by Prince?

Kinda hard.. but TRC. and 3121 is cool.

Groundbreaking? none. in the context I'd use that term anyway.

TRC and 3121...except for Lolita and Satisfied.

LoveSexy, 1988

The Rainbow Children.

I'm not sure TRC is groundbreaking, but it's in the tradition of his groundbreaking albums.

I'd say was kind of groundbreaking in it's blend of live instruments, rap, jazz, R&B, & pop.
[Edited 9/19/06 14:38pm]

Don't you wanna come...?

Revolution said:

Don't follow Prince, he has no clue where he's going.!!!

All of his albums r groundbreaking 2 some degree,so I'll have 2 say 3121!

His albums are all good at least, and frequently they are excellent. However, when talking about albums that open new ways for other artists? I got to say TGE

Well, while Musicology and 3121 are both incredible and tighter albums, I'll have to go with The Rainbow Children because it sounds more organic than what he has done afterwards. It's suprisingly one of the first albums in his NPG Records period to have a "real" production, not being overstuffed with synthesizers or plastic stuff.

Purple Rain

silverchild said:

Anything after Prince and up to Lovesexy. The amount of buzz around all those albums at their time of release and the fact that none of them could be classified, either in the press, on radio, or in record stores, and the fact that they sounded like nothing else by any other artist(s) at the time makes them groundbreaking to me.

New Breed Leaders aka The Rainbow Children

If a TRC falls in the woods and nobody hears it does it break any ground?

NDRU said:

some still haven't heard the thunder
but it will come!
one one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand...

Almost TRC...but imma have to go with The Truth...He was out of his element on that album and it was STILL great. By out of his element I mean it wasn't the typical Prince record.

1. What does "groundbreaking" mean?

If it means something Prince has never done before then I'd have to go with One Nite Alone....

If it means an album that sounds unlike any other pop artist then I'd go with 3121. Again, Prince often copies himself, but no mainstream act of his magnitude is as diverse on a single album. Who but Prince has a song like "fury" on an album with a song like "black sweat" on an album with a song like "The Word" on an album with a song like "Satisfied"?
[Edited 9/19/06 16:29pm]

oops.
[Edited 9/19/06 16:29pm]

skywalker said:

Groundbreaking can't mean just doing something never done before. I wouldn't be ground breaking with a dildo up my ass on the kichen counter while dressed in paint and singing the star spangled banner.

That would just be stupid.

Ground breaking is therefore delicated to things undone and unmatched.

The Rainbow Children

Dildo up your ass huh? Does that hurt your brain? Read what you wrote:


then you say



Do you see any contradictions in the Matrix, Neo? Take the other pill and wake yourself up before you start telling me the definition of "groundbreaking". I stand by my original answer.....

skywalker said:

Shame on you. you said something bitching about the edit to my statement you did.

AND UNMATCHED

1999, SOTT and Lovesexy - at a push.

After that, great pop, sounds the same as the other stuff he's done.

MickG said:

Hmm..how nicely put. It might actually do you some good

I disagree. Groundbreaking doesn't necessarily mean unmatched.

Just because there are basketball players better than Dr. J doesn't make him any less ground breaking.

Even though they have constructed buildings taller than The Empire State Building it is still groundbreaking.

Special effects have long passed up the original Star Wars, but the movie is still groundbreaking.

Again, in terms of what he has done, Prince's last groundbreaking album was One Nite Alone

MickG-- maybe instead of arguing sematics you should try to prove your point with examples and evidence. Prove to me that One Nite Alone wasn't Prince breaking new ground in terms of what he has done before....
[Edited 9/20/06 8:21am]

A black man dressed in black underpants, boots up to his thighs and a rain coat coming on stage playing rnb funk with heavy gutar, a high voice and a badass punk attitude as he masturbates his guitar... Thats pretty ground breaking.

Getting a major record deal as a teenager and being allowed to write, record, produce and throw in the kitchen sink... Thats pretty ground breaking.

Deciding to release a song, which consequently becomes one his biggest hits, without a bassline... Thats pretty ground breaking.

Putting on a musical extravaganza on a centre stage with cars, beds, basket ball hoops, clothes on acid and publicly killing off an alter ego... Thats pretty ground breaking.

harnessing the internet before it became fashionable... Thats pretty ground breaking

Creating Purple Rain, a sound that to this day defines Prince and his music.... Thats pretty ground breaking.

But, at the end of the day, the icon, the sound, the clothes, the whackiness, the aura and the legacy that is Prince is what is really ground breaking. Its not what he has done at any one stage in his career, its what he is as a whole that is truly ground breaking.