Prince Funk for the Soul

http://hour.ca/2011/11/24...-the-soul/

"We grew up in the 60s and 70s, which was a golden age for real music," he says. "These days the stylist is more important than whether or not you can really play your instrument."

Am I the only one who senses slight irony in this statement?

Prince: for real!!!

Yeah, okay. So now "NPG" is now the name for the audiences and not the band???? Now THAT'S a dumb statement. And for all those wanting him in the studio for HIS next album, thank God it wasn't. It was for his little girlfriend, who he was trying to impress by having her record with him in a studio in Switzerland! I guess there's another album that will be dominated by cheesy ass production.

It was interesting to hear him say he's covering the music of people who can no longer do it themselves (mostly due to being dead, I'm sure), and that it was almost blasphemy back in the day to cover your peers. Prince, you wanna introduce your audience to their music? Write a damn commercial for it,l or just send 'em to Amazon!! We don't wanna hear that shit in a show where we came to hear PRINCE songs!!

alexnvrmnd777 said:

alexnvrmnd777 said:

Yeah, okay. So now "NPG" is now the name for the audiences and not the band???? Now THAT'S a dumb statement. And for all those wanting him in the studio for HIS next album, thank God it wasn't. It was for his little girlfriend, who he was trying to impress by having her record with him in a studio in Switzerland! I guess there's another album that will be dominated by cheesy ass production.

It was interesting to hear him say he's covering the music of people who can no longer do it themselves (mostly due to being dead, I'm sure), and that it was almost blasphemy back in the day to cover your peers. Prince, you wanna introduce your audience to their music? Write a damn commercial for it,l or just send 'em to Amazon!! We don't wanna hear that shit in a show where we came to hear PRINCE songs!!

I would tend to agree with that, but as I get older (and my bladder gets weaker) I have come to appreciate the occasional piss break.

Particularly if I drink a couple of pints of beer beforehand as I rather stupidly did at the Malahide concert. I have never been more delighted to hear the opening bars of 'Make you feel my love'.

AsylumUtopia said:

alexnvrmnd777 said:

Yeah, okay. So now "NPG" is now the name for the audiences and not the band???? Now THAT'S a dumb statement. And for all those wanting him in the studio for HIS next album, thank God it wasn't. It was for his little girlfriend, who he was trying to impress by having her record with him in a studio in Switzerland! I guess there's another album that will be dominated by cheesy ass production.

It was interesting to hear him say he's covering the music of people who can no longer do it themselves (mostly due to being dead, I'm sure), and that it was almost blasphemy back in the day to cover your peers. Prince, you wanna introduce your audience to their music? Write a damn commercial for it,l or just send 'em to Amazon!! We don't wanna hear that shit in a show where we came to hear PRINCE songs!!

I would tend to agree with that, but as I get older (and my bladder gets weaker) I have come to appreciate the occasional piss break.

Particularly if I drink a couple of pints of beer beforehand as I rather stupidly did at the Malahide concert. I have never been more delighted to hear the opening bars of 'Make you feel my love'.

LMAO!

alexnvrmnd777 said:

AsylumUtopia said:

I would tend to agree with that, but as I get older (and my bladder gets weaker) I have come to appreciate the occasional piss break.

Particularly if I drink a couple of pints of beer beforehand as I rather stupidly did at the Malahide concert. I have never been more delighted to hear the opening bars of 'Make you feel my love'.

LMAO!

kangafunk said:

alexnvrmnd777 said:

Yeah, okay. So now "NPG" is now the name for the audiences and not the band???? Now THAT'S a dumb statement. And for all those wanting him in the studio for HIS next album, thank God it wasn't. It was for his little girlfriend, who he was trying to impress by having her record with him in a studio in Switzerland! I guess there's another album that will be dominated by cheesy ass production.

It was interesting to hear him say he's covering the music of people who can no longer do it themselves (mostly due to being dead, I'm sure), and that it was almost blasphemy back in the day to cover your peers. Prince, you wanna introduce your audience to their music? Write a damn commercial for it, or just send 'em to Amazon!! We don't wanna hear that shit in a show where we came to hear PRINCE songs!!

You must lead a miserable life to find so much time to complain. Luckily for you, there is good medication out there these days, I suggest you get down the docs. Nice interview, we all know he isn't going to give us much, but his thoughts on acts today placing more emphasis on style than their musicianship is spot on IMO.

No, I lead a great life because I know not to blindly follow someone and I call them out when they're talking dumb shit!! There IS a difference (between that and being "miserable"). Learn it, love it, learn it again, and love it some more.

The actual interview:

I’ve seen many great shows in my life, but none ever came close to the one I saw last June 24 at Métropolis, where Prince played the first of two concerts during the Montreal International Jazz Festival. It was pure bliss to hear such timeless classics as Purple Rain, Let’s Go Crazy, 1999, Little Red Corvette, Raspberry Beret, Controversy and Cream being played with contagious enthusiasm and boundless energy by this electrifyingly charismatic singer and virtuoso guitar player who, surrounded by the extraordinary current incarnation of the New Power Generation, kept at it for no less than four hours.

"Yes, it was very special," Prince concurs. "It’s rare to see any band play four hours with seven encores. That night was historical for us."

Having apparently enjoyed playing that gig as much as the people who were lucky enough to be there in the audience loved hearing it, His Purpleness is now set to return to Montreal on December 2, when he’ll play on a 360-degree stage in the shape of his signature Love Symbol at the Bell Centre as part of his Welcome 2 Canada tour. Once again, the 53-year-old star hopes to remind people of how great live music can be. "We grew up in the 60s and 70s, which was a golden age for real music," he says. "These days the stylist is more important than whether or not you can really play your instrument."

Even though he has more than enough hits of his own to fill even a four-hour show, Prince often sprinkles his setlists with covers of Sly and the Family Stone, Michael Jackson and others – anything to get the people grooving even more. "We try to create an unforgettable experience that will last a lifetime. Earlier in our career it would be unthinkable to play another band’s material in concert, especially if that band was still vital. Sadly a lot of our peers are no longer touring, so we do our best to keep their music alive by introducing it to a new generation."

"People wonder why we have never changed the name of the band, the New Power Generation," Prince goes on. "The name actually refers to the audience now. The crowds we play in front of now are more diverse than ever. It’s mind-bending actually, when you think about it."

As is often noted, Prince is constantly writing and recording new material, and just in the last two years he’s released the LOtUSFLOW3R triple album and 20Ten. There were rumours that he was in the studio in Switzerland recently, which Prince confirms, but he reveals to us that it was not for his next album but to give a hand to Andy Allo, a Cameroonian singer-songwriter who’s been touring with him and the NPG. "Yes, we were assisting Andy Allo with her latest project," says Prince, "I could tell you how cool Andy and her music are, but I would need a live mic and a sound system to do so."

While there are other artists who’ve been at it for 35-plus years like Prince, few still convey as much passion as he does when he sings and plays guitar. What is it that keeps him going after all these years? Does it have something to do with the spiritual nature of music?

"Good question," Prince ponders. "Music revitalizes the mind, body and spirit instantly. We all need music in our lives. Teachers and musicians are some of our favourite people. Laurence Fishburne was at a party we had where Maceo Parker and his band were playing in our living room. Afterwards, Morpheus said, ‘Thanks. My soul needed that.’ Come December you’ll see what he means."

alexnvrmnd777 said:

kangafunk said:

alexnvrmnd777 said: You must lead a miserable life to find so much time to complain. Luckily for you, there is good medication out there these days, I suggest you get down the docs. Nice interview, we all know he isn't going to give us much, but his thoughts on acts today placing more emphasis on style than their musicianship is spot on IMO.

No, I lead a great life because I know not to blindly follow someone and I call them out when they're talking dumb shit!! There IS a difference (between that and being "miserable"). Learn it, love it, learn it again, and love it some more.

I might join a fansite of Justin Beiber and spend half my life telling the rest of his fans what a dumb, fake, manufactured piece of s**t he is. Maybe then my life will be great.

kangafunk said:

alexnvrmnd777 said:

No, I lead a great life because I know not to blindly follow someone and I call them out when they're talking dumb shit!! There IS a difference (between that and being "miserable"). Learn it, love it, learn it again, and love it some more.

I might join a fansite of Justin Beiber and spend half my life telling the rest of his fans what a dumb, fake, manufactured piece of s**t he is. Maybe then my life will be great.

Extremely poor analogy, since no one here does that. And if you think they do, please provide the link to that comment.

And even if "they" did, why would YOU even give a shit??

Please discuss the thread subject

Interesting to read about how he views the band name now. And this part is fascinating: "While there are other artists who’ve been at it for 35-plus years like Prince, few still convey as much passion as he does when he sings and plays guitar."

langebleu said:

Please discuss the thread subject

alexnvrmnd777 said:

So, am I the only one who is starting to be slightly creeped out by the whole "we" thing?

kangafunk said:

alexnvrmnd777 said:

Extremely poor analogy, since no one here does that. And if you think they do, please provide the link to that comment.

And even if "they" did, why would YOU even give a shit??

You're not that dumb. I'm very disappointed that a new album isn't looking likely in the near future, I won't be going out of my way to get andy allo's new project.

So basically, you're not going to address my request for the link (or even just a direct quote) of someone who said he was a dumb, fake, manufactured piece of shit, huh? So as my man Bart would say, stop making shit up.

alexnvrmnd777 said:

kangafunk said:

alexnvrmnd777 said: You're not that dumb. I'm very disappointed that a new album isn't looking likely in the near future, I won't be going out of my way to get andy allo's new project.

So basically, you're not going to address my request for the link (or even just a direct quote) of someone who said he was a dumb, fake, manufactured piece of shit, huh? So as my man Bart would say, stop making shit up.

They are my views, not anybody elses, but instead of going onto his fans forum and delivering my negative bulls**t on an hourly basis, I'd rather keep it to myself and let them get on with their discussions. You knew what I meant though didn't you.

I wish I were in Canada to attend one of those aftershows. If only I had been more clued up to such things when I saw him in London.

npgmaverick said:

So, am I the only one who is starting to be slightly creeped out by the whole "we" thing?

No

Cool read. Thank you for posting.

MJMia said:

npgmaverick said:

So, am I the only one who is starting to be slightly creeped out by the whole "we" thing?

No

It's a pluralis maiestatis, a form used by royalty in the old days, to imply they are on the same level as God.(God and I = We)

It's not creepy, it's just lunatic.

MJMia said:

npgmaverick said:

So, am I the only one who is starting to be slightly creeped out by the whole "we" thing?

No

gemini is back

npgmaverick said:

So, am I the only one who is starting to be slightly creeped out by the whole "we" thing?

yeah. kinda stands out....

A good inspiring interview...

Love this quote:

"Music revitalizes the mind, body and spirit instantly. We all need music in our lives. Teachers and musicians are some of our favourite people"

AsylumUtopia said:

alexnvrmnd777 said:

Yeah, okay. So now "NPG" is now the name for the audiences and not the band???? Now THAT'S a dumb statement. And for all those wanting him in the studio for HIS next album, thank God it wasn't. It was for his little girlfriend, who he was trying to impress by having her record with him in a studio in Switzerland! I guess there's another album that will be dominated by cheesy ass production.

It was interesting to hear him say he's covering the music of people who can no longer do it themselves (mostly due to being dead, I'm sure), and that it was almost blasphemy back in the day to cover your peers. Prince, you wanna introduce your audience to their music? Write a damn commercial for it,l or just send 'em to Amazon!! We don't wanna hear that shit in a show where we came to hear PRINCE songs!!

I would tend to agree with that, but as I get older (and my bladder gets weaker) I have come to appreciate the occasional piss break.

Particularly if I drink a couple of pints of beer beforehand as I rather stupidly did at the Malahide concert. I have never been more delighted to hear the opening bars of 'Make you feel my love'.

eelco said:

MJMia said:

No

It's a pluralis maiestatis, a form used by royalty in the old days, to imply they are on the same level as God.(God and I = We)

It's not creepy, it's just lunatic.

Yes, the 'Royal We' is a bit much, in this day and age.

MJMia said:

"We grew up in the 60s and 70s, which was a golden age for real music," he says. "These days the stylist is more important than whether or not you can really play your instrument."

Am I the only one who senses slight irony in this statement?

Prince: for real!!!

A little too ironic. Good interview.

[Edited 11/25/11 15:56pm]

npgmaverick said:

So, am I the only one who is starting to be slightly creeped out by the whole "we" thing?

nope unless prince has started 2 talk like the Rock in 3rd person speak