Enough Accujack and FuNkeNsteiN! This is getting ridiculous. I know I'm not a mod but good grief. If you must argue, PLEASE orgnote each other. Lets get back to why we're here, the music. Now, is Planet Earth your cup of tea or not?
[Edited 2/9/08 9:26am]

purplecam said:

Planet Earth is a cup of poop

FuNkeNsteiN said:

Well....yeah pretty much.
Although not quite to the level of you and few others who repeatedly visit a site dedicated to a particular artist, and your negative posts about that artist far outweigh the positive ones.
There is a certain backwards logic to that, for which I haven't quite figured out yet.
Let's see. I'm not particularly fond of Prince, yet I'm gonna join a Prince messagebaord, rack up over 6,000 posts, and make damn sure everyone knows I'm not too fond of him.
Now, who is the dumbass?

Accujack said:

1) I post mostly on the Music: Non-Prince section. I don't listen to Prince that much these days, but I found a lot of people with similar musical tastes in the Non-Prince section, and thus have stayed around and discussed other music with them.
2) I still dig Prince's music, his earlier music that is. I usually lash out at the mindless sheep who worship Princes every move and claim to love EVERY SINGLE piece of music he has ever put out. It amuses me to make fun of them. Also, I do express my opinion about his shittier work quite openly, that I can't deny... but like you said, I'm entitled to my opinion.
[Edited 2/9/08 9:51am]

FuNkeNsteiN said:

purplecam said:

You are correct. This is ridiculous.
While Planet Earth is not my favorite album, it is far superior to Bootsy? Player of the Year.

purplecam said:

This thread is half give me the feeling... didn't people used to think that 3121 wasn't all that great? And when the new guy comes along, you're like "Oh my mistake. 3121 is brilliant compared 2 this piece of..." well, u get the idea. Using PE as an excuse to like 3121 in that manner
I'm not against praising 3121, but not because of PE's "disappointment." If anything, PE made me look back at 3121 and I saw little tricks he used on there that he used on the PE as well. Their similarities bring them closer together (but kinda leaves Musicology out in the cold because its "different"). That's just me.

I agree that 3121 would be a good way to keep going in this direction that Prince is going in musically & lyrically, but I'd like to see an album that flows. 3121 does not flow for me. Like someone here said it right, it does have that mix-tape feel. PE really felt like he was on the verge of something, but he came up short. By the time I get to Resolution, I'm like "awww... its the last song, I want to hear more." Now, if he could combine elements I saw in both albums, I'd be just as happy as with anything he could dish out.

As for that "energy" in 3121, I really didn't feel that. At least not until some of the later tracks. It's the complete opposite. Planet Earth had such an energy that it felt like magic to me and each track seemed to flow well into the next, although it does peak once or twice. PE felt alive, not like "studio plastic" with some of the 3121 tracks. PE felt like it had heart & soul in it, especially in the really special tracks. [Future Baby Mama, Planet Earth and Somewhere here on Earth come to mind 4 me.]

People have said that by combining tracks from the last 3 albums you'd have a decent one. I've mixed Musicology & 3121 a couple of ways and got interesting results, but I was initially against touching PE at all because each track flows into the next flawless. I wouldn't want to spoil that. Although mixing up 3121 and PE wouldn't be a bad idea

When PE came out, I had no expectations except for it to be better than 3121. I got my wish and several surprises on the album I didn't expect to find. Then when I go back to 3121, the similarities came together and I liked it more. When this new album does come out, I have my idea of what I'd like to see, but I think I'd prefer not having too much of an idea in mind. Because if he goes ahead and does something completely different... I don't want that kind of disappointment. Or to have to work through an album to get it to work for me. I've already had to do that too many times. I'd rather like an album right way because its less work on my part, haha.

Actually... PE came off so well on the first shot, I can't remember having that good of a first listen since... even 3121.

Accujack said:

Hi Accujack! Thanks. Well, I am going to try and post more, because I think it's great to read posts from people like you, Giovanni and others who dig the newer stuff and aren't still comparing it to more than TWO DECADES ago. It's either that or people who can't separate the man's personal life and other irrelevant goings on from his WORK. I prefer to focus on and enjoy this glorious artistic journey that we've been fortunate enough to experience from Prince for so long. I'm not drinking the purple Kool Aid, but I'm not drinking the purple Haterade either. So, I will try to do my part to bring some positivity to this so-called "online FAN community."
-----
Oops! My sister was logged in and I posted as her without noticing.
[Edited 2/9/08 11:01am]

Now that I am logged in as me, I am curious about this post. Let me preface it by saying that I am NOT trying to start a "fight." I only have questions about this post because it seems to represent a popular sentiment around here.

hollywooddove said:



When you say that you should have expectations from Prince, what are those expectations? To compete with his past work? I always look at each Prince album as a different artistic experience that springs forth from where he is in his life at that time. So, I have NEVER compared Prince albums. They are all unique to me. Some I dig, some I REALLY dig and some I just didn't get into. Yet, I have never felt the need to completely trash the album. Even when I didn't get into an album in its entirety, there were always a couple of songs that really stood out and grabbed me. For example, I was never crazy about Rave or Chaos and Disorder, but each album had some really good songs.



This assertion is perplexing to me because it is contradictory. You say you have a problem with his work because he doesn't express like he used to. Well, he is in a different place now. He's not young, mad and horny so why would he create music that reflects that? It would be fake. His lyrics do come from real life. He has obviously matured and his focus has shifted, but does that make the music bad? What is wrong with his conservatism being reflected in his music? In that he IS reflecting what is in his heart. His lyrics are still meaningful, it is just that his life has different meaning now. He is growing spiritually, he is maturing as a man and as a human being. I think it is great that his music represents his evolution. Yet, he still remains witty, playful and romantic without the salaciousness. I just don't see what's wrong with that. I enjoy the young, wild, dirty Prince as much as any other longtime fan, but I enjoy the grown, sexy mature Prince as well. If you are going to continue to use the past as the barometer for your expectations then you will certainly be disappointed because the past is just that, the past. Thankfully, for me, Prince has moved on.

hollywooddove said:

maybe if by "inspiration" you mean dead weight that needs to get kicked to the curb....

I have to agree this album is the best in years, the title track is particularly haunting. For some reason it reminds me of Around the World in a Day, even though it's nothing really like it....

Scooter said:

Interesting. This could be because of the melodies... although not necessarily similar, he sings melodies on both the song "Planet Earth", and elsewhere on the album, that he hasn't done in years. Both his voice and his guitar sound very free on this album.

Giovanni777 said:

You can have an "impeccable" paint job on a house, but still be bland and dull.

Accujack said:

Giovanni777 said:

I get what you mean, he does sound so free on this one. It doesnn't sound as over produced as his latest albums. Could it be the Wendy Melvoin influence that is said to be on this album??

Scooter said:

I mentioned in my first post that he sounded like a musician having fun making music on this album. I don't think it can be attributed as much to Wendy or Lisa as much as it is to where he was in his life when he recorded the songs. It doesn't appear that they really had that much input or influence on the album except for lending themselves to a couple of songs. He wrote all the songs himself and played much of the music - as usual. I just think PE is a concatenation of the events in his life creatively, professionally and personally. Some of the lyrics appear to reflect that, especially on songs like Guitar, Future Baby Mama and Somewhere Here on Earth. I think he is in a good place and the music reflects it.
[Edited 2/9/08 18:28pm]

bellanoche said:

That's what I said when I heard it the first time

"He's really in a good place musically & spiritiually"... and that's the most I can ask 4 Prince

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

I know DreamPop, I agreed with your post when I saw it. He just seems really relaxed, happy and at peace, which is not only the most I can ask, but what I have always wished for him as well.

bellanoche said:

Concatenation. Wow, I had to go to the online dictionary on that one. I'm impressed bellanoche.

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

and all of this is the beauty of music, we all like different subtle things. I do agree that you can take cuts from the last 3 and make one good album, there is music on PE that sounds like it drifted from or was forgotten to be included on 3121. I mean Mr. Goodnite even has a 3121 chant in it.

anywaz..... If the 3 albums could make one good album, I think that 3121 would be the root of that album.

hollywooddove said:

The Word
The Dance
Love
3121
Beautiful, Loved & Blessed
[I think those are the best of 3121]... im not so sure the root... but putting The Dance together with Somewhere here on Earth and working from there... could be an interesting experiment

Scooter said:

No influence there. She wasn't there... The couple parts she did were overdubbed in a separate location.

He essentially did most of the album by himself, with a few exceptions.

Giovanni777 said:

I said the same thing Giovanni777, I think the "Wendy influence" was greatly exagerrated by some. I remember the first week the album was released that people on here were debating whether Wendy wrote songs and chalking the melodies up to her. This was even after I posted a link to the ASCAP site, which showed that Prince was credited as the sole writer for all the PE songs.

bellanoche said:

...No influences by the Girls.....and their involment on PE were very very Limited.....all this agitation for the return of the Ex-Revolution Members was up to Medias and for the Promotion around PE.....Around the world in a day is my favorite album from Prince.....is PE was a 1/4 good as ATWIAD was....i would know this...and this is not the case AT ALL !

Boring times

love2thenines2003 said:

That's the great thing about it, you know. It all comes down to taste. The two albums where W&L probably had the most input - ATWIAD and Parade are two of my least favorite Prince albums. They each have their moments, but neither is one that I listen to much. They are not boring to me, just not as much my thing as some of his other stuff.

I've never quite understood all the fuss about W&L. I just listened to a pressed version of Dream Factory and I am sooooo happy that the album was replaced with SOTT. Again, some of the songs were cool, but the W&L influence muted the funk and soul. It is really apparent to me with the difference in the DF and SOTT versions of Strange Relationship. So, I knew from the vibe of PE that W&L were not that inlfuential on this one, which for me is a good thing.

bellanoche said:

I'm gonna have to disagree with both of you.

I like Planet Earth more than ATWIAD, but because I like the idea little more and I the music of PE more than ATWIAD (although "Pop Life" alone could give many of the PE tracks a run 4 their money. Both have one thing in common: I liked them right away. But PE is something I could just pop in, I don't necessarily have to get into the mood for it to enjoy it.
I'd say PE is even more than 1/4 as good as ATWIAD... I'd say it is just as good, maybe even a little bit better. ATWIAD's timing kinda takes away from it since its surrounded by other "80's album titans"... PE was the best I had heard of the current decade.

Parade is one of my favorite albums and the girls really made it as great as it was in my eyes. The sound is a little bit different (okay a lot), but PE sounds like its at least as good as Parade. The use of back-up vocals on both projects are probably their biggest similarity and back-up vocals did help out each album in a great way.

bellanoche said:

I totally agree with all that u say here.

sexxydancer said:

help me out.... W&L? (edit added) Wendy and Lisa.... duh... DUH...DUUHHHHH.
[Edited 2/10/08 20:05pm]

bellanoche said:

W&L has had the same influence on Prince as door knobs on a Ferrari's racing performance.

Graycap23 said:

2 funny!