whodknee said:

I understand your point but I will have to disagree with your statement about Prince not having a wide array of songs that are good for the soul. Good for the soul can be much larger than talking about social ills, being kind etc. The Darling Nikki's, Let's Pretend We're Married and Head's of the world are important because they give voice to feelings that all humans have. Moreover, they voice that physical gratification is a human emotion as well. Songs that challenge gender roles are important in a society with rigid gender lines like the U.S and they also help the two sexes relate better to one another. Prince challenges ideas of masculinity and he delves into the complexities of male/female relationships on a deeper level than romanticized fantasies of love. If I Was Your Girlfriend is arguably one of the most complex relationship songs ever written because he focuses on the reality of a realtionship; intimacy through communication, sharing day-to-day activities and truly understanding your partner. (Prince's songs are often written from blurred gender/sex perspectives. I think most people overlook the importance of an artist looking at love/relationships from both sides of the coin) Prince has a male vulnerability that is rarely heard in music, ie. The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, Forever In My Life, Empty Room, Train, Open Book, The Beautiful Ones, If I Was Your Girlfriend, I Hate U etc. Moreover, Prince has sensuality and his primal descriptions of the sexual act are both liberating and expressive. The aforementioned traits show his depth as a songwriter/lyricist because his execution can evoke a wide range of listener emotions.

I personally love both Prince and Stevie, I think it's pointless to rank musicians because what one person deems important may be irrelevant to another. I think Stevie Wonder is a true genius of modern music, but I also think Sly Stone was just as important because he merged rock and funk together to create a new sound. Prince has my utmost respect because of his versatility and the complexity in his music. IMHO, Prince is more non-traditional than Stevie because many of his ideas come out of left field. (And yes I own and have heard Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants, the album is an anamoly in Wonder's Catalog) Someone stated earlier in the thread that Prince was nothing more than a hybrid of his influences and that they show through his music. I don't agree with that statment at all. If anything Prince synthesizes his influences into what is known as Prince. He takes elements from all forms of music and shapes it into a singular sound that is uniquely his. Songs like Three Chains of Gold are an anamoly in Prince's catalog. Prince is defined by combining completely different worlds. Dirty Mind is a prime example of his abilities. Who would dare sing falsetto over a punk/rock/funk track? The Dirty Mind album is so creative because it is essentially punk/funk/rock with a falsetto lead vocalist. Who else would come up with something as daring/creative as When Dove's Cry? The creativity of the intro to If I Was Your Girlfriend where sound effects, spoken words and music clips cover the span of a relationship. Prince made drum programming sound human, giving the complex programmed beat prominence in the music (Something In The Water, Dorothy P, It, If I Was Your Girlfriend, Hell the 1999 album). Most people focus on Prince's current jazz fascination because it is more explicit, however Prince's music has always shown a jazz sensibility. His piano work, guitar work and time keeping have a jazz foundation. Prince is also important because he gave an avant-garde perspective to black music, which is something that is not usually found in popular black culture; Prince is an alternative. (see Crystal Ball, Other's Hear With Us, Moonbeamlevels, Joy In Repetition, Sign 'O The Times/Parade Albums) Also, Prince's versatility is something that should not be understated. His albums have shown so much stylistic growth and each album usually sounds completely different from it's predecessor. Look at the changes and growth Prince made from For You through Lovesexy,contrast it with his sound today and you will notice that he is constantly evolving. Most important is Prince's self defining trait, an idea/expression that is sorely missing in non-white America or America as a whole for that matter.

In the end its apples and oranges, I love and respect them both equally, but in completely different ways.
[Edited 9/3/04 8:54am]

Here's the image I've been referring to. I'm not gonna say anything more, I think me and thether stevie fans' points have been made.


[Edited 9/9/04 18:49pm]

I could be wrong, but as I understand it, Stevie collaborated with Prince for his "Conversation peace" album in 1995. I don't know what his contributions were (maybe someone here can tell us?), it seems like nothing finally made it to the album, but I've heard that he recorded a guitar solo on the song "Cold chill" (which is on the album, but not with Prince on it). And Stevie includes him in the "thank you"-list with:

"I thought hearts like yours no longer exists. Thank you for sharing your gift of incredible genius and music with me"

YODAHENDRIX

Prince's versatility and musical output already makes him a more talented fellow. Stevie has never matched Prince's ability 2 play whatever.

Soul/Pop music is Stevie's forte but he ain't rocked out and I mean in a HEAVY way.

As 4 the statement about Stevie's driving....sheesh he is a multi millionaire so driving on his estate ain't a thing when there is space and he is on his own. I bet Ray Charles could drive a car in his courtyard as well but u don't see either of them driving on the freeway.

Same way with Stevie....he aint no bass player in the way that cat's from Minneapolis play it, like it oughta should!


Yoda
[Edited 9/11/04 3:43am]

Enough said!!! PRINCE I love me some Stevie, but Prince by far. P is in your face with his shit. That attitude when he is playing his instruments is incredible. P is so aggressive. I can c him playing anything instrumental he wants at any given time. Don’t think there is an instrument that he hasn’t experimented with at 1 time or another. He may not be as proficient as others but he’s capable of holding it down. P has been known for playing 20+ instruments so let’s believe it until proven otherwise. Mike Phillips said P taught him some things although P doesn’t play sax. U can bet he has knowledge of the sax and can play it but chooses not 2 do so. He’s been around these instruments all his life. He can’t help but experiment with them.

I don't think I ever remember a thread that stayed on the first page of this site for almost an entire month...with the same old things being said. But, carry on everyone...

Supernova said:

What's even weirder is that the same tired played-out arguement is also the subject of yet another long lasting thread in this same forum....

Mods, please lock this thread and end this madness

Mods, please lock this thread and end this madness

el mariachi maybe you want prince´s c***

I know that you´re gonna put your motherf****g guitar in your motherf****g a**
you stupid c***sucker

And the fact is that Prince unfortunately must "see" people like you are

This has nothing in compare with the musical genius both men had in the last decades

so stop your mouth and shut up for a long while

el mariachi maybe you want prince´s c***

I know that you´re gonna put your motherf****g guitar in your motherf****g a**
you stupid c***sucker

And the fact is that Prince unfortunately must "see" people like you are

This has nothing in compare with the musical genius both men had in the last decades

so stop your mouth and shut up for a long while

get out of this community

I've never seen Stevie do the splits, so I'm going with Prince on this one.