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Prince And His 7-Year Phases Here's a theory to chew on:
Prince's career has been marked by 7 year phases (approximately, anyway)...and it's these phases which sometimes help segregate his fans. Phase 1: 1978-1984. Prince brings his unique take on pop music to the masses, filtering everything that's on the radio (basically) through his own perception and musical viewpoint, which propels pop music forward. His "sound" starts to permeate the airwaves and move the pop music landscape in a new direction. Dirty Mind, 1999 and Purple Rain are best examples of this phase. Phase 2: 1985-1992. Prince no longer attempts to challenge pop music, and starts challenging himself. Arrangements, instruments, engineering, even lyrical content stems from him purposefully pushing his own pop sound. Nothing in this phase really effects or changes the pop landscape, however, but Prince is more into effecting and changing himself artisically. ATWIAD, Parade and Lovesexy are best examples of this phase. Phase 3: 1993-1999. After effecting himself but not the pop world in general, Prince wants to show that he still should hold a prominent place on the pop landscape. Instead of filtering popular musical styles through a unique and visionary lens, however, he tries to mimic what's popular, only do it better. The results are mixed, though, and he seems unsure as to how exactly to proceed. Diamond & Pearls, Emancipation and Rave are best examples of this phase. Phase 4: 2000-2006. After Prince's attempt to be "better" at current pop music styles fails (at least commercially), he basically says "fuck it" and turns his back on pop music, even distancing himself from his own past output, and explores genres that focus more on musicianship than anything else. Lots of sax, horns, organic drumming and piano fill his musical plate, and Prince feels a return to the beauty of musicianship and freedom, succeed or fail, popular or not. TRC, N.E.W.S. and One Nite Alone (piano album) are best examples of this phase. Phase 5: 2006 - ???. So we should be entering a new phase of Prince and his art/music...but how would we define this phase he seems to be entering? I would guess, for now anyway, that it's a stage of comfort and connection...of meshing the last four stages together in a way that he feels comfortable in, and in connecting to listeners through his stage shows. Presenting his music and himself as comfortable with both his past rude-boy image and catalogue, and with his present confidently grown image and output. He just "is" now. I think he's past the concern of having "hit" single and being on the singles chart, and cares far more about having a "hit" album and "hit" concert. How we take this individually as fans may depend upon which phase we cling to the most, if any. Did you like Phase 1 the most, where he effortlessly took pop conventions and added unique brilliance to it, propelling the genre forward? Then you will insist on his new work to do that again before you'll be happy. did you like Phase 2 the most, where he seemed to be constantly finding ways of pushing himself moreso than the pop world, experimenting with textures and atmospheres? Then his latest work better continue that. Did you like Phase 4 the most, where his musicianship took center stage and shined like crazy, even at the expense of pop song formula? Then his musicianship had better be even better now, or else you'll be disappointed. Did you like Phase 3 the most?...well, ok, nobody liked Phase 3 the most..lol. *grin* But you get the idea...I'm guessing that we're at the beginning of a new phase with Prince and his music/art...3121 could be an example of this, blending the last four phases together with a comfortable confidence (Phase 1: Lolita. Phase 2: The Dance. Phase 3: Incense & Candles. Phase 4: Get On The Boat), while focusing on the connection with his audience through concerts. If you're like me, you just dig the entire ride, and seeing what the different phases brings out in this extremely talented and unique musical figure. | |
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Byron said: [...]Did you like Phase 1 the most, where he effortlessly took pop conventions and added unique brilliance to it, propelling the genre forward? Then you will insist on his new work to do that again before you'll be happy.[...]
not me, and i dig that era overall. | |
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I totally agree. The next 7 years are going to be crazy!
M MyeternalgrattitudetoPhil&Val.Herman said "We want sweaty truckers at the truck stop! We want cigar puffing men that look like they wanna beat the living daylights out of us" Val"sporking is spooning with benefits" | |
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Interesting post  | |
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I love the way you broke it down  2010: Healing the Wounds of the Past.... http://prince.org/msg/8/325740 | |
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I do think there is a definite cycle to the majority of his releases. Not sure if the 7 year thing quite captures how I look at it but a 3 album artistic cycle seems to be pretty consistent, not breaking down until we hit the WB troubled years. The cycle seems to be 2 albums exploring a general style or musical direction followed by a singular album that is *usually* a landmark critical/commercial/controversial release (or at least some sort of output that veers of course from the previous releases and doesn't represent, necessarily, what's to come):
For You Prince Dirty Mind - Controversy 1999 Purple Rain - Around The World in A Day Parade Sign O' The Times - The Black Album Lovesexy Graffiti Bridge - Diamonds & Pearls 
(Here's where the cycle seems to break down for me...the Symbol years) The Undertaker Come The Gold Experience Chaos & Disorder Emancipation Crystal Ball The Truth NewPower Soul Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (And here's where the cycle seems to recover with Prince reclaiming his name) The Rainbow Children - One Night Alone One Night Alone Live N.E.W.S. - Musicology 3121 Thoughts? [Edited 3/21/06 16:37pm] [Edited 3/21/06 16:41pm] | |
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jtfolden said: I do think there is a definite cycle to the majority of his releases. Not sure if the 7 year thing quite captures it all but a 3 album artistic cycle seems to be pretty consistent, not breaking down until we hit the WB troubled years. The cycle seems to be 2 albums exploring a general style or musical direction followed by a singular album that is *usually* a landmark critical/commercial/controversial release (or at least some sort of output that veers of course from the previous releases and doesn't represent, necessarily, what's to come):
[...] Thoughts? i kinna agree with this, but to me ol' boy's stuff tends to "hiccup" in spots too so it's not as set as what you've got there. | |
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Handclapsfingasnapz said: i kinna agree with this, but to me ol' boy's stuff tends to "hiccup" in spots too so it's not as set as what you've got there.
Indeed, it's not perfect...and I am sure that shelved albums/unreleased projects/contract fillers muddy the waters. A big 'hiccup' for me is the TBA/LoveSexy era. I'm not even sure TBA should count there given that Prince did see fit to pull it from release and Lovesexy and GB do pair up rather well. | |
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Yeah, the 2 album think has always stood out to me, but generally speaking, it's not a perfect pattern is it.
Bodes well for what comes next though maybe, since both these models come full cycle for a fresh start after 3121.  | |
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NouveauDance said: Yeah, the 2 album think has always stood out to me, but generally speaking, it's not a perfect pattern is it.
Bodes well for what comes next though maybe, since both these models come full cycle for a fresh start after 3121. Right, the next album "should" be something a little more extraordinary and less run-of-the-mill, if either (or both) models hold up. | |
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jtfolden said: I do think there is a definite cycle to the majority of his releases. Not sure if the 7 year thing quite captures how I look at it but a 3 album artistic cycle seems to be pretty consistent, not breaking down until we hit the WB troubled years. The cycle seems to be 2 albums exploring a general style or musical direction followed by a singular album that is *usually* a landmark critical/commercial/controversial release (or at least some sort of output that veers of course from the previous releases and doesn't represent, necessarily, what's to come):
The three album cycle is accurate. I thought this too, but to me the Black Album breaks the cycle. In some semi-conscious way Prince may have been rebelling against his own rhythm, his one, two, three, MASTERPIECE! cycle, and trying to forge a new pattern of creativity. The Black Album/Lovesexy episode really seemed like a spiritual crisis for him, as if he was growing aware of his habitual mental and creative processes, and it was him attempting to break free from it. But in his attempt to do so, he made some plastic, artificial sounding albums for a while, music that wasn't quite convincing, and failed to penetrate the soul. But that's a necessary phase of personal evolution. The put on, decorative instinct kicks in when one expends their true nature, and I think that's what Prince did. | |
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Byron... u know i love you!!
u are astute and shrewd as always.... i see this latest composition - as a well blended machine - a fare the well to the old that has not worked and a definite hello to comfort and kinsmanship Tamar is a very nice accessory to this latest body of work - she blends very well - Fury however is a remake of an earlier ROCK song - the hell if i can remember the name - just heard it on the radio...as well as his bid at mani - in the streets everyone says i'm still ur man... incense and candles - umm well lets say that sounds sexually inclined towards his newest entry... satisfied - that does nothing for me a mental foreplay GONE WRONG... lolita hi sfighting attraction to a gurl/woman that he's soon to get at... the rest whatever... so ladies and gentlemen the skinny muthafuka with the HIGH voice - has given us something to chew over and u know his style lasts only as long as his latest lover... lets see where this goes... hey byron - thats what this thread should have really been about - guess the era by the music/woman ... to prince making music is like making love and controlling a womans impulses...  ~Live Free ... Be Wyld~AlwaysOnlyMakeBelieve - LiveUrLyfe... laissez le bon temps rouler...vivre sans être sauvage...हमेशा ही बना विश्वास ~Change and do so CONSTANTLY... | |
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Byron said: Here's a theory to chew on:
Prince's career has been marked by 7 year phases (approximately, anyway)...and it's these phases which sometimes help segregate his fans. Phase 1: 1978-1984. Prince brings his unique take on pop music to the masses, filtering everything that's on the radio (basically) through his own perception and musical viewpoint, which propels pop music forward. His "sound" starts to permeate the airwaves and move the pop music landscape in a new direction. Dirty Mind, 1999 and Purple Rain are best examples of this phase. Phase 2: 1985-1992. Prince no longer attempts to challenge pop music, and starts challenging himself. Arrangements, instruments, engineering, even lyrical content stems from him purposefully pushing his own pop sound. Nothing in this phase really effects or changes the pop landscape, however, but Prince is more into effecting and changing himself artisically. ATWIAD, Parade and Lovesexy are best examples of this phase. Phase 3: 1993-1999. After effecting himself but not the pop world in general, Prince wants to show that he still should hold a prominent place on the pop landscape. Instead of filtering popular musical styles through a unique and visionary lens, however, he tries to mimic what's popular, only do it better. The results are mixed, though, and he seems unsure as to how exactly to proceed. Diamond & Pearls, Emancipation and Rave are best examples of this phase. Phase 4: 2000-2006. After Prince's attempt to be "better" at current pop music styles fails (at least commercially), he basically says "fuck it" and turns his back on pop music, even distancing himself from his own past output, and explores genres that focus more on musicianship than anything else. Lots of sax, horns, organic drumming and piano fill his musical plate, and Prince feels a return to the beauty of musicianship and freedom, succeed or fail, popular or not. TRC, N.E.W.S. and One Nite Alone (piano album) are best examples of this phase. Phase 5: 2006 - ???. So we should be entering a new phase of Prince and his art/music...but how would we define this phase he seems to be entering? I would guess, for now anyway, that it's a stage of comfort and connection...of meshing the last four stages together in a way that he feels comfortable in, and in connecting to listeners through his stage shows. Presenting his music and himself as comfortable with both his past rude-boy image and catalogue, and with his present confidently grown image and output. He just "is" now. I think he's past the concern of having "hit" single and being on the singles chart, and cares far more about having a "hit" album and "hit" concert. How we take this individually as fans may depend upon which phase we cling to the most, if any. Did you like Phase 1 the most, where he effortlessly took pop conventions and added unique brilliance to it, propelling the genre forward? Then you will insist on his new work to do that again before you'll be happy. did you like Phase 2 the most, where he seemed to be constantly finding ways of pushing himself moreso than the pop world, experimenting with textures and atmospheres? Then his latest work better continue that. Did you like Phase 4 the most, where his musicianship took center stage and shined like crazy, even at the expense of pop song formula? Then his musicianship had better be even better now, or else you'll be disappointed. Did you like Phase 3 the most?...well, ok, nobody liked Phase 3 the most..lol. *grin* But you get the idea...I'm guessing that we're at the beginning of a new phase with Prince and his music/art...3121 could be an example of this, blending the last four phases together with a comfortable confidence (Phase 1: Lolita. Phase 2: The Dance. Phase 3: Incense & Candles. Phase 4: Get On The Boat), while focusing on the connection with his audience through concerts. If you're like me, you just dig the entire ride, and seeing what the different phases brings out in this extremely talented and unique musical figure. THIS is the reason that I spend time on this site. Excellent post on pretty much dead on. | |
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Byron said: cool stuff including...
If you're like me, you just dig the entire ride, and seeing what the different phases brings out in this extremely talented and unique musical figure. Great thread, Byron.  Very interesting.
That last line sums it up perfectly for me. No preconceptions, I'm happy to see where he takes us. Even though there are still fans out there who think he exists simply to write and record music they want to hear. It's his journey too.  | |
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onenitealone said: Byron said: cool stuff including...
If you're like me, you just dig the entire ride, and seeing what the different phases brings out in this extremely talented and unique musical figure. Great thread, Byron. Very interesting.
That last line sums it up perfectly for me. No preconceptions, I'm happy to see where he takes us. Even though there are still fans out there who think he exists simply to write and record music they want to hear. It's his journey too. Agreed. Great thread, Byron. | |
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I'm not sure how true these theories hold. Byron, Diamonds & Pearls came out in 1991, so it actually doesn't fit into your third phase theory. Although that was a definite beginning for Prince as far as chasing pop trends instead of creating them.
And jtfolden, you left out the Batman soundtrack. Which fits in more with the D&P and albums. |
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renfield said: And jtfolden, you left out the Batman soundtrack. Which fits in more with the D&P and
albums.yes, I left it out on purpose as it was a soundtrack initiated by an outside source. It's not a project or release that Prince would have naturally developed for artistic reasons and since it does contain tracks originally intended for other projects, it's a bit of an artistic mish-mash - no more relevant to the cycle than "The Vault... Old Friends 4 Sale". After thinking about it, I've decided that his years totally break the 3 album cycle, too. Virtually every release during those years is a stand alone effort. With the name reclamation, it *seems* like he's falling back into the cycle:
For You Prince Dirty Mind - Controversy 1999 Purple Rain - Around The World in A Day Parade Sign O' The Times - The Black Album Lovesexy Graffiti Bridge - Diamonds & Pearls
Come *****The Years*****
The Gold Experience Chaos & Disorder Emancipation Crystal Ball The Truth NewPower Soul Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic *****End of Years*****
The Rainbow Children - One Night Alone One Night Alone Live N.E.W.S. - Musicology 3121 | |
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