This is badly phrased but true. The quality of Prince's output was at an all-time low just before his conversion to Jehova's Cult Witness, then collapsed in a blaze of mediocrity that he never really recovered from. Unsatisfied with merely stamping out his career, he subjected anyone that would listen with cringey gaffes, conspiracy theories and pseudo-mystical third eye bullshit. To those outside the Org, he was kind of a laughing stock for a while.

It's called growing up. It can manifest in many different ways, and many of them will rub some people the wrong way. No one has any obligation to anyone else to remain exactly the same forever.

Not everyone wants to be Snoop Dogg proudly smoking weed like a teenager well into their 70's.

Number1Crush said:

It's called growing up. It can manifest in many different ways, and many of them will rub some people the wrong way. No one has any obligation to anyone else to remain exactly the same forever.

Not everyone wants to be Snoop Dogg proudly smoking weed like a teenager well into their 70's.

WORD

"conspiracy theories and pseudo-mystical third eye bullshit"

^^^

certain people must always mock and ridicule things they dont understand.... i wonder why

He took out certain words but couldn't help himself. Even in his later years.

For instance "Screwdriver" and "Hardrocklover" are pretty blatant.

IanRG said:

When was Prince not religious?

dualboot said:

ThatWhiteDude said:

what? What the hell? I mean, as graycap said, it was his journey but holy cow, that's cringey.

could have been worse and lonely with "23 scriptures in a one night rant...."

That made me spit out my water LOL it will forever be stuck in my head

Prince + Religion 1978-1987pt1 was very accessible

Prince + Religion 1987pt2 - 1990 was more pushy you could see/hear him trying to define it
Prince + Religion 1991-1999pt 1 was tricky, it was there but it was pulling from a lot of places

Prince + Religion 1999pt2 - was more conservative and his music was more infused by a type of text

I think Prince was always mindful of "God" though he did not always live according to those rules.

When his son died, I feel he was somewhat stunned and felt the need to acquiesce and get into line.

Some of the changes were superficial such as a reluctance to swear in public, the more conservative dress, the talk of monogamy etc. I do find it interesting that he chose such an extreme religion. He must have thought he needed quite a bit of restructuring and policing.

I really don't think the quality of his music suffered (TRC), as a result of the JW faith though he became preachier.

His music was intermittently less engaging pre-JW.

jfenster said:

Just cause U couldn't go with him doesn't mean u can criticize

word

jfenster said:

RJOrion said:

SantanaMaitreya said:

lust said:

SantanaMaitreya said:

RJOrion said:

jfenster said:

RogerRoger said:

Forgive me for the provoking title.. but

Prince might have found a good clean glorious path that helped him personally in some ways.

Like when alcoholics find god by AA.

That's good and all.

But artistically it tanked and watered his artistic expression.

He stopped being dirty and honest, and instead was detached and focused on pure, innocent, praising the almighty.

And went against his old self.

A split.

I do miss the naughty dirty daring Prince.

I'm not sure there is a heaven or a god, besides raw nature itself.

"Animals strike curious poses"

What kind of record do you think Purple Rain is?

RogerRoger said:

He stopped being dirty and honest, and instead was detached and focused on pure, innocent, praising the almighty.

This seems to be the core of your argument, and the truth is it's rather questionable.

Do you consider Prince's less sexualised work to be dishonest?

Is religion incompatible with creativity?

Would you really have wanted Prince to develop so little as an artist as to be indistinguishible at age fifty from when he was twenty?

For that matter, do you have a problem with his religious songs from the 80s?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that 2000s Prince was as laser-focussed and consistently brilliant as 80s Prince, but that's because by the time he broke with WB, he'd already reached the pinnacle of commercial success and artistically no longer had anything he had to prove. Basically, he relaxed, allowed himself to coast a bit sometimes, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Listen through to Don't Play Me on The Truth. It's not about religion but it does address this sense of growing up ("I'm over 30 and I don't smoke weed / I put my ass away and the music I played / Ain't the type of stereo u're trying to feed") and no longer having much to prove ("My only competition is me in the past").

SanMartin said:

RogerRoger said:

He stopped being dirty and honest, and instead was detached and focused on pure, innocent, praising the almighty.

Would you really have wanted Prince to develop so little as an artist as to be indistinguishible at age fifty from when he was twenty?

Not at all.

I love that he always evolved, experimented and revolted, and I have mad respect him for growing and going his way (even though not loving all the musical output).

-

Here I'm solely focused on the split from the artist who directly caused the parental advice stickers on records, escape into religion and distancing from the human "dirt".

-

But I also understand it somehow..

I guess it was therapy and natural for him personally.

It just meant the artistic output then became secondary and less important.

-

Disagree all you want folks (totally ok), and tell me "I can't criticize Prince's choices at all!" etc.

But it's just my view as a fan of Prince MUSIC and EXPRESSION.

(maybe he expressed all there was to express)

-

Can't wait to dig into and celebrate Sign O' The Times again.

[Edited 9/24/20 6:38am]

SanMartin said:

RogerRoger said:

He stopped being dirty and honest, and instead was detached and focused on pure, innocent, praising the almighty.

This seems to be the core of your argument, and the truth is it's rather questionable.

Do you consider Prince's less sexualised work to be dishonest?

Is religion incompatible with creativity?

Would you really have wanted Prince to develop so little as an artist as to be indistinguishible at age fifty from when he was twenty?

For that matter, do you have a problem with his religious songs from the 80s?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that 2000s Prince was as laser-focussed and consistently brilliant as 80s Prince, but that's because by the time he broke with WB, he'd already reached the pinnacle of commercial success and artistically no longer had anything he had to prove. Basically, he relaxed, allowed himself to coast a bit sometimes, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Listen through to Don't Play Me on The Truth. It's not about religion but it does address this sense of growing up ("I'm over 30 and I don't smoke weed / I put my ass away and the music I played / Ain't the type of stereo u're trying to feed") and no longer having much to prove ("My only competition is me in the past").

I for one am glad that Prince explored different things in his career, whether thematically or musically. There was a whole new generation of artists who jumped back on the dirty synth-led minneapolis sound in the 2000's, starting with the electroclash movement and spreading into the synthpop/electrofunk revival of the subsequent years. I was very happy at the time listening to Prince for more mature content and to Avenue D. or Dirty Sanchez for oversexualized lyrics. I been groovin' to so many new artists directly inspired by 80's Prince for the last 20 years, I didn't need Prince to do that anymore and I was glad he did something else (anyway even when he tried to go retro with Mplsound and 20ten he got trashed, there was no way in the world for him to win anymore: the fans were just too angry at daddy for abandoning them).

.

Also, I find it really awkward to write "I do miss the naughty dirty daring Prince" given that Prince is dead: the OP would miss him anyway even if he'd made albums like Dirty Mind until 2016.

.

No offense to the OP, but sometimes I wonder, it's like some people wake up in the morning and wonder, "which angle am I gonna find today to create a 1000th thread explaining how Prince was over and done after 1993 or so?"

.

IDK, Prince is gone, we all know the vast majority of his fans were not happy with the last 2 thirds of his career. Why can't we just call it a day and move on? Or maybe grow up and rediscover the 2 thirds in question? Or just enjoy the 80's content the Estate is putting out if one really can't dig the later stuff?

.

It'd be nice someday if half the threads on Prince.org weren't about saying how bad Prince was.

.

Peace y'all.

I think it is OK to talk about this. Objective give-and-take conversations are healthy

Prince, IMO, did not change to his more conservative approach gradually and organically.

It was more of a rupture.

He was not a naturally open person and fans were sometimes left wondering "what just happened?"

This happened with his death too.

RJOrion said:

"conspiracy theories and pseudo-mystical third eye bullshit"

^^^

certain people must always mock and ridicule things they dont understand.... i wonder why

Oh, you're right. In fact, I have some crystals to sell you. They'll even recalibrate your vibrations and decalcify your pineal gland.

It was a series of life events he never got over. He lost his parents, 2 children and a wife. He was never the same. You could see it in his face

Of course religion tanked Prince's potential.

Relegion tanks free thought by it's very nature. It is a method of fear and control.

The one that always stumps my friends of faith is, why is faith geographical?

SquirrelMeat said:

Of course religion tanked Prince's potential.

Relegion tanks free thought by it's very nature. It is a method of fear and control.

The one that always stumps my friends of faith is, why is faith geographical?

Nonsense.