Freedom, Pt. 2: The Chocolate Invasion
In the first part of this commentary, we discussed how the “technical” appearance of the NPG Music Club might mislead some people in2 thinking that the Club is just another machine churning out musical product 4 consumers. As current NPGMC members know, nothing could b farther from the Truth. Its use of direct-access technologies is a clear indication that it has moved far beyond the traditional approaches of the recording industry. It uses technology 4 what it is meant 2 b, i.e. a tool that can b employed 2 realize a vision — not an end in and of itself.

Some people might also b misled in2 thinking that the NPG Music Club is just another commercial venture. On the surface, it appears like it is : people connect 2 the site, punch in their in4mation and credit card number, r charged a fee, and in xchange r granted access 2 the xclusive section of the site, xclusive merchandise, and other membership privileges. 2 some, this might appear 2 b a regular capitalist venture — i.e. a machine designed, first and 4most, 2 generate income. But is it?

How Much?
Such a perspective ignores the most fundamental aspect of the Club, which is not how it operates, what technology it uses, or how much revenue it generates — but the very things that it has 2 offer, and the people that it offers them 2. The success of the Club cannot b measured by the industry’s traditional tools 4 assessing success, such as sales charts or radio play lists. It is best measured by the quality of the things it has 2 offer, and by the value that these things have 4 the people that it offers them 2.

How much is the opportunity 2 attend a soundcheck by Prince & The NPG and an interactive chat session with the artists worth 2 u?

How much is the opportunity 2 attend a week-long celebration in Prince’s own Paisley Park Studios — with hours and hours of xclusive live per4mances as well as intimate sessions with highly talented musicians — worth 2 u?

How much is the opportunity 2 purchase front-row tickets 4 the next Prince & The NPG concert in ur town b4 they go on sale 2 the general public worth 2 u?

How much is the opportunity 2 hear and own new Prince recordings and attend Prince shows — in which he is not constrained by any commercial considerations and has no artistic compromises 2 make — worth 2 u?

How much is the opportunity 2 own CDs and DVDs of such shows worth 2 u?

Everything piles up! It’s just that NPG Music Club members r using a different kind of “chart” — one that doesn’t measure success by how many million records the record company has sold, by how many thousand tickets the concert promoter has sold, by how many magazine covers have hit the stands. The Club is based on a new kind of value scale, and its language is foreign 2 the recording industry and the old mind frame it is trying 2 perpetuate. Somebody might want 2 tell them 2 hire a translator…

When u purchase organic foods or “fair trade” coffee beans, u r not just a consumer buying a product. U r a human being making ethical choices. U r buying things from someone who cares as much about the quality of their product and the fairness of their practices as u do.

U r buying things with a brand new currency, one that consists, not of coins and bills, but of quality, justice, and trust. And THAT is the kind of “commercial” venture that the NPG Music Club is.

Think About It
When is the last time u spent a hundred bucks on a nice dinner in a fancy restaurant or on a trendy piece of clothing? Was it worth it? Is a subscription 2 the NPG Music Club worth it? If u really need 2 know, u can always ask one of those people sitting in the front row when they come out after the show…

Yes, Club membership has a price… but it is not the price u might think. The price u have 2 pay is that u have 2 adjust ur mind 2 a different approach, one where money is not the goal. The price is that this readjustement might lead u 2 re-evaluate other aspects of ur life and of the world around u. Think about it… Imagine a wealthy farmer with no middle man, where u can buy fresh produce directly from the source… Imagine a wealthy teacher with no school system 2 dictate their pay… Imagine quality and fairness in all aspects of ur world.

The NPG Music Club can offer what it has 2 offer because Prince is free. And the revenue generated by the Club allows the process 2 continue and organically grow. The reason 4 the Club’s success is its members, and the very notion of freedom itself. Systems that r run with the Truth at their center r self-sufficient. They do not need 2 b supported by an “industry” or bridling corporate structure.

The Future
All this, lest we forget, is only the beginning. There is simply no telling how funky a new kind of venture such as the NPG Music Club might become. With no corporate constraints, with no ceiling, literally, “the sky is the limit”… Everything just stacks : live shows, aftershows, soundchecks, recordings, interactivity, community, merchandise, etc. — and the mind boggles!

So, instead of speculating about the past and what “might have been” (the short answer being, as always : “It wasn’t.”), let’s speculate about the future. U just know this thing can only grow, and grow, and grow… With truth and freedom at its core, it simply cannot fail.

Freedom is contagious. Freedom is infectious. Freedom is addictive. Freedom is funky. U have been warned : The Chocolate Invasion of ur mind starts here.


That's some good Chocolate!

I stopped after it said something about the club members knowing blah blah blah...the club speaks for itself-which doesn't say much.

Sometimes i think Prince should be a politician, all his marketing technique rely on promises...

I tried to, but half way through I started laughing.

It's all babble trying to convince people to drop more money on their scam club.

"Its use of direct-access technologies is a clear indication that it has moved far beyond the traditional approaches of the recording industry. It uses technology 4 what it is meant 2 b, i.e. a tool that can b employed 2 realize a vision — not an end in and of itself"

Honest to god, who the hell talks like this? Since when do you call ordering something online or downloading an mp3 "direct access technology"?!

Why is Prince acting like he's got some phenomenal site, when the truth is the recoring industry has sites for almost all their artists, many of which are much more active and offer alot more for free.

"A tool that can be employed to realize a vision", nice vague fluff phrases to pad the article.

"U r buying things with a brand new currency, one that consists, not of coins and bills, but of quality, justice, and trust. And THAT is the kind of “commercial” venture that the NPG Music Club is.

Last time I checked that currency was showing up on my credit card as CASH. How about Prince just send us the CDs for free then, based on "trust"? Why does he make us pay 10 months in advance? By the way, with as many mishaps as we've gone through with NPGMC, who the hell is stupid enough to "trust" them anymore?!

"On the surface, it appears like it is : people connect 2 the site, punch in their in4mation and credit card number, r charged a fee, and in xchange r granted access 2 the xclusive section of the site, xclusive merchandise, and other membership privileges. 2 some, this might appear 2 b a regular capitalist venture — i.e. a machine designed, first and 4most, 2 generate income. But is it?"

It most certainly is! OH, PLEASE NOTICE THEY MENTIONED "XCLUSIVE" AGAIN! Even though its not spelled the same as "exclusive" I don't think that argument would hold up in a court of law. In all truth, only 1 of the 4 CDs we are recieving this year is "xclusive" the other 3/4 will be commercially available. I love the other three perks they listed; "access 2 the xclusive section of the site", as if there's anything special there but two wallpapers and the silicon mp3. Woo hoo! Then there's "xclusive merchandise", yeah thats always out of stock and takes months to arrive if ever. And finally "other membership priviliges", sure if you pay additional fees.

"How much is the opportunity 2 attend a soundcheck by Prince & The NPG and an interactive chat session with the artists worth 2 u?

How much is the opportunity 2 attend a week-long celebration in Prince’s own Paisley Park Studios — with hours and hours of xclusive live per4mances as well as intimate sessions with highly talented musicians — worth 2 u?

How much is the opportunity 2 purchase front-row tickets 4 the next Prince & The NPG concert in ur town b4 they go on sale 2 the general public worth 2 u?

How much is the opportunity 2 hear and own new Prince recordings and attend Prince shows — in which he is not constrained by any commercial considerations and has no artistic compromises 2 make — worth 2 u?

How much is the opportunity 2 own CDs and DVDs of such shows worth 2 u?"

"interactive chat session" - You've got to be kidding me. They had ONE chat room at the beginning of the year. Lord knows if Prince even came in. But it was so poorly designed, anyone could hack it in a minute. I was signing in as Prince, and Martha Stewart, and Janet Jackson, and Hilary Clinton... Supposedly the room was to discuss switching from downloads to CDs, when it was clear they had already made up their minds prior to the chat. All they did was set up a room for members to goof around in. I doubt anyone official even bothered to come in and pay attention.

The rehersal was fun, but not worth the $350 a year I would have to drop total to experience it. Thats bullshit.

98% of the world does not live within reasonable traveling time of Paisley Park, so unless you got lots of spare money to be throwing around for airfare and lodging, in addition to the expensive Celebration passes, there's another pointless perk.

I did not get front row tickets as touted in this article. I got 13th row. Oddly enough there were about 10 rows of non members in front of me who didnt have to waste 100 bucks on the club. Another non existent perk.

"the opportunity to own CDs and DVDs of such shows". Gimme a break, I don't pay for the opportunity to shop at Best Buy and get the new Madonna CD. I'm sure as hell not gonna pay Prince for the opportunity to buy his CD's. Needless to say, when its all said and done you don't even need to be in the club to buy this stuff, because he ends up releasing it retail anyhow. What little he doesn't will make its way to Kazaa.

"hear and own new Prince recordings" - yeah we got a total of like 5 new songs this year out of 4 CDs. Thanks a million Prince! Why brag about it if most of what you're giving us isnt even new? Even in year 1 they were posting freakin "Get Wild" remixes that were already sold commercially.

"The NPG Music Club can offer what it has 2 offer because Prince is free. And the revenue generated by the Club allows the process 2 continue and organically grow. The reason 4 the Club’s success is its members, and the very notion of freedom itself. Systems that r run with the Truth at their center r self-sufficient. They do not need 2 b supported by an “industry” or bridling corporate structure.

Prince is by no means free. There are many independent artists who release stuff on their own and ignore the industry. Prince sulks about the industry day in and day out, makes a so called club to circumvent it, then gives in and releases his stuff to retail anyway. Costwise he isn't free either. If you went to the celebration, his show, and joined the club, and purchased some merchandise, add up how much you've dumped on Prince this year as opposed to the past, its close to $1000. If there's no middle man, why has the cost of experiencing him gone way up?

Tom said:

Prince is trippin'-AGAIN. But I still love him.(I didn't men 'love' litteraly)

Hey guys, let us not forget he's house hunting in Chelsa England. We need to joing so we can own a blade of grass in his front lawn.

The thing is, even though soundchecks, good seating and a week long celebration were made available to club members, they had to be paid for also. So what it's "worth 2 u" was paid twice by most of us.

It's sort of egotistical for him to assume that all of these things are 'priceless' to his fans isn't it? What he seems to be short on understanding is that if he loses his fans he loses the only people who could possibly care less if he lives or dies, much less he makes a live appearence or puts out a new CD.

I refuse to be disapointed though. The way I see it is that I've never delt with Prince before this an not gotten ripped off, why should that change? People who want to get mad should be mad at themselves for repeating defeating behavior and expecting a different results. That's just dumb. Dealing with Prince = Getting the Shaft. Know it and love it or hate it and become a Michael Jackson fan.


[This message was edited Tue Nov 26 18:35:10 PST 2002 by PrincPDC]

PrincPDC said:

I do agree with this. For us to do the same things over and over (give Prince our money) and expect the results to be different is crazy on our parts.
I said on another thread that Prince doesn't learn from his mistakes, but I should change that to say his fans don't learn from our mistakes.

FreezerBurn said:

xactly. If we didn't continually bend over Prince would have to find other people to rail. It stands to reason that we like it, so why do we complain?

Tom, your last post had me rolling on the floor...i couldn't even get thru the npgmc article cuz i knew it would be too frustrating and BS to the current members. Thanks for the laughs.

AT LEAST they acknowledge the negative feedback (pissed off members) and sentiment that is floating round the club.

I'd be even more pissed if they just posted an update on how happy we r all with the club and how we think it represents amazing value for money!!!

How much is the opportunity 2 - (blah blah blah) — worth 2 u?

Okay, this is really pissing me off. Two unformed rants have been swirling around in my feverish little pointy head over the past few weeks since this heartfelt NPGMC blather first hit the ol' HTML highway.

RANT NUMBER ONE:

Price of one-year membership in NPGMC: $100

Amount of music shipped by year's end: 5 discs (one of them a repeat of a CD shipped earlier in the year; technically, though, only TWO releases whereas one could argue FOUR were promised...just sayin')

Price of same amount of material for non-members: $50 (give or take - and keep in mind the possibility of ONA being packaged in with the live set, which means non-members get ALL the music members paid for - at HALF THE PRICE)

Amount of discount NPGMC members receive for concert tickets (not counting celebration): 0%

Guarantee that Prince will play aftershows at which NPGMC members get free admission: NONE

Amount of Xclusive NPGMC members-only website content: couple of desktop screensaver thingies, a discarded song

Typical amount paid by fans to see other acts perform a soundcheck: $0.00

Value of contemplating the logic of NPGMC membership: PRICELESS

***
RANT NUMBER TWO
***

What do the following people have in common:

* A single working mother of two
* A 14-year-old child in a lower-class family
* A student paying her way through school
* A recently widowed spouse whose income is halfed
* A sick young woman whose hospital bills are sky-high
* A man who can't land a decent paying job because of the color of his skin, his religion, his creed, or whatever other signifier of "otherness" challenges his entrance into the status quo
* A person living on disability
* A woman who recently managed to escape an abusive relationship and is making her way alone for the first time in years

Give up?

The opportunity of getting by one more day has a great deal of worth, as does a one-hundred dollar bill. To people with limited means, a $15 compact disc can be a substantial investment - ghetto/poor white trash jokes aside, we're most of us one or two paychecks away from knowing this is all too true, and most of us have literally been there - I know I have. And as much as all Prince's opportunities might mean to me, eating and having lights and a roof over my head is kinda important too, thanks. And in this economy -

- let me repeat those words in a new paragraph so they don't get run over -

AND IN THIS ECONOMY, more and more of us want to be dang sure - ALL THE WAY sure - no smoke, no mirrors, no "ifs", "ands" or "buts" - no "eye meant that then but this is what eye mean now" bullhooey - that what we're shelling out the cash for is indeed what we will get.

If I were a non-member, I could have gotten everything I got as a member - AT ALMOST HALF THE COST. Concert tix? Hell, I got my tix for ONA before I became a member and I got seats that were good enough for me. But then, I'm in it for the music - I'm not a FANatic.

NPGMC plays at "Xclusivity" and FANaticism to pull money away from people who, especially in this day and age, don't have the money for silver cuban heels and custom gold canes. Yet we pay for SOMEONE'S hydraulic pianos and symbol guitars.

Members pay what is asked for the promise of getting closer, of having a piece of their idol that other people won't be able to get. And it only serves to play into the materialism of a man who boasts that his music is "free".

What is this word, "free"? What does it mean? I was pretty sure I knew, but I guess I don't.

Nobody's asking for handouts. Nobody is asking for "Xclusivity" that doesn't have some worth or value attached. But for the love of the "FAMS" and their hard earned money, just give us something to brag about every once in a while, ya know? Sure, the shows kick ass. They always have. But the business side of the whole Prince cult of personality has been nothing but a ride of disappointment and at best adequacy.

Kick it up a notch, Kid. Do it for the single mom who shelled out some grocery money to be closer to her hero. Do it for her. Heck.

***
Okay. Rants over. Deep breath. I feel much better now. Tra la la!

Tom and Anxiety...

THANK YOU

You summed it all up perfectly. I'm shocked this thread hasn't come under fam-attack yet...

FreezerBurn, kudos to you too...I can't explain the neurotic tendency I have to continue to support P, quitting P is as hard as quitting smoking though and I just haven't found a way yet...

I just remind myself "I LIKE THE MUSIC, I LIKE THE MUSIC" and take a deep breath

Everything Tom and Anxiety said...

And NPGMC, give me a fucking break, OK?

ouch...damn my eyes are burning!!

sorry i'm not a member so i have nothing intelligent toadd to this thread

I found the article very interesting, especially the part about value. (If I did not sign on to Prince.org I would not have known that Prince is an idiot, a bad business man, a thief, a liar, a gold digger, a racist, and a person that doesn't give a f*** about his fans etc.) I wonder why you all are fans!

I have had a good time with my npg music club membership. I sign on everyday, find nice articles, different point of views than myself, Great seats at the second best show I've been to. 4 nights in Uptown with a few thousand crazy people just like me. I got to tour paisley park, received ONA Cd which is one that I've always wanted. (Piano and voice) and just about to get the Live CD. I own a Purple Rain Guitar and got to go to the Movies with Prince and Friends. This has been a dream come true for me. If I had listened to you guys I would never have experienced all this joy. The Value that Prince talks about, I am feeling. The new currency has brought me great Joy, more than the other currency has. And I Own A BMW, I received my special ordered Beamer on the same day that I received ONA, and I was happier with the CD (at the time). When I bought my First BMW, it was the same day that Emancipation hit the stores, and I was so happy that I stopped by the Park and listened to the whole CD instead of driving my new BMW.
I understand what he is talking about. I wish you guys would stop raining on my Parade. (And I do have an Umbrella)

If the music club was the fantastic value that it claims, then the whole basis of the chocolate invasion statement would have never been written.

The fact that the Chocolate invasion statement was written and posted on the NPGMC website shows that even they know that it's not good value.

Im not a member, so im not too worried about it all. I do feel bad for my fellow Australian club members for what they got in the membership, and that's the only thing that I think is wrong, for their sake.

I don't normally post to things of this nature, but it's just gotta be said. If you are really dissatisfied with the club, then just don't join again. Complaining about it isn't going to do any good. It's just going to make you old before your time from all the negative energy that you are giving it. Life is to be enjoyed, and if something isn't enjoyable to you, then change it. I joined the club for the music and to give a little support to Prince and I had no expectations of what was coming. I know Prince changes his mind about as often as the wind changes direction and speed. I know that the club is going to have quirks in these beginning years until they get it ironed out. Year one was an experiment, but they changed the conditions of the experiment (went from downloads to cds), so that year two has now become a different sort of experiment. Yes as a consumer, when I pay my money, then I expect to get something in return, basically what I paid my money for. However, in this instance, I paid my money for the music. I've yet to get my music, but I know that it is on it's way. I didn't take advantage of the concerts or the celebration because I have a child who comes first and though I'll fork over a $100 for the cds or the downloads, I just can't take away more than that from caring for my child to experience the rest of the perks of the club. It's my choice. Just as it is your choice just how much you spend and on what you spend it.

I have no complaints about the club, because I had no expectations about the club. I knew that the cds listed were probably not the cds we were going to get, because of how Prince gets excited about a new project and drops the one he is working on to begin working on the next. I had no expectations about what we were going to get, because in the long run, I knew they would have to send 4 cds (regardless of what they are) to honor the agreement we entered into when we signed up as members, so I knew I would get my cds, just didn't know which cds they would be.

Besides complaining here isn't going to do you any good. If you are totally dissatisfied then email NPGMC and tell them and just don't join again to really put your point across. Personally I love the music too much to miss out on any opportunity to receive the music in the future. So I will continue to support Prince and the Club, but then again, I had no expectations about it to cause me any undue stress regarding it. But if you are stressing, then don't join next year. It's as simple as that folks.

DreamLife said:

I think its important for people to share their opinions and experiences with the club, both good and bad to get a more accurate understanding of its worth. If you go off of the advertising jargon on the NPGMC site alone you're not getting an accurate picture of what you're really gonna get for your money.

Its the same reason why people complain to the BBB, to let others know. Only its a simpler process to post on the org than go through all the BBB paperwork.

I will restate as I have on other posts that I have no intentions of joining the club anymore after these experiences. Enough is enough.

dnaplaya said:

Echo would like to echo:

hmmm-now

I would like to think
that the term "Chocolate Invasion"
would possibly mean the NPG's
way of saying...

Our quest for freedom in the recording/
music business starts here.




This is their independent club, free
from any middleman.




"Let the Baker Bake the Bread"


What do u think?

It stems from the song "Judas Smile"
now, what do u think about that?



?
[This message was edited Tue Dec 3 10:36:34 PST 2002 by EchoOfMySoul]

dnaplaya said:

Echo - echoes:

ok, ok, just let me say
something about this,
again,

I truly don't believe
there is anything nasty
going on here, I don't
want to believe it,
and I don't.

?

Peace

so what do you think?


[This message was edited Tue Dec 3 14:50:28 PST 2002 by EchoOfMySoul]

HAHAHA yeah, eye signed up for some good whole hearted essays by prince.. yeah right, send me cd's anyday, keep ure small minded views to yo self!

Anxiety - I TOTALLY agree with what you said. THANK YOU.

ScarLett said:

i ain't a member, either...but i got sumfin:

anxiety and tom, ya'll hit the nail right on the muthaphuckin head.

what it all boils down 2: prince wants our chedda.

all he's gonna get from me is $7 bux any given friday nite.


....and a stinky edit message.
[This message was edited Tue Dec 3 15:43:21 PST 2002 by PlastikLuvAffair]

EchoOfMySoul said:

Well, over the holiday weekend I wasted $100 on two half cooked jerk turkeys. There was absolutely no value there as the turkeys could not be consumed due to the threat of food poisoning. My experience at Celebration 2002 more than compensated for the $100 membership fee, as I have NEVER had so much fun in my life! Being the live music junkie that I am, 7 nights of Prince in the hot Minnesota sun was worth every dime of the $100 plus the bills for the 7-day pass. I'm looking forward to Celebration 2003 with enthusiasm!


.

SweeTea said:

SweeTea:

There yeah go, There yeah go!

How many Artists have a party at their
house for their fams!

and about those turkeys...

makes one want to become a vegetarian