I hate to be the "lord of doom", but last week I got a very active thread going about the lack of value concerning the NPGMC.

A lot of the "blind faithful" said I was being premature in my concerns about the club. They said that the CD would drop and us "naysayers" would be proved wrong. Do you still agree with that view?

Heres my view following the release of ONA.

I have no problem with the CD being 34 mins.

I have no problem with the CD being only 10 tracks.

I'm a firm believer in quality rather then Quantity.

However....

Half the album has already been given to us as "Xclusive" material in year one. Four tracks at CD quality and one at near CD quality. The remaining new tracks don't seem to be getting great reviews.

Now I know the 12th month of year one said "From the forthcoming" but did you expect it take up 50% of the first CD?

If you are happy with this, do you therefore think its acceptable if the other 3 remaining CDs give us 50% previously released material?

My feelings so far tell me that the year one exclusives are being eroded. We got TRC for one month, we got half of ONA for another, and we got previously recorded songs (thieves, horny pony) for a third month. We are nearing a state where 25% of year one is a con. Where does it go from here?

If ONA was a demo, Prince probably know the content back in December. But he could not or would not share the track listing with us. I wonder why?

As for the "World Tour" concerts.....

Much as I want to say no, you do have a point. I was gonna say don't join, but you joined based on some facts, and they don't seem to be happening.

I can't say I'm surprised, I've decided to call this year a wash and maybe Prince will learn some lessons and iprove the club, I probably won't join next year because except for the concert perks everything can easily be downloaded for free, and I laready have some great new live stuff that he may never release anyway, so why pay.

I understand your gripes but answer me this ...

It seems to me that you and a lot of others who have joined the club are getting very little satisfaction out of the club. Why don't you not join next year ?

If a person is unsatisfied with a club than the best way to prove it is by cancelling membership. You see, I doubt many of these people will actually do that.. because no matter how much they complain, they are getting some value out of being a member, whether it is the free aftershows, soundcheck experiences, or this latest cd release.

I understand that criticism is the reason why the club is so much better than before but when every move the club makes is criticized - of what use is the criticism.
If you don't like the music ask yourself, 'why am i in the club ' ?



RONNY

Hate to add feul to the fire but.....

The ONA program that was being sold at the concert had the 4 albums, to be released through NPGMC, printed on the back inside flap. The 4 albums were listed as:

One Night Alone
Last December
Xenophobia

Drum roll please*****the last album is The Very Best of !!!

Now I didn't join year 2 for the music, rather for the member perks at concerts and I got em big time so the music is just icing on the cake as far as I'm concerned. You'd think that a very Best of would be an extra album at the very least and not one of the main 4 offered. It seems a waste for a man with such beautiful gems in the vault. If you are gonna give us something like the Very Best of, why not just master one of the aborted projects like Roadhouse Garden, Camille, Dream Factory or Crystal Ball. I'd rather have a sanctioned copy of any one of those aborted projects rather than a best of.

Ronny, no cancelations. The money is non refundable. Said so in the rules when you signed up.

Ronny said:

Man what a terrible attitude! Don't you think criticism can bring about change? Get Up, Stand Up! The NPG does listen to members comments, they even changed the way tix were handled half way through the tour. If everybody keeps quiet the club will never get better, and since you Squirrel already paid he might as well voice his opinions. It can't hurt can it? Well maybe your feelings, but it will help you in the long run, don't worry.

Ronny said:

I agree, and at the rate its going, I won't join. I'll get it off the web or buy a bootleg. The issue is not whether to join or not join next year, its are we are getting value this year. If a lot of people think not, then they will rip web copies or buy boots.

If Prince fails to deliver the world tour and deliver good value CDs, then probably 50% of the members (those outside the U.S.) will think twice about renewing.

This will have a spirral effect. Those that do not re-join will get the music via other sources. The reduction in membership will mean Prince will give less as he makes less. He only gives stuff away for money.

If I can get 500 unreleased songs before the club, I'll take my chances without it. What will be a shame is those who are happy with the crumbs Prince throws out will not even see the crumbs as he will have burnt so many bridges with his fan base that no one will trust him and the club will die.

The time to question "Did we get value?" is surely at the end of the NPGMC's year two subscription no?

Essence said:

Fair point. My views are only based on what we have seen to date and previous experience. However, knowing Prince (unlike the suckers who are siging up from the tour without the knowledge we have), he doesn't have a customer service bone in his body.

I know we have a long way to go, but do you think the first CD is good service or advertising for the NPGMC?

Put simply, are you happy with receiving a 50% previously released CD as your new "Xclusive" or "First" music?

I would love to hear your opinion on this. I would also love to hear from the people who last week said it NPGMC will deliver great value.

SquirrelMeat said:

Um, how many "reviews" have you read so far??...One??...Two??...lol...You really think that's enough to start saying "Oh, great, the unheard songs apparently suck"??...


Truthfully, I didn't really think in terms of percentage...I thougt in terms of overall theme and feel of the upcoming album...I just thought "Cool, a melodic, intimate piano album by Prince, not over-produced...this should be nice"...


Since the music club had announced that these songs would be on an upcoming CD called One Nite Alone, I entered into joining up for year 2 knowing previously released songs would be part of one of year 2's albums...but since it was NOT announced that other songs from year one were from upcoming albums, then and ONLY then would I start to feel cheated...nothing that's happened so far that would make me fear that it will..


Are you complaining about last year or this year??...

Ronny said:

I was a member last year and when i saw alot of rehash in the second half of the year(horny pony,thieves in the temple,and those 4 weak demo tracks.Isent them a letter and said i would not join this year.and U know what.now i am glad i didn't join.cause just like last year"he came in with a rumble and left without a sound"

wellbeyond said:

My concerns were with this year, but the situation is he is eroding the exclusivity of last year already.

As for your point

"Truthfully, I didn't really think in terms of percentage...I thougt in terms of overall theme and feel of the upcoming album...I just thought "Cool, a melodic, intimate piano album by Prince, not over-produced...this should be nice"

You are right. Thats the way to look at it, but I, like many others, get clouded over by "Red Ross" when everything is not as it was advertised, or at the very least, was misleading.

SquirrelMeat said:

I will gladly jump on the bandwagon with those saying that the npgmc isn't being as upfront about what membership to year 2 specifically provides...actually, I was saying that--yelling it, almost..lol--before year 2 started up...I thought they needed to say exactly what you would get for your $$ before asking anyone to pay it...I even wrote them an email asking them point blank about a lot of these things(when will the CDs be mailed, will any of the downloads from year 1 be on these year 2 CDs, will Prince tour close to Los Angeles, etc, etc)....the only difference with me is, once I decided to join even though I didn't have the answers I was looking for, I stopped complaining...and I never said I was being ripped off after joining, because I joined with both eyes wide open...

Essence said:

AMEN Brother!

I wasn't crazy about the opening credits of Spiderman but I stayed for the rest of it anyway and was quite pleased.

I went to a baseball game a few weeks ago and my team was losing 2-0 after the first inning but I stayed and they ended up winning.

I played blackjack last week in Vegas and I lost the first hand but I kept playing and...okay, bad example.

On February 15, 2003 I will evaluate the NPGMC and if I am not satisfied with year 2 I will not rejoin.

Bosco said

"I played blackjack last week in Vegas and I lost the first hand but I kept playing and...okay, bad example".

Thank god. I though I was the only loser at the tables....Never again...honest...ok, just one more hand....

SquirrelMeat said:

The sad thing is that I'm not really trying to complain about your original post SquirrelMeat, I just wanted to say something funny. And try and forget about losing my rent $$$ in Vegas. I'm actually glad Prince didn't end up playing there on May 4 like he had said because that was the day I was leaving Vegas and it would have sucked if he was there and I couldn't go. I would have blamed the NPGMC for that of course. The same way I blame the NPGMC for the blackjack dealers taking all of my money.

To answer your question: yes, I think it's BS to give us stuff we already paid for, especially since Prince's main problem with WB was that he wanted more stuff to go out than they would let him release.

Well? Where's it all at? Let's have all you got Prince. Let me in dem' vaults! I'll take studio quality versions of the boots I've already got.

Please, don't anyone jump me. I'll wait unitl the end of the year and all that. Just answering Squirrelmeat's question. I knew it was just a matter of time before Wellbeyond jumped in to get Prince's back.

Were U really let down with year 1 of the NPGMC? I thought it was well worth my 100.00. There were a few bumps in the road but I think he did a good job...I know that I'm not alone on this thought, so why can't people stand up and say that they're happy as quickly as they are 2 say they are not? ...Aloha~

wishuhvn said:

the 2nd half had TONS of filler.horny pony,thieves in the temple(he knew we had those)then release a video and an audio track 2 THAT SAME VIDEO.i will say this though,the first six months kicked ASS.well worth the hundred.but i could see him running out of steam(all the tracks 2 the unreleased high album,the radio shows everything..i knew the second year would suffer.even the radio shows the second half were nothin but tracks we already had.But the first year is waaaaay better than the second so far by this time i think we were on album 3?????
[This message was edited Wed May 15 23:39:36 PDT 2002 by theC]

?
[This message was edited Wed Feb 26 0:25:00 PST 2003 by IstenSzek]

yeah, right, the best thing ot do is to not join again and download eversthing for free...

Essence said:

well phrased ... i suggest we not get ahead of ourselves its best to be patient not squabble ... although i dont think the club will change procedure once its been established; they are open to suggestions ... or would i be soaking myself in naiveté right now for even thinking that?! hehehe They have to listen if they want the club to have longevity right!!? Im sure things will be looking up soon ...
[This message was edited Thu May 16 1:20:27 PDT 2002 by harmony]

theC said:

He may have released enough material to fill 3 CDRs, but he hadn’t released a single album last year at this time, and didn’t at all until October with “TRC”.

He was just releasing a bunch of miscellaneous stuff that didn't fit anywhere else. As close as we came to an album was getting the tracks from the aborted "High" sessions. But even this was never an official album.

I thought the club was great the very first month, the very last month, and the month we got "TRC". Much of the rest was very hit and miss. So what if you can fill out a CDR with the audio shows and other tracks. Is anybody going to be listening to this stuff in 2 years, 5 years, or 10 years time? I doubt it. But I’ll be listening to “TRC” and more than likely “One Nite Alone”.

But to each his own. I'm more into Prince the artist, and I don’t find downloading miscellaneous, unconnected tracks that didn’t fit any particular project all that inspiring.

"TRC" and "One Nite Alone" on the other hand are actual artistic statements that I can sink my teeth into; and they are both in CD quality.

DMSR said:

A lot of people complained about the way songs were ruined by backmasking last year, and they never changed that policy.

Ronny said:

Ummm..you think if anyone cancels their membership NOW to show their dissatisfaction that Prince might just refund their money. I doubt it. So no one is just going to up and cancel. You paid your money and of course you want good product.

Of course if people are unhappy..there might be less of a chance that they'll rejoin next year.
[This message was edited Thu May 16 3:57:35 PDT 2002 by CmputrBlu]

I knew I was gonna get ripped off when I read the price was $100 for a year. Heck, I knew I was gonna get ripped off because Prince always promises things he doesn't do in the end (Sampler set, "never gonna play a Prince song again", "will never be called Prince again", "want to get rid of my contract with WB so I can release more than 1 album a year". I didn't join the first year. I did the 2nd, I don't care I get ripped off, cos I knew.

people quit bitching. i think it must be hard for prince to give a whole album of brand new material. by the time he finishes a song in the studio, its all over the internet and we download it from other sites. i am sure he is aware of this fact. there maybe some older songs that he wants to release to his "fams" but hell you already have them. the vault is full but youguys have heard over 500 unreleased songs from prince. it is going to be impossible to keep every fan happy. the "fams" have all the unreleased stuff already, the fans only have album tracks. so let the fans have their day.

SquirrelMeat said:

HOw can you even think of assessing "value" with only 1 of 4 four CDs? dumb fag

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I think most of us are under the assumption that this album will be the new masters--which I'm expecting to be like a "live studio" greatest hits album. Assuming that to be true, I'm actually curious to hear it and I have no problem with it being one of the four albums. I assume the reason it's called Best of is because he recorded the new masters while his name was still (or legal entanglements require him to use that name for such an album). If this ablum were actually just a compilation of songs from Gold, Emancipation, C&D, etc., then I would be quite disappointed... but I doubt that will be the case.