i like some of it. I was listening to "the Everlasting Now" and the bassline alone is among the best he has written, not to mention its a wonderful song. Songs like "Black Sweat", "Musicology", "Love" and a couple of others would make my top 50 overall favourite Prince tunes. Lotus3flower has some good stuff, 3121 is really good. He has also had some incredible live performances during this time, the Live Version of Fury on Saturday Night Live is beyond ridicolous.

On the other hand, there is mediocre stuff too- Planet Earth and 20ten to name two. Expecting him to match his peak output is silly and people who are complaining about him not being able to match his peak are just unrealistic. How many artist who have released albums for over 30 years at their peak?

Some of it is pretty good.

Here's my take:

1. 3121 -- I listen to it more than most Prince albums

2. Lotusflow3r -- When I'm in the mood for it, it' spretty good.

3. Musicology - I thought it was utterly boring at first, but now it's not so bad. If you listen to it with really good headphones, you can hear all sorts of little surprises, etc. inside the mix.

4. Planet Earth - It's ok. I don't think it's nearly as bad as everyone says it is. I think that All the Midnigts in the World is a perfect little pop gem.

I prefer his 80's material of course. And to some extent, his 90s material was stronger.

If I can put my finger on any one reason why I don't LOVE his post-2000 output, it's that none

of the tunes stick in your head. There's not "Kiss", "When Doves Cry" or "Raspberry Berrett".

Even his catchiest songs ( The Word, Cinnamon Girl, Illusion Coma Pimp and Circumstance, etc.)

don't really linger past initial listenings. All of it lacks real 'umph'.

He's on auto-pilot, it sounds. I mean, I like it--if any musician had to be on auto-pilot,

Prince can at least do it pretty well.

Ones I listen to the most:

1. 3121- Awesome album covers a bunch of styles and still throws in some dirty lyrics

2. Lotusflow3r- His best 2000's album but there's not really any guitar breaks so I only listen to this one when I'm in the mood.

3. Planet Earth- Very underrated. A secret Prince gem if you will, expecially the title track, my favorite 200's song

4. One Nite Alone...- Amazing and sensual album brings back the sexy and dirty Prince we all no and love

5. Musicology- Great album, personally I think there's a little filler but the good songs are really good

I think the 2000-2010 material is actually better than most people give him credit for. Songs such as: Last December, Musicology, 3121, Colonized Mind and Future Soul Song (along with a few others) show that he still has it in him to produce some pretty amazing music.

I have to admit that from 2000-2003 I started to become a bit disillusioned with his music. The NPGMC tracks were fairly underwhelming, I wasn't crazy about The Rainbow Children or One Nite Alone-Piano and then there were a few instrumental releases that did not interest me (Xpectation, C-Note and N.E.W.S.). So, for me, those years were a little difficult. Fortunately I really enjoyed just about everything starting with Musicology. I thought that MPLSoUND was a bit of a clunker but it was packaged with Lotusflow3r which is probably my favourite Prince album of the last ten years. He is not hitting any extreme highs but, for the most part, he is not hitting any embarrassing lows either. I think that the 2004-2010 era has been very consistent.

Imo:

Musicology 7/10 (Especially the first half is good, not Life O The Party though - awful track)

3121 5/10 (Black Sweat, the rest is pretty weak)

Planet Earth 5/10 (I love FBM!)

LF/ MPLS 8/10 (a bit uneven, but most of both albums is good)

20Ten 7/10 (BE, FSS, LD those are really great)

-- it's rare I am trying to take a listen to the "post 2000 material".

I really prefer the classic albums 1978-1995. <<<

While I am not in anyway a fan of his 90's music, i will agree that there are some genius tracks mixed in there. "7" is as good as anything in the 80's. "Pheromone" "Don't Play me" "Dione" "Shh" "eye hate U" "Gett Off" "Cream" are all fantastic tracks that get a lot of play from me.

But there were soooo many cheesy-cringe-worthy tracks to wade through that made his 90's output so unpleasant for me. I mean really really embarrassing tracks. Tracks that much lesser B and C list artists would be ashamed of.

While the 2000's did not have as many tracks that I "truly love",.... so other than tracks like "Love" and "Lolita" or the entirety of MPLSOUND and 20Ten, there were not as many of the cringe-worthy sickening moments this past decade as the one before. He also looked sharp as hell during the 2000's . He didn't look like a sickly creep that I wanted to smack to the floor with that lollipop he was sucking on.

So, while no flat out outstanding tracks this last decade, there were also not as many of the truly god-awful embarrassing tracks and that plagued the 90's.

[Edited 8/27/11 18:34pm]

He's had some solid tracks since 2000...

Everlasting Now

Last December

She Loves Me 4 Me

When I Lay My Hands on U

Underneath the Cream

Musicology

Cinnamon Girl

Call My Name

A Million Days

Black Sweat

Fury

Love

Guitar

Chelsea Rogers

Dance 4 Me

Colonized Mind

Future Soul Song

meisme said:

Who all here really likes the 2000 to present music? If no give a reason besides it sucks. Personally I really like the new material. I think most is extremely underrated.

I love most of it.

Love most, but there are a few cuts I can take or leave.