In my eyes, and Prince's I would imagine, the entire Musicology Project is already a success. The tour is on fire and Prince has been recieving the most positive mainstream press since the Diamonds and Pearls era. A lot of people seem to think that the success hinges on how well the album sells, but the fact is that Prince has already taken that out of the equation by giving the album away.

I think the whole point of the Musicology Project was to bring the spotlight back onto Prince . Don't call it a comeback, as LL said, but it is-at least to the casual fans anyhow.. The Grammy's launched a new wave of purple interest. It's Prince equivalent to Elvis' '68 comeback special. Now all he has to do is get bloated and medicated.

Yes- all the whining Prince fans are gonna keep complaining about the new album not being Parade or whatever, but face it folks- this is a new golden era of Prince. No it's not 1984 and who cares? Prince's is cool with letting go of his younger days and hopefully you can be too, because this year is turning out to be great.

'The Musicology is already a huge success and the sales of the album don't really matter.'

Sounds like the kinda thing a 'fam' would say when they realise that their idol's latest album is a sub-par set of insipid songs by an artist past their prime.

Romance1600 said:

Actually, his post sounds very reasoned and logical...by giving out the CD for "free" with concert tickets--when in reality the cost/profit from the CD is figured into the price of a ticket--Prince is guaranteeing that his latest CD will "sell" at least 400,000 copies just from concert goers alone.

That is, he'll profit monetarily from this CD as if it was sold in stores and went Gold (500,000 copies sold)...I really doubt Prince cares if he gets the money from the CD by selling it in stores or thru concert goers. The only thing he'll be missing is bragging rights by being able to pointing at the Billboard chart...just the fact that Prince had the CD finished and the tour planned out before finding a label shows that record store sales were NOT the primary force behind either the tour or giving away the CD for "free"...publicity and increasing music club membership most likely were.

Romance1600 said:

dude i think you're the one past thier prime... please take your old records and old memories and go retire... i imagine you're probably pretty bitter in a lot of different areas of your life... please spare us your misery.

By factoring the price of the CD into the ticket, it sounds to me like a way of fending off any self-doubt.

If the ticket sales alone give the album an inflated sense of commercial success, then the artist can say to themselves "they album went platinum - it was a hit!"

Reminds me of the situation with Emancipation's sales figures - inflated by triple CD status of the releases.

Musicology is a major label signing, like Rave, like Emancipation - it's raison detre is to perform well commercially.

Romance1600 said:

is that poor guy sniffin its finger or pickin its nose?

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I think he's tasting a booger.

Romance1600 said:

I think it's pretty obvious by now that Prince no longer points to units sold to tell himself an album was a success...he points to dollars brought in, profit made...and skywalker's main point above was that commercial success is irrelevant to whether or not this whole "Musicology" thing is a success.


Actually, the label execs even said themselves that all this was in place well before Prince approached them...I'm sure they decided to "sign" him on for this CD with the reality already in place that it's not being promoted to chart as high as possible during its first week--which is definitely a false way of making an artist/label feel an album is successful..."Look, it charted in the top 10 in its first week...it's a success!"...

He doesn't have a nose. A sad accident, involving a rather large ass, and a bean burrito. Sad story.

2freaky4church1 said:

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

It's like one of those ink-blot pshychology images - it's whatever you see it as

HobbesLeCute said:

Romance1600 said:

Romance1600 said:

It's the Michael Jackson emoticon. He's just holding his nose in place.

I think giving the cd away is a brilliant idea. He FINALLY went a step ahead Sananda and gave us music for FREE! I got mine at the screening. So it cost me $16 for the cd and the show. A BARGAIN. Now, for the die-hard fans, and even the not-so-die-hard fans that would have bought the cd anyway, it's nice gift. I appreciate it. I wasn't sure if I liked the cd at first, but the more I listen, the more it's growing on me. As Prince fans, we have our favorite eras and we have our vision of what a great Prince album should be. As I see it, he is inviting (almost forcing) us to enjoy his music.

AND, for the casual fan that would not have forked out the cash to purchase the cd based on the single and video, the people that may have been "dragged" to the show by friends... They will give Prince's music a chance that they probably wouldn't have given otherwise. I remember when certain albums came out (Rave, Emancipation, NPS) and people would sample them at the record store and be like "I'm not sure if I want to buy this." I know not everyone likes those cds all the way through, neither do I, but there are some REALLY good songs on those cds. Songs that those people would never get aquainted with. So I think that by making the music available for free to soooo many people in this way, he's gonna create a new fan base.

Who knows, maybe these casual and/ or newer fans will buy that Prince cd they never got around to buying.

Romance1600 said:
"Sounds like the kinda thing a 'fam' would say when they realise that their idol's latest album is a sub-par set of insipid songs by an artist past their prime."

Sounds like the kinda thing a bitter old fan would say when they have yet to realize how sad it is that they spend all their time on this website (sporting a picture of their mom no less) claiming to dislike anything new when, in fact , they own all the albums, buy the merchandise, and go to the concerts with a smile on their face.

Funny how 'fams' resort to personal attack when they feel their idol is being degraded. (Noted at least 2 so far this thread).

FYI: My mom isn't Auburn, she's blonde, and I sure hope she doesn't open her mouth that wide for anyone else but my pop.

Mine was funny too Deja.

Romance1600 said:

Your original quote:

"Sounds like the kinda thing a 'fam' would say when they realise that their idol's latest album is a sub-par set of insipid songs by an artist past their prime."

You made it personal when you decided what my post says about me and what I had just "realized". Meaning, you could have said- "I don't agree, I think Prince is past his prime and now sub par." However, you put a judgement on me by including your sarcastic thoughts on what my post says about a person rather than the thought and made it personal right off the bat.

By the way tell your mom thanks for keeping me busy during my lonely JR high school years.

"Your mom".

Oh lawd - *puts on Chandler head, Worzel Gumidge stylee* - could your lines BE any older!!

Let's leave our parents out of it.

Fact is - I consider Prince a fantastically talented artist.

His recorded body of work, released to the public legally, peaked in 1986, for me personally.

I found his work 1987 - 1995, of great merit also, and the years 1996 - 2000 of decreasingly less merit.

In 2001 with the release of The Rainbow Children, then in 2003 with there limited release of Xpectation, I found a new enthusiasm in Prince's music, but alas, soon after it spiralled back to it's former state of mundacity.

Which brings us upto date.

Now, the fact that I don't much care for Prince's post-1995 releases, doesn't really qualify me for someone who "hates" Prince, or who should not come to this website (skywalker, I don't reference you here, but the many 'fans' who posts here, who have expressed that anyone who doesn't consider Prince's latest works as stellar compositions as "haters").

Fact is, I see it as the natural cycle of pop music artists (of which Prince is one) - that they have a cetain period where their music is revolutionary, and even part of the zeitgeist. After which, they often still produce music, but, none of which lives up to the evolutionary standard of their former out-put.

Now, I accept that, and believe it to be so - if you perceive something different, that's OK - but there's no need to get personal all of sudden (I didn't mention your mother )

Romance1600 said:

Now if you'd have said it like that to begin with I'd have left your mom out of it, so I'll leave you with an apology and a Joey "How YOU doin'?"

VinaBlue said:

I swear I didn't understand the logic of "giving" it away until I read your post Thanks Vina

Romance1600 said:

Romance, believe it or not I actually feel the same way you do about Prince's music. 1986 was the creative peak and everything post Lovesexy is sub-par. But whatever anyone thinks or however anyone feels about Prince's current music, isn't it much easier to take it with a grain of salt and stick to your own musical convictions without resorting to labeling someone a "fam" if they are equally enthusiastic about Musicology as you were with Parade? When you resort to that, then the whole Chandler schtick could just as well apply to you: "Could YOUR lines be any more older?" Prince has been past his prime since Diamonds and Pearls but you're still here on a daily basis ready to give insight to those so-called "sub-par set of insipid songs" and any new ones he might release. I'm not saying your opinions are wrong but it's the manner which you present them that makes you appear like a victim of APFS. Live and let live.

Not only is Prince making money, but in some cases he stands to make the same person pay two or three times for almost the same thing, especially the die-hard fans.

For instance, I got the tracks from the site, I'll most certainly buy the Sony CD itself and if he's still handing out "free" copies when he gets to Canada (and he better get here!), I'll pay for it a third time through my ticket.

So if he doesn't chart well, then he can cry all the way to the bank.

CalhounSq said:

Thanks! Glad it made sense. I miss ya around here, girl! Man, that avatar is ALWAYS nice to see. Lawd have mercy. Please, don't EVER change it.

Now back to my logic. I haven't bought the Live at the Aladin dvd. Why? I thought it wasn't easily accessible outside the club, and I haven't had the money to buy it when I did finally see it in Best Buy. Now that I have seen the show at the screening and Musicology is growing on me with each listen, I'm all jazzed and I'm gonna buy the dvd on Friday when I get paid. See? It's working! I enjoyed the show I saw on Monday, but I'd MUCH rather see him perform with Sheila and Eric, so there you go!

Another point to the logic is that people tend to be more willing to spend money on things when you give them stuff for free. It kinda evens out in the end, in their mind.

Romance1600 said:

Making tons of money is performing well commercially. And I think Prince's ego is stroked well enough just by the fact people come to his concerts in droves. It takes much more of a commitment to attend a concert than to make a trip to the record store. Platinum or not, cash's coming his way.

Now wouldn't it be a kick in the pants if Musicology was, on top of everything, a good legitimate scanned and paid for at the (e)store seller? Then of course you'd be reminding everyone chart success is no indication of quality, and you'd be right but I'd still laugh my ass off.

Romance1600 said:

Or maybe even bitch slapping your face? Well thats what I see....If Prince is past his prime as U put it....I LOVE & Dig his faded wayz...come on, U overdo yourself being a "hardliner" if U didn't know already. Its all about what he brings 2gether in a "Live" concert setting that puts him far and above "Anything" thats performing live these days or pretending 2.


Not 2 attack as U call it....that mouth of yours says much ill and offbeat shit. U bring nothing 2 the table in terms of what U think is solid talk...
When will U show a open mind 2 whats new? What U love is done so except it and try 2 give the brotha some credit 4 doing whats in "his" artistic soul?


Don't know your age but U can't tell me U still do everything U did as a kid? We all change and a artisit of his making really can't B put in a bottle & kept. But hey this is how U feel right? its your right....cool with that. Its also your right 2 better that thinking and (((Shake yourself 2 U wake up....time has indeed past U)))

From a non asskisser~

Romance1600 said:

Or maybe even bitch slapping your face? Well thats what I see....If Prince is past his prime as U put it....I LOVE & Dig his faded wayz...come on, U overdo yourself being a "hardliner" if U didn't know already. Its all about what he brings 2gether in a "Live" concert setting that puts him far and above "Anything" thats performing live these days or pretending 2.


Not 2 attack as U call it....that mouth of yours says much ill and offbeat shit. U bring nothing 2 the table in terms of what U think is solid talk...
When will U show a open mind 2 whats new? What U love is done so except it and try 2 give the brotha some credit 4 doing whats in "his" artistic soul?


Don't know your age but U can't tell me U still do everything U did as a kid? We all change and a artisit of his making really can't B put in a bottle & kept. But hey this is how U feel right? its your right....cool with that. Its also your right 2 better that thinking and (((Shake yourself 2 wake up....time has indeed past U)))

From a non asskisser~

Romance1600 said:

Or maybe even bitch slapping your face? Well thats what I see....If Prince is past his prime as U put it....I LOVE & Dig his faded wayz...come on, U overdo yourself being a "hardliner" if U didn't know already. Its all about what he brings 2gether in a "Live" concert setting that puts him far and above "Anything" thats performing live these days or pretending 2.


Not 2 attack as U call it....that mouth of yours says much ill and offbeat shit. U bring nothing 2 the table in terms of what U think is solid talk...
When will U show a open mind 2 whats new? What U love is done so except it and try 2 give the brotha some credit 4 doing whats in "his" artistic soul?


Don't know your age but U can't tell me U still do everything U did as a kid? We all change and a artisit of his making really can't B put in a bottle & kept. But hey this is how U feel right? its your right....cool with that. Its also your right 2 better that thinking and (((Shake yourself 2 wake up....time has indeed past U)))

From a non asskisser~

Opps sorry computer choked....but the bottom line 4 U who take his "self" change and other personal interests in creating different music 2 his liking, other then the 80's stuff.....don't No shit about whats truth. U can't fade whats in this mans soul....why should anyone that gifted stay on repeat?? If U had it yourway U would B tired of the same old crackers and B crying out 4 change aka new music. So stop trying 2 B a cut throat critic, when in fact those who complain so fucking much truly find themselfs living in another persons life...so try perfecting the one your given.

Thats 2 U Godly people on here that seem 2 know more about music artistic creativity and freedom 2 put out what they desire...then Prince does.