Track Listing
1. P Control
2. Npg Operator
3. Endorphinmachine
4. Shhh
5. We March
6. Npg Operator
7. Most Beautiful Girl in the World, The
8. Dolphin
9. Npg Operator
10. Now
11. Npg Operator
12. 319
13. Npg Operator
14. Shy
15. Billy Jack Bitch
16. Eye Hate U
17. Npg Operator
18. Gold
| Details | | Playing Time: | 65 min. | | Contributing Artists: | New Power Generation, Nona Gaye, Ricky Peterson | | Producer: | Prince | | Distributor: | WEA (Distributor) | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
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.
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 Prince has made in the NPG era.
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)
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.
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)
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