And I actually like it. I'd like to hear a few musicians or peopel versed in music theory weigh in on the song. It's not something I'd hear and run to the dance floor for, but it's definitely interesting, in the sense that, for instance, "Strays Of The World" is interesting.

After seeing all of the initial reviews, I decided to wait and forget about what I read until listening to it in it's entirety.

Genesia said:

BlackandRising said:

That's a good thing..I wish I can do that

If you watched the Closing Ceremonies last night and saw the guy who sang the official Olympic song, you can see where he was coming from.

Cheesy, maybe, but P&G is no different from many other songs in that style.

paisleypark4 said:

I definitely stay away from here given the level of convo when it comes to Prince. After a while it's like reading political threads, which are wholly unreadable.

NDRU said:

Exactly. Given that it was advertised as a "fight song" I wasn't surprised when I heard it. But I definitely like his take on a "fight song" as it were.

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[Edited 3/1/10 13:40pm]

I just listened to it for the the 1st time it came out for the same reason you did. It is definitely a fight song. I was in my high school band and had to play our fight song so many times its not funny. So with that experience, this is a legit fight song to me. I think people were expecting it to be more "Prince" like but then it wouldn't be a fight song. I think he did a good job.

Nelson4Life said:

The more I listen to it the more I love it. It sounds like the Revolution did a fight song. Great Prince, Good Prince, bad Prince...I don't care I just want the music. His worst is still miles better than most best.

Some fans just don't get it.
The song is like a national anthem. It's not meant to be a dancefloor-filler or a guitar extravaganza. It is simply a motivational anthem and IMO he did a decent job. I am Australian and don't know the history of 'fight' songs and don't really care. But to me it is something that can motivate the team/city/state.

At the worst, it still shows the range of this guy. Imagine Jane's Addiction or someone trying to sing a song like this with any kind of conviction. Prince can take on any song, no matter how ridiculous

mashedpotato said:

I get what a fight song is. I spent several years performing to various fight songs, anthems, etc. while I was in college.

I don't like this one.

One thing people don't understand about fight songs is that they have to be singable. That means the lyrics and music have to be simple and easily remembered.

It isn't the style that's at issue. Good fight songs can be performed in a variety of styles. Here's one from my university, performed two ways:

Traditional:

http://www.badgerband.com...tional.mp3

As a march:

http://www.badgerband.com...rching.mp3

Prince should've gotten the University of Minnesota band to record his. He'd've gotten farther with it.

I actually like Purple and Gold. And, if you disregard the lyrics, it has the feel musically and melodically of some of his nursery rhyme, sing-songy anthems (Free, Paisley Park, God). Love the layered synths, guitar, fanfare. A really cool song, and I don't even give two hoots about football. It's very cool that Prince even did the song, extra special that he made it so good, so Prince-like.

fms said:

Which is precisely why it's useless as a fight song.
[Edited 3/1/10 14:46pm]

Genesia said:

Exactly. I can still perform my high-school fight song, not because it's great but because it's singable. And because it's singable, we actually sang it many times, so it stuck.

I really don't understand what Prince was thinking with Purple and Gold. Why he thought they would want a fight song that was both religious and conspiracy-theory-based is beyond me.

Genesia said:

Actually, when I played football, it wasn't the lyrics that got me pumped, it was the music. So, no, you may want them to be singable, but certainly not everyone. I disagree that they have to be simple as well. Who says?

And if he had the UofM perform the song, it wouldn't have been a "Prince" song.

I took it as his being inspired watching the game, and thought, maybe I'll support the team in the best way I know how.

fms said:

excellent examples of what the song is reminiscent of; Paisley Park definitely. As strange as that song was when AWTWIAD came out, it was my immediate favorite.

should have posted this on the sticky.

BlackAdder7 said:

Is it really that big a deal....the sticky is corrupted with the kind of responses I wasn't looking for. I figures this would allow peopole who wanted to voice a genuine opinion without all of the needless commentary.

BlackandRising said:

If you'd get pumped listening to that mess, more power to you. Then again, you don't play for the Vikings, do you?

The whole point of a fight song is to fire the crowd up, as well as the players. And it's the crowd that will sing it. So it does have to be simple - and it has to be something a band can play. How else will it be heard at a game? Are you suggesting Prince will be there to play it live every time? Or will it be canned? I can't think of anything less inspiring than a pre-recorded fight song.

I still haven't heard the song!!!

Vendetta1 said:

I heard about 30 seconds of it. That was all I could take.

Genesia said:

Genesia said:

Same here. Ivy, it's too late for us, but save yourself!

Efan said:

I have no intention of listening to it. I don't even like regular fight songs.

Genesia said:

there you go again. What does it matter that I don't play for the vikings? The same that it doesn't matter that you used to play to various fight songs, the implication being that your opinion is more correct than another. It's a song, and you apparently can't comprehend that, given your diatribe about Prince playing it and so on and so forth. And then you go on to say you didn't even hear the whole thing. kinda like critiquing a book after reading the first chapter.

Again, simple is a matter of perspective. You may like simple things as maybe that's what you can process, but I have yet to read a book that laid out a formula for fight songs with regard to what would make a crowd react.

BlackandRising said:

The first time I heard it, I had already been bombarded with the negative reviews. On the first listen, I instantly thought to myself that the average pop music fan who wants something like Lets Go Crazy for an American football fight song is simply not going to get this at all. The musical pallette of the average American simply inst broad enough to encompass what they think Prince is (Purple Rain, 1999, Littel Red Corvette) AND this side of Prince. That is no slight to them - they only know what they are fed by maninstream media. However, I expected at least a few hardcore fans who are well versed in the breadth and depth of Prince's genius would have a greater capacity to appreciate the song. It seems I overestimated them. I think it is one of the better songs that Prince has crafted in the last few years.

Genesia said:

For real!

BlackandRising said:

Oh, I just looooove when peoples' arguments are so weak, they have to resort to ad hominem attacks.