What are your thoughts on the ”Emancipation” reissue vinyl box?

Been thinking of getting it for a while, but still not sure if the vinyl format really works for this particular album. The idea of a beautiful vinyl box set is great, but do you think the intended listening experience and original album concept of 3 x 60 mins long pieces is ruined by dividing up the three CDs into 6 LPs and over 12 sides?

I felt the same way as you, but I ended up buying it. And I still have mixed feeling with it. It looks great, and its great to have that artwork blown up in front of you. Listening to it though is where i got annoyed! You do feel like you are constantly getting up to turn the lp over! The sound is good, no issues with that. Its just a matter of personal preference. The listening experience is better suited to cd really. I will get my tin hat on!

might even be better split up like that.

its a lot listening to it in one go.

Soooooo

What's the vinyl tracklist against the cd tracklist?

Is it the same sequence?

Maybe a nice -this vs that- listing.

For example, i'm a complete virgin to Prince music and never heard of this 'Emancipation' record.

nayroo2002 said:

RODSERLING said:

I think there is no point in releasing an album in vinyl, that was especially made for the CD format. My god, 6 vinyls, that s absurd. The object is great, I don't deny it, but it makes the listening really boring to change side every 15 minutes. Albums from 1991 to let s say 2005 are really not fitted for vinyl.

I've never understood this way of thinking, as if it takes so long to flip over a record. Hell, I actually zerostat and brush my records on each side and it doesn't take very long. Taking a break to get up and move is probably what more people need to do in their lives.

I remember it being a big deal (at least to Prince) that each CD was exactly 60 minutes in length. It had something to do with Egyptian research he was doing/into at the time.

When you break that up into LPs . . . sure each LP is 60 minutes, but each side is not exactly 30 minutes.

For those who have the LP, I'm sure it's beautifully done. I just think it's overkill for (one of) Prince's lowest-rated albums.

I used to see many Emancipation 3-CD sets in the used CD bins at that time for probably $10. Now the same material on vinyl is near $100?

peedub said:

nayroo2002 said:

Soooooo

What's the vinyl tracklist against the cd tracklist?

Is it the same sequence?

Maybe a nice -this vs that- listing.

For example, i'm a complete virgin to Prince music and never heard of this 'Emancipation' record.

each side of each disc contains 3 songs. the song sequence is the same as the CDs.

Aha.

So this is a "Prince intended it that way, but we're going to present it this way" deal.

Okay.

Still, noone put a tracklist up in THIS THREAD to initiate/continue this "discussion".

KlyphIsBackAgain said:

nayroo2002 said:

peedub said:

nayroo2002 said: each side of each disc contains 3 songs. the song sequence is the same as the CDs.

Aha.

So this is a "Prince intended it that way, but we're going to present it this way" deal.

Okay.

Still, noone put a tracklist up in THIS THREAD to initiate/continue this "discussion".

Not to be an ass - but if you really wanted the tracklist in the thread how about you google it yourself and post it?

Honestly I don't think Emancipation is that consistent of an album to be enjoyed straight through (for three hours nonetheless) even on CD. I usually stream the album on Tidal and really only spend time on the songs I like.

-

One of the reasons I didn't purchase this (& this goes for most of the Purple Vinyl resissues) is because of the price. Although the better sound and blown up artwork does raise the appeal.

-

I did however recieve Musicology and 3121 as a gift and I spin Musicology quite often.

While it is also broken up into 3 songs per side, its made me appreciate the album a lot more and I respect his sequencing of the album as a whole.

RODSERLING said:

peedub said:

come on....are you actually saying that you only listen to this thing front to back? nobody does that.

The few times I have played it, have been front to back--which is how I listen to all my albums.

Regarding the vinyl release, I agree the album is better suited for its original CD configuration. Maybe if I liked the songs more, I'd invest in the vinyl release for the improved fidelity (and if it was black vinyl), but the cost isn't worth it to me for an album I rank near the bottom of his catalog. And I own the Emancipation Words and Pictures book I bought back in 1996 so I already have the album art in a bigger format too.

I think the only real way to listen to and enjoy this album is with your own Paired Down One Album version, which varies wildly from person to person. Every fan makes thier own definitive version of it.

TheKid94 said:

I'm now streaming all my music from my personal server, but I still like the idea of listening to whole CDs at a time. Listening to 3 songs at a time would be kind of weird, I guess. Especially since this comes from a technical limitation and not from how Prince meant the album to be listened to.

this album has a LOT of filler. but im glad its on vinyl. kind of cool.

id have bought it on LP if it was released like that in 96.

id love to know how he saw this album in later years if anyone knows if he was asked about it at all.

i take the 60 min thing with a pinch of salt. he knew 3 discs would boost sales so wanted to make sure each disc was packed out. thats all it was. and michael bland has said as much on record.

no

I agree, it's gorgeous to look at and and sounds great, but the vinyl set is not what I'd use to listen to the full album from start to finish. I use it more to dip in to certain runs of songs, maybe one of the original 'disc' albums, but it is too faffy to listen to 6 LPs.

its a shame an edited highlights version of the album like what warners did with 1999, never happened.

a vinyl sampler would have been nice even: courtin time, white mansion, cant make u love me, in this bed i scream, one kiss at a time, soul sanctuary, curious child, dreamin about u, joint to joiint, holy river, lets have a baby, the plan, friend lover sister mother wife, sleep around, my computer, one of us, love we make.

perfect.

Discie said:

What are your thoughts on the ”Emancipation” reissue vinyl box?

Been thinking of getting it for a while, but still not sure if the vinyl format really works for this particular album. The idea of a beautiful vinyl box set is great, but do you think the intended listening experience and original album concept of 3 x 60 mins long pieces is ruined by dividing up the three CDs into 6 LPs and over 12 sides?

3 CDs at 60 minutes each wasn't much of a concept. In fact, he padded songs with extra crap to stretch each disc to 60 minutes. It's idiotic. If you like the music of Emancipation then listen to it. If you don't, then take a pass. That "concept" means nothing to a listener. At best it was marketing with a little half-baked numerology thrown in. He knew a portion of his fan base wasn't too bright and this would add to what they perceive as "mystique" or "genius" when it was neither.

KlyphIsBackAgain said:

RODSERLING said:

I think there is no point in releasing an album in vinyl, that was especially made for the CD format. My god, 6 vinyls, that s absurd. The object is great, I don't deny it, but it makes the listening really boring to change side every 15 minutes. Albums from 1991 to let s say 2005 are really not fitted for vinyl.

I've never understood this way of thinking, as if it takes so long to flip over a record. Hell, I actually zerostat and brush my records on each side and it doesn't take very long. Taking a break to get up and move is probably what more people need to do in their lives.

It does rather break the intended flow though.

steakfinger said: