(Sorry it's been a while since my last thread, I could not come up with a better "subject". Prince as "religion").

.

Anyway:

.

Back then during the Warner days (years), Prince could do nothing wrong IMO, (except for recording Jug Head, the GB title track, Orgasm, etc etc)...

.

.

But I stood side by side with Prince, when the press gave him bad reviews or ridiculed him, misunderstood him etc: I stood beside him, defended Prince in any way I could. When non-fans made their attcks I defended him. Back then I was really turned on (haha), in a good way. I looked up to Prince almost as if he was my religion, like Prince was the new God. Nono, he actually was my religion - back then, the 1985 Syracuse concert was broadcasted world wide, that (I think) made me look at him like he actually was God. Long before Emancipation and the (kind of) decline, he got - after he left Warner in 95.

.

Of course Prince has changed (a lot), he grew up, got older, (wiser?), whatever -- and of course I have changed (for the better?), too.

.

a lot of the controversial stuff made a distance between Prince and myself -- in the late 90's and the 00's,

.

- first there was his fight against his Warner CONtract, (the name change to was actually ok with me, back then),

- then the sueing and threatening of the Controversy fanzine, Princefamily, uptown.se, housequake.com

- sueing (threatening?) a baby for dancing to Let's Go Crazy on YT

- fighting other fans - their uploads - on YT

- and not least Prince when he became a Jehovah Witness, which I have always find so hard to relate to in any way (Sorry I am european, I am/ we are really critical to that sect, please forgive me)

.

Anyway, has Prince ever filled your life with energy, making you kind of possessed by HIM.

.

Or, are you a little more ground based, realistic, whatever. You have never felt HE was a "God" to you, his music was your religion.

.

.

Actually I miss those good old days when I was really turned ON in any way by Prince, his persona, his music, the sound, the style... all the mystery. The "religion days", I kind of miss the time when he could (almost) do nothing wrong.

.

Most of that is gone today - for me I mean, actually I see him today as a rather annoying and also a bit strange and rather silly person. ("the internet is over", "the burqa debate - everything is fine in the islamic countries", "not making albums anymore", Prince has said some strange things).

.

WHAT ABOUT YOU.

.

Was Prince ever like God to you. Did that change over the years.

.

How much of a fan are you of Prince, these days.

.

Prince is a living legend, still I am very hard to please these days. I am rather lukewarm --- unfortunately.

.

Ps) a new great Prince album will change that. So: maybe I am "a believer" after all, even today. Even he and I have changed, and even after all the bad experience, and "controversy", over the few last decades.

.

[Edited 4/17/13 1:56am]

"Was Prince ever like God to you. Did that change over the years." no no no no and no!

the first complete album i heard from him was diamonds and pearls and yes jug head made me realize he sure aint perfect ...like god? no and notice i did not capitalize that g....nothing like God. just no gosh just no he plays music not walks on water. dang i see why being an idol is dangerous.

[Edited 4/17/13 2:24am]

thedance said:

(Sorry it's been a while since my last thread, I could not come up with a better "subject". Prince as "religion").

.

Anyway:

.

Back then during the Warner days (years), Prince could do nothing wrong IMO, (except for recording Jug Head, the GB title track, Orgasm, etc etc)...

.

.

But I stood side by side with Prince, when the press gave him bad reviews or ridiculed him, misunderstood him etc: I stood beside him, defended Prince in any way I could. When non-fans made their attcks I defended him. Back then I was really turned on (haha), in a good way. I looked up to Prince almost as if he was my religion, like Prince was the new God. Nono, he actually was my religion - back then, the 1985 Syracuse concert was broadcasted world wide, that (I think) made me look at him like he actually was God. Long before Emancipation and the (kind of) decline, he got - after he left Warner in 95.

.

Of course Prince has changed (a lot), he grew up, got older, (wiser?), whatever -- and of course I have changed (for the better?), too.

.

a lot of the controversial stuff made a distance between Prince and myself -- in the late 90's and the 00's,

.

- first there was his fight against his Warner CONtract, (the name change to was actually ok with me, back then),

- then the sueing and threatening of the Controversy fanzine, Princefamily, uptown.se, housequake.com

- sueing (threatening?) a baby for dancing to Let's Go Crazy on YT

- fighting other fans - their uploads - on YT

- and not least Prince when he became a Jehovah Witness, which I have always find so hard to relate to in any way (Sorry I am european, I am/ we are really critical to that sect, please forgive me)

.

Anyway, has Prince ever filled your life with energy, making you kind of possessed by HIM.

.

Or, are you a little more ground based, realistic, whatever. You have never felt HE was a "God" to you, his music was your religion.

.

.

Actually I miss those good old days when I was really turned ON in any way by Prince, his persona, his music, the sound, the style... all the mystery. The "religion days", I kind of miss the time when he could (almost) do nothing wrong.

.

Most of that is gone today - for me I mean, actually I see him today as a rather annoying and also a bit strange and rather silly person. ("the internet is over", "the burqa debate - everything is fine in the islamic countries", "not making albums anymore", Prince has said some strange things).

.

WHAT ABOUT YOU.

.

Was Prince ever like God to you. Did that change over the years.

.

How much of a fan are you of Prince, these days.

.

Prince is a living legend, still I am very hard to please these days. I am rather lukewarm --- unfortunately.

.

Ps) a new great Prince album will change that. So: maybe I am "a believer" after all, even today. Even he and I have changed, and even after all the bad experience, and "controversy", over the few last decades.

.

[Edited 4/17/13 1:56am]

Prince has been fundamental in my musical journey. I started loving his music back in 1990-1991, when I was 13 years old. It was actually similar to a "religion", according to the description of that feeling you give in your post.

I started losing some interest with Come, so a little before your case. The lowest point for me was 1998-1999, with New Power Soul and Rave. That made me lose interest, and I confess I didn't buy none of his albums until Lotus Flower. So in 2009 my interest in Prince grew considerably, I started buying the records of the 00s, the associated artists' albums I didn't have, I saw him live again... Maybe not the "religion" it once was, but also a fascinating journey once again.

I´ve never been a very religeous person.

I prefer to be responsible for my own thoughts and actions,

in stead of projecting that to a God or random artist.

I do still like to hear Prince his music.

His voice soothes me and I love his guitar play.

And I really like some of his fans over here.

But Prince is just a man who is a very good musician.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Uh, no.

thedance said:

(Sorry it's been a while since my last thread, I could not come up with a better "subject". Prince as "religion").

.

Anyway:

.

Back then during the Warner days (years), Prince could do nothing wrong IMO, (except for recording Jug Head, the GB title track, Orgasm, etc etc)...

.

.

But I stood side by side with Prince, when the press gave him bad reviews or ridiculed him, misunderstood him etc: I stood beside him, defended Prince in any way I could. When non-fans made their attcks I defended him. Back then I was really turned on (haha), in a good way. I looked up to Prince almost as if he was my religion, like Prince was the new God. Nono, he actually was my religion - back then, the 1985 Syracuse concert was broadcasted world wide, that (I think) made me look at him like he actually was God. Long before Emancipation and the (kind of) decline, he got - after he left Warner in 95.

.

Of course Prince has changed (a lot), he grew up, got older, (wiser?), whatever -- and of course I have changed (for the better?), too.

.

a lot of the controversial stuff made a distance between Prince and myself -- in the late 90's and the 00's,

.

- first there was his fight against his Warner CONtract, (the name change to was actually ok with me, back then),

- then the sueing and threatening of the Controversy fanzine, Princefamily, uptown.se, housequake.com

- sueing (threatening?) a baby for dancing to Let's Go Crazy on YT

- fighting other fans - their uploads - on YT

- and not least Prince when he became a Jehovah Witness, which I have always find so hard to relate to in any way (Sorry I am european, I am/ we are really critical to that sect, please forgive me)

.

Anyway, has Prince ever filled your life with energy, making you kind of possessed by HIM.

.

Or, are you a little more ground based, realistic, whatever. You have never felt HE was a "God" to you, his music was your religion.

.

.

Actually I miss those good old days when I was really turned ON in any way by Prince, his persona, his music, the sound, the style... all the mystery. The "religion days", I kind of miss the time when he could (almost) do nothing wrong.

.

Most of that is gone today - for me I mean, actually I see him today as a rather annoying and also a bit strange and rather silly person. ("the internet is over", "the burqa debate - everything is fine in the islamic countries", "not making albums anymore", Prince has said some strange things).

.

WHAT ABOUT YOU.

.

Was Prince ever like God to you. Did that change over the years.

.

How much of a fan are you of Prince, these days.

.

Prince is a living legend, still I am very hard to please these days. I am rather lukewarm --- unfortunately.

.

Ps) a new great Prince album will change that. So: maybe I am "a believer" after all, even today. Even he and I have changed, and even after all the bad experience, and "controversy", over the few last decades.

.

[Edited 4/17/13 1:56am]

Nurse! Nurse! He's escaped!

Prince cover of a Joan Osborne song:

If God had a name, what would it be?
And would you call it to His face?
If you were faced with Him in all His glory
What would you ask if you had just one question?

And yeah, yeah God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
What if God was one of us

Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make His way home?


If God had a face, what would it look like?
And would you want to see?
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like heaven and in
Jesus and the saints and all the prophets?

And yeah, yeah God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make His way home?

He's trying to make His way home
Back up to Heaven all alone
Nobody calling on the phone
Except for the pope maybe in Rome

And yeah, yeah God is great
Yeah, yeah, God is good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make His way home?

Just trying to make His way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to Heaven all alone
Just trying to make His way home
Nobody calling on the phone
Except for the pope maybe in Rome

I felt this way about both Michael Jackson and Prince at various times in my teenaged years.

This all stopped with the releases of Dangerous and Graffiti Bridge.

Yes. I'm an atheist. You can keep your Jesuses and your Mohammeds etc.

I'll keep Prince and Michael Jackson.

Theres only one God, and it ain't Prince.

u crazy

When I read this thread and others like it, I have a better understanding of why so many people have been pissed at Prince since 2000. First, let me say that Prince has been my favorite artist since I was ten, but being raised in the Mississippi Delta during the seventies, I was also a lover of blues, funk, rock-n-roll, and gospel. So while I probably listen to Prince fifty percent of the time that I'm listening to music, the other fifty percent is filled with artists from a range of genres. And even though a lot of my own ideas, ideology, have been affirmed (not developed) by his work, the core foundation of my ideas. ideology, were developed by my parents, teachers, and books that I read so Prince was never the be all and end all of how I viewed/understood the world. But, he was highly influential in some (about half) of it. Yet, ultimately, he was just a great artist who moved me, made me think and feel, and he still does. As I've stated before, Around the World in a Day is the album that gave me clarity with my fandom. While I immediately loved it when it was released, it was so different than what I was expecting that I realized that there will be a great chance that one day this dude is going to go in a direction or make music that will not move me. And while that has never happened, I never thought of it as strange or as somehow a betrayal by Prince to journey in a direction that would be different than a direction I would be walking. That's life. So, the great anger and distain that so many on this site have for Prince over his post-2000 work is because they don't seem to understand that no artist will do what you want them to do or what you like forever. I'm not saying that you are asserting this, but by understanding that Prince is just a very talented dude who happens to share a good deal of the same ideals that I do keeps me from losing my mind when he does something that does not move me. In fact, every time he embraces house music, I realize just how human he is and how flawed a human can be.

Best thread ever on the org. I first heard Prince when I was 12 in 1982 after I had purchased a K-Tell 8-track from the local five and dime. It had a song called "Controversy."

Well, the next year I became a huge Prince fan and it's continued to this day.

Your story seems very familiar to me and I'm glad you shared it. I think Prince has shown great restraint over the years and even now. Yes, he can be strange, but he does believe himself to be an artist. I hope he makes another movie. I think maybe this 3rdeyegirl stuff is just a movie he's making. The story is simple. He takes 3 white girls who play rock music just average and tours with them and makes a LOT of money. End of story. Great movie!!!!

But Yes, Prince was and is a religion to me. Like Prince, I don't eat meat or dairy products. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. And I also believe "Saviour" is one of Prince's bests songs ever.

I haven't lost faith yet.

Militant said:

Yes. I'm an atheist. You can keep your Jesuses and your Mohammeds etc.

I'll keep Prince and Michael Jackson.

dont go there oh and in case you forgot michael is dead...dont worry thats coming from a huge fan. those who worship artist are weaker than people who go wacky over religion in my personal opinion. hey lets keep it on the music man.

[Edited 4/17/13 20:48pm]

Thanks for all the interesting, positive comments, especially from Javi, Supersoulfighter, Metallicjigolo, Emperor101, Militant, 1725topp and 8up. (Did I forget any?).

.

The critical comments from some, yeah I know this "subject" (Prince as a "religion") may be a little hard to digest for those who actually belives in God, yeah -- and, maybe especiallyfor overseas, the american fans.

.

About Michael Jackson - I never felt the same for him, I loved his music the 3 great albums, but Prince was the only real artist I adored in the 1980's. And yes Prince was like religion to me,

.

he was like "pure dope" to me, back then..

.

.

[Edited 4/17/13 21:49pm]

thedance said:

Thanks for all the interesting, positive comments, especially from Javi, Supersoulfighter, Metallicjigolo, Emperor101, Militant, 1725topp and 8up. (Did I forget any?).

.

The critical comments from some, yeah I know this "subject" (Prince as a "religion") may be a little hard to digest for those who actually belives in God, yeah -- and, maybe especiallyfor overseas, the american fans.

.

About Michael Jackson - I never felt the same for him, I loved his music the 3 great albums, but Prince was the only real artist I adored in the 1980's. And yes Prince was like religion to me,

.

he was like "pure dope" to me, back then..

.

.

[Edited 4/17/13 21:24pm]

Michael for some people (Me) wasn't about just the 80s it was something that we saw building from Great (early 70s) to Very Special (Mid-Late 70s) to Undeniably more entertaining than anything else around ( 1979 - about 1981) Then WORLD DOMINATION!!!!!!!!

^ Ok, fine

.

But MJ was never a dominant force in "my world".

.

Prince was my artist, the only 1, a lot more fascinating to me, as a guitarist and musician.

.

No more Michael Jackson vs Prince, please. (?)

.

MJ r.i.p.

ElCapitan said:

u crazy

You believe so.

.

Yeah I might be crazy to some.

.

This thread : "Prince as religion", maybe this prooves I am crazy then, after all?

.

judging me, did you actually read the whole post (#1) in this thread, or did you just read the headline.

.

I might be "crazy" to you, but I am glad some here likes this thread.

thedance said:

^ Ok, fine

.

But MJ was never a dominant force in "my world".

.

Prince was my artist, the only 1, a lot more fascinating to me, as a guitarist and musician.

.

No more Michael Jackson vs Prince, please. (?)

.

MJ r.i.p.

No MJ vs Prince here from me- I was just trying to respond to you saying:

"About Michael Jackson - I never felt the same for him, I loved his music the 3 great albums"

To people who were into Michael/The Jackson 5/Jacksons it was the sountrack to our lives almost a decade before anybody knew or cared about Prince.

^ Ok Emperor101, -- my very last comment om Michael Jackson in the thread: the 3 great albums: 1979+1982+1987, sure there's some great singles on Dangerous and HIStory, too -- but they are not great as albums, imho.

.

Please no more MJ vs Prince.... or else this might get the a little too soon.

.

Rip.. MJ.

[Edited 4/17/13 22:51pm]

Prince loves MJ too- Both of them.

He's been playing one's tunes as covers since 2009 and always talking about being a fan of the other.. I'm just kidding, No more MJ talk

^ haha yeah: Michael Jordan,

.

and me, I thought you meant a certain guy named....... Mick Jagger.

.

auch, off topic... and now this thread is dead, again.. ?!

Shockedelicus said:

thedance said:

(Sorry it's been a while since my last thread, I could not come up with a better "subject". Prince as "religion").

.

Anyway:

.

Back then during the Warner days (years), Prince could do nothing wrong IMO, (except for recording Jug Head, the GB title track, Orgasm, etc etc)...

.

.

But I stood side by side with Prince, when the press gave him bad reviews or ridiculed him, misunderstood him etc: I stood beside him, defended Prince in any way I could. When non-fans made their attcks I defended him. Back then I was really turned on (haha), in a good way. I looked up to Prince almost as if he was my religion, like Prince was the new God. Nono, he actually was my religion - back then, the 1985 Syracuse concert was broadcasted world wide, that (I think) made me look at him like he actually was God. Long before Emancipation and the (kind of) decline, he got - after he left Warner in 95.

.

Of course Prince has changed (a lot), he grew up, got older, (wiser?), whatever -- and of course I have changed (for the better?), too.

.

a lot of the controversial stuff made a distance between Prince and myself -- in the late 90's and the 00's,

.

- first there was his fight against his Warner CONtract, (the name change to was actually ok with me, back then),

- then the sueing and threatening of the Controversy fanzine, Princefamily, uptown.se, housequake.com

- sueing (threatening?) a baby for dancing to Let's Go Crazy on YT

- fighting other fans - their uploads - on YT

- and not least Prince when he became a Jehovah Witness, which I have always find so hard to relate to in any way (Sorry I am european, I am/ we are really critical to that sect, please forgive me)

.

Anyway, has Prince ever filled your life with energy, making you kind of possessed by HIM.

.

Or, are you a little more ground based, realistic, whatever. You have never felt HE was a "God" to you, his music was your religion.

.

.

Actually I miss those good old days when I was really turned ON in any way by Prince, his persona, his music, the sound, the style... all the mystery. The "religion days", I kind of miss the time when he could (almost) do nothing wrong.

.

Most of that is gone today - for me I mean, actually I see him today as a rather annoying and also a bit strange and rather silly person. ("the internet is over", "the burqa debate - everything is fine in the islamic countries", "not making albums anymore", Prince has said some strange things).

.

WHAT ABOUT YOU.

.

Was Prince ever like God to you. Did that change over the years.

.

How much of a fan are you of Prince, these days.

.

Prince is a living legend, still I am very hard to please these days. I am rather lukewarm --- unfortunately.

.

Ps) a new great Prince album will change that. So: maybe I am "a believer" after all, even today. Even he and I have changed, and even after all the bad experience, and "controversy", over the few last decades.

.

Nurse! Nurse! He's escaped!

There's a nurse here @ the Org..?

.

I belive she's not active at the moment, I actually remember "nurse" very well. Haha.

.

The girl with the d&p avatar.

.

sorry, but I am not that crazy,

.

Shockedelicus.. you should really read the original message post #1 - once more.

.

Peace.

I don't idolise Prince or any other artist or celebrity. I am not looking for answers about life and the universe from him. His music touches me and makes me happy and I simply enjoy listening to it. His musicianship, prolific output and work ethic are inspiring.

I have never had expectations of Prince and believe that whatever he wants to do musically or business-wise is ok because he is an artist and he needs to do what he needs to do. I don't take it personally and I like what I like and don't worry about the rest.

Other than that, I see him as fellow complex human being who is liberated by his prodigious talent but also enslaved by it and this affects all aspects of his life. What we see is the brand "Prince", the show business, and not the person Prince.

1725topp said:

When I read this thread and others like it, I have a better understanding of why so many people have been pissed at Prince since 2000. First, let me say that Prince has been my favorite artist since I was ten, but being raised in the Mississippi Delta during the seventies, I was also a lover of blues, funk, rock-n-roll, and gospel. So while I probably listen to Prince fifty percent of the time that I'm listening to music, the other fifty percent is filled with artists from a range of genres. And even though

a lot of my own ideas, ideology, have been affirmed (not developed) by his work,

the core foundation of my ideas. ideology, were developed by my parents, teachers, and books that I read so Prince was never the be all and end all of how I viewed/understood the world. But, he was highly influential in some (about half) of it. Yet, ultimately, he was just a great artist who moved me, made me think and feel, and he still does. As I've stated before, Around the World in a Day is the album that gave me clarity with my fandom. While I immediately loved it when it was released, it was so different than what I was expecting that I realized that there will be a great chance that one day this dude is going to go in a direction or make music that will not move me. And while that has never happened,

I never thought of it as strange or as somehow a betrayal by Prince to journey in a direction that would be different than a direction I would be walking. That's life.

So, the great anger and distain that so many on this site have for Prince over his post-2000 work is because they don't seem to understand that no artist will do what you want them to do or what you like forever. I'm not saying that you are asserting this, but by understanding that Prince is just a very talented dude who happens to share a good deal of the same ideals that I do keeps me from losing my mind when he does something that does not move me. In fact, every time he embraces house music, I realize just how human he is and how flawed a human can be.

- I relate to his lyrics because it's similar to my own ideas. That is what I like about them.

- I prefer to have relationships with people based on mutual respect for eachothers choices, needs and decisions.

I don't belief that love can be forced by wanting the other person to behave according to my standards. That goes for friends, family, but also artist and fans. If it's not a volunteer, mutual respectful and kind contact, than it's not real love.

- And yes, the fact that you can't understand house or techno as good music, is a sign on the wall of how flawed a human can be.

I've read thedance's opening post again, and I think his idea of Prince as religion hasn't much to do with informing one's own values or worldview. I think he's talking more of his music as a religion.

That's why I answered "yes". I discovered music in the late 80s-early 90s, and I soon thought that Prince was the best composer and musician. He was the best at what I was learning to love -popular music. And, in that, sense, he was a kind of religion to me. Still today, I think he is the best musician.

If we talked about worldviews, his influence on me has been rather small. I admire his individualism and his work ethic, but other musicians have had a bigger influence in this realm, for example Bowie and Ray Davies.

mzspongebob said:

Militant said:

Yes. I'm an atheist. You can keep your Jesuses and your Mohammeds etc.

I'll keep Prince and Michael Jackson.

dont go there oh and in case you forgot michael is dead...dont worry thats coming from a huge fan. those who worship artist are weaker than people who go wacky over religion in my personal opinion. hey lets keep it on the music man.

That's funny, because at least the people I look up to actually exist.

The people who go wacky about religion can't say the same.