and your only experience of Prince music was what he is doing now. Would you still be a fan??
[This message was edited Mon Oct 6 16:12:03 PDT 2003 by cloud9mission]

not really. i didn't become a fan cuz of the hits...

No, I would not. Although a lot of my favorite Prince tunes were not hits. But he has become so obscure to the public eye, would I even know of his existence if I hadn't been along for his mainstream ride?

Well. the first songs that I heard that I knew were Prince's were from the symbol album. Future songs were from Gold, D&P, Emancipation, and C&D.

As a young teen, I thought his 80s songs were too 80s, and I didn't like them.

The first CD of his I actually purchased (although I had several mix tapes made) was Rave.

So in other words, I became a fan BECAUSE of his new music. Crazy huh?

I like the old stuff more now, for the most part, but still enjoy the new work.

I've never really felt ripped off buying one of his CDs, except when I paid like $20 for the New Master.

No. From an outsider’s perspective, he seems like a self-righteous tool.

Actually, from a fan's perspective he seems like a self-righteous tool.

His current music would never hook me in. I wouldn't pay him any mind at all.

If I had never heard any of his past work, "The Rainbow Children" would have piqued my curiosity and send me checkin into his back catalogue.

NuPwrSoul said:

What he said.

I think if I heard any other artist come out with Rainbow Children or Rave or even NPS, my funk radar would be screaming...shit like that isn't good 'cause it's Prince. It's good to me 'cause it's a funky oasis in a souless desert.

Ok, maybe not NPS.

If I (somehow) managed to catch him at NEWS, I reckon I would've still dug him considering my various excursion into acid jazz and jazz funk...to me the genres are intricate enough to allow for newly descovered nuances even 30 years after Head Hunters, and NEWS has a distinctly unique Prince-like quality - something I can only say after compairing to Xenophobia and some Madhouse stuff.

Anyway, I got into P at Gett Off.

It was Emancipation that turned me on.

For a friend, conversion came with The Rainbow Children (how does he funk that much? he asked when I played him The Everlasting Now).

I think I would be a casual listener not eating and breathing the music like back in the day.

No.

If I was hearing Rainbow Children or ONA for the first time- yes, absolutely.

If I was hearing NEWS, probably not.

Xpectation- maybe... I think that one would at least lead me to downloading a few other songs, upon which my fan-flag would wave proudly.

Supernova said:

LolaM said:

How would I have known of him?

• Only songs played on the radio is old stuff...
  
• Never on TV...
  
• And reviews in the Netherlands of Rave, TRC, NEWS are absolutely trashing him, so I would not have been interested in going out to listen to these albums...
  
• None of my relatives/friends and so on are slightly interested in him (the funkateers among them are into hip-hop...)
  
• Music store I go to for new music are not playing him
  

There is no way I would have known about Prince if he hadn't had major hits or breakthrough (as opposed to return to form) albums. And I even don't care much for his hits, but they turned my attention to the artist behind the hits!

So no, I would not be a fan.

"Come On" got quite a lot of airplay when it was released as a single in the U.K. "Get Wild" and "The Good Life" did too... If I had heard those songs and nothing before, I would have investigated further.

I don't think that anything after Rave has pricked the public's consciousness though.

roverlo said:

Word of mouth .Ive often checked out a group or a cd that I havent heard of before based on some of the opinions of posters on this site. I imagine others probably do the same.
[This message was edited Tue Oct 7 16:24:07 PDT 2003 by MrTation]

Much as I'd love to say yes, the honest answer would be NO.

For one simple reason... There's no way I would have been
exposed to his music. No songs played on the radio, no videos
on TV, low key releases straight to the back catalogue racks
in the record shops, how would I know he even existed?

If he were a brand new artist and The Rainbow Children was
his first album, it would probably have been filed in the
'Christian Music' section or 'Jazz' (definitely the 'Jazz' section
after N.E.W.S).
[This message was edited Tue Oct 7 16:35:53 PDT 2003 by BorisFishpaw]

BorisFishpaw said:

I didn't understand the question to ask if Prince were a new artist, but if we were new listeners.

Obviously if Prince were new he'd be unable to do any of this. But if I were new, I'd hear about him on the 'net and check him out like I do other obscure artists.

Unable edit.
[This message was edited Tue Oct 7 16:59:29 PDT 2003 by NuPwrSoul]

YES

no, not really. i'm sure i would like the new stuff (um, because i do now) but i would be a much more casual listener. and chances are i wouldn't even know he was still recording.

NuPwrSoul said:

yeah, I know what the question was, I was just trying to show
how people would REALLY react to his music if all there was
was what he's recording now.

I don't think the hypothetical situation described in the question
would ever actually occur. How would someone ONLY be
exposed to his new music while being totally ignorant of his
past? Even if you'd never heard of Prince up to this point, it
would be way more likely for you to hear an old Prince song
played than something new (how or where would you ever be
exposed to Prince's new music NOW?)

Anyway, that aside, to answer the question as it stands...
The answer would probably still be NO. His new music is good
and interesting, but it's not 'different' or 'innovative' enough to
make me really wanna check him out. Sure it's a 'new direction
in music' for Prince, but it's not actually a 'new direction in MUSIC'.
It wouldn't be until I heard songs like 'When Doves Cry' or 'Sign
O The Times' that I would really have my interest piqued, because
tracks like that REALLY were 'new directions in music' and
sounded like NOBODY else on the planet. That's what would
interest me... hearing something truly NEW.

yes

totally agree with you BorisFishPaw

I would be a casual listener because his recent output is very good, but not much more because of the lack of innovation.

To prove me wrong, someone would have to quote a post-1988 prince song that somehow changed the course of music history. I don't see any (which does not mean that some of these songs were not great of course).

When Doves Cry, Erotic City, most of the 1999 output, some of parade (see Jill Scott's fantastic review on her listening experience) and Sign have really influenced a number of current music styles, ranging from hip hop to house music

no

DrD said:

I agree with both of you. TRC would pique my interest and just have me keep a look out for his next major release (which I dont count Xpectation or NEWS to be).

But my interest would probably have me diggin into his backcatalogue and the old stuff would be what keeps me.

If I heard anything at anytime I would be a fan..this is destiny.. It is written in some ethereal book somewhere where man has never been.

I was born/meant to be a fan of Prince music. This isn't just chance.

rdhull said:

Bring out the akashic records