I think TRC will grow on me like Lovesexy did. It is a great spiritual album. My only problem with it is the Darth Vader narration. Those parts make me feel like I'm listening to a children's audio book.

I still find it astonishing that so many here cannot, or simply will not, allow themselves to hear just how magnificent a work of art this album is, simply due to their perception of the political/spiritual/religious themes.

The Rainbow Children is a masterpiece, if you also consider albums like 1999, Purple Rain, Parade, Sign O The Times and Lovesexy, as masterpieces.

It's as good as the best of the 80s albums, if not better. Yes, it rivals the albums mentioned above, and in many ways, betters them. It's a much more cohesive 'album' than his so called masterpiece, Sign O The Times, which merely exists as a collection of songs spanning that era. The production on TRC is also breathtaking. The fact of the matter is, Prince has rarely come close to doing anything as daring on any of his own albums; one has to step back in time to 1982 to hear such imagination in the studio, or to 1986 to bear witness to such panache with his fellow musicians. Its an unfair comparison but Musicology doesn't even compare from a musicianship point of view (although it's still enjoyable in its own right but cleally targeted towards a different audience).

As with anything unusual, I can see how much of it is lost on even a core audience but that does not diminish what the album is. It's the sound of an artist 'truly' experimenting on record; we haven't seen such a display since, dare I say it, the album 1999, and I'll be surprised if he has in it him to ever produce anything like it again. I still find it astonishing that so many here cannot, or simply will not, allow themselves to hear just how magnificent a work of art this album is, simply due to their perception of the political/spiritual/religious themes.

It begs the question: does one's enjoyment of a work of art derive from agreeing with the sentiment of its ideologies? Perhaps, that's the most significant reason why The Rainbow Children stands on its own as a true masterpeice, in comparison to Prince's other great albums. He's saying something entirely challenging, and making no apology for it. That's simply not welcoming enough for those who once felt a kindred spirit with his genius.

It begs the question: does one's enjoyment of a work of art derive from agreeing with the sentiment of its ideologies? Perhaps, that's the most significant reason why The Rainbow Children stands on its own as a true masterpeice, in comparison to Prince's other great albums. He's saying something entirely challenging, and making no apology for it.

Anji said:

So what you are saying is that Rainbow Children stands as a masterpiece because it's so challenging no one gets it?

You are forgetting that 1999 was considered quite the challenging album at its time. (So were Purple Rain, Parade and Sign 'O' The Times, for that matter.) He wasn't making apologies for 1999 either.

And personally I found the ideologies presented on 1999 more agreeable than those presented on Rainbow Children. I liked the music on 1999 better too. Therefore 1999 (or any other Prince album for that matter) will always be a more enjoyable album for me than Rainbow Children. :nod:ELBOOGY SAYS.....1999 was a dance record whereas TRC is not. It's called diversity. Both are challenging in thier own ways/styles. 1999 is a pop record and TRC is more jazz influenced. 1's an apple while the others an orange but they both are considered fruits!! Think about it!

The most upsetting cd purchase of my life. Makes New Power Soul look like TGE. Dont misunderstand me, I would rather listen to it then almost all of the other crap on the airwaves. Its "fake" deep. Not like Lovesexy, which is real emotion and you can feel it. When I listen to TRC, I here music without feeling. She loves me for me is the only song that captured my attention right off the bat.

i like the album but i take issue with the preaching, i don't know, i guess that's just me. it's not overt, but having studied with the witnesses when i was younger, the j-dub shoutouts are all over it.

it's a little difficult for me because they were so against prince when i was studying, and i was such a prince fan.

but this will delve into a religious debate, so i'll stop here by saying the music is great.

I know lots of folks love Rainbow Children but I just can't get into it. Am I alone? I love the last four tracks (She Loves Me 4 Me, Family Name, The Everlasting Now and Last December) but the rest is very hit or miss. And all the "weirdness" just kills the album for me.

i thought it was a good album. i just didn't really like the deep voice that narrated all the songs. it was really annoying for me at least.

It's a masterpiece. I put it on the same level as Purple Rain and LoveSexy. But, it's not for everyone.