Note-this first started out as a reply to the Controversy vs. The Gold Experience thread but expanded to be a commentary about the age difference/generation gap between Prince fans.


There is a generation gap amongst Prince fans.
This gap is most evident when you observe the commentaries and tastes of people on this site. In some ways these tastes boil down to "Old Prince vs. New Prince", but I believe that really our tastes in Prince eras/music/bands exist because of age differences.

Who here was a teenager when "Purple Rain" came out? I wasn't. I was barely out of diapers.In fact,I am young enough that I cannot remember when hip hop wasn't a popular form of music. I didn't become a Prince fan because of albums like "Dirty Mind", "Controversy", "1999" and "Purple Rain". By the time I was "hip" to Prince those albums were old. I became a Prince fan because of albums like "Diamonds & Pearls", " " "The Gold Experience" and "Emancipation".

What I am trying to say is that a lot of older fans are not giving the "newer" Prince album a fair chance. This probably has to do with the fact that older fans grew up on "1999" and "Purple Rain". There is a nostalgia factor that affects your view. It is like how older "Star Wars" fans don't like the new "Star Wars" movies as well. Are they worse movies? No, they are just newer, just different. Ask any kid which "Star Wars" movies they like best and they'll tell you the new movies. It is because it is what they are growing up with. It is the same way with my generation and Prince. "The Gold Experience" is our "Purple Rain". That whole era was for us was what 1980-1984 was for the generation before. For us it wasn't late night jams at 1st Ave it was late night jams at the Glam Slam or Paisley PArk.We didn't lust over Vanity or Apollonia, we lusted over Mayte. Revolution? Give us the NPG. What is the better party song "Let's Go Crazy" or "Pussy Control"? Do you like hip hop, or new wave?

All in all, I think that Prince has not changed as much as we (his fans) have. As we get older we yearn for the excitement of our past. We talk about "the good old days". We hate Britney but we still think Madonna is okay. We love the Jackson 5 but hate N'Sync.

What I am sayin' is that the cool thing about Prince is that he draws a crowd every time. And everytime the crowd is full of different types of people. Prince draws some older folks, some younger, some funky, and some trying their hardest to be funky:-) In the end, I love Prince's music 1978-now. However, for the newer fans we grew up on his newer stuff and love it just as much as you "older fans" love his stuff from the 80's. Respect that and mind your own.

Peace---

when i wuz born, dirty mind had only been on wrecka sto shelves 4 at least two months. i'm a fan of his older stuff and i hardly pay attention 2 his newer material. the only "new" thing of his i've heard is trc.....

that's right, ya'll: i can recite the lyrix 2 "still waiting", but if u want me 2 recite "endorphinmachine"? fugeddaboutit.

still editing....
[This message was edited Tue Sep 24 14:22:41 PDT 2002 by PlastikLuvAffair]

There is not a generation gap--there's a nueron/synapse gap maybe.

Very interesting point of view, and well written...

yikes, I hate getting old...

ps..Sign O' The Times still kicks ass over all!

I became a fan in 92. Yes I prefer, for the most part (except for Gold), the 80's albums. Go figure.

skywalker said:

I already stated this theroy in another thread last week..and a generation growing up on DP and Emanicpation is no excuse for liking that boolshit over masterpieces that came before..gen gap or no gen gap. Point fucking blank.

rdhull said:

didja read my post here?? hell-ooo?

I agree some of the fans here are hard on the youngins on the basis of whether or not they like the same songs or albums, which is silly. I don't think it's always because of a generation gap either...but that's another thread.

I wasn't a teenager when Prince released his first record, but I was during his peak. Though I agree that his 90s music pales in comparison overall to his 80s music (and even all his 80s music wasn't stellar - he was just more consistent), it doesn't bother me that 3 of his fans like it better.

PlastikLuvAffair said:

I skimmed it and got the gist of it

AaronForever said:

toots, you need to get over your obsession with Gold..I don't get it!


gold


gold

endorphin74 said:

u forgot one:


gold

AaronForever said:

Thats because you are unique...you dont follow the grain of your gen..you gots some sense..some edumacation...you know better...you have taste

I have been a fan since I remember listening to the "For You" album on the 8-track every morning when my mother took me to first grade. I have given the newer Prince CDs a chance and I like many of the songs on them.

IMO, I think we old school Prince fans are spoiled. We know what he is capable of doing, but the newer music just hasn't measured up to the older music.

It has nothing to do with a generation gap.

endorphin74 said:

(whatever stfu means )

Supernova said:

3 blind mice

Wonderful topic. I love all of Prince's music ,but some albums are better than others for sure. I love the Old but also the Rainbow Children is Great. The Artist Always Rocks the Hardest.

allthatglitters said:

Quit lyin--you had a job and a house at that time



THANK YOU :smiley face emoticon licking allthatglitters' body all over in every crevice:

Natasha said:

How come you arent locked up in a room masterbating with an Uptown magazine?

Natasha said:

I knew you weren't going anywhere.

I also think it's down to the impact Prince's records had back in the 80s. A new Prince album was always considered an event, even thuogh he released an album or two a year. Everyone looked forward to what he was going to do next, including the fans/non-fans/press/music industry. Also, as a fan, you always looked forward to the original b-sides, the videos, the tours, the picture disks, the coloured vinyl. It was just a more exciting time to be a fan back then IMHO.

Oh, and the music was way better

A generation Gap? Damn near 2 different artists... TRC is the best Prince album yet...

I actually had this conversation with my roomate...'old school fan of about 21 years... me... only about 8... who is more hard core... I like to say me, but the old guy keeps it funky.

We broke it down to pre garage sale and live instruments

(yeah we sited the exseptions) but for the most part... once Prince started having kick ass bands, he started kicking ass... anything Pre-gold...about as funky as my mom... I am very excited by the direction of Prince... I just hope the old folks don't get in the way of the New Prince... new ground, new music, damn near a new style of music...but genius nevertheless...

***footnote

don't take this post too literal... I am down with EVERYTHING prince touches... I just like TRC more...

and hey... your only old when you can't find the funk...

Rico and blackwell, good points (most of them). I just posted this on the original thread this all came from 'til I noticed the subject jumped ship to a spin-off focus.

Funny how ppl totally FLAME the song "We March" without knowing what it is about. One person said they had no clue what it was about (in another thread), and now ButterscotchPimp says it's a boring song?! WTF?! Granted it isn't one of P's stronger songs, but it has a strong message behind it. It seems a lot of people like songs that don't really have a message, and say nothing but "how'd you get your legs to do that? ooo shit!" Come on now.

Controversy (sorry to those who didn't even see the outside of the scrotum at that time) has a LOT of strong points to it, such as the political scene at the time, strong sexual times coming on the heels of the free 70s, Let's Work's feel-free-to-funk-it-up feel, etc. This does not demerit Gold in any way. Different time frame people, different mindset for both us and P.

BTW, welcome back Natasha.

endorphin74 said:

watch it suckah! (in my best aunt esther voice...)

The first Prince album I "owned" was Purple Rain, it was my Dad's. The first I bought with my own hard saved cash was Lovesexy. I agree that the Gold time was exciting, with all that name change stuff and the great anticipation of an album that was to include Days of Wild, Interactive, Dolphin + Gold. However, at the end of the day, the album didn't come up to scratch. It was over produced and contained several below par moments, in effect he blew his chance of going big time again on the back of the success of Beautiful.

That doesn't mean I only like his 80's stuff, I love the Rainbow Children and think its the best thing he's done since Lovesexy. I also love parts of Gold and Symbol but the long and short of it is that DP and Gold just aren't as good as the earlier stuff. Full Stop. I don't see how anyone can argue otherwise. No matter when they became a fan.

I'm kind of with skywalker. And I love the 80s and 90s music equally. And I think some people here are absolute assholes for thinking someone with a different opinion must be "young" or "stupid." But that's another topic...

This is an interesting question. It may be more accurate to imply that the length of time that someone has been into Prince has more clout in determining taste than age. For example, I'm only 22, but my favorite albums are "1999," "Lovesexy" and "Sign o' the Times." Go figure!

Moonbeam said:

Exactly! - It doesn't matter how old you are, how long you've been a fan, how many times you've seen him live, how many unreleased tracks you know or any of that BS. The albums you chose are the best musically. If you own these albums as well as Diamonds & Pearls/Gold Experiance/Symbol - Listen to them all and you will see that the earlier albums are better. Its impossible to deny.

Hmmm,interesting thread!

Let's see, I was:

1) 11/12 when "For You" came out (had the book covers of him with the BIG afro. All my classmates did. Wish I still had it. It'd be a collectors item by now).

2) 12/13 when "Prince" came out

3) 13/14 when "Dirty Mind" came out (can't believe I sang the lyrics in front of my mother. I was clueless!)

4) 16/17 when "Purple Rain" came out

So yeah, I'm one of the old geezers! I love all of them, just depends on the mood I'm in at the time. Now that I think about it though, I do like the older stuff better.

sure there's a generation gap.I don't think Prince picks up many teen fans these days due to him taking himself out of the mainstream.Even if he put himself back in the rat race, i don't think he would due to his age,looks and his persona.He isn't your stereotypical black male artist and never has been.
Back in his glory days of 83/84, his androgynous looks (as well as his music) turned alot of people onto him, as well as forever turning some people off.There is alot less of that about in the mainstream now, people in the music business (and labels) don't seem to take risks anymore with the artists on their rosters.It's all clean cut, wholesome garbage, it's a great shame that there are so few artists that appeal to teens, that are willing to sing about anything other than love.
That's what made Dirty mind a great album, the subject matter.that's what made Prince a great, daring artist (he was 20ish at the time, imagine any young aspiring singer on a major label,trying to build a fanbase with a record like sister or head, it wouldn't happen in this day and age, execs wouldn't let it).

anyway sorry for straying away a bit.

p.s. NSYNC Vs Jackson 5? J5 all the way!

Thecherryloon said:

why do people keep saying this? Prince did not take himself out of the mainstream. The mainstream rejected. He's just finally accepted it and gotten back on track musically.