For the past couple years, this era of Prince's career just hasnt sat with me as comfortably as others, and I just couldnt put my finger on it as to why. 3EG seemed like a fresh idea to me at first (even though I had my doubts), but then I heard their sound, and you know who the odd (wo)man out is? Hannah, and heres why: First of all, shes a technically gifted drummer, but she lacks serious groove. Im not taking anything away from her skill as a...prog drummer lets say, but she got this gig simply because shes fine and because Prince wanted an all female band. Thats it. Ive heard live stuff with this band, and shes got cement on her feet like she just got whacked by the St. Paul Mafia and is about to get thrown in the ocean. Seriously, I heard her playing "Extraloveable" with the extended NPG and her playing was comical. She is devoid of funk, and not even playing with the Yoda himself can fix that. 3EG has a "Sir Nose" in the bunch and the poor girl doesnt even realize its her! Her playing on PE? Not bad. Her singing? That decision probably has something to do with her bonehead husband chirping in P's ear. But when 3EG try to play his classics like "Shes Always.."? Hannah needs a pink slip. Im sorry, but Prince could easily find another female drummer just as beautiful, just as talented, and has a GROOVE that could help whatever the hell Prince has been doing with the NPG lately. For example: theres this Japanese girl on youtube that plays predominately metal that plays Megadeth with ease (and as a drummer myself, thats no small feat), and she pulls a Sheila and plays with heels! To play metal, you gotta have serious groove and this girl has it. And now to the man of the Welton duo: WHO IS THIS GUY AND WHY DOES HE SEEM TO HAVE PRINCE'S RESPECT AS A PRODUCER? Prince has historically always been a bastard when it comes to production credits. All the work from the 80s and 90s and his famed "Produced, Arranged, Composed, and Per4med by" always came first so he could put that little statement on his records. But then all of a sudden Prince does a complete 180 of that, and enlists some dime a dozen simpleton who clearly helped Prince produce one of his most generic-sounding records EVER (Yeah, AOA isnt very strong to my ears). How did this guy come out of nowhere and weasel himself into working with Prince AND earn a production credit? And dont get me started on his (lack of) keyboard playing. And you remember that pointless Yahoo! concert when the girl/host (Who clearly had no idea where she was or what she was talking about) ventured into the studio where Josh was sitting and P called into the studio and had him play all the stuff they were working on? Yeah, sounded like more generic dogshit to me, and it seems Josh is to blame. Josh doesnt have the clout in my eyes to be manning the boards at Paisley Fucking Park. Whos leg did he hump to get there? His wife is devoid is funk, and hes devoid of Soul, and those are two VERY crucial things Prince has built his empire on. This married couple is doing more harm than good, and hopefully Prince will realize it himself sooner than later. Ive been stewing on this for quite some time, and excuse my bad language but the weakest links need their asses kicked out of Minnesota so that this otherwise smudge in Prince's career can be forgotten. Flame me if you must, but this is my opinion and Id bet my bottom dollar alot of you feel the same somewhere inside. Good riddance! Go back to Kentucky.

artist76 said:

I think he likes them around because they are mega christian. And probably he thinks it's cool that she's cute, and they're interracial, it's kinda "uptown." Maybe he thinks he can get them to be JWs, or maybe he just likes talking about religion, praying together, etc. even though JWs are not "real" Christians to other Christians because JWs do not believe in the trinity and the divinity of Jesus. Hannah's drumming is OK to me, but her "singing" is very very very subpar - I wouldn't pay money for that when there's singing that I actually enjoy listening to over and over again that I can spend $ on. That's why I didn't buy Plectrum after hearing the snippets on Amazon. Bria's voice is subpar too, but not very very very subpar like Hannah's, and P's songwriting is still worth experiencing (unlike hannahs whitecaps or boy trouble whatever) - anyway, the price of Elixir was $0 so I didn't mind. Joshua is no "genius" producer, tho P called him a genius - I guess because he's more savvy with current technology than most people P has been around. But I think P said he could be some Apple or Microsoft exec, and that's some naive bullshit. I don't get it either, but then P hangs with who he wants to, always has - that's his prerogative.

That very well may be and we all know the musicians in his bands all have shelf lives, but these two's expiration dates need to come sooner than the others. Donna and Ida are cool in my book. Hannah and Josh can kick rocks and picket an abortion clinic for all I care.

i'm sure they are nice people, but i agree, they are as funkless and soul-less as they come. hannah cannot sing. she hits the drums, she doesn't really 'play', and she isnt strong enough to meter, adjust or transmit any power through the sticks....because she doesn't have any really. she can do what prince tells her to, but it comes off as sterile.

donna and ida are the bomb tho. i'd rather donna stiuck w her no-makeup look but she def pulls her weight, as does ida...

[Edited 2/3/15 14:14pm]

i like them just fine. Plectrum Electrum and AOA are great albums, i'm glad prince is free enought to work with people he wants to work with, on projects he wants to create. just thought i'd add my 2c

From a musical stand point, they add something close 2 nothing.

Get over it dude. Every single band he's had someone complains about somebody.

Graycap23 said:

maybe he should go back to Larry?

lezama said:

Get over it dude. Every single band he's had someone complains about somebody.

Not if you were to ask me. Every band he put together lent a helping hand in creating whatever sound he was going for at the time. Hes got an otherwise stellar track record for choosing talent. Hell, even the 91-93 NPG with Tony M (including him was the only really poor choice he made with his bands) were a fantastic group of players, and thats not what Id call a favorite era of mine at all. And his other married couple he employed (CC and Josh Dunham) were fantastic players, too, and that NPG band wasnt very popular around here at the time (especially after disbanding his ONA-Musicology band, my personal favorite of his). And to be quite truthful, Im not exactly one to bitch and moan about the questionable decisions he tends to make like a good chunk of folks on this forum do often. So with that said (and with me saying in my initial post that Ive been stewing on this opinion for a while), consider me a pressure cooker of sorts in that once I pop, I pop for real. Hannah just doesnt have the mojo thats necessary to hang with Prince in my opinion. And Josh's resume isn't up to caliber to have as much of an influence on Prince as he seemingly has. Its my opinion, plain and simple. And you know something else? If you dont like it, why dont you just go on the internet and complain about it? Oh wait....

[Edited 2/9/15 13:26pm]

purplethunder3121 said:

maybe he should go back to Larry?

Say what you want about the man's faith (as ass-backwards as JW's beliefs can be), but hes a Funk OG. Do him and P usually come up with dope material together? Not really, no. But Larry was a funk brick layer, and the building he helped construct is a spot I love to hang out in. He should reconsider his choice in hats, though lol.

RE: Hanah as a drummer. Look her up on some drum forums. Nobody is saying she can't play. The girl is talented. The only weak link is Donna - not because she can't play, but she's just not as good as the other guitarist in the band.

In regard to Joshua Welton. Prince didn't do a 180. Look up some of the other names in the CD booklets. Hans Martin Buff, Michael Koppelman, Kirk Johnson, seem to have had similar roles.

Graycap23 said:

From a musical stand point, they add something close 2 nothing.

now you go on and play trax 6, 7 and 9 on Plectrum Electrum, cowboy. come on back here again when you've had an earful of something close to SOMEthing. and it's not just the weltons, they are all talented. that album rocks.

XxAxX said:

Graycap23 said:

From a musical stand point, they add something close 2 nothing.

now you go on and play trax 6, 7 and 9 on Plectrum Electrum, cowboy. come on back here again when you've had an earful of something close to SOMEthing. and it's not just the weltons, they are all talented. that album rocks.

trax 11 and 12 will hit you right too. you heard me. go on. git.

Noodled24 said:

RE: Hanah as a drummer. Look her up on some drum forums. Nobody is saying she can't play. The girl is talented. The only weak link is Donna - not because she can't play, but she's just not as good as the other guitarist in the band.

In regard to Joshua Welton. Prince didn't do a 180. Look up some of the other names in the CD booklets. Hans Martin Buff, Michael Koppelman, Kirk Johnson, seem to have had similar roles.

You know, you might not believe this, but Im not saying that either. If you read and comprehended what I said in my initial post instead of being so trigger-happy with a snappy retort, you'de see that I acknowledged her skills...as a "Prog" drummer. I've watched her many times on youtube before she even showed up in Prince's radar, and shes a technically-proficient workhorse of a drummer. But just because she's highly skilled in the "wankery" area of drumming DOES NOT MEAN SHE HAS A GOOD GROOVE TO HER PLAYING. You could be a drummer with the hottest chops in the world, but if your feel to your playing is wooden and you struggle to keep a fluent groove, you got problems. Like I said before, shes got cement bricks on her feet. Sorry, but any drummer with the least bit of experience would tell you Hannah's groove is grooveless.

XxAxX said:

Graycap23 said:

From a musical stand point, they add something close 2 nothing.

now you go on and play trax 6, 7 and 9 on Plectrum Electrum, cowboy. come on back here again when you've had an earful of something close to SOMEthing. and it's not just the weltons, they are all talented. that album rocks.

I've heard better musicians at local bars. They are not up 2 Prince standards.

kygermo said:

You know, you might not believe this, but Im not saying that either. If you read and comprehended what I said in my initial post instead of being so trigger-happy with a snappy retort, you'de see that I acknowledged her skills...as a "Prog" drummer. I've watched her many times on youtube before she even showed up in Prince's radar, and shes a technically-proficient workhorse of a drummer. But just because she's highly skilled in the "wankery" area of drumming DOES NOT MEAN SHE HAS A GOOD GROOVE TO HER PLAYING. You could be a drummer with the hottest chops in the world, but if your feel to your playing is wooden and you struggle to keep a fluent groove, you got problems. Like I said before, shes got cement bricks on her feet. Sorry, but any drummer with the least bit of experience would tell you Hannah's groove is grooveless.

More guff. READ what professional drummers have said about her. Look into who she's worked with and for. You don't get those breaks if what you said was true. If you have read up on here then you're aware she's more than competent as a rock, blues and jazz drummer. She was also conducting master classes for Guitar Centre when Prince found her.

If the drummer in the band was as bad as you say then it would throw the entire band off. Seen many bad reviews of 3EG live? Any reviews calling out Hannah "comical" as a drummer?

[Edited 2/11/15 12:04pm]

Noodled24 said:

If the drummer in the band was as bad as you say then it would throw the entire band off. Seen many bad reviews of 3EG live? Any reviews calling out Hannah "comical" as a drummer?

[Edited 2/11/15 12:04pm]

Great point.

Hannah is a lousy drummer, and everyone praising her drumming is probably part of the white guy "Guitar Center" generation of musicianship which values flash and chops over time keeping and "in the pocket" grooves. I have no idea why I should, because a group of drummers think she is good, have to think she is good. Plenty of people think Van Halen is an amazing guitar player, but to my ears it sounds like an emotionless array of notes in rapid succession.

LikeAHornyPonyWould69 said:

Hannah is a lousy drummer, and everyone praising her drumming is probably part of the white guy "Guitar Center" generation of musicianship which values flash and chops over time keeping and "in the pocket" grooves. I have no idea why I should, because a group of drummers think she is good, have to think she is good. Plenty of people think Van Halen is an amazing guitar player, but to my ears it sounds like an emotionless array of notes in rapid succession.

People sign up to drum forums because they take it very seriously. If Hannah is rated highly by her peers it's a good sign. If her own credentials don't already say enough.

You might not enjoy the music of Van Halen, but to say he's a poor guitarist is just silly.

[Edited 2/12/15 14:28pm]

Noodled24 said:

LikeAHornyPonyWould69 said:

Hannah is a lousy drummer, and everyone praising her drumming is probably part of the white guy "Guitar Center" generation of musicianship which values flash and chops over time keeping and "in the pocket" grooves. I have no idea why I should, because a group of drummers think she is good, have to think she is good. Plenty of people think Van Halen is an amazing guitar player, but to my ears it sounds like an emotionless array of notes in rapid succession.

People sign up to drum forums because they take it very seriously. If Hannah is rated highly by her peers it's a good sign. If her own credentials don't already say enough.

You might not enjoy the music of Van Halen, but to say he's a poor guitarist is just silly.

[Edited 2/12/15 14:28pm]

Anybody can sign up to drum forums. If she is rated highly it's a good sign that she is technically proficient. You're missing my point--"good" to me doesn't mean "technically proficient", it means "good"--truly MUSICAL, as terrig said earlier, "she hits the drums, she doesn't really 'play'". Nailed it. Kygermo is pretty much saying the same thing too

LikeAHornyPonyWould69 said:

Noodled24 said:

People sign up to drum forums because they take it very seriously. If Hannah is rated highly by her peers it's a good sign. If her own credentials don't already say enough.

You might not enjoy the music of Van Halen, but to say he's a poor guitarist is just silly.

[Edited 2/12/15 14:28pm]

Anybody can sign up to drum forums. If she is rated highly it's a good sign that she is technically proficient. You're missing my point--"good" to me doesn't mean "technically proficient", it means "good"--truly MUSICAL, as terrig said earlier, "she hits the drums, she doesn't really 'play'". Nailed it. Kygermo is pretty much saying the same thing too

Yep.

Graycap23 said:

XxAxX said:

now you go on and play trax 6, 7 and 9 on Plectrum Electrum, cowboy. come on back here again when you've had an earful of something close to SOMEthing. and it's not just the weltons, they are all talented. that album rocks.

I've heard better musicians at local bars. They are not up 2 Prince standards.

well, in that case, i'd have to say since our opinoins differ on this obviously i'm right and you're wrong. sorry, but i don't make the rules around here

XxAxX said:

Graycap23 said:

I've heard better musicians at local bars. They are not up 2 Prince standards.

well, in that case, i'd have to say since our opinoins differ on this obviously i'm right and you're wrong. sorry, but i don't make the rules around here

LikeAHornyPonyWould69 said:

Noodled24 said:

People sign up to drum forums because they take it very seriously. If Hannah is rated highly by her peers it's a good sign. If her own credentials don't already say enough.

You might not enjoy the music of Van Halen, but to say he's a poor guitarist is just silly.

[Edited 2/12/15 14:28pm]

Anybody can sign up to drum forums. If she is rated highly it's a good sign that she is technically proficient. You're missing my point--"good" to me doesn't mean "technically proficient", it means "good"--truly MUSICAL, as terrig said earlier, "she hits the drums, she doesn't really 'play'". Nailed it. Kygermo is pretty much saying the same thing too

Anybody can sign up yes. But it quickly becomes obvious if someone has no idea what they're talking about. Try it. Watch how quickly you get called out.

Launching her professional career at age twelve by joining a blues band with her trumpet playing father in the Windy City, she is the only female to win the Louis Bellson Heritage Days Drum Competition (2006).

Welton’s other regional accolades include being voted “Outstanding Jazz Musician” at Chicago’s New Trier Jazz Festival (2007) and “Outstanding Musician” at Chicago’s Jazz in the Meadows Festival (2007). Ford was named “Best Drummer/Musician” in Suburban Nightlife Magazine’s “Best of the Burbs” readers’ poll in 2007 and 2008. She was also cast as “L.A. Coulter,” the onstage drummer in the 2011 Chicago Royal George Theatre run of the Whoopi Goldberg produced musical “White Noise.”

What is there to suggest she is a musician? You think Prince heard her and said wow this girl is awful... I'm gonna have her end my career as a live performer?

All I'm saying is, if you don't "feel" her, thats fine obviously. But trying to discredit her as a player is silly.

[Edited 2/14/15 14:52pm]

LikeAHornyPonyWould69 said:

Hannah is a lousy drummer, and everyone praising her drumming is probably part of the white guy "Guitar Center" generation of musicianship which values flash and chops over time keeping and "in the pocket" grooves. I have no idea why I should, because a group of drummers think she is good, have to think she is good. Plenty of people think Van Halen is an amazing guitar player, but to my ears it sounds like an emotionless array of notes in rapid succession.

Eddie Van Halen no good? Is that why the Smithsonian institute honored him last week and put several of his guitars in its museum? Plenty of people is more like the entire world.

You need to find lesser talents to pick on, maybe yourself, seems you don't have too good of an ear, skills pass you by.

white guy generation? Fuck off back to yo pocket and choose your words better...

I have no idea why a group of people saying something is good must mean it's good. I already said that... Skills don't pass me by. But skills alone good music do not make...this is what I've been trying to say this whole time. Yet people keep arguing saying "but a MAJORITY of people think they're SKILLFUL." I already said you can't convince me that way!! I like SOULFUL music!! Most people would pass SUN RA off as noise and he's one of my favorite musicians, so obviously I don't care about all the Van Halen fans out there.

LikeAHornyPonyWould69 said:

I have no idea why a group of people saying something is good must mean it's good. I already said that... Skills don't pass me by. But skills alone good music do not make...this is what I've been trying to say this whole time. Yet people keep arguing saying "but a MAJORITY of people think they're SKILLFUL." I already said you can't convince me that way!! I like SOULFUL music!! Most people would pass SUN RA off as noise and he's one of my favorite musicians, so obviously I don't care about all the Van Halen fans out there.

Bingo.

The Waltons don't do anything for me either.