As others have mentioned before, how the hell Prince keeps getting the inspiration and ideas to create new music (and 3 albums worth at that) is amazing to me.

Sure the lotusflow3r set may not be to your taste overall, and the whole website thing is in danger of alienating even the most loyal fan (myself included) but think about it.

Prince is 51 years old, I'm guessing he might be the most financially secure he has ever been, has musical ability that does not even require practice anymore, comfortable with his religion, and has attained musical legend status. Basically I'm saying he seems happier than ever and doesn't really need to do anything else to prove his worth.

And still he comes up with 30 or so songs including Colonised Mind, Dreamer, Boom, $, Home, Another Boy, Old School Company, Better With Time, No More Candy 4 U, and Dance 4 Me (some of the standouts for me on the 3 CD set).

When some of you criticise newer releases for being unimaginative, stale, revisiting his old style unsuccessfully, resting on his laurels etc. I am truly flabbergasted. I just don't see it, I really do think that LF is a worthy addition to the Prince canon. It's reflective of where he is now in terms of personality, ability, sound, and technology. At times it's funky, joyous, fun, fierce, and true in equal measure (not sure true is the right word, I'm trying to say it doesn't feel forced to me).

I know it can be a struggle to listen to Prince's music and keep it separate from the man and his personality, cos he is an enigmatic, frustrating, sometimes naiive and embarrassing, sometimes so cool it's untrue, cocky little wotsit . but I really do think some of you are critical of the music (in the negative sense) just for the sake of it. I'm not advocating unquestioning hero worship either, just a bit more perspective than we sometimes get. If we keep wishing for this last classic Prince album to materialise, we're in danger of not appreciating the one-day-classic-Prince-in-his-50s-material that is already right under our noses. Maybe.
[Edited 6/19/09 8:32am]

chemtrails

Imago said:

I sort of covered that in my "sometimes naiive and embarrassing" part...

As others have mentioned before, how the hell Prince keeps getting the inspiration and ideas to create new music (and 3 albums worth at that) is amazing to me.

Sure the lotusflow3r set may not be to your taste overall, and the whole website thing is in danger of alienating even the most loyal fan (myself included) but think about it.

Prince is 51 years old, I'm guessing he might be the most financially secure he has ever been, has musical ability that does not even require practice anymore, comfortable with his religion, and has attained musical legend status. Basically I'm saying he seems happier than ever and doesn't really need to do anything else to prove his worth.

And still he comes up with 30 or so songs including Colonised Mind, Dreamer, Boom, $, Home, Another Boy, Old School Company, Better With Time, No More Candy 4 U, and Dance 4 Me (some of the standouts for me on the 3 CD set).

When some of you criticise newer releases for being unimaginative, stale, revisiting his old style unsuccessfully, resting on his laurels etc. I am truly flabbergasted. I just don't see it, I really do think that LF is a worthy addition to the Prince canon. It's reflective of where he is now in terms of personality, ability, sound, and technology. At times it's funky, joyous, fun, fierce, and true in equal measure (not sure true is the right word, I'm trying to say it doesn't feel forced to me).

I know it can be a struggle to listen to Prince's music and keep it separate from the man and his personality, cos he is an enigmatic, frustrating, sometimes naiive and embarrassing, sometimes so cool it's untrue, cocky little wotsit . but I really do think some of you are critical of the music (in the negative sense) just for the sake of it. I'm not advocating unquestioning hero worship either, just a bit more perspective than we sometimes get. If we keep wishing for this last classic Prince album to materialise, we're in danger of not appreciating the one-day-classic-Prince-in-his-50s-material that is already right under our noses. Maybe.
[Edited 6/19/09 8:32am]

Prince works best when he's singing about things we can all related to:
1) frustration (when doves cry)
2) sexual urges (any number of songs 1995 or before)
3) Love lost (Lonely Christmas, Sometimes its snows.., I love U but..., etc.)
and the list goes on and on.

When he veers from this and gets political, moral, or religious on us, then he works best when his messge is simple and uplifting (LoveSexy), and worst when it's downright preachy (Rainbow Children).

As he ages, he obviously will have other concerns he'd want to address. He just hasn't found a way to present the material smartly yet. He may never--you just don't know. John Lennon wasn't exactly beaming with intellectual merit when he got philosophical or spiritual, but his naivety worked cause it lacked arrogance and preachiness (think of gems like 'Imagine').

Prince's most substantial work up until now focuses on things we can all related to, with one exception: Sign of The Times--this gem is the whole enchilada and succeeds on multiple levels.

As others have mentioned before, how the hell Prince keeps getting the inspiration and ideas to create new music (and 3 albums worth at that) is amazing to me.

Sure the lotusflow3r set may not be to your taste overall, and the whole website thing is in danger of alienating even the most loyal fan (myself included) but think about it.

Prince is 51 years old, I'm guessing he might be the most financially secure he has ever been, has musical ability that does not even require practice anymore, comfortable with his religion, and has attained musical legend status. Basically I'm saying he seems happier than ever and doesn't really need to do anything else to prove his worth.

And still he comes up with 30 or so songs including Colonised Mind, Dreamer, Boom, $, Home, Another Boy, Old School Company, Better With Time, No More Candy 4 U, and Dance 4 Me (some of the standouts for me on the 3 CD set).

When some of you criticise newer releases for being unimaginative, stale, revisiting his old style unsuccessfully, resting on his laurels etc. I am truly flabbergasted. I just don't see it, I really do think that LF is a worthy addition to the Prince canon. It's reflective of where he is now in terms of personality, ability, sound, and technology. At times it's funky, joyous, fun, fierce, and true in equal measure (not sure true is the right word, I'm trying to say it doesn't feel forced to me).

I know it can be a struggle to listen to Prince's music and keep it separate from the man and his personality, cos he is an enigmatic, frustrating, sometimes naiive and embarrassing, sometimes so cool it's untrue, cocky little wotsit . but I really do think some of you are critical of the music (in the negative sense) just for the sake of it. I'm not advocating unquestioning hero worship either, just a bit more perspective than we sometimes get. If we keep wishing for this last classic Prince album to materialise, we're in danger of not appreciating the one-day-classic-Prince-in-his-50s-material that is already right under our noses. Maybe.
[Edited 6/19/09 8:32am]

KeithyT said:

Great post.

I think unfortunately when artists have done all that there is to do to prove their legacy, fans often falter in glorifying the hey day.

For me the LotusFlow3r set is some of his best work, and whilst there is an obvious nod to where he has been in MPLSound, there is also a clear nod to where he is now and where he is going in Lotus.

As they say if you spend too much time glorifying the past, the future dries up.

Swa

Here's the way I view it.

Prince works best when he's singing about things we can all related to:
1) frustration (when doves cry)
2) sexual urges (any number of songs 1995 or before)
3) Love lost (Lonely Christmas, Sometimes its snows.., I love U but..., etc.)
and the list goes on and on.

When he veers from this and gets political, moral, or religious on us, then he works best when his messge is simple and uplifting (LoveSexy), and worst when it's downright preachy (Rainbow Children).

As he ages, he obviously will have other concerns he'd want to address. He just hasn't found a way to present the material smartly yet. He may never--you just don't know. John Lennon wasn't exactly beaming with intellectual merit when he got philosophical or spiritual, but his naivety worked cause it lacked arrogance and preachiness (think of gems like 'Imagine').

Prince's most substantial work up until now focuses on things we can all related to, with one exception: Sign of The Times--this gem is the whole enchilada and succeeds on multiple levels. Only the Gold Experience came close in scope and quality combined IMO.

Imago said:

I disagree completely. I think that most of those who continue to assert the above are mostly reacting to the fact that Prince is asserting something or an ideology with which they disagree. ....

I disagreed with the whole of LoveSexy, but found the album uplifting and charming. I didn't feel the same way about the overblown and tiresome TRC. I stand by my original statements.

KeithyT said:

Here's the way I view it.


Prince works best when he's singing about things we can all related to:
1) frustration (when doves cry)
2) sexual urges (any number of songs 1995 or before)
3) Love lost (Lonely Christmas, Sometimes its snows.., I love U but..., etc.)
and the list goes on and on.


When he veers from this and gets political, moral, or religious on us, then he works best when his messge is simple and uplifting (LoveSexy), and worst when it's downright preachy (Rainbow Children).



As he ages, he obviously will have other concerns he'd want to address. He just hasn't found a way to present the material smartly yet. He may never--you just don't know. John Lennon wasn't exactly beaming with intellectual merit when he got philosophical or spiritual, but his naivety worked cause it lacked arrogance and preachiness (think of gems like 'Imagine').

Prince's most substantial work up until now focuses on things we can all related to, with one exception: Sign of The Times--this gem is the whole enchilada and succeeds on multiple levels. Only the Gold Experience came close in scope and quality combined IMO.

you justt hitt the nai l on the head ....really good points ..shittt that peeps can relate to...thats right ..no mumbbojumbo...bbutt shitt that peeps know and been thru....not some weird abstract enigmatic shitt abut shitt that only a few weirdo s can dig

Imago said:

You have a right to your opinion,but it is just your opinion just like my opinion is just my opinion. Just because TRC sucks to you doesn't mean that it sucks to me. There is no x + y equation for art. So, I stand by my statement (opinion) that TRC is a well conceived and executed work of art. What you label as tiresome and overblown, I see as an interesting example of creating an allegory or an extended metaphor by mixing and matching various ideologies, using them as tropes of each other--both musically and lyrically. I enjoyed TRC non-stop for just over a year. The pacing and layering of the music is a great compliment to the cohesive narrative, which is strengthened and driven by precise and elaborate pictures created by the imagery.

RudyIsBackForGood said:

Based on most studies of civil rights organizations and counts of people at actual events, only about ten percent of the American population was actually involved in the daily, ongoing activities and struggles of the Civil Rights Movement. My point being, just because people are few in number does not mean that they are wrong or that something is wrong with them. Dirty Mind and Controversy were not initially million dollar sellers and probably would not have sold as much without the success of 1999 and Purple Rain, yet these are considered classics. Before 1999, Prince was clearly a cult or underground artist. In fact, I remember one reviewer writing, "Don't let the polished and sanitized version of Prince's Purple Rain fool you. He is still the same pervert that wrote 'Sister.' Now he is cleaning up his act to sell more records." Is it the units sold that make them classics or the work itself?

Imago said:

I disagree completely. I think that most of those who continue to assert the above are mostly reacting to the fact that Prince is asserting something or an ideology with which they disagree. Now, let me be clear. Everyone has the right not to be "preached" to. However, I do think that his lyrics have remained fun and smart. For instance, I don't agree with the specific anti-evolution point of "Colonized Mind," but I like the fact that he is reversing the criticism. Those who tend to be non-religious or not into "traditional" religion often assert that those who are overtly religious or who do embrace "traditional" religion have been brainwashed or are being controlled mentally. He reverses it and asserts the possibility that it is the non-religious folk whose minds have been colonized, and he does it with analogy not literal language. "Upload fascism; nothing ever really changed...you never really had a choice," his point being, based on the examples he provides in the song, that “non-religious” people tend to be as vulnerable to brainwashing as “religious” people. What's interesting that it is a related point to "Gold," which Imago asserts as a better or smarter song, but "Gold" is just as "preachy." "There's a lady, 99 years. And if she led a good life, heaven takes her soul. That's a theory, and if you don't want to now, step aside and make a way for those who want to go." “Colonized Mind” is simply asking the question of how can one person claim to be any less colonized or brainwashed than anyone else if we are all embracing centuries old philosophies or ideologies, which is similar in “Gold” to the notion that this lady has the right to her “traditional” religion even if others don’t want to take that journey or embrace that concept. The point in "Gold" is asserted just as forthrightly as in "Colonized Mind," but somehow "Colonized Mind" is preachy, and "Gold" isn't. And even though the The Rainbow Children is overtly religious, it is still smart where he tropes James Brown's legacy of funk for social progress and raises it to funk for spiritual progress. You don't have to agree with the message to see that Prince is still "thinking" seriously about his music and his lyrics.

Also, though I like Lennon's "Imagine," I tend to like it more when an artist has the courage to be specific and forthright about his ideals rather than vague and impressionistic. There was no question when James Brown asserted, "Say it loud; I'm black and I'm proud." Prince has always been a love it or hate artist; it is just that many who loved his defiance in the past never considered that he would one day be defying the very notions or urges that drew them to him. It is really funny when someone asks, where is the Prince who used to cuss and sing about fucking all the time? (And I am not asserting that is Imago's point; it's just that I read this a lot.) I would hope that at 50 any one would have broadened their vocabulary and finally gotten enough sex to realize that there are other things to discuss--though I still assert that most of Prince's early sex songs were actually metaphors for something else. When Imago states that Prince works best when he focuses on things to which we can all relate, I don't know if I quite understand that statement because I can fully relate to The Rainbow Children and Lotusflow3r/MPLS. In fact, I have not stopped playing Lotusflow3r/MPLS since I purchased it from Target--granted I edited the order of the songs, moving "Love Like Jazz" and "77 Beverly Hills Park" to the end of the list and dropping "F.U.N.K." between "Dreamer" and "There'll Never Be Another Like Me."

It seems that Prince being socio-political was cool when he was championing the New Breed or the New Power Generation, which were both constructed to be faceless, genderless, colorless, and open to varied interpretation like a Stephen Crane novel, but when "we" become the "them" in Prince's work, then Prince is "preachy" or "not smart." Again, we all have a right to see things as we see them, and what may be smart to me may be deemed as less intelligent by someone else, but when I hear that Prince doesn't write about things that relates to most of "us," then I realize that I'm in the "minority." Yet, I was in the "minority" in 1979 and 1980, and I didn't care then as I don't care now. I'm just glad that his work still speaks to and moves me.
[Edited 6/20/09 14:17pm]

1725topp said:

Wha ? WTF ? I just said that i likke Imago´s post cuz I can relate to it...he put the nail on the head Prince used to write shitt that all peeps could relate to. as mentioned in his post..he gave exampllles ..just read above, when doves cry, songs about love lost and secxual urges and yes sure, of course it s not about units sold...its about stufff that peeps can related to ..its a mtatter of opinio n and my opinions is that i likkes imagos points and examples, nothhin g crucial really...

i also dig stuff he put out before he was a superstar...like stufff on dirty mind,,,when you were mine is stuff that the averrage joe can relate to....most of TRC is somnething that the average joe cannt relate to...there are certain factors ass to what makes pop music popular...and he usedto be able to write songs folks could relate to..

i dig some of his new stuff too...somewhere hre on earth...is great
not many other songs are accessible though.

1725topp said:

Wha ? WTF ? I just said that i likke Imago´s post cuz I can relate to it...he put the nail on the head Prince used to write shitt that all peeps could relate to. as mentioned in his post..he gave exampllles ..just read above, when doves cry, songs about love lost and secxual urges and yes sure, of course it s not about units sold...its about stufff that peeps can related to ..its a mtatter of opinio n and my opinions is that i likkes imagos points and examples, nothhin g crucial really...

i also dig stuff he put out before he was a superstar...like stufff on dirty mind,,,when you were mine is stuff that the averrage joe can relate to....most of TRC is somnething that the average joe cannt relate to...there are certain factors ass to what makes pop music popular...and he usedto be able to write songs folks could relate to..

i dig some of his new stuff too...somewhere hre on earth...is great
not many other songs are accessible though.

As others have mentioned before, how the hell Prince keeps getting the inspiration and ideas to create new music (and 3 albums worth at that) is amazing to me.

Sure the lotusflow3r set may not be to your taste overall, and the whole website thing is in danger of alienating even the most loyal fan (myself included) but think about it.

Prince is 51 years old, I'm guessing he might be the most financially secure he has ever been, has musical ability that does not even require practice anymore, comfortable with his religion, and has attained musical legend status. Basically I'm saying he seems happier than ever and doesn't really need to do anything else to prove his worth.

And still he comes up with 30 or so songs including Colonised Mind, Dreamer, Boom, $, Home, Another Boy, Old School Company, Better With Time, No More Candy 4 U, and Dance 4 Me (some of the standouts for me on the 3 CD set).

When some of you criticise newer releases for being unimaginative, stale, revisiting his old style unsuccessfully, resting on his laurels etc. I am truly flabbergasted. I just don't see it, I really do think that LF is a worthy addition to the Prince canon. It's reflective of where he is now in terms of personality, ability, sound, and technology. At times it's funky, joyous, fun, fierce, and true in equal measure (not sure true is the right word, I'm trying to say it doesn't feel forced to me).

I know it can be a struggle to listen to Prince's music and keep it separate from the man and his personality, cos he is an enigmatic, frustrating, sometimes naiive and embarrassing, sometimes so cool it's untrue, cocky little wotsit . but I really do think some of you are critical of the music (in the negative sense) just for the sake of it. I'm not advocating unquestioning hero worship either, just a bit more perspective than we sometimes get. If we keep wishing for this last classic Prince album to materialise, we're in danger of not appreciating the one-day-classic-Prince-in-his-50s-material that is already right under our noses. Maybe.
[Edited 6/19/09 8:32am]