Vannormal said:

Is there any news yet on the unreleased listening session of two days ago?

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There's a whole fucking thread about it, which died two days ago because most of what was played was already known.

.

They played this track at that session. A TRACK THEY RELEASED THE DAY BEFORE.

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[Edited 6/9/25 8:18am]

Aw Lawd, what a useless release.

This goes directly in the bin marked "Prince Butchers His Own Songs", along with "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore" from "One Nite Alone... Live!" and his atrocious synth accordeon over the cheapest Polka-wannabe-Waltz possible ; the slashing of "Old Friends 4 Sale" with his ridiculously over-grandiose symphonic arrangements and its rewritten-for-nothing lyrics ; "The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker" circa 1999, drenched in and soiled by the worst jazzy sauce, the kind of horror a DJ would only play at the lowest volume possible at 4 a.m. in the desertic lounge of a five-star hotel, just for the sole employee who swipes the floor and the lone guy at the bar who's trying to swallow the last sip of his twentieth scotch.

The beautiful chords of the original verses are here swapped for the kind of progression 1976' Skipper would not even remotely consider for release ; and then past the second minute all we get is absolute void: some lame strumming by a mumbling Prince obviously (and rightfully) bored with himself.

On top of it all, the dorks in charge, desperately in search of some credibility, splattered the phallic logo from the album cover over an airbrushed-to-death eye circa Controversy and called an intern who, judging by its amateurish handling of a Wacom pen, and the nutcase who approved his "artwork", undoubtely never heard of something called the Schutzstaffel.


Meanwhile, the poor original, who didn't ask for such a muzak treatment, never gets the credit it deserves: it's quite simply the proto-"Purple Rain", his first attempt at messianic stadium gospel-rock, and the people ditching it probably give a pass to the atrocious "Imagine" by Lennon, which is way more lyrically naive and much more melodically imbecile.

At least "Free" had the balls to go blatantly after totalitarian regimes, whereas Lennon posed as the kind of sap he despised just a few years before in "Revolution".

[Edited 6/9/25 20:20pm]

BonnieC said:

Aw Lawd, what a useless release.

This goes directly in the bin marked "Prince Butchers His Own Songs", along with "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore" from "One Nite Alone... Live!" and his atrocious synth accordeon over the cheapest Polka-wannabe-Waltz possible ; the slashing of "Old Friends 4 Sale" with his ridiculously over-grandiose symphonic arrangements and its rewritten-for-nothing lyrics ; "The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker" circa 1999, drenched in and soiled by the worst jazzy sauce, the kind of horror a DJ would only play at the lowest volume possible at 4 a.m. in the desertic lounge of a five-star hotel, just for the sole employee who swipes the floor and the lone guy at the bar who's trying to swallow the last sip of his twentieth scotch.

The beautiful chords of the original verses are here swapped for the kind of progression 1976' Skipper would not even remotely consider for release ; and then past the second minute all we get is absolute void: some lame strumming by a mumbling Prince obviously (and rightfully) bored with himself.

On top of it all, the dorks in charge, desperately in search of some credibility, splattered the phallic logo from the album cover over an airbrushed-to-death eye circa Controversy and called an intern who, judging by its amateurish handling of a Wacom pen, and the nutcase who approved his "artwork", undoubtely never heard of something called the Schutzstaffel.


Meanwhile, the poor original, who didn't ask for such a muzak treatment, never gets the credit it deserves: it's quite simply the proto-"Purple Rain", his first attempt at messianic stadium gospel-rock, and the people ditching it probably give a pass to the atrocious "Imagine" by Lennon, which is way more lyrically naive and much more melodically imbecile.

At least "Free" had the balls to go blatantly after totalitarian regimes, whereas Lennon posed as the kind of sap he despised just a few years before in "Revolution".

.

Some good points, but it's not like Prince never produced kitsch, is it. In fact, kitsch have always been part of his art and the visuals he used.

Kares said:

BonnieC said:

Aw Lawd, what a useless release.

This goes directly in the bin marked "Prince Butchers His Own Songs", along with "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore" from "One Nite Alone... Live!" and his atrocious synth accordeon over the cheapest Polka-wannabe-Waltz possible ; the slashing of "Old Friends 4 Sale" with his ridiculously over-grandiose symphonic arrangements and its rewritten-for-nothing lyrics ; "The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker" circa 1999, drenched in and soiled by the worst jazzy sauce, the kind of horror a DJ would only play at the lowest volume possible at 4 a.m. in the desertic lounge of a five-star hotel, just for the sole employee who swipes the floor and the lone guy at the bar who's trying to swallow the last sip of his twentieth scotch.

The beautiful chords of the original verses are here swapped for the kind of progression 1976' Skipper would not even remotely consider for release ; and then past the second minute all we get is absolute void: some lame strumming by a mumbling Prince obviously (and rightfully) bored with himself.

On top of it all, the dorks in charge, desperately in search of some credibility, splattered the phallic logo from the album cover over an airbrushed-to-death eye circa Controversy and called an intern who, judging by its amateurish handling of a Wacom pen, and the nutcase who approved his "artwork", undoubtely never heard of something called the Schutzstaffel.

Meanwhile, the poor original, who didn't ask for such a muzak treatment, never gets the credit it deserves: it's quite simply the proto-"Purple Rain", his first attempt at messianic stadium gospel-rock, and the people ditching it probably give a pass to the atrocious "Imagine" by Lennon, which is way more lyrically naive and much more melodically imbecile.

At least "Free" had the balls to go blatantly after totalitarian regimes, whereas Lennon posed as the kind of sap he despised just a few years before in "Revolution".

.

Some good points, but it's not like Prince never produced kitsch, is it. In fact, kitsch have always been part of his art and the visuals he used.

100% disagree with the flowery prosaic BonnieC (plus the unnecessary comment about the “schutztaffel”, an irrelevant sensitive slip).

But I do agree with Kares about Prince's look, production and visuals, which to me were/are always kitsch. Also here and there in his music, but certainly not that much, at least to me.

Never having been a fan of the original (I regret that Moonbeam Levels was not on 1999 instead), I must say that this version is excellent. Really enjoy the power of his rhythm guitar and shows off his skills. It reins in the upbeat nature of the original and brings an edge I appreciate. Better released than in the Vault I say.

BonnieC said: