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PrintableI agree with much of what was said in this post.
I think Musicology was a really weak, repetative Prince album--his weakest album maybe ever. The Rainbow Children, on the other hand, was for me a highly listenable album. It felt "free"---excellent musicianship, creative, weird concept album, and good songs even if there weren't any 'hits'. So far, the snippet of Te Amo Corazon sounds like the mediocre, uninspired, unmemorable melodies--if you can even CALL them melodies--that Prince has tossed off in recent years. Reflection? Wasted Kisses? and those dry-sounding drums all over "Emancipation" that just sucked the life out of nearly every track on that album... Compare these recent-year songs to his absolutely ELECTRIFYING, CREATIVE and EXCITING music of his 1999 thru the Symbol album, and there's no contest. With the exception of TRC, Prince seems to have abandoned his creativity. Why is he resting on his laurels? Should we be grateful for whatever he gives us? Yes and no. We need artists of his calliber to constantly stretch and grow and show us what's possible. I want to be challenged by Prince the way I was when I first heard the Sign o the times album. The way I was when I heard "when doves cry".... I'll always be a fan....I just want to feel exhilerated by a Prince record again. | |
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"....I just want to feel exhilerated by a Prince record again."
So is that up to you or Prince? I felt exhilirated by "musicology"-does that make me an asskisser? A koolaid drinker? Naive? What makes me feel great from the same Prince song that leaves you cold? [Edited 12/12/05 21:24pm] "New Power slide...." |
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DorothyParkerWasCool said: No we won't see the Prince of old. And I won't see the me of old either. Jesus people get over it.Besides...
[Edited 12/12/05 20:24pm] You are so right...The thing that people need to understand is it's only natural that singers, performers and musicians decline from their artistic heights...As great as the Beatles are, do you honestly believe that they would have continued to crank out classics if they were together for ten more years? Don't you think that Beatles fans would be saying the same thing about their beloved group; that they lost it; that they are out of touch; that they are uninspired? Really people, when you hear people wishing for the days of Purple Rain and Sign O The Times, you are really hearing old ass fucks like myself crying over the fact that the old days are gone. It happens to everybody... If you are an oldschool hip-hop fan who worshipped Mele Mel you probably didn't get what all the fuss was about when Jay-z dropped Reasonable Doubt...So sitting around and waiting for Prince to find his mojo is a bit naive and quite silly....All you have to remember is everybody has their time when they are not able to bring it...It happened to The Stones, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Run DMC...ect...And its happened to Prince...Just respect the man's rich legacy and past greatness and move on...Buy the new shit and go to the concerts and be thankful that the man is still here...There's no reason to dissect Prince's every move...At least P is still making music on his terms... [Edited 12/12/05 21:36pm] | |
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murph said: DorothyParkerWasCool said: No we won't see the Prince of old. And I won't see the me of old either. Jesus people get over it.Besides...
[Edited 12/12/05 20:24pm] You are so right...The thing that people need to understand is it's only natural that singers, performers and musicians decline from their artistic heights...As great as the Beatles are, do you honestly believe that they would have continued to crank out classics if they were together for ten more years? Don't you think that Beatles fans would be saying the same thing about their beloved group; that they lost it; that they are out of touch; that they are uninspired? Really people, when you hear people wishing for the days of Purple Rain and Sign O The Times, you are really hearing old ass fucks like myself crying over the fact that the old days are gone. It happens to everybody... If you are an oldschool hip-hop fan who worshipped Mele Mel you probably didn't get what all the fuss was about when Jay-z dropped Reasonable Doubt...So sitting around and waiting for Prince to find his mojo is a bit naive and quite silly....All you have to remember is everybody has their time when they are not able to bring it...It happened to The Stones, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Run DMC...ect...And its happened to Prince...Just respect the man's rich legacy and past greatness and move on...Buy the new shit and go to the concerts and be thankful that the man is still here...There's no reason to dissect Prince's every move...At least P is still making music on his terms... [Edited 12/12/05 21:36pm]  Excellent post | |
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DorothyParkerWasCool said: No we won't see the Prince of old. And I won't see the me of old either. Jesus people get over it.Besides...
[Edited 12/12/05 20:24pm] I vote you for org president, cause this is the smartest reply I've read all week  If you will, so will I | |
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thekidsgirl said: DorothyParkerWasCool said: No we won't see the Prince of old. And I won't see the me of old either. Jesus people get over it.Besides...
[Edited 12/12/05 20:24pm] I vote you for org president, cause this is the smartest reply I've read all week I second that vote!!!! | |
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murph said: thekidsgirl said: I vote you for org president, cause this is the smartest reply I've read all week I second that vote!!!! Thank you all, but I would have to politely decline the nomination. I took a break from the org for a while and came back to the same craziness. I'm tired of debating whether or not Wendy and Lisa are overrated, sick of people being stuck in the 80s in December of 2005 and most of all I'm tired of the bitching about every little thing Prince does. My life has enough going on without this shit.  I'm just fed up....Hell I'm sure he doesn't even care this much However, it's good to see that we have some thinkers around here. | |
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 [Edited 12/16/05 5:03am] | |
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I'm not after "old Prince", but I am after an album that captures me, and takes me on a ride. Where the instruments make new sounds, not rehash. Where choruses contain many hooks, not just one line song titles.
This is what Prince seems to have stopped delivering. If the new single is any sort of clue, he is just sinking further and further into the safe zone....and boredom. I sure hope when the album comes next year, the single is the odd one out. But based on current trends, I doubt it. . |
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Neversin said: To me the "Prince of old" is that guy who used to challenge himself, was original and dared to go places nobody treaded just to see what would happen and left "trends" to the products, instead of following, or rather trying to keep up with, "trends" and whatever is hip now in the corporate industry land...
Neversin. Agreed, that's what I meant to say too, it seems he doesn't really challenge himself anymore... RIP Prince: thank U 4 a funky Time... |
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my goodness--the gloom and doom in this room ( i like that rhyme!)...no wonder it was available on itunes first--at least the general public will give it a chance--some of you guys must have a "IT SUCKS" key on your keyboard. 
TRC- IT SUCKS NEWS-IT SUCKS MUSICOLOGY- IT SUCKS NEW PRIN- IT SUCKS -CE SINGLE you look better on your facebook page than you do in person  | |
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SquirrelMeat said: I'm not after "old Prince", but I am after an album that captures me, and takes me on a ride. Where the instruments make new sounds, not rehash. Where choruses contain many hooks, not just one line song titles.
This is what Prince seems to have stopped delivering. If the new single is any sort of clue, he is just sinking further and further into the safe zone....and boredom. I sure hope when the album comes next year, the single is the odd one out. But based on current trends, I doubt it.  Some people seem to be reading too much into my original post. I've never been a Prince basher. I've been a fan for 20+ years, bought all his work, gone to many concerts and I'm a big supporter. I was just expressing my thoughts that Prince has been frustrated for many years because he can't seem to find that happy place anymore where his creative self is free. I know he still has it in him. Creativity and inspiration never run out - they're a state of mind, an attitude. My whole post was meant to be positive, hoping that he finally frees himself once again... Keep up the great posts, gang! Must I become naked? No image at all? | |
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When People talk about the Beatles they're never told to 'Get out of the 60's'
When people talk about Nirvana they're never told to 'Get out of the 90's' So why, oh blooming flip why, are we always being told to get out of the 80's when discussing Prince ????? What about Shakespeare....?? The Impressionists ?? This is a website to talk and debate about Prince and his music etc.... That means ALL of his music, whatever you want to talk about. It's just expressing an opinion. It's NOT being negative. It's just discussion. Are going to like everything equally? And for what reason ? We all like and dislike things for different reasons.... It's just discussing that. Shut up already, damn. | |
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BigMFCheez said: ...The goose was killed by too much ambition and insecurity, but I believe that the magic is still in there. The inspiration and purity that created so many priceless works of art many years ago still exists. The magic can be revived by removing all the self-imposed anxiety and expectations so the creative energy can flow freely once again. Can he do it? I think only true spirituality can inspire this, but not the kind that arrogantly seeks to convince others....
I earlier forgot to compliment you for this part of your statement...actually the whole post was excellent (and has inspired a pretty good discussion, too!). "I would say that Prince's top thirty percent is great. Of that thirty percent, I'll bet the public has heard twenty percent of it." - Susan Rogers, "Hunting for Prince's Vault", BBC, 2015 |
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"I was just expressing my thoughts that Prince has been frustrated for many years because he can't seem to find that happy place anymore where his creative self is free."
"hoping that he finally frees himself once again.." How could you possibly know this? How Prince is feeling these days? All very speculative. Saying you don't feel Prince's music is one thing, but to use your perceptions of his music as a gauge of his health/mindset/life is a BIG stretch.... "New Power slide...." |
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I waited for the "old Prince" to return with every new album from 1985-1990. When the 1990s rolled in and music as a whole changed (for the worst), I gave up on him returning because even if he did, the dead ass music buyers of this decade would not welcome his return. They had moved on to hip hop hell.
The 1990s albums were OK (considering the dead decade they came out in). They were definately better than anything else on the radio. The 2000s are here now and music as a whole is even worse than the 1990s (something I never thought would be possible). I know Prince will probably never put out a great album again but even his worst is better than the shit on the radio today. However, just because I realize that the "old Prince" is gone, does not mean I'm not still going to bitch about it. Of course I am and encourage anyone else that's not 100% completely satisfied to do so also.  Andy is a four letter word. | |
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skywalker said: "I was just expressing my thoughts that Prince has been frustrated for many years because he can't seem to find that happy place anymore where his creative self is free."
"hoping that he finally frees himself once again.." How could you possibly know this? How Prince is feeling these days? All very speculative. Saying you don't feel Prince's music is one thing, but to use your perceptions of his music as a gauge of his health/mindset/life is a BIG stretch.... I think people just feel this vibe through his music. He writes the words so they have come from somewhere. Some thought processes. And this is the vibe that he is giving out to the world. His music can be very visionary and clear so the change was more noticeable with Prince. If it had been another artist then it may have been less noticeable. Now it is a lot less clear to see where he's coming from or what his point of view is. This just leads people to wonder why he is less focused. It's just what people have picked up. No-one is intentionaly picking on Prince or saying 'Make better music for us' Hell no! People just noticed the change. [Edited 12/13/05 7:07am] Shut up already, damn. | |
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CandaceS said: BigMFCheez said: ...The goose was killed by too much ambition and insecurity, but I believe that the magic is still in there. The inspiration and purity that created so many priceless works of art many years ago still exists. The magic can be revived by removing all the self-imposed anxiety and expectations so the creative energy can flow freely once again. Can he do it? I think only true spirituality can inspire this, but not the kind that arrogantly seeks to convince others....
I earlier forgot to compliment you for this part of your statement...actually the whole post was excellent (and has inspired a pretty good discussion, too!). Thanks! Inspiring good discussions is why this forum exists. Must I become naked? No image at all? | |
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1st point:- Fans basically just want a good album, nothing wrong with that, so why do some of you guys moan at fans and say that they should accept any old shit that comes out. we pay princes wages, us fans have a right to be angry if he releases some lazy arse shit which any other half decent musician could write.
2nd Point:- People said prince had lost it with Around The World In A Day and Parade, 'nuff said!!  [Edited 12/13/05 8:46am] | |
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Whiskas31 said: 1st point:- Fans basically just want a good album, nothing wrong with that, so why do some of you guys moan at fans and say that they should accept any old shit that comes out. we pay princes wages, us fans have a right to be angry if he releases some lazy arse shit which any other half decent musician could write.
2nd Point:- People said prince had lost it with Around The World In A Day and Parade, 'nuff said!!
[Edited 12/13/05 8:46am]  One thing I would never accuse Prince of is being lazy. I think he surpassed James Brown long ago as the hardest working man in show biz.Must I become naked? No image at all? | |
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With every new Prince release comes the same old arguments. "I think the album will be shit","I think the album will be that, he lost it etc etc." Instead making pre - judgments before the album even drops, Why can't people remain open minded, wait until the album is out and judge it on it's own terms. Some of us us want Prince to remain open minded and we are not even open minded our damn selfs. I can understand if some fans are disappointed by his last efforts, however i don't want to close my mind before I even hear the new album. And in my opinion you can't judge an album from just one single. | |
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we will see the Prince of old if 3121 is a live album. Studio albums are just not for him no more. live tracks from 1988!!!! | |
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Whiskas31 said: 1st point:- Fans basically just want a good album, nothing wrong with that, so why do some of you guys moan at fans and say that they should accept any old shit that comes out. we pay princes wages, us fans have a right to be angry if he releases some lazy arse shit which any other half decent musician could write.
2nd Point:- People said prince had lost it with Around The World In A Day and Parade, 'nuff said!!
[Edited 12/13/05 8:46am] I don't think that's what people are saying...I think most of the level headed fans have come to the realization that Prince is close to 50 years old. We've come to realization that like all the greats before him, time has a funny way of stripping away ferocity and inspiration...I look at Prince like a great boxer, say Muhammad Ali. He was great in his prime and was still good in his advanced age; but he's been in the ring for a long time; he's bound to look a little old and slow...It happens people...The new song is far from a shock if you've been following the man. He's simply mellowed out in his advanced musical age and hey, there's nothing wrong with that. This of course does not take away from his legacy or greatness. The beauty of music is that we still have the memories and the albums. I can still check out Prince in concert and see his overall greatness; But the days of seeking a life-changing, groundbreaking album are gone. This is not an indictment of Prince, possibly the greatest talent of his generation. It's the cycle of music. | |
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Neversin said: funkaholic1972 said: I think the "Prince of old" is something we have created in our own minds. The Prince of old is the idol we discovered in our teenage years, who was wildly sexual and at the same time spiritual and was delivering exciting music.
I see your point but you're contradicting yourself here... Sure I created a "Prince of old" in my own mind and that's not the Prince you described above... To me the "Prince of old" (who for you obviously is "wildly sexual and at the same time spiritual", something that's not exactly important to me...) is that guy who used to challenge himself, was original and dared to go places nobody treaded just to see what would happen and left "trends" to the products, instead of following, or rather trying to keep up with, "trends" and whatever is hip now in the corporate industry land... Neversin. Holy Mother OF GOD! That was one of the greatest stated points on Prince's situation I have ever read! You iced it there. I have always wondered how to describe my disappointment with Prince and now I can word it. Thanks. As you state, there is no false "prison" in our minds. Prince is the man who gave us the picture of himself. He has been trying to recreate the picture since the early 90s to fit some kind of mold. Prince does to his music what Michael Jackson does to his face. Sorry. I'm hoping too for some Prince resurrection on this album. | |
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"....is that guy who used to challenge himself, was original and dared to go places nobody treaded just to see what would happen and left "trends" to the products, instead of following, or rather trying to keep up with, "trends" and whatever is hip now in the corporate industry land... "
I dunno. I think most of the time Prince goes with his gut and uses his artistic instincts. Also, in the 80's, I don't believe that he was entirely free from biting trends. Think about the rockabilly tunes he did (Delirious, Jack U Off, Horny Toad). Although he used a synth in a new way, the very use of havey synths was trendy. Also, Prince giving a big nod to the 60's (in fashion and otherwise) could be seen as following a trend. Yes, Prince was innovative. However, it wasn't as if he said "This year I am going to be INNOVATIVE!" I think he, as he still does now, follows his instincts. [Edited 12/13/05 12:53pm] "New Power slide...." |
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that fact that Prince is no longer cursing on his records is bold when you think about it, given todays music scene, in a way, that is going against the grain. | |
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Meloh9 said: that fact that Prince is no longer cursing on his records is bold when you think about it, given todays music scene, in a way, that is going against the grain.
For some reason it always worked on Prince records. There never seems to be a swear word out of place. It just seemed to fit into the context of what he was singing about. My only complaint about those words is when they are just used to be cool or for the sake of it. Shut up already, damn. | |
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Meloh9 said: that fact that Prince is no longer cursing on his records is bold when you think about it, given todays music scene, in a way, that is going against the grain.
You are missing the point totally of BigMFs post. Read it, its good. [Edited 12/13/05 13:13pm] | |
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Rockability said: Meloh9 said: that fact that Prince is no longer cursing on his records is bold when you think about it, given todays music scene, in a way, that is going against the grain.
You are missing the point totally of BigMFs post. Read it, its good. He's not missing the point. He simply has a mind of his own, just like BigMF. | |
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Rockability said: Meloh9 said: that fact that Prince is no longer cursing on his records is bold when you think about it, given todays music scene, in a way, that is going against the grain.
You are missing the point totally of BigMFs post. Read it, its good. [Edited 12/13/05 13:13pm] I did read his post and it is good. I was just responding to things said throughout the thread about challenging himself and going against the grain. Who knows it may be a challenge to write songs without cursing. I don't really like the way he alters the older songs, but I think it is daring to try to be clean in this day and time. | |
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