So why all the love for Prince?

First, Purple Rain was the first album I ever purchased (second was Crowded House, third was Pet Shop Boys “Please”) I wore out that tape, listening to it again and again.

Second, although I am by no means a musician of any sort, I played guitar for about 10 years, from the age of 8 or 9 all the way through high school. I can also figure out the basis of most instruments with a little bit of noodling around. (The reason I am not a musician is because I am incapable of getting past the beginner stage on any instrument.) But my history of musical training and playing gives me a tremendous appreciate for musicianship. My friend Andy used to tease me because I’d like music and he couldn’t understand why, then I’d go, “wait, just LISTEN to this bass line!” From the very start, I was awed by Prince’s music abilities. The guitar on Purple Rain never fails to astound me.

Third, Prince has never rested on his laurels, but has always sought move forward, to change his sound with every album. Which is why I am always astounded by people who say they don’t like Prince. Period. Every album has a different sound and a different feel? With that much variety how you can dislike everything? I admit, there are some albums I like better than others, and some albums that don’t do much for me, but it’s always something different, every album.

Fourth, as much as I sometimes find rock stars mortifying in their actions and behaviors, and as much as Prince can be way way way over the top, he is always a consummate showman. And as over the top as he is on stage, one hears very little about his private life. Nothing about drugs, nothing about alcohol binging, nothing about getting picked up by the cops for who knows what. Which leads one to believe that his over-the-top showmanship is just that: showmanship. You have to be impressed by anyone who manages to be in the public eye for so many years, and not have had illegal or immoral actions repeatedly smeared across the headlines.

Which leads me to the fact that he doesn’t seem to care what you think: he does what he wants, and he seems to be very happy being himself, and living the dream of doing what he loves. Yes, that can not help but make one a little jealous, but it’s also something to be admired. Be yourself and say what you think. He does it, and I admire it.

But for me, it always comes back to the music.

Speaking of which…

(There’s no video here, just the song)

No embedding, so you’ll have to click to see this video of Prince covering Radiohead.

The point (for Jim & Jeri) is to note the guitar. And here is Eric’s addition to day two of Prince week.

However, while I’ve got this platform, I’m going to expound a bit.

First things first, I’m hard pressed to understand why someone would despise Prince. I can understand not liking an artist’s voice–I cannot stand Bob Dylan’s voice. nails on a blackboard–but I like many of his song when they have been recorded by other artists. I can get not liking an artists style of music, except that Prince has written songs in so many musical genres that seems a rather ridiculous statement as well.

So I’m going to take a shot in the dark about what I’m guessing bothers at least some people: sex.

Prince really likes to write and sing about sex. A lot. Hell, his 3rd and 4th albums were “Dirty Mind” and “Controversy” so it’s not like he’s hiding his themes.

But here’s the thing: Rock & Roll and R&B have a history of misogyny. But here’s the thing about Prince’s music: for the most part he doesn’t write about women, he writes to women. And to be honest, I often find it disconcerting, since I tend towards prudishness. But if you listen, what he’s pretty much saying is that he loves women, and let him tell you all about what he wants to do to you (assuming you are a woman).

But there’s something else to note as well.

Consider Little Red Corvette released in 1982. Did you ever notice that he blithely throws out the use of condoms as an expected occurrence? Or Sign O’ the Times from 1987, which implicitly mentions AIDS, and male to female transmission (via needle sharing, but still). And I love I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man: “Wouldn’t be satisfied, with a one night stand, and I could never take the place of your man.”

And he has had women in his bands–not just token females there to look good or female back-up singers or female lead singers with a male band but female musicians. It’s a more common occurrence, but still far more rare than one would expect.

So despite the sex–or perhaps because of it–Prince has always given off an attitude of respecting women, which is something that certainly wasn’t common when he was starting out.