Being a fan of Prince and the Dave Matthews Band since high school, why am I more excited about the new DMB, Busted stuff cd? After Rave and the latest ONA 33 min snippet cd, I am not optimistic in the least when a new Prince release appears. Are you still? I know, i know, corporate bad guys, con-tracts, slave owners and masters recordings, blah blah blah. GIVE ME SOME MUSIC AND DON'T RIP ME OFF. Example: I just bought, from a big evil corporate music company, the new DMB cd, for $9.99 at Best Buys. It is a FULL cd, that also comes with a second disc that is a dvd! Inside, besides lyrics, there is a catalog fold out that has membership info, it is $30 for 12 months, to be able to get tickets in advance, access to special recordings, fan gatherings, mechandise such as limited edition cds, cd roms, posters, stickers, postacards and original artwork. unLike NPG MC, there are lots of things to purchase like jackets (9), shirts (kids, women & men)(22), hats (14), cd holders, key chains, backpacks, videos, cds, song books etc. All coming out of Charlottesville, VA. I have always been impressed with the way the club and fan base was handled. What is the direction Prince is going in? If he is anti-corporate, why doesn't he make five cds and put them directly on the website for $10 each plus shipping? Hire fans to work a minneapolis store full of merchandise as above? In minni sell toboggans, ear muffs and scarfs with his name or latest cd on it. I am no marketing major but I would think if he is charge of his image and recordings, WORK IT! Who is in charge anyway???

After opening this new cd I was just so impressed and so upset at the same time. I had to come and spill. Being a friend, fan, fam, whatever, for 20 years now, I expect Prince to be at least, this good.

very good points , jihad.

I agree 100 %

This David Matthews is horribly overrated IMHO. His songs don't make sense, his voice sounds like he has a mouthful of mush, and he looks like he could use a bath.
He may have better ideas about a music club, but that would be all. Comparing he and Prince is like apples to oranges.

yeah... dave matthews has never been my cup of chowder...


in general, his music makes me gag... ever hear his cover of "all along the watchtower"... definitely the worst version i've heard...



dave matthews band

jthad1129 said:

This guy is obvious broke and/or cheap as hell. If you take advantage of EVERYTHING that NPGMC offers you get more than a mere $100 could buy you. Even if you just get the downloasds and the free CDs you get more than the hundred bucks. The membership cant be tailored to exactly what you want. Prince is more than DMB. If they make it 20 years, come back and cry about this but otherwise sht the fuck up

FamMaw said:

considering that some people do like DMB better than Prince, most of your post is unneccesary, as the original post is not focused on people's opinion on the qualiy of the music but the business aspect of their music club's and which provides a better value for their fans. seeing that you acklowledge DMB is better than Prince in this regard, all you do is come across as a bitter, whining Prince fan that has no defense of their artist but to cry "so what, Prince is still the better musician," which is debatable depending who you are talking to, and is not what was being addressed.

jthad1129 said:

and I am a marketing major and part of smart marketing is knowing when something that looks like a good idea on the surface will not render the ROI you need. Selling his image or trademarks on clothing is for a group with a fan base that is in their 20s. Prince had a mostly adult fan base from nearly 20 years of success. I am on eof them. I aint buying a stupid ass scarf because it says Xenophobiaa on it. I want the music and large quantities of it. I am the typical Prince fan and NPGMC hooked us up at the celebration with the things that we REALLY want. Not this MTV kiddie shit

BLACKMF said:

considering recieving the four cd's was dependent on paying $100, I'd say they were not free. and last time I checked, 4 cd's and two downloads did not come close to being worth $100, and it would be hard pressed to value them at nearly half of that.

so, with the remaining $50, you get the opportunity to buy tickets in advance and products, but DMB only charges $30 for this option. Prince is overcharging, compared to DMB, by $20. being a Prince fan, to me that is $20 well spent, but don't be defensive and delusional to the point that you can't see the facts of the situation as they are, which is that Prince is charging more than other bands for nearly the same type of product, which was what was brought up.

...cause dumbass said so!!!...or at least would be if I wasn't intellectually fucking Face in the ass.

I like the DMB but it is very silly to make comparisons like that. Prince has been in the business for 25 years!!! He is a legend. Let's see where the DMB stands 20 years from now.

am i the only person that doesn't know what IMHO means?

gman1966 said:

so DMB can't be considered better at providing their fans a better value for their money than Prince unless they are around for 25 years?

does anyone have a clue that what jthad1129 was saying was that DMB are providing their fans more value for their money. if you don't like DMB than 1 cent would be a rip-off, but so would it be if you didn't like Prince. the fact of the matter is if you do like DMB you don't have to spend as much money on their products, that was the fucking point, not who is the better musician, which at Prince.org the favorite in regards to that would be obvious.

pm1 said:

***
IHMO...In my humble opinion

Good points jthad1129 and dumbass (nice name ). This always seems to happen when ppl suggest their OPINIONS that another artist/groups may be providing a better deal than NPGMC. 'Fams' come out and say 'Well I don't like that artist, so it doesn't matter what they are offering'.

thanks sensualmelody.

FamMaw said:

I Agree.I like the Fiddle Player&the Drummer is alright but overall they Bore the Hell out of me.Dave Matthews can't make up His Mind if He is doing a 2nd-tier take on Paul Simon&Bruce Hornsby or a 3rd-tier Sting&James Taylor the soft stuff.DMB's Music just blares out at me&doesn't see to bring a lasting impact especially when you consider How Huge they are on the TOur Market&there Success.but that is just My Take on them.

jthad1129 said:

Actually, if Prince did this there'd be nothing but bitching, because in reality all you're doing is paying $30 for the opportunity to spend MORE money buying his stuff(a complaint aired numerous times about Prince's exclusive club merchandise)...the comments would be "Why doesn't Prince simply put all this shit up for sale without requiring us to become members of some "cult" first?"...we won't say that about ol' Dave, though...he's simply providing a cool service for a reasonable price to his fans...so the $30 is really only for the service of being able to buy concert tickets in advance...

Make a direct comparison to the NPG music club:

$30 for the DMB's club which gets you concert tickets early and access to "special recordings" and "fan gatherings" and "merchandize"...that's it...

$30 of the $100 the NPGMC charges will be set aside for the same...for access to concert tickets early...to "special recordings"(the downloads)...for "fan gatherings"(the Celebration)...and for "merchandize"(the membership area of the npgmc retail section)...

So that leaves $70 for what's left: 4 CDs of unreleased music(at least 4), entry into soundchecks, many of which were mini-concerts in themselves, included Q&A sessions and even the opportunity for some to play with Prince's band, and free entry into yet another concert by Prince in the form of aftershows...

Is it worth it??...Well, considering that your average CD from retail will cost you about $15 each, that's $60 just for the four CDs alone...if there's a 5th CD, the cost is $75...which would mean that the $100 Prince charges would be a very good deal...but for argument's sake, let's stick with 4 new CDs...that makes $60 for the CDs, $30 for the same stuff you get in DMB's club...leaving a whopping $10 dollars we members have spent for free entry into two other concerts(soundcheck and aftershows)...and since gaining entry into aftershows alone usually runs around $20--and that's not even guaranteeing that you'll get in--I'd say paying $10 bucks for the soundcheck and guaranteed entrance into aftershows is also a damn good deal...

So why, again, is the DMB's club so obviously better than the NPGMC??...I mean, I can mention dozens of ways in which Prince's music club could be better, and have...but I can also mention realistically why it's actually a damn good deal as it is...



...corrected a type, for those who care...
[This message was edited Tue Jul 16 11:29:21 PDT 2002 by wellbeyond]

finally, a voice of reason. thanks, WB.

the fact is, the value of each of the clubs in question is debatable, but that is what should be debated. dishonestly portraying the NPGMC by saying you get 4 free cd's, which really isn't the case when you paid $100 to recieve those cd's, or by saying that Prince is the better musician, which is ultimately only a matter of opinion (which I agree with), only serves to exemplify the ignorance of the person making such statements in regards to these matters. no offense intended.

personally, the NPGMC is well worth the $100 I paid for each year, but I'd never waste $30 for DMB. why? because I don't like DMB. the point that was attempted to be made, I presume, was that why can DMB appear to offer as much if not nearly as much for so much less money, that the ratio between differences between amount of money spent and benefits recieved weighs heavily in favor of DMB.

wellbeyond said:

WB, well said. I have to agree there.

But I bet DMB tours when he says he will. And avoids cryptic bollocks

SquirrelMeat said:

LOL!!...well, that cryptic bullocks would cost you at LEAST $15 extra bucks in any other artist's music club...we should all bow and give thanks to Prince for providing that nonsense for free... 8)

gman1966 said:

DMB still needs more promotion, apparently. or prince just doesn't give a darn about it. IMHO, this attitude is what makes him a real artist and not merely just some commercial 'ho...

anyway i have hardly seen anything more beautiful than the cover & liner notes of TRC.

dumbass said:

Great points, and valid ones, too...and as you said, the true value of either club--or any of the other music clubs now popping up on the landscape--should indeed be debated and compared...the thing I think DMB did the right way that Prince did not, was to break down club services provided into smaller parts, instead of making it an all-or-nothing proposition which is what Prince did...

lest we forget, the name of the club is npg MUSIC club, not npg merchandise club. Most people in2 Prince's music r just that, in2 the music, and have been for many years. it's not about how many tshirts u have and all that stuff that people get into the 1st time they go to a concert and have to buy every poster and piece of stuff available. It's about the music and opportunities to hear it up close and personal, and therefore the npgmc is a totally good deal. if u want "stuff" then go shopping on QVC.

Great! I guess the smart ones get the picture. This is not a 'Who is better' thread or 'if you like Dave Matthews or not' thread. All I was saying was that under the so-called evil major label, you must have some say so over what you give the public. Forget about the celebration because, believe it or not, some people didn't get to go, for whatever reason. They are HUGE fans and still did not get to attend. This is only a great benefit as a member if you were able to attend. Now as an independant artist Prince should be spitting out music. Major label/one or two a year. Independant artist/Rainbow Children, and 33 minute mini cd, singles?, remixes?, videos? live cd? hell- interview? anything a non-celebrationer can enjoy. Guess I'll go back to enjoy my boots of the celebration. I'm also sure the BlackMF or DumbMF also bought an Emancipation skull cap when they came out and probably a moon wrap too. Love don't hate.

To Wellbeyond. What for?

Wellbeyond said...
"...providing that nonsense for free."



That's just one. Pretty much everything you've said has been dead on!

Damn people, Do you still not get it.

$100 for the club,
that gets you these magic 4 or 5 cds

that you would have bought anyway from Best Buy for
$12.99 (you know, cause all you want is the music, dawg)

If Prince would release 4 cds in 2002, in stores at $12.99, that would be $51.96 plus tax


Now,

you also get to buy tickets in advance to the concerts.

Somehow these shows are $100 - $125 (the last 3 Prince shows I went to)

Ever went to a concert for $65? I have, it wasn't prince.

What about the people who paid $100 for the club and Prince does not come near Birmingham, AL so I don't get the soundcheck, the show, the aftershow. Z-I-P-P-O. Neither does the guy or girl in Sweden who also paid $100 and is just nowgetting a 33 min cd for $100, that he would have bought for $12.99 and still would have been pissed.

Is any of this sinking in?

Well Beyond

love ya

jthad1129 said:

What about if those same people had spent $30 to join the DMB club??...What would they have gotten for their money??...Anything, besides an opportunity to buy more DMB merchandise??..Would that same girl in Sweden--or Spain or Switzerland or Russia--have recieved any music had she paid her $30 to DMB instead of $100 to Prince??...If not, then what's her $30 getting her if DMB doesn't visit her country??...That's the real question...

Nothinbutjoy said:

Merci for the compliment, joy...

Uh...

Watch-out. Is this person a member of The Dave Matthews Band Secret Spammer Club?

Where have I seen this before? Did it take all week-end to think of this? Is it coincidental that they have a new CD being released with less promotion and industry-hype than ever?

Here's The Spam:

1)Go to a fansite. Preferably one the spammer is also asociated with..

2)Offer another artist's CD as an alternative to the subject of the fansite...

3)blah..blah..blah..


Half the (members)folks that cried about ONA went to The Celebration. They had a great time. That fire's out.

Dave Matthews is a real live band. His singing leaves much to be desired.


If The DMB needs their fans to spit on other artists' endeavors online then they must be on their way down the Billboard Pop Food Chain (which is a shame because they are a real band - not an overhyped /high school drill-team/dance squad who lipsyncs for million$.)

Nice try though.