xplnyrslf said:

Well half of people on here didnt post their age but if that important then i am 26.

NouveauDance said:

Maybe I OD'd from P's earlier music? I have shelves of CD's by artists I never listen to because I listened to their music OVER AND OVER again the past 20-30 years.(talking heads,police,rolling stones, older P stuff etc) Which is why I'm happy to see him putting out new music which I buy.
I'm not contrary(unless you have me confused with Ccollin88) I'm just listening to Emancipation these days which was 1996. And I like Musicology.

ladygirl99 said:

May as well skip the age. Hands down the "Priors" are the majority and there doesn't seem to be a relation to age of orger and preference. Out of 22 responses only 2 prefer the new stuff, 5 like all of it, the rest are all priors.
[Edited 8/7/06 16:58pm]

Im 30 and I prefer pre 96 to after it, although 04 to 06 has been pretty great as well

Jakeasaurus said:

I can't even FIND The Gold Experience.

Prior to 1996, specifically from 1981-1990. Those were the golden years. Starting with Dirty Mind thru Grafitti Bridge, he rarely missed.

Even when Prince made a misstep, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Remember the furor over Around the World In a Day? It was supposed to be an inferior product (compared to Purple Rain), but the album was still damn near genius.

He was even experimental in the real NPG years from 1992-1996 with albums like Goldnigga, Exodus,Gold, Come and live performances & numerous outakes.

I think his passion for proving WB wrong fueled his drive, but at the risk of getting flamed by the orgers who are die hard P fans regardless of what he does, he became to complacent on the lyrical/musical tip. After leaving WB, the anger that fueled those early 90's NPG albums appeared to disappear.

Let's be real. Emancipation, while interesting, could have been done by the old Prince with half his brain. Rave was formulaic. TRC was compelling musically, but he has fused his sound with jazz so much that it doesn't sound Prince-ly.

Musicology/3121 were by the numbers Prince.

Prior, Prince is as G Rated these days as Barney.

Prior!!!

COMPUTERBLUE1984 said:

Beg to differ..I don't care if I'm the only one on this website with this perspective and clearly I am. Under no uncertain terms would I want Prince anywhere else other than what he's doing.
Not gonna change anyone's mind and you're not gonna change mine.
[Edited 8/7/06 22:56pm]
[Edited 8/8/06 23:37pm]

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

EVERYONE I KNOW SAYS THE ABOVE, BUT THEY ARE ONLY CASUAL 'FANS.'

i find it interesting that you included 1996 in both categories . . .
i think he had alot to say PRIOR about his authentic reality & maturation process.
he was also still experimenting with sound and collaborating more with others.
i just really liked the instrumentation & sound he had going from '1999' thru 'Parade.'

i think the last ten years may have been personally very difficult for him,
and this has resulted in a less 'honest,' vulnerable or REAL output.
put another way, i think he may have been stuck with little new to say,
perhaps even isolated within and by his own artistic narcissism,
ultimately ending in a sort of suffocating self-absorption.



this being said, i still think 3121 ROCKS BECAUSE IT IS VERY COMMERCIAL!
i hear alot of experimentation in style on this album.
i give him major props for not being afraid to go commercial, cause it's been SO LONG!
the album is merely missing marketing & promotion by HIM.
and if HE ain't EXCITED ABOUT IT, why should anyone else BE?

I AM EXCITED BY 3121; but I am more than a CASUAL FAN
[Edited 8/8/06 21:28pm]

I think Emancipation is a real good album, but apart from that pre 1996 dominates.

xplnyrslf said:

Chill out!

I am stating an opinion. I just decided to elaborate on why I think pre 96 beats out post 96.

I like Prince as much as the next fam, but musically/lyrically speaking, I was making a case for his pre 96 output.


I am not trying to change anyone's mind.

His music is so varied and diverse that's it's hard to pick one era. Rap and hip-hop's popularity(as well as public bad taste) aresome of the reasons Pinces latter records didn't sell as well but that is NO reflection on the quality of Mr Nelsons music. He's STILL a bad mo-fo

For me the dividing line is 98 not 96. Sure, the weak sound first kicked in on Emancipation, but that album still had at least 15 great P songs on it. The first album he released with no redeeming qualities was New Power Soul. That marked the moment of his final creative bankruptcy. Whatever improvements have taken place since then have been insignificant and momentary. Of course 79 - 88 was the golden period but the magic was still very much in evidence for years after that. Arguably if he'd have ignored hip hop, albums like D&P and Symbol could have been classics to match the best of his 80s work.

Just watched the Larry King interview with P on CNN... kind of interesting since it was 1999 and his perspective on moving forward, and the raunch, past vs. future.. is pretty surprising. It's on u tube.

COMPUTERBLUE1984 said:

sorry, got a little defensive...i'm clearly out #'d. NEXT TOPIC
[Edited 8/8/06 23:40pm]

xplnyrslf said:

It's not a question of being outnumbered. You like what you like, other people like different stuff. That's what is so f-ing cool about Prince's music: so many different styles, so many quality songs.

I would have said I love everything, but on reflection, it's the period 1978 to 1988 that I love most. What a decade: ten albums; each one brilliant and unpredicatable; each one building on, but not following, the preceeding album. I love virtually every track. And when you consider that the same period spawned the Black Album and Dream Factory... wow.



PS: I'm 35.
[Edited 8/9/06 7:59am]

i luv all his music, but at the moment i prefer the last ten years ....

Prior, although there are some gems he has made since that time.

ladygirl99 said:

slight adjustment - 1979 to 1991 was the best bit , the stuff between 1993 to 1996 was average at best and Emancipation was the first time I was actually totally disappointed by him.

Jakeasaurus said:

ur 'avin' a laaarf intcha?

Jakeasaurus said:

You are hilarious!
17 huh?


[Edited 8/9/06 11:01am]

I'm 34

1980 thru to 1988 are without a doubt his best period. Great albums great outtakes great 12inches and B-sides and great live shows. In terms of live performance I'd go for 1980-1988 also.

Then I'd go with 2000 til the present day

With The Rainbow Children, Musicology and 3121 all very good albums.

There's not one Prince album that I hate.

I think the lowest Point was between 1996 and 1999

Emancipation for me is never really dreadful but never really wonderful its Ok to Good.

The Truth is my least favorite album.

I'm 41. Prince is the ultimate. I agree with someone earlier who said the early stuff was more raw. That's what I loved about the early stuff. For me I really can't specify, you would have to put me in the LOVE IT ALL group. (Although I go through phases with what i want to hear) I have been Loving him since 1978 and will continue to until 6 forevers from now.
stupid emoticons-




If I came back as a dolphin, would you listen to me then?
[Edited 8/9/06 16:03pm]

I'm 47 and I prefer 1979 - 1992

For You (1978)
Prince (1979)
Dirty Mind (1980)
Controversy (1981)
1999 (1982)
Purple Rain (1984)
Around the World in a Day (1985)
Parade (1986)
Sign “O” the Times (1987)
Lovesexy (1988)
Batman (1989)
Graffiti Bridge (1990)
Diamonds and Pearls (1991)
Love Symbol(1992)
Come (1994)
The Black Album (1994)
The Gold Experience (1995)
Chaos and Disorder (1996)
Emancipation (1996)

BTW, I'm age 32.

Prior.....no question.....39 years old.....

90% of people prefer prior just for the fact that that's all they seem to know. I love all of it but I have a special place im my heart for the stuff before 96. There was good and bad in all eras, I'm just glad he's still around making music for us to have this kind of conversation in the first place.