we're only talking pop music here, but listen to the RADIO man... the EFFECT that Prince has had on the MUSIC SCENE is pervasive. The things that he was doing twenty years ago are still fresh and relevant. I dunno what you'd call GENIUS, but whatever it means to you he must be closer to it than you are! Like somebody said you qualify for S*****D!

this fucken site has gone so downhill it aint funny

origmnd said:

funny enough to keep you coming back though!

There was a time when Prince seemed to be about to do something which would change the direction of Pop Music forever (a category to which he must belong due to his general blending of 'popular music styles') - after SOT, after Lovesexy, he seemed to be on course to produce a Massive Innovation (like the General Theory Of Relativity in music terms) Then suddenly,too suddenly, he lost his way. He took a backward step with Graffiti Bridge. Then another with Batman which sounds at times like him trying to make Lovesexy more 'rocky'. Suddenly he is self cannabalizing, mining ideas he has already had instead of plunging headlong in to the abyss. Everything since sounds like a rehash of somebody elses idea - queenlike operatic rock of The Symbol album, to poppy mainstream jazz of TRC. It is just not good enough for someone who wishes to be perceived as a Genius. He ceased to create the new, just to rehash the old.
He was on the edge of being a Genius, now he is just in the foothills of mediocrity

Anxiety said:

LOL

RiccoTheArtist said:

hey ricco!

Einstein, Picasso, John Lennon, Newton, Jimi, and Prince all made their major contributions to the world at a young age. You don't lose your genuis status just because you haven't topped what came before.

Anyone who's seen him live recently knows he hasn't really lost anything other than some leg strength. Maybe we've just caught up a bit as listeners. Listening's a lot easier than creating.

I think that Genius can only be measured in terms of its influence on the genre which it grew out of. Einstein influenced science for all time, Beethoven classical music. Prince has not influenced pop music in the same way. He is unquestionally brilliant (albeit fadingly so) but NOT a Genius (at least not so far)

I think that Genius can only be measured in terms of its influence on the genre which it grew out of. Einstein influenced science for all time, Beethoven classical music. Prince has not influenced pop music in the same way. He is unquestionally brilliant (albeit fadingly so) but NOT a Genius (at least not so far)

origmnd said:

funny enough to keep you coming back though!

origmnd said:

funny enough to keep you coming back though!

Anxiety said:

nope---come here cause its easier to post on here than in NPGMC plus theres the censoreship issues ova there

devilstwin said:

the beatles are often considered genius, but without R&B and the skiffle music they were influenced by, where would they have gotten? without brian wilson and 'smile', would there have been a 'sgt. pepper'?

yet, the beatles have launched countless imitators over the last forty or so years.

i'd say prince has had a fair fraction of that kind of influence on other artists. for every review of a TTD or lenny kravitz album you can find that doesn't mention prince, i can find you ten that do. and let's talk about all the songs and artists who have been influenced by his work, from RFTW to boy george's early solo stuff to duran duran's wedding album to beck's midnite vultures and and and....

of course, without james and sly and jimi and carlos and joni and all his other influences, who knows what prince would have become, if anything. but when you read about a band or an album being influenced by prince, you don't hear "lenny kravitz is plugging into a prince vibe, by way of prince's joni mitchell influences." naw. it's a constant process of recycling and interpreting influences - some artists are deft at wearing their influences well, and some are daft and wear their influences on their sleeves (and a lot of in-between).

prince is a genius. musically he's a genius, and in the way he's carried out his career and his persona, he's a genius. sometimes he's a monumental ass in the choices he makes or the way he behaves, but that's the downside of taking risks. sometimes doing something differently isn't a popular thing to do.

last year, prince proved that he could manipulate his way to the top of the pop charts, which had previously been something only major record labels could do. i think that is all kinds of freakin' genius.

Anxiety said:

nope---come here cause its easier to post on here than in NPGMC plus theres the censoreship issues ova there

Anxiety said:

nope---come here cause its easier to post on here than in NPGMC plus theres the censoreship issues ova there

origmnd said:

Easier to post on here???...What, is the "Post response" button over there some complicated mechanism or something??

origmnd said:

Easier to post on here???...What, is the "Post response" button over there some complicated mechanism or something??

origmnd said:

Easier to post on here???...What, is the "Post response" button over there some complicated mechanism or something??

devilstwin said:

well, prince ain't dead like the aforementioned two...

Again you make my point unwittingly, the fact that Prince hasn't topped what has gone before precludes him being a Genius. He may be brilliant but Genius - NO

y'all will hate on me for posting this, but i met someone who used to wait at the bus stop on lyndale with prince back when he worked as a janitor and before he became famous.

this person has been into the minneapolis music scene from back in the day (still is) and used to buy his instruments at the same store prince did. apparently he never quite hit it off with prince because back then he was fond of wearing nazi memorabilia and he says prince used to kind of....edge away from him when the two of them were waiting for the bus.. .

anyway, this person i know (who shall remain nameless) also knew the people in prince's early bands. the early band members apparently still tell stories of how prince used to record their jam sessions and later turned some of the extra good riffs and segments into songs which he later claimed to have written himself.

mind you, i wasn't there so i don't know if the above is true. but this person i know has absolutely no reason to lie, isn't a fan at all. the topic simply came up when i spotted a really old copy of one of prince's albums among his collection and commented on same.

edited to add: personally i feel prince is extremely talented, and i doubt he 'borrowed' all of his songs from other people. maybe a few, but he couldn't possibly have been faking it all these years.

i don't know if i would call him a genius but he's at least very close
[Edited 2/24/05 16:36pm]

XxAxX said:

This is the most second hand "heard it from my mother's 3rd cousin" Prince story I have ever heard. Living in the Twin Cities, I hear all kinds of these "my brother's roomate's babysitter knew Prince" stories. Is it true--maybe one time. It's like the telephone game or fish tales.

PS. Why would Prince edge away from someone wearing Nazi memorabilia? Prince shoulda punched his mouth, threw him off the bus, and said, "No ticket."