His "peers" and musical community are not a microcosm outside of mainstrean society. They are subject to the same popularity contest that determines wht is called "great" and what is even heard. Since the world changes so rapidly and Prince's career has spanned 4 decades now, it is impossible to ascertain any credible measure from social acceptance based on commerical appeal and corporate distribution.

Factors that have nothing to do with music are more relevant in what passes for music today. How you look and your style are infintely more important. If you need proof, turn on your TV and watch American Idol or any number of the ridiculous "talent" competition shows. Unfortunately, these have become the barometers of popular music. It is true that real music out of style now. Artists over 35 are put out to pasture in the music business now (even American Idol has an age limit).

Prince has made great albums. He has surpassed those that people remeber as being his great albums. Most serious Prince fans know that Purple Rain is not his greatest work but I will guarantee you that a poll of the entire civilized population would state otherwise. That is because that is the image that is perpetuated by popular culture - which is dictated by the media. Purple Rain is still on the radio. It is still rerun on TV. It will alawys be THAT Prince that everyone associates with the single greatest musical artist in the world.

Like his hero and fellow genius, Miles Davis, Prince has always fearlessly pushed the expectations and preconceived notions about who he was as an artist and dared to drastically explore new worlds - like some funky Capt Kirk. Miles reinvented himself each time he reached those uncharted universes and then courageously blasted off again to pioneer yet another: changing styles, changing bands, changing colors. If frustrated jazz purists who where there when he became a legend with his early work in the bebop era. Miles didnt care. He couldn't.

I see the same in Prince. Paisley Park Records, NPG Records, 1800New Funk, NPG Music Club - all vehicles to take him where he needs to go freely. By design, those starships couldnt hold everyone. Somepeople just couldn hack it - some just didnt care. It showed who was there and for what reason. The purple bandwagon stopped - as all bandwagons do - and alot of people got off with the wrongheaded assumption that it was the end of the line. The ride has continued.

As a result we have seen great albums - like , Diamonds and Pearls, the Gold Experience, The Rainbow Children, and even Emancipation - that have equalled or surpassed Purple Rain and Sign O The Times. Talk of his demise in the 90s is discredited with the closer inventory of the catalog. More recently, Musicology and 3121 showed that Prince can still make the commercial hit like no one else and topped the charts - as if they actually matter now.

So I say all that to say as long as Prince is of sound mind and body, he will continue to make great albums.

Sadly, since Prince thought the Watchtower Pamphlet "fight" song Purple And Gold was actually good enough to release as a gridiron anthem... I don't think so.

TwiliteKid said:

Ditto.

There'll never be another SotT, PR, Lovesexy or 1999. We'll definately get more Lotus, 3121 and that sort of thing though. Maybe another Rainbow Children or something similar.

As for the Vault. Well I think we've heard it all pretty much. Nobody would keep absolute classic tracks unreleased unless he/she were slightly doo-lally. Prince ain't mad. Spoilt and egotistical perhaps (a common occurrence in those that need the attention of fame it would seem) but not nuts.

iloveannie said:

THe fact that Prince wont make Purple Rain or SOTT again is evidence of his genius. People that expect him to repeat himself clearly are not geniuses and dont understand that.

iloveannie said:

THe fact that Prince wont make Purple Rain or SOTT again is evidence of his genius. People that expect him to repeat himself clearly are not geniuses and dont understand that.

The man has avergaed at least 1 album a year for almost 32 years now. Some were even multi disc albums. This isnt counting the stuff he made exclusive for NPGMC and the Vaulted material. He has also had 3 movies, 4 if you count SOTT.

How can a guy put out "Great" albums every time?
Noone can or ever will put out greatness that much or that often.
BUT...lets look at it like this shall we...
Most artists put out an album once every 3yrs. And Average 10 songs per album.
Now lets look at his out put in 3 yrs intervals. We will start at 1985, Since 1978-1984 speak for themselves.

85-87...ATWIAD,Parade,SOTT. Any complaints? Didnt think so.
88-90... Lovesexy, batman, Graffiti Bridge. Lovesexy- Alphabet St, Anna Stesia, Positivity, Dance On, Lovesexy. Batman- Ill give it up for Electric Chair, Party man and Scandalous. Graffiti Bridge- Thieves in the temple, Joy in Repetition. I think theres enough "greatness" there
91-93... Diamonds & Pearls, , Come. Do I even need to point out enough songs to make one great album?
94-96...Gold, Chaos & Disorder, Emancipation. Gold Experience alone was greatness! So on to the next 3 yrs.
97-99...Crystal ball, New Power soul, Rave unto the Joy Fantastic. Crystal Ball-Hide the bone, She Gave her Angels, Ripopgodazippa, Crucial. New Power Soul- The One, Come on. Rave - Ok..well...I may need help on this one, Lol.
2000-2002..Now this may be the area that, in my opinion, lacked greatness.
2003-2005...NEWS, Musicology. Well, Musicology went double Platinum. Even with the giveaway, it would have still went platinum. So it must have had something great on it. NEWS- Had a couple of great tracks.
2006-2008...3121, Planet Earth. Ive heard mostly praise of 3121. So not much need for elaborating here.
2009- Lotus Flow3r... Now come on..you guys know that out of 30 songs there were at least 10 that made up a great album. Boom, Colonized Mind, Chocolate Box, Crimson and Clover, Dreamer..etc etc.
My point is, if Prince held back(like Warner wanted him to) and just put out his best material once every 3 years on one CD, we would all be salivating over his albums.
Just ignore the "just ok" stuff or the "bad" stuff and appreciate the great songs on each album. Who cares if its just 2 or 3 great somgs here and there. My God, the man has still given us greatness whether its all on one album or spread out over a few.
Show me an Artists that can release 32 GREAT albums in 32 years, and Ill show you my new favorite artist.

iloveannie said:

THe fact that Prince wont make Purple Rain or SOTT again is evidence of his genius. People that expect him to repeat himself clearly are not geniuses and dont understand that.

We saw it about 15 years ago.

Yeah, if he releases something extremely old from the vault and doesn't alter it.

ernestsewell said:

Here we go again.....

You'll be saying the same thing in 15 years time.....

I honestly believe there won't be. But that's cool - I'm just glad he's still around, seemingly healthy and enjoying his life - his way.

Being a fan 'stuck in the 80's' isn't so bad. There's so much great material from that decade to enjoy, and there's plenty of other great music out there that gets the juices flowing.

It's all good

Well, as far as commercial succes it seems to happen every 10 years.

1984 was Purple Rain
1994 was The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
2004 was Musicology (although this was more because of the US tour then the album. I can't recall a number one hit single from this -btw excellent- album).

So who knows, maybe 2014 will bring us something?

People are also quick to dismiss the 90's, which was just as prolific and creative and interesting as the 80's. , Come, Exodus, The Gold Experience, Chaos And Disorder - those are not to be dismissed

I agree.

However, in the 90's people were not speaking so highly of his 90's output. It was still the same new Prince vs. old Prince debate.
Perhaps the name change shifted people's focus, but there was a lot of ill talk and venom towards all of the albums you mentioned, save for The Gold Experience.

Chaos and Disorder routinely was trashed by both fans and critics. I never understood that just like I don't understand any Prince fan hating on Lotusflow3r.
[Edited 2/5/10 9:59am]

Brofie said:

I never said I wanted a repeat (fuck knows we've got enough 80s bands in the UK at the moment, old and new), however you're right that I'm not a genius. I wouldn't be posting on the Org if I were as I'd have greater things to occupy my mind and time. Unlike the rest of us non-geniuses. Yourself included