This "comeback" could have, and probably should have, happened with Rave. The material arguably was just as strong as on Musicology. The timing is better now, because the name change is further in the past, and also the Rock and Roll Hall of fame induction, 20 years since PR, etc.

But Rave could have been everything Musicology is turning out to be, had it been handled differently.

First, no video for the 1st single until long afterwards. Obviously that is not the case this time around.

Second, a much tighter, more compact album. Yes, some of the songs feel a little short, but as a whole it's a solid, concise album, wheras Rave is just a rambling mess. They both cover alot of stylistic ground, but there's too much to absorb with Rave, and it just doesn't make any sense as an album. It's more like a random Mixed CD of various studio material. Musicology has a much better cohesion to it.


Rave, handled differently, and with a different cover, altered track-listing and title, could have produced the comback that P may now achieve w/ Musicology. Check out this alternate track listing:


PRINCE - BEAUTIFUL STRANGE

1. The Greatest Romance Ever Sold
2. Strange But True
3. ManOwar
4. Baby Knows
5. Silly Game
6. Beautiful Strange
7. Tangerine
8. The Sun, Moon and Stars
9. Undisputed
10. Prettyman
11. So Far, So Pleased
12. I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore
13. Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do

I used the Rave In2 versions of Baby Knows, Tangerine, Undisputed and Prettyman. It's amazing how much better this material stand up w/ a sequencing that makes sense and flows well, and also with some of the fat cut off (Hot Wit U being #1 on the list). It actually makes a really good pop album. This is the only version of the Rave material that I ever listen to, now. It's a tight 56 minutes, all good stuff.

Release Singles in the following order: 1) Baby Knows, 2) So Far, So Pleased, 3) Wherever U Go to pop and ManOwar to R&B 4) TGRES, and make sure you have some good videos, and this album could have been a huge hit.

So far, P is making all the RIGHT moves with Musicology that were NOT made with Rave, whether it was his fault or Arista's, doesn't really matter. Let's hope things continue in the right direction w/ Musicology.




.
[This message was edited Sun Apr 4 9:13:42 2004 by JonSnow]

Wow. I actually, totally agree with you, except I think "Baby Knows" stinks. "So Far" w/ Gwen would have been HUGE. I like your tracking of it, I think I'll try it!

I agree with you that the marketing for Rave was not handled well. And I agree that if the marketing was done properly the record could have gone platinum. But I do not, not for one split second, think that Rave is as strong is Musicology. Undisputed, Manowar, and Hot Wit U are all wiggity wack, all three are, in my humble ass opinion, worse than anything on Musicology. The title track is aight and there are a couple really strong songs (Pretty Man," "Sun, Moon, Stars" but overall I, like you, think Rave is a mess and it needs more than a revived track list to help it out although I like your list. Absolutely no cohesion, no vision, no edge, and very little vitality.

i think the bigger problem with Rave is that it sounds like he's trying too hard to be contemporary in the production. most of the songs are pretty nice, but he's thrown in everything but the kitchen sink (well, even that too, just for good measure).


with Musicology, i get the sense that he just wanted to put out a simple album of simple songs played in a style that doesn't sound too dated or trendy. in that sense, it IS a classic album -- in its sound.

The Rave title track was just awful to me...too 80s sounding...

rainbowchild said:

It reminds me a lot of "Thunder".

BTW, I would take out "Baby knows", "So far, so pleased" and "Everyday is a winding road" and replace them with a couple of r&b oriented jams, replace a couple of the songs with their remixes and maybe change the playing order and...voila, you got a damn good r&b record.

DaIllest said:

I agree..

rainbowchild said:

That's because it was an 80's song.

Cloudbuster said:

Haystack said:

Cloudbuster said:

I agree.

Haystack said:

Thoroughly absorbing.

When people talk about 'Rave' I can't help thinking of the 'what have the Romans done for us?' speech in Mony Python's Life of Brian film...

Rave Hater: Rave is rubbish. There are no good tracks on it.

Fan#1: The Greatest Romance?

Rave Hater: What?

Fan#1: The Greatest Romance That's Ever Been Sold?

Rave Hater: Oh. Yeah, yeah. That is a decent track, that's true. Yeah.

Fan#2: And Baby Knows

Rave Hater: Oh, yeah, Baby Knows. Good funk/rock track. All right. I'll grant you the Greatest Romance and Baby Knows are two things that are good on the Rave album.

Fan#3: And Prettyman.

Rave Hater: Well, yeah. Obviously Prettyman, I mean, Prettyman goes without saying, don't it? But apart from the Greatest Romance, the Baby Knows, and Prettyman...

Fan#1: So Far So Pleased.

Fan#2: I Love U But I Don't Trust U Anymore?

Fan#3: Wherever U Go?

Rave Hater: Yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough.

Fan#1: And The Sun, Moon and Stars

Rave Hater: Oh, yes. Yeah... that's something we'd really miss, if that wasn't on the album.

Fan#2: Undisputed.

Fan#3: And Manowar is pretty sweetly sung.

Fan#1: Yeah, it's one hell of an album. Let's face it. Only Prince put out an album as good as this.

Rave Hater: All right, but apart from the The Greatest Romance, Baby Knows, Prettyman, So Far So Pleased, I Love U But I Don't Trust U, The Sun, Moon and Stars, Undisputed, Strange But True, and Wherever U Go, what is there on the Rave album that's any good?

Fan#2: Tangerine?

Rave Hater: Oh Shut up!

No offence, but "Rave..." was pretty hopeless really! Ironically the only song I really liked was the title track (an outake from the "Batman" sessions)! It's a fun track with silly sounds! Anyway "wherever u go" is a really nice song and "Prettyman" is alright, but to me, alot of the material was just plain average and not really quirky enough to be a Prince record! None of the songs really came alive, but then pop/rnb/rock music in '99 was pretty crap if I remember!

Album was OK, but all that hype, clouded my judgement as I was dissapointed with this lackluster record! Better then "Newpower soul", errr yes, though I do still like "when u love somebody" and "Push it up" is way FUNKY!
[This message was edited Sun Apr 4 8:14:33 2004 by thesexofit]

Rave was bound to fail since he released The Greatest Romance as a single. That song, the title track and Undisputed are all bad songs and kill the album before it gets started. Personally I like Hot Wit U and the only other track I don't like from there on out is Silly Game. Silly Game is one of the worst songs in Prince's catalogue in my opinion.

So Far So Pleased is the only track that would have helped Prince "comeback". Beautiful Strange should have been on the released version. It's the best song (but not single-worthy) along with I Love U But I Don't Trust U Anymore. The first three tracks should have been a part of NPS or left in the vault.

Cloudbuster said:

the one...the only...tamprince. :heavyflow:

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Oh my goodness.

endorphin74 said:

pearl girl, he's a pearl girl...

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Don't look now, but there's a river of...never mind...

Anxiety said:

uggggg!

The only difference this time is that Prince opened the Grammys and had the RRHOF and other TV appearances, along with an arena tour. The Musicology album itself has absolutley nothing to do with his current "success".

JonSnow said:

How do u know?
winterman

winterman said:

trust me

DaIllest said:

actually, from what i remember, that's how the album ended up such a mess. he'd completed a 10 (or so) track pop/rock album, and Clive talked him into including several r&b/hip-hop tinged tracks to cross it over to the urban market.

nothing wrong with the r&b songs, or putting out a straight-up r&b album, but it's adding them to an album that didn't intend to have them that makes it such a wreck.

metalorange said:

like it Mark, like it!

AaronX said:

i think you're right... and it didn't work. Just goes to show you that Clive is not always right.

metalorange said:

---

Rave seemed desperate to me. All those collaborations. I do like alot of the tracks on Rave, but as an album I dont like it.