Here's the deal:

Prince is an artist and a pop star. His "experimenting" was detrimental to his record sales in the US.

Zappa and Ellington comparisons are off base because they were never a superstar and popular in the ways that Prince is/was.

skywalker said:

Here's the deal:

Prince is an artist and a pop star. His "experimenting" was detrimental to his record sales in the US.

Zappa and Ellington comparisons are off base because they were never a superstar and popular in the ways that Prince is/was.

that's it

end thread

skywalker said:

Here's the deal:

Prince is an artist and a pop star. His "experimenting" was detrimental to his record sales in the US.

Zappa and Ellington comparisons are off base because they were never a superstar and popular in the ways that Prince is/was.

But whose choice was it to be a pop star?

smoothcriminal12 said:

skywalker said:

Here's the deal:

Prince is an artist and a pop star. His "experimenting" was detrimental to his record sales in the US.

Zappa and Ellington comparisons are off base because they were never a superstar and popular in the ways that Prince is/was.

But whose choice was it to be a pop star?

whose choice?

hahah that kind of snobbery always makes me laugh.

you want to play football for manchester united? play around the world and win the uefa,FA and Premiership?

oooh nah..i dont want to "sell out" ill just stick to playing for non league gateshead..that way i can "experiment" with new ways to express myself.

NO.You dont choose to.talent will out.

Purple rain should NEVER have been a hit like it was.that whole episode defies any logic.its fucking monumental.

a megastar on HIS terms?? When doves cry ? HIT?? That shit sounds lik NOTHING else.

so please dont give me that"i sold out cos im successful"

as bill withers says..."anybody doing business wants to see that sign-SOLD OUT!"

jonylawson said:

smoothcriminal12 said:

But whose choice was it to be a pop star?

whose choice?

hahah that kind of snobbery always makes me laugh.

you want to play football for manchester united? play around the world and win the uefa,FA and Premiership?

oooh nah..i dont want to "sell out" ill just stick to playing for non league gateshead..that way i can "experiment" with new ways to express myself.

NO.You dont choose to.talent will out.

Purple rain should NEVER have been a hit like it was.that whole episode defies any logic.its fucking monumental.

a megastar on HIS terms?? When doves cry ? HIT?? That shit sounds lik NOTHING else.

so please dont give me that"i sold out cos im successful"

as bill withers says..."anybody doing business wants to see that sign-SOLD OUT!"

That was a joke.

oops!

jonylawson said:

oops!

oops double post

[Edited 1/30/12 11:42am]

hell yeah!

we all friends round here..all oopsing n shit

Maybe a better comparison would be mid-sixties Beatles or Smile-era Brian Wilson -- like these artists Prince was experimenting with song structures and sounds that pushed the limits of pop music but wasn't so far out there that the music wasn't enoyable by the audience willing to try something new. I don't think it's accurate to compare this type of music experimentation to the likes of Sun Ra, Zappa or musique concrete.

I do agree with the original post in that it's too bad Prince seems content to assimilate than innovate but honestly we can't expect anyone to be trailblazer forever. By now the torch has been passed so the real problem is that there aren't enough young artists pushing the limits.

alphachannel said:

the real problem is that there aren't enough young artists pushing the limits.

Everytime a young artist that shows promise surfaces, it ends up being a disappointment.

smoothcriminal12 said:

alphachannel said:

the real problem is that there aren't enough young artists pushing the limits.

Everytime a young artist that shows promise surfaces, it ends up being a disappointment.

Yeah, I mean who did the torch get passed to? Where are the geniuses and innovators? I am not saying this as some hyperbole about Prince, but he can still (musically and live) still kick the ass of most people/musicicans.

skywalker said:

smoothcriminal12 said:

Everytime a young artist that shows promise surfaces, it ends up being a disappointment.

Yeah, I mean who did the torch get passed to? Where are the geniuses and innovators? I am not saying this as some hyperbole about Prince, but he can still (musically and live) still kick the ass of most people/musicicans.

D'Angelo

Raphael Saadiq

Maxwell

Outkast

...The list goes on. Truth is, nobody is living up to the hype. Prince is still holding the torch and everyone who tried to keep it ended up getting burnt. I'm sure someone will come...eventually. But it seems weird that we had all these innovators up to the eighties, and then no one.

The experimental tracks on Parade are Chris's Parade, I Wonder U, and Life Can Be So Nice, Kiss.

SOTT is way more experimental in it's mix, and tone, and some of the songs. And what on Parade is more experimental than Bob George or Eye No or Positivity or (let's jump) Digital Garden, Joy Into The Rave Fantastic, or the self deprecating/parody taunt of Everybody Loves Me? I'm serious here.

Those other tracks on Parade are not experimental!

ufoclub said:

Everybody Loves Me?

smoothcriminal12 said:

ufoclub said:

Everybody Loves Me?

There's a reason the vocals buzz in the mix. There's a reason it goes back to some Brady Bunch sound.

smoothcriminal12 said:

skywalker said:

Yeah, I mean who did the torch get passed to? Where are the geniuses and innovators? I am not saying this as some hyperbole about Prince, but he can still (musically and live) still kick the ass of most people/musicicans.

D'Angelo

Raphael Saadiq

Maxwell

Outkast

...The list goes on. Truth is, nobody is living up to the hype. Prince is still holding the torch and everyone who tried to keep it ended up getting burnt. I'm sure someone will come...eventually. But it seems weird that we had all these innovators up to the eighties, and then no one.

As far as Funk goes, George Clinton has kicked everyones ass forever.

SuperFurryAnimal said:

smoothcriminal12 said:

D'Angelo

Raphael Saadiq

Maxwell

Outkast

...The list goes on. Truth is, nobody is living up to the hype. Prince is still holding the torch and everyone who tried to keep it ended up getting burnt. I'm sure someone will come...eventually. But it seems weird that we had all these innovators up to the eighties, and then no one.

As far as Funk goes, George Clinton has kicked everyones ass forever.

Either him or James Brown.

George's music is much more diverse than James brown's

Thibaut said:

George's music is much more diverse than James brown's

If we are talking about James and George I think credit also needs to go with the many talented musicians that they worked with.