NouveauDance said:

Aerogram said:

I imagine that if there was a retirement home exclusively devoted to Prince fans (ex or not), they would have a discussion like this on Lovesexy every month.

And you'd still be there with your nose pressed up against the window whilst we're playing NPG Bingo and eating meals on wheels served by Tony M.

Don't be silly. I'd be inside arguing that AOA is a lot like Lovesexy.

bonatoc said:

dandan said:

Also, Prince almost certainly knows plenty of exotic instruments. He listens (and always has) to a wide, wide variety of music and it shows in his work. He knows plenty about guitars, pedals, amps and all the equipment he uses.

I would not dare to question Prince's musical knowledges.

I'm just pointing out that, in the recent years, oh damn, since for ever, he's gotten lazy.
He refines his sound, sure, but keeps quoting himself. He's not curious.
It's like he turned around, and satisfied himself with the invention of the "Minneapolis Sound"
(which is just a drum machine through guitar pedal effects, along with some synth stabs and Bootsy Collins bass).
Fine for a flashy and bling-bling decade, but who listens to "Sex Shooter" without cringing?

And he has bad taste. If he really had any clue on how valuable his music his, he would have never allowed
for his records to take part in the Loudness Wars.

I thank the Lord for the 3 Davids on Parade, and Susan Rogers on CB/DF/SOTT.
These records stand the test of time. As much as DM, Controversy and 1999.
But at a certain point even him realized he needed confrontation, artistic debate.
And then someone said "genius" one more, and then he fired W&L, and never allowed anyone to take part in his artistic decisions.

For all the "Slave" era brilliance, we are looking at a brilliant musician who is just repeating himself.
He's so talented that it barely shows up, but that's not the point.
We fans are patient enough to endure 2 minutes of crap for one minute of brilliance, or 7 seven meh songs for a gem.
The public got bored of this masturbation in front of a mirror.

He does not have the curiosity, or simply the will, of submitting his work to people equally talented as he is.
Because all of his court repeated him how great he was, he never had the impulse of collaborating
with great producers. No Nelle Hopper, no Brian Eno, no Nigel Godrich, heck I would even go with good ol' Nile Rodgers
to see what he can bring to the table.

Prince has become so full of himself musically that he THINKS he's a curious musician,

but in truth he's just sampling his own works, he is his own influence. It clearly shows in AOA,
where it sounds like 2014 Prince sampling 1979 Prince, 1984 Prince, and so on.
That is why the Vault contains 30% of pulp, and 70% of bland piss (some would go as far as 10%/90%).

All other musicians switch producers, try new stuff, confront themselves to new environements.

To Prince, playing a stratocaster (it took him years to show one on stage) is a big revolution.
That's how sad it is. And when he wants us to believe he's actually on the latest trends,

he's covering "Creep", and everyone goes "Aaahhh".
He probably just heard it on the radio, and thought it would be genius to purplerainize it.

You can bet yo ass that he's never listened to "OK Computer" or "Kid A" in full.

In fact, I can't wait to hear something by Prince that is influenced by someone else than himself.

[Edited 2/12/15 3:40am]

But wait you do.

Somehow, he managed to keep you waiting after 10, 20, 25 years of arguably much poorer material.

It won't matter 50 years from now if the production values were seen as a little dated then, because it will be about the person that created all this very varied catalog that is kind of a summary/sprawling overview of many styles popular in the 20th and 21st century -- like one big musical Cliff Notes to the music of that period. Listening to Prince will be a crash course covering JB, Sly, Jimi, P Funk, disco, hard rock, psychedelia, hip hop, even some rap, garage rock, jazz(ish), etc. etc. AND the Minneapolis Sound.

And my friend, I affirm today that Sex Shooter will be a fave.

How can you not see that it's immortal?

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%22immortal%20sex%20shooter%22

[Edited 2/12/15 15:48pm]

I think "Batman" is far superior to "Lovesexy". The production is similar, but "Batman" has much more focus. I'm always amazed LS gets as much love as it does. It's a huge step down from SOTT.

I think Batman was more of a challenge because he was writing for someones film. It was a rare outside influence. Rather than Prince making an album on a whim.

Aerogram said:

bonatoc said:

I would not dare to question Prince's musical knowledges.

I'm just pointing out that, in the recent years, oh damn, since for ever, he's gotten lazy.
He refines his sound, sure, but keeps quoting himself. He's not curious.
It's like he turned around, and satisfied himself with the invention of the "Minneapolis Sound"
(which is just a drum machine through guitar pedal effects, along with some synth stabs and Bootsy Collins bass).
Fine for a flashy and bling-bling decade, but who listens to "Sex Shooter" without cringing?

And he has bad taste. If he really had any clue on how valuable his music his, he would have never allowed
for his records to take part in the Loudness Wars.

I thank the Lord for the 3 Davids on Parade, and Susan Rogers on CB/DF/SOTT.
These records stand the test of time. As much as DM, Controversy and 1999.
But at a certain point even him realized he needed confrontation, artistic debate.
And then someone said "genius" one more, and then he fired W&L, and never allowed anyone to take part in his artistic decisions.

For all the "Slave" era brilliance, we are looking at a brilliant musician who is just repeating himself.
He's so talented that it barely shows up, but that's not the point.
We fans are patient enough to endure 2 minutes of crap for one minute of brilliance, or 7 seven meh songs for a gem.
The public got bored of this masturbation in front of a mirror.

He does not have the curiosity, or simply the will, of submitting his work to people equally talented as he is.
Because all of his court repeated him how great he was, he never had the impulse of collaborating
with great producers. No Nelle Hopper, no Brian Eno, no Nigel Godrich, heck I would even go with good ol' Nile Rodgers
to see what he can bring to the table.

Prince has become so full of himself musically that he THINKS he's a curious musician,

but in truth he's just sampling his own works, he is his own influence. It clearly shows in AOA,
where it sounds like 2014 Prince sampling 1979 Prince, 1984 Prince, and so on.
That is why the Vault contains 30% of pulp, and 70% of bland piss (some would go as far as 10%/90%).

All other musicians switch producers, try new stuff, confront themselves to new environements.

To Prince, playing a stratocaster (it took him years to show one on stage) is a big revolution.
That's how sad it is. And when he wants us to believe he's actually on the latest trends,

he's covering "Creep", and everyone goes "Aaahhh".
He probably just heard it on the radio, and thought it would be genius to purplerainize it.

You can bet yo ass that he's never listened to "OK Computer" or "Kid A" in full.

In fact, I can't wait to hear something by Prince that is influenced by someone else than himself.

[Edited 2/12/15 3:40am]

But wait you do.

Somehow, he managed to keep you waiting after 10, 20, 25 years of arguably much poorer material.

I never said poorer material.

Prince's blandest musical farts still smell like Chanel n°5 when compared to a lot of nowadays productions.

Still... I'd rather see him collaborating with St Vincent, than always picking some servile female vocalist, no matter how good she is, in Andy's case.

Still Waiting? Like I said, there's Good Man, Golden Parachute, Shortberry Strawcake, enough to fill hours of my life, past, present and future.

I'm talking 'bout Time, and not in an AOA spirit, more in the Mavis Staples one, if you catch my drift.
Soon he'll be bald and we'll have him wearing emerald green dreadlocks.

I want the guy who's got the balls of putting out Animal Kingdom. I'd rather listen to a failed experiment than virutose tapestry.
Skipper is THAT good. He's just a lazy old punk.

I mean he goes there, but because he thinks he's so good already, he seldom forgets about that extra notch.
No, I don't think you can play Let's Go Crazy slowed down and see me go Whoaa.
And I don't think this is good enough for national television.
You carry a genius. Pay respect to it.

You once said : "you know how easy it would have been for me blah blah Let's Go Crazy?", you tourist.

Instead, you should pause a little and think about your legacy. And a song the public might not know yet, a song that has kept its intent purity over the years.
If no one around you suggests to go with Bambi, and REALLY go crazy, your entourage sucks.
Better fire them all.

Let's pretend he plays Bambi like at the Paradisio, Amsterdam.
Not only the 3rdEye Girls make the entire industry jaws drop, but it's provocative as hell, this No-good-of-a-lesbian woman story. And somewhat heartbreaking too, hence the shrieds of the 6 strings of the apocalypse.

You release PlectrumElectrum the day after, and it goes right at #1, Dammit!


But no, let's play Let's Go Crazy slowed down. Because the Blues Brothers plagiarism, that's what I wanna be remembered for.


Batman? Sometimes the Arms of Orion, that's where I wanna be.
And musically, it's somewhat Scandalous.

[Edited 2/12/15 17:55pm]

bonatoc said:

Aerogram said:

But wait you do.

Somehow, he managed to keep you waiting after 10, 20, 25 years of arguably much poorer material.

I never said poorer material.

Prince's blandest musical farts still smell like Chanel n°5 when compared to a lot of nowadays productions.

Still... I'd rather see him collaborating with St Vincent, than always picking some servile female vocalist, no matter how good she is, in Andy's case.

Still Waiting? Like I said, there's Good Man, Golden Parachute, Shortberry Strawcake, enough to fill hours of my life, past, present and future.

I'm talking 'bout Time, and not in an AOA spirit, more in the Mavis Staples one, if you catch my drift.
Soon he'll be bald and we'll have him wearing emerald green dreadlocks.

I want the guy who's got the balls of putting out Animal Kingdom. I'd rather listen to a failed experiment than virutose tapestry.
Skipper is THAT good. He's just a lazy old punk.

I mean he goes there, but because he thinks he's so good already, he seldom forgets about that extra notch.
No, I don't think you can play Let's Go Crazy slowed down and see me go Whoaa.
And I don't think this is good enough for national television.
You carry a genius. Pay respect to it.

You once said : "you know how easy it would have been for me blah blah Let's Go Crazy?", you tourist.

Instead, you should pause a little and think about your legacy. And a song the public might not yet know, and that has not lost its purity.
If no one caround you suggests to go with Bambi, and REALLY go crazy, your entourage sucks.
Better fire them all.

Let's pretend he plays Bambi like at the Paradisio, Amsterdam.
Not only the 3rdEye Girls make the entire industry jaws drop, but it's provocative as hell, this No-good-of-a-lesbian woman.
Not to mention the 6 strings of the apocalypse.
You release PlectrumElectrum the day after, and it goes right at #1.


But no, let's play Let's Go Crazy slowed down. Because the Blues Brothers plagiarism, that's what I wanna be remembered for.


Batman? Sometimes the Arms of Orion, that's where I wanna be. And it's not april yet.

Gotta hand it to you, your criticism is poetic. It's just to make everyone happy, he would have to invent Prince à la carte.

Maybe one day the Vault will open and there'll be some prix fixe offerings. "Make Your Own Personal Prince". "I'll have a Lovesexy Deluxe, hold the Glam Slam -- and you my dear?" "Oh I think I'll have that Come Experience, but no Orgasm please!" "Very well , madame.".

Aerogram said:

bonatoc said:

But no, let's play Let's Go Crazy slowed down. Because the Blues Brothers plagiarism, that's what I wanna be remembered for.

Gotta hand it to you, your criticism is poetic. It's just to make everyone happy, he would have to invent Prince à la carte.

Maybe one day the Vault will open and there'll be some prix fixe offerings. "Make Your Own Personal Prince". "I'll have a Lovesexy Deluxe, hold the Glam Slam -- and you my dear?" "Oh I think I'll have that Come Experience, but no Orgasm please!" "Very well , madame.".

See? See? You're one of them!

You think salvation comes from The Vault!

I want him alive, wigs and all, and singing how badly he needs to get down to earth.
So, we wait four years and all the emotional we get is "Come Home" ? 3 minutes only ?

The thing is precious, I don't want to play it in repeat.

Like I said, it's in the details. Not enough, or too much of it.
on SNL, you play "Anotherlove" in full, you do not butcher it with a bizzare collage of a medley no one cares about except aficionados.

I think he had a tremendous attention for details in 1988.
Now it's strange. He wants and likes to be considered, and he deserves it.
But there's no challenge. He's not challenging himself.

What happened to "Stand up, organize !" ?


You lazy punk !

Well, with lovesexy came a period for me, where his music started to sound strange . No real melodies anymore. As if he didnt know, where to go. Great songs became rare( in case of LS - Anastasia is great, Alphabet st. and LS are good. The rest is forgettable. Thats why i dont listen to that album. and i ve tried it for about 20 years.)

I am also surprised it gets so much love here. Maybe because it was his biggest flop so far after all those years...

[Edited 2/13/15 2:36am]

I agree Lovesexy is the last Prince classic.....

A wonderful "concept" album, full of great pop-funk- with a dose of the usual Prince religion....

Maybe Lovesexy was a little too complex for the americans, but the europeans loved the album (still loves it), the album was very succesful in several countries in Europe..

And, the Lovesexy tour was of course maybe the climax to the 1980-1988 era, the string of very original Prince albums.

Even though Prince had huge hits with Batman and D&P it wasn't the same. A shame he tried to hiphop...

However I still consider The Gold Experience to be the end of the brilliant Prince era.

The albums post-warner (post 1995) aren't on same level, even though most of them contains great songs.

thedance said:

I agree Lovesexy is the last Prince classic.....

A wonderful "concept" album, full of great pop-funk- with a dose of the usual Prince religion....

Maybe Lovesexy was a little too complex for the americans, but the europeans loved the album (still loves it), the album was very succesful in several countries in Europe..

And, the Lovesexy tour was of course maybe the climax to the 1980-1988 era, the string of very original Prince albums.

Even though Prince had huge hits with Batman and D&P it wasn't the same. A shame he tried to hiphop...

However I still consider The Gold Experience to be the end of the brilliant Prince era.

The albums post-warner (post 1995) aren't on same level, even though most of them contains great songs.

What about Exodus or the Rainbow Children?

I agree with Graycap23. After Prince went out on his and left WB he made some strong music. The exodus and the Rainbow Children were great. Exodus because he was making a statement that was very empowering and Rainbow Children because he was experimenting in all sorts of directions with a jazz infusion. Both good and strong albums in my eyes.

Graycap23 said:

thedance said:

I agree Lovesexy is the last Prince classic.....

A wonderful "concept" album, full of great pop-funk- with a dose of the usual Prince religion....

Maybe Lovesexy was a little too complex for the americans, but the europeans loved the album (still loves it), the album was very succesful in several countries in Europe..

And, the Lovesexy tour was of course maybe the climax to the 1980-1988 era, the string of very original Prince albums.

Even though Prince had huge hits with Batman and D&P it wasn't the same. A shame he tried to hiphop...

However I still consider The Gold Experience to be the end of the brilliant Prince era.

The albums post-warner (post 1995) aren't on same level, even though most of them contains great songs.

What about Exodus or the Rainbow Children?

Exodus was great and was released before the Gold Experience (march 1995 vs september 1995: iirc).

Rainbow Children is imo a 8/10 album, some great songs but maybe a bit too "jazzy" for my taste. No offense please....

[Edited 2/13/15 7:08am]

SoulAlive said:

Aerogram said:

After Lovesexy, life changed forever. The blue in the sky began looking more and more metallic, bird songs slowly lost their magic, sugar became too sweet, water too wet, clapping hands too painful, stomping foot too hazardous.

Entire fields of violets died... after Lovesexy.

[Edited 2/10/15 17:38pm]

Well played. Love it.

I'd say it started going downhill with Lovesexy, which is an album full of fresh musical ideas, but is stilted in a way. The big warning for me was U Got the Look, which seemed to me at the time a like a shameless play for radio.

I like some of Grafitti Bridge, and Batman. I think after Scandalous Sex Suite, and the Fill U Up 12' he never recovered.

I remember watching him and his new band "The New Power Generation" (The stupidest name for a band ever) on The Arsineo hall show and thinking 'All the way to Vegas, Baby'. Suddenly Prince had excruciatingly bad rappers, was more POP oriented, and just plain seemed like he trying too hard.

NouveauDance said:

At the time you could possibly blame the Batman machine, but now we've heard more of the post-SOTT 80s out takes and unreleased material, I think it's a fair assessment to say that it was not just the Batman machine that made that apparent drop in "quality" and that it was happening regardless.

That sparse synth sound he was going for then, I don't know if it was a soaking in of techno and house, or trying to bang out as many songs as he could now he was in full control of his squeaky new Neverland Chocolate Factory, he also had a lot of big ideas for the Lovesexy tour, and offshot bands that never saw the light of day, and he was trying to get Graffiti Bridge up and running since before Lovesexy even. I think spreading himself too thin and not really spending time crafting each song so that it said something unique was really the problem.

I'm not sure if the quality drop off of Batman is really that fair any way, are the Future, Electric Chair, Vicki Waiting, Scandalous not great? Is Batdance not completely batshit wild? (pun intended) Who the hell else does a 7 minute techno-funk-heavy metal suite as a pop single let alone for a huge blockbuster film soundtracks?! I think it gets unfairly judged as a novelty song because of the "Batmaaaan!" chants and just for being a superhero movie song.

And it's not like it was Lovesexy then.... BAM! Nothing, he reinvigorated his sound with the NPG on D&P and , those two have a very different sound and energy to what came before and I don't mean the Color Me Badd, MC Hammer stuff - Strollin', Money Don't Matter, Love 2 The 9s, Insatiable sound new, different, of the time and top drawer. And then with Come/TGE he brought in another fresh new different sound and still banged out really great sounding tracks that didn't hit it out of the park only because of the name change silliness imo.

Batman is unfairly maligned, especially at the time. I've been listening to it lately and the video as well as the soundtrack are amazing... the guitar over the edm/techno sound wasn't done at the time and it stands up today if you lsiten to it and watch the video.....the whole album captured the dark/light essence of the batman and the joker and prince played it erfectly...NouveauDance nails it imo...and LoveSexy is where Prince (as far as prince fams go) literally princed himself out meaning, he had wrung everything dry ...I agree with others that mentioned spreading himself too thin...

Only come, chaos & disorder, rainbow children and aoa have been very cohesive and tightly edited projects since lovesexy/parade.

[Edited 2/15/15 15:29pm]

For You/Prince - adolescent genius.

Dirty Mind/Controversy/1999/Purple Rain/ATWIAD - Genius coming of age. New age punk funk to the Minneapolis sound. Experimental yet accessible. Dangerous yet totally immersive. Song writing that flowed with ease and constantly evolving. Released just the right amount despite the large selection of outtakes we know about today.

Parade/Dream Factory/Crystal Ball/SOTT/TBA/Lovesexy - Genius in its prime. A rich and varied well of inspiration and song writing that seemed to come with such ease. The peak of Prince's powers and a complete diversion from the sound he developed leading up to ATWIAD. Concluding this chapter with the untouchable, perfectly flawless and untouchable Lovesexy. Such a shame so much of this period never got released.

Batman/GB/D&P/Symbol/Come/C&D/TGE - Genius looking for a new direction. Showing signs of wanting to follow rather than lead. The "New Power" sound was developed with new toys in the studio and new production values. But still on top of his game despite signs of a few cracks in the songwriting. A new, disasterous contract was signed with WB. Consequently, contract filler albums were offered up and the war with WB erupted with devastating consequences for all parties.

Emancipation/NPS/Rave/Chocolate Invasion/Slaughterhouse - Genius looking for a hit. Finally free to release whatever he wanted. Consequently, he released everything he could with little quality control. The genius was trying too hard to prove a point and was desperately trying to find a hit. The songwriting suffered and the flame was no longer burning so brightly. An over reliance on the studio and "Prince plays and sings everything" resulting in an often plastic, over-produced sound.

TRC/NEWS/Xpectation/C-Note/ONA Piano - Genius says "fuck it" to finding another hit. Digs deep as a musician and artist and utilises his fantastic new band to create organic, from-the-heart music. Not to everyones taste, by design. The poorest selling period of Prince's career but arguably his most accomplished musically.

Musicology/3121/Planet Earth/Lotus Flower/MPLSound/20Ten - Genius paints by numbers. Some good stuff, some pretty crappy stuff. Even though the lesser material is something other artists can only dream of creating, by this genius' standards, as set by himself, a lot of material seemed to be created on cruise control. A mixed bunch of albums with no clear direction and no apparent evolution from one project to the next. The well, it seems, was in need of a time-out to replenish itself.

3rd Eye Girl.com releases/PlectrumElectrum/Art Official Age - Genius becomes teacher. With students under his tutorlidge and two vastly different directions embarked upon at the same time, who knows what will happen next. With AOA it seems the well of inspiration has somewhat replenished itself after a 4 year hiatus. Not sure the same can be said for the PE album.

What a dumb asss question. Prince hasnt been the same after any album. That is and always has been Prince.

Great call on U Got The Look. The first Prince "hit" that I just didnt get why other people liked it. Cheese song, cheese video, through and through and is somewhat out of place on SOTT.

JudasLChrist said:

I'd say it started going downhill with Lovesexy, which is an album full of fresh musical ideas, but is stilted in a way. The big warning for me was U Got the Look, which seemed to me at the time a like a shameless play for radio.

I like some of Grafitti Bridge, and Batman. I think after Scandalous Sex Suite, and the Fill U Up 12' he never recovered.

I remember watching him and his new band "The New Power Generation" (The stupidest name for a band ever) on The Arsineo hall show and thinking 'All the way to Vegas, Baby'. Suddenly Prince had excruciatingly bad rappers, was more POP oriented, and just plain seemed like he trying too hard.

JoshuaWho said:

What a dumb asss question. Prince hasnt been the same after any album. That is and always has been Prince.

And you're a dumb ass for forgetting that you already replied to this thread, idiot.

Reply #16 "Prince hasnt be the same muscially after any album. Thus, for me, this question is moot."

Dumb ass. <-----You

SPOOKYGAS said:

bonatoc said:

vinaysfunk said:

Once again I disagree with the sentiment of this thread. I finally have figured out what the reason is. Prince, unlike other musicians to me, is very very personal and generous with his music. I truly get the impression that he pours his life into his music and shares it with the world. The reason I am saying this is because I appreciate and like many other musical artists but I have never gotten the impression that they are as involved emotionally as Prince is. I mean you know whats going on his life from a broad stroke perspective by closely listening to his music. When he's in love his music reflects that. When is angry so his music. And when he's searching for life's meaning he music comes out very reflective. The point is for me I have enjoyed Prince's journey. What everyone points out is the obvious. He climaxed at Lovesexy for very personal reasons and the music built up to a cresendo of sorts. He came on the scene as a precocious talent. Became a very rude boy with a dirty mind and started a lot of controversy. He partied like it was 1999 and wanted to find the purple rain. He celebrated with with a long vacation by going around the world in a day and having a parade. I enjoyed each chapter of his life and he expressed it musically and allowed the world into his musical world. But after the parade he became very introspective. So did his music. He experimented with Sign of the Times and put out a very wide assortment of songs on that album. He responded to the backlash of the rumors he wasn't funky with the black album. But of course he settled down and went on a spiritual journey that culminated with lovesexy. Yes I love Lovesexy but what I loved most is that it found Prince finding himself and finding peace by coming to terms and making sense of his lust and love. Of course do I love the funkiness and creativity of Lovesexy as well? Of course. But by that time I had been given so much by Prince's music I wasn't sure what to expect next. I had gone to his concerts. Played out his cassettes and vinyl and cds thousands of times. In other words I had had so much fun with his music by then I was like how does one top having a religious epiphany that ends with the plea to "hold onto your soul, we got a long way to go!"? So when I heard about his drop in sales on the charts and finacial trouble with the lovesexy tour I kinda felt bad. Also there was talk about his loss of relevance on the music scene at large. That he had lost it, the magical touch. Furthermore the talk about his wanting to put out more music than the record company WB would allow and his wanting more say about his career was coming out. I honestly felt bad for the guy although I have never known him personally. So I listened to his music as I have always done. Out came Batman which I know was a needed success for his financial stabilty. Yeah it had gems on it but I was glad to see him reach #1. Then came GB which found him at the crossroads. Chase the charts or continue down the spirtitual path. Hence it was a mish mash of this and that. I could go on and on with each album but you all here know the story as well as I do. Diamonds and Pearls, a true commercial attempt to capture the large audience again. But then came the biggest struggle of them all. Control. For a guy who as a child went from house to house and cried in a phone booth trying to go home and his dad telling him no these were tough issues. So out came Symbol and all the fighting with his contract. Figthing for his very life as he saw it. For control of his masters. For control of his out put. In the end he was no longer a struggling artist that needed WB. And the music reflected all of that. In the ensuing albums there was struggle, anger, hostililty, love and lost love and demons all over the place. What I am trying to get at is that yes I liked Lovesexy for what he did musically. But I feel that it was because it found him personally inspired and in euphoria. But but to say he went down musically in my eyes is unfair. It's just that he is as flawed as all of us here. His musical output may not have been as good but it's merely because he was not as happy and inspired as he once was. He went through a dark era. I don't think it has much to with his production equipment or production style. So with each album that came out I could see and almost feel what was going on. With emanicipation-Love. With crystal ball-look what I got in my vault. Rave-I am not sure what I want out of life. There was that years of experimental music with NEWS and the music club cds. But then came Musicology a return to form that reminded me of his glory years. And I wasn't surprised by his huge concert year in 2004. He was happy again and had nothing to prove. And in the last decade he has relaxed and released a variety of music ranging in all sorts of styles. I get the impression he no longer needs charts. And contrary to what many people here think I do not feel that he is chasing money. He is comfortable once again in his place in the world. He tours all over the world and you can just tell he is in a good mood. He has nothing to prove to anyone in the music or entertainment world. The reason he gets a standing ovation for not even performing is because all people who are smart enough know that he has given more to the musical world than other musical act out there for so many years and is still doing it today. He pours his heart into his music and his performances and people know that. It doesn't matter whether it charts well now. He is beyond that. He has captured the hearts and minds of many people because he is a true talent that cannot and wont be denied. He gets respect! And that is rare these days. In the end I think the answer to your question is hard to answer. I would say no. No artist is the same with every album. You grow and mature and get more experienced. Prince's albums are ususally very different. He had an epiphany personally around the late 80's and it was reflected in Lovesexy. But musically he is capalble of doing what ever he wants or desires. He is that good and that talented. Yes some albums I like more and some I like less. But the one thing I have always enjoyed is him sharing his music that is so personal with him.

[Edited 2/12/15 10:37am]

[Edited 2/12/15 10:54am]

Paragraphs. Need paragraphs.

rusty1 said:

Prince developed his own sound slowly and knew exactly where he was going musically from 1980 to 88.. He set the trends and others were influenced by him. From 1989 on, Prince got lost musically & started to follow the trends. Whether it was rap & hip hop etc.. Prince has had a few good albums since 1989 but He would never make a groundbreaking, trendsetting album ever again [Edited 2/12/15 14:15pm]

Prince from the beginning drew inspiration from various music styles that were going on around him and incorporated them into his personal vision. And he continued to do that through the 90s and 2000s. I wouldn't be suprised if those who dislike Prince's post 80s output also don't care for 90s and 00s music in general.

thanks2joniandu said:

bonatoc said:

See? See? You're one of them!

You think salvation comes from The Vault!

I want him alive, wigs and all, and singing how badly he needs to get down to earth.
So, we wait four years and all the emotional we get is "Come Home" ? 3 minutes only ?

The thing is precious, I don't want to play it in repeat.

Like I said, it's in the details. Not enough, or too much of it.
on SNL, you play "Anotherlove" in full, you do not butcher it with a bizzare collage of a medley no one cares about except aficionados.

I think he had a tremendous attention for details in 1988.
Now it's strange. He wants and likes to be considered, and he deserves it.
But there's no challenge. He's not challenging himself.

What happened to "Stand up, organize !" ?


You lazy punk !

I totally feel you !!! You have a very compelling way of getting your emotional truth across. I thought the SNL performance was one of his worst ever. These TV performances where he refuses to build up emotional tension and story are boring to me. He cuts right to sporadic "compelling" guitar frenzy .."Oh, Prince is killing it on SNL etc "...it's all very lazy. He's not the fighter he once was. If this man is so spiritually based now why doesn't he sincerely try to spread his "truth "??

leecaldon said:

vinaysfunk said:

Once again I disagree with the sentiment of this thread. I finally have figured out what the reason is. Prince, unlike other musicians to me, is very very personal and generous with his music. I truly get the impression that he pours his life into his music and shares it with the world. The reason I am saying this is because I appreciate and like many other musical artists but I have never gotten the impression that they are as involved emotionally as Prince is. I mean you know whats going on his life from a broad stroke perspective by closely listening to his music. When he's in love his music reflects that. When is angry so his music. And when he's searching for life's meaning he music comes out very reflective...

Paragraphs. Need paragraphs.

Shift + Return is

your

friend.

Now, if there is one single person on this earth that AIN'T lazy, that's Skipper.

Fanatics have to understand that .org-so-called-haterz, his-name-is-Bart and such, we love the man as much as you do.

Only harder.

The Man is my Hero.

Whenever he says or or sings something, I have expectations.
I would have loved a Marshall-smashing, mike-pounding version of Marz.
Unfortunately that didn't happen.

Pick up the phone, call Lisa and Wendy,
ask them if they'd like to play an acoustic version of "Come Home".
But apparently you like to scream on this bed. Or do U lie?

If U really whish to show some past and some present,

U have to mix your past and your present.
U don't lay a 70's heavy pop rock album, and then a synthy-soul-R'n'B on other side.
U mix sounds and songs, you throw away stuff, and then U have the killer album that gets to be spread the way it deserves.

U don't care to win awards, but you surely show your face to a great many.
I have nothing to say, because it gave us the Hall of Fame solo... but it was about a dead genius.
We're talking about Sir (Ha, Ha, Mr. Wilson) George Harrison.
U could have done it without the vulgar stage leaving, that was irrespetcful.
And I'm partial with the Grammy thing. If U had it coupled with aforementioned Townshead-Guitar-Drum-Bashing...
First, all eyez on me because I ruin the SNL stage like a black panther.
Then, I calmly and softly say what U said at the grammys, just like U did.
I would have consider it genius.

That Gemini childish complex has to go.
If you're a rebel, you're a rebel all the way.
If you're a musician, you state your point across great songs, not public appearances.
You're no Madonna. Nor Bono.


We know by now that U're not black nor white, you're butterscotch.
We know that U're not straight nor gay, you're a queer,
the emotional frame of all the motherfuckin' Christian Grey across the Western World,
minus the bank account in several cases.
Dominatrix lesbian trapped in a man's body,
that kinda sums it up, U're not too complex.

You're a rejected child. A control freak.
So please be it with your records.


Batdance : is or is not a collage of 3 great songs? That must have take you like a day or two.
Positivity : is or is not a collage of a dozen great gimmicks? The first mix, all murky and darky, is unstoppable in its violence.
When U get politic, please be aware of where the bar is set nowadays :



What happened in 2014 in the United States is a fucking big deal, you just don't show up like a primadonna,

without a full interview behind to the New Yorker or something.
Naah, you prefer you're little sybylline 3-words-know-it-all sentences.

You rehearsed that all night, didn't you ?


Now it takes more time, but hey, it's not like we're getting any younger, Skipper.
You can tell how much I'm upset when I start talkin' to ya like I know U, can ya?

Time to sharpen the scissors again.
There was a time when what was laid on the master acetate was "sheer perfection", thank U.
They don't call it Director's cut for nothing.
Cut, mix'n'paste, learn Ableton Live yourself but I don't want hear the full array of your prowesses spread across 20 songs. No, thank U.

That simply ain't musician's focus.
Miles kept it to the very end.
And he considered you a peer.

[Edited 2/18/15 9:24am]

[Edited 2/18/15 9:27am]

Hey, I agree with all of you that suggested I paragraph my post. I tried a few times to edit my reply with paragraph form and it didn't take. I just wanted to apologize to all that tried to read it. Thanks for your patience

bonatoc said:

Batdance : is or is not a collage of 3 great songs? That must have take you like a day or two.
Positivity : is or is not a collage of a dozen great gimmicks? The first mix, all murky and darky, is unstoppable in its violence.
When U get politic, please be aware of where the bar is set nowadays :

The first mix?

Positivity (Alternate Version) - 6:44
Lovesexy - Homemade Deluxe Edition