Pagey said:

You completed the package with your words. I totally agree. Some people are never satisfied. Stop complaining!!
I say enjoy what you get cause Prince doesn't "Owe" us a thing. Now I'm sure someone will still have something else to say despite of the that Pricne so graciously sends our way. Eat some and see if that makes you feel better.

Billmenever said:

sorry, I got so worked up I forgot to check my spelling. Hope Prince never gets to the point of taking this "thing" so serious.

I guess he was listening to the complaints about TRC when some, including myself, said you have to ignore the lyrics to enjoy the music...

***

On another note... (AND YES i KNOW I'M READING TOO MUCH INTO THIS, BUT...)

Something about the 14 minute length for every piece really bothers me symbolically.

I already think Prince is becoming too much of a traditionalist in his religious thinking and social attitudes. He seems to be forcing all his wonderfully free beliefs into the letter of the Bible and J.W. doctrine.

Now, I'm seeing this music forced into some rigid time scheme. Come on... to make every composition end dead at 14 minutes sterilizes something for me. How can the spiritual expression of each song spend itself in 14 minutes exactly? This just symbolizes what we've lost in Prince: a free, spontaneous artist.

Reminds me of poetry before freestyle when all sentiments had to be forced into the iambic pentameter. I'm more of a freestyle person. And unfortunately here's further proof Prince and I are parting ways


.
.
and scene
[This message was edited Tue Jun 10 20:09:30 PDT 2003 by SynthiaRose]

I will patiently, yet anxiously await for this to be in my posession. I'm sure Prince has created some beautiful music, he does it every time. Whether it is is entirely stellar or not is not important. What is is that the man's productivity never wanes. His body of works and how far above all else in innovation it is as a whole, will certainly show us how lucky we are to hear it as it is released, as it relates to his now, our nows and the now of the world around us.

SynthiaRose said:

I agree. He obviously likes neatness, which is fair enough, by including silence on NPS and TRC just to bring it to a round running time.

However, ending four compositions so rigidly at the 14 minute mark does indeed suggest that he's more interested in the symbolism than the music. What the hell would Miles Davis have to say about all this?!?!

That said, he was similarly obsessed with his three hour (to the second) Emancipation album - and it didn't feel any the worse for it, at least not to me.

DEEEYAAAMMMNNN PEOPLE!

How many peeps that have posted here are actually music fans? I can't believe the amount of negativity being aimed at an album which hasn't even been released yet. Why not wait and see?

The other point that is being made prominantly on here is that the album is instrumental. SO WHAT!??!?!?!!?!?!?

Do people no longer have the patience to listen to a piece of music for 15 minutes at a time without becoming bored. To me vocals are just an extra instrument. I don't recall the last time upon first listening to an album that I checked for the vocal 1st anyway. Music and the sound of the mix is always the 1st thing that I check for on any recording.

Maybe people here are not as musically open minded as others and if you really need to hear Prince singing to enjoy a record he as released plenty of them over the last 25 years...but also 2 Madhouse LPs remember!

And that was '87!

Papaj said:

4 guitar solos ? hehe

BlurredEye said:

- Speaking for myself...I always loved when Prince played instrumentals, and I always thought he should do more ´musician-oriented stuff´ to get rid of the ´pop star singer´ image he had. I personally dont care about lyrics. But Prince´s recent years instrumentals aren´t so great IMO. Xpectations is full of jams, some beautiful songs, but nothing groundbreaking or with a powerful melody. And now that he has a new band, I was expecting a song album without storyline and with more band collaboration (like Gold was)
But I loved the sample of East...it is edgy

I think the reason people are not happy with another instrumental album is that we are waiting for something to shake our asses to at the clubs. I mean really, would you want to hear anything off Xpectation at a club? I won't even play Xpectation for anyone that is not a true Prince fan because they would just say 'I told you Prince sucks'.

I will wait to hear all of NEWS before giving my opinion. The sample sounds good but it still doesn't have a 'shake your booty' feel to it.

We Want The Funk!!!

McD said:

The fact that Emancipation was 3 disc with each exactly 1 hour music started to make me think what the hell is wrong with the man...he hasn't lost that obsession with time ever since...

as a matter of fact didn't the dude say something along the lines of: "wake up, time does not exist" on Rave??
hhhmmm...
Time to wake the fuck up for Prince.

stehol said:

Well, I must say that I don't think theses records are really advances musically - they seem to be lacking focus, and just a bit of the extraordinary that made former records so great. I just listened to SOTT again, and man, how it still blows my mind. But nonetheless, the new albums are definitely still worth listening to, but I can't help to not feel as excited about them as before when new P records came out - or, is it, that maybe I am getting old ;=)

You know what I would really love to hear - a colaboration of Prince, Shakira, Wynton and Branford Marsalis and Peven Everett (if you don't know him, try to find "Studio Confessions" - really really good stuff). Maybe that would get the juices flowing - musically, that is

So long

BlurredEye said:

Simple -

If it's an instrumental album - set expectations to low + hope to be pleasantly surprised (Xpectation managed that).

If it's a 'proper' album with 3-5 minute songs and vocals and stuff - set expectations to impossibly high (next SOTT???) and prepare to be disappointed!


So my expectations are set to low. And I'm hopeful...

Krid said:

WHAT?!

Excuse me,

But do we believe Prince is a "pop" artist? Didn't he rag on that already. Didn't he bring that up even in the midst of his own Pop reign with Pop Life? Didn't he say on the ONA tour that the Purple is over?

I'm gonna be listening to Joni forever. I'm gonna be listening to Miles forever. And why? not just because of the music, but the different places they took it.

But I can only imagine the different places they WANTED to take it that record company restrictions would not allow.

Prince is NO LONGER under that restriction. He gets an idea, he calls some folk, they go to the studio, BAM! It's done. And he's a genius, so to him.. its like taking a picture.

I'm glad I aint getting no 7CD rehash of all the old stuff, like some of yall folk was beggin for last year. Some remixed, remastered, refried beans! The man's still got creativity in him. Let him CREATE rather than RE-CREATE.

Be glad that ya' ass AIN'T gotta wait that long for SOMETHING from him, Ani Difranco or someone with some real talent, some real vision and with the freedom to express it AT ANY POINT THEY CHOOSE!

Meshell is SITTING on work. While her backup singer, K'Alyn just put a CD out earlier this year and is about to put out an even newer one.

On June 19th, the man will ONCE AGAIN affirm his creativity. At 45 years old. After 25 years in the business, he's falling back in love with instruments again (The Truth, One Nite Alone (studio), Xpectation). He's strippin it back down.

And I think that with his dad's spirit hovering the air, that Prince is learning that he can communicate WITHOUT words. He's exploring melodies from a pure perspective, not just what supports what he has to say.

You can praise it.

You can rag on it.

But while we're typing... HE'S JAMMIN!!!

Jarret said:

Yep, that's about where I am today. I'm almost completely over Prince now. Actually, I won't listen to any of his old pop hits on the radio. I change the station. I'm fading fast. And, how long can Prince last with such a dwindling fan base?

Bring new musics now, before it's too late!

I wonder if it's going to cost additional $$$ to purchase NEWS?

JugHead said:

I've heard this very often before. It's just normal. How long have you been a Prince admirer?

It seems to me that mainly fams (not all of them, perhaps just a small percentage of them) who followed P in the 80's tend to bail from the purple bus, because they wanna hear the Minneapolis sound, the Revolution sound like back in the day.

But there are also new, young people joining. They like the new stuff like Emancipation and Rave. (My ex grilfriend is crazy about NPS and Rave, I kid you not!)
I'm 25 and got hooked on Prince in 1987-1989. I still like this period a lot. I like the darkness and pure funkiness of Batman.

What I want to say, I think P's music reaches beyond the taste of one generation, and I am glad to be able to hear his more recent output, because I like it. And everytime I put on TRC or one of P' older records, or a '70s hits record I think: "why isn't this stuff on radio all day?" This is just good music. I know I can't find it in most popular record stores, but I don't care. This is just an indication of the state of music nowadays imho.

But I know for a fact that as soon as I put on ONA...Live! or Maceo Parker in front of some people, they go "this is good shit." And to me, this is what matters, whatever crap you hear on the radio, you know that P is still around and he is still as controversial in the sense that he refuses to do this by the book. TRC is a good indicator of that.

Oh and Jarret; you should get ONA...Live! It's fantastic.

TheLodger.[/quote]

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.[/quote]

so he can record an album of peruvian nose flute music, and its un-criticisable because its his vision? if you have never been disappointed by a prince release, did you realise there have been albums released after 1992?

optimumshaboogie 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.[/quote]

so he can record an album of peruvian nose flute music, and its un-criticisable because its his vision? if you have never been disappointed by a prince release, did you realise there have been albums released after 1992?[/quote]

Art is criticisable but saying "put there some vocals, use drum machine, wear different clothes, make a video, record a pop song" is not criticism but just childish bullshit. Nothing is perfect, everything is subjective. Like it or not, but let him do his own thing.

from the short video it seems like it's going to be a jouney of his mind or how he envisions the sonds of the world to be however I am tired of the instumentals but this stikes me as being a different project.

I think the sample teaser heard on the NPGMC sounds really good and look forward to experience the whole album. I do love Prince's voice and wish it was on this album. None-the-less, I think its wonderfull that he's passionate about experimenting with different styles and ideas. One can't go wrong exercising his creativity. I hope he gathers all that he discovers and learns and comes out with a genius album, mixing instrumental and vocals.
ITS ALL GOOD.

Xpectation is one of my fave albums.
God (isntrumental) is my favourite prince slojam.

i dont care what it is along as it's good.
if it is as good as Xpectation...we r in 4 a treat.

who knows,this could b his funkiest stuff yet!
or his mellowest...

we'll just have 2 wait & c

& Tokyo/Osaka r 2 of my faves also.

this shit is gold.

To be honest, Im ready for a prince album that brings all my emotions to the shore, and they all flow out when the music plays.. I hope there is something on this new cd.. that will do that, simply because its been a while since a song like that has surfaced from him...

IM A PRINCE FAN SINCE 1982...Im 37 (Gemini also) and I look forward to this new album very much, as I do ALL his work.

Some things always work, some dont, but it's always "Prince" and he's always doin' his thing.

Now he seems especially interested in instrumental works. .He's always done the odd (and wonderful) track or two. And of course there was Madhouse.

Then came Kamasutra. The background music to the guy's wedding for Chrissake's. Not so hot...ok. Then later came a more Jazz oriented sound...the live One Nite Alone..John Blackwell, Renato,...Eric, Maseo...Sheila E. slowly crept back into the scene...

Then: Xpectation. I like it. I like it alot, actually. I put it on when I want to "chill" late at night. Candles, incense...a litle sumthin', sumthin'...I think it's a progression.

Now: N.E.W.S. They way its coming out. The track list and time thing..The ad on the website...that snippet of the sound of "East"...(is it the climax? Is it early in the track??) make's me think maybe this is it...his musical statement. The instrumental "Sign O the Times" he's been working towards..honing, perfecting and now he just went to the studio...caleed Eric and Sheila and recorded.

Call me an optimist (I aint no Prince ass-kisser, I know when stuff sucks, believe me), but I ALWAYS hold out hope that the music will give me "that feeling". That you get when you first here something truly NEW from Prince.

This could be it.

An instrumental album doesn't necessarily mean jazz.
I'm excited about it because Prince not trying to fit into any commercial formula can only be a good thing.
Not to knock all things commercial or mainstream, but most of it is just predictable and dull.
The fact that I still get excited about a new Prince release and I could care less about all the American Idol hype makes me feel a little better about the world in which we live.
Oh yeah, the weed helps.

What are these instumentals mentioned...Tokyo and Nagoya? I've got Tokyo which I like a lot. i downloaded it from kazaa but thought it must be a "fake" unreleased track as I hadn't heard about it before and it hasn't been mentioned by Uptown magazine who only recently did an update of unreleased tracks. Any information about thsese songs would be appreciated. >