ShellyMcG said:

leecaldon said:

For many, 3121 is a step up from Musicology. It's a bit more slick. If you want to be comprehensive in your listening, the release of this album was supposed to be paired with Beautiful, Loved & Blessed (the 3121 CD even came with a small card advert for it) by Ta'mar, who you can hear on several 3121 tracks. It was later renamed Milk & Honey but never released - but it is well worth checking out. There are some fantastic songs on there. Not sure how hard it is to find.

It was also at this time that Prince was pushing her career (she had been in a very early line-up of Destiny's Child, I believe), and did something unique in his career - he went on the road with Ta'mar ostensibly as her guitiarist. All her material (although Prince wrote most/all of the album) and covers. They played clubs with the gigs starting very late.

And check out his performance of Fury on Saturday Night Live (along with a duet with Ta'mar of BL&B) - it is one of his great TV performances. The album version of the song was something of a letdown after this electric performance.

Thanks for the Tamar recommendation. I've been listening to Milk & Honey since I got home from work. Very good album all round. Really strange decision not to follow through with its official release. I think this could have been a decent hit back in the day. Kept Woman has "hit single" written all over it. Redhead Stepchild might have been better with Prince on vocals but this version is really good too. Really good album overall though.

There are a couple of albums you could accidentally miss out coming up. 2008's Indigo Nights is taken from two aftershows at P's record-breaking London run the previous year.

Bria Valente's Elixir from 2009 was released as one package with Lotusflow3r and MPLSound, and is creatively all Prince.

leecaldon said:

ShellyMcG said:

The Rainbow Children

Ok, I'm definitely missing something here because I don't see why this album is so hated by some people. I really like it. I could do without the Darth Vader stuff but this album has a nice feel throughout. Granted, I haven't looked up the lyrics and I have been told that some of his lyrics from this point on are a bit out there. But from my initial impressions, this album, as a whole, is pretty damn good. Even if I don't quite understand a lot of it. Muse 2 The Pharaoh, Mellow and She Loves Me For Me are really nice songs. 1+1+1=3 is great once you get past the Darth Vader voice at the start. The Work, Family Name and The Everlasting Now are all really good too. My only real complaint with this album is the aforementioned Darth Vader stuff. It's completely unnecessary. But the music itself is really good here.


One Nite Alone

The title track alone makes up for some of the less than stellar songs on here. Overall, a nice album. Reminds me of The Truth only with piano instead of acoustic guitar. I don't really know what else to say about this one. It's good. But only good.


I'm going to skip the two instrumental albums for now and circle back to them later. So it's Musicology up next. I know this was supposed to be some sort of comeback album or something right? I've heard the song "Musicology" before and I think I heard "Cinnamon Girl". Looking at the tracklist, that one sounds familiar but I can't remember what it sounds like. I do remember Musicology though. There's a kid in the video dancing in his room and later ends up at a Prince concert. It was only on TV a few weeks ago

MIRvmn1 said:

ShellyMcG said:

The Rainbow Children

Ok, I'm definitely missing something here because I don't see why this album is so hated by some people. I really like it. I could do without the Darth Vader stuff but this album has a nice feel throughout. Granted, I haven't looked up the lyrics and I have been told that some of his lyrics from this point on are a bit out there. But from my initial impressions, this album, as a whole, is pretty damn good. Even if I don't quite understand a lot of it. Muse 2 The Pharaoh, Mellow and She Loves Me For Me are really nice songs. 1+1+1=3 is great once you get past the Darth Vader voice at the start. The Work, Family Name and The Everlasting Now are all really good too. My only real complaint with this album is the aforementioned Darth Vader stuff. It's completely unnecessary. But the music itself is really good here.


One Nite Alone

The title track alone makes up for some of the less than stellar songs on here. Overall, a nice album. Reminds me of The Truth only with piano instead of acoustic guitar. I don't really know what else to say about this one. It's good. But only good.


I'm going to skip the two instrumental albums for now and circle back to them later. So it's Musicology up next. I know this was supposed to be some sort of comeback album or something right? I've heard the song "Musicology" before and I think I heard "Cinnamon Girl". Looking at the tracklist, that one sounds familiar but I can't remember what it sounds like. I do remember Musicology though. There's a kid in the video dancing in his room and later ends up at a Prince concert. It was only on TV a few weeks ago

I'm glad u like The Rainbow Children since it's imo Prince's best post-2000 album I understand why some people find the Darth Vader voice annoying but the voice actually never bother me that much. The only thing I don't like on the album is Wedding Feast
[Edited 11/9/22 15:11pm]

ShellyMcG said:

Lotusflower I didn't realise initially that this was a triple album. Up to this point I thought it was weird that following the 80s and 90s where he'd have an album (or two, or three) almost every year that the 2000s would see him slow down a bit with his releases. But then, out of nowhere, here comes a triple album set. The first album, Lotusflower, is a very nice album. Rock is not normally my kind of thing but I've been really enjoying Prince's version of the genre and this album keeps that trend going. Dreamer is the standout here. I love the guitar work on this one. The slower songs are nice too. Colonized Mind and Crimson & Clover have a very relaxing quality to them. I'm not crazy about that song, 4ever, though. Or Wall Of Berlin. I didn't like that either. But most of the rest of the album is pretty damn good. MPLSound This is my favourite album of the trio. Chocolate Box grabbed me the second I heard it. I love the visuals of the video too. Valentina is perhaps my favorite song here but to be honest, the only song I don't like on this one is No More Candy 4 U. It's a shame that during this period of his career that he wasn't on a major label with a decent promotional budget behind him because some of these songs have major hit potential. Elixer I have no idea who Bria Valente is but this album is absolutely fantastic. I think I even prefer her version of Kept Woman and yet, that's not even my favourite song on the album. Another Boy takes that particular accolade. I've been singing that song to myself non-stop since yesterday. Much to the annoyance of my son because A, I'm embarrassing him and B, I'm not a very good singer. But I don't care. I really like that song. And I'll continue to sing it. If I had heard this album, specifically MPLSound and Elixer, when they were released I would have been a Prince fan a long time ago. 18 year old me would have been all over this stuff. A great way to end the "naughties". Onwards now to 2010 and 20ten.

Elixir's my favorite protege record. It's got that cool Rainbow Children-y jazzy bounce and vibe ran through a more pop and R&B filter.

"Everytime" is a supremely underrated ballad. That breezy bossa nova, he really accomplished a very masterful raising of the bar/progressing of his abilities on that record that often gets overlooked by both fans and media. It's got effort and nuance.

Nice music video, too:

https://www.youtube.com/w...qljZgJQ4WI

Now MPLSound I used to hate with a passion when it came out because it seemed like it was the complete opposite. Like Prince doing a Prince impression, full retread backwards complete with 80s Linn drum samples, but I'm bad with "current" pop culture trends. Now you can clearly look back at what was popping musically and culturally in 2007-2009, which you are probably referring to with reference to you woulda dug it back then at 18, because in that era everyone kinda had that 80s wannabe Prince vibe going.

Like The-Dream was a songwriter for the stars who had a lot of hits back then, he was clearly trying to sound like Prince at times even tho I love The-Dream, too. Other big artists/producers of those late-00s like Justin Timberlake/Timbaland goes without saying. Prince was literally trying to school the new class on who did it first and best.


20Ten was exclusive to a England papers Daily Mirror/Daily Record. There was an interview with the paper dudes where they said he tried to cancel it like The Black Album at the last minute, so it wasn't distributed anywhere outside UK/Ireland/Belgium

ShellyMcG said:

MIRvmn1 said:

I'm glad u like The Rainbow Children since it's imo Prince's best post-2000 album I understand why some people find the Darth Vader voice annoying but the voice actually never bother me that much. The only thing I don't like on the album is Wedding Feast [Edited 11/9/22 15:11pm]

I actually like Wedding Feast. It's not a song I'd ever go out of my way to hear again but it gave me a chuckle and that's good enough for me

His aim is to make the listener laugh (and you can hear him chuckle at the end of the track). I think some people just took it too seriously.

ShellyMcG said:

Lotusflower I didn't realise initially that this was a triple album. Up to this point I thought it was weird that following the 80s and 90s where he'd have an album (or two, or three) almost every year that the 2000s would see him slow down a bit with his releases. But then, out of nowhere, here comes a triple album set. The first album, Lotusflower, is a very nice album. Rock is not normally my kind of thing but I've been really enjoying Prince's version of the genre and this album keeps that trend going. Dreamer is the standout here. I love the guitar work on this one. The slower songs are nice too. Colonized Mind and Crimson & Clover have a very relaxing quality to them. I'm not crazy about that song, 4ever, though. Or Wall Of Berlin. I didn't like that either. But most of the rest of the album is pretty damn good. MPLSound This is my favourite album of the trio. Chocolate Box grabbed me the second I heard it. I love the visuals of the video too. Valentina is perhaps my favorite song here but to be honest, the only song I don't like on this one is No More Candy 4 U. It's a shame that during this period of his career that he wasn't on a major label with a decent promotional budget behind him because some of these songs have major hit potential. Elixer I have no idea who Bria Valente is but this album is absolutely fantastic. I think I even prefer her version of Kept Woman and yet, that's not even my favourite song on the album. Another Boy takes that particular accolade. I've been singing that song to myself non-stop since yesterday. Much to the annoyance of my son because A, I'm embarrassing him and B, I'm not a very good singer. But I don't care. I really like that song. And I'll continue to sing it. If I had heard this album, specifically MPLSound and Elixer, when they were released I would have been a Prince fan a long time ago. 18 year old me would have been all over this stuff. A great way to end the "naughties". Onwards now to 2010 and 20ten.

Valente was probably Prince's girlfriend at the time. That's about all I've got. He did a couple of the tracks live at one of his best shows (well, two of them in one night) - 2009 at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The first set is one for the ages. The new version of Little Red Corvette gives me tingles.

.

I love the Ta'mar version of Kept Woman. But Prince takes it to another level with Bria. Note that the age at which the singer met Prince changes between the songs - likely because those were the actual ages when they first met Prince (but there is no hint of anything questionable going on at those ages btw).

WhisperingDandelions said:

20Ten was exclusive to a England papers Daily Mirror/Daily Record. There was an interview with the paper dudes where they said he tried to cancel it like The Black Album at the last minute, so it wasn't distributed anywhere outside UK/Ireland/Belgium

Rolling Stone (Germany) had it also.

There was an internet-only relese of "Laydown (Extended)"

Plus, it was rumored that "Rich Freinds" & "Hot Summer" were supposed to be on that '20Ten Deluxe'

According to the other pages on the org the new estate leaders will be even more tunnel-vision fixated on Purple Rain tchatchke's and Purple Rain anniversaries and Purple Rain songs sold to commercials, etc. The old estate couldn't even put out his final concert which Prince himself put out a track for a couple days before his passing, so.


2010: After 20Ten Prince made the Welcome 2 America album before he went on his Welcome 2 America tour. Album was shelved for unknown reasons but has recently been released as Prince left it.

2011: "Extraloveable" iTunes single version feat. Andy Allo. Not the horns version and not the '82 Vault version... is this even on YouTube? Worst estate ever. [edit: yeah just search w/ "2011" and "Andy Allo"]

Great cover tho, we got our first Prince selfie/Skype pose.

Need an orger co-sign on this, didn't he declare that he was done with albums about this time?

2012: Andy Allo - Superconductor album.

2013: bunch of 3rdEyeGirl digital singles and digital releases/exclusives. Lot of internet stuff. Some would end up on later albums.

2014: 3rdEyeGirl - Plectrumelectrum album. he sings on this btw.

Prince - Art Official Age album.

2015: Andy Allo - Oui Can Luv acoustic cover album (Prince on acoustic).

HitNRun phase 1 album.

Judith Hill - Back in Time album.

HitNRun phase 2 album.

Final new original material single release as Prince: "Free Urself". PrinceVault

2016:

Final protege single release: "Ruff Enuff" by Mono Neon.

Final Prince-approved official release: Live single of "Black Sweat" from final concert in Atlanta, released on April 18, 2016, three days before passing. PrinceVault

[Edited 11/10/22 15:11pm]

nayroo2002 said:

WhisperingDandelions said:

ShellyMcG said:

Hey, great timeline of releases. Thanks for this. Quick question. Should I listen to Welcome To America now or leave it til the end. I'm leaning towards listening to it now seeing as it first in with the timeline in which it was recorded. So, similar to how I did The Black Album. Or do you think it's best to stick to officially released material for now and leave Welcome To America for later? I can't believe how close I am to the end. I know I have heaps of unreleased music to get through after all this but in terms of the official discography, I honestly never expected to get this far. And now I don't want it to end [Edited 11/10/22 15:34pm]

Yeah, similar to The Black Album, just go for it, you got this.

If it's any consolation you still got a lot of one-off official side releases, too. Like his Kate Bush collab from '93, "Why Should I Love You?" And some music videos, like his "Love Sign" single with Nona Gaye, video directed by Ice Cube. "A Million Days" from Musicology also had a video, one of my favs because it shows him laying down different instrument tracks in studio. "Rock 'N' Roll Is Alive! (And It Lives in Minneapolis)" great Gold Experience B-side with a video.

Buncha lit NPG music club tracks like "Funky Design" or "Jukebox with a Heartbeat" where he shares probably his artistic philosophy, "Do the people even know what they want if they never hear what they need?" Also his contribution to the Happy Feet soundtrack "The Song of the Heart", his Hurricane Katrina charity single "S.S.T.", "Donald Trump (Black Version)" etc.

My fav dance-jam that you missed is probably "Horny Pony", the B-Side to "Gett Off" (wayy better and on another level than "Horny Toad"). Just try to not dance the Horny Pony to that one, doubledog dare. You can dance all the way to Barcelona. And of course my personal fav. track ever, "101", originally released by Sheena Easton but there's a Prince vocal demo out there, her version has a video. That track's gothed out tho. Plenty 'O' official trax left.

[Edited 11/10/22 18:35pm]

PJMcGee said:

Some of my favorite tracks are his extended versions, the 12 inchers, ahem. Let's see. Long versions of Let's Go Crazy (as seen in Purple Rain), Erotic City, GOD (also in the movie), I Would Die 4 U, Another Lonely Christmas, She's Always in My Hair, Shockadelica, Kiss, ♡ or $, Anotherloverholenyohead, Housequake (7 minutes moquake), Alphabet St., Eye Wish U Heaven. (He turns a wishy washy track, imo, into hypnotic, slow funk.) I mentioned an Electric Chair mix by William Orbit, so cold and beautiful. His mix of The Future isn't bad either. The CD singles of Gett Off and Cream are really more EPs of stuff in the same vein. One track, Violet the Organ Grinder, well, maybe it doesn't quite live up to that title, but what could? There's lots more that I like. These are just the highlights.

Ah, yes. ShellyMcG, you've got all the official extended and alternate versions to listen to. Some are just s'tandard' extended versions of songs, others complete reworkings. A great example is Gett Off. There's an 8 min version (new verses) and a "damn near 10 min version" but then there's another 5 recordings he did, sometimes taking it to entirely new places (like completely new lyrics/choruses), and with separate music videos too. And he did that several times throughout his career.

PJMcGee said:

All the songs I mentioned were official releases, 12" singles and CDs. It was such a thrill to find the new records in a store, and to see they were extended versions with B-sides, also extended!

And the revelations that were in store in some of the 12" versions. Was never a massive fan of the studio version of She's Always in My Hair (although I loved it live on Rave Un2 and much more so wthi 3rdEyeGirl), but the 12" version really gave it room to breathe.

And La La La, He He Hee is good fun on the 7" but the "(Highly Explosive)" version is, well, explosive!

WhisperingDandelions said:

2010: After 20Ten Prince made the Welcome 2 America album before he went on his Welcome 2 America tour. Album was shelved for unknown reasons but has recently been released as Prince left it.

Sadly this isn't true.

"Little Red Corvette (Special Dance Mix)" is my fav. Normally I think the songs are better shorter, but that bassline he builds the extended mix to in the second half might be his best bassline after "777-9311". Completely changes the character of the track. "Erotic City" extended just works better, too.

These discussions really emphasize how the estate is just leaving money on the table not bringing all this stuff together and making a new NPG Music Club or subscription service. It's a whole musical universe unto itself that even the hardcore fans sometimes don't fully explore. You could sort by genre, mood, put it all proper chronological like this thread, monthly special releases, highlight hidden gems, algorithm it to individual taste, etc. And that's just studio stuff, add in live concerts and it's a whole 'nother level, Vault stuff again another level etc.

JorisE73 said:

WhisperingDandelions said:

2010: After 20Ten Prince made the Welcome 2 America album before he went on his Welcome 2 America tour. Album was shelved for unknown reasons but has recently been released as Prince left it.

Sadly this isn't true.

Oh really? Damn. Did Michael Howe Frankenstein mix some tracks and then run the masters through Cathedral echo chamber again?

JorisE73 said:

LoveGalore said:

I'm shocked you soldiered through that giant post but yes you are right

Are you partially illiterate? You constantly harp on posts spanning longer than eight-dreaded sentences like they're Atlas Shrugged. Ignore books, ignore magazines, ignore periodicals, have you never even encountered an algorithm-generated clickbait Top 10?

Because literally only Twitter would fit within your preferred wordcount parameters. We're all very sorry mother never read you Go Dog Go as a child but you are indeed going to encounter words on the internet...

WhisperingDandelions said:

Just a quick 12" look from 81-99

https://www.45worlds.com/...ist/prince

Prince had super powers...

LoveGalore said:

Things I don't do: use Twitter, double dip the chip, or suffer your masturbatory bloviating.

You wholesale xeroxing my vocab choices begs to differ.