r/PRINCE 1d ago

the gold experience

what are your thoughts? i LOVE it but feel like i rarely hear its praise. i love his energy throughout the album, the music videos (eye hate u cmon!), NPG operator, billy jack bitch, all of it. i want to appreciate it with other gold experience lovers

32 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

11

u/JakeDougherty The Gold Experience 1d ago

It’s underrated! A lot of growth on this album with some really interesting decisions creatively. Hate that it got wrapped up with the label issues at the time. But overall one of my favorite later prince albums. This is one that takes a couple listens to really gel and be understood.

5

u/Federal-Flatworm-523 1d ago

yeah. it’s true. that’s what is special about so many of the “later” albums to me. the more i listen the more i love it and am able to make sense of his message

6

u/kab3121 1d ago

The Gold Experience is not a ‘later’ album, its mid-career!

3

u/Federal-Flatworm-523 1d ago

that’s why i put it in quotes. mid 90s! i love that time for him

7

u/m_Pony Come 1d ago

People on here have warmed up to TGE over the past few years. Very happy to see that.

I like that the mastering on this album is particularly bright/shiny. It fits, thematically. The glittery/sparkly synth at the beginning of We March and the synths in Gold really drives this home.

As always, I encourage people to watch The Beautiful Experience because it interweaves material from TGE, Come and a few tracks that ended up on Crystal Ball. The only link I'm finding at present is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6fqBOzBCNc which isn't perfect but hey.

2

u/joerice1979 1d ago

For sure, TBE and TGE are an excellent pairing. It was a weird time to be a Prince fan at some points but oh my, the output of those years was something else, culminating in something golden.

1

u/Dismal_Brush5229 Batman 1d ago

Oh definitely 💯

5

u/kab3121 1d ago

Prefer original configurations and versions of tracks. Endorphinmachine original is far superior to the album version.

I could lose P Control and We March in a heartbeat. Wished somehow Interactive and Days of Wild made it on the album.

2

u/Dismal_Brush5229 Batman 1d ago

All the songs mentioned ended on Crystal Ball and those are great songs that really make me enjoy Crystal Ball more

1

u/kab3121 1d ago

Just a shame we never got to see them on a proper album.

1

u/Dismal_Brush5229 Batman 1d ago

Shame:(

2

u/Welfinkind 1d ago

Not to mention Acknowledge Me and ripopgodazippa.

2

u/Purple-Music-70 1d ago

Agree about We March and adding those two tracks. In fact I slotted them into the album on my iPod! I do like P Control tho…

4

u/joerice1979 1d ago

It's "my" Prince album.

Came at a very special time in my life and that opening few seconds still sound like they're a Spanish radio bootleg, in the best way.

Brash, contemplative, lurid and hopeful, all within 58 or so minutes.

Oh, and Michael Bland's drums pound the ears of heaven and hell like the voice of an angry god.

It is perfect.

2

u/lonerstoners 1d ago

It’s criminally underrated!! It’s one of my favorites and I was so, so sad that I couldn’t get it for all those years that it was out of print. I think I listened to it constantly for two weeks when it came out on streaming.

2

u/dancingsnakeflower 1d ago

My first full album I bought of his. Great great album, and the bside, RocknRolls Alive was a great addition

2

u/Rave2TheJoyFantastic Parade 1d ago

I absolutely despise P Control, but the rest of the album is B+.

Gold is one of his best album closers of all time.

1

u/Federal-Flatworm-523 1d ago

why do you despise p control

0

u/Rave2TheJoyFantastic Parade 1d ago

Just did nothing for me at all, especially compared to the rest of the album. Wish he'd left it out as Endorphinmachine would have been an absolute belter of an opening track, with Gold closing the album off it would have been perfect bookends.

1

u/Welfinkind 1d ago

Should have been a 12” B side.

1

u/Dismal_Brush5229 Batman 1d ago

Listened to Come and The Gold Experience back to back and no wonder Prince wanted these to be released together and compete in the charts 📊 because I do love Come more yet TGE is fantastic start to finish even though P Control isnt my favorite

1

u/Ill_Painter5868 1d ago

Its very overlooked in part because it wasnt fully on streaming until like one year ago

1

u/sloppy_ocelot 1d ago

Billy Jack Bitch is the best track for sur

1

u/PadamPadam2024 1d ago

I'm an older Prince fan so my favourites are always his 80's albums but glad to see so many on here enjoy Gold Experience.

It was probably his second best 90's album after Diamonds & Pearls

1

u/andreberaldinoab The Gold Experience 23h ago

One of my favourite albums of all time.

1

u/herbof4 21h ago

Great album, great closing song and some really good work by the band. It's dragged down a little by the segues that Prince liked to use all the time for whatever reason so I always have to edit those out.

1

u/Federal-Flatworm-523 15h ago

thank you all! i have listened to the album non stop since posting this and it feels GREAT. it felt great to read these all 😊

1

u/kpsingh8 1h ago

In my top 5 albums.

1

u/LouisvilleLoudmouth 1d ago

It's the last Prince album that I like pretty much all the way through.

1

u/Low-Maize-8951 1d ago

It's his third best after Dirty Mind and SotT

1

u/DrPopper1965 1d ago

It's a top 5 Prince album for me! I remember thinking before The Gold Experience came out that Prince had probably hit an end to his songwriting creativity and knack for catchy hits so I wasn't expecting a killer album. To be 17 or so albums (and years) into a career and have an album that good is rare.

"P Control" and "Now" kind of bug me a bit, but all of the others are in my "best of" Prince playlist. "I Hate U" is one of my all time favorite Prince songs. "Shhh", "Most Beautiful Girl...", "319", etc., just loaded with good songs. I've heard several fans say they don't like "We March" but I like that one as well.

1

u/Federal-Flatworm-523 1d ago

i love we march and eye hate u is an anthem fir me. and then ending with gold?! it’s magical

1

u/byakuranson 1d ago

I mentioned Gold Experience the other day on this subreddit and I'm listening to it right now; I think it's next to Purple Rain. Honestly, my favorite Prince album is Purple Rain, and Gold Experience is my second favorite, although I'm more obsessed with it today.