re: PEGASUS

if u blieve...u're never 2 far from home

love

..."and never africa, tour"?

love


"14554 21 11911, anji...14554 21 11911?"

love

"...on the other hand the mplications of the PEGASUS symbolism r 'multi2dnus', but all will draw their own CONclusions?"

"thusly, Flying! White Horse? no!, but
"Flying white horse? yes...understood? nsert 'Prince' n either sentence, and u get 2 very different, albeit possible, perspectives."

eye no u new that one already, Anji.
it's no secret.

love

"wake up, anji, eye think eye have something 2 say 2 u..."
PEGASUS

.
[This message was edited Tue Jan 6 6:00:57 PST 2004 by Anji]

And that would be? ..."life of the party"...

love
Anji

.
[This message was edited Sun Dec 21 5:15:50 PST 2003 by Anji]

Anji said:

Don't make me say it, Anji!

Anji said:

Anji said:

...REVELATION, reveals the truth...

To clarify: never once had existed any form of communication between Him & I. In reality, everything has been a test between You & I.

Many were called upon, but only 5 souls were chosen - Brendan, Supernova, Moonbeam, Jestyr & Teller. Do not despair, other spirits will be summoned for their counsel incl. rdhull, Lammastide, JediMaster, SensualMelody, and an old friend of mine, youngsoulrebel, to name but a few.

The psychology of funk, spirituality, religion, art, love, and life, is our examination. As with most extraordinary things, nothing was planned; it just happened.

genius, a gift of GOD: "... a cure for the sickness ..."

love,
from India

(Goddess Lakshmi is very close to my heart)

P.S. Where's BorisFishpaw when you need him?!

Subject: orgNote "What do you think?" read
Sent: Wed Oct 29 2003 10:50am

The orgNote you sent to AlexHahn with subject
"What do you think?" was read on Wed Oct 29 2003 10:50am.

Hi Anji.

We're writing an academic thesis - BorisFishpaw, Giotto and I. It's come to fruition with the help of 5 others - Brendan, Supernova, Moonbeam, Jestyr and Teller - although I'm not entirely sure they were aware of their positive influence at the time. It includes contributions and ideas from many others, a few of whom are listed above (and of course, subject to approval). To clarify: it's independent of Prince, his organisation, or any other establishment incl. Uptown (I've never purchased any of their work, but from what I've heard, and briefly read, their 'logical' approach doesn't interest me). As such, it's an extremely difficult task to manage due to copyright law, and as you can imagine, the psychology of such matters.

Most of what I have been contributing on my threads, and in my orgnotes to a select number of people, have been experimental, private thoughts between friends of mine, business and psychology coaches. The variety of your responses have provided me with enough fuel to understand what is, and isn't possible, and with whom. More importantly, they have shaped my ideas in ways I hadn't imagined, and as such, have proved invaluable to the overall objective: to respectfully approach the psychology of an artist such as Prince.

The single, most important lesson I have learned is that it is futile trying to win people over. Generally speaking, I find that people are going to think of you what they will, and that this is usually based on their own issues with themselves, the world they inhabit, and the limits of what they choose to believe. "It's always been your choice as to whether you have been reading any of my work, and it continues to be your choice how you wish to respond to it." Interestingly, genius, a gift of GOD, was being written since March this year whether I, or anyone else, realised it at the time or not. It's's another matter entirely as to whether the finished article will be available for everyone to read. I certainly hope so, as it is my intention to publish this thesis. One thing's for sure, it's been thought-provoking on both sides of the fence.

PEGASUS, whoever you are, I like the way you think...

love
Anji

.
[This message was edited Wed Dec 24 4:08:09 PST 2003 by Anji]

pres·ti·dig·i·ta·tion (presti-diji-tashun), n.

Performance of or skill in performing magic or conjuring tricks with the hands; sleight of hand.
A show of skill or deceitful cleverness.

[French (influenced by "prestigiateur," juggler, conjurer, from prestige, illusion), from "prestidigitateur," conjurer : "preste," nimble (from Italian presto. See presto) + Latin "digitus," finger; see digit.]

Chalk another one up for Anji: art lover, fellow traveler, visionary... magician.

The obscured truth and questionable research practices aside, maybe this should stand as a lesson from Anji and to those who were "caught up": The real magic, inspirational genius and wonderment is always in our own heads. Whom we allow to wield it -- Prince, Anji or ourselves -- is largely up to us.
Lammastide

I think it is fine to get inspiration and insight from an artist's music. However, I do think you should be careful to elevate anyone. Prince is a human being, and while he may be able to lend you insights, he is also just as likely to make horrible mistakes like the rest of us. If you follow another human being, you are likely to be dissapointed. There is a fine line between learning from a person, and putting them into some worshipful status. You should seek insight and wisdom from all around you, and not trust all of your life's developments to one person. I do think that many people become way too worshipful of their favorite musicians, actors, writers, etc. I've even been guilty of it myself in the past. It leads to an inevitable fall, when the person you're fixated on winds up making a very human mistake.
JediMaster

...for some people when they look back at certain points in their lives they realize what got them through whatever they were going through, although they don't always realize what's getting them through it as it's happening. It's like an epiphany in retrospect. I completely understand this. As kids, and even young adults sometimes, we're still in the process of finding ourselves, so to speak. Everybody gravitates to what they relate to, even if they can't pinpoint the tangibles of exactly why they relate to it at the time that they're in the process of becoming an independent spirit of their own. And all independent spirits have been heavily influenced by someone, or something, or both.
Supernova

Nowadays, he's my equal; a peer I've never met.
Teller

Of course, facts just are. It's questions that really get the mind reeling. The eternal question of differing viewpoints. Can you respect and appreciate the work of those whose 'truth' differs from your own? Can knowledge of a persons politics or beliefs alter your appreciation of their music or art?
...Should it?
BorisFishpaw

.
[This message was edited Sun Dec 21 5:52:16 PST 2003 by Anji]

PANDURITO said:

The "I" or self as distinguished from the selves of others;
the individual's mental states and sensual experiences, as known through direct introspection.

psychoanal.that part of the psyche that is conscious, experiencing,
and reacting to the outside world, and thus acting as the id's unconscious
primitive impulses and society's expectations; self-esteem; self-concept.
SensualMelody

.
[This message was edited Sun Dec 21 5:40:57 PST 2003 by Anji]

It's difficult to be Ian Walton Renner. I don't mean to make it out to be more difficult than anyone else's experience, but life is hard, demanding, confusing and tough at times. During those times, people have a variety of outlets to vent frustration, seek counsel and escape. Prince's music has served all three roles for me. I don't mean to make Prince out to be a God or a savior, but through his music, he has helped me in a significant way. Through "1999," "Sign o' the Times" and "Lovesexy" among others, I discovered who I was and for what I stood. I learned why I felt certain ways, etc. It just took Prince to express it. I don't mean to place too much emphasis on Prince's music, but it really has played a significant role in my growth, thoughts and confidence. It has been my sole refuge at times and my most loyal friend at others.
Moonbeam

There is no point arguing why 1999 is my favorite album as taste is entirely suggestive. This is going to be more of a reflection of why I think it is THE greatest album ever.

"1999" was incredibly relevant at the time and its messages loom large today as well. In 1982, the world was in a mess. AIDS was festering in Africa. The Soviet Union and the USA were entrenched in the frigid Cold War. The tension in the Middle East was augmented. The world's economy experienced an enormous crash, rendering several countries in South America and Africa paupers in the world market (many of which have not recovered). Who wasn't worried about the troubled times? "1999" tunes in perfectly to those fears. The title track is a viciously funky premonition of not only the current state of affairs, but things to come. Prince really tapped into his view of the future with this album. The foreboding messages of the title track are echoed in future classics like "Let's Go Crazy" and "Crystal Ball," but none are as timely nor as timeless as "1999," which is funny as "1999" is tied to a specific date.

"1999" also reigns supreme due to its paradoxes. Whether it be Prince clamoring, "I'm in love with God, he's the only way" in juxtaposition with "I sincerely want to fuck the taste out of your mouth" in "Let's Pretend We're Married," the dedication of a sexual thrust to "love without sex" in the midst of the passion of "Lady Cab Driver" or the sonic paradox of "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)," a song literally being torn apart by the opposing forces of order in the form of the computerized synth and turbulence in the passion of Prince's guttural screams and the beat which is systematically chaotic, Prince was clearly functioning on a new level with this album, not just personally, but in music as a whole. Nothing previous to this had been as irreverent as "Let's Pretend We're Married," only to turn a complete 180 and declare love of God. Nothing prior to this had seen a song effortlessly blend the primitive outburst of screaming and the forward-looking sound of "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)." What was this guy thinking?

"1999" also earns the award because it breaks so many formats. The smash singles are all placed at the beginning of the album, after which it meanders into much darker, experimental territory. The outburst of raging, swaggering funk in "Let's Pretend We're Married," "DMSR," "Automatic," "Lady Cab Driver" and "All the Critics Love U in New York" are stunning not because they are so drawn out (all but "All the Critics" are over 7 minutes in length), but because they still seem concise. Not a beat was misused, not a measure was misplaced. Speaking of "All the Critics Love U in New York," this song stands out not only as the most experimental song in Prince's career, but among the most experimental music of the modern era. Supremely funky, Prince turns a swipe at critics and hippies alike into a nasty, frenetic, rhythmic explosion over seemingly disinterested, lazy half-rapping.

"1999" has a distinct sound. The entire album is tied together by a common sound, with instantly recognizable beats, synths and attitude. Despite this bond, the songs are easily distinguishable from each other. Regardless, no song on "1999" can be mistaken for being on any other album. I believe that albums work best that stretch the palate of one sound as far as it can go. "1999" is arguably Prince's most minimalist work, employing few instruments in the mix, yet it propogates a dense fog of funk that sounds both sparse and forebodingly full. Prince pushed himself to his creative limit with this album and the outtakes most associated with it. Prince incorporates inexplicable gurgling sounds, elephant noises, soldier footsteps and city noises into the mix and they perfectly fit the scheme of the music, sounding as if they were recorded for the sole purpose of inclusion on this album. Other albums also are deeply rooted with a single sound, but none, with perhaps the exception of David Bowie's "Low," Prince's "Lovesexy" and Bjork's "Vespertine," involve as much creativity. "1999" is a black beacon of foreboding funk.

"1999" also rules the rest because it was recorded by an incredibly gifted artist on the brink of superstardom. This was the LAST music Prince recorded before becoming a bonafide mega-star. It exhibits all of the hunger, drive and determination of the first four releases, but it adds a confident swagger and a new maturity as well. This was Prince's rite of passage into manhood. Prince KNEW this music was legendary and stood out on its own. It didn't need any gimmicks- it didn't need Prince to grace the cover in some provocative pose. The music spoke for itself. Anything recorded after "1999" was created by someone who was already a household name. "1999" came from a relative unknown, making it all the more surprising.

Lastly, "1999" is so stunning because it is entirely the work of one man. Certainly, studio engineers were involved in the mix. Prince even includes "the Revolution" for the first time on this album. However, Dez Dickerson's influence is nowhere on this record. It's not Matt Fink's vision. This album is 100% Prince himself. Not only does Prince unveil all of his cards in this release, he turns them over in your face, making them impossible to ignore. This album is the culmination of his genius, the pinnacle of an artist whose talent is unrivaled by anyone of the modern era.

I rest my case.
Moonbeam

...The transitional drumming from New Position to I Wonder U to UTCM. He supposedly did all the drumming for three songs in one take.

The bass on New Position..sweet

The slow groove of I Wonder U..and the ending of it with that heaviness...and that muted horn throughout..and the girls laid back vocal...and the geetar picking at the very end

In UTCM where Prince goes "thats alright" in the breakdown bridge..and U can hear the horns having a field day with headphones

How Girls and Boys has that push me pull you rubbery bottom like Bowies Fame. When the girls sing I Love U Baby, I Love U so Much--damn!The kazoo keyboard and the linn drum "kuhh!" sound at the end

how Life Can Be So Nice starts up real fast and has that "kah" sound at the beginning with the keyboard lines..then it stops when Prince starts to sing...when he says "Kisses never lie" it all starts up again--this is Roadhouse Garden material--really. Then near the end it all comes crashing together with the vocals going wild! the drums live being played furiosly, then it ends

how Venus just pops up giving the sense of having just reached climax and now your laying there letting it happen...and the mournful horns polaying near the end--I picture an overcast dock when they play..and that last piano key played

then the very best part is the opening of Mountains..that linn drum making it like rubber and the "puhc puck' sounds interlaces throughout the fake heavy drums...the falsetto--nice and "dry"...the part that says "the sea would one day overflow with all your tears, and love will always leave ya lonely"..the ethereal choir (or is it synth) that gets higher in register...the horn blasts like staccato keyoard synths..the break fucking down...the part where he says "guitar and drums on the one, huh!"..then the guitar strumming..slurp..then part where he goes "and the girls say/sing"...

the bass seprated in Do U Lie...when he says "mama mama" or something like that..and when he comes back for the bridge and says "when I lie..."

the JB geetar lick that opens Kiss..almost like a reverse of when Venus starts, inside out..the push push sound like moving furniture...the denseness of the production..sounds like its "air tight"...the drum sound and that synth tha spounds like nothing else...the wah wah geetar part..saying Dynasty, one of the only few pop culture references hes ever used..the ending geetar licks like its being strangled

the droning strains of Anotherlover..and the drums beating like they're waitng for something..then the boom of the piano and sludge...the bottomness of the whole song..his lackadaisical singing..(this song is POP Life inside out btw)...how the girls etc sing with Prince a few beats behind then it all comes together for the chrous after the second verse...the geetar strains in th e bridge..and when he says "baaad"...thers gonna be a riot and when they say that thers that piano key rise real quick


Sometimes Snows In April..The "ahs ahs oh ohhhs", the tuba sounding Prince singing with that first ones..then the real horn blwoing...the strumming of the acoustic...the chorus voices mixed on the title part and when they sing "sometinmes I feel so bad"...when he says "now looking at his picture I realize"...
rdhull

What follows is a hybrid of sorts; part review, part listing of my favorite musical moments, part general observations, part thinking out loud as to the possible story locked inside this musical work. And it seems somewhat logical to do it this way, as this album sounds like a hybrid of live improvisational jamming on loosely sketched-out blueprints and after-the-event studio wizardry that brought it all into a cohesive, deliberate, mostly premeditated whole.

“North” Highlights and Musings:

1) I like its overall unforced, serious-but-laid-back, organic charm.

2) So smooth and chilled out that it makes for the perfect antithetical complement to the album’s feverish closer.

3) It feels spot on at nearly 14 minutes. Not like a 4-minute track stretched out beyond purpose, or even 3 or 4 pieces molded together like we’ll hear later.

4) The near flawless nature of the composition that seamlessly melds the worlds of jazz, ambient, funk and rock. This is a very original piece that beautifully preps the vibe for what’s to follow. There are certainly traces of “North” in past Prince music, but he’s never been this successful or natural in pulling it all off.

5) The little quirks that are added here and there, like being able to hear the clacking of Eric Leeds’ sax keys at one point.

6) The train-whistle synths at 1:00 that signal the oncoming sax.

7) The way the conflictive sounds of the mystical strings and the gravel-throated guitar intertwine at 3:10.

8 ) The anguished guitar that peeks and pokes about before becoming “North’s” stunning centerpiece at 6:19.

9) The calming piano at 8:58 that caresses us back to health after the onslaught of melancholy.

10) Leeds’ sweetly coaxed butterfly sax notes at 11:38 that appear to give rise to the north wind.

11) The barren north winds that blow us out of the experience. A cry from a whale or a wolf can be heard in the distance at 12:43 and again at 13:14. It feels cold and lonely here. Snow blowing, causing a whiteout. Waves crashing against the icy shore. We long for some warmth, energy, neighbors, kinship.

“East” Highlights and Musings:

1) The musical changes and transitions, the challenge, the complexity and the experimental vibe of the entire piece. Nothing Prince had done previously -- outside of perhaps the avant-garde “Cutz” from “Kamasutra” -- could have prepared you properly for this.

2) The “steel-drum” sound that eventually persuades the snake-charming flute out of its comfort zone. Are the natives being seduced out of their homeland?

3) The drum breakdown that foretells of building strife.

4) The angered metal guitar thrusts like that of a powerful army surging forward to stomp out rebellion, matched by oriental key figures that build in fervency and incite anxious, circling, hornet’s-nest guitar, and a sax that answers in kind. The pieces most troubling, most hostile, most intense moment. Colonialism pushing eastward? Communism forcing its hand in China and southeast Asia? Perhaps just the general and constant unrest in the region?

5) The nice transition from the powerful entangled sounds of west-meets-east-without-an-invite through the use of funk guitar that leads us straight into a wall of modern jazz, and later fusion with intensified sax that’s matched by gurgling organ and more funky guitar.

6) The irresistible combination of chicken-scratch guitar at 10:03 and the deeply funky baritone sax that it conjures.

7) Perhaps the sounds of the last gasps of a once great army’s influence slowly being deflated at 11:07. Listen in particular to the sounds at 12:02, that’s the same aggressive rock surges heard earlier. But this time they come across as weakened and in retreat. Is this the resistance giving out or the occupying force?

8 ) The standup electric double bass solo that stirs memories of the middle-marker breakdown in John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”. The aftermath of war? Digging out from under foreign rule?

9) Bringing the piece to a sober place of mourning with only the sad, lonely strings of the sitar. Perhaps grieving the current war-torn nations of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel/Palestine, to name but a few?

“West” Highlights and Musings:

1) The opening 3:30 that nearly packs the aching, bittersweet beauty of “Purple Rain” or “Just My Imagination”. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to hear this turn up on a future project as a fully structured gospel/blues/rock/soul anthem.

2) After the harsh complexity of “East”, starting the “West” off in a more soulful and accessible direction seems just what the doctor ordered.

3) At 3:58 is that Columbus and his boys that can be heard sailing west in search of riches or the slave ships bringing over the human riches that will build much of the west?

4) The striding and soulful neo-Madhouse groove that is the “West’s” mid-section, delivering a strong sense of purposeful adventure. It feels as if we’re on a journey into the unknown, yet still confident and hopeful of what lies ahead.

5) Eric stepping proudly forward at 7:36 and delivering a statement funky enough to inspire a hip-hopper who has never even cracked a jazz album.

6) The way in which at 8:31 the groove immediately turns deadly serious with the introduction of Prince’s shrieking guitar that later gets squeezed out urgently in energetic licks of stinging pain until the whole piece slows down and settles in a dark place of utter depravity. Is this the slavery era in America and some of its aftermath? This section just shreds the soul. It’s like you’re being chained and whipped. One of the most starkly poignant passages in Prince history.

7) You almost get lost in each piece but there is always something at the end to snap you back to reality. On “West” it’s the drum rolls and sitar strings that signify the passing of another time and space. It feels as though we’ve mined everything we can out of this experience and so we knowingly shift our attitudes towards one of parting. But you can’t help but feel a great weight and regret for that which has passed as we roll onward to the pieces final movement.

“South” Highlights and Musings:

1) Is that the Mothership landing on the “South” (or perhaps Prince’s version of Parliament’s Mothership, a whale with it’s soothing, discerning, cognitively omnipotent sounding cries, howls, whistles and songs), sent to deliver the enslaved from pain through the healing and understanding power of music? This could perhaps signify the staggering contribution to 20th century music of Black Americans that came directly out of the pain of hundreds of years of slavery. Music that has been and will be helping people of all races, cultures and creeds in good times and in bad for hundreds of years to come. Perhaps there’ll never be another artistic period so astonishing as the one which saw the creation of jazz, blues, R&B, soul, funk, disco/dance and rap, with huge contributions in gospel, rock & roll and eventually a majority holding on that which becomes pop.

2) It’s almost as if the Mothership is sending a perceptive beam of inspirational energy directly to Rhonda’s bass, moving her fingers to the fore with a bass line that sets the tone for perhaps the funkiest moment of our entire journey.

3) The section of long lament that is encouraged by the still fluttering Mothership. Could this signify the brutally prolonged struggle from 2/3rds human status to equality? And this too shall pass.

4) About 8:44 when the piano enters and the slow, mournful dirge starts to deliberately build into modern jazz ecstasy, eventually made climactic with the inclusion of dueling other-worldly guitar and sax exhalations at 10:00 that reach Charlie Parker-like spirituality. This just might be the album’s watermark. Upon first listen I was disappointed that Prince did not go completely interstellar on guitar. But upon further reflection of the piece as a whole, the explosion is perhaps tempered properly at just beneath boil until complete freedom and equality is a reality for all (North, East, West, and South).

5) The moody and bittersweet strings encountered at 12:00 that softly move us toward closure on waves of breathtaking emotion.

6) The piano that offers a solemn serenade to the purring Mothership poised for liftoff (or decent back into the hidden depths of the ocean). We’ve come a long way. We have a long way to go. Can we all come together or will we continue to fight and hate? Is this the end or merely the beginning of a whole new era?

General Highlights and Musings:

1) The most amazing overall impression I get from listening to this album is that Prince has finally found his natural instrumental voice. And the result is a wonderful fusion of all that he was and all that was before him. It’s no longer like, “Oh, listen to the amazing ability of the rock/pop/soul man trying his hand at new things. Isn’t that nice and different and good for a rock/pop/soul man?” Now it’s like, “Oh, this makes complete sense.”

2) Perhaps this project was inspired in part by Prince jamming with his band on his last tour (see: “Tokyo”, “Copenhagen”, “Nagoya” and “Osaka”.)

3) There are many wonderfully toned keyboard synths scattered throughout this work. Think 70’s soul with a 21st century freshness.

4) The production is so right on that even the sound effects come across as purposeful. None of that plastic quality that has at times tainted Prince’s sound.

5) I like the silence at the end of each track that acts as a palette cleanser before each new taste.

6) A couple of the transitions – especially the first one out “West” -- are not as wonderfully inspired as the pieces they connect. But that flaw diminishes somewhat with familiarity.

7) A very visual/cinematic work. I can see a interpretive dance piece being produced for this music. And of course it would include Prince, his band and a string section laying low and playing live in the orchestra pit.

8 ) Defies categorization. To call “N*E*W*S” jazz is no more accurate than calling “SOTT” funk. There is truth in both labels. But there is also great disservice.

9) No doubt a terrifically talented quintet of world-class musicians. Everyone of the five players gets their time to stretch and shine. But Prince and Eric are most definitely the show. If Eric’s part was mostly his own voice -- and I suspect that it was -- this is a strong candidate for the greatest contribution/collaboration to a Prince project ever.

10) There are many small details scattered throughout that keep the experience richly rewarding. And the journey is a diverse one, allowing for plenty of time to think, plenty of time to relax, plenty of time to fret, plenty of time to groove, plenty of time to regret, plenty of time to expect, plenty of time to feel, plenty of time to hurt, and plenty of time to heal. And as is true almost always with Prince, no matter how angered, troubled, depressed or stressed the music gets, he always finds a way to end it with some level of hope and resolution.

Summation:

“N*E*W*S.” is a mature, nuanced, progressive, exhilarating work of art. Many years from now it perhaps gets viewed as the stunning achievement that it is relative to Prince’s oeuvre; or at the very least, the path that led Prince into territory that kept him an important voice in music well into his seventies.
Brendan

I want to share something with you. I’m from a very musical family. My father is a bass player, guitarist and vocalist, been a musician all of his adult life, is now in his sixties and told me that one thing he’s learned after all these years of playing music for a living is that for the creative person that plays music and wishes to progress, there is nowhere else to go but into jazz. Simple as that. The reason he says is that once you learn to write and record simple funk, pop or rock songs and learn all the structures and different ways to present them, it becomes a box. Limiting. Especially if you do it well. There is no envelope to push. No new landscapes to discover. No way to expand on your vocabulary. Until you go to jazz. I never really understood jazz until he explained that you must listen to jazz as if it were a conversation between the instruments. Each instrument has its voice and a sentence or paragraph to say, sometimes, like us, they talk over each other, but the main thing to remember is that it is a conversation of the moment. Abstract. So it can still present surprises for the musicians during the performance. Pop music limits you to always returning to a phrase or chorus; repetitive; more like an oration where the idea has already been presented, now it is simply being reiterated over and over.

Many great musicians end up with some sort of jazz period. I will use the example of Joni Mitchell - one of Prince’s favorites. After some wonderful albums of very structured songs in mostly the folk music genre, she took a year off and returned with “Court and Spark” a collaboration with the LA Express, a jazz-based group of players. This was the beginning of her foray into the genre and pretty much culminated in her collaboration with Charles Mingus. As a result of these excursions, She was horribly ghetto-ized by both the jazz purists, who felt she wasn’t crating ‘real jazz’ and her existing fan base who felt she wasn’t ‘doing the music she was best at’. I am sure Prince is quite bemused to be in the same circumstance at this point in his musical journey. A creative musician creates for their own sense of understanding of themselves and their internal human struggle to be understood. Not for some fan base, nor the critics and not always for other musicians although there are exceptions to all of these. Mostly, it’s Prince’s journey and if we can tag along then - wow. Bonus for him. But we are not owed some musical equivalent of an investment return. We do not have the ability to dictate to this person what type of material he records, and we should be ashamed to desire such a thing. How can an artist create from their muse in such an environment? This is the very reason Prince fought so hard to be released from record label controls.

We the fans don’t even agree on what kind of music we enjoy in general, let alone what we prefer from Prince. Specifically in regards to N.E.W.S., the criticism is baffling. I was particularly struck by comments that this is not new music and has been done and heard before and apparently there is a great misconception about what the phrase “New Directions in Music” means to Prince. It’s simply a new direction for Prince. He is not saying this is brand new music never before beheld. There also seems to be this implicit misunderstanding between Prince and his fans that some day, because he is a genius with a capital G, he will create some sort of brand new music such as the world has never heard before and revolutionize the planet with it, thus vilifying our long suffering faith in his musical mastery. I keep seeing people type things like “…music that he is capable of” or “…album that I know he still has in him”. Let me tell you, nothing created is original. Ever. That is simply not possible. All is derivative; some ideas from Lou Reed here, some concepts about arranging from Miles Davis there. And it has always been that way with Prince’s material. I don’t understand how anyone could miss that. It seems as though most people want to categorize this record as his jazz piece, but it can’t simply be put into a single category can it? It’s Prince’s version of….whatever.
Jestyr

The one main reason Lovesexy is as highly rated among fans (and more than a few critics): "Anna Stesia"...

I don't say that simply because I "like" the song...but because that one song is the centerpiece of the album, the one song which almost explains both the rest of the songs' meanings and what was most likely Prince's mindset at the time...and it dunt hurt none that the song is simply great...When Prince sings that he needs to learn to love "the right way...the only way...", and has that inner conversation with himself about what it is he truly needs to do to escape that intense loneliness..."Maybe if I were closer to something/Closer to your higher self (I don't know)/Closer to heaven (maybe)/Closer to God? (Yeah...closer to God)"...That's not bullshit tossed out, that's completely fucking sincere on every level imagineable...and it's poetic, it's profound, it's heartfelt...it's direct, and it's unlike any spiritual proclaimation he's issued before...By the time "Lovesexy" comes on, it sounds so joyous and spirited, as if whatever "conversion" he went thru in "Anna Stesia" has brought him to this revelation of "lovesexy"...

"Anna Stesia" makes you reconsider the other songs on the album, and causes you to realize that he's going thru "something" at the time of the album's creation...so I think that, along with the feel of it being a "concept album", it also gives many Prince fans a more intimate interaction with the artist and his art...Prince wasn't simply entertaining the masses with this one...he was sharing himself with us in a sense...and for hardcore fans, that makes it more "valuable" in their eyes...
wellbeyond

Maybe we miss the point. Maybe we are choosing to not see the point and rather sidestep it with another issue and make that the point.

What am I talking about? The point I speak of is music. Prince makes music and is genius doing so. He has run the entire gamut in his styles, content, and influences. When you make music, art of any media for that matter, it is a reflection of you. You cannot write about what is not inside you. Like the Bible itself states “from the heart’s abundance, the mouth speaks.” Prince has gone through a lot. He has gone through some changes along the way, as indeed we all should. If any of us are the same person we were when Prince started making music…then I don’t know what to say about you. You just haven’t grown or have been afraid to.

Prince obviously has little fear when it comes to that. He allows himself to grow. He makes no apologies for what he believes in. He never has. Some people have had problems with him and his music in the past while others cheered him. Now, those same people who cheered his expression in the past have come to jeer him as if it were some personal affront to them that he no longer holds the system of beliefs and values they felt they had an ally in. The Scriptures speak of people like Prince and others’ reaction at 1 Peter 4:4: Because YOU do not continue running with them in this course to the same low sink of debauchery, they are puzzled and go on speaking abusively of YOU

People change. When said people are artists, their art changes with them. It is not personal and it is not an intentional divisiveness aimed at one’s following. Prince has to be true to himself and what he believes. If the fan base that touted open-mindedness towards the old Prince now is no longer tolerant of the new Prince, that is pretty hypocritical. And I almost agree with the sentiments above, ‘who needs them’? Prince, like most greats, produces art for him. The fans and following are a pleasant (sometimes) by-product. Not to say he doesn’t appreciate any and all who have supported him through the years. But, I doubt he’ll buckle under the perceived weight of some of those fans no longer supporting him for the choice he has made to serve his Creator, Jehovah.
BibleTeacher89

2the9s said:

Anji said:

Anji said:

I only came here to check out the latest on Saddam...

What's all this about then?

..... BULLSEYE!