tznekbsbfrvr said:

I'm tempted to do the very same thing. I mean, I have a credit card begging to be used... but my dad pays for whatever I put on it (it's mostly just for school expenses, though). Even as a Prince fan himself, my dad would think that something is up.

My 21st bday is coming up in 3 months and 22 days... so that's the perfect excuse to buy a surplus of Prince. But I want to take it slow. I nearly fell into chaos the first time around.

I'll definitely be doing my research though to learn more and more about the productions of the albums and what I'm supposed to take away from them. 's era is becoming more and more of interest to me so that's where I want to start. TGE stands out the most out of my 4 albums, so I might as well work there. I'll get money for Easter and I come home for the summer at the beginning of May... so hopefully that copy of "Come" I saw at FYE for $8.99 will still be there. I'm not quite sure though if it was used or not.

And if I surround myself with music I'm more familiar with (i.e. buy Come, etc. and listen to it only with TGE), I'll be less likely to lose my way. I listened to TGE and later that day watched 'Love 4 One Another' & 'The Beautiful Experience' (which contained songs from Come & TGE, the early productions of them at least)... and the songs from Come made so much more sense now becuz of the "precaution" I took previously. Jt was definitely right about listening the songs from Come & TGE back to back, it's a very interesting experience.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

i kno wat u mean. my b-day just passed... omg- I am SOOO using that as an excuse to buy something! not alot though- prolly just one album.

I love how the old schoolers get all up in arms about a new fan and how they should experience Prince's music. Like someone has to see it your way in order to appreciate the fool's output. My first Prince record was the symbol album. Go to your nearest record store, look through the albums, and pick the one with the most interesting cover or song titles. Don't get so hung up about the opinions of people who've had the records for years.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

I was because Ur post was 2 long

Spinlight said:

Exactly.

Seriously, though, I love getting output from other fans. Heh, if Mango didn't keep pushing TGE, I wouldn't have bought it at all when I saw it.
And I love it!

But you're right. I gotta do things my way, and Prince allows me that luxery, even with his albums. I try to look at them as a whole as well as the pieces. In the case of TGE, it has a wonderful balance after I cut out one song, "Now". The cut doesnt affect the overall flow. I still gotta figure out where "Billy Jack" configures into it. It's not about evolution of the ego, heart or soul... all I can get from is Prince saying what he wants whenever he wants... kinda like in P. Control.

When it comes down to it, I make my own decisions. I got "The Very Best of..." against everyone's wishes (goes to show what a rebel I am ). I've created a few plot holes for myself, but at least it gives me a good idea of where I want to go next. I definitely want to focus on the 90's now.
I covered the current specturm of Musicology & 3121 (which nobody would fully support). 3121 is pretty good, but Musicology is just better as a whole.
I kept hearing about TGE, so I picked it up, now I want to surround myself with albums like it. My mind's stuck in that one era and I'm just dying to find out more. Almost everyone's been dissing Emancipation, but it's still on my priority list along with Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic.

sorry theodore about my long posts... Prince makes it impossible for me to stop once I start.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

It's

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

I've noticed that there are a large group of fans who like a particular period in Prince's catalog and then have a hard time adjusting when he switches gears later. Like people who came in early in his career may have a hard time liking his 'artsy fartsy' late 80's stuff... and the people that like the late 80's stuff dislike the early 90's and it's integrated rapping... and all those folks may really dislike the 'studio plastic' sound of the late 90's... and so on.

I've never really limited myself like that. I cam into the picture with Purple Rain and Around the World In A Day but I'm able to enjoy albums from all those different eras. Indeed some of my favorite albums are those from the early to mid 90's.

I don't think Prince has ever released a truly BAD album. Some may be more uneven than others but even the stuff that is generally classified as his weakest (like The Vault) tend to have some really incredible tracks on them.

jtfolden said:

He's beyond brilliant, I don't think he could make a really bad album unless he sabatoged himself (and we'd hate to see that ever happen).

I've always believed since becoming the serious fan I am that Prince is not someone you can get into 100% unless you initially respected him for his dedication to his art. He has too many personalities to really count and unless you respect him from the get-go, it'd be hard to get used to that.
At the same time, first impressions aren't always correct. I've found myself dislike songs at first, but then they grow on me remarkably. (Most recently, I listened 2 "Gett Off", which I wasn't into at all... but now I'm crazy about it).
TGE is the classic case of an album where the first impression wasn't completely on the money. It was so out there that I found it hard to digest at first. I listened to it last night completely open to it as I was on my 2nd listen which gave me a little trouble. Sure, I still found myself having to adjust (even thu this was listen #7 or so). But then at the cusp of TMBGITW & Dolphin, something hit me. Prince connected with me thru the album, he reached into my heart and connected me with his when he saw "Dolphin" as if saying "we're in the same place."

In his 80's music, I have yet to come up with such a wonderful connection. TGE, I'll definitely need to post the details later, is extremely special and is my favorite of my 4 albums because Prince connected me to me like never before. Not as me admiring his Greatness, but as a friend. He reached out to me as a friend... He's taught me lessons thru Musicology & 3121 as well, which could only mean he achieved that ability during his period of growth under a diff. name.
That only gives me more of a reason to go after everything from that era. And if I come across, say, ATWIAD, I'll pick that up if I can afford it and cant find anything else... so if I feel the need for a change, I have something to back me up. Whatever I can get my hands on, I'll get.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Some Prince music is immediately accessible for what it is and some, not so much. For example, Diamonds & Pearls is a 'what you see is what you get' sort of album. My impression of it didn't change much between the first and the fiftieth listen.
TGE on the other hand, I actually laid aside for almost a month back in 1995 when I first purchased it before I picked it up again and suddenly loved the whole thing.

jtfolden said:

The impression I immediately take away from my collection is that 3/4 of them have a greater meaning & purpose beyond it that can only come about after several listens. My conclusion for this is: it's a skill the Prince gained during his years as and has had ever since. TGE has a certain magic about it that took several listens to get to scratch the surface. And I had to listen to it a few times to be sure if I truly liked it or not.
PR, I immediately knew I liked (of course I loved the movie the first time too) and I know there's a message to take away from it... but it's pretty one-sided, there aren't multiple interpretations like in TGE and its tracks.

But opinions can change. I most likely might shelve 3121 for a few weeks cuz I feel its weak as a whole. There's a hidden message in there, I know I found it on the first try, but the connection I had with it loosened.
Musicology, I didn't get right away, but I grew to appreciate it along with the message Prince taught me about what true music is all about.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

but that's my point- if you had been around for the earlier stuff (or heard) - you'd understand better/easier. That track is pretty straightforward for Prince. name check and all...

and wtf with the "fool" comment???
Prince was at his best musically in the 80's- and that's pretty much a fact. Start there and you'll be fine- imo of course. Everything since is good- last 2 albums very promising, but the best is in the past right now no matter what anyone tries to say. And don't get me wrong, I will buy anything he puts out- and like much of it.....but, I KNOW there is better still to come. Personal events over the last 10 years have effected his writing, changed a lot of things. But I know he'll figure it all out someday soon.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Sorry to bust your bubble, DPR, but "Sign O The Times" will blow that theory out of the water. If you're looking for hidden depths everytime you listen, always something fresh to hear and be discovered, and constant surprises, then SOTT is the album for you. You HAVE to pick that up next, no matter what anyone says.

just buy all the 1's you don't have

Militant said:

I'd have to own that album to be completely sure of that, wouldn't I? haha
For now, this is the only theory I got with the albums I have.

But thanx for the little insight into SOTT. Cryptic messages and mulitple interpretations are among the things I find in my favorite Prince songs.

I think my theory was Prince gained the skill to connect with me thru an album starting with TGE... PR is great to listen to, still in 2nd place on my rankings, but its just a fun album. There's no inner personal connection to me, although I do learn a great deal about him as a person thru it.

And Paisley, I did figure out where Billy Jack fit into the config. of TGE, but in a diff. configuration that I originally thought up. It's basically for entertainment value, but to also teach me that Prince had dealt with people trying to bring him down and he's bounced back, able to laugh about the situation afterwards... also something I should learn to do myself and I'd be a better person for it, just as he's become a better person 4 it.

Again, check out my blog entry on TGE I posted yesterday
http://www.xanga.com/DreamyPopRoyalty

But today, I'm gonna take a break from Prince's music... but I'll still be around to talk about him.