Film Career. Over
Actor..... Over
Dancer..... Over
Sex Symbol Finished
International Superstar Over
Creator of Sidebands Over
Music Legend Tarnished but never Over
Vegas Showman Still going strong
Chart Topper Over
Hit Maker Debatable
Religious Fanatic Going strong
Musician Going strong
Studio Owner Debatable

Guitar Playing -not over
Songwriter - not over
Influence and Relevence -not over
Entertainment value -not over

Perhaps Prince isnt everything he was in the past but the fact that he does some of the same same things very well means he is still important to his fans and thats the main thing.Most of the things he dosesnt do as well or chooses not to do are superficial anyhow.

Mazerati said:

i forgive you, then.

laylow03 said:

My English is not good enough to tell you all my thoughts about that. All i can say is that i totally disagree Musicology is GREAT, i was so f*cking waiting 4 something like this, after TRC.
THANK U, PRINCE


Prince

i'll
admit
it

B4
they
lock
another
non
ass-kissing
thread

Prince's star faded not long after he won emancipation from Warner Brothers in 1995, as he abandoned the mainstream so he could follow his whims however he liked. Which meant that he effectively started making records for nobody but himself, whether that meant triple-disc collections of new material or an all-instrumental smooth jazz album, and in short order, his fans started dwindling away to nothing but the hardcore, who themselves had their patience tried by such antics as Prince suing his own fanzine in the late '90s. It seemed that he was fated to permanently wander in the wilderness, making music for an ever more selective audience, until he suddenly decided in 2004 that he wanted to be back in the game, returning to the spotlight with acclaimed performances at the Grammys and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, announcing an all-hits tour, and releasing Musicology, his first major-label distributed album in five years. This flurry of activity suggests that Prince is treating this as an opportunity for a full-fledged comeback and, thankfully, he's seized this moment and delivered a vastly entertaining record. Unlike everything he's done since leaving Warner, Musicology doesn't alienate listeners; it's tight and lean, weighing in at 12 tracks and 47 minutes, yet that's still enough room for Prince to showcase his virtuoso versatility. He tries a little everything — down and dirty funk jams, slow sensual grooves, and, happily, he revives the psychedelic pop of the mid-'80s with the deliriously catchy "Cinnamon Girl" — but unlike on such overworked albums as Emancipation and Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, it never feels like an attempt to dazzle or a series of stylistic exercises. That's because there's a clarity to his production — dense, but never busy, proving once again that he's about the only musician who can make a one-man band sound as vibrant as a live nine-piece group — and a focus to his writing that hasn't been heard in a long, long time. At its core, Musicology is essentially classicist Prince, as he makes a deliberate decision to play to all of his greatest strengths, but because it's been so long that he's made a record this confident and concise, it doesn't sound like a retreat. It sounds as if he's rediscovered his muse, which is quite a bit different than simply following his whims. Make no mistake, this isn't the second coming of Purple Rain or Sign 'o' the Times or even Parade — in other words, it's not a masterpiece, more like a more confident and consistent Diamonds and Pearls without the hip-hop fixation — but it's a strong album, one that impresses on the first listen and gets better with repeated plays. In short, it's the comeback that it was meant to be. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Savannah said:

NME said:

Yep. These 'journalists' really don't care. Most of the articles I have read since the 'comeback' have had a negative slant to them.

flipwilson said:

If one compares "commercial success" to "career", then I can understand the original post because there are people who consider the two to be the same. Flipwilson presented good examples of the distinction between the two with Wonder, McCartney, and Lennon.

Screw the media and the radio program directors! For years, hardly no one was playing his music with regularity, especially his new releases, because he wasn't "commercial". Those not in the know or who rely on the media to dictate careers probably considered his career to be over. Now they are riding his jock strap and calling his "return to prime time" a Comeback. Yeah, whatevah!

Funny thing though (at least in DC), during the The Symbol days, whenever he came to town, his tickets sold out with a quickness - even though the locations were small venues

Prince's career will be over when he says its over, not when the media, etal say so. As far as I'm concerned, his music will never die...not as long as there are casette, record, dvd, cd players and people willing to listen to him.

laylow03 said:

Thanks for clarifying your point.

As for "never receiving his just due", most true artists do not get the recognition that s/he deserves until after they are gone. IMHO, whenever I go to a concert of any size and hear/see ordinary folx actin' a fool (me included ) when the first few notes of almost any given song is played, I think he is getting his just due. The fact that his music/musicianship is appreciated to that level must blow him away.

As for R&B stations in DC not playing Musicology, you must not be listening to them often. I only listen to the radio while driving to work but I have caught it over the past week (prior to that, I've been listening to CDs and NPR ) I cannot comment on your friends who are casual fans. The vast majority of my friends are not even casual fans of Prince and they tell me when he's on tv or on the radio and they ask me which of his concerts am I going to attend. One called me this morning and told me to tune into Tom Joyner and another watched him on The Today Show to fill me in just in case I missed it (which I did).

Your last point really speaks to what I call the Paradox of Prince. His internal turmoil and struggles have always reared their heads. After all, he is human. He just doesn't tidy things up in a pretty little package...he reveals his eccentricity, especially in his music. No wonder he claims to not like interviews - maybe because he has to converse with people. At least through his music, he leaves you guessing/wondering/pondering what he truly meant by this or by that. I think he has always struggled with spirituality and/or religion. I thought it interesting that he chose the Jehovah's Witness path...I always thought that he would connect more fully with an Eastern religion or a path that doesn't present as many rules that contradict with the Prince we have come to know over the past 25 years. The Paradox of Prince.

riverdean7 said:

Michael Jackson is this you? I don't know what the hell you talkin bout. Yeah you and Vanilla Ice's career is over. Let's see you pull 120,000 or more folks if your career is so hot. Like I said it ain't over.

Prince's career will be over the day he dies. Supprisingly his music sales won't slump. He just won't be able to creat more songs. All I'm saying is that Prince will record till he dies and will sell records well after that. If during all this time his music will be popular or not, who knows. I don't think Prince cares, as long as he gets to do what he loves.

Well, since he seems to take care of himself (physically) better than most of this country...and since he's a font of music, I doubt he'll be done anytime soon. He just ain't the type to retire to Florida and wait for the "dawn".

He is a musician. He always will be. There will always be someone listening to him.

You know, when I opened up my mailbox and saw Prince's big ol' head splashed all over the cover of Entertainment Weekly, and a circular for all Prince's albums 20% off at Best Buy to celebrate the release of his new album, the first thought in my mind was "this dude's career has SO ended."

And then I broke down and cried.

Maybe you need to look up "over" in the dictionary. Al B. Sure's career is over. Prince is still going strong.

Anxiety said:

There ,There dont be too upset now I heard Vanilla Ice is still turning out 120,000 you could always go to one of his gigs.

TurnItUp said:

shygirl said:

Hey, why ya'll gotta bring me into this??

why are people calling me michael jackson lol
anyway 120 000 is buggerall people to a artist of princes calibre
and speaking of michael if michael jackson was convicted of child sex murder and pissing on the pope
he would still have more fans than 120 000

Prince still has a vibrant career, though I don't think know that he will have the appeal he had in the 80's. Folks were attracted to the rude boy behavior, nakedness, and risque lyrics- now its just the music. It's really hard to tear up the charts when you are 45...

As long as he's making music he has a career.

riverdean7 said:

So, his career is still over, fans or not. If he wasn't f**ing up so much and goin on tv saying it's ok to sleep in the bed with 12 year boys then he might be just as successful as he was 20 years ago. I know he'll have his fans supporting him, but the fact still remains he done f**ed up and he will never get it back fans or no fans. Prince still has his too and he aint' f**d his career like MJ has. Anyway how you know how many fans P or MJ has got whether it's 120,000 or less or more? If you that much of a genius, where are your fans at?

richierich said:

Vanilla Ice...now THERE'S someone with some staying power.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready for the monthly Stacey Q. fanclub party at Berlin tonight...

Anxiety said:

staceyQ
still
around?

WHO RESSURECTED THIS DAMN THREAD
Whoever did
needs to purify themselves in the waterz of lake minnetonka

xpsiter said:

ok i'll ask the ladies over 35

Prince's recent revival has been there all along, he would have been better off not soiling his reputation with all that horrible, horrible stuff from the nineties (with a few exeptions)
At any point in the last ten years, if he had decided to tour with this lastest batch of songs (not in short vegas style versions like he has) he would have gotten all these acolades long ago.
Hes the man.
Ill be there may 28 th in LA for him with my non-prince-fan girlfriend to hear his best music,(mostly from the eighties exept a few, and yes i do love some songs from the nineties "7" is incredible) just like most people there.
Almost all critics and non-retard prince fans agree that the nineties was a bad bad time for prince and his fans, get over it and quit defending that horrible horrible nineties crap.
Seriously, c'mon, dont egg him on and say you like that stuff, he may be coming here to the org and read it! and maybe believe it!

To keep the momentum going he should reteam with the Revolution and release some of those cool eighties outtakes

imagine, "extraloveable" as his next single! its sure to be a hit! beats almost everthing out there right now!

" electric intercourse" how cool a song is that!

" roadhouse garden", etc, etc,

And to top it off, he knows all you guys love these songs and would buy this record, and go to hear them at his concerts.

you know its true.

Prince should go to TRL & win over those D-12 fans!!! Word!!!
[This message was edited Sat May 8 17:55:14 2004 by Starmist7]

Prince's career over~NEVER!!!!