I have to admit, As much of a fan I am, I am missing a few albums…but one missing disc in particular in my collection is Graffitti Bridge. I really like the era from SOTT thru the name change. I don’t know for some reason I have never picked this up…I think it’s because of all of the collaborations (I am not a Tevin Campbell fan at all). I know a few off of it like..we can funk and thieves in the temple…which I like (but no soul psychdelicide ..did that ever end up somewhere?). I was wondering if this is a good album or not. Also I have never seen the movie…just snippets and it seemed pretty ridiculous…again I saw the Tevin Campbell part and something with a girl on a bridge. At the time I was a so-so fan…and now have evolved into liking much of what he does and has done.

So should I see this movie or get the disc? Is there enough good to get past the hokey? What highlights are there in either?

I would suggest skipping the movie. And as for the album, buy it and then burn yourself a copy of just the P songs (you can leave some of them off if you like too). The song NPG sounds quite dated, but I loved it back in the day. However, The Question of U, Can't Stop, Joy In Repetion, and Still Would Stand All Time are all great P tracks in my opinion. Plus, Theives In The Temple was a highly underrated single, in my opinion.

The movie isn't essential viewing...even for a Prince fan really.

The album's great though...contains two of his best songs in Question Of U and Joy In Repetition, and alot of good material throughout (We Can Funk, Elephants & Flowers, Thieves, etc.)

Just skip some of the associated artists songs and the title track () , and i'm sure you'll like the album.

album = so-so.

movie =

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

c'mon dansa, you know you liked the tick, tick, bang performance.

Beat Me - edit
[This message was edited Wed Mar 10 10:02:28 2004 by r1ghteousone]

r1ghteousone said:

that part of the movie was amongst the horriblest parts of the entire film.


"beat me"

Not good. Except for Joy in Repetition, it sticks out like a sore thumb on that album.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Even as horrible as Aura playing 'spiritual-hangman' with P in bed?

r1ghteousone said:

now that shit was just downright creepie....

I wish Graffiti Bridge was even bad in a funny way, but watching it is like punching yourself in the face with a brick, just damn painful (although i like the music breaks most of the time). I'd agree totally with r1ghteousone as to the music tracks he's selected. It's totally and utterly brilliant at times, very good at times and then it's title track at times .

Go buy the album and you'll listen to it loads. Go buy the film, and you'll put it in your bathroom cabinet for that day when you accidentally run out of paper.

the movie !!??

your views about the movie ...so far as what u saw ... are right on !!! ... i remember the time i rented it ... and turned it on .... i thought "if it not for Prince , this would be shut off very quickly .... " I think i may have watched it .... ONCE ... my one word answer for this movie --- (almost) UNWATCHABLE


the soundtrack - IMO ... is quite good by Prince standards .... Rolling Stone loved the album (not sayin that Rolling stone is somethin that is PERFECT lol) ... with Mavis, George CLinton , the Time , and all the other musicians he was working with at this period ... i think that album is very good .... contains some interesting original standouts ...and ... in general ...Rolling Stone got this one review right ....

getting back to the movie really quick- i have always felt ... that based on the power of the music on this album--- the movie couldve been a hit --- if Prince had let someone else DIRECT it ..... lets face it ... the PLOT is kinda lame ... but hey - Purple Rain was no great plot - what made PR was the performances .... and this movie had some of the worst prince/related artists performances EVER ... just my opinion ....

Ironically I listened to this album on headphones last night and I must say the P tracks are excellent. I recommend burning a CD of Prince's songs from that album. Theives, JIR, Elephants and Flowers, We Can Funk and Question of U are classic Prince tracks.

My take on GB- the album is good. Definitely buy it. It isn't all winners (the Tevin Campbell stuff and all but one Time song blow) but there are some real diamonds on there. JOY IN REPITITION being the best example but I also like CAN'T STOP THIS FEELING I GOT, RELEASE IT (the Time), STILL WOULD STAND ALL TIME, THE QUESTION OF U, etc. Definitely worth owning the album. (Call me crazy but I can actually take or leave WE CAN FUNK... sorry! I like MELODY COOL better than that!!)

As for the movie...

Its is bad. Really bad. The worst Prince movie by faaaaar.

But I still enjoy it. That's right, I enjoy it. I can't in good conscience say its a good film. But then honestly none of them are, IMO. Not as MOVIES per se. But they all have their charm as EXPERIENCES. And I do enjoy the GB experience and I watch it about every 18 months or so. Why?

Well when it came out if you recall it went to the second run (or "dollar") theaters in like a week or two. It bombed big time. At the time I was working a job that got out at 10PM right across the street from a second run theater that was playing it. I had never seen Prince live at that time (if you'll recall he wasn't touring the US very much then) and was at the height of my fanatacism. So I went to see GB. EVERY NIGHT FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK. Workweek that is. M-F. Five nights in a row I saw it in the theater at the last showing of the night. I was alone for 3 of the nights... it was like having the world's biggest TV or a private screening.

Yeah the movie sucked. But I totally got off on the music sequences, seeing Prince that large and loud.

So I watch the video everyone once in a while and think of that time. When I was young, single, into Prince and sitting in a darkened theater every night wishing I could see him.

Its nerdy. Its geeky. And its the truth. So help me!!

PS- GB is in the CD player in my truck RIGHT NOW and I just listened to it when I went out to get lunch an hour ago! Oh and when I played with my band last Sunday night I opened with JOY IN REPETITION!!!

r1ghteousone said:

r1ghteousone said:

I'm in love with "Tick, Tick, Bang" these days. It's just sexy, sexy, SEXY. I've been listening to the album daily for the last week or so.

like this chain around my hip
i want a 24 karat relationship...

Just fabulous.

The album is worth having in your collection. Even if just for the good Prince songs.

The movie is bad...but I bought it anyway. You can't get it at Blockbuster...so how else are my grandkids gonna know about it...?

As it stands they're both bad. Bad bad bad film, and patchy album. I agree with burning your own prince version, but Id add onto that We Can Funk the SOTT outtake which I think is far superior to the GB version, the Still Would Stand All Time live version from Small Club, and Heaven Is Keeping Score / God Is Alive instead of Graffiti Bridge (Too goddamn cheesy). My album would look like so.

1. Cant Stop This Feeling
2. New Power Generation
3. Release It (The Time I know, but this is one of the best on the album)
4. The Question Of U
5. Elephants & Flowers
6. I Love U In Me (Batman B-Side I know, but its better than anything on here)
7. We Can Funk (SOTT version.....much better)
8. Joy In Repetition (SOTT version....no crowd noise on intro)
9. Theives In The Temple (12 " version)
10. Still Would Stand All Time (Live from Small Club.....Amazing, amazing, amazing)
11. Heaven Is Keeping Score / God Is Alive (Much Better than Graffitti Bridge)

I've left off Tick, Tick, Bang as I think the 1982 version is far superior, but it wouldn't fit on this album. As it stands i think this makes a pretty cool little album. Not a classic, but i think its a vast improvement on the mess that is the album as it stands.

trolleycar said:

Must say, since your "name" is trolleycar, I'd expect u 2 luv tick, tick...so much like tambourine. I LOVE it...

hated Glam Slam (and still do), Shake...LOVE Melody Cool (how can u NOT luv Mavis?).

It amazes me how wonderful the album is and how bad the movie was! We Can Funk...luv it! Question of U...luv it, and loved the Joffrey doing it.

The album is okay,just a little inconsistent.A few great songs,but nothing really spectacular.

The movie is...well,let's just say it's an "acquired taste"