We all know Prince is a very versatile artist, who is able to play heavy funk, sultry soulballads and beatlesque poptunes, to name a few of the styles he tried out in the past.

But what about his attempts at playing musical styles that not really seem to suit him? I mean, sometimes the fellow is overstretching himself a bit.

Looking at his musical past i come up with the following examples:

Southern rock:
The Same december sounds like the Alman Brothers produced by Abba,or something like that, a very weird song.
Maybe even weirder is Right the wrong, it sounds like he somehow wants to combine southern rock with Duke Ellington-like big band arrangements.

Reggae:
Two examples: Blue Light, Ripgodazippa. Not really bad songs, but quite bland anyway, definitely not his style.

Seventies symfonic rock:
Three chains of gold is a way too pompous excersise to copy Queens' Bohemian rapsody. Strays of the world is maybe even worse.

Sappy Celine Diolin-like ballads:
The worst example being The Arms of Orion. Diamonds and Pearls and Into the light also moves into that territory partially, but are at least saved by a tight, inspired sounding NPG and Rosies background vocals.

Quasi meditative New Age-muzak:
The whole Kama Sutra CD

Boring and generic sounding 'mainstream' R&B songs:
The hell started with 'The most beautifull girl in the world' from the Gold Experience (1995) and judging the songs Incense and Candles on Beautifull and Blessed on 3121 (2006) he still hasnt learned...

Any musical styles you think about that Prince should have left alone / leave alone in the future.

Oh I loved Strays of the World! I wish he'd do MORE epic songs like this. I'm still waiting for that musical he talked about writing. I also love his instrumental work, but wish he'd use all real instruments ( I HATE synthesized strings, when he could have easily used real ones). To each their own. Prince has something for everyone.

I want him to stay away from rap, if at all possible... although he does a little of it in "Incense and Candles", and that's actually my fav. part of the song.
But the rapping he did in TGE is a little much. I find it hard enough to adjust to it just because he's a diff. person in that album, calling .

And for the record, I like Diamonds & Pearls, TMBGITW and the tracks mentioned in 3121. I like a lot about 3121, actually.

But I do prefer him using real instruments (like in Musicology [album]) opposed to something that sounds more modern (early tracks of 3121).

I have to disagree about the reggae part. Okay he did a hideous accent on Sun, Moon and Stars which I thought was funny (I'm Jamaican so I laugh at that part), but the musical part was nice, and whenever he plays "Sweet Thing" (Chaka's song) live, it has such a nice reggae grove to it. I wouldn't mind him exploring that more. Sort of like rockers style reggae.

Riverpoet31 said:[quote]We all know Prince is a very versatile artist, who is able to play heavy funk, sultry soulballads and beatlesque poptunes, to name a few of the styles he tried out in the past.

But what about his attempts at playing musical styles that not really seem to suit him? I mean, sometimes the fellow is overstretching himself a bit.

Looking at his musical past i come up with the following examples:

Southern rock:
The Same december sounds like the Alman Brothers produced by Abba,or something like that, a very weird song.
Maybe even weirder is Right the wrong, it sounds like he somehow wants to combine southern rock with Duke Ellington-like big band arrangements.

Reggae:
Two examples: Blue Light, Ripgodazippa. Not really bad songs, but quite bland anyway, definitely not his style.

Seventies symfonic rock:
Three chains of gold is a way too pompous excersise to copy Queens' Bohemian rapsody. Strays of the world is maybe even worse.


I just can't listen 2 Blue Light,but I guess I just can't stand a
lot of reggae.Even when Simply Red does a reggae track,I always skip those.

I don't wanna hear a whole album filled with the rock tunes U mentioned,but
I don't mind songs like Strays of the world,such songs are
a nice last track 4 an album.

I hope he never does Spanish salsa music
[Edited 3/23/07 11:44am]