Riverpoet31 said:

OH i wanna fuck u like an animal???? that guy?

well now thats different.

Riverpoet31 said:

agreed

Riverpoet31 said:

i think you need to read the lyrics sheet on the "year zero" album then come back and talk to me about "all surface, no substance". i mean, it's no "future baby mama" but it's deep.

Imago? You don't put KY Jelly in your hair do you?

Good for Trent and Radiohead, I love their music and wish them much success, but is anybody surprised that Prince doesn't run business in a way YOU like?
I don't think its about the money really because he could of licensed the hell out of everything he's ever done, but doesn't.
I don't think he puts as much importance or effort into new music like he use to, I think he just loves performing..... and that's where the money is now anyway.
Everybody's praising Trent for giving his music away,...but really all that does is devalue an artists work.It will work for a few iconic artists with large followings but in the long run it would just wont work.
Also, like someone else mentioned, i doubt seriously Trent and Radiohead are making as much money as Prince is nowadays.
[Edited 4/23/08 20:43pm]

Anxiety said:

violetblues said:

i disagree. i think it shows great confidence in the work to say "look, i just want people to have this and enjoy it. i don't need money for it."

now, he'd be a fool to release ALL his future music for free. after all, making music is his JOB, it's what he does for a living. but if he can afford the occasional one-off freebie, it circulates his music and it makes the fans very happy. i don't see how that doesn't work.

BartVanHemelen said:

You sound bitter.

Some of you new power butt puppets are so fucked up


Trent Reznor is not talented as Prince is with natural skill--no doubt. Can't even be argued. Not even close.


But the downward Spiral is still a stronger piece of work overall compared to anything Prince has put out the last 7 years. Sometimes, it only requires as much drive and inspiration as it does how perfect someone can construct a chord progression.

Anxiety said:

i think he meant the music

Imago said:

sorry dude but;
nonsense

Anxiety said:

I thought year zero was meh. I did like the lyrics, and some of the parts where interesting, but it just lacked something I can't quite put my finger on.

It was still better than 3121, musicology, or Planet Earth though.
But that may not be speaking to it's merits so much.

Tame said:

3121 was fucking ACE

occasional one-off freebie? yea I agree with that, That makes good sence, like "Planet Earth?..and what better way to give something away than have a newspaper pay you a million or so bucks to do so!
And on the subject of one-off freebies... isnt that what B-sides were?

Dewrede said:

oh. okay. compare "god given" to "guitar", for starters.

i must admit i haven't heard that
but i've yet to hear a song of his that's even remotely interesting or emotive to me
[Edited 4/23/08 21:01pm]

BartVanHemelen said:

Well the [Snip - luv4u] has crawled out of his hole again. Who pissed in your Corn Flakes this time Bart? Good grief.

Imago said:

I love the Downward Spiral. Its the best thing Reznor has put out, but i can't help but think you can't really compare what he does to Prince. Reznor isn't a musician's musician. He makes music 90% with computers, its vice-versa with Prince (sometimes). Prince doesn't have to rely on computers and pre-programmed keyboards and computer programs, He can do completely without them. You cant say the same for Trent. Trent doesn't make "pop music". Prince is primarily a commercial musician, not a self-loathing depressive 'counter-culture' type artist. Apples and Oranges completely. When it comes to "musicianship", "artistry", and "groundbreakingness" there really isn't any competition. There are a few Trent imitators that came out in the 90's and early 00's but he doesn't have and likely will never have the type of influence P has had on music..

And about Trent and Prince, they are 2 totally different artists. I respect Trent and his work, even though I don't know much of his work but its pointless to compare the 2. It winds up being a Trent vs Prince thing and it's unnecessary. Whether we like it or not, Prince is going to do what Prince is going to do. It may suck but we sure can't change it can we? Just enjoy their music or don't enjoy their music. Simple as that.

Dewrede said:

it's like imago said, i think that prince's intuitive talent is worlds beyond trent, but i also think at this stage in the game, trent's passion for his work and his willingness to take risks and commit to his projects is blowing the prince's work out of the water, quality-wise. and i DO think trent is a ridiculously talented recording artist, though i don't think he has a fraction of the palette to work from that prince has showed us over the years. i also believe what cam said - they're two different artists with two different (though clearly overlapping) fanbases. trent isn't trying to do with "year zero" or "ghosts" what prince was trying to do with "planet earth" or "N*E*W*S"...so it's kind of a thorny path of comparison, but in the one way i can compare them - commitment to and passion for the music they create - right now, i can't help but feel like trent's got a healthy lead.

ok , i'll try and check out some albums of his to get a better idea

so far with everyone raving about him i wanted to check out what all the praise was about but i've only heard a couple of his songs on youtube yet frankly
[Edited 4/23/08 21:29pm]

I'm sure I can't be alone on this thought.....Who in the HE** is Trent Reznor?

lezama said:

no, he wont have that type of inluence ever, true.

I think that's not what the original poster was getting at though.

But, I look at Reznor's work much like I do Beethoven vs. Mozart.
Although Mozart was able to spit songs out of his ass that were amazing and perfect, Beethoven wrote Eroica. Classical music forever changed after that.
It wasn't that Beethoven's work was better than Mozart's in the least--but Beethoven was very pasionate about his art. Before Beethoven, composers viewed themselves almost as hired help--as ghost writers almost. Beethoven was the first major composer to know that what he was writing would change history so to speak. He knew what he was doing was important.

This doesn't equate to Prince vs. Trent, but Prince's music recently certainly reflects a very talented guy ... but one coasting on autopilot Trent, on the other hand, is constantly challenging himself and his audience. You would never see Trent put out his equivalent of Planet Earth and show his face in public. it just wouldn't happen. Nor would you see him threaten to sue his fans, I wouldn't suspect.

Again, I'm not saying Trent is a better anything than Prince. He certainly isn't even in the same ballpark. But when you get a NIN album, you get a work that the musician actually cared about before he released it to you. Sometimes I think Prince farts his albums out of his ass now.

again 3121 was ace imo

Dewrede said:

ok

valid opinion

I don't how what Trent is doing has anything to do with Prince.

IMO, they've both been pioneers of using the Internet to distribute music over the web.

Prince laid the blueprint for what Trent is doing back in the mid 90's and Trent's taking what Prince did to another level.

If you read any of Trent's interviews, you'll know that Prince had a major influence on the way he does business today. He's said it himself.

He's not doing what he's doing to "kick Prince's ass". He's doing what he's doing because he doesn't want or need to use what he thinks is an outdated system.

I do think, however that artists of the caliber of Prince, NIN, & Radiohead are the only ones who can do this and be successful. They've already built huge fan bases that will follow them pretty much anywhere.

I don't think that a new artist or a less successful one can do this, however.

Didn't Trent actually refer to Prince as an inspiration a couple of years ago for opening the door on alternate marketing?!. BVH makes some very valid points but Anxiety is right when pointing out that P is all about the $£ now, i guess he always has been but now he's more obvious. What proved this was the release of F.U.N.K. instead of making it a minority listened to 'lost classic' he realised how much we loved it and guess waht?, he sticks it on ITUNES!.
No point in arguing about creative output or the point of the last tour [although 'tepid' is a very unfair description] as these arguements is always down to each persons opinion [for the record just when did P actually write a whole CD with anything worthwhile or creative rather than little gems spread across the last 3 albums!].
Whilst we can all look at Trent and wish that P followed suit don't forget that there are fans of many other artists who will look at us with envy for reasons too obvious, naturally the flipside is that other fans will look at P and think he's a total twat!. I think we all agree he's somewhere in between!!!.
My advice really is not to bother too much with P and what he does, life really is too short and there really are far too many better bands / singers out there who we can devote our energy and hard earned £ to!.

Anxiety said:

Imago said:

what are u thinkin of, prince did all this stuff already.

he made cds with sound bites specifically for djs to mix etc.

He pioneered music and digital sales way before any of the big music stores or corporations could even be bothered to have the finance meeting about it.

he must have spent shedloads of dosh building his sites. then it wasnt so easy to find web designers let alone forward thinking - good ones. they just werent around. you guys forget how 'new' the internet is, its still evolving and i think prince has decided its not for him at the moment. cant say as i blame him its all a mess.

hes just gone back to the more old fashioned way of promoting music, he plays live gigs, catch him if you can - creates a sense of seeing something special. mass marketing has just watered down peoples expectations. god people are sooo lazy.

you all expect something for nothing and given to you everyday. music aint like that.

get off yer lazy arse and go find his records, go see him play live.

thats what people used to do before the internet. fans would hunt there groups down even if it was to a crap pub somewhere. concerts were word of mouth! or by radio.

theres no mystery any more and everyones a critic - shit you go and do some recordings and see what sells!!

anyone can upload shit nowadays - its easy even for proles like us, so of course it makes sense.

he already created a web market for download music many years ago, heck prince started all of this!

yes he seems to have withdrawn from the web 'site-wise' now but so what. you can still buy his music from the web. diddums you cant get hold of videos as easily or pics to laugh at or rip apart - so what! go find the magazines or the press articles, cut em out like we used to years ago!

Prince did all of this before the advent of itunes and such stores.

Prince realised the worth of net advertising way back when - even his music reflected his interest in the net like 'www.'

he marketed his dj cds via his won cds, hes always made his music accessible to all.

as for funkyhead Im surprised you even bother coming in here considering' theres better bands to spend your money on'.