So, that's it. That's what we have been waiting for.

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Many of us are feeling seriously underwhelmed, and for various reasons. I'm a long-time afficionado of his outtakes, but not so serious that I'm part of a secret cabal of collectors who are sitting on hidden treasures (that are never to be shared). And there are plenty of songs here that I don't know. Did I say plenty? I meant 4. OUT OF TEN. ten songs, that's what they've drummed up in two years.

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So let's see what we got:

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I don't know "I am you"- and I don't care much for the 70's Prince, save for a few funky bangers on the first two albums. Lots of cutesy stuff in this period, so I'm kind of "meh."

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"Tick Tick Bang" is exciting, although I first got ahold of this in great condition 25 years ago. still, great to have it streaming and cleaned up.

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"Heaven" I am MOST excited about, if just to have a proper intro and I assume all that silly keyboard noodling cut out at the end. getting a SONG is exciting, and getting it in great audio is a treat.

BUT: i'm filled with dread for what this means for the now vanished Deluxe edition of Parade. I didn't care about the ATWIAD lack of SDE, as this isn't a particularly memorable outtake time for me. But after ATWIAD DE, "Heaven" felt destined for a Parade SDE; and it's inclusion on this bare bones release tells me that there aren't actually plans that make sense for vault tracks; and that the Parade (which we were assured last year would mark its 40th anniversary this year) we might or might not get will be bare bones. Sure Lisa is advising, but whatever. I don't trust them at all anymore.

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"I Wonder"- great, love it. had it in gorgeous audio for a long while, but great. sure. wonderful.

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"With This Tear"- didn't know it existed, sounds great. sure.

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"Stone"- Love this version with the strings. Prince trying and failing to make a cute pop hit, especially circa the late 90's. I don't love Emancipation, but if it had more like "Stone" I might have.

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Calabama, Guilty Ones, Bestest Friend. - Don't know them, i'm curious to hear them. Will it be like when i listened to "Welcome 2 America" once and shrugged and then never again? probably. I don't connect with a lot of his music of the last 20 years of his life. there are some absolute bangers, and I proudly admit being a real fan of the Art Official Age and of HITNRUN 1. YES, I SAID THIS.

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and as for a live version of "how come you don't call me"? give me a fucking break. I don't care if it's from "Piano and a Microphone" either. COME THE FUCK ON.

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So, sorry, McMillions. Sorry you get your feelings hurt so damn easily. Sorry you are so thin-skinned. But I can't work up to a frothing hysteria about this ramshackle and MEAGER collection of vault songs.

I DO believe we are reeeeaaallllyyyy hard on the Estate, and sometimes without much provocation. but this release is anti-climactic. it's hardly the revelatory stop-gap between Deluxe reissues it's meant to be, and if anything it just instills a greater skepticism that anybody is steering the ship.

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happy about "Heaven" though.

wasn't there already a thread about this?

nayroo2002 said:

wasn't there already a thread about this?

there's a thread about the upcoming release of it, but any and all opinions about the songs are sure to be buried in page after page of people getting mad at eachother and sniping and pissing.

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so here is a thread where that might be avoided. I'd like us to discuss the songs, who has heard what, etc.

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maybe this can be a thread where the "Stone" consipracy theories of modern keyboard additions can really take off! oh, wait, that's also already happening outside of the original thread.

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hmm, maybe just ignore?

ok.

i'll comment on 8 other songs i haven't heard yet...

shakalakaboom said: