Track Listing
1. Pussy Control
2. Endorphinmachine
3. Shhh
4. We March
5. Most Beautiful Girl In The World
6. Dolphin
7. Now
8. 319
9. Shy
10. Billy Jack Bitch
11. I Hate U
12. Gold
| Details | | Number of CDs: | 1 | | Producer: | Prince | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Distributor: | Cinram Logistics | | Recording Mode: | Stereo |
Album Notes
Personnel: Prince (vocals, various instruments); Nona Gaye (vocals); Rain Ivana (spoken vocals); James Behringer (guitar); Ricky Peterson (keyboards); Statik, Kirky J. (programming).The New Power Generation: Sonny T.; Michael B., Tommy Barbarella, Mr. Hayes, Mayte.NPG Hornz: Michael B. Nelson, Kathy Jensen, Dave Jensen, Brian Gallagher, Steve Strand.Engineers include: Tom Tucker, Chronic Freeze, Ray Hahnfeldt.Recorded at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, Minnesota; Guillaume Tell, Paris, France; The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California. Includes liner notes by Jim Walsh.THE GOLD EXPERIENCE was nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, and "Eye Hate You" was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance."Don't worry about my name, it's too long to remember," he raps on "Now," a rockin' hip-hop dance number that also directs us to not think too hard about the past. OK, we'll take the bait. The name doesn't matter, the persona doesn't matter, the reputation doesn't matter. The female cyber-voice that shows up between several tracks on THE GOLD EXPERIENCE to narrate our trip through a faux-interactive world of various sensory experiences? Doesn't matter either.This is all about music--adventurously funky ensemble music with a tighter-than-ever New Power Generation, psychedelically poppy studio music from within the man's ever-scheming head. Hip-hop-styled beats boom ("Now" has a grandstand-chant beat that Naughty By Nature would love), space-age keyboards squiggle (through big-beat numbers like "P Control"), and fuzz guitars grind out super-funky rhythms (like "Shy," which pays a debt to Sly Stone). Meanwhile, the man himself stretches his supple voice like an elastic band around falsetto soul, psychedelic rock and enough playful raps to convince you he finally actually believes in the stuff, making THE GOLD EXPERIENCE the most musically realized album what's-his-name has made in the NPG era.In keeping with that symbol of his, which combines maleness and femaleness, THE GOLD EXPERIENCE salutes a gender that, in the past, this same certain someone often asked to bow down and salute him. It finally puts the devotional 1994 pop ballad "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World" on a proper album. "P Control" pays respect to a strong, smart woman. And the album ends with "Gold," a soaring paean to personal growth and a rejection of nihilism in all its forms. This is Prince's gospel, and with its bright keyboard chords, acoustic-guitar rhythm and na-na-na ending, it may just be his "Hey Jude," too.
Editorial Reviews
...This is a buoyant, raucous effort, imbued with enough funk, passion, and playfulness to make it more akin to a party--rather than concept--album. - Rating: A-
Entertainment Weekly (09/29/1995)
7 (out of 10) - ...THE GOLD EXPERIENCE is Symbol's most consistently enjoyable, fully-rounded album for at least five years....Symbol is at his best here when he cuts the sweet talk and admits that he's got a canoe permanently lodged in his trousers...
NME (09/23/1995)
...it's a loose, sprawling suite, wonderfully over-lush, way too much going on....And there's a lot of very, very good [Symbol] here, real hefty glam slamming stuff, pumped up to the trademark levels of absurdity and borderline dodginess....Best album for years...
Melody Maker (10/14/1995)
Ranked #30 in Village Voice's 1995 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.
Village Voice (02/20/1996)
3 Stars - Good - ...THE GOLD EXPERIENCE is the New Power Generation's finest hour. Whether tightened by their recent touring [or] inspired by their apparently unanimous love of early '70s Sly & The Family Stone...their playing here is never short of excellent...
Q (10/01/1995)
...THE GOLD EXPERIENCE is a Prince experience par excellence. And yes, I said Prince, no disrespect intended....This is [Symbol's] best complete record since 1987's SIGN 'O' THE TIMES--his best effort since the '90s almost happened without him.
Vibe (10/01/1995)
Ranked #30 in Village Voice's 1995 Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll.Vibe (10/95, pp.131-132) - ...THE GOLD EXPERIENCE is a Prince experience par excellence. And yes, I said Prince, no disrespect intended....This is [Symbol's] best complete record since 1987's SIGN 'O' THE TIMES--his best effort since the '90s almost happened without him. Q (10/95, p.116) - 3 Stars - Good - ...THE GOLD EXPERIENCE is the New Power Generation's finest hour. Whether tightened by their recent touring [or] inspired by their apparently unanimous love of early '70s Sly & The Family Stone...their playing here is never short of excellent...Melody Maker (10/14/95, p.38) - ...it's a loose, sprawling suite, wonderfully over-lush, way too much going on....And there's a lot of very, very good [Symbol] here, real hefty glam slamming stuff, pumped up to the trademark levels of absurdity and borderline dodginess....Best album for years...NME (9/23/95, p.49) - 7 (out of 10) - ...THE GOLD EXPERIENCE is Symbol's most consistently enjoyable, fully-rounded album for at least five years....Symbol is at his best here when he cuts the sweet talk and admits that he's got a canoe permanently lodged in his trousers...Entertainment Weekly (9/29/95, pp.62-63) - ...This is a buoyant, raucous effort, imbued with enough funk, passion, and playfulness to make it more akin to a party--rather than concept--album. - Rating: A-
Village Voice (02/20/1996)
| |
|
All rights reserved.
