The Bream article got me thinking. it could have been written 20 years ago. I sympathize with his challenges towards record companies and radio play but I don't know what my response should be? I've never known how I could help and never will. I'm just an ordinary scmuck with ordinary problems.

The difference now, though, is that he's not releasing albums. I feel like he's holding back on the new music for more than just political reasons. He's always found a way to get the music out if he wanted. Is it the music quality? What I've heard this year sounds fine but something is obviously stopping him from pulling the trigger. I wonder if, for him, it doesn't feel that different from last year, or the year before that, or the five years before that?

There's no direction. This isn't easy to say but maybe it's time for Prince to take a sabbatical. Let the remasters do their thing then he can come back, stronger and more awesome than before.

I totally sympathized with him back in 93-96, he fought a good war against a really wrong system IMHO. Ever since I have to admit that I'm a bit tired of the constant moaning: what we have here is a man who's been free to release as much music as he wanted, the way he wanted, as often as he wanted for 18 years and what did we get? Well the first few years were great but even since it's been less and less albums years after years, on the way there have been God knows how many fiascos, from CB and ONA Live being in stores before being in our mailboxes to the lotusflow3r.com ripoff which I really took as a personal insult towards his most loyal fanbase, and more than a dozen albums announced then shelved when nothing prevented from releasing them in the first place, save maybe Roadhouse Garden and CB II.

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Don't get me wrong, one thing I've been constantly satisfied with is the music itself, I'm one of the few who've enjoyed the ride all along, from Emancipation to Superconductor.

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If doesn't like the way majors work then why keep working with them and keeping bitching about them continuously. WB, EMI, BMG, Sony, Universal... he's done them all and kept complaining all along

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So yeah OK now he has to go thru WB for the first rerelease of the old albums and one more new album, so let's do it and then if he's not happy now that he owns his whole catalogue back let's create a real online store and release both old and new material in a massive way, which was exactly what said he'd do when he'd b free to do it back in 94-95 (Get Wild intro anyone?).

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I was a premium member of NPGMC, then a "lifetime" member, then a member of lotusflow3r.com, I'll go along and buy the music if it's there to be bought. I'm not rich but I can afford a couple of new albums every month or so and I'll buy them, so cut the bloody crap and FREE THE MUSIC!!!

After having been a sought after and extremely well paid produced for a few years in the 80's, Bill Laswell became an outcaste when it came to majors in the early 90's. U don't hear him complaining constantly about that, he's too busy making music. He managed to continuously own a few labels here and there and at the same time to release dozens of other albums thru other indy labels. John Zorn solved it by having his own label which released hundreds of albums both by him and protégé acts and he too is too busy doing music to bitch about the music industry all the time. IDK exactly what wishes: the world and the whole music industry will not bend to his will and as we saw it's not because he blackmailed the world 4 years ago by saying that since music sales were now so low he'd quit releasing albums that the whole world has ceased illegal downloads just to get a new album. He wanted freedom, he got it. So what's preventing him from releasing his music? Where's Madrid 2 Chicago? Where's Plectrum Electrum? Where's Montreux 2009? Where's Milk & Honey? Where's Old Dogs New Tricks? Where's the 2000 Rosie Gaines album? Where's Madhouse 24? Where's this new "something with flutes" he wanted 2 record at some point? Where's this album he recorded in late 2010 and 2011 that Ida said was so great? Where r the follow-ups to the 2 "new directions in music" series that was started with Xpectation and NEWS? In the vault, rotting. Why? Certainly not because of WB because all they could maybe prevent him from releasing was the stuff he'd recorded while under contract with them. So who? iTunes because they don't pay advance? Screw iTunes and release the stuff yourself! Us the fans because we're bad fans? C'mon, , we love u, we want the music, give us a break and give it to us! At this point that's really all I'm asking 4: music. Lots of it. I know it's there so why not let it out?

The problem is that the music business is changing so fast now that it's very difficult to put together an effective, consistent plan for a project. You can't, really. Especially for an album. It's hard to maintain attention over a decent period of time.

Prince has released a ton of music in the last couple years. At least two albums' worth, and maybe three if you count everything you can download off YouTube or from the live feeds from last summer.

But it's strange indeed that Prince tells Bream he's into albums and not singles, yet has released basically the whole "Plectrum Electrum" album one single at a time.

As I've said many times before - this is a voyage and the captain of the ship really doesn't know where he's going or when he's going to get there. One thing's for sure though - he will always be going somewhere.

So just sit on the sun deck, soak up the rays, and enjoy each new pina colada when it comes!

all i know is 'fall in love tonight' (or whatever that dreck was called [sorry p]) was the first (u.s.) release since 'lovesexy' that i didn't purchase the day it dropped. and with the scarcity of bootlegs these days, i'm seriously getting bored with the man. and all there is here at the org is the same circular blah blah blah about hairdos and jw bs and speculation and arguing over each other's opinions.

so, yeah, i'd say critical moment. dude has seriously alienated a large segment of his hardcore fan base with a bunch of perfume and protege meh and teasing. that shit gets old after 4 years. he better drop some tangible product pretty soon, or i'm gonna straight lose interest. i'm eager to give the man some of my money.

Lets start a 100 more bitching threads about how Prince doesn't do what you want him to do.. that'll show him..

It feels like exactly the opposite tbh - Very deja vu moment of the build up to other post-(original) Warners major label releases.

That Bream article is very cool towards the new material. He's polite and maybe even flattering, but in no way is he gushing or sounding excited about the new songs he heard.

lezama said:

Lets start a 100 more bitching threads about how Prince doesn't do what you want him to do.. that'll show him..

It's so funny to me how wrong you are. Was there a reason why you bothered today?

filthyrichyuppie said:

The difference now, though, is that he's not releasing albums. I feel like he's holding back on the new music for more than just political reasons.

He ain't releasing shit because nobody wants to pay the crazy money he's demanding. He thinks he's punishing the world by not unleashing his latest masterpieces on it, the reality is that he's cheating himself out of tons of money because he still hasn't figured out that the recording industry has significantly changed, and that he isn't a special snowflake who deserves special treatment. He still thinks he's a superstar, and fails to see that his actions (e.g. not promoting records, screwing record companies,...) have finally caught up with them.

This WB deal could restore some of that, and instead here he is bitching in public. Dude is an idiot, and this behavior is clearly the result of having lived in Princeworld (copyright Kevin Smith) for so long.

BartVanHemelen said:

filthyrichyuppie said:

The difference now, though, is that he's not releasing albums. I feel like he's holding back on the new music for more than just political reasons.

He ain't releasing shit because nobody wants to pay the crazy money he's demanding. He thinks he's punishing the world by not unleashing his latest masterpieces on it, the reality is that he's cheating himself out of tons of money because he still hasn't figured out that the recording industry has significantly changed, and that he isn't a special snowflake who deserves special treatment. He still thinks he's a superstar, and fails to see that his actions (e.g. not promoting records, screwing record companies,...) have finally caught up with them.

This WB deal could restore some of that, and instead here he is bitching in public. Dude is an idiot, and this behavior is clearly the result of having lived in Princeworld (copyright Kevin Smith) for so long.

i kinda gotta agree....dude needs to embrace his icon status and just record and release, knowing he's got guaranteed sales. why is he still talking about record companies and radio? that shit's irrelevant, especially to his career.

filthyrichyuppie said:

lezama said:

Lets start a 100 more bitching threads about how Prince doesn't do what you want him to do.. that'll show him..

It's so funny to me how wrong you are. Was there a reason why you bothered today?

Im not bothered at all, just pointing out for the gazilionteenth time that its his life, let him do wtf he wants. If he wasnt to ruin his career its his prerogative, if he feels like he knows how to better manage his own career than all the arm-chair music industry wanna-be insiders on the org, again, let him. Why get worked up about it?

peedub said:

BartVanHemelen said:

He ain't releasing shit because nobody wants to pay the crazy money he's demanding. He thinks he's punishing the world by not unleashing his latest masterpieces on it, the reality is that he's cheating himself out of tons of money because he still hasn't figured out that the recording industry has significantly changed, and that he isn't a special snowflake who deserves special treatment. He still thinks he's a superstar, and fails to see that his actions (e.g. not promoting records, screwing record companies,...) have finally caught up with them.

This WB deal could restore some of that, and instead here he is bitching in public. Dude is an idiot, and this behavior is clearly the result of having lived in Princeworld (copyright Kevin Smith) for so long.

i kinda gotta agree....dude needs to embrace his icon status and just record and release, knowing he's got guaranteed sales. why is he still talking about record companies and radio? that shit's irrelevant, especially to his career.

I agree with Bart and I'll add that it's 's paradox since 1985. The guy wants to b a major superstar on top of the charts and at the same time wants 2 be an independent artist, wants recognition by the masses and at the same time underground cult status, and somehow has always been under the illusion that he can b both with the same things when it actually takes different products. U can make Madhouse or The Black Album but u won't sell many copies or u can make D&P or Batman and sell millions but u can't expect a triple Crystal Ball album being released under the name Camille selling as much as Purple Rain, or an ego-trip without a melody like My Name Is Prince to score as much as Cream. In the early 00's I thought had somewhat solved that dilemma by releasing some more experimental albums (TRC, NEWS, Xpectation, C-Note, ONA...) either thru small indy labels or by himself and giving more commercial records (Rave, Musicology, 3121, Planet Earth) to majors, I really expected him 2 go back and forth and b happy with it. It could have went on like that and worked but IDK what the hell happened, all of a sudden he started releasing albums thru newspapers and record stores chains, he created a highly expensive website and gave up on us after 2 weeks, running away with our money, and then nothing but isolated tracks and snippets online as in a bigger and bigger rejection of the whole music industry both indy, self-distributed and majors altogether. It's like he's been on a semi-strike for several years but what's the point, where is this going, and as Bart says who is he hurting save himself? has achieved cult status BOTH as a mainstream superstar and as a daring independant artist, he could just stop bothering with this, release his stuff thru the internet or small labels and every once in a while make a big coup with a major. But no, it's like he's denying the success he's achieved, like he's still stuck in the same loop he's been stuck in since 1985, the same contradictions, and it's like instead of solving those contradictions he's been blaming the world 4 not being able 2 resolve his inner conflicts. I don't know what he wants: he wants freedom and majors, he wants 2 b underground and #1 on the charts, all at the same time, all with the same records, this is absurd and who's getting frustrated in the process: us, the hardcore fanbase!

BartVanHemelen said:

lezama said:

filthyrichyuppie said:

It's so funny to me how wrong you are. Was there a reason why you bothered today?

Im not bothered at all, just pointing out for the gazilionteenth time that its his life, let him do wtf he wants. If he wasnt to ruin his career its his prerogative, if he feels like he knows how to better manage his own career than all the arm-chair music industry wanna-be insiders on the org, again, let him. Why get worked up about it?

Now you're being silly.

BartVanHemelen said:

filthyrichyuppie said:

The difference now, though, is that he's not releasing albums. I feel like he's holding back on the new music for more than just political reasons.

He ain't releasing shit because nobody wants to pay the crazy money he's demanding. He thinks he's punishing the world by not unleashing his latest masterpieces on it, the reality is that he's cheating himself out of tons of money because he still hasn't figured out that the recording industry has significantly changed, and that he isn't a special snowflake who deserves special treatment. He still thinks he's a superstar, and fails to see that his actions (e.g. not promoting records, screwing record companies,...) have finally caught up with them.

This WB deal could restore some of that, and instead here he is bitching in public. Dude is an idiot, and this behavior is clearly the result of having lived in Princeworld (copyright Kevin Smith) for so long.

True. Which is why I say he should take a sabbatical. Sit back and let the remasters do their thing. He's a legacy act now. Of course, we all fear he'll screw that up too.

I'm reminded of the UNDERWORLD news today about remastering their catalog. On the very first day of the news, they detail a 5-disc deluxe edition of the first album, letting everyone know what's on it. The following albums are all going to get the same treatment.

With Prince, the red-flags are up before any info is avail. Prince hates his fans.

LMAO at this.

Prince records what he wants, when he wants. He releases it however he wants.

He owns his masters.

He tours whenever he wants. He gets top dollar everywhere he goes. Every major festival in the world is still begging him to play.

He goes on TV whenever he wants. He appears in whatever TV show he wants, and the last time he did it. they showed it right after the Super Bowl, which is the most-watched television show in America.

He's worth a lot of money - by some estimates he is worth $300,000,000.

And you guys think he's ruined his career? You think he's screwed up? You think a man that has released more music than almost any artist in the history of recorded music hasn't put out enough stuff to keep you happy?



Quit listening to that bootlegger with a 20-year grudge against a man he's never met, and just enjoy the Prince ride.

RodeoSchro said:

LMAO at this.

Prince records what he wants, when he wants. He releases it however he wants.

He owns his masters.

He tours whenever he wants. He gets top dollar everywhere he goes. Every major festival in the world is still begging him to play.

He goes on TV whenever he wants. He appears in whatever TV show he wants, and the last time he did it. they showed it right after the Super Bowl, which is the most-watched television show in America.

He's worth a lot of money - by some estimates he is worth $300,000,000.

And you guys think he's ruined his career? You think he's screwed up? You think a man that has released more music than almost any artist in the history of recorded music hasn't put out enough stuff to keep you happy?



Quit listening to that bootlegger with a 20-year grudge against a man he's never met, and just enjoy the Prince ride.

You sound like you get something out of all this. What's in it for you?

RodeoSchro said:

LMAO at this.

Prince records what he wants, when he wants. He releases it however he wants.

He owns his masters.

He tours whenever he wants. He gets top dollar everywhere he goes. Every major festival in the world is still begging him to play.

He goes on TV whenever he wants. He appears in whatever TV show he wants, and the last time he did it. they showed it right after the Super Bowl, which is the most-watched television show in America.

He's worth a lot of money - by some estimates he is worth $300,000,000.

And you guys think he's ruined his career? You think he's screwed up? You think a man that has released more music than almost any artist in the history of recorded music hasn't put out enough stuff to keep you happy?



Quit listening to that bootlegger with a 20-year grudge against a man he's never met, and just enjoy the Prince ride.

The mere notion that he's "ruined his career" is an angry fan's delusion. Now if u put money aside he certainly ruined his relationship with his fanbase and that's a very sad thing if u ask me.

databank said:

RodeoSchro said:

LMAO at this.

Prince records what he wants, when he wants. He releases it however he wants.

He owns his masters.

He tours whenever he wants. He gets top dollar everywhere he goes. Every major festival in the world is still begging him to play.

He goes on TV whenever he wants. He appears in whatever TV show he wants, and the last time he did it. they showed it right after the Super Bowl, which is the most-watched television show in America.

He's worth a lot of money - by some estimates he is worth $300,000,000.

And you guys think he's ruined his career? You think he's screwed up? You think a man that has released more music than almost any artist in the history of recorded music hasn't put out enough stuff to keep you happy?



Quit listening to that bootlegger with a 20-year grudge against a man he's never met, and just enjoy the Prince ride.

The mere notion that he's "ruined his career" is an angry fan's delusion. Now if u put money aside he certainly ruined his relationship with his fanbase and that's a very sad thing if u ask me.

This tires me but I guess I'll just have to refer you the heading of this post.

filthyrichyuppie said:

RodeoSchro said:

LMAO at this.

Prince records what he wants, when he wants. He releases it however he wants.

He owns his masters.

He tours whenever he wants. He gets top dollar everywhere he goes. Every major festival in the world is still begging him to play.

He goes on TV whenever he wants. He appears in whatever TV show he wants, and the last time he did it. they showed it right after the Super Bowl, which is the most-watched television show in America.

He's worth a lot of money - by some estimates he is worth $300,000,000.

And you guys think he's ruined his career? You think he's screwed up? You think a man that has released more music than almost any artist in the history of recorded music hasn't put out enough stuff to keep you happy?



Quit listening to that bootlegger with a 20-year grudge against a man he's never met, and just enjoy the Prince ride.

You sound like you get something out of all this. What's in it for you?

What hes has got is a ton of music over all the years to enjoy. Just like the rest of you spoiled children.

filthyrichyuppie said:

databank said:

The mere notion that he's "ruined his career" is an angry fan's delusion. Now if u put money aside he certainly ruined his relationship with his fanbase and that's a very sad thing if u ask me.

This tires me but I guess I'll just have to refer you the heading of this post.

Huh?

RodeoSchro said:

filthyrichyuppie said:

RodeoSchro said:

LMAO at this.

Prince records what he wants, when he wants. He releases it however he wants.

He owns his masters.

He tours whenever he wants. He gets top dollar everywhere he goes. Every major festival in the world is still begging him to play.

He goes on TV whenever he wants. He appears in whatever TV show he wants, and the last time he did it. they showed it right after the Super Bowl, which is the most-watched television show in America.

He's worth a lot of money - by some estimates he is worth $300,000,000.

And you guys think he's ruined his career? You think he's screwed up? You think a man that has released more music than almost any artist in the history of recorded music hasn't put out enough stuff to keep you happy?



Quit listening to that bootlegger with a 20-year grudge against a man he's never met, and just enjoy the Prince ride.

You sound like you get something out of all this. What's in it for you?

Same thing that's always been there - the music.

And that's what this is all about. Prince will make his music, release his music, and perform his music live on his own terms. All this caterwauling about "ruining his career" is simply uneducated.

I'm surely not smarter than anyone else, but I have been a Prince fan since I bought the 45 for "Soft and Wet" when it came out. I became a serious fan when I listened to the "1999" album through headphones. What am I trying to say?

I've seen Prince do it all. I have learned by now that he is going to do absolutely and only what he wants. No amount of fan pleading, bickering or name-calling is going to change that. It didn't change it in the '80's; it didn't change it in the '90's; it didn't change it in the '00's; and it's not going to change it now.

So my hope is that all those who (I guess) are new to Prince World understand that complaints are a waste of time. You can't predict what Prince will do, or when he'll do it, or especially HOW he'll do it. He'll just do it if or when he decides to do it.

Last but not least, do NOT listen to a bootlegger with a 20-year-long grudge against a man that he's never met. Yes, I am talking about Bart VanHemlen.

databank said:

filthyrichyuppie said:

This tires me but I guess I'll just have to refer you the heading of this post.

Huh?

Couldn't of said it better myself.

tricky99 said:

filthyrichyuppie said:

You sound like you get something out of all this. What's in it for you?

What hes has got is a ton of music over all the years to enjoy. Just like the rest of you spoiled children.

Except that's not what he said is it?

If you going to join in, at least do it properly.

RodeoSchro said:

filthyrichyuppie said:

You sound like you get something out of all this. What's in it for you?

Same thing that's always been there - the music.

And that's what this is all about. Prince will make his music, release his music, and perform his music live on his own terms. All this caterwauling about "ruining his career" is simply uneducated.

I'm surely not smarter than anyone else, but I have been a Prince fan since I bought the 45 for "Soft and Wet" when it came out. I became a serious fan when I listened to the "1999" album through headphones. What am I trying to say?

I've seen Prince do it all. I have learned by now that he is going to do absolutely and only what he wants. No amount of fan pleading, bickering or name-calling is going to change that. It didn't change it in the '80's; it didn't change it in the '90's; it didn't change it in the '00's; and it's not going to change it now.

So my hope is that all those who (I guess) are new to Prince World understand that complaints are a waste of time. You can't predict what Prince will do, or when he'll do it, or especially HOW he'll do it. He'll just do it if or when he decides to do it.

Last but not least, do NOT listen to a bootlegger with a 20-year-long grudge against a man that he's never met. Yes, I am talking about Bart VanHemlen.

Again, I'll just have to refer you to the heading of this post. Alot of you people sure run away with your convictions, don't you?