"Housequake": 5/5 In my dream world, Prince released both Camille and The Black Album, with what was left of Crystal Ball in between. While I wouldn't go so far as to call Camille his best album, it still would have been better than anything after Lovesexy (which would then have replaced "When 2 R in Love" with something more fitting). Precisely! Prince isn't hiding his intentions here. I think "Sexy MF" edges it out as a pastiche, but "Housequake" is of course the superior track.
Housequake The first of the Camille songs, all of which I love. Even my mom would dance when this one came on! 5/5
I can't stand whiskey -- I consider it the most overrated beverage ever. Our votes for "Housequake" 1-0 2-0 3-0 4-9 5-13 Average: 4.5136 (Mo'Quake: 4.35, two votes)
Today's song is "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker", written and produced by Prince. Lyric. Three versions of this song exist; two have been released. The first version is the album version and was recorded on March 13th, 1986: the first song recorded at Galpin Boulevard Home Studio (aka Paisley Park.) Prince: all vocals and instruments Susannah Melvoin: vocals The second version has horn overdubs by Eric Leeds -- it was released on the Sign o' the Times Super Deluxe set in 2020.The third, unreleased version has orchestral overdubs by Clare Fischer. This song was at one time planned as the fourth song on side one of Dream Factory as early as April 1986 and remained in that position throughout the whole process into Crystal Ball and, finally, this album. A live version, recorded on April 21st, 2002 was released on One Nite Alone...It Ain't Over: the Aftershow. Notes: while the song references Dorothy Parker, Prince claimed he had never read her books at the time of recording and that the song came to him in a dream. Some however have pointed to similarity in the narrative to "Big Blonde" one of her short stories. He claims to have been suprised to learn that a person named Dorothy Parker existed; however, Neal Karl claims he sent Prince a copy of a book of The Portable Dorothy Parker some time before the recording because of a poem called "Resume", which concerned suicide, a topic Prince had broached with Karl. Also, Prince interpolates part of Joni Mitchell's "Help Me, I Think I'm Falling" in this song; and some have seen the song's as related to that one.
The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker lp version 5/5 overdubbed 4/5 one of the highlights on this album. I never much liked it in live versions, too jazzy for me, the studio version is far superior
That's more like it - Parade meets the early '70s and maybe a hint of 1999. There's a delightful warped, out of tune quality to the whole thing, like it was some old record or 8-track tape or maybe 16mm film being projected in some classroom. The whole encounter he describes with the waitress is dreamlike and amusing as well, from ordering a fruit cocktail to taking a bubble bath with all his clothes on. It's just "Help Me", off Joni's brilliant Court And Spark. I adore the way he renders the ringing phone at the end of that quote - genius. He also quotes Joni at the end of the bubble bath sequence, doesn't he? Not lyrically but with the melody. Or does that bit just remind me of "7", toward the end of its chorus? 5/5 Wonderful moody cut. A little jazzy, a bit sophistipop maybe, with oddly muffled, pinched sonics, like something very old yet not old. Doesn't try as hard as "Housequake" or especially "Play In The Sunshine", just naturally works a little magic.
'The Ballad of Dorothy Parker', like 'Kiss' and 'When Doves Cry' before it, is a classic song that I know is a classic song, but one that I'm not in love with even though I appreciate its greatness. I think it's because of its re-listenability. I would rather repeat listen to 'Play in the Sunshine' than TBODP, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate what TBODP brings to the table. I think Susan Rogers has spoken of the song's recording, and how things were 'wrong', but Prince just ran with it, and I think that's its true greatness. It doesn't sound polished, or rehearsed. It sounds like 2am on a Friday night as things are winding down. As for the horns version on the SOTT deluxe edition, I was definitely put off by that initial blast of horns. It's just too busy (and this song don't need busy) and it doesn't work, and from that point I was prejudiced against it - but it actually turns out really well. Not as great as the original version, but definitely better than my first thoughts/fears Album version: 5/5 Horns version: 4.5/5
The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker - pure genius. Every second of this song is an incredible piece of art from start to finish. The way he weaves his vocals, using call and response and different vocal registers to keep you on your toes while expertly setting the scene in which the song takes place, is unlike much else I've heard in all of the music I've listened to. And the warbly, dreamlike production is absolutely necessary for this song to be as great as it is (thank god for whatever was wrong with that new console that Susan Rogers set up before this was tracked). I wish I knew the right words to say to do justice to this masterpiece of a song, but honestly, the best way to take it in is to just listen. Multiple times in a row. Maybe in a smoky, dimly lit bar if you're into that kind of thing. 5/5 (only because 50/5 isn't allowed) ps: Prince was right to take the horns out of this song. Sometimes, less is more.
Now I'm imagining some alternate timeline where Prince had released a double or triple album including this song, "Power Fantastic", and "Joy In Repetition" - three of the best songs he ever laid to tape. Perhaps three moody masterpiece ballads is too much for one album, but minds would have been blown, I think.
"The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker" with horns on the SOTT deluxe puts me in a Steely Dan frame of mind. This is a good thing.
There will be no contrariness from me this time. 5/5 Exhibit A in the case for why Prince, at his peak, was in a creative league of his own. I love how the rolling clavinet and skittish organ set the mood. Its an impressionist picture of being in a part of town that you know that you shouldn't be in. The horns on the alternate version would have been better if they were more muted and less busy. As it is, they stick out like a sore thumb. One last thing - it's often posited that Dorothy here wasn't a waitress, but a prostitute. Hmmmm.
Another song that, when I first head it, made me say "what the f.... is this?" This one grew on me pretty quickly, though, with it's rather abstract melody that somehow ends up being beautiful. Fantastic instrumentation, too! The bass! Interesting sound: i forgot to mention that the odd sound on this was due to a malfunction in the board, but Prince liked the sound of it, though he told Susan Rogers to fix the problem for future recodings. Eric Leeds sax hooks are interesting but oddly detract from the vocal melody and lyric and Prince made the right decision to leave them off the album version. The lyric is highly unusual for Prince; it depicts some odd chance encounter betwen the protagonist and a waitress which takes a turn for the surreal. While I doubt it was a direct influence the bizarre turns the tale takes remind me a little of "Norwegian Wood." It's really weird that this surreal jazz-pop number was released by one of the super stars of the 80. 5/5
The Ballad of Dorothy Parker What an extraordinary song. Lovely arrangement and textures. No verse/chorus, just a sort of monologue of Prince magic, Prince genius. SOTT version - 5/5 Brass version - 4.5/5 Live version - 5/5
Nice song with that glorious Prince idiosyncrasy. Bizarre lyrics, confusing title and no chorus, I'm going with 4/5
@Campaigner hit the nail on the head when he said that it sounds like 2am as things are winding down. That's one of the reasons I love it - it really reminds me of being in my 20s and ending up in some sort of restaurant or cafe at the end of the night - because it was the only place still open in the days before 24 hour drinking in the UK - and how everything felt 'turned down' and distance, struggling to keep going. I know that the top end was cut off because of recording problems, and that this was accidental, but I figure that quality must have been why Prince kept it - it reflects the lyrics perfectly. 5/5
"TBODP" is brilliant, quirky, and one of a kind, the type of song that only a guy like Prince could have come up with back in the day. He continues his solid streak here from the opening track until things start to falter a bit with the next track. A solid 5/5.
“The Ballad of Dorothy Parker”: This is next level songwriting — it’s easy to understand why it survived all of the Dream Factory/Crystal Ball/Camille drama. 5/5
I think each of those albums, Parade, SOTT, Lovesexy has a unique sound with Lovesexy being my favourite one, kind of SOTT warped with the funky Black Album sound. I like it with a lot of coke. I mean the drink ... The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker This is a great song when played live, especially those Lovesexy aftershow versions when it segues into Four by Madhouse ... just brilliant. Prince didn't nail some songs in the studio with Joy In Repetition being the prime example. Dorothy Parker is also one of them. So only a 3.5/5. I know many live version that are a 5/5! That's why so many Prince fans collect bootlegs, you can find incredible stuff that is as worthy as the released records. There's a fab version in this video!
First whisky with an 'e' and then with a coke? Just wow.... "Yeah, let me get a fruit cocktail, I ain't too hungry"
