i agree with most of the songs the majority on this forum say are bad but ive always like gb reminds of a disney song, a fun song. anyone else?

I don't hate this song - its saving grace is the guitar sound, for me. It's got that 'standing on a mountaintop' guitar sound that Glam Slam has, and I dig that.

What I don't like are the lyrics: I don't like being told what I (and everyone) is looking for. That said, I mostly ignore lyrics unless they're really, really good. But sonically, GB is pretty enjoyable so I give it a pass.

Great song, great singing, great guitar. Perfect 'musical' song. But if you don't like musicals...

It's mostly a matter of interpretation if u ask me. The question I always ask myself first when listening to a piece of music is "what was the artist trying 2 do?" and then "did he succeed at doing it?". I totally get what was trying 2 do with GB and IMHO he totally succeeded. Kitsch is and always was an integral part of popular music in general, african-american music in general and 's music in particular, I don't mind that on the contrary. So yeah I dig GB, it fulfills its purpose.

2 put it another way, people usually analyze a piece of music according to their own personal frame of reference. It's a huge mistake, a piece of music (any work of art for that matter) oughta be analyzed from the perspective of it's historical/sociocultural frame of reference and the artist's own frame of reference first, the listener's own frame of reference being a free agent of sorts, a third party that can for sure add an interesting layer of understanding to the piece of art (every listener hears a different song while listening to the same song) but making a personal analysis relevant means being aware of the first 2 factors and THEN only taking one's own perception into account. That's the difference between a good and a bad art critic if u ask me: someone who will only take their own frame of reference in order to give an opinion on a piece of art (which many people here do) is just blabbering sheer nonsense.

Eye like the vocal harmonies! It would go well live. should add it to his tour repertoire, with a choir or with Shelby J, Liv & Elisa doing the vocals...... It is an under rated classic & a brilliant title track.....

databank said:

2 put it another way, people usually analyze a piece of music according to their own personal frame of reference. It's a huge mistake, a piece of music (any work of art for that matter) oughta be analyzed from the perspective of it's historical/sociocultural frame of reference and the artist's own frame of reference first, the listener's own frame of reference being a free agent of sorts, a third party that can for sure add an interesting layer of understanding to the piece of art (every listener hears a different song while listening to the same song) but making a personal analysis relevant means being aware of the first 2 factors and THEN only taking one's own perception into account. That's the difference between a good and a bad art critic if u ask me: someone who will only take their own frame of reference in order to give an opinion on a piece of art (which many people here do) is just blabbering sheer nonsense.

I hear you as far as the music critic component is concerned - I love that idea!

As far as listening to music is concerned - the listener is either moved by the composition or not. Why or how the listener is moved is unimportant in my opinion. What's important is the emotional response.

Alexandernvrmind said:

Doalwa said:

I like it...Prince going Disney, why the hell not?

I adore it. But I'm a sweet, delicate guy.

---

Anyway, databank's comments on music criticism are spot on!

Only when Tevin Campbell chimes in and they all go "Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhh" and the "Yes it is...boy it is it is it is..."

Other than that I can't stand it.

It needs to be retooled in order to remove the cheese factor. My least favorite song.

I don't hate it yes,it's kinda corny but Prince has done worse.

I think the song needed a little more work.It sounds like it was hastily written.

Did someone say Prince going Disney? Can you say Song of the Heart? (I know, not Disney), or Let it Go?

Btw, the critical review of Graffiti Bridge in Rolling Stone praised the song as a cleansing epitaph a la Purple Rain.

Personally, I've always just liked it, not been wild about it.

of course not.

morningsong said:

Alexandernvrmind said:

morningsong said:

Hey sometimes corny hits the right spot. I like it.

I think there is really a fine line between being corny or genius especially with Prince. Purple Rain and Free are perfect examples of that.... Lyrics poignant with a great raspy vocal and they build to crescendo. They easily could have been corny but he was at his height then. GB and Gold cross the line. They aren't nearly as well written, the vocals aren't delivered with the kind of longing and understanding and they are incredibly plastic and amateurish sounding. One person said GB sounds rushed. It does indeed... It sounds like something he put together quickly and said it's done. However, at that time he wasn't as strong a lyricist certainly and he had lost some of the influence and pop sensibility offered by the revolution. I know some won't like me writing that but it's just my opinion. Dude thought he could put Tevin and Mavis on a record and get it done on a few cuts... And went with it. I bet when he listens to that thing now though he's like yuck. Diamonds & Pearls is another corny song. Lyrically but at least it's bailed out by its lush arrangement and musicality. However, the lyrics are just so half asses and unfinished. You listen to the music and think... Whee are the lyrics that are truly deserving of this musical track. D to the I to the A to M to the pearls of love.... Really? And the boy and the girl lyric over and over again in yet another song. Ughhh

Well thanks for explaining to me why I should and shouldn't like something.

Look I'm not a musical critique and Im not going to even try. I like what appeals to me at any given moment. There are a few of songs that are quite popular with people on the org that I absolutely can't stand. Purple Rain was great, but for me that entire album is the one I play the least since 1986 and I loved Purple Rain back in the day. D.M.S.R. was my most likely to skip songs back when I was 18 and now that I'm 50, I still skip it majority of the time and 1999 is one of my most favorite albums I play the most. I think I've reached a point in life not to feel need to be swayed by what others feel or think. It's about what appeals to me and makes me feel good. I think that's Prince's genius his ability to appeal to such a wide cross section of people and it's all him.

morningsong said:

Alexandernvrmind said:

morningsong said:

Well thanks for explaining to me why I should and shouldn't like something.

Look I'm not a musical critique and Im not going to even try. I like what appeals to me at any given moment. There are a few of songs that are quite popular with people on the org that I absolutely can't stand. Purple Rain was great, but for me that entire album is the one I play the least since 1986 and I loved Purple Rain back in the day. D.M.S.R. was my most likely to skip songs back when I was 18 and now that I'm 50, I still skip it majority of the time and 1999 is one of my most favorite albums I play the most. I think I've reached a point in life not to feel need to be swayed by what others feel or think. It's about what appeals to me and makes me feel good. I think that's Prince's genius his ability to appeal to such a wide cross section of people and it's all him.

That's fine... Thanks for giving ur take. Not sure why you felt I was telling you specifically how to feel. Especially given I clearly stated it was my opinion (shrug)

Hey you went into explaining the difference between corny and genius which I never mentioned. But it's cool. You don't like it. I can live with that.

It's one of those songs that sound like a nice sweet little slice of pop rock the first time you hear it, but the more you listen the worse it seems to get. I'm actually a fan of cheese but this song The dramatic wails after the chorus, the fact it sounds like a totally overblown Christmas carol with everyone in town featured on the chorus but with ridiculously shitty lyrics about a bridge that doesn't exist, and that it follows a group of lackluster plastic Totally-1990 "R&B" tracks just completely ruin it for me. This song (like a lot of Prince's "Purple Rain pt. 2,3,4,etc") is a NO NO

I really like it, but then again, there aren't too many of Prince's songs that I don't like. On that whole album my favorite is Still Would Stand All Time, I love that song and love how Prince sings it.

[Edited 7/7/14 18:16pm]

Makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over.