Well, after hearing the PE tracks - it is sadly apparent: Prince has decided to become (or fell into becoming) merely a live musician -- albeit one of the best live musicians of today.

No longer does Prince seem to care about creating quality, complex, interesting, and simply well produced songs. Now, it's all about playing live and putting on concerts. It's as if he's putting out PE (and 3121) because he has too, because he's going through the motions (ironic, because this is exactly what he claimed to do in 1995 and 1996).

His production is lazy and lame. Point: think about the song "Positivity." Imagine him recording this song in the studio in 2007. We would not hear the interesting beat, the layered guitar, or the complex arrangements. We'd here just a normal drum beat with bland guitar and his regular voice. it would ruin the entire song. Darling Nikki: same thing. That song is good only because of the brilliant production and complex arrangements. Today we have "Lolita" and "Guitar."

I shouldn't fault Prince -- he's done it for a while and maybe he just doesn't have the energy/creativity to produce in the studio anymore, maybe he's content on being a great live musician -- nothing wrong with that - but as prince fan it's depressing to see his "comeback" tempered with such lame new output.

I'm afraid to admit it but I think you are correct.After getting Planet Earth yesterday my initial opinion after about 3 listens is that there are about 4-5 pretty decent songs on there.But they no way compare to his 80's stuff.I know its 2007 and why should it sound like an 80's song to be good.But in my own opinion I don't think it will be getting too many spins from me like Musicology and 3121 which I never really play.
As a live artist there is nobody to compare though.
But the man is nearly 50 and been through it all and done it all and I don't think he has the same creative juices as when he was a younger man.I am happy getting 4-5 pretty good songs from him every year though.
[Edited 7/11/07 10:06am]

I agree!

Prince clearly has chosen a less complex approach to producing music. I'm not sure that has to do with being less creative.
He's been groundbreaking as a producer and arranger - his recent output may not have the same urgency as back in the day. Prince gets older, his music indeed has a different energy - maybe less intense.
And his taste in music changes. I may or may not share that taste as much as I did back then. As much as I want Prince to sound as Prince, there are so many different Princes, he's not the same person as 25 years ago! And that's good. People would laugh at him creating something like Darling Nikki at this age...
I believe, just as he did in the 80s, he's making the music he wants to make and loves.

Jatrig said:

Typical Prince fan kneejerk response. You don't like the new stuff and the newest album is wrecking the orbit of your entire Prince world.

Bottom line: The argument you are making could have been made at any point since 1990/1991.So what?

jatrig ,u dont know what u r talking about ,when u live his life have his giftes and talents ,and be as succeful as he is at his game then speak,can u play 27 instruments ,, im waiting thought not , so called prince fanmmmmm

oi!
how many times have I heard prince over produces his songs these days...and it's seems he's attempting a more stripped down approach this time and now we get he "no longer seems to care about creating quality complex, interesting, and simply well produced songs"
ugh!
can't please em all I guess.

"lazy and lame" perhaps your prince fandom is done? I think you've burned out.

I think this has more to do with how much prince you've (we've) listened to for so long....as you mentioned positivity and the way in which it was produced...it's been done...nearly 20 years ago...can't really imagine prince holding on to the same concepts for recording and producing for ever right...I mean he's bound to do it different every time...adapting and changing along the way....right? There's no right way and wrong way for one to create their own art.....you either like it or you don't and if you don't that's OK, but to put it on Prince by saying he doesn't care, or is lazy and lame is really just an emotional response to your own expectations not being met.
no need to lash out, it only weakens your argument.

We're too hard on Prince. He's given us so much. As I've stated in other threads, I don't like his more recent output as much, but to me, it's all just extra icing. If there is one song I love off of an album, that's one more song I love, so great.

Prince is hardly alone as an artist with a long career who fans still love and who still is a fantastic live performer, but who puts out albums that while well-received by some, never incite the passion that earlier output did. (See, e.g., the Rolling Stones).

There is an organic rawness and arrogance in the earlier music of musicians that simply cannot be replicated as they get older. Most classic albums from bands come from their early catalog (not a strict rule, but very common), and I don't think this is by mistake.

Add to that the simple fact of novelty and age. When I was first introduced Prince I was young, I grew up listenting to his music, it takes be back to when I had never heard anything like that before. The experence, as many of you know, was simply amazing.

Prince can still impress me with his studio output, but it will never be that new, or that fresh, or that otherworldy as it was before. It just can't be, at least for me.

So, I take what I can get. Appreciate his efforts, his committment to being a muscian. And if Planet Earth, doesn't move me the way 1999 did, so be it.

skywalker said:

How is their quite articulate post and valid opinion "wrecking the orbit of their entire prince world"? Your post comes across as more of a knee jerk reaction that that the original poster.

dayzofwyld said:

their post being articulate or not is a matter of opinion

sagetarian said:

No reason to get personal "sagetarian." I never claimed to be as talented or successful as Prince. I'm not even a musician. But I don't think any of what I said hinges on me a creative genius on par with prince -- it hinges only on my opinions as a Prince fan. and yes, I am a "fan" of Prince music and always will be; critiquing modern output and enjoying his overall work (including his new stuff, just to a lesser extent) are not mutually exclusive with being a fan.

This is a Prince message board, and making one's opinion about Prince music turn into a personal affront is a bit immature and misplaced.

Shorty said:

You are exactly right!! It is my emotional response to my expectations not being met. My opinions as a fan of Prince music are not put out there as fact or as a personal attack to any other fan or to Prince himself; just my opinion and observation. No lashing out -- but a fan expressing his observation and opinion - emotional or otherwise -- is not a bad thing; nor is your response.

Jatrig said:

right!...BUT I feel some of it was lashing out ...with words like lazy and lame posted as opinion on a message board you are bound to get opposing and agreeable views.
you state your opinion as if it were fact not opinion....just sayin'

Prince is enjoying some of his greatest success in 20 years . . . but I do think that fame and fortune has taken the place of creativity.

Think about it: every CD sold is roughly 10 bucks. Every concert ticket sold, however, is anywhere from $31.21 to $3,121 . . . I think we know where his head is lately . . .

As soon as I replied, another question hit me:

Do you think Prince is banking as much "easy" cash now as he can, just in case he's unable to perform live as much in the not-so-distant future?

Perhaps when the touring dies down, he'll spend more of his mature years in the studio?

I'm so sick of hearing about the damn 80's. That was 20 something years ago.He doesn't want to record the same shit that he recorded 20 years ago.

Bull said:

Exactly, I love his new music and the direction he’s going in. When I get tired of it, I go as far back as the 80's, no big deal. No need complaining when there’s plenty Prince Music 2 choose from. Prince fans r hard 2 please. He has given us so much music 2 enjoy. I see why he plays Satisfied on his web site. Some are diffidently hard 2 satisfy

Jatrig said:

Prince has gone into directions that might be alien to you (as he is prone to do), 3121 the album is intentionally vacuum clean, and Lolita is miraculous to me in the face of everything going on in pop music from a producer standpoint. It is as if Prince said "I can make a retro synth pop sugar song with the most minimal disciplined shit and still be futuristic". 3121 the song is far more interestingly effective than Positivity on Lovesexy (and I am going by my intial impression of each). Positivity is an interesting but meandering mess! Now, for an original noise with cohesive drama there's Eye No which is a complex and ambitious gem. I'd actually love to here a vacuum clean mix of Eye No in the style of Lolita, it's there under all those added layers that disappointed Dr Fink when he heard the finished product. Was that Dr Fink that said that?

aw, give the guy a break. he went through divorce and (at least on planet earth) i think his ever inflating ego boosting songs only hint that he's lonely. *shrug* at least he's capable of making badass music, just when.

Complex ≠ Good

Jatrig said:

I agree. I've felt this way for a while. He did more in the first eighteen years of his career than most could dream of in ten lifetimes so we should cut him a little slack, but I long ago accepted that he couldn't cut it in the studio anymore. He's also not the songwriter he once was, though tunes like TAC sound much better in their live incarnations. Bottom line is Prince doesn't owe me anything, so I just accept where he's at now and don't entertain false hopes. He's still the best live performer in the world. That's no small feat.
[Edited 7/12/07 9:25am]

Some Fans have been crying nearly continuously since 1989. He was already finished back then for many of you.

Just a few years ago, he was releasing a msterpiece called TRC and the same babies thought it was too adventurous and not "princely enough sounding" for them.

Get over it. There is so much negativity going on around here. Saying you don't like an album is fine but questioning the talent left in Prince at the same time is simply ridiculous.
Moreover it is just a matter of taste. I did not like Musicology at all. I liked 70% of 3121 and I dig 95% of PE.
Who is right ? Nobody. Just a matter of taste.

There once was this "world class" chef everyone thought was the rage. Annually he held parties to showcase he creations, the menu always a secret until the day of.

One year, the usual attendees, having a good ole' time, drinking and discussing what would be served, imagine the hush over the crowd when this "world class" chef presented hot dogs! Yes, hot dogs.

Needless to say some thought those were the best hot dogs on planet earth, (no pun intended) others stormed out in utter disbelief and disgust, "how dare he serve us hot dogs!" "The nerve!"

One year later, this same chef invited the same people back to this annual party, tell me, why did the ones previously mortified return?
[Edited 7/12/07 3:27am]

sarkozyiszeman said:

Exactly... And let the church say... Amen!

sarkozyiszeman said:

You are contradicting yourself. You are picking at someone for having a viewpoint, whilst stating your own.

Why exactly is is ridiculous to question the talent left in Prince? Isn't that just debating opinion?

SquirrelMeat said:

Because it is exactly ridiculous to question his talent. Anyone who is that stupid should not even be posting. I could absolutely hate every prince song and still see the talent. If u don't think he has talent who exactly could have gone into the studio and produced 3121 song for song, instrument for instrument. Not 99.9% of the people walking this planet. So yes to question his talent is STUPID.

crap

ufoclub said:

I thought it was Eric Leeds?

olb99 said:

you're correct! It was Leeds

Re-read my statement. I said that "the newest (Prince) album is wrecking ther orbit of their entire Prince world". How many times have we heard from fans that that Prince has "lost it" and "doesn't make them feel like 198whatever"? We hear it a lot.

It has been the thing to say after a new Prince album-aka an kneejerk reaction-for a long time now.

The funny thing is that people pretend that they were instantly in love with "classics" like Around the World in a Day and Lovesexy, when they actually pretty devisive albums when they 1st came out.