Rolling Stone have for once put together a brilliant issue with 'The 50 Greatest Artists Of All Time' as voted for by artists. They all have a loong piece written by other luminaries and it's very inneresting reading.

In his piece abt Stevie Wonder, Elton John says: "Stevie's 60's hits are amazing-joyful music that still sounds great-but then, starting in the 70's, he hit a run of albums that's unsurpassed in music history, from TalkingBook to Songs In The Key Of Life. I think the elite-the most major of major artists-often have a period where they can do no wrong. It happened to Prince too, who is like Stevie in some ways. He has got an immeasuarble amount of talent-so much talent that sometimes he gets lost."

Elton has said b4 that Prince needs to edit more and I think that although many people miss the bigger picha of the lat 10 years for Prince, Emancipation is certainly a potentially perfect album marred by too much stuff. It's not that it's bad stuff at all, because all of it is loved by at least some people, but we have no context for really appreciating such a long album with such enormous scope and it can't be held as one idea or moment in public/fam consciousness.

btw, the RS Greatest Artists article is very bang on, but Madonna has crept in there somehow, and as if to acknowledge the ridiculousness of putting her at 36 next to Michael Jackson and above Lennon, Bowie etc etc, the have gotten that cardboard cut -out check-out-chick from Lousiana (Brocolli Spears I think her name was) to write a tribute. It's quite embarassing to read, so utterly trite next to e.g Lou Reed writing about David Bowie. I don't dislike Madonna at all, but, you know...

Oh yeah, Prince is No.28, which is not bad given some of the people behind him like Johnny Cash.