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Peach and Black's album review of Diamonds and Pearls
I've never been a big fan of Diamonds and Pearls, but as it's rumored to be the next Super Deluxe boxset, I've listen to it a few times over the past week with the aim of reevaluating it. I managed to find some greats aspects I'd previously failed to appreciate, but at the same time I still found some elements to be cheesy. As part of my reevaluation process, I listened to the Peach & Black album review. The P&B crew are generally fans of Prince's '90s catalogue, and they all absolutely love the NPG, so I expected them to give the album glowing reviews. I hoped their positivity might persuade me to see the album in a different light As they went through each song individually, they praised most of them as perfectly crafted pop songs (obvious Jughead was one of the exceptions). In fact, MC was in his typical hyperbolic form and characterized three of the tracks as "standards" (his term for all-time greats). Captain (aka @FunkyStrange) called him on that. So imagine my surprise at the end when they all gave the album a lukewarm overall rating. Even MC, despite his hyperbole for individual songs, wasn't super impressed with the album as a whole. Their main objection was that the tracks were too perfectly crafted pop and possibly too sugary. Playa (aka @dnaplaya) said that he'd gotten into Prince mainly for his more obscure stuff and this album was too commerical for his tastes. Even Captain / @FunkyStrange, who is a bubblegum pop aficionado, conceded he might be overrating this album due to nostalgia (it was the first or second Prince album he'd purchased). @Toejam was generally in agreement with the other three. They also weren't able to call it a great *album* because it comes across as a collection of unconnect songs. It's didn't strike them as cohesive whole (a single vision), like Parade, Lovesexy or Lotusflow3r. Has anyone else tried to reevalute D&P in anticipation of a Super Deluxe potentially being released?
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When people criticize cohesion, sometimes I think it just means "there's not enough of the parts this person likes for them to appreciate it as a whole." D&P feels like an intentional album to me. It mirrors the same structure and amount of band input as previous group efforts. Save for a couple songs, there's really nothing to not like about the album. Lord knows "it's too perfect" is probably the most useless critique someone can give to an artist 20 years into his career and still topping charts (at the time). | |
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Taking the album for what it is, its a great one. But its marred by being too long, thanks to the raps, and at least two songs no one needs, jughead and push. |
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funkbabyandthebabysitters said: Taking the album for what it is, its a great one. But its marred by being too long, thanks to the raps, and at least two songs no one needs, jughead and push. I think Push is a great song if you listen to a sans-Tony version. It reminds me of a prototype to Chelsea Rodgers but with a better covocalist. | |
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Good album ....Not a masterpiece .....this album is killed IMO by the rap influence on it....best trax on the album from my perspective = LIVE4LOVE |
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I kinda dont totally mind the rap on live 4 love but it would be improved without it. I sort of like thunder but its too ott. But i guess its like a predecessor to 3 chains o gold. |
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D&P is a really good album and better than most stuff Prince released in the 90s. U are now an official member of the New Power Generation
Welcome 2 The Dawn Free the  SDE now! |
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its pretty obviously IMO his best 90s album.
gold has some good songs obv but the craft generally isnt as good as on D&P.
emancipation has tons of good songs, but D&P is a more consistent album, and proportionatley, it has less skippable songs. D&P also has the most standouts.
the truth is up there, but its not a regular prince album really, so idk if it can count. |
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I think as a whole and if we consider that Days of wild is part of the project as he was initialy (not part on the official album released back then like a F.OFF 2 WBR) ....Gold Experience is superior !! |
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I mean, nothing can touch the Come/Gold era in the 90s to me. I think that's when the Npg were at their absolute peak. | |
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He wasnt writing incredible pop songs as good by the mid 90s
Still good stuff there ofc but not like cream or d+p. I know there was TMBGITW but whileits great i find it too generic a 90s pop ballad personally. Also, c+d arguably is actually more consistent than TGE. It also Shows off the npg more than other albuna from this time. Thats nkemal for prince, he rately lets his bands be heard pure on record, but even so, the undertaker is where they really shined, and live obv. [Edited 8/7/22 14:07pm] |
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I understand why many fans dislike the album, because most fans started being fans in the 80s and they were used to the trendsetter visionary unique Prince from Dirty Mind to Lovesexy, but Diamonds was the first album I listened to, and I still think there are lots of great moments. When the songs themselves arent considered masterpieces (like Live for Love or Daddy Pop), the NPG as a band nails it. I agree with the critics that said it was too commercially planned, but it´s a strong album this way. |
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I think D&P and "Keep on shilling for Big Pharm!" |
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This was when P stopped doing his own thing, and started chasing the musical landscape that had changed seismically under his feet in the late 80s. It's not one of my favorites, although it does contain a few fun songs like "Cream" and "Walk Don't Walk". |
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I think it's a quality album. Some great song craft and production. Diamonds and Pearls Cream Strollin' Willing and Able Get Off Walk Don't Walk Is such a great run of songs. This album is far more than Prince chasing trends. There is an element of that but it still has some fantastic songs. Something BIG Is Coming. |
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Hes trying to incorporate rap but thats the only real poor choice here, Ok.so its a bit smoothed out and slick in a way he wasnt before This was the start of prince taking less risks. Where before he tried to avoid sounding too polished, in the 90s he didnt mind that at all. But this album also has tonnes of great to excellent songs. Mainly the singles but walk dont walk, wolling n able, daddy pop are all great. He would be much more trend chasing on the next few albums really, and in worse ways too. |
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Never was a fan of that album, but there are live versions of some of those songs from the era that are fantasitc. |
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my favorite tracks from this album: Strollin’ Cream Live 4 Love Gett Off Cream Insatiable | |
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Its a mediocre album, but has its quality tracks.
My faves:
Thunder D&P Willing & Able Cream Gett Off Walk Don't Walk Insatiable Strollin
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JorisE73 said:
GB the movie bombed but the album did not (it had 2 bonafide hits on it) and Batman was a massive success. I think WB allegedly pressuring him to make a hit is a little mythical. There's no real reason they'd turn around and offer him a C suite job and $100m on the basis of one album, but his entire repertoire which at that time was mostly multiple platinum hit albums and at least one hit single each time. | |
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I don't think I need to listen to D&P again. I remember the disappointment I felt when I listened to the album in 1991. Was a big Prince fan from 1986ish, and bought all the back catalogue and singles I could find. There's no doubt Prince wasn't averse to throwing more commerical songs on his albums in the past, be it Raspberry Beret, U Got The Look, Little Red Corvette, but they didn't feel as insincere as some of the songs on D&P. Take the title song - A soft R&B/Pop ballad which was drained of virtually any Prince-ness at all. Gett Off was jumping on the Hip Hop bandwagon which was taking off at this time. Cream, although the best of the 3 just seemed too basic, and obvious. Don't get me started on Jughead, Push etc, or Tony M. I thought Symbol had a bit more of the old Prince about it, but only just
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I too relistened to it. Wanted to know how it sounds today. (since i've never listened to it again after 1992 i believe). The album just does not stand the test of time - IMHO that is. It sounds way too dated and can not live up to Prince's other previous albums. Yes, it is a cohesive album. Yes it is very poppy, nothing wrong with that. It's the execution of this collection of songs that sound very un-Prince to me. A continuous flow of flawless performed songs by the help of new studio musicians. The overall production is... different. No edges, no suprises. Not in the songwriting. Not in the use of (new or an innovative way of using classic) instruments, nore in the sound, and not in the arrangements. Prince used to have that atypical (dry) funky sparse unique sound that suddenly (by this album) went over into a mainstream common radio friendly sound. As if he all of a sudden tried to copy or sound the way others did. It lacks the 'feel' and imperfections if you like. The album does not sound enough Prince to me. The rap indeed and the silly scratch samples were (not) new (anymore) and can be the reason. The use of his voice too changed at some point. Remember the 'Dead On It' song? That one song was a far better attempt adn personal (funky) take on hip-hop and rap (never mind the lyrics). And that was nearly 5 years earlier. [Edited 8/18/22 5:10am] "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) |
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