Some Prince stuff in UK music monthly Mojo ( http://www.mojo4music.com/ ) issue no. 124, March 2004:

- In an article about lost album, "The Black Album" is mentioned. Funny comment: "Warners released it officially in 1994, when the imp was struggling to produce anything half as good".

- Big article at the back in their "How To Buy..." series. Purple Rain at no. 1, SOTT at no. 2, then ATWIAD, Dirty Mind, 1999, Prince, Parade, The Hits/The B-Sides, One Nite Alone... Live! (but mainly for the free ONA disc that NPGMC members got with it -- which is of course presented as an ongoing thing but as we all know the ONAL now available through NPGMC doesn't contain ONA), Lovesexy.

The "Also..." part of the article (an album not in the top ten of suggested buys but worth the while tracking down) suggest TGE.

"Avoid!" selects Emancipation, described as "The title alluded to Prince's newly won freedom from WB which he celebrated by recording any old rubbish he fancied".

I agree with the top two choices (and with the one album deemed worthy of the trash bin), but I certainly wouldn't put ATWIAD so high, nor "Prince". Parade deserves to be much higher. TH/TBS doesn't really belong in such a list (though they selected it mainly for the B-Sides disc).

Agreed! TMBGITW and TGE pretty much put me in the closet. Thank God for the Black Album (in spite of the fact that it mastered horribly)
Agreed!! Emancipation was Prince's biggest out-of-touch masterbatory blunder.

I don't agree at all.
I would have put Purple Rain much lower, I think Emancipation is his best 90s record, particularly the 2nd disc, and I would like Parade to be higher.
I despise TGE, I've always considered the time starting with Graffiti Bridge and ending with TGE to be his worst period ever.

I agree with little Man, His most "trying to be commercial" phase. Funny how people view things differently. I view Emancipation similarily to Stevie Wonder's Secret Life of Plants - most media sources tell you to steer clear (because it never sold that well), but people in the know, treasure it as a personal artistic statement. I think Emancipation is a wonderful romantic and soppy set you can get lost in and just mellow out (if you're not to cynical about schmooshy stuff). Although I would have left off Da,da,da, Mr. Happy and We Gets Up for Goodbye, Journey 2 the center of your heart and 2020.

gottagottagotta said:

Actually, when it was released, Emancipation had mostly favorable reviews. It wasn't until later, when the album tanked, that it started to get bashed.

I picked up Mojo last week and saw this article. Thing is Top 10s are always subjective and it's interesting to see choices like the 1979 Prince album in at number 6 and ATWIAD at number 3. I wouldn't put either in my top 10 but it's refreshing to see other opinions. I've always had a lot of respect for Mojo magazine. Sure it's occasionally too stuffy but the journalism is top notch. The Emancipation review is spot on and its easily the weakest album of his career in terms of what it's ambitions were however i actually think Prince was proud of the material and it wasn't cast offs as the article suggested, which makes it even more depressing.

Tired of this shit. Emancipation is a great album. Get over it.

2freaky4church1 said:

I disagree, it's a bloated turd.

Seemingly nearly every song opens with him singing the title of the song too which annoys the hell out of me.

There are still a few good songs on it though, i'll give him that.

I saw it in HMV for £3.99 awhile back. Says it all really.

Most of Emancipation is fine. So... whatever.

Cloudbuster said:

pfft...whatever!!!

In case you were wondering my comment wasn't directed at you. Just the detractors in general.

I dunno how anyone could dismiss the second disc of that set. And with great tunes scattered over the other two cd's (Jam Of The Year, Get Yo Groove On, In This Bed I Scream, Sleep Around, My Computer, The Love We Make) I think it was a worthwhile project.

"a" edit.
[This message was edited Thu Feb 19 11:06:16 2004 by Cloudbuster]

Cloudbuster said:

Even Prince thinks it's a big pile of crap. Just look at the support he gave the album post-release in concert: virtually nothing.

Didn't he give birth to an alien, or his wife dumped him? Maybe that put him off.

BartVanHemelen said:

Nah! I reckon it has more to do with it being related to the death of his son.

Cloudbuster said:

like I said buster!

Cloudbuster said:

Nah it's bilge. At least he's been performing The Love We Make recently, the best song on the set by a mile.