Handclapsfingasnapz said:

But it DIDN'T.

You're talking in an abstract manner about established history to the contrary.

Moonbeam said:

yeah...i may pay attention to ol' boy a lot, but he wasn't the absolute spearhead of all the stuff that turned me into the woman who i am today. he was one of the drops in the bucket, so to speak.

namepeace said:

which is how i operate a great deal of the time. you might not understand it a helluva lot in how i'm explaining it here, but believe me...more than likely it still coulda happened. it might not have happened the way that you, i and the rest of the world have come to see it, but it still could've happened nonetheless.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Same here, but his drop for me was a lot bigger than that of any other musician, and I don't know that I would be as appreciative of or interested in music today if it weren't for albums like 1999. Honestly, that album made me a fan of not just Prince, but of music in general. It's been a 17-year love affair ever since and I have found great solace in music and great release in my attempts to create it. I feel like I owe a lot to 1999 as a result, as it ignited the flame.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Your original point about validation and the irrelevance of commercial success to thr artistic merits of his work is absolutely correct.

But in saying -- in clipped, conclusory tones -- that Prince's commercial success had no bearing on his output or the scope of his audience is just plain wrong. It contradicts the plain facts.

You also imply that your individual situation is different from virtually all Prince fans. Which is great. But using your individual situation to make a general conclusion is, well, suspect.

So, if you want to explain yourself, please do. But don't say something is wrong and then not back it up, Cash your checks!

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

No argument on that point.

But we're talking DIDs, not COULDs.

Moonbeam said:

Funny thing is, Purple Rain made me a Prince fan, but ATWIAD made me a Prince fan for life. Because that record was just as exciting an exhilarating a listen as Purple Rain, but it was completely different. And that same effect lasted with each successive album until Batman.

The beauty of Prince is that he, more than any other artist, inspired me to love and appreciate great music I'd heard before and after him. I heard new things in the Stevie, Sly and Isaac Hayes records I'd loved as a kid. I began to explore his influences I didn't listen to, like Joni Mitchell. The complexity and unpredicatability of his music "prepared" my ear for jazz.

I love so much music now, largely because Prince was, and still is, my favorite of them all.

namepeace said:

I co fucking sign! One of my top two reasons for loving the man and his music. The other has to do with his commitment to his craft and God given gift. The brother is touched

thedog said:

And this would be different from so many of those rap albums that debut at #1 then fall quickly down the charts exactly how? If you look at what happened with Barry Manilow when his album debuted at #1 then took a steep tumble down the charts, it picked right back up (to #4 this week) according to Billboard because of his appearance on "American Idol", so Prince is only a hot TV appearance away from bumping 3121 back up the charts (imagine if 3121 had been in stores when Prince shocked the world with "Fury" on SNL). Plus with the bump a possible major tour could provide I wouldn't worry too much about a second week drop being the end of the project's success.

it's official!

Stax said:

I like this Number 1 better

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Yea, thanks... my previous comment was scrappy! i can't seem to make sense... what is it wrong with me!!! i call it the originality complex...i'd rather not express myself you know? anyway, i've made edits to it to atleast make it sound better even if it's still annoying because of my structuring of sentences.. sorry . VB ( Violet Brown, npgmc mod) give me a buzz if u ever get to read my post, youre WELCOME!
[Edited 3/30/06 19:57pm]

Moonbeam said:

Interesting back and forth. So much friction I thought you two would catch on fire.

We lavish so much attention on one or two albums when there's such a wealth of Prince music to go around. I guess it's only natural that we form favorites, develop sentimental attachments to songs that made us feel a certain way. Me, Starfish and Coffee always brings a smile to my face. I can totally relate with those feelings.

One quality I really admire in Prince though, beyond just music, is his tenacity and perseverance. He never gives up. He holds his ground when he's under seige, and he goes after what he wants with fierce abandon. When he falls, he picks himself up and keeps on keepin' on. He's pig-headed, but in a good way.

I guess that's the biggest lesson I've learned from him: No matter what kind of defeats or embarrassments you suffer, don't give up. It's encouraging to see him back in form after all he's been through.

Wow! It is truly amazing! All these years, I was worried Prince lost his mojo, and it was'nt working anymore. Let's face it, from 1993-2003, Prince was headed towards has-been road, destined for the fame and spotlights on the Las Vegas Strip. Although some of his albums had some songs that were gems, most of them were not really good, like a bland dish. More like a matza cracker, or a communuion wafer. I still bought them (as a dedicated fan), but most of them gather dust. 2004 saw Prince's tides changing, and his mojo was back to form. I just bought the 3121 album, and it is the best album I have heard in a long, long time. I don't know if it's Jesus, but obviously Prince is doing something right. Congrats to our Purple On!

padawan said:

Dansa and I have no beef. She's the coolest.

LeGrindLady said:

i agree

Moonbeam said:

Poor choice of words on my part. I meant friction as in sparks flying. It sounded like a mating dance.

Godspeed, player.

it looks as tho prince has something to say
[Edited 3/30/06 19:53pm]

I wonder how much of Prince's impact on the charts has to do with the purple ticket promotion. Did any of you go out and buy more than one copy?

CONGRATULATIONS PRINCE!!!!!

AnckSuNamun said:

Naw, Stax had it right.

Congrats PRincey

It is about time after almost seventeen years

just for fun...how many copys did emancipation move when it came out in 96? i know it made it to 11 on the charts or sumthin like that

namepeace said:

- I can relate to that a lot! Before Prince, I only listened to hard rock. I considered jazz ´old people´s music´, and after listening to Prince, I learned to appreciate that all styles of music can be good.

The getting a big label to back the album obviously helps in this age of globalcorporatations. Ani DiFranco, may never get a No. 1, but she's intentionally avoiding the trappings. Prince can avoid the trappings and manipulate things to his own ends. I wonder if his new agreement still gives him more money per album than other artists get.

I guess he knew what he was doing after all:
Love (Prince's music)
Stop telling me what you want me to hear ...
Love is winning is winnin' without a word ...
Love is not a game you can play on the floor,
You gotta stop, keepin' score ...
Stop worryin' 'bout what people say ...
Stop giving me your wish lists, Love is free from all this ...."



Same here. Old school R&B was too narrow/ghettoized, rock didn't/wasn't marketed to speak to me, soul -- too sappy, gospel was too up in the clouds, the sixties stuff wasn't my generation, disco didn't do it for me either ... Prince brought it all together for me, made it relevant to my generation, and reached out and touched me with what music is all about. I played jazz sax and trombone in HS, but Prince made listening to music-industry-music more interesting. The danceable stuff got my attention, but then I realized (especially with ATWIAD and Parade) that Prince was not just interested in moving our butts, but in lifting our spirits and hearts -- everyones, not just the segregated target audiences (mainly white, sometimes black, and other) that the music industry focussed on so narrowly.

Prince's back (album cover caption): Prince Is Back! Welcome back my niggah!!! (p-ooops!, can I say that? ....).
[Edited 3/31/06 5:06am]

purplehype said:

Prince is his own competition!

HELL YEAH!! GO PRINCE!

Debutes at 5 in Norway

Amazing what smoozing with the Big Boys will do for you!

This is big time marketing and promotions folks! Make no mistake about it!

I aint mad at him either! Just a turn aroud from his "abandom the system do your own thing mentality"

This says alot about the industry and how tightly controlled it is.
Are the singles on this album that much better than his previous releases?
I dont think so, business school is in! Watch listen and learn!!!

All that said, big ups to the man! He deserves it and hopfully this will
revitalize interest in real music and real musicians!

Cool....so he's #1!! Congratulations to the one and only, Prince. It's great that he's finally on top again.

Too many people think he's faded out or is gonna retire from the music world. Truth is, he's not. He's definitely here to stay and take over, and I'm all 4 it. He really surprised me in 2004 with his music video "musiciology" on MTV, and I was like "Prince?? With a VIDEO??? That's cool!!!" and I remember my brother and grandmother looking at me like "What's wrong with her?? And plus, who's Prince??" and when I told them who he was and that he's back, they were like"OH, That Prince. He came back, huh??" Almost like he came back to life from the 80's and popped right into the millinium. I call that a smooth comeback.

I'm so excited 4 him. I'm hoping to buy his album soon. Fingers crossed!! Prince has ruled again.

TheBluePrince said:

- Yeah...Prince is his worst enemy and his best friend