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Thread started 05/15/15 11:31am

elf9933

Important question.At what point did insecurity resurface?

At around the beginning of the controversy period till the beginning of the Lovesexy spiritual re awakening Prince had a certain confidence and unwavering belief in his Midas touch that I don't think I've ever seen an artist have then or since. But around the Lovesexy tour all his childhood insecurities seemed to rear their ugly head once again. His clothes became not just funky but bizarre. His dancing became a little less cool and his music and vibe lost his badass bravado that made him the Svengali of a whole musical world in the mid eighties. I've heard all the rumours. That he experimented with his sexuality, that he suffered irreversible damage from an extasy overdose and that the financial disaster of the Lovesexy tour and his spending addiction almost sank him.My opinion is that these three things are what did it. I'm curious as to others thoughts.
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Reply #1 posted 05/15/15 12:21pm

Miles

elf9933 said:

At around the beginning of the controversy period till the beginning of the Lovesexy spiritual re awakening Prince had a certain confidence and unwavering belief in his Midas touch that I don't think I've ever seen an artist have then or since. But around the Lovesexy tour all his childhood insecurities seemed to rear their ugly head once again. His clothes became not just funky but bizarre. His dancing became a little less cool and his music and vibe lost his badass bravado that made him the Svengali of a whole musical world in the mid eighties. I've heard all the rumours. That he experimented with his sexuality, that he suffered irreversible damage from an extasy overdose and that the financial disaster of the Lovesexy tour and his spending addiction almost sank him.My opinion is that these three things are what did it. I'm curious as to others thoughts.

He hardly turned into Syd Barrett after the Lovesexy era wink .

He just had a great run of creativity, then he made Lovesexy which was seen as too weird for a wide commercial audience who thought he'd gone too far. Then he did Batman, whih succeeded in partially restoring his commercial credibility, but then he did Grafitti Bridge album & movie, which was kind of viewed as Lovesexy PII + Lovesexy the Movie.

No-one stays super-popular and successful forever, especially not someone like Prince, who has always trod the line between 'commercial' artist and his own vision of an 'arthouse artist'. He was bound to go 'too far' and alienate a large part of his popular audience at some point. In fact, many thought 'Under the cherry Moon' was the 'P goes too far' point.

He was lucky he got to be 'commercial' again in the Diamonds & Pearls era after all that.



I love all the above Prince albums, just going from memory of what critics/ the pop audience said at the time.


[Edited 5/15/15 12:23pm]

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Reply #2 posted 05/15/15 12:41pm

ufoclub

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I'd have to disagree with the post up top there... the dancing improved to superhuman skill post 1987, whereas before they weren;t all that. AND the wearing of super bizarre clothing, and non popular career moves like the name change to a symbol indicates extreme self confidence.

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Reply #3 posted 05/15/15 6:23pm

terrig

ufoclub said:

I'd have to disagree with the post up top there... the dancing improved to superhuman skill post 1987, whereas before they weren;t all that. AND the wearing of super bizarre clothing, and non popular career moves like the name change to a symbol indicates extreme self confidence.



I agree with you. If there's one trait you can assocaite with Prince, its confidence.

he'll sing poompoom poom poom and make you love it. lololol Thats not even a word lolol and it certainly isnt insecurity smile

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Reply #4 posted 05/15/15 8:47pm

skywalker

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Ha! I thought this was going to be a post about us.

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Many Prince fans are waaaay insecure about being Prince fans. Some have this really odd thing of caring how Prince seems/sounds/appears to other people.

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Which is ironic because Prince clearly doesn't.

[Edited 5/15/15 20:51pm]

"New Power slide...."
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Reply #5 posted 05/15/15 9:28pm

Aerogram

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After Lovesexy, didn.t he go on to pen many great songs and earn numerous millions of dollars, in addition to becoming a certified living legend?

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Reply #6 posted 05/15/15 10:34pm

elf9933

Aerogram said:

After Lovesexy, didn.t he go on to pen many great songs and earn numerous millions of dollars, in addition to becoming a certified living legend?


Not entirely my point.Prince is overall the most talented musician and performer ever so ofcourse he hit many highs subsequent to lovesexy.But he began to defer to others namely with hip hop or new Jack swing. As far as the dancing goes if you go back to the finale of the syracuse concert here was a little dude in lace and pearls yet he commanded the stage like a predator. He seemed to lose that sense of raw power post 1988 .
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Reply #7 posted 05/16/15 12:39am

NorthC

ufoclub said:

I'd have to disagree with the post up top there... the dancing improved to superhuman skill post 1987, whereas before they weren;t all that. AND the wearing of super bizarre clothing, and non popular career moves like the name change to a symbol indicates extreme self confidence.




Or extreme confusion. I remember an interview where he said he would wake up at night, wondering:"Who am I?" Everybody goes through periods of crisis in their life and the mid 90s were one for Prince. Also, he said that he was depressed when he made Dirty Mind, so good music doesn't automatically mean the man himself is full of self confidence.
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Reply #8 posted 05/16/15 11:22am

ufoclub

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elf9933 said:

Aerogram said:

After Lovesexy, didn.t he go on to pen many great songs and earn numerous millions of dollars, in addition to becoming a certified living legend?


Not entirely my point.Prince is overall the most talented musician and performer ever so ofcourse he hit many highs subsequent to lovesexy.But he began to defer to others namely with hip hop or new Jack swing. As far as the dancing goes if you go back to the finale of the syracuse concert here was a little dude in lace and pearls yet he commanded the stage like a predator. He seemed to lose that sense of raw power post 1988 .


He was copping from new wave trends and British influence on style even worse in his 80's peak with 1999 and Purple Rain. I'm not sure why people don't realize this. It pissed off his Dirty Mind fans. The minimal super clean mid 80's vibe of Parade was also copying style trends, although the sound was getting original. I'd say his most confident original album was probably actually Around the World in a Day, and then after that I'd say Rainbow Children. He was doing his own thing on those two all the way. Of course some might say there's some Deangelo vamping to the mixes of Rainbow Children.
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Reply #9 posted 05/16/15 5:30pm

paisleypark4

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I think he two big lows or insecure eras in his career. The first being the Grafitti era. Battling hip hop and his own originality at the same time, and making a bogus movie that could have used more thought and care. It messed with his image.
Obviously the Slave era. He was not eating right and looking very pale. That was the time I knew he was not really being himself. Taking on hip hop was not his to stay but I can tell he forced himself to embrace what he could out of it
Straight Jacket Funk Affair
Album plays and love for vinyl records.
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Reply #10 posted 05/18/15 12:24am

Rebeljuice

I cant answer the question. Not sure I relate to the premise. However, why cant Prince dance anymore? Im not expecting the splits or running about at 100mph or anything, but a lot of the time he looks like he is dancing like a girl with no rythmn (no offence to any girls with no rythmn).

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Reply #11 posted 05/18/15 6:01am

Se7en

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Rebeljuice said:

I cant answer the question. Not sure I relate to the premise. However, why cant Prince dance anymore? Im not expecting the splits or running about at 100mph or anything, but a lot of the time he looks like he is dancing like a girl with no rythmn (no offence to any girls with no rythmn).

I also don't relate to the "insecurity" angle of this thread, but as far as the dancing, I have a theory. Prince's dancing was almost always rooted in sex -- sexual movements, motions, etc., almost provacative at times. Without the sexual overtones, the dancing also changes (akin to how he doesn't swear anymore, which cut down the "rude" image a lot).

.

Same guy, but when you delete certain things that created your image, then your image almost has to change too . . .

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Reply #12 posted 05/18/15 7:51am

Rebeljuice

Se7en said:

Rebeljuice said:

I cant answer the question. Not sure I relate to the premise. However, why cant Prince dance anymore? Im not expecting the splits or running about at 100mph or anything, but a lot of the time he looks like he is dancing like a girl with no rythmn (no offence to any girls with no rythmn).

I also don't relate to the "insecurity" angle of this thread, but as far as the dancing, I have a theory. Prince's dancing was almost always rooted in sex -- sexual movements, motions, etc., almost provacative at times. Without the sexual overtones, the dancing also changes (akin to how he doesn't swear anymore, which cut down the "rude" image a lot).

.

Same guy, but when you delete certain things that created your image, then your image almost has to change too . . .

Nice theory. I like it. Maybe its time he popped another ecstacy tab. smile

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Reply #13 posted 05/18/15 8:42am

terrig

Rebeljuice said:

I cant answer the question. Not sure I relate to the premise. However, why cant Prince dance anymore? Im not expecting the splits or running about at 100mph or anything, but a lot of the time he looks like he is dancing like a girl with no rythmn (no offence to any girls with no rythmn).



he's had a hip replacement and spent his entire adult life in dancing in heels. physically it probably hurts like hell. thats why.

madonna needs to give up those stilettos as she looks like shes walking on eggshells now too.

[Edited 5/18/15 8:43am]

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Reply #14 posted 05/18/15 9:58am

OldFriends4Sal
e

NorthC said:

ufoclub said:

I'd have to disagree with the post up top there... the dancing improved to superhuman skill post 1987, whereas before they weren;t all that. AND the wearing of super bizarre clothing, and non popular career moves like the name change to a symbol indicates extreme self confidence.

Or extreme confusion. I remember an interview where he said he would wake up at night, wondering:"Who am I?" Everybody goes through periods of crisis in their life and the mid 90s were one for Prince. Also, he said that he was depressed when he made Dirty Mind, so good music doesn't automatically mean the man himself is full of self confidence.

actually some of the world best cultures (sub cultures) music art dance expression comes from people and communities considered going through hardships

Yes, very much so. A while back, I had an experience that changed me and made me feel differently about how and what and how I acted toward people. I'm going to make a film about it -- not the next one, but the one after that. I've wanted to make it for three years now. Don't get me wrong -- I'm still as wild as I was. I'm just funneling it in a different direction. And now I analyze things so much that sometimes I can't shut off my brain and it hurts. That's what the movie will be about.

What was the experience that changed you?

I don't really want to get into it specifically. During the Dirty Mind period, I would go into fits of depression and get physically ill. I would have to call people to help get me out of it. I don't do that anymore.

What were you depressed about?

A lot had to do with the band's situation, the fact that I couldn't make people in the band understand how great we could all be together if we all played our part. A lot had to do with being in love with someone and not getting any love back. And there was the fact that I didn't talk much with my father and sister. Anyway, a lot of things happened in this two-day period, but I don't want to get into it right now.

How'd you get over it?

That's what the movie's going to be about. Paisley Park is the only way I can say I got over it now. Paisley Park is the place one should find in oneself, where one can go when one is alone.

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Reply #15 posted 05/18/15 10:01am

OldFriends4Sal
e

ufoclub said:

I'd have to disagree with the post up top there... the dancing improved to superhuman skill post 1987, whereas before they weren;t all that. AND the wearing of super bizarre clothing, and non popular career moves like the name change to a symbol indicates extreme self confidence.

I actually prefered his pre 1990s dancing. The dance moves in Theives in the Temple were too 'mainstream'

I like when you have entertainers doing moves like they were practicing to go out for the night.

Janet Prince and some others had these moves that weren't 'practiced' it was just the way they did it

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Reply #16 posted 05/18/15 1:58pm

elf9933

OldFriends4Sale said:



ufoclub said:


I'd have to disagree with the post up top there... the dancing improved to superhuman skill post 1987, whereas before they weren;t all that. AND the wearing of super bizarre clothing, and non popular career moves like the name change to a symbol indicates extreme self confidence.






I actually prefered his pre 1990s dancing. The dance moves in Theives in the Temple were too 'mainstream'



I like when you have entertainers doing moves like they were practicing to go out for the night.


Janet Prince and some others had these moves that weren't 'practiced' it was just the way they did it


I totally agree.The moves on the 1999 tour as well as Purple rain tour were more kike he was showing with what ease he could pull off cool as shit.Also very funky and pimpish.The moves on the lovesexy and Nude tours is what David letterman once described his musical guests as namely"dancing monkeys" or undignified more or less.
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Reply #17 posted 05/18/15 4:01pm

bonatoc

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At this point precisely.
How did something so ugly pass the quality test?
Now that's ALMOST worse than Larry's spiritual guidance.

The Colors R brighter, the Bond is much tighter
No Child's a failure
Until the Blue Sailboat sails him away from his dreams
Don't Ever Lose, Don't Ever Lose
Don't Ever Lose Your Dreams
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Forums > Prince: Music and More > Important question.At what point did insecurity resurface?