What is it with Prince's opening tracks? His early records always came out slammin' and then something happened. Here's my ranking on his opening tracks-

For You- For You
Prince- I Wanna Be Your Lover
Dirty Mind- Dirty Mind
Controversy-Controversy
1999-1999
Purple Rain- Let's Go Crazy
* These are all slammin and great openers!

OK then what the hell happened?

ATWIAD- ATWIAD? Why not She's Always In My Hair or America?
Parade- Cristopher Tracy? Why not Kiss or Mountains?
SOTT- great opener
Lovesexy- Eye No- that was cool, but I would have used Alphabet St. or Dance On
Batman- The Future- OK, but why not Batdance or Electric Chair?
GBridge- Can't Stop? So many other tracks
Diamonds and Pearls- Thunder- this song sucks! Why not CREAM or Diamonds and Pearls?
Symbol- My name is Prince- cool
Come- Come- good
Gold- P control- awesome
Chaos- C&D- pretty good
Emancipation- Jam of the Year- good
Vault- Day- good
Rave- Rave- Why does he start an album with a bad, already released b-side? This baffles me! And he names his album after it too? Why?
TRC- too much talk to start the album, but like TRC.

Comments? - geez I'm tired.

Interesting thread! I would disagree with you about some though. I think "The Future" is a great intro to "Batman"- it sets the tone right away and is an INCREDIBLE song. I also love "Thunder," and it opens the album with a bang. Lastly, "Rave" wasn't a B-side, and I personally love the song! Prince probably named the album after it because he originally had planned to release an album entitled "Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic" in late 1988. He started recapturing previously unreleased album titles in 1998 with "Crystal Ball," so I'm not surprised. Plus, I LOVE that song! Very cool idea though. I think about this myself. A lot of times, however, it isn't wise to open with what you consider to be the best song. Song arrangement is very important, as it takes the listener through a series of emotions and moods. Sometimes an album needs to start out relatively soft.

I agree with you on Thunder from D & P and most especially with the Rave opening title track. D &P is one of my least favorite Prince albums to begin with-- too cheesy. The only songs I like there are Money Don't Matter Tonight and Cream, but the rest I can do without, even the title track's so corny. The Rave title track is even worse; maybe back in 1988 it was better sounding (hear it first in the Small Club bootleg CD) and better arrangement, too. But in 1998, no way! They should have cut out that song altogether and the same goes with Undisputed (pleease!). The album has some bright spots, but as a whole is just awful!

boy do I agree with diamonds & pearls!! that was such a great album.. with a ton of very good songs..?????

great topic

I might be wrong about rave but it was definitely a leftover from the Batman soundtrack. I thought it was a b-side to an extended single, I'll have to track that down. Anyone know for sure? Anyway it didn't even make the cut on the Batman sndtrk. It's ok, but as an opener? Why not Hot Wit U or Baby Knows, even TGREversold would have been cool. The first 2 songs killed that album for me.

you know I think the first songs off these albums are NOT as bad as THE SINGLES Prince keeps choosing to promote them..

thats whats killing these CD's..

NO more R & B for late 30 year olds!

locoarts said:

Yea I agree there too, but I like the albums you can put on in the car or at a party and not have to be embarassed. I put on Thunder or Rave and I'm either getting my ass kicked at a party or if I'm driving I'm losin my date for the night! She's gone. You put on Controversy or Pussy Control first track and that party is started!

I definitely agree loco! DMSR, Rave is my favorite track on the Rave album! But I guess there is no debating subjective matters. Prince did want to include Rave in Batman, but before that, he had plans to release an album entitled "Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic" in late 88. There are even tracklistings.

1. I LOVE "Thunder" - I've always thought of it as a companion to "The Future" - both have that dark, jet-powered sound that the Batman soundtrack was full of.

2. The only opening track I can't really get with on a Prince album would have to be the latest. Usually the first track on a Prince album kicks my ass, slaps me upside the head, and reminds me who owns my ears for the next hour or so (at least for those first few minutes, anyway). The beginning of TRC didn't do that for me. The narrator is grating, and the energy of the beginning was just too mild.

NOW.

I haven't heard TRC all the way through since hearing the stuff live, and I LOVED the live renditions of the TRC tracks, so my opinion is subject to change, probably very soon?

this is the most redundant subject of discussion like ever.

"he chose to put thunder as an opener?!? what an ass!"

c'mon. all his opener's have been great. prince definitely has a great sense of building up drama. why the hell do you people have to ruin up your enjoyment from music with all these ridiculous whims?

micorison requesting radio silence...
[This message was edited Fri May 3 14:24:51 PDT 2002 by micorison]

Nah, I got 200 balloons, I think Rave wasn't a b-side I guess, but definitely an outtake and I do remember he almost put out that album in 1988.

Diamonds and pearls should've opened with "gett off"..... that scream woulda made great intro to the album

"Rave" is one of the very few Prince songs that I actually don't have an oppinion about.

I just really don't know what to think off it. As a single song it's rather good. But it doesn't fit in with the album at all.

2 Have that on the album -and even open the album with it- is like listening 2 some obscure 80's Prince song [which it is] and then all of a sudden, the NEW album opens with Undisputed.

Any song from, say High, would have been a better opener 2 the album.

EYE KNOW uggggg i hate it!..

Tell ya what would be a good opening song? Well, I recently got a copy of the coveted Black Album CD and I think that Le Grind off of that would make a great opening song for sone future albums...I love that song and that album, and think that Prince was crazy to replace it with LOVESEXY, not that I dont like that album, coz I do...I prefer the BLACK ALBUM though!!

Although I like the album the way it is, on Controversy, the first song should have been Sexuality. It just comes out firng all rounds and from there it would have carried the album further by making that huge statement.

micorison said:

The only part of RAVE (the song) that was previously released before RAVE (album) was the chorus of the song (speeded up) placed into the Batdance 12" release.


As far as bad opening songs go, can somebody please explain Come?!? It goes on and on and on and on and on and on...

He should have stuck with the "original" version IMHO.

BanishedBrian said:[quote]

micorison said:

Thanks! that's what it is, I knew I heard that chorus somwhere before on a Batman 12". I have the cassette somewhere in my basement. I like the Come long version, but it must be 15 minutes long and the bass line is almost exactly the same as Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" so it's not one of his more original songs.

Changing the subject slightly, what about closing tracks? Some of them close the album with a true climax (Purple Rain, Gold, Adore) but others just don't work as closing tracks. Even though the songs themselves are fine, they seem to have things stuck on the end of them to make them sound like they're finishing the album properly (the Amen at the end of 'Sacrifice Of Victor' springs to mind, as does Prince's extended farewell at the end of 'Temptation').

DMSR said:

HEY DMSR!

RAVE UN2 THE JOY FANTASTIC was actually the original song Prince was going to use for Batman during the parade/celebration segment in which "Trust" was used!
I got this from an Uptown article about the story behind the Batman album..

cheers!