I'm 45 and have been a fan since about 1982. Prince's music was and always will be significant to me. Can find something to love on every album, old and new. I love the way he's changed and grown over the years. Like the way I have as well, otherwise I'd still be listening to and going to see Aerosmith like I was in high school...ewwwww! Thank you Prince, thank you, for opening my eyes and mind

i still look forward to the new stuff and i probably always will, though no, it doesn't thrill me as much as it did in the '80s. part of that was me being younger and more enthusiastic, i guess...part of it was hey, let's face it, it was his heyday. i wasn't alive for the beatles, but i know paul mccartney's heyday wasn't wings (even though i LIKE wings stuff). if i only acknowledged things that happened while i was old enough to appreciate them, then janis joplin and jimi hendrix should be total nobodies to me, since they both died before i was born. but i don't think that way. i think prince's creative zenith was in the 70s and 80s, maybe a little into the 90s. i think he's drumming up commercial momentum in lieu of putting work into challenging and innovative music, simply because i think he feels fulfilled creatively and that bird has flown, though we all know he loves the accolades and the respect of the masses. it is what it is. i'm glad he's getting so much love from the mainstream right now.

Hello,

I am 37 and I still love Prince.

In many ways "Sign O'the Times" was a beginning and cruicial evolutionary phas for Prince. And he has definitely gotten better as a songwriter and a performer.

I loved Lovesexy,

The Batman soundtrack was fun, the Mavis Staples stuff he did
at that time was great. Graffiti Bridge, D&P, the Symbol CD, Gold, Emancipation, Rave, Rainbow, Musicology, 3121 have all been good.

Where I was spoiled as a Prince fan was the marketing and 45/12" single promotion 1983-1995. Prince had new single out in the shops and on the radio
every 3-4 months, then the 12" record came out with an extended version and a great B-side. That was great fun. The record industry was different then too.

I actually wish he would release more material.

And I am looking forward to the new CD/ Tour whenever they come.

Chris

Im 33 so am almost allowed to comment in this thread!!!

For some reason - his previous albums excite me more than his newer work - LOVESEXY was and still is the most UNIQUE sounding album ever made and certainly made me burn rubber in my pants !! - Parade, SOTT, TGE, ATWIAD etc etc etc all fall in the same catagory due to the fact they were so Risky and different and fresh sounding....

His older stuff - although fantastic and great sounding IMO dont have that SPARK that was present in his older albums...

I will love whatever he puts out there - As to me he is a musical genious -

But I will always always miss the old style Prince....

....or thank him for it....

I'm 38 and I became a true follower after Dirty Mind. The Prince that used to inspire me as a young musician is long gone, but I'll never forget the lessons learned while I was learning all of his riffs and chords. I was once so into Prince, that I wouldn't listen to other music . . . . . That seriously hindered my growth as a musician. Even though I'm not as intrigued by his most recent releases, I can always here a slight note of the Genius that is Prince in his music.

36...37 in two weeks (2-26) ...greetings and gifts will be appreciated!

I've loved Prince for so long (since I was 8) that I wouldn't know how to not love him...if I wanted to and I DON'T! He's brought me so much joy in that time that even when he releases music that doesn't knock my socks off...I still have to look forward to and appreciate it because I know when he wants to knock my socks off...NOBODY does it better!!

I have nothing to add to this topic!





















for three more weeks....

36, here. TRC is one of my favorite Prince albums. The Gold Experience is really good too. Musicology and 3121...ehh I could take or leave either one of those. What keeps me hooked is that I know P has another masterpiece in him, and the hope of that keeps me along for the ride.

transitional word edit
[Edited 2/13/07 14:43pm]

I'm 38 and I've loved plenty since SOTT, including the Batman soundtrack, Lovesexy, most of the Gold Experience, Chaos & Disorder- definitely!- and most of Musicology and 3121. And please don't misunderstand the "most of"'s. I am a very hard core fan, but there is usually at least one song per album that I extremely dislike. So when I say "most of", basically that means at least two songs I disliked.

I'm 39 and it just trips me out that when people want to comment on a turning point such as "the albums that followed were good but nothing like Sign O The Times and before". The style change had already taken place two albums before that. All the Prince fans and ex-Prince fans I know who are my age (and not on this site....because they left Prince) will tell you "Purple Rain" was the turning point. Everything else that followed it was "good" but the stuff before "Purple Rain" was "great".....and no they are not the pop fans who just liked "Purple Rain". They were die-hard fans since 1978 and 1979.

paisley16 said:

I forgot about Chaos and Disorder. That one has its moments too! The Vault, too.

The difference between 35 year olds and the youngsters that visit this site is that we've moved on. At one point, we were like the youngsters. We only listened to Prince. Everyone but Prince was the suck. If someone else won an award that Prince was nominated for, then it was the end of days.

I look back at how fanatic I was before the internet came along and it's embarrassing. It took my going out with someone that listened to other music besides Prince for me to see music as a whole differently.

It took the internet for me to lose much of the respect I had for him as a person. I think that many 35 year olds long for the days of when he didn't do interviews and spent more time focusing on the music, than the other nonsense that's come since.

Gone are the days of "Free the music." Those were the good ol' days. Now we get "I'm number one at the bank." I think that says it all about the artist we all still respect in one form or another.

NDRU said:

That's alright! Pisces opinions are always welcome!!

SexyBeautifulOne said:

The last Prince music I really loved was Rainbow Children. But my favorite tour was Musicology. I still think he has it.

And both 3121 & Musicology have great songs on them. They just hold back a bit.

I think he needs to blend the artistry of TRC with the no nonsense approach of Musicology/3121 and he'd have another true masterpiece.

Also, I see Prince as one of the very few great living artists.

So when he does an average song, it's still part of something important. It's like a quick scribble was from Picasso.

Timbaland might make a better beat this week, but it's still less important than a new Prince song.

LexNevermind said:

Everybody's entitled to their own opinion however, I've liked many albums since SOTT. And I've been a fan since '78. However at age 40 I'm not fanatical about him winning awards or reclaiming his so called crown.

The only thing that irks me is when people make statements about how and what he should be performing yet they haven't seen him live in concert since 1991.

LexNevermind said:

Obviously you haven't listened to TRC!!

Snap said:

I just can't wait until he abandons the shackles of religion and b totally FREE!!

...and sing "U Sexy Motherfucka!!!!!"

...and have a tour called simply "X" for X-rated and he'll b his bad self again singing his sexually explicit songs...."Tonight we video..."

I am in my middle 30's and I believe that it all depends on the kind of mood U are in as to which songs and or albums U listen to. Each song and album have their own special plae in our hearts. Prince has mellowed out a bit, but so has alot of us "older" folks, but we still have our moments of funk!

rainbowchild said:

I always have to point out that D & P was a clean (if sexy) album. I don't think there was any cursing on it.

tricky99 said:

Wow. I'm 44, too, and you took the words right outta my mouth! Totally agree.

Snap said:

Nice answer, thanks!

NDRU said:

Amen to that!

There's so much of significance that he's done that it doesn't really make sense to mention it. I always try to listen to the arrangements,lyrics, and the vocals in a vacuum. His music is so special to me and always strikes a inner chord in me that leaves me avidly appreciative...I'm 40 and have a 25 year history with his music.....Listening to Saviour right now.....The double messaging is truly amazing and he often does this...When Prince does stop making significant music it will be a very cold day for me...

36 here and listening to Prince's music since 85. Some thoughts came up in my mind reading this topic...
I started listening to his music in a very, very dark and sad period in my life. And it was his MUSIC giving me new hope and strength to move on and get over some stuff. At those days I couldn't speak properly english, so I did not understand much of his lyrics... but that didn't matter nor does it matter today. What I feel when I listen to tunes by Prince is already so strong and powerful that I don't read the lyrics or try to analyze the message in it. For me the music is the message...

Having said that, the last album I felt was TRC as to me it is a musical masterpiece. Then I started reflecting and went back to past... what other albums do I feel? Lovesexy, SOTT, ATWIAD, Dirty Mind, Batman, Lovesymbol, The Gold Expierence... all of wich are "old" albums. And now I wonder why is it that newer albums haven't had that same impact?

And one thing that came up in my mind is the fact that I was younger then (wow! what a conclusion! )... No, seriously, when you're young (or younger) you're life isn't that settled down; lot's of things are happening, you make experiences you haven't done before, you are not that "prejudiced", you go partying, you meet your first love, you discover the world...aso, aso, aso... And as Prince's music has accompanied all this experiences in my life I tied this experience with an particular song or album.

And today? Doesn't it happen to you that when you listen to an old track that memories arises? Memories from experiences that happen as a grown and mature person not that often anymore? Not that my life is boring today (hell no!) but it's settled down. And therefore, his music nowadays has still an impact on me but not that strong as it used to be. So, my conclusion is: I should try to make a new experience every day so that I can tie newer songs to it!


Oh... when TRC was released I was already 32 (not that young anymore..or some people might say that's already old ) It's one of my favourite albums because a.) it's a masterpiece and b.) I was at Xenophobia (which means a new experience and memories tied).

I am looking forward to the next tie!

Grüezi from Switzerland!

Apologies if I missed your intended message, but shouldnt this post be in the religion forum? I dont wanna read stuff about the bible/jehovah/truths/salvation on this forum...I had this stuff rammed down my throat as a kid. I find it offensive and unesseary for this particular topic.

Define significant.

All I know is what I enjoy, and I have enjoyed lots of Prince's music since Sign O the Times. I am 39 - been a follower since I bought the 45 single of I Wanna Be Your Lover.

For giggles - here is a 15 track cd of post SOtT songs where I think Prince's music is significant, relevant, and inspired.

Xenophobia - LIVE
Dolphin
Shh!
Positivity
And God Created Woman
Come
Beautiful Strange
Joy in Repetition
The Love We Make
Tangerine
The Dance
Somebody's Somebody
The Truth
Here on Earth
Curious Child
[Edited 2/14/07 1:42am]

38 yo. Enjoyed "Gold", The Truth, lots of the NPGMC stuff, One Nite Alone... Solo & Piano. He's released a lot of great stuff in the past 20 years since SOTT.