New topic
Printable| Author | Message |
Prince's legacy and "diminishing returns" I'll just get right to it.Been a reader of the board a while and just decided to start posting, primarily because of the "Is Prince the Greatest" thread.
I think Prince is held to a completely different standard and much of it due to the stunning level of talent he's been blessed with. I say that as a fan of music and an awfully discerning music snob. Much of his work in the last 15 years has been weak, but a lot of it has been incredible (most notably songs like Dinner with Delores, Somewhere Here on Earth, On The Couch, as well as albums like Disc 3 of Emancipation, Gold Experience and, indeed, Lotusflower, which I swear people have gone out of their way to hate just out of sheer pop culture inertia. As many of us always say (or think), "If some young no name released it, it'd be hailed as a masterpiece." and that gets said and thought so often simply because it's true. Anyway, I wonder why music critics and his own fans are quick to say that Prince is tarnishing his legacy when I've never heard that said of Stevie Wonder, who released a garbage album a couple of years back, Bowie, who tried everything to get "it" back and basically quit after he put out loads of garbage.I don't even count people like Madonna, because I'm not even sure what she brings as an artist, other than an image. Bowie and Stevie are the only ones I can fairly compare him to because of musicianship, songwriting and popular appeal. | |
- E-mail - orgNote -  Report post to moderator |
it's all subjective, isn't it? | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Anxiety said: it's all subjective, isn't it?
Can you please post that sentence on ALL these ridiculous combative 'who's best', 'greatest of all time' threads in big bold type, followed by a  ?
Actually no. Maybe track down each poster, visit them in the early hours, and burn that sentence onto their skull with a specially crafted prince.org branding iron. 
IT"S ART FOR F^%K'S SAKE!! THE CONCEPT OF BEST MAKES NO F%$KING SENSE!!  
....Sorry for the vent. These threads (more specifically the 'one-up-man-ship' of the posters within) are getting on my nerves @ the moment. 
I know, silly really. I suddenly feel much better now. Thanks Anx.  | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
TyphoonTip said: Anxiety said: it's all subjective, isn't it?
Can you please post that sentence on ALL these ridiculous combative 'who's best', 'greatest of all time' threads in big bold type, followed by a ?
Actually no. Maybe track down each poster, visit them in the early hours, and burn that sentence onto their skull with a specially crafted prince.org branding iron.
IT"S ART FOR F^%K'S SAKE!! THE CONCEPT OF BEST MAKES NO F%$KING SENSE!!
....Sorry for the vent. These threads (more specifically the 'one-up-man-ship' of the posters within) are getting on my nerves @ the moment.
I know, silly really. I suddenly feel much better now. Thanks Anx. Don't read this one then! http://prince.org/msg/7/314972  "What kind of fuck ending is that?" | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
ElCapitan said: TyphoonTip said: Can you please post that sentence on ALL these ridiculous combative 'who's best', 'greatest of all time' threads in big bold type, followed by a ?
Actually no. Maybe track down each poster, visit them in the early hours, and burn that sentence onto their skull with a specially crafted prince.org branding iron.
IT"S ART FOR F^%K'S SAKE!! THE CONCEPT OF BEST MAKES NO F%$KING SENSE!!
....Sorry for the vent. These threads (more specifically the 'one-up-man-ship' of the posters within) are getting on my nerves @ the moment.
I know, silly really. I suddenly feel much better now. Thanks Anx. Don't read this one then! http://prince.org/msg/7/314972 You're no good for my blood pressure, you know that?! | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
gogol said: I'll just get right to it.Been a reader of the board a while and just decided to start posting, primarily because of the "Is Prince the Greatest" thread.
I think Prince is held to a completely different standard and much of it due to the stunning level of talent he's been blessed with. I say that as a fan of music and an awfully discerning music snob. Much of his work in the last 15 years has been weak, but a lot of it has been incredible (most notably songs like Dinner with Delores, Somewhere Here on Earth, On The Couch, as well as albums like Disc 3 of Emancipation, Gold Experience and, indeed, Lotusflower, which I swear people have gone out of their way to hate just out of sheer pop culture inertia. As many of us always say (or think), "If some young no name released it, it'd be hailed as a masterpiece." and that gets said and thought so often simply because it's true. Anyway, I wonder why music critics and his own fans are quick to say that Prince is tarnishing his legacy when I've never heard that said of Stevie Wonder, who released a garbage album a couple of years back, Bowie, who tried everything to get "it" back and basically quit after he put out loads of garbage.I don't even count people like Madonna, because I'm not even sure what she brings as an artist, other than an image. Bowie and Stevie are the only ones I can fairly compare him to because of musicianship, songwriting and popular appeal. U are right. I think most of us are aware that Prince still produces music of a very high quality. We just don't all agree on which albums or songs those are. Which I have always thought speaks to the fact that Prince's muscial dexterity is much greater then the average fans. So they only really "get" a part of his vision. Many here will deny this because they feel if they don't like a song/album the problem must lie with the music and not their perception of the music. There are many reasons why Prince is not appreciated on the level he should be by the general public and even his own fans. 1) Familiarity breeds contempt -- Its hard to keep being new to jaded ears. We know what prince sounds like in a general way. His voice, mannerisms, guitar playing, songwriting style. so each additional song stands out less when placed in the company of the 1000 other prince songs we have heard. 2) Hype - prince is no longer hyped and promoted by the media. Something as brilliant as TRC can be dismissed while Brittany spears, the Jonas Brothers and Kanye west get pages and pages of ink spilled on their career happenings. Its not uncommon to see a review shrugging its shoulders at the newest prince release only to move down the page and read a glowing review of the latest half-baked cd from some new person on the scene. 3) Prince won't sit still and give anybody in particular the type of music they want from him. He changes direction like the wind. Most people can't handle that because they like to pigionhole and box people in. 4) Prince creates at dizzy pace. Some folks don't catch on to a album until he is already 3 albums removed. 5) Prince is so exceptional and unusual that we and media don't have a precedent for him. He won't play by the rules people are accustomed too. He hasn't since day one right up to yesterday. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Prince won't be fully appreciated until 30 or 40 years from now. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
tricky99 said: gogol said: I'll just get right to it.Been a reader of the board a while and just decided to start posting, primarily because of the "Is Prince the Greatest" thread.
I think Prince is held to a completely different standard and much of it due to the stunning level of talent he's been blessed with. I say that as a fan of music and an awfully discerning music snob. Much of his work in the last 15 years has been weak, but a lot of it has been incredible (most notably songs like Dinner with Delores, Somewhere Here on Earth, On The Couch, as well as albums like Disc 3 of Emancipation, Gold Experience and, indeed, Lotusflower, which I swear people have gone out of their way to hate just out of sheer pop culture inertia. As many of us always say (or think), "If some young no name released it, it'd be hailed as a masterpiece." and that gets said and thought so often simply because it's true. I agree with both these-excellent. I particularly agree with the famiiarity breeds contempt. I think Prince has reached a point that if he released an album that was an absolute revelation the critics and probably us as well would go "Oh another revelation from Prince"-its ironic that because he is so unpredictable on a consistent basis his ability to be so reliably not boring has in the main to so many made him boring-well it made sense to me Anyway, I wonder why music critics and his own fans are quick to say that Prince is tarnishing his legacy when I've never heard that said of Stevie Wonder, who released a garbage album a couple of years back, Bowie, who tried everything to get "it" back and basically quit after he put out loads of garbage.I don't even count people like Madonna, because I'm not even sure what she brings as an artist, other than an image. Bowie and Stevie are the only ones I can fairly compare him to because of musicianship, songwriting and popular appeal. U are right. I think most of us are aware that Prince still produces music of a very high quality. We just don't all agree on which albums or songs those are. Which I have always thought speaks to the fact that Prince's muscial dexterity is much greater then the average fans. So they only really "get" a part of his vision. Many here will deny this because they feel if they don't like a song/album the problem must lie with the music and not their perception of the music. There are many reasons why Prince is not appreciated on the level he should be by the general public and even his own fans. 1) Familiarity breeds contempt -- Its hard to keep being new to jaded ears. We know what prince sounds like in a general way. His voice, mannerisms, guitar playing, songwriting style. so each additional song stands out less when placed in the company of the 1000 other prince songs we have heard. 2) Hype - prince is no longer hyped and promoted by the media. Something as brilliant as TRC can be dismissed while Brittany spears, the Jonas Brothers and Kanye west get pages and pages of ink spilled on their career happenings. Its not uncommon to see a review shrugging its shoulders at the newest prince release only to move down the page and read a glowing review of the latest half-baked cd from some new person on the scene. 3) Prince won't sit still and give anybody in particular the type of music they want from him. He changes direction like the wind. Most people can't handle that because they like to pigionhole and box people in. 4) Prince creates at dizzy pace. Some folks don't catch on to a album until he is already 3 albums removed. 5) Prince is so exceptional and unusual that we and media don't have a precedent for him. He won't play by the rules people are accustomed too. He hasn't since day one right up to yesterday. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
i think as an artist gets older, they begin to record music more for themselves, for their fanbase, and for their contemporaries. when you're at a point like prince is at right now, it's going to be nearly impossible to introduce the masses to new classics when all they want to hear are the golden oldies. this is a curse and a blessing, because if the stakes are against you creating that next new "let's go crazy", then there's more freedom to go in other directions, as long as you throw those old chestnuts in the setlist in concert. i think some artists take advantage of this reality more than prince has, but it's not to say that i think prince hasn't taken advantage of it at all. | |
| - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |