Many here would like to see Prince top the charts again like he did in the 80's and early 90's, with an album suitable for the masses. Others would like him to focus on cutting edge new music that has true artistic value, but might not sell so well.

What camp do you represent, and why?

[Edited 8/22/14 1:27am]

funkaholic1972 said:

Many here would like to see Prince top the charts again like he did in the 80's and early 90's, with an album suitable for the masses. Others would like him to focus on cutting edge new music that has true artistic value, but might not sell so well.

What camp do you represent, and why?

[Edited 8/22/14 1:27am]

I want an album of him doing what comes naturally. Being experimental and putting out a classic album. That doesnt mean one for the masses. It just means, stop trying to be cool. and make great music.

SuperSoulFighter said:

Let's hear it first. If you already make up your mind about how a new album should sound before it's even out there, you're only setting yourself up for disappointments.

very true. at this stage in his career i think he needs to consume himself with people that will push him. you cant rest on your reputation.

I want Prince to write music that is free of any expectations and pre-conceived notions. Ignore what fans and other musicians want of you. Records like 20TEN and MPLSOUND sounded like overtures to fans that kept whining to make music like he did during his '80s heyday. He gave fans what they wanted, an abundance of synthesizers and vintage drum programming that characterized his music from Controversy and 1999. Prince is surrounded with many musicians from John Blackwell, that 11 piece horn section, Andrew Gouche and others. I believe he still has untapped musicality that these musicians could translate in the studio and bring to life in song. As long as the music is uncompromising and earnest, I can cherish it. I can find the value of it.

funkaholic1972 said:

Many here would like to see Prince top the charts again like he did in the 80's and early 90's, with an album suitable for the masses. Others would like him to focus on cutting edge new music that has true artistic value, but might not sell so well.

What camp do you represent, and why?

[Edited 8/22/14 1:27am]

i represent the "these are not mutually exclusive camp" principally because i'm sick of the snobbery that surrounds music criticism dominated by spotty-too-cool-for-school-no-mates-perma-teenagers!

Why not both? Give me some funk, some rock, something for the ladies, and throw something in for the R&B stations to bob their heads to (and I don't mean TE AMO CORAZON).

Have some fun with it, P.

The conventional wisdom is that prince was at his most experimental when at his most successful so.... both?

there wont be a new album

so lets talk about something else... will there be a rerelease of "children of the sun"?

trickster said:

there wont be a new album

so lets talk about something else... will there be a rerelease of "children of the sun"?

There will be no re-releases

so lets talk about something else... eh... who is prince dating right now?

funkaholic1972 said:

Many here would like to see Prince top the charts again like he did in the 80's and early 90's, with an album suitable for the masses. Others would like him to focus on cutting edge new music that has true artistic value, but might not sell so well.

What camp do you represent, and why?

[Edited 8/22/14 1:27am]

I don't think he ever really did an album in the 1980s that was suitable for the masses.

I think the 1980s was just the right kind of time that Prince could have expressed Uptown Erotic City Paisley Park (purple music) and it be received. the 1980s music was cutting edge new music with true artistic value

I would like him to simply finish the songs and release them. Don't add stupid sound effects to a good song like The Breakdown. It's probably not always easy to know when a song becomes overproduced...but I see it like this:

Overproduced: The Breakdown, Endorphinmachine (and much of the Gold Experience...great wonderful songs with too much keyboard overkill and stupid song interludes that actually interrupt the great music). I was so overwhlemed with excitement about The Breakdown getting released, and when I heard Star Wars Stormtroopers shooting their laser guns off in the song, a potentially great song was reduced to just a good one.

Underproduced: The Dance (Original)...Guitar(Original Demo) (Feel Good, Wonderful, etc)...The Dance sounds ok, but pales in comparison to the 3121 version. Both Guitar and Feel Good sounded like horrible songs to me until released on albums. I was horrified that Guitar was the lead single to Planet Earth until I heard the new version. Prince claims he doesn't do demos, but these were obvious demos...and glad they were not on an official album.

Just Right: The Dance (3121 version)....Fury(sure, the production sounds similar to Endorphinmachine's album version, but the keyboards have more "punch" to them...the guitar was mixed just right. You could argue that it could have been recorded differently, but what we have is awesome to me. Guitar (3121 version) was quite a shocker to me..yeah, it sounded like U2's I Will Follow, but it's a different song. Feel Good may be one of Lotus Flow3r's weaker songs...and yes, it's another in the long line of James Brown type songs...but the album version is much better than the demo, and it works for me.

Everybody knows by now there will be no more albums because Prince cannot get a 10 million dollar advance. Sad but true.

My preference would be an experimental concept album that's made with zero intention to get radio play, the more unpredictable and original the better. 95% of the org would whine and complain as they would anything he puts out at this point but I'd be happy.

An album he makes where he forgets he's a JW.

It can be both. 1999, Purple Rain and SOTT are "hit oriented" but most "music lovers" like them. I think the "hits" part is secondary and should always take a back seat. That stuff happens in spite of itself a lot of times.

jaawwnn said:

The conventional wisdom is that prince was at his most experimental when at his most successful so.... both?

Yep, I agree! Catchy song with 'weird' arrangements and 'out there' instrumentation. When he just follows his heart an makes music without thinking too much about 'hits' he is at his purple best!

Something that sounds like he's having FUN making music. Attempting to "educate" is all well and good, but dammit, have FUN with it!

It doesn't have to be and either/or. I would prefer both, I want it all!!!! lol

EyeHatechu said:

I just want him to do what comes natural to him. Whether he wants to do a mass pleaser or a deep true artistic form of music. I just want SOMETHING.

here here. i'm excited but a little bored.

funkaholic1972 said:

Many here would like to see Prince top the charts again like he did in the 80's and early 90's, with an album suitable for the masses. Others would like him to focus on cutting edge new music that has true artistic value, but might not sell so well.

What camp do you represent, and why?

[Edited 8/22/14 1:27am]

Boss,

Prince's hits from the past are treasures - they were catchy songs that were unique. The current incarnation of Prince writes crappy pop music that sounds forced. I'm surprised by people still trying to argue the point that hit records don't have artistic merit but this only convenient to fans of artists who are no longer on the radio: Prince. Because when Prince was writing edgy and unique hits songs like LIttle Red Corvette or When Doves Cry I'm sure there were folks back then who were making the same argument for their favourite fallen star.

That said, as far as cutting edge music is considered, if you're looking for it, you ain't going to find it coming from a man who is nearly 60 years old. This isn't intended to be disrespectful to Prince but an acknowledgement of a reality that seems to miss several of the orgers here. Prince is older now - just enjoy the music for what it is and cherish the early records where he was really seeking something new and exciting.

10000Degrees said:

funkaholic1972 said:

Many here would like to see Prince top the charts again like he did in the 80's and early 90's, with an album suitable for the masses. Others would like him to focus on cutting edge new music that has true artistic value, but might not sell so well.

What camp do you represent, and why?

[Edited 8/22/14 1:27am]

Boss,

Prince's hits from the past are treasures - they were catchy songs that were unique. The current incarnation of Prince writes crappy pop music that sounds forced. I'm surprised by people still trying to argue the point that hit records don't have artistic merit but this only convenient to fans of artists who are no longer on the radio: Prince. Because when Prince was writing edgy and unique hits songs like LIttle Red Corvette or When Doves Cry I'm sure there were folks back then who were making the same argument for their favourite fallen star.

That said, as far as cutting edge music is considered, if you're looking for it, you ain't going to find it coming from a man who is nearly 60 years old. This isn't intended to be disrespectful to Prince but an acknowledgement of a reality that seems to miss several of the orgers here. Prince is older now - just enjoy the music for what it is and cherish the early records where he was really seeking something new and exciting.

Dylan has released great music since turning 55. He is now 73 and still doing it well. I blame Jehovah and Larry.

3rdeyedude said:

10000Degrees said:

Boss,

Prince's hits from the past are treasures - they were catchy songs that were unique. The current incarnation of Prince writes crappy pop music that sounds forced. I'm surprised by people still trying to argue the point that hit records don't have artistic merit but this only convenient to fans of artists who are no longer on the radio: Prince. Because when Prince was writing edgy and unique hits songs like LIttle Red Corvette or When Doves Cry I'm sure there were folks back then who were making the same argument for their favourite fallen star.

That said, as far as cutting edge music is considered, if you're looking for it, you ain't going to find it coming from a man who is nearly 60 years old. This isn't intended to be disrespectful to Prince but an acknowledgement of a reality that seems to miss several of the orgers here. Prince is older now - just enjoy the music for what it is and cherish the early records where he was really seeking something new and exciting.

Dylan has released great music since turning 55. He is now 73 and still doing it well. I blame Jehovah and Larry.

So has Prince - but, and like Dylan, there's been far more inconsistency with his latter catalogue than with the first part of it.

That said, we were discussing Prince making cutting edge music - the reality is, being his age and I agree, having such conservative opinions, doesn't lend well to making cutting edge music. However, I believe it has more to do with age - these kids are living in a very digital world and so many of these young musicians are doing some really interesting things with the tech. They've taken the torch that artists like Prince lit way back in the 70s and 80s and ran with it!

New album: would you prefer a "hit album" for the masses, or a truly "artistic album" for real music lovers?
A hit album is unlikely as that has as much to do with luck and the industry supporting you than it does skill, of which these days very little is required.
An attempt at an artistic album is more likely to result in an autisic album. TRC is some decent music with lyrics that were the scribblings of a retard. N.E.W.S. has little to no artistic merit.
I submit to you that an album like Purple Rain, (which was so huge and influential that it no longer seems as shockingly weird as it did when new) is more of a work of art than any of his meandering, tuneless "art" records. It is perhaps the weirdest record he's made, but since it's become such a historical document it doesn't seem as outlandish as it truly is.
You should probably define 'artistic'. I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing. I think to most fans of Prince and radio-type music in general, artistic means something that you don't quite understand and is often missing a recongnizable melody, but since it's by your favorite 'artist' that makes it wierd and artistic. It is entirely possible to make tuneless, pointless crap and have it be without ANY value, artistic or otherwise, (like N.E.W.S.). Those Loring Park jams have about 20,000,000 the value of someting like N.E.W.S.

Something that is both, a good album should have some instant killer singles and plenty for the constituents. What I mean some ass shaking dance smash, next to a croon your panties off sex ballad, at least one mammoth guitar track and a jazzy breakdown or two. The rest can be play it safe dance pop.

.

We have that with Plectrum Electrum or at least the mix of it I have, except the results of it are less than perfect, more good to average.

Starts with a Hendrix like Guitar piece - (Rock)

then Screwdriver - (Catchy single potential)

Fixurlifeup - (Preachy rock song)

Xtralovable - (Poppy but ultimate throwaway)

Rock and Roll love affair - (Boring Adult contemporary pop - Prince sounding like Robert Cray)

Pretzelbodylogic - Great chant rock song

Breakfast can wait - Another sex ballad meets juicy pop

Groovy Potential - Another great ballad, pop song

Couple of other boasty songs, well its Prince, so you get the I'm so great track on every album.

I suppose I'd prefer an "artistic album", but I'm happy if the new solo album is a combination of his more accessible approach as far as the melodies go with a good amount of artsier stuff happening in the arrangements. The title, the cover art and the songs we've heard so far indicate that might be the case.