|
||||||||
Prince: Can he produce an outstanding album ever again? |
![]() |
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#1 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Wolf359
Posts: 96,804
|
Prince: Can he produce an outstanding album ever again?
It's difficult to say what Prince's last greatest album was, the Gold album wasn't bad but it wasn't a stand out album like Purple Rain or Sign O the Times.
For me he was great up to but not including 'The Rainbow Children', perhaps 'Diamonds and Pearls' being his last greatest album IMO. But I'm not sure if it is because I've heard so many of his songs that new songs will never be the same as first hearing 'Purple Rain' or even 'Around the World in a Day' 'Planet Earth' was bland in comparison to most of his albums. '3121' was good but that was definitely an album I feel would have been better if it had been the first album I had ever heard of his. So can he very produce another album that will not feel like it's just the same songs slightly different? |
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#2 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 553
|
To be honest I think it's incredibly unlikely. There are very, very few artists that manage to release outstanding albums that rival their best work more than 30 years after their debut. Though Prince has certainly released a fair amount of decent stuff over the last 10-20 years, he was clearly at his peak in the 1980s and I can't see him bringing out any new material of 'Purple Rain' or 'Sign o' the Times' quality.
Aside from anything else, I think since the whole 'creative freedom' and name change debacle he has lost his sense of quality control. He has released loads and loads of music from the mid-90s to the present day and there is some great stuff amongst it, but he does too often release albums that are full of filler or experiments that don't quite work. |
|
|
|
|
|
#3 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,462
|
Quote:
To be honest I think it's incredibly unlikely. There are very, very few artists that manage to release outstanding albums that rival their best work more than 30 years after their debut. Though Prince has certainly released a fair amount of decent stuff over the last 10-20 years, he was clearly at his peak in the 1980s and I can't see him bringing out any new material of 'Purple Rain' or 'Sign o' the Times' quality.
Aside from anything else, I think since the whole 'creative freedom' and name change debacle he has lost his sense of quality control. He has released loads and loads of music from the mid-90s to the present day and there is some great stuff amongst it, but he does too often release albums that are full of filler or experiments that don't quite work. |
|
|
|
|
|
#4 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,036
|
i think most of his fans know that he can, and that along with the live performances and old material keeps them interested
in the last 10 years or so we've had a couple of really great albums like the rainbow children, one night alone and NEWS. but the problem is he keeps trying to make another "hit" album and that's where it goes wrong. there is little information about his recordings over the last 10 years but i'm sure there is some killer material there that hasn't been released, just like the previous 20 years. he seems to do his best work when under some kind of pressure, such as the come/gold/exodus period when in full battle with warners, or when he gets some kind of inspiration to do something different like TRC, the truth, ONA, NEWS etc we know he has at least one or two fully completed albums in the can for release, but until we get to hear them we have no idea what they will be like he wouldn't be the first or last artist to have a hit or outstanding album after years on the quiet side, look at supernatural by santana, who would have imagined that? or the american recordings series by johnny cash prince just does his own thing, he's not short of a few quid as he rakes it in with all the live shows he does. he makes more from those than with albums, bar the odd exception where he cuts a great deal such as for 20ten, PE, lotusflower |
|
|
|
|
|
#5 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 373
|
Love the 'gold experience' album, love 'pussy control', I think he just needs to start swearing again to get his mojo back.
Last edited by axlgod : 04-09-2012 at 11:29. Reason: Correction |
|
|
|
|
|
#6 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,036
|
Quote:
Love the 'gold experience' album, love 'pussy control', I think he just needs to start swearing again to get his mojo back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#7 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,109
|
I truly believe artists have a shelf life - both commercially and creatively. MJ, had he lived, would never have equalled Thriller/Bad, Madonna will never equal Like A Prayer/Erotica. So the same is for Prince.
It's how it should be really. Kids need to follow new contemporary artists. Sadly there are no artists of that calibre around today so they are stuck with Rihanna, Gaga, etc. |
|
|
|
|
|
#8 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Wolf359
Posts: 96,804
|
The main thing I'm worried about, is not that Prince can't produce a great album, but that I won't be able to appreciate it because I've heard so many songs of his and it won't be like when I first heard 'Purple Rain' which was along with '1999' was the first 2 albums I had encountered. Then went back for his first 4 albums afterwards.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#9 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 661
|
I will ask him next week when he pops over for a scone and a cuppa.
Diamonds & Pearls is my favourite from his ultra rich back catalogue. |
|
|
|
|
|
#10 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,036
|
Quote:
I will ask him next week when he pops over for a scone and a cuppa.
Diamonds & Pearls is my favourite from his ultra rich back catalogue. |
|
|
|
|
|
#11 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,114
|
Quote:
The main thing I'm worried about, is not that Prince can't produce a great album, but that I won't be able to appreciate it because I've heard so many songs of his and it won't be like when I first heard 'Purple Rain' which was along with '1999' was the first 2 albums I had encountered. Then went back for his first 4 albums afterwards.
I did see him during his O2 residency, which was fantastic |
|
|
|
|
|
#12 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 176
|
Quote:
The main thing I'm worried about, is not that Prince can't produce a great album, but that I won't be able to appreciate it because I've heard so many songs of his and it won't be like when I first heard 'Purple Rain' which was along with '1999' was the first 2 albums I had encountered. Then went back for his first 4 albums afterwards.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#13 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 620
|
Quote:
Yes I know what you mean, I loved his albums up to Diamonds & Pearls, but I lost interest thereafter
I did see him during his O2 residency, which was fantastic As for him ever producing an outstanding album again, I think it's very possible. As unique mentioned, look at Johnny Cash's later output as an example of what's possible. I think though it's tough for Prince because Sign'o'The Times, Purple Rain, etc., were such landmark albums. They challenged so many conventions and taboos of the time especially with regard to the media perception of black male musicians and of course him covering topics such as the HIV/AIDs epidemic which was relatively new at the time. He may never produce an album with such cultural relevance again, but IMO that doesn't mean he can't ever produce an 'outstanding' album again that can stand on its own musical merits. |
|
|
|
|
|
#14 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,036
|
Quote:
Exactly the same here.....I can still remember the excitement of the summer of 1984....going to the local record shop to buy Purple Rain on tape....... although he'll never release anything near as amazing as that
unlike most artists who die and you get a bunch of horrible sounding cash in albums from the dregs left in the vaults, prince has far better stuff in his vaults than a lot of stuff he has released. it's not just audio material, it's video too. live shows and unreleased movies. that's plural but if/when we get any of that, that's another story. but it can be done |
|
|
|
|
|
#15 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 7,839
|
Quote:
There are very, very few artists that manage to release outstanding albums that rival their best work more than 30 years after their debut.
Very few, if any, of my favourite artists ever match the quality of their first one or two albums, even though some of them carry on for decades. Sure, they might have a one-off hit single every now and again, but it's almost as though success drains them of whatever made them great in the first place. |
|
|
|
|
|
#16 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 176
|
Everyone has a limited shelf-life though ....no-one can sustain the high level of output that he did in the 80s/90s....not even being the genius he is
|
|
|
|
![]() |
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 15:06.

