I've been reading this forum for years since I was a kid, and I really respect the views of all who post here, and I've learned a lot from being here.

But, a lot of the stuff you guys have been posting about these 2 new albums just seems somewhat trite. Yes, it's easy to bash Prince's latter work - but come on, can you REALLY give us an example of a heritage act (because let's be honest, Prince is a heritage act... along with McArtney, Springsteen, Weller, Dylan... etc.) that's put out a record since their "hey day" that really matches up to their prior greatness?

Out of all the tracks we've heard so far from AOA & PE, the majority of tracks are solid. Clouds is MASSIVE. I'm a 24 year old guy who DJ's a lot of underground dance music nights around London and I've been dropping Clouds ever since it was released and it's had people moving every time. I cannot wait to do the same with FUNKNROLL.

Besides anything, these tracks sound like Prince is having FUN. These tracks do not sound like P is taking himself too seriously. Surely we should welcome this? If we hark back to Dirty Mind or1999 - is P really taking this stone cold soberly seriously? Prince has always been a joker, these new tracks represent that, and they sound awesome.

Embrace it.

I get what you're saying, and I also appreciate most of the new stuff. I like that Prince sounds like he's having fun, but considering his age, I also want to hear about life from the perspective of someone who has been around longer than me and has seen more things.

He's at an age where he could offer that kind of perspective but he chooses not to, preferring to galavant with with kids half his age, talking about funking and rolling and screwdrivers and party toes.

There's a fine line between trying to stay young at heart and looking desperate to stay young. I would like to see someone as smart as him not dumb himself down, and dare to go a little deeper.

SchlomoThaHomo said:

Not judging the albums until I get them, but I do understand the negativity. It's hard to make party music when you have a stick up your azz.

I for one have honestly loved most of what I have heard from both albums.

I think "Clouds" , "The Breakdown" , "U Know" , and "FUNKNROLL" are all great tracks..

Music is subjective, and Prince can't please everybody, no artist can please everybody. But I'd just think everyone would be better off just waiting until the albums are released/listen to them before making any kind of real judgement about them. And if AOA and PE aren't your cup of tea.. hey that's okay, Prince has TONS of other albums for you to enjoy. And if (like me) you are enjoying the new output, then that's great! Let's just enjoy the ride.

KingSausage said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

I get what you're saying, and I also appreciate most of the new stuff. I like that Prince sounds like he's having fun, but considering his age, I also want to hear about life from the perspective of someone who has been around longer than me and has seen more things.

He's at an age where he could offer that kind of perspective but he chooses not to, preferring to galavant with with kids half his age, talking about funking and rolling and screwdrivers and party toes.

There's a fine line between trying to stay young at heart and looking desperate to stay young. I would like to see someone as smart as him not dumb himself down, and dare to go a little deeper.

Damn straight.

Some folks get off on critizing other folks life and life's work...others just get out and live theirs. The org is FILLED with the former. In the words of P "never you mind what they do!"

I don't think most people do it simply to be malicious

.

It's because the AOA/PE tracks generally are very, very, very poor. I thought Breakfast Can Wait, FallinLoveTonight, and Clouds were bad. Now I've heard U Know + Funk N Roll and have lost any excitement I may have had for this project. 20ten isn't a fan favorite... but those songs easily piss on these. P's trying to incorporate euro-dance, plastic R&B, chipmunk vocals, sound effects, and a bunch of useless shit in slightly if even entertaining musical rhythms.

.

If someone seems "too harsh", it's probably because they're die-hards and are disappointed just how horrible these albums are shaping up to be...

CharismaDove said:

I don't think most people do it simply to be malicious

.

It's because the AOA/PE tracks generally are very, very, very poor. I thought Breakfast Can Wait, FallinLoveTonight, and Clouds were bad. Now I've heard U Know + Funk N Roll and have lost any excitement I may have had for this project. 20ten isn't a fan favorite... but those songs easily piss on these. P's trying to incorporate euro-dance, plastic R&B, chipmunk vocals, sound effects, and a bunch of useless shit in slightly if even entertaining musical rhythms.

.

If someone seems "too harsh", it's probably because they're die-hards and are disappointed just how horrible these albums are shaping up to be...

100% accurate on this!!

SchlomoThaHomo said:

I get what you're saying, and I also appreciate most of the new stuff. I like that Prince sounds like he's having fun, but considering his age, I also want to hear about life from the perspective of someone who has been around longer than me and has seen more things.

He's at an age where he could offer that kind of perspective but he chooses not to, preferring to galavant with with kids half his age, talking about funking and rolling and screwdrivers and party toes.

There's a fine line between trying to stay young at heart and looking desperate to stay young. I would like to see someone as smart as him not dumb himself down, and dare to go a little deeper.

Pretty much.

SuperSoulFighter said:

If Prince is having fun, then good for him and the folks who enjoy it, but for me that's the problem: he's done so many "let's party" tracks and sweet soul ballads that I have heared more than enough of those. I miss Prince the songwriter. A bad song is a bad song no matter how great the production is. And something as simple as "Let's funk, let's roll" is in my opinion a bad song. On the old albums, I hear a songwriter who talks about love and life and sex and faith. These days, all I hear is expensive studios. [Edited 9/20/14 0:53am]

How is that supposed to be somehow inferior to chants like "Party up!" or "Let's Work!"?

I don't like the AOA version of that song, and I don't want to force myself to like it either, but the claim that the lyrics are somehow substantially different from his earlier party tracks doesn't make much sense.

any of u clowns who think someone is suppose act their age-well go listen to that somewhere else! how tha hell would u kno whether Prince is acting his age o trying to stay relevant?! when u been in his shoes-then u can talk about him like u know him! otherwise- u dont kno d**k!

trax said:

CharismaDove said:

I don't think most people do it simply to be malicious

.

It's because the AOA/PE tracks generally are very, very, very poor. I thought Breakfast Can Wait, FallinLoveTonight, and Clouds were bad. Now I've heard U Know + Funk N Roll and have lost any excitement I may have had for this project. 20ten isn't a fan favorite... but those songs easily piss on these. P's trying to incorporate euro-dance, plastic R&B, chipmunk vocals, sound effects, and a bunch of useless shit in slightly if even entertaining musical rhythms.

.

If someone seems "too harsh", it's probably because they're die-hards and are disappointed just how horrible these albums are shaping up to be...

100% accurate on this!!

Nah 100% BS...you guys just can't let go of the paisley purple frame you see Prince's music through. It's more of a reflection on you than it is his music...if you just don't get it you just don't. Grow up folks...this ain't the 80's, you guys are beginning to show your age, longing for the music of your youth.

last few years theres "plants" on here to crap all over his music regardless....ignore

popgodazipa said:

trax said:

100% accurate on this!!

Nah 100% BS...you guys just can't let go of the paisley purple frame you see Prince's music through. It's more of a reflection on you than it is his music...if you just don't get it you just don't. Grow up folks...this ain't the 80's, you guys are beginning to show your age, longing for the music of your youth.

.

"showing your age, longing for the music of your youth" I'm a teenager

.

It's not so much looking out of the paisley purple frame or romanticizing the 80s too much. Yeah, they were his peak, but I love Chaos and Disorder, Emancipation, Gold, Diamonds, Symbol, The Rainbow Children, parts of 3121, ONA Live, etc... I actually disagree with the sentiment that Prince's "golden" years ended in 1988, because the 1990s especially are one of my favorite P eras as a whole. So romanticizing the good old eighties isn't the problem

.

I just feel like Prince has latched onto the worst part of mainstream music and attempted to add 'his own touch' on it, but the results are really bad. Part of the reason I love Prince so much was how long it took me to first get into his work. I used to hate ATWIAD, Parade, Lovesexy, many hit singles and pretty much all b-sides, because they were so weird. But that's what makes them timeless classics to me today. Coming from the pop world of 2009 to Prince's discography is a huge leap. And even into the 2000s, with Rainbow Children and the ONA Live set, it was obvious P still HAD the spark, the genius, the talent, whether I liked the end result or not. Even later albums weren't pisspoor

.

Is there really any sentiment to Prince's talent in these songs? They just sound so muddled and poor, like he's trying too hard to get the 'artificial' idea across. They're uninteresting as well and you know he's gonna get away with it because he's "OH MA GERSH THE LEGENDARY PRINCEEEE" and music magazines will suck his dick about how he still "has it!". Thus inspiring Prince to make more Fallinlovetonights and Lunch Can Wait. Disappointing, because he don't even sound like Prince anymore..... he sounds like a lame wanna-be R&B singer who uses AutoTune to correct vocal weaknesses on top of uninteresting muddy musical ideas. If this wasn't a Prince record.... would you like it?

.

Oh well, sorry for writing so much.

I've liked all of P's work relatively consistently throughout all his different eras and experiments, but I'll have to pass on this embarrassing sludge. And P fans actually make fun of the R&B losers of today

SchlomoThaHomo said:

I get what you're saying, and I also appreciate most of the new stuff. I like that Prince sounds like he's having fun, but considering his age, I also want to hear about life from the perspective of someone who has been around longer than me and has seen more things.

He's at an age where he could offer that kind of perspective but he chooses not to, preferring to galavant with with kids half his age, talking about funking and rolling and screwdrivers and party toes.

There's a fine line between trying to stay young at heart and looking desperate to stay young. I would like to see someone as smart as him not dumb himself down, and dare to go a little deeper.

Wow, that summarizes how I feel as well.

I almost wish he would come up with a theme one evening and THEN make THAT album.

As in you have 1 hour left to live; what experiences come to mind and how would you put them down on paper?

SchlomoThaHomo said:

I get what you're saying, and I also appreciate most of the new stuff. I like that Prince sounds like he's having fun, but considering his age, I also want to hear about life from the perspective of someone who has been around longer than me and has seen more things.

He's at an age where he could offer that kind of perspective but he chooses not to, preferring to galavant with with kids half his age, talking about funking and rolling and screwdrivers and party toes.

There's a fine line between trying to stay young at heart and looking desperate to stay young. I would like to see someone as smart as him not dumb himself down, and dare to go a little deeper.

*

But, you've also got to admit that when Prince has been more serious his own fans (Prince.org folks) called him a racist and a religious nut. So, it seems that no matter what Prince does there are some folks that have Prince defined and locked in some 80s box that I'm not really sure existed anyway. Additionally, "RocknRoll Love Affair" has a nice narrative about looking beyond the surface to find a deeper meaning of life, and a lot of Org folks crapped on it. Even "Fixurlifeup" is about something more than just partying, though the lyrical execution is a bit clumsy. So, if Prince sings about partying, he's a pathetic old man trying to stay young. If Prince sings about religion, he's a hypocritical nut case. If Prince sings about racism, he's a racist. It seems that whether he's shallow or deep, the waters are never quite right for many of his "fans".

CharismaDove said:

I don't think most people do it simply to be malicious

.

It's because the AOA/PE tracks generally are very, very, very poor. I thought Breakfast Can Wait, FallinLoveTonight, and Clouds were bad. Now I've heard U Know + Funk N Roll and have lost any excitement I may have had for this project. 20ten isn't a fan favorite... but those songs easily piss on these. P's trying to incorporate euro-dance, plastic R&B, chipmunk vocals, sound effects, and a bunch of useless shit in slightly if even entertaining musical rhythms.

.

If someone seems "too harsh", it's probably because they're die-hards and are disappointed just how horrible these albums are shaping up to be...

Euro-Dance - He's been playing with that since Batdance and getting it horribly wrong each time. Now he seems to have embraced it.

Plastic RnB - but this is something else he's been doing since forever. Only now he's stepped it up and it actually sounds contemporary. Like he has a grasp on what people are listening to these days.

Chipmunk vocals - again - he's been fucking with the pitch shift since before Sign'O'The times. It ruins "breakfast can wait" but will that voice be on the album version?

Sound effects - is exactly how "Kiss" came to be. (and why it never worked live because "nobody can play it the way it sounds on the record").

To each their own, but these two albums are shaping up to be better than anything he's done since the mid 90's.

novabrkr said:

SuperSoulFighter said:

If Prince is having fun, then good for him and the folks who enjoy it, but for me that's the problem: he's done so many "let's party" tracks and sweet soul ballads that I have heared more than enough of those. I miss Prince the songwriter. A bad song is a bad song no matter how great the production is. And something as simple as "Let's funk, let's roll" is in my opinion a bad song. On the old albums, I hear a songwriter who talks about love and life and sex and faith. These days, all I hear is expensive studios. [Edited 9/20/14 0:53am]

How is that supposed to be somehow inferior to chants like "Party up!" or "Let's Work!"?

I don't like the AOA version of that song, and I don't want to force myself to like it either, but the claim that the lyrics are somehow substantially different from his earlier party tracks doesn't make much sense.

*

I get your point and agree, but "Party Up" is actually an anti-war or anti-establishment song. It's simplistic and maybe overly general in his delivery/execution, but it's still raging against the establishment and mindlessly doing what one is told to do...And, besides, it's the song that made me a Prince fan so stop dissing it before I take my marbles and go home...

I haven't see any mass negativity about it. Hell, I wish the negativity was massive because the new tracks sound absolutely horrible. I've seen some negativity but the majority of the comments have been praising the tracks and some of the comments have been downright ass kissing. Even if only four people out of a hundred expressed their dislike for the tracks, someone would swear that there was mass negativity going on because every single person wasn't holding hands around a big ole campfire, singing "Kumbaya", and bowing down and worshippping Prince's every move.

1725topp said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

I get what you're saying, and I also appreciate most of the new stuff. I like that Prince sounds like he's having fun, but considering his age, I also want to hear about life from the perspective of someone who has been around longer than me and has seen more things.

He's at an age where he could offer that kind of perspective but he chooses not to, preferring to galavant with with kids half his age, talking about funking and rolling and screwdrivers and party toes.

There's a fine line between trying to stay young at heart and looking desperate to stay young. I would like to see someone as smart as him not dumb himself down, and dare to go a little deeper.

*

But, you've also got to admit that when Prince has been more serious his own fans (Prince.org folks) called him a racist and a religious nut. So, it seems that no matter what Prince does there are some folks that have Prince defined and locked in some 80s box that I'm not really sure existed anyway. Additionally, "RocknRoll Love Affair" has a nice narrative about looking beyond the surface to find a deeper meaning of life, and a lot of Org folks crapped on it. Even "Fixurlifeup" is about something more than just partying, though the lyrical execution is a bit clumsy. So, if Prince sings about partying, he's a pathetic old man trying to stay young. If Prince sings about religion, he's a hypocritical nut case. If Prince sings about racism, he's a racist. It seems that whether he's shallow or deep, the waters are never quite right for many of his "fans".

I'll take a 100 songs with lyrics like RnR Love Affair over even one more with lyrics like Screwdriver. I actually liked the RnR lyrics a lot. I felt like I knew him a little better after hearing them, even if I couldn't 100% relate to them. It's nice to just hear him communicating something that sounds honest.

Noodled24 said:

CharismaDove said:

I don't think most people do it simply to be malicious

.

It's because the AOA/PE tracks generally are very, very, very poor. I thought Breakfast Can Wait, FallinLoveTonight, and Clouds were bad. Now I've heard U Know + Funk N Roll and have lost any excitement I may have had for this project. 20ten isn't a fan favorite... but those songs easily piss on these. P's trying to incorporate euro-dance, plastic R&B, chipmunk vocals, sound effects, and a bunch of useless shit in slightly if even entertaining musical rhythms.

.

If someone seems "too harsh", it's probably because they're die-hards and are disappointed just how horrible these albums are shaping up to be...

Euro-Dance - He's been playing with that since Batdance and getting it horribly wrong each time. Now he seems to have embraced it.

Plastic RnB - but this is something else he's been doing since forever. Only now he's stepped it up and it actually sounds contemporary. Like he has a grasp on what people are listening to these days.

Chipmunk vocals - again - he's been fucking with the pitch shift since before Sign'O'The times. It ruins "breakfast can wait" but will that voice be on the album version?

Sound effects - is exactly how "Kiss" came to be. (and why it never worked live because "nobody can play it the way it sounds on the record").

To each their own, but these two albums are shaping up to be better than anything he's done since the mid 90's.

.

Batdance was much more imaginative, experimental, and just downright fucking crazy than anything else out there. He's played with Eurodance in the past, but he's done it more decently than FallinLove2N, which sounds like it could be performed by anyone. The new songs lack the craziness of his past forrays into 'mainstream' music. Hell, Sexy MF bites off of old school funk but done in a very Princely way.

.

Plastic RnB I'll admit he's done a lot in the past and sometimes poorly. The late-90s we had NPS and NPG albums heavy with that R&B sound, and they sucked. NPS was horrible... which is why it seems almost like he's making Newpower Soul 2014 version. and Prince isn't sounding contemporary... I hate R&B but whatever's playing on the radio, listened to without my purple-tinted shades, is miles better than the crap he's doing. He knows NOTHING about what's popular. Maybe an inkling, which he's using to throw together an album he thinks will be hip and relevant. Yeah, all those R&B singers suck... but they know how to make a contemporary 2014 mainstream record, and Prince doesn't.

.

Camille's been around since 1986, but always used in a better way. On songs like If I Was Your Girlfriend, Strange Relationship, Love Or Money... they sounded genius and lifted the songs to an interesting level, and made the albums feel more diverse/superior as a result. Camille was an artistic and crazy decision. Whatever he's doing now, is more Chipmunk-y and extremely pointless. His voice has become poorer nowadays, and trust me when I say a lot of people think Prince can't sing, which is why he speeds it up. On SOTT Live, Livesexy, he performed and showed he had the chops. Next to a manipulated If I Was Your Girlfriend was a steamy Adore which showed he still had the voice. Now, he's using it less as an artistic form and moer as a way to hide his many vocal infallacies.

.

I know several P records suffer from some overproduction. But it's usually excusable because they're good in every other way, lyrically, vocally, instrumentally. But these songs are terrible every way, so they'll naturally be more criticized for their sound effects than a classic like Lovesexy titletrack.

.

As for your last sentence, I vehemently disagree as I feel he's released several good music since. But you're right. To each his own

btw i may give off the vibe I hate Prince or whatever, but it couldn't be further from the truth. I just need to keep it real.

[Edited 9/20/14 9:39am]

vainandy said:

I haven't see any mass negativity about it. Hell, I wish the negativity was massive because the new tracks sound absolutely horrible. I've seen some negativity but the majority of the comments have been praising the tracks and some of the comments have been downright ass kissing. Even if only four people out of a hundred expressed their dislike for the tracks, someone would swear that there was mass negativity going on because every single person wasn't holding hands around a big ole campfire, singing "Kumbaya", and bowing down and worshippping Prince's every move.

All I know is I am really enjoying the stuff I have heard on the new album. I am actually surprised as I was not really expecting much as 20Ten just did not connect with me. It sounded like Prince was spinning his wheels. I kinda thought he was done. I also was not a fan of the song from New Girl. But this new stuff from Art Official Age is not only growing on me with each listen, but I also can't seem to stop playing them. FunknRoll was the one that really surprised as I read some of the posts here before hearing it. Then I played it on youtube and was literally dancing around the living room like a fool! Can't remember the last time that happened to me from a NEW Prince song.

As for the negativity on here...one thing about being on this board over the years is I never have seen much of his stuff, old and new, connect with EVERYone. Whenever I see those posts about songs people HATE...there is always a bunch of stuff on peoples lists that I LOVE. But really, so what, as long its sounding good to me is all that really matters.

"Prince first charted in the top 40 with 'FUNKNROLL' on Friday 19th September 2014. The song debuted at a peak position of No. 33."

In the UK:

http://www.hot40uk.com/singles/funknroll/

CharismaDove said:

.

Batdance was much more imaginative, experimental, and just downright fucking crazy than anything else out there. He's played with Eurodance in the past, but he's done it more decently than FallinLove2N, which sounds like it could be performed by anyone. The new songs lack the craziness of his past forrays into 'mainstream' music. Hell, Sexy MF bites off of old school funk but done in a very Princely way.

Batdance was terrible.

I suppose it depends how you define crazy. When I heard FnR it was NOT what I was expecting. Infact it wasn't what anyone was expecting. Since we'd only heard the PE version.

Prince - dipping his toes into a drum and bass like sound. Thats a new direction. I'd call it experimental.

.

Plastic RnB I'll admit he's done a lot in the past and sometimes poorly. The late-90s we had NPS and NPG albums heavy with that R&B sound, and they sucked. NPS was horrible... which is why it seems almost like he's making Newpower Soul 2014 version. and Prince isn't sounding contemporary... I hate R&B but whatever's playing on the radio, listened to without my purple-tinted shades, is miles better than the crap he's doing. He knows NOTHING about what's popular. Maybe an inkling, which he's using to throw together an album he thinks will be hip and relevant. Yeah, all those R&B singers suck... but they know how to make a contemporary 2014 mainstream record, and Prince doesn't.

NPS was the last NPG album and the only one with the sterile plastic sound. Exodus certainly wasn't.

Comparing AOA to NPS makes me wonder if you've heard NPS. It was bland, every song was delivered in the same tone. The overall production on AOA (from whats been released) has more in common with TGE or Rave.

You pretty much summed it up in saying "I hate RnB". Which is odd given the majority of his back catalog falls under the RnB umbrella.

He makes a living knowing whats popular. His trouble has always been in the execution. He's always needed a record company (to tell him no) or a producer he can work with. The artists you hear on the radio - Prince goes to their houses.

I honestly don't know what to say to your statement that nothing from AOA sounds contemporary. Do you listen to radio one? I'm not saying Prince hasn't layered on his own twist (call it funk or call it cheese). But if any of these songs actually hit the charts - then they're contemporary. People are buying them - and that hasn't happened since TMBGITW.

.

Camille's been around since 1986, but always used in a better way. On songs like If I Was Your Girlfriend, Strange Relationship, Love Or Money... they sounded genius and lifted the songs to an interesting level, and made the albums feel more diverse/superior as a result. Camille was an artistic and crazy decision. Whatever he's doing now, is more Chipmunk-y and extremely pointless. His voice has become poorer nowadays, and trust me when I say a lot of people think Prince can't sing, which is why he speeds it up. On SOTT Live, Livesexy, he performed and showed he had the chops. Next to a manipulated If I Was Your Girlfriend was a steamy Adore which showed he still had the voice. Now, he's using it less as an artistic form and moer as a way to hide his many vocal infallacies.

.

What's genius about Love or Money? It's an ok song but genius?

Prince doesn't have a great voice (in his lower register). His falsetto is very good, and he can sing a great range. But to say he can't sing is nonsense.

It seems unlikely that he'd do it to mask his voice - he sings live.

Less as an artistic form? based on who's definition of "Artistic" What makes the distorted vocal on Love or Money genius and artistic but the distorted vocal on FnR a way to hide his vocal "infallacies" - (don't think thats actually a word btw) REMEMBER - we're not talking about the lyrics or their content. Just the fact he's played with shunting the pitch of his voice.

I know several P records suffer from some overproduction. But it's usually excusable because they're good in every other way, lyrically, vocally, instrumentally. But these songs are terrible every way, so they'll naturally be more criticized for their sound effects than a classic like Lovesexy titletrack.

.

Prince has never been one of the great lyricists. He has a lot of catchy catchphrases. But out of his ENTIRE back catalog there are probably 20 songs with deep or meaningful lyrics. He's RARELY released anything deep or personal to him. (a la the legend of wally)

As for your last sentence, I vehemently disagree as I feel he's released several good music since. But you're right. To each his own

Well... it depends where you're coming from if you like them cool.

Purple conspiracies aside - In terms of contemporary music - he hasn't. The majority of his work since 1995 has been widely ignored. There has been some chart success but due to Prince being crafty. Not because people were actually buying his songs.

btw i may give off the vibe I hate Prince or whatever, but it couldn't be further from the truth. I just need to keep it real.

[Edited 9/20/14 9:39am]

Thats cool. I don't dress in purple either.