Not so long ago, the only thing more awesome than seeing Prince in concert would have been the opportunity to bring the orgiastic thrills home in a 3-CD Box Set like this. But,around the sametime he mangled his name and cut his major-label ties, the man with the cheek-a-boo trousers decided to stop playing his hits. Barnstormers like "Lets Go Crazy" and "Purple Rain" were shelved in favor of extended jams as the hands of his slick, note-perfect band, the New Power Generation-people who are allergic to melody.

So instead of vintage House-quaking Prince, most of the rambling, brass-heavy material here comes from recent spiritual-minded CDs like; The Rainbow Children and Crystal Ball- albums that few bought. When Prince does briefly revisit the past. It's as if the skies part. His run through, "When U Were Mine" proves that underneath it all, his lovely falsetto and raw showmanship remain as whip smart as ever, while his condensed version of "Diamonds and Pearls" is easily the most compelling 41 secons in this set. Purple lace and sex-kitten heels have never been so sorely missed.

Aidin Vaziri

[The Box Set was given a rating of (mediocre) out of a possible 5. In the same issue "Adore" was voted #1 for Most Romantic Love Song Lyrics, Quoting: "I God one day struck me blind, your beauty I'd still see, love's too weak to define, just what you mean to me."]

TheBluePrince

TheBluePrince said:

Hey VIBE ~

Prince is not interested in what U know,

But what U R willing 2 Learn ~

One Nite Alone "Live" is absolutely a Five Star in my book!

Geez, I can't believe there are people out there who still want to hear live versions of Let's Go Crazy and Purple Rain. Great songs, granted, but that's elementary school compared to the masters program of One Nite Alone Live.
I guess there are still those who want the floor humping and ejaculating guitar instead of masterful music.
Seems this reviewer prefers Prince the oversexed joke instead of Prince, the man and musician.

shygirl said:

I hear ya, shygirl. Come on, Vibe, Prince is 43 years old. He's a grown up now. He's not for the teeny-boppers anymore.

However, he can still get the ladies screaming. Did you hear the women in the crowd during "Adore" on ONA Live? Our Prince can still get the ladies excited.

they had the nerve to say that diamonds and pearls was the best song on the set.

misschestylarue said:

Anyway he probably didn't listen to Xenophobia...

shygirl said:

co-sign. this whole period is a breath of fresh air...like a lotta people, i'm actually sick of hearin "pr" and all the other usual "hits" live, and i have been 4 a while.

Thank God there are no new versions of "Let's Go Crazy"! Enough already...

You know, if the set did have "LGC" and "PR" they would dismiss the set as a damn oldies album!! They would banish him to the Vegas lounges and sneer at him. He can't win versus his past and what most people know about him.
[This message was edited Mon Jan 6 6:52:46 PST 2003 by brianr54]

This is the only negative review I've read of the box set and it's a very bad review.
The reviewer says Prince now prefers extended jams. As if he didn't do those in 1984!
I wonder if this reviewer ever watched the 1984 Syracuse concert. It was one extended jam after another!
So the npg hate melody? Well that's a new one...

Once I looked at the track list, and downloaded a few to sample, I knew not to waste my cash. If I have to hear another Take Me With You/Raspberry Beret medley, I'm gonna stab someone with a rusted phillips head screwdriver. It's all the same shit with the exception of the newly added garbage from TRC, which makes me wanna vomit blood. I'd rather get live stuff from the early days, you know, back when he was actually worth a shit.

EvilWhiteMale said:

VIBE!

Is this not the mag the currently has the NSYNC dude on the cover?

'nuff said...

ONA LIVE ROCKS!

Which songs are from Crystal Ball anyway?

And does this Aidin person have a thing for guys in purple lace and sex-kitten heals?

Funny how the thought of "the skies parting' sounds kinda spiritual or like Prince is some kind of Musical Prophet.

While at the same time down playing the spiritual music.

The Music keeps getting better, and people are still living in the past.

buttcheeks said:

...you know, I was just asking myself what songs were from 'Crystal Ball.' I'm not mistaken, there are none!

This person does not recogize talent!! Too bad for him, he is missing out on The greatest musician ever!!!

misschestylarue said:

because they're shallow assholes, who still in the past. Fuck 'em...

"The other side of the pillow" could technically be called a song from Crystal Ball, since The Truth was part of the set.

Everyone keeps talking about living in the past, but the fact remains that Prince was the fucking man back in the early days, and now he's just not good in most people's opinions. People have the right to not like his new stuff, and they're not assholes for expressing their opinions.
I think Prince has been sucking pretty bad since the early 90's but I still think he's a musical genious. I just think he's showing his age too much with this jazz/funk garbage. The Rolling Stones are antiques, but they are still full of life and can still rock the fuck out. Getting older doesn't mean you have to shift gears to the extreme.
No matter how much you try to defend Prince and his direction, you can't deny the fact that he's not selling like he used to and he has in fact lost a huge amount of fans.

But none of what you say, EvilWhiteMale, substantiates your claim that "now he's just not good", all you have said is that most people pass on him these days, heb doesn't sell as well and that you obviously don't like jazz/funk!!!

And, the reason for that is, the public at large pass on anything decent or musically complex - you know, Miles Davis was not topping the charts with his jazz, yet, like Prince, he was a musical genius, but he didn't sell millions like Britney and all the other easily assimilated pap that is on the radio!

In my opinion, Prince is writing and playing better and more complex music (though without the raunch and joie de vivre of his younger years) than he ever has.

BTW, have you seen the Stones live lately - they categorically do NOT rock, merely amble!

EvilWhiteMale said:

Ah that`s interesting. You are talking about “selling” as an indicator for good music???
That is bullshit. Since when is top-selling music automatic “real good music”? Since the early nineties top selling music is in the 1st degree “best marketed music”.

The problem with Prince`s success in selling music is so simple: It is just that he does everything wrong what can be done wrong, from a marketing point of view. It is not enough to care just about the product. There are 3 more tools in the marketing mix: communication, distribution and the price.

So, what has gone wrong? Let`s start with COMMUNICATION. He never liked to talk to the media and now he even holds speeches against media during his concerts. But the name-change-o-rama and slave-on-the-cheek-writing was the turning point of his success. The average music-listeners just where wondering, if the “skinny-mf-millionaire” has gone mad. “What are his problems after signing an over 100 $ contract in the early nineties? He has enough money, so what`s the deal?” He did not communicate properly his problems with warner music. (And most of these people still think his name is whatever but not Prince.)
Coming back to the media issue. No doubt about it, the media often (or most of the time) writes or broadcasts whack shit when it comes to music issues and artists. But that is not the point. As an artist you have to play with the media, have to use it for your own good. That is what f.e. Madonna does. Please don`t tell me that her music is the reason for still being so successful!? It is just because she plays with the media and resulting out of that her high media presence. She is “top of mind” inside the consumer heads. She promotes her albums and herself well and very professionel. If nobody knows your CD is “out now”, who should buy it?

Then there is DISTRIBUTION. As we all know, since his fight against Warner Prince is eager to cut out the middleman. So he started to distribute his music on his own. With the result that his new music lacks of availability, because you can not buy it anymore at your local dealer. With music being an “impulse-buy” product, that is a major problem. When you like one song, you want to have it NOW. And not in more than one year after ordering the CD, like it happened to me with crystal ball. (But the problem starts earlier, with the media and communication. Usually there is promotion for music in the media. Just for one reason: If you don`t hear a song 1st, you don`t know if you like it. So why buy the CD?).
Prince has not to sign a deal with a major label again. It would be sufficient if he cuts an exclusive distribution deal with amazon. That would reduce delivery time and fees (customs and delivery). If he doesn`t want to do that, the easiest thing would be selling his music after his overwhelming concerts. Probably almost every 2nd concert visitor might have bought the ONA Live Box after any Europe/Japan concert. But everything that has been offered was whack fan merchandise (even tour books were not available in Germany!!!) and just 3 CDs: Days Of Wild (10€), Rainbow Children and Intellipop, both for extremly overpriced 25€. Even at amazon the import CD only costs 22,99€.

That leads us to the last marketing tool: The PRICE. I think I don`t have to add any comments on that issue, it has been discussed on this site for too long. In my opinion his music is priceless. But if he would cut the prices by 50% to the regular market level, I would say he will sell over 50% more than he does now. Basis for that is of course a better communication and distribution.

The sad thing is that Prince gives a fuck about the consumer`s point of view (>intro of “2045 Radical Man”). But were would he be today without the consumer? He might as well play in outer space, nobody would listen to him. Because he`s not willing to do proper marketing for his music, we as his fans (and consumers) have to pay high prices.

But: Money & art don`t mix, right?

I question rather or not the person whom, did this review, even listened to the entire album.

Some people are only fans of what's 'popular'. Not actually 'Music lovers' or appreciate good music. Maybe I'm biased, but for someone who really 'knows' music. It's hard to rate The Box Set that low, simply because the musicianship is brilliant.

I've said it a thousand times...Look at who's on 'Top' now (Britney, Justin, Nelly and Pimp Diddy). I shouldn't be surprised that a magazine whom worships these very people, could truely appreciate 'real music' when they heard it.

Go figure...

Blue
Times...times

"Allergic to melody"??...Anyone who listens to ONA Live and can't detect melody needs an industrial strength Q-tip...

1) Only 7 of 27 songs come from either of these albums...I'm pretty good at math, so I'm confused as to how that constitutes "most" of the material of ONA Live...

2) Crystal Ball is "spiritual-minded"??...Really??...

3) Perhaps this writer should try reading the magazine he writes for, because last year Vibe called Crystal ball "pure, unadulterated brilliance"...so performing a song from that "pure, unadulterated brilliant" album would seem to be a good thing, don't ya think??...

4) "Albums that few bought"...Ok, so...does that mean that ONA Live would be a better boxed set if more people had bought Crystal Ball and TRC first??...


1) While "When You Were Mine" is definitely a highlight of the set, it hardly showcases Prince's "lovely falsetto"...in fact, his falsetto is rather weak on that song, especially compared to the song which came 2 songs before, and the one which comes immediately afterwards: "Other Side Of The Pillow" and "Avalanche"...If any song were to be used to give example of how strong Prince's falsetto has remained, these two songs would seem the perfect ones to use...then again, to find any praise in Prince's performance of these two songs would be to find praise in something Prince released after 1992...and that just can NOT be allowed...

2) "Diamonds and Pearls", compelling???...How??...The only difference between the live 41 second version and the pretty-but-ordinary studio version is the crowd vocals...


I think I can sum up this review: "Where's 'When Doves Cry'??...Where's 'Kiss'??...Where's 'Gett Off'??...This sucks"...

I agree, top sales does not equal good music, however a lot of people have been exposed to Prince's new music and just don't like it. I mean, so many dedicated Prince fans have stopped buying his stuff because they just can't deal with the new sound. And I'm one of them. I used to be a hard-core fan since '89, but even I know when to quit.
Complex music is great for musicians, but it's not always nice to the ear. Prince could make a track with a million and one instruments, but so what? That doesn't make it good. I'll prove my point right now. Take "When Doves Cry" for example. The friggin song doesn't even have a bass track, yet it's a masterpiece. Can anyone here honestly say that any song Prince does now can top that one classic? Take any of Prince's songs from the 80's. There's no comparison in the quality. Complexity means nothing if there ain't a descent melody. You could bang on a bucket and sing along. If the melody is good, it could be worth a lot more than some wildly complex track.
I appreciate the fact that Prince is trying new things, but if it's all technique and no soul it's not worth a whole lot. Obviously he doesn't care about sales or opinions, and that's fine, but he could have still made it to the top if he wanted to. Madonna is the same age, but she's still popular, not only because she has a great marketing team and distributer, but because she still makes music that people want to hear.
It just bothers me when Prince fans say that anyone who doesn't like his new music is tone deaf or they have no taste. We don't have to be Prince's sheep and suck his ass all the time. If we don't like the music, we don't like it. It's a matter of opinion. In my opinion, Prince has been driving the nails into his own coffin for several years now, not only with his boring music, but with all the bad business moves and his other madness. I wish he would take a break and reestablish himself. Or maybe in his opinion it's better to fade away than to burn out.

I'm constantly amazed at critics and the like talking about this and that about their opinions and how an artist fails to cater to their expectations and moods. C'mon...it's music. That's all...music. If you're a musician, you can understand how futile all this talk can sound.
Whatever your beef...if there is an artist out there who is always delivering and has a huge catalog of songs and recordings for anyone who chooses to listen, it's Prince. He is constantly evolving, why couldn't those who write music reviews also evolve and realize that the more you do something, the better you get. (I can't say as musch for album reviewers lately.) Prince is for sure challenging himself to be better and better at what he does, it would be nice to see reviews that aren't about just $$$ and target markets. I'm sure we can all agree this once in a lifetime box set from the best live performer ever, has sumthing for everyone.

PS. if you went to the shows, you know what I'm talkin' about...

Props to cream319 for adding a reply worth reading.

So is this really goodbye EvilWhiteMale or will this whining about Prince´s music ("complex... all technique and no soul it's not worth a whole lot") continue?
If you don´t get his music that´s no problem at all but it´s hard to understand why fams like you and some others keep complaining about his music and the npgmc on the org for ages... feel free to get off the purple bus.

"he could have still made it to the top if he wanted to. Madonna... same age, still popular, not only because... great marketing team and distributer, but because she still makes music that people want to hear"
Well I wouldn´t have wanted to see a Prince "comeback" following Madonna´s recipe of letting currently trendy guys(like Mirwais) write and produce her "music" - by the way: doesn´t the new song sound like a remix of the 2 year old "Music"?

This reminds me of Miles Davis who has been constantly moving on with his sound. Back then many critics and consumers didn´t understand that he didn´t want to make endless sequels of Kind Of Blue...

Now back to Xpectation

Thanks to GOD that "Purple Rain" live is not on this CD. I don't think I can stomach another hearing of that song! It never was my favorite, and to all the "non-fans" who keep requesting it, go to HE-double-hockey-sticks!

EvilWhiteMale said:

You need to come to grip with the fact that Prince has grown up and moved on. "If you drove up here in a little red corvette, you may be surprised at what you gonna get." The bottom line is that Prince is an artist. Artists create from their soul. They don't pander to critics, or consumers. They do what they feel. You either dig it or you don't. But, as long as the artist stays true to himself, the artist stays happy, and that's all that matters. The best part about real artists are that they change. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse. But the best part is the journey; the discovery. If you don't want to ride, get out of the motherfucking car.

evilwhitemale, if you aren't a fan of the music anymore, why post here?

You used Madonna as an example of someone who is still popular. Madonna is not an artist. Madonna is a product.
She's still popular because she stays in touch with the pulse of the music buying public. She still cares about that kind of thing. So she puts out music and videos that MTV would play. She still cares about that, too. Prince doesn't care about that kind of thing. There's no problem with that because he is staying true to himself. No ass-sucking involved here; just plain simple fact. Prince has said in the past that he can go in the studio and recreate what he's done in the past, but what's the fun in that. I want to hear music that sounds different from what I've heard from Prince before. He delivered that in spades with Rainbow Children. I still listen to it a lot. The critics and fans, and music buying public in general, who missed out on this experience, their loss. TRC made Rave sound like shit, and not surprisingly, Rave was an attempt at making a hit album.

Fuck that.

Prince is fine just the way he is.

wellbeyond said:[quote
I think I can sum up this review: "Where's 'When Doves Cry'??...Where's 'Kiss'??...Where's 'Gett Off'??...This sucks"...[/quote]
yep. but instead the guy just had 2 throw in all the extra wordage in order 2 attempt 2 make himself sound half-intelligent...ketchuphead.

You guys are funny. You totally just repeat all the same stuff whe you talk about Prince's growth and journeys and all that crap. And anyone who uses Prince-isms like "fams" and shit are really out of control. Are you so stuck on Prince's dick that you actually use his ridiculous vocabulary?

And what's all this shit about "If you don't like Prince, then don't post here."? Why the hell would anyone want to look at a site with all the same opinions? Are you scared of alternate ideas or something? Can't handle a little debate. I like to write about how much Prince sucks cuz you guys make things so boring with your constant ass kissing. "Oh Prince is so wonderful, oh he's the greatest artist of all time, oh he can do no wrong." Please, get real. What's really happening here is you are all just pissed cuz Prince ain't worth a hill of crap anymore, and the whole world knows it, except for the fanatics.

Here's a question, how many new Prince fans have been born from his new music? Get back to me on that issue.

Despot said:

To be fair, Prince cared about selling records as recent as Rave. "Together we make the remix a big seller."

I prefer TRC and ONA live, but I'm skeptical that Prince doesn't care about the charts. I predict he'll try again with a major sometime soon.
[This message was edited Tue Jan 7 18:45:10 PST 2003 by divo02]