whynotsmile

I haven't been a fan of Prince for a while, mostly because I hadn't heard any of his shit. Today i picked up his album PRINCE and am digging the shit out of it! I know Prince has wierd concept albums filled with crap and I dont want to hassle listening to that shit. If anyone could drum up a quick list of the best prince albums to buy, the funkiest, sexiest, greatest only.

Thanks.

ALbums I bought today. Wierd mix:


Prince: PRINCE

Kylie Minogue: Body Language

Elbow: cast of thousands

THe coral: magic and medicine

The beatles: Beatles for Sale

Probot: PROBOT

David Bowie: Rise and fall of ziggy stardust

POWERBOMB

Avoid = The Rainbow Children

wendersfan

GREAT:

Purple Rain
Sign O' the Times
Dirty Mind
1999

GOOD:

Controversy
Parade
Around the World in a Day

I don't know much about the others.

DJLinus

I actually kind of like Parade a lot. It's accompanying movie, Under the Cherry Moon, is horrible, though.

Although it's a "weird concept album," his one named after his symbol has some good tunes on it.

The Gold Experience is worth it alone for the song "P Control." Er, actually just download that song from somewhere.

Diamonds and Pearls isn't too bad, either.

And you absolutely need "Erotic City." It's on his The Hits/The B-Sides.

Andalusia

What Wendersfan said. You can safely steer clear of his last five or so albums.

atlantamoi

I'll agree with wendersfan, too. And you gotta get Erotic City and Irresistable Bitch on the singles comp. And Alphabet Street was a good song from "Lovesexy", but I wouldn't waste time buying that CD just for that song. It's also on the singles comp.

bigjim25

The ones I own by Prince are:
1999 1982
Purple Rain 1984
Sign O' The Times 1987
Lovesexy 1988
Batman Soundtrack 1989
Graffiti Bridge 1990
Diamonds and Pearls 1991
(Love Symbol Album) 1992
The Black Album 1994
Come 1994
Gold Experience 1995
Emancipation 1996
Chaos & Disorder 1996
New Power Soul 1998
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic 1999
Crystal Ball
The Beautiful Experience

I highly recommend The Hits/The B-Sides [EXPLICIT LYRICS]

The Hits: 1
1. When Doves Cry
2. Pop Life
3. Soft and Wet
4. I Feel for You
5. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?
6. When You Were Mine
7. Uptown
8. Let's Go Crazy
9. 1999
10. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
11. Nothing Compares 2 U [Live]
12. Adore
13. Pink Cashmere
14. Alphabet St.
15. Sign 'O' the Times
16. Thieves in the Temple
17. Diamonds and Pearls
18. 7

The Hits: 2
1. Controversy
2. Dirty Mind
3. I Wanna Be Your Lover
4. Head
5. Do Me Baby
6. Delirious
7. Little Red Corvette
8. I Would Die 4 U
9. Raspberry Beret
10. If I Was Your Girlfriend
11. Kiss
12. Peach
13. U Got the Look
14. Sexy M.F.
15. Gett Off
16. Cream
17. Pope
18. Purple Rain

The B-Sides Disc: 3
1. Hello
2. 200 Balloons
3. Escape
4. Gotta Stop (Messin' About)
5. Horny Toad
6. Feel U Up
7. Girl
8. I Love U in Me
9. Erotic City
10. Shockadelica
11. Irresistible Bitch
12. Scarlet P*$$y
13. La, La, La, He, He, Hee
14. She's Always in My Hair
15. 17 Days
16. How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?
17. Another Lonely Christmas
18. God
19. 4 the Tears in Your Eyes [Live]
20. Power Fantastic [Live]

As you can tell, I pretty well partied with him til 1999

Supermallet

I own every Prince album except for Come and New Power Soul (including the Crystal Ball box set and the Black Album, etc.). Almost every one has a few really awesome tunes, but you can't beat:

Dirty Mind
1999
Purple Rain
Parade
Sign O' The Times
Lovesexy
Love Symbol Album
Gold Experience

With the Love Symbol album, you'll have to skip over a few tracks involving Prince and Kirstie Alley(!?), but the music on it is some of his best, period. In fact, I would say that "And God Created Woman" may tie "When Doves Cry" for his best song.

Around The World In A Day is another good one, but not quite as rock solid as the above ones. However, the best songs on there ("Paisley Park," "Raspberry Beret," "Pop Life") are as good as his best. Emancipation also has some fantastic moments.

And I have to say, I liked The Rainbow Children quite a bit, musically. The spoken word parts are like the spoken word parts on the Love Symbol album, you skip over them and enjoy the music.

Rogue588

Well, as Suprmallet wrote, almost every album has a few awesome tunes. If I had to pick just one, there'd be no way possible. I'd like to recommend the Hits/the B-Sides collection, but WB really BUTCHERED the tracks by editing them. Especially the B-Sides. If you can find it cheap, grab it. Think of it as a "sampler".

Here's my assembled list of favourite tracks on Prince albums..

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There's a "One Night Alone....Live" box set that really isn't worth the $$$. It's sad too...Prince EXCELS at a LIVE performance, but there's just SO MUCH PREACHING during this set that made it really disappointing for me. And, again, Suprmallet is correct - the Rainbow Children is a great album...musically. The lyrics, however, are another story entirely.

Be sure to let us know what you end up doing..

Supermallet

Great post, Rogue. If I could add one thing it would be The Continental from the Love Symbol Album. A really standout track.

Also, I presume the songs in red are the REALLY highly suggested ones, and I agree with you that Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) is one of his best songs.

I actually like the single edit of Controversy more than the album version.

milo bloom

We've got The Hits/B-sides and Batman, and I consider our collection pretty much complete.

Ginwen

I pretty much agree with Wendersfan's synopsis, although I'd pop Controversy onto the great list.

Ginwen

Have you heard the others? You're missing some great songs by just having those.

Rogue588

do you often have conversations to with yourself..?

Tarnower

Awesome, awesome, awesome job! I completely agree with you on "Something in the Water" from "1999." I have always felt it was one of his all-time greatest songs. Very much underrated. The song, and his singing, just go right through me. Classic R&B/Funk. I would also include the song "Annie Christian" (from "Controversy") on that short list from individual LPs. Some of the references in it (Atlanta child killings/assassinating Reagan) are dated, but the song structure is just so electrifying and haunting. I read your loooooooong post in that Prince thread from last summer, so I know what a fan you are. With that in mind, have you heard if Prince will be releasing anything commercially in the upcoming months?

griffidm

With Prince I have found that just becuase the guy hasn't had a "hit" in a long while, doesn't mean that the quality of his work has gone down. If you hunt the used CD stores you can pretty much pick up all his stuff for a song - pun intended. Reason: there are usually a few funky gems on every Prince CD. I consider the guy to be a funk master. Obviously, 1999, Purple Rain and Sign o' the Times, are the place to start. But there are some litttle known jems out there on his other stuff.

kurupt

Rogue588 - great list. Prince is a true demented genius. I've always thought that if one were to take the 14 or 15 best tracks off of Emancipation, that could have been huge...as it stands though, there is just way too much filler. If you just want the easily recognizable Prince, I guess you should get the Hits/B-Sides. If you want his best album, I've always thought it was Sign O' The Times (Ballad of Dorothy Parker is my favorite Prince song of all times)

Rogue588

Quote:

Originally posted by griffidm
With Prince I have found that just becuase the guy hasn't had a "hit" in a long while, doesn't mean that the quality of his work has gone down. If you hunt the used CD stores you can pretty much pick up all his stuff for a song - pun intended. Reason: there are usually a few funky gems on every Prince CD. I consider the guy to be a funk master. Obviously, 1999, Purple Rain and Sign o' the Times, are the place to start. But there are some litttle known jems out there on his other stuff.

I DEFINITELY agree. Don't think that the only good songs on the albums above were just the ones I listed...I had to rein myself in. Then again, I think there aren't too many Prince songs I can't listen to. [Jughead, Right the Wrong are two songs that jump out at me..]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tarnower
Awesome, awesome, awesome job! I completely agree with you on "Something in the Water" from "1999." I have always felt it was one of his all-time greatest songs. Very much underrated. The song, and his singing, just go right through me. Classic R&B/Funk. I would also include the song "Annie Christian" (from "Controversy") on that short list from individual LPs. Some of the references in it (Atlanta child killings/assassinating Reagan) are dated, but the song structure is just so electrifying and haunting. I read your loooooooong post in that Prince thread from last summer, so I know what a fan you are. With that in mind, have you heard if Prince will be releasing anything commercially in the upcoming months?

Thanks for the complement Tarnower. And you're on target about "Annie Christian". But I didn't list it cuz that damn song scares me! Seriously. I was listening to it late one night one headphones and it just freaked the hell outta me. I have NO idea why. There's also an outtake that Prince did with Miles Davis that makes me feel the same way.

Regarding any new stuff...it's hard to keep track of an artist when he CHARGES for news about what he's working on. [Unlike P, I have no ego...but if you'd like to check out my rant about all things purple, click HERE]. I have heard rumblings that he might be signing with a record label [remember, this is the 20th anniversary of Purple Rain -- though, in the past, Prince has claimed not to care]. I've also heard that he might've kicked Larry Graham to the curb. Out of ALL the rumours i've heard, THIS is the one I hope is true the most.

Oh...and, believe it or not, he's recently performed with Wendy for the Travis Smiley show on PBS. It's scheduled to air on the 19th.

Ginwen

Sure, doesn't everyone?
Fixed it now, how embarrassing!

DRG

I have all his stuff up until his most recent releases, and there are gems on all of them. My favorite "overall" releases are in chronological order Purple Rain, Sign O The Times, Graffiti Bridge, O+>, and The Gold Experience. And of the The Hits/The B Sides. But the others are filled with so much great stuff, it's hard not to recommend them as well.

I really wish he'd officially release more of his older stuff that's currently only available in less-than-legal form (a la Crystal Ball a few years back). I would love to hear clean versions of stuff like 'I Wonder', 'Rebirth of the Flesh', and 'Extra Loveable'.