Meh. I had a long essay written, but my computer crashed when I clicked on "create new topic".

I don't feel like typing it again, but the bottom line is I was a hardcore, be there the moment the wrecka stow opens on the day the new album is released fan for 15 years, and now I haven't really dug anything the man has put out since '96. And I've heard everything that's been out since then, I have friends in the club, and people who hook me up with free bootlegs of concerts. I never, ever thought there would come a day when I would see Prince as washed up, over the hill and uninteresting. And I do. I don't give a fuck what religion he's following; the religious shit on The Rainbow Children didn't bother me. The fact that the album sounded like a Prince imposter did. One Nite Alone put me to sleep. Rave almost brought me back, but not quite. NEWS: elevator music. What I don't understand most about TRC is how it could end with such an amazing track (last december, which I do adore). Why nothing else on the album hits me like that one does?

And my point is: I'm not trying to be a naysayer. I WANT to still be digging his music. But I just don't. I've tried. Maybe this means Prince evolved and I did not. I don't know. But it's really stale to feel this way. Kravitz, who I thought at one time was the next best thing to Prince, has let me down too. I loved his first four albums, but his last two albums were mostly garbage.

There's still a small part of me that's waiting for Prince to drop the bomb again, that knows he's still got the ability to make good music again, but that part is getting smaller and smaller.

And it sucks. And I don't care who wants to flame me about this and who wants to say I'm full of shit, that News and TRC are the best things ever made. You're all mad. I don't want 1984 back. I just want to be moved again. And he hasn't moved me since emancipation.

I don't think many folks on here would disagree that most output from 96 onwards from him has been WAY below what he can do.New Power Soul, Rave, and N..E.W.S certainly wouldn't have made me a Prince fan if I didn't know about his back catalogue.
T.R.C is a bit different though.I totally agree that The Last December is probably the best song he has released since 96.

Don't think everyones gonna say your full of shit - alot of ppl here will agree with you

---

Hey, sometimes you just grow apart. Prince has evolved and I'm sure you have too, maybe just in different directions.

smokeverbs said:

Mommy, why does everybody have a bomb?

Hi smokev. Maybe Prince has to change his musical approach for you to be a fan again. But maybe you can change your approach to his music. As I change, certain songs which did not make much of an impact now make more and more sense. It is part of his genius.

andy

I haven't seen you around for probably a couple of years verbs. It's good to know that you're stll around and I hope all is going well in your private life

good luck...

Taureau said:

Dammit! You're making me yawn!

I know what you mean because I'm somewhat there myself. I haven't really bought a thing since Rave. Doesn't help that most items can only be received through the club which I don't plan on belonging to.

smokeverbs said:

For me its barely 1989. There are always a few glimmers of hope... but nothing in the way of entire albums. Too much of it is geared toward teenagers and people who don't take music too seriously, IMHO. I've followed many established artists who kept changing their tune as time went on - e.g. Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, the Mekons - so I really don't feel I'm the "stick in the mud" almost everyone labels me as I say this.
I guess Prince will always be a Skinnner Box for me as long as he's putting stuff out, so he's still got my money (cha ching!)

i don't know about you guys, but since i felt his music there's no feeling of turning back. I know there are some disappointments but not enough to repel me. It's in his music. I know some sucks to us but the uniqueness and his style that grabbed us is still there regardless of religion or what ever.

andyf said:

MoFunk said:

oh shut up.

Shit! I've been feeling like that since '88! since then only about 3 in every 10 of his songs have moved me, though i still buy everything faithfully. I still have alot of respect for the man as a live act though, and always will.

Marrk said:

Me too. I have, lately, started giving the newer stuff a go. Maybe I can reconnect...

I thought it was just me who felt this way. I actually felt guilty because I wasn't getting most of his music anymore. The last album that I liked more than five songs was o(+> after that it's been down hill for me I'm sad to say.
Because I was introduced to his music during a very tramatic time in my life I felt he was a part of my life and I became almost a fanatic. I will always be a fan, no matter what he puts out, because he's a damn good musician, performer and not too bad on the eyes, but I sure do miss the old Prince days.

Could it be some people are tooo busy comparing his music?

Take each individual piece on it's own merit, not something that doesn't measure up to what you think u want.

origmnd said:

Could it be that those who have recently seen Prince in concert have been successfully brainwashed?

Why is it always about people comparing Prince of now and Prince of yesterday? Why are people constantly being condemned for being able to tell that MOST OF PRINCES' NEW STUFF IS SHIT!

origmnd said:

This line sounds like it was written by Prince the Fascist himself. People have no problem in deciding what they do and don't like. Why make something pretty just because you appreciate and respect a persons artform. There's nothing to compare, when a good album hits we know it and when he gives us this crap as he has for the past few years we KNOW THAT too. PRINCE FAMS DO KNOW WHAT THEY WANT: BETTER MUSIC!

This is a good thread to see who all the whiners are. Why do u people continually confuse your likes and dislikes with what good music is. Lots of non-fans don't think that highly of all the old stuff u folks think is genius. Its all subjective. If u don't like the music find somewhere else to be. Why is that so hard. I love Joni Mitchell's earlier work more than I like her last few albums, but I'm not whining on her site about how her music is crap or sh*t. It would be childish and disrespectful of her and the current fans who love the latest stuff. Please just move on children.

tricky99 said:

smokeverbs said:

that was not nice !

I knew Smokeverbs sounded familiar.

I am the same way about Prince. Sure, TRC is listenable, but in a normal way. I don't want Prince to sound normal, I want him to blow me away.

NEWS is just soft jazz. You can hear this stuff all the time in Muzak infested grocerie stores.

The live album is real good, but even that seems well done, but not ground breaking, like the Xenophobia boots.

Rave has a few really good songs, but even those are too radio friendly and slick.

The last classic was The Truth. I did like NPS a lot.

He has lost his way. The youthful fire is gone.

tricky99 said:

Prince has got a VICE GRIP on the disgruntled children.

It's the Prince MOJO.

Supernova said:

I,m not expecting anything groundbreaking,especially with his religous convertion.
Just something fresh and less jazzy would be cool.
I'm sure it would be easy for him to do a Santana inspired guitar heavy album which would floor any listener.
Keep putting out dvds and I'll be happy Prince!

FanofDaFascist said:

Your negativity is so uninspiring.

To be a Prince fan again, try to listen to his 80s stuff as much as possible. Try to forget that much of his 90s stuff ever existed. I listen to his 80s and select early to mid-90s stuff and I love him all over again.

smokeverbs said:

Prince, in a very good way, can be a tease. And if he teases us in the proper way, that 'part' of us you are talking about can get bigger and bigger
[This message was edited Sat Dec 20 3:46:32 PST 2003 by andyf]

smokeverbs said:

Nice one, smokev. You got it! Reality used to be a friend of mine. Is that Robert Smith, btw? I move like crazy tigers, brother

smokeverbs said:

awww..Fuck all ya'll... Verbs...you are 100% correct!!!