It's been fun to listen to it again, for sure, but I don't think it's increased my appreciation, though it may have renewed it a little. SOTT is certainly one of Prince's magnum opuses, but I have to admit that some of the snobbery of Prince fandom tends to align with preference for this album, so I hadn't listened to it in awhile for that reason. Blocking out all of the nuisance of the fan community and just listening to the album has reminded me why I love it. It's a top-5 Prince album for me, and will likely remain that way.

It's always been one of his top three albums for me, and it's great to finally hear a good sounding version of it on CD, but having listened to all of the SDE release it's pretty clear that he rounded up the best songs he had at the time for the finished album.

Nasalhair said:

It's always been one of his top three albums for me, and it's great to finally hear a good sounding version of it on CD, but having listened to all of the SDE release it's pretty clear that he rounded up the best songs he had at the time for the finished album.

I don't know if I'd agree that all the best songs made the cut. Don't think anyone could seriously argue that "It" is superior to All My Dreams, Wally, Adonis & Bathsheba, Love & Sex, Cosmic Day or Eggplant.

[Edited 10/19/20 6:42am]

MattyJam said:

Nasalhair said:

It's always been one of his top three albums for me, and it's great to finally hear a good sounding version of it on CD, but having listened to all of the SDE release it's pretty clear that he rounded up the best songs he had at the time for the finished album.

I don't know if I'd agree that all the best songs made the cut. Don't think anyone could seriously argue that "It" is superior to All My Dreams, Wally, Adonis & Bathsheba, Love & Sex, Cosmic Day or Eggplant.

[Edited 10/19/20 6:42am]

I have loved this album since day one back in 87. I didn't think it was possible to appreciate it more until now, with this package. It is amazing so many top tunes where left in the vault from this era...but at the same time I wouldn't change a thing from the actual album. I do think the best songs made the cut.

Hard to compare 'It' to any of those songs you mentioned. Like so many of us...we all have our faves. 'It' happens to be one of my fave songs on the album. I do absolutely LOVE Adonis and Batheshba, and when I first heard it thought it should've been on there instead of Slow Love. BUT then this set came out, and Slow Love sounds so amazing...there is no way I would replace it with anything. Walking in Glory is another one. But we already have The Cross, which is another essential Prince track imo, so don't think WIG would fit. As many ways I try to cut, I end up realizing its really is perfect the way it is.

Sign of The times is my favorite Prince album so to have it remastered is a real treat for me, but I don't really think any more of it really. Because I already love it.

Nah

The remastering really does take it up a notch - the existing version was so flat sounding. But I do think there was an even better album he could have assembled. Agree that tracks like IT and GBABN could have been replaced with stronger options.

IGBABN is probably my most played track off this album.

the remastering is AWFUL .. tubby .. absolutely not how prince of 87 wanted his music to sound .. maybe hit n run prince but not sott prince .. i wish they would stop this wretched remastering trend .. there is a reason prince albums USED TO sound great on every single kind of stereo .. now they sound like shit unless ur on a phone .. as for track selection .. sott really was the most universally appealing tracklist .. i love crystal ball but it would be a bit much for the lets go crazy fans .. he clearly cut the more challenging and interesting music and kept with just unstoppable pop mastery .. thats not to say what he cut was bad in any way .. very enjoyable .. it just would have pushed him more in the quirky parade zone of less popular .. but to some .. his best work

Not really for SOTT, But for Prince, and for the 1982 - 1987 period, for everything that was and could have been. It will keep us talking forever about possibilities.

ABSOLUTELY. Of course, I knew it was a great album, one of his best. However, the remaster did wonders. I hadn't listened in many years mainy b/c the better my system became...the more revealing,, the more this shitty sound would be exposed. The remaster has fixed this - completely. I am listening to everything with different ears. It sounds so damn good and the improvement on the vocals is so good that I'm finding so many new sounds, inflections, nuances...truly amazing. I'll say that it sounds like I had a bootlget of the SOTT album and now i have the released version. It is that good.

There is another perspective from which I appreciate the album more. When I realize how deep the vault of songs was at thsi time, when I realize he elected to shelve All My Dreams, Eggplant Large Room, Walk in Glory and other gems...I realize how committed he was to putting an album together as a whole piece. I think Num23 said it best, he didn't look at an album as a collection of his best ...he saw an album of a collection of most relevant songs...songs that weaved together best. He always saw the whole picture. WOWOw. This guy was an artist all the way and I truly doubt we'll see another like him.

TrevorAyer said:

the remastering is AWFUL .. tubby .. absolutely not how prince of 87 wanted his music to sound .. maybe hit n run prince but not sott prince .. i wish they would stop this wretched remastering trend .. there is a reason prince albums USED TO sound great on every single kind of stereo .. now they sound like shit unless ur on a phone .. as for track selection .. sott really was the most universally appealing tracklist .. i love crystal ball but it would be a bit much for the lets go crazy fans .. he clearly cut the more challenging and interesting music and kept with just unstoppable pop mastery .. thats not to say what he cut was bad in any way .. very enjoyable .. it just would have pushed him more in the quirky parade zone of less popular .. but to some .. his best work

my goodness, how can you possibly be more wrong. Do you understand that great sound does not mean it sounds great on a Beats Pill? If you really believe SOTT was supp to sound thin, flat and w/o any dynamic range...then I would say, you likely don't care about sound quality and certainly don't appreciate it.

TrevorAyer said:

It's my favorite Prince album of the 80's and probably of all time. I appreciate it more due to the incredible remaster and vault tracks. I got the deluxe CD version, and I'm enjoying the book a lot.

[Edited 10/19/20 10:44am]

many of the bootlegs sound better than the remastered outtakes .. on the 1999 deluxe someone turned the bass up on all the new mixes too .. its like somebody said .. prince didn't have enough bass before so we will just fix that a little .. prince mix is supposed to pop thru your speakers .. not give you warm fuzzy soft rawk bass tones .. yeesh .. i wish at least they wouldn't mess with the outtakes but no .. everything needs to be flattened so you can make ur stoopid playlists on yr phone with cardi b and prince and not change the volume .. and jesus .. why would anyone ever remaster the vinyl .. its baffling .. its like trying to brighten up dorothy parker or taking the distortion off his voice on girlfriend .. leave it the fuk alone plzzzz

TrevorAyer said:

Most definitely! Listening with a whole different frame of reference. Totally loving this SOTT LP even more than I did 33 years ago.

MattyJam said:

Nasalhair said:

It's always been one of his top three albums for me, and it's great to finally hear a good sounding version of it on CD, but having listened to all of the SDE release it's pretty clear that he rounded up the best songs he had at the time for the finished album.

I don't know if I'd agree that all the best songs made the cut. Don't think anyone could seriously argue that "It" is superior to All My Dreams, Wally, Adonis & Bathsheba, Love & Sex, Cosmic Day or Eggplant.

[Edited 10/19/20 6:42am]

I like "It" a lot more than most of those... I also like "It" more than a good 7 songs on Sign o' the Times.

"It" is a brilliant piece of minimalism with hyperfocus on that carnal groove.

The creative process it's what has made me appreciate more, however I do think it could have been a much better album. Shockadelica, Wally, WTDOMC, La, La, Good Love, Walkin In Glory and Big Tall Wall should have made the cut.

RODSERLING said:

In fact my appréciation decreased !
I thought naively that Prince did the songs alone, but the book is all About " 11 songs out of 16 actually involved the Révolution "

datdude said:

jaawwnn said:

IGBABN is probably my most played track off this album.

Me too. Such a jam.

RODSERLING said:

In fact my appréciation decreased !
I thought naively that Prince did the songs alone, but the book is all About " 11 songs out of 16 actually involved the Révolution "
.
The demos are really cool in itselves, but I m fed up listening to the songs with different versio s.
.
So when I will listening to the album again, I will skip Strange relationship, 4ever in my life, etc.
[Edited 10/19/20 21:35pm]

MattyJam said:

RODSERLING said:

In fact my appréciation decreased !
I thought naively that Prince did the songs alone, but the book is all About " 11 songs out of 16 actually involved the Révolution "

Just because The Revolution were involved, doesn't mean Prince wasn't the primary songwriter for most of the material or at the very least heavily involved in the curation of every track.

datdude said:

havent listened to the remaster yet. I need some good headphones to do so in but honestly the outtakes I've heard have underwhelmed me severely and again made me appreciate him as an editor. I'm hopeful something will be my choice to replace IGBABN. All else on sign is great as is for me. Even It and Slow Love

How many times have you heard the outtakes? Some of them are definitely growers.
[Edited 10/20/20 7:36am]

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Now, more than ever, I started to like

'It''

and

''U Got The Look''

And that thanks to the remastering.

''It'' is such an under rated wonderful song...

(could also be that I spend $$ on a splendid Sehnheizer headphones)

My god, that sound imroved soooo much !

-

So ''It'' and ''U Got The Look'' are on repeat,

together with ''ICNTTPOYourMan''.

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