databank said:

herb4 said:

It's OK. It's more or less the the same the album he's been releasing since Gold: A few gems, a few pieces of poop, and a few songs you like well enough not to skip. Honestly, when was the last time a Prince album didn't fit this mold? When was the last time he gave us a consistently good record? 3121 I can listen to all the way the through but, for the most part, for the last 20 years or so, Prince records have been wildly inconsistent.

Once again this is the case of someone who doesn't like pizzas and thinks no one does. I for one listen to albums as wholes or don't listen to them at all, but I just don't skip songs. And as for Prince's albums I hardly ever felt any urge to skip anything on any of his albums since Gold.

I don't know--the whole skipping tracks mentality is one I don't get. Of course, I started listening to albums on vinyl, when you either listened to the whole side or you had to stand over there by the turntable ready to pick up the needle--and who needs that? I remember when I first got a CD player that allowed me to program tracks for my discs, and I thought "Why would I do that?"

It's true that I would, even with vinyl, listen to a single track over and over--but listening to an album was listening to an album, not reconfiguring some new EP. And it still is, for me.

Now, if I actually heard "pieces of poop" on the albums, I might feel differently.

[Edited 7/3/13 19:51pm]

EddieC said:

databank said:

Once again this is the case of someone who doesn't like pizzas and thinks no one does. I for one listen to albums as wholes or don't listen to them at all, but I just don't skip songs. And as for Prince's albums I hardly ever felt any urge to skip anything on any of his albums since Gold.

I don't know--the whole skipping tracks mentality is one I don't get. Of course, I started listening to albums on vinyl, when you either listened to the whole side or you had to stand over there by the turntable ready to pick up the needle--and who needs that? I remember when I first got a CD player that allowed me to program tracks for my discs, and I thought "Why would I do that?"

It's true that I would, even with vinyl, listen to a single track over and over--but listening to an album was listening to an album, not reconfiguring some new EP. And it still is, for me.

Now, if I actually heard "pieces of poop" on the albums, I might feel differently.

[Edited 7/3/13 19:51pm]

I totally agree with you and it's a shame, but times have changed. '2010' is no 'Dark Side of the Moon', 'Physical Graffitti' or, for that matter, 'Purple Rain', 'Sign O the Times', or '1999'. It's not my fault Prince albums have been wildly inconsitent for decades now. And, yes, I will skip tracks like 'Wedding Feast' and 'Everybody Loves Me' because, well...they're embarrassing and they suck. I go back to vinyl days myself and miss the times where even the shittiest songs were borderline listenable and you could just let the record play, but what are you gonna do?

herb4 said:

EddieC said:

I don't know--the whole skipping tracks mentality is one I don't get. Of course, I started listening to albums on vinyl, when you either listened to the whole side or you had to stand over there by the turntable ready to pick up the needle--and who needs that? I remember when I first got a CD player that allowed me to program tracks for my discs, and I thought "Why would I do that?"

It's true that I would, even with vinyl, listen to a single track over and over--but listening to an album was listening to an album, not reconfiguring some new EP. And it still is, for me.

Now, if I actually heard "pieces of poop" on the albums, I might feel differently.

[Edited 7/3/13 19:51pm]

I totally agree with you and it's a shame, but times have changed. '2010' is no 'Dark Side of the Moon', 'Physical Graffitti' or, for that matter, 'Purple Rain', 'Sign O the Times', or '1999'. It's not my fault Prince albums have been wildly inconsitent for decades now. And, yes, I will skip tracks like 'Wedding Feast' and 'Everybody Loves Me' because, well...they're embarrassing and they suck. I go back to vinyl days myself and miss the times where even the shittiest songs were borderline listenable and you could just let the record play, but what are you gonna do?

See, here's the thing... in 1984, if I had a cd player instead of vinyl--I might have skipped "Take Me With U." In 1985, it might have been "Pop Life" or "America." Several tracks might have gotten skipped on Sign o the Times. Certainly if I had made up my mind based on the first few listens, or the first one, or (as it seems many people do by their own accounts of their listening to new music) the first 30 seconds. I might have skipped several other tracks on other albums--because it would have been easy to make a snap decision and then live by it the rest of my life. Or have simply gotten into the habit because, while the song might not be terrible (and in most cases the weaker tracks aren't), the next song is a lot better. I might have gotten into the habit of striking a song early on, and then never revisiting it. And that's true for almost any album ever released, and for many tracks that have become favorites. Not just with Prince, but with any artist that I really listen to much.

Almost no pop-genre albums really require you to listen to every track, no matter what proponents of the "album" as one work might claim. They're nearly all song by song, or at most occasional 2 or three song series. But I'm not greatly hurt by hearing a song I don't love, and it's happened often enough that my mind has changed that, if an artist has produced a lot of work that I do like, I feel it's worth giving things a chance. In fact, by getting the album, I've already made that decision to give the songs a chance. If after several listens you are actually really still strongly opposed to a track--fine, pretend it never existed. I probably wouldn't do it, but I understand it. But what seems ridiculous to me is people making sharp "vote it off the island" decisions about songs coming from someone whose past work suggests that there might really be something worth listening to here. If you really liked Prince's 80's output and didn't find it littered with skippable songs, for example--I just don't get how things have changed. It doesn't seem that different now.

Again, if I thought the songs were that bad, I might skip them (or if I just wasn't in the right mood--but that's a temporary in the moment type decision). But if I thought they were that bad, it would probably be a case that I just didn't like Prince at all, and I wouldn't be listening to the album to begin with.

But really, the difference is--even the lesser tracks don't sound that bad to me. And if they had (and the new good ones weren't a lot better than the new good ones are anymore, which would raise the average for the album)--I wouldn't still be listening. Once Sting singles started boring me to tears, I stopped getting the albums. I've probably missed music I'd like because of that (and someday I might find out)... but I'm not listening to new Sting find out. I had the first several Madonna albums--haven't gotten one in decades, though--singles started boring me, and the albums had always been hit and miss... she didn't reward the effort it took. I have a vague curiousity about Tori Amos now--but I stopped liking the albums and I stopped even listening to them once.

For the people I do still follow, even the lesser album tracks offer me pleasures that justify listening--or they do often enough that I still give tracks I don't immediately like more chances than I would for people I don't "like" in general. Obviously, there's a trade-off. If I decide to let "No More Candy 4 U" (one my instincts suggest I should skip) play instead of listening to something new from somebody new... well, I might be missing something. But it's Prince, so maybe, like has happened many times before, something will suddenly click. It hasn't happened yet with that one... but it might.

I'm not holding my breath--but I am (usually) letting the thing play.

SlowNslipp3ryGr00vy said:

its my fave

How? Is it the only Prince album you've heard?

If so, i understand.

20Ten is all about Future Soul Song to me. One of his best cuts of the 00's IMO.

SuperSoulFighter said:

His worst album to date hands down. Aside from just being bad, it lacks any sense of creativity or adventure. If he's going to put out ANY more albums like this, better that they get vault-ed

Least fav album. I'm looking for intriguing insight at least emotionally with his lyrics-His lyrics seem to be more forced and bland. (And no he doesn't have to talk about sex.)

MattyJam said: