If you don't like personal oppinions, this thread is not for
you lol. It's just that, listening to Emancipation and doing
my report on that gave me a taste for more heheh.

So I decided to give rave another go and here's my thoughts.

God help me, I might even do one on New Power Soul one day





Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic:

Cool outtake, eventho this was, severely updated and
changed [where is the cartoon chorus?] it's still a
cool addition to his catalogue. Always make me ask
Myself why the hell did he choose to record a new
Album and not only put this old outtake on it but even
Make it the title track.
Was it in some weird way an attempt to go back to
The point after Lovesexy where he went commercial
With Batman and all that came after. An attempt to
Reconnect with the “Prince” persona that got lost in
That muddle? If so, it’s weird that he pulled it out
Again for such a commercial album. : confused:

Fav Line:
Brutha playin’ an Apache scarf –Gaultier
Oh my, somebody better call the fashion police


Undisputed

Is difficult to say anything about. Viewed only as a funky
Prince track, it's cool, tho a bit over-crowded in places.
I mean, do we really need a chorus of 15 hyped up people
proclaiming that: Yes, this is the npg and they are bout to
get "rowdy"?? Quite frankly, they give me a headache.

I like the "Queen's” accent tho "outtatouch". Wadda Ponce.

However, viewed as a way to give Missy and Timbaland a
run for their money [which I believe was even stated in the
press release], it's pathetic cuz in that respect it would
be laughable [like my spelling].

Fav Line:
Disintegrate my thoughts from yours you can feel me
Coming out of every one of your pores, reintegrating
Where I am understood and adorned –wow, where the
Hell did that come from all of a sudden??



The Greatest Romance Ever $old

Hmm, I don't know, it's an enormous distance from all
things "Emancipation" but I'm just not completely sure
yet as to Prince and slick modern R&B. The lyrics are
cool tho. The oriental vibe is pretty. The remixes were
Ok and all in all it’s a healthy solid Prince tune.

Fav line:
"your body was designed to respond to mine, in spite of
your desire to mold me". That does floor me everytime.


Hot Wit U

The only image this conjures up is middle aged women
At the gym, with 80’s style sweatbands wrapped around
Their wrists and ankles, sipping fruit-juice at the bar.


The “nasty girl” remix was much better, and somehow
that ahdioshow remix really lifted the song beyond the
horrible-lameness-wasteland where the original resides.

Fave line:
The ones you can’t remember when it’s over



Tangerine

Is just a cool breeze. I like his short songs, they're
usually pretty darn good. Don't know if I prefer the
extended version as much as this original. It's quite
floaty and spacy. Me like.

Fav Line:
“Eventho I take your picture everywhere I go, I
use it for a coaster and drink the overflow”
Worrying, but funny.



So Far, So Pleased

Excuse me, I thought I heard Appolonia singing, or
was it Vanity. Let’s check the credits. Oh my, it’s
Gwen Stefani

Seriously, we’re used to this from Prince but man,
He could have pushed up her vox a bit more and give
her at least a few solo lines here. And ehm, if I
wanted to impress this chick I would Surely put a
guitarsolo in that song that would whipe the floor
with anything her Bush boyfriend could come up with.

Fav Line:
“I could spend the night and leave at 10:15” – Let’s
assume that’s 10:15 in the morning then.



The Sun, The Moon & Stars

Come on, give us a break here. Nice enough rhythm
Track and all, but what about those lyrics? Man is
This the same dude that wrote “If I Was Ur Girlfriend”?
I mean, it was cool to get in touch with your feminine
Side and all, but there’s only so far to go there Prince.
Somehow, a man drinking rosé might not be on top
Of a woman’s wishlist. Especially not if he goes and
Sing in a mock Jamaican accent after two glasses.

Fav Line:

“It’s late and I’m running out of clever things to say”
Well, should have just shut up and made this one of
Them nice floaty instrumentals then, shouldn’t you.



EveryDay is A Winding Road



Utter shite. Sorry but that's how I see it. Thank god
we were spared of any further Larry G ramblings on
future albums [until now]. Every day is butchered.
I bet Sheryll didn’t hear this until the album was well
On it’s way to the presses. She must have laughed
To herself when she heard this parody. The original is
one of the coolest songs I know. I love it. But this
cover version just stinks. Yet, it starts out quite
promising. It quickly plummets to death tho when you
notice that the “vendingmachine repairman” has been
ditched in favor of a “crazy horse showgirl”.

Fav Line:

“I’ve been living on compliments and herbal tea”
actually, I can live with this one.


Man'O'War.

Eventho there are some gutwrenching lyrics here it is
still one of the better tunes on the album. Like the
guitarwork a lot. The remix was enjoyable as well.
Nice dig at Mayté "Marcos" there, lol. Still wonder
Why the orchestral 16 second intro deserves to be
Called a “segue”. Hmm.

Fav Line:

“I need to get away from the words that you said
to me”. We’ve all been there. Nice line.



Baby Knows

Before the album was released Sheryll said that she
Had recorded this song with Prince and that he had
Given her a tape of it which she played in her car on
The way home. She said something to the effect of
“It was rather raunchy and I thought “if my mother
is gonna hear this! Oh my god” I couldn’t believe I
had done that”. Well, if you think THAT is raunchy!
Man, I guess Eric Clapton didn’t teach her much eh.
Once again, as with Gwen, her vox are mixed in with
Prince’s vox and she’s barely audible here. Nice tune
But nothing to get freaked about.

Fav Line:
They’re all silly.



I Love U But I Don't Trust U Anymore.

Apart from that awful line about "pick the flower of my
fav protegé" this is one of the best songs of the late
90's. Very haunting and yet with such a delicate and
beautiful melody. I wouldn't have minded if Ani did a
bit of crooning on it tho. Perhaps on the Rave In2 they
could have put a slightly alternate, extended version
where we could get some Ani backingvox? Alas,

Fav Line:
“I know U trust me, but U don’t love me anymore”
nice way of turning things around. Clever. Cool.
Simple, yet very effective.



Strange But True.

Despite the plastic production this is probably my fav
song on the album. I like his spoken word lyrical rant.
It's very catchy and goed nutters toward the end.
"All Negativity Bows zzzwwwyyyzzzcchhh tututututu
du du tududu tutututututu tududu tudu wwwzzzafdag."

Fav Line :
"You may have lost me, but I found myself"
U tell m.



Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do

Is quite ok, a bit dull and it reminds me of "Every Breath
U Take", I think the bass is in some way reminiscent of
that song. As if he wanted to have a stab at yet another
contemporary rap artist and say to P. Diddy that "Hey, if
you steal something from a song, you can actually
incorporate it into a new song instead of just using the
sample to gain attention". Still, pretty lame. Just when
you think "oh, now the guitar is gonna kick some serious
ass, the song ends". It's like someone giving you an "oral
exam" and then going home after 3 minutes. You just can't
go back to that without the thought of the initial letdown
haunting you.

What's more, he takes out that old drum machine again
FINALLY after all those years, and this is the best he
can come up with?? One would assume him to be inspired
to greater hights than this tune when using his old
machinery again.


Fav Line:
Sappy self-help book stuff beginning to end.
I’d rather read a Buddhist scroll, thank you
all the same.



Pretty Man

Is ok, but why does it have to be tagged on at the end
like some excuse? And why that horrible commercial before
it? "Hello, who is it?" when he slams the phone down,
it's the exact same "phone being slammed down" sample as
used on the late 90's dance groove by Mr Oizo.
Cracks me up every time. To me, pretty man now looks
like that orange levi's puppet sucking a bratwurst.


Fav Line:
“Don’t hate me cuz I’m beautiful”


Looking at this list, there are more songs that I like than
songs I really dislike. Which makes me wonder why I never
play this album??? I'm gonna give it another try next week
and take it to work with me. I'll be alone in the office
on monday and tuesday so I'll have all the time to give it
another try whilst I'm working on my 5ft stack of invoices.

You're beginning 2 enjoy these little reviews now ain't ya?

I still say that we should have a reviews forum... in fact I'm gona go make a thread about that now- please post on it if you want to see one.

http://www.prince.org/msg/3/68691

click the above link to air your views on a reviews forum

Oh and by the way- IstenSzek I enjoyed reading this and the Emancipation thread a lot

I agree about Strange But True, I looove this song
Wherever U Go Whatever U Do: it's true that I miss an incredible guitar solo at the end, but... those lyrics are incredible.
And Pretty Man is sooo funkyyy

Disagree with you on Sun Moon and Stars, but wholeheartedly agree with you on the rest. Although I'm not a huge fan of "Strange but True", some parts of that one were definitely the most original ideas on the disc.

Oh and, yeah, that line you mentioned from "Tangerine" is kind of disgusting if you take it to mean what it could mean in the dirtiest sense!

JimmyNothing said:

No! Less forums please. I think the assosciated artists and celebration forums should be integrated back into the Prince one. Less is more.

The Sun, The Moon & Stars

Especially not if he goes and Sings in a mock Jamaican accent after two glasses.

You only wish you knew what you were talking about. I can see why some would be thrown off by what you are calling a "wannabe jamaican accent" but the witty play on words sung here are a clear illustration of Prince's songwriting prowess!!

IstenSzek said:

cool outtake. definitely. but what do you mean
with "cartoon chorus"? the few changes in the song
are just the absence of a couple of synth and/or
guitar sounds and the instrumental ending.

am i wrong?

I agree with you all the way, except for my favorite line of the title track.

For me it is:

"If I had a dollar for every time they smiled-
I'd sho'nuff jump and holler,
cuz I'd sho'nuff be rich awhile...'

Too funky that one.

My feelings on rave will always be that he was CRAZY for not at least giving us the extended version of that song.. why he gave us a 3 minute tease and the crappiest remix of it.. i'll never know..

Now do a New Power Soul one!

where's 'Silly Game'?

-SWANG'scurious

SWANG said:

Dang. I knew I forgot one.

purpleone said:

I've heard a version that had those cartoon backingvox
like that short bit on "200 Balloons".

IstenSzek said:

yeh thanks now that'll forever be in my head

"Silly Game" was one of my favorite songs on the album when it came out.

IstenSzek said:

co-sign. love that line



this song always gave me a weird feeling that I couldn't verbalize. u just did it -- thanks!




Me like, too. I do prefer the extended, but very much because it doesn't disturb the original at all. It's a nice add-on, I think.



A-P-O-L-L-O-N-I-A. Sorry, pet peeve. (and I'm gonna meet her at the Family Jamm -- so excited!!!) Anyway, totally agree with what u say about the song.



Agreed. Syrupy schlock.



Ouch. It held such promise, it really did. I heard it live at Mill City, and it was great. Love the "compliments and herbal tea" line as well. It was in my aol profile at one point.



Agreed, one of the finest. (I know someone who HATES this song ) And that line... yes, we've all been there, and I was right there when this album came out, so it really struck me.



I LOVE THIS SONG. In spite of its plasticity, there is something very organic. My fav line:

All understand and all standunder this affirmation now
By the power invested in me by God...
All negativity bows

Thanks for a great thread. I find that I don't listen to Rave much either, and song by song, I pretty much like it. I definitely have a problem with the song sequence. The mood wholly changes from song to song, and it nevers gets into a groove. I think dropping a couple tunes and resequencing some songs could do wonders for this disc.

madartista said:

Yup, that's what I thought too. Especially with the IN2
album to take stuff from, I think it would probably not
be too hard to make it a 10 song kick ass album with a
bit more of a flow that the original.

I would surely include "Beautiful Strange" on it. And
the extended version of "Baby Knows" plus perhaps even
ONE SONG, without the speech, to round things up.

One Song (sans speech) definitely shoulda been on that disc.

COMPANY, COMPANY,
COME2ME, COME2ME, PLEASE!!

Here in the center of it all, EYE KNOW, that the future will come from me...

I am the universe...

theblueangel said:

that is the best part indeed. Such strong vocal
delivery there. And such a beautiful song overall.

It came out only, what, two months after the album? I
always thought it would have fit on there perfectly as
the album's closing song.

I know -- I always thought it should've at least been the album closer on In2. It would've been the anthemic ending he's been searching for since Purple Rain.

And you got it - THE VOCALS!!

IstenSzek said:

wow. i've heard one song, but I don't remember it AT ALL.

madartista said:

You don't? Don't you have a copy of it anymore?? It was
offered for free newyear's eve 1999 on the website and
was up until about a year after.

I don't know if it's still online somewhere now tho ??

IstenSzek said:

Right -- I remember it being "unveiled" New Year's Day, and u'd think I'd have it somewhere, huh??? Was there any singing? I just remember the spoken part. I guess I wasn't paying much attention.

madartista said:

Shame on you! lol. There was indeed a 5 or 6 minute sermon
that came before the song. Then the song came in and it
was kind of like something that might have been on the
"The Truth" album. Yet with a little more production to it.
I guess a cross between a "Truth" track and anything from
npgmc year 1. Very nice.

IstenSzek said:

Oh my. I sooo don't remember the song part. I need to be flogged. Well no wonder u like it, being a "The Truth" addict. I'll have to search for it. Thanks 4 the insight.

Bingo!!! Sums it up in one sentence. Now I gotta dig up your Emancipation review... that was fun.