What if Prince decided to make one last album and then split?

Prince has been recording music for three decades and has many classic songs and several classic albums full of his legendary creativity and genius to show for it. But what if Prince came to a decision and said he wants to get married, have kids, be a committed father and devote all of his time for example being a minister, proselytizing the word of the New Translation for the Jehovah Witnesses and got out of the industry for good. What kind of music would he play and perform to end his recording career for good? Funk, rock, gospel, jazz or a mixture? It would be like him being Funk Emeritus and letting the new generation of cats build on his legacy. Personally, I would like to hear this so-called jazz CD he's recording with Rhonda, John, and Renato and see in an authentic environment where improvisation and spontenity makes or breaks musicianship would he be willing to let "mistakes" fly and leave imperfections instead overproducing or cutting around songs like he did in the past.

if he wants to make one last album and then retire and settle down, i truly would be happy for him!

I don't think Prince can do the splits anymore.

bashraka said:

squirrelgrease said:

I don't think Prince can do the splits anymore.

It would have to be good, after he should go out with a bang, rather than a whimper. I am thinking Sign o the Times meets The Gold Experience soul with some Purple Rain rock and 1999 Electronica. That would be a great album. But we will probably get Musicology/Lotusflow3r type nu jazz and soul again (Ho hum)

Oh I should add, at least 14 full length songs (None of this 9 or 10 song crap, no filler, no skits, instrumentals or segues, every song must be at least 3 minutes long and no bimbo shots, just pure Prince genius. Now that would be asking too much
[Edited 10/29/09 1:15am]

until his Maker calls him, Prince is going nowhere...he has too much music inside of him and he cannot keep it inside; for this reason, i am glad he is independent, because we keep getting treats from his side.

After a decade of let downs on record I wouldn't be too bothered at this stage. In fact I would definitely trade new material for the vaults opening up a steady stream of outtakes, live CDs and DVDs.

Dsoul said:

MyLawd said:

I understand that Prince won't stop making music but it comes a time when any musician as prolific as him says, I gotta take some time to myself and live life, enjoy marriage (if he gets married again), raise kids, get away from the industry (performing shows/dealing with record execs). In this scenario, I would like to see him follow through with the jazz album. The "Sign O' The Times", "Gold Experience" has been been done. Can't get that time back. I believe it when Prince said he wants to include things in his work that he hasn't done, and that jazz album if executed well, would be the perfect cap.

Nothing last forever and tomorrow is not promised to anyone, I'd wish him well.

squirrelgrease said:

I don't think Prince can do the splits anymore.

Hard, cold Minneapolis style funk with no horns or jazz influences. But unlike the "MPLShit" album, it needs to contain real drums and bass (just like it did from 1978-1984) and it needs to have absolutely NO current or shit hop influences, sounds, or slang whatsoever. Not a even a tiny little bit, but NONE. Since that will never happen, he just needs to release some unreleased stuff from the vault from those years and call it a day.

Prince will not stop making music until he is no more.

last album? Dirty, erotic and nasty I am just dreamer

LaAmi said:

last album? Dirty, erotic and nasty I am just dreamer

ernestsewell said:

squirrelgrease said:

I don't think Prince can do the splits anymore.

MFer can barely walk without wincing.

squirrelgrease said:

I don't think Prince can do the splits anymore.

may the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows...

Dsoul said:

Dsoul said:

ernestsewell said:

one last album then focus on other producing other acts, writing a memoir, putting together a stage play based on Purple Rain and two more world tours. Yes,,,the way it should be.

" LOVE YOU 4EVA GRANDMA LOLA, WATCH OVER US TILL WE MEET AGAIN. PRINCE: WH3N U L3T TH3 RAIN FALL DOWN, TH3Y ALL GONNA G3T W3T!

The only way I could honestly say I wouldnt care if he retired would be if he opened the vault. If he would release the songs and videos, then yes...I could accept his retirement wth a smile.
Last I heard the vault was around 3,000 songs. The average album is 10 songs. So do the math. 300 albums worth of music! Yes, I know alot of those songs are probably bad, but Even if 25% of those songs were good thats still 750 songs! When I think about that, I almost would rather him retire if it meant we would get the vault released.

If he were to become a minister, he would be like Al Green. He would continue to make music and ministering.

kimrachell said:

if he wants to make one last album and then retire and settle down, i truly would be happy for him!

I think Prince could get fed up and say "That's it!...I'm splittin' the music scene." Yet then as he's walking on a spiritual mountain top...Rhythm and Melody will be bubbling up inside him. He's got the music disease and there's no music MD. And long live the music man. xo

If he did,

He should do a triple album

1st album consisting of musicians singers band proteges from the 1980's
2nd album consisting of musicians singers band proteges from the 1990's
3rd album consisting of musicians singers band proteges from the 2000's

I would tell him that he would making a mistake.
You can't just desert music like that. How would he express himself? He doesn't know otherwise, in my opinion.