Giovanni777 said:

actually even TRC songs didn't get much play..with it being only 5 tracks played live and even less when it got 2 europe. so the trend has been happening since emancipation and that truly sucks balls

hollywooddove said:

Hey.

Wow. Great questions.

On the first question, I'd say the most organic would have 2 include 'For You', 'Prince', 'Xpectation', 'N.E.W.S.', and 'Rainbow Children'. I can't possibly choose between those "candidates". The most electronic would nearly HAVE 2 be '1999', with "All the Critics Love U in New York" and "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)" being great examples.

The second question is much easier 2 answer... I'd have 2 say nearly everything engineered by Hans Buff, but 2 nail it down with one example, I'd have 2 say 'Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic'. There significant parts of 'Emancipation' that I thought were engineered similarly... very dry, flat, and lacking warmth. I must say that 'Rainbow Children was like the direct opposite of this. It sounds like it was recorded on 2" tape before going 2 ProTools. Warm, big, and lush, but still very clear, with good separation between each part.

Peace.

~G

Giovanni777 said:

1999 was a huge album for Prince. It was, at the time, the one all be all of party albums. If you went to basement party, dj's played the whole f*****g thing. It was cold and electronic, even balads such as international lover. Do you think, with so much of 1999's style spilling into Purple Rain, which almost seemed like 1999 the sequel, that some of Princes problem is that he has left that cold electronic presence behind in an effort to prove his musical profficiency with organic, or aucustic style?

'1999' was THE album that turned me on 2 Prince, when I was 15. I already had gone through Hendrix, Sly, Parliament, James Brown, Defunkt, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Ornette Coleman, Coltrane, Santana, Stevie Wonder, and much more jazz, blues, rock, and funk. I had already branched out from guitar 2 bass, then 2 drum machines and keys, etc. My friend Russ said I HAD 2 check out this album (1999). I did, read the credits, flipped out, wore the grooves outta "Lady Cab Driver", "Something in the Water..", "Automatic", "DMSR", etc... THEN, I went backwards, and got every previous Prince album one by one. 'Controversy' got HEAVY rotation. After '1999', I got everything he released... every album, every 12".

2 answer your question... I hear a difference between the sound of '1999' and 'Purple Rain'. There is also a difference between the sound of 'Controversy' and '1999'. I hear what you're saying though.

I don't think he left the harder, colder, electronic sound behind 2 prove his proficiency at all. I just think Prince was restless sonically. He was always changing, shifting, evolving. 'Around the World in a Day' has some of that hard feel, but also is completely different.

I think he's simply spontaneous, and hears a new sound, then works it... then moves on.
[Edited 2/7/08 6:55am]

I love Planet Earth.

hollywooddove said:

'1999' was THE album that turned me on 2 Prince, when I was 15. I already had gone through Hendrix, Sly, Parliament, James Brown, Defunkt, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Ornette Coleman, Coltrane, Santana, Stevie Wonder, and much more jazz, blues, rock, and funk. I had already branched out from guitar 2 bass, then 2 drum machines and keys, etc. My friend Russ said I HAD 2 check out this album (1999). I did, read the credits, flipped out, wore the grooves outta "Lady Cab Driver", "Something in the Water..", "Automatic", "DMSR", etc... THEN, I went backwards, and got every previous Prince album one by one. 'Controversy' got HEAVY rotation. After '1999', I got everything he released... every album, every 12".

2 answer your question... I hear a difference between the sound of '1999' and 'Purple Rain'. There is also a difference between the sound of 'Controversy' and '1999'. I hear what you're saying though.

I don't think he left the harder, colder, electronic sound behind 2 prove his proficiency at all. I just think Prince was restless sonically. He was always changing, shifting, evolving. 'Around the World in a Day' has some of that hard feel, but also is completely different.

I think he's simply spontaneous, and hears a new sound, then works it... then moves on.
[Edited 2/7/08 6:55am]

Giovanni777 said:

.....My deep WISH.....i hope that the new album from Prince will sound like 1999.....but i doubt a lot about this.....1982/2008.....different times.....different sound.....so SAD!

Giovanni777 said:

The exact reason that I always come back to Prince is that he is ever changing and ever surprising, and always breaking into new music. I would hate to hear an album that sounds like 1999, I want the new. As a matter of fact, I was very disappointed in his super bowl act because it was not much more than the pop music that only those people who listen to the radio would know. NONE of us buy Prince's albums for the music that is on the radio, we want the whole spin.

As a visual artist, my favorite work is always my next work, and that is always my best work too. That is what gives an artist reason to get up in the morning. It will never be because I want to sit and look in the past. i would think that for a musician that having to play the same songs since 1984 would be a friggin drag!

I tried my hand at music, btw. I was good at lyrics, not so good at composing. I can do it, I just really have not much to say in that line expression. There was like 3 good musical pieces in me, and that was it. I think that everyone should try it, and they will find a great appreciation for what Prince and other musicians do, and what the world would be like without them.

L4OATheOriginal said:

A valid point, but why does he have these high profile guests (W&L are high profile in Prince's world, right?) and have them be completely inaudible on the cd?

L4OATheOriginal said:

he didn't really tour for 3121 but he played nearly all of them live at some point.

sexxydancer said:

me too!
the funk

NDRU said:

the whole cd is questionable about who's on it and who's not

The exact reason that I always come back to Prince is that he is ever changing and ever surprising, and always breaking into new music. I would hate to hear an album that sounds like 1999, I want the new. As a matter of fact, I was very disappointed in his super bowl act because it was not much more than the pop music that only those people who listen to the radio would know. NONE of us buy Prince's albums for the music that is on the radio, we want the whole spin.

As a visual artist, my favorite work is always my next work, and that is always my best work too. That is what gives an artist reason to get up in the morning. It will never be because I want to sit and look in the past. i would think that for a musician that having to play the same songs since 1984 would be a friggin drag!

L4OATheOriginal said:

I believe it's like this:


The One U Wanna C
?:backingvox
Wendy:acoustic guitar
Prince:everything else

Lion Of Judah
?:backingvox
Wendy:guitar
Prince:everything else

Resolution
?:backingvox
Prince:everything else

Giovanni777 said:

Well according to this thread, the Twinz claim they sang back up on Lion Of Judah, Resolution, & The One U Wanna C. So that just leaves FBM up for grabs. (Ugh, I even hate typing the acronym for that horribly-titled song.)

NDRU said:

i just wish he would go back 2 the days of majority of new material and a splash of old

2 each their own, and all that... and everything is subject 2 taste, yes, BUT...

Planet Earth is an incredible album, straight up. I have already gone into detail about what I dig about it.

I would have thought that this would have satisfied a lot of long-time fans, and have been stunned at how many couldn't dig this.

There is a lot of "care" in the instrumentation on this album. There are a diverse set of elements, which occur naturally.

I think Prince was likely disappointed with the reaction 2 this album.
[Edited 2/4/08 18:46pm]

Giovanni777 said:

Well, that's an emotion we have in common then. Look, some of the songs were fun and it was good to hear him play guitar (although he faded it out everytime it got interesting), but the songs just aren't great. It's great that you 'dig it' - enjoy, but that doesn't change the fact that it's not a great or even a particularly good album.

Why would your enjoyment of it satisfy me, a long-time fan?

Ummmmm... I don't know. I wasn't seeking 2 satisfy people with my enjoyment.

L4OATheOriginal said:

Totally agree, I mean, wasn't Sign o the Times a pretty decent concert?

vivid said:

Ummmmm... I don't know. I wasn't seeking 2 satisfy people with my enjoyment.

Oh, and I am also a long-time fan.

Peace.

~G

NDRU said:

hell yeah it rocked..same with how lovesexy and act 1 was presented in2 2 seperate acts of new material and old

Giovanni777 said:

I believe we should have expectations of Prince. I have to agree that PE was not as strong as 3121. As a matter of fact, it has been a long time since Prince has done something as strong as 3121, and it still wasn't as strong as it could have been. It was no Sign o the times. It was more in the category of Gold Experience, strong but not overwhelming. I think that Prince would do good to come back to planet earth, and put his feet on the ground, and write some lyrics that come from real life, and express real feelings, like he did way back in the day. Sometimes his lyrics seem like a man searching for words instead of a man writing from his heart.

That is what the entire art side of it is, expression. We have some problem with the quality of some of his work, because he isn't expressing like he used to when he was young, mad, and horny. Now he's somewhat conservative, and that is showing in his tunes. His music has always been an expression of his heart. I think maybe he is too comfortable in his art. He needs to be shook up.

I believe we should have expectations of Prince. I have to agree that PE was not as strong as 3121. As a matter of fact, it has been a long time since Prince has done something as strong as 3121, and it still wasn't as strong as it could have been. It was no Sign o the times. It was more in the category of Gold Experience, strong but not overwhelming. I think that Prince would do good to come back to planet earth, and put his feet on the ground, and write some lyrics that come from real life, and express real feelings, like he did way back in the day. Sometimes his lyrics seem like a man searching for words instead of a man writing from his heart.

That is what the entire art side of it is, expression. We have some problem with the quality of some of his work, because he isn't expressing like he used to when he was young, mad, and horny. Now he's somewhat conservative, and that is showing in his tunes. His music has always been an expression of his heart. I think maybe he is too comfortable in his art. He needs to be shook up.

hollywooddove said:

Interesting reply and I'll tell you why.

I agree with a lot of it... but there are some parts that I just can't agree with.
The 3121-TGE comparison, I cannot. I rank TGE among the best... one of my favorite albums. TGE and 3121 do have their similarities too because they’re a collection of material that doesn’t so much flow one into the other. But TGE has tracks that are much more powerful than 3121’s entirety… although The Dance is something that contends with “Shh” and “Gold” as being strong tracks.
The two do have similarities, but I can’t see 3121 becoming timeless to the fanbase like TGE is.

The other thing I don't agree with is ur later statements about Prince not being as appealing with him being conservative… being too comfortable with his art and he should be shook up… I don’t agree with that at all. I wouldn’t want him to go through some pressing situation just to get “good” music out of him. My voice might not count for much, but I am pleased with his current output and consider it good music, in some cases, GREAT music, though not quite as effective as his 80's output.
Even though he has written great material when certain feelings are stirred up in him, I would never wish that on him just to “reek the benefits from his misfortune.”

That is what the entire art side of it is, expression. We have some problem with the quality of some of his work, because he isn't expressing like he used to when he was young, mad, and horny. Now he's somewhat conservative, and that is showing in his tunes. His music has always been an expression of his heart. I think maybe he is too comfortable in his art. He needs to be shook up.