Please explain to me, because I personally DO NOT understand...why alot of you guys think "The Rainbow Children" is a great album. Most of you compare it to "LOVESEXY"!?!??! ~shaking head~ Is it just ME?!?! Because lately, I'm getting slammed for my loathing of the thing. I just really want you guys to break it on down for me...if u can. I doubt that it will change my mind much, but I just want your thoughts.

Thanks to all those that respond.

/
i think reasons don't make you like music if you don't, but you can try to listen wisely:
not hearing only the notes, but also the message and the people there.
compare Prince on TRC with Prince on Lovesexy or Dirty Mind
(freedom/ selfishness/ utopia/ pleasantness/ honesty...)



} interactive xperiences @ c h r • m a
} www.jorgecalvet.net/chroma

Like Lovesexy, The Rainbow Children is very spiritual. Back then he wanted to spread his new gospel to as many fans as possible, now he wants to spread it again from a renewed perspective. Although some of the lyrics aren't as emotional for me as they seem to be for him, the music just resonates so much deeper than most of his recent efforts. It feels like this it's from the heart and I just seem to connect when Prince loves what he's doing and enjoys where he's going with his music. You can feel it everywhere on the record. Just listen to it, maybe this time you'll hear him...

I really like 'TRC',but in my opinion,it doesn't compare to ANY of his 80s' masterpieces.'Lovesexy' and 'Love Symbol' are MUCH better albums,imo.

it's a psalm, sung and played from the heart.

TRC just makes me feel good - sounds corny as fuck, but the same way I start grinning & bobbing my head to Eye No, TRC puts me in the same zone...

it feels good, it sounds good, it IS good!

give it another try?

The lyrics are still a bit shady to me. I can not bob my head to "there is a new theocratic order now"
Oh, IS there?

And it is not that I do not think Prince is entitled to his own opinion, cuz he IS. I agree when people say this is the best he's done in years, but the message is so condemning.
Makes me feel excluded.
Hahaha, now I do sound poutish.

I haven't really sat down with the headphones yet 2 get in2 in lyrically yet, I'm not in2 organized religion. But musically it's very good, some of his more better stuff 2 me.

I have tried, oh have I tried to really get into TRC. I can only stand to listen to about 4 songs on the CD on a regular basis.

It in no way compares to Lovesexy or any other work of pure genius Prince has put out. I just feel like it could be so much more. The negative vibes in there really don't appeal to me either, but I do understand Prince needed to get all that out of his system.

I just hope he is over it now.

Supernova said:

Exactly...I agree with everything Supernova said...couldn't have said it any better myself...

Musicianship-wise, TRC blows everything else he's done since The Gold Experience out of the water with a vengance...Production-wise, Super might be right in saying that it's the best produced album he's ever done...TRC is uniquely Prince in the best sense...I haven't been surprised by the arrangements and sonic compositions of a Prince album since the Symbol album, and TRC one-ups that CD as well...

Not only is it possibly the best produced album of his career, but it arguably has the best drumming of any album he's ever put out... how can anyone NOT love Blackwell's drum work on this CD??...I haven't gotten this into the intricacies of the musicianship on a Prince CD in a long time...but on TRC I find myself replaying "Everywhere" over and over just to listen to John Blackwell tear up the drums in the middle part, then dissolve into that intricate, subtle cymbal work towards the end...just fucking beautiful..."Rave", "NPS", "Emancipation"...these albums didn't have that level of musical accomplishment at all...TRC brought all that back to me, reminded me once more why Prince's music just has SO fucking much going for it when he's on...

And with TRC, Prince brought back the WEIRD to his music, too!!...lol...I say "weird" cuz I really don't know how else to put it...but the whole "Darth Vader" narration, the freaky-sounding instrumental that caps off the title track, the computerized philosophizing at the beginning of "Family Name", as well as the high-pitched, sped-up "voice" of Thomas Jefferson in that same song...WEDDING FEAST...lol...I'm sorry, but neither "Rave" or "NPS" had any of Prince's trademark "weirdness" flowing thru it...it was standard issue r&b pop...some really good, some surprisingly ordinary and dull...

4 months later, and I"m still diggin TRC...that hasn't happened with me and a Prince album in almost 7 years...

I like TRC because it reminds me to the albums from Madhouse....a bit jazzfunky, and I really love those albums! Real music as it should be!

Supernova said:

wellbeyond said:

AGREE 100%

Quasibobo said:

I agree TRC doesn't do it for me. The first Madhouse record was much better than this prince jazz. There are moments on this record that I really like, but overall I can't take the pacing and the stupid voice. I always liked the combo of religion, sex and love on just about every prince album. This is too much religion and not enough sex and funk. Najee is awful close to Kenny G and some of the background vocals are very lite ac. Especially Rainbow Children and Wedding Feast.

Not a big fan of Fat Albert narrating the album.

Not a big fan of the "smooth jazz" style, but that's just me. I recognize that it takes some talent to make those sounds. I just don't like 'em.

Not a big fan of the album in general. I tried really hard, honest. It's full of really inspired moments, but they're connected by too much gobbledygook that I can't get with.

Vashti said:

I agree with you totally. The Rainbow Children is the only album that Prince ever released that I really can NOT stand. It is not spiritual or uplifting like Lovesexy was, it is preachy and negative. I don't feel that it is giving me a new spiritual way of looking at things, I feel it is telling me if I don't agree with this 'way' of looking at things that I'm wrong. I just can't deal with that. I just don't feel that there is really any 'Love' in this album.

Vashti said:

i'm not feelin' it either...i've tried. played it through headphones at 3 AM, then a couple nights later at regular volume, not doing anything but listening, front to back, not doing anything to distract me from it...nothing. tried listening to it for the last week, so i can justify going to the show, and i still can't get into it. more power to those who dig it, and don't slam those of us who don't. i can't see droppin' a minimum of $50 for tix to a show full of material i don't like, so i'm not going. those of you who are, enjoy.

I agree with Wellbeyond. This album is awesome because it has the elements of Prince virtually saying "This is who I am, take it or leave it" during the whole CD which is a vibe I haven't felt from Prince since The Gold Experience. The music is incredible and Prince sounds happy and that make TRC even more cool to listen to.

The problem with TRC is that it's musically "over the head" of a lot of people.

Example... there are actually people who think RAVE and NPS are better than TRC! lol.

I know to each his own, but give me a break? How can you not like John Blackwell's drumming over Kirky J's plastic production? How can you not dig the guitar solo at the end of Family Name... it's his best since at least Joint 2 Joint or the Holy River? Doesn't SLMFM rank up there amongst his better ballads?

If people can't dig this album "musically" at least, then I really just don't get what going on at the .org these days. Have the Kirky J followers infiltrated us? Maybe the next thread will be about how "Tell Me How You Wanna Be Done" remix is his best song. lol.

Earlier today, someone actually claimed "Had U" is his WORST song ever, lol, so I guess anything passes as rational on this site nowadays.

Thank U...MusicAngel and twonabomber... I truly thought I was the only one that "didn't get it"

Brilliant Concept & a Gr8 album

Come 2gether As 1....

gooeythehamster said:

You don't bob your head to the lyrics, you bob it to the beat!

I agree totally with you on this.

Also this talk about great production is nice but it reminds me of the book on the shelf with the beautiful cover and nice bright white paper - it's a great production but the story is not worth remembering...

sorry but TRC is an ok cd - - next CD please...

People listen to this album for "the story"? Wow, I thought the music was more than enough.


(wondering to myself how in God's name could someone compare a book cover to music production - oh, I get it! they know nothing about it!)

Supernova said:

More likely they can because production on an album isn't very important to them...as where to me it's EXTREMELY important...it's like the production value in a movie...imagine seeing "Lord of the Rings" as shot thru a camcorder with thumbprints all over the lens and using a table lamp for lighting, and you'll get an idea of how important a part great production plays in the overall success and enjoyment of a project...

wellbeyond said:

I don't think that's quite on point. Almost like you're saying putting a book together is sloppy, messy and amateurish. Each medium has a different economy of scale that varies on three levels: artist, production and adminsitration.

A book reflects the artistic vision of one person, though it's sometime shaped by an editor or editorial staff (largely uncredited). The publisher's production staff renders and administers the final product. Most music productions are the vision of a single artist or more, depending on the group, with about 5-50 technicians/craftsmen rendering the final product then the staff of the label administers the budget.

Films are like small companies. The artistic vision is mostly that of the director, but he has to incorporate the visions and efforts of actors and actresses into his work. There is typically a staff of anywhere from 10 to 500 craftsmen/technicians plus a complete organizational structure that serves a number of mundane corporate business functions like catering, cost accounting, payroll etc. etc.. These budgets may be administered by a producer or Executive producer, though there are often director/producers.

Whilst musically and spritually this album is a return to form, it's that damn stupid voice that ruins it 4 me. I can't bear to hear if for more than once as it drives me insane. My favourite tracks - ANY WITHOUT THAT DAMN VOICE!

ImO TRC is one of his best albums ever. When I first listened 2 it my mouth fell open and I couldn't close it til it was finished. So many musical ideas, the overwhelming production and the return of thought provoking music. At this moment a few months after he dropped TRC on us I'm stillin awe of this product, I don't mind the "voice" cuz it's part of this cake, the only thing don't like is when my cdplayer stops playing and know it's over.... What would've given 4 single releases off this cd with b-sides (still hoping 4 a cdsingle with pearls b4 the swines on it)

thanx u all,

TRC had great potential, but it sort of fell short of what it could have been. There are several tracks that are extremely well crafted, but as a whole, story or not, it lacked one little piece that's hard to put one's finger on. The later tracks of the album get weak for me. They're listenable, but I'll find myself always going back to TRC, Digital Garden(the guitar is talking), 1+1+1 is 3(bring the funk back), Mellow(2 Nasty), and She Loves Me 4 Me(Smooth ballad). If a video for anyone of these songs, hell any off the album would be a welcome treat just to see Prince's vision of the song. Allow us a listeners to visualize what you do Prince. I think that would have got his message across to us alot better than the Camille/Bob George voice. However, I must say Prince is starting to hit the right track.