Despite being a huge fan of jazz (with favorite music style along with funk), especially jazz-fusion, despite having loved the new directions displayed in TRC and in some of the ONA tracks, despite having been so enthousiastic about this NEWS album, I must say that I am EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED by what I've just heard.

Beyond any detailed consideration, I found NORTH extremely pretentious and amazingly boring. He and his musicians are simply unable to play that kind of music (smooth jazz-rock) at the top league level, which makes it almost fall down to elevator music. This was already my main complaint regarding Xpectation, but this time I thought that given the amazing instrumental jams played during the European Tour's aftershows, and given the absence of the violin that almost ruined Xpectation, it would be much better. Apparently not.

More broadly, has he lost that energy, that joy, that curiosity, that connection with his environment, that freshness, that touching ingenuousness that we all love and that is at the root at the amazingly creative funk he gave us for years ? (I mean on albums of course, ONA live was great)

Conclusion:
In any event, if you dare to say that you love NORTH and NEWS in general (EAST seems to be more or less in the same vein albeit more interesting, and we can a priori guess that the two remaining tracks won't be that different):

Get the latest Roy Hargrove and ya'll know what true, energic, creative, modern, jazz-fusion is.

Nice to see an objective view, but you lost me when you said Roy Hargrove.

You talking about that GQ neo soul dude?
LOL, he blows and his new album sucks and sounds like fucking neo soul rap leftovers.

Besides that, glad to see you post this review of North.

DrD said:

so i take it u dont order the cd

It's actually refreshing to see someone who doesn't have that "I'm going to like every single piece of music Prince puts out." mentality.

I still don't get ppl who say that "TRC is one of his best works" or "ONA is the best live album I've heard" or "I really dig the direction his music is going right now"... :ILL: and another feeling.



So...DrD...this :CLAP: is for you!!!

I just see this as a nice chill-out album. Prince doesn't have to play at the top of any musical genre for me.

If you see this as a "I'm going to like every single piece of music Prince puts out."-mentality, then so be it.

DrD said:

In short: Yes he lost that.
It was absent on ONA Live as well, if you ask me. There isn't the same feeling as there used to be. Not the same energy. Prince's energy is dark now, bitter, exclusive, filled with agenda, no spontanity.

And I think it will get worse.

Oops, Prince lost to the dark site he is! Somebody call Yoda!


Seriously, excuse me, but that's nonsense, IMO.

huggy said:

I wish his energy would get DARK and BITTER again.
"Something in the H2o" "People Without" "The War" shall I go on?!?! Prince is spoiled, unmotivated...nothing motivates a musician to make good music like HUNGER or PAIN!!! That's what I wanna feel in his music again...TRUTH, SOUL...EMOTION.

Funkynose,

Thanks but I really disagree with you about Roy (I thought his album reaches a musicianship level, a spontaneity, a variety unseen in any other neo-soul album). But hey, that's also why I started and opinions. Hope to get more and perhaps different views about NORTH, but I seriously doubt that anyone truly honnest could really love this track

Peace

sorry: "but hey, that's also why I started this thred: to get a sense of our different tastes and opinions"

Well I was waiting for a bad review and here it is.

Like anything...some will love it, some will hate it, and others will think of it as just another release.

I personally enjoy it. I think its soothing,and calming.


yours truly,

loves-everything-the-man-puts-out





on P haters!

"a nice chill-out album" : sorry, but loving prince so much I have much higher expectations than this. I just can't forget that the same guy put out 1999, Parade or even TRC.

I agree that EMOTION is the key. He has really lost something that has nothing to do with musicianship (he is a far better musician today than 15 years ago) but was the key to the love we have for him

softNwet said:

nice to see ppl with a sense of humour!!

Vashti said:

You need one in this place! Imagine if i took everything seriously... i would lose my brain


for you Vashti

Thanks!!

Sofnwet: "Like anything...some will love it, some will hate it"


Wel that would be great, but unfortunately that won't even happen because the music lacks so much personality that you don't even what you think about it... I don't even hate it, because I have almost already forgotten it...One thing is for sure: it will never be in heavy rotation on my cd player! And I am pretty sure it won't be on anyone's cd player after a few weeks, even those orgers officially saying that they "enjoy" it, they find it "nice", "smoothing"...

DrD said:

DrD said:

well it might be true that it wont be on someones cd player, but the truth is that it is soothing, atleast to me.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. You say it lacks personality. I say its soothing.

In conclusion,
love thy CD or else!!


dont take personal DRD
for you


I cherish your opinion

everyone needs to hear opinions to decide if what they are feeling is normal.

"everyone needs to hear opinions to decide if what they are feeling is normal."


wonderful quote, softNwet!!

softNwet said:

not me, and probably not artists like prince...

as i could care less what you think of my tastes, prince could care less if we get what he's trying to do (otherwise there would've never been a tony m, tc ellis, kirky j, larry & tina...)

i like north, and look forward to hearing what was on the "news" preview clip. those 2 minutes are why i'm joining the npgmc for the first time and buying the cd.

I think this mellow state he's in now (at least in the studio, check out last year's aftershows, especially Nighttown, he seemed possessed), is simply an indication of what he gone through and that a lot of things have changed in his life.
And I can't blame a human to be what he is.

I truely feel that Prince is honest to himself. He doesn't force himself into any music that he doesn't feel.
And that is all what I dig about him.



Besides you never know what else he's laying down. Remember the songs he played at The Front recently? Maybe they are something totally different.

havent heard North yet. But the best P music is at first hand somewhat unreachable...I hope North does that 2.

Vashti said:

thank you vashti

101 said:

that goes for all music.

my dad once said that if you like something the first time you hear it, it's most likely not going to stand the test of time.

the best things grow on you...

Actually I agree with the criticism of North here... It does sound like cheesy elevator music. Pretentious and unsuccessful - a lot like Kamasutra.

Some good bits in it I suppose. I've ordered the CD, since it was cheap and some of the other clips I've heard sounded a bit more lively with some nice guitar work. North doesn't do much for me though.

I feel a black album coming on somewhere down the line - P, ya listening???
suomynonA - shame u changed your avatar - your last one was fab!!!

bananacologne said:

i'll be changing it back... i just find this one to be hilarious...

"I think this mellow state he's in now is simply an indication of what he gone through and that a lot of things have changed in his life. And I can't blame a human to be what he is."


I totally agree with that, and the fact that prince has almost always been honnest to himself. But the point is: does this human being, with his current state of mind, make interesting music ? Do you really wanna to listen to it ?

So many hopes raised by TRC vanished with Xpectation and NEWS...Prince is no Herbie Hancock, no John MacLaughlin, no Miles... I wish he came back to what he does best: INNOVATIVE blending of different music styles, like in TRC

ian said:

Oh No!!! Can any1 confirm or deny the comparison, please? Help out the non-members!!!

dont sweat it wasitgood4u...it's all relative!

*BING!*
*2nd-floor-childrens-wear-ladies-wear-ladies-lingerie-edit*