Hi guys,I would just like 2 say i have noticed negitive remarks concerning Princes later works in paticular the older fans.ok so maybe i hav only bin a fan 4 2 yrs.maybe i wasnt around in the Purple Rain years.Maybe i havent spent as much on Prince music as some of you have(cuz alot of you guys seem to think the more money you spend on him the more of a right to an opinion on P you hav)but let me say this how many of u can play as many instruments as P? how many of you are great song-writers? how about sing? cuz i cant do fuckin any of those I am thankfull to my mother 4 introducing me 2 the genius known as prince.i may only hav 27 of his albums.but i love evry1 of them.I suppose Its in are nature as humans to find flaws yes but all great work has flaws dont u think? its just people make out as if his later efforts hav 2 many all people do on here is moan about how crap this is or we want an album like this,luckly 4 me tho ive bin a fan 4 only 2 years,so maybe thats y im not as criticall cuz i didnt grow up in the Purple Rain years and cuz i wasnt around when his older stuff was out maybe thats y i dont compare it to his later stuff or be stuck in a 80s time-warp like a few seem 2 be altho his older stuff is better i still dont hav anyhing bad 2 say about his new stuff apart from a few songs maybe.but I think the problem with People is they dont like 2 see there fav artists evolve or change musicaly.I know his music lyrically has changed since he turned into a J.W with the words less Dirty etc 2 be honest i dont think many musicians(even P) can make new sounds or do something new,simply beacause theres so much out there now it seems to be getting harder,also new artists and music 2day(well mostly) is as about as intresting to me as yesterdays turd!

optimus said:

I love as well

brilliant post, P would be proud of you, you have just managed to insult EVERYONE, which is great

I like ur thinking, optimus.
But... as scary as this is to admit, that sounds like me on my worst day when I'm bitter about all the bad karma goin' round

I certainly don't make comments like "can do you do all the things that Prince can?"

That's not where my thinking is,

But there has been a lot of talk about what Prince should do to please the old-school people who've been saying that his latest albums are worthless.

My thinking is: they may seem worthless in comparison to his previous efforts and it might be partially his own fault for setting the bar so high in the 80's. BUT while not many of the old-school people get the newer albums, it doesn't mean they're worthless.

For me, they were my way of seeing where Prince is currently with his music and gave me an idea of what he's like @ present as an artist.

With everything said and done, the albums are not worthless because they are worth something to Prince. He puts his heart, soul and probably a little sweat into putting his works of art together (albums= artworks).

And that really makes the idea of criticsm sound ugly when we're talking about one man's thoughts and feelings. this year I'll try not to be as harsh with some of my reviews of his work.

Prince is so many things and 99% of them are wonderful things. The other 1% are called "flaws"... which is something every person has, its what makes a person human. I'm not about to point out what those flaws are because as an admirer, that's not my job. My job is to look at all the good in him and enrich myself with his music.

This coming from a one-year supporter/admirer of Prince might not sound like much, but I truly believe in my cause.

people should like what they like and not be afraid of saying they don't like what they don't like. in general, i have great admiration for prince's style of making music. in specific, there are some songs and albums i like more than others, and there's some music by prince that i don't care for at all. that's no slight on prince - he's made so much music, i think it would be miraculous if every single note he recorded in all those years of music were absolute ambrosia to my ears. what i find most interesting is that one person on the org can completely passionately hate a particular prince song or album, and someone else will have nothing but gushing praise for it. it's the magic of prince's music - so many different people hear it in so many different ways. why stifle that just so you can appear to be a "good fan"? to me, a good fan is also a fair critic.

people should like what they like and not be afraid of saying they don't like what they don't like. in general, i have great admiration for prince's style of making music. in specific, there are some songs and albums i like more than others, and there's some music by prince that i don't care for at all. that's no slight on prince - he's made so much music, i think it would be miraculous if every single note he recorded in all those years of music were absolute ambrosia to my ears. what i find most interesting is that one person on the org can completely passionately hate a particular prince song or album, and someone else will have nothing but gushing praise for it. it's the magic of prince's music - so many different people hear it in so many different ways. why stifle that just so you can appear to be a "good fan"? to me, a good fan is also a fair critic.

people should like what they like and not be afraid of saying they don't like what they don't like. in general, i have great admiration for prince's style of making music. in specific, there are some songs and albums i like more than others, and there's some music by prince that i don't care for at all. that's no slight on prince - he's made so much music, i think it would be miraculous if every single note he recorded in all those years of music were absolute ambrosia to my ears. what i find most interesting is that one person on the org can completely passionately hate a particular prince song or album, and someone else will have nothing but gushing praise for it. it's the magic of prince's music - so many different people hear it in so many different ways. why stifle that just so you can appear to be a "good fan"? to me, a good fan is also a fair critic.

Anxiety said:

also whats stifle mean? and what u mean by good fan? arnt we all good fans? and i didnt say ppl should be afraid to say what they dont like and do like im just sayin what i thought thats all i wasnt trying 2 itimidate any1 oh no i shouldnt have done this thread
[Edited 2/5/08 18:12pm]

optimus said:

well, you WERE calling people out for their "negative remarks". we don't know exactly what you mean when you say "negative". if i said "i don't like the RAVE Un2 the Joy Fantastic" album, that could be construed by some as a negative comment.

Anxiety said:

oh i see what u mean sorry i meant the 1s who say there rubbish and shit etc sorry anxiety god u scare me i think its that pic of the lion u hav its very menacing and over-powering like aslan off narnia

Anxiety said:

oh i see what u mean sorry i meant the 1s who say there rubbish and shit etc sorry anxiety god u scare me i think its that pic of the lion u hav its very menacing and over-powering like aslan off narnia

people should like what they like and not be afraid of saying they don't like what they don't like. in general, i have great admiration for prince's style of making music. in specific, there are some songs and albums i like more than others, and there's some music by prince that i don't care for at all. that's no slight on prince - he's made so much music, i think it would be miraculous if every single note he recorded in all those years of music were absolute ambrosia to my ears. what i find most interesting is that one person on the org can completely passionately hate a particular prince song or album, and someone else will have nothing but gushing praise for it. it's the magic of prince's music - so many different people hear it in so many different ways. why stifle that just so you can appear to be a "good fan"? to me, a good fan is also a fair critic.

Hi guys,I would just like 2 say i have noticed negitive remarks concerning Princes later works in paticular the older fans.ok so maybe i hav only bin a fan 4 2 yrs.maybe i wasnt around in the Purple Rain years.Maybe i havent spent as much on Prince music as some of you have(cuz alot of you guys seem to think the more money you spend on him the more of a right to an opinion on P you hav)but let me say this how many of u can play as many instruments as P? how many of you are great song-writers? how about sing? cuz i cant do fuckin any of those I am thankfull to my mother 4 introducing me 2 the genius known as prince.i may only hav 27 of his albums.but i love evry1 of them.I suppose Its in are nature as humans to find flaws yes but all great work has flaws dont u think? its just people make out as if his later efforts hav 2 many all people do on here is moan about how crap this is or we want an album like this,luckly 4 me tho ive bin a fan 4 only 2 years,so maybe thats y im not as criticall cuz i didnt grow up in the Purple Rain years and cuz i wasnt around when his older stuff was out maybe thats y i dont compare it to his later stuff or be stuck in a 80s time-warp like a few seem 2 be altho his older stuff is better i still dont hav anyhing bad 2 say about his new stuff apart from a few songs maybe.but I think the problem with People is they dont like 2 see there fav artists evolve or change musicaly.I know his music lyrically has changed since he turned into a J.W with the words less Dirty etc 2 be honest i dont think many musicians(even P) can make new sounds or do something new,simply beacause theres so much out there now it seems to be getting harder,also new artists and music 2day(well mostly) is as about as intresting to me as yesterdays turd! Music is a great thing god P has gave us lots of great works more than most artists and he has covered so many genres and has a huge body of work under his belt.But i see it as its his musical journey not ours! altho when we listen to his music he sweeps us up on the journey with him,giving us diffrent feelings,reminding us of situations,places and the people we love cuz thats what music does 2 us all and no one does it better than P so maybe thats way we are critcall like we are with the 1s we love.in a starnge way he is apart of us even tho we may not know him persionally but threw his music we feel as if we do.people say why doesnt he do another great album.well dont u think he is still doing great albums? i do certanily do im just glad i got 2 know this guys music and im eternally gratefull.i cant say anything what do i know? im no musician/singer/song-writer genius like P,Its not our journey its his and im glad atleast when i hear his music feel apart of it,im happy as long as hes happy doin what hes does best doing his own thing - peace guys
[Edited 2/5/08 17:51pm]
[Edited 2/5/08 18:05pm]

To be a fan for two years is another way of complementing Prince. You knew right away that you enjoyed his music...and that certainly entitles you to your opinion...If you had only known Prince music for two years and been talkin trash, we would tell you that your opinion doesn't count.

I enjoyed this thread optimus. I don't think there can ever be enough positve threads on Prince cause this is part of why a fansite exists. For me, the one thing I learned a couple of years ago is that it really doesn't pay for me to compare work that Prince did in 1981 with work that Prince did in 2006 and now. Something is going to lose in all of this. Prince's music is a journey, kinda like a musical diary/journal of where Prince is at the time. I enjoy it for what it is. Some parts of the journey thrill me, some parts bore me but it's all one and the same.

Prince, for me, is never boring. I still get excited about his music now at 28 as I did when I was 8. Others here may not see it like that and you know what, it's not my resposibility to make them see it my way. They are who they are and they like what they like. In a perfect world, there would be a fair and balanced view of Prince and the music but the world's not perfect. All I can do is be the fan that I am. No more and no less. I just hope that in 2008, the positivity can increase on this site when it comes to Prince. A man can dream right?

optimus said:

Your thoughts are most welcome optimus. No offense, but a long post such as this one is a lot easier to read when broken into paragraphs with appropriate punctuation. Sorry for sounding like an old school teacher.


I'm a 26 year fan who happens to think Prince is as interesting now as he's ever been. However, I don't know of a single human being on earth that I like or agree with everthing they do and Prince is no exception. I don't have a problem with people having opposing opinions...how they choose to express it is another story. IMO, excessive, blind devotion borders on idolatry and is every bit as distasteful as constant complaining, but what can I tell ya? It's a public forum.

Things blow up here for better or worse regarding specific incidents, but by and large it's pretty balanced. The most extreme members on both sides are more vocal and tend to get the most attention, that's all. Take it for what it is.

Furthermore, I don't agree that this journey is his alone because no one exists in a vacuum. It's an artist/patron relationship where we each share what we have to offer and both sides have benefitted greatly from it. There's been many brilliant people who never made it out of their basements.

I look at his artistic contributions over the 30 year span of his career and I agree he's a musical treasure just like a gifted doctor or teacher would be in their respective professions. For all I know you could be a treasure in the making so don't sell yourself short because you don't play 27 instruments.

Positivity for Prince is good and I appreciate so much of what he brings to the table but I'll stop short of placing anyone on a pedestal where they are above honest and constructive criticism.

Positivity for Prince is good and I appreciate so much of what he brings to the table but I'll stop short of placing anyone on a pedestal where they are above honest and constructive criticism.

I enjoyed this thread optimus. I don't think there can ever be enough positve threads on Prince cause this is part of why a fansite exists. For me, the one thing I learned a couple of years ago is that it really doesn't pay for me to compare work that Prince did in 1981 with work that Prince did in 2006 and now. Something is going to lose in all of this. Prince's music is a journey, kinda like a musical diary/journal of where Prince is at the time. I enjoy it for what it is. Some parts of the journey thrill me, some parts bore me but it's all one and the same.

Prince, for me, is never boring. I still get excited about his music now at 28 as I did when I was 8. Others here may not see it like that and you know what, it's not my resposibility to make them see it my way. They are who they are and they like what they like. In a perfect world, there would be a fair and balanced view of Prince and the music but the world's not perfect. All I can do is be the fan that I am. No more and no less. I just hope that in 2008, the positivity can increase on this site when it comes to Prince. A man can dream right?

It's nice to see someone more old-school than I am (by 19 years, ) come up with the same thoughts as me.
Right now, I'm taking Prince's work in chronological order, trying to absorb myself into each, trying to figure out where his mind was at the time and build up from there.
Even though I'm still mingling off in late 1987, I still come to the front line when it comes to defending Prince's current actions... whether its against the Internet (which I don't may attention 2 anyway) or his more recent material. I'm not going to pretend that 3121 and Musicology are on the same level as his 80's works, although its my belief that Planet Earth is one of the best albums he's done lately and could compete with the 80's work, but probably won't overcome any because the 80's has a certain sound that'll always be superior to current sounds... not just Prince, but in any artist u look at.

But with PE, I pretty much go out on suicide missions all the time when everyone's attacking different veins of it. Just because its the newbie of Prince's catalog doesn't automatically make it "hunting season" because it doesn't fit some unwritten standard that Prince had set long ago.

Instead of attacking back at full force, though, I just stick with the positives, saying why I like it so much... at the same time, I even come to conclusions about it I never thought I'd get to. So actually, fighting the negatives with some positives does help my thought-process along.

That's not to say that going out on suicide missions for my beliefs comes recommended. Although I know I can't change people's minds, that doesn't stop me from trying. Ugh, this feels like my November "good-bye" message... I come here to learn about Prince and discuss his music the way it deserves 2b discussed... with people who look beyond the stereotype of "being a freak" and see a true artist's soul. Even here, though, people still have negative views of him over his current actions.

I leave his personal life alone unless I can view it thru the music itself. Out of respect, I don't pry any further than the music will allow me. That's why I don't get as upset over his current actions supposedly against his fanbase... what he does is his business... plus, I don't believe that he hates his fans. People just don't take it as love when he doesn't really acknowledge it outside of his comfort zone (albums & concerts). I could go on this even further, but my mind's already starting to slow down.

I'll always stay positive for Prince, even if I'm the only one doing it. It just comes with my admiration and respect of the type of artist he is: which is no more or less than a man who's dedicated his life to his work. That's mainly the reason why I don't, or try not to be criticial of him.

i wasnt trying 2 be critical or ask u 2 put me on a pedestal i was simply saying my views and cuz uve bin a fan 4 a much longer time ur views will be diffrent 2 mine that was my point also i am being honest and also sorry 4 the punctuation but im dyslexic,so i apologise - peace

optimus said:

Optimus, I was pointing out the way people tend to put celebrities on a pedestal, not you. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

If you re-read my post you will find that my views are not much different than yours. Maybe just a little more objective, but you and dreamypop have a right to enjoy your Prince honeymoon...I won't try to take that away from you.

I'll say it again...your views are most welcome here and btw, there are dyslexics who have become great writers. No need to apologize, just take your time.

purplecam said:

Very nice post... respect

It's nice to see someone more old-school than I am (by 19 years, ) come up with the same thoughts as me.
Right now, I'm taking Prince's work in chronological order, trying to absorb myself into each, trying to figure out where his mind was at the time and build up from there.
Even though I'm still mingling off in late 1987, I still come to the front line when it comes to defending Prince's current actions... whether its against the Internet (which I don't may attention 2 anyway) or his more recent material. I'm not going to pretend that 3121 and Musicology are on the same level as his 80's works, although its my belief that Planet Earth is one of the best albums he's done lately and could compete with the 80's work, but probably won't overcome any because the 80's has a certain sound that'll always be superior to current sounds... not just Prince, but in any artist u look at.

But with PE, I pretty much go out on suicide missions all the time when everyone's attacking different veins of it. Just because its the newbie of Prince's catalog doesn't automatically make it "hunting season" because it doesn't fit some unwritten standard that Prince had set long ago.

Instead of attacking back at full force, though, I just stick with the positives, saying why I like it so much... at the same time, I even come to conclusions about it I never thought I'd get to. So actually, fighting the negatives with some positives does help my thought-process along.

That's not to say that going out on suicide missions for my beliefs comes recommended. Although I know I can't change people's minds, that doesn't stop me from trying. Ugh, this feels like my November "good-bye" message... I come here to learn about Prince and discuss his music the way it deserves 2b discussed... with people who look beyond the stereotype of "being a freak" and see a true artist's soul. Even here, though, people still have negative views of him over his current actions.

I leave his personal life alone unless I can view it thru the music itself. Out of respect, I don't pry any further than the music will allow me. That's why I don't get as upset over his current actions supposedly against his fanbase... what he does is his business... plus, I don't believe that he hates his fans. People just don't take it as love when he doesn't really acknowledge it outside of his comfort zone (albums & concerts). I could go on this even further, but my mind's already starting to slow down.

I'll always stay positive for Prince, even if I'm the only one doing it. It just comes with my admiration and respect of the type of artist he is: which is no more or less than a man who's dedicated his life to his work. That's mainly the reason why I don't, or try not to be criticial of him.