...That's what he said in the Tavis interview.

Surprising somehow considering a musician of Prince calliber -I mean - did I have the position and time to live a life of music, like he seems to do - I would listen to all kinds of new music - not chart.topping-music, but new experimental music - you know to be inspired and exited.

Thoughts?

i think the above statement he made on travis is one of the main reasons why he is a bit out of touch with modern music...he SHOULD be listening to new music ....yes most of it is crap but it isnt all crap....he could draw some inspiration from some good modern music instead of living in the past all the time....

I don't think he's being honest. He seldom is.


What I think he was trying to convey when he said "new music" was probably that much of what's on radio is inferior in quality to music "by real musicians".
This is a theme of his work since around the strange One Night Alone days when he was spewing Akashic record nonsense in his shows.

But his point is valid. The 'new music' if that's code for the plastic nonsense the radio plays, isn't worth listening to. I doubt Prince was referring to the new radiohead, Springsteen, or other works of substance when he was referring to "new music".

I don't think he's that honest either, as Imago stated. Prince has been following trends for at least 15 years, instead of creating them. He knows damn well what's out there, and what's going on. He's a big high minded about it all.

But you're not a successful musician and artist now are you?

I think he meant the stuff on the radio?

And, if that's what he meant, thank goodness he's not listening to that crap. I'd really start to worry if he were...

Seriously, I think the majority of the "music" on the radio is insulting to peoples' intelligence. It is to mine at least.

Take what he said with a grain of salt. Of course he listens to new music... but he's very selective. I don't see him tuning into Jay Z or really giving too much of a care about what Keisha Cole or most other artist on popular radio is trying to sing about. But let it be some one he 'knows' his music had a direct influence on like Alicia Keys... or other artist who just doesn't follow the main stream like a lot of Neo Soul and Afro Punk (techno funk) ... and I know for certain he listens to them. Definitely not as much as he listens to himself... but he does.

When he did the 3121 thing... does anyone believe that he hadn't listened to artist like Esthero, Goapele, Cee-lo (Gnarls Barkley), J-Davey and the others who played on Wednesday's before they did the gig...? Or when he had the recent Lotusflow3r interview and he spoke to the reporter about some of the young artist he listened to like my girl Janelle Monae. Or when he does shows like the O2 and Nikka Costa opened his first night. He even name So yes he listens

And no... I don't see him trying to follow trends as proof he does. Nor do I see him trying to follow current trends period (that's a discussion for another thread)

this is another example of him trying to say something relevant instead of actually saying something that makes any sense

what do you really mean prince?

BigDaddyHQ said:

I agree. What I meant was, I don't think he listens to the kind of stuff that's on the radio like the average person does. He probably sifts through the crap to get to the good stuff...like Janelle Monae. Love her.
[Edited 5/3/09 19:25pm]

benjamino71 said:

Prince always has to do things his way. The way he writes his music goes back to when he was a kid. In Minneapolis, he always got the newest trends in music 3 months late. So instead of waiting for the next big thing, he wanted to write his own. And I've heard from him that he prefers not to listen to the radio so it won't influence him or defer him from the direction he's going in. I believe he had that conversation with Ellen in 2004 and he asked her if she listened to other comedics.

Because the majority of music for the past 10 years sucks, I say he shouldn't stay in touch unless he's careful to listen to the GOOD stuff. And him with the music flowing through him, he knows what the good stuff sounds like better than most people (the best of musicians know what how good music is supposed to sound).
After hearing some of the songs on MPLSound, it sounds to me like he has been listening to some really bad stuff cuz it sounded current. I criticized 3121 for sounding too current and modern/electronic opposed to down-to-earth instrumentation... but the first two and last track of the album had me nervous. Is this the direction he's currently on, modern-techno-electronic with less soul? I shudder at the thought right now, but I might change my mind in a month or two after I hear the album a second, third and so on time

sexyeyeliner said:

THANK YOU! Someone finally summed it up perfectly. It's utter garbage, 99% of it.

ernestsewell said:

Couldn't agree more
It's less than 99% the past couple years for me. but from 2003-2005, mainstream was painful.
So I rarely listen to the radio unless its the good stations that limit the garbage and shift focus more to the 80's and 90's

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

It's sad when some blond headed chubby girl has to get attention by covertly spelling out "F U C K ME".

So how did he hear Creep by radiohead

Alamine said:

Simple...time machine.

go back in time, listen to all the music then...

Go to the present, and say you don't listen to radio.....
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now... ehhh...get it?...now...


Technically it would be correct, right?
[Edited 5/3/09 21:41pm]

ernestsewell said:

i definitely agree with this statement....and its one of the reasons why ive stopped lstening to the radio!!

[bad typing Edit]
[Edited 5/3/09 21:49pm]

benjamino71 said:

Prince was saying legend-affirming and flat-out crazy stuff on the Tavis show. Who knows what other gems he might have floated, had he the time...

"Creep" was released like, 15 years ago...


I don't know how he could explain something like "Incense & Candles" if he didn't listen to any new pop music. In fact I've always wondered his motivation to even record such tracks (the run-of-the-mill R&B -tracks started appearing on his albums already with "Emancipation", really). Even in the '85 Rolling Stone interview he claimed that he doesn't like new pop music, but at least back then he had his own stuff backing up such a claim. Like pointed out before MPLSound is full of Timbaland etc. influenced elements.

I guess if you just simply go to clubs and restaurants you'll hear this stuff being played in the PA. So in that sense it could be very well that he "doesn't listen to new music" at home.

BigDaddyHQ said:

Thank you !

I believe he does not listen to the radio as he says, but I am sure he does listen to new music if he is introduced to it by people around him.. he has to.

blackbob said:

true

Imago said:

maybe he meant he doesn't listen to lil Wayne

I think you cant avoid listening to new music these days, turn on any radio station, change the tv channel, walk past a shop - its there in your face. you cant really avoid it if you live in the real world.

You gotta take most of what he says with a pinch of salt, he was playing live with Beyonce a couple of years back, Im sure he knows her songs - he was probably curious to hear "If I was a boy", etc. maybe what he meant was that he doesnt listen to "radio", this would make more sense. I mean unless Im in a car, I wont listen to radio and Im sure Prince is always listening to his own new stuff in the car as he has mentioned before.

So I think some of the influences on MPLSsound are probably subliminaly influenced by new music. How else can you explain the "Fergie" impression on choc. box? is that original???

Like people have said, take this with a pinch of salt. You only have to listen to his commercial output over the past 10-15 years to clearly hear he knows of recent trends in chart music.

BigDaddyHQ said:

That's how I interpreted it.

novabrkr said:

I don't hear Timbaland on 'MPLSound' at all. I do hear the Prince influence in Timbalands 'sound' and many of his 'productions'.

I'm not in the slightest bit suprised by this comment. He clearly stopped listening to new music pretty much at the same time he got his first record deal, I reckon.

From that point on, he immersed himself in his own vast imagination. Most of the stuff he's ever recorded was either of his own making (the "exciting new Minneapolis sound..."), or obviously wearing influences on his sleeve - music he'd absorbed from growing up - Joni, Sly, JB etc.

Frankly I don't blame him. Whilst the 80's was happening, I expect he withdrew from it. Whilst everyone else was helping define the 80's sound, he was busy coming up with new ideas, trying them out.

Whilst this approach served him well in terms of not being caught up in modern trends, I think ultimately he may have been one of the reasons for his not-so-great output. Especially in the 90's, as he suddenly decided he WOULD follow trends, albeit all a bit too late.

I remember Chris Rock asking him what his favourite 'supergroup' would be, referencing the Travelling Wilburys. Prince cocked an eyebrow as if to say "I haven't a clue what you're talking about". Whether or not you like the Travelling Wilbury's, no one can deny hearing about them. Imagine the stuff he missed out on.

This myopic attitude is also no doubt the reason behind him working with people like Larry G, maceo, Mavis Staples et al. As far as he was concenred, they were still 'current', simply because in his mind (and many others), they never had a long enough (and fair) time in the limelight. Who else would have collaborated with 80's wunderkind Kate Bush as late as 1997..?!

I think he'll keep on producing new music of his own, but I suspect it will all be littered with half-cocked modern references and knowing winks and nods to what he sees as the great un-celebrated past masters.

He's got a lot of catching up to do.

BigDaddyHQ said:

Just didn't feel like repeating myself. But I wanted to add... Prince said "rarely"... not "never"... big difference here peeps. Some of you act as if he said the latter.

novabrkr said:

I really have issues when people down Prince's R&B output as if it's some aberration or lower class of music not worthy to be made. Prince has been making so called "run-of-the-mill" R&B from day one. Its just that when its an R&B track some of 'you' like... you wish to label it something else. Personally, I don't think there is anything run-of-the-mill about any of his music. We could easily pegion hole many of his rock oriented tracks as well... "oh here comes another run-of-the-mill guitar solo."

I could understand just not liking certain tracks and all... but your statement kinda took a knock at a whole genre... whether you meant it that way or not.

BigDaddyHQ said:

Now that is the simple truth. Like RnB is some stepchild that lives under the staircase.

^^^

i know right? Thank u BigDaddy for that!