Hopefully this can be a new thread and not merged since it is specific.

***** classic, perfect

**** Very good. Among his best

*** A solid album. Some great songs, a couple duds

** Mediocre. A couple keeps.

* Poor. Just a complete failure. Should've stayed in the vault.

My score is **1/2 (2.5 stars)

Some good songs. About as many mediocre ones though. Check The Record the best. It's good. I like that it feels like a themeatic record. Hot Summer DOES NOT fit.

Honestly, I wish they had picked a bunch of truly great songs and put out a great album with all the hype this is getting. I just don't think people are going to be impressed by and large. Hope I'm wrong.

This release is about as good as Michael Jackson's "Michael" album except Prince's doesn't have three fake songs! Michael fans know what I mean.

**** Very good. Among his best

First listen, i like it a lot!

A very solid 4 star from me.

I like everything song, listen all the way through and don't skip anything. On a Prince album there's usually one or two songs that I really don't like and only a few albums where I'm never reaching for the skip button. That isn't the case here. I'm very happy with it. Not up there with SOTT, Purple Rain, Gold Experience or any of my other favourite albums but I feel that it sits nicely below that five star tier.

Three stars

I had pretty low expectations but it's better than I thought it would be, I assume Hot Summer was meant to be on this album otherwise why it would appear if everyone already heard it

Not more than 2 stars. I really don't like it. Definitely far from his best work. It should have stayed in the vault.

To be awkward, 3 and half stars. Could move to 4 in time.

** 2 stars, underwhelming

3.5

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The melodies, lyrics, and sequencing are great. I just prefer Prince productions to be a little bit more weird in terms of sonics. This album's tone is a bit too traditional for me.

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All of that said, it's so nice to have new Prince music. It's rare the genius that can speak across space and time to give you the music/message we need a decade later.

A solid 3 stars from me. I went in thinking I would not like it because I didn't care for his "political" songs later in his career. However, I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked most of this album! I think the worst 2 songs are the 2 songs they released as singles, "Welcome 2 America" (oddly similiar to the awful song, "The war", thank goodness it wasn't 26 minutes long ) and "Hot summer". I really liked "Check the record"!!

** Mediocre. A couple keeps.

OperatingThetan said:

3.8 stars. My first listen I wasn't sure. By the second- third time, I just fell in love with the album. It sounded completely more like a group effort than many Prince albums. The sound and feel of the album is consistent thruout, meaning it doesn't feel like a bunch of songs forced 2gether. Most of the lyrics can be seen as basic or 4 me I see it as just more to the point. A lot of good songs on here IMO. #1. I like listening 2 it and that's what really does it 4 me. #2. I don't think it sounds like any other album that he's put out and I like that about it. #3. Even though he's complaining about a bunch of stuff, it doesn't come across as overly bitter, and maybe that's because I feel that the great music kind of looms over the vocals in a way. If u don't like this version of When She Comes, well that's ya bizniz but I think its bad-ass. I feel the same way about 1000 Light Years

cfluid said:

3.8 stars. My first listen I wasn't sure. By the second- third time, I just fell in love with the album. It sounded completely more like a group effort than many Prince albums. The sound and feel of the album is consistent thruout, meaning it doesn't feel like a bunch of songs forced 2gether. Most of the lyrics can be seen as basic or 4 me I see it as just more to the point. A lot of good songs on here IMO. #1. I like listening 2 it and that's what really does it 4 me. #2. I don't think it sounds like any other album that he's put out and I like that about it. #3. Even though he's complaining about a bunch of stuff, it doesn't come across as overly bitter, and maybe that's because I feel that the great music kind of looms over the vocals in a way. If u don't like this version of When She Comes, well that's ya bizniz but I think its bad-ass. I feel the same way about 1000 Light Years

Nice one. You have explained my feelings towards it. I feel the same way but you have put it out much better than i could.

RODSERLING said:

How could you rate an album that is just w nt to be released? Nonsense. Here in France it s not released yet.

Amazon France say it's out today.

https://www.amazon.fr/Wel...amp;sr=8-2

skywalker said:

It's rare the genius that can speak across space and time to give you the music/message we need a decade later.

[Edited 7/30/21 8:25am]

It's not rare if all you sing about are valence issues in the form of half-baked bumper sticker slogans like Prince does.

Very disappointing. Lyrically VERY lazy. Phoned-in. Not his worst, but far from his best. Jughead is better than that damned Soul Asylum tune. Completely vapid.

jhon00 said:

Not enough FUNK! Funny FUNK. Cool Funk. Nasty Funk. Dirty Funk. Raw Funk.

Agreed. But in all honesty, I gave up waiting for hard hitting funk from Prince a long time ago. Nowadays I just listen to whatever new Prince music there is on offer without too many expectations. I listen to what I like and I skip the rest. Works for me. But yeah, a full on kick-ass funk Prince album would be great obviously!

I give the new album 2 and half stars BTW.

You need to be more careful with your words OP. "Among his best" would not equal 4 stars now, would it?

It'a a fine album, about as good as 20Ten. It gets a 'yes' from me. The X Factor gets a 'no' from everyone. And it's definitely better than his five worst albums Goldnigga, Chocolate Invasion, Slaughterhouse, C-Note, Xpectation.