Nobody has still given logical reasons for not liking Larry. I ask again, seriously, not snidely, what did he do wrong. And yes, prince does change lyrics to his songs but he does it in a way that is humbling to himself. In a recent Purple Rain performance I caught on to the fact that he changed the lyrics from his messianic delusional 'let me lead you' to the' let him lead you'. I'm not religious, in fact I hate all religion. That's never been why I liked Prince. To tell you the truth, I never thought of Prince the person all that highly, if he's a better person now, great. I don't care what it is that creates this, I was always dissapointed reading every biography that came out on him and made him sound like a total idiot. Don't get me wrong, I love him but he's not someone I would walk up to on the street. The plain fact from many people who have been there through all kinds of stages with Prince will say that he's been through some dark periods in his life, experimented with drugs, I've heard he tried to kill himself, (don't know how close that is to the truth) and he once surrounded himself by what Rosie Gaines , who liked the man, by "people who aren't any good for him" and people who harrassed her. He also would go without paying many of his musicians, I don't think out of malice but just being nebulous in business. He's just a man. Many men in his position have been broken, one of the reasons being the utter alienation and the hero worship. I do hope he is happier and is someone I can grow old with. Someone people will look upon like Ellington was in old age, a great master.

I gotta say Lil' Lurry put it down Sunday night @ the Fillmore I'm glad he didn't have him up for a whole set (I've had all the Sly & the Family Stone-revue I can take, frankly) but the one song they did together was hot. Larry is an incredible player so I like it when he plays, it's just a bit much when P turns the show over to him...

Prince obviously invited Larry into his life. If you don't like it, perhaps you should listen to something else. It's only music, and it ain't that crucial in the grand scheme of things .

OdysseyMiles said:

Sorry but you miss the point. P makes cool music. Larry , for me , does not. Personal taste. The point of the thread was 'has Larry gone - if so yippee' or something like that. (not blood - the big debate - sorry folks) I have been a fan since 1978 - I do not need to 'listen to something else' - I just want Larry to take less of the limelight off ol boy and that's it. LG as a man may be cool but since I have not filled my collection with Sly atfs or GCS records but have with P amongst other things my point is made for me - non?

LoveRobot said:

Right, right, I should just go along with the sentiment of the thread. No thanks. People need to realize that P isn't making music strictly for you. So maybe you should listen to something else if it bothers you that much that Larry is included. If hating Larry is therapeutic for you, then knock yourself out. My point was that it's really not worth stressing yourself out.

OdysseyMiles said:

Your reply borders on dense. I did not say that P made music strictly for me - I said (in a roundabout way I accept) that I prefer it without Larry. I skip the tracks on the dvd with Larry - k? for example. I don't hate Larry either - I have never met him. Hate is bandied around a lot partuicularly on the org! I'm not stressed about it either - I actually don't do stress! I just have my own opinion which of course counts for zero to P or to Larry - why should it? But it is MY opinion nontheless.

The reasons I gave for being against Larry are logical to me . The guy detracts from the good music coming from the NPG, he has no style, he is I am afraid to say W.A.C.K. He may be able to play 'slap bass' but at the end of the day he is plain embarrassing.

Sorry but you miss the point. P makes cool music. Larry , for me , does not. Personal taste.

[color=blue:f398a49619]I knew I'd regret clicking on this post. It wasn't until it reached 100 posts that my curiosity was peaked. I just have to say this is the most pathetic waste of a thread I've seen on the org this YEAR.
I suggest you all start from the top and read EVERY POST like I just did. If ever there were a bunch of obsessed clown-ass fools, I'd say they are RIGHT HERE! All this theorizing and hypothosizing and not ONE of you sons (and daughters) of bitches answered the question "Where is Larry"...well ONE did. Nonetheless, you all follow up behind a musician with the vigor of a religion. Why? I think many of you have no faith, so you are CONFUSED and seeking a savior in Prince and his music. Y'all place blame on everyone but Prince for Prince's faults and shortcomings and attack everyone who fails to follow him blindly. Pathetic. I was just wondering if someone actually knew what Larry was up to these days and I clicked on to find this MESS of a thread. Pathetic fuckers. Larry is a MUSICIAN. A multi-instrumentalist like Prince. A legend in his own right. Anything Prince does, PRINCE does. He's just an entertainer. Somewhere in this world today, a paramedic helped save someone's life, a fireman pulled someone out of a fire and a virologist got one step closer to finding a cure for AIDS. I'd rather be any one of those men/women than Prince. You pathetic blasphemous fucks shamelessly idolworship a songster day after day. Prince is just another MAN like any other man. He came from a woman and will die one day just as ALL MEN DO. You FANatics rant over his doings and such as if he were more than that. He's not. If not for technology and a record label, none of you would know or even care who Prince is. Check yourselves and gain a perspective. [/color]

Agreed. I have no gripe with his talent/past influence

LoveRobot said:

Maybe then you should study the MUSIC a little more, because that`s the issue here. Not the moustache or Larry`s style. Today, James Brown doesn`t have much style either. But you hardly can discredit his musical importance because of that.

Prince for a long time didnt have style either. Dirty Mind? Purple Rain? Lovesexy? Do you think that he looked stylish? He looked like a clown.
[This message was edited Wed Feb 18 2:50:02 2004 by Ubiquity]

Totally disagree. James Brown DOES have style - it is his own and he is what he is. I buy his cds and go to his shows to see HIM doing his thing - therefore I get what I expect

JB used to have style... but he has lost it about 25 years ago. Today, he looks like a cartoon character, a sad impersonation of his former self. That`s okay though, because he still gets respected - no matter what. Larry deserves the same thing, because his impact on black music was heavy as a moonrock.

Ditto re Prince. I happen to think that he was super stylish in Lovesexy - more off the wall dirty mind and purple rain but nevertheless the principle of it being him and his music as a package applies.

If you believe the Lovesexy-outfit --- the polka-suits and dotted pyjamas -- were stylish, then I am beginning to doubt if you actually knao what style is.

Larry should not be allowed to take over the show. I do not want to go see predominantly Larry - just as when I go see Norah Jones I don't want 'Slash' stepping to the front and playing his style of guitar all over the show - despite the fact he may be talented in his own right.

Larry is a musical icon, and Prince was happy to feature him on his show. Only very few people get to play with funk masters like Larry Graham, and I totally understand why Prince would give Larry lots of room. Larry`s playing has always been a part of Prince`s own musicianship, so why shouldn`t he give the man credit for that?

It is a question of what fits into the groove that you are there to see and what has been sold to you in the first place.

Larry fits the groove quite well. He has always been all over Prince`s funk, even if he wasn`t there physically. And it`s not about "what`s been sold to you". If Larry was a part of the NPG, then he was part of the package, just like the other members in the band.

I did not pay and do not wish to be subjected to Kid Creole playing slap bass and preaching to me to love everybody for half of a show where I was supposed to be seeing NPG and Prince. It is naff in the same way that 'Call the Law' is - except that went on for less time!

Kid Creole is no musical icon like Larry and he had no impact whatsoever on Prince`s musical development. So why should he be featured prominently? And I really wonder what "Call the law" has to do with this topic.

I would like to be (re)educated re funky bass - can anyone suggest some homework to listen to??!

Listen to anything by James Brown. Especially the 1968-1970 period was fascinating -- that`s when Sweet Charles Sherrell played the bass. He tokk funk another level. 1970-1971 was Bootsy`s time, barely 16 years old but already another thing. After that Fred Thomas and Sweet Charles continued to play, and they are being given much room in JBs music.
Listen to any Motown grooves from 1967 - 1975. Chances are good that you will get to hear James Jamerson play. His style: Less is more. An amazing sound that influenced millions of bass players.
Check out any Stax recordings from 1964 - 1970. Duck Dunn was one of the early masters of the funk bass.
Listen to Mandrill, especially the 1971-1975 period. Fudge Kay`s funk bass is the most psychedelic out there.
Finally - listen to Sly Stone and Graham Central Station. Especially Larry`s albums "Graham Central Station" (1974) and "Release yourself" (1975) are amazing pieces of funk. If you listen hard, you know what Prince has been listening to back in those days.

LoveRobot said:

[This message was edited Wed Feb 18 3:41:34 2004 by Ubiquity]

B
Too funny. I have faith my friend but it aint in no God/Prince or anyone else for that matter! LOL!

Also please learn to spell correctly.