Some of the new material, especially MPLSOUND, sounds calculated in an overt attempt at the commercial market. I know he would like one big smash independent hit to throw in the face of WB and the majors.

Is he going about it the right way? Is he trying to hard? Should he settle for the same low risk creative playing field as Springsteen, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello and all the other aging songwriters? Is he "dumbing down" for the masses?

wasn't his independent smash Most Beautiful Girl In The World?


I thought he has achieved that

There's no doubt Prince would love to be in the top ten again, but without major label representation it's an impossibilty in today's marketplace, especially the US. Even the minor critical hype created by the last genuinely great Prince tune & video (Black Sweat) wasn't enough to propel it higher than the top 60 in airplay. And that was with Universal's backing (if not their marketing support).

It's not going to happen. The albums will strike the top ten then sink lower than a snake's balls on the seond week. Business as usual.

So, in direct answer to your question, no. Prince's relationship with reality is tenuous, but he's certainly not stupid.

jdcxc said:

1. Prince has always always always been a songwriter who writes a good dose of pop/radio friendly material. It boggles me that fans around here cannot see that. He has always sounded and looked more "pop" than the artists you mentioned.

2. MPLSOUND is called that, because is Prince's trademark sound/production...just because the current commercial trend in production is swinging towards Prince's sound (again) doesn't mean that Prince is copying anyone but himself.

No.

Well i hope not anyway. I don't wanrt him to compete with these shit-hoppers and weak as hell RNB'ers. I hate chart music, but most of it is more consumer friendly than 'There'll never B another like me'. Really it is. Does he avoid listeneing to his older stuff these days?

I hate braggards, and that is what this song is saying, In a weak, tiny, wicky, wacky linn drum way. Even his B-sides like 'Shockadelica' and 'Erotic City' murdered the stuff he's so proud of promoting now as 'what's up!?.

He better not release that shit, as an old-schooler, Can i ask WTF is going on?

I won't buy that shit, but Lotusflower, rocking the guitar, oh yes. That is my Prince.

Again, What's going on?

No, he´s really an artist, making music is his way of expression.
I dont think he´s looking for a hit, a fact that´s a situation imposed by the existing commercial music market

zucris said:

I agree with U, however, I'm sure that Prince would appreciate a commercial hit if it were 2 get a younger generation to become fans like we are. 2 us..Prince's whole material career is a hit.

It's the People that decide if a song is gonna be a hit or not. No I don't think he's trying to live up to what others consider a 'hit'.

Ask him

"When I wanna hear new music I just write it" - Ellen Degeneres interview.

I don't think he's trying anymore - he don't need to.
He just enjoys what he does and if the world likes it, more power to them.

"Commercialization of the music - is what brought it down"

'dre

I sometimes think Prince's contemporaries are sounding more like Prince, than Prince. Michelle D'Nedecello last CD sounds Paisley....Timberlake's album was a rip off of Prince's 1999 and SOTT albums. If the industry is listening, I think both of these albums could be a solid move forward for him.

He's been gone a couple of years....he needs a Grammy appearance, Billboard appearance, Essence Award, and a BET appearance to get another top 10 album. Maybe he can secure two?

Quite the opposite. As much as he has vocalized his disdain or commercialism in every avenue possible, I doubt he'd turn around and eat his words. He doesnt try hard to do anything, he just gets in the studio and do's what he does. I think he is more focused on making music that is relevant for his hardcore fans who yearn and lament for "old school" Prince. I think he may be focusing on recreating "old school" Prince sounds with a "new school" Prince attitude. "Chocolate Box" sounds like something I could play off of an 80's Prince album and "There Never Be Another..." sounds like an early 90's b side track. And I love the fact that he is putting a cover song on his album like "Crimson & Clover" to give us that Rock & Roll he does oh so sweet... Im looking forward to this year. I think with these 2 albums (MPLSsound and LotusFlow3r), this is his way of telling fans he hasnt lost his ability to funk up the place "old school" Prince style and "Shut up already, dayum."

Sdldawn said:

Which he plagiarized.

viewaskew said:

From who?

Wasn't he trying to with Guitar, useing verizon wireless?

viewaskew said:

I for one think that is the most stretched allegation I've ever seen and heard.

Why are there threads about "Prince should get back to the charts" or "can Prince still make hits" like every week?

"Chocolate Box" won't be a hit because there's no big label to support that. It won't even be played on radio.

Number23 said:

At this point in his career, I don't think he cares so much about being at the "top" as much as he wants to change the way music is distributed. I think he has figured out that the traditional methods of distributing music are dead.

That is why he was on his head to get Billboard to acknowledge the sales of Musicology.