I know, it isnt confirmed officially, but it seems that Prince is turning into a Las Vegas artist, at least temporaly, cashing in from the rich and famous.

I know, Prince is a walking contradiction, that makes him endearing in his music and lyrics often, but the hindsight is that it can sometimes drive me mad as a fan.

From the mid nineties to circa the year 2004 his weird behaviour (the name change, the 'whining' about being a slave, the way to sappy Mayte-idolating,
the disturbing interviews he gave, and after that: the smallminded, brainwashed JW-lyrics) was overshadowing the quality of his music (which was mediocre mostly during that years) and the irritations that gave me, made me putting him aside for years as an 'artist to admire and follow'.

The positive reports about musicology and both that record and 3121 renewed my interest in him: not to say that were really great records, but at least the music seemed to get more focusssed and more important then the weirdness surrounding it.

I was hoping Prince would take things further and he would go trough some artistic renaissance, but the reports of the last months make my toes curl again: his AI performance, tamar being dropped, his website being closed, his 'pose' during the versace event (I dont see a wise, mature man there, but an actor) and now the 'news' of him going Vegas....going for the big money, for the city run by the mob, while being a 'profound christian'... umm... allright...

When he is really going for the Vegas option i am not sure it has any 'meaning' for me to follow career moves: TOO long i have been waiting for him to becoming artistically relevant again, TOO long i have read all the reports about his weird, non-logical actions.. I severely doubt i am willing to take him serious anymore as an artist.

Maybe its better to back off for a few years, and when i accidentely read in the newspaper or on the net that Prince has delivered a great album, and is artistically back in form again, i might check that record. But for now, there is more irritation then things to enjoy about following him as a musician.

I am sorry, but right now for me: Prince is dead.

FunkMistress said:

thank you.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I swear, even after all these years, I still find it hard to believe that there are real people out there who actually take this shit this seriously. "Prince is dead to me now"?

What

Le

Fuck???

I hear what you are saying, and I have to admit something. Back in the mid-late 90's when Prince was doing weekly Paisley Park Shows I felt really fortunate to witness those concerts, but I also felt a twinge of sadness. I felt as if an artist of Prince's calibre should be out in the spotlight and that his genius should be appreciated by more than just a smattering of MPLS fans. Now he is being appreciated by the mainstream and that's fine with me. Although, the man could come back home and play the Park once in awhile.



Prince can drive you mad? He's just your favorite artist right? Not your signifigant other. Could you be "too into" Prince?



This is VERY subjective and only partly true. From day one, Prince has always been weird.




Mediocre? Again, very subjective on your part and not exactly Prince's problem. He probably liked the music he was making at the time-I know I did.



So positive hype is important to you?



He's a rock star doing rock star things. He is still the same ol' Prince, and I didn't know that you are his manager. You can choose not to give him your $$$, but I don't think that means he is required to listen to your career advice.



I am sorry that you aren't feeling Prince anymore. However, Prince is more or less the same as always. He's always been weird, always been seemingly non-logical, always had a thing for twins. Whether he is relevant or not is up to you- the listener.




You have to read in the paper or on the internet that someone has a great album? Can't you just decide for yourself? Basically, you are saying that you place you faith in popular taste to decide what, when, and who someone is "artistically in form". Aw buddy, what a fuckin' waste.



Yeah right, see you at the next concert.
[Edited 10/2/06 11:16am]

FunkMistress said:

this thread is as good of an occasion as any to unveil my newest plea for sanity:

I love the music and Prince is so oceanically talented and gifted it is highly unlikely I will leave off buying his records anytime soon.

He is just too much of a 'one off' Artist for me to cease being a 'fan'.

However, although I enjoy the music, the creative trip of listening and I admire his talent, I cannot necessarily admire all the decisions Prince makes. Vegas being a prime example if it transpires that it is a residency.

Then again, I do not have to 'admire' all of Prince's decisions do I? They are Prince's to make.

He has always had the power to suprise. It's just that this whole Vegas thing is more of a shock.

If you don't like an album, don't play it. I think it is always worth a punt on buying a Prince album because you really never know what he's going to sound like or whether it's going to be to your taste. But there's no need to 'drop' Prince completely anymore than any other artist. There's so many people on here that dropped Prince in the 90s or whenever and now are back and regretting all the great music they missed out on.

As for Prince going Vegasy, so what? If you don't want to go see him perform live, then don't. How exactly does Prince setting up in Vegas effect your life?

Sigh.. Of course, i aint no stockholder, but a musiclover. The fact is Princes music has let me down for TOO long now, and that his actions surrounding the music have overshadowed the music in a bad way...

I consider myselve a fan because Prince in the eighties, and for a part of the nineties has created and released wonderfull, original, inspiring music, but as a 'fan' i also feel sorry for him not using his capabilities in the right way in the last 10 years, i have seen him drifting away to far from his muse, and according to the news from the last months this wont get any better in a short term.

If 'fan' means, support your idol trough thick and thin, trough good and bad times, i guess i am not that kind of fan then. I really appreciate and enjoy the music he released unto 1988, and a bit less the music between 1989 and 1995, i consider myselve a fan of the music from that period, but i am in the first place a lover of good music, and Princes music hasnt touched me that much since 1995 / 1996 as it did in the period before that.

In short, why should i follow an artist whose music dissapoints me for 10 years now, on a daily base, in the hope of a new '1999', 'Parade' or a new 'Sign'..?
I rather use that time paying attention and listening to artists who can give me music i enjoy, then following the next steps of an artist who his wasting his talents, and only brings me irritation.

Riverpoet31 said:

But see, there's the thing. (One of them, anyway.) Why not simply move on and listen to other artists whose music you enjoy? Why this "He's dead to me!" drama? It's silly. It seems that you could be happy listening to the Prince music that you do like, in addition to music from the thousands of other musicians out there. Instead, you're taking this shit way too personally and bringing it to an irrational level.

To make one thing clear: i dont see myselve as Princes stockholder or my (ex-)girlfriend, i just feel extremely sorry that a potential musicial genius is wasting his talents for not only 1 year, or 3 years, but for 10 years now.

Maybe, maybe its my own fault also, putting to much trust in him during those years, giving him the benefit of the doubt too many times. Thats my mistake, i admit that.

When Prince decides to take residence in Las Vegas for 3 months, 3 years whatever, and cash in by playing his old hits night after night for a bunch off millionaires and mobsters, yes, then it is his choice. But that also means i can choose to let go off him, because his ethics and ideas about 'music' dont match mine, that could be... It are his choices, i will draw my conclusions... simple.

FunkMistress said:

heeeee's...gooooot...hiiiiis...hooks in hiiiiim...

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

ohhhhh, Priiiince-eeeyyyy...

Funk Mistress, maybe youre right, i am a bit naive maybe, and Princes output in the eighties has touched me severely, inspired me, maybe i am just releazing i will not get that feeling of connection back again...

Riverpoet31 said:

But you're drawing more than conclusions. You're blurring reality by putting heavy emotional investment into the artistic and career choices of someone whom you've never met.

What actions? Prince isn't doing anything drastic publicitywise. Hell, I'd say his press nowadays has been better than it's been in YEARS.



What are you talking about? The "Right" way? Um, isn't that up to Prince?



Did you two have a phone chat? How do you know anything about his "muse"? If you ain't feeling Prince as of late-just say that. However, don't pretend to know him and attribute you bs fan hangups to his life-that is creepy and obsessive.



This thread seems to be a lot more about you and your tastes than it is about Prince and his life/art/muse/whatever.



In short, I have no fucking idea. Poor baby, how long have you been waiting for another Parade? There was only one Jesus you know. Kind of like those albums you just mentioned. Prince could put out another SOTT and you'd shit on it. Truth is-you ain't looking for the "next SOTT" you are looking for that experience all over again. I don't think you can recapture the past that way.
[Edited 10/2/06 11:32am]

FunkMistress said:

Riverpoet31 said:

I know that feeling to a certain extent. But you can shift your perspective and continue to be happy about that music that touches and inspires you.

skywalker, the way youre reacting on each alinea of what i wrote, tells a lot about you also....

Riverpoet, why are you here? I don't mean to be rude but what is the point of coming here to tell us that you've been disappointed with Prince for 10 years. WHO CARES? why don't you just leave and move on to artists that make you happy, and just listen to the songs that you like from Prince.

I guess I just don't get it because back around 91, I said to hell with Prince and I MOVED ON! Know when I came back---2005!

Either you are lacking some spice in your life, but there are things you can do about that.

Don't get me wrong, it's okay for us to talk about Prince music may not be up to par and why, but you Riverpoet keep coming back with the same ole tiredass drama about you and Prince and his freaking muse.

You want something to get real depressed about. Try listening to the radio for one hour straight.

GIVE-ME-A-BREAK!!!!!
[Edited 10/2/06 11:55am]

I can relate to many of the things you are saying. Apart from some rare exceptions I am not feeling Prince's music anymore. The reasons might be a mixture of Prince acting again and again in a way I don't think is right, the quality of his music and me having changed over the years. It is somehow sad that an artist whose music I had so loved once has developped in a direction I am not interested to follow, but there is a lot of other interesting music that I can listen to apart from Prince. I hardly ever listen to him anymore and I don't have the feeling I am missing anything. If Prince comes and plays live in my hometown or in an interesting city I wanna travel to I'll probably go to the concert together with my boyfriend who still is a fan and I hope I might have a good time. I think you should just let go and accept that it is very unlikely that you will ever love Prince's music like you once did, you cannot force it anyway, so move on and don't waste your time and money on an artist who is not putting out music you can enjoy, at least not at the moment.

FunkMistress said:

and

to those leaving fandom, means less folks to compete against for the good tix!

Serena said:

You know dats right!

skywalker said:

Good point! When that was going on, was when the 'general public' thought he had disappeared. Not too many people want to make a trek to MPLS in the dead of winter and then have to stand out in the freezing cold waiting to get in. I'd much rather sit and have a cold beverage while waiting for the show to start.

(actually, BRAVO to your entire response, I hadn't finished it when I replied.)
[Edited 10/2/06 12:11pm]

Sometime in 1985 a teenage version of myself realized that this Prince guy just might be a bit of an ass who's liable to make bizzare career moves that I don't understand. Since a) I don't know Prince, and b) that stuff has nothing to do with my enjoyment of his music, this realization didn't really phase me that much. But that's me.

If for some reason your enjoyment of his music is tied to how he lives his personal life or conducts his career, then you probably do need to move on.

If you totally agree with his life/career choices but aren't feeling the tunes, you should probably move on.

If you dig the tunes, but ain't feeling his choices, just buy the new music when it comes out and judge it accordingly.


.
[Edited 10/2/06 12:16pm]

Riverpoet31 said:

Whoopity doo I am just asking you questions and giving my 2cents---is that not allowed?
[Edited 10/2/06 12:17pm]

FunkMistress said:

omg! FunkMistress u r 2 funny...

pennylover said:

I can't take credit...that's Handclapsfingasnapz's work.

Riverpoet31 said:

I don't know how he can disappoint you on a 'daily' basis, he's not putting music out that regularly for you to be disappointed by!

I don't know why you can't do both, listen to other artists AND listen to Prince, the two are not mutually exclusive. At the end of the day, all you have to do when Prince comes out with a new album, music or tour is to read a few reviews, you can quite quickly pick up on the vibe and see if it is for you or not and whether it is worth investing time in. You don't have to make this big drama out of it.