EvilWhiteMale said:

That's meant to be a corny statement, right?

To answer your question, my friend, I'm from IOWA and I hate friggin' CORN!

I do find it "bananas" the disses that Prince receives for his efforts -- from self-confessed HATERS. I wouldn't know a "two and four" unless it went upside my head -- wait that's a 2X4 -- but I do know that I dig Prince's musical output, and yes I am prepared to try some new directions...

"Who thinks it's better 2 be a follower?"
Xenophobia
[This message was edited Mon Jun 30 11:37:32 PDT 2003 by kmc]

Haven't heard "News" yet.

I thought "xpectation" was one of the dullest things Prince has ever recorded. Obviously, my"xpectation"s for NEWS are low...

herb4 said:

funny enough...i thought 'expectation' was nice. but not something i'd listen to often. just too mellow for me. and i am not even trying to knock it, just didn't do nothin for me. from what i heard of news so far since i got the cd, i will keep diggin this for some time to come. this is not elevator music. it has edge to it for sure. improvisation is heavy in this album. that was made fairly clear from the beginning. so i don't know why some of yall are trippin. i'm sure the idea of improvisation is lost on some of you. give it a chance. you may not like everything he has put out, but this is definitely a skillfully crafted album.

kmc said:

i honestly thought i wuz the only iowan on this site...

EvilWhiteMale said:

If it hurts so much, maybe it's time you moved on? No point causing yourself such grief with Prince's latest music.

I
Love
NEWS
its
a
nice
direction

JC said:

Glad to see finally agree on something JC!

.

This is the lowest point yet. A one hour improv jam, released as a retail album!?!


umm...isnt that also what Miles Davis Kind of Blue is? and thats known as possibly the greatest jazz album ever? i havent heard news and wouldnt imagine it could compare to kind of blue, but i have kind of blue and in the linear notes it says nearly all of it was first take improv, hence when there is an alternate take ie flamenco sketches, there are two completely different solo's. its a risk to release improv and i think thats what he wants to do with his freedom. good on him really. making music isnt baout keeping fans happy all the time, hes doing his own thing at the moment with alot of jazz stuff, hopefully he'' end it all by releasing his album with miles davis and then find a different style. i like what ive heard of TRC but cant afford to buy it! oh well...

softandwet said:

I agree with your point here, but I don't think this stuff is improv. It sounds like it on the first few listens, what with the length, lack of vocals and lack of pop-like structure. But as I listen to it again it sounds more composed, albeit in a relaxed way that's not trying to appeal to a particular audience or fulfilling a contract.

I'm not saying that a composed song is better than an improv song or vice versa, and I don't care which it is. I just know I like it

sabaisabai said:

eric leeds did say that it was more of an improvised session in the npgmc chat.

ERIC LEEDS: "The N.E.W.S. took as long as the CD is! P counted it off, gave us a key and we just played. At the end of it, I packed up my horns and went home. Now that's my idea of a session."

EvilWhiteMale said:

Hey, did u get lost? The GD forum is THAT>> way!

sabaisabai wrote:

If it hurts so much, maybe it's time you moved on? No point causing yourself such grief with Prince's latest music.


I've moved on a long time ago. I don't buy his music anymore. At most I'll download it, and send it straight to the recycle bin. I just enjoy ripping him up once in a while.

EvilWhiteMale said:

As much as certain people take pleasure in ripping you,no doubt.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

That makes at least 3 of us!

I'm enjoying this new album! Especially the 2nd and 3rd track. Very original sound!

IMO I like NEWS. If this is 'elevator' music where do I get more of the shit? Anyways, for real its a good listen. It's been a jazzy 2yrs, will be interesting when he whoops on our ears next! I was just thinking today of the interesting music/sounds Prince can create and if he was to mix his jazz with some of his other influences what the outcome could be..could be interesting! If P hasn't already...

RhythmMan wrote:

As much as certain people take pleasure in ripping you,no doubt.


You think by changing names, you can start getting my attention? Let it go. I have.

I find it very intriguing. There is one cord played throughout, not totally throughout, but almost.

Does it symbolize One World, The Cord the Bible talks about, or is it a nice GROVE!. Maybe, all three!

I like it, it is a mix of emotions, and different!
[This message was edited Wed Jul 9 17:18:48 PDT 2003 by naturegirl]

EvilWhiteMale said:

Your bold type scares me.

Hey, you've changed names too, and more than just the once I'd warrant. Personally I miss the beaver. And that bizarre little voodoo doll thing. That was truly menacing.

I'm coming in a little late on this but...

This really feels like outtakes from The Rainbow Children to me. I love all of it and think it's just really powerful stuff.

realm said:

Head down to your local record store and ask the assistant to give you all the CDs by Kenny G. You'll be right at home!

nickandmon wrote:

Your bold type scares me.

That's cuz I'm a bold type of guy.

Hey, you've changed names too, and more than just the once I'd warrant.

Not true. More than one name is too much of a pain in the ass. I only need one to handle my business.

Personally I miss the beaver. And that bizarre little voodoo doll thing. That was truly menacing.

I suppose, though I don't know what you're talking about.

You know what? I must be the only so-called hardcore fan who hasn't been listening to NEWS yet .
And you know why? I haven't receive my copy.
It's a matter of days. I'll open the package, examine the case, the artwork, glance at the booklet, smell it, take the cd, put it in my player, lock the door, adjust the headphones, press play and close my eyes.
These magical moments have been going on for 15 years now , and I had no intention to spoil another one with the music club dropper-snippets.
I'll tell you later, then...

Hmm, I have never been seduced by P-hating until now. NEWS is something that I am glad P has done. If I got to see him play it live I would FREAK. But to be honest, (and I have given it a LOT of listens) I wonder; how hard should one really TRY to like something? This is not a bad P album in the way that NPS was (ie trying to please the mainstream) but the polar oposite, and a bad album because he was trying to prove a point.

But hey, still a fan.

I really like it...I think it has some Great moments.

I Really enjoy hearing Eric Leeds play with Prince again...I always did like their combo.

I don't view it as an album or really even give Prince too much credit for it. His band does some really cool shit on this cd. Still...I enjoy it for what it is.

I'm with you Sabaissabai - I may not be able to write the best musical review of the CD, but you didn't do so bad now.

In listening to the separate compositions the first time, I liked them - but was sure after I had the opportunity to listen to the entire CD, it would be one that would grow on me even more.

I've listened to the CD in its entirity now about 5 times. And although I know that it was shared that it was composed live - there definitely was a vision as indicated on the cover - "Directed by Prince."

The concept of the different geographic regions / directions (i.e. cultural / musical influences) the merging of different genres (jazz fusion, rock, funk, and a touch of classical too) - the musical phases of each composition - takes you through such a ride. I think it is incredible.

1. If I were to dismiss my "Expectations" of what Prince was once capable of.. the best thing I can say about NEWS is that the horn arrangements are quite good. Sorry, but the rest of the music is not catchy, nothing innovative, its quite boring. And I say that because I listen to alot of other music. "A Show of Hands" is still cooking in my cd player today.

2. Didn't he just release a little jazz instrumental last year? If I didn't dismiss my expectations, I would say that if Prince is going to continue releasing one album of new music per year.. and this is the quality of 2003's release, i'd say Prince needs a nice long vacation.

Maybe a few more whale watches.

u know what, antuco? U're totally right! I'll wait for the CD, the very real thing: packaging, smell, the fantastic sensation while opening it etc...

that's a fantastic moment...

and i wait, i wait, i wait...

peace

Sorry for this long post...
After giving it several listens, N.E.W.S is easily, the most insignificant album in Prince's career. And that's counting all the side projects. Now, to piss off some of the Orgers, N.E.W.S. is not Kind of Blue (And Kind of Blue isn't improvisational - it's modal, and composed. Yeah, the solos are improvised, but so is the solo in Purple Rain.) It's not free jazz - not even close. Try listening to Joe McPhee or Coltrane's Ascension or Albert Ayler for something truly 'free.' N.E.W.S. is too timid and structured for that format.

It's four tracks, but they're not really songs, as they don't have themes, and they certainly don't have melodies - they mostly sound like extended jams built around the occasional light hook. Is it bad? I don't know, as I can't tell and don't know what he was trying to achieve with it. If I knew that, I would know if he failed. His bad albums at least had a purpose, a goal he didn't meet. With Rave, he was trying to be Timbaland, Carlos Santana, Ani, and Prince all rolled up into one, and ended up failing because he's best when he's just Prince. With NPS, he wanted to prove he was still funky, and then wrote some of his unfunkiest songs ever. With, N.E.W.S., I'm not sure.

The website says N.E.W.S. is supposed to be new directions in music from Prince. But it's not - it's directions we've heard from him at least five times. And five times more effectively, and in a more entertaining format.


By my count, he's released five instrumental albums:
Madhouse 8
Madhouse 16
Eric Leeds - Times Squared
Kamasutra
Xpectation

In addition, he recorded two versions of Madhouse 24, released the NPGMC live jams C-NOTE, and released several instrumentals on various albums. So instrumental music isn't a new direction for him, really. Neither is jazz, and neither is improvisational. He's recorded more instrumental music on the side than many instrumental musicians record in their lifetimes. But his previous releases all seemed to be trying something different, if not musically, then at least new for Prince. Madhouse 8 doesn't break any ground, but showed the world that Prince was stretching into jazzy territory. Great. 16 took that and applied a greater funk feel to it, but in a different way fusion did. Times Squared showed some compositional and rhythmic complexity that makes it sad that this album is so unknown. Kamasutra, while maybe not a success, at least tried to incorporate some long-form themes into his music - like the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth, or Rhapsody in Blue, it played with a theme and tries to make it play through a piece. At least he was experiementing and trying something, and some of the other pieces in Kamasutra work as a result. Xpectation works because of how Prince fades into the background, really his first work where he is an equal among members Candy and Vanessa Mae.

N.E.W.S. doesn't seem to try anything new. The songs meander, sometimes providing an interesting hook or line that he repeats for thirty seconds, then he discards it, and move on to the next one. Why not tie them together, like he did with the samples in Grafitti Bridge? The playing isn't particularly vicious or surprising or jaw-dropping; rather, it's tasteful and competent and precise, like Prince has never heard Miles's electric period playing, or any Coltrane. But we know he can do that in a (mostly) instrumental context, like he did with "The War." Nothing shocks you from your seat listening to it, it just glides along, content to be what it is. Just once I was hoping for a moment like when "Girls & Boys" turns into "Life Can Be So Nice," or during the speech interlude at the end of Lovesexy with the pulsing and grinding in the background, or when the balladry of "Love 2 the 9s" becomes that intense hip hop thing, or heck, even the violent percussion during the chorus of "Papa" ("smack smack, papa papa").

At least Rave pissed me off because I thought it sucked. This one just does nothing, which is so much worse.

PS - of the four anonymous tracks, East is the most interesting - it has a cool opening line reminiscent of the opening of "Around The World In A Day." But of course, he abandons it and takes the song somewhere else.

papabeat said:

There are some nice transitions in there. Take West at the 8.30 mark for an example. Maybe not LCBSN/GAB, but then again LCBSN/GAB isn't West either.

To me, the most important aspect of music is how enjoyable it is, rather than how groundbreaking or well put together it is. Sometimes I feel glad that I'm not so well versed in a wide field of great musicians, so I'm not constantly comparing influences and who-did-what first. On this measure, I love his albums Madhouse 8 and N.E.W.S., but hardly manage to get through a full listen of Kamasutra.
I played N.E.W.S. to an older friend of mine, and he blew it off with comments such as 'so and so did that before', 'it's derivitive', 'nothing new there'. Well, maybe so, but I'm the lucky one who is now enjoying the new album .
When I listen to that I keep expecting him to break into People Without. That would be cool..
True, and I'm glad he did. I'd rather have a 14 minute song with lots of changes and interesting parts than 14 minutes sounding like the intro.