Crystal Ball Album 5 CD: 1998

0(+>'s Triple Vault Masterpiece

Released as a 3-CD album in the US in 1998 by NPG Records, Crystal Ball was Princec's 20th full-length studio album, the fourth credited to 0(+>, and the second triple album in succession (following Emancipation). It was his first album released and distributed independently of any major record label. The set was initially available only through phone pre-order via 1-800 New Funk (later through Love4oneanother.com), with a retail release following on March 3, 1998. Each of the three CDs contains 10 tracks, each lasting almost exactly 50:00 (mirroring Emancipation’s 60-minute discs). The material could have fit on two CDs, but the packaging also included The Truth (a direct-order bonus) and Kamasutra by The NPG Orchestra (in the initial pre-order edition).

This 5 Disc 'Puck' version, so named as it was five five-inch Compact Discs, housed in a two-part plastic circular case, with no artwork, although artwork was made available to download.

No tracks were recorded specially for this album. However, "2morrow" was recorded after the completion of his previous album, Emancipation, making Crystal Ball the first album on which it could have been included. The album contains seven remixes or alternate versions of previously released tracks: "Love Sign (Shock G's Silky Remix)", "So Dark" (a remix of "Dark"), "Tell Me How U Wanna B Done" (a remix of "The Continental"), "Interactive", "Good Love", "Get Loose" (a remix of "Loose!"), and "P. Control (Remix)".

This is the first Prince album of new material to feature previously released songs, although it primarily serves as an outtakes compilation rather than a studio album as such. Prince avoided using tracks that strongly featured the Revolution, as he intended to release a companion album, Roadhouse Garden, in 1999, containing previously unreleased Prince and the Revolution material (this album remains unreleased, however).

Copyright information on the album is given as 1997. No singles were released from the album, although "Love Sign" and "P. Control" had both previously been available as promo-only singles connected to their original albums, 1-800-NEW-FUNK and The Gold Experience, respectively. Although videos for "Acknowledge Me", "Interactive" and "18 & Over" were made a few years before this release (and not connected to any albums), they were not used as promotional tools for Crystal Ball. "Days of Wild" was released as a limited-release single in 2002, using a different live version than included here.

Prince did not tour or make any TV appearances to support the album. The album reached number 62 on the Billboard 200, and number 59 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Track Listing

CD 1

Crystal Ball – 10:28

Dream Factory – 3:07

Acknowledge Me – 5:27

Ripopgodazippa – 4:39

Lovesign (Remix By Shock G.) – 3:52

Hide The Bone – 5:03

2morrow – 4:13

So Dark – 5:14

Movie Star – 4:25

Tell Me How U Wanna B Done – 3:15

CD 2

Captivating "Crystal Ball" artwork featuring ethereal purple and gold hues, symbolizing a collection of previously unreleased material from 1983-1996, marking a special limited edition, that was made available on-line to download

Interactive – 3:03

Da Bang – 3:19

Calhoun Square – 4:46

What's My Name – 3:03

Crucial – 5:06

An Honest Man – 1:13

Sexual Suicide – 3:39

Cloreen Bacon Skin – 15:37

Good Love – 4:55

Strays Of The World – 5:07

CD 3

Days Of Wild – 9:19

Last Heart – 3:01

Poom Poom – 4:32

She Gave Her Angels – 3:52

18 & Over – 5:40

The Ride – 5:13

Get Loose – 3:31

P. Control – 5:59

Make Your Mama Happy – 4:00

Goodbye – 4:34

Reissued Album Cover Art for Record Store Day: 2021 NPG Records – Legacy & The Prince Estate – 19075935501The Truth (Bonus Disc – Direct-Order Edition)

The Truth...

The Truth – 3:34

Don't Play Me – 2:48

Circle Of Amour – 4:43

3rd Eye – 4:53

Dionne – 3:13

Man In A Uniform – 3:07

Animal Kingdom – 4:01

The Other Side Of The Pillow – 3:21

Fascination – 4:55

One Of Your Tears – 3:27

Comeback – 1:59

Welcome 2 The Dawn (Acoustic Version) – 3:17

Album cover for "Kamasutra" by The NPG Orchestra, released on cassette in the US, on February 14, 1997.

Kamasutra (Bonus Disc – Direct-Order Edition)

The Plan (2:03)

Kamasutra (11:49)

At Last… "The Lost Is Found" (3:37)

The Ever Changing Light (2:59)

Cutz (3:03)

Serotonin (0:47)

Promise/Broken (3:46)

Barcelona (2:16)

Kamasutra/Overture #8 (3:11)

Coincidence Or Fate? (3:24)

Kamasutra/Eternal Embrace (4:02)

Do you have Crystal Ball in your collection? Ready for the vault? Share in the comments!

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia and BBC Official Charts Company