Not wishing to predict too much, the likely path seems to be multi disc sets of deluxe editions of albums, prepared in a rough order relating to popularity, until the albums run out alongside occasional lost albums such as this, and physical releases for download only stuff like Chocolate Invasion, Xpectation, Slaughterhouse, NPG Music Club releases and so on. I'm sure they can do a 'new' release at least twice a year until 2050.
I'm with you on this one. Those are some obnoxious markups. Needless to say, I will still buy the 2LP set, even though I know I shouldn't be encouraging this pricing strategy.
Ordered the deluxe 2LP, CD and BluRay from the Prince store, along with the single 7".... don't usually bother with those singles they release, but I figured, what the hell.... we live once. I'll probably pick up the regular vinyl from my local record store on release day, while I wait for the deluxe edition to arrive from the States..... I am VERY excited about this new release.... and enjoyed the title track. Heard it twice and probably won't play it again much now til release date, as I don't want to burn out on it.
first listings in the Uk from drift records and diverse vinyl have the deluxe editions at an absolutely eye watering £152-159 Welcome 2 America - 221366 - Diverse Vinyl Prince - Welcome 2 America That compares to a double lp price of £31.99, meaning a £120 mark up to get the live show. I was prepared to shell out for this, but that is absolutely insane....
...and career-spanning boxsets for those songs that don't fit neatly into an album's specific parameters. It's often difficult to tell where one album ends and another begins. I think the line gets even more blurry after Emancipation. But see, I like almost all of it, as I never really judged Prince's latter music against his past albums. Or, if I did, it was more like, "You know what, if this joint from 2010 had been released in 1988, it would have blew friggin' minds!" As-is, people expect for an artist not to change, yet Prince notoriously changed, on purpose, not to fit into his previous confines. It happened right after Purple Rain, for example. Not that everything Prince did was wonderful - but it was always interesting, and I couldn't wait to see what he did next. As another example, while I'm at it, an album that I don't care for is Planet Earth, and to me we hear the unreleased songs from the same era, on the Deliverance EP, and know that, yeah, Prince was holding back some of his best stuff. That's just the way he rolled. I'm expecting much of the same thing from Welcome 2 America, from what I know of the unreleased album, that either he was keeping his best music for himself, like he intimated, or he was a poor judge of what should go on an album. I'm leaning more toward the former, with a little of the latter.
You are better off ordering from Amazon.com (USA store) and after conversion and import fees comes to £95 The UK price for the deluxe does not surprise me. Sony Legacy have been doing this for years with Prince vinyl reissues, mad really seeing as its all pressed in Europe.
My order of the deluxe edition (black 2LP/CD/BluRay bundle) and the 7" single came to £94 including 'Priority' shipping (arrival 6-13 days after release date) to the UK. Course it probably won't arrive on release day, but that's no biggie to me.
Sorry, I meant to clarify that in my post! Duh..... yes, I bought the Deluxe and the 7" from the US Prince store.
HA! I was at this show. Nice piano set.... Unfortunately the sound wasn't great where our seats were. I far preferred the Greensboro show a few days later. Never thought I'd hear "She's Always In My Hair" live!! EDIT: Found the Greensboro show. Good Lord, that setlist. Was this the last Prince show I ever saw? If so.... It was a good one to end on. Prince Setlist at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro
Don't know how many folks agree, but I've never found that much value in this era of his live performances. He had good energy and I'm sure it was amazing for those who were at the shows in the flesh, but out of all the shows I'll go back and listen to a recording of, and I've listened to a lot, this big arena, back-up singer heavy, medley heavy era isn't really all that interesting to me. Maybe this will be less of an issue since obviously the blu-ray visual aspect of this release is there to go along with the audio, but who knows. I'm thinking of all these publications I'm seeing reporting that this set "has a Dylan cover, Larry Graham cover, etc, etc" and I'm thinking to myself... in at least some of the stuff I've heard, these are mostly jam type things and even then half the time it's just the back-up vocalists singing while Prince is doing whatever. I have no ground to stand on here, really, since it is the Welcome 2 America tour and this is the Welcome 2 America album, but I certainly have no interest in the edition with the concert video, maybe it's amazing and maybe people will love it, but there is something in the back of my mind wondering how people who maybe don't know anything about the W2A tour may be expecting a Prince concert to be like and if they'll be underwhelmed by the blu-ray. Personally, my favorite aspect of his performances (or any musician's, for that matter) are the raw, energetic, talented musicianship oriented shows. No gimmicks or medleys, just playing the songs start to finish with a band who knows how to play their instruments and who want to give the performance their all. In particular the 93-95 era NPG was the pinnacle of his live career as far as I'm concerned.
I was pretty Angry to find out it would cost another $60 over the cd & vinyl just to get that Blu-ray , i was hoping for a $25 cd/Blu-ray combo
I’m convinced the show will be on YouTube for a limited run, like they’ve done with a few of the DVD shows in the past. But I could be wrong of course
Following this thread, just in case the Blu-Ray ever appears as standalone release. (Not paying $100 per unreleased Prince album - I assume there are dozens - to get a high-res Blu-Ray.)
Very Nice!! Thank you!!! Canceled my Amazon order and went with this. Had some discount points. Cost like $65 & some change.
Go with the CDJapan edition Welcome 2 America Deluxe Edition [Blu-spec CD2] [w/ Blu-ray, Limited Edition] Prince CD Album
I get the connection, and am a Soul Asylum fan. But what a random choice in covers, going for a mediocre song from a forgettable album. I wonder what drew Prince to some of these rock songs (like his cover of Best of You at the Super Bowl), and not the more iconic songs of that era.
I'm really looking forward to this new Prince. Will be interseting to see how it holds up against the studio albums he released before and after it.
Welcome 2 Europe! The box set is under 80 euros at Amazon France right now. https://www.amazon.fr/Welcome-Ameri...keywords=prince+welcome&qid=1618050239&sr=8-8
