Sign O' the Times - Prince (super deluxe edition)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by masswriter, May 29, 2020.

  1. Nathan Aaron

    Nathan Aaron Forum Resident

    - The album is double LP. Is the picture disc as well? Or is this the abbreviated version?
     
  2. The more I hear it, the more convinced that "Cosmic Day" is an absolute classic Prince song that should have been released. There are many songs he should have released, but I get that classic Prince vibe from "Cosmic Day," much the same as when I first heard "Last Heart," "Crucial" and "Splash."

    Everything is perfect with "Cosmic Day."
     
  3. JuhaS

    JuhaS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    Worth the mention: most of the vault tracks are contemporary mixes by Prince. Bolas only mixed seven tracks.

    I've only listened to the Vault discs so far and will probably spend some more time with them before continuing to the other cds. It's so good to have all this material officially released at last after years of listening to the boots. The quality of the songs is amazing. And amazing to think that they could have easily added fourth Vault disc!
     
  4. Jayseph

    Jayseph Somewhere Between Penny Lane & Alphabet St.

    Location:
    Philadelphia
    Thanks! I have been considering all of the above for a while. Still just not sure how I want to move forward. The one thing I am not thinking of is the DVD case as it wouldn't fit in my wall of CDs well.

    One question: does anyone have a good recommendation for blank CD case inserts? I haven't made any of these homemade CD cases for YEARS!
     
  5. DolphinsIntheJacuzzi

    DolphinsIntheJacuzzi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Good point. That also might make them a bit easier to get out. Right now, removing them from the slots can be a bit stressful.
     
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  6. masswriter

    masswriter Minister At Large Thread Starter

    Location:
    New England
    my discs are all perfect

    bought from Prince.com
     
    Matthew Tate likes this.
  7. Popmartijn

    Popmartijn Senior Member

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    I had another listen to the Utrecht live show tonight. On first listen I wasn't that convinced of the show. It sounded a bit off to me (and not with respect it maybe being 2% too slow). The crowd ambiance is missing as it's a soundboard recording, so Prince's interaction with the crowd sometimes falls a bit flat. When I initially mentioned this someone replied that he liked it as he could hear the instruments better (hey, to each their preference so I'm not gonna argue with that).

    Hearing the show tonight it did seem to be that maybe my main gripe is that the mix sounds a bit off. The instruments (and maybe most prominently the drums) sound a bit too isolated. They don't seem to gel, it's not a band playing but a collection of individuals. I do have to say that, as the show progresses, the mix seems to improve as well. So maybe from halfway disc one onwards it sounds OK and near the end I am immersed in it. It's just a shame of the start. Sign 'O' The Times is one of my favourite Prince songs and it does not sound good in this live recording. When all the drums should come in near the end, they seem to start out of sync. But maybe more importantly, they don't seem to have much power. They should blast the song into the stratosphere, but instead it sounds wimpy.

    Thankfully, some of my other favourites (like The Cross) do sound good. And overall I do enjoy the live show. But it's not blasting me away like the 1999 live CD did.
     
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  8. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    I've never had a problem with Import CDs, going back several years. My last two orders were the new Alicia Keys album and this, and both arrived safely looking great.
     
  9. MONGZ

    MONGZ Well-Known Member

    Could somebody please grab their original pressing of 1999 & test the following? Cue up the track ‘Free’ & listen to the beginning where the foot stomp marching bit starts. Does it come in left then pan to right or vice versa?
    2011 edition: R to L
    2019 edition: L to R
    There is a bit of discussion on channel reversed pressings, in particular early 1999 pressings were done incorrectly but I would like to get to the bottom of this & figure which is authentic.
     
  10. DolphinsIntheJacuzzi

    DolphinsIntheJacuzzi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Actually, no. The real crux of my problem is that I couldn't care less about a couple of barely noticeable hairline scratches. Your real problem is that you can't seem to get it through your head how much of a non-issue this is for me.

    So, now I'm spelling it out for you: I...don't...care....It...doesn't...matter... Now, if you can't understand at this point, I don't know what else to tell you. But I'm growing rather tired of this conversation. It's like having a conversation with automated tech support.

    Finally, your quote of the user score of 2.8 /5 for Import CD's (compared to a 4 for Amazon) is apples to oranges. Bullmoose, which has one of the best reputations of any company on this forum, only has a 3.3.

    That's because these are sites populated by audiophiles, who are notoriously picky. Amazon is populated by people who couldn't care less if something arrives with a few dings or dents. These people will typically give a 5-star rating just because they got the product on time. So, once again, you're making a disingenuous argument.
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2020
  11. DolphinsIntheJacuzzi

    DolphinsIntheJacuzzi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    It starts out L. Then it pans R. Then it pans back L. Then back R.
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2020
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  12. 99thfloor

    99thfloor Senior Member

    Location:
    Sweden
    With all the praising of Amazon's return and refund policy, it is also worth noting that if you use their return procedure enough times you will be blacklisted, which will happen soon enough if you are nitpicky, since Amazon mangle everything they send out.

    I have seen this mentioned somewhere, I think even specifying which tracks, but I couldn't find it again when searching. Can you point to where this was mentioned?

    This is a good summary of the live sound and my overall takeaway as well. What you are descibing are probably some of the things that make me I don't like the sound as well. Many of the instruments, like keyboards and drum machines, are lined so we are hearing the signal from the output of each source straight to our speakers without any ambience happening along the way (while there is maybe too much ambience on other things, making it not mesh). I also think that while the bass drum is prominent the bass guitar (or whatever melodic bass instrument is present) is to low in level and too thin sounding, in fact the whole thing lacks fullness and heft. Nothing to do about much of this with a soundboard recording. Unfortunately I think most live recordings in existance will be soundboards, he didn't seem to bother too much with multi tracking (not even when preparing for the official live releases).
     
  13. DolphinsIntheJacuzzi

    DolphinsIntheJacuzzi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    This has been my experience. I never got blacklisted. But it's because I've all but stopped ordering music from them. Import CD's did a fine job with packaging. And I've been buying from their sister company Deep Discount for awhile now, and I've never had any problems. God, I can't even begin to catalog the nightmares I've had with Amazon.

    On that note, for all those so enamored with Amazon's exchange policy, I think Amazon should adopt as their new Holiday slogan: "Amazon: Many Happy Returns!"
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2020
  14. 99thfloor

    99thfloor Senior Member

    Location:
    Sweden
    I used Amazon UK a lot about ten years ago, made big orders, and in every shipment about half the stuff was damaged in some way, so it happened that I asked to have things exchanged, just as I would anywhere else. I was then usually told (what I later understood was the common thing, but was unusual in my experience, because it never happens elsewhere) to keep the item and they would just send a new one (remember I am in a different country). Then the Beatles box sets came out and after having had the Mono box arrive damaged twice and sent back again I was warned that if my level of complaints continued I would risk being blacklisted, so I bought that box elsewhere and have rarely used Amazon since (and if so I've used the German site instead, not that it would make a difference in this matter).

    Sorry for the off topic...
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2020
  15. brianvargo

    brianvargo Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    I own hundreds of boxed sets, and this is one of the few that I would recommend without qualification even to someone who isn’t a die-hard fan of the artist or the album. Virtually every second is at least interesting, and a good deal of it is downright compelling. The closest I can come to a set that includes this many brilliant unreleased songs (as opposed to unreleased performances) is Bob Dylan’s first Bootleg Series box - and that covered 30 years. Astonishing.

    Yes, I would have preferred to have the full “Crystal Ball,” “Good Love,” “Rockhard in a Funky Place,” and other such tracks included so that this could be a truly comprehensive overview of the period. But that doesn’t detract from what this set accomplishes. The man released one hell of a double album in 1987. The fact that he could have followed it up with three more double albums of similar quality from the same set of sessions is a testament to how prolific and rare this artist’s genius really was.
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2020
  16. Tom Schreck

    Tom Schreck Forum Resident

    Has anyone written about the ways in which Prince's music 1985-1987 intersects with the "sophistipop" genre? I wasn't there at the time (or was just a wee lad), but to me it seems like sophistipop is that particular thing in the mid-80s that intersected R&B/jazz fusion, soul horns, "film-score" type orchestration, progressive-type composition, "quiet storm," and some new wave textures. It's music not without swagger, exactly, but with a more subtle swagger to be certain. I would say that Sting and Peter Gabriel's music from the time rubbed up against it, but they're not held up as genre artists per se, so maybe that's analogous to why Prince isn't considered a "sophistipop" artist. But to me, the Parade and Dream Factory material is almost quintessential sophistipop, however with maybe a bit more attitude, sexiness, or explicit content than the genre artists. Does anyone else have an opinion on this?
     
  17. Neonbeam

    Neonbeam All Art Was Once Contemporary

    Location:
    Planet Earth
    Prince music is probably too funky and maybe also too much created on the spot, too spontaneous to be regarded as "sophistipop". And let's not forget: This is the artist formerly known as Prince that essentially inspired the Parental Advisory Explicit Content campaign. :uhhuh: Tipper Gore probably wouldn't have placed a sticker like that on a Sade album....
     
  18. neo123

    neo123 Senior Member

    Location:
    Northern Kentucky
    Okay. Was going to post my thoughts on the contents sooner than this (after a few complete listens of the 8-CD SDE,) but I got sidetracked the last few days due to Eddie Van Halen's passing (listened to VH's entire discography a couple times.) Anyway prior to that, I did listen to SOTT set 5 times so far (only 3 times for the 2 live discs.) Plan on listening a couple more times over the weekend.

    The main album CDs blow away the original CD release. So, I am very, very happy about that. My favorite songs got even more appreciation because of the remaster. They include "Housequake," "Hot Thing," "Sign O' The Times," "U Got The Look," "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man," and "The Cross." As I said earlier in this thread, when I was in my young 20s when it was originally released, I used to dismiss "The Cross" and thought it a filler track. I didn't even start to appreciate the song until I started relistening to the original CD release in preparation of getting the new set. When I heard the remastered version of the song, I was really blown away. "The Cross," could quite be my most favorite track on the album now. Though, those other songs I mention are nostalgic for me from my clubbing days in the late '80s and from watching some of the videos on MTV. A couple other songs on the main album are noteworthy for improvement and appreciation also, such as "Strange Relationship," "If I Was Your Girlfriend," "It," "Forever In My Life," and "Starfish And Coffee." (On "It," the drums really stand out on this remaster. Don't know what type it is. Bass Drum or Kick Drum??? Anyway, it really stands out when cranked.)

    I really like the 3rd disc of the set also, which is the single edits and mixes and b-sides disc. I am a sucker for various mixes of my favorite songs and this set is no different. I do prefer the extended 12" mixes and remixes over the single edits, though. "Shockadelica 12" Long Version" is really good. The 7 Minutes Moquake of "Housequake" is really fun and is probably closer to the version, if not the version/mix, that was played at all the dance clubs back in the day. Similarly the Longer Look version of "U Got The Look" and the Extended Remix and Dub Version of "Hot Thing". Listening to this disc makes me want to get up and dance. LOL. Only songs I don't care for on that disc are the 2 "La, La, La, He He, Hee" versions. That song doesn't do anything for me.

    Now for the 3 vault discs. Everything on these three discs are brand new to me. Never owned any bootlegs or other releases that had any of the material. So, a lot of this stuff I'm still trying to absorb and process. I will just mention the songs from these 3 discs that I feel comfortable commenting about. The 1979 version of "I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man" was interesting and quite good, as was the 1985 version of "Teacher, Teacher". The Miles Davis track "Can I Play With U" hasn't done much for me, so far. It kind of meanders and seems like some freestyle jamming going on. The original version of "Strange Relationship" from the vault is quite interesting when compared to the regular version on the main album. Still fleshing it out it seems but still quite good in the original form. "The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker" with horns was good too. Though, the horns probably do drown out some of the other instruments and Prince's vocals. It was probably the right call to have the one without horns on the main album. "A Place In Heaven" (Prince's and Lisa's vocal versions) I really enjoy as well. And that "Nevaeh Ni Ecalp A" song is quite interesting. Reminds me of Gregorian chanting. LOL What devil-worshiping language are they using on that song? ;) Both versions of "Big Tall Wall" and both versions of "Witness 4 The Prosecution" I enjoy as well too. Though, I can't decide which version of each I enjoy the most. Hopefully after I get more familiar with the vault material, I will be more decisive.

    "Train" is a song I liked as soon as I heard it the first time. With a little reworking, I'm sure that song could've been on a Prince album and been a hit. The original Prince vocal of "Eggplant" is another favorite. It has a good beat and rhythm. It's a song you could sing along to while listening to Prince sing it. "Blanche" has got a nice funky groove and beat too it. Makes me want to dance listening to it. "Soul Psychcodelicide" has some interesting parts to it and is quite the listen. There are some really good parts to it, while also not so good parts. The positives are the funky jams going on throughout. But what brings it down, for me, is it is too repetitive in not only the music but the chorus. Also it goes on for too long. With some creative edits, I'm sure this could've been a nice song on a main album. Also, why is Prince and his band singing about killing a crazy delicatessen soul. ;) "The Cocoa Boys" is a fun song for me. Sounds like they were having some fun recording it too. Another one of my favorites from the 3 vault discs is the song "When The Dawn Of The Morning Comes." Very fun, fast and makes you want to get up and dance.

    "Rebirth of The Flesh" has a nice funky groove going on too and is a fun listen. The chorus is a nice touch. If not for the f-bombs throughout, this song could've been a main album song too. For "Cosmic Day" I really enjoy everything about this song except one thing. I just don't like the sped-up "Camille" voice. I wonder what the song would sound like in normal Prince voice? Other than that, it is another song that is fun to dance too. Nice and fast with a great beat. Listening to "Walkin' In Glory" make me imagine Prince standing up at the pulpit in church, preaching to a dancing audience...."PRAISE THE LORD!" "Promise To Be True" was a pleasant listen and after just one listen, I knew I liked it. "Jealous Girl (version 2)" is another favorite and definitely could've been a hit single if released back in the day. "Wonderful Day (12" Mix)" I like better than the original version of the song that is also on one of the vault discs. A reworking of the original version could've easily been a hit for Prince too. And finally the Shep Pettibone Club Mix of "Strange Relationship" is a good dance mix of the song. Is it better than the original? I doubt it, but played in a dance club setting, this club mix would've been a crowd-pleaser back in the day.


    Probably from reading my comments about the main album, the single edits & mixes and b-sides disc, and the three vault discs, you can tell I mostly like the uptempo, faster songs. That would be a fair assessment. Though, I do recognize that some of the slower songs are good songs; most aren't my cup of tea, though.

    Now for the 2 live Utrecht discs. Listening to these, there is something amiss, as already pointed out by many people. I can't put my finger on it either. Listening at normal speed, parts of it sound off, while other parts sound okay to me. When sped up by 2%, some of the parts that sounded off, sound okay, but the parts that originally sounded okay, don't sound right sped up. So, I don't think it is completely a tape speed issue. Maybe it is a combination of tape speed, the mix and the band & Prince having an off night? I don't know. Anyway, as pointed out earlier by others in the thread, the concert starts off sounding the worst and does start to get better halfway through the first of the live discs.


    What do I think of this SDE set (music contents only, as I already, earlier in the thread, gave my thoughts on the packaging and book?) This SDE set could quite possibly be the best SDE box set for one album, with all the vault material. I own a lot of box sets (some are comprehensive, career-spanning sets and some are SDE of one album, like this one is.) Hell, some career-spanning, box sets by artists don't have nearly as much vault material as the vault material for SOTT. And most of the vault material on this is very, very good, unlike some other artists' vault material on their box sets.


    This box set is definitely in the top 5 of all box sets I own, whether they are career-spanning or just a SDE of one album. Quite possibly it is in my top 3. I would have to go look and review all the box sets I own. LOL. The one box set I know for sure that I like more and will always be #1 on my list is my limited, numbered first edition of The Complete Elvis Presley Masters Collection. But that thing is a totally different beast than SOTT SDE set.


    That being said, since I am more of a fan of early and mid '80s Prince music, I enjoy listening to the music more from 1999 SDE and Purple Rain Expanded Deluxe Edition (regardless of the inferior remastering of Purple Rain) than I do for SOTT. 1999 SDE CD set is a perfect set, including the packaging, remastering and vault material. It is the perfect size too. Can't say the same about the Expanded Deluxe Edition for Purple Rain. Packaging wasn't great, remastering wasn't great and the bonus vault and singles, mixes and edits material was lacking compared to 1999 and SOTT. I too wish SOTT was packaged differently than it was. It is very nice to look at and the photo book is really nice with some essays and some sufficient liner notes about each song.
     
  19. BobaMosfett

    BobaMosfett Forum Resident

    Location:
    Netherlands
    I made a post in the thread about the 1999 deluxe release, comparing the stereo image of all the songs from my 80’s pressing to the original cd, 2011 pressing, and the remastered cd.
    Not very consistent, to say the least.
     
  20. JuhaS

    JuhaS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    Tracks mixed by Bolas are listed on page 111 in the book.
     
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  21. JR63

    JR63 Forum Resident

    I’ve placed an order for this release with ImportCD.com because their selling price is significantly lower than what Amazon.com is charging; however, Import CD’s website shows it as being on back order. I sent them an inquiry asking whether they had an estimate on when it would be available, but I got a canned response indicating that back orders are usually filled within 45 days. I wonder whether there’s a chance this release will sellout before they get new stock? I’d hate to miss the boat because I was trying to save a few dollars. Amazon apparently has it currently available (at list price) and I’m tempted to cancel my Import CD order and spend some more $$ to get it sooner than later (or not at all).
     
    Matthew Tate and 905 like this.
  22. Biittner Hair Flyin'

    Biittner Hair Flyin' Comfortably Dumb

    Location:
    USA
    I'm surprised that Amazon got more in stock, because everything I've read indicates that no additional sets will be made aside from the first and only production run.

    Even though ImportCDs says that the item is on back order, I'd be stunned if they get more in stock.
     
  23. ScottyNYC

    ScottyNYC Well-Known Member

    Location:
    nyc
    I don't believe it. They said the same thing when they released the "Beatles in Mono" boxset and that thing was for sale for a couple of years. It's a sales tactic for fans to get out their wallets. If the orders are there, Warner and the Prince estate will deliver. When orders start to slow down they'll kill it. ImportCD's is highly confident they can fill the order otherwise they would take the listing down. If you like the price just place your order and wait, you'll get your stuff.
     
    Matthew Tate likes this.
  24. JR63

    JR63 Forum Resident

    Thank you for the 411. This was a definite concern for me and I've now cancelled my ImportCD order and placed it with Amazon, instead. It's scheduled for delivery tomorrow! That alone, not to mention the peace of mind, makes it worth spending a few more $$.
     
  25. JAuz

    JAuz Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    Just as a point of reference, I ordered the 1999 Super Deluxe set back in January from ImportCDs when it was listed as a backorder. Checking my old emails, it was shipped out to me 12 days later.
     
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2020

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