viol8r said:

Well Prince did always say that he waited until she was 18 to hide the bone.

ernestsewell said:

Lol. Never said anything about your post here being negative, I said that YOU yourself are a negative person, ie. A HATER!! Judging by your response, the truth hurts huh Ernie? She replied cause she's tired of seeing your "dumb" ass posts like alot of us here. Who's the real fool, Ernie ?

Wow you guys must be the 'haters on the Internet' Prince sings about lol.

Don't you think that's the wonderful thing about him recording so much over his entire career and life? His music has taken us on the ride of his life. His experiences of the times of when they were written and recorded. They were right for those times and now we have them for always to go back to and re live and remember. Sometimes you guys don't sound grateful enough for the work he has put out. We have been given a gift from Prince, an insight into his ideas, dreams, emotions, personal romances, and sometimes his hurt, his pain his anger and much of Princes work is experimental and daring. Time and time again he has explored differnet parts of himself and his perceptions and experiences and he has reflected his life and his musical journey. Some of it has been quite masterful and some has been completely sweet and romantic, or following his religious convictions and spiritual journey and other times it's been pure sexuality and lust and angst but in essence the gift he has given us is part of himself. His music is part of himself and his soul and I think that awakening is why he feels incomplete without ownership of his masters and I believe he won't be at peace until he gets them. They are his children.

So back to the topic about his best music being when he's mad, well I think that just comes down to personal taste. Some of us prefer difference 'Princes' and alot of that is emotionally based, how it makes you feel. That's the power of music. We can get wired into his music world but the only way to truly experience Princes music in the true sense would to be Prince himself and know what it feels like to create and playbthat music yourself. Prince and any artist will tell you, that's the difference between an musician and a music lover. I think the musicians are on a higher plane to the rest of us and I can only imagine what it must be like to play in Princes band or coloborate with him.

In terms of where he is at right now, I think he is like many of us to mature like a fine wine over the years. He has awesome, legendary and daring and real rock and roll beginnings and over the years we have seen many many phases and it's all okay by me. It's his life and I think we haven't heard the best yet. He has years and years ahead of him perfecting and fine tuning his art and sometimes he will look back and sometimes he may experiment again. Right now I agree he is balanced and very in control and relaxed. He said on Tavis he has been looking forward to these years, this time in his life. I think that's what happens when you reach a milestone like 50. You take all of your experiences from your life and you are at peace with yourself. You have evolved and learnt enough about yourself that you know how to get the best out of yourself, what you want out of life. Many of the old songs you refer to are from times where he was searching and didn't know what he wanted. But he was always the type of person who boldly followed his instinct and his gut. He is still got that but now I think his music reflectsa person more chilled out and at peace. Some of the current tracks are average and he'll it takes alot for an artist to pull out a Purple Rain more than once in their career. Most never get there. Whatever music is next I don't know but I never want to stop being along for the ride. Some of his music will really speak to me, some won't but I always will have the most amazing catalogue as well as alot of other find music from other artists that I can tap into and get in a groove whenever I feel like it. I am thankful for that.

NPGman said:

Not sure who Ernie is, so I don't know why you used my quote to talk to him. I don't recognize anything you say as being relevant to me anyway, so now your replies are just weird and confusing. Try to step it up a bit more next time, okay?

ernestsewell said:

Oh, you know very well who ERNIE is. That's the negative ego inside YOU!! You should print out Funky Lust's above post, and study it. That should become your thesis, your mantra, manifest even, trust me you don't have to be an ASS in life to get attention. People "might" get to like Ernest, if ERNIE didn't consume your being. Next time you seek the "TRUTH" from me, it's gonna cost your "mad" ass $150 an hour.

P.S. Funky Lust, you get 3 Co-sign's on the high side!!!

NPGman said:

Back to the topic...

I've long said that while Prince was in conflict, he's created his best music. It's a bit of a dichotomy isn't it? Do we want Prince to be in conflict in his life, on some level (whether it's battling a big business machine like Warner Bros, or whether he should marry the girl he proposed like Susannah), for the sake of great songs? Or do we want an artist to be happy by being free from record contracts (which, have greatly been exposed even moreso in the past 15 years as shams for many artists, especially new artists), yet because one of their greatest muses IS conflict, their music stands to suffer in originality, edginess, personality, emotional readiness, and basic composition.

I don't think my idea about Prince being in conflict and thereby creating great music is an original idea. Critics and hardcore fans have probably picked up on the peaks and valleys of Prince's highs and lows in creativity. It seemed to happen in the middle of a decade. From about 1982-1987 where huge years of some of this best music. That's not to negate things like Dirty Mind, Prince, or Controversy, or Lovesexy, or Batman, but albums like 1999, Purple Rain, ATWAID, Parade, and SOTT are the top of the arch in many ways. The growth, the conflict, the personality shows through more than it had to that point.

The same goes for the mid 90's. While Batman was still a #1 album on mutliple charts, including the Top 100, US R&B, and the UK charts, and spawned at least one #1 single (his first in three years on the US charts), it was greatly overlooked in the Prince catalog. Graffiti Bridge suffered a worse fate with a bad supporting movie, and a lackluster soundtrack. The gems on GB were far and few between having been coupled with mediocre associated artist songs, to create a hodge podge of lame story telling. Prince entered 1991 with a new approach, a new band and a new band name. Although D&P had it's moments of brilliance, it was still struggling. His fight with the WB kicked into high gear, and by the time came out, he was already contemplating his future, changing his name, and how he'd do business until released from his chains of fame.

His creativity peaks in the midst of this second era of extreme conflict. Gems like the song "Peach", and even the funny "Pope", plus albums like COME, Exodus, The Gold Experience, and most of Chaos and Disorder not only highlighted the theory of conflict=prime material, it also spoke directly, lyrically, to the fight. Almost every album had a song talking about the woes of THE MAN, from "Gold", "Letitgo", "the Exodus Has Begun", "Chaos and Disorder", "Had U", to attacking critics, namely one called Billy Jack Bitch. Prince was even so desperate to get out of his contract, that he finally agreed to let WB release The Black Album. Even his love life was conflicted and showed through in songs like "I Hate U", whose ying found its yang with "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World".

It's odd because even his braggadocio hits a high in those times. It's a grand pissing match, of sorts. He chest puffing is more evident in songs like "NOW", "Return Of The Bump Squad", and "I Rock, Therefore I Am".

In the end, the theory holds true. The 00's have shown that with no real drama in his life, his music stays on a level plane. That's great for consistency's sake, but for Prince being the Prince of originality in music, the music has suffered tedium as it's constant companion. Prince used to have balance in his music of love, sex, God, & money. When you remove one or more of those elements, the balance is struck as biased. He's removed sex, the love is bland like milk toast, God has taken a bigger role (and in one's personal life that's great, but when you're still trying to be a secular rock star who is know for singing about God AND blowjobs, it's off), and money....well, we know about THAT, don't we?
[Edited 12/16/09 10:36am]

Oh Jesus I think you have missed the point buddy. What you are talking about is right for you. That's your taste, your opinion. That doesn't make it right for anyone but yourself. If that's the music from Prince that you relate to then great. I feel a bit like you just want to be right about something. You want to impress us with your biography comments. Buddy what you get from the music is an emotional response to what is going on in your life and that's right for you.

Have you thought about why his "mad music" means more to you? Maybe it says something about where you are at.

There is more than enough music from one artist for many tastes.

I happen to disagree with you about his best work period being Chaos and Disorder but that doesn't make me right and you wrong. Music is an art. You take what you want or like or receive.

I am not trying to be patronizing buddy but stop trying to say your word is the truth. We hear what you are saying and respectfully disagree. But you know that's what a forum is all about. The ancient Greeks used to have have open air forums and it's all about respect and hearing as well as gettin your points across. Over and out!

funkylust said:

It seems you didn't read what I wrote. Let me clear up a few things, buddy.
*I never called it "mad music".
*I never said Chaos and Disorder was his best work. I've NEVER said that anywhere on this forum, or elsewhere, and I dare you to prove otherwise. (I'd not take that bet, if I were you.)
*I never said my word was truth.
*I never said anyone had to agree with what I wrote.
*I never said I was right, and everyone else was wrong. These are MY thoughts on the issue.
*I never said I was out to impress anyone, nor implied it.

So I'm not sure where you read all that, because it wasn't in my response. But then again, people see what they want. Ask NPGMan.

And for you to analyze me based on this post is what I consider a vapid response. Of course I don't mean to be patronizing or anything, buddy. "Oh, you must have problems if you think THIS is right." Yeah, ok. You know me. You know my soul, my mind, my spirit, my 41 years experience on this year. You got me all figured out, that because I like "mad music", that must speak VOLUMES about me. Good one!

It's amazing to me that everyone can have an opinion, as long as it matches everyone else's (ie YOURS) opinion. The minute it's different, then it's "Oh, you're a know it all. You're preaching. You think you're right."

You know what? I do think I"m right. HOWEVER, it doesn't mean I think others are wrong, but this is MY response, MY truth in Prince's music. We're not exactly discussing the meaning of life here, BUDDY.

If you don't like my thoughts on the original idea of keeping Prince mad to get great music (which I never said), I don't care. I'm not here to convince you, win you over, or get you on my team. I have my two cents. You can agree or not. Doesn't matter to me, because I'm firm in what I believe. Aren't you? Oh I bet you are when someone disagrees with you, and you get called a know it all, right buddy?

By the way I said Prince puts out good music when he IS in conflict. I never said I wanted him in it. I even presented the dichotomy of "do we keep him in conflict for the sake of good music, or do we wish him well in his freedom and HOPE he puts out something decent in the interim?" Betcha didn't see that, did you, buddy.

Wow, where did that come from?! Okay now you are officially scaring me.

funkylust said:

Ohhhhh, yeah, I bet you're sitting at home shaking in your chair. Come on, can we just be adults here and stop with the "you're scaring me" nonsense? It's SO 3rd grade. We're above that.

funkylust said:

You read my mind. Very well stated!!!!!

My sincere apologies to the original poster for stepping off topic, but this ongoing nausea had to be addressed. This is a very good and mind opening topic, you are commended!!

Secondly, my props to Funky Lust for speaking so on point about this topic.

Lastly, the undertone here is like watching an episode of the TV show "Intervention". Although, people here are trying to show ERNIE what it is that makes him so sickening in here, one thing still prevails....DENIAL!! ERNIE sees nothing wrong with a poison mind, cause negativity oozes from his being. It's implanted way too deep for us amateur shrinks to even try to rescue him from.

FunkyLusts line, "Have you thought about why his "mad music" means more to you? Maybe it says something about where you are at". Wow...nuff said!!!
[Edited 12/16/09 13:55pm]

viol8r said:

Mayte was 18 in 1991, not underage. They were an item, but there were a lot of other "items" going on at the same time too!

But seriously, yes... much of Prince's best material came from a time of turbulence in his life. But on the flip-side, much of his best work also came during his love affair with Susannah Melvoin.

So, I think it's just a matter of there being peaks and valleys in any artist's creative cycle. But what the fuck do I know?

@ this thread very good points made

NPGman said:

[Let's keep the thread on track or it will get ruined. Move on folks..... - luv4u]

luv4u said: