In my rankings, I have Lotus Flow3r at #9, which was 2009, way past 95. And the point I'm making is I can't find ONE SINGLE REVIEW that is not positive. I found at least somewhat negative reviews for Around The World In A Day, Parade, Lovesexy, The Black Album, Batman, and 3121. You can't possibly tell me this album is better than all of those. Sure you might prefer W2A, but even then I'd be skeptical. This is the only album where the ONLY thing I see is either somewhat positive or crazy positive reviews. Payola for reviews has to be going on here. Payola for reviews has been going on for decades, but is brushed under the rug. No way that this is the one Prince album that unifies the media and liking him. And it's not really a Prince album. He canned it before it was finished, and the powers that be tacked on a few songs that they thought were relevant to the album.
I am sorry to hear about that, as CDs cost me in the US in the ‘90s at Best Buy and Circuit City around $10-$11. I bought a lot of CDs, but if the cost would have been similar to what you and others in Australia had to pay, then I would have had to have made some difficult choices(especially 1994-1997, which were my prime years for New Albums-about 80% of the Albums I bought were from UK Music Artists, as my interest in US Music Artists were mainly. NIN, Smashing Pumpkins, Afghan Whigs, Sublime, Nirvana, Ben Folds Five, Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ric Ocasek Solo among a few others).
So, in summary; -is this the greatest P album? No -is this his best post WB album? No -is this his best from his last decade? Debatable, but no -is this a great, enjoyable P album? Yes A couple of weeks a ago I bought Miles Davis live in Vienne. Was it his best album? Of course not. Could Miles still kick some funky ass? You should bet on it W2M it is an album from the last genius popular music had. The throne is still vacant Buy with confidence
Had a long flight today and gave it a concentrated listen on good headphones. I'm actually a little surprised by it (not necessarily "impressed," mind you). The songs are more... hmmm.... something (maybe "mature" is the word?) than I expected. I think it's obvious that he wanted 20Ten to be the pop record, and this one to be the more soul/rock "serious" record, so they fit together in an interesting way. Overall, I like it just a bit more than I thought I would. The low point to me is the attempts at topical/protest music. And generally I don't like Prince's topical music as much as his other stuff, so that's nothing new. But I find these ones particularly trite and shallow. Luckily, that's only a fraction of the runtime, despite how the album's been branded in the media. The other low point is the mastering on the Soul Asylum cover "Stand Up and B Strong." I actually think that song/recording is GORGEOUS (not knowing the original from SA), but the "digital CD skips" are just unacceptable. I wonder wtf happened. For a major-label album by a hall-of-fame artist to be released with that kind of glitch on it? Embarrassing. Someone screwed up, big time. We can only hope that a master of the song exists without that glitch, and they'll be able to correct it in the future. But even if that's not possible, I think there exist mastering software plugins to "correct" that type of mistake to make it at least listenable. As it stands, it's a sore thumb on an otherwise-okay-to-good record. I didn't notice other skips/glitches, other than MAYBE on "1010 (Rin Tin Tin)," but I think those might have more accurately just been a very particular guitar articulation -- just some of that Prince-typical hot/"spiky" tracking in the recording process. And of the songs that I've already heard on other projects, I think for the most part the mixes/performances here are all sufficiently different to justify their existence. So forgiving the mastering eff-up for the sake of a grade, I'd give the album a B-minus overall. The album has its own continuity, and it feels like a coherent overall artistic statement, so I think that's enough to justify it being its own LP rather than a catch-all for 2010-era unreleased stuff. (But one hopes that we'll also get that eventually). It's not a great Prince album, but I think it's better than some of his LPs, and it helps fill in the picture of what he was up to circa 2010, and that's a VERY welcome addition to the catalog for me. Not that anyone asked what I think here. On this forum, I'm probably more of a Dylan guy.
Add the bluray & it is . It is difficult. U r doing the wrong thing in comparing past Prince albums. I just go on enjoyment. Those albums u mention. don't have commercial universal appeal like diamonds & Peart's did. His work used to get abit underrated I enjoy them. Black album I still not sure on. It is a strange album,opposite of lovesexy.. They never tacked any songs on W2A to my knowledge . He had listening party for it so near enough finished. Reviews seem fair to me. They not saying it is 5 star classic. 3 to 4 stars is not over top. .
The original Emancipation CD was an 8 overall. Pretty bad. Although the re-released vinyl is 12. It sounds fantastic to my ears. Album list - Dynamic Range Database However, as bad as Emancipation was, it was nowhere near as bad as Crystal Ball, released later the same year (1996): As you can see, CB has a 6. Ouch. Album list - Dynamic Range Database The good news is that most of the posthumous releases - especially the most recent - have been in double-digits. So, that bodes well. Some people seem to be taking note of the fact that most CD purchases are by audiophiles these days, so several artists/estates have taken note and raised DR's. Tom Petty and Prince being prime examples. I think we might finally be starting to see the light at the end of this dismal tunnel.
You say that, but you’ve mentioned the Irish times one star review several times - so it isn’t true. Here are some other mainstream reviews that have some negative things to say, and that rate the album middling:- Welcome 2 America by Prince review – sub-par album from the vaults | Prince | The Guardian Album reviews: Prince – Welcome 2 America and LUMP – Animal Prince Welcome 2 America review https://www.albumoftheyear.org/user/skyzippr/album/353377-welcome-2-america/ Subscribe to read | Financial Times
Emancipation was single digit. Gold Experience was too. It seems it was the 1994 albums (The Black Album, 1-800-NEW Funk, Come....)
Actually, The Black Album is a 10, but the slide started before that. The Love Symbol Album was an 8. That was the first album he ever did that was under 11.
~ a review ~ 1.) The Mix & Sound - To dispel any theories that Welcome 2 America is not a finished product, the mix tells a different story. It's mixed about as good as Art Official Age (which is great, and even more clear on the Chris Bellman vinyl), only unlike AOA, W2A is a little on the cooler side of warm. But to the main point, you don't make this many intricate fader and pan moves without fully committing to the final mix. I'm listening through my mastering monitors, and there are too many cool mix moves to mention, even to the point where the mix appears to dictate the song structure, and not the other way around. It seems as if when Prince was recording, he was already getting ideas for the mix, as he tracked. Then Morris Hayes came in and added whatever production Prince allowed him. Bernie Grundman is still great at mastering. The mix here is more that can be said for...well, almost any later period Prince album, and many of the earlier albums to boot. For sound and mix quality, it's up there with Art Official Age, Parade and Rainbow Children (but I'm giving the nod to W2A over Rainbow...) 2.) The Vocals - I was reminded that even when Prince isn't singing, and it's one of the ladies on vox, it's Prince who dictates to them exactly what he wants, and how he wants them to sing. When you get to the more complex harmonies, then, a deeper awe emerges from the Gordian knot of Prince's mind. From there, it's not necessarily about the quality of the voices, but how Prince uses them to effect. For Welcome 2 America, the decidedly afro-tone is well-met with black ladies singing, lamenting, and sometimes talking smack (in the deep background), which is the spirit of the black household: the mother, the sister, the wife. This is a deliberate move and well executed. None of the ladies here are barnburners, but after The Revolution, who among Prince's girls really were? Even at that, Wendy & Lisa were a fortuitous match for Prince, a once-in-a-lifetime pairing, making anyone who came after a lopsided comparison. I can see why Prince chose these particular ladies for this album. He needed voices that not only sounded like the heaving chests of big-busted black women, but also voices that could pull off innocence when called upon. He needed young voices. None of this late-40s maturity of Angie Stone. It's the voice of youth, juxtaposed with the sage voice of Prince Rogers Nelson that makes for interesting bedfellows. Besides, Prince wasn't going to choose anybody who would upstage the main attraction, but it's not as if any of the ladies have offensive tonal qualities in their vocals. 3.) The Style - Prince has often flirted with this style of songwriting, starting at the end of the Parade era, working more abstractly in the pop idiom, creating what I call "Soulified-Jazz" or maybe "Jazzified-Soul." It's complex, creating a theme and a structure, yet still free enough to interject variations on the theme and/or unique parts that are simply described as "other." The idea is to give the illusion of improvisation (and some of it probably is), yet in a structured form. Welcome 2 America has plenty of that, so I can see why it might not be somebody's bag. If you're looking for Prince to recapitulate your favorite melodic line, or stick to a standard song structure, this isn't your album. For me, as a musician, I hear and see into what's going on, what it took to play and craft something that's only "pop" by virtue of the songs being around 5 minutes or less. That's what this: a more compact Rainbow Children. Where albums like Musicology, 3121 and AOA wear their melodies more on their sleeves, Welcome 2 America takes a similar approach to melody, but it twists them up enough to create more of an exploratory vibe that fits the narrative. The melodies can often be a little left of center, with the vocals floating around tonic, but often landing in unexpected places. Prince once said that to write a hit song you had imagine that you are writing for a 5-year old. Coincidentally, albums like MPLSound, and Lotusflow3r, while running the gamut from great to middling (and even poor), our mostly half-baked because the production value is not there. It's only 20Ten that might be salvageable with a better mastering. Most of those albums, though, are more of a bare bones approach. One has to wonder why Prince didn't go full-on production with some of these albums, while others he didn't. Welcome 2 America is thoroughly produced. I have to say, however, I have no idea where to rank this album. It feels like the experimental kid brother to Art Official Age. It also further bellies the belief that Prince kept the more personal (and maybe "best") material for himself sometimes. Who knows with this guy? He was always a mystery. The one thing I'm sure of, this album isn't a trifle. Most of it is fully mature and meticulously plotted. The Songs - "Welcome 2 America" - This joint sets the stage, and does a very good job of it, in the tradition of The Last Poets' "When the Revolution Comes" and Amiri Baraka's "Who Will Survive America." The song begins with a bass pulse, which is always a welcome musical device, as its design is to mimic the human heartbeat. The ladies sing the first bit, as Prince comes in to narrate. Over the course of the song, though, the female vocals often shift, and rarely come back to the original motif. Even the choral line at 1:57, while it reenters at 4:48, it has a different harmonic layering, which makes it familiar, yet different. In fact, there are 8 or 9 wholly unique vocal melodies (one of them backwards) that exists completely outside of the main themes, plus two bits of female infomercial-like narratives, in front of various sound effects. That's dense stuff. What I also like is how the music and effects change so much over the bass line. If you're not down with the jazz influence, check out that piano solo at 3:05 and dig the more funky synthesizer and guitar interplay at 4:21 to 4:36. It's all subtle magic that keeps the groove varied and flowing. But if you're not hip the lyrics, pick up a black history book and start reading. It's not even possible for Prince to fall into a cliché here, unless it's for the sake of brevity, as again, whatever bears repeating, is because it never stuck. This tune sets the stage for the rest of the album. "Running Game (Son of a Slave Master)" - It's musically slighter than its predecessor, but what it has going for it really works, as it's the keyboard motif, first heard at 0:14, that brings in the hook. It's a strong hook, used judicially throughout, also making for an unusual way to construct a song. Otherwise, this one possess a more traditional verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure, with a middle 8, but then a coda that allows Prince's vocals to ride out the end (where before he has been mixed in with the ladies). What's especially interesting about the vocals that I described, is that for every section, Prince's vocals, sequentially, and incrementally, comes up louder in the mix, so that by the time we get to that coda, Prince has fully taken over. That's a neat trick. It's kind of weird to make the end of the song chop like that, but the effect also let's the beginning of the next song start off with a bang. "Born 2 Die" - Now, I'm calling this a classic Prince song right now. I'm getting that out of the way. If this would have came out in 1973, this would have been a hit for Curtis Mayfield. But no, we have to live in the time we're in, so this song will fly under the radar, no matter that it's a masterpiece. It's all of that old skool fashion, yet with a modern studio polish. Adventurous? Yes. Which is probably why it doesn't raise a pulse for those who aren't steeped in blaxploitation soundtracks. It's fitting really, because with this homage Prince is showing us another side of his Welcome 2 America message, yet though it may be a callback to the funk of his youth, there's plenty of Princely twists and turns to make it all his own. It starts with stellar guitar vamps, both in the intro and when the band hits their first groove. Into a very catchy chorus. It's cool that when the verse hits, Prince takes it to the streets with a classic rap-like narrative. A nice pre-chorus, with plenty of jive. The structure is pretty standard, here, but with the added chant of "So high!," before going back into the pre-chorus music, instead of another verse. See, now each chorus so far has offered a different chant on the end. Brilliant. We've had "So high" and "Getcha, getcha,: on 2nd and 3rd chorus, respectively. But first, the first instrumental breakdown. This break is very much a Prince twist, with its angular harmonies, based upon some obscure scale that I don't want to figure out right now. It's a little vaudeville, without breaking the funk. What follows is a unique section, based upon the "So high" chat, into another unique part based on the "Getcha, Getcha" section. The strings saw away in the background. The second instrumental vamps on the main guitar theme, but this time making it even smoother, the bass guitar having more wiggle. This song has a coda, too, which brings in a totally new vocal melody, singing "Girl, girl, she fell, She fell" What's cool is that Prince never returns to what I originally called the "verse, ", making that a unique section too: one that doesn't fit the usual song structure. Masterful "1000 Light Years From Here" - This is the second of back-to-back classics. After a short intro, Prince decides to pick some country-cum-blues licks during the buildup, which is an odd, yet effective line, which gives way to this little bridging run that he'll use throughout the song. But anyway, that's too technical. When the band comes in, though, it makes me want to smile. And when the harmony vocals come in, it's heavenly. A big sound, which probably hasn't been heard since his own "Gold." Anyhow, the verse drops and Prince has a vocal melody that's both sweet and...Well, enough superlatives. It's just a great song. When the second verse comes in, it's like the first, only this time Prince invites the girls, and they start weaving vocals in and out. See, this albums is based upon variations on themes. You know, back to the intro, it was the only part that seemed a little meh. But at 2:29 he drops the intro again, but this time he sings the "Heaven's so far away" lyric, which really elevates the intro music behind the vocals. The intro section that follows has some great guitar/keyboard blends, before Prince rips a vibratory jazz solo. And it's not as if he's finished, at 3:33 there's yet another unique breakdown. I mean, I feel that Prince is being sincere with this lyrics (and I can't say that all the time for Prince's lyrics). The song ends with the chorus, trailing out, with Prince showing all of his James Brown soul with those interjections. To put the cherry on top, at 5:19 Prince crafts a light coda to end on a delicate note. This is rich material. "Hot Summer" - I've got to say, even as corny as it is, through a decent system, the mix elevates this song considerably. I guess it only fits the album inasmuch as it can be good to break the pace in an album, otherwise, it doesn't hold to the album's theme. But the mix is very good! And the SQ is on lock. The mix makes a difference in Shelby J's vocal [presentation, which is recessed in the center. Prince sounds scary real in the phantom center-image. That middle-8 at 2:17 is amazing, though. It starts layering the multiple harmonies, and spinning them around, with some sort of instrument that oddly sounds human. If I'm not mistaken they slow the tape down just a tad before the last chorus. It is what it is. It's okay. It's not as bad as I originally thought. "Stand Up and B Strong" - It certainly is pretty, and the SQ is wonderful, but it does nothing for, even on a microscopic music level. So, after a one-two punch with the preceding songs, the last two falter. I understand why Prince put it on the album, though. Only Prince will surpass this anthem with his own, later in this set. I will say this, Prince's solo from 4:01 to 4:29, is off-the-chain greatness. "Check the Record" - This is when we get back on track, and we remain there until the end. Who says this isn't funky? Prince is strapped in! If it wasn't for this band being able to channel Prince so well, this song might sound like 3rd Eye Girl. Okay, and so Prince does a "mouth solo." You know how a muted trumpet mimics the human voice, it's like Prince mimicking the sound of muted trumpet, which mimics the voice. It sounds cool! Okay, we have a tight, standard structure, with a cooking middle-8 that gets insane at the end when they sing, "Fire." Next is a new part, followed by another new section, before kicking back into the main groove. It's the chorus again (with variations), followed by yet another unique coda, at 3:11. The codas seems to be a songwriting technique that he enjoys for this record. It's a damn good one, too. The layered vocals pop from the speakers. "Same Page, Different Book" - More funk. Another catchy chorus. It's assuredly another classic, or damn close to it. That keyboard line in the chorus is also an integral part of how good the chorus comes off. The verse is a variation, with a little bit different layering and instrumentation. I really love how internally varied each song is. The breakdown sounds like we're at the roller rink circa 1982. And I don't get the hate for Shelby J's voice here, as her rap is on point. It's got good attitude. Oh, I should mention here that like "1000 Light Years from Here" this one, too, has a cool bridging lick to connect parts. This one is played by the bass guitar, though, adding a completely different flavor. That's excellent arranging by Prince. This time the bridging riff leads into what is a very Duke Ellington type vocal bit, from 2:38 to 2:59, full of early-40's jazz. Listen in the background, way back in the right speaker, and there's a little trumpet sounding off. It's pretty standard from there, riding the chorus out with three choruses. The last one has Prince taking full command. This is a really good song. Whatever it is, it doesn't sound like it was written by a guy who has lost his sorcery. It's a very strong album track that fits the theme. "When She Comes" - Speaking of themes, this one doesn't fit either, but a.) it gets sexy, and b.) who says that a concept has to always be a concept? This take is more ephemeral than the remake, in it's approach, which again, let's the vocals shine: a hallmark of this album. So, maybe it does fit after all, if not in theme, but it flow, as well as vibe. I'll tell you, though, whatever it is, it sounds divine coming from my speakers. The vocal performance is probably more layered than the remake. The original is also a little more up tempo. I also think that the layered vocals are more effective on the this take, if not for anything else, but because the instruments are sparser here. Therefore, you hear the vocal nuances better. Of course, the polka version is really good too. Also, the SQ is better on this version. I'm going to call it a tie. This one has so much depth to it, while the other one has so much height. Otherwise, I'd like to hear a solo vocal and piano performance of this gem. That breathing in the background is done to great effect. Airy. Is it becoming apparent that I like this version better, and that it fits the album to a "T," despite being thematically different. This is so vocally creative, with elements of jazz that you don't get with the polka version. "1010 (Rin Tin Tin)" - We're back, with some of that Isaac Hayes syncopated lead in. Okay, all of this is flow, taking odd angles, yet holding the melody close enough to touch. The is what I'd call the "pocket symphony" of the album. There are too many parts and variations to hit. Prince tells us to listen to the band in that renaissance fair singing voice of his, with harpsichord in tow. Pretty inventive. Is that Prince on drums? "Analog people in a digital world." Listen to how the band tears it up at 2:14. As if it didn't get better, the "water chant" section at 2:37 is genius, both in execution and the harmonic choices. The section that starts at 2:59 is also incredibly inventive, putting a speed rap over lean funk. What's equally cool is that when they return to a chorus, every chorus is a variation of the original. The only letdown is that it ends, when they could have jammed for about 15 minutes more. I won't call this a classic, because it's so varied and strange, but I'll say that it's the sound of a master bandleader and composer. It's a demonstration track for how Prince could vary up elements in a song, yet with losing track of the theme. "Yes" - The only song that has a weak mix. There's an upper-bass hump in here that nearly congests the mids. But even beyond that, this one might be more vanilla than the Soul Asylum cover. And it might even be more corny than "Hot Summer," simply because, in a rare case, Prince kind of chooses the wrong instrument to shoot for Sly Stone. And just to think, this song could have a been a contender, if Prince didn't get cheesy with it. I don't know what it is with him and these type songs. But that's cool. He was his own man. Then he'll come from out of the nowhere and deliver something like the next track... "One Day We Will All B Free" - I don't like the intro (which ends up being the background for the chorus), but when the band hits, which is how they should have started the song. And from that moment on, this song became perfection. It's pure sunshine. You don't think Bill Wither's wouldn't love this track? Check out that false ending at 3:36. But of course, it's only logical, that jump back into the chorus, but this time with an even more uplifting quality. Prince's vocals are marvelous. I'm not getting lazy in my description; it's just that this is a great song and a perfect ending to the album. And you know, check this out, Prince is free now. Only time will tell where this album will stand, but after figuring out what Prince was doing here, it makes perfect sense of the estate/Sony to release this album. Welcome 2 America is a heady statement, both in lyrical politicking, and in music.; the two are married in tone. The music is challenging, eschewing many pop tropes for an Ellington-esque mindset. The majority of the album is classical convention, encased in a chocolate funk shell. That might not work for some people. Some might even call it self-indulgent, but if so...I'll have some more of that indulgence, please.
Yes, there are several reviews that rate the album as middling (it is). And anyone who says that there is "only one single review" of the album that is remotely negative is prone to hyperbole (such people are often also prone to capslock). But the point is valid that the overwhelming majority of reviews out there do seem to be positive. Add to that the fact that many of these reviews don't offer enough details to convince the reader that they've actually heard the album. This does support the argument that there was probably some payola involved. Obviously, Sony couldn't afford to buy off AllMusic or The Guardian, etc. But they certainly could have bought off a number of smaller publications. And that seems likely. YMMV.
Thanks, I stand corrected. 8 is still semi-acceptable (to me) sometimes, it often just means a boosted bass sound.
Well, the meteoritic score is currently 80. The user review score is 8.5 (out of 10), so the reviewers do seem pretty alligned with the general public at this stage. I agree there is a possibility they were paid, I just don't see at as particularly likely (given that this is an archive release from a major artist that will probably sell in quantity regardless of what the reviews say). I've also seen a number of positive reviews, but I've seen a lot of the same review in multiple publications, edited for length (it's pretty common a small publication will republish from someone larger, or that a freelancer will sell a review to multiple outlets). I'd also argue that published reviews don't hold enough weight these days for Sony to bother (and that there's too many of them that they'd have to pay off)- much more likely they'd pay some instagram influencers to advertise it, than waste money on reviews the young don't read.
The noise floor of a higway didn't drown it out on my car stereo Well that's just disingenuous considering the glitches throughout.
I wouldn't exactly describe the buyers of this album as "general public." At this stage, the vast majority of them are probably fairly faithful Prince fans. And as we know, Prince fans often heap lavish praise on even his most mediocre outings. Obviously, it will do pretty good opening week numbers. But if word of mouth spreads that the album is middling (which, IMO, it is), sales will drop off heavily in the second week. This point is valid. Although there are enough substantially different positive reviews that you can't attribute more than maybe 30% to copy and paste jobs. Also a valid point. But Instagram influencers advertising the album still falls under the heading of "buying off" people to overhype the album, even if it is not technically payola as such. YMMV.
Great review. We may disagree as to the quality of the album and its songs. But you have made a very reasonable case for it being a great latter-day Prince record. So, well done. That was my big question, as well. Obviously, as many have pointed out, this was likely made from a scratched CD-R. And there are noticeable glitches throughout "Stand Up and B Strong." So, how is it that you find the sound quality wonderful? Are you listening on vinyl? And if so, does the sound floor mask the glitches? It just seems like the elephant in the room.
Having listened to a digital version/CD rip of the new album, and then my (clear) vinyl copy of the album, I found that the glitches on Stand Up And B Strong are far less prevelant on the vinyl than on the digital. Whether that's just noise floor or the 'character' of vinyl compared to digital, I don't know. But when playing my 24Bit needle-drop of the vinyl in the car, I didn't even hear the glitches in the song. Listening on headphones it can certainly be heard. There are one or two audible glitches elsewhere on one or two other songs, as well (I forget where).... I'm of two minds about this. Part of me know that life is too short and just to get on and listen... and the other part know that this is pathetic behaviour by the estate. This is either an error that has been missed, or it is a known flaw in the 'master' they made for this, in which case it should have been admitted to up-front and clearly, so that buyers could make an informed decision. I would most likely have bought the album anyway, as this is a historical/legacy release, and these things happen, but I would have felt less like the estate were either a: trying to pull a fast one, or b: just full of lazy dumbasses.
Another Guardian journalist disagrees: Welcome 2 America by Prince review – sub-par album from the vaults
The Guardian almost always has two disparate reviews for an album this high-profile. To me, that's always seemed a bit disingenuous. But I think that's part of how they maintain readership - by never rocking the boat too much.
