This is Prince- doing pop music. No longer the wannabe rapping, generic R & B posing (no, "Satisfied" & "Incense" are nothing like tracks on "Emancipation"). This IS the album we've wanted since Gold

HomeSquid said:

Indeed, they're even worse, they're "New Power Soul" rejects beyond the generic R(ap) & B(ullshit)...


Speak for yourself, there's a shitload of fans here that want him to stay away from flavour of the week sounds and the chart watching/buying public...
Music doesn't exactly seem a priority to Prince nowadays it's just the charts and the "bling" it brings...

Neversin.

HomeSquid said:

I disagree-

1. 1st of all I have dug most of his albums since The Gold Experience (including Emancipation, Rave, and New Power Soul.

2. I think 3121 is a lot more like those albums than people admit. Incense and Candles specifically features what you call " wannabe rapping and generic R & B posing ".

All in all, I disagree with your negative slant on his work since The Gold Experience, and I disagree with the thought that 3121 is a VAST departure from albums like Emancipation, etc.
[Edited 4/2/06 10:02am]

Neversin said:

neversin---what was the last Prince album that you genuinely liked or even loved?

skywalker said:

"Xpectation"...

Neversin.

i like 3121 a lot. i don't love it, but i like it a lot. i think he's pulling a lot of stuff out of his bag of old tricks on this album, and that's just fine with me. it's not meant to be his great musical statement for a generation. it's just supposed to be a good summer party album. why make it out to be more than what it is? just enjoy it.

HomeSquid said:

Speak for yourself.

Neversin said:

Would you say that you are more a fan of Prince's "experimental" side than his pop oriented stuff?

At least New Power Soul had around 40 minutes of good tracks...

I think it is as inviting an album as the Gold Experience, yes but nowhere near as powerful. But perhaps that is just because he is really much happier now.

NouveauDance said:

It's my favorite since The Gold Experience.

No dogma. No grand "message". No overkill. Just an easily listenable, fun mishmash of styles.

All in all, I disagree with your negative slant on his work since The Gold Experience, and I disagree with the thought that 3121 is a VAST departure from albums like Emancipation, etc.[/b]
[Edited 4/2/06 10:02am]
[/quote]

I now actually love 3121 , in the last few days iI have even got to love Incense and Candles and Beautiful Loved and Blessed (mainly the last minute or so). Also the negative slant on stuff since Gold is justified , I cant imagine why people would have been turned on to Prince based on the stuff 1996 to 2000, it was so sterile sounding. 3121 is a departure form Emancipation because you could imagine at least 4 great singles off it!

HomeSquid said:

You should learn to speak for yourself, and let others do the same.

3121 isn't what makes me like prince at all.

MickG said:

waaaaa

I don't agree at all. There are a few cuts that clearly hark back to his old style, but the vast majority of the songs have very little to do stylistically and moodwise what "made us like him". Even "Love" is a misstep in that sense, even if most would agree that its a fine song.
[Edited 4/3/06 20:39pm]

well, no rap is only a good thing in my book. leave rap to rappers.

HomeSquid said:

...I respect your opinion but must disagree. It isn't the album I wanted since Gold. I like 3121 overall but I only love two tracks. "Fury" and "The Dance" are bound for classic status on my playlist. Wifey loves "Beautiful, Loved & Blessed". ..."Incense and Candles" has the rapping u refer to.

I might love "Love" were it not for the elementary lyrics. I understand Pop is not an intellectual thing - but Prince is better than "Ain't gonna be no drama, cause we have a good time." That song is crying for a re-mix.

...At the end of the day - Prince's stuff is always better than 98% of the junk I hear and buy. 3121 is in the mix with Goapele as the best I've heard so far in `06.I looked forward to the release of 3121 and being excited for a cd release only happens about four times a year for me. Van Hunt is next.

This album features some of the best tracks that I've heard from him in years such as "Love" and "Lolita" but it's not a complete album of stuff I've wanted for years. It's too diverse so there are definately things I don't care for on it also.

As for the "rap" and "generic R&B", the song "Incense and Candles" definately fits that description and is an embarassment for someone like Prince to make. It's a complete sellout song.
.
.
[Edited 4/4/06 1:44am]

skywalker said:

This is a rather empty question since a song like "When Doves Cry" for instance is as "experimental" as it is "pop"...
A song is only "pop" if a record company or artist aims it at the charts and the general dumbed down chart watchers/buyers...
If a song like "Kiss" wouldn't have been released to the masses it would have been considered an "experimental" song...
But to answer the question: No...

Neversin.

HomeSquid said:

i dont agree with anything you said, although i think i know what your trying to say.


its something the masses can enjoy
its easy to swallow i guess

vainandy said:

I like how you cut to the chase.

Lot of strong material on 3121, except the ballads. The slow jams sound hollow to me, and it seems like he puts more energy into the philosophical/religious stuff. "Love" is great, but lyrically it's thoughtful, not emotional.

What's interesting to me is how Prince is using his powers of seduction for spiritual purposes, not laying women. That makes "The Word" a hot piece of propaganda, but leaves "Te Amo" and "Satisfied" rather limp and boring.

I agree
3121 is a return to his 70s/80s roots, a lot of styles on one record all represented by supremely crafted Princely pop songs. We have the de rigeur funk dance, 3121, Black Sweat, sexy Stax style ballads, Satisfied, Meldoic duest Beautiful LoVED AND bLESSED, Booty Shaking, Black sweat, Lolita, Love, Instrumental Jams with Get on the Boat, Haunting Melody with the Dance, and the usual Prince mixes (The rest). Add to these styles plenty of ows! shreiks, and a classic over the top soul scream at the end of the Dance u have pure prima facie Prince.
He dosent rap, dosent imitate street R and B or Rap, theres no fluffy flutestremental or bizarre self indulgent jams. And tahst why I think Prince won't make new fans, but he will keep the hardcore in unfortunately, once of his hardcore have bought the record it will sink like a stone.