...and not the man?

Yes,it's possible

I know alot of people who can't stand Prince the person,but they still have copies of some of his CDs.Sinead O'Connor once mentioned that she was so pissed at Prince that,in order to sing "Nothing Compares 2 U" at her shows,she had to learn to "separate the songwriter from the song".With Prince,that probably wasn't an easy thing to do.

DavidEye said:

What about you, David?

Entirely possible.

I'm not saying that this is the case with me, but I will say that I enjoy the music more than I do him as a person. I don't dis-like him, but I have more dis-agreements with him and some of his views than I do with his music.

There have been many cases, throughout musical history, of great artists who make beautiful music and yet, as a person, they were, repotedly, nasty pieces of work.

But then, who do you know who lives all of the virtues they profess or aspire to?

Hmmm, I like the music more then the man but I must confess that he facinates me a hell of a lot !! Sooo..

..Uhhh, I think it's hard to distinct them !

Anji said:

Yes. I love the music and I think Prince is a genuine musical genius. But I also think he's a megalomanic prick.

Perhaps this question requires a little more consideration. After all, can you really like something without having some sort of love for it's creator?

But, that has more to do with gratitude than anything. For example, just because you like milk does not necessarily mean that you like cows. Yet, a reasonable opinion would be that if you do like milk, then you really ought to be grateful for the cow's existance!

The reality is that it is more of a moral question - one ought to at least have some consideration to the provider, but, of course, you don't have to at all!

Do u mean a fan of his music who DOESN'T like him?

Or a non-fan who likes hs music but not him?


I asked a "fan" once if u went to a Prince concert and for some reason couldnt get in
and could ONLY LISTEN to it & not WATCH it...would U stay ?? They said NO...

...THAT IS NOT A FAN OF HIS MUSIC.


That's like saying if I went blind I would stop liking him...

But, then, if I was in the same boat, I would stay, even if I couldn't hear it that well (and, I've had to do that for another artist!!)

Anji said:

I love Prince's music,it's the soundtrack of my youth.I will forever be a fan of his music.I don't dis-like him as a person,but (as Ian the moderator once said) he's probably not someone I would want as a friend...lol...I'm not saying he's a mean or evil person (I've never met him so I couldn't say),but I just prefer to enjoy the music.But,admittedly,with someone like Prince,it's often difficult to separate his music from the person he is.

I would personally find it strange to like an artists music and not like them i cant think of any example where this applies and depending on the level i like them they mite influence other aspects e.g clothes

DavidEye said:

I love Prince's music,it's the soundtrack of my youth.I will forever be a fan of his music.I don't dis-like him as a person,but (as Ian the moderator once said) he's probably not someone I would want as a friend...lol...I'm not saying he's a mean or evil person (I've never met him so I couldn't say),but I just prefer to enjoy the music.But,admittedly,with someone like Prince,it's often difficult to separate his music from the person he is.[/quote]


Agree with you David. I too grew up with Prince, I was just into my teens when Purple Rain came out, and it was kind of cool to be into him - he was different, rebellious and swore on record I used to stick up for Prince if I heard anyone dissing him, but I've grown out of that now.
He has alienated me somewhat with some of his actions over the years, but like David says, I don't know him personally to pass full judgement. The thing with Prince is, he'll piss you off to a point, and then you go and see him live and you suddenly realise why you still love the music so much, and you forget about the persona.

I'm a big fan of Prince's music but quite indifferent to the man himself. I find him fascinating and I enjoy following what he does but his quirks that bother a lot of fans around here don't bother me. I don't feel I know him well enough to know whether to like him or dislike him greatly. However, I reckon that if for some reason I had a strong dislike for Prince the person then I would have trouble enjoying his music.

On what origmnd said, I have hundreds of Prince CDs/tapes/records etc., but only a single video (Undertaker) and no posters or anything like that. I just like his music and don't have to see his face everyday.

what a great question, i guess we all know what sort of a person Prince was and he seems tobe making an effort to cahnge since around '97. I tey and seperate him as often as possible but it is sooo hard sometimes simply because he lives his music, how can anyone listen to 'sex in the summer', 'lets make a baby' or 'comeback' and not seperate the two?. Prince is human and has made horrible mistakes, if someone you love dearly makes the same mistakes can you seperate the person from the action?.

javed said:

I wonder whether Prince thinks of them all as mistakes? He may well be very happy with his life decisions and might not be living a life of regrets.

Mindflux said:

Fhunkin said:

When I was younger, I was fascinated by him. Like many of us, I was somewhat in awe too. Nowadays, like Teller says, I judge him as my equal. That said, when the music comes good (and I'm talking real good), then I'm sold!

Shapeshifter said:

Err, I wouldn't go that far on either count.

Mindflux said:

When I drink milk, I don't think of the cow. When I listen to Prince's music, it is more rewarding personally to think of the man too. It is only this way with Prince, mind. When I listen to U2, I don't need to think of Bono or The Edge to enjoy it. I guess I relate to Prince on a soul level.

origmnd said:

I'm talking about fans of his music. By the way, I certainly wouldn't settle for a Prince concert from outside the arena. If I can't enjoy the whole experience, I'd rather wait till when I can. Prince is simply too intriguing, for it to just be about the music.

Prince doesn't live without regrets he admits he lives in denial, sweeps it under the carpet and hopes it goes away.

I am finding it harder and harder to just enjoy the music and ignore all the crap that goeth with the man.

It not easy, but I try. Why, do I try I wonder?

Anji said:

yeah... but prince is soo sexy and so damn cute it would be hard not to

can somebody say tempting
[This message was edited Fri Jul 25 5:25:33 PDT 2003 by DigitalLisa]

Let's face it, once you hear the music he's difficult to ignore no matter how hard you may try.

I think it is definitely possible.It's up to the individual to be able to manage that in his/her mind.I really don't care that much about artists personal lives.It really has nothing to do with anything.I'm sure I've listened to artists who are racist or who beat their wives,cheat on their taxes,basic jerks,etc.I still listen.The only exception being R.Kelly ,because that is beyond despicable!!

I read,once,that James Hetfield ,of Metallica ,was a racist,but that didn't stop me from buying a cd.I'm sure,on some level,that may be wrong,but I love music.It is imperatively and inherently,who I am.So,no apologies or excuses.

Prince can be the most wonderful person or he can be a jerk;his life has no bearing on mine, other than if it affects what I get to hear.I have long passed the stage of being naiive about my expectations of artists.

I can remember, not too long ago, that I was a fam, fambot, famatic, whatever and I really wanted to meet Prince. I just knew when he met me, we would become the best of friends, me being such a great person and all. I felt we had this connection, like his music was speaking just to me. Then the downfall began: The slave thing, the Mayte thing, the suing fansites thing, the Oprah interview thing and finally, The Rainbow Children thing. I have grown up so much and I realized I had to separate the man from the music. I couldn't listen to it if I didn't.

Being a fan of the music, and liking the man, does not necessarily mean wanting to be his friend, or even thinking about things on that level. Just to clarify...

sure is possible. brotha's cute n'all, but i have a feelin if i met 'im i'd have to smek him around some.

Anji said

Perhaps then it is more to do with the level of enjoyment received in the first place. You don't particularly have any great preference for milk, therefore you think no more of it, other than drinking it.

Prince, on the other hand, you obviously enjoy considerably and, therefore, you make other connections - you're experience reaches beyond what you are hearing and extends to speculative thoughts about the man himself. When you think of him, however, are you relating the lyrical content and the emotion of the piece to him and wondering about his own experience, or is it something else? Why is it more rewarding to think of him whilst listening to the music? Do his opinions and experiences reflect how you would/can feel, or is it more that they are fresh and interesting notions?

For me, as a musician, I tend to picture most artists actually playing the particular instrument, or constructing the track, so to speak. Its a pain sometimes and not something I do consciously, it just happens. It doesn't make it any more enjoyable, but I find it hard to listen to music without picking it apart and hearing how it was made. This happens with most music I listen to. It has its benefits, as I can try and emulate these things in the studio but, sometimes, I feel it does get in the way of enjoying the music as a whole. For example, sometimes I just can't take my ear off the bass, lets say. So, I hear the bass, all the way through, nothing else! Its not to say I can't hear the whole thing, its just I kind of catch myself doing it and then think "Shit, I just missed half the tune!"

Anji said:

Didn't I say I was a fambot? Weren't you listening Anji? To simplify my response, I like the music, not the man.