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what is Prince trying to say with the coverart of 3121? I bought 3121 'for real' at the recordstore yesterday. Something that draws my attention are the photo's used in the booklet and one the cover: i have no idea what they are trying to say, or how they relate to the music. I mean, i guess it is how its LA house looks inside, but whats the 'intention' of showing them.
In the past many Prince records had coverart that reflected the music and the idea's about the music on those records. I mean: 1999 : handdrawed by Prince himselve, a declamation of personal and sexual freedom Around the world in a day: a colourfull, pschydelic 'image' of some of the lyrics on that record Sign of the Times: a busy, somewhat chaotic stageset, with an awkward looking Prince almost 'walking' out of the scene: did reflect the chaotic, 'dark' mood at the end of the eighties. Lovesexy: a naked Prince as a metafor for confessional lyrics about a religiosexual 'rebirth'. Musicology: the booklet carrying several pics and drawings concerned with the 'art' of making music. The photo's used in the booklet of 3121 puzzle me. What is he trying to say: - This is my house, were al the 'beautifull ones' come to party? I mean, all those pics are devoid of people, rooms devoided of any sign of someone 'really' living there, they are a bit creepy, detached for that. - I am / was the 'sign'....but why put that symbol in every room, what does it say, should we care, who does care? we? - I turn my back to you... (the frontsleeve): so? youre bored of us? youre leaving? I could think something like this: hey, Prince, is turning his back to us, showing his empty house, devoid of any sign of life, a lonely man? locking himselve up in his own house? Does it make sense? dunno I could also think: hey, Prince is looking back at the 'symbol' / 'slave' phase, and is met with an empty house, because of all the people who did get dissapointed at him during that phase... just purely guessing I must say i have got no idea whats the use of these pics, i mean it can also be Prince is using bland, detached pics for no reason.. maybe he doesnt feel the need for his coverart to be interesting, and he is 'satisfied' with it.... I am curious about your opinions / thoughts | |
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the inlay booklet is crap. its just picture after picture of different couches/sofas in princes home. | |
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3121 said: the inlay booklet is crap. its just picture after picture of different couches/sofas in princes home.
And the pool table. Don't forget the pool table. I want that pool table -->> This Space 4 Rent <<--
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The cover is saying "Someone get me a studfinder - I wanna hang a picture here. OWWWAHHH!" | |
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"Plutography - the graphic depiction of the acts of the rich". (novelist Tom Wolfe) | |
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I noticed the 'symbol' was very prominent.
In comparison the size of Prince's name on the spine is very small. His name does not appear on the cover either. Prince seems to be inviting 'us' to '3121' in the samw way he did on 'Paisley Park' in '85. Except this time, the excat meaning of '3121' is not clear. Is it a mansion or a place in one's heart? A state of mind? Peace Mr7 | |
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Someone else pointed out earlier, prince's back = prince is back.
I like that. As for the house pics, I'll let you know when I go get my copy today. I'm a slackin' fan, I know. All Rights Reserved. |
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i think that with the cover art, what prince is really trying to communicate to us is the title of the album. | |
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Just a thought here, 3121 has been the party theme for over a year now in L.A. The new CD is labled "3121 - the music" and is also labled with photos of the house aparently.
Now factor in the 3121 website to where it's been said that there are bigger plans for it. Now Go waaaaay back to the late 90's interviews where he wanted to bring the party to you via your computer and he said that broadban will just keep getting more accessable. I think that time is now. 3121 parties with all the celeberty guests via 3121.com. Hopeful thinking, I know. But I can't help but think that there is more to this whole "3121" concept/project than that CD or tour. [Edited 3/22/06 7:19am] All Rights Reserved. |
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if he's making such an investment in 3121 as his ultimate party pad, why the hell is he renting it???  | |
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umm.....parties at 3121?
Did i fell in love with Princes music for that? Prince becoming a beautifull one? A shallow partyhead? In the eighties Prince had the prospects of being a new visionary, both musically and lyrically, he showed it especially between 1985 - 1988. So, now he is part of the shallow, coke-snorring partycrowd? instead of someone combining lyrical vision with eclectic music. That would really dissapoint me. | |
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In the back of the booklet it says that the songs were recorded at Paisley Park and 3121. Sounds like 3121 is a place.
There's always Room 3121 at the Dalton Center at Western Michigan University. Room 3121 is the workout room for the dance and music department. Or, there's a recording studio in San Francisco whose phone number ends in 3121. Or, there's always section 3121, subchapter C of the Social Security Law that deals with wages? | |
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cover: "buy me, unworthy"
inlay: "i got lots of money, but unfortunately a really bad taste" | |
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I don't think there is any hidden message. Prince struck on this house number theme nearly 2 years ago, and even had robes made. He's simply showing one of them off, and to do that, you have to see his back.
The whole concept seems to be to brag about his big house. The lyrics for the title track don't suggest anything to the contrary. What Prince hasn't realised is that the decor is tacky, MTV crib-esque, and that he has now been busted as to the real owner. . |
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yamomma said: Someone else pointed out earlier, prince's back = prince is back.
Sounds over-thought. I'm with Anx. Mainly trying to get across the name of the album with a somewhat mysterious picture of himself. | |
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Anx said: if he's making such an investment in 3121 as his ultimate party pad, why the hell is he renting it???
I think, much like Paisley Park, he is trying to promote the idea of it as a "place" that can exist in the mind and heart as well. It is really just Prince doing his utopic haven for like-minded people theme again. 
Do not hurry yourself in your spirit to become offended, for the taking of offense is what rests in the bosom of the stupid ones. (Ecclesiastes 7:9) | |
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Prince is looking for the lock of his new mansion, this is why he turns his bck on us.
On a more serious level, I guess he wants us to focus on his new concept being 3121 an new musical haven. This is why we see his back. "Goodness will guide us when love is inside of us... The Force will be with you, always" | |
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yamomma said: Just a thought here, 3121 has been the party theme for over a year now in L.A. The new CD is labled "3121 - the music" and is also labled with photos of the house aparently.
Now factor in the 3121 website to where it's been said that there are bigger plans for it. Now Go waaaaay back to the late 90's interviews where he wanted to bring the party to you via your computer and he said that broadban will just keep getting more accessable. I think that time is now. 3121 parties with all the celeberty guests via 3121.com. Hopeful thinking, I know. But I can't help but think that there is more to this whole "3121" concept/project than that CD or tour. [Edited 3/22/06 7:19am] See? That's what amazes me. I was saying to someone the other night, look at how far back the 'pre-promotion' started... We all know Prince writes and records, writes and records, etc and can knock off x amount of albums in one year. And we all know how many projects he's started which have ended up in the vault. But with 3121, the promotion started when he wore that top featuring '3121' to the NAACP awards  last year. And if that was before he recorded the title track with Sonny T and Michael B. (Michael mentions on a thread in the Associated Artists forum that they worked with P last October) then he must have had a clear vision for this project. Even before he'd laid down this track.
There again, he may have composed it already and just re-recorded it with Sonny and Michael. 
But, even so, it seems like he knew exactly what he wanted to do with this project AGES ago. It's just the fans who have no idea what the hell 3121 means. | |
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"Look at all the ca$h I made from my last tour, bitches!" | |
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Novabreaker said: "Look at all the ca$h I made from my last tour, bitches!"
if that's the case, then: 1) buy 3121 instead of renting; and 2) get some furniture that doesn't look like props. luv ya prince, but come on. watch the home network for a weekend. something. | |
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This is the strongest concept he has had for an album since Lovesexy! He is growing as an artist pushing into the "art happening" type of realm with this one.
1. A while back he began throwing parties often filled with celebrities night after night at this house he labeled 3121. He would actually perform at this house for these crowds. 2. The house built up a dramatic reputation for people in the know. He also built up his current public legend with many impressive award show performances. 3. He releases an album that showcases this space in it's concept/memory. He's actually painting/sculpting with people's experience and memory to create a place, a happening, a haunted place... haunted in a good way. My art book: http://www.lulu.com/spotl...ecomicskid
VIDEO WORK: http://sharadkantpatel.com MUSIC: https://soundcloud.com/ufoclub1977 | |
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ufoclub said: This is the strongest concept he has had for an album since Lovesexy! He is growing as an artist pushing into the "art happening" type of realm with this one.
I love sarcasm, but still... | |
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it's a fun concept for an album. i don't think it's meant to be deep - just more mindless pop music fun. i love it when he gets deep, but i'm not going to pretend this album is anything more than it is. | |
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Novabreaker said: ufoclub said: This is the strongest concept he has had for an album since Lovesexy! He is growing as an artist pushing into the "art happening" type of realm with this one.
I love sarcasm, but still... definitely not sarcasm, I know an artist who tried to do this kind of thing here in Houston, she would have these big vague parties with these vague concepts trying to actually create an identity for the compound she owns where these events take place. She succeeded in getting a huge turnout over a year ago, but this year, even though she put a vague ad for the party in the newspaper (complete with a mysterious photo of herself with head turned) there was no draw, even though she had two bars, a dj, and neon art for sale suspended throughout the place. One year, she gave away all her clothing (thousands of designer items suspended on lines in a warehouse space) to anyone who was willing to model the items (they snatched) for a professional photographer. I think she was hoping that people would get vicious about it. A year later she then printed huge board mounted images of these photos of people in her clothes and had a gallery show of these prints. It is sort of this idea that the event itself is art because the people fill it with meaning. I think that if you think hard about the Lovesexy (scifi-funk/sex prince religion) concept, it is not as potent as pop art because with 3121, you are actually basing it on a collective experience that has been documented. My own friend got a text message from someone at a prince party ( a friend of Ashley "Tamar" Davis), and her account was filled more with descriptions of the place and process of getting there and walking through it. With "Magical Mystery Tour" Paul McCartney tried this by taking a film production crew with an assortment of actors and personalities on a bus with some silly concepts of videos and story... then he pushed the album and a tv special as a sort of concept piece about "the magical mystery tour". IT didn't really work! The Beatles were ridiculed for that tv special. With 3121, Prince built it up for... how long? When was the first report of a party there? It's much more substantial. You have reports he (his camp) wrote online, and you have personal accounts from people you know. Top it off with a purple ticket contest for lucky fans to go witness 3121. You are playing with a lot of elements of time and experience here. It is brilliant, yet so simple! [Edited 3/22/06 9:14am] My art book: http://www.lulu.com/spotl...ecomicskid
VIDEO WORK: http://sharadkantpatel.com MUSIC: https://soundcloud.com/ufoclub1977 | |
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with all the mention of A/V...first, second, or third A/V from the album...it seems that video will play a large part. What kind of part, or what it will involve is unknown, but it will play a noticible part. | |
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The booklet is probably him just showin' pics of his house cuz it's sweet, and he had nuttin' better to put in there? I dunno.
But HERES what I don't get. WHAT'S w/the lovesign all over his house???? Isn't that sac-religious? Seriously, 4 one, that's not even his "name" anymore. And even if it was isn't that a bit like worshiping himself. Worshiping false idols. And I dunno what the cover art is about. Heck, I don't even know what 3121 is all about. Why is he naming his album and title track after the release date of his album? Whatever, I love the album, so I ain't gonna get caught up in the rest of the mumbo jumbo. | |
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Riverpoet31 said: So, now he is part of the shallow, coke-snorring partycrowd?
Huh? Get thee to the nearest BPFS shelter immediately. You're all over this forum crying and being mad about this album and Prince's musical choices of the last several years in general. You're worth it. The crisis counselors are there to help. Don't wait another day.  The Normal Whores Club | |
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The address of the place being called 3121 is actually 1235 Sierra Alta Way in Los Angeles, CA 90069. So the 3121 concept came before or in spite of the rental property. | |
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ufoclub said: Novabreaker said:
I love sarcasm, but still... definitely not sarcasm, I know an artist who tried to do this kind of thing here in Houston, she would have these big vague parties with these vague concepts trying to actually create an identity for the compound she owns where these events take place. She succeeded in getting a huge turnout over a year ago, but this year, even though she put a vague ad for the party in the newspaper (complete with a mysterious photo of herself with head turned) there was no draw, even though she had two bars, a dj, and neon art for sale suspended throughout the place. One year, she gave away all her clothing (thousands of designer items suspended on lines in a warehouse space) to anyone who was willing to model the items (they snatched) for a professional photographer. I think she was hoping that people would get vicious about it. A year later she then printed huge board mounted images of these photos of people in her clothes and had a gallery show of these prints. It is sort of this idea that the event itself is art because the people fill it with meaning. I think that if you think hard about the Lovesexy (scifi-funk/sex prince religion) concept, it is not as potent as pop art because with 3121, you are actually basing it on a collective experience that has been documented. My own friend got a text message from someone at a prince party ( a friend of Ashley "Tamar" Davis), and her account was filled more with descriptions of the place and process of getting there and walking through it. With "Magical Mystery Tour" Paul McCartney tried this by taking a film production crew with an assortment of actors and personalities on a bus with some silly concepts of videos and story... then he pushed the album and a tv special as a sort of concept piece about "the magical mystery tour". IT didn't really work! The Beatles were ridiculed for that tv special. With 3121, Prince built it up for... how long? When was the first report of a party there? It's much more substantial. You have reports he (his camp) wrote online, and you have personal accounts from people you know. Top it off with a purple ticket contest for lucky fans to go witness 3121. You are playing with a lot of elements of time and experience here. It is brilliant, yet so simple! [Edited 3/22/06 9:14am] I agree with you, but I'll argue that Prince has been doing some form of this throughout his career, starting with the concept of "Uptown". He's had several "places" that are actually more of a concept than anything else for quite a while. When he first came up with the idea of "Paisley Park" he didn't even have the studio built yet, and one gets the idea that the "place" exists more in the abstract than in the real world ("Paisley Park is in your heart"). He had similar ideas with the whole "Dawn" concept as a virtual repository of all things Princely through the era of Come/Exodus/TGE. With 3121 he's created a sort of anti-Hotel California. Much like the place in The Eagles track, you can't ever leave (but unlike it, you wouldn't want to). Once you've arrived at the "address", it becomes a part of you. Make no mistake, this is why the "Glam Slam Room" on NPGMC has been upgraded to 3121. It reinforces the idea of it as an abstract "place" I think the reason he has included so many pictures of the house in the liner notes is to create an atmosphere for the listener. He wants everyone to feel like they are "there", regardless of where they exist physically.
Do not hurry yourself in your spirit to become offended, for the taking of offense is what rests in the bosom of the stupid ones. (Ecclesiastes 7:9) | |
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booyah said: The cover is saying "Someone get me a studfinder - I wanna hang a picture here. OWWWAHHH!"
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