i agree, but hard as it is to pin prince down to one thing or way of music making, he def liked cheap or cheesy sounds in terms of what he used. and in terms of production, he did not need everything to sound 'professional' and properly finished. a lot of SOTT sounded famously 'thin' (to most people). he was also always aware of what was hot and what wasnt, and i guess in the 90s, he was less concerned with not sounding like other artists so much, he was trying to sound more 'regular', which is why a lot of these outtakes sound so of their time to me. i mean, the 1999 outtakes also sound of their time, but they still sound different too, if you get what i mean. these 1991 outtakes sound like he didnt wanna sound too different. and as someone into 90s rnb, i dont mind that, but its less 'surprising' to listen to.

I've cancelled my pre-order. Despite my avatar, it's not my favorite era. I've not been impressed with anything that's showed up so far. Alice, Cream2, these, those leaks. All pretty poor to my ears. Oh well. 1999 and SOTT SDE's could never be topped anyways.

1999 and SOTT SDE could definitely be topped. They might even be topped with the Purple Rain SDE if they don't hold out half the content which they probably will.

This is why I was so anti-D&P SDE. You can see this similar reaction across the Prince web. It's leading to this dejected malaise among large swaths of the fanbase. Like, "oh, well. this is okay," like "guess we got all the good stuff on the other two SDEs,"

like no, there's plenty in The Vault to be excited about, it's just this project is mining one of the worst Prince eras, by many Prince fans own admission's: "not my favorite era".

"But it's his #2 biggest seller. Obviously you release it as one of the first releases."

Uh no, it might've been a big seller smack in 1991, but the reason you don't re-issue so early out the gate is because the whole marketing hook for Prince, especially now is that he's the artist artist, he's this otherworthly "Mozart" of music, this Master Yoda of 27 instruments, 40 albums, gen-Z Prince fans with their Mic the Snare deep-dives... annnnndd we get the f'n Diamonds & Pearls material to show this to the new gen fans?

The album the fanbase has been almost universally "meh" on since 1992?

It's a waste of a release, a waste of pressing plant resources, a waste of new fan good will,

Because there are new fans. I even see more D&P singles reactions on social media. And they check out when stuff like this gets hyped and eventually gets dropped to streaming.

All these new fans are like, "....okay. That was... okay." and probably resume loading up another artist on their Spotify. Can you blame them? This shouldn't have been released because it's draining all the hype/enthusiasm for the next SDE, and will probably sell so low we'll get another 1999 SDE announced soon to pair with the two Purple Rain SDEs.

And no this isn't a "90s Prince" thing, please, even you 90s Prince stans, no way more than 10% of you put D&P as the top 90s Prince, c'mon...

[Edited 9/30/23 18:04pm]

I do, and I am more excited about this SDE than any of them. Just because it isn't what YOU wanted doesn't mean it's the wrong decision. There are A LOT of people excited for this release. If you don't like it, don't buy it, the rest of the Diamonds and Pearls fans will enjoy it. If it were up to me, Love Symbol (another GREAT Prince album) would be the next SDE, AND The Gold Experience after that. But you know what? Lovesexy is probably my least favorite Prince album, with Grafitti Bridge a close second, but if either of them were the next one, I'd buy them too, BECAUSE I'M A PRINCE FAN, AND I WANT EVERYTHING, and you wouldn't see me bitching about those releases either. I feel very fortunate that we are getting these great boxes stuffed with beautiful books with unseen photos, multiple CDs, Blu-ray's and DVDs and any true fan would feel the same way, instead of bitching and complaining that their favorite album hasn't gotten an SDE yet. Be grateful that the great Prince left us with a wonderous vault of music and video performances. Compare the so-called "king of pop's" posthumous releases (total garbage, and little of it) be grateful.

WhisperingDandelions said:

1999 and SOTT SDE could definitely be topped. They might even be topped with the Purple Rain SDE if they don't hold out half the content which they probably will.

This is why I was so anti-D&P SDE. You can see this similar reaction across the Prince web. It's leading to this dejected malaise among large swaths of the fanbase. Like, "oh, well. this is okay," like "guess we got all the good stuff on the other two SDEs,"

like no, there's plenty in The Vault to be excited about, it's just this project is mining one of the worst Prince eras, by many Prince fans own admission's: "not my favorite era".

"But it's his #2 biggest seller. Obviously you release it as one of the first releases."

Uh no, it might've been a big seller smack in 1991, but the reason you don't re-issue so early out the gate is because the whole marketing hook for Prince, especially now is that he's the artist artist, he's this otherworthly "Mozart" of music, this Master Yoda of 27 instruments, 40 albums, gen-Z Prince fans with their Mic the Snare deep-dives... annnnndd we get the f'n Diamonds & Pearls material to show this to the new gen fans?

The album the fanbase has been almost universally "meh" on since 1992?

It's a waste of a release, a waste of pressing plant resources, a waste of new fan good will,

Because there are new fans. I even see more D&P singles reactions on social media. And they check out when stuff like this gets hyped and eventually gets dropped to streaming.

All these new fans are like, "....okay. That was... okay." and probably resume loading up another artist on their Spotify. Can you blame them? This shouldn't have been released because it's draining all the hype/enthusiasm for the next SDE, and will probably sell so low we'll get another 1999 SDE announced soon to pair with the two Purple Rain SDEs.

And no this isn't a "90s Prince" thing, please, even you 90s Prince stans, no way more than 10% of you put D&P as the top 90s Prince, c'mon...

[Edited 9/30/23 18:04pm]

Marrk said:

No big deal.

I actually went from ordering the Vinyl Box to CD Package, and now i cancelled it too.

I'm sure i'll download it in a lossless format from some illeagal chuch.

And if i still be interested enough after a few listens, probably by eastern next year,

i'll find it in the sales section. Just to add it to my collection.

Did the same with Welcome 2 America Deluxe, and Syracuse.

its interesting just how many previews they are releasing though. there will be more, im sure, later this month. the main issue with the SDE for me is that im tired of getting stuff i already have. i dont need the main album again, or the singles and remixes. i have them all already. and im not THAT interested in the live show, although this was actually the first prince tour i attended, so i probably should be! (might change my mind on this, idk). so the vault tracks are key, and if the good stuff (like i hear your voice) isnt there, and the rest is all just mildly interesting alternate versions, or okay-ish outtakes, i think im okay. but who knows, prince songs always take a while to grow on me, so maybe thatll happen here again.

PJMcGee said:

Lovesexy tour didn't use a real grand piano? Damn, learn something every day.

.

He never used an acoustic piano on stage, only in studio.
In concerts, he initially used a Yamaha CP-80 (real strings, real hammer-action keyboard, but electric pickups and amps – but it's a pain to keep in tune with all the transportation), but later switched to using digital keyboards (often built into piano-shaped housings). Far more convenient for the road.

https://goldiesparade.co.uk/prince-tours/lovesexy-tour/

The concert featured a solo set in which Prince played a blue grand piano. This was actually a Yamaha KX88 keyboard housed in an empty grand piano shell, sporting a reinforced lid to allow Prince to dance atop.

Kares said:

PJMcGee said:

Lovesexy tour didn't use a real grand piano? Damn, learn something every day.

.

He never used an acoustic piano on stage, only in studio.
In concerts, he initially used a Yamaha CP-80 (real strings, real hammer-action keyboard, but electric pickups and amps – but it's a pain to keep in tune with all the transportation), but later switched to using digital keyboards (often built into piano-shaped housings). Far more convenient for the road.

He even did that for the Piano & Microphone tour, right?

Vannormal said:

Kares said:

.

He never used an acoustic piano on stage, only in studio.
In concerts, he initially used a Yamaha CP-80 (real strings, real hammer-action keyboard, but electric pickups and amps – but it's a pain to keep in tune with all the transportation), but later switched to using digital keyboards (often built into piano-shaped housings). Far more convenient for the road.

He even did that for the Piano & Microphone tour, right?

.

Yeah, that was a digital keyboard too.

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

Real music by real musicians.... just not real pianos lol Shame he didnt use a real one on that tour. Not like the crew had to do much else. Im sure they could have transported and tuned a piano.

.
First of all: electronic/digital musical instruments are real instruments too.

.
Second: have you actually listened to any of the P&AM shows? It wasn't just piano sounds he was playing, he added string sounds to many of the songs he performed. How was he going to do that on an acoustic piano?

Get Blue almost sounds like a song written for someone else. Doesn't sound very "Prince" to me, and not like anything on D&P.

Scarily generic R&B, and rhyming "Get Blue" with "Lets do something terribblle"

.

Live 4 Love sounds like a rough demo... which is probably what it is! Interesting to hear, but not something I need to hear repeatedly.

.

As others have said, it's not going to be a great SDE like 1999 or SOTT.

D&P may have been a commercial success, but it's not aged well, and not a really a fan favourite.

.

Suddenly it feels like the old Estate and Warner had the right idea to package it with Love Symbol and make more of it... with more live videos too.

.

Still, the Glam Show show on BluRay should be worth the price alone!!

[Edited 10/2/23 7:33am]

happyshopper said:

edit

[Edited 10/2/23 8:33am]

Kares said:

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

Real music by real musicians.... just not real pianos lol Shame he didnt use a real one on that tour. Not like the crew had to do much else. Im sure they could have transported and tuned a piano.

.
First of all: electronic/digital musical instruments are real instruments too.

.
Second: have you actually listened to any of the P&AM shows? It wasn't just piano sounds he was playing, he added string sounds to many of the songs he performed. How was he going to do that on an acoustic piano?

No, even better, he could've used all these fantastic Clare Fisher strings he barely ever used.

How many string arrangements did he asked from Mr. Fisher?

Beautfiul arrangements for unreleased songs that never saw the light of day?

They were just lying in his vault somewhere.

He easily could've let these run on a tape like he did and used in all his big venue live shows since 1990s.

And, he could've combined that still with synth strings.

Why did I actually never told this to Prince myself?!

Second: have you actually listened to any of the P&AM shows? It wasn't just piano sounds he was playing, he added string sounds to many of the songs he performed. How was he going to do that on an acoustic piano?

by getting a second person to do that on a separate instrument?

He easily could've let these run on a tape like he did and used in all his big venue live shows since 1990s.

And, he could've combined that still with synth strings.

the strings and a microphone tour.

[Edited 10/2/23 10:22am]

happyshopper said:

Mindbells9 said:

happyshopper said:

Get Blue almost sounds like a song written for someone else. Doesn't sound very "Prince" to me, and not like anything on D&P.

Scarily generic R&B, and rhyming "Get Blue" with "Lets do something terribblle"

.

Live 4 Love sounds like a rough demo... which is probably what it is! Interesting to hear, but not something I need to hear repeatedly.

.

As others have said, it's not going to be a great SDE like 1999 or SOTT.

D&P may have been a commercial success, but it's not aged well, and not a really a fan favourite.

.

Suddenly it feels like the old Estate and Warner had the right idea to package it with Love Symbol and make more of it... with more live videos too.

.

Still, the Glam Show show on BluRay should be worth the price alone!!

[Edited 10/2/23 7:33am]

"Let's do something taboo..."

I think you right "Taaa, a... boooo"

Better, but still a B-Side track at best.

.

(I also just realised that this song WAS written for, and recorded by, Louie Louie, so I was right that it sounds like it was written for someone else! )

[Edited 10/3/23 3:03am]

[Edited 10/3/23 3:46am]

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

Real music by real musicians.... just not real pianos lol Shame he didnt use a real one on that tour. Not like the crew had to do much else. Im sure they could have transported and tuned a piano.

I actually find this very interesting...he was not stuck by a particular technology....he didn't have any stringent rules in his head...as Sheila E once said, he would make music with a bucket and spoons if that's all he had.

I would have thought he would want a real piano but, he didn't. A guy who could play drums was quick to use drum machines and learn how to use them like he did in the early 80s. He just had no restrictions in his mind...typical of a genius in any field.

yeah, i guess he only really got dogmatic in certain areas/belief systems as he got older, though not necessarily musical ones. even after talking about REAL MUSIC BY REAL MUSICIANS for most of the 00s, he still made music using supposedly synthetic sounds.

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

yeah, i guess he only really got dogmatic in certain areas/belief systems as he got older, though not necessarily musical ones. even after talking about REAL MUSIC BY REAL MUSICIANS for most of the 00s, he still made music using supposedly synthetic sounds.

.
FYI: modern instruments are real instruments too.
Anyway, P was talking about making real music, not about instruments, and it is possible to make real music with pots and spoons and whatever.

Kares said:

NoSwan said:

Kares said:

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

yeah, i guess he only really got dogmatic in certain areas/belief systems as he got older, though not necessarily musical ones. even after talking about REAL MUSIC BY REAL MUSICIANS for most of the 00s, he still made music using supposedly synthetic sounds.

.
FYI: modern instruments are real instruments too.
Anyway, P was talking about making real music, not about instruments, and it is possible to make real music with pots and spoons and whatever.

not saying they arent, i listen to a lot of electronic music so i dont care really, but when prince was talking about 'real' music and 'real' musicians playing (presumably) real instruments, he was talking about tradiitonal instruments, ie piano, guitar, bass, etc.

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

Kares said:

.
FYI: modern instruments are real instruments too.
Anyway, P was talking about making real music, not about instruments, and it is possible to make real music with pots and spoons and whatever.

not saying they arent, i listen to a lot of electronic music so i dont care really, but when prince was talking about 'real' music and 'real' musicians playing (presumably) real instruments, he was talking about tradiitonal instruments, ie piano, guitar, bass, etc.

.
P was talking about real music by real musicians, period. All the rest is your fantasy.

Kick the old school joint
For the true funk soldiers