Se7en said:

EmmaMcG said:

I personally never liked the album. A few good songs, but nothing great, and some truly horrific songs put this album amongst my least favourite Prince albums. I disagree regarding SoulAlive's take on it being "dated" though. I don't understand that as a criticism at all. All the best music sounds "dated" because most of it is old. Diamonds and Pearls isn't bad because it's dated. It's just bad.

"Gett Off," "Willing and Able," "Money" and "Insatiable" don't sound dated to me. But many of the tunes don't hold up well because he seemed to be trying to catch up to the sounds of the day. The common denominator in most of the tracks I skip is Tony M.

Poplife88 said:

I love songs from D&P...but as an album, I agree, isn't aging well at all.

Classic:

D&P (schmaltzy yes, but will always LOVE Rosie's vocals on this)

Gett Off

Willing & Able

Walk Don't Walk

Runners up:

Thunder

Cream

Money Don't Matter...

The rest, eh...

Well, it's a very good album actually.

SoulAlive said:

I still like it but a lot of it now sounds really dated.Same with many other early-90s albums.

Never really understood that argument. If anything that's a good thing, today's "music" is crap

EmmaMcG said:

I personally never liked the album. A few good songs, but nothing great, and some truly horrific songs put this album amongst my least favourite Prince albums. I disagree regarding SoulAlive's take on it being "dated" though. I don't understand that as a criticism at all. All the best music sounds "dated" because most of it is old. Diamonds and Pearls isn't bad because it's dated. It's just bad.

I like the album, don't love it. But god I wish Prince never put Jughead on that album

I think if you take out "Jughead" & "Push" and replace it with "Schoolyard" & "Violet the Organ Grinder" it would be a better album

According to Wikipedia -

One of the earliest songs that ended up on Diamonds and Pearls was "Live 4 Love", a track from 1989.^[11] The bulk of the material would be composed in 1990, however. A few songs evolved during Prince's Nude Tour in 1990, notably "The Flow" and "Schoolyard". Prince decided to place an emphasis on rap with this album, handing the reins over to Nude Tour dancer, Tony M. An early version of the album from November 1990^[12] consisted of the following:

1. "The Flow"
2. "Daddy Pop"
3. "Diamonds and Pearls"
4. "Cream"
5. "Strollin'"
6. "Willing and Able"
7. "Violet the Organ Grinder"
8. "Walk Don't Walk"
9. "Horny Pony" - unreleased version
10. "Money Don't Matter 2 Nite"
11. "Something Funky (This House Comes)"
12. "Schoolyard"
13. "Live 4 Love"

Most of these songs went through minor to major revisions before being released, and five of them did not make the cut at all. The five songs that were omitted from the album are "The Flow", "Violet the Organ Grinder", "Horny Pony", "Something Funky (This House Comes)", and "Schoolyard". "The Flow" would be revised for the Love Symbol Album. A later version of the album had "Horny Pony" in the place of "Gett Off", a newly written track that replaced it at the last minute. In fact, "Horny Pony" still exists on the track listing, written in red over "Gett Off", and is mentioned in the lyrics to "Push".

kpowers said:

SoulAlive said:

I still like it but a lot of it now sounds really dated.Same with many other early-90s albums.

Never really understood that argument. If anything that's a good thing, today's "music" is crap

I thought it sounded dated when it came out. Just really conventional in terms of pop music at the time, not pushing any boundaries in terms of production or songwriting style.

Basically this was your parents' first Prince album.

[Edited 8/7/20 2:35am]

dustoff said:

kpowers said:

Never really understood that argument. If anything that's a good thing, today's "music" is crap

I thought it sounded dated when it came out. Just really conventional in terms of pop music at the time, not pushing any boundaries in terms of production or songwriting style.

Basically this was your parents' first Prince album.

[Edited 8/7/20 2:35am]

Not sure what you mean?

kpowers said:

dustoff said:

I thought it sounded dated when it came out. Just really conventional in terms of pop music at the time, not pushing any boundaries in terms of production or songwriting style.

Basically this was your parents' first Prince album.

Not sure what you mean?

Sorry, maybe a bad way of saying that I found D&P to be in line with what, to my ears at the time, sounded like a kind of adult-contemporary style of R&B/Pop: over-produced, respectable, safe, a bit stale. There was nothing raw or spontaneous about it, even a song called "Cream" seems like one of his most formulaic and dull to me. I get what he was going for with D&P, and it was a success as far as I can tell, but I -- who was hoping that Batman and Grafitti Bridge were aberrations, and that Prince would return to something a bit wilder -- was and still am a little disappointed with it.

For that reason I was more into the Love Symbol album, even 'My Name is Prince'. The weirdness and range of it felt refreshing. Don't know if that album is aging all that well either, but maybe for different reasons.

I love this album. It's a classsic record. I also like listening to the November 1990 configuration that leaked long ago. It's nice to hear the evolution of these tracks.

kpowers said:

lust said:

Someone tell me damn it!

Well, I find it hard to believe you are bored with songs Anthony Keidis, then of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame, labelled the funkiest songs he'd ever heard, in a no way contractually obligated fashion, for the Diamonds and Pearls tour book/merchandise.

I can't see being a big Prince fan and actually disliking Diamonds and Pearls. Yes, its sound is somewhat dated to the very-early 1990s, it's too long (like all early-90s' albums), and it's blatantly commercial, as Prince had to show his commercial oomph to Warners again before his new contract.

But it's also a very, very listenable record, maybe the 2nd or 3rd-strongest set of melodies he ever came up with. I mean, in terms of melody, this album is way over records like Dirty Mind, 1999, or Lovesexy. The arrangements are kinda keyboard-heavy if you're more into the rock stuff, but I don't need to hear that all the time.

'Jughead' was awful and 'Push' isn't very good. But the other 11 tracks are all good to great (just could've been a bit shorter):

Thunder -- Great song, just a tad long.

Daddy Pop -- Great song, if totally 1991.

Diamonds & Pearls -- I love this song. One of his greatest-ever melodies.

Cream -- Not one of my personal favorites, but very fun and a US #1.

Strollin' -- Absolutely fantastic tune. As great as anything The Stylistics did.

Willing and Able -- Good song, good tune... (just a little too long, again).

Gett Off -- Absolutely fantastic tune/single. A classic.

Walk Don't Walk -- Great song, and nice and short.

Money Don't Matter 2Night -- Absolutely fantastic. A classic.

Insatiable -- Okay R&B slow-jam, just too long.

Live 4 Love -- Okay, just way too long.


Fabulous record all things considered, just a bit dated in sounds and some songs are too long.

dustoff said:

kpowers said:

Not sure what you mean?

Sorry, maybe a bad way of saying that I found D&P to be in line with what, to my ears at the time, sounded like a kind of adult-contemporary style of R&B/Pop: over-produced, respectable, safe, a bit stale. There was nothing raw or spontaneous about it, even a song called "Cream" seems like one of his most formulaic and dull to me. I get what he was going for with D&P, and it was a success as far as I can tell, but I -- who was hoping that Batman and Grafitti Bridge were aberrations, and that Prince would return to something a bit wilder -- was and still am a little disappointed with it.

For that reason I was more into the Love Symbol album, even 'My Name is Prince'. The weirdness and range of it felt refreshing. Don't know if that album is aging all that well either, but maybe for different reasons.

I think Get off was an edgy song, especialy the video

kpowers said:

dustoff said:

Sorry, maybe a bad way of saying that I found D&P to be in line with what, to my ears at the time, sounded like a kind of adult-contemporary style of R&B/Pop: over-produced, respectable, safe, a bit stale. There was nothing raw or spontaneous about it, even a song called "Cream" seems like one of his most formulaic and dull to me. I get what he was going for with D&P, and it was a success as far as I can tell, but I -- who was hoping that Batman and Grafitti Bridge were aberrations, and that Prince would return to something a bit wilder -- was and still am a little disappointed with it.

For that reason I was more into the Love Symbol album, even 'My Name is Prince'. The weirdness and range of it felt refreshing. Don't know if that album is aging all that well either, but maybe for different reasons.

I think Get off was an edgy song, especialy the video

I agree, Gett Off isn't bad. I don't really think of D&P as a bad album in general, just one that feels a bit flat, a bit 'meh.' The assless chaps were fun, but the less said about the Game Boyz the better, IMHO.

I think you could argue it was his first album that dropped any sense of mystery. Everything was right on the surface.

lust said:

homesquid said:

Because you've grown to be a miserablly unhappy prick....u, kidding I don;t know you.

It may just be a phase. Different Prince eras coem and go for me. In fact there's been times where I've sold some cds thinking I didn't like them anymore..only to buy them back!

Are you sure you don’t know me?

ThePanther said:

I can't see being a big Prince fan and actually disliking Diamonds and Pearls. Yes, its sound is somewhat dated to the very-early 1990s, it's too long (like all early-90s' albums), and it's blatantly commercial, as Prince had to show his commercial oomph to Warners again before his new contract.

But it's also a very, very listenable record, maybe the 2nd or 3rd-strongest set of melodies he ever came up with. I mean, in terms of melody, this album is way over records like Dirty Mind, 1999, or Lovesexy. The arrangements are kinda keyboard-heavy if you're more into the rock stuff, but I don't need to hear that all the time.

'Jughead' was awful and 'Push' isn't very good. But the other 11 tracks are all good to great (just could've been a bit shorter):

Thunder -- Great song, just a tad long.

Daddy Pop -- Great song, if totally 1991.

Diamonds & Pearls -- I love this song. One of his greatest-ever melodies.

Cream -- Not one of my personal favorites, but very fun and a US #1.

Strollin' -- Absolutely fantastic tune. As great as anything The Stylistics did.

Willing and Able -- Good song, good tune... (just a little too long, again).

Gett Off -- Absolutely fantastic tune/single. A classic.

Walk Don't Walk -- Great song, and nice and short.

Money Don't Matter 2Night -- Absolutely fantastic. A classic.

Insatiable -- Okay R&B slow-jam, just too long.

Live 4 Love -- Okay, just way too long.


Fabulous record all things considered, just a bit dated in sounds and some songs are too long.

Agree with your views on those songs.

dustoff said:

kpowers said:

I think Get off was an edgy song, especialy the video

I agree, Gett Off isn't bad. I don't really think of D&P as a bad album in general, just one that feels a bit flat, a bit 'meh.' The assless chaps were fun, but the less said about the Game Boyz the better, IMHO.

Yeah I "like" the album, Is it my favorite?? no. I think it would have been a better Album if Prince took out "Jughead" & "Push" and replaced them with "Schoolyard" & "Violet the Organ grinder".

Phase3 said:

Idk if this has been mentioned but part of the reason why I wanted this album was for the album cover art.That holographic pic of Prince in between diamond and pearl is beautiful to me.To this day still one of my favorite album covers.

Yeah the early 90's, that was big in sport cards. I can only think of Prince having a holographic album cover.

ThePanther said:

I can't see being a big Prince fan and actually disliking Diamonds and Pearls. Yes, its sound is somewhat dated to the very-early 1990s, it's too long (like all early-90s' albums), and it's blatantly commercial, as Prince had to show his commercial oomph to Warners again before his new contract.

But it's also a very, very listenable record, maybe the 2nd or 3rd-strongest set of melodies he ever came up with. I mean, in terms of melody, this album is way over records like Dirty Mind, 1999, or Lovesexy. The arrangements are kinda keyboard-heavy if you're more into the rock stuff, but I don't need to hear that all the time.

'Jughead' was awful and 'Push' isn't very good. But the other 11 tracks are all good to great (just could've been a bit shorter):

Thunder -- Great song, just a tad long.

Daddy Pop -- Great song, if totally 1991.

Diamonds & Pearls -- I love this song. One of his greatest-ever melodies.

Cream -- Not one of my personal favorites, but very fun and a US #1.

Strollin' -- Absolutely fantastic tune. As great as anything The Stylistics did.

Willing and Able -- Good song, good tune... (just a little too long, again).

Gett Off -- Absolutely fantastic tune/single. A classic.

Walk Don't Walk -- Great song, and nice and short.

Money Don't Matter 2Night -- Absolutely fantastic. A classic.

Insatiable -- Okay R&B slow-jam, just too long.

Live 4 Love -- Okay, just way too long.


Fabulous record all things considered, just a bit dated in sounds and some songs are too long.

I pretty much agree with you. Though "Push" is awful. I really like "Live 4 Love". "Insatiable" reminds me of "Scandalous" which is also a Okay R&B slow-jam, just too long.

MendesCity said:

I think you could argue it was his first album that dropped any sense of mystery. Everything was right on the surface.

Yeah, that's a good way of putting it.

lust said:

Someone tell me damn it!