You reap what you sow. You get what you give. I will resist from any additional cheap euphamisms. Every artist gets the fanbase they deserve, I think. In Prince's case, I'm sure he shudders when he reads how little people here actually write about his music.
Personally, there's only four or five people on this site whose opinion I give a flea's fart about - the rest is awesomely inane lowest common denominator bullshit mostly only of use to papering over the cracks in the poster's fragile ego. Vapid thought processes, depth lower than a snakes balls.
Anyone even slightly interested in intellectually disecting and discussing Prince's actual art is immediately turned off by the thought of the reactionary, one-step thinking moronity which passes as conversation here responding to their post.
Prince is no doubt deeply concerned about his legacy and he fucking should be. Does his name resonate in the collective public conciousness as an outrageusly talented musical genius or as an effemininate flakey hasbeen who cut the arse out of his kecks and changed his name to a symbol? I'm making an educated guess at what most people think and it's not pretty.

I forgot to add my question - is Prince to blame for being so derided a popular figure or is it his recent music? Both?

I'd like to finally add that Lotus Flower is absolutely splendid.

Number23 said:

Prince. Everything related to him wouldn't be without him

Number23 said:

I assume you are not expecting many responces then

Allz I know is "Moonbeam Levels" is one of the best songs Prince ever made. EVER!

I expected your post to lead to an interesting discussion of Moonbeam Levels...which has been talked about tons of here.

However, I'm always up for talking about what I consider "the Mt Everest" of unreleased tracks. (That's a reference to Legend of Hell House and I have no idea why)

Moonbeam Levels is everything I want from Prince. It's pop. It rocks. It has soul. It's insightful and lyrically creative. Then there's the mood. It's melancholy and beautiful. Prince's backgrounds are...perfect. The guitar hook when repeated at the end is haunting.

I personally don't hope this is one of the unreleased tracks that will pop up on Lotusflow3r. I want this to get a full blown release. I don't want a remaster, I don't want a re-recording. I want the original recording, released as is.

Ok, my rant is done.

Number23 said:

I don't think he cares. As a result, nor do most of the general record buying public. The guy just toys. Toys with it all, popularity, fortune, artistic message, love, fame or product distrbution (thats sounded like the gold experience woman in my head).

Whitnail said:

fleas farts, snakes balls, even bull-shit,
very zoological, or should that include entomology as well ?

sorry, am i just proving your point ?

i'll get back 2 listening 2 some music. (oh, and who else spent about 10 years thinking that moonbeam levels was called 'a better place 2 die' ?)

Prince is his on worst enemy.

And when he said, in 1997, that his only competition was himself in the past, he still failed to realise that his over inflated self belief in his current output was the one thing that is stopping him from innovating anymore.

Ironically, after a decade of Prince playing old school with his homage albums to the 70's, he has gone full circle, and with MPLSOUND, he has paid homage to himself and sounds better for it.

Because that is who he is.

Not Santana, or the Doors, or James Brown, or Led Zepplin or Jimi.

He may not have found a new innovative sound, but he has finally embraced his own past and updated it.

I just hope he stays down, and improves on the MPLSOUND route, rather than move back in the safe ground of covers and lightweight Graham Central of Lotusflower.

Number 23, thank u for your respect. lol

SquirrelMeat said:

I think I had to read you post about 4 times for it to sink in, but you have a very valid point, Lotus is very much a homage or ode to the above mentioned artists and a way for him to showcase his guitering prowess.

However, there is a shitload of improvement needed if MPLSound is going to be that route he should go.

Prince has always struggled with success. He's been responsible for some of the most popular and celebrated music of the past 30 years, but thankfully he has always ventured into new territory. That said, it seems like a lot of his music is inspired by a desire to be accepted, and once that happens, his output seems to be a reaction to that acceptance. And when he has succeeded in whittling his fanbase back down to the hardcores, he returns to more traditional song structures in attempts to woo the mainstream again. As such, Prince really straddles the line between a pop star and an iconoclast. He seems to both love and hate the attention that he garners, and it's made for a very interesting career- both musically and figuratively. He couldn't have gone the way of U2 or The Rolling Stones, who have taken some interesting turns in their careers, but never so far as to marginalize their fans. But it's exactly that penchant for extremes that makes him such a fascinating performer.

Number23 said:

Billy, I think I love you.

Number23 said:

To those on the website here its flakey hasbeen. To the general population (or those who count), he is an outrageously talented musical genius.

Life...anyone's life comes down to People they love, and things they love 2 do.

Prince is loved by a lot of people and the money only matters to a degree. U can not buy a smile 4 the heart...people give U those things.

Number23 said:

A little from column A, a little from column B.

I think he's generally regarded as an eccentric pop music genius, but unless you're a fan, you mightn't really know why.

alexandernevermind1999 said:

For so long, I was like "what is this 'Moonbeam levels' song they keep talking about...and I already had it

Moonbeam said:

I feel you, but compared to the U2 and Rolling Stones respective fan bases, Prince's is the friggin Balkans. The very thing that made him so unique, blending styles and bringing people from opposite ends of the spectrum 2gether...made it easier to "whittle" it back down. U2 doesn't have to deliver so many different things to different people in order to maintain. Controversy or not...