The artist formally known as Good
Tricky
Corey wrote:
>
> Okay Okay, Now before I get all kinds of flames let me say I am one of the
> mans biggest fans and have bought every cd, cd single, cassette single, record
> and 45 hes put out not to mention every movie and many of his labels
> releases too so that pretty much establishes my confidence in his work.. And
> even if the answer to this upcoming question is no, I'll still buy
> emancipation, but someone PLEASE tell me that all the disappointing cd's I've
> bought in the recent past and my continued allegiance to the purple one
> has FINALLY PAID OFF with this release?? Has he gotten back to the future or
> is he still funking around??
First, a small flame. If you were trying to get attention with
a really lame pun on the TAFKAP acronym, you should learn to spell.
"Formerly" would mean he used to be good. What you wrote was
"formally". Meaning, I guess, that you could call him "Good" at
cocktail parties.
Getting to your serious (non-lame) question, he is no longer funkin'
around. The Man has shed the NPG and made an album that kicks butt
and takes names. If you liked Sign O' The Times, you should have
no problem with this release. You probably won't like every song:
there are a lot of experimental tracks and stuff that is remniscent
of the NPG era. You've got a few rap tracks, some good house music,
and four cover songs. But at $30 (or less) for 3 hours of music
(roughly the equivalent of four albums by another artist), it's
pretty hard not to get your money's worth from Emancipation.
Peace,
Derek
Blues In C
On Sun, 24 Nov 96 00:29:27 GMT, co...@zeus.odyssey.net (Corey) wrote:
>Okay Okay, Now before I get all kinds of flames let me say I am one of the
>mans biggest fans and have bought every cd, cd single, cassette single, record
>and 45 hes put out not to mention every movie and many of his labels
>releases too so that pretty much establishes my confidence in his work.. And
>even if the answer to this upcoming question is no, I'll still buy
>emancipation, but someone PLEASE tell me that all the disappointing cd's I've
>bought in the recent past and my continued allegiance to the purple one
>has FINALLY PAID OFF with this release?? Has he gotten back to the future or
>is he still funking around??
It sounds like you're i the same boat as I was. For a long time, I've
been buying whatever the man has been putting out. I've felt that some
of his recent stuff didn't quite have it. I could describe what I
mean, but you probably know what I'm talking about.
That being said, I think Emancipation is the best thing he's done in a
long time. I'll just rattle off what I like about:
-He's using lots of older synth sounds again. This is one of the
things that I loved about his earlier work.
-The songwriting is more focused and disciplined. The songs sound more
well thought out. The instrumentation is more stripped down and things
sound like they're supposed to be there. As opposed to some recent
songs, where he layed everything on too thick. Making it a mess.
-This album is a great example is his arranging skills. Listen to it
with headphones and enjoy how well the songs are put together.
-There's many examples of his sense of humor in these songs. More than
you've heard in a while. Also, the songs have a positive vibe to them.
-The slow jams sound very genuine and soulful. Side 2 is almost all
slow stuff. But he pulls it off.
- He plays almost everything on this album, just like the old days. If
you appreciate good playing, especially on keyboard and bass, you'll
like this stuff. The guitar rules too, there's just not as much of it.
- Eric Leeds is all over this stuff too. The first time that this has
happened since the SOTT era. I've always liked his sax playing, it has
lots of style and personality.
- His sense of adventure has returned, many songs take unexpected
turns as they're approaching the end.
There's more I could tell you about it. But that should give you a
good idea about it.
Here's a few things that some people have complained about, but I
don't feel is that bad. Although you might.
- Side 1 is probably closer to straight R&B than he has been in a long
time. Some people feel that they miss some of his more unique songs.
The songs may sound more traditional, but they are still unmistakably
him.
-There are still guest rappers hanging around. I could probably live
without that, but there's not too much of them and they sound better
than any previous album. Also, I really like 99, a female rapper that
makes a few brief apperances. She's very original sounding. Not trying
to sound like a gangsta.
If you're a long time Prince/0)+> fan, I believe that the only way
you'll be disappointed is if you're expecting Purple Rain II. It
doesn't sound much like that style. Although all those great synths
sound very 80's-like. It's more like SOTT II.
The sound of Emancipation isn't some radical new invention of funk
that will set the trend for the future. But, it is an example of the
man producing music at the top of his craft. It's all very skilled and
genuine.
Man, if you've spent that much money on the man's stuff through the
years, there's no reason why you shouldn't take your chance on one
more approx. $30 investment. I don't think you'll regret it.
Corey
Jmo...@ix.netcom.com
I don't think Emancipation is a good album at all. There are
about 10 good songs out of the 36. The rest are either so-so or
unlistenable. It's really just another bad Prince album but on a larger
scale. As far as I'm concerned most of the songs on Emancipation are
cheesy. Prince used to write such powerful love ballads like "The
beautiful ones" and "Scandalous" and "Condition of the heart", but the
ones on this album are down-right cheesy. Here are some songs that I
think ARE good and why.
Right back here in my arms: His vocals are strong and severe instead of
flakey. The song is simple, it has momentum and it sets a groove in your
head unlike many of the other songs that just meander and fizzle out of
their own misdirection.
Curious Child: Curious song.
Dreamin about you: This song, like Right back here in my arms, has
Prince singing with some direction and force. Too often Prince's
versatile vocal abilities kill a song. I say, establish a singing style
for a song, stick with it and every now and then throw us off and it will
sound interesting.
The Human body: Check out his singing style in this song against the
darker techno beats. His voice is sublime in this one.
The Love we make: This song is nice because he clams down and just
sings. Instead of trying to hit a home run and striking out like most of
the songs on Emncipation, he swings lightly and hits a beautiful double
up the middle.
Many of the songs are just too complicated and messy to be
listenable. Some are overproduced and hoaky sounding.
Juan E Perez
In <3297a4c3...@news.execpc.com> jas...@execpc.com (Blues In C)
writes:
>On Sun, 24 Nov 96 00:29:27 GMT, co...@zeus.odyssey.net (Corey) wrote:
>
>>Okay Okay, Now before I get all kinds of flames let me say I am one
of the
>>mans biggest fans and have bought every cd, cd single, cassette
single, record
>>and 45 hes put out not to mention every movie and many of his labels
>>releases too so that pretty much establishes my confidence in his
work.. And
>>even if the answer to this upcoming question is no, I'll still buy
>>emancipation, but someone PLEASE tell me that all the disappointing
cd's I've
>>bought in the recent past and my continued allegiance to the purple
one
>>has FINALLY PAID OFF with this release?? Has he gotten back to the
future or
>>is he still funking around??
>
99 is a Nuyorican Poet (read the book "ALOUD! : Voices from The
Nuyorican Poets Cafe" 4 the complete version of her spoke word poetry
on "Joint 2 Joint")
mpls...@aol.com
In article <3297a4c3...@news.execpc.com>, jas...@execpc.com (Blues
In C) writes:
>- Eric Leeds is all over this stuff too. The first time that this has
>happened since the SOTT era. I've always liked his sax playing, it has
>lots of style and personality.
not to nitpick.... but i beleive Eric was also "all over" Lovesexy (like
every track..) ....which came after SOTT & good portions of almost every
record since.... ummm - how about D&P??
:)
peace.... Kyle
Blues In C
Yeah, I guess I overlooked the fact that he was in the Lovesexy band
too. I guess I should buy that cd. All I have is the cassette tape,
which I don't listen too much. I guess I just dread scanning through
that one track on the cd to find the songs I wanted to hear right
away.
But, after that release, I don't think he did many appearances on
Prince/O(+> cd's. I know he did the flute on Gett Off & Letitgo. But
other than that didn't the man use other players for a while? Candy
Dulfer was on Graffiti Bridge and the NPG horns on TGE, Come, O(+> &
Chaos and Disorder. I could be forgetting some obvious appearances
that I shouldn't be. Some one tell me if i am.
jsta...@aol.com
>>99 is a Nuyorican Poet (read the book "ALOUD! : Voices from The
Nuyorican Poets Cafe" 4 the complete version of her spoke word poetry
on "Joint 2 Joint")<<
I'm not from New York nor am I from Puerto Rico, but does anyone else out
there love the word "Nuyorican" as much as I do? :-)
Olivier Meirhaeghe
> Has he gotten back to the future or
> > is he still funking around??
>
>
> I don't think Emancipation is a good album at all. There are
> about 10 good songs out of the 36. The rest are either so-so or
> unlistenable. It's really just another bad Prince album but on a larger
> scale.
Nah. Don't believe what you hear, it's all good. There is no such
things as a filler on this album.
Build your opinion from your own experience, not from what you
read.
What are people comparing with anyway ? Seems to me most of everyone
compares with their own mythical views of the past. Remember, how old
were you when SOTT or Purple Rain came out, how much have you changed
since ? Things amazed me then (at 17) more than they amaze me now .
It's a decade away.
Nothing has brought me more pleasure to listen to for years than
Emancipation. I guess It has something to do with the Spirit behind
the creation. We will all interpret it as something different. But
it displays a facet which had not been seen in years.
O.
Mo_BeTTer
Can anyone post / e-mail me some info about 99 .
"U can B the president , I'd rather B the pope ,
U can B the side effect , I'd rather B the dope ...."
(prince)
Mo_better -
s_n...@netvision.net.il
---DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE---
-Kev-
On Fri, 29 Nov 1996, Mo_BeTTer wrote:
> Can anyone post / e-mail me some info about 99 .
99 is a poet from Brooklyn, NY, a member of the Green Card Poets and The
Boom Poetic. She has performed at Lollapalooza '94 (with Boom Poetic),
had a poetry spot on MTV, participated in S.O.B.'s "Rap Meets Poetry"
series, and done countless club performances.
She has two tracks on Dream Warriors' 1995 album, _Subliminal
Simulation_: "Adventures of Plastic Man" and "Burns 1" (which
she respectively co-produced and produced). "Burns 1" is the full version
of the same poem used in "Joint 2 Joint", but done much faster to a
different beat. She's probably had works published; I have no idea where
though (aside from "Burns"). She may have recorded under Bill Adler's
spoken word label Nu Yo Records, but sorry, again I have no idea...
Here's the entire text of the poem worked into "Joint 2 Joint":
BURNS by 99
I never suck sour splints from a chew stick
Don't lick bicks 'cause fire sticks to flame
Get wicks to catch brothers who choose to let burns remain.
Now I see all dicks, toms & harrys are not the same
Some dipped in my lower lip sipped a supple poison
Risked toxins just to get the rocks in
or knock the rocks off
Can't survive alien tang now doctor says cough
Teemed with the enemy forgettin' the me she we
I line with and savor the flavor of a sexual foe
Then slowly watch it grow to OBGYN I go
Heave ho and tow the medication my love for you remains
Along with dedication
Bad sensations hasten when you avoid and dis me
Convinced I'm the carrier new excuse not to sex me
Eyes to drawer as hats drop to floor
Can't ignore facts was no latex between us
Thoughts think back as to why it's I you distrust
With you lust was a must but put up was a fuss
By an intelligent ho
So sew the seeds as I feel a need to curse you
Burn baby burn of this your lies won't burn thru
Tears for fears say you sorry of your love
I plan to lose it
My brother you're a dick and now I got the balls to prove it
-Kev-