Prince takes the pulpit (Japanese Newspaper)

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/...07woa4.htm

The Yomiuri Shimbun publishes two daily newspapers:
"The Yomiuri Shimbun," in Japanese, and "The Daily Yomiuri," in English.

Paul Jackson / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

"It's not what you know, it's what you're prepared to learn." This is the pearl of wisdom Prince has been espousing on his latest world tour. It seems he wants everyone to relate to the here and now and cast aside all references to the eccentric name-changing, prodigious libido and overused royalty and purple metaphors.

Prince's latest incarnation is the jazz-influenced Jehovah's Witness that surprised many with a slick and challenging release, The Rainbow Children, at the end of last year. And it is this material that is likely to provide the core of his forthcoming dates in Japan, the first in six years.

According to reviews so far, Prince is performing better than ever. He's more focused on the music and he's cut back on the endless costume changes and the gymnastic theatrics that left some fans awestruck by his outrageous dancing and others irritated by his breathlessness at the mike.

Instead of playing with a troupe of semiclad dancing musicians struggling to squeeze on a prop-filled stage, Prince's band will be a pared-down outfit featuring bassist Rhonda Smith, pianist Renato Nato and drummer John Blackwell. Greg Boyer, Eric Leeds and Maceo Parker will comprise the all-star horn section.

Although the band is one of Prince's smaller touring outfits, all its members can dazzle on stage and cope with their leader's vertiginous musical changes from ax-wielding rock to sizzling funk to lighthearted pop or any of the other styles on which he has built his career.

And with fewer players on stage the sound is likely to be a little less indulgent than in the past. Judging from the material on Rainbow Children, the style is likely to be jazzier, too. Perhaps this relatively intimate musical outfit will also give Prince more of an opportunity to showcase his underrated talents as a ballad singer--his fragile, almost vulnerable vocals remain as poignant as ever as witnessed on the track "She Loves Me 4 Me" on Rainbow Children. This cut and others from the unusual album are likely to comprise a large part of his repertoire in Japan, although he may also tease the crowd with a few of his biggest hits.

But Prince seems determined to show that the music he is producing today is more relevant than his rich pop legacy, including songs such as "Purple Rain," "Sign 'O' The Times," "Kiss," "Alphabet Street" and "Cream."

Those who claim Prince is now a musical irrelevance should be reminded that a string of sellout shows proves that the musical overachiever from Minneapolis, Minn., has maintained an outstanding appeal among music fans despite minimal promotion and a marked distancing from the workings of the commercial pop music business. Indeed, Prince seems bent on asserting his relevancy by demonstrating how irrelevant the entertainment industry itself is.

The logic of reclaiming his name after his last publishing contract expired in 1999 was symbolic of Prince's desire to take full control over of his artistic output, and while he can no longer boast the multimillion-dollar promotional support of a major label, he can now release as many albums in a year as he likes.

The output for this year alone is scheduled to reach four discs. None of them, though, is currently on sale in record shops. Instead, they are all due to be delivered free to members of Prince's fan organization, the NPG Music Club. Members have to pay to join, of course, but the attractions include downloads of exclusive tracks, inside information on after-show parties and preferential seating at gigs.

All these benefits seem part of Prince's philosophy to make direct contact with consumers of his work and sidestep the regular workings of the music biz.

"How long...before a critical mass of established artists realize that it is in their best interests, both artistically and commercially to leave the system for good?" posits "A Nation of Thieves," a controversial article posted on Prince's official Web site.

This article and others on the site explore a whole range of issues relating to the music business that make it abundantly clear that Prince feels he hasn't been the only musician exploited by the music business.

But is all this pontificating and apparent generosity merely another sign of Prince's eccentricity?

Perhaps not. Look at Prince's contemporary, Michael Jackson. His last album Invincible sold 2 million copies in the United States alone--far beyond the sales of Rainbow Children. But Sony thought this figure too low, reportedly prompting the company to ask Jackson to repay some of the 20 million dollars they spent on promoting the album.

Maybe Prince has a point after all.


Prince will play Nov. 15, 6:30 p.m. at Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo; Nov. 17, 6 p.m. at Act City Hamamatsu in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture; Nov. 18-19, 7 p.m. at Budokan in Tokyo; Nov. 21, 6:30 p.m. at Koseinenkin Kaikan in Sapporo; Nov. 22, 7 p.m. at Zepp Sendai; Nov. 26, 7 p.m. at Fukuoka Sun Palace in Fukuoka; Nov. 28, 7 p.m. at Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka; and Nov. 29, 7 p.m. at Century Hall in Nagoya. (03) 5474-5944.

Prince seems bent on asserting his relevancy by demonstrating how irrelevant the entertainment industry itself is

Bring it on boyeee !

Very happy for him! In years to come, people will praise him not only for his musical prowess, but his bravery.

Keep on keepin' on Prince!

Just a few editorial comments:

"He's more focused on the music and he's cut back on the endless costume changes and the gymnastic theatrics that left some fans awestruck by his outrageous dancing and others irritated by his breathlessness at the mike."

I've never noticed him being out of breath. In fact, I've always marvelled at the way he could jump around, play and sing and still sound so good!

"...his fragile, almost vulnerable vocals..."

Fragile?

"while he can no longer boast the multimillion-dollar promotional support of a major label, he can now release as many albums in a year as he likes."

july said:

Real trend setter isnt he? BTW, many other artists R following his path, whether they give him the credit or not... i am proud to b an admirerer of his awesome talent. any of u say he still cant promote himself & needs help? not in MY book!