Prince
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| The Very Best of PrinceRhino / Wea 2001-07-31See the tracks on this album
Taken literally, this album's title is sure to cause endless arguments. Nothing from Dirty Mind, not a trace of the early anthem "Controversy," no "Erotic City"--no non-LP cuts at all, save some edited single versions--and a cold shoulder to the criminally out-of-print Gold Experience. Damn. As a compendium of 17 key A-sides from 1979 to 1992, however, The Very Best of Prince is (ahem) a quick-'n'-dirty review of the days when the Artist was, in the estimation of R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, one of the weirdest musicians in the Top 10. Blessed with both creative cunning and the wish to reach every listener possible, Prince revitalized rock and soul modes from the sex-crazed ("Little Red Corvette") to the cryptically spiritual ("Purple Rain"). Often he blurred lines between attitudes as surely as he did musical ones; the New Testament image of "Thieves in the Temple" became in his hands a complaint about a stolen girlfriend. Though a fine party artifact, this disc is still likely to prove too scanty even for many casual Prince fans. --Rickey Wright The Very Best of Prince......Prince has had a long and varied career as a musician. Born in 1958 to John and Matti Nelson, his career started in 1977 with the release of his first album "For You". Going through groups like The Revolution and The New Power Generation, his musical style changed somewhat through the years ranging from Funk, R&B, Soul, to Pop, Hip Hop and even Jazz, Psychadelic & Hard Rock. This album, The Very Best of Prince, gives you seventeen of his very best tunes for you to listen to. Gems from his early career like "I Wanna Be Your Lover", "1999" & "Little Red Corvette" are there as well as tunes from his movies Purple Rain and Graffiti Bridge. Eve onto more recent tunes like "Gett Off", "Cream" "Diamonds and Pearls" & "Money Don't Matter 2 Night". While the album itself is a testament to his career, there are several gems missing from this album that were favorites among his fans (like "Controversy", "Delirious", "Erotic City", "Pop Life", "I Could Never Take the Place Of Your Man", "Head", "If I was your Girlfirend", "Take Me With You", "Batdance", "Partyman" and my two all-time favorite "For the Tears in your Eyes" & "My name is Prince"). If you can get past those omissions(which some were his better tunes), this is an album worth getting to listen to for a taste of his greatest. They need to make a second volume of his very best. However, let me suggest this...if you enjoy Prince's music, get all the albums that he has put out and make up your own mind as to what is his very best and whatnot. You won't regret it.Prince all the wayOn Friday and Saturday nights, I can not wait for the first beat of sound makes, telling me that one of my favorite artist of all times is about to sing. I have many favs of Prince's music but here is just a few: When The Doves Cry,Kiss, 1999 and Purple Rain. Atleast Joey Jamm makes it all possible.It's all good!I agree that Prince has way too many hits to fit onto one CD, but this is a nice collection. Usually there are 1 or 2 songs on a CD that I skip over, but not on this one. I enjoy it from beginning to end.Prince RULESALL the "Very Best" are really on this CD. ALL FUNK and no junk. Prince is the rare "jewel" in the crown of my music collection!!!You Can't Really Go Wrong with a Prince Hits CollectionFirst off, I admit to being a huge, long-time Prince fan. That being said, it's pretty hard to argue that this 'Very Best of' isn't a jammin' collection.
Starting off with 'I Wanna Be Your Lover' and working its way through 'Money Don't Matter 2 Night', this album (can I still use that word?) is a timeline of Prince's fun, sexy, rockin', jammin', preachin' career from "For You" (although no tracks off that first album are included) through "Diamonds and Pearls". And even though there are numerous tracks any fan might want to add to the mix, most all of the included tunes are vital to a 'hits' collection. (I might let you argue that tracks 13 and 17 could have been replaced with better choices, but that's the most slack I could cut. ;-)
If you're just not sure that you know the Prince songs included well enough to purchase, just take a listen to 'I Wanna Be Your Lover', 'Little Red Corvette', 'Kiss', or 'Gett Off' to get a good feel for what's in store for you. You really can't go wrong with this single CD collection of his royal badness's bestest. :-)
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| The Prince Of Egypt: Music From The Original Motion Picture SoundtrackDreamworks 1998-11-17It should be little surprise that of the three Prince of Egypt CDs, this one, which contains music actually used in the picture, is the best. The disc features songs written by Academy Award winners Stephen Schwartz and Hans Zimmer. It also showcases the always impressive vocal talents of Ofra Haza on several tracks. The disc also crams in a few singles--ranging from the solid Boyz II Men track "I Will Get There" to the average "The Prince of Egypt (When You Believe)" by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey to the dismal "Through Heaven's Eyes," by K-Ci & JoJo. But ultimately, Haza steals the show on tracks like "Cry" and the gorgeous "Deliver Us," performed with Eden Riegel. Other standouts include "Playing with the Big Boys," by Steve Martin and Martin Short, and a pleasant, if not unexpected, vocal by Michelle Pfeiffer on "When You Believe." --Aaron Tassano FlawlessI received the CD only a couple of days after placing the order. I am very pleased with the quality of the CD and how fast it was sent to my house. I loved the movie and love the soundtrack even more. Thanks!NiceThis was a very beautiful soundtrack. I'm a huge fan of Hans Zimmer so I absolutely loved the score to most of the songs. I could have done just fine without tracks 16 and 18, not the best songs in the soundtrack in my most humble opinion. Otherwise it's really wonderful to listen to. Egypt rulesI loved this movie, I love the story of Moses and Ramses! The music is slamming on all accounts, cultural and R&B.
Prince Of Eqypt is King of SoundtracksThis is my second time purchasing this CD after my 1st was stolen. It is a must have for my CD/Soundtracks collection. The sound dynamics and emotion put into the music and lyrics still give me goosebumps when I listen to it. I'm very glad to have this CD back in my collection. SuperbAbsolutely wonderful. One of my favorite movies, too! Great music. I love listing to the songs exactly as they were in the movie instead of having to buy contemporary singers' versions on itunes. Great cultural experience, too. I'm learning Hebrew, so I love the Hebrew parts of the songs (even thought there's only about 2).
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| Music from the Motion Picture "Purple Rain"Warner Bros / Wea 1990-10-25See the tracks on this album
Maybe this music by Prince & the Revolution will never quite sound as, well, revolutionary as it did in 1984 (and nothing else has ever sounded like the extraordinary cooing and fluttering of "When Doves Cry"), but it's a pop landmark in Prince's Artist-ic career. The hit movie was really just a big-screen showcase for Prince to perform these songs (some of them in tear-the-roof-off "live" versions set in a Minneapolis club). I don't know why that warped sermonette introduces "Let's Go Crazy" (one thing you've got to love about Prince: he's always been weird), but somehow I'm glad it's there. Other highlights include the sexual scorcher "Darling Nikki" (with its crazy backwards coda) and that anthemic title tune. Don't you miss Wendy and Lisa, too? --Jim Emerson Let It Pour"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, to get through this thing called life". My personal handbook I use to get through life, is this album. Clocking in at a ballsy 45 minutes, the album takes you--whether you're ready for the ride or not--on a journey of unprecedented scale. Prince holds no punches musically or lyrically on this tour de France of an album. Head bashing riffs, toe tapp'n beats, and tear jerking melodies collide here in a musical harmonic convergence. Simply put: you can go no wrong with Purple Rain. Now go, shower in its glory.
Who says a funk band can't play rock?That Minneapolis sound...wow, it has all been stated by others, but the intro to 'Purple Rain'...that BIG, lush, twangy, warm, full-bodied Richenbacker 330/12 string is one of the masterpieces of Prince's career. He does more with those few bars than others do with an entire cd. It sets up a great song and lays the foundation for Prince to come in later with his odd looking, but razor sharp axe, and slice and dice his way through a song that has held up amazingly well since 1984...Man, what a guitar!A Classic CDThis has got to be the best CD ever recorded. It was hot back in 1984, and it's still hot!decentI ordered this product and within a day received an email confirming that my purchase had been sent and had I received it yet and I had not received it yet and wasn't concerned at the time but after a week of it not arriving I wrote an email and got a response that it was lost in transit and the sender then agreed to send another cd in its place because there were none of the one I had purchased then a few days later received the cd I had originally had ask for only to see that it was so badly damaged that none of the tracks could be listened to and along with that came another cd that the sender had never discussed with me and it was something I would never listen to and it was a good gesture but in customer service you should have asked what the consumer would enjoy not assume and send something I disliked and just threw away anyway and the sender enclosed a letter stating that if they had gotten another copy of my originally purchase it would be sent and to this day has not showed up...In one word......"masterpiece". All this album does is take me back to a place in time that is gone forever and that I wish so dearly that I could go back and relive again. It was a happier time in my youth and a sample of what the music business was like in the late 80's and early 90's. When will it ever be like that again? If you haven't ever heard this album or seen the movie (where have you been the last 2-3 decades?), I'm envious of you. The experience of the first time will never leave you, I promise you.
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| The Hits/The B-SidesWarner Bros / Wea 1993-09-14See the tracks on this album
Assignment: To write 100 words on 56 songs by the greatest artist the '80s produced. Even with single edits substituting for full-length versions in a handful of cases, The Hits/The B-Sides is a mighty testament to the man we once called Prince. (For that matter, we still do.) In addition to most of his singles, from "I Wanna Be Your Lover" to "Thieves in the Temple," from "When Doves Cry" to "7," this triple-CD set throws in some worthwhile new music and a full disc of the fantastic flips that made buying 7- and 12-inches a must even when you already owned the A-side. "You can be the side effect," he mutters herein. "I'd rather be the dope." Witness some of the funkiest pharmaceuticals around. --Rickey Wright glad to get it backdie hard Prince fan and glad that I was able to get my old scratched cd replacedLove it..... i have been looking for this cd for months, got it really fast and i just can`t stop listening to it'!HISTORY OF PRINCE...The Past, Present, and Anticipating the Future.
This collection of Prince's greatest hits is without a doubt still his best, even though he has released 3 others in its wake.
The Hits include all of Prince's Top 40 hits and then on a 3rd disc introduces the B-sides that were born from his incredible top 40 hits. B-sides allow the listener to understand how Prince's music was created and how the Era's in which he created his music transformed his artistically.
Prince's music have become a microscope into his life. The Hits cover his emergence as a pop star, His reign at the top of the charts, and finally Prince straying away from the commerical world of music to a more artistic rare form that could teach today's musical youth a lesson in blazing trails rather than just strolling along one someone else created.
The Hits is a chronical of music that will forever stand the test of time in a forever changing world of music.DEFINITIVE PORTRIAT OF HIS PRIME YEARSIt may not be a definitive portriat of his overall career since he produced many great songs(if not albums) after this box set was released but, the hits and B sides does a stellar job of capturing most of the best songs he did during his prime period
Disc one contains what people expect "When Doves Cry", "1999", "Diamonds and Pearls" etc. What makes this box set worth owning is the second and third disc. In my opinion, the second disc contains the songs that cemented his status as the eccentric genius of pop music in the 1980's with racy songs like "Dirty Mind", "Head", "If I was your Girlfriend", etc. The first disc is great and contains some of the most inventive pop songs ever produced but the rauchier second disc contains the songs that made every Prince album an event in the 1980's. Take away the rauchiness and you're left with "another pop artist" who made great songs but have no personality (like George Michael). His sexier side is what made him unique. With sexier x rated songs presenting a flipside to his accessible pop songs, he's a artist shrounded in mystery and worth a million analysis! He's a pure legend because if it and without the second disc, casual fans wouldn't be aware of the mystery that gave him longetvity.
The B Sides disc (disc 3) is pretty cool if not great. It doesn't measure up to the quality of the first two discs but, hidden gems like "She's always in my Hair", "[..] Toad", and "Erotic City" makes the disc worth checking out. If the first disc presents Prince as a inventive Pop craftsman, and the second disc showcases Prince's sexier side, then the thrid disc defines his experiemental side. At times the experimentations paid off and sometimes they didn't - making the B sides disc less consistent than the first two, but enjoyable nonetheless.
This is not a bad place to start to hear one of the best mainstream artist in pop music history. What would've made this boxset better was for them to extended it to a extra disc to include more album tracks rather than just include the hits. Since the quality of Prince music took a nosedive at the dawn of the 90's, this is the best place to hear the purple one at his most fruitful and colorful.
A Genius - And His Guitar - At Work And PlayIt took the morality police a few days after the Super Bowl to catch back up with Prince. I guess he has been operating too far under the radar for the MP's to remember that back in the day he was one of their biggest targets.
But even the younger MP's have to recall that Prince became a music icon back in the 1980s, when neo-conservatism ran amuck through art. Prince had the courage to push back and this classic set shows his genius as hit after hit after hit - and a few surprises - are showcased in the 56 tracks.
The third disc of B-sides is full of rare songs that make the box set well worth the price. Not only is Prince a prolific artist, he made the singles a must for fans who wanted material not found on albums. Many of the cuts show Prince's wry sense of humor. My favorites include 200 Balloons, Shockadelica, How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore and Another Lonely Christmas.
Pop Life is my favorite song, but discs one and two deliver elegance - Nothing Compares 2 U - collaborations, Alphabet St (with Sheila E) and If I was Your Girlfriend (with Camille) & cuts that may have gotten lost in the wealth of output - Thieves In The Temple and Pope.
He dominated the music industry like few artists. And it looks like Prince and his guitar are ready again to shake things up and get the MP's all hot & bothered.
Maybe for next year's big game the NFL will play it safe and dust off ancient stadium rockers ZZ Top, with the hope that the 8-track tape they'll be lip-syncing to won't snap in the equally antique machine.
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| Sign 'O' the TimesWarner Bros / Wea 1990-10-25See the tracks on this album
2005 Japanese standard jewel case pressing of Prince's 1987 album. Features the same tracks and mastering as the US edition but includes an OBI and Japanese/English insert. Warner. 2005.It begins with the insistent drip-drop of a sequencer and ends with some old school R&B. In between, the artist who was still calling himself Prince unfurls an encyclopedia of moods, genres, and grooves. Widely heralded as a groundbreaker in 1987, when it was released, some of the music in oh-so-'80s synths sounds a bit dated. Yet this two-CD set is clearly the sound of a performer at the height of his power. On songs like the title track, "If I Was Your Girlfriend," and the thunderous "The Cross," Prince proves why the hype was justified. --Amy Linden The Real DealI've listened to Dirty Mind some in the past and always liked Prince from afar but never really understood all the raving until I gave Sign 'O' the Times a couple of solid spins. This record keeps on giving and I agree with the earlier post that it ranks up there with "Here, My Dear", "Songs in the Key of Life", etc. But also, like [...] points out, it belongs in a larger canon alongside the classic "messy" double LPs like "Exile on Main Street" and The White Album. It's fun, crazy, romantic and downright profound throughout this huge listen of a record.FantasticPrince's Sign O The Times is one of those albums that's so good that you're tempted to criticize it. It is definitely sprawling and all over the map. It blows the previous "Parade" to shreds. Prince tries everything here and it all works. The only song I'm not crazy about is "It." "It" is filler and the only misstep but It (lol) is surrounded by such quality material that it makes it easier to ignore IT. Don't let IT distract you. Ok, enough about It. Just get this if you haven't already. Also seek out the B-sides that were recorded during these sessions. Shockadelica and La La La He He He are up in quality with the rest of the album. Now what we need is a re-release of the Sign O The Times concert video on DVD.GIVE THIS ALL THE STARS YOU CANEvery generation gets the White Album it deserves, and after 20 years of dust-settling we can take a clear look at this generation's. I dont want to go through the album track by track, but I would like to single a few out; On 'It' the contrast between the synthetic beats and Prince's all too human vocals makes for one of his very best tracks; in fact the whole thing sounds like someone trapped inside a giant thumping robot Wicker Man, trying desparately to shag his way out.For me it's the best vocal he's ever done and even casual observers will know that's saying a lot; plus only Miles Davis has done more with two chords and a short shard of melody (on 'Black satin'). 'Slow Love' and 'Adore' are the most voluptuous things he's done and 'Forever In My Life ' the most romantic. It really is an album of contrasts and superlatives. Sign O' The TimesPrince-Sign O' The Times ****1/2
To be perfectly honest, Sign O' The Times is not a masterpiece, it is very close, but it is not one of Princes five star albums. Now given a five star album for Prince means something different then a five star album from say Aerosmith, or Bullets & Octane, or Marvin Gaye, they are all different artists so they must be graded accordingly. What I am getting at is with as good as this album is you can't compare it to Purple Rain, Dirty Mind, and say Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic.
While Prince did cover many genres with this truly eclectic album, and did do most of them well, their are a few slight filler tracks here. 'Hot Thing' and 'Housequake' being the most obvious in my mind. While they had the potential to be great funk numbers they fall short. 'Hot Thing' really reminds me of a bad James Brown parody. On disc two the only song that could be concidered filler is maybe 'Its A Beautiful Night' that just comes of as somehow stupid from Prince, but at the same time is fun an enjoyable every once in a while so all is not bad.
As for the rest of the album it is pretty stellar! on disc one we have the albums title track, 'Sign O The Times' which is easily one of the artists all time top five tracks. Lyrics are fantastic and the opening pearl drop synth lick is timeless where the rest of the synth on the album is not. 'Play In The Sunshine' in someone elses hands would have failed but not in the purple one's hands. The same can be said of 'Dorothy Parker.' 'It' speaks for itself. 'Starfish And Coffee' is true Prince having fun. The lyrics are out there but the music is great and it just feels fun, so forget all the naysayers. 'Slow Love' is classic, old school Prince. 'Forever In My Life' is tender and actually one of the better ballads of his career. Disc two, just completely owns. it could have been it's own album. 'U Got The Look' is my least favorite hit single off the album but still is fun upon each listen. 'If I Was Your Man' is timeless and one of his very best songs. The bouncy rhythm and extended jam on this album version show of some of Prince's best guitar work of the decade. 'Strange Relationship' follows suit as classic Prince and one that would have easily been yet another hit single off the album. 'The Cross' is one of Princes very first overly religious songs, and one of his best. As well all know he is deeply involved in his faith now, and this was a sign of things to come. 'Adore' closes the album and does so perfectly. The lovely ballad is recorded live and is probably the best song on the album.
So while Sign O The Times is not the best Prince creme de la creme, and there are better albums in his career, it is still essential. Yes it is true that some of the tracks sound dated and very 1987, it still makes for an enjoyable listen every time around. Highly, highly recommended.What happened to the Video of this live concert? Excellent & Timeless PrinceThis is Prince at his turning point at his best. What happened to the video of this concert? I had it on VHS, I need to find it again, is it remastered on DVD? Sounds crazy, but something I cannot be without! Great times and memories.
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| 1999Warner Bros / Wea 1990-10-25See the tracks on this album
Prince's fifth album came right before the lascivious multi-instrumentalist became a huge star with his 1984 film and soundtrack, Purple Rain. But Prince had already proved himself to be the most audacious talent to emerge in the 1980s, and 1999, the bulk of which features Prince on all the instruments, reflects the dance-rock styles that he also brought to the acts he produced, particularly the Time. Prince knows how to run a one-man-band individual instruments don't blend together as much as they compete in a funky showdown which allows tracks like "Automatic," "D.M.S.R.," and "Delirious" to sustain their long playing times. But the album's two enduring hits, "1999" and "Little Red Corvette," outshine the rest, and define the essential roles that rock and funk play in Prince's music. "Little Red Corvette" is a sexy song about a car, which would have been enough to make it a terrific rock song even if it didn't also boast an infectious chorus and a great guitar part. As for "1999," count on it being the dance song of the millennial year. --John Milward The Place Where Your Horses Run FreeFor some reason when I woke this morning I had this tune in my head and couldn't rest till I traipsed down to the basement and found the old LP. What a difference from today when you can play all 10 tracks on the CD without switching or changing the record, but back then I never heard the songs on side 2--and never played the second disc on the double-LP, not ever, didn't see any point to changing up from the first 2 tracks. Why did artists make such long LPs, why not just collect a few perfect tracks? And thus it wasn't until today that I would up hearing "International Lover" and "Free" and the other songs (some of them not so great) on the "second disc" of the double LP--well, that dates me, but I expect at this time in Prince's career most of his fans are those who, like me, remember the 1980s as if they were yesterday and a time when 1999 seemed a zillion light years away, and when Wendy and Lisa puzzled us with their odd, superior androgyny like a pair of aloof Claude Cahuns, always nodding to the same beat, thrusting out their chins in unison, ten tons of hairspray making them look sort of feminine.
That's not to say that today's Prince fans love what used to be sides one and two, tbree and four with equal fervor, how could they? They won't even remember the exquisitely perverse take on "Little Red Corvette" that Sandra Bernhard gave in her concert film "Without You I'm Nothing," her unsuccessful attempt to divert 80s energy into 90s irony.
Vanity's on this CD too, which I did not realize in the 1980s, but that's because I never heard "Free," in which her vocals ring out loud and clear. That's not such a good thing.Prince's Best Early AlbumThere's not much that hasn't already been said about Prince's "1999" - It's some of his best work, from the era when he wasn't so deep into his religion and wasn't afraid to offend someone. It's raw, real funk-rock that knows no bounds. I would call "1999" Prince's best album, except that I'm also partial to the collaboration with Wendy & Lisa in his later Paisley Park releases.
This is an album that is meant to be played straight through. No shuffling. No listening to individual tracks. Start at the beginning and play it through to the end. It's a brilliant work of art that everyone should check out if they like rock or funk. Poor servicenever received product. I contacted the seller 2 times and no response. I have filed a claim with to see about getting my money back. Seller had no problem charging my card asap.The beginning of his reign...At the beginning of Prince's reign as Prince of Pop, we have albums such as this. It was here that he first insisted on breaking ground on every album, and every track. He was one of the pioneers in the 80's, of music as art, and through him and other such artists, the standards were raised.
As with many of Prince's albums, you cannot simply listen to them as good music, but must appreciate the artistry that goes into them. This man is obscenely talented, and this album has some of the most important songs of the 20th Century.Prince at his absolute bestWh many people will point at either Purple Rain or Sign 'o' The Times as his best albu, that title goes to Prince's 5th album, 1999. This album is not only His Royal Badness at his best, but in my opinion, is the greatest album ever made. 1999 put Prince on map and made him a crossover star, with the 3 hit singles "1999", "Little Red Corvette", and "Delirious". But its not just those songs. Others include "Let's Pretend We're Married", "DMSR", "Automatic", and so on. Honestly, this album is perfect from start to finish. I recommend this for any R&B fan or Prince fan or music fan in genertal. Funk at its absolute best.
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| Lie Down in the LightDrag City 2008-05-20See the tracks on this album
Bright with guitars and harmonies, Lie Down in the Light is a fresh new album from Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. His vocals are at their most expressive, a judiciously dynamic and tuneful performance. Behind and all around is a subtle backdrop of percussive slaps and shakes, touches of keys and steel, loving harmony-vocal arrangements and other sweet surprises that will send fans back to their auto-erotic dungeons, fresh toys in hand. Lie Down in the Light is the ever-searching soul of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.Will Oldham has built a reputation as a singer-songwriter who taps into a bleak folk tradition as old as America, so the sound of Lie Down In The Light, his sixth studio album under the still confusing pseudonym Bonnie 'Prince' Billy comes as something of a surprise. Whichever way you look at it, this is an upbeat, uplifting record, almost sunny in outlook. Dedicated fans might not prefer him this way (many consider his first record under the name Palace Brothers, the timeless, stricken There Is No One What Will Take Care Of You to be definitive), Lie Down In The Light is undeniably charming and rather witty with it. Take the unexpected clarinet that turns the conclusion of the already rather daft "For Every Field There’s A Mole" into something as light as a silent movie soundtrack, or the way that the otherwise saturnine "Where Is The Puzzle?" remains unresolved. Ashley Webber, once of Canadian new wavers The Organ, duets but even her mournful contributions can’t deflect from Mark Nevers’ skillful production. Only the title track, following an often used Oldham chord change, really sounds generic. Oldham obviously remains set on creating a determinedly solid body of work, but the odd soufflé, such as Lie Down In The Light, doesn’t come amiss.-- Steve Jelbert Beyond WordsI'm new to this artist. Bought the record on a whim. God I'm lucky. This record moves me in ways very few artists have. Stark, earthy and redemptive. No screaming guitars. Get it.Redemptive, moving, beautiful. One of Will Oldham's very best. Freak Folks move over.For those still under the spell of Will Oldham's majestic "The Letting Go" this latest Bonnie "Prince" Billy album may at first seem a disappointment. It enters with a warm, countrified splash of fiddles, banjo, piano and vocal harmonization, with an air of CSN or the Grateful Dead. An old fan may ask, where is the "darkness," the incest, murder, dissimulation? With repeated listenings the subtle enchantments of Oldham's lyrical song cycle grow, organically emerging from strange and beautiful, unfamiliar areas of the heart and mind.
The chameleonic, Kentucky-native Oldham has always hidden his gnomic and gnostic creations within wizard's cloaks and veiled meanings. Performing under the names Palace, Palace Music, Palace Brothers, even his own name, he has adopted a moniker derived from the young Jacobite pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie, and from William Bonney, a.k.a. Billy the Kid. Throughout he has been a consistently intriguing and strangely moving songwriter, capable of raw sincerity and piercing insight. But in recent years he has forgone the croaking wail and atonality he had used to hide his oddness and mysteries, dropping the off-key guitars and lo-fi sloppiness, favoring beautifully and subtly produced albums.
Never content to stay in one mode or style, the "Prince" shifts, changes and dodges with each record. This album is more straightforward than his Valgeir Sigurdsson-produced previous album. He has left the Icelandic mood behind for down-home Nashville, under Mark Nevers' production. Ashley Webber's lovely vocal duets and backgrounds, organ and pedal steel, Shahzad Ismaily's multi-instrumentalism, even a row of wrenches and clarinet give it rich, grounded space. And Oldham has never reached more deeply into the human universal lyrically or vocally. "Lie Down in the Light" dispels the "freak folk" label, and should drive the likes of Devendra Banhart back into their caves in shame.
On the cover a comic image--a muscle-bound manly man wrestling a green, Hulk-like angel with psychedelic wings--suggests (and lampoons) the serious depth of the album's themes. "I know my way around the world/It's a circle and it starts and it ends." This cycle, like the seasons and stages of life, begins with roots and ends in enchanted reconciliation. From "good earthly music," home and family, love and exultant public eroticism, through suspicion of human motivation, loss and death, it moves toward the spiritual with a playful sense of humor and grace. He regards the cosmos, which we can never fully understand: "For every king there's a crown, and every time I look around, I am the king of infinite space." Occult and full of potential, this line is actually from a song likening the human to a blind mole in the ground.
Hope and fond irony abound, despite tragedy and obstacles, rather than resignation. Through lists of loss and human incapacity in "What's Missing Is," to recognition of human folly and consequent transcendence in "Where's the Puzzle?" the realization is, "Why do you frown /Why do you try/Why don't you lie down in the light?" Then "Willow Trees Bend" suggests a new salvation: For every man alive there is a fire/And for every king a crown..../When faced with your fire/I will surrender to You." The near-Gospel "I'll Be Glad" offers hope and levity, with its choral backup and allusion to a child's rhyme and Christ as shepherd: "Lord, wherever you go you'll always have me around." This is the "song that does not end." It is life. And yet he holds to the earth and longing for "new harmony on an awesome scale": "The song is a man and a woman, and everything else." For those with ears to hear this album is a wonder not to be discounted. Hail Saint Billy! 4 June 2008, Willow Creek, CA.One of the most unique and gifted songwriters of the modern eraWill Oldham is one of the few artists who can actually prove the "less is more" theory. Even with simple song structures and sparse instrumentation, his songs still sound rich and full of life. There's only one way to accomplish that... great songwriting. If you're new to Will Oldham, start with 1999's "I See a Darkness" and work through chronologically to this one. I assure you, if you can appreciate good music, it will be an enjoyable ride.bonnie brilliantIf you want witty banter about how amazing this album is, go to pitchfork's review. I just had to add my 2 cents inorder to out weigh the jokers who gave it a 1-star.
One thing though, considering all the absolute horse s*** that is played on the radio, this music is of the gods. It represents all that is good about music and should be studied in elementary school music classes as well as college conservatories. Will Oldham is my personal lord and savior.i hate this record. i'll let you know if i change my mind.
in the meantime, buy 'arise, therefore' instead.
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| The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince CaspianWalt Disney Records 2008-05-13The ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK to the highly-anticipated second film from the worldwide blockbuster NARNIA! THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA:PRINCE CASPIAN features an unforgettable and heart-pounding score by GRAMMY AWARD® -winning and GOLDEN GLOBE® nominated composer Harry Gregson-Williams plus the brand new SWITCHFOOT single and video "This Is Home"Narnia as expectedI purchased the cd strictly for the tracks "The Call" by Regina Spektor and "This is Home" by Switchfoot. These are surprisingly my favorite tracks.
I wasn't very impressed by the other songs that had lyrics, but the "soundtracks" are good. Kind of reminds me of some of the songs from Pirates (without that theme of course).
Overall didn't disappoint in a soundtrack sort of sense.DisappointedI was a great fan of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe score, so was very much looking forward to this release. Unfortunately, i'm pretty disappointed.
One of the reasons I enjoyed the original score so much was for it's calm, celtic-like melodies in the first half or so of the score. This score has a similar layout, but it focuses a lot more on the battle/action tracks, which i'm not particularly fond of.
I can completely understand why this is the case, as the film is a lot darker than the first and i've heard it contains a lot more action. This would be great if these tracks weren't so repetitive, sounding like the typical Media Ventures action cues we've heard so many times before. And even by the half way point these tracks start to drag, and the overall feel is that of hope for an original track some time soon.
However, perhaps for someone new to the genre and not having heard the first (a lot of the music on this CD sounds like rehashes of tracks from the first, which I guess is fair enough considering it is of course the same series of films) they would find a lot to enjoy here.
There still are some great tracks, the first 4 or so are a great listen. However, for me, after that is just gets repetitive and boring.
It also dosn't help having read before hand, this may or may not be true, that the composer - Harry Gregson-Williams was bored himself when composing the score. It definately shows.Very DisappointedI am very disappointed because I bought this album only for the Switchfoot song "This is Home." I love this song and couldn't find it anywhere else. When I got the CD and played it, it is not the original version of the song that I have heard on the radio. It is a very slow version of the song on this soundtrack. Now I still do not have the song I like and don't like instrumental music. That is very disappointing. I just wanted to let others know that if you're buying it for the Switchfoot song it is not the same and save your money. IMages rush backAs with any soundtrack to a movie you love, Prince Caspian delivers on rushing those images back to your mind as you listen to this beautiful score.Couldn't be worseI ordered The Chronicles of Narna: Prince Caspian and received a dirty used copy of The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. I will be returning it but doubt I'll ever be made whole. Will never order from this seller again.n
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| The Hits 1Warner Bros / Wea 1993-09-14See the tracks on this album
This is a product used to test the functionality of CDNow order processing. This is the Second product.In addition to the three-disc Hits/The B-Sides set, Prince's 1993 release list included separate editions of the two Hits volumes. By beginning with "When Doves Cry," Volume One would seem to promise a fairly mainstream overview of the man's career. But what can such a small word mean to an artist who writes love songs like this disc's "Adore" ("You can rip up my clothes, smash up my ride ... well, maybe not the ride") and who can put a cryptic religious fable (we think) like "7" in the Top 10? --Rickey Wright THE LIGHTER SIDEThis cd has the lighter toned hits everybody can listen to , it doesn't have vulgarty in it , both cd's are great but this one is more family oriented.The Hits/The B-Sides - 3 disc setThanks to another reviewer's suggestion I checked out 'The Hits/The B-Sides' 3 disc set. It had all the hits I wanted and some I'd forgotten about. I opted to just purchase the download version for $8.99 instead of the packaged version for $35.99. I usually like 'the packaging' but I got 55 or more songs for 8.99!!! They'll be on my iPod soon and I'll be dancing around the house in no time!Good as a starting point but try to find the full versions!Bad news first - most these songs are included in single-edit format. This is a bit annoying, since for one you can't get the full scope of Prince's capabilities without the album takes on hand and for another, several songs are gutted. I actually like the single edit of "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" more than the full version - while that is a fantastic guitar solo, it doesn't fit with the song. I see it as a wonderful pop song foremost, and wonderful pop songs don't have three-minute guitar solos, even if they are as creative as that one, you know? One of my favorite Prince songs either way, if not my favorite period now that I think about it, I just happen to prefer the short version.
However, it's hard to get the full effect of many of these other songs without hearing them in full. I'm sorry, but you can't edit "When Does Cry". That is a crime against humanity, or at least against funk. Same with "Uptown". I'm sorry, but you just can't shorten "Uptown". I know the purpose was to make it all fit onto one disc, but you probably could've squeezed the album takes of those to onto there. Whatever, Dirty Mind and Purple Rain are two of Prince's best albums anyway, so that's just quibbling. A few other of my all-time Prince favorites were edited too - "Adore", "1999", "Sign o' the Times", "Diamonds and Pearls" - which is a little bit annoying but whatever.
That's the only complaint I have about this, though. Yes, several key hits are missing ("Little Red Corvette", "I Wanna Be Your Lover", "Purple Rain"), but that's only because they're on The Hits 2, which is an essential companion to this one. It's got all kinds of classics - the aforementioned several, "Let's Go Crazy", "Alphabet St.", "When You Were Mine", "Soft and Wet", and so on. And there's not one bad song here.
Now time to discuss something else about Prince's music - the lyrics are not for the squeamish. Prince Rogers Nelson has ventured further into the alleys of sexual perversion and sexuality in general than any other successful artist. This doesn't bother me a bit, but it hacks a lot of people off, so be careful who you play it around. I'm pretty sure that if you bring it to a more Puritan type of party, you probably won't be invited back. Most Prince's more explicit material is contained on the second disc, but this thing's got a warning sticker on it for a good reason. Don't let that get in the way of the music, some of the funkiest, most eccentric, experimental, visionary music ever recorded. But let me warn you - Prince's lyrics are not for everybody.Nothin can stop these tears from flowinFantastic versions of Prince in his more funky element, spanning bands. It's also great to hear his versions of his own songs originally recorded by others. incredible compilation of hitsI've had this CD and Hits 2 for years. Since I grew up on prince's music as a kid, I felt that my CD collection was incomplete without this. All of his popular singles from the late 70's through the early 90's are on hits 1 & 2(I wish there was a seperate disc for the prince b-sides) and it's fun blasting them through the house while cleaning up or in the car. His grooves are just delicious and he does whatever he wants with that voice. In addition he's a strong songwriter and plays all the instruments, now what you tell ya mama bout that!!!
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| Ultimate PrinceRhino / Wea 2006-08-22See the tracks on this album
The artist who will forever be known as Prince-and could fittingly be known as "The Artist"-is one of the most brilliant, versatile and influential musical forces of his, or any, time. Prince took R&B and regally marched it into genre-blurring horizons previously unknown, fusing rock, funk, soul, psychedelia, pop, and singer-songwriter aesthetics into a sound that was mind-bending and booty-shaking. Sensual, literate, explosive, and groundbreaking, his artistry never stopped evolving and the hits and acclaim never stopped coming. His adventurous reinventions, bold experimentation, stellar instrumental and composing skills and genius for showmanship have placed him high in the pantheon of all-time superstars. "Unique" doesn't begin to describe his royal powers, showcased herein on the first-ever two-disc compilation of his masterful Warner Bros. years. Nice collection, but not as good as it could be.I was really dissapointed that all of the songs I love are mediocre extended versions and "Cream" is a really crappy remixed version. I like the original version of all the songs better. They really should have just put the original tracks on this collection. It would have gotten 5 stars from me. I had to deduct 1 star because of the lack of the original "Creme" and unnecessary extended versions of his songs that I don't care for.Great Prince CD w/ 2 major stand out songsOMG, FINALLY. I finally have the ''Raspberry Beret'' song in it's FULL VERSION glory--I love the begining of the song and the sound of all the instruments like in the begining of the music video. Anyways, it's so great to finally hear it on my Surround sound stereo system let me tell ya!. Also, I am 26 years old alright and I have NEVER heard another version of Little Red Corvette.....UNTIL NOW---AAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHH!!. Seriously speaking, the version of Little Red Corvette on this CD is by far the BEST and I can't control myself from playing it over and over on repeat, and there people I know who are JEALOUS of the fact that I have this version and who could blame um right?!. Look, this intire CD is Red Hot and I love Prince but even more all over again, and again, and again ;)Where's The Extended Versions Of "Erotic City","Head","Sexy Dancer," and "Party Up"??QUESTION:
How are you going to make the claim of creating "THE ULTIMATE"
Prince collection and not include the extended dance mixes of
"Erotic City" (1984), "Head" (1980), "Sexy Dancer" (1979) or
"Party Up" (1980)???
And they do exist too, because I had every one on 12" back in the day!
Not to mention true Prince fan jams like: "The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker",
"If I Was Your Girlfreind" and "Strange Relationship" (All 1987),
"Anothaloverholenyohead" (Extended Version--1986), "Ana-stesia" (1988)
"Lady Cab Driver", "A-U-T-O-matic" and "Irresistible Bitch" (all 1982)
"Party Man" & "Bat-Dance" (both 1989) or even his first hit....
the sizzling "Soft & Wet" (1978).
ULTIMATE PRINCE??--I think not!
When you let 20-ish music executives and studio interns who weren't even around when most of this music was relevant and current make the decisions about what exactly is an "ULTIMATE PRINCE" collective, then
what do you expect? This is a cursory comp with a few good rare
ditties that they haven't included on any of the other mediocore comps!
The 3-Disc "Prince: Greatest Hits & B-Sides", released in the early '90's was pretty comprehensive, but still lacking in many ways as well.
I give this comp 3 stars and say that if you're a youngster just getting
into Prince and what impact his music made on the
80's and early 90's, then, by all means, this is one to buy!
Ultimate Prince...?Prince-Ultimate Prince ***
Now I am really confused at what this is supposed to be. Is this at hits collection, anthology, best of? It fails at all three of those if it is trying to be one.
The song selection on the first disc is great though it skips quite a few songs. But I must say that I love the addition of 'Money Don't Matter 2Night' because that is truly a forgotten classic in Prince's cannon. But it does still seem that a lot is missing, then you realize there is a second disc, great that must be where the rest of the music is. Wrong.
The second disc is a collection of most of the rest of Prince's other big songs but they are "dance remixes" of all the songs, which is cool yes, but they are very out of place on this collection. Someone who is buying this is going to want the original songs, not the remixes of the songs they love. Those remixes should have been saved for reissues of the original albums that they appear on or for a separate remixes album.
But I must say the remixes are not even that good, in fact some of the time they are just down right annoying. Really this collection or whatever it is, is not worth owning unless you are a major Prince fan and want everything he releases.Extended Hits!This CD has quite a few of his top hits that have been either stretched out or may be extended takes from the original sessions (that's what it sounds like). I'm very pleased with this purchase as I'm sure any Prnce fan will be.
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