While thinking on how slow things have been in Prince World, I realized that perhaps Prince is semi-retired. Not heading off like a hermit into a purple castle to rest, but shutdown for active business. Obviously the support for this argument is no proper album release in nearly 5 years, sporadic/short lived tours, minimal publicity.

----

For some reason, it reminds of Dylan in the 1990s. Dylan released original material with "Under the Red Sky" in late 1990. After that he only recorded two albums of traditional folk tunes until 1997's "Time Out of Mind", a remarbable, praiseworthy album. With this seven year break, Dylan was not completely inactive, but he clearly needed a break from being a songwriter.

----

I write this for two reasons: 1) Some on the Org attribute this lack of activity to "Prince has lost it". I think that semi-retirement is a different way of looking at it. Still writing some, still playing concerts some, but not with the vigor of 1978-2009. 2) After three decades of working at that level, I realize the guy deserves a rest.

---

I don't recall this being discussed recently, so I'll be interested to hear your thoughts

[Edited 11/17/13 7:34am]

he's played live gigs every year, with tours most years, and officially released some music or another every year since he started. in the current year along he's released a number of music and videos including appearances on other peoples stuff, plus live shows with two bands and tours in usa and europe, including 3 gigs at the montreux jazz festival. he's put several cds worth of music online this year alone

so he's far from being retired or semi-retired

unique said:

he's played live gigs every year, with tours most years, and officially released some music or another every year since he started. in the current year along he's released a number of music and videos including appearances on other peoples stuff, plus live shows with two bands and tours in usa and europe, including 3 gigs at the montreux jazz festival. he's put several cds worth of music online this year alone

so he's far from being retired or semi-retired

i dont get folks thnking.. they act like he did SXSW and went underground and not to be heard from again...crazy..

Everyone can make a plan.

If one can stick to the plan is another subject.

It just seems that Prince has been changing his mind moreso than ever, as of late.

What might have seemed like a great idea on one day is then put on the back burner and sometimes never returned to.

The now direct feedback via internet, I would imagine, plays a huge role in his decision making process.

Back in the day when there was none, I'm almost positive that the immediate feedback was the WB, fellow musicians, and most importantly HIMSELF.

IMHO, he needs to stop listening to what "the non-playin' mamma jammas" want to hear and delve into his own muse which made him to be the great musician/entertainer he once was.

It's still in there. He just needs to find it again.

WITHOUT OUR "HELP".

Prost!

nayroo2002 said:

Everyone can make a plan.

If one can stick to the plan is another subject.

It just seems that Prince has been changing his mind moreso than ever, as of late.

What might have seemed like a great idea on one day is then put on the back burner and sometimes never returned to.

The now direct feedback via internet, I would imagine, plays a huge role in his decision making process.

Back in the day when there was none, I'm almost positive that the immediate feedback was the WB, fellow musicians, and most importantly HIMSELF.

IMHO, he needs to stop listening to what "the non-playin' mamma jammas" want to hear and delve into his own muse which made him to be the great musician/entertainer he once was.

It's still in there. He just needs to find it again.

WITHOUT OUR "HELP".

Prost!

What makes you think he changeds hi smind.. there was never a release date put out by him of an album this year; never...

It's all good!

I'm so tired of him releasing uninspired albums year after year just for the sake of it!

[Edited 11/17/13 9:57am]

lwr001 said:

What makes you think he changeds hi smind.. there was never a release date put out by him of an album this year; never...

I'm not just talking albums. Rather projects as a whole.

I guess, like many fans, I'm a bit confused and frustrated by his "control your masters or they will control you" line of thinking.

Sure, he still puts music out there...

but, where?!

You have to go find it before it's gone again!

When it's gone, you have to find an "illegal" portal to retrieve it!

We get an official SNIPPET of a song from a show that is nowhere near my part of the world...

Does that bring anyone joy???

Constant teasing of songs and ideas on a livestream broadcast that never gets heard of again.

So, yeah.

DAY-LEE

SuperSoulFighter said:

When Prince played Paradiso, Amsterdam this year, the review in Dutch newspaper Trouw opened like this: "Sometimes you forget he's around. Months go by and you don't even think about him." If a music journo, somebody whose job it is to stay informed, writes something like that, then I guess it is safe to say Prince is keeping a low profile. (To non-fans anyway.) And Dylan also kept touring in the 90s, he did Woodstock 94, MTV Unplugged, The Travelling Wilburies, so he wasn't totally out of the picture either, so I think brookinz has a point. Dylan found his muse again by going back to his roots:blues, country. Prince seems to be doing the same with 3rdEyeGirl: back to basics. Let's hope that in his case too it will lead to a renaissance as a songwriter. [Edited 11/17/13 9:49am]

SuperSoulFighter, I made the same association of 3rdEyeGirl as a "back to basics" moment.

unique said:

he's put several cds worth of music online this year alone

Several CD's??? That's a bit of a stretch, isn't it?

You can't exactly include live soundcheck stuff as new material, in terms of new songs we've only had eight (Groovy Potential, Boyfriend, Screwdriver, BCW, Extraloveable Reloaded, That Girl Thing, Fixurlifeup and Ain't Gonna Miss U) - one of them is a reworking of an old song and another doesn't even feature Prince on vocals, so in reality, we've had six songs of original Prince material in 2013 and they're the only six we've had since 2010.

MattyJam said:

unique said:

he's put several cds worth of music online this year alone

Several CD's??? That's a bit of a stretch, isn't it?

You can't exactly include live soundcheck stuff as new material, in terms of new songs we've only had eight (Groovy Potential, Boyfriend, Screwdriver, BCW, Extraloveable Reloaded, That Girl Thing, Fixurlifeup and Ain't Gonna Miss U) - one of them is a reworking of an old song and another doesn't even feature Prince on vocals, so in reality, we've had six songs of original Prince material in 2013 and they're the only six we've had since 2010.

it's no stretch at all, and why can't you include live and soundcheck stuff? eight songs used to make an album. some artists don't release that amount of songs in 5 years and even then they have coves and most material written at least in part by others, and produced by others etc. look at the shit they pass off as an album when some cunt dies of drugs

unique said:

MattyJam said:

Several CD's??? That's a bit of a stretch, isn't it?

You can't exactly include live soundcheck stuff as new material, in terms of new songs we've only had eight (Groovy Potential, Boyfriend, Screwdriver, BCW, Extraloveable Reloaded, That Girl Thing, Fixurlifeup and Ain't Gonna Miss U) - one of them is a reworking of an old song and another doesn't even feature Prince on vocals, so in reality, we've had six songs of original Prince material in 2013 and they're the only six we've had since 2010.

it's no stretch at all, and why can't you include live and soundcheck stuff? eight songs used to make an album. some artists don't release that amount of songs in 5 years and even then they have coves and most material written at least in part by others, and produced by others etc. look at the shit they pass off as an album when some cunt dies of drugs

Oh, sorry, I thought we were talking about Prince??

Other musicians that should be considered

retired based on their 2013 output:

U2

Beck

Eryka Badu

It's interesting that Prince is being compared to Dylan. I've always found them to be similar, being from Minnesota, refusing to do many interviews but when they do it's always with something to say, and putting out a large amount of albums. I think Prince has yet to do his "Time Out Of Mind" however.

i wish prince would take a cue from 'the bootleg series'. That collection is top notch beautiful, and hugely deepens our appreciation for dylan.

He may need some time off to regroup and find inspiration again...he does deserve a break

someone said he's "released" enough material to fill 10 cds this year...where has he semi-retired??

Before the Musicology tour he said he was going to make room for something else.

^...because Prince said so!

brookinz said:

While thinking on how slow things have been in Prince World, I realized that perhaps Prince is semi-retired. Not heading off like a hermit into a purple castle to rest, but shutdown for active business. Obviously the support for this argument is no proper album release in nearly 5 years, sporadic/short lived tours, minimal publicity.

----

For some reason, it reminds of Dylan in the 1990s. Dylan released original material with "Under the Red Sky" in late 1990. After that he only recorded two albums of traditional folk tunes until 1997's "Time Out of Mind", a remarbable, praiseworthy album. With this seven year break, Dylan was not completely inactive, but he clearly needed a break from being a songwriter.

----

I write this for two reasons: 1) Some on the Org attribute this lack of activity to "Prince has lost it". I think that semi-retirement is a different way of looking at it. Still writing some, still playing concerts some, but not with the vigor of 1978-2009. 2) After three decades of working at that level, I realize the guy deserves a rest.

---

I don't recall this being discussed recently, so I'll be interested to hear your thoughts

Thing is it doesn't seem he's taking a rest at all: the guy seems to keep rehearsing and recording 24/7, and he still tours quite intensively.

man, you forgot he started to twitter this year , thats kinda sensational these days