Should he be like The Stones..? Make the same damn album every 3-5 years?

nah, Mile was ALWAYS cool
even if a bit eccentric

Snap said:

Tell that one to fans of his earlier work, they would laugh you out of the room with that one. Those fans think that Miles sold out and started chasing trends instead of setting them. Though I don't personally agree with that claim, Miles' old school fans cringe and often scoff at his forays into fusion.

Very much so Anji..I'm a major appreciator of both artists and the posts on the org remind me of the polarizing posts that appear on Miles Davis message boards and general views held by the public. When you have artists that shift gears as frequently and drastically as Miles and Prince you will always have debates on past vs. present, older vs. later work etc.
[Edited 1/2/06 9:33am]

DorothyParkerWasCool said:

to me, Miles was ALWAYS cool
even when off doing his own thing
he was looking for new things
Joni is similar in that way
but Prince on the other hand
just gets boring & tiresome at times
especially in recent years
what's he doing that's new?



anyway, what was it Prince had said in a recent interview?
something about jazz already being defined?
kinda sad that musicians have done that to their own genre
wynton criticizing brandon, and others taking shots at miles
heck, miles was a jazz pioneer and pushed the envelope toward creating new sub-genres of jazz
the same goes for country -- shania & faith vs patsy & loretta
and punk -- old school vs emo and the more pop-oriented punk rock of today
wouldn't it be a boring shame if we all stayed within certain boundaries
the critics who'd dare say such things should have them own damn selves laughed out of the room
[Edited 1/2/06 23:25pm]

Snap said:

See I agree with a your assumption of Miles and understand what you are saying, but your view on Miles and Prince makes the point about them being polarizing. If you read my initial post you will see how I answered Anji's question. There are individuals, jazz purists, who think Miles was not being cool and resting on his ass by getting into a lesser artform; rock music. They panned his work and said he was basically chasing trends and money because he couldn't play straightahead Jazz anymore. The same individuals that gave me shit on a message board when Miles was inducted into the Rock Hall of fame because the felt it was beneath him and solidified him selling jazz out with fusion. On the other hand you have people that like all phases of Miles' career and consider him a tireless innovator.

My point is this just because YOU are not into where Prince is doesn't mean that everyone feels that way. Prince has tried various things over the last few years and they were not everyone's cup of tea. But some people like it and some don't, its been this way since Purple Rain. He's always been polarizing its just that it becomes more apparent later in an artists career because they have a back catalog to compete with. Vainandy loves Prince until '84 and thinks he lost it after that, some love the W&L years and thought he feel off after that, others got into the rock and roll sound of the '94-'95 NPG and think he should have stayed there. My point is he's polarizes because he changes. I think there are so many similarities between Miles and Prince, especially their need to change and do what they want to do. Remember we are viewing Miles fusion foray today not during the late 60'-70s. Back then he received terrible reviews and many thought he was oversaturating the market with what they considered junk. But over time the recordings have grown in stature. We don't know how Prince's last 10 years will be considered 20-30 years from now, they may still be considered subpar with his previous material; then again they may be better appreciated. Only time will tell.
[Edited 1/3/06 9:18am]

Snap said:

See I agree with a your assumption of Miles and understand what you are saying, but your view on Miles and Prince makes the point about them being polarizing. If you read my initial post you will see how I answered Anji's question. There are individuals, jazz purists, who think Miles was not being cool and resting on his ass by getting into a lesser artform; rock music. They panned his work and said he was basically chasing trends and money because he couldn't play straightahead Jazz anymore. The same individuals that gave me shit on a message board when Miles was inducted into the Rock Hall of fame because they felt it was beneath him and solidified him selling jazz out with fusion. On the other hand you have people that like all phases of Miles' career and consider him a tireless innovator.

My point is this just because YOU are not into where Prince is doesn't mean that everyone feels that way. Prince has tried various things over the last few years and they were not everyone's cup of tea. But some people like it and some don't, its been this way since Purple Rain. He's always been polarizing its just that it becomes more apparent later in an artists career because they have a back catalog to compete with. Vainandy loves Prince until '84 and thinks he lost it after that, some love the W&L years and thought he feel off after that, others got into the rock and roll sound of the '94-'95 NPG and think he should have stayed there. My point is he polarizes because he changes. I think there are so many similarities between Miles and Prince, especially their need to change and do what they want to do. Remember we are viewing Miles fusion foray today not during the late 60'-70s. Back then he received terrible reviews and many thought he was oversaturating the market with what they considered junk. But over time the recordings have grown in stature. We don't know how Prince's last 10 years will be considered 20-30 years from now, they may still be considered subpar with his previous material; then again they may be better appreciated. Only time will tell.
[Edited 1/3/06 9:29am]