NEWS, Prince's new album, most probably a collection of instrumentals, will be out June 19th, 2003.

Tracklisting:
North - 14:00
East - 14:00
West - 14:00
South - 14:00

The format of the album is not confirmed yet but there are rumours it will be a cd.
I hasn't been specified whether NEWS will see a commercial release. It will be available to the members of the http://www.npgmusicclub.com

[Thanks to everyone who sent this news about NEWS in! -Ben]

NPGMC confirmed 2 weeks ago by its own words, "Format : CD"

http://www.npgmusicclub.c...vault3.swf

I would expect a greater buzz from the fans with regard to the release of NEWS.


maybe the interest in his new releases, even among the hardcore fans, is actually decreasing over the years. Or maybe after all we are not prepared for a Prince album every six months.

no, this can't be true... I am!!!

agarze said:

I think the reason for the lack of excitement is down to the fact it's a 'collection of instrumentals'.
I'm looking forward to hearing the new album, but what i really want to hear is the man singing!

The buzz is all over on the NPGMC forum.

Peace.

Mr7 said:

funny I even didn't bother to look it up there

Oh, I'm excited about the new CD and can't wait to get my hands on it.

However, I'm so depressed that there's no Celebration "planned at this time" that it's gonna take me a while to recover.

I get more excited learning about Sabotage's new releases.

He's probably recorded the intrumentals in his sleep.

What's up, P! Ain't got nothing to say anymore!!???

When I heard Xpectation, my first thought was, I can't wait for the next cd so I can hear his voice and now another crappy instrumental.

"What's up, P! Ain't got nothing to say anymore!!???"

funny thing... Prince is a musician. Music does not require words to make a statement. Advertising requires words... and i really don't want to hear another advertisment for joining the 'witnesses'.
These instrumental tracks are great. They are intricate, and well developed. They span a vast emotional scape.
It sounds like he has once again, grown as a musician.

.




Must agree, another instrumental isn't what we want to hear.
After listening to Xpectation twice i found it very boring and i wonder how many true fan's still listen to it, i doubt many will bother to listen to it again.
But each to there own.

Judging by the short sample we were blessed with so far I can say I haven't been that much excited by Prince's music since... the launch of Xpectation

Seriously: I really love the feel of the snippet and I am expecting a powerful album.
[This message was edited Tue Jun 10 5:46:07 PDT 2003 by Papaj]

Papaj said:

What does the snippet sound like? What kind of style is the music on it?


I'm happy that it will be a CD release because I'm stuck in Thailand without a computer to call my own and downloads would be useless to me and extremely frustrating. I already feel like I'm missing out on the new website because I can't do everything with it and I can't download Reflection and burn it to CD. I've had my father download that but it'll be at least 1 year before I go home and listen to it!

I can't wait to hear NEWS. I'm excited by any Prince release because even though there's a chance it could be very average, there's also a chance it could be great. The recent stuff has been very good as far as I'm concerned.

Bring me lyrics and a heavy rock album anyday.
Jazz is fine, but it's time to move on P, or in your case move 'back' and listen to your old lps like Dirty Mind.

I ain't a revisionist by any sense of the word, and I embrace all new music and directions an artist takes, heck being a lifelong Bowie fan I've had to!


But, let's face it, 'most of us' want the same thing from him, and it ain't Jazzy instrumentals for the next century.



TheLodger.

TheLodger said:

The fact P has been experimenting with instrumental music for some time now doesn't mean he is not going to come back to his "thing". P walks his own path and I don't expect anything from him; I just want to follow his ideas because I have never been really disappointed with anything he has recorded thus far.
How can you expect anything from an artist? How can you demand anything from art? Art should be free and influenced by its creator solely. I strongly believe each artist should think only about himself/herself and his/her work of art and overlook the potential recipients of his vision, and fulfill his/her own ambitions.

I think the reason there's not more of a buzz among fans is that over the past few years, every time there's a new release, there's always a big ol' slab of drama to go along with it.

I'd love to think I'll be ripping the shrinkwrap off a brand new copy of NEWS on June 19, or even downloading my feverish little butt off...but a very big part of me knows it just ain't gonna happen.

I'm putting the polish to my bitchin' shoes, cuz come June 19 I'm sure I'll be slipping the muthas on my funky feet...sigh...

"New directions in music from Prince"


He's in danger of skillfully directing himself up his own arse.


NO MORE INSTRUMENTALS!!!

Why can't we just wait until it comes out before we start b*tchin'? If it does turn out to be instrumental, half of you will hate it just because you've predetermined that it will be below standard. The fact that prince follows whatever influence moves him is precisely what makes us love him. After Purple Rain came out, people were beggin' for more of the same. ATWIAD got very mixed reviews because it wasn't cut from the same mold. People prejudged. But go back and listen to that album now. FUNKY as hell. And some of the most creative and playful stuff that came out in the 80's. Don't prejudge.

Good stuff!

SomedayP said:

Well said too.

Message to Prince:
Hope you had a good 45th Birthday recently,though I'm sorry to hear you've apparently lost your voice,if I'd known I'd have sent you some good throat lozenges as a present ,
a fan whose not overly impressed with instrumental albums.

The Lodger wants heavy rock - like "Dirty Mind"? Listen to the snippet at NPGMC. Isn't that guitar a little on the heavy side? And if P decides to "go" heavy rock (Like The Undertaker video), people'll say he's ripping off Hendrix. Boo hiss! Hendrix's career was 3 years? Where would he have gone with his playing if... Appreciate what music you get. If you don't "get" it... tune out!

TRC, ONA & New Directions has shown that Prince as an artist and musician again is growing and searching to advance his musicallity; as in the 80´s.

And the short sample´s of NEWS evidence, he did it again.
Sounds like a very interesting "trip" and fortunately no mainstream.

Can´t wait to hear the whole CD.

gangadow said:

Yeah, but when he does (lately, anyway), it seems to cause such a stir, so maybe it's best these are instrumentals (which hasn't even been confirmed, has it?)!

Screw all you Xpectation haters! It's been in my regular rotation since it was released. I find this album to be absolutely fantastic.

alexnvrmnd said:

Eric Leeds indicated in the chat with him that all the tracks were instrumental. So unless P went in afterwards and added some overdubbed lyrics (like he'd ever do that!!!), it's instrumental.

I don't mind instrumentals as such, it's just that they tend to be formless jams, showing off musical ability but not creating moods. Well that's what I feel about the Xenophobia tracks anyway. When P has to link lyrics to a tune, he has to work harder to ger everything to fit,and the tune ends up being refined and stronger. Without lyrics, P can just jam his way through in one go and say, 'there, it's done'.

Without structure there's often no change of pace or build up.

Just my opinion.

Of course, where it all falls down is that Venus de Milo and Alexa de Paris are great.