Wow that was harsh. I used to love Prince but that was back before most of you guys on here were born. I have no desire to listen to this but if I come across a download of it I might check it out. While I do think that he doesn't really matter in new music I have to disagree with is your last sentence. I think there are tons of people out there that still care about him. If he was to go out and tour Contraversy, 1999 and Purple Rain he would sell out a tour full of arenas. I saw the Purple Rain tour and 25 years later it's still in my top 10 shows.

^I wasn't alive but I so agreeeeeee! I love old 80s Prince so much! BUT, he IS ridiculous. I don't actually take him seriously as a person or artist. I just think he was fun

Oh he's a nutter for sure.

Prince is a total douchebag: about 8 years ago he prohibited his image on all websites, including fansites having editorialized his career for over 5 years. Talk about an ego trip. At least Michael Jackson understood where his fame, recognition, and dutiful lawyers came from...

Who wrote this review, a 14 year old? 20ten is a solid album. You completely ignored the lyrics of Act of God and Lavaux, two great back to back songs. Lavaux is about personal freedom and one of the best songs Prince has written in awhile. But what would you know about feeling trapped and wanting to escape to a better place? Nothing, because you have no life experience.

You also ignore the great musicianship on this album... from the funky Linn Drum beats, synthesizer, killing the chicken scratch guitar, and of course his amazing vocals. So what if Prince released the album in The Daily Mirror? Why spend half the review bashing that decision? Prince got paid up front... and he didn't have to bend the the whim of the corporations that control the radio (Clear Channel), online distribution (iTunes), or music video play (Viacom). You should be championing that such a great artist could still find a way to get his music out, get paid, and keep working. Instead you slag him like he's on the level of American Idol, Lady Gaga, or the million worthless hip hop acts out there. Pathetic.

Originally Posted by neogeo24bit

Who wrote this review, a 14 year old? 20ten is a solid album. You completely ignored the lyrics of Act of God and Lavaux, two great back to back songs. Lavaux is about personal freedom and one of the best songs Prince has written in awhile. But what would you know about feeling trapped and wanting to escape to a better place? Nothing, because you have no life experience.

You also ignore the great musicianship on this album... from the funky Linn Drum beats, synthesizer, killing the chicken scratch guitar, and of course his amazing vocals. So what if Prince released the album in The Daily Mirror? Why spend half the review bashing that decision? Prince got paid up front... and he didn't have to bend the the whim of the corporations that control the radio (Clear Channel), online distribution (iTunes), or music video play (Viacom). You should be championing that such a great artist could still find a way to get his music out, get paid, and keep working. Instead you slag him like he's on the level of American Idol, Lady Gaga, or the million worthless hip hop acts out there. Pathetic.

Thank you for your reasoned reply: I wrote this review but am in fact twice the age that you guessed. I am sorry you disagree with me about this, you must be a lot older than I am and probably own all of Prince's albums and maybe have his poster up in your room. I bet you even saw him live. Through binoculars obviously, I hear he's tiny enough in real life to put into the palm of your hand. I can't excuse the fact that I whinced a number of times on hearing this, made many sharp intakes of breath which alarmed my girlfriend who is very concerned for my health, or that I had to turn it off a couple of times just to make it through the whole record in order to deliver my review.

I do however know a little about being trapped and wanting to escape to a better place. Last year I suffered a cardiac arrest whilst playing drums with my band (who are, like, totally better than Prince) and woke up in hospital with a cathater in my penis, my family forcing encouraging smiles through their tears because they thought I might be brain damaged and the news that I would have to have a pacemaker with a built in defibrilator fitted in my chest in case my heart ever stops beating again. I had to be awake during the operation where they installed it because my heart may have stopped under anasthetic and could feel the surgeon slice into my chest and feed the wires down my aorta into my heart and then test the electricity with a small shock. At that point I wanted to escape to a better place. Also, having to take time off work and having my parents look after and constantly worry about me after more than 10 years of living happily away from them and enjoying my independence made me feel like a teenager again, and I wanted to escape to a better place. Maybe feeling like a teenager again contributed to my inability to enjoy this record. But I think that it was the fact that I thought it was crap. The bad side of 80s revival. In fact, if this is 80s revival, the 80s are officially dead. So we need a new phase. Post-Grunge perhaps?

Also, when I was in Chile, General Pinochet, the old dictator, died and there was a huge party outside of the government buildings which we joined because my girlfriend's father was a political refugee from the country back in the 1970s and forced to flee because of that tyrant. He was happy to see him gone too, just like many of the others gathered there who had lost loved ones due to his actions. However, the military were not pleased to see the thousands of gathered revellers and tried to disperse us with tanks armed with water cannons and then with tear gas. As I blindly ran with eyes streaming I heard gun shots and saw a guy with a bloodied face being dragged through the crowd. I also wanted to escape to a better place then but had to hole up in a local bar who barricaded us inside for our own safety.

More things have happened to me in my life, but I just wanted to illustrate that I do have life experience (I even have pictures of both incidents if you want to see them) and that experience probably means that I like better music than the obvious bleeding heart faux emotion on offer on 20Ten.

Also, you mention that Prince got paid up front. Good for him. If I got paid up front for all the work I do then I would just blurt out anything onto paper without thinking about it and probably would have said that 20Ten was a good album because of all the pretty colours on the front.

But who cares what I think? You get worked up too easily and I think that your need to defend your own tastes perhaps shows a self consciousness about them that professionals can help you with. If you like Prince then go ahead and like him. I didn't, but I have the privileged position of being a writer with a voice and am allowed to say what I want. At least that was my understanding. Let me know if I'm wrong, I'll re-read the small print.

Originally Posted by ozzystylez

Thank you for your reasoned reply: I wrote this review but am in fact twice the age that you guessed. I am sorry you disagree with me about this, you must be a lot older than I am and probably own all of Prince's albums and maybe have his poster up in your room. I bet you even saw him live. Through binoculars obviously, I hear he's tiny enough in real life to put into the palm of your hand. I can't excuse the fact that I whinced a number of times on hearing this, made many sharp intakes of breath which alarmed my girlfriend who is very concerned for my health, or that I had to turn it off a couple of times just to make it through the whole record in order to deliver my review.

I do however know a little about being trapped and wanting to escape to a better place. Last year I suffered a cardiac arrest whilst playing drums with my band (who are, like, totally better than Prince) and woke up in hospital with a cathater in my penis, my family forcing encouraging smiles through their tears because they thought I might be brain damaged and the news that I would have to have a pacemaker with a built in defibrilator fitted in my chest in case my heart ever stops beating again. I had to be awake during the operation where they installed it because my heart may have stopped under anasthetic and could feel the surgeon slice into my chest and feed the wires down my aorta into my heart and then test the electricity with a small shock. At that point I wanted to escape to a better place. Also, having to take time off work and having my parents look after and constantly worry about me after more than 10 years of living happily away from them and enjoying my independence made me feel like a teenager again, and I wanted to escape to a better place. Maybe feeling like a teenager again contributed to my inability to enjoy this record. But I think that it was the fact that I thought it was crap. The bad side of 80s revival. In fact, if this is 80s revival, the 80s are officially dead. So we need a new phase. Post-Grunge perhaps?

Also, when I was in Chile, General Pinochet, the old dictator, died and there was a huge party outside of the government buildings which we joined because my girlfriend's father was a political refugee from the country back in the 1970s and forced to flee because of that tyrant. He was happy to see him gone too, just like many of the others gathered there who had lost loved ones due to his actions. However, the military were not pleased to see the thousands of gathered revellers and tried to disperse us with tanks armed with water cannons and then with tear gas. As I blindly ran with eyes streaming I heard gun shots and saw a guy with a bloodied face being dragged through the crowd. I also wanted to escape to a better place then but had to hole up in a local bar who barricaded us inside for our own safety.

More things have happened to me in my life, but I just wanted to illustrate that I do have life experience (I even have pictures of both incidents if you want to see them) and that experience probably means that I like better music than the obvious bleeding heart faux emotion on offer on 20Ten.

Also, you mention that Prince got paid up front. Good for him. If I got paid up front for all the work I do then I would just blurt out anything onto paper without thinking about it and probably would have said that 20Ten was a good album because of all the pretty colours on the front.

But who cares what I think? You get worked up too easily and I think that your need to defend your own tastes perhaps shows a self consciousness about them that professionals can help you with. If you like Prince then go ahead and like him. I didn't, but I have the privileged position of being a writer with a voice and am allowed to say what I want. At least that was my understanding. Let me know if I'm wrong, I'll re-read the small print.

What makes you think I wanted to hear your life story? You know what... I've read your life story and I'll give it a 33%. Pretty weak.

Anyway... the point was that whether you liked the album or not, you write like a 14 year old and you spent way too much time criticizing Prince for releasing the album his own way, comparing him and his fans to Michael Jackson (you are aware that many, many artists and bands think Prince is the greatest), instead of talking about the music. Your review showed absolutely no depth, understanding, or appreciation for anything about Prince, his career, his importance. At the very least, you completely disrespected an independent artist. Pathetic.

Originally Posted by ozzystylez

Also, you mention that Prince got paid up front. Good for him. If I got paid up front for all the work I do then I would just blurt out anything onto paper without thinking about it and probably would have said that 20Ten was a good album because of all the pretty colours on the front.

Prince obviously completed the album, then made a deal with the paper to distribute the album. They didn't pay him before he worked on the music. Are you absolutely batsh*t crazy? Do you have any idea about how albums are made?

What makes you think I wanted to hear your life story? You know what... I've read your life story and I'll give it a 33%. Pretty weak.

Anyway... the point was that whether you liked the album or not, you write like a 14 year old and you spent way too much time criticizing Prince for releasing the album his own way, comparing him and his fans to Michael Jackson (you are aware that many, many artists and bands think Prince is the greatest?), instead of talking about the music.

And who exactly forgot about Prince? Mainstream music listeners, maybe. But even in that regard, Prince has still had mainstream success. He's released six albums since 2004. The Musicology Tour was the top tour of 2004 in the USA where he gave a copy of the Musicology album to every audience member. 3121 was a #1 album on the charts in 2006, Planet Earth was #3 in 2007, and the 3 CD set Lotusflow3r set was #2 in 2009, distributed only by Target. So his music obviously still sells after 30+ years! And what about his record breaking 21 Nights in London a few years back? I guess you were asleep for that, too.

Your review showed absolutely no depth, understanding, or appreciation for anything about Prince, his career, his importance. At the very least, you completely disrespected an independent artist. Pathetic.

There is a difference between "independent" and "hostile". While Prince may still be a tremendous performer and musician, his technical skill does not translate to any sort of depth. You reference the lyrics of "Act of God"? I hate to tell you, but hey are horrible. They are barely topical and say nothing insightful, let alone in a way that hasn't been done for decades now... even before Prince was good. That basically applies to the entire album. The music, also? Has NO energy. The riffs and melodies may be a good start, but the delivery is dead. Frankly, it sounds tired. It's over-produced, flat, and sterile. Compared to the raw energy of his early work, this album is a disgrace. PRINCE CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS, but he fell short. So get over it.


He is also CLEARLY out of touch. He says things like "the internet is dead" and doesn't recognize the vitality of digital media. If the internet were dead, sites like this would not exist. Yet Prince claims that because he does not get an advance or has not officiated such reviews, that they do not matter and are therefore irrelevant? It doesn't take a genius to recognize what an idiotic statement that is. Even Kenny G. realizes the ever increasing vitality of the internet and he's about as culturally irrelevant as they come now. So seriously... I have no problem with this review mostly slamming Prince's idiotic decisions as the album itself isn't interesting enough to talk about anyway.

Originally Posted by neogeo24bit

Prince obviously completed the album, then made a deal with the paper to distribute the album. They didn't pay him before he worked on the music. Are you absolutely batsh*t crazy? Do you have any idea about how albums are made?

What makes you think I wanted to hear your life story? You know what... I've read your life story and I'll give it a 33%. Pretty weak.

Anyway... the point was that whether you liked the album or not, you write like a 14 year old and you spent way too much time criticizing Prince for releasing the album his own way, comparing him and his fans to Michael Jackson (you are aware that many, many artists and bands think Prince is the greatest?), instead of talking about the music.

And who exactly forgot about Prince? Mainstream music listeners, maybe. But even in that regard, Prince has still had mainstream success. He's released six albums since 2004. The Musicology Tour was the top tour of 2004 in the USA where he gave a copy of the Musicology album to every audience member. 3121 was a #1 album on the charts in 2006, Planet Earth was #3 in 2007, and the 3 CD set Lotusflow3r set was #2 in 2009, distributed only by Target. So his music obviously still sells after 30+ years! And what about his record breaking 21 Nights in London a few years back? I guess you were asleep for that, too.

Your review showed absolutely no depth, understanding, or appreciation for anything about Prince, his career, his importance. At the very least, you completely disrespected an independent artist. Pathetic.

Thanks again for your valued response; it is nice to get a distraction from the mountains of CDs I have to get through for some real chat with an adult. My 14 year old assistant who I have working here at the office is only interesting up to a point, and that is usually about music which is probably why I let his opinions influence my writing so strongly.

I was disappointed that you didn't like my life story, 33% isn't even a pass these days and I'm not sure it would have been even when you were at school. Usually I get a more compassionate response, certainly to the heart story, especially from women who you have no doubt heard about.

However, I take a certain amount of encouragement from the fact that I am only 29 and so have at least my lifetime and a half again left to live which should give me an overall life story rating of approximately 87% which I think is an acceptable score.

Anyway, I can see that I have upset you and that the only way to stop you from hating me is to revise my entire opinion, not just of Prince but of everything I thought I understood. With that in mind, and to keep our relationship pleasant, I revise my review to state that 20Ten is certainly the best album released on the front of a paper this year.

^Actually, 33% is higher than the average Physics I test score.... ISN'T THAT ENCOURAGING???

Originally Posted by Rock

There is a difference between "independent" and "hostile". While Prince may still be a tremendous performer and musician, his technical skill does not translate to any sort of depth.

Hostile? How exactly is Prince hostile? Hostile to who... the record industry's way of doing things, or your beloved internet? LOL! And since when does Prince have no depth? How many of his 33 albums have you listened to? What "bands" or "artists" that you listen to have "depth"? Tell me who to listen to.

Originally Posted by Rock

You reference the lyrics of "Act of God"? I hate to tell you, but hey are horrible. They are barely topical and say nothing insightful, let alone in a way that hasn't been done for decades now... even before Prince was good.

People losing their homes is not topical? You obviously don't even understand the meaning of the song. And that's just one song... how about "Lavaux"? Do you think that song says nothing insightful? Give me an example of an artist or song that is so "topical" or "insightful"?

Originally Posted by Rock:26062

The music, also? Has NO energy. The riffs and melodies may be a good start, but the delivery is dead. Frankly, it sounds tired. It's over-produced, flat, and sterile. Compared to the raw energy of his early work, this album is a disgrace. PRINCE CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS, but he fell short. So get over it.

Wait... how can you listen to even the first three tracks of 20ten and think the album has no energy? To me, this album is full of energy, skilled musicianship, fantastic production, and has that retro old school Linn Drum sound that many Prince fans want to hear again. Not all of Prince's albums have the retro feel of 20ten. Listen to Lotusflow3r (disc 3), Planet Earth, or 3121 for some of his different styles.

Originally Posted by Rock

He is also CLEARLY out of touch. He says things like "the internet is dead" and doesn't recognize the vitality of digital media.

You don't even have the depth of understanding to even know what Prince was talking about with that statement. The internet is dead for musicians as a distribution medium. iTunes takes the majority of the profits. Record companies have never known how to handle the internet. The days of artists getting paid well for their work by distributing on the net ARE over. As a promotion tool and to inform people about your work, sure, the internet is "alive". I'm sure you love those terrible bands that friend you on "MySpace music" but come on...

Originally Posted by Rock

So seriously... I have no problem with this review mostly slamming Prince's idiotic decisions as the album itself isn't interesting enough to talk about anyway.

Wait... so you're saying that because you don't find an album interesting, it's okay for a reviewer to spend half the album review talking about things irrelevant to the music? But I'm curious... what are Prince's idiotic decisions? To get paid upfront for his music and find a distribution method to get over 2.5 million copies of his album out without dealing with record companies (evil), radio (corporate controlled and evil), MTV(just plain stupid), or some corporate shills? Lets bash Prince for finding new ways for artists to be successful!

And who says this album is not interesting? As usual, with any true work of art, people either love it or hate it. Tony Parsons, a well respected writer and music journalist gave the album a high score, saying it was Prince's best since Sign o' the Times. Many others believe the album is brilliant as well. Others hate it. That's true art, baby. Price is a true artist and his work polarizes people.

One more thing before I close the book on your a$$. As far as the "independent" discussion goes... if it weren't for Prince making a huge stink about wanting his freedom in the early 90's (do some research), artists would not have been so knowledgeable or vocal about music independence, owning their master recordings, getting screwed by record contracts, etc. Bands like NIN, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, owe a lot to Prince for the sacrifice he made during that time period when he faced ridicule for confronting the record industry. Don't believe me? Ask those bands yourself. Or, do some research yourself.

Originally Posted by ozzystylez

Thanks again for your valued response; it is nice to get a distraction from the mountains of CDs I have to get through for some real chat with an adult. My 14 year old assistant who I have working here at the office is only interesting up to a point, and that is usually about music which is probably why I let his opinions influence my writing so strongly.

I can't wait to read some of your other reviews. Let me know when you get through that "mountain" of CDs. There's nothing better than reading reviews from someone with no music knowledge who responds with their entire life story after someone criticizes their horrible review of a legendary artist they don't understand.

Originally Posted by ozzystylez

I was disappointed that you didn't like my life story, 33% isn't even a pass these days and I'm not sure it would have been even when you were at school. Usually I get a more compassionate response, certainly to the heart story, especially from women who you have no doubt heard about.

Your life story was lacking in depth. It was also badly produced. When you mentioned cardiac arrest I had to shut down your life story and shake my head.

Originally Posted by ozzystylez

However, I take a certain amount of encouragement from the fact that I am only 29 and so have at least my lifetime and a half again left to live which should give me an overall life story rating of approximately 87% which I think is an acceptable score.

You keep stating over and over that you're 29. If you're 29, then learn how to write. You may be writing for the tweens here, but come on. Read some professional reviews. Take a community college course. Do anything to improve your horrible writing. And get a background in musical education so you can know what hell you're talking about.

Originally Posted by ozzystylez

Anyway, I can see that I have upset you and that the only way to stop you from hating me is to revise my entire opinion, not just of Prince but of everything I thought I understood. With that in mind, and to keep our relationship pleasant, I revise my review to state that 20Ten is certainly the best album released on the front of a paper this year.

Why would I hate you? It's not personal, so don't take it that way. I hate your writing style, review style, and lack of music knowledge/understanding about what you're writing about.

Now get to work on that mountain of CDs so I can read more of your beautifully constructed, deep reviews.

Wait... Color Me Badd revolutionized the music charts with "I Wanna Sex You Up?" Every time I read this review I find something else to laugh at. What planet is ozzystylez from?

Originally Posted by neogeo24bit

I can't wait to read some of your other reviews. Let me know when you get through that "mountain" of CDs. There's nothing better than reading reviews from someone with no music knowledge who responds with their entire life story after someone criticizes their horrible review of a legendary artist they don't understand.

Your life story was lacking in depth. It was also badly produced. When you mentioned cardiac arrest I had to shut down your life story and shake my head.

You keep stating over and over that you're 29. If you're 29, then learn how to write. You may be writing for the tweens here, but come on. Read some professional reviews. Take a community college course. Do anything to improve your horrible writing. And get a background in musical education so you can know what hell you're talking about.

Why would I hate you? It's not personal, so don't take it that way. I hate your writing style, review style, and lack of music knowledge/understanding about what you're writing about.

Now get to work on that mountain of CDs so I can read more of your beautifully constructed, deep reviews.

Wait... Color Me Badd revolutionized the music charts with "I Wanna Sex You Up?" Every time I read this review I find something else to laugh at. What planet is ozzystylez from?

Congratulations, you are our one hundred thousandth* poster!!!! You win a deluxe edition, bumper copy of this week's Sunday Mirror (sadly sans CD - boo!) which is basically The Sunday Mirror with The Sunday Telegraph slipped inside but it should make for an entertaining read!

I'm glad we're finally coming to an understanding; I thought we got off on the wrong foot but finally you're laughing at the jokes in my review so it would seem as though you are not completely without humour. I wonder if you might stop using the smileys though as, firstly, a man of your superior writing ability shouldn't have to resort to them, and secondly, I can't help but imagine your face as one huge, round, nose-less yellow acid nightmare.

You must give me the name of the English course you graduated from. Mine was only Birmingham University here in England** but I'm sure that the Al-Qaida School of Torture, Hate, Greed and Good Punctuation could no doubt teach me a thing or two that the scholars and sensei I studied under must have missed out.

I can't tell you how excited I am to have an audience waiting with baited breath for my next review! After five years in the business of writing professionally about and knowing about music from many different artistes I don't think that anything I have written has generated so much enthusiasm as my dismissal of Prince's latest offering. But you don't have to wait for a new review, there are literally hundreds of them knocking about, not just here at TMC but also here. I also wrote the CD inserts on the reissues of Miles Davis' Bith of the Cool, John Coltrane's Blue Train, a compilation made up of Johnny Cash's first two records and a handful of easy listening greats.

You are right to point out that I don't have a broad knowledge of Prince but I do own a couple of his earlier works and even like a couple of them! I even made the winning bid in 1997 for his bottom rib when they auctioned it at Sotheby’s but I sold it on to a collector because I mistakenly thought that Prince had died and it would be worth more. I will, however, make an effort to familiarise myself with the rest of his output, I think my local charity shop has most of them in stock.

As far as my recommendations to you go, have you tried listening to hip-hop? Oh, no wait, you dismissed the entire genre of hip-hop in an earlier post didn't you? I guess Prince's rapping on this record caused you a couple of uncomfortable moments! Maybe you should try Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Talking Heads, Portishead, all of whom I am a big fan of. From this year you might like The Tallest Man On Earth, Gonjasufi or Local Natives. Also, have you heard of The Beatles? You should try them, everybody I recommend them to seems to like them.

Anyway Neo, it was lovely to hear from you again, I hope you had a great day and continue having great days. Friday is coming, we can party like it's, like, the turn of the last century or something... Let's Go Crazy!.. at the weekend, and then settle down and get back to work on Monday.

*that's 100,000 in numbers!!
**we invented English don't you know! That's where we got the name of our country from!!

Hostile? How exactly is Prince hostile? Hostile to who... the record industry's way of doing things, or your beloved internet? LOL! And since when does Prince have no depth? How many of his 33 albums have you listened to? What "bands" or "artists" that you listen to have "depth"? Tell me who to listen to.

I guess if you want to use "internet" as an umbrella term for his fans, then yes... the internet. I'm not aware of any other artists who take legal action against fan sites like Prince has. Also, I'm not sure when Prince stopped having depth. It was probably around the time he decided that paying attention to how awesome he think he is was more important that just making good music.

And for reference, I've actually heard damn near all of them. I don't like much after Sign O' The Times, though since they started sounding... restrained, to my ears at least. A problem that I think it present on this album.

People losing their homes is not topical? You obviously don't even understand the meaning of the song. And that's just one song... how about "Lavaux"? Do you think that song says nothing insightful? Give me an example of an artist or song that is so "topical" or "insightful"?

I may have been vague in my use of topical. I think topical is something that is very delicate to play with, but usually comes across as either showboating or bandwaggoning. I think Prince is guilty of the latter. People in hardship is nothing new. There's this little genre called blues (you may have heard of it?) that has been saying everything this song says... for at least as long as Prince has been alive. I mean really, there are innumerable poor people singing about being poor who do it, have done it, and will continue to do it better than Prince. I mean, lines like "Freedom ain't free"? Really? And that's supposed to be the sticking point of that song? Prince's song, while it may discuss an actual issue, does not discuss it in any way that offers any further insight into the PEOPLE or the PROBLEM beside "oh hey, btw? there are people on hard times right now. That kind of sucks, right?"

Wait... how can you listen to even the first three tracks of 20ten and think the album has no energy? To me, this album is full of energy, skilled musicianship, fantastic production, and has that retro old school Linn Drum sound that many Prince fans want to hear again. Not all of Prince's albums have the retro feel of 20ten. Listen to Lotusflow3r (disc 3), Planet Earth, or 3121 for some of his different styles.

I'm not saying Prince is a poor musician. The man undoubtedly knows his way around a guitar, among other things.

But fine, let's take "Compassion". It's sort of upbeat, it's even sort of catchy in a way that, like you say, is similar to classic Prince. However, the guitar lines in here that would have screamed on an early album just sort of whimpers her. The synths and ProTools-horns also just sort of say hi. They don't really grab your attention. I mean, even the back up chorus seems nonchalant in their delivery. It's not a matter of the melodies themselves being boring, but there is such a striking lack of intensity in their delivery. To me that makes it sound sterile. That combined with the awful mixing... yeah. Nothing grabs your attention. All the elements just showed up to mingle, but none of them are ever the life of the party. Not even Prince.

You don't even have the depth of understanding to even know what Prince was talking about with that statement. The internet is dead for musicians as a distribution medium. iTunes takes the majority of the profits. Record companies have never known how to handle the internet. The days of artists getting paid well for their work by distributing on the net ARE over. As a promotion tool and to inform people about your work, sure, the internet is "alive". I'm sure you love those terrible bands that friend you on "MySpace music" but come on...

And you don't have the depth of understanding to recognize banal lyrics when they're thrown at your face, so I guess we're even, right?

But yeah, major labels really have no clue how to handle the internet. Apple beat them WAY to the punch on that, despite the fact that digital distribution was obviously standing right in front of them for years. However, the record labels themselves exist for the same reason: they were able to recognize a gap in the market demand and fill it.

Wait... so you're saying that because you don't find an album interesting, it's okay for a reviewer to spend half the album review talking about things irrelevant to the music? But I'm curious... what are Prince's idiotic decisions? To get paid upfront for his music and find a distribution method to get over 2.5 million copies of his album out without dealing with record companies (evil), radio (corporate controlled and evil), MTV(just plain stupid), or some corporate shills? Lets bash Prince for finding new ways for artists to be successful!

Um.... and publishing companies are any less guilty of this how? Was Prince savvy in this deal? Duh, yes. He got paid, which is really all he seems to care about at this point. However, the way he did it isn't reputable in any way. His album was distributed in what basically amounts to a tabloid. His legacy has now dwindled from "fucking badass on stage and recording no way around it" to "sort of ok musician who is still making music and just getting it out there... right?"

Prince's idiotic decisions, to be general, were to dissuade any grass-roots attempts at honoring him and to avoid any means of really connecting with his fans. People still love Prince because of what he was, and he will always live in the shadow of that. His idiocy was in not embracing that even throughout his various genre-hops. Instead he has always been very, "No, fuck you guys. This is me NOW and that's what I want to give you so that's what I am going to give you. I'm not so much concerned about really giving you what you want since I'm going to find a way to say I was successful in it either way."

BASICALLY I think Prince has become a hollow man walking around in the shell of a once-great artist.

And who says this album is not interesting? As usual, with any true work of art, people either love it or hate it. Tony Parsons, a well respected writer and music journalist gave the album a high score, saying it was Prince's best since Sign o' the Times. Many others believe the album is brilliant as well. Others hate it. That's true art, baby. Price is a true artist and his work polarizes people.

Ok, but really... saying it's his best since Sign O' The Times isn't really saying much since he's released so much boring drivel between then and now. He's had his MOMENTS, just like anyone that prolific has, but overall? He has become unfocused... and seems to just sort of doodle around for a bit and then call it an album. And what I find funny, though, is that virtually everybody agrees that his work up to Sign O' The Times is excellent, and then it falls off. So basically, since there really isn't much of a polarization there, I guess you would say that Prince built his career on NOT being an artist? Cause after Sign O' The Times, reviews were basically split into two groups: 1) "I like to think Prince is a badass because he once was, so I'm going to praise him sort of going out on a limb to do what he wants on this... album?" and 2) "God I remember when Prince was awesome... what happened?"

One more thing before I close the book on your a$$. As far as the "independent" discussion goes... if it weren't for Prince making a huge stink about wanting his freedom in the early 90's (do some research), artists would not have been so knowledgeable or vocal about music independence, owning their master recordings, getting screwed by record contracts, etc. Bands like NIN, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, owe a lot to Prince for the sacrifice he made during that time period when he faced ridicule for confronting the record industry. Don't believe me? Ask those bands yourself. Or, do some research yourself.

Prince did the same thing a lot of artists did before, simultaneously, and after him: he signed a shitty contract without paying that much attention and then fought his way out of it when he realized it was stupid. Yeah, give him credit for doing that... but he didn't really originate the idea. Plenty of artists have negotiated deals to have control over their masters and distribution. Prince just got face time for it since his was a big public THING, whereas other artists were savvy enough to get that set up right out of the gate. Prince wasn't a trailblazer, by any means, in that respect. kthx Kate Bush and Nancy Sinatra and even freaking Aerosmith, among others, were able to negotiate full or at least majority ownership of their masters early in their careers.


And let's not get into ACTUAL independent artists...



And you keep asking me to list some artists who a) aren't boring, and b) whose lyrics have more depth to them?

So to go with something "topical" I guess I could go with The Knife's "Like A Pen" for being about eating disorders? And oh, it manages to say more than "man, people have eating disorders...." It actually gives you some insight into the issue, not just point it out. Orrrrrrr I mean for a similar vain you can listen to Ted Leo's "Me and Mia"? And I hardly pay attention to lyrics, so for me to notice how bad some of Prince's lyrics are is remarkable in itself. It doesn't change the fact that they suck, though.

It sounds like you're a very passionate writer neogeo24bit. While Ozzy's reviews do tend to (informed and intelligently) express and explore more personal realms as to what's relatable to him in his connection with music than a track-by-track strategy guide on how an album technically reads, it doesn't make them any less intriguing or right or wrong to have displayed on a website. You can find the type of reviews every other site or magazine has at, well, everywhere else. I personally like the exploratory and personal editorial style. It's entertaining and, contrary to your opinion, thought-provoking. Provocative enough to get your response at least, which means it has served its purpose. Nobody here gets paid for their output, so there's no necessity for us to meet certain standards, expectations, or whatever else. If you enjoy the style, excellent, if not, you'll know that it's not your thing and not to read his reviews. Everyone does have different styles here. His is "ozzystylez"!

It sounds like you have an epic boner for Prince and that's fantastic. I can get into uber-fanboy jerk-off nerd-outs about some of my favorite bands too and I've come across reviews and opinions from people that hate them for reasons which I completely disagree. I think it's amazing that people are so invigorated and pumped about music whether I personally love it or hate it though and it's good to respect the people who want to properly debate and discuss and be enlightened or offer their knowledge and to ignore the trolls. It's fair to respectfully disagree and debate and you do have many valid points, but I don't care to reflect on anything else since you are the one that came out swinging like a (quoted for reference point and not something I'd normally use) "14 year old."

I understand you might have been offended by the review and perhaps your response caused others to be negative, sarcastic, and hostile in the same manner in return, but that's not classy and, unfortunately, it knocked down your credibility points, as it would anyone with that approach, significantly from the start even with all the valid thoughts and criticisms. I hope you'll keep visiting and giving your thoughts on other reviews or perhaps write one yourself if you're so inspired, but I also hope you'll give consideration to having a more friendly tone next time. Without the personal attacks, I may have been convinced to give 20Ten a spin.

Personally I'd prefer to write like an uneducated 14 year old as opposed to a misinformed adult. At least then I have an excuse for the stupid things I say.

for one, brief shining moment, some guy name after computer terms turned this page into an old-fashioned, AP.net style EPIC THROWDOWN. it was like a New Found Glory review with an androgynous man-child who likes to fallate himself and sing about other people's problems as if he has any sort of glancing experience with them himself.

thank you Rock for basically outlining exactly what I would've said. I miss the days when I was a bleary eyed 14 year old, listening to what might be casually called a TINY MUSIC CATALOG.

and, even then, I knew... PRINCE STILL SUCKED. his music has been bland, soulless and profiteering for years, as if the only purpose to creating his music has been to cash the fat checks he is more than likely getting.

again, this is an outsiders point of view, as my first cursory glance through 20Ten made me want to gag so much I probably can't make it through another go round.

in short: ROCKHARD MACDANIEL, preaching the word.

and, for my opinion on this record... i'll say this: 20Ten is like Red Absynthe. It really blows this first time you drink it, and you'll probably vomit afterword. But the only reason to drink again is to be one of those few contrarian shmucks who pretends to enjoy it to seem original/unique/worth talking to.

i'm out.

Our first troll! Son of a bitch, I wish I would have read this earlier.

In any case, I don't care about Prince, and am glad to see him twisting in the wind after SUING HIS GODDAMNED FANS. Did he learn NOTHING from the Metallica / Napster fall out? There's better ways to go after fans (such as having a third party sue the fans as to distance one's self from the nastiness) than fucking suing them.

Also, resorting to personal insults to get a point across rarely, if ever, gets a return of respect from the writer. Ozzy didn't even have to give the bleeding heart story (see what I did there?) to justify why he wrote what he wrote - it's an opinion. As long as he's not stating his opinion as a fact - and he's not, given that this is an editorial critique and has never claimed to be anything other than that - he doesn't have to justify it. I disagree with his take on the Dillinger Escape Plan, but I don't have to resort to cheap shots that have nothing to do with the topic at hand to get my point across.

Saying "You just don't get it" is not a viable defense unless you can prove that what you are positing is exactly what the artist had in mind when writing such material. Short of having Prince come on this board and say NeoGeo was right, there will be no definitive answer. All art is completely subjective - the music as well as Ozzy's writing - and should never be treated as anything else. We come here to touch upon and discuss these differences in opinion because we have a vested interest in the topics at hand and can respect differing ideas like adults. If you're a Prince fan (which you clearly are), I fail to see how trying to convince Ozzy that he was wrong will change anything. It will not change your opinion on Prince and I'm fairly certain the Ozzman has stayed fast in his disdain of the Purple One. Hell, the only thing you're proving is that Prince fans are INCREDIBLY defensive of his new album, leading one to think that there's a reason they're defensive. Great pieces of art don't need defense, they speak for themselves.

Based on these incoherent, baseless ramblings, I will never, ever listen to Prince ever again.

I look forward to arguing with you again.

Our first troll! Son of a bitch, I wish I would have read this earlier.

In any case, I don't care about Prince, and am glad to see him twisting in the wind after SUING HIS GODDAMNED FANS. Did he learn NOTHING from the Metallica / Napster fall out? There's better ways to go after fans (such as having a third party sue the fans as to distance one's self from the nastiness) than fucking suing them.

Also, resorting to personal insults to get a point across rarely, if ever, gets a return of respect from the writer. Ozzy didn't even have to give the bleeding heart story (see what I did there?) to justify why he wrote what he wrote - it's an opinion. As long as he's not stating his opinion as a fact - and he's not, given that this is an editorial critique and has never claimed to be anything other than that - he doesn't have to justify it. I disagree with his take on the Dillinger Escape Plan, but I don't have to resort to cheap shots that have nothing to do with the topic at hand to get my point across.

Saying "You just don't get it" is not a viable defense unless you can prove that what you are positing is exactly what the artist had in mind when writing such material. Short of having Prince come on this board and say NeoGeo was right, there will be no definitive answer. All art is completely subjective - the music as well as Ozzy's writing - and should never be treated as anything else. We come here to touch upon and discuss these differences in opinion because we have a vested interest in the topics at hand and can respect differing ideas like adults. If you're a Prince fan (which you clearly are), I fail to see how trying to convince Ozzy that he was wrong will change anything. It will not change your opinion on Prince and I'm fairly certain the Ozzman has stayed fast in his disdain of the Purple One. Hell, the only thing you're proving is that Prince fans are INCREDIBLY defensive of his new album, leading one to think that there's a reason they're defensive. Great pieces of art don't need defense, they speak for themselves.

Based on these incoherent, baseless ramblings, I will never, ever listen to Prince ever again.

I look forward to arguing with you again.

Originally Posted by Rock

Personally I'd prefer to write like an uneducated 14 year old as opposed to a misinformed adult. At least then I have an excuse for the stupid things I say.

Misinformed? How so? You dispute my facts? Which ones? Choose something and dispute it with evidence or facts.

Since you have a problem following in depth discussions, I'll go back to my original point... the 20ten review was terrible because the reviewer spent half of the review bashing Prince for the distribution method of the record and his statements about the internet. When he finally gets to the "music" review, all he can do is pick a few lyrics to bash, then compare Prince and his fans to Michael Jackson and his fans. Can a music review or writer be any more pathetic than that?

Originally Posted by Tyler

for one, brief shining moment, some guy name after computer terms turned this page into an old-fashioned, AP.net style EPIC THROWDOWN. it was like a New Found Glory review with an androgynous man-child who likes to fallate himself and sing about other people's problems as if he has any sort of glancing experience with them himself.

thank you Rock for basically outlining exactly what I would've said. I miss the days when I was a bleary eyed 14 year old, listening to what might be casually called a TINY MUSIC CATALOG.

and, even then, I knew... PRINCE STILL SUCKED. his music has been bland, soulless and profiteering for years, as if the only purpose to creating his music has been to cash the fat checks he is more than likely getting.

again, this is an outsiders point of view, as my first cursory glance through 20Ten made me want to gag so much I probably can't make it through another go round.

in short: ROCKHARD MACDANIEL, preaching the word.

and, for my opinion on this record... i'll say this: 20Ten is like Red Absynthe. It really blows this first time you drink it, and you'll probably vomit afterword. But the only reason to drink again is to be one of those few contrarian shmucks who pretends to enjoy it to seem original/unique/worth talking to.

i'm out.

You sound like a guy reviewing Prince from the point of view of an American Idol viewer or mainstream "Top 40" listener. You can't be that pathetic... if I judged from your user photo, I'd say you probably are. But anyway...

Why would you make the assumption that I listen to a "tiny music catalog" because I'm a fan of Prince's music? Don't you realize he's one of the greatest musicians of our time, in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has produced, arranged, composed and performed 33 albums since 1978? All of your favorite artists and bands love Prince, so you're basically telling me that the artists you love and listen to don't know what they're talking about?

Originally Posted by Rock

Um.... and publishing companies are any less guilty of this how? Was Prince savvy in this deal? Duh, yes. He got paid, which is really all he seems to care about at this point. However, the way he did it isn't reputable in any way. His album was distributed in what basically amounts to a tabloid. His legacy has now dwindled from "fucking badass on stage and recording no way around it" to "sort of ok musician who is still making music and just getting it out there... right?"

Wait... an independent artist finding a way to release 2.5 million copies of his album without dealing with record companies, radio stations, itunes, lame video stations, while owning his master recordings, selling out every concert he plays, and getting paid a huge sum of money isn't reputable in any way? You can't be serious, because that's every artist's dream. Every single one.

Originally Posted by Rock

Ok, but really... saying it's his best since Sign O' The Times isn't really saying much since he's released so much boring drivel between then and now.

That's the mainstream point of view on Prince, but the truth is that just about every album up to the time he wanted to be freed from his recording contract [1993] had many great reviews... Lovesexy is seen as a classic by many music lovers. Graffiti Bridge was rated 4 stars upon release in Rolling Stone. Diamonds and Pearls and Love Symbol (1991/1992 respectively) had 3 and 4 star reviews in every major music publication, sold double platinum/platinum status and had many top ten hits. Even the Batman soundtrack got great reviews and had a #1 smash hit. That kind of critical and commercial success is "drivel?" Every artist would love to have those failures!

Originally Posted by Rock

He's had his MOMENTS, just like anyone that prolific has, but overall? He has become unfocused... and seems to just sort of doodle around for a bit and then call it an album. And what I find funny, though, is that virtually everybody agrees that his work up to Sign O' The Times is excellent, and then it falls off. So basically, since there really isn't much of a polarization there, I guess you would say that Prince built his career on NOT being an artist? Cause after Sign O' The Times, reviews were basically split into two groups: 1) "I like to think Prince is a badass because he once was, so I'm going to praise him sort of going out on a limb to do what he wants on this... album?" and 2) "God I remember when Prince was awesome... what happened?"

Again, that's the mainstream point of view, but many reviewers loved many of those "post SOTT" albums and many of those albums also sold millions and had top ten hits. See above.

Originally Posted by Rock

Prince did the same thing a lot of artists did before, simultaneously, and after him: he signed a shitty contract without paying that much attention and then fought his way out of it when he realized it was stupid. Yeah, give him credit for doing that... but he didn't really originate the idea. Plenty of artists have negotiated deals to have control over their masters and distribution. Prince just got face time for it since his was a big public THING, whereas other artists were savvy enough to get that set up right out of the gate.

You're crazy. Prince's huge public dispute changed the way artists and record companies dealt with each other and was HIGHLY influential to other artists. Many started reading their contracts closely, insisting on owning their master records, and may still decided to leave major labels for good. Prince took it further than anyone before and paid the price, but also reaped the rewards all these years later. Artists owe a great debt to Prince and he has much respect because of it all.

Billy Corgan talked about it a little last year when he was on The Hour, a Canadian show. When the evils of the "reputable" record industry...

"Remember Prince in the mid 90s, he tried to be independent? I mean, they (the record companies) destroyed him. He had to go back into the system. And it's Prince; one of the greatest artists of the 20th century."

Originally Posted by Rock

So to go with something "topical" I guess I could go with The Knife's "Like A Pen" for being about eating disorders? And oh, it manages to say more than "man, people have eating disorders...." It actually gives you some insight into the issue, not just point it out. Orrrrrrr I mean for a similar vain you can listen to Ted Leo's "Me and Mia"? And I hardly pay attention to lyrics, so for me to notice how bad some of Prince's lyrics are is remarkable in itself. It doesn't change the fact that they suck, though.

Now you're just beyond silly. You should start writing reviews for this site.

Originally Posted by Danny Perkins

It sounds like you're a very passionate writer neogeo24bit. While Ozzy's reviews do tend to (informed and intelligently) express and explore more personal realms as to what's relatable to him in his connection with music than a track-by-track strategy guide on how an album technically reads, it doesn't make them any less intriguing or right or wrong to have displayed on a website. You can find the type of reviews every other site or magazine has at, well, everywhere else. I personally like the exploratory and personal editorial style. It's entertaining and, contrary to your opinion, thought-provoking. Provocative enough to get your response at least, which means it has served its purpose. Nobody here gets paid for their output, so there's no necessity for us to meet certain standards, expectations, or whatever else. If you enjoy the style, excellent, if not, you'll know that it's not your thing and not to read his reviews. Everyone does have different styles here. His is "ozzystylez"!

It sounds like you have an epic boner for Prince and that's fantastic. I can get into uber-fanboy jerk-off nerd-outs about some of my favorite bands too and I've come across reviews and opinions from people that hate them for reasons which I completely disagree. I think it's amazing that people are so invigorated and pumped about music whether I personally love it or hate it though and it's good to respect the people who want to properly debate and discuss and be enlightened or offer their knowledge and to ignore the trolls. It's fair to respectfully disagree and debate and you do have many valid points, but I don't care to reflect on anything else since you are the one that came out swinging like a (quoted for reference point and not something I'd normally use) "14 year old."

I understand you might have been offended by the review and perhaps your response caused others to be negative, sarcastic, and hostile in the same manner in return, but that's not classy and, unfortunately, it knocked down your credibility points, as it would anyone with that approach, significantly from the start even with all the valid thoughts and criticisms. I hope you'll keep visiting and giving your thoughts on other reviews or perhaps write one yourself if you're so inspired, but I also hope you'll give consideration to having a more friendly tone next time. Without the personal attacks, I may have been convinced to give 20Ten a spin.

So wait... you're the administrator of a site about music, and only consider giving the new album by one of the greatest musicians of our time a spin, only to not want to because of a post on your forum? I love this site more and more. You guys should write for Rolling Stone.

"Prince sucks! I know what good music is!"

Originally Posted by henry_ze_4th

Damn. I'm disappointed I missed the troll, too. (edit: apparently I was wrong..)

Much as Danny pointed out, I too have had my moments of talking about deiti- I mean musicians - in a way that may have blindsided me as to what their music was saying. Is it relevant? Have I just been falling for an image rather than ingenuity? The truth of the matter was, from time to time, a resounding "yes." As much as I tried to believe, Björk's Volta was a lazy manifestation of past records. When your favorite artists flop it's terribly hard to admit it or point blank you don't.

I aplogize if this was said already, but for the sake of repeating if it's the case: Tony Parsons, the referenced "postive" review, is a writer for the Daily Mirror, the same publication that issued 20Ten. Rolling Stone was the only other positive review I came across, but that was met with a resounding laugh. British press will take any opportunity to hype something reputable, especially someone like Prince.

That is true, the review appeared in The Daily Mirror. But considering Tony Parsons career, do you really doubt his opinion? He's one of the most respected music reviewers and book writers ever.

Maybe this guy knows more about quality music.

Damn. I'm disappointed I missed the troll, too. (edit: apparently I was wrong..)

Much as Danny pointed out, I too have had my moments of talking about deiti- I mean musicians - in a way that may have blindsided me as to what their music was saying. Is it relevant? Have I just been falling for an image rather than ingenuity? The truth of the matter was, from time to time, a resounding "yes." As much as I tried to believe, Björk's Volta was a lazy manifestation of past records. When your favorite artists flop it's terribly hard to admit it or point blank you don't.

I aplogize if this was said already, but for the sake of repeating if it's the case: Tony Parsons, the referenced "postive" review, is a writer for the Daily Mirror, the same publication that issued 20Ten. Rolling Stone was the only other positive review I came across, but that was met with a resounding laugh. British press will take any opportunity to hype something reputable, especially someone like Prince.