mh4268

Ok, what's is so great about Prince. Everybody calls him a musical genius. I heard him beign compared to Hendix with the innovations he does on his guitar. I just don't see it. Can someone please explain this to me. I am talking musically, not wardrobe.

Iron Chef

He's not really a prince. He's just a guy from Minnesota.

adia4625

Moving to Music Forum......

Starlover

As a pop songwriter, no one really compares to Prince. His guitar playing is not what makes him a big deal, Prince is not really a rock artist at all. Plus most of his recordings are solo, meaning he wrote and performed every piece of music on them.

palebluedot

I would definitely describe him as a musical genius, even if I didn't like his music(which I do). He is fluent on many instruments and his song writing and arrangments are unsurpassed in the pop/r&b/rock genre. He writes, arranges and performs all the music and instruments on his albums(except for horns).

He also has the talent to make stars as well(Vanity, The Time, Apolonia, The Bangles, etc...) and has written many songs for other people that you probably didn't know he wrote.

I have never heard someone describe Prince as being great because of his guitar playing. He is however one hell of a guitar player. I can definitely see a comparison to Jimi Hendrix as far as taking guitar in a different direction but the comparison ends there. Their styles are totally different. Prince obviously learned from the master but he made what he learned his own. It isn't really evident in his lead playing as much as his backup guitar and the way he layers and builds guitar parts.

Listen to Prince with headphones on and you will know what I am talking about...there is so much going on and it all fits and nothing can be missing or the song wouldn't work.

A great example of this is I have an out-take of him at a band rehersal and Rosie Gaines is playing keyborads on one particular song. She stops the band and questions Prince about a chord that he has written into the song...she plays the chord by itself and it totally sounds like crap(it's like all semi-tones played together or something)...but he simply says "yes, that's the chord"...she asks again, and you can tell that he is getting pissed, and he says "play the f**king chord"...so the band starts up again, she plays the chord and it just fits in perfectly, and makes the whole song work.

So simply put, yes Prince is everything people say he is, both good and bad but you can't deny his awesome talent.

atlantamoi

I loved Prince in the 80's. I don't know if you heard Prince back then because what he was doing was very original. I'll admit to being completely apathetic to all of his stuff in the 90's and on. I am not much of an R&B fan and it seems he dropped the real funky/rock stuff awhile ago. The guy is prolific, though.

Giantrobo

Prince is ahead of his time and this OFTEN causes a problem with the "casual fan". His latest, "RAINBOW CHILDREN"(?) has already recieved crappy reviews. It's a concept album and as you know very few artists can put out concept albums that really work. I hear he really "pontificates" on this one.

His stuff for the last 10 years has really been a problem in that few have paid attention to it. Many even hardcore Prince fans were lukewarm to his CD's.

big whoppa

I love his music. Beyond the costumes, theatrics, etc., he has produced some fantastic music. He's a true original, not a follower.

mllefoo

I hated Prince in the 80s. Then his music started to grow on me, not unlike a cancerous tumor. The guy may be a Napoleonic freak with a lace fetish, but he's one of the most talented musicians and song writers out there right now.

I particularly like to crank up the car stereo when Kiss is playing on the radio.

bothanspy

Is he still going to re-record all his original albums on to his new label because of his dispute with sony(?)

SPY

Alyoshka

I agree, he is quite spectacular. Truly a good musician.

BDB

Brillian brilliant talent, anyone who is 5'1 and can get Kim Basinger has to have some talent.

But seriously I loved him thru the 80s and some of the early 90's stuff, Seven was a great song, the whole Symbol Album was excellent.

He can really construct some fantastic sounds, just listen to Diamonds and Pearls.

His videos were crazy, and I was lucky enough to see him at the
fleetcenter in boston, this was one of the best shows I have ever seen. so much energy.

the man is a little superstar.

I have not purchased anything recently but it sounds like it's about time for me to get back in there.

Precious

I think plaebluedot highlited the range of Princes talents. For myslef I like the guy because he has kept me entertained for the best part of two decades with ever changing music. That is talent.

big whoppa

Prince or the Artist Formerly Known as Prince or the Male/Female symbol had a beef with his former label, Warner Brothers, not Sony. The battle was over control of his music. He had problems with Arista when the album he released on that label didn't do well either. Prince needs a label to get the exposure he deserves. However, he seems content selling his music on the internet directly to his fans.

mh4268

I always knew he was a great songwriter. Maybe someday I will get around to really listening to him, and not songs he wrote for others.

Giantrobo

Many guitar magazines have recognized his rockin'
guitar playing. He can rock with the best of them.

tsohg

It's about time. Anyone who doesn't recognize Prince's guitar skills I always have them listen to Man O' War off his Rave cd you would swear that the guitar had come to life and began to sing the damn_chorus by itself

His Name is PRINCE and he is Funky!!

JeffTheAlpaca

Has there ever been a biography or a Behind the Musical special with Prince?

He would make a fascinating subject & he is a private guy and hard to extract information but it would be interesting to watch especially with interviews from his friends and former colleagues.

CharlieK

One of the main reasons I love Prince is because a lot of music - especially the early stuff - sounds like sex feels.

His music, coupled with his lyrics and singing style, are just so sultry and feel so dirty that it sounds like few others. And the beauty of it is I never feel like he's objectifying women when he talks about wanting to fuck them. The women in his songs are his equal and want to fuck him just as much. That's something I always appreciated about his music.

cungar

Elvis Costello
Paul McCartney
Sly Stone
Randy Newman
Elton John/Bernie Taupin
Smokey Robinson,
Holland Dozier Doszier
Carole King
Burt Bacharach & Hal David
Stevie Wonder

and many more I can't think of right now.

mike7162

Genius? No. That word gets thrown around too much anymore. He is, however, an extremely talented musician, fantastic showman, and as of late, a very savvy businessman.

Groucho

Did he ever get that camel?

boredsilly

I agree that the word genius gets used way too much in music, but if any popular music deserves that title, I think it's Prince. Just off of the strength of his proficiency in so many instruments alone is enough to place him in that category in my eyes.

He certainly is one of the most complete popular artists of modern times. The musical talent was there, the understanding of musical theory was there (when to adhere to it, when to break it), the song writing was there, the dancing was there (this gets overlooked a lot, but he's right there with James Brown and Micheal Jackson as a great showman), and even the fashion stuff was there. There was nothing that a popular artist should do that Prince didn't do and more.

cungar

Except release a long line of consistently classic albums like the Beatles did. His lack of consistency is what knocks him of the pedestal some people put him on for me. He's released a boatload of crap interspersed with a few classic albums.

Supermallet

The Beatles released all of their albums between 1963 and 1970, seven years. Prince released Dirty Mind, Controversy, 1999, Purple Rain, Around The World In A Day, Parade, and Sign O' The Times from 1980 to 1987. He also recorded at least two other complete albums in that time that were never released and are both just as good as the stuff he did release. And at the same time he was producing albums and writing songs for a series of hit artists. So whatever you may think of his catalog as a whole, he did have a run that rivaled The Beatles.