alphastreet said:

I like both songs, but will give the edge to Waterfalls, because yes, I do agree it is timeless and I really like the lyrics, very meaningful. I had the cassette when it first came out and when I heard it, I thought, "man, this sounds like something Prince would write".

[Edited 8/30/19 16:45pm]

I like the slinkiness of waterfalls and the harmonies. Both songs are catchy and decent tunes.

I really like both equally.

"No Scrubs" with Left Eye's rap. While "Waterfalls" will always have a place in music herstory, "No Scrubs" felt more earthy and street smart. "Waterfalls" was a social and political piece, whereas "No Scrubs" was squarey rooted in its culture. The break in the song reminds me of a Missy track, how she could leave you hanging for a beat or a beat and a half with a quiet pause, then bring you right back in on the next measure. Plus the little double-clap moment that never quite happens but you feel like it should is a nuance few songs possess. There are just great moments in the song like that.

"Waterfalls" has a charm all its own, with the subtle yet bouncy beat and the wah-wah lead line that meanders throughout like a town cryer hailing pending doom. Yet the song isn't a downer, and that's the class of it. It's a bit like Janet's "Together Again", which has a heavy and sad message, but is draped with the 4 on the floor danceability. "Waterfalls" initially seems like a slow growler, but then the lusher keyboards come in during the chorus, staying in the background just enough, and enhance the vocal layers of the girls singing "Don't go chasing waterfalls...". Their plea doesn't fall on deaf ears because the production itself lulls you into a safe place.

Ultimately, "No Scrubs" for me, but only by a little.

StrangeButTrue said:

https://www.dailymotion.c...deo/x18j2h . Lisa tore up her live vocal, the lip synch is cool but when her mic comes on the energy goes up.

I thought they were lip synching, because the singing didn't seem to match their mouths, but you're right about Lisa, she did tear it up, and also, it was nice seeing Prince on the introduction, I had forgotten about that.

"Waterfalls" is the better-written song.

No Scrubs

"No Scrubs" sounds like a theme song for gay twinks with sugar daddy issues. Definitly "Waterfalls" for me, sonically & lyrically it stood through the test of time where the latter is just outdated for me. Not gonna lie though, I played it to death in highschool & I was SO pissed that the album version didn't have Lefteye's rap verse

"Waterfalls" is the better song......such a wonderful message and the production is superb.It actually sounds like a Prince song.Some people assumed that he had something to do with it.

no contest. I find "No Scrubs" vs. Destiny's Child's "Bug-a-Boo" to yield the more spirited debate.

[Edited 9/3/19 15:00pm]

Waterfalls for its Prince vibe

TrivialPursuit said:

"No Scrubs" with Left Eye's rap.

Funny you mention that. The radio here always plays "Waterfalls" with a long, meandering instrumental where Left Eye's rap is usually on top.

Both songs need Left Eye's rap though I never learned the No Scrubs rap

SoulAlive said:

"Waterfalls" is the better song......such a wonderful message and the production is superb.It actually sounds like a Prince song.Some people assumed that he had something to do with it.

I always heard that back then. A kid from school's DAD told us about the Wendy & Lisa song of the same title but Prince definitely had nothing to do with that one. What if Prince was trying to get back at them with a song of the same title

Cinny said:

TrivialPursuit said:

"No Scrubs" with Left Eye's rap.

Funny you mention that. The radio here always plays "Waterfalls" with a long, meandering instrumental where Left Eye's rap is usually on top.

Both songs need Left Eye's rap though I never learned the No Scrubs rap

I've never learned it in full, but I love it. I've never heard a version w/ a long instrumental part minus the rap. It's usually just the album version, which edits it out.

By the way, there are two versions of Fanmail out there. A later version removes the Donna Summer resung "Love to Love You Baby" samples from "Good at Being Bad". I think there's some other edit on there. In my iTunes, I've replaced the album version of "No Scrubs" with the version w/ Left Eye.

Cinny said:

I always heard that back then. A kid from school's DAD told us about the Wendy & Lisa song of the same title but Prince definitely had nothing to do with that one. What if Prince was trying to get back at them with a song of the same title

There's a 1980 Paul McCartney song called Waterfalls with a similar chorus. You can see the video here.

MickyDolenz said:

Cinny said:

I always heard that back then. A kid from school's DAD told us about the Wendy & Lisa song of the same title but Prince definitely had nothing to do with that one. What if Prince was trying to get back at them with a song of the same title

There's a 1980 Paul McCartney song called Waterfalls with a similar chorus. You can see the video here.

Yeah, I love that one, and I think it is way closer to what TLC made than Wendy and Lisa's.

No Scrubs. In my opinion still less played out than Waterfalls. As well, Left Eye's rap on No Scrubs is even more less played out than Waterfalls.

The production Kandi and She'kspere Briggs came out with still stands to this day. That snare pops hard on all of their collaborations from Bills Bills Bills (Destiny's Child) to There U Go (P!nk)

paisleypark4 said:

The production Kandi and She'kspere Briggs came out with still stands to this day. That snare pops hard on all of their collaborations from Bills Bills Bills (Destiny's Child) to There U Go (P!nk)

Man, I hated all of those.

Cinny said:

paisleypark4 said:

The production Kandi and She'kspere Briggs came out with still stands to this day. That snare pops hard on all of their collaborations from Bills Bills Bills (Destiny's Child) to There U Go (P!nk)

Man, I hated all of those.

.

co-sign! Same with Rodney Jerkins/Darkchild, a lot of that stuff went stale so fast. Shame even MJ relied on Jerkins for his last album. To Rodney's credit the TLC tune "Over Me" is pretty f'n catchy.

[Edited 9/10/19 11:54am]

Waterfalls. It has a wider social message.

The music is great in both, I also cannot 'sing' No Scrubs (I love how the chorus is sung with an album boughe pronunciation).

Cinny said:

paisleypark4 said:

The production Kandi and She'kspere Briggs came out with still stands to this day. That snare pops hard on all of their collaborations from Bills Bills Bills (Destiny's Child) to There U Go (P!nk)

Man, I hated all of those.

Even "Hell Witcha"?

[Edited 9/13/19 1:14am]