Clearly more exciting than North, fortunately!. There are like three tracks into one (well this is my impression after just a listen). The introductory part has an oriental flavour, due to the keyboards. I don't know who plays this (Renato I guess) but it's really stuck in my mind. Then after 2 minutes or so the drums come in and that time I really thought it could be a (dark) movie soundtrack. It really moves into jazz-fusion towards the end of this first part, especially when eric starts to blow. The second part is made of the two samples heard before, and is also orientally flavoured, with exciting guitar work (actually more the sound and effects than the playing itself, but stil). The third part is really funky, where you can immediately feel Eric and Prince's long time musical relationship. Eric's work is really something on this track overall, it's the Eric we love, cool, experimental and funky at the same time.

I don't have a real clear opinion after the first listen, but I'm excited. This signals that the track is sufficiently complex to really grow on me. Cool! It's real weird, experimental music. And here the music has personality, it didn't make me think every ten seconds that I'd rather stop that BS and get my Miles, Hancock or Weather Report albums...

North got me (amazingly) bored after just two listens (see my bitter thread yesterday), there was nothing to hope from more listens as with any (close to) elevator music.

So don't know what to expect now. Can't wait to hear West, I really hope it won't be as cheesy and downtempo as North but more in the vein of East.
I would love a funky, agressive, uptempo track with killing guitar work, just like in those instrumentals of the European Tour aftershows (one can always dream, right)

Peace

See, there ya have it! Always wait till the end!



I also dig this track more than North. In fact, I really love this one.

I always try to tell what's REALLY in my heart and mind:

North = BS

East = GREAT track actually (after a second listen).

If I didn't know it were Prince, I could only guess after long minutes (until I hear him play his guitar and, even more so, when Eric starts to blow).

How can he record such an anonymous track and such a killing one in the same session ? That's really prince's mystery! Like how can it be the same guy who recorded Condition of the Heart and Silly Game ? (many other examples)

I guess his goal on North was to record a really slow, laid back track that makes you lay down (like I said before, nothing bad for me) and on East he stretches out way more.


Anyway, I'm glad that we're all getting what we want in the end. At least most of us.

I agree with you about this laid-back feeling he wanted to convey with North, which is a nice idea for what seems to be a concept album, but still it did not have to be that boring and transparent. Anyway, things are getting MUCH better with East now.

Agree!

Here's a little description of the song from me, for those who cannot hear it now:

It starts with a oriental sounding melody played by a keyboard. Some more keyboard effects come in, then Blackwell starts a really funky beat. Now there is mainly the beat, accompanied by dark keyboard sounds and playing. After around 4 minutes into the song, Eric Leeds begins his really impressive jazzy sax playing, a distorted guitar comes in and plays with the sax. Then suddenly the tempo changes and we're into the part we know from the sample. Again sounding kin of eastern like. The distorted guitar chords are backed buy some really sick sounding riffs and and some nasty soloing. Absolutely sick effects hear. This time, the sax starts playing with the guitar and a new part begins.
From nowhere a funky guitar riff is introduced, the beat kicks in again and Eric starts to blow. We're now around 9 minutes into the song. There are some breaks where you can hear the guitar chords again, an organ solo (propably by Renato and one by Prince), once more horn playing by Eric Leeds. Then there's another break, the guitar chords are slowed down, some weird keyboard sounds come in, a very light beat by Blackwell starts, some guitar chords again and finally a bass solo by Rhonda (sounds like her up-right bass).
The song finishes with some sitar sounding playing (also in the sample), only backed by some keyboad sounds.





Excuse any grammatical mistakes, and please add whatever you found in this song!

BTW, where is everybody? Can we have some sort of discussion here?

First i really dig North and East even more!!!

Both tracks build up slowly and the band takes the time to do so...

First track is slow then things begin to move and maybe totally shake at the end!!!

YES! Love it! I can't wait to hear the CD (stereo and better quality sound!). The track also puts North into perspective - it's meant to get you in that laid back mood as our journey begins. And if West & South are as good as East, then my, what a journey it will be!

"east" sounds like a cross between mr. bungle freshened up and a theme song to one of those news journal-shows they have on nbc all the time.






edit-o
[This message was edited Fri Jun 20 7:01:08 PDT 2003 by Handclapsfingasnapz]

Just finished my first listen. I really wanted to crank this one up (especially when Eric first kicks in) but I am at work and this is a bit to progressive for the Brit poppers that I have to work with.

Seriously experimental, I think the track adds something to yesterdays North. Imagine them played back to back. It's only after East comes full circle that it gels a single track otherwise it could be 4,5 or even 6 little pieces of independent music much like a 4 track series from Xpectation. I really want to get this one on CD and listen properly.

Some of the Eastern (is there some pattern here) sounding music is reminiscent of a James Bond soundtrack from a few years ago - The World is not Enough, track 6; Welcome to Baku - I think, where David Arnold uses similar (middle) eastern feel to the same effect. This however has the addition of Prince and Eric creating some of the best shit we have heard for ages.

I can't wait until East meets West tomorrow.

Wouldn't "South" be next?

if he made and released TRC II, i would be very happy. even Rave II, i'd ecstatic!

calldapplwondery83 said:

if he intends to keep the order (NEWS), West should be next. That, however, remains to be seen.

I never thought that a Prince song would make me tired and sort of depressed until I heard North.

Are the b-sides gonna be called Northeast, Southwest, etc.
I wanna knows.

OK - East has an oriental vibe,

North was what? cold and lazy (like by a fireside on a snowy winter's day in MPLS).

So will South b what? African?

And West what? country?