chessfrog said:

jp u in the house
bart - not to insinuate in the wrong way but
jsut as we have old loveres who may have done us wrong we have to appreciate the best of the relationships and the lessons we learn for the pain to runimante and become vindictive is to succomb to the lesser part of our humanity-- is there a song you still love -- then take and move on-- don't let bitterness be the inheritance of what you once loved--lets just kiss and say good bye-- don't be a stalker hiding in the club spitting venom in his new woman ear- remmber beuaty but never forget pain- groww and be at peace w/ the past-- you are a music lover and how many living have that privilege --- gift?

chessfrog said:

jp u in the house
bart - not to insinuate in the wrong way but
jsut as we have old loveres who may have done us wrong we have to appreciate the best of the relationships and the lessons we learn for the pain to runimante and become vindictive is to succomb to the lesser part of our humanity-- is there a song you still love -- then take and move on-- don't let bitterness be the inheritance of what you once loved--lets just kiss and say good bye-- don't be a stalker hiding in the club spitting venom in his new woman ear- remmber beuaty but never forget pain- groww and be at peace w/ the past-- you are a music lover and how many living have that privilege --- gift?

jaypotton said:

i think you speak on behalf of thousands of hardcore p fams. This should be put on the home page. Well said Jay.

jaypotton said:

Good point, but I love having Bart around!, used to hate his posts BUT i've said it once and i'll say it again, when P delivers a set of songs that justify his talents I bet Bart will be the first to cheer. It's also important that he sticks around because a lot of what he says is fact, it also helps keep those with purple tinted glasse [including at times!] in check. At the end of the day it's just another opinion. I do still think that many of us including Bart have unrealistic musical expectations of P. As for 4 the new rock trax, I love them, sorry but I do!.

Tremolina said:

I think its true... I don't listen to the radio very often, but I was on a long road trip with someone who had it on an R&B station and I swear 1 out of every 10 song had something in it that I was like (thats such a derivative of Prince's sound). If you listen to most of what one of the most popular R&B producers (the Dream) does it has P written all over it.

That said. I think the state of R&B and Hip hop is horrible. Most of it I can't listen to, but there are a few talented people and most all of them list P as an influence: Ne-Yo, Beyonce, Outkast, etc

BartVanHemelen said:

I couldnt agree more.

Mars23 said:

Considering his track record I wouldn't get too excited.

lezama said:

Then I am afraid it's not exactly something to be proud of.

I still can't find this. I put the search on and then went to the lasst box "billy gibbons" and there is just a radio show with no Prince tunes. Can somone elaborate a little more?

mkaye8 said:

They took it down.

Tremolina said:

My point was not about whether it was good or bad. It was simply a fact that Prince has been very influencial to today's music producers/writers/artists as they have taken that "prince sound" and interpreted it for today's ears.

The problem that creates for Prince is that if he chooses to make music that is distinctly "Prince sounding" it ends up sounding either dated or derivative (and the irony is that it is being derivative of music that is derivative of him!)

[Edited 12/22/08 0:15am]

jaypotton said:

I understand. I just think that it's not a compliment for Prince that much of today's popular music has been 'inspired' by his.

Of all five new songs leaked last week I really dig Crimson & Clover and Colonized Mind the best. It's part of the sound of Planet Earth that I like so much, but amped up. Of Crimson & Clover I love the fact he Prince'd it up, but sound-wise I was very shocked to find out he kept the original sound so close to the original, even the sound effect on the guitar and the way he sings it.
He took out the really dated parts of the song and threw in some Jimi and some great guitar playing. I think this is the best cover he's done since Just My Imagination, which is what this reminds me of a lot.
Crimson & Clover is easily the best single/radio material of the new songs. It sounds so effortlessly and easy and is great to hum along to.

I like Colonized Mind because it pours so many last decade Prince topics into a song format that is great to listen to; it’s not only interesting lyrically, but also musically; but both are not as hard to get into The War or One Song, that both handled topics close to Prince’s heart, but were harder to digest in both music and lyrical content; especially the last here is crafted way more intricately than other of his ‘topic’-songs.
When it comes to songs stepping out of the verse/chorus/verse/chorus-straight-jacket, Colonized Mind to me is his most interesting song since One Nite Alone, that also had interesting forms painting colours. I love it when it at least sounds as if Prince did some work to craft more challenging songs.

Like I said, I am reminded of Planet Earth when I listen to these songs; it has got that laid back vibe of it, but mixed some One Nite Alone-ish feel. I liked both albums, but I must admit I do not play either album much after their initial release. I share this info with you because the first two songs, if released proper, I would play ova and ova, while the other two new songs from the seemingly new album, do have the same laid-back feel, but aren’t as time-less as the first two previewed song; they’re not amazing new Prince compositions I would want to include on any of my future playlists.

Wall Of Berlin is fun and is rather nice but nothing more than that; the lyrics are too forgettable, the most great thing about it is the guitar playing, that lifts the song up above the guitar work on, say Musicology and makes the song at least interesting enough to play more often.
4Ever to me sounds like the extended version of My Computer on Emancipation, and has got that too smooth Emancipation sound and I want to keep singing ‘a better life’ throughout the entire song. Yet, it is better than My Computer, as it is more straight-forward and is a bit un-smoothed by the guitar.

Of all the songs previewed last week I like (There’ll Never b) Another Like Me the least for a few reasons.

One of them is that it has that plactic pastiche sound of the NPGmc tracks, which is to me the most un-interesting sound Prince ever produced.

Another is that it does not fit very well with the other four songs and therefore stands out, but not in a good way; it sounds rather bleak compared to the warm feel of the other four songs and therefore pales significantly, not only musically, but also lyrically. It is just too silly; even the weaker of the other four songs kicks this song’s ass and he’s just done these kind of songs way better before.

If this is what Prince likes to dance to these days, can someone please send him some cd’s of the Ting Tings? Thanks.

HamsterHuey said:

Good call, sir!

jaypotton said:

jaypotten, all of your posts in this thread have been dead on point and I applaud you.

Meloh9 said:

Good post.

Lovesymbol2 said:

I followed your instructions and no Prince.

I've been away for awhile, but always back for some great news.
While I've been riding The Rollercoaster Ride Known As Prince for many years now, and I've learned the unexpected is the norm for Prince (why I still love him), it's sounding like 2009 is gonna be a great year for Prince fans.
But Prince or no Prince, the fact that Bush/Cheney will be no more, except for their horrible legacy, is reason enough to celebrate.

BartVanHemelen said:

-----
Dude your need to get off of the drugs and move on with your life. I am the first one to admit everything P has done or tried to do has not been drama free but like it or not he was the first mainstream artist to use the internet and openly put down the traditional record industries method of operations.

He is not Bill Gates ( billionaire and business genius) I think considering the limited funds he has or business background he has done okay. Your expectations are little ridculous

The point of all this is P could have packed it in a long time ago but unlike George Micheal and a lot of other artist who are disatified with the industry he is still plugging away. I have no doubt that he has already found a way to distribute this newest recording and if you like the way he is doing it or dislike the music will not make one bit of difference. As things appear to keep rolling on for Prince.

P.S. No body cares if the CD find their way into a landfill. The point is did the artist get to keep a vast majority of the profits.

Meloh9 said:

Maybe "relevant" is the wrong word (maybe not)? However, in terms of being front of mind for the main bulk of the music buying audience (ie teenagers) then Prince is probably irrelevant to them (in the same way that Elvis was irrelevant to me). Those who dig a little deeper however will uncover the influence he has had on so many of their favourite artists and producers and some of those kids might decide to explore Prince's music for themselves...

...pretty much the same way I explored my parents record collection and realised that music didn't actually start in the 80s!

Oh, I´ve just listened to them and I love Colonized Mind.

funkyhead said:

I totally feel u guys. I have this conversation with our fellow org member, dannyd5050 on a regular basis. He still regularly listens to Prince's music pre-Lovesexy and claims that it is the best. I say that Prince continues to impress me even on the more recent projects. Whether it be songwriting, musicianship or just delivery, he is still kicking some major ass.

I get so tired of people saying that songs like DMSR are better than 1+1+1 is 3. It's not that the songs are better, it's just that Prince has matured as a writer and performer. He has decided to write lyrics that actually have meaning. It seems like since he did TRC, he has really matured. If he was like Jamie Foxx or Janet Jackson, we would definitely be complaining. What average person would want to hear a 50 year old singing about immature subjects? I know I don't.

NuPwr319 said:

Agreed.

The thing that gets me about today's music business is that they overlook the older singers and musicians.

I was thinking the other day when I was listening to the 80s channel on XM. They played "Cocomo" from the Beach Boys, "Susudio" from Phil Collins, and "I've Had The Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing. I, then remembered that the majority of those artists wouldn't get any radio play now. In the 80s, it seemed that we actually paid homage to our musical icons. In the 80s, you had LOTS of people on the charts that were over 40 making hits and getting LOTS of radio play along with the youngsters of the time (Prince, Madonna, etc.). Hell, even James Brown managed to get a few hits out of the 80s.

I wish times would be like that again, but I know it won't happen. The youngsters now have no respect for their elders.

daPrettyman said:

Good points. If we were really all being honest (instead of showboating) then if we went back in time would some of the more recent songs stand up against the songs of the day?

One that springs to mind instantly, for me, is The Dance (3121 version with the tango feel). IMHO if that song had been on Parade or SOTT then it would be held up today as a sign of how versatile and amazing Prince was. However, today it is taken for granted.

Why is that?

Well I would argue it is because during his 30 year career Prince has covered so many musical genre's and fused together so many and created his own "Prince sound" that he has almost become a pastiche of himself.

As I said earlier on this thread, I am personally happy that he continues to make good solid music that sounds like Prince. I do not expect him to continue experimenting as it would now feel like he was simply trying too hard!

jaypotton said:

Me 2. I get so excited like a 10 year old still when he releases new music. Hell, the other night, I stayed up until 3am listening to the new trax.

Graycap23 said:

I might actually agree with much of what that person says, but the obvious feeling of superiority that he gets from bashing Prince makes it hard to get in his corner even if I did agree.

And you're absolutely correct, the utter predictability of the posts comes across as something of hypocrisy when the criticism is that the music is stale and rehashed

The passion that he has for bashing song after song, year after year, is odd--as if there is some kind of personal vendetta that to me seems a complete waste of time.

daPrettyman said:

This is so true. I have thought about this myself, not in relation to Prince because I have never let public opinion affect my enjoyment of Prince's music. I have always purchased and played his music regardless of what was going on in popular music. However, as far as other artists go, I think about all the older acts who continue to release quality music but get NO LOVE today from radio or TV. They get some play on "Adult" stations, but back in the day there really was no "Adult" station, everyone was played on the same station.

In the '80s a slew of older artists had career second comings - Aretha, Patti, Steve Winwood, Phil Collins, Chaka, etc., and young listeners (like myself at the time) dug that stuff. Good music was good music no matter the age of the artist performing it. Today, I do not see that. It seems as if you're over 25 you can forget about it. Maybe that's why some of these current performers have been 22 or 23 for the last five years. Another part of it has to do with the requisite image that today's performers are expected to maintain. In the '80s it wasn't so much about ripped abs and slinky outfits as it was about talent and individuality.

One other thing I just thought about is that even new artists like Anita Baker and Sade who had more mature sounds became big in the '80s. That is not the case today either. Like I said, it's sad. I am just glad that I listen to music based on the quality of the music, not the package that it arrives in. It's really sad now.

jaypotton said:

Again, you are spot on. I have said this before (and was actually having a debate about Prince's "maturity" in the Colonized Mind thread). When I read all the negative comments about Prince's recent music, I think of the line from "Don't Play Me" where he says, "My only competition is me in the past."

I really believe that if some of the songs he's released from the TRC, Musicology, 3121 and Planet Earth albums were released in the '80s people would rave about them. Unfortunately, too many people keep comparing 25-year-old Prince to 50-year-old Prince. However, in his 30-year career, Prince has covered so much musical ground by breaking his own musical ground and fusing myriad musical genres/sounds that there really is nothing else for him to do without crossing over into the realm of the ridiculous. Sure, he could add a didgeridoo or something to the mix, but is it really necessary? Was is there left for him to prove? At a certain point it would be too contrived and forced.

I like that Prince has found a comfortable groove where he continues to create quality music. As a longtime fan, I continue to be impressed with his steady output. Is it all great - no, but it never was. That's the beauty of art, you never know what you are going to create until you create it. I am just thankful that he continues to create and SHARE it with us because I dig what I'm hearing overall.

bellanoche said:

I agree. It is sad. Especially knowing that a lot of younger listeners will not have the same appreciation for older artists. It seems as if they discount them if they aren't on the homepage of iTunes.

For your knowledge & pleasure!

Again, the Director of Indie 103 has heard the entire CD, the tracks had transitions.
He explains that the album begins by four minutes and explosive instrumental intro & the song Crimson & Clover emerges from nowhere from this instrumental intro.
He added that all the tracks are very "heavy" on guitar from beginning to end. That themselves have been surprised by this very spirit Rock and, to their enthusiasm, Prince has released four pieces.
Prince said they have scheduled a series of concerts for the release of the CD.