All Prince did was cut out all the middle men & started handling things on his own. He is still rich. So that says what? He is a success...Don't hate!!!

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

He is still rich. So that says what? He is a success...

Welp, there it is.

NouveauDance said:

When people say Prince is a bad business man, they're also looking at it from the consumers side, just in case some of you didn't know.

I really doubt that.

avasdad said:

let's list some of his failed business ventures...

1. record label (artists)
2. music distribution
3. movies
4. perfumes
5. retail store
6. night clubs

list more!!

I don't guess a failed website would really be considered a failed business venture

[Edited 8/20/12 22:58pm]

novabrkr said:

NouveauDance said:

When people say Prince is a bad business man, they're also looking at it from the consumers side, just in case some of you didn't know.

I really doubt that.

Why do you doubt it?

A lot of gripes people have are things like the Crystal Ball mess, cancelled concerts, announced and withdrawn projects, lack of promotion/distribution, PR blunders - these are all consumer-affecting.

NouveauDance said:

novabrkr said:

I really doubt that.

Why do you doubt it?

A lot of gripes people have are things like the Crystal Ball mess, cancelled concerts, announced and withdrawn projects, lack of promotion/distribution, PR blunders - these are all consumer-affecting.

Ok. Your explanation above makes sense.

A large percentage of the comments on this thread just seem to equate "being a good businessman" with simply "having a hit" or "reaching as large audience as possible". That's hardly what making money these days is about. He's cancelled many of his projects because he and his managers / accountants have done calculations and figured out that it's the most sensible thing to do. For that matter, I don't that something like the "Crystal Ball fiasco" has affected at all how he is primarily making money these days (live shows).

Actually, it sort of pisses me off that he is indeed sometimes putting the business side ahead of his art. The whole W2A -period reeks of money.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

All Prince did was cut out all the middle men & started handling things on his own. He is still rich. So that says what? He is a success...Don't hate!!!

I gotta agree

There is a difference between his art and his business. If I am correct…the thread is not saying he isn’t “Best o one the best live performers on the planet, Accomplished writer, arranger, producer, performers of all-time, he’s worth 250 million…Etc., Etc.” He is all that, but He isn’t that great of a business man.

He loses interest real quick (which everyone on here agrees), so this makes him a bad business man. Opening a store with overpriced stage clothes is not good business. Now if the store was a museum and he charged entrance, that would be different. He was charging $400 hundred for a jacket with a big symbol on it. $700 for a NPG ring. $40 for a candle. Die-hard fans want this stuff but not the casual consumer (it’s not 1984). Now, it did have all of the CD’s (even the rare ones) and I wish I would have bought all of them (not day/another story. LOL)!!! His perfume could have been a big seller but the smell mad it confusing…was it for women, unisex, or men? He never promoted it. He should have talked about it on Leno (instead of just performing a song). Doing the 7-7-07 show was not enough.

Sign ‘O the Times and Diamonds and Pearls tour should have come to the US….. bad business

NPG Store could have been more (trust me…I use to go there and hang out….the workers were bored.)

Advertisement for certain albums and merchandise were nowhere to be found.

Ripping people off on website prices (glad I followed my gut with the Lotus site..)

Making people wait 2-3 hours before starting a show...SMH

On and On and On…..

You ask if he was a good business man…ask anyone who has done business with him. LOL!!!

Shoot - I forgot about the Crystal Ball mess. LOL!!!!

[Edited 8/21/12 12:21pm]

prime said:

There is a difference between his art and his business. If I am correct…the thread is not saying he isn’t “Best o one the best live performers on the planet, Accomplished writer, arranger, producer, performers of all-time, he’s worth 250 million…Etc., Etc.” He is all that, but He isn’t that great of a business man.

He loses interest real quick (which everyone on here agrees), so this makes him a bad business man. Opening a store with overpriced stage clothes is not good business. Now if the store was a museum and he charged entrance, that would be different. He was charging $400 hundred for a jacket with a big symbol on it. $700 for a NPG ring. $40 for a candle. Die-hard fans want this stuff but not the casual consumer (it’s not 1984). Now, it did have all of the CD’s (even the rare ones) and I wish I would have bought all of them (not day/another story. LOL)!!! His perfume could have been a big seller but the smell mad it confusing…was it for women, unisex, or men? He never promoted it. He should have talked about it on Leno (instead of just performing a song). Doing the 7-7-07 show was not enough.

Sign ‘O the Times and Diamonds and Pearls tour should have come to the US….. bad business

NPG Store could have been more (trust me…I use to go there and hang out….the workers were bored.)

Advertisement for certain albums and merchandise were nowhere to be found.

Ripping people off on website prices (glad I followed my gut with the Lotus site..)

Making people wait 2-3 hours before starting a show...SMH

On and On and On…..

You ask if he was a good business man…ask anyone who has done business with him. LOL!!!

Shoot - I forgot about the Crystal Ball mess. LOL!!!!

[Edited 8/21/12 12:21pm]

Make list of any man's activity for 30 plus years see what it looks like.

I wouldn't say awful. Unusual yes. He fucked up a sweet deal at Warners though. They treated him good.

Business is an art as well.

Lasting business relationships require care and feeding.

So even if mr P has one-off deals with various labels and outlets this doesn't necessarily mean he has a real model to work from.

This is especially true if the fan has to scramble to get hold of the new materials via ever changing means and ways.

So what would work in these present times?

NouveauDance said:

When people say Prince is a bad business man, they're also looking at it from the consumers side, just in case some of you didn't know.

All this "Well he's getting paid and playing sold out shows without WB nerr, nerrr" stuff is kind of missing half the argument.

Is there not a contradiction above..."consumer" side? He's played his game to his own rules, a perfect example being the sale of Musicology cd's with concert tickets. The "consumers" were very grateful and that tour actually stood out amongst others while it happened.

Prince is a hero to aspiring and upcoming independent artists.

Praxis said:

Is there not a contradiction above..."consumer" side? He's played his game to his own rules, a perfect example being the sale of Musicology cd's with concert tickets. The "consumers" were very grateful and that tour actually stood out amongst others while it happened.

Prince is a hero to aspiring and upcoming independent artists.

Is he really? Prince is fortunate enough to have the luxury of independence because he's a rich MF with a back catalogue and legacy that allows him to tour on the back of it - he's independent now only because he worked within the system for so long.

As for giving away CDs with concert tickets - this is purely a loss leader. As with the newspaper deals, these albums are perceived by the general public as toss off giveaways. The general response is "if it was a good album, he'd release it properly".

The promotion for ticket sales he gets from doing these giveaways is worth more than the chunk of change he gets from the media conglomerates for tossing the CD in plastic wrap with their tabloids. That's good business for concert ticket sales - but like I said earlier, it does nothing to strengthen Prince's brand as a recording artist and probably becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that he's past it in that regard.

let's be honest, Prince is not very well versed in commerce.
But very talented and creative person very rarely successful in business. It's completely different sphere.

Why do so many peaople moan about his business?

Maybe he is an awful business man, maybe not. And?

I don´t care a shit since he composed so many great songs and is one of the best musicians and live performers ever.

I don´t care about his business and his money.

As long as he feels good acting like he does, it´s fine by me.

Just bring in the (new) music...

Oh, sorry, I thought it`s prince.org, where we discuss all aspects of Prince.
this is the reason why I do not like to talk in this section, people are constantly trying to create a taboo.
someone only interested in music, someone needs more .....

avasdad said:

let's list some of his failed business ventures...

1. record label (artists)
2. music distribution
3. movies
4. perfumes
5. retail store
6. night clubs

list more!!

So what Richard Branson cant sing a fucking note..go figure!

NouveauDance said:

Praxis said:

Is there not a contradiction above..."consumer" side? He's played his game to his own rules, a perfect example being the sale of Musicology cd's with concert tickets. The "consumers" were very grateful and that tour actually stood out amongst others while it happened.

Prince is a hero to aspiring and upcoming independent artists.

Is he really? Prince is fortunate enough to have the luxury of independence because he's a rich MF with a back catalogue and legacy that allows him to tour on the back of it - he's independent now only because he worked within the system for so long.

As for giving away CDs with concert tickets - this is purely a loss leader. As with the newspaper deals, these albums are perceived by the general public as toss off giveaways. The general response is "if it was a good album, he'd release it properly".

The promotion for ticket sales he gets from doing these giveaways is worth more than the chunk of change he gets from the media conglomerates for tossing the CD in plastic wrap with their tabloids. That's good business for concert ticket sales - but like I said earlier, it does nothing to strengthen Prince's brand as a recording artist and probably becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that he's past it in that regard.

Prince inspires me and many other independent musicians. Yes, his Musicology strategy was genius, to the point that even the system did not know how to deal with him and had to change the rules. As for as his backlog, that's not his fault...no one can take away his blessings. Fact remains, that for many years now, he is doing his own thing and working the system (like all of us do) in a way that benefits him, and allows his fans to access his art in manner which is un-diluted, and Princely in the sense that it is from him to us.

I much rather prefer Prince doing his own thang, instead of being dictated to by major execs or jealous folk.

In fact, I am really proud of Prince and hope that he keeps doing things they way he does. As long as he can feed himself and keep the funk flowing, he's tops as far as independent, music business is concerned.

Graycap23 said:

prime said:

There is a difference between his art and his business. If I am correct…the thread is not saying he isn’t “Best o one the best live performers on the planet, Accomplished writer, arranger, producer, performers of all-time, he’s worth 250 million…Etc., Etc.” He is all that, but He isn’t that great of a business man.

He loses interest real quick (which everyone on here agrees), so this makes him a bad business man. Opening a store with overpriced stage clothes is not good business. Now if the store was a museum and he charged entrance, that would be different. He was charging $400 hundred for a jacket with a big symbol on it. $700 for a NPG ring. $40 for a candle. Die-hard fans want this stuff but not the casual consumer (it’s not 1984). Now, it did have all of the CD’s (even the rare ones) and I wish I would have bought all of them (not day/another story. LOL)!!! His perfume could have been a big seller but the smell mad it confusing…was it for women, unisex, or men? He never promoted it. He should have talked about it on Leno (instead of just performing a song). Doing the 7-7-07 show was not enough.

Sign ‘O the Times and Diamonds and Pearls tour should have come to the US….. bad business

NPG Store could have been more (trust me…I use to go there and hang out….the workers were bored.)

Advertisement for certain albums and merchandise were nowhere to be found.

Ripping people off on website prices (glad I followed my gut with the Lotus site..)

Making people wait 2-3 hours before starting a show...SMH

On and On and On…..

You ask if he was a good business man…ask anyone who has done business with him. LOL!!!

Shoot - I forgot about the Crystal Ball mess. LOL!!!!

[Edited 8/21/12 12:21pm]

Make list of any man's activity for 30 plus years see what it looks like.

We all know he has done well.....my point is that he does not take advantage of a lot of things that could have been huge (tours, product, ect.). I was just reading about the Brit awards and Wendy was saying she hoped it would have been different, but it was still nice. There was no pub to tell the world Lisa and Wendy were there......wouldn't be a good business move? A lot more people might have tuned in for it. Same with 7-7-07 concert. It is what it is...just sharing my thoughts. I do know making people wait at a gate for 3 hours is a very bad business move. I heard a lot of people complaining and I know folks who haven't been back to a show. I'll be there but it sucks. lol!!!

prime said:

Graycap23 said:

Make list of any man's activity for 30 plus years see what it looks like.

We all know he has done well.....my point is that he does not take advantage of a lot of things that could have been huge (tours, product, ect.). I was just reading about the Brit awards and Wendy was saying she hoped it would have been different, but it was still nice. There was no pub to tell the world Lisa and Wendy were there......wouldn't be a good business move? A lot more people might have tuned in for it. Same with 7-7-07 concert. It is what it is...just sharing my thoughts. I do know making people wait at a gate for 3 hours is a very bad business move. I heard a lot of people complaining and I know folks who haven't been back to a show. I'll be there but it sucks. lol!!!

I dig but it is very easy 2 be critical of someone not named yourself. Just saying.

prime said:

Graycap23 said:

Make list of any man's activity for 30 plus years see what it looks like.

We all know he has done well.....my point is that he does not take advantage of a lot of things that could have been huge (tours, product, ect.). I was just reading about the Brit awards and Wendy was saying she hoped it would have been different, but it was still nice. There was no pub to tell the world Lisa and Wendy were there......wouldn't be a good business move? A lot more people might have tuned in for it. Same with 7-7-07 concert. It is what it is...just sharing my thoughts. I do know making people wait at a gate for 3 hours is a very bad business move. I heard a lot of people complaining and I know folks who haven't been back to a show. I'll be there but it sucks. lol!!!

Maybe W&L's appearance at the Brit Awards wasn't supposed to be just about them rejoining P on stage, and that is probably what they expected--that he would make some big announcement and recognition of a reunion with those two back on stage with him, but remember this was a time when he was promoting Tamar, and had the Twinz with him, as well as having Sheila E. there too at the Brit Awards too.

I think if W&L expected some announcement of their presence with him at the Briit Awards, then it would have only been fair if an announcement was made of Sheila E's presence on stage with him too. I don't think most in that audience cared if there was an announcment or not, because they all did a good performance.

As far as 7/7/07 at the Target Center, if I can remember, I believe it had somethinjg to due with the air-conditioning system in the venue, not working properly, and it was a very hot day, the day of the concert, so the staff at the venue and security, didn't allow people inside the venue, until things were in order. I'm not sure if it had anything to do with equipment not set up on time, but from what I heard, when I was there, it had something to do with air-conditioning issues, and it was very warm inside the waiting area at that time, where many fans were waiting outside. So fans waiting for awhile outside the Target center was the fault of the venue.

It's funny though, how some fans judge another's business practices, when they have absolutely no 'inside' info or contact with that individual to make such judgements, and base their info on what they read or heard (hearsay), from another who also has no decision-making privileges in that person's business affairs, to make such judgments.

[Edited 8/26/12 8:27am]

I guess the question is "bad businessman as it relates to whom?" If we examine the term, "businessman," at its base level, it means, of course, someone working in an entrepreneurial aspect to earn money. If that person earns the amount of money in the manner that he wants to earn it, does that make that person a bad or good businessman? Prince has earned money doing what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. How is that being a bad businessman? A bad businessman is someone who either does not earn the amount of money he wants to earn or earns it in a manner that causes him not to be proud of how the money is earned, and I don't think that either case fits Prince. Yes, we can all stand on the sidelines and be "Monday morning quarterbacks," but in the final analysis, he isn't broke, and he has earned money doing what he wants, how he wants, and when he wants?

*

As for dissatisfied customers, I don't know any company that doesn't have dissatisfied customers. That's life. Prince doesn't make or force dissatisfied fans or customers to continue purchasing his product. Thus, anyone who purchased a membership to Lotusflow3r.com is more stupid than people who continuously rebuild their homes even though they live in Tornado Alley. At least these people have the excuse that this is their hometown and it's all they know. After Prince's many other poorly executed "selling of his products," only a fool would have paid $77 to join Lotusflow3r.com. Now, to be honest, if I would have had an "extra" $77 that was not committed to any bill, I probably would have join Lotusflow3r.com. But, since I didn't have an “extra” $77, I didn't waste my money or my time. So, in this case, is Prince a bad businessman, or are the people who purchased this product just not clear thinkers?

*

When my favorite restaurant no longer prepares the food in the manner that I like, it stops being my favorite restaurant. Yet, it is only bad business if the owners want to continue obtaining my money but change the quality, quantity, and marketing of the food. However, if they have, from day one, prepared the food how they like it, in the manner that they like it, and marketed the food how they wanted, and still earned a profit, regardless of me no longer liking the food nor the atmosphere of the restaurant, then they win because they get to do what they want, how they want, and still earn a profit. What makes someone a good or bad businessman is not the amount of money that one earns, but if one earns "the amount" that one desires to earn in the manner that one desires to earn it, then one is a good/smart/profitable businessman.

*

Several years ago, between 1993 and 1999, I wished that more people appreciated Prince’s talents—wished that he was a bit more popular—but, I realized that Prince seemed happy with his level of success because he obtained it doing what he wanted to do. Not to insult Michael Jackson, but I always thought that what harmed Jackson most was that he spent the rest of this life trying to recapture the success of Thriller whereas Prince spent the rest of his life not being a slave to the success of Purple Rain. As he stated, “you know how easy it would have been to put the guitar solo of ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ in another key and open the next album with that?” The mere existence of Around the World in a Day tells us that Prince was an artist who was only interested in business as a way to control every aspect of his life so that he would have free reign to do what he wants to do, regardless of the profit margin. And the fact that he has earned a profit doing this speaks to his amazing talent and his “good business sense” not to allow the business or the desire for money to control the art that he creates. Do we really think that Graffiti Bridge and Planet Earth were created and released by a man whose primary desire is making money than anyone else? For the sake of business, Prince earned enough money to live and work as a musican. He never had to have a second job or a "real" job that supported his music. His earnings from his music supported and allowed him to make more music, how and when he wanted to make music.

Praxis said:

NouveauDance said:

Is he really? Prince is fortunate enough to have the luxury of independence because he's a rich MF with a back catalogue and legacy that allows him to tour on the back of it - he's independent now only because he worked within the system for so long.

As for giving away CDs with concert tickets - this is purely a loss leader. As with the newspaper deals, these albums are perceived by the general public as toss off giveaways. The general response is "if it was a good album, he'd release it properly".

The promotion for ticket sales he gets from doing these giveaways is worth more than the chunk of change he gets from the media conglomerates for tossing the CD in plastic wrap with their tabloids. That's good business for concert ticket sales - but like I said earlier, it does nothing to strengthen Prince's brand as a recording artist and probably becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that he's past it in that regard.

Prince inspires me and many other independent musicians. Yes, his Musicology strategy was genius, to the point that even the system did not know how to deal with him and had to change the rules. As for as his backlog, that's not his fault...no one can take away his blessings. Fact remains, that for many years now, he is doing his own thing and working the system (like all of us do) in a way that benefits him, and allows his fans to access his art in manner which is un-diluted, and Princely in the sense that it is from him to us.

I much rather prefer Prince doing his own thang, instead of being dictated to by major execs or jealous folk.

In fact, I am really proud of Prince and hope that he keeps doing things they way he does. As long as he can feed himself and keep the funk flowing, he's tops as far as independent, music business is concerned.

I definitely agree with the OP here. And it sounds like a lot of people in here have their heads waaay too far up Prince's ass to see the forest for the trees. He has an extremely awful business sense and therefore is a fuckin' awful businessman. Plain and simple. To the person who said saying "awful businessman" was too harsh but should say "patchy track record of business ventures", you're living in a dream world. It's the same fuckin' thing, only it's not quite sufficient enough to truly describe his usual lack of business sense!!! STOP trying to handle y'all's hero with kid gloves. You guys kill me with that shit!!!! Yes, he's talented as an artist, but that doesn't mean he's got a mind for business. Because he doesn't.

Yes, he's had some okay ideas here and there, but on the whole, he's fucked his own self up way more often than not. And they've been all mentioned here before: his websites, his lack of worldwide/routine distribution, his wasting money on videos that were always gonna collect cobwebs, refusing to pay vendors who provided satisfactory services to him and/or his company, Paisley Park/NPG record labels, not paying taxes, fan clubs, lack of promotion and idiotic single releases, and the shit goes on and on.

Yeah, he has a multi-million dollar worth, but it's in spite of himself!! He's been able to be overall all right/successful in his career because he actually had some people in his corner who knew what in the fuck they were doing back in the 80s. You know, back when he was most profitable because his music had punch, excitement, and energy. It's all not a coincidence, geniuses.

He could do SOOO much more if he'd smarten the fuck up and actually give the consumers what they wanted. He could've had a bunch of Crystal Ball-type releases by now - including concert videos - but no. He wants to give consumers what HE thinks they want, and Lawd only knows what the fuck that is.

I agree with 1725Stopp on some points. No one forces anyone to continue purchasing a product or dedicate themselves to supporting a business they're not satisfied with. It becomes questionable though, when an individual has the same obsessive complaints and criticism, about the same product, business or business owner, when all they have to do is 'walk away'. If a friend tells me they can't stand the food or service at a particular restaurant, but after that I see you appear at the same restaurant you obsessively b*tched about, then there is no way I would take your complaint seriously. I may even question what you've been smoking.

Like the example of the restaurant 1725Stopp gave, I agree that if you don't like the service, you don't go back and you don't support the business. But when you choose to go back and have the same, obsessive complaints about the same product/business/business owner, the question is "Then why are you still supporting that business and knockng yourself silly, by complaining about it, if you claim you are dissatisfied?" Makes absolutely no sense. It's very simple, move on, walk away, find some peace and be done with it. End of story.

[Edited 8/26/12 11:46am]

alexnvrmnd777 said:

I definitely agree with the OP here. And it sounds like a lot of people in here have their heads waaay too far up Prince's ass to see the forest for the trees. He has an extremely awful business sense and therefore is a fuckin' awful businessman. Plain and simple. To the person who said saying "awful businessman" was too harsh but should say "patchy track record of business ventures", you're living in a dream world. It's the same fuckin' thing, only it's not quite sufficient enough to truly describe his usual lack of business sense!!! STOP trying to handle y'all's hero with kid gloves. You guys kill me with that shit!!!! Yes, he's talented as an artist, but that doesn't mean he's got a mind for business. Because he doesn't.

Yes, he's had some okay ideas here and there, but on the whole, he's fucked his own self up way more often than not. And they've been all mentioned here before: his websites, his lack of worldwide/routine distribution, his wasting money on videos that were always gonna collect cobwebs, refusing to pay vendors who provided satisfactory services to him and/or his company, Paisley Park/NPG record labels, not paying taxes, fan clubs, lack of promotion and idiotic single releases, and the shit goes on and on.

Yeah, he has a multi-million dollar worth, but it's in spite of himself!! He's been able to be overall all right/successful in his career because he actually had some people in his corner who knew what in the fuck they were doing back in the 80s. You know, back when he was most profitable because his music had punch, excitement, and energy. It's all not a coincidence, geniuses.

He could do SOOO much more if he'd smarten the fuck up and actually give the consumers what they wanted. He could've had a bunch of Crystal Ball-type releases by now - including concert videos - but no. He wants to give consumers what HE thinks they want, and Lawd only knows what the fuck that is.

Prince would laugh out loud at these comments. No one knows a man's path better than he does.

[Edited 8/27/12 3:44am]

It's hilarious to me that so many people think they're Prince's manager, accountant, doctor, clergy person, psychiatrist, lawyer, and lover all at once.

Nobody's perfect. You can't think of a single artist that's done everything 100% correctly.

2elijah said:

I agree with 1725Stopp on some points. No one forces anyone to continue purchasing a product or dedicate themselves to supporting a business they're not satisfied with. It becomes questionable though, when an individual has the same obsessive complaints and criticism, about the same product, business or business owner, when all they have to do is 'walk away'. If a friend tells me they can't stand the food or service at a particular restaurant, but after that I see you appear at the same restaurant you obsessively b*tched about, then there is no way I would take your complaint seriously. I may even question what you've been smoking.

Like the example of the restaurant 1725Stopp gave, I agree that if you don't like the service, you don't go back and you don't support the business. But when you choose to go back and have the same, obsessive complaints about the same product/business/business owner, the question is "Then why are you still supporting that business and knockng yourself silly, by complaining about it, if you claim you are dissatisfied?" Makes absolutely no sense. It's very simple, move on, walk away, find some peace and be done with it. End of story.

[Edited 8/26/12 11:46am]

"Put down the needle, put down the spoon..."

It's too hard and inconceivable for some displeased fans to even comtemplate walking away from Prince. They might miss the long awaited, totally vague except in their minds event they've been waiting for since 1985!!!

alexnvrmnd777 said:

I definitely agree with the OP here. And it sounds like a lot of people in here have their heads waaay too far up Prince's ass to see the forest for the trees. He has an extremely awful business sense and therefore is a fuckin' awful businessman. Plain and simple. To the person who said saying "awful businessman" was too harsh but should say "patchy track record of business ventures", you're living in a dream world. It's the same fuckin' thing, only it's not quite sufficient enough to truly describe his usual lack of business sense!!! STOP trying to handle y'all's hero with kid gloves. You guys kill me with that shit!!!! Yes, he's talented as an artist, but that doesn't mean he's got a mind for business. Because he doesn't.

Yes, he's had some okay ideas here and there, but on the whole, he's fucked his own self up way more often than not. And they've been all mentioned here before: his websites, his lack of worldwide/routine distribution, his wasting money on videos that were always gonna collect cobwebs, refusing to pay vendors who provided satisfactory services to him and/or his company, Paisley Park/NPG record labels, not paying taxes, fan clubs, lack of promotion and idiotic single releases, and the shit goes on and on.

Yeah, he has a multi-million dollar worth, but it's in spite of himself!! He's been able to be overall all right/successful in his career because he actually had some people in his corner who knew what in the fuck they were doing back in the 80s. You know, back when he was most profitable because his music had punch, excitement, and energy. It's all not a coincidence, geniuses.

He could do SOOO much more if he'd smarten the fuck up and actually give the consumers what they wanted. He could've had a bunch of Crystal Ball-type releases by now - including concert videos - but no. He wants to give consumers what HE thinks they want, and Lawd only knows what the fuck that is.

"this message will repeat..."