The cat is 52 years old

compared to james,stevie,elton,u2 etc at their age he is still as tavis says"the only man still doing it"

Theres no way a man in his late 40's early 50's should be putting out shit as incredible as

BLACK SWEAT

LOTUSFLOWER

XPECTATION

NEWS

3121

21 nights in london/sftershows

thaswhattimeitis y'all

[img:$uid]http://i53.tinypic.com/28tg9ax.gif[/img:$uid]

bless ur heart

But no.

Why do fams always mention Prince's age like it's an obstacle he should be getting a handicap for?

Efan said:

Why do fams always mention Prince's age like it's an obstacle he should be getting a handicap for?

Or a handclap.

Black Sweat is a good song but it is not incredible. A drum beat and a high-pitched keyboard does not make it funky. Lotusflow3r has some great songs but it also has some clunkers. Same with 3121. Xpectation bores me to death. NEWS is alright. Nothing that you just posted is groundbreaking or as good as anything he did in the 80's. Nice try, though.

Prince is as cutting edge as the listener allows/perceives him to be.

I've said it before, I'll say it again. If some new 20 year old had released lotusflow3r or 3121 on a major label... critics would trip over themselves praising/hyping the artist/music.

That said, people are used to Prince and take him for granted. None more than his fans.

Conversely, if Prince had released The ArchAndroid, fans and critics would be divided as usual. You'd also get the usual array of love/hate..everything thing said from "..He lost it after 198whatever.." to "..His best since Sign O' The Times.."

[Edited 2/2/11 14:25pm]

TheDigitalGardener said:

Efan said:

Why do fams always mention Prince's age like it's an obstacle he should be getting a handicap for?

Or a handclap.

And finger snaps.

skywalker said:

Conversely, if Prince had released The ArchAndroid, fans and critics would be divided as usual. You'd also get the usual array of love/hate..everything thing said from "..He lost it after 198whatever.." to "..His best since Sign O' The Times.."

Prince releasing The ArchAndroid would be the best thing since The Rainbow Children.

smoothcriminal12 said:

skywalker said:

Conversely, if Prince had released The ArchAndroid, fans and critics would be divided as usual. You'd also get the usual array of love/hate..everything thing said from "..He lost it after 198whatever.." to "..His best since Sign O' The Times.."

Prince releasing The ArchAndroid would be the best thing since The Rainbow Children.

lolzzzzzzz

smoothcriminal12 said:

skywalker said:

Conversely, if Prince had released The ArchAndroid, fans and critics would be divided as usual. You'd also get the usual array of love/hate..everything thing said from "..He lost it after 198whatever.." to "..His best since Sign O' The Times.."

Prince releasing The ArchAndroid would be the best thing since The Rainbow Children.

No matter how many fams think his new music isn't cutting edge, he is still doing his thing and should be blessed for it. I hope I have that energy or creative output when I am his age. And, no... age doesn't and shouldn't matter... but I agree that if Justin Bieber released 3121 the press would eat it up and many little girlies would have to buy new drawers!

Efan said:

Why do fams always mention Prince's age like it's an obstacle he should be getting a handicap for?

mate in a hyperthetical,internetty kind of way i have you slammed you against a wall with the threat of an oncoming headbut BOOM straight onto the bridge of your nose

Did you call me a "FAM"?

a fucking fam?

perhaps i didnt make my point

i was comparing the older prince to his, older contemparies

prince aged 50 versus stevie aged 50 etc etc

geddit?

Spinlight said:

[img:$uid]http://i53.tinypic.com/28tg9ax.gif[/img:$uid]

bless ur heart

But no.

skywalker said:

Prince is as cutting edge as the listener allows/perceives him to be.

I've said it before, I'll say it again. If some new 20 year old had released lotusflow3r or 3121 on a major label... critics would trip over themselves praising/hyping the artist/music.

That said, people are used to Prince and take him for granted. None more than his fans.

Conversely, if Prince had released The ArchAndroid, fans and critics would be divided as usual. You'd also get the usual array of love/hate..everything thing said from "..He lost it after 198whatever.." to "..His best since Sign O' The Times.."

[Edited 2/2/11 14:25pm]

I could give a damn if Prince is cutting edge or not. Hell I never cared about any of that stuff. All I care about whether Prince is making great music or not and to me he is. If I didn't think he was still great at what he does, I would not be on this sorry ass website talking about the man or spending any of the money I've spent in the last of couple of months seeing Prince at MSG and God knows I'm not spending my money on garbage I don't like, especially with this economy! Prince still has it and that's all that counts.

skywalker said:

Prince is as cutting edge as the listener allows/perceives him to be.

I've said it before, I'll say it again. If some new 20 year old had released lotusflow3r or 3121 on a major label... critics would trip over themselves praising/hyping the artist/music.

That said, people are used to Prince and take him for granted. None more than his fans.

Conversely, if Prince had released The ArchAndroid, fans and critics would be divided as usual. You'd also get the usual array of love/hate..everything thing said from "..He lost it after 198whatever.." to "..His best since Sign O' The Times.."

[Edited 2/2/11 14:25pm]

Especially the fans taking him for granted part.

[Edited 2/2/11 17:40pm]

Jony...

Prince was cutting edge in terms of his lyrics far more than he was in terms of his music... while her certainly had his own sound, it was built off the back of Sly Stone.

His more recent music is anything but cutting edge... nevermind his contemporaries - this isn't a competition. Prince's music lacks something that it once had - there was something magical in the way he wrote lyrics, arranged music, and created vibes.

I want to recommend an album to you guys that is certainly influenced by our man in that the artists are:

(a) fans of his sound

(b) fans of the fearlessness that he once brought to his music

The band is called 'Little Dragons' and the album is titled 'Machine Dreams'.

Jony... let me know what you think if you ever get a chance to hear it.

Jay

http://www.myspace.com/thechocolateinvasion

I think most fans have it backwards. Prince's studio output has been ignored, and his live performances have been lauded as legendary. I have discussed this at length with a few musicians, and many of them see it the way I do:

His studio albums may not be what they were in the 80's, but The Lotus Flow3r disc is a masterpiece with 3121 and Planet Earth fine companions, just not quite as good. MPLS Sound is half decent, half filler, and 20Ten is pretty good.

Live? Well this is the overblown thing about his reputation. The 2002 ONA Tour and 2004's Musicology tour were his two best tours since Lovesexy. Those tours deserve high marks. His tours since then have been cover song after cover song. If you like female backup singers taking lead vocals on tons of songs...then this is the Prince for you. One example I've given in post after post is "Let's Go Crazy." I've complained that he really hasn't sung this song since the Purple Rain tour with all the lyrics. Some bloke(I think this is British lingo) at the 02 shows claimed it was sung in full...but the bootlegs prove it was the lackluster first verse and chorus, with Prince chanting "Go GO GO," a few billion times. Even on the brilliant Musicology tour, Crazy was reduced to this...and to my horror, about 3 saxaphone players. I always remembered Crazy as a rock song..not a sax song.

Prince has had moments of wonder since 2005, but the shows lack what you can get with lesser artists like U2, John Mellencamp, etc. Those acts don't have half of Prince's talent, but at least play full length versions of songs, and Prince seems to wimp out after about an hour and a half these days. At some recent shows, he spent less than 45 minutes actually singing...you can check the bootlegs yourself. (Unless you count chanting and babbling as singing..)

Of course, Prince could get up on stage and read a audio engineering manual and it would be better than most other shows...

It is just when Prince is going through the motions, it is sad. Especially when I consider his new music to be top notch.

Even worse...he has no faith in his latest recordings. Not since The Rainbow Children has he even tried to play more than 2 or 3 songs from a new project in the same show.

So my final view is that Prince is still the best in the studio, just not as great as he once was. Live he is hit or miss.

A final note: I like to mention that I discuss this with musicians, and not your normal hacks. I am a songwriter, and have several accomplished musicians as friends. This does not make me any more qualified to judge music than anybody else. I do feel that I pay a little more attention. All the fuss about how bad Chaos And Disorder is....and every single used copy I have ever seen is clearer than a brand new mirror. They don't look like anybody ever played them. Some people hear music...I do my best to listen. There is a difference, and sadly, many choose just to hear it and judge.

[Edited 2/3/11 0:34am]

he's doing the same thing that people like U2, Elton John, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash (before his death), etc. are doing. putting out albums that, while not groundbreaking and forward-thinking, are solid and a return to the basics and sound of their early career.

it just so happens that Prince's return to basics and cross-pollinating earlier sounds is more in line with contemporary trends than some of the others.

Most Prince fans are spoiled brats. They want everything from him. Perfect albums, perfect shows playing the set they want to hear. He must tour where they live. He must be cutting edge. He must have the religious views they have. He must be as good at 52 as he was 22. Some folks just can't appreciate what they have because they spent all there time imagining what could be in a prefect world.

There is no perfect world. There is no perfect Prince. If Prince provides you no pleasure why keep riding the train just to complain? For me I can literally pick up any of his albums and can find pleasure from the listening experience. And the more time passes the more I get from the music. It truly is the gift that keeps giving for me. I feel sorry for those who seem to make being a fan seem like such a chore. What's wrong with your Life?

stillwaiting said:

Live he is hit or miss.

Of course, Prince could get up on stage and read a audio engineering manual and it would be better than most other shows...

Aren't these two contradicting statements?

Also, analyzing a show by being there in the moment is an entirely different thing than analyzing them by playing back the bootlegs.

It seems to me that you are critiquing concerts based only on hearing the bootlegs. To me, it kind takes the weight out of much of what you are complaining about.

tricky99 said:

Most Prince fans are spoiled brats. They want everything from him. Perfect albums, perfect shows playing the set they want to hear. He must tour where they live. He must be cutting edge. He must have the religious views they have. He must be as good at 52 as he was 22. Some folks just can't appreciate what they have because they spent all there time imagining what could be in a prefect world.

There is no perfect world. There is no perfect Prince. If Prince provides you no pleasure why keep riding the train just to complain? For me I can literally pick up any of his albums and can find pleasure from the listening experience. And the more time passes the more I get from the music. It truly is the gift that keeps giving for me. I feel sorry for those who seem to make being a fan seem like such a chore. What's wrong with your Life?

Agreed.

For me he isn't cutting anything since the ONA tour ended.

Of course many of his latest albums would be praised if done by anybody else.

But they weren't done by anybody else, they were done by Prince. And they are absolutely sub-par for him.

Apart from that, the man is a fucking idiot and an undesirable individual if I should trust every word I read about him. And that shows.

skywalker said:

Prince is as cutting edge as the listener allows/perceives him to be.

I've said it before, I'll say it again. If some new 20 year old had released lotusflow3r or 3121 on a major label... critics would trip over themselves praising/hyping the artist/music.

That said, people are used to Prince and take him for granted. None more than his fans.

Conversely, if Prince had released The ArchAndroid, fans and critics would be divided as usual. You'd also get the usual array of love/hate..everything thing said from "..He lost it after 198whatever.." to "..His best since Sign O' The Times.."

[Edited 2/2/11 14:25pm]

Dead on, as usual! ~G

tricky99 said:

Most Prince fans are spoiled brats. They want everything from him. Perfect albums, perfect shows playing the set they want to hear. He must tour where they live. He must be cutting edge. He must have the religious views they have. He must be as good at 52 as he was 22. Some folks just can't appreciate what they have because they spent all there time imagining what could be in a prefect world.

There is no perfect world. There is no perfect Prince. If Prince provides you no pleasure why keep riding the train just to complain? For me I can literally pick up any of his albums and can find pleasure from the listening experience. And the more time passes the more I get from the music. It truly is the gift that keeps giving for me. I feel sorry for those who seem to make being a fan seem like such a chore. What's wrong with your Life?

Well put. It seems like U, Skywalker, and myself could initiate a music-based Prince site. The three of us all have a very similar perspective on Prince and music appreciation.

^Yes, and it should be called asslickingprince.org

Giovanni777 said:

tricky99 said:

Most Prince fans are spoiled brats. They want everything from him. Perfect albums, perfect shows playing the set they want to hear. He must tour where they live. He must be cutting edge. He must have the religious views they have. He must be as good at 52 as he was 22. Some folks just can't appreciate what they have because they spent all there time imagining what could be in a prefect world.

There is no perfect world. There is no perfect Prince. If Prince provides you no pleasure why keep riding the train just to complain? For me I can literally pick up any of his albums and can find pleasure from the listening experience. And the more time passes the more I get from the music. It truly is the gift that keeps giving for me. I feel sorry for those who seem to make being a fan seem like such a chore. What's wrong with your Life?

Well put. It seems like U, Skywalker, and myself could initiate a music-based Prince site. The three of us all have a very similar perspective on Prince and music appreciation.

yes, we all tend to be on the same page. Throw my buddy Purplecam in too. Too many here seem to have an adversariol (sp) relationship with Prince that I just don't understand. I just enjoy Prince as an artist and personality and feel no need to judge him as a person.

As far as the music, I still enjoy what he has to offer. And when I don't enjoy it anymore I will simply move on. I definately would not "blame" Prince for my lack of enjoyment as some do. Great thing about the internet is it gives everyone a voice and the worst thing about the internet is it gives everyone a voice lol.

tricky99 said:

Most Prince fans are spoiled brats. They want everything from him. Perfect albums, perfect shows playing the set they want to hear. He must tour where they live. He must be cutting edge. He must have the religious views they have. He must be as good at 52 as he was 22. Some folks just can't appreciate what they have because they spent all there time imagining what could be in a prefect world.

There is no perfect world. There is no perfect Prince. If Prince provides you no pleasure why keep riding the train just to complain? For me I can literally pick up any of his albums and can find pleasure from the listening experience. And the more time passes the more I get from the music. It truly is the gift that keeps giving for me. I feel sorry for those who seem to make being a fan seem like such a chore. What's wrong with your Life?

Agreed, I've just made a long post about that very subject!

jonylawson said:

The cat is 52 years old

compared to james,stevie,elton,u2 etc at their age he is still as tavis says"the only man still doing it"

Theres no way a man in his late 40's early 50's should be putting out shit as incredible as

BLACK SWEAT

LOTUSFLOWER

XPECTATION

NEWS

3121

21 nights in london/sftershows

thaswhattimeitis y'all

Mmm ... The songs mentioned are not cutting edge but, I love em never-the-less.