https://www.housequake.co...nkEBNZa45k

The fact that the song has four distinct parts and doesn't follow a generic structure certainly makes it interesting, but I don't think that alone is enough to quallity the song as artisitic or technical masterpiece.

I've seen seeing this floating around the last few days. And everyone has an opinion.

But "Joint 2 Joint" is not the crown jewel of Emancipation. While I don't think there's that one song that sticks out, I do think something like "The Love We Make" is superior to most of the 35 other tracks.

When Prince said he really emptied out on this album, it shows on "Joint 2 Joint." It's a mess in some ways, but it's listenable. It's not horrible by far, not a stinker. But the tap dancing, the rapping, etc. It just goes on and on.

It's one of those songs that feels like it was extended merely for the sake of each disk being 60 minutes (which people seemed to like, but forgot a disk holds 80 minutes of music, so over three disks, you could've had another hour of music).

Anyway, there are a lot of tag endings on songs to extend them. I don't know where J2J's basis ends and the extension begins. It's kinda like the junk drawer in your kitchen. Not worthless, has stuff you can use, but it's mostly a jungle if you ever try to delve in there and find something you need.

i guess its a song that you do have to admire, but its not really that enjoyable or even that interesting to listen to, once you have done it a few times. its a bit of a chore for me. the lyrics are also just uninteresting for a song like this. on paper it sounds weird and enjoyable, but its a bit of a slog. its not like listening to ICNTTPOYM or the longer tracks on 1999 or the extended long take of computer blue, it sounds a bit 'laboured', and it doesnt really 'flow' that easily either. more of a 'curio' than something that impressive. ultimately the song itself just isnt that strong, so all the other stuff stuck on and around it doesnt really impress that much. *shrug*

[Edited 8/16/21 1:31am]

It's very close, in my opinion, the track next to it the Holy River is by far the most excellent track on Emancipation. I do enjoy Joint to Joint though, and Disc 2 I like the best of the 3

it prob is the most experimental 90s rnb song done by a major artist, but it still means you have to listen to rubbish lines like:

Damn, you got the rock to give a brotha cream.

surely prince is meant to be the one with the uh, rock?

savion glover's tap performance/solo is the highlight of the song, which already has many highs.

it's not a 10, no. but I've listened to it very very often. love almost everything about it.

also, the bass in the last part of it is so damn good. it thumps so hard

LILpoundCAKE said:

also, the bass in the last part of it is so damn good. it thumps so hard

I love this song...and that bass is unreal at the end. Its not my absolute fave on Emancipation (that would be The Love We Make), but its definitely a highlight.

Holy River and The Love We Make are pretty special songs.

Joint 2 Joint, Holy River, and TLWM are the 3 songs that make me come back to this album every time - beyond the sentimentality of it all. Yes, J2J is entirely ridiculous and overblown and it includes everything AND the sink. But that's how Prince was on occasion and it's ridiculous and I love it. At least he was trying shit out, which can't exactly be said for much of the material that came after this album.

TrivialPursuit said:

I've seen seeing this floating around the last few days. And everyone has an opinion.

But "Joint 2 Joint" is not the crown jewel of Emancipation. While I don't think there's that one song that sticks out, I do think something like "The Love We Make" is superior to most of the 35 other tracks.

When Prince said he really emptied out on this album, it shows on "Joint 2 Joint." It's a mess in some ways, but it's listenable. It's not horrible by far, not a stinker. But the tap dancing, the rapping, etc. It just goes on and on.

It's one of those songs that feels like it was extended merely for the sake of each disk being 60 minutes (which people seemed to like, but forgot a disk holds 80 minutes of music, so over three disks, you could've had another hour of music).

Anyway, there are a lot of tag endings on songs to extend them. I don't know where J2J's basis ends and the extension begins. It's kinda like the junk drawer in your kitchen. Not worthless, has stuff you can use, but it's mostly a jungle if you ever try to delve in there and find something you need.

Yup.

Love We Make is my fav lyrics out of any song he has ever ever done. That last verse make me shudder everytime.

Joint 2 Joint never hit me as something special...

The song as well as the album for me are a proof for the old saying - "less is more"

Emancipation certainly is an album I revisit much less often than other Prince records...

My personal fave is "Slave"

runningbear said:

It's very close, in my opinion, the track next to it the Holy River is by far the most excellent track on Emancipation. I do enjoy Joint to Joint though, and Disc 2 I like the best of the 3

I used to enjoy disk 1 on its own. Even on a random shuffle, it always came up interesting. Most of disk 2 is enjoyable, although one could think it drags a bit near stuff like "Curious Child" or "Let's Have A Baby."

"Saviour" is also a low-key gem on the record, and I'd probably rate it in my top 3 Emancipation songs.

Not sorry to say disk 3 starts out annoying. The first three tracks I can do without; it was an early version and beginning of his acrylic, flattened production.. I think it's the falsetto. It'd sound better in his regular voice. "Style," "Sleep Around," "My Computer," "The Love We Make" are all stellar tracks, warm production (which makes the precursors to his acrylic production stick out like a sore thumb even more).

Thinking about it, a good EP from the album, instead of "The Holy River," would've been all the covers, with the live studio of "Somebody's Somebody," and maybe something else.

No it's not, it's interesting but definitely not the crown jewel, lyrics pretty much non sensical.

However, the ending funky part after the dah dah dah's sounds cool and is too short, it would have made a cool song all in itself, such a cool beat!

The Love We Make, One Kiss At A Time, Soul Sanctuary and Saviour are the crown jewels IMO.

The article states the author only discovered the music of Prince in 2015, and has only recently discovered this album, it's almost impossible to judge at that stage - enough said!

[Edited 8/16/21 10:46am]

I like this song. I never noticed how long the song was until this article came out.

It's also got a good message not to suck on Bic pens - that ink can get everywhere!

LILpoundCAKE said:

it has a few good bits but overall its just tedious

the real crown jewels of emancipation are -

the love we make

i cant make u love me

the holy river

once of us

Soul Sanctuary and Slave are the best IMO. With these two songs you have the excellent falsetto voice and then you have to fantastic low voice on Slave. Best of both worlds!!

Emancipation album is Prince's best work in the 90's post WB.

kewlschool said:

Emancipation album is Prince's best work in the 90's post WB.

it is.

but also just unlistenable as a block of music.

It's ok, but not even close to making it onto my single disc version of Emancipation. So many better songs on the set for my ears.

TheEnglishGent said:

It's ok, but not even close to making it onto my single disc version of Emancipation. So many better songs on the set for my ears.

That would be a cool thread...