do you still expect something new and groundreaking with every release, or are you usually content if the album is just decent, based on past Prince records?

meltwithu said:

As a fan for about 25 years, I have never expected anything groundbreaking from Prince. All I hope for is good music - and he usually never lets me down. To date, the only album that I have not liked the majority of the songs is "Chaos" other than that, I have been pleased. Some I love more than others, but overall Prince has kept me satisfied.

After the last 11 years? No. Not. At. All.


I was just happy that Musicology and 3121 didn't make me want to vomit on first listen and that there wasn't a ton of bullshit surrounding their release.

I expect to be wowed...

Comparing Prince's music, to most of the modern pop crap put out makes me
thank God that the man continues to put out great music, almost 30 years post-debut

I haven't expected to be wowed by Prince in, say, 17 years or so. But I do hope for it with each release. Where prior to 1990 entire albums would bowl me over, now only sporadic songs do it.

No, especially since he's not with the Revolution anymore. But even at that he's still pretty impressive.

NWF said:

Prince's most groundbreaking/innovative/whatever you call it came before the Revolution, with Dirty Mind, 1999 and parts of Purple Rain (the most groundbraking song on the album was done on his lonesome). His music template may have become more electic with the (WAY OVERRATED imo) input of Wendy and Lisa but as far his most influential, never before-heard-in-the-pop-world-stuff that was all on his own.

And in relation to this question: no. Just like I'm sure Dylan or Macca or Wonder fans don't expect the same from them. There's only so many grounds one can break in such a long career.
[Edited 5/26/07 0:38am]

Lammastide said:

agreed.

I wasn't happy with 3121...everything else though I liked a lot!

I don't realistically expect every Prince album to "wow" me, but I am hopeful!

The last time I was seriously impressed was The Rainbow Children.

I'm "wowed" every time.Like this

sexxydancer said:

thats just because you took this bus to school:

I am always "wowed" at anything he does! So whatever this album is I'll love it, especially since it has been 28 years, that makes me respect his music even more, so I hope there is not alot of bitching on the org about the new album when it comes out

thekidsgirl said:

really

sosgemini said:

me to sexxydancer to that bus

sosgemini said:

Hilarious! and 100% true! Anyone who thinks everything Prince does is great and that he farts ferry dust is truly

I expect to see some growth or something different than the next.

I'm always interested in hearing what Prince is thinking about in the different stages of life.

He at least tries to evolve even if it comes out really sucky....

After 30 years in this crazy ass business, I'm appreciative that a TALENT like Prince is still doing what he does.

Well, i dont expect to be 'wowed' all of the time, but i surely am dissapointed when he doesn't even reach the quality of his albums from 1990 and 1995.

And IMO that simply is the case since 1996.

It might sound harsh, but IMO any fan of any longgoing, popular artist doesn't like it when that artist is underachieving.

As a Prince-fan i know he has a certain 'potential' as an artist, and it gets hard when he is not even bringing this potential to fruition for a long time....12 years that is.

I know a lot of fans in here have the tendency to 'talk things right', not being honest all of the time.

But for me Prince hasn't released an impressive album since The Gold Experience from 1995.

Don't get me wrong: i don't expect another 1999 or Sign of the Times, but his output these days is not even on the level of Graffiti Bridge, Diamonds and Pearls, Symbol and the Gold Experience (I take any one of those albums over The Rainbow Children, Musicology or 3121).

I always try to retain some kind of hope that he goes trough some 'second youth', a temporaly return to really significant music, i mean: Lou Reed has proved that its possible (New York, Songs for drella), Tom Waits did or still does the same (Swordfishtrombones, Bone Machine), Van Morrison did proof it too (No Guru, No method, no teacher: a masterpiece, out of nowhere). I mean, why shouldn't Prince be able to do the same?

One thing i know, when his new album is as mediocre as musicology and 3121, i will stop following his moves closely. Maybe then he suddenly surprises me with a good album in 2015 or so.

meltwithu said:

No don't expect anything groundbreaking, but somewhere down the road it would be cool to see him experiment and change up the sound. Why? Because I still believe he has it in him to record something 10-15 years ahead of the time, experimental and yet commercial. But commercial these days means copying everything that everyones doing, not millions diggin something thats good and different.

The problem with a lot of music outside of Prince music. Too many people copying red hot chilipeppers, or Korn or whatever came before them. Prince has always been himself, to a small degree included elements of what was going on(rap on D&P)..but kept being himself. You get nowhere's fast in this world being something your not.

Prince at this rate only copy's Prince! I will always buy up everything released and enjoy it for what it is, a fun listen.
[Edited 5/27/07 11:12am]

Good reaction realm,

One main-quality of Prince in the eighties was, that he was ahead of his time: the way he combined different styles, used drummachines, used orchestral arrangements, the way he performed them ('couching' on Raspberry Beret, the way he handled his vocals on Paisley Park and Girl Boys, stripping down his arrangements, going against the slick eighties sound), using Zappa-esque instrumental breaks, using sound-effects etc.
But at the same time, while he was experimentating, it was always within the context of 'popular' music.
He did create music that was both catchy and entracing, on a superficial level, and smart and intelligent, on a deeper level.

In the first halve on the nineties it sounded like he wasnt really sure which way he was heading: being a big star again, or following his 'muse'?
But on the other hand, he still had that 'bite' / that urgency to create modern, intelligent, suprising music: listen to songs like The Question of U, Seven or Shy for example. Next to that the introduction of the NPG and a more, band-orientated / live-sound, brought a fresh way. And even in that situation he did create unique sounds, i mean: listen to the drumsound of Michael Bland on Diamonds and Pearls.

From 1996 on his albums were either: spoiled by plastic, unimaginative production (Emancipation, New Power Soul, Rave), spoiled by JW-weirdness (The Rainbow Children, IMO the most overrated Prince album ever) or spoiled by the desire to be acknowledged again as a 'big star' (leading to a halfbaken, washed down and rather boring 'Prince-sound' on Musicology and 3121).

Where are his trademark elements, the things that seem so close to him? The experiments with his sound? the way he uses background vocals? his inventive drumprogramming? His songwriting skills? (No, cinnamon girl is definitely not the new Raspberry Beret).

Riverpoet31 said:

agreed.

I just appreciate the talent! I don't worry about being "wowed"....if I am then it's just a bonus!

I have this funny feeling that the new album is going 2 "wow" all of us.

Just a feeling.

Peace.

Giovanni777 said:

ONLY if it sticks 2 plan.....

Hell no, There definately wasn't a "Wow" from me for 3121. I don't get too exited over his new stuff.