thedance said:

Prince is to me a dinosaur, from the good old days,

just like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Supertramp, Depeche Mode, U2, etc.

Oh, please, anything but U2, don't compare Prince to U2!! If you know 2 songs from each artist you should never do that.

Anyway, you skipped the question!

yes..he would be...mainly for his work thats included on "the dawn" compilation from the 90s...as good as anything from the 80s imo . from 1996 onwards..maybe not..but he will always be my favourite live artist..

BrazilianOnRaspberryBeret said:

thedance said:

Prince is to me a dinosaur, from the good old days,

just like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Supertramp, Depeche Mode, U2, etc.

Oh, please, anything but U2, don't compare Prince to U2!! If you know 2 songs from each artist you should never do that.

Anyway, you skipped the question!

I did not compare Prince to U2..

I just said Prince is an "dinosaur", and so is U2, and those other acts as well.

Those are my fave artists, so to answer the question:

Prince is still among my fave artists, yes, even he hasn't made a brilliant studio album for many many years.

(Oh! I forgot to mention ELO/ Electric Light Orchstra, Queen, David Bowie, Kate Bush, Donna Summer and a lot of other great acts, who were great in the 70's/80's)

I never aid that Tambourine and Dance On were fillers, I said they were close to true fillers, but these songs had some charm and atmosphere. This means they are elevated from filler to true album tracks.

My levels of distinction in album tracks (With some relevant Prince examples)

Standouts... Classic songs worthy of inclusion anywhere (When Doves Cry, Mountains, Adore)

Great tracks .... Good/Great songs that are very appealing, deserve to be there, but are not earth shattering (Partyman, Guitar, Do it all night, Private Joy)

Decent album tracks ... Fairly good songs that fit and keep the feel of the album (Love, Free, Vicki Waiting)

Album tracks.... Nothing more nothing less, not good, but not bad, there to fill up the space (Tambourine, Take me with u, Incense and Candles)

Filler tracks ... Lacklustre songs, little or no direction, hapless muzak, add nothing to album and subtract from it. Maybe some lame ass covers. (Lemon Crush, Solo)

Lame ass filler.... Really bad filler devoid of musicality or melody, just garbage (The Plan, face down, segues on Exodus). This also includes talking on the album, skits and segues tactics a lot of marginally talented artists use to fill up an album).

thedance said:

BrazilianOnRaspberryBeret said:

Oh, please, anything but U2, don't compare Prince to U2!! If you know 2 songs from each artist you should never do that.

Anyway, you skipped the question!

I did not compare Prince to U2..

I just said Prince is an "dinosaur", and so is U2, and those other acts as well.

Those are my fave artists, so to answer the question:

Prince is still among my fave artists, yes, even he hasn't made a brilliant studio album for many many years.

(Oh! I forgot to mention ELO/ Electric Light Orchstra, Queen, David Bowie, Kate Bush, Donna Summer and a lot of other great acts, who were great in the 70's/80's)

You have great music taste.

While Prince is most probably not my favourite music artist of the 90's, 00's or 10's I would say he is my favourite artist overall of the last 30 years although most of my favourite music comes from the 50's-70's (and i'm not even old!) I would consider him the last true GENIUS in pop music.

I would rank him among the best with:

The Beatles (they're at the very top for me)

Paul McCartney

John Lennon

George Harrison

The Beach Boys/Brian Wilson

Pink Floyd

Bob Dylan

David Bowie

Louis Armstrong

Frank Sinatra

The Kinks

Michael Jackson

The Rolling Stones

Miles Davis

The Who

Rolling Stones

Stevie Wonder

Michael Jackson

etc... in no particular order

Adorecream said:

I never aid that Tambourine and Dance On were fillers, I said they were close to true fillers, but these songs had some charm and atmosphere. This means they are elevated from filler to true album tracks.

My levels of distinction in album tracks (With some relevant Prince examples)

Standouts... Classic songs worthy of inclusion anywhere (When Doves Cry, Mountains, Adore)

Great tracks .... Good/Great songs that are very appealing, deserve to be there, but are not earth shattering (Partyman, Guitar, Do it all night, Private Joy)

Decent album tracks ... Fairly good songs that fit and keep the feel of the album (Love, Free, Vicki Waiting)

Album tracks.... Nothing more nothing less, not good, but not bad, there to fill up the space (Tambourine, Take me with u, Incense and Candles)

Filler tracks ... Lacklustre songs, little or no direction, hapless muzak, add nothing to album and subtract from it. Maybe some lame ass covers. (Lemon Crush, Solo)

Lame ass filler.... Really bad filler devoid of musicality or melody, just garbage (The Plan, face down, segues on Exodus). This also includes talking on the album, skits and segues tactics a lot of marginally talented artists use to fill up an album).

Only problem is the examples for each category is different from person to person. Me? Never LOVED Mountains. Know what I mean?

I'll leave aside the question of whether Lovesexy is some obvious turning point.

Yes, he is. No one's come along since to knock him from the top for me. There are people I've discovered or gotten into since then, but most of them go back before and get to their high positions based to a large degree on what came before '88 in their careers, too. But even for people coming after, nope. He's still tops. I like the Beatles (with Lennon, primarily), Dylan, Cave, Leonard Cohen, Stephin Merrit, Jonathan Richman a whole lot, and clearly they show I spend a lot of time in a non-funky world (I can enjoy quite a bit of P-Funk too, but that comes through my experience of Prince for me. It's related to him in a way most of what I would call my favorites other than Prince just are not). But Prince is just plain different--not necessarily better. But he's definitely my favorite.

I only go to sites related to most of those folks when I have real reason to believe there's news. I'm here every day because, well, there could be news, and besides, news or not, there's probably something moderately interesting somebody's saying about something Princey.

Nick Cave has an album coming out in February--I haven't even gone to the trouble of listening to the single yet. But I'm following this 3rdEyeGirl foolishness several times a day. I'll wait months to get an album when Dylan drops one--didn't get Tempest, yet--though I did find the 50th Anniversary Collection (somewhere). But I got Andy's first day, had Raise Up before I could, really, and after griping and moaning--followed through and got Rock and Roll Love Affair in spite of the remixes (once it was available stateside). And, though I'd like to say I wouldn't, I'd probably sign up yet again for a club, if there was one.

Adorecream said:

Vicki Waiting, Tambourine, Take me with u, Lemon Crush, Solo.

For me, all these songs above, which you gave a medium or bad qualification, are classics.

skywalker said:

Adorecream said:

I never aid that Tambourine and Dance On were fillers, I said they were close to true fillers, but these songs had some charm and atmosphere. This means they are elevated from filler to true album tracks.

My levels of distinction in album tracks (With some relevant Prince examples)

Standouts... Classic songs worthy of inclusion anywhere (When Doves Cry, Mountains, Adore)

Great tracks .... Good/Great songs that are very appealing, deserve to be there, but are not earth shattering (Partyman, Guitar, Do it all night, Private Joy)

Decent album tracks ... Fairly good songs that fit and keep the feel of the album (Love, Free, Vicki Waiting)

Album tracks.... Nothing more nothing less, not good, but not bad, there to fill up the space (Tambourine, Take me with u, Incense and Candles)

Filler tracks ... Lacklustre songs, little or no direction, hapless muzak, add nothing to album and subtract from it. Maybe some lame ass covers. (Lemon Crush, Solo)

Lame ass filler.... Really bad filler devoid of musicality or melody, just garbage (The Plan, face down, segues on Exodus). This also includes talking on the album, skits and segues tactics a lot of marginally talented artists use to fill up an album).

Only problem is the examples for each category is different from person to person. Me? Never LOVED Mountains. Know what I mean?

Sacrilege!

purplethunder3121 said:

Yep - even though I knew Prince when I was a teen - I was more of a Madonna fan then (not now though so much) - but Black Sweat got me looking into Prince and his catalogue - and I started to collect new and old material from then on. Now having seen him live - he is the best - I have seen many concerts of other artsis (as many of us have no doubt) - but Prince stands alone for his muscianship.

I like Mountains very much. Used to be more crazy about it few years ago, but I still think it's a celebratory funk jam!

Look I know we all have opinions on each song, my ranking system was merely one I find works for me, just because I name songs for each category those are my personal opinions and I know and respect that you have different songs to fill those gaps.

But yes not liking Mountains is sacrilege

He's had a Hall of Fame career post Lovesexy.

No one is even close really.

BrazilianOnRaspberryBeret said:

I like Mountains very much. Used to be more crazy about it few years ago, but I still think it's a celebratory funk jam!

Interesting. It's the reverse for me. When it first came out I didn't like it much at all--not enough punch for funk and not enough of something else to be that something else. But it has grown on me over the years. Now I appreciate its airiness--it floats along, similar to them floating in the air in the video. So now I like the song, but I'm not in the camp of those who loooooooove it.

Adorecream said:

Look I know we all have opinions on each song, my ranking system was merely one I find works for me, just because I name songs for each category those are my personal opinions and I know and respect that you have different songs to fill those gaps.

But yes not liking Mountains is sacrilege

So we can all have our person opinions EXCEPT not loving Mountains. Interesting theory you have there.

Btw, the original post you quoted said "loved", and now you switched it "liked." But I won't quibble with you too much on that. As I said, I like the song, but I don't love it. Maybe we can agree to disagree.

controversy99 said:

BrazilianOnRaspberryBeret said:

I like Mountains very much. Used to be more crazy about it few years ago, but I still think it's a celebratory funk jam!

Interesting. It's the reverse for me. When it first came out I didn't like it much at all--not enough punch for funk and not enough of something else to be that something else. But it has grown on me over the years. Now I appreciate its airiness--it floats along, similar to them floating in the air in the video. So now I like the song, but I'm not in the camp of those who loooooooove it.

I think's its the keyboard line's drive that passes this impression of movement.

My interest in Prince wavered after Lovesexy

Batman was engaging but I knew it wasn't going to be even close to a ATWIAD period, because it was focused on a film project that was not him,

I heard of the Graffiti Bridge movie coming so I was really waiting to see what that would be about

I will say I was embarrassed, shamed almost that my Prince looked reduced to being a squire

The noituloveRevolution-SOTT/Lovesexy bands periods were my favorite, when the next change happened I must say the 'scene' wasn't as appealing

I always looked for the 'vision' the direction and focus for each album and after Batman, the albums/periods didn't seem to have one that was clear, GB was very trippy, and then the movie (PR #2 after all that time seeming to try to downplay PR) after that there was good music that I enjoyed but there definately was something missing that I found in his For U-Lovesexy (Batman even) periods

I think that change sorta made Prince a bit too common for me and what he was doing didn't translate easy into the 1990's social scene. the early 1990's in America at least had a lot of interesting social changes and events happening.

Prince was not my favorite artist post Lovesexy

Yet he always had a special place in my musical heart, I continued to follow him, listen, watch, read... It was probably the early 2000's ONA period that I returned with a different appreciation for him. the 1990's Prince for me looked/sounded like a distraction,

I still love Prince's music in 2013 as much as I loved it during pre-Lovesexy. I still love his new music more than the new music of others that's being released today.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Batman was engaging but I knew it wasn't going to be even close to a ATWIAD period, because it was focused on a film project that was not him,

I disagree with you about Batman, I think it's a Prince classic, no SOTT, Purple Rain or 1999, but definately a classic album. The intentions bay have been influenced by the film, but there are nothing but kick-ass songs on the album (with the exception of the little cheesiness of Arms of Orion and the senseless medley remix of Batdance).

I always looked for the 'vision' the direction and focus for each album and after Batman, the albums/periods didn't seem to have one that was clear

Definately, Prince was a fashionist, for each album, every one from this period, had a strong visual identity, almost in a Madonna-way. After that, the visual aspects for each album were never that consistent or appealing. Maybe with the exception of Diamonds and Pearls.

there definately was something missing that I found in his For U-Lovesexy (Batman even) periods

I find For You a rather weak album, in which his musical vision haven't come up yet. Weaker than a lot of the 90-00 albums, IMO.

The early 1990's in America at least had a lot of interesting social changes and events happening.

Yes, a lost opportunity. He was celebratory funky (in a 70s way, regarding lyrical subjetcs) in this period, not socially conscious or anything like SOTT, America, Controvery, Dirty Mind, Uptown etc.

the 1990's Prince for me looked/sounded like a distraction

Maybe, in conparison to the 80s, but a lot of masterpieces, at least masterpiece SONGS in the 90s.

BrazilianOnRaspberryBeret said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Batman was engaging but I knew it wasn't going to be even close to a ATWIAD period, because it was focused on a film project that was not him,

1.)I disagree with you about Batman, I think it's a Prince classic, no SOTT, Purple Rain or 1999, but definately a classic album. The intentions bay have been influenced by the film, but there are nothing but kick-ass songs on the album (with the exception of the little cheesiness of Arms of Orion and the senseless medley remix of Batdance).

I always looked for the 'vision' the direction and focus for each album and after Batman, the albums/periods didn't seem to have one that was clear

Definately, Prince was a fashionist, for each album, every one from this period, had a strong visual identity, almost in a Madonna-way. After that, the visual aspects for each album were never that consistent or appealing. Maybe with the exception of Diamonds and Pearls.

there definately was something missing that I found in his For U-Lovesexy (Batman even) periods

2.)I find For You a rather weak album, in which his musical vision haven't come up yet. Weaker than a lot of the 90-00 albums, IMO.

The early 1990's in America at least had a lot of interesting social changes and events happening.

Yes, a lost opportunity. He was celebratory funky (in a 70s way, regarding lyrical subjetcs) in this period, not socially conscious or anything like SOTT, America, Controvery, Dirty Mind, Uptown etc.

the 1990's Prince for me looked/sounded like a distraction

3.)Maybe, in conparison to the 80s, but a lot of masterpieces, at least masterpiece SONGS in the 90s.

1.) I didn't say Batman wasn't a good album, I was just saying as an album-period, I judged it differently because it was a soundtrack for a movie that wasn't his. I love the Batman project and in 2013 having outtakes in all, it's a very tasty piece. Especially since a lot of these songs were made during the Lovesexy period or for the Rave... album following Lovesexy

2.) Yes, I agree, I won't say weak because he was just starting out, but his direction wasn't totally defined but from For U, Prince and many of the outtakes you see/hear where he was going and you hear a foundational Prince sound that still peaks out today. The simple ballads are consistent. But even in songs like Leaving 4 New York, he has lines about 'the Dawn' 'Purple Lawn'

3.) I say distraction because a lot of WB money issues and personal battles in my opinion were in the way of better focus. And that kind of stuff can through off a good artistic move, Prince was putting out albums just to get out of a contract, hardly promoting albums etc and at times too much Prince was being released too soon. Not talking directly about individual songs etc I Hate U is a masterpiece in my opinion.

1725topp said:

I still love Prince's music in 2013 as much as I loved it during pre-Lovesexy. I still love his new music more than the new music of others that's being released today.

BobPaisleyPark said:

Many critics and fans would say that Lovesexy was the last truly great Prince album.

If you only listened to Prince's music released after Lovesexy....do you think he'd still be your favourite ever artist?

Post Lovesexy, nearly 25 years of music to enjoy, would Prince still be your favourite ever artist?

Nonsense..............The Rainbow Children, 3121, etc..........

That said, Prince in #1 barely over Mint Condition by a nose.

YES he is, was and probably forever will be.

The new track screwdriver is one good reason to be hooked again - and no matter how many artists i listen to in all genres from metal, rap, classic, jazz, pop, electronica and more - petit princey always invites me back home. As tired i can get, embarrased and even disappointed, there will never be one as close to my music heart as he. and post LOVESEXY - yes. LOVESEXY TOUR COPNENHAGEN 1988 was my first concert and got me seriously hooked - and I then started going back in the catalouge - and from then - follow each step closely. and yes there has been less inspiring periods - and it took me years to appreciate N.E.W.S., but I've had great times working on my academic projects listening to that cd through my headphones. Emancipation has some real gems - and i have no problem with prince rappin. pussy control from TGE is such a stand out track - a PRINCE ALL TIME CLASSIS in my opinion - face down is so funky and Future Baby Mama is pure RnB - and a track that prince could not have written, played, produced and sung so with so much coolness and maturity in his earlier years. NEW POWER SOUL has some of the nastiest funky music he ever put to tape. Of course nothing resembles lady cab driver, adore, rock hard in a funky place and blue - but what should be the point - they're already in his catalouge.

And to that - I am just amazed by him being 54 today and still recording great music (yes, there has been some weaker material among), looking amazing, still shearing his beautiful voice and soulfulness.

Let's pretend that Prince's 1st release was in 1991. Diamonds and Pearls is his debut album.

I imagine that he would have had an ENORMOUS amount of critical praise as a new artist. Even if you eliminate his 70's and 80's output.

In fact, the critical admiration and hype would have been incalculable because he wouldn't be compared/contrasted to his initial thrust into public conscious.

Think all the artists that have been compared to Prince. For instance:

Lenny Kravitz

D'Angelo

Terence Trent D'Arby

Maxwell

Andre 3000

etc.

At one time, or another all of these (and scores more) were critical darlings and drew rave reviews and mentions of Prince.

I think that Prince post 1988 destroys each and everyone of these artist and their entire existing catalog.

Furthermore, I think Prince's post 1980's output would be more well respected if it were judged on it's own terms, but it never will be.

Everything after 1984 was always going to be held up to 1984/Purple Rain and so forth. Even by his most ardent fans.

[Edited 1/29/13 16:16pm]

^TTD's albums (Symphony or Damn, Vibrator, Wildcard) are definitely stronger than Prince's post 1988 albums.

Andre 3000 hasn't released a lot of solo stuff, but "The Love Below" isn't easily to top. If you consider his material with Outkast too, I'd say it's for sure superior to Prince's.

Not so sure about the others. Lenny's "Mama said" and "5" are not bad also...

[Edited 1/29/13 16:24pm]

[img:$uid]http://pic80.picturetrail.com:80/VOL2084/9118410/23995995/405401472.jpg[/img:$uid]

funkomatic said:

^TTD's albums (Symphony or Damn, Vibrator, Wildcard) are definitely stronger than Prince's post 1988 albums.

Andre 3000 hasn't released a lot of solo stuff, but "The Love Below" isn't easily to top. If you consider his material with Outkast too, I'd say it's for sure superior to Prince's.

Not so sure about the others. Lenny's "Mama said" and "5" are not bad also...

[Edited 1/29/13 16:24pm]

If I heard music the same way that you do, I likely wouldn't even be at this website.

skywalker said:

funkomatic said:

^TTD's albums (Symphony or Damn, Vibrator, Wildcard) are definitely stronger than Prince's post 1988 albums.

Andre 3000 hasn't released a lot of solo stuff, but "The Love Below" isn't easily to top. If you consider his material with Outkast too, I'd say it's for sure superior to Prince's.

Not so sure about the others. Lenny's "Mama said" and "5" are not bad also...

[Edited 1/29/13 16:24pm]

If I heard music the same way that you do, I likely wouldn't even be at this website.

...and I even got you a little bit wrong because you claimed that Prince destroyed their whole existing catalogue...so I could even add one album or two...

Well, IMO Prince failed to update his sound since the end of the 80s. Apart from that I think that his song structures became less creative. So for me it's just a few songs where his brilliance shines through, but you can barely find an album of inspiring quality all the way through.

I don't think Prince could be a pop musician in my tracklist without the 78-88 era.

All the Prince's album I buyed after Lovesexy, I buyed because there was the 78-88 era.

After Lovesexy is like to add pieces to a puzzle almost done. Sad but true.

Imho.

funkomatic said:

skywalker said:

If I heard music the same way that you do, I likely wouldn't even be at this website.

...and I even got you a little bit wrong because you claimed that Prince destroyed their whole existing catalogue...so I could even add one album or two...

Well, IMO Prince failed to update his sound since the end of the 80s. Apart from that I think that his song structures became less creative. So for me it's just a few songs where his brilliance shines through, but you can barely find an album of inspiring quality all the way through.

I guess it's just an agree to disagree situation. I think that, for example, and The Gold Experience completely outshine the albums you mentioned.

Don't get me wrong, I really like Lenny, and TTD so, I don't necessarily disagree with the awesomeness of their work.