JudasSmile said:

There is an excerpt from an interview with Prince here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk...CMP=twt_fd

There was a time when Prince's idea of fun was something beyond the wildest imaginings of most – his song Gett Off talked of "23 positions in a one-night stand", while Tipper Gore was so shocked when she heard her daughter listening to Darling Nikki she founded the Parents Music Resource Center to police perceived obscenity in pop. At 53, though, the eccentric star no longer sees sex as the be all and end all of a good time.

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian's Film&Music, Prince said: "It's fun being in Islamic countries, to know there's only one religion. There's order. You wear a burqa. There's no choice. People are happy with that." When asked about the fate of those unhappy with having no choice, he replied: "There are people who are unhappy with everything. There's a dark side to everything."

Prince embraced religion in 2001, when he became a Jehovah's Witness. "I was anti-authoritarian but at the same time I was a loving tyrant," he told the Guardian. "You can't be both. I had to learn what authority was. That's what the Bible teaches. The Bible is a study guide for social interaction.

"If I go to a place where I don't feel stressed and there's no car alarms and airplanes overhead, then you understand what noise pollution is. Noise is a society that has no God, that has no glue. We can't do what we want to do all the time. If you don't have boundaries, what then?"

Prince's views on the internet, however, have not changed. He has long been a vociferous critic of those who feel they have the right to post his music or even his image online – in 2007 his lawyers instructed fansites to remove all photographs and images related to his likeness. He told the Guardian: "I'm supposed to go to the White House to talk about copyright protection. It's like the gold rush out there. Or a carjacking. There's no boundaries." Because of the problem with piracy, he said, he has no plans to record another album.

His unease about the web is not just a matter of legality for him, however, but one of aesthetics. "I personally can't stand digital music," he said. "You're getting sound in bits. It affects a different place in your brain. When you play it back, you can't feel anything. We're analogue people, not digital."

Despite the effects of the internet on his album sales, Prince remains one of pop's biggest stars. In 2007 he played 21 nights at the 20,000-capacity O2 arena in London, selling out all of them and grossing a reported $22m (£13.7m). He criticised the organisers of this weekend's Glastonbury festival, claiming the annual rumours that he is to play the festival are just an attempt to sell tickets on the back of his stardom. "They use my name to sell the festival," he said. "It's illegal. I've never spoken to anyone about doing that concert, ever."

[Edited 6/23/11 4:08am]

Sounds to me like he's a little paranoid..... seems to be getting worse as the years go by

NouveauDance said:

"It's fun being in Islamic countries, to know there's only one religion. There's order. You wear a burqa. There's no choice. People are happy with that."

That is probably the most pathetic and disheartening thing I've ever read from Prince.

What a fucking cretin.

Now where I come from
We don't let society
Tell us how it's supposed to be
Our clothes, our hair
We don't care
It's all about being there

Vict0r said:

NouveauDance said:

That is probably the most pathetic and disheartening thing I've ever read from Prince.

What a fucking cretin.

Well I think the message that he's trying to send is positive (people should live together as one and the same). It's the idea of one population, one race, one religion, one nation without conflict, where everyone is the same, and thus treated equally, without judgement. The overall message is not bad, it's the method of the unification that's horrible. He says, "The Bible is a study guide for social interaction," so he obviously thinks that the only way to achieve this uniform state of living is to embrace religion. Religion in my opinion just divides people.

Except that that is categorically not true in Islamic countries.

It's all about control. Control of his music, control of women, control of his image, etc.

At least this explains why we're getting vinyl remasters of his old albums. It's to protect us from those harmful digital sound bits.

"order, unity, humility, i like that. stillness speaks. noise doesnt. we're flesh and blood, not data. piracy is for pirates. my ship sails free."

thats what i'm hearing.

thisisit said:

"order, unity, humility, i like that. stillness speaks. noise doesnt. we're flesh and blood, not data. piracy is for pirates. my ship sails free."

thats what i'm hearing.

You mean, that's what you're cherry picking (http://en.wikipedia.org/w...fallacy%29)

toejam said:

thisisit said:

"order, unity, humility, i like that. stillness speaks. noise doesnt. we're flesh and blood, not data. piracy is for pirates. my ship sails free."

thats what i'm hearing.

You mean, that's what you're cherry picking (http://en.wikipedia.org/w...fallacy%29)

no.

he's coming off as insecure in these interviews...

thisisit said:

"order, unity, humility, i like that. stillness speaks. noise doesnt. we're flesh and blood, not data. piracy is for pirates. my ship sails free."

thats what i'm hearing.

If that's what you're hearing, I suggest getting your hearing checked - It was only a year or two back that Prince was bigging up ProTools and using vocoders - Real analogue stuff.

"My ship sails free" - Under a theocratic dictatorship? Really?

thisisit said:

toejam said:

You mean, that's what you're cherry picking (http://en.wikipedia.org/w...fallacy%29)

no.

Oh. So you're happy with Prince's claim (according to the article) that Muslim women who complain about wearing a burqa are just "unhappy with everything" and they should get over it. Righteo.

"order, unity, humility, i like that. stillness speaks. noise doesnt. we're flesh and blood, not data. piracy is for pirates. my ship sails free."

thats what i'm hearing.

From The Guardian article:

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian's Film&Music, Prince said: "It's fun being in Islamic countries, to know there's only one religion. There's order. You wear a burqa. There's no choice. People are happy with that." When asked about the fate of those unhappy with having no choice, he replied: "There are people who are unhappy with everything. There's a dark side to everything."

[...]

We can't do what we want to do all the time. If you don't have boundaries, what then?"

There are a whole bunch of things one can say about it. Firstly, there are huge differences between different countries in the so-called 'Muslim world'. In countries like Egypt and Syria, the 'burqa' (people usually mean the niqab) or 'full veil' was actually banned, either across the board or in universities and such institutions, by secular governments seeking to quell the rise of religious fundamentalism. Secondly, where there are such measures being imposed, or shifts towards that, there's massive, vociferous opposition to it from human rights groups, women's groups, people who want to preserve secular freedoms, etc, even though those people would consider themselves Muslims and want to keep practicing their religion. Thirdly, in terms of dictatorships in that region, some of which have been known to use similar rhetoric about order, about religion, etc, to justify preserving the status quo they benefit from, we're living at a time when opposition to that is as strong as its ever been. In Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, etc, there have been well-publicised uprisings against authoritarian regimes (some of which are in fact secular though still tyrannical), which don't seem to have found their way to the TVs at Paisley Park.

He's peddling the same bunch of hoary old stereotypes usually drudged up by those who want to invade countries in that region to gain control of oil assets (as well as the unworldly cheerleaders that buy into what they're saying), with the only difference being that he's holding those images up as something good. The right response to this, I think, is not to start talking like a neocon but to look deeper than inherited and media-bolstered stereotypes about a homogenous mass of scary people with a barbaric culture, and look at what actually goes on in that part of the world, and how people that live there don't find the myths about order under tyranny, or chauvinism as religion, anywhere near as comforting as he does.

[Edited 6/23/11 7:04am]

LOL @ thisisit - avoiding the elephant-in-the-room question... again!

ButterscotchPimp said:

of course like anything else, there's a possibility that he's been misquoted.

however, with that being said it sure sounds like something he'd say.

which given the treatment of his fans and the websites for the most part,

and his strict adherence to being a JW makes this statements not surprising in the least.

I miss the Prince of my childhood that really seemed to love his fanbase.

Yes that too. Me and my fella (a hardcore P fan, well use to be) was only talking last night of how much Prince has changed towards his fans, its like now there his ememies or something.

But if I dont hear anything to say hes not been misquoted then I'm gonna have to stop being into Prince so much. I can't support a man that has them kind of views.

electricberet said:

It's all about control. Control of his music, control of women, control of his image, etc.

What makes this sad is that he's letting religion control him...

[Edited 6/23/11 7:10am]

NouveauDance said:

thisisit said:

"order, unity, humility, i like that. stillness speaks. noise doesnt. we're flesh and blood, not data. piracy is for pirates. my ship sails free."

thats what i'm hearing.

If that's what you're hearing, I suggest getting your hearing checked - It was only a year or two back that Prince was bigging up ProTools and using vocoders - Real analogue stuff.

"My ship sails free" - Under a theocratic dictatorship? Really?

i think he was referring to music on the internet

Vict0r said:

electricberet said:

It's all about control. Control of his music, control of women, control of his image, etc.

What makes this sad is that he's letting religion control him...

[Edited 6/23/11 7:10am]

well said!

deebee said:

From The Guardian article:

In an exclusive interview with the Guardian's Film&Music, Prince said: "It's fun being in Islamic countries, to know there's only one religion. There's order. You wear a burqa. There's no choice. People are happy with that." When asked about the fate of those unhappy with having no choice, he replied: "There are people who are unhappy with everything. There's a dark side to everything."

[...]

We can't do what we want to do all the time. If you don't have boundaries, what then?"

There are a whole bunch of things one can say about it. Firstly, there are huge differences between different countries in the so-called 'Muslim world'. In countries like Egypt and Syria, the 'burqa' (people usually mean the niqab) or 'full veil' was actually banned, either across the board or in universities and such institutions, by secular governments seeking to quell the rise of religious fundamentalism. Secondly, where there are such measures being imposed, or shifts towards that, there's massive, vociferous opposition to it from human rights groups, women's groups, people who want to preserve secular freedoms, etc, even though those people would consider themselves Muslims and want to keep practicing their religion. Thirdly, in terms of dictatorships in that region, some of which have been known to use similar rhetoric about order, about religion, etc, to justify preserving the status quo they benefit from, we're living at a time when opposition to that is as strong as its ever been. In Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, etc, there have been well-publicised uprisings against authoritarian regimes (some of which are in fact secular though still tyrannical), which don't seem to have found their way to the TVs at Paisley Park.

He's peddling the same bunch of hoary old stereotypes usually drudged up by those who want to invade countries in that region to gain control of oil assets (as well as the unworldly cheerleaders that buy into what they're saying), with the only difference being that he's holding those images up as something good. The right response to this, I think, is not to start talking like a neocon but to look deeper than inherited and media-bolstered stereotypes about a homogenous mass of scary people with a barbaric culture, and look at what actually goes on in that part of the world, and how people that live there don't find the myths about order under tyranny, or chauvinism as religion, anywhere near as comforting as he does.

[Edited 6/23/11 7:04am]

Exactly. Prince knows nothing about Islam or the diversity of Islamic countries. But I could easily see him converting and then preaching to everyone about how ignorant we all are. He's attracted to the idea of social control, especially control over women. If he gave a concert in Salt Lake City recently he'd probably be talking about how great Mormonism is, based on equally ignorant stereotypes. What a silly person. If he could take all his old CDs out of our hands he probably would.

NouveauDance said:

"It's fun being in Islamic countries, to know there's only one religion. There's order. You wear a burqa. There's no choice. People are happy with that."

That is probably the most pathetic and disheartening thing I've ever read from Prince.

What a fucking cretin.

Its not an accurate statement though. Other than Saudi Arabia and a few other countries, most nations in the middle east do not force women to wear it legally. There are plenty of muslim women who live in the middle east who do not wear it, the argument that all women over there wear a burqa is a steryotype.

Hilarious how so many fans are blaming the paper for Prince's idiocy.

Blame the messenger! Shoot the pianist!

what has happened to my boy!!

oh prince, i may just have to take a break for a bit.... im tired of making excuses or turning the other cheek...

i think we need to 'drive it baby, drive it, drive the demon out" of prince.... it is like a sickness...

he doesnt even seem like a real person..

he seems obsessed with the bible and obsessed with internet piracy...

here's a clue prince: put out some great music and people will buy it.. dont just give us the used toilet paper that was planet earth and 20ten... stop ruining your catalogue with crap...

and lets think: since he become JW, we've had shit albums...

1 + 1 = 2

i gotta take a break from this crap.. he is turning into a total asshole.

For those who are trying to suggest the Guardian is some sensationalist, untrustworthy tabloid, you're wrong. It's one of the few reasonably reputable newspapers and the interview will be accurately portrayed as such.

Anyway the interview sounds like it will be the typical Prince nonsense we have grown accustomed to. Better digitial MP3s than a stuck record...

electricberet said:

deebee said:

There are a whole bunch of things one can say about it. Firstly, there are huge differences between different countries in the so-called 'Muslim world'. In countries like Egypt and Syria, the 'burqa' (people usually mean the niqab) or 'full veil' was actually banned, either across the board or in universities and such institutions, by secular governments seeking to quell the rise of religious fundamentalism. Secondly, where there are such measures being imposed, or shifts towards that, there's massive, vociferous opposition to it from human rights groups, women's groups, people who want to preserve secular freedoms, etc, even though those people would consider themselves Muslims and want to keep practicing their religion. Thirdly, in terms of dictatorships in that region, some of which have been known to use similar rhetoric about order, about religion, etc, to justify preserving the status quo they benefit from, we're living at a time when opposition to that is as strong as its ever been. In Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, etc, there have been well-publicised uprisings against authoritarian regimes (some of which are in fact secular though still tyrannical), which don't seem to have found their way to the TVs at Paisley Park.

He's peddling the same bunch of hoary old stereotypes usually drudged up by those who want to invade countries in that region to gain control of oil assets (as well as the unworldly cheerleaders that buy into what they're saying), with the only difference being that he's holding those images up as something good. The right response to this, I think, is not to start talking like a neocon but to look deeper than inherited and media-bolstered stereotypes about a homogenous mass of scary people with a barbaric culture, and look at what actually goes on in that part of the world, and how people that live there don't find the myths about order under tyranny, or chauvinism as religion, anywhere near as comforting as he does.

[Edited 6/23/11 7:04am]

Exactly. Prince knows nothing about Islam or the diversity of Islamic countries. But I could easily see him converting and then preaching to everyone about how ignorant we all are. He's attracted to the idea of social control, especially control over women. If he gave a concert in Salt Lake City recently he'd probably be talking about how great Mormonism is, based on equally ignorant stereotypes. What a silly person. If he could take all his old CDs out of our hands he probably would.

I think that's true. The sex fantasies that appeared on his records were generally about control too (it's always the woman who's tied up and subject to his desires, etc). When he converted, he shifted from making that an erotic fantasy to making it a religious edict (e.g. the "theocratic order" from 1+1+1 is 3).

Interestingly, the other thing he'd do lyrically, pre-conversion, is put an idealised woman on a pedestal ("All that's wrong in my world you can make right", etc), which also fits right in as the 'good side' of whore/madonna dualism about women that's often there in religious fundamentalism.

With some artists/musicians/actors, the older they get, the more sinister/radical/weirder they become...

this interview is radical, but it doesn't surprise me...

remasters?? really? Do you think that this man, which died in 2000 and "resurrected" just the following year as a COMPLETELY different person gives a shit about his 80s legacy? NO

[Edited 6/23/11 7:47am]

thedance said:

JudasSmile said:

Prince's views on the internet, however, have not changed. He has long been a vociferous critic of those who feel they have the right to post his music or even his image online – in 2007 his lawyers instructed fansites to remove all photographs and images related to his likeness.

He told the Guardian: "I'm supposed to go to the White House to talk about copyright protection. It's like the gold rush out there. Or a carjacking. There's no boundaries." Because of the problem with piracy, he said, he has no plans to record another album.

His unease about the web is not just a matter of legality for him, however, but one of aesthetics. "I personally can't stand digital music," he said. "You're getting sound in bits. It affects a different place in your brain. When you play it back, you can't feel anything. We're analogue people, not digital."

^ thanks for posting, however I wish Prince would grow up - or - shut up, and not make a fool of himself yet, once again...

I am not gonna steal from him I wanna buy from him, but can I....? NO, cuz he don't make the fans have legal access to his stuff on a simple/ easy website, all these recordings in his vaults...... these will remain unreleased 'til he is dead in 2044 or something, and most of us are dead too.

imo, he just sound stupid, makes a fool of himself. Damn.

catpark said:

Yes that too. Me and my fella (a hardcore P fan, well use to be) was only talking last night of how much Prince has changed towards his fans, its like now there his ememies or something.

Now? Go watch the special he had on VH1 in January 1996: instead of just videos, he had to inject a lame story line, and it's about... a stalker fan. And since then he's attacked fan mags, sued fan web sites,...

But if I dont hear anything to say hes not been misquoted

From whom? Princey? I recall how they were "factchecking" his interviews in the late 1990s/early 2000s on his official site, and usually they found issue with the stupidest shit, while ignoring the outright lies Prince himself spewed.

If he wants to be accurately quoted, all he has to do is allow the reporter to tape the interview and allow him to post it online. If he refuses to even allow reporters to take notes...

hhhhdmt said:

NouveauDance said:

That is probably the most pathetic and disheartening thing I've ever read from Prince.

What a fucking cretin.

Its not an accurate statement though. Other than Saudi Arabia and a few other countries, most nations in the middle east do not force women to wear it legally. There are plenty of muslim women who live in the middle east who do not wear it, the argument that all women over there wear a burqa is a steryotype.

I know that, does Prince?!

itsjustaroundthecorner said:

what has happened to my boy!!

oh prince, i may just have to take a break for a bit.... im tired of making excuses or turning the other cheek...

i think we need to 'drive it baby, drive it, drive the demon out" of prince.... it is like a sickness...

he doesnt even seem like a real person..

he seems obsessed with the bible and obsessed with internet piracy...

here's a clue prince: put out some great music and people will buy it.. dont just give us the used toilet paper that was planet earth and 20ten... stop ruining your catalogue with crap...

and lets think: since he become JW, we've had shit albums...

1 + 1 = 2

i gotta take a break from this crap.. he is turning into a total asshole.

From all indications hes obsessed with the JW Bible not The King James Holy Bible many differences!