is prince the best all rounder in music?
 

i saw him recently at the hop farm music festival in england and he blew away everyone else at that music festival which included some big names...he has always been a great live act but i cant think of anyone else that does so many things as well as he does in music..
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he is a world class guitarist..great drummer...bass and keyboard player...sings in multiple octaves...has written some of the best and most famous songs of the last 50 years and written many hits for other artists...has released half a dozen ground breaking albums and is only one of two artists to have ever had a number one single, album and film in the usa at the same time..
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he has released music in almost all music genres and was recently voted the 7th greatest artist of all time by his fellow musicians..
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is there any other artist who can hit as many musical bases as the little guy from minneapolis ?

I'm pretty sure there are millions of people out there that are capable of doing as much, or more, than him.

Unless we're using popularity as a gauge of skill, then I don't know how far this argument can go.

I would doubt it! Many people are multi instrumentalists but very few are proficient in any given area apart from their original learning.

Anyone who can play drums, guitar, bass as well as dance and be a frontman as he was on the Sign O the Times tour then I am all ears!

Even given his odd ways and lack of truly cohesive output (Sign O the Times apart), there is no denying that the guy is **** hot.

I'm not denying it.
But I'm not dumb enough to think he's the sole possessor of such a capability.
His abilities are simply marketed.

Anyway, it's kind of a nonsensical thing for me to argue. I realize that.

Prince is awful to me. I also hate his guitar playing. People give it to much credit, all he does is take showsmen techincal riffs and peice them together, show some Hendrixisms and wanks away. His guitar skill seems to be on par with that guys at Guitar Works showing off their skills on their lunch break. He really is nothing to write home about. Plus he embodied everything pretensious to me.

This for example:


I look at this and think, man you are such a wanker.. what the hell.. first off, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" does not need a 2 and a half minute guitar solo.. and the way he just goes on and on, even into Petty's vocal section is just stupid. That sums up Prince to me. The guy who just wants to show off, while everybody else around him just rolls their eyes at him... which it looks like they are about to do during his solo..

He may be hailed as a genious by some, but to me, I never saw the appeal in him.

I don't see him as pretentious.
In fact a lot of his music is quite minimalist & sparse.

He might have a bit of an ego but I think he's earned that right.

Prince- I wrote this song. I played every instrument on the album apart from the Saxophone. I produced it and mixed it. I apologise that I can't be everywhere at the same time but I hope this will suffice:

it does nothing for me personally. Do I deny he is not talented?.. no. I just always saw him as being rather soulless when i hear him.

justin bieber is way better

He's good, but he's not good, exclusively.

This is my first post. I chose this thread because I am firstly amazed that Prince would even be a topic of conversation....

I used to love his work, back in 1981-1982 when I first heard it. Soon afterward I saw him as a sell-out, with the whole Purple Rain craze. I didn't truly learn to appreciate Prince until this millennium,when I met my guitar teacher. I asked him who his favorite artist is and he quickly responded, 'Prince'. He proceeded to explain why. Most of his reasons escape me now but after listening to all of his songs over time, I believe he is one of the most diverse and talented artists of our time.

I am sorry that most people would not agree but I still enjoy hearing one of Prince's songs play randomly on my mp3 player. :)

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interesting viewpoint on this...i totally disagree but each to their own...i think you are wrong about his ability on the guitar and eric clapton, steve vai and many other guitar gods think he is one of the greats...i have seen this clip many times and..to be honest with you and being respectful to the other talented guys on the stage...it doesnt come alive until prince starts his solo...he was asked to do a solo on this as a tribute the late george harrison...he is a showmen..no doubt but what would you rather watch...someone just standing there doing nothing but playing or do what prince does..put on a show ?..i would much rather watch someone who is entertaining than someone who does nothing...
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he is highly regarded by almost all his fellow musicians ...i agree he can be a bit of a prick..he has been a control freak ever since his very first album when he demanded...and got...the right to produce himself in 1978 at the age of 19...but i suppose thats part of what made him so sucessful....i admire his musicanship and his amazing back catalogue and nothing more....

I was turned on to Prince's music when the album "Controversy" came out in 1981. The style was different from what I was listening to at the time, but I found it intriging (sp?). Anyway, I started checking out his back catalog and realized he was a great talent. Admitedly, I haven't followed his career too closely since "Sign o' the Times" as my tastes moved in another direction (yet again), but to say he is anything less than genius is to miss his music completely. Personally, I think that Prince had a vision of what he wanted his music to be and became the "control freak", etc... out of neccessity to see that vision to fruition.

Is he the best all around in music? I'm not sure but there's no denying he is definately a musical reneisance man.

I see that Prince covered Don't Stop Till You Get Enough at some festival he played in the UK this week.

Shame it's not on Youtube. It would have been great to post in the Michael Jackson thread and wind up that Realtalk92 guy who only comes here to post his pro Jackson propaganda

multi-talented musician
 

Although I don't like much of his music, I acknowledge Prince as a very talented musician in several parameters. He can play several instruments and is a gifted songwriter in addition to his guitar skills. I don't know if he's the most talented all-around musician, though. I think Paul McCartney in his prime was possibly more talented as a musician all-rounder, although Prince probably had the edge as an arranger and bandleader. McCartney was/is, of course, one of the best rock bassists and, during his Beatles tenure, a prolific and very proficient songwriter; he was also an underrated guitar player, playing leads on several Beatles tracks, notably "Taxman", when George Harrison was unable to play to McCartney's satisfaction. McCartney was also a decent keyboardist and, from what I have read, a fair drummer. Regarding his songwriting, admittedly one could easily argue he needed John Lennon as a catalyst to optimize it; his solo post-Beatles songs dropped precipitously in quality.

i admire mccartney is many ways and i am a huge beatles fan...mccartney is indeed a very good multi-instrumentalist but i dont think he is on the same level of prince when it comes to playing any instrument and i think paul would be the first to say so..
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Pretty sure it's Bowie.

Prince has always created generic, crappy pop music, right up there with Michael Jackson. His talents are no more extraordinary than anyone else in the genre.

This is like arguing which log of crap smells better.

dude, just shut up now.

or if you insist on not shutting up, give more detail on your opinions. let's hear your expert opinion.

i'm a fan

but if you want to base musical worth on eclecticism, i'd go with Mr. Bungle or Ween

Ween :D

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your right..'when doves cry' is the most generic song ever to top the charts..
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the fact it has no bassline and is a totally original creation means nothing because its classed as pop music...
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'if i was your girlfriend' is a run of the mill ballad...
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'sign o the times' is an album full of generic pop music....
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i think you need to go and listen to his work...whatever music you like...prince will have done something in that genre..

Don't forget he wrote 'Walk Like An Egytian' too

i totally disagree

wha? he wrote "Manic Monday", "Walk Like an Egyptian" is a cover of a 60s song

Prince is just as essential as the Pop Music/Genre is inherent.

I was thinking about Prince's music today, because some of his albums were the first I ever owned and a few of the songs still stick in my mind.

I don't like many of his songs, and I agree that many seem like generic pop music and so I don't consider him the best all-around musical artist, but I felt some of his songs were very original and different than anything else I was hearing (on the radio) at the time they came out. Distinctive. I don't like *any* Michael Jackson songs, so I think Prince's music definitely smells better!

My favorite song by Prince is probably "Darling Nikki" because of its unexpected stoccata sounds, the way the instruments are used like human voices, and the way he sings this song (he doesn't use his falsetto throughout, thankfully). The song holds my interest because it changes from start to finish, building in intensity and morphing right to the end. That, and it's about prostitution! :p:

Prince - "Darling Nikki"


Prince - Darling Nikki - YouTube

I think Prince is definitely up there for best all around, but I don't know if he's the best. Having said that I can't think of anyone better. I find his songwriting to be hit and miss, but a lot of critical hits. I noticed someone brought up Paul McCartney being better than Prince. I'm gonna have to say all around he is not. Paul McCartney is a better song writer, which to me is pretty evident, but as far as technical abilities on instruments (aka musical ability outside of songwriting) Prince is much better. Sure McCartney was a very good Bass player and an okay drummer and a good guitarist, but Prince is an amazing guitarist, good drummer, great bassist, and good keyboardist. He also has a much better vocal range that Paul, though Paul has an excellent voice. On top of that, Prince's showmanship is brilliant. For much of Paul's career he didn't even play live shows. Paul McCartney's showmanship is mediocre but Prince damn near puts on rock operas. Great dancer and furthermore I disagree with a comment that Prince lacks soul flat out.

Well some Bangles pop pap anyways

I missed the Boat with Prince. He looks a little crazy to me and I never really engaged with his music. Should I give him a proper listen?

Heavens no. He's not a bad guitarists but I can think of many more talanted musicians. Stephin Stills for one.

go with 1999 or Purple Rain

if you don't like either, you're not gonna like the rest of his stuff

check out "controversy","around the world in a day" & "sign o the times" :)

no

Seriously? I'm not saying he's bad, but seriously? No way.

yeah prince is pretty good i think a similar band is Jamiroquai who is also pretty good music wise

I wouldn't say he's the best all-rounder, but I do think he's tremendously talented.

nothing even remotely alike

I'd be surprised to hear that Ween are not big fans of 'Dirty Mind'
It really is a good album. Party Up

Well first, the guy can play about any instrument out there. Then there's the fact that he is a brilliant songwriter. And finally check THIS out. I think you can skip to the 4 minute mark for his solo (iirc).

Hey thinly-veiled sarcastic person, to be honest there's no point to 'the fuss about Prince' as you call it. Many people apparently like his music, they're not necessarily fascinated by it.
I presume you can determine your own opinion simply by listening to it.