Today, I have been soaking up all his live guitar playing. And this is probably his most underrated talent, but then I also think his singing and dancing are highly underrated as well. His songwriting is rated almost dead-on in my opinion (at least his early work is).

If Prince was only allowed one of these talents, which one would you take over the others.

I guess--his songwriting is the most irreplacable...(but watching other people butcher his songs, its hard to exclude his actual performances of his own songs).

purplerabbithole said:

Today, I have been soaking up all his live guitar playing. And this is probably his most underrated talent, but then I also think his singing and dancing are highly underrated as well.

If there is a lord, then please, please give me strength.

Oh, did I offend thee? Is someone else higher on your list of singers, dancers and guitarists? Am I being biased? Well if that is the case than deal with it. I sort of grew up on Prince (enjoyed some songs, neutral about otheres) but I wasn't an obsessive fan until after his death. He is pretty much all I listen to now, except an indie rock station I leave on in my car. And I was surprised how good he was at all these talents I listed. Seeing as I was alive for When Doves Cry, I am surprised how much I missed of his talent (Imagine those who did not grow up on Prince--how little must they know about him) . So, yeah, despite all the hyperbole after Prince's death, his individual abilities are underrated (even though they are highly rated.) I don't have some sentimental connection to Prince starting in my youth; I just think he is uber talented. I was just curious what people thought was his strongest musical attribute.

TheDigitalGardener said:

purplerabbithole said:

Today, I have been soaking up all his live guitar playing. And this is probably his most underrated talent, but then I also think his singing and dancing are highly underrated as well.

If there is a lord, then please, please give me strength.

[Edited 10/10/16 11:28am]

I hear he was quite the cunning linguist.

purplerabbithole said:

Oh, did I offend thee? Is someone else higher on your list of singers, dancers and guitarists? Am I being biased? Well if that is the case than deal with it. I sort of grew up on Prince (enjoyed some songs, neutral about otheres) but I wasn't an obsessive fan until after his death. He is pretty much all I listen to now, except an indie rock station I leave on in my car. And I was surprised how good he was at all these talents I listed. Seeing as I was alive for When Doves Cry, I am surprised how much I missed of his talent (Imagine those who did not grow up on Prince--how little must they know about him) . So, yeah, despite all the hyperbole after Prince's death, his individual abilities are underrated (even though they are highly rated.) I don't have some sentimental connection to Prince starting in my youth; I just think he is uber talented. I was just curious what people thought was his strongest musical attribute.

TheDigitalGardener said:

If there is a lord, then please, please give me strength.

[Edited 10/10/16 11:28am]

Underrated by who? Fans? The masses?

I think he is JUST starting to get his dues for his guitar skills - at least in terms of public and critical acclaim (obviously fans always knew he was the bee's knees).

.

I don't think his dancing has ever been truly appreciated - probably because of the inevitable MJ comparisons However, for me, P's dancing was the icing on a very fine cake! OK, it wasn't refined or precise but, my goodness, he could dance like a FIEND - mad, energetic, wild - just great!

.

Genesia said:

rhythm guitar skills

TheDigitalGardener said:

Underrated by who? Fans? The masses?

That's what I'm saying. Underrated by who???? Prince is constantly on lists of greatest guitarists, and singers. The guitar thing is not just solos, it's rhythm, too. I think his more underrated or perhaps overlooked skill would be that as a drummer. It always seems to be a treat when we see him on drums.

But my favorite talent of his? Thinking about it, it'd have to be piano playing. He's so fluid at it. When he can take a more rhythmic track like "When Doves Cry" or "Let's Pretend We're Married", and make it into a piano song, it's pretty amazing. He almost approaches the piano as what it is - a percussion instrument, not necessarily a stringed instrument. You pluck or bow over strings. A piano hammers at the strings to create a different kind of vibration. Dave Matthews approaches his guitar playing that way, I think. I noticed that early on during "Ants Marching". While we've seen it before w/ Prince, the Piano and a Microphone shows really reinforced it once again.

BillieBalloon said:

If I had to pick one I'd say his live performance. He was THE greatest live performer. His ability to keep you mesmerised for 2 plus hours and still wanting more. Then doing it again at his aftershows.

Absolutely, I was never into live performances until prince. I actually prefer alot of the live versions of his songs to the album versions.

Asides from his obvious musical abilities, I like his dancing and weirdly enough- his acting. Especially in Under the Cherry Moon. Not sure why, I just find his acting quite charming.

Angelsoncrack said:

Masses. But I do like a lot of his later work that his supposed fans can't stand.

TheDigitalGardener said:

purplerabbithole said:

Oh, did I offend thee? Is someone else higher on your list of singers, dancers and guitarists? Am I being biased? Well if that is the case than deal with it. I sort of grew up on Prince (enjoyed some songs, neutral about otheres) but I wasn't an obsessive fan until after his death. He is pretty much all I listen to now, except an indie rock station I leave on in my car. And I was surprised how good he was at all these talents I listed. Seeing as I was alive for When Doves Cry, I am surprised how much I missed of his talent (Imagine those who did not grow up on Prince--how little must they know about him) . So, yeah, despite all the hyperbole after Prince's death, his individual abilities are underrated (even though they are highly rated.) I don't have some sentimental connection to Prince starting in my youth; I just think he is uber talented. I was just curious what people thought was his strongest musical attribute.

[Edited 10/10/16 11:28am]

Underrated by who? Fans? The masses?

there's a lot... besides electric and acoustic guitar .. I love his bass playing, drums and piano..and the man can dance!

his all encompassing worth...

Unfortunatley, where I come from, Prince's misunderstood moves over shadowed his music for most people I know.

Don't get me wrong. I knew all types.

There were those who would never listen to him or like him because he was black.

There were those who would never listen to him because he was too prolific, 'Not another Prince song'

There were those who would never listen because he left Purple Rain behind. Around the world in a day was a shocker to many.

So, what I am trying to say is, from what I have observed, if you weren't a true blue Prince fan, every talent he had was underrated due to closed minds from dot one. They had nothing left to connect.

Vee0319 said:

His voice and vocal range.

My hands-down favorite talent of Prince's, is his mastery of writing lyrics that make each and every individual listener, believe that their individual deciphering of the lyric, is precisely what was in Prince's mind when Prince wrote the lyric.

In that regard, Prince is right up there with Steely Dan. Or Nostradamus.

Pure D Genius!

[Edited 10/12/16 19:38pm]

Exactly my point. You saw what i meant.

hollywooddove said:

Unfortunatley, where I come from, Prince's misunderstood moves over shadowed his music for most people I know.

Don't get me wrong. I knew all types.

There were those who would never listen to him or like him because he was black.

There were those who would never listen to him because he was too prolific, 'Not another Prince song'

There were those who would never listen because he left Purple Rain behind. Around the world in a day was a shocker to many.

So, what I am trying to say is, from what I have observed, if you weren't a true blue Prince fan, every talent he had was underrated due to closed minds from dot one. They had nothing left to connect.

hollywooddove said:

Unfortunatley, where I come from, Prince's misunderstood moves over shadowed his music for most people I know.

Don't get me wrong. I knew all types.

There were those who would never listen to him or like him because he was black.

There were those who would never listen to him because he was too prolific, 'Not another Prince song'

There were those who would never listen because he left Purple Rain behind. Around the world in a day was a shocker to many.

So, what I am trying to say is, from what I have observed, if you weren't a true blue Prince fan, every talent he had was underrated due to closed minds from dot one. They had nothing left to connect.

.

Nailed it.

.

Add to that list those who were hung up on the eccentricities (the name change, etc).

.

Add to that list those for whom homophobia played a huge part in their professed distaste/disinterest in Prince.

.

He's underrated in almost all regards by, I would say, the majority of non-core fans.

NorthC said:

Really? Lots of times when I tell somebody I like Prince, I get answers like, "I don't like him myself, but I realize he's a great artist."

i have never heard this answer, as a matter of fact, I know, in the flesh, like ONE other Prince fan.

For me, #1 has always been his ability to go into the studio entirely alone and come out with a polished gem of an album. Who else can do that? The words, "Produced, arranged, composed & performed by Prince" have taken my breath away for 35 years.

-

But really, it's music, every aspect of it. From his virtuosity on damn near every instrument, real or synthetic*, to the depth and breadth of his bodies of both music and lyrics, to his vocal range, to his unparalleled live performances. It's just ridiculous.

-

This week, I'm fascinated by the way he sometimes fit lyrics perfectly to music, literally without missing a beat or compromising the quality of either. Like the very beginning of Anna Stesia. Or the chorus of Love 2 the 9's. Kind of obscure, I know. Oh and the mashups he was doing on P&M, like Waiting In Vain/If I Was Your Girlfriend. Those are sick.

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* yeah yeah horns whatever, even if he couldn't play them he could still arrange them like a MF.

A & R with his dick