Because it's not very good.

John Blackwell, Eric Leeds, Renato, Rhonda and Prince. what's not to love?

In most cases, because people are uneducated, know nothing but mainstream music and are unable to understand something like NEWS.

I remember some orgers saying "instrumental albums are not and should not count as real albums": that shows the level of those crowds

Some people, for example, claim that North is little more than a loop, showing they are actually unable to hear what's going on throughout the track, because as with certain sounds foreign languages, the brain isn't able to hear what is not familiar (that's scientific BTW, I'm also a language teacher and it was part of my training).

Others will hardly be able to compute the intro to East as music, as it lacks the formulaic structures they're familiar with. They basically only hear noise when others will hear music.

However there are also some orgers who are educated in jazz and other more or less experimental types of music, and who think NEWS sucks. I disagree with them (I think it's one of prince's most admirable albums), but at least with those people it's possible to have an actual conversation about it.

I probably listen to this more than any other Prince album. N.E.W.S and C-note are my go-tos when I have heavy writing to do at work.

databank said:

PhukdNtheHead said:

I honestly don't understand why NEWS is getting so much hate on this forum. Granted, its a different than his other albums in that it's all downtempo jazz but its good at what it does. I work in an office sometimes, and I personally enjoy listening to NEWS while I plug away at some spreadsheets. Its pleasant haha. Thoughts?

It's perfect for spreadsheets, or any other highly patterned looonnnng dull song -- I mean task.

ive been playing it alot lately...i love it...i wish he would do more jazz...like every other LP until he's done forever...

I like it

IstenSzek said:

I find N.E.W.S very enjoyable.

Aerogram said:

It's perfect for spreadsheets, or any other highly patterned looonnnng dull song -- I mean task.

Genesia said:

I probably listen to this more than any other Prince album. N.E.W.S and C-note are my go-tos when I have heavy writing to do at work.

As these two pointed out..... it's great background music.

But because I rarely have time for background music, I rarely get to listen to it.
If I have time for music, I'll listen to the good stuff.

callimnate said:

Aerogram said:

It's perfect for spreadsheets, or any other highly patterned looonnnng dull song -- I mean task.

Genesia said:

I probably listen to this more than any other Prince album. N.E.W.S and C-note are my go-tos when I have heavy writing to do at work.

As these two pointed out..... it's great background music.

But because I rarely have time for background music, I rarely get to listen to it.
If I have time for music, I'll listen to the good stuff.

I'm not into jazz so I don't listen to his jazz albums nearly as often as his other albums, but on the rare occasion I break out N.E.W.S. I am listening to it at my job as it works nicely in the background. Little by little I get more acclimated to it with each listen. It's a cool experimental album. I like it but just haven't connected with it yet. Madhouse started out like that for me but after several listens I started to enjoy it, so I'm confident I'll get there with N.E.W.S if I put in the time. Problem for me is, there is SO much Prince music to listen to I don't get time to focus on one album for weeks and months like back in the 80s when P. had a much smaller number of albums out.

Genesia said:

I probably listen to this more than any other Prince album. N.E.W.S and C-note are my go-tos when I have heavy writing to do at work.

I was listening to C-Note just yesterday at work. It had been ages since I'd heard it.

Bluu said:

Its not a bad album actually its pretty decent. It just drags after while is all. Its an experiment. More so to be left as background music.

I've said all this before, but I love this album... it's certainly not jazz. it's jazz-y, which isn't the same thing.

It's not based on the blues particularly, to my ear it uses more rock forms structurally... it's basically Prince's jazzy prog album, which was always going to limit it in terms of general popularity. But the musicianship on display and the sense of those musicians listening to and reacting to each other is excellent, to me.

I think it's beautiful, rich, mysterious and fun. I so wish he'd make more records like this. After Onbe Nite Alone... The Rainbow Children and then NEWS, I thought he was going to have a dazzling decade, only for the wheels to fall off one by one as it progressed through Musicology, 3121, Planet Earth and 20Ten, a situation where each album was less inspiring than the last....

Anyway, I haven't listened to NEWS in a little while now... think I'll put it on right now... I always enjoy it. It's a great record... like how he labelled it 'Directons in Music by Prince', much as Miles Davis used to....

I love N.E.W.S. I love to listen to North when I'm flying. Great music to listen to on a long journey.

If I'm not mistaken the liner notes of the Japanese release talk about it's creation and influence. Sorry but I don't have it translated.

N.E.W.S. is a great album.

It's pretentious, overindulgent and just a bit dull.

I've probably listened to this less than any other Prince album.

... Because we already have MADHOUSE.