I love Prince's album Parade but apart from The Family album I don't have any other albums that I would say have a similar vibe as Parade.

What I'm after are recommendations of albums that you think someone who really loves Parade would also enjoy.

Any suggestions?
[Edited 9/11/08 11:23am]

The Beatles - Abbey Road

sextonseven said:

yeah lots of the Beatles stuff is recalled in Parade (particularly I Wonder U). I don't know if any Beatles album actually sounds like Parade, though. Similarly, Mountains has always reminded me of Joni Mitchell, but she doesn't really do stuff that sounds like Mountains.

Listening to the Beatles & Joni Mitchell is always a good idea, but I think it might be hard to find "another" Parade.

There is no other album that sounds like Parade. That blend of funk, psychedelia, soul and '80s technology is pretty much unique.

NDRU said:

I agree that Parade is very unique, but when hearing Abbey Road for the first time years later, the former immediately came to mind during the suite of songs on the second half.

I've never heard anything like it either.

i kind of get that same vibe from the beatles' "revolver" but i guess
that's for different reasons.

novabrkr said:

Very true.

I think it was his best era and my fave prince album.

The obvious choices would be the side project albums from this time, The Family, Madhouse, Jill Jones and the first Wendy And Lisa Album, bit I asume you already have these.

Thinking further a field you could maybe try Joni Mitchell's The Hissing Of Summer Lawns and Steely Dan's Aja.

Stanley Clarke's Schooldays always makes me reach for Parade and Vice Versa.

As Does Stevie Wonder's Innervisions, don't really know why on this one.

The Hertiage Orchestra, a great mix of Jazz and orchestration

None of these really sound just like Parade but they all have a large Jazz elemnet to them but are all accessible and have catchy songs.

I would also strongly agree with Revolver and would maybe add Brain Wilson's Smile.

I guess it's a little of a stretch, but Bjork mixes the beats with the lush arrangements, interesting melodies, and kind of sexy themes. Maybe Post?

I can find no comparison off the top of my head. It is Prince's most progressive album to date. It's still ahead of its time.

Another one sprang to mind.

Benny Sings. Benny At Home.

If you like the orchestrations, Prince got the idea of using Clare Fisher after having been a fan of Rufus's Ask Rufus album for years.

It's fun to hear THAT part of Ask Rufus in Parade.

thedoveoflove said:

[Edited 9/12/08 1:51am]

I would also like to add

Terence Trent D'arby's introducing The Hardline and Neither Fish Nor Flesh.

And

Jim Tenor's Out Of Nowhere, real mix of Funk Jazz orchestration and Psychedelia. In fact i think this album comes closer than any other I've suggested.

HamsterHuey said:

I think the key to both Parade and The Family (both my favorite Prince and related albums) are Clare Fisher strings in combination with funk/r&b styled music.

Switch used some Clare on the album Reaching For Tomorrow.


[Edited 9/12/08 9:29am]

Romeoblu said:

ah yes, Neither Fish Nor Flesh is right out of that era, especially Feels So Good To Love Someone Like You. To me, this album is where many people formed the opinion that he was a Prince wannabe

thedoveoflove said:

No such animal.

Like all albums during Prince's evolution, "Parade" is the logical transition between the sound he had on "Purple Rain" and "ATWIAD" to the stripped down funk with heavy horns of "SOTT" and "The Black Album". But if he had released "Dream Factory" the transition would've been even more complete and made even more sense. Songs like "Teacher Teacher", "It's a Wonderful Day", "All My Dreams" and "Train" continue the joyous, airy psychedelia of that era. Stuff like "Sexual Suicide", "Dream Factory" and the original "We Can Funk" develop that raw, gritty funk with a live band that started on songs like "New Position". And you have tracks like "Splash" and "Crystal Ball" that further the orchestral sounds first found on Parade.

The bootlegs for "Crucial", "Charade" and "Dream Factory" have just about everything you need.

But wait, this is a Non-Prince thread!

NDRU said:

I can see that. Her Unplugged performance is probably the closest to the feeling I get from "Parade".

TRON said:

I can see that in a "beats and strings" sorta comparison

Romeoblu said:

That's a good observation. I'm gonna have to play that this weekend as I haven't listened to it in a long time.