Dearly beloved,
His name was Prince. He was funky. I’ve loved him from the first time I heard 1999, and talking in the past tense is unexpected, and upsetting.
If he hadn’t written literally hundreds of incredible songs, he’d be among the best rock and pop singers who sang. If he didn’t have that unbelievable voice, he’d still be cited as an unreal guitar solo God AND rhythm man. He was the coolest looking guy whenever we saw him. The songs, the playing, the singing, the style, the acting…
Ok, not the acting. But you can’t say enough about his writing and performing, musically.
Warner Brothers released his first album knowing he wrote, produced, and played every note on the whole thing. They knew what they had. He was 19.
Since that first album, he’d been unbelievably prolific. In addition to averaging an album a year straight through to the mid-90’s, he was still releasing great albums including the past few years, and rumor is there are up to 1000 songs ready to be finished in the Paisley Park vault. I’m looking forward to them.
I’m not sure that any words or comparisons are adequate, but I do know that he had a pathological need for quality, evidenced by the quality of the musicians he employed. Anyone who doesn’t cite his Super Bowl performance as the best one is delusional.
He was very controlling of his art and its legacy, as we saw with the Black Album incident, and the fact that you can’t find his work on YouTube.
Even his second to last album, Hit-n-run phase one, was so full of great dance tracks that I don’t understand why it wasn’t an immediate radio hit. Like, how are Beyoncé and Kanye constantly getting airplay, but this, which is better in every way, not?
I’m wondering if he wondered the same. His most popular days may have been behind, but his best days weren’t, really.
His passing is too soon. He looked younger than me, last I saw him, and I know he had more to say. After the health news that was reported a week ago, I was picturing him as an 85 year old guy, still looking awesome, and still playing, singing and writing. We won’t get that, now, but that’s our loss. As with Bowie, it didn’t even occur to me that he COULD die.
I don’t think there is a simple definition for genius. There are people who I am sure are not, however, and people who I’m sure are, like Prince. A true genius, serious, fun, funky.
He said everybody’s looking for graffiti bridge. I’m not sure what he meant. I hope he found it.
He also said Paisley Park is in our hearts. So is he, now.