Any artist in it for 25 years will find it hard to keep that sparkle that fueled their early works. People like Clapton, Bowie, Elton, Dylan , Al Green have had weak decades and came back with important intriguing work. Not anything that is as strong or seemingly as strong as their intial work, but output that shows growth and life lived. Directors seem to have the same characteristics in their work. I think it also involves where each individual discovered such an artists work. If one came into Prince music in their adolescence, than those impressions are never going to be topped by any other output. Just a theory.

I'd rather not fall on either side of the fence. I prefer his work from the 70's and 80's, but he has put out some great stuff since then too.

I also really don't care what anyone else likes/dislikes.

HobbesLeCute said:

I like your way of thinking.

GoldiesParade said:

That whole segment is so funny that it deserves to be repeated. Just when I thought your analogies couldn't get any weirder, the next sentence just proved me wrong by being even more far fetched. Keep your razor-sharp observations coming (or not)

locoarts said:

Huh..
U know, this ISN'T the NPGMC, you don't HAVE to post shit like that in here.

Fakers and fans? What about the folks who just appreciate his music?

---

I don't care to label myself in any one group, but I do know what I do and don't like when it comes to Prince's work.

IMO Prince's music from '78-88 is his most consistently strong work, plain and simple.

I don't see how anyone can be called a follower for that, because all one has to do is listen to SOTT and see how easily better an album it is than TRC.

That doesn't mean all his stuff from '89 and onward is all bad though. I'd say his musical ingenuity from that point on was just more sporadic.

He definitely let the pressures of staying on top affect his artistic vision in some cases.

He resorted to very poorly executed hip hop sounds in his music, and that really tainted what would've otherwise been close to great albums in the 90's in the case of or even Diamonds and Pearls.

Other times though, he still offered glimpses of that musically brilliant vision again, like with the absolute masterpiece that was TGE.

I suppose being lost in the controversy of that silly war against WB didn't help him to focus on his craft either, which would really explain unnecessary messes like Chaos & Disorder.

These days, it's not that his artistic creativity is lacking to me, because I don't think that's the case.

The thing is, I just don't happen to like jazz much, so that just meant I really couldn't get into the jazzy songs found in TRC.

It was a good album, but the jazzy sounds kept it from being anywhere near great to me.

Still, I'm sure he'll work that style through his system, so with his creativity and inspiration seemingly back again (as much as can be expected from a 45 year old man who's already done it all) I expect at least another great Prince album to be on the horizon.
[This message was edited Sat Feb 21 17:42:43 2004 by PurpleKnight]

I totally agree with you on GOLD as being a masterpiece,however TGE is a good example of how Prince's albums are not appreciated in it's own time.

I heard Gold in 1994 through several bootleg recordings and I thought that it would be the album that would put Prince back on top.After the civil war with WB it never had a chance.

On websites such as this one(no dis to the oRG) people would say in the years afterward that TGE was "total crap" & and a "Kirky J production".They totally dogged the album out.It has only been in the last 3/4 years at this site that people are saying "TGE was a masterpiece."

Prince's music get better with time.Those that don't dig RAINBOW now may dig it in 3/4 years .

SquarePeg said:

people respect other's opinions, as long as they line up with their own... ...

EllisDee said:

exactly

muleFunk said:

Very well said. It always amazes me to find out how long it can take SOME fans to finally "get it". I think the reason for this is that each new album by Prince carries with it a certain set of "expectations" by some fans. And then when the album doesn't meet with that fans set of pre-conceived notions as to what it should sound like, they cast it off as "crap". But years later, and/or once the pre-conceived notions and expectations are removed, those fans can finally accept the album for what it is instead of what they want it to be... and then like magic the light is suddenly turned on in their heads.

The trick to "getting it" sooner is learning how to let go of expectations and pre-conceived notions as quickly as possible. And some fans unfortunately just don't seem to have the kind of personality that will allow them to open their minds sooner rather than later. Yet we know the light turns on in their heads eventually, even if it takes years and years. The reason why I know it is a slow process for some is because there is no way someone would still be visting a fansite on regular basis for an artists whose music they haven't truly liked since 1988. That would be crazy. So I know those fans who are quick to criticize still like what he does, it's just that some fans are slower to understand than others.

I think the "fams" like everything.

I think the FANS like what they like. I personally loved everything up to Emancipation (with the exception of the Gold Experience ick), and then it got pretty bad until TRC. Now i'm feeling him again. I blame it all on that wack ass dancer that was playing the drums through that period. Damn him.