I've been listening to some of Prince's older music recently - some which is completely new to me, and some which I've only listened to properly a few times - and it got me to thinking.

If I could wave a magic wand and make something happen, I would love to give Prince the opportunity to hear his music as if a) for the first time and b) from an artist other than himself. The same way as he would have heard Janelle Monae or Esperanza Spalding's albums, or any other recent artist whom he admires.

No hangups about perceived errors or quality issues, what could be done better, what could be done differently, etc...

Just listening to his albums, rehearsals, live recordings - all as if from the outside, looking in.

Like one of his fans, hearing the music for the first time.

Do you think it would change his current/future output? Would it change what he would include in his live shows? What to release? What to remaster?

I wonder how often he listens to certain albums. Or if he ever listens to past performances.

It's puzzling (not a new puzzle, I realise) that some songs - other than the huge hits - get played at almost every concert, yet others (still all clean and nice and JW-friendly) don't get a look-in. Is that to do with market research or have some of his albums gotten lost down the back of the couch at Paisley Park somewhere?

Developing a love for an album is a wonderful experience - exciting, almost romantic in a way.

What (if anything) would it mean to "rekindle the romance" between Prince and his past music?

I'm sure when he plays songs he hasn't done in years, he either does it by memory and brings the lyric book out to go through it, or puts it on. His band has to know all the songs even if he slips up. I think it's a song he's played hundreds of times, it might be like going on autopilot, until he gets to the solo. The medleys would have to be rehearsed.

It would be interesting to hear rehearsals when he's doing those songs. I'm sure they have the list of songs they go through, and pare it down to something that makes for a good show. It's like putting together a mix tape. If it's an award show and they're paying tribute to him, he does get to hear other people singing his songs. He might insist on hearing cover songs before giving permission, but usually that's left up to their publishing company (which is basically Sony or Universal, even though thousands are out there) to determine all that. He might have a set of rules for them to follow.

Artists videotaped their shows in the 80s to critique their shows. Some of those tapes wound up in bootlegger hands.

Sometimes they screw up and he'd hear a cover version he wouldn't have approved.

It is difficult to imagine Prince sitting down and listening to his past material without being critical.

As an outsider looking in though, I suppose if he listened to enough of it it would influence him in some way or other.

As for whether he does listen to past performances, i'm quite sure he does, though i'm guessing he probably watches past performances more than listens.

Prince does love himself.