I don't know how Come is explicity weird. It's not. It's overtly sexual, if anything. It starts with come and ends with an orgasm, while facing many emotions (or experiences) like racism, animalistic lust, corporate slavery, love and more. Come has it's amazing moments. The epic title track, the mellow beauty of "Space," the funk workout of "Race," the balls out jam of "Pheromone" (which feels like a sister song to the title track), some EDM meets NIN of "Loose!" the personal "Papa." Plus, the timely (for him) talk about Warners in "Letitgo." It always seemed he was just sick and tired of being sick and tired by the time he recorded "Letitgo." I think something like "I Wanna Melt With U" would fit quite well on Come.

I did a remix album of Come called Come Again. I reworked parts of it, did new segues, and it comes in 4 seconds shorter than the original. I like both versions equally.

The Gold Experience is a whole other story. It's brighter, crisper, more layered, thicker. I love it's rock edge with "Endorphinmachine," "Dolphin," it's funkiness with "Now," "P Control," it's dirty funk like "319," and it's power ballads, "Gold," "Shhh," and "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World." It's so wide and varied. I can't stand "Shy," and I've taken it out of my playlist, and re-segued the spaces between. (I will fite u)

They're two very specific times in Prince's life, it seems. Yet recorded around the same time. I think they're equally stellar albums, but TGE may win out by a hair, simply because there's more of it.

Come

really?

The Gold Experience. I think it has a great mixture of ballads, funk and pop. It seems much more thought out than Come.

It's a double album.

Duh!

It's a tough choice for me, both albums are really incredible with some really high quality tracks. However, overall I prefer Come slightly over TGE...I've always loved the Dark hypnotic grooves and mysterious vibes on Come. I'm a little curious which album fans prefer, from what I've seen here before I think it may be split about 50/50

Over time I have come to appreciate Come more than TGE. TGE won me over initially with its' energetic, polished and bombastic songs and production style. But now I feel like Come is less 'in your face' and more subdued in nature, which I seem to prefer apparently these days.

TrivialPursuit said:

I don't know how Come is explicity weird. It's not. It's overtly sexual, if anything. It starts with come and ends with an orgasm, while facing many emotions (or experiences) like racism, animalistic lust, corporate slavery, love and more. Come has it's amazing moments. The epic title track, the mellow beauty of "Space," the funk workout of "Race," the balls out jam of "Pheromone" (which feels like a sister song to the title track), some EDM meets NIN of "Loose!" the personal "Papa." Plus, the timely (for him) talk about Warners in "Letitgo." It always seemed he was just sick and tired of being sick and tired by the time he recorded "Letitgo." I think something like "I Wanna Melt With U" would fit quite well on Come.

Pheromone is has some pretty weird lyrics. It's voyeurism meets S&M:

. I want to save her (save her)
. I want to watch (watch)
. All my vital signs go up a couple of notches
. When he unties her and she runs to the open door
. He trips and grinds her (grinds her)
.
. [...]
.
. He just makes her point the pistol to his nose
. While he masturbates and now I see a tear
. Heading down towards her smile

Inn the begining there's a suggestion that this is just role playing. He says: "This is how they play the game." Nevertheless, it's weird to be getting off on watchnig a man abuse a woman.

Anyway, to answer the OP's question, I greatly perfer The Gold Experience. I can't stand Come.

lurker316 said:

"Pheromone" has has some pretty weird lyrics. It's voyeurism meets S&M:

. I want to save her (save her)
. I want to watch (watch)
. All my vital signs go up a couple of notches
. When he unties her and she runs to the open door
. He trips and grinds her (grinds her)
.
. He just makes her point the pistol to his nose
. While he masturbates and now I see a tear
. Heading down towards her smile

That ain't weird. That's just kinky fun! Dark, but kinky.

The gun and masturbation line you noted always raised an eyebrow for me. Even the first season of Big Brother in the US had two house guests making out in the kitchen. The girl was sitting on the counter, the guy was in a towel between her legs. He held a knife to her throat, and she continued to kiss him. He took the knife away, and she pulled his hand back. It was enough that the male houseguest was warned about it but later removed from the game.

Hey, some people have kinks. Prince's just plays out in music as well. I guess it's weird to Baptists or something. haha

The fact that Prince released Come first instead of riding the Most Beautiful Girl in the World train kinda tells me he liked it more, no?

AZStreet said:

I have a memory of reading an interview he did before these albums came out. (Maybe in Spin magazine?) He described the albums and their forthcoming release. The interview said that Prince seemed more excited about The Gold Experience than Come. Perhaps that was simply because The Gold Experience was fresher in Prince's mind? Regardless, it biased me. If Prince was bored with Come and thought TGE was better, then perhaps I was inclined to think that as well.

lurker316 said:

I have a memory of reading an interview he did before these albums came out. (Maybe in Spin magazine?) He described the albums and their forthcoming release. The interview said that Prince seemed more excited about The Gold Experience than Come. Perhaps that was simply because The Gold Experience was fresher in Prince's mind? Regardless, it biased me. If Prince was bored with Come and thought The Gold Experience was better, then perhaps I was inclined to think that as well.

To expound on that, I think he saw TGE as a new beginning, and the end of Prince was COME (especially with the death dates on it). He literally wanted corporate PRINCE and independent to battle it out on the shelves. NPG Records was his new indie label and he wanted to make a point. But, WB thwarted that.

It's also not surprising to me that one looks drab, gray, colorless, and the other is bright in sound, artwork, and production.

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

Both are decent albums but put together they could have been great The Come Experience (lol) Pheromone Endorphin machine Shhhh Dolphin Eye hate u Papa Billy Jack bitch Shy Dark Solo Orgasm B sides would be loose, let it go, 319, space, gold, come [Edited 9/28/21 15:57pm] [Edited 9/28/21 15:58pm]

This actually sounds like it would have been a great idea and tracklist. I honestly can't decide between the 2, I really like them both. Both have some stellar tracks.

-

Both are fantastic, but 'Come' is that slightly better imho, cause

it has more Prince-does-it-all-alone tracks iirc.

But true, most songs on 'Gold' are moe layered and strong(er).

I just never liked the song 'Gold'.

It reminds of

'Still Would Stand All Time'

'Every Day Is A winding Road'

'3 Chians 'O Gold'

'Last December'

or his latest 'Stand Up And Be Strong'.

I never liked these type of cheesy anthems.

-

LoveGalore said:

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

Not surprised it was a last minute addition. His mind must have been frazzled in this period to think it had to be track number one on his big rebirth album.

To this day, I still think Pussy Control was meant to not make the album as commercial as it could have been, since WB had the rights to it. I still believe it was a form of sabotage by Prince.

TheBigBang said:

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

Not surprised it was a last minute addition. His mind must have been frazzled in this period to think it had to be track number one on his big rebirth album.

To this day, I still think Pussy Control was meant to not make the album as commercial as it could have been, since WB had the rights to it. I still believe it was a form of sabotage by Prince.

Possible, but then it would boggle the mind why he would remove Days of Wild since it was dripping in profanities. DOW was pretty much a constant until I think he ultimately decided to remove it because Pussy Control and Now kind of already make the album hip-hoppy enough.

it's interesting to think about all the top-notch songs that didn't appear on TGE:

Interactive,Ripopgodazippa,Days Of Wild,Hide The Bone,Acknowledge Me.

There was no shortage of great tracks during that period!

they didnt do a good job with singles in this period either

let it go, i do like, but its pretty workman like for prince really. just a song made as an attempt at a radio friendly single in 93/94. it was already dated when it came out. gold is just a bad, weak attempt at a big inspirational anthem. eye hate u, great as it is, its more of an album track than a single IMO.

they should have released dolphin, billy jack bitch (obv radio edited), and shhh as singles. shhh was big on black radio as far as i remember, so why that didnt get a single release, is strange.

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

is 319 an earlier, vault track he dusted off for this album?

the funky guitar on there makes me think its older.