― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 13:58 (nineteen years ago) link
To re-address: Prince has released an incredible amount of great work (the wife was spinning Sign 'o' the Times just this week, and said album does kick a whole bunch of skinny, assless-pantsed butt), but I just don't see Prince as having the flair for 180-degree reinvention that was formerly Bowie's signature. Maybe Prince's equivalent of Bowie's Berlin period is out there (during his wilderness "slave" years, maybe?), but I haven't heard it. Apologies if I'm sounding misinformed.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 14:14 (nineteen years ago) link
Bowie played the same old post-Beatles game, I think; Prince's sources are, to me, so much richer. In my opinion, there's no contest between the Beatles and James Brown or the above-mentioned "funky people" that Prince supposedly ain't a patch on. Which statement I find, uh, odd. "Sign o the Times" is a high point for Prince just like "Station to Station" or "Lodger" is for Bowie; I find Bowie the face-o-fashion most of the time, synthetic but not in a good sense. Prince might've dicked around with "personae" and all that but he never did anything as outright dumb as that Zigaboo Modeliste (funky) Stardust shit Bowie was guilty of--what a load o' crap. Which isn't to say the songs aren't good, thanks to Mick Ronson.
They're both cheesemasters--I prefer Prince's cheese, infinitely. Prince's "pop" rips like "She's Always in My Hair" and "Peach" and "When You Were Mine" are a lot better than Bowie's--again, it's just richer to my ears. I mean, OK, Boston or someone like that took off from that whole Beatles thing, whereas Prince took off from Sly, Brown, etc. What's a richer source? Again, to me, there's no question which is richer.
Also, Prince is a far better singer than Bowie; one of the finest musicians around; and sure, the quality of his work falls off after '88 and "Black Album," but even then he's done some great work.
In my opinion, Bowie's whole career has been at attempt to latch onto some illusory "zeitgeist" and that's fine, but I don't hear too much underneath that attempt, which is why I like the obvious stuff, the hits. Whereas Prince was just doing what he wanted to do--OK, the early Prince was "black man doing white music in a black way or black music in a white way," which actually isn't true at all, that's just people bringing their own misconceptions to the project. As let's-give-the-people-an-image-to-hang-onto (because they're too dumb to get it any other way), "Purple Rain" beats "Ziggy Stardust" hands down. I don't like "Purple Rain" all that much myself.
I don't know how the debunkers of funk define the term--there are lotsa ways to be "funky" and the Meters or Sly or Brown are all different; for that matter, lots of New Orleans music (Benny Spellman, a great minor artist, comes to mind) is certainly funky without being overtly so. Prince's whole idea of forcebeat drums tied to "funk" or whatever you want to call it is certainly a moment in the evolution of black music, funky music, music--now what exactly did Bowie do, stylistically, to equal that? Guitar riffs? Makeup? Went Philly soul on "Young Americans"? I don't hear it. So I say that to appreciate Bowie you have to appreciate *extraneous* shit like his hair, clothes, makeup, "ever-shifting persona," stuff like that. It's only when he gets a bit more honestly dishonest and relaxes some--on "Lodger"--that I kinda like the guy more. But then he ups and hires Stevie Ray V. to play Real Guitar and Nile Rodgers to make him some big fat dance tracks on that goddamned "Let's Dance." Yeah, man, let's dance.
And as proof that Prince is "funky," go back and listen to "How Come U Don't Call Me," which is pretty damn funky, and he did it with just piano. I don't believe David Bowie could've done that, do you?
― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 16:08 (nineteen years ago) link
It puts the finger on my feelings in this matter; I like my Prince, but I love my David Bowie. And that's a completely subjective opinion based on nothing else than gut feeling and teenage infatuation.
― johanna. (johanna.), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 16:39 (nineteen years ago) link
I'm gonna pick Bowie, with a hell of a lot of reservations.
― Bimble... (Bimble...), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 17:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 17:48 (nineteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 17:50 (nineteen years ago) link
Quite, quite true.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 17:50 (nineteen years ago) link
this is so unbelievably wrong on so many levels - you can count ON ONE HAND the number of great classic songs Jackson has written. And Jackson's got what, one, two truly solid albums (Off the Wall and Thriller) to Prince's four or five (1999, Purple Rain, Sign O' the Times, Controversy, Lovesexy) Jacko's peak period is unbelievably short and is owed to a host of other people (Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones, etc.) "Off the Wall" doesn't even come close to Sign O' The Times in terms of scope, innovation, depth of vision, catchy tunes, surprises, left-field references, or even in terms of pure FUNK. Prince recent public dismissiveness of Jacko is completely justified in my mind...
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 17:55 (nineteen years ago) link
Both have been absolutely crucial to me liking the music I like, and to becoming the person that I am. I'd pick Prince if I had to, but as far as I can tell the main argument for living in Western society is that I don't have to choose.
― Haibun (Begs2Differ), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:03 (nineteen years ago) link
Just thought I should point that out.
― Jedmond (Jedmond), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:11 (nineteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:14 (nineteen years ago) link
and for what it's worth, jacko's peak period began in 1969, before either prince or bowie entered the conversation.
― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:16 (nineteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:20 (nineteen years ago) link
I personally am far MORE entertained by Prince BECAUSE he takes himself so seriously.
― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:25 (nineteen years ago) link
― dave q (listerine), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:30 (nineteen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:31 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:32 (nineteen years ago) link
― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:34 (nineteen years ago) link
― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:35 (nineteen years ago) link
This is a pantload of poppycock.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:38 (nineteen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:39 (nineteen years ago) link
Well definitely the 'more' part, if we're just talking his solo career. 1979 to 1991 = 4 MJ albums vs. at least one Prince album a year.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:41 (nineteen years ago) link
― dave q (listerine), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:46 (nineteen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:47 (nineteen years ago) link
― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:52 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 18:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― noodle vague (noodle vague), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 19:13 (nineteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 19:22 (nineteen years ago) link
Xgau made some damned-scant-praise pissy line about Heathen saying he'd finally learned to sing. This is insane--technically, he's as good as his source, Scott Walker, and certanly more verstile.
Plus. my GF, who's 30, after watching the Reality tour CD, says she'd do Bowie--who's 58--in a heartbeat. So there.
― iang, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 19:26 (nineteen years ago) link
and if you wanna talk sexiness - Prince seems to have avoided physically aging a single day. Whereas Bowie looks like a glassy-eyed corpse with a fashionable haircut. Hell, Prince was always sexier than Bowie, and still is. Maybe it's cuz, y'know, Prince conveys actual ENJOYMENT of sex, whereas Bowie emotes a much more detached, creepy vibe.
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 19:32 (nineteen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 19:38 (nineteen years ago) link
i like 'em both, bowie more, but prince is plenty creepy.
prince has released albums as bad as tin machine.
― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 19:41 (nineteen years ago) link
― dave q (listerine), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 19:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 19:43 (nineteen years ago) link
This is objectively impossible.
― noodle vague (noodle vague), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 19:44 (nineteen years ago) link
for what it's worth of course I love them both. but at the moment I do find Prince more endearing and capable of surprises than Bowie.
― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 19:44 (nineteen years ago) link
― Laszlo Kovacs (Laszlo Kovacs), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 19:55 (nineteen years ago) link
* There's a huge chunk of Bowie after, being as fair as possible, Tonight that I really could care less hearing ever again. I don't mind some of the more recent stuff, but there's a deep dark pit of blandness in the middle that I want to avoid. THAT SAID, there's nothing as classic as the period of Bowie between Man Of Music, Man Of Words/Space Oddity and Scary Monsters inclusive.. almost all of it is pure solid gold.. the only possible exception being the David Live album.
* There's a huge chunk of Prince after, being as fair as possible, Lovesexy that I haven't heard, didn't hit me the first time, but am willing to listen to again and be pleasantly surprised, and would bet that I would rediscover and like. There is no horrible pit of blandness that stains Prince's career (to date) as much as it does Bowie. However, to be perfectly honest, even between For You and Sign 'O' The Times, I don't think every album in between is dead-on perfect as I think the Bowie albums are.
Now the similarities: both INCREDIBLY influential in their own unique ways. Both started off sounding a bit shaky and of the times but quickly became very unique and praiseworthy. Both reinvented themselves musically (and sometimes personally) album after album. Both have an incredible amount of timeless songs in their peak periods.
Who would i rather have a beer with? Bowie.
Who did I actually shell out a good chunk of cash to see live most recently of the two, and felt I got my money's worth? Prince.
It's really a tie for me. Can't say.
― donut christ (donut), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 20:06 (nineteen years ago) link
DB, did you forget that I am a black man from Minnesota earlier upthread???
― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 20:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 20:29 (nineteen years ago) link
― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 20:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 20:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 20:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 20:40 (nineteen years ago) link
haha
― ejemplo (crüt), Thursday, 21 April 2016 18:24 (eight years ago) link
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/7/7e/Susanthesethings.jpg
― Trash Sandwich (Old Lunch), Thursday, 21 April 2016 18:25 (eight years ago) link
Too sad: prince and bowie
― thom yorke state of mind (voodoo chili), Thursday, 21 April 2016 20:10 (eight years ago) link
i'll stick with you baby for a thousand years
― reggie (qualmsley), Thursday, 21 April 2016 21:31 (eight years ago) link
http://www.breatheheavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/bowie-prince.jpg
― Unyielding Dispair Foundation Repair, LLC (Sanpaku), Thursday, 21 April 2016 22:54 (eight years ago) link
Couldn't work Glenn Frey in there?
― Romeo Daltrey (Tom D.), Thursday, 21 April 2016 22:55 (eight years ago) link
http://youtu.be/BSUGJBcNF0E?t=2m41s
― Unyielding Dispair Foundation Repair, LLC (Sanpaku), Thursday, 21 April 2016 22:59 (eight years ago) link
Can't wait for the paintings of Lemmy, Prince, Bowie, Glenn Frey and Keith Emerson looking soulful and jamming on a cloud start cropping up.
― hardcore dilettante, Friday, 22 April 2016 02:26 (eight years ago) link
http://i.imgur.com/npsQVdS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/kQ1LXPC.jpg?1
― pplains, Friday, 22 April 2016 03:00 (eight years ago) link
Lol both of these assholes are DEAD
― • (sleepingbag), Friday, 22 April 2016 03:12 (eight years ago) link
Prince covered "Heroes" last month in Toronto.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 22 April 2016 03:40 (eight years ago) link
(All video footage of the above seems to have disappeared from the webz.)
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 22 April 2016 03:41 (eight years ago) link
Audio tho:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqDX8-s6jYI
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Friday, 22 April 2016 03:42 (eight years ago) link
i know its early days yet, but i imagine a far bigger outpouring of pieces on him in the US than the UK, compared to bowie.
― StillAdvance, Friday, 22 April 2016 11:37 (eight years ago) link
― • (sleepingbag), Friday, April 22, 2016 12:12 AM (two years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― ritual showdown (Ross), Tuesday, 25 September 2018 22:01 (five years ago) link
:-(
sleepingbag makes some strong points
― flopson, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 22:27 (five years ago) link
:D
― esby, Saturday, 13 October 2018 01:31 (five years ago) link
I wish Prince had covered "Win"...
― Intelligence Lends Mojo (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, March 5, 2009
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 18 June 2021 00:27 (two years ago) link
damn good call
― brimstead, Friday, 18 June 2021 00:34 (two years ago) link
"Win" is basically the perfect Bowie song, I doubt anyone could do it better.
― Zelda Zonk, Friday, 18 June 2021 00:39 (two years ago) link