LE PETIT PRINCE
and the days of wild

- About taking all the risks 4 love -

* An escalation by BeautifulExperience *


"If the wind blew every petal from ur precious red rose,
Would U be afraid of what U'd find inside?"

Thinking about the days of wild I would talk about the period from 1993/1994 to 2003, but when I think twice and don't let me be mislead by terms of success I realize that Prince's time in the wilderness reaches until now, 'cause there's never been a time since he left Warner Bros. Records when he played it safe. Not that he did it before; Prince took great risks in his career from the very beginning - but I want to talk about the things that happened from 1993 on, and I have to do it from a strictly personal point of view. I don't know so much about this guy called Prince - to be honest, I don't know anything about him. I just read a lot of things from different sources, and that isn't knowledge, is it? So this little article will be more about me and my perception of the music than about the artist himself.

So 1993 shall be the start, and the package of hits that's been offered was named The Hits/The B-Sides. In the liner notes Alan Leeds wrote that he wonders"what a collection like this might contain in another 15 years". Well, I bet he never thought of so less hits but so much great music in the seventeen years since then.
Take just Come with its long and intense title track, with burners like Loose!, Space, Papa, Dark and Pheromone. Critics dissed Come as one of the worse albums of this artist's career, but when did they take their time to listen to it? I mean, REALLY listen to it, not once or twice like you listen to a Rihanna-kindathing. How many of them did listen at least three or four times, just to give the songs a chance to reach their bodies and to shut up their minds full of bullshit about the name thing? I think there weren't so many of them. And when The Gold Experience had been released to stores in 1995 there were even more of the paid writing guys bothered with Prince's new and so unpronounceable name that none of them seemed to listen and to fall into love with unmatchable gems like P Control, The Most Beautiful Girl In The World, Now, Dolphin, Shhh, 319, Shy and Gold. Eight classics on one record, but nobody called them "classics" anymore. Why? Just because only one of them had been a huge hit and all the other songs were overshadowed by Prince's media created "crazy" image? Maybe also because of one of these crazy signs of our times that measures the quality of music by its impact on the charts and the number of sales of a record. Purple Rain sold more than a dozen millions of records and stayed for nearly half a year on the top position of the U.S. Billboard Charts alone, so this soundtrack forever has to be established as Prince's masterstroke, the one and only album that rules them all.
Oh no, I don't think so! There are so many others that beat Purple Rain musically, and 'cause this little essay's not about the 80's I'll pick just some works of the Nineties and beyond that make Purple Rain look pale in terms of adventurous, heartfelt and deeply inspired music.

Chaos And Disorder shall be the first, although it's been disqualified by most of the critics. Goddamn, if I mention this sort of guys in my article again, I kick my ass! Rock And Roll Is Alive (And It Lives In Minneapolis), Prince declared on a B-Side a year ago, and congruously he created this really raw sounding rock album with outstanding tracks like Chaos And Disorder, I Like It There, Zannalee, I Rock Therefore I Am, Dig U Better Dead and the stunning closer Had U.
Then came Emancipation in a storm, and nobody could keep up with this immense body of work at the time. Prince has been written off for Chaos And Disorder just a few months before, and now he had a homerun with a 3-Disc-Set of 36 songs that could all have been great hits if he'd released them in a somewhat "warmer climate". But nobody should give anything for "hits" in the long run, and so most of the tracks from Emancipation will stand out forever as excellent works of a deeply inspired musician so devoted to the loves of his life: God, music and Mayte.
If you're lucky enough to own the CD's take a look in the beautifully designed booklet and listen to Right Back Here In My Arms, Somebody's Somebody, White Mansion, I Can't Make U Love Me, In This Bed I Scream, Sex In The Summer, One Kiss At A Time, Emale, Dreamin' About U, The Holy River, Let's Have A Baby, Saviour, Slave, The Human Body, Face Down, Style, Sleep Around, Da Da Da, My Computer, The Love We Make and Emancipation. Feels like song-dropping to you? Man, you never had the chance to listen to this sonic giant of an album! Here's not the place to get deeper into Emancipation, but I hope to find the time to write a more proper review soon.

Where shall I start, where do I end? Prince did so many adventurous things in the Nineties: He followed Emancipation with a real daring project called Crystal Ball and included his all-acoustic album The Truth in it, reminding us with songs like Circle Of Amour, Comeback and Welcome 2 The Dawn of the elegance of beautifully written melodies, and with Don't Play Me he made fun of all the radio stations ignoring his new music:

"Don't play me, I already do in my car."

But in the days of wild he'd not only been ignored by radio, he'd also been ignored by his former fans that grew up with Purple Rain fame and wanted him so badly to just repeat this stunt for them all: "Just show us all that you're still the greatest, do something that'll put you at the top of the charts again!"
And maybe in 1999 Prince tried to, perhaps frustrated by the lack of attention he got for New Power Soul and his projects for Chaka Khan and Larry Graham. Although there were a lot of great songs on each of the three albums (New Power Soul, Mad Sex, Until U're In My Arms Again, When U Love Somebody, Come On, The One and Wasted Kisses on New Power Soul; Come 2 My House, This Crazy Life Of Mine, Spoon, Reconsider (U Betta), Don't Talk 2 Strangers and The Drama on Come 2 My House; Free and Just B My Lady on GCS 2000) the public didn't seem to recognize the works, and the tabloid papers still wrote more about the name change than about the music. Prince was a fallen star, and we all felt so good to see him fail in selling his records! There he was, a once so confident and sometimes arrogant guy, and now so close, only one of us...could it really be any better? But he never was one of us, be it a bless or a curse, and after his short affair with Arista Records and the only album I don't get into until now (Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic) he again did things in a completely different way. Prince launched and established the NPG Music Club, and there's been a lot of new music in this era from late 2000 to 2005. To mention it all I would not know where to start and where to end with, but it would be a sacrilege not to talk about the launch of the club with an album full of new material,The Rainbow Children.

Many things have been said about the spiritual content of the album and Prince's conversion to Jehovah's Witnesses, but a lot of folks missed the point not recognizing that this album contained some of the best music of Prince's whole career. Muse 2 The Pharaoh, Digital Garden, Everywhere, The Sensual Everafter, Deconstruction, She Loves Me 4 Me, Family Name, The Everlasting Now and Last December were songs like the best storytelling, adventurous and heartfelt, addictive and deeply inspired. And if anybody called them narrow-minded, just take the fact that The Rainbow Children is the album that inspired me to write a story about angels and vampires, dark kings and silent hunters trying to rescue a world full of shadows - only to find that these shadows live deep in themselves.
Oh, but what the fuss about a story of mine? I just wanted to say that there's much more depth in The Rainbow Children than meets the eye, and this work of art is far apart from being just a public celebration of a religious conversion.

Did I forget a thing? Oh yes, I forgot to mention Prince's very own version of Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic he released in 2000 via his website: Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic. I think it's a much more organic effort than the Arista release, and there are some really interesting moments that surpass the original versions of the songs by far. The Greatest Romance Ever Sold in its remixed version (8:07) becomes an entirely different song full of love and joy, not to compare with the slightly boring version from Rave Un2....
Hot Wit U (Nasty Girl Remix) gets real sexy in its fusion with the melody lines from Vanity 6' Nasty Girl, and the remix of Man'O'War is somewhat lighter and more playful than the original. But all in all it's difficult for me to fall in love with the "Raves". There's something missing for me that is hard to describe, and I feel that this album's perhaps the only one Prince has not written out of joy but out of sadness. And although he maybe did so thinking about losing his greatest love, there's one great track that'll shine forever: I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore. Sad, so sad - but oh so beautiful!

Did I say anything substantial about the name thing? No, I don't think so, and there is not much I could say about it. In 2000 he called himself Prince again after six years releasing music as . Did I understand why he changed his name, if it was motivated by a vision or if it was pure strategy to escape his contract with Warner? No, I don't know anything about the background, and there's maybe nobody who can be sure in this case except Prince himself. But in the long run it all doesn't matter anymore, 'cause the essence of the wild days is not so much about Prince as about his music.

To cut a long story short I have to leave some fascinating songs and some strange stories in the dark, and travelling to Toronto in 2004 I find myself with the first success in a long while when it comes to sales: Musicology.
Listening to it right now I have to say that it's a far better album than I thought at first listen. It's unbeliebably funky, and the sparse production adds to the feel of a straight-to-the-bone album with beautifully honest songs about life, love and very personal and intimate things. Enjoying Musicology is a little bit like sitting with Prince in your living room, talking and laughing together and listening to him play the guitar. And beside the strong title track there are so many killer songs on it: Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance, Life 'O' The Party, Call My Name, What Do U Want Me 2 Do?, If I Was The Man In Ur Life, Dear Mr. Man and Reflection do everything you need to dream about.
So Musicology is still one of my most loved albums of this wonderful artist, and if you ever get the chance to see some of the live performances from the accompanying tour, don't miss it!

3121 started at the top of the charts, and it made 2006 look like a year in the 23rd Century. Its futuristic sounds brand some of the greatest music ever made, not just by Prince but by any artist, and Incense And Candles, Love, Black Sweat, The Word, Beautiful, Loved & Blessed, The Dance and 3121 will remain forever as some of the most original and adventurous tracks in this artist's career. Take just The Word and you'll find that it beats nearly everything on the extremely overrated Purple Rain. But do I have a chance to prove my point? No. I just can say that I played the outstanding tracks of 3121 more often than everything on Purple Rain - by far. But that's no real proof, I know, and there'll never be "evidence" for something superior when it comes to music. 1984 I played Purple Rain probably just as often as I listened to 3121 now or in 2006 - but what I surely know is that I feel much more intense digging the vibes of3121, and that's just my very own thing. Speaking about the "days of wild" a lot of things are strictly personal, highly subjective, and the personal way is the only way to come near, maybe come close to the real thing: A musician who gave his heart and soul to create music so intimate, so intense, that everyone who listens gets the feeling it's coming straight from his own heart - straight from yourself.
3121 Las Vegas did surprise me though, and I'd been disappointed first - just to hear that a real pirate was taking permanent residency in a place like this. But again Prince did it his own way, and it turned out to be a series of intimate and adventurous concerts he'd never given before.

I've written about LOtUSFLOW3R and 20Ten in other places, so I'll close my article with the strange things happening in the summer of 2007 and beyond.
First Prince announced a concert series for the O2-Arena in London that's been sold out within a few days for the span of 21 nights - in a capacity of 24000 seats on each gig. Perfectly synchronized he released the new album Planet Earth, giving it away free to everyone attending one of his concerts at the O2, selling it as a common CD-release in most other countries outside the U.K. where Planet Earth was bundled for free with the newspaper The Mail on Sunday.
So let's talk about Planet Earth - not just about the music but also about the artwork and especially the photograph and hologram on its cover.

Imagine...

Imagine, that anybody of us will matter in this cause - imagine, that U will matter in this cause: A human being looking straight up above, feeling and realizing your emptiness and ready to be fulfilled finally - filled with an undescribable "something" so beautiful and full of power that IT can really make a difference. The thing that IS the difference between life and death - and yes, we're all dead now. Prince talked about the question of U so many times, and U is a mighty symbol reaching back to the times of wise guys like Eckhart and others before him.
Listening to Planet Earth again I think he's searching, and he's doing it honestly. Prince is searching as a human being, and because he's doing it with all his heart, with all his soul and God-given talent, he's able to get a feel of a secret path - and if we're able to listen real close, real quietly to songs like Planet Earth, Somewhere Here On Earth, Future Baby Mama, Mr. Goodnight, All The Midnights In The World, Chelsea Rodgers, Lion Of Judah and Resolution, we all have the chance to get a feel of the path, too.
The days of wild continue, but this time they seem to be for all of us.

"3121 made 2006 look like a year in the 23rd Century. Its futuristic sounds..."

Actually, except for the very contemporary Black Sweat (that sounded exactly like 2004's Snoop Dogg's album and a few other hip-hop records from these days), most of the album sounds like 1996 exactly. It's not a critic: i actually enjoyed this jump in 10 before's sounds, particularly since i really enjoy the way things sounded in '96, but it's funny that you'd perceive it as "futuristic" when it was actually "retro" ^^

Apart from that, you wrote a real nice essay

[Edited 10/17/10 22:21pm]

databank said:

"3121 made 2006 look like a year in the 23rd Century. Its futuristic sounds..."

Actually, except for the very contemporary Black Sweat (that sounded exactly like 2004's Snoop Dogg's album and a few other hip-hop records from these days), most of the album sounds like 1996 exactly. It's not a critic: i actually enjoyed this jump in 10 before's sounds, particularly since i really enjoy the way things sounded in '96, but it's funny that you'd perceive it as "futuristic" when it was actually "retro" ^^

Apart from that, you wrote a real nice essay

[Edited 10/17/10 22:21pm]

Thanks for your feedback.

But if you compare 3121 with its predecessor Musicology, you'll (perhaps) understand my point.

databank said:

"3121 made 2006 look like a year in the 23rd Century. Its futuristic sounds..."

Actually, except for the very contemporary Black Sweat (that sounded exactly like 2004's Snoop Dogg's album and a few other hip-hop records from these days), most of the album sounds like 1996 exactly. It's not a critic: i actually enjoyed this jump in 10 before's sounds, particularly since i really enjoy the way things sounded in '96, but it's funny that you'd perceive it as "futuristic" when it was actually "retro" ^^

Apart from that, you wrote a real nice essay

[Edited 10/17/10 22:21pm]

I just re-read my answer to your feedback, and thinking about it my answer sounded dismissive and smart-alec. I didn't want to offend you, and my only excuse is that I'm not a native speaker and I try to improve my english every day.

BeautifulExperience said:

LE PETIT PRINCE
and the days of wild

- About taking all the risks 4 love -

* An escalation by BeautifulExperience *


"If the wind blew every petal from ur precious red rose,
Would U be afraid of what U'd find inside?"

Thinking about the days of wild I would talk about the period from 1993/1994 to 2003, but when I think twice and don't let me be mislead by terms of success I realize that Prince's time in the wilderness reaches until now, 'cause there's never been a time since he left Warner Bros. Records when he played it safe. Not that he did it before; Prince took great risks in his career from the very beginning - but I want to talk about the things that happened from 1993 on, and I have to do it from a strictly personal point of view. I don't know so much about this guy called Prince - to be honest, I don't know anything about him. I just read a lot of things from different sources, and that isn't knowledge, is it? So this little article will be more about me and my perception of the music than about the artist himself.

So 1993 shall be the start, and the package of hits that's been offered was named The Hits/The B-Sides. In the liner notes Alan Leeds wrote that he wonders"what a collection like this might contain in another 15 years". Well, I bet he never thought of so less hits but so much great music in the seventeen years since then.
Take just Come with its long and intense title track, with burners like Loose!, Space, Papa, Dark and Pheromone. Critics dissed Come as one of the worse albums of this artist's career, but when did they take their time to listen to it? I mean, REALLY listen to it, not once or twice like you listen to a Rihanna-kindathing. How many of them did listen at least three or four times, just to give the songs a chance to reach their bodies and to shut up their minds full of bullshit about the name thing? I think there weren't so many of them. And when The Gold Experience had been released to stores in 1995 there were even more of the paid writing guys bothered with Prince's new and so unpronounceable name that none of them seemed to listen and to fall into love with unmatchable gems like P Control, The Most Beautiful Girl In The World, Now, Dolphin, Shhh, 319, Shy and Gold. Eight classics on one record, but nobody called them "classics" anymore. Why? Just because only one of them had been a huge hit and all the other songs were overshadowed by Prince's media created "crazy" image? Maybe also because of one of these crazy signs of our times that measures the quality of music by its impact on the charts and the number of sales of a record. Purple Rain sold more than a dozen millions of records and stayed for nearly half a year on the top position of the U.S. Billboard Charts alone, so this soundtrack forever has to be established as Prince's masterstroke, the one and only album that rules them all.
Oh no, I don't think so! There are so many others that beat Purple Rain musically, and 'cause this little essay's not about the 80's I'll pick just some works of the Nineties and beyond that make Purple Rain look pale in terms of adventurous, heartfelt and deeply inspired music.

Chaos And Disorder shall be the first, although it's been disqualified by most of the critics. Goddamn, if I mention this sort of guys in my article again, I kick my ass! Rock And Roll Is Alive (And It Lives In Minneapolis), Prince declared on a B-Side a year ago, and congruously he created this really raw sounding rock album with outstanding tracks like Chaos And Disorder, I Like It There, Zannalee, I Rock Therefore I Am, Dig U Better Dead and the stunning closer Had U.
Then came Emancipation in a storm, and nobody could keep up with this immense body of work at the time. Prince has been written off for Chaos And Disorder just a few months before, and now he had a homerun with a 3-Disc-Set of 36 songs that could all have been great hits if he'd released them in a somewhat "warmer climate". But nobody should give anything for "hits" in the long run, and so most of the tracks from Emancipation will stand out forever as excellent works of a deeply inspired musician so devoted to the loves of his life: God, music and Mayte.
If you're lucky enough to own the CD's take a look in the beautifully designed booklet and listen to Right Back Here In My Arms, Somebody's Somebody, White Mansion, I Can't Make U Love Me, In This Bed I Scream, Sex In The Summer, One Kiss At A Time, Emale, Dreamin' About U, The Holy River, Let's Have A Baby, Saviour, Slave, The Human Body, Face Down, Style, Sleep Around, Da Da Da, My Computer, The Love We Make and Emancipation. Feels like song-dropping to you? Man, you never had the chance to listen to this sonic giant of an album! Here's not the place to get deeper into Emancipation, but I hope to find the time to write a more proper review soon.

Where shall I start, where do I end? Prince did so many adventurous things in the Nineties: He followed Emancipation with a real daring project called Crystal Ball and included his all-acoustic album The Truth in it, reminding us with songs like Circle Of Amour, Comeback and Welcome 2 The Dawn of the elegance of beautifully written melodies, and with Don't Play Me he made fun of all the radio stations ignoring his new music:

"Don't play me, I already do in my car."

But in the days of wild he'd not only been ignored by radio, he'd also been ignored by his former fans that grew up with Purple Rain fame and wanted him so badly to just repeat this stunt for them all: "Just show us all that you're still the greatest, do something that'll put you at the top of the charts again!"
And maybe in 1999 Prince tried to, perhaps frustrated by the lack of attention he got for New Power Soul and his projects for Chaka Khan and Larry Graham. Although there were a lot of great songs on each of the three albums (New Power Soul, Mad Sex, Until U're In My Arms Again, When U Love Somebody, Come On, The One and Wasted Kisses on New Power Soul; Come 2 My House, This Crazy Life Of Mine, Spoon, Reconsider (U Betta), Don't Talk 2 Strangers and The Drama on Come 2 My House; Free and Just B My Lady on GCS 2000) the public didn't seem to recognize the works, and the tabloid papers still wrote more about the name change than about the music. Prince was a fallen star, and we all felt so good to see him fail in selling his records! There he was, a once so confident and sometimes arrogant guy, and now so close, only one of us...could it really be any better? But he never was one of us, be it a bless or a curse, and after his short affair with Arista Records and the only album I don't get into until now (Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic) he again did things in a completely different way. Prince launched and established the NPG Music Club, and there's been a lot of new music in this era from late 2000 to 2005. To mention it all I would not know where to start and where to end with, but it would be a sacrilege not to talk about the launch of the club with an album full of new material,The Rainbow Children.

Many things have been said about the spiritual content of the album and Prince's conversion to Jehovah's Witnesses, but a lot of folks missed the point not recognizing that this album contained some of the best music of Prince's whole career. Muse 2 The Pharaoh, Digital Garden, Everywhere, The Sensual Everafter, Deconstruction, She Loves Me 4 Me, Family Name, The Everlasting Now and Last December were songs like the best storytelling, adventurous and heartfelt, addictive and deeply inspired. And if anybody called them narrow-minded, just take the fact that The Rainbow Children is the album that inspired me to write a story about angels and vampires, dark kings and silent hunters trying to rescue a world full of shadows - only to find that these shadows live deep in themselves.
Oh, but what the fuss about a story of mine? I just wanted to say that there's much more depth in The Rainbow Children than meets the eye, and this work of art is far apart from being just a public celebration of a religious conversion.

Did I forget a thing? Oh yes, I forgot to mention Prince's very own version of Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic he released in 2000 via his website: Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic. I think it's a much more organic effort than the Arista release, and there are some really interesting moments that surpass the original versions of the songs by far. The Greatest Romance Ever Sold in its remixed version (8:07) becomes an entirely different song full of love and joy, not to compare with the slightly boring version from Rave Un2....
Hot Wit U (Nasty Girl Remix) gets real sexy in its fusion with the melody lines from Vanity 6' Nasty Girl, and the remix of Man'O'War is somewhat lighter and more playful than the original. But all in all it's difficult for me to fall in love with the "Raves". There's something missing for me that is hard to describe, and I feel that this album's perhaps the only one Prince has not written out of joy but out of sadness. And although he maybe did so thinking about losing his greatest love, there's one great track that'll shine forever: I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore. Sad, so sad - but oh so beautiful!

Did I say anything substantial about the name thing? No, I don't think so, and there is not much I could say about it. In 2000 he called himself Prince again after six years releasing music as . Did I understand why he changed his name, if it was motivated by a vision or if it was pure strategy to escape his contract with Warner? No, I don't know anything about the background, and there's maybe nobody who can be sure in this case except Prince himself. But in the long run it all doesn't matter anymore, 'cause the essence of the wild days is not so much about Prince as about his music.

To cut a long story short I have to leave some fascinating songs and some strange stories in the dark, and travelling to Toronto in 2004 I find myself with the first success in a long while when it comes to sales: Musicology.
Listening to it right now I have to say that it's a far better album than I thought at first listen. It's unbeliebably funky, and the sparse production adds to the feel of a straight-to-the-bone album with beautifully honest songs about life, love and very personal and intimate things. Enjoying Musicology is a little bit like sitting with Prince in your living room, talking and laughing together and listening to him play the guitar. And beside the strong title track there are so many killer songs on it: Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance, Life 'O' The Party, Call My Name, What Do U Want Me 2 Do?, If I Was The Man In Ur Life, Dear Mr. Man and Reflection do everything you need to dream about.
So Musicology is still one of my most loved albums of this wonderful artist, and if you ever get the chance to see some of the live performances from the accompanying tour, don't miss it!

3121 started at the top of the charts, and it made 2006 look like a year in the 23rd Century. Its futuristic sounds brand some of the greatest music ever made, not just by Prince but by any artist, and Incense And Candles, Love, Black Sweat, The Word, Beautiful, Loved & Blessed, The Dance and 3121 will remain forever as some of the most original and adventurous tracks in this artist's career. Take just The Word and you'll find that it beats nearly everything on the extremely overrated Purple Rain. But do I have a chance to prove my point? No. I just can say that I played the outstanding tracks of 3121 more often than everything on Purple Rain - by far. But that's no real proof, I know, and there'll never be "evidence" for something superior when it comes to music. 1984 I played Purple Rain probably just as often as I listened to 3121 now or in 2006 - but what I surely know is that I feel much more intense digging the vibes of3121, and that's just my very own thing. Speaking about the "days of wild" a lot of things are strictly personal, highly subjective, and the personal way is the only way to come near, maybe come close to the real thing: A musician who gave his heart and soul to create music so intimate, so intense, that everyone who listens gets the feeling it's coming straight from his own heart - straight from yourself.
3121 Las Vegas did surprise me though, and I'd been disappointed first - just to hear that a real pirate was taking permanent residency in a place like this. But again Prince did it his own way, and it turned out to be a series of intimate and adventurous concerts he'd never given before.

I've written about LOtUSFLOW3R and 20Ten in other places, so I'll close my article with the strange things happening in the summer of 2007 and beyond.
First Prince announced a concert series for the O2-Arena in London that's been sold out within a few days for the span of 21 nights - in a capacity of 24000 seats on each gig. Perfectly synchronized he released the new album Planet Earth, giving it away free to everyone attending one of his concerts at the O2, selling it as a common CD-release in most other countries outside the U.K. where Planet Earth was bundled for free with the newspaper The Mail on Sunday.
So let's talk about Planet Earth - not just about the music but also about the artwork and especially the photograph and hologram on its cover.

Imagine...

Imagine, that anybody of us will matter in this cause - imagine, that U will matter in this cause: A human being looking straight up above, feeling and realizing your emptiness and ready to be fulfilled finally - filled with an undescribable "something" so beautiful and full of power that IT can really make a difference. The thing that IS the difference between life and death - and yes, we're all dead now. Prince talked about the question of U so many times, and U is a mighty symbol reaching back to the times of wise guys like Eckhart and others before him.
Listening to Planet Earth again I think he's searching, and he's doing it honestly. Prince is searching as a human being, and because he's doing it with all his heart, with all his soul and God-given talent, he's able to get a feel of a secret path - and if we're able to listen real close, real quietly to songs like Planet Earth, Somewhere Here On Earth, Future Baby Mama, Mr. Goodnight, All The Midnights In The World, Chelsea Rodgers, Lion Of Judah and Resolution, we all have the chance to get a feel of the path, too.
The days of wild continue, but this time they seem to be for all of us.

Wow this is really good! I don't usually get time to read posts this long but u drew me in & i wasn't leaving it until id read every word! Emancipation & The Gold Experience were both truly underrated in their musical content, 2 many critics poking fun at the name change instead of reviewing what mattered the most: The Music! I 2 feel that Prince is searching. 4 what we will never know, i doubt even he knows! Most people would think what more could he want, however it isn't a want that he is searching for. It is a Need & something that can't be bought, borrowed or stealed! His search will go on as will our own 4 we will never find ours either, it can be a cold & lonely journey at times but 1 that we are all taking every day, just differently that's all! Continue 2 enjoy his music & the journey & u just can't go wrong! Peace & Be Wild!

the gold experience got positive reviews from critics

Emancipation didnt because its too long with too much filler, if emancipation was a single cd then it would have recieved much better reviews

hhhhdmt said:

the gold experience got positive reviews from critics

Emancipation didnt because its too long with too much filler, if emancipation was a single cd then it would have recieved much better reviews

We don't get the reviews as much here downunder, in fact we don't get much news on Prince generally unless we specifically look 4 it. TMBGITW reached no 1 on our charts, i don't hear much Prince on our radios stations either, the older songs yeah eg raspberry beret, kiss, LRC, Cream etc

I think the last "newer' Prince song i heard was Musicology. Iv'e never heard Betcha By Golly Wow, Gold or Right Back Here in my Arms on a australian radio station. Each time i request them they don't play 'em. Maybe it's a publishing rights legal thing, i don't kno, i just think they should play his newer releases! Lol, they mite even like "em aye!

lovesexy06 said:

Wow this is really good! I don't usually get time to read posts this long but u drew me in & i wasn't leaving it until id read every word! Emancipation & The Gold Experience were both truly underrated in their musical content, 2 many critics poking fun at the name change instead of reviewing what mattered the most: The Music! I 2 feel that Prince is searching. 4 what we will never know, i doubt even he knows! Most people would think what more could he want, however it isn't a want that he is searching for. It is a Need & something that can't be bought, borrowed or stealed! His search will go on as will our own 4 we will never find ours either, it can be a cold & lonely journey at times but 1 that we are all taking every day, just differently that's all! Continue 2 enjoy his music & the journey & u just can't go wrong! Peace & Be Wild!

Thank you very much.

It's for people like you that it's worth all the spent time for writing a longer essay.

Thank you for your wonderful and heart-felt words.

BeautifulExperience said:

LE PETIT PRINCE
and the days of wild

- About taking all the risks 4 love -

* An escalation by BeautifulExperience *


"If the wind blew every petal from ur precious red rose,
Would U be afraid of what U'd find inside?"

Thinking about the days of wild I would talk about the period from 1993/1994 to 2003, but when I think twice and don't let me be mislead by terms of success I realize that Prince's time in the wilderness reaches until now, 'cause there's never been a time since he left Warner Bros. Records when he played it safe. Not that he did it before; Prince took great risks in his career from the very beginning - but I want to talk about the things that happened from 1993 on, and I have to do it from a strictly personal point of view. I don't know so much about this guy called Prince - to be honest, I don't know anything about him. I just read a lot of things from different sources, and that isn't knowledge, is it? So this little article will be more about me and my perception of the music than about the artist himself.

So 1993 shall be the start, and the package of hits that's been offered was named The Hits/The B-Sides. In the liner notes Alan Leeds wrote that he wonders"what a collection like this might contain in another 15 years". Well, I bet he never thought of so less hits but so much great music in the seventeen years since then.
Take just Come with its long and intense title track, with burners like Loose!, Space, Papa, Dark and Pheromone. Critics dissed Come as one of the worse albums of this artist's career, but when did they take their time to listen to it? I mean, REALLY listen to it, not once or twice like you listen to a Rihanna-kindathing. How many of them did listen at least three or four times, just to give the songs a chance to reach their bodies and to shut up their minds full of bullshit about the name thing? I think there weren't so many of them. And when The Gold Experience had been released to stores in 1995 there were even more of the paid writing guys bothered with Prince's new and so unpronounceable name that none of them seemed to listen and to fall into love with unmatchable gems like P Control, The Most Beautiful Girl In The World, Now, Dolphin, Shhh, 319, Shy and Gold. Eight classics on one record, but nobody called them "classics" anymore. Why? Just because only one of them had been a huge hit and all the other songs were overshadowed by Prince's media created "crazy" image? Maybe also because of one of these crazy signs of our times that measures the quality of music by its impact on the charts and the number of sales of a record. Purple Rain sold more than a dozen millions of records and stayed for nearly half a year on the top position of the U.S. Billboard Charts alone, so this soundtrack forever has to be established as Prince's masterstroke, the one and only album that rules them all.
Oh no, I don't think so! There are so many others that beat Purple Rain musically, and 'cause this little essay's not about the 80's I'll pick just some works of the Nineties and beyond that make Purple Rain look pale in terms of adventurous, heartfelt and deeply inspired music.

Chaos And Disorder shall be the first, although it's been disqualified by most of the critics. Goddamn, if I mention this sort of guys in my article again, I kick my ass! Rock And Roll Is Alive (And It Lives In Minneapolis), Prince declared on a B-Side a year ago, and congruously he created this really raw sounding rock album with outstanding tracks like Chaos And Disorder, I Like It There, Zannalee, I Rock Therefore I Am, Dig U Better Dead and the stunning closer Had U.
Then came Emancipation in a storm, and nobody could keep up with this immense body of work at the time. Prince has been written off for Chaos And Disorder just a few months before, and now he had a homerun with a 3-Disc-Set of 36 songs that could all have been great hits if he'd released them in a somewhat "warmer climate". But nobody should give anything for "hits" in the long run, and so most of the tracks from Emancipation will stand out forever as excellent works of a deeply inspired musician so devoted to the loves of his life: God, music and Mayte.
If you're lucky enough to own the CD's take a look in the beautifully designed booklet and listen to Right Back Here In My Arms, Somebody's Somebody, White Mansion, I Can't Make U Love Me, In This Bed I Scream, Sex In The Summer, One Kiss At A Time, Emale, Dreamin' About U, The Holy River, Let's Have A Baby, Saviour, Slave, The Human Body, Face Down, Style, Sleep Around, Da Da Da, My Computer, The Love We Make and Emancipation. Feels like song-dropping to you? Man, you never had the chance to listen to this sonic giant of an album! Here's not the place to get deeper into Emancipation, but I hope to find the time to write a more proper review soon.

Where shall I start, where do I end? Prince did so many adventurous things in the Nineties: He followed Emancipation with a real daring project called Crystal Ball and included his all-acoustic album The Truth in it, reminding us with songs like Circle Of Amour, Comeback and Welcome 2 The Dawn of the elegance of beautifully written melodies, and with Don't Play Me he made fun of all the radio stations ignoring his new music:

"Don't play me, I already do in my car."

But in the days of wild he'd not only been ignored by radio, he'd also been ignored by his former fans that grew up with Purple Rain fame and wanted him so badly to just repeat this stunt for them all: "Just show us all that you're still the greatest, do something that'll put you at the top of the charts again!"
And maybe in 1999 Prince tried to, perhaps frustrated by the lack of attention he got for New Power Soul and his projects for Chaka Khan and Larry Graham. Although there were a lot of great songs on each of the three albums (New Power Soul, Mad Sex, Until U're In My Arms Again, When U Love Somebody, Come On, The One and Wasted Kisses on New Power Soul; Come 2 My House, This Crazy Life Of Mine, Spoon, Reconsider (U Betta), Don't Talk 2 Strangers and The Drama on Come 2 My House; Free and Just B My Lady on GCS 2000) the public didn't seem to recognize the works, and the tabloid papers still wrote more about the name change than about the music. Prince was a fallen star, and we all felt so good to see him fail in selling his records! There he was, a once so confident and sometimes arrogant guy, and now so close, only one of us...could it really be any better? But he never was one of us, be it a bless or a curse, and after his short affair with Arista Records and the only album I don't get into until now (Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic) he again did things in a completely different way. Prince launched and established the NPG Music Club, and there's been a lot of new music in this era from late 2000 to 2005. To mention it all I would not know where to start and where to end with, but it would be a sacrilege not to talk about the launch of the club with an album full of new material,The Rainbow Children.

Many things have been said about the spiritual content of the album and Prince's conversion to Jehovah's Witnesses, but a lot of folks missed the point not recognizing that this album contained some of the best music of Prince's whole career. Muse 2 The Pharaoh, Digital Garden, Everywhere, The Sensual Everafter, Deconstruction, She Loves Me 4 Me, Family Name, The Everlasting Now and Last December were songs like the best storytelling, adventurous and heartfelt, addictive and deeply inspired. And if anybody called them narrow-minded, just take the fact that The Rainbow Children is the album that inspired me to write a story about angels and vampires, dark kings and silent hunters trying to rescue a world full of shadows - only to find that these shadows live deep in themselves.
Oh, but what the fuss about a story of mine? I just wanted to say that there's much more depth in The Rainbow Children than meets the eye, and this work of art is far apart from being just a public celebration of a religious conversion.

Did I forget a thing? Oh yes, I forgot to mention Prince's very own version of Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic he released in 2000 via his website: Rave In2 The Joy Fantastic. I think it's a much more organic effort than the Arista release, and there are some really interesting moments that surpass the original versions of the songs by far. The Greatest Romance Ever Sold in its remixed version (8:07) becomes an entirely different song full of love and joy, not to compare with the slightly boring version from Rave Un2....
Hot Wit U (Nasty Girl Remix) gets real sexy in its fusion with the melody lines from Vanity 6' Nasty Girl, and the remix of Man'O'War is somewhat lighter and more playful than the original. But all in all it's difficult for me to fall in love with the "Raves". There's something missing for me that is hard to describe, and I feel that this album's perhaps the only one Prince has not written out of joy but out of sadness. And although he maybe did so thinking about losing his greatest love, there's one great track that'll shine forever: I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore. Sad, so sad - but oh so beautiful!

Did I say anything substantial about the name thing? No, I don't think so, and there is not much I could say about it. In 2000 he called himself Prince again after six years releasing music as . Did I understand why he changed his name, if it was motivated by a vision or if it was pure strategy to escape his contract with Warner? No, I don't know anything about the background, and there's maybe nobody who can be sure in this case except Prince himself. But in the long run it all doesn't matter anymore, 'cause the essence of the wild days is not so much about Prince as about his music.

To cut a long story short I have to leave some fascinating songs and some strange stories in the dark, and travelling to Toronto in 2004 I find myself with the first success in a long while when it comes to sales: Musicology.
Listening to it right now I have to say that it's a far better album than I thought at first listen. It's unbeliebably funky, and the sparse production adds to the feel of a straight-to-the-bone album with beautifully honest songs about life, love and very personal and intimate things. Enjoying Musicology is a little bit like sitting with Prince in your living room, talking and laughing together and listening to him play the guitar. And beside the strong title track there are so many killer songs on it: Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance, Life 'O' The Party, Call My Name, What Do U Want Me 2 Do?, If I Was The Man In Ur Life, Dear Mr. Man and Reflection do everything you need to dream about.
So Musicology is still one of my most loved albums of this wonderful artist, and if you ever get the chance to see some of the live performances from the accompanying tour, don't miss it!

3121 started at the top of the charts, and it made 2006 look like a year in the 23rd Century. Its futuristic sounds brand some of the greatest music ever made, not just by Prince but by any artist, and Incense And Candles, Love, Black Sweat, The Word, Beautiful, Loved & Blessed, The Dance and 3121 will remain forever as some of the most original and adventurous tracks in this artist's career. Take just The Word and you'll find that it beats nearly everything on the extremely overrated Purple Rain. But do I have a chance to prove my point? No. I just can say that I played the outstanding tracks of 3121 more often than everything on Purple Rain - by far. But that's no real proof, I know, and there'll never be "evidence" for something superior when it comes to music. 1984 I played Purple Rain probably just as often as I listened to 3121 now or in 2006 - but what I surely know is that I feel much more intense digging the vibes of3121, and that's just my very own thing. Speaking about the "days of wild" a lot of things are strictly personal, highly subjective, and the personal way is the only way to come near, maybe come close to the real thing: A musician who gave his heart and soul to create music so intimate, so intense, that everyone who listens gets the feeling it's coming straight from his own heart - straight from yourself.
3121 Las Vegas did surprise me though, and I'd been disappointed first - just to hear that a real pirate was taking permanent residency in a place like this. But again Prince did it his own way, and it turned out to be a series of intimate and adventurous concerts he'd never given before.

I've written about LOtUSFLOW3R and 20Ten in other places, so I'll close my article with the strange things happening in the summer of 2007 and beyond.
First Prince announced a concert series for the O2-Arena in London that's been sold out within a few days for the span of 21 nights - in a capacity of 24000 seats on each gig. Perfectly synchronized he released the new album Planet Earth, giving it away free to everyone attending one of his concerts at the O2, selling it as a common CD-release in most other countries outside the U.K. where Planet Earth was bundled for free with the newspaper The Mail on Sunday.
So let's talk about Planet Earth - not just about the music but also about the artwork and especially the photograph and hologram on its cover.

Imagine...

Imagine, that anybody of us will matter in this cause - imagine, that U will matter in this cause: A human being looking straight up above, feeling and realizing your emptiness and ready to be fulfilled finally - filled with an undescribable "something" so beautiful and full of power that IT can really make a difference. The thing that IS the difference between life and death - and yes, we're all dead now. Prince talked about the question of U so many times, and U is a mighty symbol reaching back to the times of wise guys like Eckhart and others before him.
Listening to Planet Earth again I think he's searching, and he's doing it honestly. Prince is searching as a human being, and because he's doing it with all his heart, with all his soul and God-given talent, he's able to get a feel of a secret path - and if we're able to listen real close, real quietly to songs like Planet Earth, Somewhere Here On Earth, Future Baby Mama, Mr. Goodnight, All The Midnights In The World, Chelsea Rodgers, Lion Of Judah and Resolution, we all have the chance to get a feel of the path, too.
The days of wild continue, but this time they seem to be for all of us.

Well said.

BeautifulExperience said:

lovesexy06 said:

Thank you very much.

It's for people like you that it's worth all the spent time for writing a longer essay.

Thank you for your wonderful and heart-felt words.

Oh, im just glad i managed 2 read ure thought provoking post without interruption! I 2 delve in2 deeper thought processes about Prince, and a lot of the songs on Emancipation get me there. Keep up ure longer thoughtful posts & i will do my absolute best 2 read them & comment! BTW I love The Beautiful Experience cd! So much so that i burned it & put the original away, i don't play it 4 fear of getting a scratch on it!

skywalker said:

Well said.

Thanks for reading!

Great post indeed BeautifulExperience and your English is good! You're able to express yourself well so you truely "think" in the language.

You've inspired me. I'm going to write a review tonight on SWA's thread. Maybe I'll do Emancipation. You're right about listening and LISTENING>

I don't know why society needs it's heroes to rise and fall it's something in human nature that my head intellectually understands but my heart can't fathom.

We are really blessed to have so much music from Prince and that he shares his vision and path.

But I am really jealous... "The Truth all acoustic album" I HAVE to get it.

lovesexy06 said:

Oh, im just glad i managed 2 read ure thought provoking post without interruption! I 2 delve in2 deeper thought processes about Prince, and a lot of the songs on Emancipation get me there. Keep up ure longer thoughtful posts & i will do my absolute best 2 read them & comment! BTW I love The Beautiful Experience cd! So much so that i burned it & put the original away, i don't play it 4 fear of getting a scratch on it!

Emancipation is a wonderful album! There are so many things to find there.

And yes, all the different versions of The Most beautiful Girl In The World on The Beautiful Experience make this disc a real gem.

Thanks again for your kind feedback!

Bohemian67 said:

Great post indeed BeautifulExperience and your English is good! You're able to express yourself well so you truely "think" in the language.

You've inspired me. I'm going to write a review tonight on SWA's thread. Maybe I'll do Emancipation. You're right about listening and LISTENING>

I don't know why society needs it's heroes to rise and fall it's something in human nature that my head intellectually understands but my heart can't fathom.

We are really blessed to have so much music from Prince and that he shares his vision and path.

But I am really jealous... "The Truth all acoustic album" I HAVE to get it.

Thank you! At least I try to think in the language, and I read a lot of books to improve my skills.

I'm glad to hear that I inspired you, and especially Emancipation deserves a lot of praise. I think it's one of the most beautiful albums ever made by an artist, and it's so sad it's out of print.

Perhaps we're all a little bit mad now, 'cause in these days a lot of us aren't able to appreciate things anymore; it's like we'd have lost something, a little spark and a fire in us. But things change.

And yes, you should get The Truth!

lovesexy06 said:

hhhhdmt said:

the gold experience got positive reviews from critics

Emancipation didnt because its too long with too much filler, if emancipation was a single cd then it would have recieved much better reviews

We don't get the reviews as much here downunder, in fact we don't get much news on Prince generally unless we specifically look 4 it. TMBGITW reached no 1 on our charts, i don't hear much Prince on our radios stations either, the older songs yeah eg raspberry beret, kiss, LRC, Cream etc

I think the last "newer' Prince song i heard was Musicology. Iv'e never heard Betcha By Golly Wow, Gold or Right Back Here in my Arms on a australian radio station. Each time i request them they don't play 'em. Maybe it's a publishing rights legal thing, i don't kno, i just think they should play his newer releases! Lol, they mite even like "em aye!

Sometimes I think radio stations are a thing from yesterday; there's no real good chance to detect any interesting music from a common radio station.

If prince was signed to a major label, then yes emancipation could have had a few radio hits, especially catchy songs like "sleep around".

But the fact remains is that he did not have enough top notch material to justify a 3 cd release. TGE got great reviews from critics. And TMBGITW wasnt the only hit, i hate u was a "hit" in the us, and gold was a hit in the UK

Prince could have made a very nice single cd with emancipation but he didnt. Sure there are good songs on there like the holy river and sleep around and others but there's too much filler. He only has himself to blame for the critical failiure of emancipation. Look, i'm a big fan but there's something called quality control. This thread is a good read anyway though

BeautifulExperience said:

lovesexy06 said:

We don't get the reviews as much here downunder, in fact we don't get much news on Prince generally unless we specifically look 4 it. TMBGITW reached no 1 on our charts, i don't hear much Prince on our radios stations either, the older songs yeah eg raspberry beret, kiss, LRC, Cream etc

I think the last "newer' Prince song i heard was Musicology. Iv'e never heard Betcha By Golly Wow, Gold or Right Back Here in my Arms on a australian radio station. Each time i request them they don't play 'em. Maybe it's a publishing rights legal thing, i don't kno, i just think they should play his newer releases! Lol, they mite even like "em aye!

Sometimes I think radio stations are a thing from yesterday; there's no real good chance to detect any interesting music from a common radio station.

Admittedly if it wasn't 4 the radio being on at work i probably wouldn't listen 2 it at all! Shame tho' i remember listening 2 it every sunday nite 4 the top 40 countdown. But u are rite in that it is becoming a thing of the past. I don't know 2 many people that listen 2 it often.

hhhhdmt said:

If prince was signed to a major label, then yes emancipation could have had a few radio hits, especially catchy songs like "sleep around".

But the fact remains is that he did not have enough top notch material to justify a 3 cd release. TGE got great reviews from critics. And TMBGITW wasnt the only hit, i hate u was a "hit" in the us, and gold was a hit in the UK

Prince could have made a very nice single cd with emancipation but he didnt. Sure there are good songs on there like the holy river and sleep around and others but there's too much filler. He only has himself to blame for the critical failiure of emancipation. Look, i'm a big fan but there's something called quality control. This thread is a good read anyway though

As mush as I hate saying it, also a huge fan of Prince, he can be his own worst enemy when it comes to promoting & marketing his products. It's a shame really cuz if he really took the time to apply good "quality control" who knows what this & other albums could have done! I guess hindsight 4 him isn't such a wonderful thing!

hhhhdmt said:

If prince was signed to a major label, then yes emancipation could have had a few radio hits, especially catchy songs like "sleep around".

But the fact remains is that he did not have enough top notch material to justify a 3 cd release. TGE got great reviews from critics. And TMBGITW wasnt the only hit, i hate u was a "hit" in the us, and gold was a hit in the UK

Prince could have made a very nice single cd with emancipation but he didnt. Sure there are good songs on there like the holy river and sleep around and others but there's too much filler. He only has himself to blame for the critical failiure of emancipation. Look, i'm a big fan but there's something called quality control. This thread is a good read anyway though

What shall I say? I like Emancipation just the way it is. Who am I to categorize a song as "filler"? Perhaps there are songs I don't get into from the beginning, and maybe there is a song I don't like personally - but does this circumstance make a song a "filler"? For example: I didn't like Saviour from the start, but in the meantime it's one of my favorite tracks on Emancipation.

Please don't get me wrong: I accept your opinion, but this seems to be nothing about right or wrong. Music's a much too personal thing to say anything objective about it.

Thanks for your kind feedback!

lovesexy06 said:

Admittedly if it wasn't 4 the radio being on at work i probably wouldn't listen 2 it at all! Shame tho' i remember listening 2 it every sunday nite 4 the top 40 countdown. But u are rite in that it is becoming a thing of the past. I don't know 2 many people that listen 2 it often.

Me, too. I think, iTunes changed a lot the way how we perceive music now.

hhhhdmt said:

If prince was signed to a major label, then yes emancipation could have had a few radio hits, especially catchy songs like "sleep around".

Yes, since EMI were obviously just some small indie shop.

Sheesh, the nonsense you folks come up with to avoid admitting the truth.

Let's see: a 3-CD album and the first release is a COVER? Great thinking. Oh, and it's a not particularly inspired cover of a sugary soul song. A ballad. Because, hey, that worked the last time around, right? And that was just one of many, many things that are wrong with Emancipation.

"Admitting to the truth" Bart?

I think you meant to say "your truth."

Bohemian67 said:

"Admitting to the truth" Bart?

I think you meant to say "your truth."

So please inform me: how many of the 36 songs on Emancipation, the album he was "born to make", has Prince performed live on a regular basis?

And I repeat: the lead single was a cover. A COVER. 30+ original tracks to choose from, and instead he picked a cover.

BartVanHemelen said:

Bohemian67 said:

"Admitting to the truth" Bart?

I think you meant to say "your truth."

So please inform me: how many of the 36 songs on Emancipation, the album he was "born to make", has Prince performed live on a regular basis?

And I repeat: the lead single was a cover. A COVER. 30+ original tracks to choose from, and instead he picked a cover.

Sorry Bart. I'm afraid you'll have to speak up. I'm a bit hard of hearing.

BartVanHemelen said:

hhhhdmt said:

If prince was signed to a major label, then yes emancipation could have had a few radio hits, especially catchy songs like "sleep around".

Yes, since EMI were obviously just some small indie shop.

Sheesh, the nonsense you folks come up with to avoid admitting the truth.

Let's see: a 3-CD album and the first release is a COVER? Great thinking. Oh, and it's a not particularly inspired cover of a sugary soul song. A ballad. Because, hey, that worked the last time around, right? And that was just one of many, many things that are wrong with Emancipation.

Sorry, but I don't get your point. Do you measure the artistic worth of an album only in its "success" by sales? And what is your truth? You're just saying that there are so many things wrong with Emancipation - so please describe some of your points. I'm interested.

BeautifulExperience said:

3121 started at the top of the charts, and it made 2006 look like a year in the 23rd Century. Its futuristic sounds brand some of the greatest music ever made, not just by Prince but by any artist, and Incense And Candles, Love, Black Sweat, The Word, Beautiful, Loved & Blessed, The Dance and 3121 will remain forever as some of the most original and adventurous tracks in this artist's career. Take just The Word and you'll find that it beats nearly everything on the extremely overrated Purple Rain. But do I have a chance to prove my point? No. I just can say that I played the outstanding tracks of 3121 more often than everything on Purple Rain - by far. But that's no real proof, I know, and there'll never be "evidence" for something superior when it comes to music. 1984 I played Purple Rain probably just as often as I listened to 3121 now or in 2006 - but what I surely know is that I feel much more intense digging the vibes of3121, and that's just my very own thing. Speaking about the "days of wild" a lot of things are strictly personal, highly subjective, and the personal way is the only way to come near, maybe come close to the real thing: A musician who gave his heart and soul to create music so intimate, so intense, that everyone who listens gets the feeling it's coming straight from his own heart - straight from yourself.


I've written about LOtUSFLOW3R and 20Ten in other places, so I'll close my article with the strange things happening in the summer of 2007 and beyond.

I loved reading your passionate article that reveals so much love for Prince's music! You have made especially one point that I would like to emphasize from my personal point of view - the fact that so many of Prince's songs touch me simply for the reason that they clearly show how he puts his heart and soul into his music.

The work of this outstanding artist has so much depth and goes far beyond anything as meaningless as chart hits. As he has said recently himself in interviews - he had the success in the charts, nowadays that is not important to him anymore. The quality of a song surely is not defined by the position it takes in the charts. WHat's sad about this is only that most people know only the hits, and they have no idea what an enormous amount of beautiful songs Prince has written that never got any attention.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your appreciation of Prince's work. And could you point me to where you wrote about Lotusflow3r and 20Ten, please, as I could not find the threads.

Dreamer20ten said:

Anyway, thanks for sharing your appreciation of Prince's work. And could you point me to where you wrote about Lotusflow3r and 20Ten, please, as I could not find the threads.

First I give you the links:

http://prince.org/msg/7/343732 - Prince: 20 Ten - About Opening Doors

http://prince.org/msg/7/312792 - Prince: LOtUSFLOW3R - Acts I, II & III

Thank you for your wonderful feedback! I can't answer right now, but I'll do it soon.

Dreamer20ten said:

BeautifulExperience said:

3121 started at the top of the charts, and it made 2006 look like a year in the 23rd Century. Its futuristic sounds brand some of the greatest music ever made, not just by Prince but by any artist, and Incense And Candles, Love, Black Sweat, The Word, Beautiful, Loved & Blessed, The Dance and 3121 will remain forever as some of the most original and adventurous tracks in this artist's career. Take just The Word and you'll find that it beats nearly everything on the extremely overrated Purple Rain. But do I have a chance to prove my point? No. I just can say that I played the outstanding tracks of 3121 more often than everything on Purple Rain - by far. But that's no real proof, I know, and there'll never be "evidence" for something superior when it comes to music. 1984 I played Purple Rain probably just as often as I listened to 3121 now or in 2006 - but what I surely know is that I feel much more intense digging the vibes of3121, and that's just my very own thing. Speaking about the "days of wild" a lot of things are strictly personal, highly subjective, and the personal way is the only way to come near, maybe come close to the real thing: A musician who gave his heart and soul to create music so intimate, so intense, that everyone who listens gets the feeling it's coming straight from his own heart - straight from yourself.


I've written about LOtUSFLOW3R and 20Ten in other places, so I'll close my article with the strange things happening in the summer of 2007 and beyond.

I loved reading your passionate article that reveals so much love for Prince's music! You have made especially one point that I would like to emphasize from my personal point of view - the fact that so many of Prince's songs touch me simply for the reason that they clearly show how he puts his heart and soul into his music.

The work of this outstanding artist has so much depth and goes far beyond anything as meaningless as chart hits. As he has said recently himself in interviews - he had the success in the charts, nowadays that is not important to him anymore. The quality of a song surely is not defined by the position it takes in the charts. WHat's sad about this is only that most people know only the hits, and they have no idea what an enormous amount of beautiful songs Prince has written that never got any attention.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your appreciation of Prince's work. And could you point me to where you wrote about Lotusflow3r and 20Ten, please, as I could not find the threads.

i definately agree with this part. Prince has many great songs (when you were mine, adore, crucial, pink cashmere, iiwyg, erotic city, 17 days, tbodp) that were not hits but that are great songs nonetheless.

BeautifulExperience said:

The Hits/The B-Sides and Come.

I'm glad u wrote about The Hits/The B-Sides & Come 2 of my favs. For me, Come was the musical turning point 4 P - a new sound. Love the song, Space.

Dreamer20ten said:

I loved reading your passionate article that reveals so much love for Prince's music! You have made especially one point that I would like to emphasize from my personal point of view - the fact that so many of Prince's songs touch me simply for the reason that they clearly show how he puts his heart and soul into his music.

The work of this outstanding artist has so much depth and goes far beyond anything as meaningless as chart hits. As he has said recently himself in interviews - he had the success in the charts, nowadays that is not important to him anymore. The quality of a song surely is not defined by the position it takes in the charts. WHat's sad about this is only that most people know only the hits, and they have no idea what an enormous amount of beautiful songs Prince has written that never got any attention.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your appreciation of Prince's work. And could you point me to where you wrote about Lotusflow3r and 20Ten, please, as I could not find the threads.

First, thanks again for your feedback, and thanks for reading.

I think that doing things with passion is the key for everything good. To have success in the charts you have to compromise up to a certain point, and that diminishes your vision.