Prince has gone from:

Let's Pretend We're Married, 1982: "I sincerely want 2 fuck the taste out of your mouth! Can you relate?"

to:

Lolita, 2006: "Cool together , I must admit, long time ago, we'd be the shh... (Uh oh)"

In my opinion, Prince's musical career has gone downhill since he changed his name to in 1993. The real problems started when Prince became pissed off at Warner Bros. because they didn't release The Gold Experience in 1994, when it should've been. Also, the Come album should've been released in 1993, but both albums weren't released until an entire year after they were supposed 2 be. If it weren't 4 that problem, maybe Prince would still be signed with Warner Bros. But c'est la vie. Prince departed with Warner Bros. after releasing arguably 1 of his worst albums, Chaos & Disorder, in 1996. Then Prince released Emancipation on his independent NPG Records label 1 month after his baby died. He & Mayte Garcia annulled their marriage on February 14, 1999. Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic (1999) was his attempt @ a "comeback album" on the charts, but it wasn't promoted properly. Then in 2001, Prince became a Jehovah's Witness (damn U, Larry Graham ) He no longer does anything lewd or obscene because of it, which has made him less interesting. He released Rainbow Children, a boring jazz album, based on his new religion. Then he started releasing instrumental albums thru his NPG Music Club Online only. Then after his successful comeback albums Musicology & 3121, he released Planet Earth, a lackluster rock album, seemingly only 2 promote his amazing o2 Tour. U have 2 admit that Prince's musical career has suffered some major blows in the last 15 years. The Gold & Musicology periods are perhaps his saving grace. But IMO, the highs haven't been as far-reaching as the lows.

This was like...a super condensced version of Alex Hahn's 'The Rise and Fall Of Prince.'

Ha-ha.

I like his new stuff for the most part. Musicology had some good songs, but wasn't great overall. I love ONA, 3121 and Lotusflower.
For better or worse, Prince has evolved and moved on from his racy lyrics. I still think they're sexy- without swearing(ONA and Lolita are good examples) and he's still the best live performer on the planet.

I had a friend tell me once(back in 1988) that someday I'd grow tired of his music and simply move on- and someday I will. For now, I still love his music, as different as it is from his "80's heyday".
Maybe you've moved on from him as much as he's moved on from him.

Well, Thanks for getting us up to date.

Even though what you say seems kinda on, I would disagree with some things.

I always thought Prince and his dispute with WB wasn't because he wanted to release a specific album but more of wanting to release music more frequently and they didn't think that it was lucrative to do so.

Second, Changing his name to the symbol was a very cool idea and wasn't necessarily the start of his "going downhill". It got him alot of attention and it was a reinvention of himself, kinda like David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust, interesting idea.

Third, The Rainbow Children, "a boring Jazz album". Really? A jazz album? I mean, it's got alot of jazz in it which started popping up in his music after Purple Rain, and it does have a lot of Jazz flavors in it but its not a Jazz album.
Boring? Nothing boring about this album whether you like this album or not, forget what the album is about and listen to what he's doing, where he's going. He'd never done anything like it before and you think it's boring.

Okay, you kinda have a point like I said, and we all kinda know the Prince story. The highs haven't been as far reaching as the lows but isn't it funny that we are still here and interested in the next song, album or reinvention?
[Edited 5/5/09 21:20pm]

XNY said:

Is that even possible

blueautumn said:

SCORPI09 said:

It is in this case . I've said this before but the Prince of 2009 is not the same Prince of the 90's and 80's. I don't think he could write When Doves Cry today. And he couldn't play or write Colonized Mind back in 84.
My point was Prince has evolved so much, he is not the same person many of us fell in love with in the 80's. Purple Rain is great, but he's not that guy anymore.
I think either we change with that or simply move on. All too often I keep reading whining threads of how he's not like he used to be in the 80's. I'm definitely not the same guy I was in 84 or even 94 and don't want to be. I wouldn't want him to be either... some of us need to move on.

xlr8r said:

You mean full of inaccuracies? I agree.

xlr8r said:

I don't believe Prince has ever been Lewd or Obscene...I think he's danced on the line a few times...although no one in this world needs obscene to be sexy.