to me Rave is okay. I have to skip too many tracks unless i'm cleaning or something. I haven't got used to Musicology yet although i find it interesting. Strange enough though to me Musicology is like a hybrid of Rave and TRC. Some sounds from the both of them.

mrdespues said:

Unfortunately, Musicology does have to marinate. I've seen/heard a lot of people say that and it's true. I had the album for almost a month before I listened to it because, frankly, I'm tired of getting disappointed by P's albums. However, I must say that I've been jamming Musicology for 6 days straight and counting. So, it has grown on me. Rave on the other hand was a mess but it did have some songs I really liked.

But my problem is, I'm tired of waiting for his songs to "grow" on me. In the past, I could always find something immediately redeeming in all of Prince's albums until Emancipation. Ever since, it's felt like an exercise in futility, forcing myself to listen to each album and rationalize whether I like a song or not.

Prince is currently talking about how music made us feel back in the day, well, how about that? Release some shit that is worthy of your genius instead of pandering to the public and the industry with this sub-par stuff. I'm not saying don't experiment, change or grow, as a matter of fact, his greatest albums have always been the ones where he took the biggest chances, 1999, SOTT, Lovesexy, even the Symbol album and Chaos & Disorder (whick I loved for the sheer rock of it). It just seems like he's playing it safe (read: boring) with Musicology.

legendofnothing said:

I kind of agree with this assessment, about Rave and Musicology.

Musicology seems very much an album for people who lost contact with Prince's work over the last decade or more. For the fans that stuck by him, Musicology just seems like a revisit to older material. Every time I listen to it, from track to track, I can match a song that Prince has already done to the song I'm listening to on Musicology. Something from every song draws a comparison to a song he's done on a previous album.

Rave is okay, but it could have used the editing that Musicology had.

Yeah I agree. I think there were some really good songs on Rave. My favs are:

"The Greatest Romance..."
"Man O' War"
"The Sun, Moon and Stars"
"Silly Game"
"Undisputed"
"I Love U But..."

Some really good songs. Better writing and instrumentation. My guess is that the major criticism of P is that he doesn't know when to edit and when not to. He could really use a course in editing, but I also assume that he could care less what people think bout his editing skills.

I do think it's unfair to criticize Rave. There were some less desirables, but good songs as well...

[P needs to stop doing remakes. He's shit at it.]

Rave was not good and the bad reviews were fair I think! It was hyped way too much plus Prince still seemed really arrogent on his TV perfromances and that really does put people off! The album as a whole is weak and I feel that some of the tracks sound very watered down to compete with the artists back then! Also the effort on this album sounds very minimal if any at all!

Maybe Prince just thought he could compete with other popular artists by writing an album that seems to of had virtually no effort or love thrown into it at all! Iam GLAD it failed as perhaps that woke prince up to the fact that to be popular again, you either make a well constructed record or you get others in to help u more! Prine sometimes thinks he can do anything and sometimes that backfires at him! Leadoff single was a bad choice too, should of been 2nd or 3rd single (like MJ's "You rock my world") Another choice? Maybe "Undisputed", "Rave" may of been a surprise hit 'cause people may think it's so retro that it's cool (I know it's from the batman sessions!) But really, come to think of it, none of the songs are that strong commercially and that were the album fails bigtime! Commercial music that is not catchy or generally not that good and this is the big problem with Rave!

I remember reading at the time that Arista boss Cive davis said the single (greatest romance...) would get to no.1 everywhere in the world! What a joke, yeah hype is one thing but come on, that song did not have THAT much potential surely! Clive what the fuck were u on? That proberly made prince even more arrogent about this album and how it would sell big and when it didn't, he just crawled back into his non-commercial hole 'till now! [b]

Rave is the most dissapointed album I've ever got and I did not even pay much from it! Title track is good actually and "Wherever u go" is good too, but the rest is just very average then pop! Nothing special and not as good as Musicology!
[This message was edited Tue Apr 27 8:35:17 2004 by thesexofit]
[This message was edited Tue Apr 27 8:36:17 2004 by thesexofit]

laylow03 said:

You just listed all the worst songs on the album.

thesexofit said:

while i agree with you on this, though i would have also put baby knows in the list of few good tracks. the only other thing i NEED to mention is this:

thesexofit said

i know this is ridiculous but this just drives me crazy! try this...

Maybe Prince just thought he could compete with other popular artists by writing an album that seems to have had virtually no effort or love thrown into it at all! Leadoff single was a bad choice too, should have been 2nd or 3rd single (like MJ's "You rock my world")Another choice? Maybe "Undisputed", "Rave" may have been a surprise hit 'cause people may think it's so retro that it's cool (I know it's from the batman sessions!)

i'm sorry

"Rave Un2 The Joy Fantasic" is a stronger album than Musicology, and I'm not just saying the because the title track was recorded during the Lovesexy tour.

The only song I absolutely have to skip over everytime is his cover of Sheryl Crow's song. I didn't like her version and his is worse.

I've had Musicology for a month now, and it has yet to really grow on me. Musicology, Life 'O' The Party, What Do You Want Me 2 Do Girl?, On The Couch, and (the misplaced, but beautifully written and sung) Reflection, are the only gems on this one.

I agree he should have edited Rave and keep the strongest songs, although of course we could never agree on the "good" tracks. But even edited, Rave would never beat Musicology IMO. The latter is just a much stronger album with a more ol' time Prince vibe...

EvilWhiteMale said:

Uhh how is I Love U But one of the worst songs on the album?

mrdespues said:

Co-Sign Seriously. Quips like that make your credibility wane. I think you just dislike them both...but they certainly do not sound the same.

the remix version of rave was much better... the sheryl crowe cover was disgusting... the song order of rave was flawed and its production sounded very soul less... some good songs on there "i love you but i dont trust you anymore" and "pretty man" were classics...

comparing it to musicology is not really possible they are total opposites.. the production of musicology is nice and raw and really warm... where as rave is very polished and thin... they are totally just different albums... that said rave could have been huge but the greatest romance should not have been the first single...

musicology is probably the best first single prince has released since Kiss.

'Hot Wit U' almost destroys any chance of me playing Rave, 'cause it bothers me so much I have 2 have my finger on the remote before even the first 2 seconds play.

I actually like the quirky rythym in 'Undisputed'... This rythym track is pure Prince... especially the handclap sound and it's high volume. Unfortunately, there really isn't much of a song there. I do like Prince's vocals on the verses... also Princely.

'Life O' The Party' is the weakest on Musicology (even though somehow, even that has grown on me a little). I can still jam this track without getting annoyed.

My vote goes 4 Musicology, and it definately has it's Princely touch.

What I'm sayin' is that I can listen 2 Musicology from start 2 finish and want more.

Now THIS should cause a little controversy:

I don't like The Gold Experience. I equate 'Rave...' 2 this album, 'cause there are moments of beauty and brilliance surrounded by garbage.

Like: Endorphin Machine, Dolphin, Shy.

Almost Like: Shhhh, Gold, We March.

Don't Like: P Control, MBGITW, Now, 319, Billy Jack Bitch, Stupid-Ass seques.

mrdespues said:

"Big scar on my knee...beggin' 4 a kiss is such a dull routine"

He's on his knees. Get it?

PurpleKnight said:

Cuz it's a bitch-ass track.

superspaceboy said:

It sounds like it's from the same session.

rocketlizard said:

ok fair enough, but seriously, the lyrics are a lot worse than musicology.

EvilWhiteMale said:

you obviously don't know much about engineering and production, because there are no signs aurally that they are from the same session.

mrdespues said:

Maybe I hear things that you don't. It's my opinion.

SynthiaRose said:

Hmmm...take a step back Prince has done more than 2 albums...and Rave was in 2000...4 years ago! Anyone who's been listening to him for awhile (I won't say a specific time because he's got so much music that any1 could just get lost in a short amount of time listening to all)...Prince is more than the past 2 albums. Everyone all knew that something was going to jump off in 1999. Particularly once everyone understood why he stopped calling himself Prince and for him being a part of artists owning their work and the politics that he was a part of in dealing with record companies. Prince was the youngest artist in Warner Bros history to have creative control...a HUGE gain in 1977. But they didn't give the masters.

I remember Rave's reviews being pretty good. People dug it and The Greatest Romance was a hit...on Prince's own (he'd proved already with The Most Beautiful Girl... that he really didn't NEED a record label...that people other than fams would by a great tune). But all his "duets" on Rave featured him more than his guests (except for Eve and Chuck D). And on the DVD/video, he takes over Lenny Kravitz's stuff. For the better though.

Either way, as a result: Prince returned the favor to No Doubt by appearing on their much heard album. Exposure. Worked with Eve...who's career has taken off since then.
Sheryl Crow's has as well.

And you can see that because of the above, because Prince is still around and as relevant as ever, can do it all on his own...and is now a Hall of Famer who should be celebrating his 25 years (OUCH)...and whose fams have stayed with him all this time (whether online or not, whether buying every release or not), he is phenomenal. I likes some of his lyrics on Rave (but some3one please tell him that the reason Adam never left Eve is cuz no one else was around). The lyrics are lighter and showcasing yet another Prince.

I first heard Musicology and thought it was OK...knowing I hadn't really listened. Cinnamon Girl is beautiful and sad. The Marrying Kind is Prince as I haven't heard him (What U Want Me 2 Do also...makes me lust him more). My mother, who begrudgingly liked Prince heard Musicology and thought it sounds like the old Prince, which has been done by so many any).

Rave was never dismissed...it was the true return. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show. Cuz unlike 25 years ago up til a year or so ago, we have validation.