I don't mean to be the forum's gadfly, I love the majority of Prince's music, although...

Isn't Prince like 46 or something? Born in 1958 and releasing titles like "United States Of Division"? I find that a little odd. Thirty seconds in, I knew I would not be able to listen to it in its entirety. I had to turn off, it was unlistenable. What strikes me as even more ridiculous than the song itself, is its title... The United States Of Divison? Wouldn't it work better if it were, oh I don't know, The Divided States Of America? How could you be united and divided, divided and united? I understand there's a heavy partisanship in America right now - right left, etc etc - but still... The United States of Division? Am I missing something? Does it make sense?

Anyway I had to get this off my chest. I'm a huge fan of Prince, been a fan since 84... but recently I just don't get it. Listening to songs off of Xpectation, One Nite Alone and C-Note... even songs like Solo off of Come and going as far back as The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker and If I Was Your Girlfriend... my God, so much potential to really take it to another level, but he's stuck releasing tracks that are throwaways. So I ask again, what's up with this guy?

Anyway, it's 11AM and I rolled out of bed to write this. Sigh.

You totally right about that! Don't wanne say 'the old times are better', but when i hear his new releases nowadays, it's like: been there, done that, have heard that one before.....
i used to buy everything he made, but since sometime now i've lost the interest.... sorry to say, musiciology isn't a great cd, i remember when lovesexy, parade, sott etc. came out.... every song was beautiful, complex, so much different from anything else on the market, 12" with great extended versions (i wish u heaven part 1 2 3, mountains, kiss etc. etc.) but now..... every song sounds so simple, so plastic.... you know, it's nice...but that's it, i don't get shivers like i got when i first heard if i was your girlfriend, no more stumping beats like gett off, listen to the first part of parade, i wonder u, new position: so many sounds, so many voices, listen to the track lovesexy, the ending of Glam Slam, the rhythm of computer bleu, the lyrics of if i was your girlfriend.. i'm sorry but those were the days!!!!! Call my name: heard it a few times, could have also been from boys to men or something, it's just boring, the single musicology: sorry i simple drumriff with some kinda rap...
so..... where are the screams, the dirty beats, the great guitar solo's, the camilla voices, the lyrics, the bases, ... the everything!!!! I WANT MA OLD PRINCE BACK!!!!

And I think that he's verged on that recently with songs like One Nite Alone or Here On Earth - smashing songs - and even tracks off of Xpectation and C-Note. It's a shame he doesn't put these songs to an album. They're sophisticated and although nothing like that 85-88 stretch, they're, for Prince, an amazing progression.

Who am I to say what Prince should and shouldn't do? But it's such a shame to see someone as talented as Prince ignore his potential. Musicology has its moments but it's lacking some serious edge. And I'm not saying 'Sister' or 'Darling Nikki' edge, but rather, just plain old Prince edge.

Damn!

Too literal!

Yeah but... again... the United States of Division.... too inane.

i haven't heard the song yet, but this is what I think the title means...if u think about it this way it makes sense....the united states are SUPPOSED to b united u feel me? we're supposed to be all one love n shit...but instead we're divided..the same thing thats uniting us americans (patriotism) is dividing us from the foreigners (patrionism)...its like americans vs foreigners. bush lovers vs haters. kind of like it used to be blacks vs. whites. u feel me? i dunno the title makes sense to me if u think of it like that.

Moonwalkbjrain said:

I got you. Cool. Yeah that makes sense I guess. Still, it's a bit incongruous. Perhaps I'm lacking a sense of adventure.

What's with this desire to dismiss what we don't understand? Everybodys not going to get every song or album. So prince is wasting his potential if he doesn't fit whatever your particular paradigm is? Prince is not some new artist so how can he be wasting his potential? He has sure had a great career of wasted potential. If only we were all so lucky to have so much to waste lol.

robertlove said:

I think the great thing about Prince is that he doesn't remain the same. He continues to evolve. And for those of us that grew up on Prince (like me) since 1978, are you the same person you were over 25 years ago? I think we all change/evolve and that's a good thing, otherwise you haven't grown or developed at all. I think this has been the key to his success over the years. If he was still playing the same beats, guitar solo's etc, I don't think his fan base would be what it is today.

jmbcat said:

No.


Yes. Your title doesn't really roll off the tongue as well, and being so basic and literal isn't a necessity.


:::wondering if Michael Moore fans thought he should have titled his film September 11th instead of Fahrenheit 9/11:::

tricky99 said:

I wouldn't exactly say I "desire to dismiss" what I don't understand... I never wrote 'wasted potential' either. I simply stated that it's a shame to see him ignore his potential, which I think even a seasoned veteran still has room for development - I don't think that just because he "isn't some new artist," he doesn't have potential to waste. It's all just one man's opinion though and I don't intend on offending anyone. But between albums like Musicology and unreleased items like One Nite Alone, it baffles me that Prince would choose to release the former because, in a way, it lacks the substance that he's so incredibly capable of, as shown on One Nite Alone. I still like his stuff - don't get me wrong - sure I don't listen to Musicology or United States Of Divison, but I like Silver Tongue. Again, just one man's opinion.

Supernova said:

Maybe I am too literal and "basic." I just didn't like the song and I still think it's a dumb title. And even though I liked the movie Farhenheit 9/11, I think the title sucks. What is that, like the temperature at which freedom burns? What does that title mean anyway?

jmbcat said:

That's the rub. Prince has so many different capabilities that even people who are fans are sometimes disapointed because they percieve that which they personally like to be superior to what they don't like. But trust me there are folks here who perfer musicology over ONA. Musicology has been a great success so alot of folk are loving it. As far me hey its all good. I'm as versatile as he is. I kind of wish everyone else could enjoy the whole spectrum. peace.

jmbcat said:

It figures.

where can I get that track??

Supernova said:

I'm curious: what do you mean to imply by, 'it figures'?

jmbcat said:

Blah blah blah

His religion prevents him from using the title he really wanted "The VAGINA States of Division"

So he used the next best thing.

I think it supposed to be Ironic

robertlove said:

If I was your girlfriend was more understandable?