We wait over a month to get:

1. An album that was already relased YEARS ago.
2. Video performaces that we're on TV for people to see already.

I swear its almost like he is intentionally trying to piss us off! Come on Prince you know this is not the stuff we want.
[Edited 9/22/04 13:18pm]

i know - i paid twenty five bucks to join this stinkin' club and all i got were front row tix to two shows, a buncha exclusive downloads, a screening of another concert, a dvd screening and a free poster, and a bunch of other dumb stuff that doesn't make up for the travesty that is this MMM download! VILLAGERS, GATHER YOUR TORCHES AND PITCHFORKS...!!!!!

Anxiety said:

No you didn't - the Musicology Download store is open to the general public, as is the retail section. There's nothing actually exclusive to club members in retail/download at all.
Now you may be right with the other stuff, but so far only the US club members have benefited from the "exclusive" pre-sales and whatnot. Hopefully things will stay the same when the "world" portion of the tour gets underway.
But you have to admit it's taking the piss to charge for TV appearances to be downloaded - that's the perfect opportunity to actually give club members outside of the broadcast regions a bit of an exclusive. Ah well, luckily there is a fan network that looks after each other and spreads this stuff for free, in perfect broadcast quality to boot.

gsh said:

I remember the unwritten rules a while ago were that if you had something not released officially, and it became officially released, the "fair" thing to do is to buy the official release.

I think there's also an unwritten rule about circulating officially released NPGMC material when people can just buy it from the source - otherwise Londell might crack down on such sites that harbor such networks...

Maybe they're just my own unwritten rules... Or maybe, now I've written them, they're my own written unwritten rules

What are you talking about, booyah? "Releasing" a months-old TV appearance as a download is not exactly the same as releasing an album or a new song.

But then, I have no clue what you're actually trying to say here, so I guess I shouldn't respond.

gsh said:

as opposed to finding the tracks in a wrecka stow? yeah, i'd consider them exclusive. so...yes i did!

i'll agree with this much - i really don't think there's a whole lot to be gained from purchasing video files for one's computer, unless, in this case anyway, someone lives WAY out in the sticks and has absolutely no other way to check out these performances. even THEN, it's kind of a waste after you've enjoyed 'em once or twice. ya can't watch 'em on yer TV and you can't really share 'em with people unless you gather 'em around your computer, and really, what fun is that?

i think if they'd simply made these live performances available as audio tracks, folks could get a lot more enjoyment out of 'em. i know I'D be downloading them today if this were the case.

booyah said:

It's not NPGMC material, it's a TV broadcast that the club just happens to be offering now. No-one will be trading/circulating the actual files/videos of this from the club, because
a. the DRM is actually quite effective and a pain to circumvent
b. the quality is considerably lower than a digital capture of the performance, (which is what is being shared amongst fans.)
But hey, if you want to spend the money, more power to you.

Anxiety said:

Semantics!
Honestly, I couldn't care less about the MMM video files, but I am actually a bit pissed about the lack of exclusive material available to club members. There is none.
Yes, there are benefits to membership (even if it's just being able to complain about the club!) but I'm sure there are many members like myself whose one and only reason for joining is the music. The Musicology Store has been a success, although it's not personally how I like to buy and listen to my music, and I already had all the pre-04 stuff from my previous years memberships.
The only new cd so far is Controversy, which I won't be buying because I have no use for the rest of the tat bundled in the gift-box.
Music is what I'm after, plain and simple, preferably on pressed discs and available to purchase without having to starve for 2 weeks to be able to afford it.
Not too much to ask, is it?

gsh said:

well, that's your opinion and it's a valid one.

still and all, files such as the MMM videos are NPGMC.com exclusives. it's not my opinion. it's not semantics. it's fact. go to iTunes and show me where to buy these files. go to Tower Records and show me where i can buy this video. that's what i meant. nothing more.

I'm actually refering to exclusive to members - everyone, member or not can purchase this material, albeit at different prices. The semantics thing was tongue in cheek, as we have differing opinions on "exclusivity".
But hey, they might surprise me.....
[Edited 9/22/04 16:47pm]

"We wait over a month..."

A whole month we waited!

The club is cool but it could be better. Im in it for the music and the concert tix. Prince could do better. I mean ... yeah he has alot more music to put up for downloads. Live stuff and unreleased material. Hmmm maybe it has to do with his JW beliefs and doesnt want to put out older stuff we havent heard because it may have dirty language or somethin' I would still want it though.

gsh said:

I pretty much agree with everything you said. I know some fans dig Prince merchandise, and for them it's cool that so much of it is offered. But some of us are just into the music. I think the club could offer a lot more music. And we are making it very clear that we prefer cd's to downloads. Of course, when has Prince ever done what his fans want? Sometimes that's a good thing, but most of the time it is infuriating!

If NPGMC did not offer them to everyone they would get them other ways..like like!! Hey wait a minute! What happened??
[Edited 9/25/04 13:48pm]

Prince could charge $25 for people to lick his shorts and some of us would be satisfied.

leadline said:

I hadn't seen these performances before, but now I have them. I think sometimes ya'll need to consider that not everyone has seen everything Prince has done. And as far as NPS Goes, that album sold like what, maybe 80,000? With Musicology over 1 mil, maybe they think some of the people who bought Musicology, may like NPS.