I've always liked Prince's groove changes in songs like in Rainbow Children, Everlasting Now and Xenophobia...but I'm not getting into N.E.W.S. at all. Its definitely brain farts all put together, no structure whatsoever. Too many ideas. I like some of them on East, but they just don't flow at all together.

Rudedog

you DO realize that this is an improvisation record, right? the entire point of your post was exactly what prince had no intention of doing.

"east" is as close as an aftershow i've heard i'm put on tape since "the undertaker" sessions. (from the studio)

and besides frank, i think it's a little premature to say if you don't like something after a listen or two. only paid critics are that shallow.

give it a week of playing off and on... then come back and tell us

I'm sorry but I agree so far. I can't get into these 2 tracks. They sound like a bunch of mish-mash garage band music thrown together with no direction.

Like many other albums of Prince, it sometimes has to grow on me after awhile, but I am not much into all of the Madhouse instrumentals either.

I put on Xpectation last night and still could not get thru the whole thing with out putting on some funk.

Hope it grows on you all.


BRING BACK DA FUNK!!!


.

SANSKER7 said:

I dunno what you were listening to but that just about funked me out, chilled, I concur but twisted DAMN funky!
.

rudedog said:

I agree. A meandering, incomprehensible jumble of directionless improvisation and incomplete ideas. It's a mess. I'm sure Prince had a lot of fun trying out this new free form vibe, it sure isn't what I want to hear (or buy).

Admittedly, I didn't care much for Xpectation either. It just isn't for me.

i can't get into this or xpectation, either. this stuff's good to put on in order to lull you to sleep, but not much else. if p's gon' keep doin instrumentals he may wanna tweak 'em a lil' bit.

mine!



instrumental edit
[This message was edited Fri Jun 20 7:47:20 PDT 2003 by Handclapsfingasnapz]

hey dog! I agree. Maybe I am just too 'old school.' I don't want him to regress, but i do miss his royal excellence. This is not for me...once again. Four in row, or is it five?

suomynona said:

actually...

if you listen to TRC really closely with headphones, you will hear Prince calling out cues and changes to John Blackwell. it's on the title track, 1+1+1=3 and i believe on Mellow or Muse 2 The Pharoah.

on TRC at 8 mins 04 sec.

I agree that there's just too many ideas going on in East. I feel like we're kinda hearing all the muscial thoughts that go thru his head when he's jamming with the band. Hard to keep up! In that sense it's cool, but frustrating as well if you just want to vibe to a groove. Like that sample of East that he put up is about the length of that groove. I kinda wanted to see him strech on that some more. I'm still curious and optimistic about the remaining 2 though.

What is "directionless improvisation"?

Soapstone said:

Again, is sounds like mish-mash garage band music with no direction!!!


.

please God dont let this be available in the stores, its interesting to die hards and only just from what i've heard so far. Xpectation was wonderful to listen to especially with the CNOTE downloads but this so far meanders too much into nothing.

calldapplwondery83 said:

Well, go back and listen to NORTH and EAST, then you'll know.


.

suomynona said:[quote]you DO realize that this is an improvisation record, right? the entire point of your post was exactly what prince had no intention of doing.
---

I doubt its improvisational man. I mean I'm sure
Eric..yeah..but there is edits all over the place. Prince knew exactly what he wanted to play, thats not improvisational. ITs still cool though at some parts.

and besides frank, i think it's a little premature to say if you don't like something after a listen or two. only paid critics are that shallow.
---

Umm, did I not say SO FAR?? I didn't say the whole record sucked, but from what I've heard so far I'm not impressed.

us diehards are the only ones that buy his albums now anyway, so what does it matter if he releases it in stores?

I agree with rudedog: there is very little improvisation on NEWS. On East, only Eric takes real solos. It ain't no jazz, for sure. Still East is an exciting track, at least for me! (North was more pure BS)

But the other solos aren't really "composed" either.

I dig it so far

First many people complain that North isn't "going" nowhere
and now people complain that "East" is spreading to too many
places.

I wonder what people will say about "West" tomorrow. Perhaps
it hasn't got enough piano.

But rest assured, cuz come Sunday, "South" will have way too
much piano.

rudedog said:[quote]suomynona said:[quote]you DO realize that this is an improvisation record, right? the entire point of your post was exactly what prince had no intention of doing.
---

I doubt its improvisational man. I mean I'm sure
Eric..yeah..but there is edits all over the place. Prince knew exactly what he wanted to play, thats not improvisational. ITs still cool though at some parts.

eric leeds himself said that prince just told them what key they would play in, and they just played. so it is improvised. it was one session. now, i don't know what went on beyond that...but he was very clear on that.

Somebody pleeese slap Prince upside the head and tell him to work with an outside producer! Somebody to help him organize his brain farts into music that people want to get into.

Thanks in advance.

N.E.W.S. will be available in retail store in a few weeks.

You guys are high. East is by far the coolest thing he's done in like, 3 years. I don't know where you hear "garage bands" that sound like this...

so far, Im really content with it..

From what I've heard, Prince sounds like he's trying to recreate Miles Davis Bitches Brew or Herbie Hancock's Headhunters LP and it's not bad at all.

Don't hate...I really dig it...it's not an album of three-minute pop rock funk tunes, so don't judge it on that scale. If that's what you want, you have plenty in your collection already, just go spin it again. Whoever said this is like an aftershow...you're right.

I feel N.E.W.S is like this: Little man is stretching out, showing his mastery, and taking us on a world tour. I'm hearing sounds from different continents all put together, as only a master synthesist could do. Most musicians couldn't even imagine this, much less play it, much less put it together into a coherent travelogue of sound.

Day-um, the more I hear it, the more I like it, and the more I understand it (or begin to grasp it). It has movements and passages, like a symphony...it takes you on a journey...if you let it.

Go on wit' your bad self, Prince...the N.E.W.S is good.

East reminds me of a Bill Laswell production. Sounds like it could have involved the usual cast of characters that he deploys, such as Buckethead, Brain and Bernie Worrell. Maybe Prince will eventually collaborate with Laswell - one of the most idiosyncratic of all contemporary music makers.

Peace,
Scott

Wow...Prince "Fans" are really split at the moment!

You can tell the people who like the N.E.W.S. tracks listen to Miles and Weather Report and the like(I'm listening to Miles' Live at the Filmore West right now!) cos they are the only people who "get it".

"Get What?" I hear the others say...well, the fact that it is about musicians playing and not about a 3 minute pop song. This is what MUSICIANS do. Full stop. They play to express themselves and release energy. Prince, like Coltrane, needs to play... they can't just wait until everything is "perfect" in their heads before recording music... that would defeat the object of such sessions.

Jazz Fusion(for want of a better phrase or title) has always had it's negative critics. Yes it can seem pompous and too freeform. But the improvisation always brings out great moments. You may have to sit through, say, 5 minutes of a track without much drive before the rhythm section hits a lick and takes the track into interesting directions but this is what I love about music. It does not have to be immeadiate and in your face. Music is organic and should be treated as such and left to grow through a natural and unforced process.

Wake up people...

Prince the Pop Star = Dead

Prince the MUSICIAN = Alive and kicking

Keep rocking what YOU feel, P!

PS. Purple Rain sucks major arse... Now try getting me to listen to that one again!

I really dig news and the courage it takes to release things like that ... Prince is first and foremost a musician so I like both instrumental and sung songs...

Years ago people went ectsatic with the release of bootlegs of studio sessions and now that Prince delivers the same thing, some moan...

anyway, each and everyone of us is entitled to its opinion... NEWS is coo and does me a lot of good in this time souless music...

The songs are 14 minutes long. I hope the other minutes explain it all.