Mad Sex is the best song on NPS.

new power soul is spectacular .. more legend than a new accura .. i like this album much better than emancipation or rave .. there is a lot to enjoy in the expoloding all over europe collection that would be a treat if a soundboard existed .. at least 6 decent prince songs on here .. whenever it is on i end up bobbing my head or dancing around .. the one and come on are classics .. the funk jams are understated but very enjoyable .. the sound production is a little flat but i really dont mind that much .. aside from a few lyrics that put me off it really is a pretty great effort during a period that less than up to his standard

TrevorAyer said:

Actually, I just looked in my 'to be sorted' folder for this album, and there's a TON of stuff to be added to the 'Deluxe Edition'.... I'll be going through it soon and sorting it out....

Doing it for every Prince album, making 'Deluxes' for each one..... I'm up to Around The World In A Day at the moment, so it may be a while til I get to Newpower Soul.... my Purple Rain Deluxe, with all the alnum outtakes, B-sides, rehearsals and live shows runs to 2.5 DAYS! Though I douby many other albums will have that much stuff......

haha....

dustoff said:

Rimshottbob said:

My home-made Deluxe Edition (in iTunes and Vox) of the album currently runs like this.

I'll soon be updating with lossless files... so would be good to know what else should go on there, what should come off.

Disc 1: Album Outtakes & Alternate Versions

01 - Madrid 2 Chicago.mp3
02 - Breathe.mp3
03 - Habibi.mp3
04 - Come On 'Bone'.mp3
05 - Wasted Kisses (Alternate Version).mp3
06 - The War.mp3

Disc 2:Remixes

01 - Come On (Remix).mp3
02 - Come On (Late Nite Mix).mp3
03 - Come On (Extended Mix).mp3
04 - The One (Remix).mp3
05 - The One (Alternate Concept Remix).mp3
06 - The One (Shelter Vocal).mp3
07 - The One (Shelter Dub).mp3

Wow, perfect. This is why I started the thread! (Knowing well that NPS doesn't always garner the most enthusiasm around here.)

As I've said before, I think it's a gem of a record, with probably the best use of horns in all of Prince's catalogue. I don't begrudge those who don't like it -- it'll be there for them, on the right day -- as long as they don't begrudge my dislike of Rave (which is eternal).

IstenSzek said:

NouveauDance said:

S&M Groove and Funk Radio are from this era, there were samples of them on whatever revolving door official website was around at the time.

I am still upset that version of S&M Groove was not on Slaughterhouse. I want that weird sounding
pin ball production version that we got a snippet of all the way back when.

Yes!!! Such a unique sound and we got a sanitized produced version. HORRID!

I love all the NPG albums.

leecaldon said:

Rimshottbob said:

My home-made Deluxe Edition (in iTunes and Vox) of the album currently runs like this.

I'll soon be updating with lossless files... so would be good to know what else should go on there, what should come off.

Disc 1: Album Outtakes & Alternate Versions

01 - Madrid 2 Chicago.mp3
02 - Breathe.mp3
03 - Habibi.mp3
04 - Come On 'Bone'.mp3
05 - Wasted Kisses (Alternate Version).mp3
06 - The War.mp3

Disc 2:Remixes

01 - Come On (Remix).mp3
02 - Come On (Late Nite Mix).mp3
03 - Come On (Extended Mix).mp3
04 - The One (Remix).mp3
05 - The One (Alternate Concept Remix).mp3
06 - The One (Shelter Vocal).mp3
07 - The One (Shelter Dub).mp3

What is this alternate version of Wasted Kisses?

There's no such thing AFAIK, whether released or leaked.

Might be some fanmix?

Smokey80 said:

RobotFix said:

It's a cash grab album with 3 strong tracks: "Come on", "The One" and "Wasted Kisses". The rest is utter garbarge.

Mad Sex is the best song on NPS.

Newpower Soul hasn't aged that bad -Probably because it isn't mean to be as pretentious as other albums from that period.

But to me, it's one of those records you-had-to-experience-at-the-time-of-release to fully "get it". I have very fond memories of the Summer of 1998, enjoying the CD as it came out and then attending a couple of concerts from the tour (even though the tour didn't feature that much from the album, but that's another story).

I'd welcome a special edition of NPS as I bet there's a good chunk of suitable material from the time we haven't ever heard of. Leave "Madrid 2 Chicago" and "Breathe" out of it, as those belong to their own album (= title track) and have nothing to do style-wise.

[Edited 7/14/20 1:19am]

You could also add Mad, funky design and hypnoparadise.This is shaping up to be a pretty good album

RobotFix said:

It's a cash grab album with 3 strong tracks: "Come on", "The One" and "Wasted Kisses". The rest is utter garbarge.

I don't remember him getting rich from NPS sales, but ok.

NouveauDance said:

RobotFix said:

It's a cash grab album with 3 strong tracks: "Come on", "The One" and "Wasted Kisses". The rest is utter garbarge.

I don't remember him getting rich from NPS sales, but ok.

Yeah, 'cash grab' is a very odd way to see this album, that wasn't even released under his own name (even if his name was unpronouncable at the time) and that contains two of his most personal/emotional songs, in Until You're In My Arms Again, and Wasted Kisses, about his poor son and relationship to Mayte, respectively...

In fact, I don't think you could say that anything about this era was 'cash grabbing'. If that were the case, he wouldn't've changed his name and committed the infamous 'career suicide', would he?

Some may think most of this is garbage, I think it'a tidy little record with some insane musicality on it.

Rimshottbob said:

NouveauDance said:

I don't remember him getting rich from NPS sales, but ok.

Yeah, 'cash grab' is a very odd way to see this album, that wasn't even released under his own name (even if his name was unpronouncable at the time) and that contains two of his most personal/emotional songs, in Until You're In My Arms Again, and Wasted Kisses, about his poor son and relationship to Mayte, respectively...

In fact, I don't think you could say that anything about this era was 'cash grabbing'. If that were the case, he wouldn't've changed his name and committed the infamous 'career suicide', would he?

Some may think most of this is garbage, I think it'a tidy little record with some insane musicality on it.

I'll co-sign this but add that I wish the album had a guitar track like most Prince albums had at least one. It's actually a fun listen.

The royalties from NPS album paid for the house in Spain.

lustmealways said:

You all can run from the truth all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that NPS is a slam dunk winner of an album and Come On is one of the best songs of P's career.

TOTALLY AGREE!

This is such an awesome album!

From start to end it's very consistent and has a unified theme.

'Come On' is certainly is career highlight way up there!!!!!

Shoo-bed-ooh is my guilty pleasure. Such a funky little track

At the time of its release, I was quite disappointed with NPS. I thought it felt lazy and lacking any kind of vision or theme. BUT... tracks like Come On, The One, Freaks On This Side, Wasted Kisses, even When U love somebody, Shoo Bed Oo and the schmalzy Until u're in my arms again, have some sort of weird, polished quality to them. And Mad Sex is a great funky jam. I played the album during a recent family trip in my car and was enjoying it a lot.

If it's been a while since you've listened to the album version of The One -- or are mostly familiar with it from the bluesy-jammy live versions (also great) -- do yourself a favor and put it on, it is a vast and vertiginous and epic song, the orchestration and the crazy harpsichord-guitar-keyboard coda (what is that, anyway?) are magnficent. And, some of his best vocals from that era.

Crazy that song wasn't included on the 1995-2010 Anthology, though maybe it has something to do with the seemingly wonky status of that album? I should probably google it.

[Edited 7/16/20 1:35am]

-

-

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[Edited 7/16/20 2:23am]

dustoff said:

If it's been a while since you've listened to the album version of The One -- or are mostly familiar with it from the bluesy-jammy live versions (also great) -- do yourself a favor and put it on, it is a vast and vertiginous and epic song, the orchestration and the crazy harpsichord-guitar-keyboard coda (what is that, anyway?) are magnficent. And, some of his best vocals from that era.

Crazy that song wasn't included on the 1995-2010 Anthology, though maybe it has something to do with the seemingly wonky status of that album? I should probably google it.

[Edited 7/16/20 1:35am]

P considered it one of the best things he had done. The harp playing.

fortuneandserendipity said:

dustoff said:

If it's been a while since you've listened to the album version of The One -- or are mostly familiar with it from the bluesy-jammy live versions (also great) -- do yourself a favor and put it on, it is a vast and vertiginous and epic song, the orchestration and the crazy harpsichord-guitar-keyboard coda (what is that, anyway?) are magnficent. And, some of his best vocals from that era.

Crazy that song wasn't included on the 1995-2010 Anthology, though maybe it has something to do with the seemingly wonky status of that album? I should probably google it.

[Edited 7/16/20 1:35am]

P considered it one of the best things he had done. The harp playing.

Right - harp. Seems obvious now that you say it. Wild though.

u have to admit .. prince loved 'the one' .. interestingly not called "the 1" .. quirky guy ... of all the absolute trash on emancipation rave rainbow and npg club this "one" song .. the one .. not onesong .. got played live for like decades .. couldn't even give us a few question of u lyrics anymore just strait to the one .. for a toss off no name project i think he did some of his best work of the decade on it .. he plays the most beautiful girl in the world less than the one ... if ur lookin for a prince album to use as a coaster .. this aint the one

TrivialPursuit said:

lustmealways said:

"You all can run from the truth all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that NPS is a slam dunk winner of an album and Come On is one of the best songs of P's career."

-said no one ever.

The album is an acrylic snoozefest.

I remember hating it when it came out (except for "The One") due to "plastic" production and railing against it on alt.music.prince but I grew to like 3/4 of it.

I already did something similar. I combined the best of NPS with Exodus

1. New Power Soul

2. Mad Sex

3. The Good Life

4. The One

5. Come On

6. When You Love Somebody

7. Get Wild

8. Until You're In My Arms Again

9. Return Of The Bump Squad

10. Count The Days

11. Wasted Kisses

.