Funny thing about life is, if you want a different result, you have to change what you do. People want to behave the same way but expect different results, and it infuriates them when the universe won't cooperate. What I mean by this is Prince needs a collaborator. I'll mention Sting in this context because I just saw him last night and he is also a (pop) musical hero of mine from the same era as Prince, who remains a vital creative and commercial force. When Sting's records of the mid-90s were having less of an impact, he changed his working methodology -- adding a new, younger producer/songwriting collaborator (and Sting, like Prince, is no slouch as a composer) in Kipper and changing his sound completely, all to massive success. He even changed his marketing strategy (but you can do that when you're the marquee artist on a major label).

Prince needs to first figure out what he wants from a new record. Great music? Hit music? Both?

1) For hit music, he definitely needs to contemporize his sound and work with a co-producer who can deliver that but is also sympathetic to his legacy, like The Neptunes or Timbaland/Missy Elliott. I think it's possible to change without compromising the essential things that make him unique -- his own vision coupled with access to the best traditions of black American music (the part that's missing from contemporary r&b/pop music). If he doesn't want that, then he should be prepared to not ever be on the charts again and play only to the hardcore following -- which is fine. Assuming he's fine with it.

2) For great music, he still needs to add someone who can reign in his indulgences and push him to deliver eight great songs instead of one great one, a couple of good ones, and some junk. This has been a problem on almost all of his records, except for a few many years ago. His greatest period came when he was working in tandem with Wendy and Lisa, who were able to open his ears to possibilities he hadn't considered. Surely there's somebody in his orbit who can be trusted (key word for him) to do the same thing.

3) X the literal religious content, period. If you want to write about God and/or religion that's fine, but you need to do it metaphorically so the audience isn't alienated. This is pop music, my man. Don't get it twisted. He was better when he used to have to do this -- "The Cross" is better than "The Christ," the lyrical metaphors he was forced to use in "Let's Go Crazy" are better than direct explication about heaven and hell ("...let the elevator bring us down," etc.). U2 understands how to write stirring gospel/religious music without ever mentioning Jesus Christ... Prince should, too, by now.

4) And by the way, for God's sake make a deal with a concert promoter. It's pop music -- you're just gonna have to dance with the devil if you want packed arenas again. I love the idea of sitting down front and no scalpers, but the whole waiting in line for hours thing is bullshit. I'm 34 years old -- I don't have too much worshipful devotion to pop stars left in me. I went to see Sting last night and his fan club members were sitting down front, what's the problem? No wrist bans, first come first serve, none of that shit. Put the Music Club tickets on the Internet and let members get them randomly, like every other concert.

Best of luck to Prince. I'd like to see people really excited about his music again, and not just us.
[This message was edited Thu Feb 12 11:02:20 PST 2004 by TedW]

do you think it is at all possible that mr van gogh , once or twice, sought the advice of those around him?

There's never been anyone that lays down grooves funkier than Prince! Never has been and never will be!! BUT, lyrically he's 'OUT TO LUNCH". I enjoy everything I've heard from the man, because as a fan/fam I respect his creativity. If he wants to be more mainstream, he just needs to get his lyrics back to fun, love, sex, and partying, and leave all the anger, religion, and racism out. It's his music, and he can play and sing about what he wants too. I'm not dogging him for doing what he wants, but if he wants to SELL records, he doesn't need a label, he's just got to get back in touch with the hearts and minds of the piiples!! PEACE AND BE WILD!

love2thenines2003 said:

On his forehead?

superstarolly said:

Some very good points here. Those crying "hypocrite" to Prince need to examine this in further detail. First off, Prince NEVER said he wouldn't work with a major label again. He said he would never sign a contract that made him a "slave" to a major again. Prince has said time and again that he would work with a major if it meant that he could retain ownership of his masters, and creative control over his music. Both Emancipation and Rave were done through majors, with the deals reflecting his demands.

I'm sure that if the new suits at WB would give him his master tapes back, Prince would sign in a heartbeat. It just all depends on what they have to offer. P still has a whole lot of problems with the music industry, and I doubt he will cease to be vocal about them if he signs with WB or BMG. The fact is, despite his track record in the last decade or so, Prince still has much potential to return to the top of the charts (if Carlos Santana can have a comeback, so can P). All he needs is the right promotion. Hell, if Rave had been promoted properly, it could have been a hit, despite being a lackluster album. If the recording industry can sell awful swill like Britney albums, it can sell almost anything.

Most of you guys are all crazy...

First, anyone that doesn't see that Prince is at an all-time artistic high right now is not seeing the obvious. His backing band (John Blackwell in particular) is the best he has ever had. And I'm betting this new album is being recorded with them.

He doesn't need an outside, and frankly less talented, producer. He doesn't need his old drum machine. He's got one of the most innovative drummers on the planet! I expect this album to follow in the footsteps of Musicology. A funk album, with Maceo, Candy, Rhonda, Renato, John, etc., made the way only Prince could...

Second, this hypocrisy business is nonsense. There's no way he's going about this without securing the rights to his master recordings. In fact, when people look back at what he's doing, he's sort of following what everyone else thought he should do for awhile. Take a step back from the limelight. Let the public appreciate him, and his vast catalog (like Joni said... you don't know what you got till it's gone).

I mean seriously, everyone outside of this website thinks his last album was Sign of the Times, if not Purple Rain. They have absolutely no idea. When I told people I was going to see him in Vegas (one of his best shows, BTW) and then here in LA, most people were shocked that he was still alive, let alone still putting out a record a year. It's just ridiculous.

No, I bet he's securing a distribution deal, similar to the one with the failed EMI and Arista. I think he learned a lot from those albums. I think he tried the whole let's appeal to the teenyboppers (with Gwen, Sheryl, etc.) and realized screw it! And speaking of that, can you imagine if Rave was a hit? If you had to fight for concert tickets with a bunch of 12-year-olds who thought "like, The Greatest Romance, is like the best sone ever! Omigod!"? It would be maddening!

A lot of people forget (some negative Orgers included) that he's doing something that has never really been done before (the NPG Music Club - which has improved every year) by a major artist, and like everything, it's a (sometimes painful) learning process.

Let's give the man a break. I'm excited for this album. I think it could be one of his best. And although the rest of the world may ultimately pass it over, it just means we get to keep him all for ourselves... and how lucky is that?

If he does relesase a new album this year,it could be over shadowed by the re-relesae of Purple Rain, everyone buying Purple Rain and no one buying "Musicology" or whatever it may be called, and low and behold it goes by the waste side
Strange but True

Maybe, we will get a decent album, if he signs with a major record company.

Most of you guys are all crazy...

First, anyone that doesn't see that Prince is at an all-time artistic high right now is not seeing the obvious. His backing band (John Blackwell in particular) is the best he has ever had. And I'm betting this new album is being recorded with them.

He doesn't need an outside, and frankly less talented, producer. He doesn't need his old drum machine. He's got one of the most innovative drummers on the planet! I expect this album to follow in the footsteps of Musicology. A funk album, with Maceo, Candy, Rhonda, Renato, John, etc., made the way only Prince could...

Second, this hypocrisy business is nonsense. There's no way he's going about this without securing the rights to his master recordings. In fact, when people look back at what he's doing, he's sort of following what everyone else thought he should do for awhile. Take a step back from the limelight. Let the public appreciate him, and his vast catalog (like Joni said... you don't know what you got till it's gone).

I mean seriously, everyone outside of this website thinks his last album was Sign of the Times, if not Purple Rain. They have absolutely no idea. When I told people I was going to see him in Vegas (one of his best shows, BTW) and then here in LA, most people were shocked that he was still alive, let alone still putting out a record a year. It's just ridiculous.

No, I bet he's securing a distribution deal, similar to the one with the failed EMI and Arista. I think he learned a lot from those albums. I think he tried the whole let's appeal to the teenyboppers (with Gwen, Sheryl, etc.) and realized screw it! And speaking of that, can you imagine if Rave was a hit? If you had to fight for concert tickets with a bunch of 12-year-olds who thought "like, The Greatest Romance, is like the best sone ever! Omigod!"? It would be maddening!

A lot of people forget (some negative Orgers included) that he's doing something that has never really been done before (the NPG Music Club - which has improved every year) by a major artist, and like everything, it's a (sometimes painful) learning process.

Let's give the man a break. I'm excited for this album. I think it could be one of his best. And although the rest of the world may ultimately pass it over, it just means we get to keep him all for ourselves... and how lucky is that?