BoySimon said:

Never heard of him.

I will offer just a few:
Van Hunt: GREAT debut CD. I would argue that "On The Jungle Floor" alone, on the whole, trumps Prince's output from the last 10- 12 years or so easily. "Popular" is complex and experiments with musical textures as well as different timings, which is extremely rare for anyone these days, especially artists billed under the genre of R&B. It also crosses several genres but keeps R&B as a base. This was also the case with "On The Jungle Floor".


Marcus Miller. (See: Silver Rain, Free, Marcus and Thunder) Unfamiliar? Not my problem. His versatility and musicianship on his records trump Prince's last three.
He's essentially a jazz artist but musically, his material is superior.

Maroon 5: Hate to say it but AS A POP ACT, their material is kickin' Prince's butt. Their music is pop based but they also venture into rock and funk and each record keeps getting better.

At this point, Prince's output teeters between uninspired musical meanderings that are almost "muzac" in their execution and rehash, sprinkled with a few "tribute" type songs.
His course for "new and innovative" seems to have run out. I'm fine with that. Back in the day, he did the damn thing and I will always respect his former output and his ability to blend styles. That being said, a lot of his work of recent could be described as "talking for conversation's sake".

I'd say that the initial "challenge" is flawed. Volume of output doesn't equal quality.
Someone can talk consistently for 2 hours and mumble and someone can talk consistently for 2 hours using mostly 3 and 4 syllable words and both could easily not be saying shit. Someone else could utter one sentence that changes your life.
Oh, and Prince isn't playing every note on all of his records. Stop it with that. Band members have said that before and you all still repeat the Warner Brothers promo/press kit. Yes he can play. No, not every note or musical idea on his records is his and his alone. Stop with that. Stop implying it. Its a whole band's effort, not just Prince.
By the way, nowadays many artists record as many as 30-45 songs for a CD AND THEN NARROW IT DOWN to 16 or so. Prince isn't signed. He can do what he wants and then find a distributor. When you are signed, those songs get put away until you die or buy them back. If you die, the company can make greatest hits and release "previously unreleased" CDs for years to come. (See: 2Pac)
Last but not least, don't forget resources. Not many "real musicians" get them these days. Try naming a list of artists that have the money to do what Prince does without the commitments and restrictions of a record label.
The game is different. Like I said, the initial challenge is flawed.

if you wanna get real
and look at total creative output in its purest form...

Then its just got to be Madonna.....
wife and mother with kids....

and she looks hot pushena vacuum cleaner



I'm getting really bored..... its gonna get worse.....

if you wanna get real
and look at total creative output in its purest form...

Then its just got to be Madonna.....
wife and mother with kids....

and she looks hot pushena vacuum cleaner



I'm getting really bored..... its gonna get worse.....

muirdo said:

Feel free to expound on why u feel he/they belong in the same class as the trio albums. Some of us aren't that familiar with their work. I known he produces and white stripes that I have heard are pretty rock-funk sounding. Any latin ballads? r&b ballads? James brown knock offs? Any synth funk like black sweat? and weird future funk like 3121? Any acoustic ballads? how about a rap?

Lol..you're kind of angry aren't u? U still have not listed one memorable song by Marcus Miller that anyone would know without specicically hunting down his cds. We all have opinions your's is valid and so are everyone's else on this tread. This was a exercise to see what people think nothing more or less. No one can "prove" anything. It will always come down to preference. It is interesting how strongly u seek to denounce Prince however. Why spend time here? Why not stay on the Marcus Miller communtiy website (if it exists)? You're the 1st and only person who has presented those 3 artists. Obviously your opinion is not shared by many. Not that that invalidates it at all. U say the song 3121 sucks, I say its great. Could u create it? Could Marcus Miller?

tricky99 said:

Angry? Not even. The only thing "obvious" about this thread is that it is massively flawed in presentation. Actually, I said the CD 331221 sucks. The song itself is not that bad but its nothing great.
Again, I say "eff your challenge" and good day to you, sir.
Fanbot.

U are angry why else would u say eff the challenge. its not like u had to participate at all lol. If 3121 the song is not bad then u must be saying that every other song on 3121 must suck too right? I mean how could the cd suck if there are good songs on it lol. That the problem with the Prince detractors u guys always go for the extreme. The way u guys act Prince is just some hack. Its a shame u can't state your opinion without going to a catch all it sucks.

tricky99 said:

You don't have the musical wherewithall to anger me. You can't discuss counterpoints because you are unfamiliar with the material of the artists I mentioned aside from a couple of CDs here and there.
Then you have the nerve to try and make a strawman argument? Come on. According to you one OKAY song = a good CD from the statement you just made about 3121. I said overall, the CD SUCKS. That's what I meant. You then try to turn it around and say because I said that one song is okay, that means its good? That means the CD must be good? Hell no. Okay means Okay, not good, not great. It means okay. Its NOT brilliant, groundbreaking or any of that other mess. Then you try to ask why am I here if I don't simply adore every note Prince plays? Planet Earth is WORSE. Dude, you enjoyed the CD. Fine. Stop trying to make it out to be more than it is. You're embarrassing yourself. Think you're not? Try having this conversation on another website. Go to okayplayer and pose the exact same question in the exact same way.
Again, I say "eff your thread"
Why? Because I CAN, that's why. Not because I'm "angry". You are incapable of angering me. I don't know you. I stated my comments. I'm done.
Peace.



3121 still sucks.
[Edited 8/27/08 12:14pm]

For those complaining that the last 3 Prince albums have been of low quality I challenge u to put forth a musician that has matched or exceeded Prince with their work over the time period of 2004-2007.

The challenge should take into account quantity, quality, variety, musicianship, etc. This will give us folks who have appreciated the last 3 albums some reference point to understand where the critisizism is based.

Ok which artists top Musicology, 3121, and Planet Earth?

tricky99 said:

Hello Tricky99,

Maybe I've got one, it's Nine Inch Nails.

2005: With teeth: great album after 5 years

2007: Year Zero: concept album

same year: Year zero remixed by other artists

same year: Beside you in time live DVD from 2006 US tour with great lights effects on some songs

2008: Ghosts I-IV: 36 instrumental tracks 2-CD. Not the usual NIN album, but some interesting songs

2008: The slip. This album was first on NIN website for free. Now you can buy it with a DVD which contains 5 songs rehearsals before the current US tour.

Of course, you can't compare NIN to Prince musically, but this guy is searching, has a lot of creativity and some great ideas (who here wouldn't have a rehearsals DVD from Prince with a new CD ?)

Bye.

Theride71

Theride71 said:

Nice one, I was gonna suggest NIN.
Completely different to Prince musically, but I've been consistently
impressed with Trent's output and his experimentation. Plus he's really
doing something with regard to internet releases and community.
(I can't see Prince giving away the multitrack masters to the fans and
inviting them to remix and rework his music and post the results on his
website like Trent has!)

tricky99 said:

ok...
I think my issue with your argument lies on your disregard of quality and musicianship.

I think many in this thread feel that other artists are kicking Prince's ass in these areas when it comes to a comparison of his last three albums (as complete works). So much so that it outweighs your other criteria.

You have dismissed some of the examples soley based on one criteria (volume or variety), and ignore the opinion of many that Prince also loses points in areas.

My point being, that while Prince may pump out a Latin tune, would you really consider "te amo corazon" a fantastic track. I have to say that I am really not a fan. To listen to that after listening to (god) any other salsa track is almost painful. So, I actualy try and pretend he didn't put it on the album.

I consider this tune to be so awful (and surely prince could have done better here), that I don't think it actually adds anything to the criteria of variety anyway.

I think that a system of points here is appropriate. i tried to use this in one of my early responses, but you didn't respond to it.

So... with each criteria worth 10 marks, with a total marks available being 40.

Do you really give Prince 10/10 in all criteria. Because if you do, than i guess no other artist would compare in your world. And that's fine. It sounds like you have lowered you expectations though, in the last couple of years.

For me, he would get getting 10/10 for quantity, but losing marks in all other areas. I would give him high marks over his career, but not for the last three albums.

I also have to point out that you didn't stipulate that the artists provided had to have been in the industry for 30 years (however some have been mentioned)

and you also dismissed a couple of people, based on popularity, which was not an initial criteria. Aside from the fact that P's last albums haven't exactly sold like hotcakes (From record/internet sales, not giveaways)... it seems obvious to me that popularity is not an indication of quality (bad songs become hits allll the time, and jazz is never popular.... doesn't mean it lacks quality, variety or musicianship)

So... anyone actually listen to these other artists? This is such a parochial site... I mean, I'm unreasonable, but this is crap...

Nice one, I was gonna suggest NIN.

For those complaining that the last 3 Prince albums have been of low quality I challenge u to put forth a musician that has matched or exceeded Prince with their work over the time period of 2004-2007.

The challenge should take into account quantity, quality, variety, musicianship, etc. This will give us folks who have appreciated the last 3 albums some reference point to understand where the critisizism is based.

Ok which artists top Musicology, 3121, and Planet Earth?