Which Prince albums are most like Michael Jackson's "Thriller" era?

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Are there any?

― Vestigal Appendages, Esq. (King Kobra), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:03 (twenty-one years ago)

um, none. and all of Prince's albums are better. Even the shitty ones.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:05 (twenty-one years ago)

"1999" is from the same year, and bears a lot of similarities in the production, sound etc. Of course, Prince always sounded like Prince anyway.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:06 (twenty-one years ago)

um, none. and all of Prince's albums are better. Even the shitty ones.

Oh come on! Surely this is hyperbole. How could the fuckin' "Rainbow Children" or whatever be better than "Thriller"?

― Vestigal Appendages, Esq. (King Kobra), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmm. Prince doesn't sound much like MJ. If you look at the albums he released at the same time as Thriller, like Controversy and 1999, he's more fey (especially on Controversy), relies more on synths and not at all on a backing band. They share psychosexual obsessions (look at Billy Jean, Do Me Baby, All The Critics...) definitely. With the exception of Purple Rain, Prince didn't court mainstream acceptance - which is not a criticism of Jacko, since Jacko got more out of El Lay sessioneer-hacks than any artist since Steely Dan.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Michaelangelo to thread...

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

the answer to this is Prince, with the caveat of "but not that much"

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:10 (twenty-one years ago)

"Oh come on! Surely this is hyperbole. How could the fuckin' "Rainbow Children" or whatever be better than "Thriller"? "

eh, not really. I'm tired of being told I have to love Thriller (an album I was already tired of by the time I was, oh, fourteen). it's a vastly overrated album and I don't care if I never hear it again. Prince, on the other hand, is still holding my interest 20 years later.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Shakey: 33.333% correct -- scores for "um, none"
Geir: 33.333% correct -- scores for "1999 is from the same year"
Vestigal Appendages, Esq.: 33.333% correct -- scores for "How could the fuckin' Rainbow Children or whatever be better than Thriller?"

It's a neck in neck tie.

So, I propose the following hybrid answer:

*ahem*

Um, none. 1999 is from the same year, though. And seriously, how could the fuckin' Rainbow Children or whatever be better than Thriller?

Royalties for the correct answer will be divided appropriately.

― donut debonair (donut), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:15 (twenty-one years ago)

(oh snap, major xpost)

― donut debonair (donut), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:15 (twenty-one years ago)

How about a real discussion?

Rainbow Children vs. Invincible

― donut debonair (donut), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Invincible in a walk, and I don't like Invincible

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh Snap squared!

― donut debonair (donut), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I still can't believe that I'm the only ILMer who will admit to liking The Rainbow Children a lot.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Is it anti-semitic?

― blahblahblah (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I have less trouble w/this idea, Dan

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Dan i gave Rainbow Children alot of praise on ilm when it came out. i really still like despite the bizzare religious shit going on (which actually makes it more interesting for me.) i love the organic production and the drummer is fucking rippin. Rainbow Children totally kicks ass.

― charleston charge (chaki), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:21 (twenty-one years ago)

i never bought Rainbow Children the album, but the material sounded great on that tour, that's for damn sure!

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't like it "a lot", but he has other albums ("N.E.W.S" for example) that I consider far worse. There at least a couple songs on the Rainbow Children that are fucking great ("The Work", "The Everlasting Now"), and overall I give Prince credit for making a very strange, unique, and unpredictable album with a lot of great playing on it. It's just the songs are pretty weak, and the concept isn't all that engaging. But yes I would rather listen to the Rainbow Children than *anything* by Michael Jackson post-1984.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

(and yes the Rainbow Children tour was amazing)

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I wouldn't, Dangerous is a good album.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

USA For Africa vs. Prince Aid

"I AM the world, I AM ALSO the children...."

― donut debonair (donut), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmm, I might actually pick Dangerous too.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:27 (twenty-one years ago)

yes, well... my feelings on Jacko are already well-represented on other threads...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh come on! Surely this is hyperbole. How could the fuckin' "Rainbow Children" or whatever be better than "Thriller"?
Okay, howsabout "The Average Prince Album is better than the Average MJ album." (that said Prince's "Hits" best of >>>>>>>> MJs "HIStory" best of)

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 03:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I really like 'Dangerous,' too. The first half is incredibly funky.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 04:33 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah the s/t is probably the best answer

― Mike O. (Mike Ouderkirk), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 06:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Not too keen on "Dangerous", but "Bad" is certainly a great album.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 08:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Shakey 4 President.

Rainbow Children, as assinine as it can get, is the last great Prince album. So far. Musicology be damned.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 09:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I actually like Rainbow Children. But I like Invincible way more.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 13:07 (twenty-one years ago)

seven years pass...

Perhaps the only proper Michael Jackson vs. Prince. Therefore, this belongs here:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/81443731c51e0bf245c691a1ff3f5f85/tumblr_meszp9R3Au1rk5n91o1_500.jpg

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 24 January 2013 15:27 (thirteen years ago)

Philippe Manoeuvre is the worse rock critic ever ! such a ridiculous man...
that said that cover is pretty fun !

― AlXTC from Paris, Thursday, 24 January 2013 17:05 (thirteen years ago)

I see that cover and raise it this footage of Prince outshining Jackson by basically just being a coked up mess and taking his clothes off:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHaFj7gOWh4

― Oblique Strategies, Thursday, 24 January 2013 17:21 (thirteen years ago)

How much do you think JB would of fined Prince for "Pulling that shit"...

― The Pastiche Liberation Front (sonnyboy), Thursday, 24 January 2013 17:35 (thirteen years ago)

As long as it wasn't JB's coke he wouldn't have cared.

― pure dressed up like a white ninja (snoball), Thursday, 24 January 2013 17:38 (thirteen years ago)

I love both artists but MJ's OTW and Thriller sound so much better than ANY Prince's albums from the 80s.
I HATE the sound/mastering on Prince's albums. especially the 80's ones (because otherwise they are so great !).

― AlXTC from Paris, Thursday, 24 January 2013 17:40 (thirteen years ago)

totally agree

― Sir Lord Baltimora (Myonga Vön Bontee), Thursday, 24 January 2013 18:22 (thirteen years ago)

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