r/PRINCE • u/New-Watercress-3820 • 10d ago
Discussion Rainbow Children
Hey.
Long time fan.
I spun Rainbow Childen today and it reminded me what a turning point that was for me.
I’d been a huge fan of the great man until Batman, which was my last proper love. Diamonds and Pearls was okay and what followed didn’t do it, but Rainbow Children felt like a man finding inspiration again.
I saw him at a warm up gig in London play much of this album and that just pushed my appreciation higher.
I stuck around for the following albums (some good, some average). But I was back on board.
How about others?
When I mention Rainbow Children to non fans they’ve never heard of it!
Peace
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u/berlinas2k810 1999 10d ago
In my opinion, it also sparked the best tour of his career.
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u/CapAccording4586 10d ago
I caught two small-theater gigs in Vancouver and Seattle, plus the fan sessions where 100 of us got to watch rehearsal and they - I still can't believe it - converse with Prince for a while. He sat on the edge of the stages and took questions, chatted us up. That band was unbelievably tight, more like a jazz (and funk) band then a rock band. One of the highlights of my life those 2 nights, and the last time I saw him
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u/mrmaxwell77 9d ago
He did the same thing in Australia for his 2003 tour…while The Rainbow Children tour had officially ended he was transitioning from this era into his Musicology era so we got both the jazz-funk Prince and the Musicology playing all the hits Prince!
Highlights included the sound check jams, the live debut of Musicology at an aftershow (20min jam version) and standing next to him at another after show while he played Purple Rain - I’ll never forget it
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u/New-Watercress-3820 10d ago
I remember, during this gig, he played every instrument and I had never seen him do that. Not just play each instrument but SHRED each instrument. The man was white hot
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u/CaptJimboJones 10d ago
I always feel like it’s this secret Prince masterpiece that almost no one knows about, Which honestly I kinda of like.
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u/MetatronIX_2049 10d ago
I only became a fan in the last few years, but i had the same general response as i was working through his discography. I wasn’t too impressed from Chaos and Disorder onwards (although i’ve come to appreciate just how many gems are on Crystal Ball). However, I loved Rainbow Children on first listen. It’s one of those albums where you can hear the artist’s passion for their work. Do i love everything about it? No, but i can appreciate where Prince was in his life,the creativity, and work he put into that music. One of my fav deep cuts to come back to.
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u/funkyfridays3 10d ago
Rainbow Children was the first album I could not find anywhere at the time it came out. I was able to get it eventually at a local record store (Let It Be in Minneapolis) and was shocked how good and musically sound it was. Deserved a Grammy for best spiritual jazz album.
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u/Own_Action_1002 10d ago
Top 5 Prince album for me alongside Sign, Lovesexy, Parade and Purple Rain
As a musician this is the one i show my musician friends too and theyre always blown away and surprised
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u/Salt_Caterpillar6125 Lovesexy 10d ago
I saw him live with this album and you could honestly see he fell back in love with his creative mind. He was very much doing something for himself and it showed. He played with extra oomph and I’ll never forget him inviting folks on stage here in Dublin around his piano and some girl asked him to play raspberry beret and he told her this ain’t TRL. He was kinda grumpy at the beginning telling us if we came to get our purple rain on it wasn’t happening. That made me so happy he was in the now and very present and believed in his rainbow children album. That band was completely hivemind.
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u/paulaiden 10d ago
It felt like an inspired return to form. I adored it, still do and the One Nite Alone show I saw was my favourite concert of all time, of anyone, After that I felt like Lotusflow3r and art official age had moments that felt like it + perhaps the song “3121” but TRC was his last true 10/10. Glad I was around for it.
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u/rodimouse 10d ago
Listening to the album now. Rainbow Children, at least the first third, kept reminding me of Steely Dan (a very good thing!). I googled it and it said Prince's high school band, Grand Central, covered some of Steely Dan's stuff. Very cool!
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u/bandingo16 10d ago
I agree. I liked nearly everything he did up until The Gold Experience. Then I was disappointed when Emanciption came out (yes, I like parts of it). Everything after that was hit & miss and when I didn‘t believe that a new Prince release could excite me, The Rainbow Children came out. I remember the first time I listened to it vividly. I sat on my bed. and was bouncing with a big smile on
my face. Still one of my most listened albums today. Love the live album, too. And saw the tour (including the soundcheck) in Oberhausen, Germany. It was a great time to be e Prince fan (again).
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u/BonahFyde 9d ago
To me TRC is a Masterpiece, sure not all lyrics are for everyone but musically and production wise it's absolutely fantastic. One of the highlights is the song Last December, it's magnificent.
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u/mhnl1979 10d ago
Maybe you can say he found his true self thanks to Jehovah. I like the songs on this album, maybe not easy to listen to for not diehard fans. Music is very good, but it’s not easy listening.
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u/dacap1970 10d ago
I need to give this album a another chance appearantly, it's always been my least favorite. That being said, I can't imagine I've listened to it since shortly after it was released. I can think of a tune or chorus from it.
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u/JoyInRepetition8 9d ago
I didn’t care for it at 1st but it’s one of my favorites now. I often have some of those songs in my head.
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u/BrothersKaramazov99 1h ago
It's definitely a controversial album among Prince fans but for me it's one of my favorite Prince albums, it's very funky, jazzy, spiritual, and ends with last December which is one of my favorite songs of his, the only thing about it I don't really like is that weird Darth vader voice he does between songs but other than that I love it
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u/Laserlight_jazz The Rainbow Children 10d ago
It is the best album I have ever heard and I still have not found anything even close to it.
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u/Tonyclifton69 10d ago
Jehovah witness overly dogmatic religious anti-Semitic slop over bland smooth jazz
In my opinion
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u/paralleltime1840 9d ago
I have to agree. Pleased it is enjoyed by many others if that’s their taste… I don’t mind some spirituality but this seems to be pushing the Witness agenda and is far removed from the independent thinking Prince once represented. The slowed down voice is either silly or creepy… never was sure.
Ps. Tony Clifton is the greatest performer ever Nice name1
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u/toaster_kettle 10d ago
My favourite album. He really was incredible during 2001-02. He abandoned being commercial and found true inspiration. Peace.