THE BLACK ALBUM (Prince) - Shit or Clay?

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Buick6

too punk to drunk
I'm gunna be writing an exegesis on this album soonish. Just wondering what people think of this 80s record by Prince that was one of the most vaulable and legendary bootlegs, until it's official release in the mid-90s. There's some pretty devastating sounds in amongst the cheese, that will be of immense value to todays 2step-3step-hop-step wonders.

The thing I like about Prince is that with all his production and electronics, everything is actually PLAYED. Whereas most electronicaca is sampled and sequenced, the Symbol works and arranges everything meticulously, which as you become old and medicore, becomes quite important when enjoying yr muzik. It comes pretty close to being the black version of 'Smile' - flaws and scores intact...
 
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polystyle

Well-known member
Bang boom boom

Welly well 'Shit or Clay's not much of a choice there B
In it's time and maybe still it was pretty great ,
don't recall every track , but there was the one with Prince's pitched up cartoon voice acting the angry vengeful cat out to shoot somebody who did him wrong '...I kick your ass ...'
that was silly, funny, cutting and broke down 'Gangsta' macho into a good laugh
and a kind of Miles Davis' crammed with sound On The Corner feel
Come to think of it 'Corner's record cover art would serve well as visual counterpart

That's the cut that stayed with
Still have that old cassette in a trunk in the closet
 
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smn

Well-known member
For someone who can't stand them TV dinners you sure eat enough o' them motherfuckers...

Bob George is fantastic, one of my faves, but the rest really isn't really up to that much, except perhaps Le Grind on a generous day. Dead On It sucks harder than a black hole.
 
M

mms

sometimes
I love it, it sounds like its been recorded in a loo with a man with a toilet for a mind , smashing what is expected of him, chasing skirt like a dirty old man and getting very weird, reflecting back on himself and laughing coldly.
Absolutley filthy stuff, weirdly closer to Big Black or something lo fi and harsh than smooth jazzual r and b bizznizz.
All that 'i was taken over by Spooky Electric' stuff that he was getting a bit spun out about at the time sounds believable, it sounds like it was done in some fucked up state in one or two takes.

That was a hot period for Prince, he was doing his Camille thing at the same time, his girl/boy side, which again produced some fascinating results, all the best bits of sign o the times are credited to Camille.

It was the 'real' prince that let the side down i think, maybe the beginning of abiding hum drum commercial expectations hanging over him, strange ironies, that kinda finished his career for a while.

A copy of that album was currency at school - you got attention from girls for having that, and older kids would give you respect if you had it, it meant you were quite the Prince fan, quite the cool thing.
 
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polystyle

Well-known member
'Is Mr. Bob home ?'

That's right , the 'TV dinners' line in Bob George !
Great funny memory of lines from that cut ...

Don't make 'em like he used to
 
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