We have seen amazing transformations over the years - from song to song and album to album. The parabolic curve is always higher because of his creative intellect thus the ability to change quickly is inherent. In other words, look vertically instead of horizontally or downward (paraphrasing a recent lyric.) Each song is, or should be, better than the next when you are diagramming the sentences of a genius. Same goes with the writing of music. A genius realizes the next step to be attained over his last work. Yet an artist as prolific as P is bound to oftentimes digress from this path because of constant production, which tends to average out because the percentage of growth meanders on a lesser plane. But the growth is nonetheless evident and learned because of past success understood only by the artist and given to the witness of his art to decipher.

Of course, we as witnesses decipher how we please and each of us witness subjectively in relation to how the art affects us personally. That is natural and honored unto ourselves as how we enjoy a particular piece. It truly only matters to the listener how he or she is affected by the work in the sense of understanding how the work makes the listener - based on his or her affectation - feel.

So the attempt to explain the growth of an artist is futile and only opinion and speculation, yet I as a listener have an opinion and I'll give it no matter.

This artist needs no effusive praise because his worth is obvious. But here it goes.

What he has accomplished with the recent releases angles the parabola in a decidedly new upward angle. It needs really no further explanation. In conjunction is the remarkable anti-establishment views he continues to this day which can be termed a complete about face to his past mechanisms of revolutionary discontent of the past, yet completely adheres to an otherworldly sense of righteousness. Then, revolution set the path toward enlightenment. Now, his doctrine is the antithesis of before. Yet both arguably attain the same meaning.

Not to mention the funk is scalding, the ballads are created with love and the rock is transcendental.

Nothing but love for the man, ya'll. A singular opinion.
[Edited 3/26/09 15:32pm]

Agree.

In observation/comparison I think of Prince's early days as rock-gritty-hard- scratchin-kickbutt music. Rather tight and somewhat stinted as he had to meet the demands of the time and of the industry.

Seeing him on Leno today and listenting to MPLSound and Lotusflow3r, I can't help but notice that Prince has grown immensely in his music style and further, that he is truly comfortable with himself and the evolution of he/himself, who he be, and the time and space in which he resides today.

Whether one appreciates a partiular song or not is irrelevant in this excercise because the simple and obvious fact is that he has, and continues to master his craft; this defeats any potential question of development.

All of this exhibits expansion on so many levels.

Its fun to watch.



[Edited 3/26/09 1:32am]

Nice...