So called "hits or misses" nothiwithstanding, Prince is prolific as ever these last couple of years. I like that he is feeling "free" enough to preview a song whenever he feels like it instead of the traditional "single" before an album is released rule. Obviously the excitement for certain creations are such that he wants to share them soon after their conception, (Fall in Love 2Night) even if they don't have an album yet. Fiddling through the vault and revisiting/remixing old songs and placing them where they FIT in his mind (X's O's) Being okay with sharing, releasing, updating a 'stand alone" single that may NEVER make an album (Groovy Potential? Extra Loveable, Stare, Rock N Roll Love Affair). He really is sharing a lot with us and I am appreciative of his resolve to do things HIS way

On another note, so I am among the many it seems who were a bit underwhelmed by HNR (i waited to cop a physical copy from Walmart on Tuesday and just went through it for the 2nd time today). But I found myself more curious about his INTENTIONS with this album than disappointed by it. Time and again, he's shown (at least I feel he has) his ability to stun (Lotusflow3er), be accessible (3121), cohesive (AOA) and lyrically thought provoking and Introspective (June, Way Back Home) so with HNR I found myself asking:

1) Is this his official 'let me allow myself to be produced by someone else album"? Cause its hard to know exactly WHAT Josh did

2) Is he enamored with, agitated by, inspired by EDM (His own Annie Christian helped created the genre IMO)?

3) Are sound effects and random tempo changes synonmous with "experimental" (but that wasn't HIS description anyway right)

4) Is the current era (downloads, musical "free agency", paid streaming sites, radio in bondage, etc.) finally a good match for his prolificness and artistic wanderlust

I'm enjoying the ride, some "streets" I probably won't go down again, (Million Dollar Show, but even that begs the question of what was he after? Is it satire?), but I'd still pay for future rides

[Edited 9/23/15 8:57am]

Where can I find Prince, Journey To The Center of Your Heart?

When you've just purchased a new CD and upon the second listen, you're underwhelmed and have to wonder about the "INTENTIONS" of the artist. That basically means it's crap and it's okay to be honest about that.

What's not right is the dishonesty that comes from holding your nose and trying to pretend that shit don't stank.

The only way I can truly appreciate any work of art is by trying to figure out what the artist has tried to accomplish. Obviously because I am myself involved inb creative process.

It's natural for most folks to just be in a like/dislike feeling, not everyone has to be a scholar, a critic or an artist themselves, but I think those people should refrain from posting their opinion on the internet.

.

In regards to the OP's questions:

.

1) Is this his official 'let me allow myself to be produced by someone else album"? Cause its hard to know exactly WHAT Josh did

According to credits and interviews it seems Josh did everything save vocals, bass and guitar, and got credit for co-composing every song save Fallinlove and HugsNKisses, somebody needs to check ASCAP. It is definitely a statement though there was the Kirky J. precedent, and lots of side-projects stuff was finished by people such as Levi or Ricky back in the days. It is clear that prince wants it known that a younger musician produced him.

.

2) Is he enamored with, agitated by, inspired by EDM (His own Annie Christian helped created the genre IMO)?

EDM is such a vague, umbrella term that it doesn't mean anything anymore, it's like "black music" if you will. Prince was definitely among the pioneers in electronic dance music in his early years, he's just adopting a modern, very commercial version of it. Now whether he actually does listen to the kind of things Joshua emulates or he discovered it through him and it therefore seems "fresh" to him, I don't know. It's always been hard for me to figure out how much music Prince knows and listens to, but based to what he referred to along the years it seems he's missed a great deal, particularly the european electronic boom of the late 90's.

.

3) Are sound effects and random tempo changes synonmous with "experimental" (but that wasn't HIS description anyway right)

This puzzled me a great deal. There is nothing "experimental" in HnR, it's a very comemrcial, very mainstream album by 2015's standards. It wasn't him sayin' that eyah but that again leaves me wondering if P perceives Josh' work as innovative or if he realizes it's just a rehash of the most mainstream contemporary stuff.

.

4) Is the current era (downloads, musical "free agency", paid streaming sites, radio in bondage, etc.) finally a good match for his prolificness and artistic wanderlust

It always was in a way, there were already exclusive songs on his website as early as 1997. Prince has adopted this actual "hit n run" policy, spreading random tracks all over the net then withdrawing them, which lots of fans perceive as more damaging than playful. For some reason Prince seems to NOT want to establish a constant, stable, self-controlled online presence, which I think is what the fans have always been asking for. There have been promising experiences particularly with NPGMC in 2001 then with the online store in 2004, but it would never last.

datdude said:

4) Is the current era (downloads, musical "free agency", paid streaming sites, radio in bondage, etc.) finally a good match for his prolificness and artistic wanderlust

.

To some extent it's a good match for his prolificness but a bad service for his artistic status.

.

In the WB days, apart from obvious musical inspiration that today it's no more at same level, there was some kind of constructive control on P releases, with producers and management helping him to release the best of his works.

.

Nowadays he put out what he want, but unfortunately he put out also a lot of weak tunes.

Quantity vs. quality. I still prefer the latter.

.

[Edited 9/23/15 6:49am]

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

When you've just purchased a new CD and upon the second listen, you're underwhelmed and have to wonder about the "INTENTIONS" of the artist. That basically means it's crap and it's okay to be honest about that.

What's not right is the dishonesty that comes from holding your nose and trying to pretend that shit don't stank.

The intentions of the artist is quite often what it's all about when it comes to art. Do you judge a contemporary painting by whether you like to hang it over your sofa or not?

[Edited 9/24/15 9:52am]

paulludvig said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

When you've just purchased a new CD and upon the second listen, you're underwhelmed and have to wonder about the "INTENTIONS" of the artist. That basically means it's crap and it's okay to be honest about that.

What's not right is the dishonesty that comes from holding your nose and trying to pretend that shit don't stank.

The intentions of the artist is quite often what it's all about when it comes to art. Do you judge a contemorary painting by whether you like to hang it over your sofa or not?

Obviously lotsa people do...

That's y I say they do not need to share their thoughts on the interwho

paulludvig said:

databank said:

The only way I can truly appreciate any work of art is by trying to figure out what the artist has tried to accomplish. Obviously because I am myself involved inb creative process.

It's natural for most folks to just be in a like/dislike feeling, not everyone has to be a scholar, a critic or an artist themselves, but I think those people should refrain from posting their opinion on the internet.

.

In regards to the OP's questions:

.

1) Is this his official 'let me allow myself to be produced by someone else album"? Cause its hard to know exactly WHAT Josh did

According to credits and interviews it seems Josh did everything save vocals, bass and guitar, and got credit for co-composing every song save Fallinlove and HugsNKisses, somebody needs to check ASCAP. It is definitely a statement though there was the Kirky J. precedent, and lots of side-projects stuff was finished by people such as Levi or Ricky back in the days. It is clear that prince wants it known that a younger musician produced him.

.

2) Is he enamored with, agitated by, inspired by EDM (His own Annie Christian helped created the genre IMO)?

EDM is such a vague, umbrella term that it doesn't mean anything anymore, it's like "black music" if you will. Prince was definitely among the pioneers in electronic dance music in his early years, he's just adopting a modern, very commercial version of it. Now whether he actually does listen to the kind of things Joshua emulates or he discovered it through him and it therefore seems "fresh" to him, I don't know. It's always been hard for me to figure out how much music Prince knows and listens to, but based to what he referred to along the years it seems he's missed a great deal, particularly the european electronic boom of the late 90's.

.

3) Are sound effects and random tempo changes synonmous with "experimental" (but that wasn't HIS description anyway right)

This puzzled me a great deal. There is nothing "experimental" in HnR, it's a very comemrcial, very mainstream album by 2015's standards. It wasn't him sayin' that eyah but that again leaves me wondering if P perceives Josh' work as innovative or if he realizes it's just a rehash of the most mainstream contemporary stuff.

.

4) Is the current era (downloads, musical "free agency", paid streaming sites, radio in bondage, etc.) finally a good match for his prolificness and artistic wanderlust

It always was in a way, there were already exclusive songs on his website as early as 1997. Prince has adopted this actual "hit n run" policy, spreading random tracks all over the net then withdrawing them, which lots of fans perceive as more damaging than playful. For some reason Prince seems to NOT want to establish a constant, stable, self-controlled online presence, which I think is what the fans have always been asking for. There have been promising experiences particularly with NPGMC in 2001 then with the online store in 2004, but it would never last.

Thanks so much databank for your thoughtful response. You helped a lot as it relates to the question of being externally "produced"

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

When you've just purchased a new CD and upon the second listen, you're underwhelmed and have to wonder about the "INTENTIONS" of the artist. That basically means it's crap and it's okay to be honest about that.

What's not right is the dishonesty that comes from holding your nose and trying to pretend that shit don't stank.

My words are my own, I don't try to put them in other's mouths, you should do consider that principle. I have no problem calling something crap or saying ish stinks if that's how I really feel. that's not the case with this project. underwhelmed is a different word.

for me, understanding intention sometimes helps. i'm a processer, i don't apologize for it. if I don't like something, i don't presume it therefore has no value or purpose. AoA the song, i think is satirical and that helped me hear and appreciate it differently, by extension is million dollar show an intentionally cheeky jab at the superficiality of the whole "industry, concert, tickets, expectations" process? That clarity wouldn't make me LIKE the song more per se, but I'd understand better what he was after, another example would be the "lasers" on a song like the Breakdown, we had NO IDEA why they were there, but for me, in the context of the "artificial" context of AoA, it as well as the OTHER effects made sense and they annoyed me less.

Anywho, let me stop, l fear these words are wasted

datdude said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

When you've just purchased a new CD and upon the second listen, you're underwhelmed and have to wonder about the "INTENTIONS" of the artist. That basically means it's crap and it's okay to be honest about that.

What's not right is the dishonesty that comes from holding your nose and trying to pretend that shit don't stank.

My words are my own, I don't try to put them in other's mouths, you should do consider that principle. I have no problem calling something crap or saying ish stinks if that's how I really feel. that's not the case with this project. underwhelmed is a different word.

for me, understanding intention sometimes helps. i'm a processer, i don't apologize for it. if I don't like something, i don't presume it therefore has no value or purpose. AoA the song, i think is satirical and that helped me hear and appreciate it differently, by extension is million dollar show an intentionally cheeky jab at the superficiality of the whole "industry, concert, tickets, expectations" process? That clarity wouldn't make me LIKE the song more per se, but I'd understand better what he was after, another example would be the "lasers" on a song like the Breakdown, we had NO IDEA why they were there, but for me, in the context of the "artificial" context of AoA, it as well as the OTHER effects made sense and they annoyed me less.

Anywho, let me stop, l fear these words are wasted

We need more people like u on the message board

I vaguely remember an interview about Newpower Soul where Prince is quoted as saying it was just "a fun album" meant to capture a party vibe of that moment. Nothing too serious.

Once I knew that, the "weight" of the album was much lighter to me. It was not meant to race up the charts, and wasn't meant to change the world. Just a party album.

Se7en said:

I vaguely remember an interview about Newpower Soul where Prince is quoted as saying it was just "a fun album" meant to capture a party vibe of that moment. Nothing too serious.

Once I knew that, the "weight" of the album was much lighter to me. It was not meant to race up the charts, and wasn't meant to change the world. Just a party album.

GREAT example Se7en, i never came across that. would've definitely helped me understand/process NPS differently.

Se7en said:

Luuuuuuke, oh I mean "Skywalker". Great point indeed and when a guy has something like SOTT in his catalogue, and IN him you can come to expect/prefer such pillars and miss/misconstrue sonic tangents, musical excursions like HNR. Must be fun to explore that reality as an artist, must be freeing to do so w/o expectations. Hmmmm, wonder if that's where the Free Urself title came from.... let me turn my brain off. Speculation run amuk!

I wish his new output would make me want to get off my ass and dance while doing mundane household chores the way the extended version of a song like "America" does...

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

When you've just purchased a new CD and upon the second listen, you're underwhelmed and have to wonder about the "INTENTIONS" of the artist. That basically means it's crap and it's okay to be honest about that.

What's not right is the dishonesty that comes from holding your nose and trying to pretend that shit don't stank.

I thought you said you did not even hear HitNRun yet?

Is calling it shit without having heard it more honest? Not so sure.

purplethunder3121 said:

I wish his new output would make me want to get off my ass and dance while doing mundane household chores the way the extended version of a song like "America" does...

LOL. I hear you! pt. but that's WHY America is in the catalogue. use it for what its for! I've been cleaning the kitchen to The Dance Electric lately!

Aerogram said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

When you've just purchased a new CD and upon the second listen, you're underwhelmed and have to wonder about the "INTENTIONS" of the artist. That basically means it's crap and it's okay to be honest about that.

What's not right is the dishonesty that comes from holding your nose and trying to pretend that shit don't stank.

I thought you said you did not even hear HitNRun yet?

Is calling it shit without having heard it more honest? Not so sure.

I haven't. I was responding with my thoughts on the original post.

I'm giving this album a second chance--HitnRun--it just doesn't hit me. Some are okay and then the annoying sets in too much. Never will be on my play list. I tried. I still like AOA and play it frequently but HitnRun--no way.

BTW never liked Gold Nigga either.

Prince brings on all these doubts when he releases sub par collections of songs. I'm not in the camp who thinks he can't put out a good album again. He just needs a legit editor who can talk him into keeping the trash at Paisley Park. IMO, it's possible to make a great album of 14 songs off AOA, PE and HNR (AOC, Clouds, U Know, BCW, What it Feels Like, Fallinlove, Breakdown, Anotherlove, Hardrocklover, This could be us, 1000 H&K, June, Way Back Home, Time). If this collection came out as "Art Official Age" not only would it NOT be embarassing, it would've shown he still has the songs to do it. Problem is the garbage is not being sifted out before the release happens. I think this has probably always been the case, it's just that during the 80's, and part of the 90's, WB still had final say on the tracklisting.

And as far as sales go I could care less. He's nearly 60 and units mean nothing to me. But if he cares to shift units of the album digitally and physically you need to get out and push the product. Play the new stuff live. TV and on the stage. Prince is still Prince and he still matters.

databank said:

We need more people like u on the message board

Touche' I will keep posting if you will! Deal?

Just listened to HitnRun and AOA back to back. AOA is way better to my ears, mixing old with new...

Just fell in love with Way Back Home and Time all over again...

[Edited 9/23/15 18:16pm]

ideation99 said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

Aerogram said:

I thought you said you did not even hear HitNRun yet?

Is calling it shit without having heard it more honest? Not so sure.

I haven't. I was responding with my thoughts on the original post.

Thank you for your thoughts!

datdude said:

databank said:

We need more people like u on the message board

Touche' I will keep posting if you will! Deal?

datdude said:

(Million Dollar Show, but even that begs the question of what was he after? Is it satire?),

.

Million $ Show = Prince copying Janelle Monáe.

at least he gets us to think...