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Revisiting 1999 Super Deluxe - the vault tracks 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.
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.
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. I hope this creates some interest in revisiting and reassessing these tracks.
[Edited 9/21/22 17:01pm] | |
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I like the 1999 SDE (and era) better than the SOTT SDE because every single outtake is strong. I love Colleen and have coincidentally been listening to it often lately. Bold Generation stands as one of my most listened to songs since it's release - across my entire library. I wish it was 45 mins too! I also started listening to the take of International Lover. I was thinking about why exactly he didn't think this song would fit with Morris and trying to come up with different scenarios. It's not like he played the song that much over the course of his career, I feel? But I think it's all in the vocal take that he released - flamboyant af, a little absurd, campy, sexy, humorous, etc. I don't think Morris could deliver that hypersexuality Prince emotes with on the song. It's such a good version too, in his lower register. Adds a different kinda swagger to it. | |
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1999 SuperDeluxe is so awesome. I was really impressed because my expectations were so low after the Prince4ever releases that I stopped checking for the posthumous releases, so imagine my surprise. | |
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I feel exactly like you. Family and kids takes a lot of time away from just listening to music on your own. Especially when your player goes out in your car. Good for you that you have gotten back to this and had a good listen. I'll try to catch up! | |
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Fenwick and I have talked about this for weeks. I couldn't care less about Katrina or Velvet (which should've ended up on A6's album). Sorry, it's the Hodgkin's talking. | |
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Fenwick said:
I hope this creates some interest in revisiting and reassessing these tracks. Thanks. I intend to do just that. I realise I don't know most of these tracks at all. [Edited 9/22/22 4:12am] | |
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"Bold Generation" is so funny because it really did have the fanbase 180 on a track that was once, uh, pretty tepidly appraised there once before to put it mildly. But it's literally the exact. same. song.
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There is a lot of great vault tracks from 1999 Super Deluxe, here are my top 5. . 1. Bold Generation - I've always loved the song 'New Power Generation', so hearing an earlier version of it was amazing. At the moment, I love both tracks equally now. . 2. Rearrange - Very cool song. Excellent guitar and vocals combo going on here. . 3. Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) (Alt) - This unreleased version is excellent, I love the instrumentals. I'm even tempted to put it above the original album version. . 4. Moonbeam Levels - I remember years ago, seeing so many on the Org talk about this song...Always loved it, great to have a perfect quality version now. . 5. Do Yourself A Favor - The instrumentals have such a light and happy feeling for me. Such a catchy song. | |
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Wow...you are so spot on...I have long complained that we need a new SDE but the truth is, I really need more time with 1999 and SOTT. I think i shorted 1999 b/c sOTT came so soon after. These packages are so densely packed, it actually does take a long long time to truly take it all in. His quality is so high, it's almost all worth it. For example, I just played Purple Music again and while I once thought it to be too repetitive, a very close listen showed me how many little bits and pieces there were ...so many interesting rhythm guitar parts...odd synths...abrupt kick drums....its so DAMN INTERESTING.
I don't agree with the lack of a 5.1 mix being bad. I still beleive music is 2.0...stereo.
Vagna...love it...it gives me Great hope that the early 80s stuff was well recorded. So full, bass...
Rearrange - i agree, how does this not get release. The Peach adn Black guys thought it maybe b/c it was too close in sound to Lady Cab Driver....but it amazes me, a guy who can play guitar like that all throughout the song, shelves it. OF course, I've said this many many times.
If It'll Make You Happy - odd...but he's so melodic. It was so effortless. I do like the guitar playing too.
How Come U Don't - i use this as an example of his unparallelled brilliance....the song we knew for 30 years was one of our favourites....used to display his amazing skills for 3 decades. Then they put a 2nd version out that actually tops (easily) that one we all knew. HOw can it be one guy could do this...what we'll neve rknow is, what made him choose the other...length? Being out of breath at one point? That creaking right at the end?
Do Yourself a Favor - have had it FOREVER but i was amazed at how crisp it sounded....guitars so raw. Such a good recording...wow. | |
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agreed...but I think the Estate knew in 2017, the PR release was just something to get out the door. They called it a 'Deluxe' and not a 'Super Deluxe'. I think it is acknowledgement, something better will come...2024, the 40th Anniversary ...
The songs were likely not sourced from original tapes either. The remaster pales compared to 1999 and SOTT's. | |
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Hi LG | |
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Hey Joey! | |
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Sorry, it's the Hodgkin's talking. | |
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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. | |
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Sorry, it's the Hodgkin's talking. | |
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so, maybe I'm not understanding 5.1 music...are you saying the mixes give isolated vocals in the centre channel with instrumentation on diff channels???
As for Purple Music...long timers like us have had that and others since the 80s. I never paid it any attention...until i heard it on this set and actually sat and listened. It was the P&B guys that described how many 'kibbles and bits' there were that made me go back...so so damn good. That he could play like that in 1982...wow.
The beauty of all of this is, we can go and explore whenever we want. Each tiem I listen, i feel i get more appreciation ...I hear more detail...i feel he was like a painter who spent HOUR on every brush stroke...everything mattered....everything was there intentionally. | |
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I agree with you but, you know how things are....this would possibly get the attention of some holier than thou punk azz kid writer on some b.s. site... | |
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I've got to stand up for If it'll Make You Happy. I love it. It's a 9/10. Something BIG Is Coming. | |
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Landonfunkmonkey said: I've got to stand up for If it'll Make You Happy. I love it. It's a 9/10. I love it too. I think it's a killer song and he obviously remembered it and liked it enough to consider it as a candidate for CB2. | |
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I also like it. It reminds me a bit of "Let's go Crazy". | |
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JoeyCococo said:
so, maybe I'm not understanding 5.1 music...are you saying the mixes give isolated vocals in the centre channel with instrumentation on diff channels???
As for Purple Music...long timers like us have had that and others since the 80s. I never paid it any attention...until i heard it on this set and actually sat and listened. It was the P&B guys that described how many 'kibbles and bits' there were that made me go back...so so damn good. That he could play like that in 1982...wow.
The beauty of all of this is, we can go and explore whenever we want. Each tiem I listen, i feel i get more appreciation ...I hear more detail...i feel he was like a painter who spent HOUR on every brush stroke...everything mattered....everything was there intentionally. Yes that is precisely what the 5.1 medium does. Depending on who has access to the master tracks and how they choose to separate the instruments/voice, it creates all sorts of opportunities to isolate tracks around the room | |
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TrivialPursuit said:
Could not have summarized my sentiments regarding the excluded tracks better with a month to prepare! Wonderfully put! | |
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By the way, I 100% disagree with Fenwick over his quasi-aggressive stance on "Delirious." Sorry, it's the Hodgkin's talking. | |
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Delirious is a genius song and one of his first and best uses of his deeper registers. The way he sings the title is signature Prince. | |
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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. Definitely not the only one -- I quite enjoy it, myself. | |
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LoveGalore said: Landonfunkmonkey said: I've got to stand up for If it'll Make You Happy. I love it. It's a 9/10. I love it too. I think it's a killer song and he obviously remembered it and liked it enough to consider it as a candidate for CB2. I also enjoy it, along with Someone 2 Call; Prince never did enough reggae for someone so funky. | |
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TrivialPursuit said: By the way, I 100% disagree with Fenwick over his quasi-aggressive stance on "Delirious." 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!!!!! | |
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Is there a studio version of Someone 2 call ? I've only heard the rehearsal version. | |
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