Pretty sure TGE is the only WB title in that list. More precisely, NPG/WB at time of original release, which might explain why the estate gets to license it today the way they wanna. "Emancipation", "Rave", and "Musicology", all of which were mentioned in the article as being in this first wave of these re-releases along with TGE, were cases where "NPG" struck deals with different majors to release one album. I guess TGE was in fact the first one he did that way. I didn't really think about it at the time.
I caved and bought a used copy via Half Price Books earlier this year using a 20% off coupon. It was still $160 with taxes and shipping
Well done Sony and the Prince estate...kudos. Even in the first phase there are some v good Prince albums e.g. 3121 and Musicology. It would be great to think that Gold Experience might get a vinyl issue, early doors.
Did you miss that there will be good stuff right off the bat? I actually hope they (the "classic" era) don't come out before 2021, meaning Warner don't get to do any more reissues, they are clearly the worst of the "big three" when it comes to catalogue albums, Sony will surely make a better job, I wish they would get to do his complete catalogue including the soundtracks. There was a deal that while Prince would get back the masters the albums would "continue to be licensed through Warner" (I guess that license expires in 2021): Prince Gains His Catalog in Landmark Deal With Warner Bros.; New Album Coming There are something like 25 albums that are out of print (and some of them are extremely expensive on the second hand market), they will probably all become available again, that is a big deal.
I'm somewhat sad about the future of the 1995-2012 stuff and the implication/assumption that no one would consider prepping deluxe editions of those albums (or some other archival project to do them justice). As a long-suffering Prince fan, I feel that there's some AMAZING stuff there on those 17-or-so albums, but frankly it's buried in eccentric, mediocre deep cuts that casual fans just won't ever enjoy. Add in all the forgettable b-side remixes and out-of-print/unreleased curios, and the era is especially impenetrable, even for the serious fan. Not that those albums aren't occasionally great (in fact, I count The Rainbow Children among my top five favorite Prince albums [but that one's also an anomaly creatively]), but I think that if those eras' output is ever to shine, it all will need to be re-contextualized. A series of "[relatively complete] sessions" archival CD sets, a la Miles Davis, would be a starting point. Just think: a chronological recounting of what they can piece together of, say, "the complete 1993," would probably be incredible. And like six CD's or whatever, fine. It would be pure music, without all the artifice that Prince added when he tried to reckon with the material and split it up into a thousand albums and sets of material that he jettisoned when he got busy on the next set of ideas. I've said it before and I'll say it again: a long-term archival discography project must veer toward the historical rather than the commercial; otherwise it withers on the vine.
I’d love to pick up physical copies of Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic, Exodus, and Goldn**** if they’re part of these re-releases. I sold my copies years ago.
I would bet good U.S. dollars that Exodus and Gold-N won't be in the initial reissue series, simply on account of the fact that they weren't technically Prince releases and definitely give off more of a side-project vibe, with alternate singers and rappers/etc. and a full-band sound. Newpower Soul is, then, the odd one out, because it's clearly a Prince album but isn't billed as such! Rave In2 is a better album than Rave Un2, but we won't get that unless we get a deluxe Rave Un2, I bet. But I may be wrong. Of course, all of it deserves the archival treatment, with lavish box sets and copious liner notes and session information!
I'm in total agreement that they should be reissued on vinyl, but the first two did get a vinyl release and although "The Gold Experience" was promo only, "Rainbow Children" had UK distribution for the vinyl via Vital although I'm not sure anyone but me was interested in buying it at the time, "The Gold Experience" was pretty easy to pick up on eBay in the early noughties as well, admittedly current used prices for both are somewhat obscene.
I very much like about half of 3121. There's some really inspired stuff there. AOA is less enjoyable to me, but again the high points are quite good. What a musician that guy was. Such a loss.
Not for me, unfortunately. I love Prince's early period very much. After Purple Rain his misses vastly outweighed his hits, IMO.
Why would you assume that and where is it implied? I have a dream of a massive set (in my fantasy it's titled The Dawn - The Ultimate Experience) which chronicles everything from the '93-'95 period. Exodus, Rave In2 and Newpower Soul are on Tidal, so no reason why they wouldn't eventually be included in this too. (Not sure what's the deal with Gold Nigga, it was I think the only Prince and/or NPG album that was skipped on Tidal.) Of course Exodus would also be part of my fantasy box set. I was just joking, actually pre-1999 is my absolute favourite era, but I also love for example that post- and pre-Emancipation era, as well as a lot of other later material.
I love Prince from Purple Rain onwards. The richness and variety of his music vastly outweighsed what preceeded it and couldn't give a damn whether songs were hits or not.
I wonder if the currently available titles from this era will remain in print on vinyl until 2021. I'll be filling in the gaps in my collection right away, as new copies are available fairly cheap and are for the most part of excellent quality. Who knows if Sony will do them justice. I own plenty of mediocre Sony-reissued vinyl.
Translation: I want it all and I want it now. Reissues don’t ever work that way. They dole them out to make the most money they can. Ed
I didn't mean "hit" in that way. His output after Purple Rain had some songs I love ( "Raspberry Beret", "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man"), but the majority of it just doesn't move me in any way. I kept trying, but for every song I liked, there were 9 that I didn't like.
I had a much different interpretation of Purple Jim’s post — the post-1995 material should be reissued and stocked in stores now rather than 2021 because fewer people will care with each passing year. I didn’t get the sense at all that he was saying “I want it all and I want it right now.”
I think that everything up to Gold Experience was very solid. After that, I feel that it was a series of albums all peppered with terrific songs.
Batman will always be strictly under Warner Bros. due to the movie rights. That's why it wasn't under his Paisley Park imprint and tracks were initially absent on commercial compilations until 4Ever. I didn't realize the other soundtracks were the same type of deal even though he was able to put the latter 2 under his Paisley Park imprint.
"Worldwide rights begin immediately for Prince's album releases from 1995-2010...." Sony have the rights to these now and they can and probably will come sooner. "Starting in 2021, Sony/Legacy's distribution rights grow to include 12 Prince non-soundtrack catalog albums from the 1978-1996 era..." This relates to the albums Warner have the licesing to at the moment and Sony can't do anything with them (but Warner can I suppose).
Prince released 39 official studio albums between 1978-2015. We know that 35 are being reissued. Which 4 are omitted? Four soundtracks: PR, Parade/Cherry Moon, Batman, Graffiti Bridge?
Seconded. However, if the Prince reissues trickle out as slowly as the those from the Van Morrison series, the entire Prince catalog won't be available on physical media until 10-15 years after my death. And I'm in pretty good health.
Yes, that's probably it, but the total number depends on if live albums are also counted (it doesn't say "studio" anywhere) and if some albums that were released as combos but later split up (like Crystal Ball) are counted one way or the other.