Maps of Music

Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic (1999)

Where the lyrics of Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic take you, and where it was really made.

Prince released this album with no name on the cover, only an unpronounceable symbol, and the jacket on the cover was made of faux wool.

Key places

Recording sessions at Paisley Park Studios (1999)

Recording site Paisley Park Studios — Sessions for the album took place at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota, according to the album page. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording sessions at Electric Lady Studios (1999)

Recording site Electric Lady Studios — Some sessions for the album were held at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, according to the album page. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording sessions at O'Henry Sound Studios (1999)

Recording site O'Henry Sound Studios — Some sessions for the album were held at O'Henry Sound Studios in Burbank, California, according to the album page. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic: 23rd studio album by American recording artist Prince
• Credited to the unpronounceable "Love Symbol" shown on the album cover, not to Prince's name
• Released November 9, 1999 by NPG Records and Arista Records
• Issued shortly after The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (1999)
• Pop and R&B album that departs from the soul of Prince's previous efforts
• Guest appearances by Gwen Stefani, Eve and Sheryl Crow
• Standard edition: sixteen tracks plus two hidden tracks

Background

• Development began in 1988 under the working title Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic
• Early sessions proved fruitless and the whole project was abandoned
• Many songs were originally made for Lovesexy (1988) and Graffiti Bridge (1990)
• Project resumed in June 1998 with a reworked version of the title track
• First major-label release since Emancipation (1996)
• Some of Prince's first radio releases since Chaos and Disorder (1996)

Recording

• Sessions held at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota
• Sessions also held at Electric Lady Studios in New York City and O'Henry Sound Studios in Burbank, California
• Production concluded in September 1999, nearly two months before the release date
• Digital version released exclusively to Prince's official websites, with enhancements not on the physical edition

Cover

• Prince chose a blue jacket made of faux wool instead of real fur for the cover artwork

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Prince Rogers Nelson, born June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota; died April 21, 2016 at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
• Signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1977 at age 18; first album For You released April 7, 1978.
• Career spanned funk, rock, R&B and pop, with estimated sales over 100 million records.

Career

• Breakthrough with Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981) and 1999 (1982).
• Purple Rain (1984) made him the first singer to hold the number-one film, album and single in the US at the same time.
• Sign o' the Times (1987) is widely considered his greatest work.
• Changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol in 1993, becoming known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince; reverted to Prince in 2000.
• Won seven Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• AllMusic (Stephen Thomas Erlewine): the album "is frighteningly similar" to Prince's 1998 album Newpower Soul, and it praised the collaborations
• AllMusic: the effort "is one for the dedicated", like every album since he changed his name to a symbol
• Village Voice (Robert Christgau): described the album as a lofty brand of "generic", where pro forma cameos failed to produce hits
• The A.V. Club (Nathan Rabin): congratulated Prince for marking his return to commercial ambition and accessibility
• Echoes (Adam Mattera): called it a savvy attempt to reignite his career through radio-friendly singles and superstar collaborations
• Entertainment Weekly (Chris Willman): was impressed and praised Prince for trying to recapture the spirit of '99
• Yahoo! Music (Wendy Hermanson): favored the record and highlighted Chuck D's rap on "Undisputed"
• Rolling Stone (Touré): said the album's few sublime moments outweighed the lackluster album around them, praised "Prettyman", and panned "Undisputed" and "Hot Wit' U"
• Hot Press (Eamon Sweeney): was mixed, finding that the singer had at times lost his magic
• Village Voice (Robin Rothman): enjoyed the collaborations but said they were better described as augmentations
• NME: a very negative review that called the album a patchily impressive, fleetingly satisfying, but dead record

Reappraisal

• Stereogum staff list of the singer's albums ranked it number 25 out of thirty
• The site's consensus: his cover of "Everyday Is a Winding Road" was the only highlight among the tracks

Records

• Billboard 200 (US): debuted and peaked at number 18
• Canada: debuted and peaked at number five
• Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: peaked at number eight
• The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale peaked at number 85 on the Billboard 200
• Netherlands: top 20, peaked at number 17, 13 weeks on the chart
• Switzerland: reached the top 20
• Germany: number 53; United Kingdom: number 145
• RIAA Gold certification on December 10, 1999, for sales over 500,000 copies
• Gold certification was his seventeenth album to reach that level
• Lead single "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold" peaked at number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Prince's name was replaced on the cover by the unpronounceable "Love Symbol", and the "I" pronoun in song titles and liner notes is shown as a stylized eye symbol.
• The blue cover jacket was faux wool; Prince explained he chose it instead of real fur, and the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals supported him.
• Two hidden tracks were included on the standard edition: "Segue III" and "Prettyman"; "Prettyman" is a jazz song with a special appearance from saxophonist Maceo Parker.
• "Undisputed" contains rap verses by Chuck D, a feature uncommon on Prince's works.
• Prince promoted the album with a pay-per-view television special, Rave Un2 the Year 2000, on December 31, 1999.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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