Episodes

  • Prince Side Projects
    May 7 2026

    Despite being in one of his all-time prolific periods in the early 90s, Prince still had creative juice to spare: writing, recording, and often producing tracks and albums for collaborators old and new.


    Join Mike and Nathan as we examine the best -- and the rest -- of this incredible explosion of creativity.

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    2 hrs and 11 mins
  • Prince vs Warner: The Name Change Saga
    May 7 2026

    While we mostly stay focused on the music at Crystal Ball Club, Prince's epic fight with Warner Brothers and his concurrent name change loom so large it would be almost impossible to understand some of his artistic choices in the rest of the decade.


    Join Mike and Nathan as we explore this turbulent time in Prince's life and art.

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    1 hr and 35 mins
  • [Love Symbol] (1992)
    Nov 18 2025

    Forget reading the morning papers, Mike and Nathan break down Prince's most ambitious recording project yet, 1992's simultaneously amazing and frustrating [LOVE SYMBOL].

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    2 hrs and 4 mins
  • 3 Chains o' Gold
    Jul 3 2025

    Fans earnestly debate how Prince's early 90s work stacks up against his 80s golden period, but there's little disagreement that his cinematic output was a straight arrow down -- from the exhilarating heights of Purple Rain, to the lovable oddity of Under the Cherry Moon, the clunky Graffiti Bridge, and finally here: the largely embarrassing 3 Chains o' Gold.


    3 Chains might be tough to defend as a movie, but it helps us understand where our hero is at -- artistically, professionally, personally -- as he moves into his 36th year...

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    1 hr and 37 mins
  • Diamonds and Pearls - The music videos
    Dec 29 2024

    By 1991 the music video as a commercial and artistic medium was in full flourish. Could Prince -- master of the recording studio and stage, and sometime movie star -- compete with music video powerhouses Michael Jackson and Madonna? Or were his DIAMONDS AND PEARLS era videos early signs of his anti-commercial instincts?

    Join Mike and Nathan for a conversation about every single official (and unofficial) D&P music video, including confirmation of their thesis that Diamonds & Pearls is Prince's Gulf War album.

    NOTE: all videos discussed should be easy to find on YouTube -- viewing these ahead of time is recommended.

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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • Diamonds and Pearls - the Bonus Tracks
    Nov 30 2024

    Prince may have been departing his true "golden period" by 1991 but he was as prolific as ever.


    Mike and Nathan take a deep dive through the vault (aka the DIAMONDS AND PEARLS SUPER DELUXE box) to carve out bonus albums from the dozens of tracks left on the floor of Paisley Park.



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    1 hr and 26 mins
  • Diamonds and Pearls (1991)
    Aug 1 2024

    Don't call it a comeback? After two soundtrack detours in 1989 and 1990, Prince returned in 1991 with his first proper album since LOVESEXY with DIAMONDS AND PEARLS.


    Recognizing that hip hop was no fleeting fad while also dipping his feet into smooth adult contemporary sounds, the Purple One entered his 34th year with a brand new band, all new material, and determined to stay on the cutting edge. How does D&P hold up? Listen as Mike and Nathan break it down.


    (Jump to 50:00 for album talk)

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    2 hrs and 12 mins
  • Graffiti Bridge - The Motion Picture (1990)
    Jun 24 2024

    Rival Michael Jackson may have been the king of the music video, but in the 1980s Prince was a bone fide movie star.

    As the 90s dawned, Prince -- and his fans -- were into some choppy waters with the release of GRAFFITI BRIDGE.

    Join Mike and Nathan as they explore this endlessly frustrating and fascinating film and ponder how Prince's movie career might have taken a better turn.

    (Jump to movie discussion -- 19:00)

    Renaldo and Clara: https://www.cinefilevideo.com/renaldoandclara

    House of 1,000 Corpses trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbRRD-cD7h4

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    1 hr and 21 mins