After watching the HOF performance of Still My Guitar Gently Weeps AGAIN
I think I have finally figured out just what it is that I've wanted to express.

Okay, I dig the funk (gotta have that funk), but this Musicology principle, putting the music before the -ology and all that, I gotta say it, there is more to music than James Brown, Parliment Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, Led Zep., etc. Prince changed the face of music and it's like now he's trying to change it back.

I think last night showed me that while Prince's most recent leg of his amazing journey is wonderful, it is incomplete.

It is missing, in a word, FUSION. Fusion of musical style. Fusion of instruments and "drum machines". Fusion of now and then. Honoring what came before you and erasing boundries. How better to show "those who don't know" the score?

NEW music fusing All styles with a twist. The blend of sounds so mind blowing that it takes repeated listens to hear it all. The blend of sounds so deep that eventhough you've heard the song 100 times, you hear something different each time you listen to it. The funk line so stinky it makes you breathless, coupled with the guitar riff/solo so raw it stops your heart (Like last night! ). Then, just because you can, throw some jazz and latin rhythms into the mix....to add to the flavor. To top it all off, add an amazing range of vocals...harmonies slightly off key, highs and lows to chew on...

MMMMM good!

If I get what Prince is saying, he's trying to leave all the studio wizardry behind and show what just a fabulous group of musicians and their instruments can do. What they can do is make music that erases the boundaries of musical genre. And if anyone can do it without the layering of tracks and drum machines it is Prince.

Stop showing us what music was and show us what music CAN BE. Take the "ones who don't know" to school by, yes, paying SOME hommage to the musicians of the past, but also by making music that says..."THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. Music is all this and more."


There are probably folks who could say this much better than I can. I hope this made sense. As I said, this is just an expression of my opinion.

7 views??? 0 comments???

Not even a a or a snip about me talking out my own ass???


I am not loved...I'm going to go jump off a tall building...no...don't have one of those near by...well I'mma do something!!!!

Naw, I get what you mean. There's so much more to Prince's style than all the namechecks he's been giving out lately to Sly and EWF and the like. What about the Beatles influences on ATWIAD? What about the classical influences he's had? What about Led Zep and "Whole Lotta Love"? Whatever happened to his love of Santana? Hendrix? It's fine if he wants to take a soul-centric view of his "Musicology", but he wears so many more influences on his sleeve when he plays, it seems odd that he isn't widening the circle a bit.

he'll more than likely get to the rest soon enough.

In my Veruca voice.... BUT I WANT IT NOOOOOWWWWW!!!!

Nothinbutjoy said:

It's a "reflection"( no pun intended, muchacho ) of the fact Prince is just spent, as a composer! It's not a big deal--he just can't compose innovative, good music right now --so rather than flounder by chugging out more "Rave", or "NPS", he's jamming with a great band, making some $$$,--at least he still gets joy from performing!

I'd rather he got inspiration from "Pass The Peas", or "Sing A Simple Song", than any of his own musings from the past 8 years.

warning2all, what are you talking about? You couldn't be farther from the truth. Good musis is good music, it doesn't always have 2 be innovative. Good funky music will always rise to the top.

Nothinbutjoy said:

I basically concurr. Prince has been narrowing his pallete of late and I find that lamentable.

My metaphor (if you haven't heard it yet) involves crayons. As an artist and performer your job is to accumulate crayons. The funk crayon, the rock crayon, the ballad crayon, the pop crayon... the dance crayon, the showmanship crayon... the sexy crayon, the sensual crayon... etc. Prince used to have more than anyone!

And I believe he still has them, but he just isn't using them all.

Now that's OK to a point. Just because Spielberg has a "CGI Dinosaur" crayon doesn't mean he should use it in SHINDLER'S LIST. Some crayons aren't appropriate for a given work's theme. But it feels to me like P has been forbidding himself the use of some of his crayons and as a result his work is getting less colorful and more repetitive.

How can it not?

Bull said:

I totally agree-good music, or as YOU say, "musis", is always good music!
I totally agree-it doesn't have to be innovative-which is WHY I said I prefer he draw inspiration from "Pass The Peas/Sing a Simple Song",( good music) over "Rave", "NPS" ( medicore music).

What you're arguing for is basically what I said. I think you need to read more carefully!


BTW, your quote, "Good funky music will always rise to the top" is one of those sentences that sounds like it says something, but it really doesn't

Historically, there are a lot of good funky albums from bands like B.T. Express, or Fatback that went nowhere, and inexplicable funk-crap that is a hit: "Oh Sheila". "Good Funky Music" just is what it is, regardless if it strikes a chord with the masses.

Have yourself a wonderful day.

I have to say, I did appreciate the guitar solo a lot more than I did his OWN 3 songs last night . . .

It seems like whenever he does his "hits" now, they sound sorta like a Vegas act. But, they were still "good", just not as good as that SOLO!!!!

Nothinbutjoy said:

It's a great post and I think it is very debatable but has some validity. Kurt Loder wrote a great interview on SOTT in 87 that said that Prince was headed towards some fantastic new music but that after Purple Rain, Loder thinks he backed off from it for unknown reasons. He called sott brilliant but said it was run of the mill for Prince and his question was if the big statement was in his reach, why didn't he go for it? My best friend, who is inarticulate but very intuitively smart about music said as much a year ago. "To this day he has never done what he could do, maybe he never will, but it's still in him." Who knows, sometimes people hold back because it is the only thing they have to themselves. Prince being such a secretive person, maybe if he came out with "the big statement" it would leave him naked. I think this is a real possibility, he said as much himself in "The Question Of U" directed at critics. "Shall I become naked? No image at all?" Yes Prince, that is what I've personally been waiting for, give it up, like you gave it up on that RRHOF solo.

Nothin, you know i like you anyway. But let me say or add something in "his" own words : "Everything that is - is on its way somewhere".
In order to get forward, you have to take a step back sometimes.
That`s just natural, don`t you think?
First thing for a real fan i guess would be a higher level of acceptance for the artist and his work. It might sound illogic, but for us fans those steps going backwards, they seem to make no sense, but the creator of that art has to go down that road anyway. Later we understand what is going on.
So - i say it`s better to let go and be patient. I feel great being a true lover of Prince`s music, because in the end, i have always - yes i said it - always be "satisfied".
Nothingbutjoy - you know i like you anyway.

Sexy Diana is right as rain. Her example of then mixed with now is very cogent. Take, Crystal Ball (thesong) for example: He uses certain elements of funk but mixes it with a fusion of rock and weird ideas--even classical ideas--that nobody could have thought of. You can listen to that song a million times and still hear new stuff. Same with There's Others Here With Us. Prince is regressing and becoming as stale as Minnesota sports teams. Why not invent a new music, Prince? Do you still have the fire? Are you too old, too set in your ways? Time will tell.

Diana gets a cookie for being so smart.

krebsne said:

I'm diggin' that metaphor.

I think it's true, Prince is narrowing his output to a certain field of music influence.

Maybe it's a good thing in the long-term - Could be he's trying to get back to the essence of what made his art so great, going back to his roots.

Just happens his roots are James Brown, P.Funk, Sly Stone, EWF etc, etc - So maybe this period is a reflection of Prince trying to go back to what made him so enamoured with music in the first place.

I regard his output from 2001-04 higher than his work 1996-00, so it's definately a step in the right direction, even if some of us don't feel he's quite reaching his full (and proven) potential with his current output as an individual, and innovative pop-artist.

Romance1600 said:

No, going back to your roots for all your ideas is called stealing. And it is just lazy. Prince is now a lazy song writer. Guess he doesn't think we catch on.

Great thread. I totally agree with u, nothinbutjoy! And a lot of good points from the rest of u as well.

2freaky4church1 said:

No - i cannot relate to that. I think he still writes great songs. I am sorry, dude. And like i said earlier :

What appears to you as a step back, is in fact a step forward. Maybe.

Thing is, even if he's choosing to consciously focus on certain of his more soul-centric influences right now, he can't help but let all his other influences spill out in everything he does, regardless. He's just not able to turn off the Santana/Hendrix rock star part of his talent, it would be like chopping off a limb.

krebsne said:

Wow! Very well put!!!

Everyone thank you for your thoughts on this!

Tony, you know I lubs you baby!
[This message was edited Mon Mar 22 20:28:02 2004 by Nothinbutjoy]

i think i could almost agree. but then i listen to the truth. and one nite alone. and xpectation. and news. they are pretty far from funk. now, obviously, listening to a song like lovesexy, i can completely see what you're talking about in terms of fusion...and i miss that. but let's not gloss over rainbow children. that is a great record (i know, opinions are all subjective) and is all about fusion. in then end, really, we haven't even heard musicology...the cd, not the single. if what do u want me 2 do, reflection and musicology are hints as to what will be on the cd then we can look forward to an eclectic collection of music. which, honestly, is what prince's career (as a whole) has been.

Nothinbutjoy said:

Well Prince has already showed us what music could be 10 times over with all the diffrent styles he has played over the years!