TheEnglishGent said:

The whole album sounds great to me, to say the sound quality is sub par is just wrong. There may be some clicks on a track, which I fortunately haven't heard but to read some of the comments makes this sounds like some sub par bootleg.

I do understand that anyone who hears the clicks would be disapointed and it would be nice to get some comment from the estate on this matter.

But let's not pretend that everything was perfect when Prince was around. I don't understand the expectation that everything would be perfect now that he's gone.

To be honest, I love this album. What got me is that the flaws on first listen were so unexpected. After several listens, I'm enjoying the album as is. It would have been nice for a heads up though.

CAL3 said:

There’s something wrong with everything they put it out. It’s shameful. It’s an embarrassment.

Hard not to agree with straight facts like that

FunkyStrange said:

CAL3 said:

There’s something wrong with everything they put it out. It’s shameful. It’s an embarrassment.

Hard not to agree with straight facts like that

Yea I won't preorder anymore. I love the album, and the Blu-ray is an absolute joy. The packaging is tremendous as well, but there is no excuse for the sound issues, and not just because they haven't given one. For the Estate to just keep it moving like nothing is wrong is deceptive, and an insult to the fans. It's a shame, because Prince turned out an incredible album and concert(s). It's not enough for them to talk about what a responsibility it is to do right by Prince, they actually have to do it. He's too important to be getting it wrong like this.

zobilamouche said:

Kares said:

It is entirely possible that Morris's arrangements only survived on a couple of CDRs he burned back then (remember, poor guy had his studio burned down a few years ago!), therefore even though the the Estate has the analog multitracks, those only contain Prince's original, bare recordings.

That's what I was thinking as well; to do this in a perfect way he will probably need to start from scratch. And maybe there is an in between stage where Prince already made a mix (on computer) and that particular version was the source for Morris? We don't know how many gaps there are between the tapings and Morris receiving material to work on.

And the tapes with the arrangement on top may have been destroyed in Morris' fire also, leaving only Prince's part on tape in the vault.

WHATEVER THE REASON, I HEARD IT TOO

embmmusic said:

Well I never was a pre orderer, but perhaps I should have, can you find Welcome 2 America in a Walmart? Been checking limited CDs available at Walmarts in small Canadian cities, no luck yet. Did pick up Originals and Purple Rain SE at Walmart shortly after release. Missing record stores!

runningbear said:

Well I never was a pre orderer, but perhaps I should have, can you find Welcome 2 America in a Walmart? Been checking limited CDs available at Walmarts in small Canadian cities, no luck yet. Did pick up Originals and Purple Rain SE at Walmart shortly after release. Missing record stores!

Try Target. Target always carries the Prince items, I think they have a deal with the Estate.

holy shit, did they actually hype up this unreleased album and then put it out with audio issues? Classic Prince estate

PennyPurple said:

runningbear said:

Well I never was a pre orderer, but perhaps I should have, can you find Welcome 2 America in a Walmart? Been checking limited CDs available at Walmarts in small Canadian cities, no luck yet. Did pick up Originals and Purple Rain SE at Walmart shortly after release. Missing record stores!

Try Target. Target always carries the Prince items, I think they have a deal with the Estate.

Target was in Canada for a couple years about a decade ago, but it did not fly, not even sure if there are any Targets anymore her, not in my province

RODSERLING said:

The whole album is terrible to listen to. It s definitely tiring for the ears. Doesn't sound organic to me at all. If you compare, 20Ten is a joy to listen to and sounds crystal clesr. The track with the better sound is the eponym track to me. At least it s not that loud than the rest of the album. Very well bad mixed anyway, I think Bernie Grundman just got a check to have his name on it, and that's all. [Edited 8/6/21 21:38pm]

Have not had this experience AT ALL..

Maybe you're listening to the CD.... maybe that is brickwalled? I don't know, but I thought I'd read somewhere that it wasn't.

Anyway, I'm listening on the vinyl (and my needledrop of same) and this album (glitching issues aside, which are FAR less prevalent on the vinyl than they are on the CD) sounds great!

And saying stuff like 'Bernie Grundman just took the money and ran' is nigh-on libellous. Totally troll-like and full of ish.

[Edited 8/7/21 7:26am]

DarkKnight1 said:

Shit, I used to pay $30 an album for boots with one unreleased or alternative mix of a track. Take my MF’n money for a Prince album of almost all unreleased material in this kickass packaging. The audio concerns are like complaining about 1 cherry missing on a banana split. I feel fortunate to have this set. Hella better than what I used to pay for a horrible version of “big tall wall” in the 90s. Lol.

Well put. The spoiled and privileged nature of some of the Org is ridiculous. We just received a new "buried" album from an American Master...for $10. 😂

DarkKnight1 said:

Shit, I used to pay $30 an album for boots with one unreleased or alternative mix of a track. Take my MF’n money for a Prince album of almost all unreleased material in this kickass packaging. The audio concerns are like complaining about 1 cherry missing on a banana split. I feel fortunate to have this set. Hella better than what I used to pay for a horrible version of “big tall wall” in the 90s. Lol.

Co-sign.

RODSERLING said:

Doesn't sound organic to me at all. If you compare, 20Ten is a joy to listen to and sounds crystal clear.

I agree with this point 100%, I just can not understand people saying this is a great 'live sounding' organic album.. I just don't hear that at all, and as sterile and digital as 20ten is, I still hear more of an 'organic' sound than I do from W2A

DarkKnight1 said:

Shit, I used to pay $30 an album for boots with one unreleased or alternative mix of a track. Take my MF’n money for a Prince album of almost all unreleased material in this kickass packaging. The audio concerns are like complaining about 1 cherry missing on a banana split. I feel fortunate to have this set. Hella better than what I used to pay for a horrible version of “big tall wall” in the 90s. Lol.

This isn't a bootleg - it's an official product where a modicum of effort would have ensured something approximating perfect sound quality.

VaultCurator said:

TheEnglishGent said:

I think VC is just asking for transparency from the estate. Personally, I'd rather it was released as it is, if the alternative is to not have it at all.

Hi EnglishGent,

Indeed. Let me be clear. I'm not saying that material that is not in perfect condition should remain unreleased. At the same time I think that every effort should be made to try and avoid these issues, and where it can't be helped the fans should know what they are spending their money on in advance.

I think releases like this should have a sticker placed on with a disclaimer along the lines of...

"Mastered from the best available source. Every effort has been made to present this material in the best sound quality that can be achieved. Due to the method of which this recording was preserved this release contains minor audio defects."

Blu-rays that are sourced from less than great but best available sources usually have such a disclaimer, however often it's not on the packaging and the buyer doesn't know till they pop it in the player.

grantevans said:

Musicality transcends sounds. I get a bit tired from all the analyses of sound spectrums etc. I am an analog person who can deal with some pop and crackle or watching a band in less than perfect acoustics....

I'm glad you have low standards. You are clearly happy about it and it helps you enjoy things as they are when they could and should be better. To people with ears it's like buying a brand new car with a dent. It'll still get you where you're going, but you paid for that shit. It should be as good as it can be. I personally haven't heard the issues because I've only listen to it once. Most of the songs are so awful that I stopped giving it my complete attention. The Soul Asylum cover is somehow worse than Jughead. In this case the record is so bad that I don't notice the sound quality.

TheEnglishGent said:

bluegangsta said:

They'd have the multitracks.

If the clicks exist in Prince's original release of same page, wouldn't that suggest that the multi tracks have the clicks? Why is the assumption always something the estate have done wrong, rather than it being an inherent problem in the original recordings?

No. It would be exceedingly unlikely for there to be digital pops on analog tape.