He's still not on Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles level. James Brown and MJ's level either. There is something about Prince that makes him sort of an enigma and often times the perception can be that he's insincere. Like Prince's biggest successes are on records where he's sort of not really being his true self. He comes off as calculating. At his best Prince is sort of an imposter. Don't believe me? Check the last 20 years of music, you know the albums that are generally considered garbage, but it's so consistently dull, flat, and square in the same areas that most fans agree that's the true Prince. That's his real image. That's the real guy.

So, to me, he has not excelled yet as his true self, only as a calculating pretender.

^^ Funny that Stevie Wonder , Ray Charles, James Brown and MJ all the best music they did was the early stufff like Prince , so all must be imposters then. All i can say about Prince thats different to the other guys is he released much more more music so there was going to be some hits and misses. And Prince cannot be put in just one genre of music like all the above artists you mentioned. So i say he is more than on their level. His run from 1978-1995 makes him a legend forever and on par with all the greats.

[Edited 3/22/16 15:01pm]

funksterr said:

Guitarhero said:

^^ Funny that Stevie Wonder , Ray Charles, James Brown and MJ all the best music they did was the early stufff like Prince , so all must be imposters then. All i can say about Prince thats different to the other guys is he released much more more music so there was going to be some hits and misses. And Prince cannot be put in just one genre of music like all the above artists you mentioned. So i say he is more than on their level. His run from 1978-1995 makes him a legend forever and on par with all the greats.ied to minimil

[Edited 3/22/16 15:01pm]

It's not about BEST vs WORST. It's about being who you are. Prince has been extremely consistent the last 20 years or so, when he basicaly returned to the production values of For You. Suddenly he's all about 70's funk, where before he minimalized and even denied a strong influence and connection with 70's funk and R&B. He claimed Minneapolis didn't have any ghettos and the radio didn't play black music. He claimed to be equally influenced by white rock, yet where has any of that been since the PR era? Where is it the past 20 years? Prince sold out to make it to the top. Stevie, MJ, JB, Ray just kept it in the real and still had success. Prince hasn't done that yet.

He should do a piano tour sans sampler gear.

EvilAngel said:

Hallucination Rain....I'd love to hear him play that one live! Same for The Exodus Has Begun.

The crowd would go nuts.
It would probably bring back the "Days Of Wild" fever in the room in a second.

As for Hallucination Rain, I would love hearing him copying the violin solo on the guitar, plus fo course his own ingredients. Mmm... Soup tastes kinda funny...

Miles said:

No. He needs to play live a lot of cool songs he never/ hardly ever has, like -

We Can Funk

Groovy Potential

The Last December

Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic

Hallucination Rain

2 Young 2 Dare

Hardrocklover

Glass Cutter

The Word

When Will We Be Paid

Also, the Lovesexy album in its entirety.

oh, and obviously Lion of Judah

[Edited 3/21/16 8:24am]

funksterr said:

Guitarhero said:

^^ Funny that Stevie Wonder , Ray Charles, James Brown and MJ all the best music they did was the early stufff like Prince , so all must be imposters then. All i can say about Prince thats different to the other guys is he released much more more music so there was going to be some hits and misses. And Prince cannot be put in just one genre of music like all the above artists you mentioned. So i say he is more than on their level. His run from 1978-1995 makes him a legend forever and on par with all the greats.ied to minimil

[Edited 3/22/16 15:01pm]

It's not about BEST vs WORST. It's about being who you are. Prince has been extremely consistent the last 20 years or so, when he basicaly returned to the production values of For You. Suddenly he's all about 70's funk, where before he minimalized and even denied a strong influence and connection with 70's funk and R&B. He claimed Minneapolis didn't have any ghettos and the radio didn't play black music. He claimed to be equally influenced by white rock, yet where has any of that been since the PR era? Where is it the past 20 years? Prince sold out to make it to the top. Stevie, MJ, JB, Ray just kept it in the real and still had success. Prince hasn't done that yet.

All people are more than one thing. Personally I think the artists that put themselves in one specific box, are the least "themselves". They are just appealing to what they know fans want them to. They're playing it safe. If I was able to, I'd do so many different genres, and hybrids between them, as I love so many different colors and palettes. It's all about what's needed to express different emotions. Prince is all about using whatever tool neccesary for the emotion or effect he wants to trigger or express. I'm not saying it works all the time. But this is what makes him so diverse. And yes, sometimes he is more of a copycat, when that's what he wants to do on that specific song. Some people want everything to be a super honest biographical insight in the artists personal life. Kinda like a diary. I think Prince is doing whatever he wants on that part. Kinda like a movie director. Not all movie directors are making movies about their own emotions and personal life. Why do we want our artists to always be "real" in that sense?

Prince is all about not letting you box him, and he has done that very well. Everyone has their own opinion on who he really is. And everyone wants to be the expert that knows the truth. There's alot of speculation, and of course we know enough of his background to know his deepest roots. But we don't know him well enough to dictate what's a "real Prince".

5 answer:

a) no. He made all he could do. From 1999 to Lovesexy, he released year by year seven album that could cover an entire career of another artist.

b) yes. As someone said, he is a music blogger, so he'll release music for a long time. He cannot stop himself.

c) yes, the fucking '80 outtakes. Roadhouse Garden, Crystal Ball II.

d) yes, the musical. Something like Cats.

e) yes, he still never record a decent cover of Henry Purcell' Wondrous Machine

Controversy said:

Honestly is there anything left he hasn't accomplished?

There are many musical genres he has only vaguely approached, and many more he's never touched at all.

There's a plethora of things Prince could do to challenge himself musically.

Not that he has to or anything, but I like it when he goes outside of his safe zone, and I think it could be pretty impressive if he'd do it more often

He never did Ethnic / World Music, did he?

Nothing à la Peter Gabriel...

Joni jammed with the Tambours of Burundi, Paul Simon's "Graceland"...
We haven't got anything really afro-african from Prince... Am I wrong?

KingSausage said:

Anyone who thinks Prince has "done it all" musically needs to listen to some more music. And a much wider range of music at that. Yikes.

Indeed, there's so much out there, that it's impossible for any single artist to do it all. But folk will be one or singin in spanish.

bonatoc said:

He never did Ethnic / World Music, did he?

Nothing à la Peter Gabriel...

Joni jammed with the Tambours of Burundi, Paul Simon's "Graceland"...
We haven't got anything really afro-african from Prince... Am I wrong?

A italian critic said that "For You" (the song) is a song in Paul Simon ethnic style.

214 said:

KingSausage said:

Anyone who thinks Prince has "done it all" musically needs to listen to some more music. And a much wider range of music at that. Yikes.

Indeed, there's so much out there, that it's impossible for any single artist to do it all. But folk will be one or singin in spanish.

"Te Amo Corazon"?

Replica said:

funksterr said:

It's not about BEST vs WORST. It's about being who you are. Prince has been extremely consistent the last 20 years or so, when he basicaly returned to the production values of For You. Suddenly he's all about 70's funk, where before he minimalized and even denied a strong influence and connection with 70's funk and R&B. He claimed Minneapolis didn't have any ghettos and the radio didn't play black music. He claimed to be equally influenced by white rock, yet where has any of that been since the PR era? Where is it the past 20 years? Prince sold out to make it to the top. Stevie, MJ, JB, Ray just kept it in the real and still had success. Prince hasn't done that yet.

All people are more than one thing. Personally I think the artists that put themselves in one specific box, are the least "themselves". They are just appealing to what they know fans want them to. They're playing it safe. If I was able to, I'd do so many different genres, and hybrids between them, as I love so many different colors and palettes. It's all about what's needed to express different emotions. Prince is all about using whatever tool neccesary for the emotion or effect he wants to trigger or express. I'm not saying it works all the time. But this is what makes him so diverse. And yes, sometimes he is more of a copycat, when that's what he wants to do on that specific song. Some people want everything to be a super honest biographical insight in the artists personal life. Kinda like a diary. I think Prince is doing whatever he wants on that part. Kinda like a movie director. Not all movie directors are making movies about their own emotions and personal life. Why do we want our artists to always be "real" in that sense?

Prince is all about not letting you box him, and he has done that very well. Everyone has their own opinion on who he really is. And everyone wants to be the expert that knows the truth. There's alot of speculation, and of course we know enough of his background to know his deepest roots. But we don't know him well enough to dictate what's a "real Prince".

I think you are saying essentially that Prince is a Black artists who naturaly incorporates White styles into his music. That it is just the nature of who he is and not a calculated attempt to crossover. However since he announced he was done with the pressure of having hit singles, and gone AWOL on WB, the style-blending has pretty much ceased. He just keeps grinding out generic 70's funk and covers. Throw in an odd straight rock wannabe like 'Screwdriver' or 'Guitar', but pretty much the guy is a funk and R&B act at heart. He hasn't had success yet, marketing himself as a true funk and R&B act.

Controversy said:

funksterr said:

BobGeorge909 said:

funksterr said:

He's still not on Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles level. James Brown and MJ's level either. There is something about Prince that makes him sort of an enigma and often times the perception can be that he's insincere. Like Prince's biggest successes are on records where he's sort of not really being his true self. He comes off as calculating. At his best Prince is sort of an imposter. Don't believe me? Check the last 20 years of music, you know the albums that are generally considered garbage, but it's so consistently dull, flat, and square in the same areas that most fans agree that's the true Prince. That's his real image. That's the real guy.

So, to me, he has not excelled yet as his true self, only as a calculating pretender.

I'm not sure what u want out of an artist, but the breadth of princes talent is what impresses me and the breadth of his talent far exceeded any one u mentioned above. The generes he's tackled, the styles he's mastered, and the range of his technical abilities all by far exceed those of JB, SW, MJ, and RC. From for you, to let's work, to controversy to 1999 to doves, to purple rain, to parade to tears in your eyes, to sott, forever in my life hot thing, adore, it... Imma stop there. No one's u mentioned body of work approaches the breadth of that. The scopes just don't compare. The depths may be behind some in small places...but the breadth and scope is outstanding and not approached.

Even after 1995 Prince has been more diverse (and more prolific) than any of the above.

Take some post '95 stuff:

Xhalation

...back 2 the Lotus

Cuts

Family Name

Dreamer

Xpedition

East

Kamasutra/Eternal Embrace

...and you have a nice Frank Zappa-like album

CocoRock said:

214 said:

Indeed, there's so much out there, that it's impossible for any single artist to do it all. But folk will be one or singin in spanish.

"Te Amo Corazon"?

Not just one phrase.

No

1. Haven't sold 200 + million copies in total

2. Didn't make any important or rememberable or iconic music videos in the 80's. WDC maybe. But that's only one.

Krid said:

African Music instrumental Album with Musicians from Mali and Ivory Coast Blugrass Americana AC/DC type Rock Album Environmental Records ('s'posed to make you Horny ) Live Gospel Album with real Organ Playing in a cathedral Achtung: above includes two Text references to Prince Songs, WHO can spot them First?

Movie Star and Vicki Waiting

Wolfie87 said:

No

1. Haven't sold 200 + million copies in total

2. Didn't make any important or rememberable or iconic music videos in the 80's. WDC maybe. But that's only one.

The opening of WDC is indeed iconic

-

So, do we not think the SOTT movie is one long iconic music video? (formalism notwithstanding )

Connected said:

Wolfie87 said:

No

1. Haven't sold 200 + million copies in total

2. Didn't make any important or rememberable or iconic music videos in the 80's. WDC maybe. But that's only one.

The opening of WDC is indeed iconic

-

So, do we not think the SOTT movie is one long iconic music video? (formalism notwithstanding )

We, yes. People who don't know Prince "What is SOTT????????????"

Yes.

He managed to sneak a sampler set thingie into a supposedly piano and voice performance.

madison said:

I

Still

Think

He

Should

Do

Gay

Porn

king

I agree with you on that one !!

I have been since early 80s..

thats why I dont mind finding other means of gettins his music

.

.

.

.

.

paisley park piano microphone show 1 and 2

[Edited 3/25/16 7:30am]