dodger07 said:

Surely you think Rave is better

ShellyMcG said:

MattyJam said:

The Family is his best work front to back. Mutiny, Screams of Passion, Desire, Nothing Compares are all top tier Prince. There is not a dud on the record, even the instrumentals go hard. To me, no solo Prince album can hold a candle to this masterpiece. Is it weird my favourite Prince album isn't by Prince? [Edited 11/8/25 11:08am]

I spent my whole 14th year with the album going back and forth on my walkman.
The only other cassette going in it was "Around The World In A Day".

It's sublime.

Thank God for David Z and his "let's remove the drums" approach that elevated "Nothing Compares 2 U" and "Desire" to absolute grace.

Thank God for Clare Fischer.

Thank God for the instrumentals (two of them!).

Which leaves me totally puzzled with "Rave" and your taste for it.
No two albums could be further apart in colors and intentions.

[Edited 11/8/25 20:39pm]

BonnieC said:

The Family album is a solid project.

MattyJam said:

I can understand The Family album being your favorite Prince/not Prince album. It's great material. However, you surely must be able to take a step back and realize it's not quite on the level of Purple Rain, 1999 or Sign of The Times. I will freely admit I listen to Chaos and Disorder more than Purple Rain but I wouldn't try to tell you it's better.

I guess you are saying this is your opinion but I was reacting to that declarative statement wedged in there.

[Edited 11/9/25 0:56am]

Stop the madness.

whodknee said:

For me, The Family and Jill Jones are solid non-Prince-Prince albums. If you count Madhouse, then 8 is in there, too. Such a fertile period from 85-88.

Vanity 6 is better than A6, and is solid front to back. The Time's first two albums are as well.

The instrumentals on The Family go hard, but they're not a favorite. I just feel like something else could be put in there.

Jill's record just has 100% songs front to back, so on that count (and the instrumentals), it ranks a tad higher than The Family, but it's a narrow margin. She also has more projection and attitude in her voice. Her's is an attitude record, where The Family is sexy and smooth, braggadocios at times.

Both are favorites, though.

Regarding 1999: I don't think it's overrated, or overproduced. But it's long. I compiled a single edits version of the album, and while some "key" parts are missing (stuff we recognize a song for), it flows quicker and you still get the grooves and feel overall. The only album versions are "Free," "Something in the Water," and "International Lover." It all balances quite well. Give it a run sometime.

PS if you have the SDE of 1999, you can compile that on your own. All those edits are in the set.

[Edited 11/10/25 2:18am]

MattyJam said:

luv2tha99s said:

MattyJam said:

Sign O The Times has tracks that make me reach for the skip button (It, Slow Love, Hot Thing). 1999 is mostly great, but a tad overrated. Free is just lame schmaltz and Delrious his worst attempt at rockabilly. Purple Rain is obviously solid and the only other Prince project that genuinely has no skips (perhaps Lovesexy too). But personal preference comes into play and whilst PR is practically perfect aa a pop-rock album, it's not very rich in the funk department. The Family is dripping in funk. The presence of Eric Leeds and Clare Fisher throughout really elevate the already strong material to otherworldly realms for me.

You skip Hot Thing?? Blasphemy!! Lol, to each their own. I love the family album though although I do think of it as a Prince record since he wrote everything and played on everything. He wouldn't even let them tour with the name. because he wouldn't be touring with them.

Hell no. Sign O The Times is and will likely always be my fave

To begin with you can't really compare Prince's side production with his real stuff. I mean, Vanity 6 wasn't a real band, even The Time wasn't a band even though they could smoke out of the water anyone, allegedly Prince himself.

.

Never got the hype with The Family album. It starts pretty cool, High Fashion and Mutiny, but it's all downhill from there for me. The Screams Of Fashion is OK-ish but it could have been any other outtake from the era.

.

I feel the Jill Jones' album way superior, more diverse and enjoyable and it with its own entity, but still it doesn't touch Parade or SOTT.

MattyJam said:

ShellyMcG said:

I don't think it's weird. It just means that your tastes don't align with 99% of other Prince fans. A little unusual, maybe. But nobody can tell you that your opinions are weird. Personally, I like The Family album but High Fashion and The Screams of Passion do a lot of the heavy lifting. Without those two songs, I'd consider it average at best.

Average? Mutiny? Nothing Compares 2 U? Desire? You for real?

I'm not actually a big fan of the production on this album. There's something missing. Still love it though.

leecaldon said:

leecaldon said:

ShellyMcG said:

MattyJam said: