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Forums > Prince: Music and More > Revisiting 1999 Super Deluxe - the vault tracks
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Reply #30 posted 09/22/22 4:13pm

WhisperingDand
elions

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Fenwick said:

TrivialPursuit said:

By the way, I 100% disagree with Fenwick over his quasi-aggressive stance on "Delirious."

To my knowledge, it's the first song from 1999 that I heard on the radio. But, my aunt had a 1977 red Corvette Stingray (with a t-top) and blasted that all the time. I just forget which one came first to my earhole. But I distinctly remember "Delirious" on KJ-103 in Oklahoma City.

Hey hey hey now!!! I rated the song a six! I like it! (I do NOT like Free). It’s just the rest of the album is basically littered with masterpieces stem to stern. Delirious just happens to be my next to least favorite song on the record. But it is still a good song!!!!!

The synth is annoying, glassy, and "meanders aimlessly," to use your terminology. Strip the vox "Colleen"-style and it's instant track skip. "Delirious" and the duck synth from "Girls & Boys" are his worst synth lines.


Yet in a way "Delirious" might be the most futuristic track on the album, given he wouldn't revisit synth lines this plastic until The Chocolate Invasion and The Slaughterhouse two decades later. Never been an analog synth more glassy, what did he leave the stock factory out-the-box demonstration preset on this one?

[Edited 9/22/22 16:47pm]

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Reply #31 posted 09/23/22 10:57am

Poplife88

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dustoff said:

Am I the only one here who likes "Yah You Know"?

It's not Purple Rain or anything, but as a simple, fun little ditty it seems really effective to me.

I like it too. cool Same with If It'll Make U Happy! lol

I listen to the 1999 SDE, and especially the vault tracks, way more than SOTT SDE, which is surprising me. I thought I over-played 1999 the album over the years...but hearing the SDE made me love it all over again. I love the whole thing. The only vault tracks I am eh about are Colleen and Money Don't Grow on Trees. But not enough to skip them...

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Reply #32 posted 09/25/22 8:09am

lurker316

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TrivialPursuit said:

Fenwick said:

Hey E!


Thanks for the reply. I really like your perspective on Money. It completely makes sense even if it doesn't change my feeling about the song!!!! razz razz razz


You must've missed that when we were texting weeks ago because of your blind disregard for the song. lol

Regarding "Extraloveable" and "Lust U Always": It's capricious to not include it. As you said, we can't instill retroactive morality into a document that is meant to be historical and contextual. It's obvious Prince never endorsed rape, nor would anyone with a sound mind.

So to include it would be as logical as not CGI'ing out the World Trade Center in old episodes of Friends or Will & Grace or NYPD Blue. It's as logical as not removing every rape scene in a movie. It's very Owellian to go back and try to edit history; things that are unchangeable.

If they want to put some warning label or disclaimer in the package, then do so, but release it the damn songs.

Lastly, I believe a song like "Extraloveable" is also important in the context of Prince songwriting history because most of his songs about women are from a submissive point of view; one that has him asking, or even begging, to be with a woman. It's rarely, if ever, an aggressive stance that "I'm just gonna take it." He's talking a girl down from being a tramp in songs like "Little Red Corvette." It's not "I'm going to fuck you," it's we can fuck, let's pretend we're married, do me baby, take me with you. It's pleading or mutual.

Even through the sexual innuendo, Prince - in his lyrics - was looking for a mutually consentual good time. He got off by getting someone off. And isn't that what any good lover should be?


Very well said. I wholeheartedly agree on all points.

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Reply #33 posted 09/25/22 2:58pm

fragglerock

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For those that might have missed it, Peach & Black podcast did a massive 6 part 12hr review of this set, starts here with Part 1 - https://open.spotify.com/...jKU2IGPEYz

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Reply #34 posted 09/26/22 1:13pm

LILpoundCAKE

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yes, ok, 'those two songs' were not on the set but I feel like we have them in good enough quality
to just add them to the set on our own playlist.

the only downside for me is that they are not on spotify so I will have to make a playlist in one of
my own players.


May U Live 2 See The Release of Parade SDE
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Reply #35 posted 09/26/22 1:17pm

LILpoundCAKE

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LILpoundCAKE said:

yes, ok, 'those two songs' were not on the set but I feel like we have them in good enough quality
to just add them to the set on our own playlist.

the only downside for me is that they are not on spotify so I will have to make a playlist in one of
my own players.



having said that, it is still a bit of a shame that these two songs couldn't somehow be added to the
official set since they are the ones that actually sound the most like actual outtakes from the album.

i love those rockabilly songs well enough but i'd prefer them in smaller doses lol

was really hoping for some more of those sweaty synthy sexual soundscapes. but I'm thankful for
each and every song that we have been given access to this far.

with prince i aways listen to his material in cycles and it's nice to have broadened his pallette with
a bunch of new stuff.

May U Live 2 See The Release of Parade SDE
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Reply #36 posted 09/26/22 1:36pm

heartpeaceshea
rt

Who still has their copy, I do.

I think they could reissue it though I'm willing to do that, is anybody interested if I do that or what?

Just saying my copy didn't hold up very good because i took it out the shrink wrap.

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Reply #37 posted 09/26/22 1:36pm

heartpeaceshea
rt

Fenwick said:

My apologies. Allow me a brief introduction context wise.

I was recently explaining to my close friend from the Org, Trvial Pursuit, the older I get, the more difficult I find it to make time for a true and proper assessment of these Super Deluxe releases.

Life in general makes time a premium. But when you're married with two young kids, carving out the space and time to properly digest vast volumes of material that is this historically and artistically vital becomes extraordinarily difficult.


So for me, the invariable rinse, wash, repeat cycle is: Obtain album, listen to it as intensely as a I can for a few weeks, then put it away for A LONG STRETCH of time. I'll get back to it when time permits.


So here we are. A full three years later. And I'm FINALLY dusting this stuff off again.

Let's begin with my overall score; (which will include a controversial comment not worth debating).

My overall score for the box set is an 8.5. (This is a VERY high mark for me).

Not taking the time to create a 5.1 mix and omitting the Lust U Always/Extraloveable tracks due to retroactive morality is borderline irresponsible. That's just my opinion.

But this material is too important to make judgment calls of that nature. Even if every song on the discs isn't very good, the rest of the package is brilliant and extremely well done. On to the tracks:

Feel U Up/Irresistable Bitch - (9 out of 10) This pair of songs were readily available to those of us with access to boots over the years. Usually any song Prince parked for a later date and revisited resulted in a far lesser version of said song. But in this very rare instance, I'd say the Batman B side of Feel U Up feels tighter and more focused.

The main keyboard line that transitions into Bitch is magniificent. The surly vocals and majestic outro guitar are brilliant.

Money Don't Grow on Trees - (3 out of ten) This isn't particularly worth debating with people who love it. It's a wonderfully produced track where the musicianship is excellent. But the melody and ESPECIALLY the lyrics just destroy my interest in the song. I detest the "Money don't grow on tress" resolution of the chorus.

Vagina - (10 out of 10) I don't use a 10 score lightly. And the next three tracks all sit comfortably with this score. Vagina sonically drips of a cleaned up Dirty Mind era track. The liner notes in the box set suggest this is an incomplete demo because it lacks a drum track. I couldn't disagree with this assessment more. The "half boy half girl" chants with hand claps feel VERY complete to me. If anything, a full drum track would feel invasive to that groove. The bass line complete with atonal fills are brilliant.

Rearrange - (10 out of 10) How did this song not receive a proper release? The instrumentation and stacked vocals are perfect.

Oh..... and that guitar solo. It begins around the 2 minute mark and stretches to the end of the song. A four minute solo of titanic bliss.

Bold Generation - (10 out of 10) Again, everything about this song is perfection and dwarves the Graffiti Bridge version. The instrumental breaks are so fulfilling. I want this song to last 45 minutes.

Colleen - (2 out of 10) Because it's Prince this falls into the historically important, but artistically irrelevant category. It's a jam that meanders aimlessly for five and a half minutes.

International Lover - (8 out of 10) For those of us who love this song, this is a minilamist gold mine. Jusy piano and drums. Those random call outs are pure gold. "Peggy - are you listening" "Thank you for flying Morris International - don't touch those cymbals" "Give me a nice ending right here". "Just touch those cymbals a little bit - fiddle around".

Turn It Up - (6 out of 10) This is one of those songs where debate is warranted. It's one of those few famous outtake songs (like Wonderful Ass) that just don't work for me. It's not "bad" per se and I like it. But five and a half minutes of this particular groove don't do it for me.

You're All I Want - (3 out of 10) Clearly an inferior Horny Toad cousin.

Something In the Water - (9 out of 10) A really fun variant to the released version.

If It'll Make You Happy - (1 out of 10) Nothing positive to say here. This is not anything I ever want to hear again in this lifetime.

How Come alternate - (10 out of 10) This is just about as gorgeous musically as anything you could ask for in life. The interchanged subtleness and attack of the vocals and piano are literally perfection.

Possessed - (8 out of 10) Sing the "I was dreaming when I wrote this" lyrics from 1999 over the main intro riff. I love this song. But I understand why it was shelved.

Delirious Long - (6 out of 10) Outside "Free", this is my least favorite song on the proper album. The removal of the extra bits was very appropraite.

Purple Music - (3 out of 10) I understand why people worship this song. The instrumentation is phenomenal and the lyrics speak to the importance of music on a personal level. But I've never cared for it.

Yah You Know - (ZERO our of ten) - Pardon my language. But this song can go fuck itself forever.

Moonbeam - (9 out of 10) One of his most legendary outakes. So nice to have in the best quality possible .

No Call U - (7 out of 10) A Prince 'light" song that really works. It has a great atmosphere.

Can't Stop - (9 out of 10) This rough and ready preliminary version is so quintessentially Prince. I wish it was longer. Much longer.

Do Yourself a Favor (9 out of 10) I actually forgot this was a Willie Pepe track. Right around the six minute mark when you feel like it's overstaying its' welcome, this happens:

"Too sexy. Yaysssss. Mhhmmmhmmmmmm That's a fifty dollar bill. When's the last time you saw one of them"? I could hear 75 more minutes of that banter.

Don't Let Him Fool Ya - (5 out of 10) It's OK. But certainly not essential.

Teacher Teacher - (10 out of 10) I've aways had a soft spot for this song. It really plays right into the Wendy and Lisa sandbox. That bass line is so full of flavor and the harmonized outro screams are glorious.

Medley - (5 out of 10) An admittedly strange way to close the disc. This doesn't move any needles and was quickly abandoned for a reason.

I hope this creates some interest in revisiting and reassessing these tracks.

[Edited 9/21/22 17:01pm]

I hope it does too.

Welcome to "the org", heartpeacesheart…
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Reply #38 posted 11/18/22 9:57am

heartpeaceshea
rt

i hope the Ravens and The Vikings get to play together in the Super Bowl too it just seems like that's a better use of Purple around here

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