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Reply #300 posted 03/21/16 7:01am

BartVanHemelen

avatar

PURPLEIZED3121 said:

BartVanHemelen said:

.

I just love your absurd B/W dichotomy. Employees aren't slaves who should execute orders, they need to have input. Not all companies are like Mickey D's. If Prince demands a camel in the middle of the night in Minneapolis in winter, you should be able to tell him he's a delusional fool, not go out and try to fulfil his wishes. The likes of W&L called him on his BS and we got great music. His current band members just kiss his arse and we get shite.

As an employer myself let me tell you if any employee adopted that attitude with me they would be out the door. How do you know as an absolute fact that he does not invite input from band members past & present. Hell even W&L have on several occassions let it be known that he let them have a lot of creative freedom. Again..your arguments are too selective.

.

Which part of "The likes of W&L called him on his BS" did you fail to comprehend? Are you seriously arguing that the likes of people he surrounds himself with these days would put up similar opposition?

© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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Reply #301 posted 03/21/16 7:04am

KCOOLMUZIQ

KingSausage said:

murph said:

I think what he's getting at is you bringing up Prince's record sales as a way to pooh pooh this recently announced book...

I think what he's trying to say is Rihanna, who is easily one of the biggest pop acts in the country and who is headlining an arena tour, is not exactly selling a shit load of albums (she just retained the top spot on Billboard with a little over 50,000 units sold)...It's just some much needed perspective....

It's a way to just show how ridiculous (no diss, u my man, 50 Grand) u sound...

If u think that the always unpredictable Prince won't make good on his book release, that's a debate worth having...If u think the book will be waaaaaay too controlled and scrubbed of any WTF moments, I can dig that too...

But bringing up P's record sales to say that P would be wasting his time with a book is bordering on hate-just-to-hate Bart levels....

And I'm going to say I never pegged you for that type....

Here's the thing though -- Prince's sales are shit even in the context of the digital/streaming music era. People still pay a ton of money to see Prince perform live because they know he puts on a show they'll enjoy. But not many people fork over money for new Prince product. I have no reason to believe that his book will be much different than music sales. This isn't "hating." Come on.

rolleyes

D' angelo was absent from the scene how many years 15? How many copies did "Black Messiah" sell? Did it even reach Gold status? Did it hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 even? NO!

eye will ALWAYS think of prince like a "ACT OF GOD"! N another realm. eye mean of all people who might of been aliens or angels.if found out that prince wasn't of this earth, eye would not have been that surprised. R.I.P. prince
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Reply #302 posted 03/21/16 7:12am

BartVanHemelen

avatar

bonatoc said:



The point is: What do you sing/write about when your life has become so detached from the life normal human beings live? Aren't you writing exclusively for yourself, deluding yourself into thinking that your point of view relates to the world?

.

Hence the endless parade of "I'm so fonkay it hurts" boasts. Or songs about how much he earns doing concerts.

.



I know it, and I think Bart, Pentacle and other Purple Kool-Aid allergics know it, and that's a major cause of legitimate frustrations and rants, which famz don't get.
We're pissed off because his talent deserved more: more attention from the public, because culture and discernment are essential to a "Good Life", and less time spent writing songs "no one digs" but himself.

.

I don't care much about the general public not getting it, but about Prince squandering his talent on useless dreck and religious BS.

.



Who has the courage to look at "The Beautiful Experience" video today? The performances are still great, as they usually are, given the extraordinay musician Prince is, but all the nonsense?
It's fucking embarassing, to say the least. I cringed, slowly witnessing my maverick hero, the ultimate outsider, become a narcissistic freak. Every segue in this video makes you puke: Oh, I'm Symbol, I'm so mysterious, you can't help having wet dreams when you think about me.

.

I had plenty of objections back then.

© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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Reply #303 posted 03/21/16 7:13am

BartVanHemelen

avatar

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

KingSausage said:

murph said: Here's the thing though -- Prince's sales are shit even in the context of the digital/streaming music era. People still pay a ton of money to see Prince perform live because they know he puts on a show they'll enjoy. But not many people fork over money for new Prince product. I have no reason to believe that his book will be much different than music sales. This isn't "hating." Come on.

rolleyes

D' angelo was absent from the scene how many years 15? How many copies did "Black Messiah" sell? Did it even reach Gold status? Did it hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 even? NO!

.

It was in plenty "Best Of" lists at the end of the year. When has that last happened to a Prince record?

© Bart Van Hemelen
This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties, and confers no rights.
It is not authorized by Prince or the NPG Music Club. You assume all risk for
your use. All rights reserved.
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Reply #304 posted 03/21/16 7:36am

PURPLEIZED3121

murph said:

KingSausage said:

PURPLEIZED3121 said: What does Rihanna have to do with anything? Does she factor in to how much the public cares and is willing to spend money on new output from Prince?!

I think what he's getting at is you bringing up Prince's record sales as a way to pooh pooh this recently announced book...

I think what he's trying to say is Rihanna, who is easily one of the biggest pop acts in the country and who is headlining an arena tour, is not exactly selling a shit load of albums (she just retained the top spot on Billboard with a little over 50,000 units sold)...It's just some much needed perspective....

It's a way to just show how ridiculous (no diss, u my man, 50 Grand) u sound...

If u think that the always unpredictable Prince won't make good on his book release, that's a debate worth having...If u think the book will be waaaaaay too controlled and scrubbed of any WTF moments, I can dig that too...

But bringing up P's record sales to say that P would be wasting his time with a book is bordering on hate-just-to-hate Bart levels....

And I'm going to say I never pegged you for that type....

yep..what he said. Lol! nailed it for me dude, cheers.

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Reply #305 posted 03/21/16 7:38am

BoraBora


I'm not interested in a memoir book by P.

As much as I like his music I can't say the same of the man.
I can't really think of a 100% genuine tales book, knowing how egothic and complicated is his writer.

It also isn't a good sign.
When an artist have to announce a memoir book to get some media attention, it's probably because I can't do the same with his current music.

If with the book there will be a CD of unrealised music, then the things can change.

Just my opinion.

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Reply #306 posted 03/21/16 7:48am

udo

avatar

BoraBora said:

If with the book there will be a CD of unrealised music, then the things can change.

.

Unrealised msuic is silence.

Unreleased perhaps but when on a CD it appears to be relaesed.

Given P's trackrecord and ability to stall a PR remaster deal, which could be a multi-CD box with goodies, there is small chance he will give us these goodies with a book.

All in all, how much would a Prince memoirs book sell? And if it has a CD which adds cost?

Also: what is single CD? A DVD with flacs would be more music.

Pills and thrills and daffodils will kill... If you don't believe me or don't get it, I don't have time to try to convince you, sorry.
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Reply #307 posted 03/21/16 7:52am

RJOrion

With all the ideas and criticisms of Prince's career, and all the things some of you type so "eloquently" and frequently about what "Prince should have done", or "Prince needs to do this...blahblahblah", SURELY the people that constantly go on and on about what P should be doing, have thriving recording careers of your own?...maybe instead of spending day after day ripping Prince, how bout you post some of your own music somewhere, or maybe a link to all YOUR career accomplishments...when you get to over 30 albums and 4 films, then holla...some of you have absolutely zero clue as to what goes into sustaining commercial viability in the entertainment industry...and you may never know...
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Reply #308 posted 03/21/16 7:55am

BoraBora

udo said:

BoraBora said:

If with the book there will be a CD of unrealised music, then the things can change.

.

Unrealised msuic is silence.



No, it is not.

Silence is simply silence, even when it is a 4-second MD hommage. wink

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Reply #309 posted 03/21/16 7:56am

PURPLEIZED3121

BartVanHemelen said:

PURPLEIZED3121 said:

As an employer myself let me tell you if any employee adopted that attitude with me they would be out the door. How do you know as an absolute fact that he does not invite input from band members past & present. Hell even W&L have on several occassions let it be known that he let them have a lot of creative freedom. Again..your arguments are too selective.

.

Which part of "The likes of W&L called him on his BS" did you fail to comprehend? Are you seriously arguing that the likes of people he surrounds himself with these days would put up similar opposition?

Your view is so biased + you are basing it on comments from years ago...the fact is that they have also been hugely complimentary. In acknowledging this I am able to take a balanced view. On your second point ..how do you know?...you are not in the studio with them..you are purely guessing & making up stuff for your own agenda. Maybe it's just a case that these are people new into their careers, feel hugely over awed at working with a genuis/legend & dont feel ready to challenge? The relationship that W/L & Prince had seems to be one based on love & very brotherly/sisterly & very open & honest + they all grew together whcih changes the dynamic hugely. I am hoping that the book will shed some light on it.

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Reply #310 posted 03/21/16 8:00am

PURPLEIZED3121

BartVanHemelen said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

rolleyes

D' angelo was absent from the scene how many years 15? How many copies did "Black Messiah" sell? Did it even reach Gold status? Did it hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 even? NO!

.

It was in plenty "Best Of" lists at the end of the year. When has that last happened to a Prince record?

errr...last year with Phase2 on a few! Why oh why do you place so much emphasis on approval from critics...who cares! If you value their opinion so much are you going to acknowledge rave about the endless steam of live gig rave reviews he's had for seemingly years on end & especially for the current tour? Bet you dont!

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Reply #311 posted 03/21/16 8:23am

LittlePurpleYo
da

PURPLEIZED3121 said:

BartVanHemelen said:

.

It was in plenty "Best Of" lists at the end of the year. When has that last happened to a Prince record?

errr...last year with Phase2 on a few! Why oh why do you place so much emphasis on approval from critics...who cares! If you value their opinion so much are you going to acknowledge rave about the endless steam of live gig rave reviews he's had for seemingly years on end & especially for the current tour? Bet you dont!

Top ten all time created by fams on the org don't really count.

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Reply #312 posted 03/21/16 8:35am

KingSausage

avatar

LittlePurpleYoda said:



PURPLEIZED3121 said:




BartVanHemelen said:



.


It was in plenty "Best Of" lists at the end of the year. When has that last happened to a Prince record?




errr...last year with Phase2 on a few! Why oh why do you place so much emphasis on approval from critics...who cares! If you value their opinion so much are you going to acknowledge rave about the endless steam of live gig rave reviews he's had for seemingly years on end & especially for the current tour? Bet you dont!




Top ten all time created by fams on the org don't really count.




Hahahahahhaha
"Drop that stereo before I blow your Goddamn nuts off, asshole!"
-Eugene Tackleberry
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Reply #313 posted 03/21/16 8:40am

jayspud

LittlePurpleYoda said:

PURPLEIZED3121 said:

errr...last year with Phase2 on a few! Why oh why do you place so much emphasis on approval from critics...who cares! If you value their opinion so much are you going to acknowledge rave about the endless steam of live gig rave reviews he's had for seemingly years on end & especially for the current tour? Bet you dont!

Top ten all time created by fams on the org don't really count.

Best Albums of 2015 Daily Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.u...s-of-2015/

Best Funk Albums 2015 - http://funkatopia.com/fun...s-of-2015/

Albums of the Year NME - http://www.albumoftheyear...ted/2015/1

[Edited 3/21/16 8:43am]

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Reply #314 posted 03/21/16 9:02am

KCOOLMUZIQ

BartVanHemelen said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

rolleyes

D' angelo was absent from the scene how many years 15? How many copies did "Black Messiah" sell? Did it even reach Gold status? Did it hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 even? NO!

.

It was in plenty "Best Of" lists at the end of the year. When has that last happened to a Prince record?

It doesn't matter! prince has been in the business FORTY years! He has topped those list many times over already. Celebrate what U do still have here on this earth. Instead of finding negativity all the time.

prince is in his twilight years & STILL going strong... We have lost too many already.

eye will ALWAYS think of prince like a "ACT OF GOD"! N another realm. eye mean of all people who might of been aliens or angels.if found out that prince wasn't of this earth, eye would not have been that surprised. R.I.P. prince
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Reply #315 posted 03/21/16 9:59am

lwr001

For the record, Esther Neuberg is probably the most influential,powerful , literay agernt int rh business...Teh fact that she reps hom says something no matter what Bart says The fact that random house gave a truck load of money after the 50 page submittal says somethign as well

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Reply #316 posted 03/21/16 10:13am

babynoz

luv4u said:

I just don't get it......... the book has not come out in any way shape or form and folks on here just going off posting negative stuff about a book they have not read, held nor laid their eyes on disbelief



yeahthat

It's more likely that Prince's book will get released and hit #1 on the NYT Bestseller list than it is for some of these clowns to grow up and stop trying to live vicariously through a musician who doesn't know any of them from a can of paint! disbelief

Suddenly everybody's a psychic. lol

Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise.
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Reply #317 posted 03/21/16 10:16am

RJOrion

lwr001 said:

For the record, Esther Neuberg is probably the most influential,powerful , literay agernt int rh business...Teh fact that she reps hom says something no matter what Bart says The fact that random house gave a truck load of money after the 50 page submittal says somethign as well



True...and to that point,...WHO the hell is Bart Van Hemelen?...im not finding his discography anywhere on TIDAL...nor does he have an imdb listing....i would have thought for sure id find something confused
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Reply #318 posted 03/21/16 10:22am

KingSausage

avatar

lwr001 said:

For the record, Esther Neuberg is probably the most influential,powerful , literay agernt int rh business...Teh fact that she reps hom says something no matter what Bart says The fact that random house gave a truck load of money after the 50 page submittal says somethign as well




Jesus Christ, how many beers did you slam before typing that post?!

Sorry, let me try again: JesusCheis,how Many beers ddi u salm beforetyping Thay post ?
"Drop that stereo before I blow your Goddamn nuts off, asshole!"
-Eugene Tackleberry
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Reply #319 posted 03/21/16 10:25am

JustErin

avatar

bonatoc said:

If you manage to find your usual Per Nilsen book, you quickly realize/remember that Prince just WORKED his entire life. Other activities seemed to be kept to a strict minimum, just to avoid to become a total sociopath.

Prince has a private existence with relationships and emotions, but I'm pretty sure he never really took the time for reflecting or digesting his own life events to the fullest. Where a normal person would have mourn Gregory's loss for at least a year, the guy was on TV shows with a big smile on and all he had to speak about is how he managed to get out of WB's big evil claws.

Prince thinks having a titanium work ethic is enough to get you through life, but we all know there's more to it. I think he just scratched the surface of things during most of his life.

You can't spend your days recording, rehearsing, giving shows the way he did, and still have time to dig deep into your emotions, least other's emotions. You think you do, but hey, here's a new gig, oh and I have my latest wardrobe extravaganza minions latest aberration to approve, and what if I put "bagel" in one of my songs?

The point is: What do you sing/write about when your life has become so detached from the life normal human beings live? Aren't you writing exclusively for yourself, deluding yourself into thinking that your point of view relates to the world?


OK, let's say you do. That, despite this frantic pace of life, you manage to find some time to think things over. You're still fucked: a post-Purple Rain existence brings in too much noise and pressure, and perverses human contacts (who can really keep his coolness in Prince's presence? What if you're in the close circle, or your paycheck depends on him?) that anything you'll end up writing about yourself or close ones will be a byproduct of this global, distorted view stardom brings.

Let's say you have an epiphany, and decide you're gonna quit your low narcissus ways: here comes your usual Larry Graham, feeding himself on the grief of your dead child or whatever that puts you temporarily in a fragile state. And since you don't know squat about the world, except maybe for record companies contracts and guitar pedals settings, you think this is it: real life is about ringing strangers door bells to sell them an idea of God. Which is only leaving a delusion for another.

W&L explained what slowly happened to Prince, going from the hometown boy who made it big with a not-so-little help from his friends, to someone who'd rather eat with the Thurn und Taxis instead of his band musicians.
On the outside, it looked like The Revolution was still a crew. In reality, his head had indeed inflated, big as a balloon.

I think it's Ceasar, or maybe some other king/emperor, who kept a man behind his throne, whose role was to repeat: "You're only a man, you're only a man".
Even if Prince had such a "No man" in his entourage, I 'm pretty sure the voice of Camille would pop out in his head and squeak: "Yeah, right".


What is great about Mötley Crüe or Keith Richards biographies, is that they're about rock'n'roll, sex, drugs, excess, the celebration of guys who became successful in spite of suicidal carreer paths (aiming for a rock star status isn't exactly something your mom and dad applause). And behind that, guys who got more than decent incomes whilst breaking every good manner and showing the finger to basically every institution.

These guys have anecdotes to tell, because they believe that life is ultimately about having fun with your friends. Prince seems to have fun only when he does impressions for his friends (Morris Day impressions, "Movie Star"...). So technically he hasn't fun WITH his friends, he has fun being the center of attention FOR his friends.
Ain't no way Prince is going to pop out some beers while fingering some groupies in the back of his tour bus wearing a two-weeks dirty pair of blue jeans.

The last grasp of real Rock'n'Roll attitude Prince showed the world seems to be the mike kicking at the Oscars ceremony, and that was 30 years ago. Oh, maybe his rendition of "Sister" during the Lovesexy Tour. Afer that, Prince became too concerned and aware of his world-star status, and that is precisely what brought him down: because he's not a faker (let's give him at least that), his egocentrism became so blatantly obvious that the public turned his back.


So when the great Love Symbol / Gold Experience era brought back larsens and Marshall amps pumped to 11, no one but die-hard fans witnessed the genius of let's say, "The Ride" in "The Sacrifice Of Victor", or "Poor Goo". An incalculable loss for music lovers, all over the world. A fat big waste of Prince's talent.
I know it, and I think Bart, Pentacle and other Purple Kool-Aid allergics know it, and that's a major cause of legitimate frustrations and rants, which famz don't get.
We're pissed off because his talent deserved more: more attention from the public, because culture and discernment are essential to a "Good Life", and less time spent writing songs "no one digs" but himself.

Who has the courage to look at "The Beautiful Experience" video today? The performances are still great, as they usually are, given the extraordinay musician Prince is, but all the nonsense?
It's fucking embarassing, to say the least. I cringed, witnessing my maverick hero, the ultimate outsider, slowly becoming a narcissistic freak. Every segue in this video makes you puke: Oh, I'm Symbol, I'm so mysterious, you can't help having wet dreams when you think about me.

From the cryptic phrases that don't mean shit, to the "Hey-Ma-look-I'm-in-every-shot" megalomania, it all pretty sums up the clear separation die-hards fans, not famz, had to make from now on between the musician and this egotistic, sad little man, prisoner of his own Xanadu.


I mean, even when I thought Musicology was a sane return to modesty, kind of "I'm nothing without a band", the jerk ruined the song "Cream" FOR LIFE.
I loved it when it was something sexy sung to a woman.
After he told repeatedly, to thousands of people, that "Cream" was written by looking at himself in the mirror, I can't listen to the damn song anymore. Way to go, Skipper.


Plus, he's been a control freak since ever, and all of sudden he'll letitgo and we'll have honest views about himself and all the fatal errors his ego did to his legacy? It ain't going to happen.


He said in the 1986 MTV interview that he wrote honestly about his life in his songs. Therefore, let's consider his songs the best autobiography we can get.


I don't need him to break the magic I feel when I listen to "Another Lonely Christmas" by reading that this song is in fact about a female version of himself, or that it's pure fiction. I'd rather, LIKE WITH BOOKS, stick to the images I get from it.

I don't need to know if he really married Susannah or not, I'd rather stick to "the steps of Versailles" and believe that he did.

And whether he grieved over Gregory's loss, no doubt. But I can't help to think about the Emancipation era and how the whole thing seemed not to matter to him. Do you think we're going to get a chapter about it?

I would have prefer the "LRC/Dirty Mind" being a single, once in a lifetime homage to Vanity. But then he does it at every concert. It's like Vanity's loss is less important than a good musical idea.

I ended up thinking, after reading and reading Prince's interviews nonsenses, empty innuendos, self-indulgencies year after year, that the ouput of the man matters much more than the man himself.


Sorry famz, but we are entitled to comment the book beforehand. And for an artist who claimed repeatedly that his songs speak more about his life than any given interview, we're allowed to consider with suspicion a fourthcoming 300 pages interview (if we ever get so many pages).

Famz, face the truth: We know our subject better than you. We do not allow Prince make fool of ourselves anymore, we know better by now.

Don't expect us to jump with joy after having being so low-considered by an artist we always defended no matter what lunacy he'd come up with. We are entitled to fear that the whole thing is going to look at best like the withdrawned Ebony interview, or the back cover of the Purple Rain LP: cryptic nonsenses revolving around his belly button.

[Edited 3/21/16 7:09am]


Fantastic post.

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Reply #320 posted 03/21/16 10:35am

lwr001

KingSausage said:

lwr001 said:

For the record, Esther Neuberg is probably the most influential,powerful , literay agernt int rh business...Teh fact that she reps hom says something no matter what Bart says The fact that random house gave a truck load of money after the 50 page submittal says somethign as well

Jesus Christ, how many beers did you slam before typing that post?! Sorry, let me try again: JesusCheis,how Many beers ddi u salm beforetyping Thay post ?

case of the fat fingers, however, you know exactly what i mean

[Edited 3/21/16 11:03am]

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Reply #321 posted 03/21/16 11:08am

PURPLEIZED3121

KingSausage said:

LittlePurpleYoda said:

Top ten all time created by fams on the org don't really count.

Hahahahahhaha

razz

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Reply #322 posted 03/21/16 11:24am

BlackCandle

avatar

babynoz said:



luv4u said:


I just don't get it..... the book has not come out in any way shape or form and folks on here just going off posting negative stuff about a book they have not read, held nor laid their eyes on disbelief





yeahthat

It's more likely that Prince's book will get released and hit #1 on the NYT Bestseller list than it is for some of these clowns to grow up and stop trying to live vicariously through a musician who doesn't know any of them from a can of paint! disbelief

Suddenly everybody's a psychic. lol



Not Psychics: It's what the bookies call FORM.

You know: considering previous performance/behavior to predict a likely outcome.

And I'm thinking that if the bookies were giving odds on this book being a belter, they wouldn't be very good.

Feel free to wager & squander a small fortune based on you blind optimism, though...
"Had to get off the boat so I could walk on water..."
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Reply #323 posted 03/21/16 11:25am

PURPLEIZED3121

bonatoc said:

If you manage to find your usual Per Nilsen book, you quickly realize/remember that Prince just WORKED his entire life. Other activities seemed to be kept to a strict minimum, just to avoid to become a total sociopath.

Prince has a private existence with relationships and emotions, but I'm pretty sure he never really took the time for reflecting or digesting his own life events to the fullest. Where a normal person would have mourn Gregory's loss for at least a year, the guy was on TV shows with a big smile on and all he had to speak about is how he managed to get out of WB's big evil claws.

Prince thinks having a titanium work ethic is enough to get you through life, but we all know there's more to it. I think he just scratched the surface of things during most of his life.

You can't spend your days recording, rehearsing, giving shows the way he did, and still have time to dig deep into your emotions, least other's emotions. You think you do, but hey, here's a new gig, oh and I have my latest wardrobe extravaganza minions latest aberration to approve, and what if I put "bagel" in one of my songs?

The point is: What do you sing/write about when your life has become so detached from the life normal human beings live? Aren't you writing exclusively for yourself, deluding yourself into thinking that your point of view relates to the world?


OK, let's say you do. That, despite this frantic pace of life, you manage to find some time to think things over. You're still fucked: a post-Purple Rain existence brings in too much noise and pressure, and perverses human contacts (who can really keep his coolness in Prince's presence? What if you're in the close circle, or your paycheck depends on him?) that anything you'll end up writing about yourself or close ones will be a byproduct of this global, distorted view stardom brings.

Let's say you have an epiphany, and decide you're gonna quit your low narcissus ways: here comes your usual Larry Graham, feeding himself on the grief of your dead child or whatever that puts you temporarily in a fragile state. And since you don't know squat about the world, except maybe for record companies contracts and guitar pedals settings, you think this is it: real life is about ringing strangers door bells to sell them an idea of God. Which is only leaving a delusion for another.

W&L explained what slowly happened to Prince, going from the hometown boy who made it big with a not-so-little help from his friends, to someone who'd rather eat with the Thurn und Taxis instead of his band musicians.
On the outside, it looked like The Revolution was still a crew. In reality, his head had indeed inflated, big as a balloon.

I think it's Ceasar, or maybe some other king/emperor, who kept a man behind his throne, whose role was to repeat: "You're only a man, you're only a man".
Even if Prince had such a "No man" in his entourage, I 'm pretty sure the voice of Camille would pop out in his head and squeak: "Yeah, right".


What is great about Mötley Crüe or Keith Richards biographies, is that they're about rock'n'roll, sex, drugs, excess, the celebration of guys who became successful in spite of suicidal carreer paths (aiming for a rock star status isn't exactly something your mom and dad applause). And behind that, guys who got more than decent incomes whilst breaking every good manner and showing the finger to basically every institution.

These guys have anecdotes to tell, because they believe that life is ultimately about having fun with your friends. Prince seems to have fun only when he does impressions for his friends (Morris Day impressions, "Movie Star"...). So technically he hasn't fun WITH his friends, he has fun being the center of attention FOR his friends.
Ain't no way Prince is going to pop out some beers while fingering some groupies in the back of his tour bus wearing a two-weeks dirty pair of blue jeans.

The last grasp of real Rock'n'Roll attitude Prince showed the world seems to be the mike kicking at the Oscars ceremony, and that was 30 years ago. Oh, maybe his rendition of "Sister" during the Lovesexy Tour. Afer that, Prince became too concerned and aware of his world-star status, and that is precisely what brought him down: because he's not a faker (let's give him at least that), his egocentrism became so blatantly obvious that the public turned his back.


So when the great Love Symbol / Gold Experience era brought back larsens and Marshall amps pumped to 11, no one but die-hard fans witnessed the genius of let's say, "The Ride" in "The Sacrifice Of Victor", or "Poor Goo". An incalculable loss for music lovers, all over the world. A fat big waste of Prince's talent.
I know it, and I think Bart, Pentacle and other Purple Kool-Aid allergics know it, and that's a major cause of legitimate frustrations and rants, which famz don't get.
We're pissed off because his talent deserved more: more attention from the public, because culture and discernment are essential to a "Good Life", and less time spent writing songs "no one digs" but himself.

Who has the courage to look at "The Beautiful Experience" video today? The performances are still great, as they usually are, given the extraordinay musician Prince is, but all the nonsense?
It's fucking embarassing, to say the least. I cringed, witnessing my maverick hero, the ultimate outsider, slowly becoming a narcissistic freak. Every segue in this video makes you puke: Oh, I'm Symbol, I'm so mysterious, you can't help having wet dreams when you think about me.

From the cryptic phrases that don't mean shit, to the "Hey-Ma-look-I'm-in-every-shot" megalomania, it all pretty sums up the clear separation die-hards fans, not famz, had to make from now on between the musician and this egotistic, sad little man, prisoner of his own Xanadu.


I mean, even when I thought Musicology was a sane return to modesty, kind of "I'm nothing without a band", the jerk ruined the song "Cream" FOR LIFE.
I loved it when it was something sexy sung to a woman.
After he told repeatedly, to thousands of people, that "Cream" was written by looking at himself in the mirror, I can't listen to the damn song anymore. Way to go, Skipper.


Plus, he's been a control freak since ever, and all of sudden he'll letitgo and we'll have honest views about himself and all the fatal errors his ego did to his legacy? It ain't going to happen.


He said in the 1986 MTV interview that he wrote honestly about his life in his songs. Therefore, let's consider his songs the best autobiography we can get.


I don't need him to break the magic I feel when I listen to "Another Lonely Christmas" by reading that this song is in fact about a female version of himself, or that it's pure fiction. I'd rather, LIKE WITH BOOKS, stick to the images I get from it.

I don't need to know if he really married Susannah or not, I'd rather stick to "the steps of Versailles" and believe that he did.

And whether he grieved over Gregory's loss, no doubt. But I can't help to think about the Emancipation era and how the whole thing seemed not to matter to him. Do you think we're going to get a chapter about it?

I would have prefer the "LRC/Dirty Mind" being a single, once in a lifetime homage to Vanity. But then he does it at every concert. It's like Vanity's loss is less important than a good musical idea.

I ended up thinking, after reading and reading Prince's interviews nonsenses, empty innuendos, self-indulgencies year after year, that the ouput of the man matters much more than the man himself.


Sorry famz, but we are entitled to comment the book beforehand. And for an artist who claimed repeatedly that his songs speak more about his life than any given interview, we're allowed to consider with suspicion a fourthcoming 300 pages interview (if we ever get so many pages).

Famz, face the truth: We know our subject better than you. We do not allow Prince make fool of ourselves anymore, we know better by now.

Don't expect us to jump with joy after having being so low-considered by an artist we always defended no matter what lunacy he'd come up with. We are entitled to fear that the whole thing is going to look at best like the withdrawned Ebony interview, or the back cover of the Purple Rain LP: cryptic nonsenses revolving around his belly button.

[Edited 3/21/16 7:09am]

wow..did anyone take the time to read this? I think the gist is you feel let down/hurt by Prince & he has long stopped fulfilling your expectations. I think I do need to state the globally obvious..move on..do NOT waste any precious $ or time on someone you despise. I think I speak on behalf of many in respect of your accusations around him seemingly not caring about his sons death. To say that it is a low comment would not do it justice & how dare you sepculate on what was possibly the worst experience he & Mayte ever went through...people handle these matters in their own way however wrong or right you think the method is....you should be ashamed. I for one do not expect him to write about it..it's his choice if he does. There has been more than enough accounts of his state..moreso from Mayte & that is enough. Dude, hang your head in shame.

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Reply #324 posted 03/21/16 11:34am

murph

KingSausage said:

murph said:

I think what he's getting at is you bringing up Prince's record sales as a way to pooh pooh this recently announced book...

I think what he's trying to say is Rihanna, who is easily one of the biggest pop acts in the country and who is headlining an arena tour, is not exactly selling a shit load of albums (she just retained the top spot on Billboard with a little over 50,000 units sold)...It's just some much needed perspective....

It's a way to just show how ridiculous (no diss, u my man, 50 Grand) u sound...

If u think that the always unpredictable Prince won't make good on his book release, that's a debate worth having...If u think the book will be waaaaaay too controlled and scrubbed of any WTF moments, I can dig that too...

But bringing up P's record sales to say that P would be wasting his time with a book is bordering on hate-just-to-hate Bart levels....

And I'm going to say I never pegged you for that type....

Here's the thing though -- Prince's sales are shit even in the context of the digital/streaming music era. People still pay a ton of money to see Prince perform live because they know he puts on a show they'll enjoy. But not many people fork over money for new Prince product. I have no reason to believe that his book will be much different than music sales. This isn't "hating." Come on.

U gotta turn it down, homie...The point is Prince IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ALL OF THE OTHER AGING ROCKERS/SOUL/POP ACTS...Keith Richards released a solo album and it went wood...Paul McCartney dropped a heavily hyped album with one of the biggest producers on the planet (Mark Ronson) and it debuted high and sank like a stone.....And this was with Paul Mac pushing the hell out of that album...When you r a veteran music act, record sales have little to do with outside projects....

Don't mix apples with oranges....Prince exclusively releasing albums on a streaming site like Tidal and not moving units in the same way he did with more recent projects like 3121 has nothing to do with whether or not fans or the public will buy his memoirs...

But the bigger question is this: Why should it matter TO YOU how commercially successful P is in 2016? One of the most mysterious figures in pop music just announced he's finally writing his memoirs...It could be great...Or it could be filled with cryptic Prince speak with photos of him eating marshmallows...

But shitting on it because u are foolishly equating album sales with whether or not his memoir will be a success makes little sense...And again...Respect....

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Reply #325 posted 03/21/16 11:44am

KingSausage

avatar

murph said:



KingSausage said:


murph said:



I think what he's getting at is you bringing up Prince's record sales as a way to pooh pooh this recently announced book...



I think what he's trying to say is Rihanna, who is easily one of the biggest pop acts in the country and who is headlining an arena tour, is not exactly selling a shit load of albums (she just retained the top spot on Billboard with a little over 50,000 units sold)...It's just some much needed perspective....



It's a way to just show how ridiculous (no diss, u my man, 50 Grand) u sound...



If u think that the always unpredictable Prince won't make good on his book release, that's a debate worth having...If u think the book will be waaaaay too controlled and scrubbed of any WTF moments, I can dig that too...



But bringing up P's record sales to say that P would be wasting his time with a book is bordering on hate-just-to-hate Bart levels....



And I'm going to say I never pegged you for that type....





Here's the thing though -- Prince's sales are shit even in the context of the digital/streaming music era. People still pay a ton of money to see Prince perform live because they know he puts on a show they'll enjoy. But not many people fork over money for new Prince product. I have no reason to believe that his book will be much different than music sales. This isn't "hating." Come on.


U gotta turn it down, homie...The point is Prince IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ALL OF THE OTHER AGING ROCKERS/SOUL/POP ACTS...Keith Richards released a solo album and it went wood...Paul McCartney dropped a heavily hyped album with one of the biggest producers on the planet (Mark Ronson) and it debuted high and sank like a stone.....And this was with Paul Mac pushing the hell out of that album...When you r a veteran music act, record sales have little to do with outside projects....



Don't mix apples with oranges....Prince exclusively releasing albums on a streaming site like Tidal and not moving units in the same way he did with more recent projects like 3121 has nothing to do with whether or not fans or the public will buy his memoirs...



But the bigger question is this: Why should it matter TO YOU how commercially successful P is in 2016? One of the most mysterious figures in pop music just announced he's finally writing his memoirs...It could be great...Or it could be filled with cryptic Prince speak with photos of him eating marshmallows...



But shitting on it because u are foolishly equating album sales with whether or not his memoir will be a success makes little sense...And again...Respect....





The sales of his book don't matter to me. Just because I'm discussing it here doesn't mean it matters to me. A potential Prince memoir is one of the least important things in the world to me right now.

So other veteran acts aren't selling well? Okay. I don't disagree with that. But there's still no reason to believe the public will pay money for his memoirs. We're not making a cross-comparison between Prince's music and memoir sales vs. Paul McCartney's music and memoir sales.

Look, near the beginning of this long, miserable thread I said that I looked forward to reading the memoir because it could be an interesting glimpse of Prince's thinking just like Dylan's Chronicles Vol. 1. I'm no "hater." Just because other artists also have shitty album sales doesn't have any relevance to Prince's potential memoir sales.
"Drop that stereo before I blow your Goddamn nuts off, asshole!"
-Eugene Tackleberry
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Reply #326 posted 03/21/16 12:15pm

Angelsoncrack

bonatoc said:

Where a normal person would have mourn Gregory's loss for at least a year, the guy was on TV shows with a big smile on and all he had to speak about is how he managed to get out of WB's big evil claws.


And whether he grieved over Gregory's loss, no doubt. But I can't help to think about the Emancipation era and how the whole thing seemed not to matter to him. Do you think we're going to get a chapter about it?

Wow- bit far mate. Honestly I really don't like speculating about this stuff because it really isn't my business or anyone elses- but you can't really say stuff like that. Prince didn't know that his son was going to be born with difficulties and in the end- pass away. He probably booked those interviews and stuff months in advance and he had an album to promote.

I can't even begin to think about the emotions he was probably feeling at the time when he was promoting an album which had a whole disc practically devoted to his wife and unborn child.

People deal with grief in diffirent ways. Some people don't leave the house for weeks on end. Some people get angry. Some people just end up going about the daily grind and ignoring the issue at hand because it takes their mind off stuff for at least a little while. In fact- I do that. I've been lambasted for it in the past because it appears to others that I don't give a shit. It doesn't mean they don't care. It's probably just his way of dealing.

I noticed the exact same thing you said, but I came to the conclusion above and wouldn't lambast him for it in the slightest.

In regards to getting a chapter about the whole situation- I don't really care either way. Its personal to him and if he doesn't want to talk about it then I respect that.

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Reply #327 posted 03/21/16 12:25pm

lwr001

murph said:

KingSausage said:

murph said: Here's the thing though -- Prince's sales are shit even in the context of the digital/streaming music era. People still pay a ton of money to see Prince perform live because they know he puts on a show they'll enjoy. But not many people fork over money for new Prince product. I have no reason to believe that his book will be much different than music sales. This isn't "hating." Come on.

U gotta turn it down, homie...The point is Prince IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ALL OF THE OTHER AGING ROCKERS/SOUL/POP ACTS...Keith Richards released a solo album and it went wood...Paul McCartney dropped a heavily hyped album with one of the biggest producers on the planet (Mark Ronson) and it debuted high and sank like a stone.....And this was with Paul Mac pushing the hell out of that album...When you r a veteran music act, record sales have little to do with outside projects....

Don't mix apples with oranges....Prince exclusively releasing albums on a streaming site like Tidal and not moving units in the same way he did with more recent projects like 3121 has nothing to do with whether or not fans or the public will buy his memoirs...

But the bigger question is this: Why should it matter TO YOU how commercially successful P is in 2016? One of the most mysterious figures in pop music just announced he's finally writing his memoirs...It could be great...Or it could be filled with cryptic Prince speak with photos of him eating marshmallows...

But shitting on it because u are foolishly equating album sales with whether or not his memoir will be a success makes little sense...And again...Respect....

folks acting like Prince is fuckign with lightwweights her,,.,Esther Newberg is a literary beast..If she on his team and side, he will be ok

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Reply #328 posted 03/21/16 1:08pm

Guitarhero

Angelsoncrack said:

bonatoc said:

Where a normal person would have mourn Gregory's loss for at least a year, the guy was on TV shows with a big smile on and all he had to speak about is how he managed to get out of WB's big evil claws.


And whether he grieved over Gregory's loss, no doubt. But I can't help to think about the Emancipation era and how the whole thing seemed not to matter to him. Do you think we're going to get a chapter about it?

Wow- bit far mate. Honestly I really don't like speculating about this stuff because it really isn't my business or anyone elses- but you can't really say stuff like that. Prince didn't know that his son was going to be born with difficulties and in the end- pass away. He probably booked those interviews and stuff months in advance and he had an album to promote.

I can't even begin to think about the emotions he was probably feeling at the time when he was promoting an album which had a whole disc practically devoted to his wife and unborn child.

People deal with grief in diffirent ways. Some people don't leave the house for weeks on end. Some people get angry. Some people just end up going about the daily grind and ignoring the issue at hand because it takes their mind off stuff for at least a little while. In fact- I do that. I've been lambasted for it in the past because it appears to others that I don't give a shit. It doesn't mean they don't care. It's probably just his way of dealing.

I noticed the exact same thing you said, but I came to the conclusion above and wouldn't lambast him for it in the slightest.

In regards to getting a chapter about the whole situation- I don't really care either way. Its personal to him and if he doesn't want to talk about it then I respect that.

sad Bonatoc come on man , below the belt about the loss of his son. I lost my mum and dad in the same year and only months between their deaths , i still went out into the world and put a brave face on things. Yes i even smiled but it was a false smile a front. I had a broken heart and believe me it was very hard to even talk to friends about it. We know Prince is not very open and death in the family is different for everybody, but i believe he was hurting because he is still human.

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Reply #329 posted 03/21/16 1:23pm

mynameisnotsus
an

Announcing a book with a working title The Beautiful Ones, and seeing him perform that song on the day Vanity passed and it so obviously being about her, he must clearly have been in a reflective frame of mind since then. I can imagine him having a fit of inspiration and punching out 50 pages pretty quickly - I don't know if I can see him sustaining enough interest to complete a substantial work.

And good luck to the editor! You're gonna need it lol
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Forums > Prince: Music and More > Prince announces His FIRST MEGA Memoir!!!!!