I'm not interesting in making Prince a superstar and a chart-topper again. I've done that, over and over. We all have. We've all bought his albums, sometimes more than one copy when one gets lost, jacked up, or worn out. If I ever buy a second copy these days of something, it's used. I never buy a new one a 2nd time. We've all bought Lotus (except some UK fans). What are we to do with a 2nd copy? I mean, our friends can only have so many coasters before it just becomes silly.

laurarichardson said:

Well in fairness Laura, that's a bit dismissive. All of those artists have had albums out, done tours, been on TV, and are talented beyond belief. They are the Prince's of today in the regard that they play a lot of instruments, they write all their own music, they start from ground zero like Prince, and are well rounded folks (unlike Prince LOL). There is more to music than Prince and James Brown. Just because you haven't heard of Mika's Life In Cartoon Motion (which was a huge hit and had songs all over MTV, VH1, FUSE, MuchMusic, etc), or Eric's Sounds Like This, or Tyler's The Tracks Of (his seconnd album, as he's been active since 2001 in television (Starred on One Tree Hill, etc) and music), doesn't mean they're flash in the pans. As a matter of perspective, a lot of people today would think of Prince that way. Sure he's been around for 30 years, but to some 20 year old who doesn't really know who he is, they're NOT going to be excited at some Target commercial, and will certainly be put off by a $77 price tag for a website (thought the internet was free?)




Um...YES. YES HE DOES. Because he has NO clue as to what fans would like to hear from him. He THOUGHT he did when he recorded a bunch of songs and threw a Linn drum machine on them after the fact and said "Here's my 80's sound, enjoy it in 2009." But that isn't quite the case. I wish it were, but it's not.



We don't know what these artists got, but they are signed to labels, and certainly got money upfront, as well as for the sales of their album. They're husseling to be sure their album is HEARD, sold, and appreciated. They perform every damn song on an album. Why NOT do that? Even Meatloaf said, "There's a responsibility that if you put a song on an album, and people love it and it's part of their lives, and has become part of their history, you HAVE to do those songs live. It's how you connect. I write the song, they live it. THAT is what they want." Why NOT find out what the fans want to hear? Do we NEED another shortened version of "Let's Go Crazy"

And it was P himself who once said he loved the internet because of the interaction with the fans. Guess he got tired of us/that soon enough. I never have said I HAVE to interact w/ Prince to enjoy his music. I've seen him once live, and that's it, and I still enjoy most of his work through 1997, and only parts of it after that up to now. I just think he's a bit out of touch with his fans, and the reality of the business. He preaches a lot about the biz, and he's probably right on a LOT of those issues. He's certainly been around the block in the business. But he's missing such a huge slice of the market by sitting on his ass and not doing a thing after a few TV performances.

Think about it.... it's 2 months, and he's done with it. Except a Leno appearance this week (which is more about Leno's last week, opposed to Prince promoting an album), he couldn't care less about Lotus. I mean.....who does that? Singles are usually released every 3 months, roughly. He's put out two videos off the bat, which few people saw, and that's it. TWO MONTHS? That's barely enough time to release a single BEFORE an album drops to get people interested in it.
[Edited 5/27/09 11:52am]
[Edited 5/27/09 11:53am]

excuse me !!!! lm from the UK....l have brought the album u cant say its the british tht dont buy them...unless it depend on some if they left it too late when the price went up.....

laurarichardson said:

Eric Hutchinson, Mika, Tyler Hilton - all have EP's coming out this week or next (or just released one), in anticipation for a new album later this year. Every single one of those EPs would blow Prince out of the water when it comes to songwriting, and even promotion. Sure they're EP's but you know what they're doing? Mika's is a limited edition book, illustrated by an artist to highlight each of the four new songs. Tyler Hilton has one of the best new voices, and yet oddly unheard, in the business, and he's been around for six years or so (I discovered him in about 2002/3 with an EP I found on iTunes). Eric Hutchinson is a phenomenal live performer. I've seen him live within the past year. His EP is all acoustic arrangements of some of the songs from his debut album, Sounds Like This.

What else is different about just these three examples? None of them wanted $77 from their fans, JUST to enter their websites. None of them released an album and left it sitting on the shelf. ALL of them have interacted with their fans either on Facebook, Twitter, myspace, or their own personal sites. People can scoff at those social networks, but it's how a LOT of artists get noticed, promote, and get their album sold (it's exactly what the Family 2.0 is doing for their new album forthcoming). They make themselves available, personable. Why? Because they depend on it. They understand a fan's need to interact and be a part of something like the music the listen to.

Prince has just gotten too big for his own britches, methinks. Too bad.

There is tons of other great music on the shelves right now, released within the past 2 months, that is kicking his ass. I'm just not one who is listening to the set anymore. Kinda lost interest in it about week 2 or so. I've tried to listen since, but I barely make it through Lotus, and only get 2 songs into MPLSound. I found myself just waiting for it to be over, to say "I listened again!", when in fact I just wasn't interested enough to hear anything on it.

Ehh well...to each his own.

piccolo7 said:

Easy there sunshine. You're missing my point while you're climbing on the soapbox. I meant that it's not really released in the UK, the last I knew, except whatever HMV is that has doubled the price. It's not readily available there as it is in the US, ergo my statement.

piccolo7 said:

Easy there sunshine. You're missing my point while you're climbing on the soapbox. I meant that it's not really released in the UK, the last I knew, except whatever HMV is that has doubled the price. It's not readily available there as it is in the US, ergo my statement.

lol... yeah ok l get your point now....(sorry)
yeah well blame HMV for increasing the price..but l was lucky l paid 12.99 from HMV.. but couldnt understand why they put it up afterwards which were morally wrong really l can understand why prince went mad abt tht...MMM TOO BAD...
yeah like l say l get what u are tryin to say in words...

piccolo7 said:

I always wondered why UK folks just didn't find some US friend to get the album and send it over. It'd still be cheaper than buying it there, no?

ernestsewell said:

No offense Ernest but these three guys are all white, in their mid to late twenties and sing mainstream pop/light rock. Of course they would be more in demand by the pop loving masses who are teenage girls, and twenty-somethings.

Why does album sales even matter?

That's why music is lost todya because people are too busy worrying about selling an album rather than worrying about the music being good. So in the ending result you get Soulja Boy and T-Pain!

I received the album as a gift for my birthday. I love it and I am going to spread the music by giving it to my best friend who's birthday is this weekend! One down. How many more to go to beat the forgetful dream?

KidaDynamite said:

It's an artist's livelihood, that's why. Prince ain't living off Purple Rain money anymore. He still has to work and make some dough here and there, building up his surplus.

That's understandable, really...BUT if Prince himself ain't raving about it why should we. People get too deep into this in my opinion and that's all it is "an opinion".

Joininthedance said:

"All those" Target commercials was ONE commercial, played over and over. It was a song that wasn't even put to video (ie: Chocolate Box, Crimson & Clover). 30 seconds is promotion? The commercials didn't even start to air unitl the 2nd night of his Leno stint.

I forget, what other TV shows was he on talking about the set, and playing songs from it besides Leno and Ellen? Oh...Tavis? Yeah, he talked out of his butterscotch hiney about chemicals in the sky, and not voting. Did he show up on GMA or Today or CBS This Morning? Nope. The View? Nope. Oprah? Nope. American Idol? Nope. ANYWHERE? No. I mean did he do anything significant beyond a very, VERY small handful of TV appearances? Okay 3 nights in LA. Cool, but .....anyone hear crickets now?

The videos...did they EVER get any full length play or were put into rotation on MTV, VH1, VH1 Soul, BET, TV ONE, or Palladia? Nope. People paid $77 to watch them in flash, and eventually they came out anyway....somewhere online I guess.

And it was just released when...March? What's he doing right now to promote an album that he could milk for a good year with singles, or whatever? It's the end of May, pretty much two months that the album has been out. He's sitting back on his haunches letting Target do the work, thinking those 30 million people in and out of their doors are going to just see an end cap with a stack of CDs on it and think "Oh hey, I'll buy one of those." People are TOO tight with money right now, and even $12 is a lot to someone who'd rather eat or get a bus pass for a week than have a Prince CD.

He just could have done (or be doing) a lot more. But really...if he loses interest in something as great as Sign O The Times, what chance does something abysmal like Lotusflow3r have? Zippo. I WISH he had/was done/doing more. I really do. Maybe certain songs would grow on me more. But if Prince doesn't give a crap about it anymore, why should I?

... it would have been in his best interest to do more television performances.....then again, maybe these shows such as Oprah, The View, etc. didn't actually invite him. I'm not sure how that all works, but my guess is that they have to want each other for it to work.