Here's my list of P's worst of albums ...

First we'll start off with Come, this was the first sign of things were changing and they'd never be quit the same. I've tried 2 get in2 this album but just couldn't. I think many would agree this was the beginning of Prince commercial failure...



Chaos & Disorder. Some people may like this, but 2 me it sounds like just what it was intended for. Prince wanted 2 hurry up and get out of his contract, so he just put something 2gether quickly without much thought, therefore it goes on my worst of list




Emancipation, it was supposed 2 be Prince commercial come back, but I don't even think he had one hit off this 3 disc album..



Then Of course there's New Power Soul, Oh Lawrd What can I say about New Power Soul except it collects dust in my collection and I often use it for a table coaster. The One had alot potential, but at this point I don't the average audience was wanting 2 hear anything from Prince anymore. Although I hate 2 say , it's true.


Who Can 4get ...



All I have 2 say is, if ain't broke don't fix and this should've never been tampered with , even though we were going into a new century. It's pretty obvious 2 me, I don't think Prince can even compete with himself.


The very best of . All I can say what was waner brothers point ? I mean we already had the hits which provided pretty much everything, plus the B-sides, this was a waist of manufacture money.



And at last but not least The beautiful experience. I really did get it, was it a album or a single ? If so then what was the purpose of having a single for a single ? Did we really need seven different mixes of the same song when the original was already perfect ?



There you have it children, my worst of list. You can agree 2 disagree, but that's my answer and I'm sticking to it .
[This message was edited Mon Dec 29 12:49:57 PST 2003 by DigitalLisa]

The first two on that list are among my very favorite Prince albums...at least in terms of his '90s output (though Come is one of my all-time favorites).

His stuff is like a Rorschack Test (sp?) - everyone sees something different in it.

Come is a cool little album.Dark. I like it, the rest i don't pull out often though.

Yeah, I think 'Come' has some great songs in it, as well as 'Chaos'. I also dig 'The Beautiful Experience'. I think he wanted to express some different moods there using the same song, that's all. I listened to 'NPS' once when it came out. I remember liking "Freaks On This Side" and "The One". I need to purchase that album to see what all the fuss is about

Other than Come, I agree with you.

Yeah, Come with Space and Letitgo is a covert classic. I would include Diamonds and Pearls on this list, too glossy and rappy, though like all Prince records , it has its moments to. Emancipation is quite good overall, a little dull perhaps, but I would substitute the 3CD set Crystal Ball instead. But to each his own. Nice to see Prince fans always seem to diverge on what subjectively is their favs and least fav releases. Speaks volumes to the overall vibrancy of all his records, the shear amount of recordings and his maintenance of at least a certain quantity of quality control. oh, what the hell am I talking about, this was one bad getting off on a tangent, bet your still not reading this!

In all the same I guess the worst Prince music is like bad sex, even though is bad its still kind of good
[This message was edited Mon Dec 29 13:56:27 PST 2003 by DigitalLisa]

.



U put COME first and you don't include RAVE.
You are mad.

powersoul99 said:

quite like "the new master album" i just brought it, and i think, all the different styles of 1999, are pretty good!!

"The holy river" and "Betcha by golly wow" were hits off of "Emancipation", weren't they? All in all this list is pretty much the way I feel too. That being said, his "bad" music is better than most others best.

I remember reading the interview Prince gave in GQ where he modeled the Versace outfits. In that interview he said that people weren't ready for what he was doing, which at the time was Emancipation. That album is so far removed from Prince's true glory.

Prince got body snatched during the years. He allowed a crappy drummer in the band. Relinquished control over his loops and samples to said drummer. Claimed that people weren't going to be ready for the stuff he was doing. People weren't ready for crap that's for sure. I like Emancipation but at least 1 disc worth of music on that album is disposable.

I love Come though!!!

andykeen said:

Oh. My. God.


If I were the kind of person who had access to customized trophies, I would mail you one for being the first person I've ever encountered who likes the 1999: New Master e.p.

I'd rather get a spinal tap without any pain medicine than listen to New Power Soul. I like Come. And I thoroughly enjoy Emancipation. The last three can go take a hike though.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

WE KNOW!

Frank J's list of flushable Prince/Toothpastesquigglecumstainaliasname albums goes like this:


1). SNOOOZZZEEE

2). Chaos & Disorder

3). 50% of Emancipation

4). 40% of Batman

Betcha by Golly Wow and Holy River may have been singles and/or videos off Emancipation, but hits, doubt it. I think the Most Beautiful Girl In the World might have been last true hit. Agree that Batman is not hot stuff, but surprised no mentions of the Vault, this is mostly second rate pablum.

bananacologne said:

In fairness The Beautiful Experience and 1999 remaster aren't really albums as such more remix projects. I think Come is a good album and in my view Chaos is his most underrated record. His guitar work on that record is jaw dropping in my view.

Yeah I pretty much agree with you there.

But why not include Batman too as a bad album?

I don't give a damn about the entire album, there isn't even one great song on it to me.

It ranges from really bad (Arms of Orion, Partyman) to good (Scandalous, Batdance), but that's about it imo.

Didn't do it for me at all. Not up to the standards of a musical icon's past work.
[This message was edited Mon Dec 29 17:13:20 PST 2003 by PurpleKnight]
[This message was edited Mon Dec 29 17:23:11 PST 2003 by PurpleKnight]

PurpleKnight said:

I love the Batman album, I didn't include it in my worst of list, because of the facts that's behind the album. Do you know when this album was first released it soled over 20 million copies in one week, which basically broke a world record, I highley doubt you can consider that as flop as much as Chaos & disorder or the Come album. Yeah Arm of orion did suck, but come on The Future, Vicki Waiting, Scandolous, Batman, Partyman, Trust were all classics. I was thinking about adding Diamonds & Pearls, but you know I look at the facts, Prince had four hits off that album Cream, Get Off, Diamond & Pearls , Insatiable, not 2 mention jems such as Willing & Able and Strolling, how can you not like this album ? Not 2 mention P was at his commercial peak with this album and plus the performances from that time (including the Aresnio Hall show performances) were amazing!

Who can forget the ass out pants on mtv vma's of 1991? They Still talk about that ish ten yrs later . The Moral 2 this story is, you have 2 look at all the facts before calling it the worts of album .
[This message was edited Mon Dec 29 19:57:36 PST 2003 by DigitalLisa]

Why are you so concerned with the charts? That seems odd to me...I think when most people on here talk about the "best" and "worst" albums, they're discussing the artistic merits, not the commercial success. I don't care that Batman sold more units than Parade...it's not a better album (although I LOOOVE the Batman soundtrack...I can't be the only one!).

My worst of would include:
News
One Nite Alone Live!
Rave Un2
NewPowerSoul
1999:TNM (not an album, but I wanted to express my absolute contempt for this abomination)

DigitalLisa said:

Sales don't equal non-suck in my book, but WHERE IN THE WORLD did you find it written(fact) that Batman sold over 20 million copies...in its first week?! I think you mixed box office with album sales because nothing Prince released after Purple Rain came anywhere remotely in the realm of close to even 20% of 20 million in sales. Hell, I don't even think Purple Rain itself did 20 million.

Exactly, I don't give a shit about sales, I thought the music on Batman mostly sucked for a Prince album.

Completely forgettable.

The end started with Batman. Nothing that's came out since can match any of the albums before it.
Expect I'll get some bricks thrown from the newbies now.
Don't get me wrong I'm still a fan & still buy just about everything, will be there at all the gigs etc etc, but from Batman onwards there's been something (& quite a BIG something on some of the albums) missing.IMHO of course.

1) The Hits. The whole damn collection, including the B-sides are all chopped up... They even sliced up Adore.

2) Diamonds And Pearls. Sorry folks... only a couple of tunes I dig.

3) GOLD. Sorry again. Maybe only three cuts I care about. Unlike everyone on the org, I can't stand Pussy Control.

4) Rave... Some cool stuff, but that's it. There was 2 much anticipation with this album being "produced by an old friend", which was Prince.

Nearly every other album has value 2 me... I love Batman, like NPS, like Come, like the symbol album, and I'm an old school Prince Head.

Peace,

G.

DigitalLisa said:

r1ghteousone said:

Listen I tried 2 get into come, but it's like i want 2 ask Prince what was he thinking with this ? The only song I do like is dark and I've been trying 2 find some info 4 y'all about the batman album, I won't leave y'all stranded on this.

DigitalLisa said:

I think 'Batman' sold around 5 million or so copies...can't really remember though.

r1ghteousone said:

I do remember when it was released how everybody was making a big deal of many copies it soled in the first week, it was number one for the longest time