funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

I was hyped for this when it was released I thought it might be his best 2010s album But now im thinking its got way too much shelby And while hey i guess its great to think prince was trying to get more political in his music,for me,that isnt really what i come to prince for I like parts of it but its prob only a few songs id return to (and it has a very ordinary, modern 'organic' live retro soul-funk sound) Its strange listening to this after listening to old prince as you can see he didnt change his sound much since the early 00s (or late 90s maybe) Overall its decent, no obviously awful songs, and works best if you dont think too much about it, but its hard to do that when so many lines are trying to make a point. Anyone still listening to this?

So did the tour of the same name - which is one of the main reasons I passed on the album.

I don't have a problem with Shelby per se, but Prince leaned on her way too much on that tour. (For my taste, anyway.)

Genesia said:

in fairness, prince always pulls some earworms out from somewhere, so today, even after one listen last night, i have 1000 light years away from here in my mind. and maybe thats totally good enough, its just that idk if the songs really come together completely. a lot of them sound like they are still in an early stage (or maybe its meant to be loose and casual?) even if musically it does sound like they have been pretty well honed (i guess thats credit to morris hayes). its also very much an album in line with his 'prince and the npg' kind of material, i.e. openly homaging older artists (eg curtis, clinton etc), very much in line with alot of modern artists working with 70s influences.

[Edited 6/15/22 0:18am]

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

in fairness, prince always pulls some earworms out from somewhere, so today, even after one listen last night, i have 1000 light years away from here in my mind. and maybe thats totally good enough, its just that idk if the songs really come together completely. a lot of them sound like they are still in an early stage (or maybe its meant to be loose and casual?) even if musically it does sound like they have been pretty well honed (i guess thats credit to morris hayes). its also very much an album in line with his 'prince and the npg' kind of material, i.e. openly homaging older artists (eg curtis, clinton etc), very much in line with alot of modern artists working with 70s influences.

[Edited 6/15/22 0:18am]

I love 1,000 Light years away, but I prefer the HNR TWO version.

I think it sucks as bad today as it did the day it was released. I like the band and most of the music, but the lyrics are half-assed and the melodies are medicore. I think he knew this, too.

I listened to it and thought it was horrible. It's the only Prince album I don't own.

rockford said:

I like the band and most of the music, but the lyrics are half-assed and the melodies are medicore. I think he knew this, too.

i actually agree with this.

and yet, i still find little moments that i like.

its just that as a whole, i find it a bit underwhelming.

a lot of it feels like a run through, not finished.

i kinda think morris hayes knew this, you could sense it in the interviews.

LoveGalore said:

Genesia said:

So did the tour of the same name - which is one of the main reasons I passed on the album.

I don't have a problem with Shelby per se, but Prince leaned on her way too much on that tour. (For my taste, anyway.)

I actually thought the Welcome 2 show I saw was incredible and I didn't seem to be too bothered even though I think Shelby is a bit too over present on the records even.

The first show in Chicago would have changed your mind. It was - and I wasn't the only one who thought so. The aftershow was royally panned too.

The second night's aftershow at House of Blues redeemed my experience (Prince actually apologized for the first night), but still.

I don't listen to the album on heavy rotation, but I pick occasions to enjoy these tunes and ponder the impact of his writings here. I feel that it is a rich collection of music and songs.

>

One hunch I have for Prince's shelving of the album is that perhaps he didn't want to command broad media attention as a "social cause" artist. I know, right--Prince, that ultra-romantic, rhapsodising about world harmony and the love of Jesus and Jehova beaming on us all--like that wasn't an identity already pasted on, to an extent? But this time, instead of spirit, he was delivering a concrete portrait of troubling circumstances of American life and hopeful sentiments that the corporate lords, their media outlet wards, and the politically conservative watchdogs might want to condemn in their available ways.

>

What would motivate him to make that move? Having his shuffling roster of contributing artists and ideas going strong, the simultaneous single-album label deals throttling the output, and considering also the way that the media and public can negatively latch onto a controversy label, that release of songs could have killed his momentum with inevitable moves in other creative directions. So perhaps instead of taking that chance he locked down the recording and settled on keeping these sentiments within parameters of his stage quips ("albums matter") and private dealings. In time after his passing, the social climate changed enough to make this recording seem right to exhibit.

>

I didn't attend any of the "Welcome 2..." tour shows as they never landed in a city near me at a convenient time. During that time also I read many comments here on Shelby and the singers inhabiting too much of Prince's stage time with a jaded eye, because some people just cannot get over missing Prince at any of his shows. Those women, Shelby, Elisa, and Liv, however, can sing! The Bluray of the L.A. Forum concert offers proof that they were wonderful with him. Those ladies came with energy and sensitivity and P wasn't wrong to showcase them, IMO.

I have yet to warm up to this one.

Genesia said:

LoveGalore said:

Genesia said: I actually thought the Welcome 2 show I saw was incredible and I didn't seem to be too bothered even though I think Shelby is a bit too over present on the records even.

The first show in Chicago would have changed your mind. It was - and I wasn't the only one who thought so. The aftershow was royally panned too.

The second night's aftershow at House of Blues redeemed my experience (Prince actually apologized for the first night), but still.

Sounds like most of the shows I saw on the Emancipation tour, especially at Jones Beach, terrible sound, not a good setting for prince at all, and that band as individuals worked but together not so much, it seemed like they were out of synch.

SolaceAHA said:

Genesia said:

The first show in Chicago would have changed your mind. It was - and I wasn't the only one who thought so. The aftershow was royally panned too.

The second night's aftershow at House of Blues redeemed my experience (Prince actually apologized for the first night), but still.

Sounds like most of the shows I saw on the Emancipation tour, especially at Jones Beach, terrible sound, not a good setting for prince at all, and that band as individuals worked but together not so much, it seemed like they were out of synch.

The first Chicago show had so many problems, he didn't even play guitar on Purple Rain.

Reminder to myself to listen to W2A again.

My absolute favorite from this album is 1,000 Light Years From Here. It's quirky and pure "Prince".

W2A is the first Prince album my husband complimented.
There's a butt for every saddle.

nosajd said:

It's a very good-to-excellent latter Prince album, with not a clunker on it.

So glad it was released. Very, very good indeed.

It's OK. I got issues, though...

The problem I've always had with "no cussin'" Prince is that if you aren't going to cuss, then just don't cuss. And on "Running Game," they have that part where they spell out ass, and then there's laughter afterwards, as if it was clever. It's not. So, when he does stuff like that, it really drives me crazy. Add to that "When She Comes" and the "...like her ish don't stank" nonsense and they're both sore spots on the album, imo. Ish like that drives my Aye Ess Ess crazy, y'know?

But the album has its high points. "1000 Light Years...", "Same Page, Different Book" and "1010" are standouts for me. I love "Check The Record" even though it has one of the most poorly worded lyrics I've ever heard. "Like Sheryl said, 'It might be the most favourite mistake I've ever had'" is so grammatically incorrect that it makes my head want to explode. You don't have a mistake; you make a mistake. Ish like that drives me Aye Ess Ess crazy, yknow?

I'll stop there. Like I said, it's OK.

The problem I've always had with "no cussin'" Prince is that if you aren't going to cuss, then just don't cuss. And on "Running Game," they have that part where they spell out ass, and then there's laughter afterwards, as if it was clever. It's not. So, when he does stuff like that, it really drives me crazy. Add to that "When She Comes" and the "...like her ish don't stank" nonsense and they're both sore spots on the album, imo. Ish like that drives my Aye Ess Ess crazy, y'know?

prince being coy and trying to make it seem like hes actually being clever is one of the worst things about modern prince

in fact, prince trying to be clever and armchair-professorial is also one of the worst things about modern prince

but thats basically a discussion about whether you like preachy prince or not

[Edited 6/19/22 12:48pm]

It exceeded my fairly low expectations for it. I still play it occasionally but jumpt over the first three songs. I respect the POV of the first three songs and that are okay to listen to at first, but they get old after repettive listens. AFter that, I enjoy the flow of the album.

Maybe the laugh track was struck in to punctuate the expressed sentiment toward the A&R representative, and not solely for the spelling of A-S-S?

I don't think that Prince meant for his every song to sound like a classic standard, and that's why some of us will resign to shrugs and chuckles over that quirky, incongruent, "stink-ish" quip thrown in and just embrace the low-class, non-Cole Porter moment for what it is.

To each their own--there are different ways to look at these lyrical things, lol.

TheBigBang said:

It's OK. I got issues, though...

The problem I've always had with "no cussin'" Prince is that if you aren't going to cuss, then just don't cuss. And on "Running Game," they have that part where they spell out ass, and then there's laughter afterwards, as if it was clever. It's not. So, when he does stuff like that, it really drives me crazy. Add to that "When She Comes" and the "...like her ish don't stank" nonsense and they're both sore spots on the album, imo. Ish like that drives my Aye Ess Ess crazy, y'know?

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

I was hyped for this when it was released I thought it might be his best 2010s album But now im thinking its got way too much shelby And while hey i guess its great to think prince was trying to get more political in his music,for me,that isnt really what i come to prince for (partly as i dont think hes that good at it, but also as i dont think his political lines are esp creative, but hey, thats another convo) I like parts of it but its prob only a few songs id return to (and it has a very ordinary, modern 'organic' live retro soul-funk sound) Its strange listening to this after listening to old prince as you can see he didnt change his sound much since the early 00s (or late 90s maybe) Overall its decent, no obviously awful songs, and works best if you dont think too much about it, but its hard to do that when so many lines are trying to make a point. Anyone still listening to this? [Edited 6/15/22 0:19am]

You and I have the same experience....after the first few listens, I was thinking it was possibly in his top 10 of all time....I think, for once, i connected on a cerebral level with what he was saying. Frankly, I think he should have put more of this stuff out....sharp in some areas, but his 'Princness' in others ....how he uses under water in 1000 Light Years to mean not welcome on 'dryl land'....so good.

NOw, having had this for a year I do not believe it to be in his top 10...but, it is very very soid. I absolutely love songs like 1000 Light Years, this diff version of When She Comes, One Day and Running Game. Also, the sound quality on the album was just phenomenal. I am guessing, it would not have sounded this way had he released it..can't explain why I'm saying this but it sounds so....clean.

Although my opinon has changed downwards, I feel it did show us a diff side of Prince. Yes, we knew he was always questioning the establishment but in these disruptive times, he sounds very very intelligent having said all this 10 years ago. Some of what he warned about is real now...app tracking, sharing of your personal info...he was obviously aware long before other were.

However, I remain encouaged that the Estate would look at something beyond the Purple Rain Era. We know he left a Treasure Trove of material so let's hope they keep up this work.