Money creates taste. Taste is the enemy of art


[Edited 6/8/09 17:03pm]

padawan said:

Not sure I totally buy into that. He knew of other artists that were independent, and certainly talked to them about it. He was also in the business for 18 years with Warner Bros. He knew how the business worked. He knew the restrictions of a record contract, even one as good as his was, and thereby knew his freedoms. He knew them well enough because practically days after his WB contract expired, Emancipation came out, already pressed, and he had a deal with EMI. He knows the promotion machine and how it works, and for that album, he worked it. He's not stupid and I dont believe he was scared after leaving WB, or felt unsure. Sure, somethings were uncharted, but he still got it done.

His lack of confidence in music comes from, what I believe is a lack of conflict in his life. I've said it before, that at the time Prince is having the biggest conflict in his life is when he makes the best, most angry, most funky, most intense, and smartest music we've heard.

Example: Turbulant relationships w/ Vanity and Susannah and Susan. We have gems like "When Doves Cry", "The Beautiful Ones", "Nothing Compares 2 U", "Strange Relationship", etc. Just the situation with We Are The World spawned a great song like "Hello". An upset with Big Chick, conversations w/ his manager, and scuffles with band members spawned "Old Friends 4 Sale". Just to name a few.

Example: When Prince was deep in the midst of being for seven years, it was those times when he was running around with SLAVE on his face that he created treasures like COME, The Gold Experience, Exodus, and even Chaos And Disorder. His angst was in full effect on those albums, yet they were funky as all hell, and he's yet to match it. Sure Crystal Ball was great, but when were some of those songs written? The same time frames I just mentioned.

THAT is why Prince's music is greatly lacking in edge. No conflict. I don't want him to be in conflict all the time, but SOMETHING has to happen to get a fire under this brother's ass.

He's yet to mount a comeback. His biggest album in the past was Musicology, but let's be real about it. That was #3 because of the sneaky way he "sold" it. Before that though? Emancipation. It was only #11 ,but went double platinum. His previous #1 album before 3121? Batman, and that was a soundtrack. Last regular Prince album to be #1? ATWIAD. 3121 is partially credited to the fact that he actually promoted it. Of course those 200,000 fans were looking for a purple ticket to his house too, probably. It was only Gold status though not platinum.

A comeback would totally negate anything he's said about charts and radio, because he would be blowing them out of the water. He'd have a top 5 album, consistently. He'd be on the radio every hour or two, becaues "that guy who sang '1999' would be BACK. Back in people's ears, back on the radio, back on MTV, BET, FUSE, or whatever. He'd be back in everyone's CD player and iPod. In fairness, he never left, but a commercial comeback? Not quite yet.

ernestsewell said:

yea...on HIS part...but some ppl act like he killed somebody!

Its a shame that ppl have reduced his music to whether there are cuss words or filthy lyrics on an album. His music is much more than that. If I never hear him cuss or take off his shirt; I will have respect for his maturity - both as a man and an artist or his trade.

mzsadii said:

well said

ernestsewell said:

Actually Duck may mean Fuck in another language...who knows So he is still swearing

.
[Edited 6/15/09 16:06pm]

pplrain said:

Yeah. And tomorrow, monkeys are going to fly out of my

Prince no longer cusses on record for the same reason he no longer wears assless pants in his videos. HE OLD!! It just wouldn't feel right and he would get an enormous amount of flack for it. He is briliant, he can cuss or not cuss and the music is still great. I would never blame his change on being married or divorced. It's about the total life experience. And with that said, he will cuss again one day. Past is prologue.

He's over the hill now...with a bad hip...(but still ultra scorching hot )

thedance said:

Not wild eh? yeah ok. that's about like saying getting a foot job isn't wild cuz it doesn't necessarily involve any of the recipients pertinent body parts!

check it out;
o/` Elixer E lix er ,,,He lix her
o/' Ooooo yes he does


what else did that song say? something about with his pen and ink and what?


Yep guess your right. Nothing wild about that. LOL.


too fun.

I have 2 disagree..Mr P haven't lost his rawness just that it has changed in2 another level , a higher one..

..albums r like chapters in a book..r U willing 2 go all the way?

hmm I quite like the "duck" xpression

Peace and abundance

pplrain said:

Oh please

ernestsewell said:

Prince definitely thrives on conflict. His 80s classics were borne of intense emotional turmoil, no doubt about that.

But conflict isn't enough to make good art. You need a steady, dependable work environment. WB provided that. They took care of the business end of things, freeing Prince to concentrate on his music and explore his inner conflict.

Anyone can butt heads with another. Conflict is never in short supply. But the the ability to observe and articulate that conflict, to make art out of it--that requires steadiness and concentration. And that's what Prince lost when he left WB. And that's what Larry Graham stepped in to provide. A steadying influence.

Prince is supremely talented, but he's not the most stable guy in the world.

As for his commercial comeback, yeah, there's a bit of sneaky gimmickry to it, manipulating sales figures and such. But Prince did land a number one album, a top grossing tour, the cover of Rolling Stone, the Superbowl gig, and the guy's making bank. That's good enough for me to call it a commercial comeback.

padawan said:

Amazingly even w/ his sneaky way of selling Musicology, it still only reached #3. Yet 3121 was #1, based solely on promotion and a good video that got major airplay. You'd think he'd learn by now.

ernestsewell said:

Learn what exactly?

padawan said:

That really promoting an album like he did w/ 3121 WORKS. Putting videos on TV, instead of a fucking $77 website WORKS. Remember, MTV, VH1, VH1 classics, and MTV 2 ALL played "Te Amo Corazon" simultaneously, interrupting regular programming. They promoted the premiere of a new Prince video directed by Selma Hayek. Prince had a promotion w/ a trip to his house. It was released in every major retail outlet. He made huge appearances on TV as well. He made another video which got huge airplay (Black Sweat), even more than the 1st probably. He made ANOTHER video, not a lot of airplay, but the SNL version rocked the socks off of people. He even had a perfume w/ the same name. Before and during 3121's release time, he performed almost every song from the album live, at some point. The hype, the promotion, the interest, the publicity...it worked. No sneaky sales w/ a ticket, nothing like that. Just pure WORK works.

Getting paid up front actually works better.....

ernestsewell said:

I hear ya.

Prince did work it for 3121. He was such a busy bee I felt tired just watching him!

ernestsewell said:

Graycap23 said:

When anyone is outside of their home, mixing with individuals...U can be so different from the person that U are at home.

We only see Prince when he is outside of his personal element.

Love will domesticate anyone, tests have shown that. The interesting thing about monkey's is that, when the animal is not hungry, the monkey and most other animals would rather cuddle with a (fake) likeness of a monkey that play with toys during the duration of a day.

GoVenusGO said:

...

..MZSEXYBABY

Seriously.

ernestsewell said:

-----
No sneaky sales w/ a ticket, nothing like that. Just pure WORK works.

Ernest L Sewell, IV
-----
Why is this still worrying you?. It was 5 years ago for God sake and other artist have followed Prince and done the same thing. It is just that Billboard will not count the CD's as sales anymore.
Musicolgy was successfull because P was getting promotion from a major record label and touring. You need to take that into account as well as the concert give away.

With payola and double scanning I really don't see how anyone can take the charts seriously. What seems to matter to Prince is making more money off the top which I am sure he has done with this project. As long as people have the opportunity to pick up the music if they want what is the issue with sales that you really have.

I wish the CDs had been promoted better but we need to realize that P is an independent artist and he will never get radio airplay or MTV play if he is not hooked up with a label but at the same time he seems to have found a way to make enough money to continue to put out music. We should all be glad about that.

laurarichardson said:

Laura, you are such a flirt.

ernestsewell said:

-----
Not flirting with you just wanted to know why the Musicogly marketing plan is still an issue.