Why I love Prince.

There I was. A young soldier returning from the movie theatre on a cold Texas night in 1984. I had just seen Purple Rain for the 2nd time in a week. I had gone by myself and after visiting the cantina and deciding that life there sucked I was going in for a landing.

It wasn't until the recent and untimely death of Prince that I realized, a day late-ish, why I had gone that second time.

It was because Prince made me feel like it was finally going to be okay to be me. Which is to say, one weird bastard, whomever I was, it was okay to be me. I had returned to the theatre for another hit of that.

Anyhow, now I'm feeling kind of silly bringing this up.

My point is really, that because of Prince, I knew it was going to be okay to be eccentric. And that meant a lot at that age, so he had an influence on who I am.

Which is to say that I am totally wearing platforms and a cape right now.

Thank you, and goodnight!





We love you all.

a reply to: Bybyots

Cuz of purple rain?

a reply to: Bybyots

Prince was good for that. Letting people know it's okay to be yourself. But I'd I hear purple rain one more time. Lol.

The single best cover ever and a song that is quintessentially Prince, Hendrix and Radiohead all at the same time:



You be you and your inner light will shine.

That's what made Prince so great...he was unapologetically authentic.

originally posted by: Joecanada11

But ifI hear purple rain one more time. Lol.

No doubt.

Not even his best song.

a reply to: kosmicjack

I don't understand the love for Prince. No one has even mentioned his name for over a decade, but then after he dies all the sudden he is some sort of hero. Reminds me of the Michael Jackson nonsense(not to compare M.J.'s legal troubles). At least Michael Jackson had fame through South Park. Prince though, the last time I heard of him was when Eminem mentioned him in a lyric back in the day.

Also the Johnny Cash cover of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails is arguably the best cover ever

a reply to: C8H10N4O2

I agree the Cash version of Hurt is probably the most emotionally charged song I have ever heard in my life.

a reply to: C8H10N4O2


Ummm...where to start.

First, I love me some Johnny Cash. So, I get your point, I just disagree. While it was poignant, captivating and genre bending - it wasn't live and didn't encompass three distinct decades of styles/genres of raw musical talent. But I agree it was ethereal and awesome. I just happen to like this better.

Second, "no one has mentioned his name in over a decade". That's just simply wrong. He transcended his own sound and began sculpting artists behind the scenes or simply let his music be the muse. Ask Janelle Monae if he was still relevant. Or Bruno Mars. Generations of artists will be set fire.

a reply to: kosmicjack

I am well aware that he has done work "behind the scenes", but if he is soo loved, why isn't he spoken of more often? Considering he is so influential?

I am skeptical of the headlines and hype honestly.

There was another thread regarding how his death is taking the headlines while other more pertinent stories are being swept under the carpet, and I agree. I just hate to see dead pop stars take headlines while commodity prices, markets, and bonds are experiencing so much volatility.

Hey! At least I didn't catch any headlines about Hilary today! GO PRINCE!

originally posted by: C8H10N4O2
a reply to: kosmicjack

There was another thread regarding how his death is taking the headlines while other more pertinent stories are being swept under the carpet, and I agree. I just hate to see dead pop stars take headlines while commodity prices, markets, and bonds are experiencing so much volatility.

Because with all the living and dying and #ing and fighting going on in this world, people only remember how someone made them feel.

"Hey remember when silver was x dollars and that time I made a killing in the market!?" ...said NO ONE on their death bed, ever....

a reply to: kosmicjack

Touche

I guess I have my own vices too. I'm glad you enjoy his music and it means something to you.

This is my favorite Prince moment, and one of my favorite musical moments, period. The solo for While My Guitar Gently Weeps, during some all-star event with Tom Petty and Steve Winwood. Gives me goosebumps every single time. And he tears the house down! You know you're a badass when being one of the greatest guitarists in history isn't even first on your resumé. One of my greatest regrets in life will be that I never saw him live. RIP Prince, you've more than made your mark...

a reply to: humanityrising

You know you're a badass when being one of the greatest guitarists in history isn't even first on your resumé.

No #, Brother. That was an awesome video. Thank you so much for sharing that!

a reply to: humanityrising

I just shared in another thread that prices performance in that video is one of the most amazing things I had ever seen. It was unreal.

originally posted by: Joecanada11
a reply to: humanityrising

I just shared in another thread that prices performance in that video is one of the most amazing things I had ever seen. It was unreal.

Hehe yup, it's one of my all-time favorites. You can see that twinkle in his eye, he's loving every second of it. And Tom shaking his head like "This guy is melting brains right now!". And at the end, how he just throws his guitar up and pimp-walks off stage like he just gave us the best night of our lives, but won't be answering our calls tomorrow lol. Just one of those moments when the stars align.

originally posted by: Bybyots
a reply to: humanityrising

You know you're a badass when being one of the greatest guitarists in history isn't even first on your resumé.

No #, Brother. That was an awesome video. Thank you so much for sharing that!

My pleasure man!

originally posted by: C8H10N4O2
a reply to: kosmicjack

I don't understand the love for Prince. No one has even mentioned his name for over a decade, but then after he dies all the sudden he is some sort of hero.

Thought the same thing!
It´s more hypocrisy than "love". Because when someone died, suddenly the people remember their heroes they forgot about. If i love someone, i will never forget him. I maybe would open a thread about my "love" to prince when he is living, and i would not wait till he died.

Look how much records an artist sells if he only dies. Because people become remembered about their "love" then, via massmedia. It would maybe have helped some artists to survive, if people bought their records before they died, before others collect the whole cash for the artists work.

It´s just a H Y P E now, a consternation-hype, like when people start to cry about the death of people they never knew in person, never met live, had no relations to them. I can´t cry for people i never knew in person, because if i would do so, it would be a lie.

Ask people in two weeks about Prince again, the will have forgotten that he died, i bet!
Because then there is the next big, hip hype the masses have to follow, like to care about the lifes of "VIP´s" in the next "reality" show, or to cry for the next person they never knew.

The show must go on, we have to do what all the others do, when the massmedia tells us to do so...

Prince? He had some wonderful songs, was a very good artists, but for me he was alwaysway behind Michael Jackson! Just because mass media hypes Prince now to the same level as Michael Jackson, and that is a bit laughable, i think.

a reply to: Bybyots

My point is really, that because of Prince, I knew it was going to be okay to be eccentric. And that meant a lot at that age, so he had an influence on who I am.

I really like this

The Eiffel Tower was purple last night - and people were dancing inside and outside in Minneapolis

How do you explain someone like Prince?

I was at a party once when I was very young, younger than everyone there. Just another dweeby art student - that weird girl at the party...you know her I'm pretty sure :-)

The conversation turned to jazz, great musicians - and music in general. I remember saying that Prince would someday be discussed the same way people discuss Mozart. You can guess how that conversation went

I am vindicated

:-)

a reply to: C8H10N4O2

I don't understand the love for Prince. No one has even mentioned his name for over a decade, but then after he dies all the sudden he is some sort of hero.

Maybe you see this as a kind of bizarre adulation - but it's actually love

This is the power of art. He made things that meant something to people. He also seemed to be a genuinely decent person

When people die, that's when you really know what you'll be missing

Here's a song from my girl Joni - someone that Prince loved too :-)

Nice.

I was never into the music Prince made and sung. I didn't like it.

But I did like the person. Not the person before. But the person after his conversion.

He was a person that was able to reason and think. And he figured it all out. That was not by coincidence. He had to have been humble, and honest, and loving.

No one becomes a Jehovah's Witness without all of those. And gives up all the things he did in Satan's world, to turn to serve Jehovah.

He is beautiful example for everyone, as far as that is concerned.

It is very very hard for anyone to become one. People say that they want numbers, but that is not the case. You have to meet a very very high moral standard, one that Prince failed at miserably for a long time. And he cleaned himself up, and showed that even the most crude rude and immoral person could turn to serving the living God.

a reply to: LifeisGrand

Awesome post, thanks for sharing.