independent and unofficial
Prince fan community
Welcome! Sign up or enter username and password to remember me
Forum jump
Forums > Prince: Music and More > The Rainbow Children: released 20 years ago
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Page 1 of 4 1234>
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
Author

Tweet     Share

Message
Thread started 10/18/21 11:21am

olb99

avatar

The Rainbow Children: released 20 years ago

This is usually not the kind of threads I would create, but I haven't seen anybody mention that The Rainbow Children was released 20 years (and a few days, now) ago, on October 16, 2001, for NPG Music Club subscribers. I remember having some difficulties downloading the album, because of technical problems. This was something very common with Prince's online ventures...

.

Being a non-native English speaker, I've never really cared for Prince lyrics, so The Rainbow Children was, for me, an excellent release. Fun times.

[Edited 10/18/21 23:11pm]

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #1 posted 10/18/21 12:42pm

GustavoRibas

avatar

Like I always say: it´s in my Top 5. Too bad the Estate didnt mention it, like they did with Diamonds and Pearls and Controversy.

[Edited 10/18/21 12:43pm]

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #2 posted 10/18/21 12:49pm

Nightcrawler

I can‘t say often enough how much I love this album. It is probably the Prince album I have listened to the most in the last 20 years (this and ONA…live!).
See the man with the blue guitar, maybe one day he`ll be a star...
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #3 posted 10/18/21 12:51pm

Romeoblu

It took me 18 hours to download it on a dial up connection.

Painful and an expensive phone bill but a great album
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #4 posted 10/18/21 1:00pm

Hamad

avatar

One of my fave albums from him (one of all all times fave “headphone” albums of any genre) and one of his best musically. It was also the first new release I anticipated from him since I became a fan which was a year earlier. There should be a documentary about the album’s theme and it’s aftermath during the Celebrations, it would make for an interesting dialog.
Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/QLH82
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #5 posted 10/18/21 1:20pm

paisleypark4

avatar

This album really brought me into prince.org.

There was a huge discussion about it online with many pages when it was released. I wish I can find that original post.

Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #6 posted 10/18/21 1:28pm

mb71

avatar

I guess it's a cliché to say that that the lyrical content means nothing to me, and the music and overall production are great, but this is how I felt about this album then, and still do to this day.

A bold release and I'm grateful for it.




Formerly TheDigitalGardener etc.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #7 posted 10/18/21 2:34pm

FrankieCoco1

Romeoblu said:

It took me 18 hours to download it on a dial up connection.

Painful and an expensive phone bill but a great album


And in 10 years time, that is going to be only way the Super Deluxe of TRC will be released, for nostalgia and profit reasons, at a cost of $100/minute on the one remaining landline in selected libraries or similar.
There may or may not be something coming!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #8 posted 10/18/21 3:35pm

sambluedolphin

avatar

Been a Prince fan for over 40 years, think rbc is his best work skill wise. I mean listen to the digital garden, so much going on in there, its so many genres. Never ever heard an album like that, its unique and alien like lyrics and sounds. I like muse 2 the Pharaoh, starts of as a beautful ballad then turns into an angry and intense ending. Family name teachs us things out side the box. Work of a genius and best prodution arrangement i ever heard.

Prince 2010 Good Luck for Future & Tour
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #9 posted 10/18/21 5:09pm

Graycap23

avatar

Top 5 Prince joint.

FOOLS multiply when WISE Men & Women are silent.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #10 posted 10/18/21 5:17pm

luv4u

Moderator

avatar

moderator

https://www.princevault.c...w_Children


It was released worldwide in November 2001

canada

Ohh purple joy oh purple bliss oh purple rapture!
REAL MUSIC by REAL MUSICIANS - Prince
"I kind of wish there was a reason for Prince to make the site crash more" ~~ Ben
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #11 posted 10/18/21 11:12pm

olb99

avatar

luv4u said:

https://www.princevault.c...w_Children


It was released worldwide in November 2001

.

I know, but many people discovered that album when it was released via NPGMC, myself included.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #12 posted 10/19/21 12:07am

Vannormal

GustavoRibas said:

Like I always say: it´s in my Top 5. Too bad the Estate didnt mention it, like they did with Diamonds and Pearls and Controversy.

[Edited 10/18/21 12:43pm]

-

Well then... for some strange sane reason The Estate somehow is capable of knowing the importance in difference of making a good choice.

So they seem to understand the need of promoting the fantastic underrated 40y old 'Controversy',

rather than (the final stretch of Prince's post-eighties stardom through) ''D&P'' (impo of course). wink

Nor the lyrically skewed mumbo-jumbo JH shite of ''The Rainbow Children'', though musically a fantastic album!

Either 20 years old seems too young in Prince's catalogue to celebrate then. wink

-

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. And wiser people so full of doubts" (Bertrand Russell 1872-1972)
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #13 posted 10/19/21 12:08am

Vannormal

Hamad said:

One of my fave albums from him (one of all all times fave “headphone” albums of any genre) and one of his best musically. It was also the first new release I anticipated from him since I became a fan which was a year earlier. There should be a documentary about the album’s theme and it’s aftermath during the Celebrations, it would make for an interesting dialog.

-

Oh, i agree on that !

It's just that the lyrics ache my ears and brains so much, but we (have to) turn a blind eye.

-

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. And wiser people so full of doubts" (Bertrand Russell 1872-1972)
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #14 posted 10/19/21 12:29am

dualboot

avatar

Vannormal said:



GustavoRibas said:


Like I always say: it´s in my Top 5. Too bad the Estate didnt mention it, like they did with Diamonds and Pearls and Controversy.


[Edited 10/18/21 12:43pm]



-


Well then... for some strange sane reason The Estate somehow is capable of knowing the importance in difference of making a good choice.


So they seem to understand the need of promoting the fantastic underrated 40y old 'Controversy',


rather than (the final stretch of Prince's post-eighties stardom through) ''D&P'' (impo of course). wink


Nor the lyrically skewed mumbo-jumbo JH shite of ''The Rainbow Children'', though musically a fantastic album!


Either 20 years old seems too young in Prince's catalogue to celebrate then. wink


-




Or we wait untill november 1st smile.
I can imagine they stick to the major releasedates especially with the others.

Musically one of his best albums. Super inspired playing. The theme however is not my cup of tea.
Difficulty there is that I tended to sing along as part of the music and therefore I speak these words. I can see that Some problematic ideas could stick with people that way.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #15 posted 10/19/21 1:05am

Vannormal

-

Well, It's been a year full of choices of celebrations :

like :

40 years of Controversy

40 years of The Time's first album (why not)

35 years of Parade, thus also

35 years of Under The Cherry Moon

30 years of Diamonds & Pearls

25 years of Chaos and Disorder

20 years of The Rainbow Children

20 years of the NPG Ahdio Shows

15 years of 3121

-

Let's take it even further;

30 years of Mazarati (i know, not important)

30 years of songs released on albums by the likes of:

Eric Leeds, Jevetta Steele, Mica Paris, Paula Abdul, T.C. Ellis, Martika, Ingrid Chavez,

Patti Labelle, Joe Cocker, Tevin Compbell...

All these songs alone could've made an 'Originals II' on it's own... (not that i'm wild about that).

Just sayin'

-

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. And wiser people so full of doubts" (Bertrand Russell 1872-1972)
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #16 posted 10/19/21 6:49am

paisleypark4

avatar

sambluedolphin said:

Been a Prince fan for over 40 years, think rbc is his best work skill wise. I mean listen to the digital garden, so much going on in there, its so many genres. Never ever heard an album like that, its unique and alien like lyrics and sounds. I like muse 2 the Pharaoh, starts of as a beautful ballad then turns into an angry and intense ending. Family name teachs us things out side the box. Work of a genius and best prodution arrangement i ever heard.

Digital garden is beautiful and serene...then takes a sharp turn to tell the story of the banished ones.

It is such a ride.

The Banished Ones approaching the palace shouted obscenities.

They tried 2confuse the Rainbow Children and dethron their king.

Using the lies promoted by the whosepapers, hellavisions, and scagazines-

The Banished Ones
constructed a Digital Garden around the palace that extended throughout the
world. Furthermore they demanded compensation 4 their time spent in the
palace b4 the exile.

This was noise! "So be it," said the Wise One, and
gladly obliged with an INVISIBLE DEED. The Banished Ones accepted and returned to their place of birth in MendaCity. As 4 the Rainbow Children,
they began deconstructing the Digital Garden.

Door to door they went in
search of those willing to do The Work

[Edited 10/19/21 6:51am]

Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #17 posted 10/19/21 6:55am

GustavoRibas

avatar

Hamad said:

One of my fave albums from him (one of all all times fave “headphone” albums of any genre) and one of his best musically. It was also the first new release I anticipated from him since I became a fan which was a year earlier. There should be a documentary about the album’s theme and it’s aftermath during the Celebrations, it would make for an interesting dialog.

.

- Same here. TRC is so good that I almost dont listen to it. I only want to listen with headphones, and paying full attention to it. I never listen to it as background while doing other stuff.

.

I will never forget the first time I listened to it. I was losing interest in Prince - something I never thought will happen - after all those plastic Kirky J years, and somebody here at the org said I would love this one, that John Blackwell was amazing. So, when it arrived, I turned off the lights and listened with earphones. What a music experience! I literally couldnt sleep for some hours (and sleeping is very easy for me).

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #18 posted 10/19/21 8:05am

NoSwan

avatar

GustavoRibas said:

Hamad said:

One of my fave albums from him (one of all all times fave “headphone” albums of any genre) and one of his best musically. It was also the first new release I anticipated from him since I became a fan which was a year earlier. There should be a documentary about the album’s theme and it’s aftermath during the Celebrations, it would make for an interesting dialog.

.

- Same here. TRC is so good that I almost dont listen to it. I only want to listen with headphones, and paying full attention to it. I never listen to it as background while doing other stuff.

.

I will never forget the first time I listened to it. I was losing interest in Prince - something I never thought will happen - after all those plastic Kirky J years, and somebody here at the org said I would love this one, that John Blackwell was amazing. So, when it arrived, I turned off the lights and listened with earphones. What a music experience! I literally couldnt sleep for some hours (and sleeping is very easy for me).

Thank you, Gustavo, for your story.

I remember that I had exactly the same experience at the first listen of TRC, initially approaching the album with disillusion before pressing play... But after, religiously immerged in the darkness of my bedroom, every single note was a new sonic revelation to me that would further enlight the artistic vision of my beloved Prince.

And, even to this day, I consider this opera one of the most unique, weird and beautiful ever created, by anyone.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #19 posted 10/19/21 8:58am

nayroo2002

avatar

Upon first listen from NPGNC, my reaction was, "PRINCE IS BACK!!!"

i could feel his motivation pouring over into the production.

i didn't see through any gimmicks, it was purely a master's musical output with purpose.

...and it has aged very well biggrin

"Whatever skin we're in
we all need 2 b friends"
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #20 posted 10/19/21 9:55am

paisleypark4

avatar

nayroo2002 said:

Upon first listen from NPGNC, my reaction was, "PRINCE IS BACK!!!"

i could feel his motivation pouring over into the production.

i didn't see through any gimmicks, it was purely a master's musical output with purpose.

...and it has aged very well biggrin

Yes, still sounds fresh as it did 20 years ago. Funny because Rave a year before that is half unlistenable today.

Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #21 posted 10/19/21 11:10am

Poplife88

avatar

paisleypark4 said:

nayroo2002 said:

Upon first listen from NPGNC, my reaction was, "PRINCE IS BACK!!!"

i could feel his motivation pouring over into the production.

i didn't see through any gimmicks, it was purely a master's musical output with purpose.

...and it has aged very well biggrin

Yes, still sounds fresh as it did 20 years ago. Funny because Rave a year before that is half unlistenable today.

Thought the exact same thing. I was sort of depressed after Rave thinking Prince might be done. But then heard this and the music was so fresh. I agree that it has aged very well.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #22 posted 10/19/21 12:22pm

SanMartin

avatar

Yes! I didn't discover TRC until less than two years ago; in fact I made a thread about it at the time (https://prince.org/msg/7/462638). Back then I said that 'it's too soon to say how things'll stand when the dust settles, in the sense that it all sounds too new and fresh for me to make a balanced judgment, but my current instinct is that this is probably one of Prince's finest post-80s works'. Today I stand by what I said, and go further still: I think TRC is one of Prince's finest works, period.


The only objectionable thing about the album is the implicit anti-semitism in Family Name, and I'm willing to mostly overlook it because a). it doesn't come from an affirmation of white supremacy but is rather a relativisation of Jews' subaltern status in relation to black people's, and b). it didn't turn out to be the start of an anti-semitic streak in Prince's work, but was rather a one-off that never led him to darker places. A blip, if you will.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #23 posted 10/19/21 3:01pm

SPYZFAN1

Good album and great instrumentation. I remember finding it by accident at Tower Records in NYC (Nov 2001). Didn't even know it was released....The cover reminded me of the "I Want You" album by Marvin Gaye....I thought it was a much better move (style/music/maturity-wise) than that previous trendy "paint by numbers/please the MTV Carson Daly crowd" album he did for Clive Davis. My nickname for that album is "Controversy Part Two"..I remember the sh*tstorm that album caused on the org back in the "purple and black" days.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #24 posted 10/19/21 3:03pm

SPYZFAN1

^^I'm talking about the controversy of "TRC", not "Rave".

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #25 posted 10/19/21 9:08pm

luv4u

Moderator

avatar

moderator

olb99 said:

luv4u said:

https://www.princevault.c...w_Children


.

I know, but many people discovered that album when it was released via NPGMC, myself included.


nod

canada

Ohh purple joy oh purple bliss oh purple rapture!
REAL MUSIC by REAL MUSICIANS - Prince
"I kind of wish there was a reason for Prince to make the site crash more" ~~ Ben
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #26 posted 10/20/21 2:14am

funkbabyandthe
babysitters

until AOA (well a good half of it), id say this was the last time he was truly inspired in this century.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #27 posted 10/20/21 3:00am

Hamad

avatar

I have a 2-part wish lol one, I hope the estate releases the instrumental version of the album, just because the musicianship is fockin awesome & it could stand entirely on its own. And two, the Jehovah’s Witness songs of worship themed album he shelved shortly after TRC.

Shout out to Femi Jiya who did an exceptional job at mixing the album nod truly outstanding work.
[Edited 10/20/21 3:00am]
Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/QLH82
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #28 posted 10/20/21 5:35am

LoveGalore

Prince's lyrics always had a mystical quality putting some song way over my head. This album is largely like that. I don't really need to understand the lyrics actually. And obviously on this album in some cases I'm glad for the ignorance. All that said it's an amazing album and certainly his late in the career epic.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #29 posted 10/20/21 7:11am

paisleypark4

avatar

From Family Name

Welcome. U have just accessed the Akashic Records Genetic Information Division. This program is required 4 those wishing 2 obtain a marriage blessing from The Kingdom. When u wish 2 begin this program, place ur right hand on the scanner and tightly clench up ur buttcheeks as u might feel a slight electrical shock. Please select the race history u desire. U have selected African-American. This is your history:


First of all, the term "black and white" is a fallacy. It simply is another way of saying "this or that".
Let's examine the term "this or that" in its ultimate form which is: "this" means the truth or "that which is resistant 2 it. When a minority realizes its similarities on a higher level- not just "black"- but PEOPLE OF COLOR, and higher still "INDIGENOUS", and even higher still, "FROM THE TRIBE OF.", and yet higher- the "RAINBOW CHILDREN".

When this understanding comes, the so-called minority becomes a majority in the wink of an eye. This action will cause a Reaction or Resistance. The source of this Resistance must b banished as it is in direct conflict with the initial action. It cannot be assimilated, 4 its very nature is resistance. In other words, ONE CANNOT SERVE 2 MASTERS. U r either "this" or "that" which is not "this".



This opening of Family Name helped me read Conversations With God, as I went to the library to discover what the Akashic Records were.
It took me on a whole journey that inspires me to this day. I believe he has read this book as well. I wish I still had the list of other books he recommended.

OIP.jvtSVA8ZnjxFosUHftm-rwHaJ4?pid=ImgDet&rs=1



The second part that is interesting is Prince explains minorites resistance to the majority (particulalrly African American persons), due to the nature of which they learn about their historical standings in America - reaction and resistance. There is powerful amount of sadness and confusion once you learn what has happened before and can halt the Universal Law of man, that is to be treated equally as others. Prince is saying here "You might say what you mad about...but you still got your family name"...one still has attatchment to his slave masteres name that is. So one cannot really be "freed" of the ties that bind when your name still directly connects you to such generational trauma.

"The source of this Resistance must b banished as it is in direct conflict with the initial action".


A powerful statement and a powerful tune.

[Edited 10/20/21 7:25am]

Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Page 1 of 4 1234>
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Forums > Prince: Music and More > The Rainbow Children: released 20 years ago