I've been thinking this for a while now...

For an artist who tries to cover every ground, every emotion etc... he's not particularly strong at conveying anger, hurt or aggression in a song.

He often adopts that obnoxious vocal style from Mad Sex or Animal Kingdom when he does. But compared to others artists, for example, Tori Amos (listen to Boys For Pele) or Michael Jackson (I know some of you are gonna lynch me but I challenge you to name me a single Prince song more intensely consumed with anger and disgust than They Don't Care About Us or Morphine - one simply doesn't exist) he really doesn't hold up.

Prince is great at singing about sex and love. But angry Prince songs suck!
[Edited 9/1/04 1:47am]

MattyJam said:

I would say he sounded pretty convincingly angry in "Eye Hate U".
So much so, that the short guitar break seems like a spontaneous way of releasing some of the huge amount of built up tension in this song.

Interesting thread.

What's My Name...

Also, what's your idea of anger? Does it have to scream? Yell? Can it seethe? Hmm...


.
[Edited 9/1/04 3:27am]

Go listen to the full version of Thieves In The Temple and tell me he ain't angry!

He did FACE DOWN that was Pretty Angry. How about ARROGANCE? That's Kinda like Hostile in a way? Militant? PARTY-UP.....Political Ronnie Talk To Russia...Cinnamon Girl...Anger at CJ Billy Jack Bitch. Disappointment WASTEd KISSES..... HAD U ANGER and FRUSTRATIOn...I Beg to differ but well he Hasn't had Real Angry Punk Throw down Shit Anger. Not HIS STYLE.. First-Off He's a Gemini..Do things SMOOTHLY... Relaxed Types...Emotionally not Overly Disturbed More Subdued with things... Ya Not going to get a Maniac Freak Screaming....Still you can hear Sadness and longing and Desperation in his songs. Very Romantic, Sensual. You can feel his Hurt and Pain. His Humor about things also. So many times I could feel his Sorrow about Mayte in his songs. Remember Prince is a Gemini this Influences his Style/his Emotional Fortitude. What makes me laugh is so is Lenny and Nichole Kidman GeminisI have been told. Lenny seems a More INTENSE Gemini.

Another thing..He's a Laid back dude who actually is more into the Sexual and Romantic and Not Fighting aspect. He's not some Wild Crazy Nut about his anger. He lives a Good life and he takes things I Believe in Stride.... Religion is Important to him.
[Edited 9/1/04 3:33am]

Er, The Beautiful Ones, at the end, features the subtle essence of a convincingly pissed-off and angry Prince, wouldn't you say Matt? Check it out

Nikki is kind of angry and Sister...

Family Name is full of rage, check out the end of the dvd version

MattyJam said:

Oh wow...just when you think you've heard it all...

Maybe your idea of those things is a lot different than most people's, because those emotions are all over Prince's catalog.

`
[Edited 9/1/04 10:35am]

i think the farthest his "anger" goes is like soundin hurt u kno? like the beautiful ones thats hurt...condition of the heart is hurt...and eye hate u..songs like that..but yea i agree he doesn't do the whole angry angry bitch i hate u ahhhhh thing! like u mentioned how michael does in those two songs..which is kinda wierd when u listen to screamin stuff like lets go crazy and its like now do some angry stuff like that!

Moonwalkbjrain said:

So you haven't heard The Black Album yet either?

I also think that "I hate you" was more than angry. It´s one of the most emotional pieces ever written, IMO!
As for MJ I prefer Shout!

What about "Betcha By Golly Wow"??

Supernova said:

no..not yet..just rock hard and superfunky...

smellmyfunk said:

the whole "one nite alone" tour seemed really angry to me.

SquirrelMeat said:

He does sound angry in this version. But the take on it that I heard sounds more like a case of assumption.

No words were spoken but the love grew with every song he played. She lived to see and hear him another day. Then a friend of Larry G's convinced this person to go with him. He told her that Prince wouldn't talk to a 'married' woman so he'd help her out.....in another way.

Anxiety said:

Yep, I think U R RIGHT!!!

It might have to do with things like: deception, manipulation, aggravation, frusatration and misrepresentation!!!

Vital said:

i just felt like that tour was him kinda allowing himself to get EVERYTHING off his chest that he wanted to, and get as deep and angry and religious as he wanted, cuz maybe this whole musicology media blitz/greatest hits tour thing was being planned and he knew he'd have to leave all the ranting behind in order to play it off in the mainstream? i dunno.

MattyJam said:

What are you talking about? How about LOOSE, ENDORPHINEMACHINE, EMPTY ROOM(LIVE CELEBRATION 2002 VERSION), I HATE U, HAD U, THE BEAUTIFUL ONES..THE BEAUTIFUL ONES!!!, FACE DOWN, UNDISPUTED, STRANGE BUT TRUE, WHATS MY NAME, A MILLION DAYS?????

rudedog said:

If I told Prince about the things Larry G's friend told me, I bet we could all hear a really angry song!!!

"the beautiful ones" is angry? i think it's more passionate. same with "a million days", which i think is actually a particularly sweet song. and "strange but true" seems to be more about acceptance than anger, but that's just my take on it....

his screams are really kinda... angry... lol

i wouldnt wanna be within earshot of them

Ok...what about the ending of "NOW"...when he's like hyperventilating screaming? Thats anger!

CherrieMoonKisses said:

that's energy, isn't it?