PFunkjazz said:

Graycap23 said:

I listen to a lot of blues; you obviously don't.

PFunkjazz said:

Come to think of it, I don't listen to any blues.....

Graycap23 said:

I ain't mad at ya.

Stevie...

Hard choice. Talentwise, probably Stevie even though I like Prince's music better.

StoneCrib said:

um, I think assuming that prince is a bette drummer than stevie is, if not stupid, at least a very biased and uninformed stance. I'm pretty well acquainted with both of their bodies of work (including live and unreleased stuff) and I would say stevie's a better drummer and keyboardist than prince. Stevie played all of the drum parts on music of My mind, talking book, and innervisions, so look to there for reference. Additionally, Eric Clapton once said that Stevie Wonder was the greatest drummer of our time, which is coming from a guy who's jammed alongside many of rock's greatest "drummer's drummers" like Ginger Baker, Mitch Mitchell and Charlie Watts. Oh yeah, and when Prince was featured in modern drummer magazine he made a point to say "Stevie's a GREAT drummer".

As to other levels of comparison. Stevie's one of the greatest vocalists in soul (or in music) of all time, I wouldn't say the same about prince, even though I think he does have an exceptional falsetto and scream and is a master of vocal multi-tracking (stevie's THE master of that though, if you ask me). As songwriters I'd say they're about even; both incredibly stylistically diverse and prolific with god knows how many unreleased songs (as a sidenote I might mention that prince has had more accusations of theft/plagiarism from his bandmates/colleagues; stevie's had no such accusations as far as I know). Stevie may be better at melody and prince may be a better lyricist. As multi-instrumentalists, it's a tough call. Again I'd say Stevie's a better drum and keyboard player and that prince is a better guitar and bass player, but there's few if any instances of Stevie even playing the latter two (though many people have sworn that stevie it at least competant on guitar, bass and a few other instruments), so I might give the edge to prince on this one. As live performers, I don't think it's really a fair comparison as there's a lot of things stevie simply can't do on stage for obvious reasons, but both are great at putting on a great show with a crack band.

Last thing I'll say is that I wouldn't underestimate either of them, and both of them would probably attest to the greatness of the other.

Another thread of the 'Water vs. Air' series.

They are both very talented and very prolific. Why choose? I got enought brain to enjoy both at the same time. Don't you?

rushing07 said:

You're very right, but is fun sometimes

Oh and water is soooo much more talented and versatile than air

jacktheimprovident said:

jacktheimprovident said:

I'm curious, since you chimed in like you have the biggest dick on the block, just exactly HOW are you familiar with Stevie's drumming other than "fan" level or is that just the extent of it?

jacktheimprovident said:

I don't know of any instances of Stevie playing guitar; nor do I find him playing electric bass. However, he has recorded and performed songs without a bass player, wherein he's playing a keyboard bass. Also a lot of his synthesizers are programmed to emulate a guitar, so this is probabaly where it's getting confused.

StoneCrib said:

I think you need to shut the fuck up and go check songcredits for Stevie on drums.

some people here dont know what the hell they are talkin about...I have read articles where prince is calling stevie one of the baddest drummers he ever heard because of his "feel"...PLEASE !!!!!???

PFunkjazz said:

Not even close to being the same as playing the actual instruments.

PFunkjazz said:

lol Is this your way of talking tough? On a Prince site no less? Not working, junior. You're ass is about as tough as Emmanuel Lewis in a gang fight

Some of you guys are funny. Some of you are quoting what Prince has "said" and then say "check the credits" but we CAN speak on P playing the drums because we have seen him do so. Credits don't do it for me, sorry. It's easy to pump up the drums through the mastering and all that jazz but this is about what we know and see for the most part and I have YET to see Stevie take to the set but I HAVE seen P hit the skins and do it well.

Live is what I want proof of, not the damn record, that doesn't tell me shit.

StoneCrib said:

Credits don't mean JACK. Filled with lies.....

Graycap23 said:

- Ask former Prince bandmates.

StoneCrib said:

There is footage of stevie on the drums live. I don't know if anyone's posted any of those on youtube or anything yet because I don't have any copies of what I've seen. Even if there weren't, the album credits are good enough for me unless I've been given reason to think they've been defrauded, which I haven't in stevie's case. Most of prince's more impressive drumming that I've heard is in the studio anyway, I've never been too impressed by what I've seen him do live.

Obviously you're more of a prince fan but it's still kind of amusing how hostile and incredulous of stevie's abilities you are. Short of calling up stevie and asking him to do a drum solo in your house, there's little I can do to prove to you beyond a shadow of a doubt that stevie's a great drummer except for the album credits and the testimony of numerous musicians who've worked with him, including prince himself (and for the record a friend of mine is a drummer and has seen footage of stevie on the skins and commented that he had "very tastey chops").

Oh and supposedly stevie actually has played real bass and guitar in a few instances, feel free to disprove them if you must

it's a shame by the spinners-bass
let's get serious by jermaine jackson-guitar
fun day (off jungle fever)-bass

Other cases where it sounds like he's played guitar or bass could have been clavinets or synth bass disguised as such but I find it funny that people are so skeptical of stevie being able to play those particular instruments. I'm sure it's easier for a blind man whose primary instrument is the keyboard to play guitar and bass parts on synth but most classically trained musicians (which stevie is) have a working knowledge of guitar and it's not like it's such a tough instrument to learn.
[Edited 3/27/06 16:08pm]
[Edited 3/27/06 16:19pm]

jacktheimprovident said:

Proof, bro. That's all I ask. If you stick out your chest and start speaking on something the least you can do is provide proof. Like I said, we have proof of Prince drumming but we have no proof of Stevie drumming. We have proof of Stevie playing harmonica and keys/synth but not of drumming, so what does that possibly tell you? That he's not as good as P is on the skins. Simple as that.

Just show me proof before you come in here acting like the man.

StoneCrib said:

If live performance is the only proof you'll accept, I think that's somewhat of an unfair standard since nobody's posted any videos of prince in this debate either. Even if it weren't, the absence of "proof" for stevie's drum skills doesn't prove that prince is a better drummer, only that prince's skills are known and stevie's aren't. Prince would probably have a bone to pick with you about claiming that he's a better drummer than stevie anyway. Btw, the full comment that prince made was "stevie's a great drummer, but on record his drums sound terrible" which attests to the fact that stevie's skills are actually belied by the studio, not enhanced by it.

prettymansson said:

I was also thinking along those lines. Prince has frequently expressed his respect and admiration for Stevie. Although the thread is cool, these debates are similiar to comparing John Coltrane to Charlie Parker. Although Coltrane was an absolute genius, MAYBE there would not have been a Coltrane without the Bird.

Prince was more subversive and Stevie did wax completely with those naive, love your brother lyrics. Stevie never really tried rock either. For pure talent and songs I vote for Prince, but Stevie is on the same top five of greatness, along with The Beatles and Jimi.

prince over stevie wonder..

Sly Stone.

Sly is a drug addled freak.

jacktheimprovident said:

I'm pretty sure you can find about 3,000 Prince fans here that can attest to Prince's live drumming skills. Just go next door to the Prince Music room and ask and trust me, u'll get MORE than your share of answers and responses. And we all know how people like to be gracious when they speak of their idols so P is no different. P wasnt asked who was better between the 2 of them and that's the WHOLE topic here. I'm pretty sure if P were to truly go up against Stevie in a drum contest P would beat him.

2freaky4church1 said:

Naw, you don't know what you're talking about. Stevie rocked out totally on "Superstition", "Maybe Your Baby", "Living For The City", "You Haven't Done Nothin'" etc. Those 70s albums got so much acclaim and these cuts were featured on rock radio stations.