Well what can I say about the new Prince LP the “N.E.W.S?” I gotta say I’m a little disappointed. It’s been almost exactly 16 years and 3 months since I started down this long often whimsical, unbelievably delightful, undeniably brilliant, whole heartedly diverse, and in many ways life defining road trips that we call the Prince catalogue.
As much as I hate to do it; I must confess I am beginning to agree with so many of the members of the “Org”, whom I usually pass off as blundering idiots or silly children, that say they wish Prince was still under the restricting control of WB records. Hold up did I say “restricting control?” This in the case of Prince IS NOT THE CASE. This is the same artist who in the was somewhat responsible for the Warning labels attached to almost every CD out today with a bad word or dirty lyric within it’s content and then was awarded the most lucrative recording contract in history. Prince was the quintessential “Bad Boy of Rock”, “His Royal Badness”, “ Nasty Mutha---; well the list goes on and on. In Baltimore and D.C. Prince was so big that they would, upon the release of a new LP, play the entire (new) LP twice in a row. Dig if u will this picture Prince fans: It’s 1987, Prince is the Biggest male star currently on the scene (MJ would not return ‘til later that summer), and the mainstream radio stations are playing the entire “SOTT” LP, plus as a bonus, the radio stations are playing like every other Prince tune from the back catalogue (imagine hearing UNEEDANOTHERLOVER, Delirious, and Private Joy to name a few on the radio everyday without having to request), plus some boots like “Good Love” are getting play, plus every song on the radio has been written or produced or influenced by Prince in some way or another. That was 1984-1987 and 1988 and hell even 1989. Sorry for ranting, but that is the way it was back then and everybody knew who Prince was, plain and simple from my 4 year old cousin to my 70 year old Grandmother. Well that was what it was like to be a Prince fan back then, and the “N.E.W.S” is what it is like to be a fan right now. In a word…or two….
Elevator Music. That’s what my 23 year old Administrative Assistant, called it. Then again she is from Europe, and you know how they think. But Hold Up!!! I think it sounds like Elevator Music too…Should I move to Milan or Paris.
I will say that Prince is certainly without a doubt one of the greatest, if not thee greatest instrumentalist in the music world. For some reason I just don’t think that is what he has been aiming for since his departure from the mainstream. I thought he was desparately trying to get back. No matter what you may think Purple One, the (N)orth, (E)ast, (W)est, and (S)outh, are all the wrong directions. As was the X album. Please sir continue on with your teaching set forth by the Brilliant “Rainbow Children.”

No apologies are forth coming. THIS is my view.
Lmas ( the writer formally know as SEE My House)

He's doin' what he wants. There will be funk down the road though.

Since when do the fans have a right to tell the artist which color to paint? Been a fan for 24 years and if you're not used to change or new directions in 16 maybe the journey is coming to an end. If this is where's he at right now so be it, he's an artist not a bar band taking requests.

squirrelgrease said:

I'm glad he is doing what he wants. After being a Prince fan since 1978, it has been an interesting journey. NEWS may not be a Madhouse or Eric Leeds cd, but it is where Prince wants to be musically at this point in his life. I'm sure in 10 years, we will all be remarking on how wonderful this cd is.

I remember when Lovesexy came out. Many hated that album and despised it. The same with Around the World In A Day. Now, listening to those albums, they are masterpieces. Sometimes it takes a minute to realize what a treasure you might be possessing.

daPrettyman said:

Perhaps, but It is rather disheartining to finally after all these years actually not like a Prince LP. Hell I found some positives on NPS and C&D

lmas said:[quote]

daPrettyman said:

Perhaps you're not giving it a fair go? N.E.W.S. is an album that grows with every listen. Try it a few more times and it will probably grow on you. I love it, and don't consider it elevator music one bit.

People...you can no enjoy something an artist produces, creates, etc. I think this was a nice well rounded view of the new music in this fans eyes.

I ain't saying NEWS is the best thing Prince has ever done but it's not that bad at all, I believe. It's much more interesting than Xpectation in my view and I have a feeling I will play this album regularly.

But you're right, NEWS ain't no TRC. I love it when Prince sings and I hope his next one will be featuring vocals again...

As far as quality control is concerned, I think Prince does a fair job. Most of the known outtakes and unreleased stuff don't hold up to his legaly distributed material, be it during the Warner years or after. However, I would still like it if Prince would use an outside producer, just to see how this would turn out...
[This message was edited Wed Jul 2 3:17:07 PDT 2003 by funkaholic1972]

This is not a review this is an opinion !

lmas said:

2 much to read, and it will only b about how u lost interest in Prince cause he aint funky anymore move on find something else Fhunkin is right it is a review, not an opinion

Fhunkin said:

Actually, it seems to be a reminiscence on the late 80's. A nice one, though.

lmas said:

Oh c'mon i have some great music on cd which u
probably would call 'elevator music' 2. Goddamn some 'elevator music' is superb. Whether u would like to call it deephouse, nu-jazz, lounge, funk, ambient,... know there is some truely great music and sound
outhere which u wouldn't even listen 2, because it's 2
this or 2 that, blah blah blah. haven't heard NEWS
yet but will soon.

It seems like a lot of people only care about music when
they hear a pop tune or a rock tune, hmm wake up the
6ties 7ties and 8ties are over.
[This message was edited Wed Jul 2 11:13:11 PDT 2003 by familygroove]

familygroove said:

Yeah, but ya gots to be in one tall-ass building to actually start to dig it...

Fhunkin said:

That's why I put the ? mark at the end of "REVIEW"

And believe me I am not one of those kids who just like it when Prince is getting airplay and is Popular, because if that were the case I would have bailed years ago.
There is this line from the 1989 Blake Edwards film "Skin Deep" about how one compares John Ritter's character (a writer) to the first time a junkie does Cocaine, how the junkie always does the coke hoping for that first time rush that got him hooked in the first place. That is how I feel about Prince, and GOD knows he has, over the years since 1987, made me believe that he was capable of masterful things (much of GBridge LP, D&P, Gold, CBall, Emancip., and most of all TRC.) His live stuff is Divine and some people did not like ONA or It Ain't Over. Now that's crazy I think.
[This message was edited Wed Jul 2 23:11:34 PDT 2003 by lmas]

It's hard to judge Prince's music at first.Let it grow on you.

It’s 1987, Prince is the Biggest male star currently on the scene (MJ would not return ‘til later that summer), and the mainstream radio stations are playing the entire “SOTT” LP, plus as a bonus, the radio stations are playing like every other Prince tune from the back catalogue (imagine hearing UNEEDANOTHERLOVER, Delirious, and Private Joy to name a few on the radio everyday without having to request), plus some boots like “Good Love” are getting play, plus every song on the radio has been written or produced or influenced by Prince in some way or another. That was 1984-1987 and 1988 and hell even 1989. Sorry for ranting, but that is the way it was back then and everybody knew who Prince was, plain and simple from my 4 year old cousin to my 70 year old Grandmother.


if this was so surely his sales would have been bigger? sign o the times, did that LP even get to number one? ok it had two huge hits, but it still only went what? double platinum? and for a double LP that only means a million shipped. thats crap! lovesexy, one top ten hit and thats that, has it gone platinum yet? parade, number 3, had a number one but thats it too. the album when platinum, quite a dramatic fall from PR which is now 13x platinum. ARTWIAD too, number one for 6 weeks and huge hit in raspberry beret, but double platinum? thats not the sales of a man who is played 24/7 on radio and is mega huge! all im saying is maybe you are reminisicing abit too much! its understandable though.


Well that was what it was like to be a Prince fan back then, and the “N.E.W.S” is what it is like to be a fan right now. In a word…or two….
Elevator Music.



one thing i think peeps need to remember about NEWS is that each song is 14mins long, and there are no vox! so that means no vox hooks to help you remember it fully! thus you need to give it a really good listen to get used to it. so the first, second or even third impression personally i think is quite useless!

softandwet said:

Excellent point.

People, people why don't you just cool down...

Nothing can be perfect. That's why everyone of us has his/her favorite restaurant. It's all a matter of taste.
If you listen to the no. 1 of the charts ask yourself do you like it? If no, than you might have a problem, because many people like that song.

If you are still stucked with Purple Rain, SOTT, etc. you should stop buying anything that is coming down from Minneapolis immediately, because there will be no reptition of those albums. Decide for yourself: Are you willing to respect the art or are you just looking for a no. 1 hit to help you explain why you are a Prince Fan?

The freedom from WB means only that now he can do whatever he likes and that my friends is the goal of art. Expressing yourself without any restrictions. That's the path he has choosen for himself. Whether you follow or not is your decision. But pls. stop complaining about the fact that the 80's are over... You don't like TRC - OK. You don't like Xpectation - OK. You don't like NEWS - OK. You don't like the way he is handling his business - OK. But be sure, tomorrow the sun will rise again and the earth keeps on moving. Nothing you can do will change this...
Enough said.

Peace, 2 y'all

I too am missing his vocals but it just makes me think how good the next album will be with vocals and I really do think that he will be played on the radio again this man has 2 much Talent not 2
TRC shocked me in the fact that it was so raw after a few albums that didnt do alot 4 me but thats my point there is always gonna be times when the music he puts out will not please everyone.
Im sure the ride aint over


peace

lmas said:

You have been standing in the purple rain far too long. It was never like this. SOTT was not played on mainstream radio in its entirety. Seldom were albums played in their entirety in the 80's. The only album I ever heard get a push on radio like this description was when Like a Virgin was released. Not Springsteen's Born In The USA. Not Michael Jackson's Bad. And radio playing bootlegs? Get real. You shouldn't paint this distorted picture of Prince & the 80's for fans that are too young to remember.

And speaking as a Prince fan of over 20 years I quite enjoy N.E.W.S. I stick N.E.W.S. & Xpectation & Reflection & C-Note & ONA LIVE! & some bootleg songs from The Celebration into my cd player & hit random & it all sounds good to me. Mellow followed by East followed Empty Room followed by Xotica followed by Whole Lotta Love...well you can get the picture. It all flows together. I'm happy with where he is right now.

I appreciate your "Review(?)" post very much. Thanks for taking the time to write it. It's always nice for me to hear/read what what other fans think of an album, particularly long standing fans such a yourself.

Thanks!

You have been standing in the purple rain far too long. It was never like this. SOTT was not played on mainstream radio in its entirety. Seldom were albums played in their entirety in the 80's. quote]


As the post said "in Baltimore and D.C." I don't know what the hell was going on in the rest of the country at the time I was 15 and worried about getting a car in a couple of months, chasing girls, and listening to Prince music.

As always some orgers take every comment as if it were an insult directed at them. Before you comment Read the post twice so as your feeble mind understands the content.

softandwet said:[quote]

if this was so surely his sales would have been bigger? sign o the times, did that LP even get to number one? ok it had two huge hits, but it still only went what? double platinum? and for a double LP that only means a million shipped. thats crap! lovesexy, one top ten hit and thats that, has it gone platinum yet? parade, number 3, had a number one but thats it too. the album when platinum, quite a dramatic fall from PR which is now 13x platinum. ARTWIAD too, number one for 6 weeks and huge hit in raspberry beret, but double platinum? thats not the sales of a man who is played 24/7 on radio and is mega huge! all im saying is maybe you are reminisicing abit too much! its understandable though.



Consider the fact that SOTT, Lovesexy, BATman, GB, and D&P all together sold what maybe 14 million about equal to Purple Rain. Prince's star still was not considered fallin until after he left Warners in 1995-1996, some 12 years after Purple Rain. For Prince his star lingered longer than almost anyone's (bar MJ and Madonna) because of his talent, and influence coupled with the fact that the public , critics, and fans continued to believe that he still had not put out the ultimate experience.

Prince once said that "1999" was like second grade. I believe he has grown, TRC proved that. My point is, after listening again to the "NEWS", is that this "NEWS" is not news at all, I have heard it over and over again. First by a group back in 1987 called Madhouse and then again in 2003 by the NPG in the "X" album. If this is your new thing Prince and u are gonna stick with it then good luck, but if next year you come out on stage and scream, hollar, and curse accapella style then what the fu--.

Now watch some "know it all" come out and say " Madhouse was Prince!!!" and then I'll counter by saying, "My point is made."


Come on Prince, as Kurt Loder said after reviewing SOTT, "Why don't u simply go for it?"
[This message was edited Thu Jul 3 21:03:55 PDT 2003 by lmas]

lmas said:

I can attest to this point about DC and Bal'more. Heck, a large DC station actually had Strange Relationship from the ONA Live album on regular rotation for months. Not many other US radio markets would see that happen.

Consider the fact that SOTT, Lovesexy, BATman, GB, and D&P all together sold what maybe 14 million about equal to Purple Rain. Prince's star still was not considered fallin until after he left Warners in 1995-1996, some 12 years after Purple Rain.


i suppose thats a fair enough point, considering he released an album a year for so long when MJ released like one in 5, and prince had a top ten hit every year for like 10 years or something. so fair enough!




Come on Prince, as Kurt Loder said after reviewing SOTT, "Why don't u simply go for it?"


yeah, it seems to be a popular opinion among critics that prince is easily capable of releasing the greatest album ever but purposely doesnt. maybe crystal ball was meant to be that, sign o the times is fucking amazing and he lost interest with that after getting told he couldnt do a triple LP. does anyone know the tracks he took off of crystal ball, and is the song crystal ball, worthy of being put on sign o the times?