I've been thinking about this of late and was wondering how others felt..

For me, I just cant wrap myself around Musicology and I cant justify the lack of quality simply because Prince was trying for mainstream success...Which failed anyways because the album was not a seller (excluding the concert sales)...

And why would an artist who thrived on giving the world the unexpected (ie, releasing a rock-ish Purple Rain then doing a 180 and releasing a phsycadelic Paisely Park) be content with releasing an album that pandered to an audience?

And is commerce ever *not* a creative crutch? Can it inspire genius? And should fans of an artist feel insulted when an artist dismisses the work by saying, "well..that was for the non-initiated..the next one will be for the fans" kinda talk?

Or is all of this just further ramblings from a gemini (he..not i. )

Wasn't it meant 2 b a pop record?

love

Anji said:

1999, sign of the times, lovesexy and parade are pop albums as well....

Pop 4 an artist in their 40s is usually different compared 2 pop 4 an artist in their 20s.

"2 7s 2gether
Like time indefinite"

May b the musical soul is more reflective?

love

Anji said:

i wish you would contribute more insight into your posts....vague responces lead to vague intepretations of what your trying to say...




and if thats the case, why doesnt prince just admit that he is old and his music is now derivative.....why bait by saying "this is for the masses..the next one will be for the diehards"?

This "era" is shaping up to be the most critical of his career.

sosgemini said:

The way i see it, you have to look at Prince's history when it comes to his talking. Has he ever really been completely honest with us or himself for that matter about his decisions? Think about the whole name change thing: had everybody and their mother convinced that it was purely for "spiritual reasons" only to later turn around after his contract expired and take back his birth name. Same thing similarly applies here. He's trying to convince himself that that's the case and wants us to believe the same.

Does that make since to you or is that another case of a "rambling Gemini"? (yes, i mean me)

unfortunately in this day & age, yes. the general masses basically want safe, pre-packaged fare instead of something different & new.

( )

?

Browntree007 said:

good point.....from one ramblin gemini to another...

It's been so long now I'm more concerned with his general welfare....hoping there's nothing wrong

sosgemini said:

Purple Rain was for the masses.

Universaluv said:

yep--and remember what he did for the preceding album...

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

so then how does one explain Outkast? or at least their effort to challenge.....Or a Nikka Costa who scrapped an entire album because (and she said this at her show) "you gotta live with these songs your entire career..i didnt want it to suck"?

and for an artist who has spent an entire career thriving on creating energy is it bad for the creative process to handicap yoursef by putting up a roadblock to "make it safe"?

(ps..just pontificating on things beyond prince's nipple size or mani's adams apple..dont want folks to think this discussion is too serious...)

sosgemini said:

both are children of the musical environments they respectively grew up in. nothing they do is really new or innovative. it's just rehash.


sos-dahling, every artist has a slow/off period in their careers. just because they do doesn't mean that they or their work is doomed from here on out.


thank fuckin gawd, man...one mo' "how big do prince's pupils get?"-type thread and i would done a roundhouse on some folks up in here.

Mani has adams apple?

Handclapsfingasnapz said:[quote]

sosgemini said:

i totally disagree with the age or slowing off thing...bjork, amiee mann, kate bush, sade, bonnie raitt, wendy and lisa have all been creatively strong, consistently...and while i might not like all of the music (see bjork's last couple efforts) i still appreciate the direction they are going in..

prince on the other end sounds as if he has given up and is content rehashing his old songs into new ones....and what concerns me he seems willing to dismiss the lack of mojo by saying, "this is for the masses"..

well, how can an artist that prides himself so much on having creative and artistic control then lock his talent up in a social security "lock-box"?

P, CONtent?

What about The Rainbow Children?
What about Xpectation?
What about N.E.W.S.?

Did u c the One Nite Alone tour, or witness n e of his aftershows?

love

sosgemini said:

just because kate, sade, bonnie and w & l are as on as you'd like 'em to be don't mean that others are destined to be either. people are people. artists are artists. don't hold those you dig to such expectations.


that's his prerogative.

Anji said:

not talking about concerts..prince has always been an inspiration live...and i give him TRC..it at least showed effort..failed for my taste but at least there was effort...like bjork's medulla..

the other albums are lazy efforts IMHO.

and no, i havent seen an aftershow..he doesnt do them anymore in the bay area..for some strange reason..

funny side story: last time he performed an aftershow was after the shoreline show for JOTY...My girls Kortney and Mena were tight with p's camp and asked for tickets..the jerk looked at the six of us (four girls and two guys)...he looked at the two guys and said, "four tickets"...

so fuck prince's camp!!! i didnt want to go to his aftershow anyways...

sosgemini said:

that sux ass...lotsa good times to be had during aftershows.


that's cold-blooded...

I don't think Prince wanted to rock the boat too much with this album, he wanted a commercial record, for todays commercial market, and I think he pretty much delivered.

The market today is a VERY different place to what it was in 1984, and Prince is in a different position too, so commercial now doesn't equate commercial then. I think Prince knows this, he seems pretty up, more than most really, on how the business works, and how the conglomeration of the record companies has set in the rot.

I think Musicology served it's purpose, and I hope the next record, if a CD release, will be a little more interesting, I'd like to think Prince had a little more about him than just to release a Musicology pt.2

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

i totally disagree...albums/music is a form of art...and just like a painting i am going to look/listen to it from all angles and analyze, critique and comment..

this whole notion that music is free from expectations is bogus...its said to censor people....is it a negative to have to have low expectations for an album and suprised and enjoy it? history, growth, expectations those are all things that go along with viewing, watching, hearing or reading art..and the joy of art is not just the emotional result one gets from experiencing it..but also from discussing it. so can we cut with the "expectation" game?


and for me, its okay if a work of art is a dissapointment....if i feel the artist had good intentions...a perfect example of this is Dogville by Lars Von Trier....the film it self was an effort getting through it but I appreciated the artistic efforts being made.....on the flip side of that would be a film like Monster-In-Law....no redeming value to that film....

Musicology is Prince's Monster In Law....

sosgemini said:

nope. what if people held you to unattainable expectations?

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

this thread is sosgemini's Monster-in-law.


.
[Edited 10/3/05 15:07pm]

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

there is nothing unattainable when you are dealing with art and subjective criticism.

sosgemini said:

sure there is. there'll always be those who want you to constantly do what they consider to be your best work and if you don't, you and your work be damned.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

see, this is where your expectations of prince's fans gets the best of you..you are "assuming" people want prince to release albums that sound like his best work...

thats the furthest thing from the truth..if you read my comments you will see that i respect art that at least shows an effort..ive sighted Bjork's Medusa and Lars Von Trier's Dogville...

why ignore concesssions just to make a point that is irrelevant?

Universaluv said:

hey..im bored.