Customer Reviews

Prince - Diamonds and Pearls

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For the first time Prince and the N.P.G.'s Diamond and Pearls Video Collection is available on DVD. The collection was a treasured favorite when it was available on VHS.

First things first, I must address the picture and sound quality. It doesn't appear that the set was re-mastered--the picture or the sound. Despite this, it looks and sounds good--just not what you would expect from a DVD. Sound and picture wise it's not much different than my VHS version.

If it's been awhile since you have seen this collection let me refresh your memory. It includes the music videos from Prince's album Diamond and Pearls album. Videos included are "Gett Off," "Cream," "Diamonds and Pearls," "Call The Law," "Willing and Able," "Insatiable," "Strollin'," and "Money Don't Matter 2 Night."

Live concert footage featured on the set includes "Thunder," "Dr. Feelgood," "Jughead," and "Live 4 Love."

The running time of the set is 58 minutes. It's pretty much the same as the VHS version--except on DVD. There is nothing new, but its great that Prince fans can finally own this set on the most current format available.

Ummm, am I missing something? If my memory serves me correctly, the album "Diamonds and Pearls" came out in 1991, so why is the accompanying video released for the first time in 2006? No matter. Back in the'90s, it was easy to get lost in the myriad releases that Prince offered, not to mention the whole name-changing thing. Prince simply released too much material for anyone to keep track, especially casual fans, which is why this DVD is such a welcome surprise. Despite the passage of time, the material on "Diamonds and Pearls" has aged quite well - much better than the haircuts worn by his bandmembers. Few artists have been as obsessed with fashion as Prince, and the state-of-the-art `90s outfits worn here can be quite entertaining all by themselves.

Nothing, though, can distract from Prince. Without saying much, Prince once again provides plenty of evidence that he may well be the single most talented performer alive today. He sings with raw power and sly innuendo. He plays guitar incredibly well. He writes. He produces. He oversees every last nuance of his band's appearance and performance. And, he dances. My God, how he dances. "Diamonds ands Pearls" is worth seeing (even this much after the fact) because it provides a much-needed visual element to some of Prince's best songs. He is simply a wonder to behold, channeling the spirits of Sly Stone, James Brown, Little Richard and vintage-Michael Jackson with ease. "Gett Off" is so good that you laugh out loud in amazement. People overlook it, but "Cream" might well be the best pop song of the `90s. It is certainly one of the best-produced songs of that decade and the video here gives it new life.

What made "Diamonds and Pearls" different from a lot of Prince's previous work was in the latitude that he allowed his bandmembers. Prince is so talented that he could (and often does) do everything by himself. While impressive, this sometimes makes his music feel airtight and claustrophobic. The presence of other musicians pumps new life in to this material, and gives the songs added depth. The only real weakness comes when the focus shifts away from Prince and onto rapper Tony M, who channels MC Hammer and forgets the fundamental rule of rap; don't just talk, tell me something. Otherwise, "Diamonds and Pearls" is a belated surprise that warrants attention, especially if you lost track of Prince in the past few years. A- Tom Ryan

It seems like no accident that this video anthology came out roughly around the same time as Michael Jackson - Dangerous: The Short Films. And interestingly enough the presentation follows a similar pattern: manipulating and being manipulated by the media (as told through a montage of TV news clippings) and Prince videos from this era being strung together with vingettes of Prince running from the press. Well happily I have to inform you that's where the cons of this DVD ends. Whereas I always had the impression MJ was,in his own mind being dead serious in his paranoia on his DVD if you watch this carefully there's a strong hint of swaggering self parody here. This presentation also follows a loose concept involving two ladies named Diamond and Pearl,who appear aside Prince on the Diamonds and Pearls album cover. Prince's wit and invisable humor is very much on display especially in one vignette before the "Cream" video involving a woman carrying on a conversat ion with a man that,"I don't like Sinatra;I like Prince"-or something to that effect. Prince makes it clear he's very self possessed when it comes to how his ego comes across and especially in the "Gett Off" video he has his mysterious,controlling pseudo gigalo routine down to a science. Not to say he's coming at it from the same standpoint as he did in Purple Rain; he's ego is not that of the same insecure "kid" with a pretention of cockiness but a very cocksure 30 something who knows what he wants and how to get it. Prince also has a very sensative side and happily it seems that side of his personality is very genuine,if not as exciting as the elegant looking player character he'd worked so hard had creating. That comes into the forefront on the video for the title track finding Prince and Rosie Gaines singing to a room of multi racial children,sort of in the persona of guardian angels. Even though MTV's butchered version of Spike Lee's original video of "Money Don't Matter 2 Night" is the one presented here the B&W inner city and gulf war era news report imagry does hint at the more pointed commentary of the original censored version. Since the NPG were in the process of making their own album at this point a video for their own song "Call The Law" is included. There's also a video to the wispy "Strollin" starring the Diamond and Pearl character again along with some vital live footage of Prince from his Diamonds And Pearls tour. In terms of commercial and creative reinvention during 1991 it's true that MJ and Prince were back in tandem. The main difference,illustrated so well here was that while MJ's future wasn't 100% certain Prince made it clear it was only the beginning for him and he'd have a lot more surprises to come.

I was 12 when this album first hit the stores. Too young to have it in my house, but my older sister had it and let me listen to it a few times. I remember that the videos for Gett Off, Cream and Diamonds & Pearls were EVERYWHERE that year and I couldn't have been happier. I would have purchased this collection for those three alone, but I'm happy to report that the style through out the entire production is of a piece. If you're even a little sentimental for this era of Prince's music (and music in general), and dig the amazing hairstyles (ha!), gett it!

Prince Rogers Nelson, a musical icon, has been putting out hits since 1978. But seldom have we gotten the combo of a top selling album with a video to go along with it. Including #1 singles Diamonds and Pearls, Money Don't Matter Tonight, Gett Off, as well as live music, it just doesn't get any better than this!

Another hot release from Prince and the New Power Generation to include the smash singles "Gett Off," "Cream," "Diamonds and Pearls," "Insatiable," and "Money Don't Matter 2 Night." Also, witness concert footage, band interviews and live versions of "Thunder," "Daddy Pop," "Jughead" and "Live 4 Love," as well as extended versions of "Cream" and "Diamonds and Pearls." If your a Prince fan, get this VHS, its worth it!

I never thought they would release this DVD. First of all, let me make this clear, this is in region 1, not region 2 like Amazon states. There are no extras at all. What we get is what exactly what was released on video in 1992. That is correct. My brother and I purchased this on Thanksgiving weekend in 1992, which was virtually 1 year after the Diamonds and Pearls album was released. This DVD is much better, as it represented crystal sharp quality, which of course beats the VHS. One thing I must note that many people never bring, possibly becuase they don't know. The "Gett Off" video is the edited version on the DVD, as well as it was on the Diamonds and Pearls VHS. I would think as a bonus, they would add the original cut. But they did not. The saddest part is most likely the original maxi-video will never be released on DVD. That video was released right before the Diamonds and Pearls album came out, and it was killer. This my suggestion of what shoould come out, and I hope warner in listening:

Based on the Ultimate Prince collection, these videos should be released:

1. I Wanna Be Your Lover (his solo version)

2. Uptown

3. Controversy

4. 1999

5. Little Red Corvette

6. When Doves Cry

7. Let's Go Crazy (possibly the film version that matches the version on U.P. CD which really is a killer)

8. Purple Rain

9. Rasberry Beret (also matches the collection to some degree with its extra instumental chorus)

10. Kiss

11. Sign o' the Times

12. U Got The Look (the video is closer to the "long hook" on the U.P. cd too)

13. I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man

14. Alphabet St.

15. Thieves In The Temple (closer the mix on U.P., even though the original single is brilliant)

16. Gett Off (Uncut, like the first video on the maxi-video collection)

17. Cream

18. Diamonds and Pearls

19. 7

20. My Name is Prince

21. Nothing Compares 2 U (the only concert performance)

As a bonus these 5 just to start:

22. Why You Wanna Treat me So Bad?

23. Sexuality

24. Automatic

25. Girls and Boys

26. Glam Slam

Notice the two I left out that were so called videos were I Would Die 4 U, which is really an annoying stage performance, and Money Don't Matter 2 Night, which you could get on this Diamonds and Pearls collection. I hope Warner Brothers is listening, because people will buy this. Thanks for reading!

when prince formed NPG he took his music to another level this video expresses that!..the way each video is formed...the color, not that jumping from one scene 2 another each member gets his or her chance to show their stuff..if you are a true prince fan u got to get this video...don't be a jughead..add this one to your collection!

First off, I'm a huge Prince fan. And I hate to complain, but I just don't see why this release is necessary, for two reasons: (1) The 3 hits contained herein are already available on the aptly-titled "The Hits" DVD, and (2) there are PLENTY of Prince music videos that have never gotten a home video release of any kind...not to mention the SIGN O THE TIMES concert film. It just kinda bugs me that Warners would put out something like this, when there's so much more to choose from.

BUT...if you are a fan, you might want to have it anyway. I bought the VHS version in the early 90's, and I'm content with that. The only other video of note is the Spike Lee-directed "Money Don't Matter 2Nite." The rest is just filler, in my opinion. They could have at least released the bonus remix videos of "Gett Off", including the rare "Violet the Organ Grinder" video (which, thankfully, I also have on tape).

Video collections are usually a bit less exciting to an extent somewhat may be because often one has seen some/most of the videos beforehand. I decided to buy this DVD because of the promised interviews of band members by Prince as extras, but these inserts of interviews of the NPG members answering the question from Prince "Why do u like 2 play in this band/NPG?", are just ordinary, nothing spectacular! The videos (8) plus live concert footage (4) do compensate for my disappointment with the interviews somewhat though. I had not heard or seen "Call The Law" before, it was something new. Live performance footage shows how great "His Purple Highness" is in live shows! Great release, better extras would have been welcome & where are "Daddy Pop" & "Walk Don't Walk"? Prince is "Willing And Able" to deliver the goods, but not enough in this one to deserve more than four stars!