Prince, yet another significant modern artist dies.
We invest so much in our artists, we put our hope fears and visions onto them, they become our religion. When they die their life story and work becomes their immortality.
I, like so many others, have been galvanised by Prince's death, I hadn't been listening to his music much and I hadn't even got CD versions of those albums of his that I used to love so much: 1999, Purple Rain and Graffiti Bridge. I just have his triple CD Emancipation, which I'm discovering anew. But now he has died I realise there is a hole in my heart that I will have to fill again with those albums. I will also have to get his final album to see the trajectory he was on when he left this world.
The man released about 36 studio albums and he produced a lot more music than he released. His was a life of music, he reminds me of Frank Zappa in that regards, retreating to his utility muffin research kitchen and making LOTS of music, I really admire that. But also listening to emancipation I'm struck with what a sure touch he had, the music is sharp and accomplished. He not only played lots of instruments but he played them really well.
I have to admit Prince's over the top eroticism did end up putting me off as does Zappa's scatological humour. But he was also a spiritual man.
Emancipation isn't regarded as his best album, but I also have one DVD of Prince and that's Graffiti Bridge which is regarded as a terrible movie and I have to say i wasn't that impressed with it when I saw it, but I got it out and watched it again and while I won't say I thought it was a fantastic movie I was impressed by a couple of things, one is that Prince wrote and directed it, so it has a personal somewhat quirky quality to it that I like. I'll also say I don't really get what it is doing and what Prince is trying to say with this movie, but it does seem he is trying to say something and I'm a bit caught by that, I will definitely watch it again to see if i can tease out a bit more just what that is.
So, I'm sorry Prince that it has taken your death to make me focus upon your work, you have always intrigued me and I want to thank you for being one of those rare popular musicians who was individualistic and truly inspired.
