alexnvrmnd777 said:

InternationalLover82 said:

It seems this might be for older fans, but I just go into Prince like last summer,and mainly in Augest, right after 20ten? so I haven't had that anticipation for a new album ...

I'm assuming you're in the US when I ask this question. If you just got into Prince just based off the 20Ten album, how did you even come across that album to become a fan from it (since it was only "released in the UK")? Did someone happen to play it for you and you inquired who it was?

Just curious.

It was made "available" in various European countries.

erik319 said:

I still think he's capable of releasing something good, he just needs to get pissed off and angry before composing. At the minute he's just whoring out the goods for some quick, up front cash. And then wondering why his music isn't really setting his fanbase alight.

I don't mind so much as long as we keep getting gems like the 84 Birthday show, Box o Chocs, 4 Lust, etc... These keep me a Prince fan more than a new album release. Sad but true. But you never know, maybe with his next new album... There's always hope!

i have a fantasy that one day prince will find larry graham wanking over the bible and gets so pissed off he makes an album so moody and cynical it makes leonard cohen seem chipper. you never know, dreams can come true, jim'll fix it proved that!

robertgeorgeakabob said:

He doesn't know how to edit himself.

If you're an indulgent artist known for hitting homeruns by doing really unorthodox work, and suddenly you think everything you do is brilliant, or so brilliant that the public isn't ready to hear it yet ....you WILL burn out your audience.

It used to be you could make corny half baked music and draw stadiums of audiences to validate you in parts of the world that were slightly behind the pop culture - but thanks to the internet, when you're a cornball, the world knows you're a cornball.

He needs a producer.

If not in the studio itself, then as a remixer like the way the Beastie Boys used the guy from Cassius. Prince just isn't communicating to his audience but there are songs that indicate he's self aware of the problem, and at least trying to give people what they want to hear.

Cloudbuster said:

owen said:

As much as I love LotusFlow3r, and enjoy some of the songs on 3121, Musicology, Planet Earth and 20Ten,

I haven't had the same 'first listen thrill' since Rainbow Children.

I remember putting that on with a fellow fan and sitting back, jaws a-gaping, thinking

"wow, what the hell is this??"

Now, I know TRC is an album that divides the fan base, but coming from a production and

musicianship point of view, I found it to be absolutely breathtaking. Still do.

And I haven't had the same feeling of wonder or excitement over the

opening track of a new Prince album since...

I'm not a fan of The Rainbow Children but I have to agree with you. Even at its very worst it's at least an interesting piece of work.

The only album opener since to catch my attention was 3121, it sounding somewhat like a return to SOTT/Black/Lovesexy era oddness.

Sadly it was merely a promising start that quickly went awry.

And I agree wholeheartedly with your line about 3121:

"Sadly it was merely a promising start that quickly went awry".

owen said:

Cloudbuster said:

I'm not a fan of The Rainbow Children but I have to agree with you. Even at its very worst it's at least an interesting piece of work.

The only album opener since to catch my attention was 3121, it sounding somewhat like a return to SOTT/Black/Lovesexy era oddness.

Sadly it was merely a promising start that quickly went awry.

And I agree wholeheartedly with your line about 3121:

"Sadly it was merely a promising start that quickly went awry".

Me, too.

treehouse said:

alexnvrmnd777 said:

InternationalLover82 said:

It seems this might be for older fans, but I just go into Prince like last summer,and mainly in Augest, right after 20ten? so I haven't had that anticipation for a new album ...

I'm assuming you're in the US when I ask this question. If you just got into Prince just based off the 20Ten album, how did you even come across that album to become a fan from it (since it was only "released in the UK")? Did someone happen to play it for you and you inquired who it was?

Just curious.

No no I got into Prince cause of Purple Rain , I meant I just happen to have gotten into him right after a new release, so I never had that anticipation

InternationalLover82 said:

mzsadii said:

itsmrhappy said:

Personally, I made that transition from casual fan to hardcore fan in 1986 with Sign of the Times. For me, that was when I wanted to hear absolutely everything the man had done.

For context sake, I was 15. Sign of the Times touched me on many levels because I was at an age and place where the content was relevant to my life.

Having said that, there are alot of things that dont knock my socks off the way they did when I was 15.

• <insert sexual act here> a new woman for the first time.
• Driving a new car
• Flying First Class
• Getting a big pay day

I think part of the cycle of life is you get older, you get more life experience and thusly, you become harder to impress.

With that said, I dont have the same enthusiasm I had for Prince albums as I did when I was 15. But I do go out of my way to get them. I just got back from LA where I spent two nights seeing Prince after seeing him in the bay earlier this year. Seeing him in LA... I was high for two weeks.

These days, I think the secret to life is to stop waiting for other people to impress us... We have to go out and do things that impress ourselves.

Great Points

Ditto

Romeoblu said:

InternationalLover82 said:

No no I got into Prince cause of Purple Rain , I meant I just happen to have gotten into him right after a new release, so I never had that anticipation

I love InternationalLover82's excitement 4 Prince music of the 1980's I love sharing music with her and see her get all excited

I still get excited about every Prince album that comes out. I don't get why so many people don't like 20ten. I loved this album, even though it is rather short. The artwork is dope, and songs like Future Soul Song, Sticky Like Glue, Walk in the Sand and Lavaux are top notch Prince joints in my book. And after seeing Prince several times during his 21 night stand in LA, I now love Beginning Endlessly and Laydown. The fact that I couldn't buy 20ten in the USA, added to the mystique and excitement.

As for Lotus Flower and MPLS... All very mysterious and exciting... I joined the website, solved the riddle to access the prince cyberspace and download the albums. Granted it was sort of a waste of money to pay 70 bucks or whatever for the club, to get the album and a t-shirt, especially when I bought the album at Target to get the 1 song that Prince didn't offer on the website.

But those two albums had a bunch of great songs... Valentina, You're Gonna C Me, Dance 4 Me, Back to the Lotus, Dreamer, $, Wall of Berlin, Crimson & Clover, 4ever and Boom. I even liked 2nite on the Bria Valente album.

I was excited for The Planet Earth album when I heard the sample from "Guitar" on the Verizon commercials. This album produced some sweet songs like Mr Goodnight, Guitar, The One U Wanna C, Chelsea Rogers, Somewhere Here on Earth, and Future Baby Mama which won him a Grammy... all very exciting.

I missed out on the much of the excitement of 3121... I never made it out to Vegas. But I must admit when I first saw the Black Sweat video, I got very excited about the album. Loved Incense and Candles, Lolita, Te Amo Corazon, Fury and Satisfied.

Anyway I could make a case for Musicology, One Nite Alone, Rainbow Children, The "Rave" albums and The Vault and beyond.

I think things are a lot different. I'd be crazy to suggest Prince is as amazing with each new release, but to suggest he is boring me? Nope. In this day and age, an old artist does not get any airplay at all. If they do, the oldies station plays maybe 4 to 6 of their biggest hits, and ignores everything else. Anybody hear "Pop Life," or "Mountains" in regular rotation on any oldies station? You might hear them on a Saturday Night "Old School Jam," with the right DJ working, but it seems to me, that When Doves Cry, Raspberry Beret, and Little Red Corvette are the 3 big Prince oldies...with Let's Go Crazy, Kiss, and 1999 a little behind...Purple Rain every blue moon...and if you listen to the "Grown Folks" R&B Station, you might catch Adore or Do Me Baby.

20Ten is no masterpiece, but Future Soul Song is amazing, and even though it has elements of the past, parts of the vocal arrangement are unlike anything he has done before. Since he has composed THOUSANDS of songs, it is not easy. And I don't care when he actually wrote it. Beginning Endlessly is also a pretty good track, as is Act of God.

Why the tie in with what is played on the radio...well, most people are conditioned by the media to a degree. It seems that we are not allowed to even like new music by an old artist. In the 1980's...Paul McCartney, The Stones, and Stevie Wonder still had airplay in the their 30's and 40's....But by the time Prince turned 40, there was no more airplay for old artists...

It seems that a lot on this site just assume Prince's music stinks without listening to it. Just like everyone also assumes that Prince's live shows are legendary without even going to a concert.

Prince's live shows CAN be legendary, but many of them are watching his background ladies sing too much, and Prince playing too many covers, and constantly holding the microphone for the audience to sing. Imagine paying $200 for tickets, and then having to hear the moron next to you sing "Kiss." True, the version played on the Welcome 2 a few States Tour was longer, and contained many elements of the 12 inch single. Too Bad Prince sang 50% of the lyrics, and the crowd was invited to sing the rest.

My point? I still care about Prince's studio releases, but as I have beaten a dead horse on here lately...his studio work is ahead of his live work for the time being.

stillwaiting said:

Why the tie in with what is played on the radio...well, most people are conditioned by the media to a degree. It seems that we are not allowed to even like new music by an old artist. In the 1980's...Paul McCartney, The Stones, and Stevie Wonder still had airplay in the their 30's and 40's....But by the time Prince turned 40, there was no more airplay for old artists...

Elton John, Areosmith, Aretha Franklin and Madonna all had hits the year Prince turned 40.

Its true that older artists can get airplay but they often have to sell out, i.e do songs that aren't necessarily creative, colloborate with younger artists, have other people write hits for them etc. Aerosmith, for example is my favourite hard rock band, but even then they had to sell out to get airplay later on. They abandoned their hardrock sound after 1989 and started making poppier songs and everything. I would have prefered if they continued to make hard rocking music regardless of whether they got airplay or not

Prince could have done what Santana did- get alot of younger artists, have other people write hits etc. He did sort of try that with Rave but even then Prince is too much of a control freak to try that Santana formula. I am glad he didnt, though. I would hate a Prince album which would have colloborations with Britney spears and justin timberlake No thanks.

After Chocolate Box, I stopped looking up info on new music. 3121 was his last brilliant album. But he's still my Prince and I love him more and more with time

hhhhdmt said:

Its true that older artists can get airplay but they often have to sell out, i.e do songs that aren't necessarily creative, colloborate with younger artists, have other people write hits for them etc. Aerosmith, for example is my favourite hard rock band, but even then they had to sell out to get airplay later on. They abandoned their hardrock sound after 1989 and started making poppier songs and everything. I would have prefered if they continued to make hard rocking music regardless of whether they got airplay or not

Prince could have done what Santana did- get alot of younger artists, have other people write hits etc. He did sort of try that with Rave but even then Prince is too much of a control freak to try that Santana formula. I am glad he didnt, though. I would hate a Prince album which would have colloborations with Britney spears and justin timberlake No thanks.

That is so true.

I think Prince feels that he has accomplished so much on his own that he doesn't need any help (which I agree with him on that).

Whatever

Musicology, 3121, Lotus and 20Ten are better than ANYTHING he released during the 96-03 era, including the "almighty" TRC

daPrettyman said:

hhhhdmt said:

Its true that older artists can get airplay but they often have to sell out, i.e do songs that aren't necessarily creative, colloborate with younger artists, have other people write hits for them etc. Aerosmith, for example is my favourite hard rock band, but even then they had to sell out to get airplay later on. They abandoned their hardrock sound after 1989 and started making poppier songs and everything. I would have prefered if they continued to make hard rocking music regardless of whether they got airplay or not

Prince could have done what Santana did- get alot of younger artists, have other people write hits etc. He did sort of try that with Rave but even then Prince is too much of a control freak to try that Santana formula. I am glad he didnt, though. I would hate a Prince album which would have colloborations with Britney spears and justin timberlake No thanks.

That is so true.

I think Prince feels that he has accomplished so much on his own that he doesn't need any help (which I agree with him on that).

Rave was a fucking lost opportunity. For a change, he could have enjoyed himself, let some hot producers and good/popular dance/pop/funk/R&B artists at that time (Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx, Lauryn Hill, Sheryl Crow, Janet, Jamiroquai) co-write some good songs and jams for him, and just trust the company/label execs, who would have made a huge and ultra-commercial campaign, and the album would have been just as popular as D&P. But nooooooo, the crazy jerk of the 96-03 era just blew it once again...instead, the album was bleak, fake, full of crappy cameos and it flopped...and then we got TRC and other 3 years in the wilderness...

treehouse said:

He doesn't know how to edit himself.

If you're an indulgent artist known for hitting homeruns by doing really unorthodox work, and suddenly you think everything you do is brilliant, or so brilliant that the public isn't ready to hear it yet ....you WILL burn out your audience.

It used to be you could make corny half baked music and draw stadiums of audiences to validate you in parts of the world that were slightly behind the pop culture - but thanks to the internet, when you're a cornball, the world knows you're a cornball.

He needs a producer.

If not in the studio itself, then as a remixer like the way the Beastie Boys used the guy from Cassius. Prince just isn't communicating to his audience but there are songs that indicate he's self aware of the problem, and at least trying to give people what they want to hear.

& that's where the problem/s arrise.

I'm not gonna sit here and say 'ego' is what keeps Prince from working with a producer, I wouldn't know about somethin' like that but, 99% of the music and lyrics written by Prince is not written 'for us' meaning he's sitting in the studio thinkin' of a conversation he had with a fan or what he read on-line about what 'we' want to hear. If that was the case Roadhouse Garden would've been released and we'd have some re-masters of some of the music we know and love. I'm open in all aspects of Prince releasing a better product. Work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, work with Dr. Fink, work with Monte Moir, work with 'someone' that knows your music and, if we're talking 'radio friendly or pop music' so be it (music that'll chart).

All in all, that's not gonna stop me from buying Prince's self produced work or someone else (produces it) but, I hear what you're saying.

You're 'Dead ... on it' ...

Romeoblu said:

InternationalLover82 said:

No no I got into Prince cause of Purple Rain , I meant I just happen to have gotten into him right after a new release, so I never had that anticipation

I have all his official releases from the 80s, and his first album, and some from the 90s. I've only heard a few from nowadays but it's pretty good

OldFriends4Sale said:

Romeoblu said:

InternationalLover82 said:

I love InternationalLover82's excitement 4 Prince music of the 1980's I love sharing music with her and see her get all excited

I've just gotten into Prince recenty too. Actually I got into him in November

aardvark15 said:

I've just gotten into Prince recenty too. Actually I got into him in November

Hey, so did Ke$ha! LOL

TheDigitalGardener said:

alexnvrmnd777 said:

I'm assuming you're in the US when I ask this question. If you just got into Prince just based off the 20Ten album, how did you even come across that album to become a fan from it (since it was only "released in the UK")? Did someone happen to play it for you and you inquired who it was?

Just curious.

It was made "available" in various European countries.

Yeah, that's what I meant.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Romeoblu said:

InternationalLover82 said:

I love InternationalLover82's excitement 4 Prince music of the 1980's I love sharing music with her and see her get all excited

With as much music as he's done in the past, I kinda envy these newbies because of ALL the great stuff they're gonna be exposed to. The old live shows and outtakes. It's enough to make your brain overload. When I was just getting into all of his works, things weren't as easy to cop as it is today. There was no internet to download any boots or even to discuss his music and find out about different rarities.

With as much stuff that's out there now, I got exposed to gradually, because it was all being released as it went along. So, I didn't have this huge, massive underground discography to explore at once. So for these new fans, there's so much stuff to look forward to!

Illuminations said:

aardvark15 said:

I've just gotten into Prince recenty too. Actually I got into him in November

Hey, so did Ke$ha! LOL

Ke$ha's a piece of shit

alexnvrmnd777 said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

I love InternationalLover82's excitement 4 Prince music of the 1980's I love sharing music with her and see her get all excited

With as much music as he's done in the past, I kinda envy these newbies because of ALL the great stuff they're gonna be exposed to. The old live shows and outtakes. It's enough to make your brain overload. When I was just getting into all of his works, things weren't as easy to cop as it is today. There was no internet to download any boots or even to discuss his music and find out about different rarities.

With as much stuff that's out there now, I got exposed to gradually, because it was all being released as it went along. So, I didn't have this huge, massive underground discography to explore at once. So for these new fans, there's so much stuff to look forward to!

It is overwhelming discovering SO MUCH music lol . It's the best I've heard though

InternationalLover82 said:

alexnvrmnd777 said:

With as much music as he's done in the past, I kinda envy these newbies because of ALL the great stuff they're gonna be exposed to. The old live shows and outtakes. It's enough to make your brain overload. When I was just getting into all of his works, things weren't as easy to cop as it is today. There was no internet to download any boots or even to discuss his music and find out about different rarities.

With as much stuff that's out there now, I got exposed to gradually, because it was all being released as it went along. So, I didn't have this huge, massive underground discography to explore at once. So for these new fans, there's so much stuff to look forward to!

It is overwhelming discovering SO MUCH music lol . It's the best I've heard though

I feel the same way. I discover like 4 new Prince songs daily