rialb said:

I'm kind of lukewarm on N.E.W.S. I really want Prince to make a great instrumental album but so far I don't think he has. N.E.W.S. seems very unfocused and the "songs" seem thrown together. Xpectation is probably my favourite of his instrumental albums and I think it's because the songs are much more distinctive. At times N.E.W.S. seems like a lot of aimless noodling. I'm also not crazy about the way the instruments sound. Everything sounds extremely clean and sterile.

Despite the fact that N.E.W.S. is not a favourite I would love to hear Prince do more instrumental albums but hopefully he will try something completely different. I'd like to hear what he could do with a drummer like Jimmy Chamberlin.

Totally agree with your opinion on N.E.W.S.!

My favourite instrumental album however would be Madhouse 8.

[Edited 1/7/11 0:48am]

N.E.W.S is so good at relaxing ones mind,body & soul. I love it, if i'm having trouble sleeping i'll get up put on N.E.W.S & just let the music carry me away, sometimes I just love listening to music without the vocals, you don't have to think as much!!!

steakfinger said:

It lacks one thing that humans love - MELODY.

Someone call me up an hum or whistle me the melody to any one of the songs on there. You can't. The 4 pieces of music on that album are simple vamps that soloists "solo" on. It sounds to me like Prince said, "Okay, here's the groove. Play that shit for 15 minutes. Cool, now play the next one for 15 minutes. Y'all go home and I'll overdub some aimless noodling and call it JAZZ."

It's pretty good for some 7-day forecast Weather Channel music circa 1989.

When music is relaxing that generally means it's unremarkable. Music can be quiet, soft and soothing and still engage your mind. It can still tell a story. This album is audio wallpaper. Maybe that's what He intended. The only story it tells is of a man who believes his own hype and therefore releases some lazy music on occasion. When you think you know it all you stop learning.

Music, like all art, is subjective. It doesn't have one absolute purpose or use. Some people like Iron Maiden because it gets them excited to be at the gym while others like it because relative to their lack of education it seems scholarly. Is that wrong? No. Maybe N.E.W.S. has some grand purpose we ordinary folk cannot yet understand, but for me it serves the same purpose as ambient noise: MIND-NUMBING RELAXATION/VEGATATION.

If others like it, it has value. For me it has none. You asked and I told you what I thought. No need to get nasty.

What a ridiculous argument.

I defy you to whistle the Adagio by Samuel Barber or Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams - two of the most haunting, achingly beautiful pieces of music ever written.

Don't get it twisted - I'm not putting N.E.W.S in the same class as these pieces. But to say a musical work is somehow less valuable because it doesn't have a melody you can hum along with, or because it relaxes you rather than stressing you out, is beyond silly.

Its one of the best album hes had in the 2000s. Easy to listen to and flows nicey. Most of the time Sometimes I don't want him whinging on about his love life and the world. Just wanna hear some great music.

At last some kind words 4 this album, which is one of the best Prince album ever IMO.

The reason why most fans' reaction is usually so negative is precisely lack of education. Many people can't go beyond a melodic, rock or pop song with lyrics. To them music is limited to that and whatever goes beyong this is ununderstandable bullshit. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE a good pop song, but sometimes a 20 minutes-long Steve Reich instrumental is as good

The majors, radio and TV have brainwashed the whole world, and for that i hope they'll burn in hell!!!

databank said:

At last some kind words 4 this album, which is one of the best Prince album ever IMO.

The reason why most fans' reaction is usually so negative is precisely lack of education. Many people can't go beyond a melodic, rock or pop song with lyrics. To them music is limited to that and whatever goes beyong this is ununderstandable bullshit. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE a good pop song, but sometimes a 20 minutes-long Steve Reich instrumental is as good

The majors, radio and TV have brainwashed the whole world, and for that i hope they'll burn in hell!!!

I'm sure that is true of some fans but some of us just find it to be boring. There are instrumental albums by other artists that I like and I do think that Prince has it in him to make a great non vocal album but I don't think that he has done it yet. When I listen to N.E.W.S. it doesn't seem like much thought or creativity went into the songs. It just seems like a lot of repetition and vamping.

databank said:

At last some kind words 4 this album, which is one of the best Prince album ever IMO.

The reason why most fans' reaction is usually so negative is precisely lack of education. Many people can't go beyond a melodic, rock or pop song with lyrics. To them music is limited to that and whatever goes beyong this is ununderstandable bullshit. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE a good pop song, but sometimes a 20 minutes-long Steve Reich instrumental is as good

The majors, radio and TV have brainwashed the whole world, and for that i hope they'll burn in hell!!!