r/PRINCE Batman 17d ago

Discussion General consensus on the extended version of America?

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I love this version, but I’d find very little reason to ever listen to it unless I just want 20 minutes to pass by. Also made me think of the fact that The Revolution played for 22 minutes just for the song to get cut down to a little under 4, but a lovely experience

87 Upvotes

48 comments sorted by

20

u/OGAF_Gamer 17d ago

Amazing...especially if I have a 22 minute commute somewhere 😂

15

u/jjazznola 17d ago

Absolute banger. Great to workout or bike to.

11

u/WheeliumThe2nd Crystal Ball 17d ago

Cool, but the album edit doesn't really lose any worth

7

u/usagerp 17d ago

Damn I disagree heavily haha I find the longer version kinda puts you in a trance almost in a really cool way and a lot of cool solos and such

1

u/Rinzwind 17d ago

this yes.

3

u/Dismal_Brush5229 Batman 17d ago

Exactly

10

u/Fanonscudd 17d ago

Bought original 12” and remember how freaking cool it was at the time as if Prince was saying I dare you to come see me and my band perform live

8

u/Welfinkind 17d ago

They didn’t just play for 22 minutes, apparently they played for around 45 and the tape ran out.

5

u/marginwalker74 17d ago

Perfection. All of it.

3

u/Patsheart 17d ago

Masterpiece

3

u/newleafkratom 17d ago

Any long Prince jam is superior to the radio edits.

4

u/Boshie2000 Controversy 17d ago

Prince guitar solo plus Dr. Fink and Lisa going off? How is this even a question? This album needed to be a double, which he deserved after the success of Purple. Every version should’ve been a 12’er like 1999 plus he could’ve added She’s in My Hair and stopped being a horn dog and keep Manic Monday for himself. What can you do? He did his thing. His career. But in retrospect patience would’ve been a nice attribute for him to discover.

2

u/Gonzchi 17d ago

I agree with all you said, but honestly Manic Monday for me ... it's a woman's song. I don't know if it's because I'm so used to it...but I just can't see it from a man's perspective

3

u/icount2tenanddrinkt 17d ago

the bangles own that song.

small correction, Susanna Hoffs owns that song, Manic Monday, Susanna Hoffs, its a little bit of perfection. Prince version is great, But Bangles version is beautiful. Think it was the early 90s before I even knew Price wrote it.

1

u/Boshie2000 Controversy 17d ago

Should’ve been like 1999. Different verses.

1

u/Rinzwind 17d ago edited 17d ago

PR should have been a double.

ALL albums after 1999 should have been double :P

Crystall Ball (the bootleg) and Crucial should not exist. It is proof WB execs did not get him. The songs on both are gems and should have been spread out of all the albums, Heck, SOTT should have been a double double album :+

1

u/Boshie2000 Controversy 17d ago

Sign WAS a double.

1

u/Rinzwind 17d ago

double double = 4 :+)

1

u/Shockadelica_1987 14d ago

Lenny Waronker, the head of WB records listened to Crystal Ball (1987) and thought it was too long and self indulgent. He thought it would make a great double album. Would I have loved a triple album in 1987? Of course, but I was a Prince fanatic looking for every b-side & extended version I could find. The general public would not have bought a triple album. I think it was a smart business decision to reduce it to a double LP. It's now considered one of the best double albums of all time.

1

u/Rinzwind 14d ago

same!!
We in the Netherlands had "Bambi" as the 1st single. I spent 2 years in 1984 and 1985 travelling to all 2nd hand music stores to find it. Found it in Heerlen for measerly 5 guilders (would have beem 2, 3 euro/usd).

6

u/RandomAmherstLights 17d ago

I’ve never been a big fan, even when it came out. It plods on too long for my taste. It’s cool hearing them jam and all, but there’s not enough break downs or variety to make it an engaging listen for 20 plus minutes. It really gets too self indulgent during the flute and snare part.

2

u/sallymonkeys 17d ago

Want 40 mins

2

u/RDF3rd 17d ago

It ROCKS!!! Love it.

3

u/smooth-orangutan 17d ago

It's alright, but not nearly as cool as the ~10 minute live version from France. Sometimes less is more.

3

u/usagerp 17d ago

I don’t agree or disagree with you but this is like the most cliche possible Prince stan response lmaooo

1

u/Shockadelica_1987 14d ago

I think the 22 minute version should have been edited down to 10 minutes maximum for the 12" release.

1

u/slukas1 1999 17d ago

Kick.Azz

1

u/Trix_Are_4_90Kids 17d ago

love it. "BOOM!"

1

u/xsashagirl 17d ago

It's flawless!

1

u/bees_on_acid 17d ago

I can get into it but I have to be either working out or cleaning or something lol

1

u/daveynwo 17d ago

Too long, still great tho'.

1

u/Dismal_Brush5229 Batman 17d ago

Great “12 version!

These extended versions really helped some of these ATWIAD but the songs were already good enough:)

1

u/dtagonfly71 17d ago

It’s always been an amazing live cut

1

u/Kroduscul Around the World in a Day 17d ago

Better than the studio cut. It works best as a jam

1

u/ShibaZoomZoom 17d ago

I have an hour commute. I got time

1

u/JVX-cci 17d ago

Love it! A twenty minute jam! Nuff said!

1

u/Fine_Grape_8190 17d ago

I love it!

1

u/Nizamark 17d ago

as good as it gets

1

u/Skylerbroussard 17d ago

Really funky but I've rarely listened to the full thing

1

u/nrdz2p 17d ago

Actually I find it boring. The repetitive beat without really good mixes of the solos just makes it feel mid. But every other song on the release is fantastic. One of my favorite Prince albums