First,I don't speak good english,but I hope U will understand,.After many years of music and many albums, is Prince improving his music and his style or not?and why please?

Thats a difficult one...Seems like he is going back to basics now...real drums and stuff. Dont know if u can vcall that improving. Back in the early 80ties he created a new sound. That was awasome back than. Now lots of other artist imitate that sound. How many times in a lifetime can u create something that sounds fresh and new? Even when u r a genius, u can not make masterpieces all the time.
I dont think he can ever create something new like he did back in the 8ties. But thats fine,he still makes great music.

Janeau said:

I agree 100%.

[This message was edited Sun Aug 4 12:24:36 PDT 2002 by Heavenly]

dirtymind007 said:

Yes Prince is improving his music and style. Why? Because D'angelo made Voodoo and Saul Wilimas wrote the liner notes.

Prince was the king freak of the slow jam and pimp mentality on record and in concert (albeit a freakish pimp but nevertheless a pimp). He was also Parade SOTT-LOvesexy era machine taking music ahead while going back in time with musicianship skills. He lost his way later and followed trends, became unfocused or at least focused on what some would call the wrong things musically.

When D'angelo made Voodoo it was in the spirit of Parade era musicianship--the drumming,(Spanish Joint-Send it On etc.),the freaky slow jams that were Prince-like homages...the stage show which was Parade-Sott the next generation..the video with Dangelo for How Does It Feel took it to a Dirty Mind era level that Prince used to own..and the liner notes by Saul Williams spoke some truth about Prince and his lackluster latter days which pissed Prince off enough to wake him the fuck up from his tin production stupor and get back in gear...hence TRC,kickin live shows focusing on the music and the legacy of songs Dangelo and other fans love, skills refined in his stage act, pimp act with the ladies, back to working the slow jam like nobodys business etc. Love him, hate him, but you cant ignore what Dangelo has done to get Prince back in the groove. And now that hes back, watch out. King of Pop has been overthrown, there are no more pretenders to the thrown. Whats next should be a trip and a half.

dirtymind007 said:

Well, the way this question is answered is going to come down to whether or not you like his current music. Personally, I think TRC is the best album he's made in over a decade. Over the past dozen or so years prior to it he's released albums that didn't convey the sense of urgency or passion, and conviction he was capable of. He was coasting, and I think it was on purpose.

Some seem to think that being innovative is equal to creating good music. And that is NOT always the case. There is a ton of good music that's been created that is not always innovative. The more longevity your career sustains, the less likely you'll be innovative forever - if you were at all to begin with.

Creating good music is about putting forth a solid effort to be creative and infuse your music with life it wouldn't have if it was done in a half-assed way. All you can do, as a seriously listener or fan, is ask for that effort. And for the first time in YEARS I hear that effort with TRC.

"Improving"?...if you take into account his 90s releases and his tour over the last 4 or 5 months, I'd say that's improving over the hit/miss/sometimes pandering Rave, and the lethargic NPS.

Overall, over the past year I think he's adding another solid musical chapter so far. Another piece of good fabric to his career quilt. Another good color to his career palette. And as good a musician as Prince was previously, I think he's grown beyond that today.
[This message was edited Sat Jul 13 9:46:03 PDT 2002 by Supernova]

Heavenly said:

I agree, not to downplay his old stuff. I would say he's
E X P A N D I N G. He doesn't stop, he just keeps giving you more and more. Each album he's ever come out with; they've all been different to say the least. Some perhaps better than others. Some just by listening to them, you can tell what Era they're from. Yet, still they're all unique.

That's why you can never get tired of him. Unlike other Mega-Musicians (MJ, Madonna) who have about 5-10 albums, Prince is knocking on 30! If you get tried of the same 6 discs in your car stereo, you have nearly 24 more albums to choose from. He's endless.

I'm sure he'll be putting out albums well into my son's teenage years (he's 2 now). Right now my son really enjoys LoveSexy, he dances and sings along, it's cute.

Blue Cashmere
"don't play me"

I think his music is always on the same level, only sometimes with a different beat on the drum: superior and special always.

rdhull said:

i don't really agree with you, but i like what you've written. d'angelo is the man!

Prince's output ebbs and flows, so it would be hard to say he's "improving"...but it's easy to say that he has improved drastically the past year or so over the 4-5 years that came before it. But has he improved overall??...Nah...but he's pretty damn close to that high point his artistic water level reached in the 80's.

WB,

How do u figure man? Give me an example? I just dont see it.

chrisophertracy said:

How do I figure what, Christophertracy??..that the quality of his output ebbs and flows, or that he's much improved over the last 5+ years, or that his recent output is starting to approach the artistic level of his 80's output??..Or all of the above??..lol

wellbeyond said:

I'm with you on this. I've seen his whole career as peak and valleys. HE dipped with ATWIAD and PARADE (great soundtrack lousy film). BATMAN soundtrack was a big sucky-face for me and everyone acknowledges GB as a big dip into the shit. SOTT was a big peak that slumped down to a crevasse and that took a long time to rise cuz LOVESEXY was a sleeper and slow-gainer. During all that NPG/SYMBOLINA mish-mash he flattented out so long, he mighta been gone. Maybe he's coming 'round the bend?
[This message was edited Sun Jul 14 20:55:42 PDT 2002 by PFunkjazz]

WB,
how has his recent output reached the artistic status of his 80's output?

chrisophertracy said:

I said he nearly reached it...lol...not that he has...but I think that there's much artistry in his recent output(TRC moreso than ONA), it's just not packaged into easily digestible 4 minute songs so it's not as obviously noticeable...