Discord in fandoms is exhausting

Before I start, two things:

I realize that by criticizing the criticizers that I’m not only a hypocrite but I’m only adding to the toxicity I’m calling out
We really need to stop lumping people into a category because you disagree with them. Because their opinion might be more complicated than simply hating on something for no reason

And honestly both of these apply to more than just music. And I do blame social media and the internet for fostering this environment. But I think that’s really what’s wrong with the world today- assuming all people who have an opinion you don’t agree with are the same.

Anyway the majority of this post is about Swifties.
But as a Prince fan, I gotta do a sidebar for him.

I’m no stranger to discord within the Prince community. It’s ultimately why I left the fan boards after several years because everything got too toxic.
And this was BEFORE his untimely passing. I’d hate to see what it’s like now.

But since 2016, there’s been constant criticism about his legacy and his music is being handled by the people in charge. The majority is what’s being released from the vault and what isn’t. A lot of “we want more music- no, not that music!” bitching and moaning.

What happened with “United States of division” last week was just another piece of that. But it’s the first time since purple rain deluxe that I was underwhelmed or at least critical of a release.
Admittedly a lot of my frustration is my own fault. After experiencing how Taylor swift handles her releases, maybe I just assumed that Prince’s people finally got it together and all of this recent musicology hype lately was leading to something huge.
Except it didn’t… we got ONE song.
I’m not saying I’ve lost faith into these people but it certainly took a hit in that moment.

Some other stuff that need to be clarified-
Unlike most of the complainers, I didn’t have this song. I’ve never heard it before and it’s cool.
However, it’s not something I’ll listen to on repeat. The music was super groovy but the whole “make love not war” thing is played out. But I suppose it’s better than a full blown political rant like “Avalanche” was
My biggest pet peeve with the people running things continues to be the fact they’re not even the first ones to break the news

Taking the pet peeve further, that’s probably what frustrated me most about this announcement. The same people mishandled the D&P deluxe announcement. Speculation had been running rampant and they finally decided to admit they were doing exactly that.
Why even have a marketing department (or is that a PR thing?) if they can’t control what news comes out? Fans can speculate all they want but when an official announcement comes out after others less official have already come out… someone isn’t doing their job.

Meanwhile, Taylor has supreme control, not just over her music (cuz she owns her own creations) but the news that comes out about her releases.
So why can’t the Prince team be like that? Is it because it’s too many people or are there rats that leak the news before the majority of them are ready to come forward?
Either way, this needs to stop. Don’t be the last ones to confirm what everyone already knows.

Like many others, I heard about this song’s release a day before the announcement. So, forgive me for being an optimist, but I thought the big announcement they wasted a graphic on was in ADDITION to that one song.

And in all honesty, yes. I’d be cool with a musicology re release with new material. I’d buy it as soon as it was on sale, most likely. But it’s not at the top of my priority list.
I’m still waiting for Parade simply for the vault- songs of legend I’d only heard by name but not the songs themselves. And of course a full blown come and gold set with every alternate version of the album tracks.
Everything else is optional, lol
But knowing myself I’ll probably buy everything that comes out until these albums do… just out of paranoia of missing out but also, what if they don’t get what I want because they didn’t profit from what they did release…
It’s one big mind game. And yes I’m grateful for any new music.

It was just a little disconcerting to see people complain about the complainers and say “these people find fault in all the releases.”
To which I say- don’t compare us. I’m allowed to be mad about not getting what I wanted out of this. My reasons, while a bit selfish, are still valid reasons. It isn’t as if I’ve given up on things. Only thing is- going forward, I’ll be less likely to get excited for anything until they officially confirm it. I.E. less speculation- which is fine cuz it’s easier to wait for these things anyway.

And in typical “me” fashion- I say I’m gonna talk about something else briefly and it winds up not being brief.
But I’m sure I have more than enough Swiftie pet peeves to make up the difference.

In all fairness, I think the source of annoyance is all generated by a single Twitter account.
I’m super grateful it has a filter for “following” vs just “recommended” posts. I’d lose my mind otherwise.
In those times I do get curious, I’m usually rewarded with frustration and stuff that annoys me.

I may have gone on a rant about this before but the Swiftie community got stupid complicated after Taylor released Folklore and started her “Taylor’s version” journey. And if it wasn’t, maybe I’m just more aware of these complexities than I used to be.

In general I think criticism is fine as long as it’s constructive. That notes can be taken and you’ll learn from them and get better at whatever it entails.
And it genuinely is ok to not like something if it doesn’t work for you. It’s not as if you’re a bad fan of someone if you have album tracks you skip.

With very few exceptions, it’s safe to assume that everybody skips at least one song they don’t like by their favorite artist or musician.
And those who don’t- cool. You’re probably better off than the rest of us anyway.

To narrow things down a bit, these are the criticisms I’m addressing. People feeling ick from other fans because they

Don’t automatically love the Taylor’s versions over the originals
Didn’t like a certain song until they saw the eras tour performance
Praise folklore and evermore for being the so-called “breakthroughs” for her as a songwriter

I don’t know whether I should be more annoyed at the people making these comments or the people they criticize. Probably the former because it comes off as a toxic trait. Like they can’t help but attack people over opinions they disagree with. I just don’t think it’s ok to assume everyone who shares one opinion, does so for the same reason. And therefore they can all be criticized with a single sentence.

To speak for myself, I conduct myself as a Swiftie the same way I do as a Prince fan. I focus on forming my opinion first before checking on everyone else.
And with Taylor, I’ve arrived to all my conclusions on my own. And by pure coincidence, a lot of her fans share the same sentiment.
Case in point- all too well was my favorite Red track since the beginning. And I learned years later that it was a universal fan favorite AND Taylor’s personal favorite. The same coincidence can be said about her bridges. They’re my favorite parts and usually what makes me LOVE certain songs. I didn’t know until her recent acceptance speeches that it’s one of her favorite parts as a songwriter- cracking that code.

This segues into one of these bullet points.
I didn’t know vigilante was the least loved Midnights track. I just knew it was the one song I skip on that album regularly.
My dislike for it comes down to it just not being my thing. It’s a little close to hip hop for my liking and the story, good as it is, doesn’t interest me enough for additional revisits. But mainly, it doesn’t fit with the rest of the album for me so I skip it.
Seeing it done live in the Eras tour movie did make me like it more than I did- it was an unexpected inclusion that was really cool.

A lot of the midnights set for me was “I wouldn’t have picked that song but I really like what she did with it.”
The only ones I was really excited for were Karma and anti hero. I would’ve exchanged bejeweled, midnight run (which I skip time to time as well for the auto tune alone) or vigilante for snow on the beach but I did like the setup for those numbers.
If I get raked over the coals for not responding to “you’re on your own, kid” until the piano performance… fine, go ahead. It was sorta like a piece was missing for me until seeing her live interpretation.
Speaking for bridges, that’s a top tier one for me. It’s like going downhill really fast, trying to keep up with where she’s going and you don’t realize until you reach the end what she’s ultimately saying. Everything after “saw something they can’t take away” sneaks up on me every listen and I love that feeling. The one time not quite knowing all the lyrics actually enhances the experience.

This carries over to the whole “not realizing Taylor was a greater songwriter before folklore” comment…
But basically, you shouldn’t be so rude to people just because they’re late to the party. Or that they just realized something you’ve known longer than them. The proper response is to welcome them with open arms because they showed up. It’s not like they showed up late to a dinner party and everyone else is eating dessert… music is timeless so don’t put a time limit when it’s acceptable to appreciate it.

This sort of discord has been happening in the Prince community since 2016- seasoned fans being elitist towards the newbies. We need all the new fans we can get so it’s not doing any good to giving them attitude because they didn’t start when you did.
And believe me, I’ve told the story enough times how the attitude I got from experienced Prince fans early on almost halted my journey when it was just beginning.

Also, I was sorta under the impression it was music critics and non fans who “woke up” and realized Taylor was talented because of folklore.

Someday when I find the time, I’ll go back and decide which songs of hers were objectively the best written. I’ll probably find plenty of them that predate the quarantine era.
Speaking as a long haul fan, there was a learning curve for me with folklore and evermore. That’s not reprehensible either. It’s like how it takes some kids longer to learn how to read or tell time. And if you’re not helping others to understand what is giving them trouble, you’re part of the problem.
Oddly enough I’ve found this with a lot of things- but I find the things I work the hardest for, I have a greater appreciation and enjoyment of them. Case in point- albums by other artists that didn’t work for me at first, once they did, they became my favorites. Like it’s a reward for putting in all that work. Maybe I’m not there with evermore as a whole yet but that’s become my story with Coney Island. I didn’t get it at first but now that the message makes more sense, it’s becoming a favorite. Ultimately it’s a nice step in the right direction.

Which leaves the superiority complex the Taylor’s versions are getting opposed to the originals. A lot of the people with this issue tend to refer to the originals as “the stolen versions.” While this is true, the masters were upended by Scooter Braun buying big machine. But Taylor, correct if I’m wrong, never called them that. As far as I’m aware, she’s moved on and is perfectly fine with the new versions.
This rhetoric just bothers me a little because it creates an “us vs them” mentality. Meaning that if you’re not all in on every Taylor’s versions, you’re not a good fan.
For me, moving on hasn’t been easy and for some albums, I still haven’t fully embraced the Taylor’s versions over the originals. As someone who’s going through a similar journey with Prince posthumous albums… I still have conflicts. Not just having to buy albums I already bought again, but if I have any sort of attachment to the music, I can’t just move on and act like the originals don’t exist. That the memories I had with them didn’t happen and it’s not as if those memories can easily transferable. To me, they still feel like separate entities because I owned them at different times.

Having gone through this with Prince four times already, the only remaster that falls short is purple rain. I don’t get the same warm feelings as the original songs. And as I progress through the disc, I just keep getting hit with the hard fact he’s longer with us. Releasing it as quickly as they did after his death ruined it for a lot of people, including me.
Every other super deluxe, the album is sonically superior to the original. 1999 even felt like a brand new album. The other two, the sound is louder and clearer but I didn’t hear a huge difference otherwise.

The Taylor’s versions have gotten better with each one she’s put out. But it’s not without internal conflict.
Fearless and Red have a lot of personal memories attached to them, so moving on like the originals didn’t happen- next to impossible.
Fearless was all about high school innocence and it’s interesting looking back on it with an older perspective. There’s just one or two songs where I didn’t like her singing as much as the originals. “Tell me why” suited her younger voice a lot better. Whereas “you belong with me” benefited from a redo because it doesn’t have the sudden inhale in the bridge.
Red- I loved the new coat of paint in pretty much every instance except “stay stay stay.” Because the laugh at the end no longer has that fun spontaneity to it. It’s there cuz the original had it and I liked it better when it was a spur of the moment thing.

I’ll come back to both of these in another post eventually. But I really need to listen to the vault tracks more cus I still don’t know them, not even by name. The trouble with Red is that all too well overshadowed everything else. And Ronan is not something I wanna play all the time.

As for being a truly better version, speak now is it.
Something about its production never quite worked for me. Maybe it was just too country and I’m not a fan of that. Somehow it just became my favorite.
This goes for nearly every album but for the Taylor’s versions, I’m playing all the songs I used to skip. So maybe the fresh coat of paint was all I needed for them to click.
I skipped nothing on fearless except “you’re not sorry” the first few years. Red, I skipped “the last time” for being too sad and “beautiful tragic love affair” for meandering too much. Now, things have changed for the better.

Then speak now- I skipped “grow up” for being too sentimental and “innocent” for, I’m not quite sure. It just took the new version for me to understand it better. And maybe it being removed from the Kanye drama (I still don’t get how that was a response to that incident) made me respond to it more.

1989- it was among my least listened to albums but not for lack of connection or enjoyment. I just never found the right time and place where it’d be my go to album. All the others had a month or time of year or weather pattern I associated with them.
Several of the songs had a similar story arc where I either didn’t hear a difference or I really liked the differences I did find. Out of the woods is a good example of the latter.
There were two I skipped simply because they were sleepy ballads that didn’t excite me. Maybe it’s because the music reminds me a lot of the video game Stardew Valley in winter time, but I’ve come around on “You Are In Love” in a big way. And I think “This Love” started to hit me differently for its own reasons, but not quite sure what they were.

My only setback- which is enough where I’d put the original version in place of the new one in an iPod playlist- is New Romantics. And this is the moment I’d confront the fans who insist ALL Taylor’s versions outdo the originals and anyone who says otherwise is nitpicking differences between the two.
I might do a direct side by side comparison someday but not anytime soon.
But I don’t need to do that to recognize something is off about the new version.
This song is about the reckless abandon of camaraderie and the burst of energy when the chorus hits makes that a reality. The new version is missing that distinct oomph, that surge of adrenaline, and I miss it so much that the song is incomplete without it.
What I’m trying to say- you can’t put a price on how a song makes you feel and no one has the right to take that away from you.

This also connects to a recent thing Taylor has done leading up to her new album- she constructed playlists with her catalogue to demonstrate her 5 stages of grief.
I’d read comments here and there while I tried to find the playlists on Twitter and I can’t help but agree. I feel strange putting some of these songs in the categories she chose. Her breakup with Joe Alwyn has clearly changed a lot about how she looks back on them in retrospect. She is entitled to change her mind- they are her songs after all.
I just don’t know if I want to make that change with her. Putting Lover and Sweet Nothings together in the denial phase… I’m sorry, I can’t do that. I think Tolerate It was anger but it’s definitely bargaining or somewhere between those two.
Then again I shouldn’t be too surprised. She composed folklore and evermore playlists and I don’t think of those songs in that context at all. And I’d rather keep a lot of these songs where they are in my head instead of a more cynical context. And a lot of this feels steeped in cynicism.

Tortured poets has had a lot of hype. But also a lot of “soundalike” conversations. To the point all of her albums are being compared to the new music.
I’m just hoping it’s not similar to evermore- because at face value, it was a very cynical album with a lot of break up songs and not many lighthearted moments.

So to sum everything up… I will definitely be listening to Taylor later.
But seriously, you are what you love so let people love what they love without your interference.

What Prince and Taylor Swift have in common…

I’m not going to pretend this isn’t just some crazy fantasy— this idea of my two favorite people in music having some sort of crossover potential.
And if you want to write this as such, that’s perfectly fine.
But I kinda want to see where this goes so I’ll go down this rabbit hole until I run out of things to say.
I also want to preface- there’s a lot of crossover potential between Prince and a lot of other artists who endured similar trials or their music has taken on a life greater than their own. Anyone who wants to pursue that certainly can. Nor am I uniquely qualified to discuss this topic. If I’m the first or last person to connect these two names together, I’d be greatly surprised.

For starters, I wouldn’t have thought of ANY of this if not for two things

1- Taylor losing ownership of her master recording when Scooter Braun bought out her label, Big Machine Records. A move ultimately resulting in her re-recording her back catalog. As of this post, she has 2 “Taylor’s versions” left to finish- reputation and her debut self titled album

2- The Eras Tour
There was an article I read from the New York Times or some other major publication that went into great detail on this topic. How this tour exemplifies how Taylor’s music occupies its own universe, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, and how it’s just as relatable to her fans as it is to her.
(This is an oversimplification of that article, of course. And I’m sure it was about more than just this tour. I think it focused more on why Taylor has become the phenomenon she is now).

… and I suppose the 2020 lockdowns deserves to be #3 on this list
If it wasn’t for all that, Taylor wouldn’t have penned Folklore or Evermore. She has said in interviews how she couldn’t have sustained a career on her diarist style of songwriting forever. And lockdowns and quarantines created the environment that fostered these albums. The need to fantasize and escape as well as reflect on past and present realities.

The end result of this- Taylor not only attracted new fans, people who finally started taking her seriously as a songwriter, but she created her own world. And soon enough, she found a way for her other albums to carve out niches in that same space.

How does all of this connect back to Prince?
It’s best to take that one step at a time. Not just so it’s easier for outsiders to understand but my own brain (as is often the case with Prince) can only process this if I break it down into bite sized chunks.
Back when I got my start as a fan of his, each of his older albums felt like its own galaxy so I could only comprehend them if I spent individual time with each one.
It’s easy to argue Prince’s music is much more complicated so it takes more time to get to know his work. But really, the necessity of doing things this way comes down to one thing- I checked into Prince in 2007, so I had over 20 albums to track down and listen to.
…just in case anyone’s thinking “you didn’t have to listen to everything”… believe me, I didn’t plan on that. But the nook of the Prince fan community I was dialed into at the time had other plans. I had a short list of what I considered “essential” “must have” albums. Everyone else essentially thought I was crazy and ultimately made a liar out of me. Not that I’m sorry about it. I’d say of all the Prince albums I wound up procuring, there is only one I never would have gotten myself. And the only reason I have it at all was that a friend of mine threw it in with two other albums he tracked down for me.

Going back to Taylor, I experienced all of her albums in real time so the only catch up I’ve ever had to do is the vault tracks on her Taylor’s versions… it always seems like an uphill battle to get through all of those before the next one comes out. And I think I might finally have succeeded…
Although I might have to go back to fearless and red before tortured poets society comes out in April. (And yes I’ll call it that forever cuz I can’t shake the association with “poets” and “society”)
But considering the trajectory her career is on and how regularly she puts out music, it’s possible a fan could discover her a decade from now and have to play catch up like I did with Prince because they weren’t born yet.

Although, like I said, Taylor’s music isn’t as complex as Prince’s music so it’ll be a much easier journey. Except there isn’t an album yet where I could confidently say “skip that one”- until all of the Taylor’s versions are finished, then you could maybe skip the original versions of her first 6 albums.

Already, that’s one thing these two have in common- how prolific they are as songwriters.
It’d be foolish to do a side by side comparison cuz Prince would win every time. He had enough music in his vault for dozens of albums- they just never came out because he either got distracted by another project or his label restricted him to an album a year.
But the fact she released folklore and evermore mere months apart all while she was working on her new version of Fearless… how many artists nowadays have anything close to that? That’s a very Prince-like thing to do but on a more human scale. Opposed to his scale which could only be described as super human.

Now for the actual bullet points I set out to begin all this-

The argument about musical artists owning the rights to their work- Prince probably wasn’t the first person to speak out about it but he’s one of the biggest faces of this problem with the music industry.
For those who aren’t in the know, this dispute is the reason “the artist formerly known as Prince” became a thing and how his symbol became synonymous for him as a person.
Even as the hardcore fan I am, I’m not the most knowledgeable when it comes to the semantics of all this. But I know this much.
Warner Bros was a really good label for someone like Prince who wanted to produce his own work and they gave him a lot of freedom to do what he wanted. But they didn’t say “yes” to all of his whims. Like with sign o the times, that was originally a 3 disc album and they made him cut it down to two. Then with the symbol album, they argued with him over what the first single should be. Shortly after that, he signed a new contract, the largest of its kind. And he spent the rest of the decade trying to get out of it. The reasons behind that are a little more complicated than I have the mental capacity to go into. But part of it was an epiphany he had during negotiations. He didn’t like the fact someone else had control of when his music was released. Someone commented to him something along the lines of “so when can we expect your next album?” A rudimentary question. But it was a problem. The 90s had a lot of back and forth over whether he was ready to release music and the label wasn’t and vice versa. After the name change, he wanted a double release- one album of old “Prince” music and an album of his new music under the new unpronounceable name (ie the symbol). This never came to pass. By the time either of these albums came out, he’d already moved onto the next thing.
The bigger picture of all that- his career never fully recovered from that. Muhammad Ali was still considered the greatest after changing his name but Prince was written off by a lot of same people who’d sung his praises. And I suppose the changing landscape of the music industry and how radio rotation was now decided by corporations instead of the local DJs probably contributed too. But this created the gross misconception that Prince fell off or he wasn’t as good as he was. He was still making music but nobody who had a voice that mattered gave him the promotion he deserved. The kind he used to get back in the 80s.
One can only hope that his legacy will set a precedent about musical artists should strive for in their own careers. Like most geniuses, he was never truly appreciated in his time and I hope that changes.

What happened with Taylor and her masters… again, similar story but far less complicated.
Her masters became someone else’s property. I don’t know this story all that well either but I’m pretty sure she had the choice of buying them back at an obscene markup or she could record new versions she’d own the rights automatically.
Apparently not much about recording contracts have changed because in both cases, the rights of the music didn’t belong to their creators. Why this is- I don’t know and it’s grossly unfair. I could be wrong so don’t quote me, but no other media has this issue with it. Some book contracts probably do this also and that’s why pages on the internet are dedicated to “do not sell your book to these companies” lists. (I’ve never gotten published but I’ve done enough research on the subject that I’m at least aware there are sucky publishing companies out there).

The point where both of these people meet in the middle.
Both come from groups with a history of either being marginalized or having their rights taken away. Prince wrote “slave” on his face during his label dispute to help drive home the race part of the issue.
Taylor’s song “mad woman” touches on the dispute over her own masters from the female perspective. Essentially saying how there’s a double standard when women try to defend their rights.

And of course times like this, I can’t help but wonder what Prince would’ve made of all this if he was here to see it unfold. Would he have criticized her for realizing too late you need to own the rights to your work?
And where she’s at now, would he sing her praises of her songwriting or how she has control over her image?
If he wasn’t initially on board, I’d like to think he would’ve come around by now.
Would he cover any of her songs in concert or invite her to paisley park to jam? I can’t see it happening cuz they run in different circles but it’d be cool to think ‘what if’. He’s put himself on the line for a lot of female artists, helping them reach their fullest potential… but at this point, Taylor is, well, tailor made the way she wants to be so he could just as easily shrug and say “she doesn’t need my help. She knows what’s up”

I’m always going to secretly hope during some interview talking about artists’ rights that Taylor will mention Prince. I hope she’s at least remotely aware of what he went through in his time. And it’d be cool to daydream how Prince’s profile could be raised into the stratosphere because the biggest person in music right now came out saying he was a fan. Her rabid fan base would follow her lead and discover his music. My mind can’t even comprehend how astronomical an impact that would be. Although the cynic in me could see that not working because her fans decide his personal history with women is enough reason to not bother with him at all. And that’d be a huge shame.
Plenty of men in music had received criticism for how they’d conducted themselves in their personal lives but the only people I’m aware of whose legacies were tarnished by this are Eric Clapton and Phil Spector… and maybe John Mayer. Him and Taylor being linked together pretty much ruined his career. He’s still around doing stuff but you never hear about it.
John Lennon, I’ve heard rumors of him being abusive to his women, but he’s still considered one of the greatest artists music has ever had. Even if he was alive today, he’d still probably have a positive legacy behind him.

I’ve obviously gone off track. But just to address the second bullet point I listed, how Taylor used the eras tour to create her own wonderland to bring her fans every night.

Aside from him being a musical genius and modern day Mozart, Prince caught my attention because his music occupied a space I didn’t know even existed. It made my mind twist in different directions I never thought possible. So I took a deep dive into his music to experience more of that and I’d highly recommend it if you have the time.

I started listening to Taylor just because her songs were relatable to what I was going through in my own life. That’s the main thing I look for when it comes any singer or songwriter I invest in. And any time that person also writes their own songs and plays an instrument, even better.
By this point, Taylor has bridged that gap where she’s not just creating songs most typical people can relate to on a personal level, she’s creating fictional worlds and characters while doing so. That doesn’t sound like an easy feat but she does it so effortlessly. It’s literally insane. If you wanna go back even further, the Beatles did that whole “world within an album” concept with Sgt Pepper and, to a lesser degree, abbey road
Drawing parallels between Taylor and the Beatles is a discussion onto itself- but I’m not nearly as knowledgeable about them to pursue that any further than to say the potential is certainly there.

With all that said, I think I’d finally stretched this conversation as far as I can go.
My word might not mean much but take my word for it- more Taylor swift fans need to check into Prince’s music and his career and vice versa.

At face value, Taylor may pale next to a lot of what most people consider the greatest musical acts of all time. But the fact is that a lot of people with a lot of power are paying attention to her right now and there’s a big reason for that.
And I know for me personally, she’s one of my favorite people to listen to. Easily my top 3 and I listen to a LOT of different kinds of music.

Also, one last thing these two people have in common.
It wasn’t as well known when he was alive but Prince gave a lot of his money away to various charities, local and national. Taylor swift was recently certified as a billionaire and she gave a lot of her money away as well.
The one place where Taylor likely has Prince beat is, from what I’ve heard, she pays the people that work with her a lot better than he did. Part of his fallout with the Revolution did come down to money. But most of what his band mates did attain from their time working with him, those are the sorts of things money can’t buy so I suppose it all evens out.

Ok, I’ve gone on long enough.
Both of these people are amazing- go listen to them!

Prince and the songwriters hall of fame

I’d been writing blog posts on Prince since early 2007- over 15 years- and I think the fatigue is finally starting to set in.
I’m not sure how much I can add to this subject- Prince’s LONG overdue part of this exclusive club- his other fans haven’t already said. One article I read today, aside from errors such as misnaming the Diamonds & Pearls album, did a pretty good job on its own.
(https://americansongwriter.com/5-reasons-prince-is-overdue-induction-in-the-songwriters-hall-of-fame)
But I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t at least try to support this cause the only way I know how.

I don’t know or really care to know who else is in this hall of fame. There’s so much negativity out there, not just in music, about who is and isn’t worthy of accolades. I’ve done my fair share of that myself and I’m making an honest effort to stop.

But honestly- why has Prince been overlooked for so long? Aside from being controversial, a bit eccentric, he’s “the wrong color and plays guitar” (his words, not mine) there’s no excuse for this glaring oversight.

How many other people in music check all of these boxes?
* one-man band who can play every instrument, except for most brass instruments, brilliantly

*Record producer for himself and dozens of other artists in and out of his personal orbit

*An impressive vocal range from the lowest lows to the highest highs, sometimes all in the span of a single song

*His songs have launched the careers of just as many artists as well he helped get to the next level in their careers… not to mention the older artists he helped introduce to the next generations by writing or working with them

*The Minneapolis Sound, which used layers of synths in place of horns and drum machines in place of real drums, was a movement he helped bring into the public consciousness. (As much as I want to say it was all him, there were others that helped)

And this is just a few of those things he has going for him…

All I have left to add is a list of great songs he’d written for himself and others. As in “this is hall of fame level songwriting, why isn’t their author in the hall of fame itself?”

Some of his songs that became huge for other people:

* Nothing Compares 2 U (originally written for/performed by his protege band, The Family; made successful by Sinead O’Connor)
* Manic Monday (originally written for Apollonia 6, given to The Bangles who took it to #2 on the charts, just below “Kiss”)
* I Feel For You (album track, later became a comeback hit for Chaka Khan in 1984)

Then a bunch of his songs…
Any day of the week, I could list 10 different songs. That’s how deep his catalogue of songs is. And in true, well, me fashion, I’ll try to include more than just his 80’s stuff.

* 1999 (for its cultural signifance in a decade paranoid about the threat of nuclear winter during the cold war)

* Just as long as we’re together (from his debut album; he recorded a version of this one section at a time for Warner Bros. executives to prove why he should be allowed to produce his own albums– needless to say, they granted his wish)

* The Ballad of Dorothy Parker (for its cheeky storytelling, who doesn’t love a song with a good story?)

* Hello (B-Side to “Raspberry Beret”- really catchy pop song and the first time Prince really clapped back at his critics; inspired by him passing on “We are the world” and one too many incidents involving his bodyguards)

* Anna Stesia (he’d done a lot of great spiritual songs; this is my personal favorite)

* Don’t Play Me (nice acoustic track with bits of honesty sprinkled in, what’s not to love about that?)

* RockHardLover (evidence that even toward the end of his career, Prince could shred on guitar and compose a tastefully seductive narrative)

* Way Back Home (possibly his most personal song ever… the way it builds over time and leaves you with more questions than answers… all of his Art Official Age album is brilliant but this is one of those songs worth buying a whole album for)

*Money Don’t Matter 2night (Another time capsule type of song. Talking about the struggle of poverty and criticism aimed at the Gulf War in the early 90’s)

*The Most Beautiful Girl in the World (Prince’s first hit as an independent artist- he released it after changing his name, the start of his campaign to free himself from his WB contract… many Prince fans who grew up with this song would beg to differ because it was played to death on the radio… but it’s one of so many Prince songs that, if it was in the hands of a lesser known artist, it could have been their career defining moment. And if that career was defined as a one-hit-wonder act, this isn’t a bad song to be attached to)

…and in case you were paying attention, I managed to name 10 songs that did not include “Purple Rain.” None of them are even from that era. This isn’t me saying all of those songs- album cuts, B-Sides, vault tracks, etc.- aren’t brilliant. If anything, Prince should be in this hall of fame on the strength of that album alone.
But in all honesty, it wasn’t that difficult to pick out songs outside of that time in his career. After all, there are 30+ other albums to choose from. My choices for just this moment were from 10 different albums/eras.

Nothing left to say but this: Prince deserves to be in the songwriters hall of fame. Even if he was still here, he has nothing left to prove to anyone. He’d done more than enough in his career and his life to earn his place here.

The short term impact of posthumous Prince releases

This post was inspired by a tweet from Dr. Funkenberry. And i know myself well enough to know a single tweet can’t sum up my thoughts on it so here we are.

In essence he said how D&P sde fell out of the billboard 200 really quick and the issue is that catering just to hardcore fans isn’t enough to keep it there.
I mean, he’s absolutely right. I’m not going to disagree with that.
My question and the basic inspiration of this post is part of this much needed, important conversation.

First of all, can I just say this sort of ironic, since Prince himself seldom promoted his work for more than a few months before moving on to the next thing? Except for the really big tours, he was always looking ahead. That’s part of why the fallout with warners came from. A small part compared to other issues but it did contribute somewhat.

Second, since when has Prince’s fan base not been enough? Why do we need to recruit new fans for the sake of so-called success? Not saying we couldn’t use more- we do need to continue his legacy into later generations.
But if this fan base is a 3 million strong army (if Letitgo is taken as gospel), that should be enough, right?
And why do charts matter? They certainly don’t to me, not for AGES if they did at all. I’m riding the high with all the other Swifties with Taylor’s success in all the rankings but I’d be hard pressed to identify which song is at the top of the charts. As of today maybe “you’re losing me” cuz it’s new to streaming but that’s not where my personal focus is.
I doubt if Prince ever cared. As long as he got sufficient financial compensation for his hard work, he didn’t care to win awards and rankings didn’t matter to him.

And who’s to say that these releases didn’t make an impact? You don’t have to see it for it to be true. You just have to know which people to ask.

Devils advocate would ask- what if it’s less than 3 million now?
There’s a good chance several of the fans jumped ship over the last 7 years. Some passed away for reasons unrelated to all this- people grow old and die or get sick.
After his passing, some flat out refused to invest in any new music because of the people in charge. They’re good with their albums and vinyl and don’t need anything new. Or the old adage “Prince wouldn’t have wanted it”- meaning the vault to be opened. Even though he’d said several times how someone will open the vault after he’s no longer here and something to the effect of “it’s not my problem” or his place to say what’s done with its contents.
Then everyone else who left did so cuz they got sick of waiting for the music THEY wanted to hear. Or various distribution issues and those with cost, particularly overseas.

Then there’s the part of me scratching my head, asking “what more than they do to leave a lasting impact?”
They had the podcast to promote it. “Push” was in Monday night football promos. The contents and packaging was well done and had been getting better with each release.
Then there was the 20/20 feature for “welcome 2 America” and all the promo with that project. It was designed specifically to cater to a huge need at the time- talking about the black experience in America.
After all that, what’s left to do? It’s not like there’s any way to turn it into a tour. Not when the majority of fans (me included) don’t want holograms. Having exhibits and panels at paisley park are good but only a fraction of people can experience that in person.

I mean, I’m no expert in terms of promotion before and after the release of anything. Other than bombarding people with commercials until it creates the opposite effect of what was intended.
If we were to look beyond rankings and charts, which I tend to do, what can we do otherwise?

Right now I can think of 2 things.
They can livestream all those paisley park events so those of us who can’t attend can see them.
Or better yet, release the concerts from these packages to theaters. And if people want to see them again, give them the information to purchase the hard copy.
Then theres the whole “resurrect the NPG music club” option. I’d be all for it if the cost was reasonable and they could guarantee it won’t go anywhere for at least a couple years so you get your monies worth.
Other artists who are Prince fans themselves could also bring covers into their sets and preface it by hyping up why Prince is someone they should check out.

Those are just the options I can think of at the moment. I’m sure there’s many more.

I’ll end this by saying one thing for the future- I have a feeling that purple rain is going to make a huge comeback to theaters next year for the anniversary. And have it set the standard for everything that comes after. They somehow have to word the rest of the Prince eras in a way that encourages further exploration.
Again, don’t know how, but it’s something to keep in mind. Once the match is struck and the fire is hot, do all you can so that it doesn’t go out before its time. But do it in a way you don’t annoy people to death with over promotion and give the non purple rain material room to shine on its own.

Glam Slam 1992 show (D&P SDE)

This has to be a new record for me… seeing the token live concert off the SDE within the first month of owning it.

First off, this was a really fun show for one particular reason.
I didn’t really know what to expect. There were a few songs I did not expect to be part of the setlist and I’m always game for a surprise.

It’s also the first concert from these sets I didn’t see completely by myself.
Considering this was a blu-ray disc and I don’t have a personal Blu-Ray Player in the form of an advanced Playstation (I own a 2… still in great condition 20+ years later), this was something I couldn’t avoid. Unless I wanted to wait to have the entire house to myself for 2 hours and that sure wasn’t happening.

I’ve talked about this in the past, but the whole “wanting to keep Prince to myself” is for a couple of reasons. First of all, some of his stranger, sexier antics… I mean, I’ve seen all three 50 Shades of Grey movies with my mom so I should be beyond this shyness… but I don’t relish the notion of having to explain things or to be like “yeah… ok, so that happened”.
But another huge reason is when certain songs or sections of a show go on way too long. That’s possibly the more awkward scenario of the two.

To that point, this did unfortunately happen during this show.
Probably the worst part of it– I was already over “The Sacrifice of Victor” 2 minutes before my mom made the comment about it going too long and getting too repetitive. Like, ugh…
It was great having it in a show meant to promote Diamonds & Pearls and Symbol wouldn’t be out for another several months. And with The Steeles already in the set for “Willing & Able,” it was a fitting number to include. I read one comment from someone saying they didn’t fully appreciate that song until this performance. Great for them and I absolutely agree having the physical component adds a layer to this song that we hadn’t experienced. I looked it up… according to the CD audio, this number is 10 minutes long. Those last 3 minutes made it feel like 20. It was just too much.
And also, the finale of Gett Off… that went a bit long too. I was kinda on pins and needles waiting for another comment.
The one saving grace was the MPLS curfew rule. Basically, all dancing is supposed to cease at 1am. And the concert kept showing the clock and how it crept toward witching hour and it finally arrived at the end. So I at least had an idea of when this show would end.
Once again, one of those things that would make hardcore Prince fans want to revoke my membership. As if “if you think more than 2 hours is too long for a Prince concert, you shouldn’t even be here.” Whether or not Prince was physically in the room with me or not, I have my limits before boredom sets in and I’m ready for a change of song or scenery.

On the flip side, having other people in the “audience” watching this with me had some unexpected fun points.
My mom was thrilled for “Nothing compares 2 U” just because it was a song she recognized. I’m pretty sure other than the medley that ended with “Push”, the only other song she might have recognized was the title track. And she came in after that number had ended.
I don’t remember for sure whether I saw a live version of this duet. I know I’ve heard it on audio on bootleg. But getting to see this live, knowing the lore of how Prince didn’t want to do this song live after Rosie left the band, this was so special to see with my own eyes. It’s hard to even put into words. They didn’t just sound great but the chemistry was utter perfection by itself. In person, I would’ve been on my feet cheering and clapping after this song ended. Easily one of the top highlights.

One really unexpected moment… I’m sure I’d played the Symbol album for my family before, but I think I started with “Love 2 the 9’s” because I didn’t know how they’d respond to the rap tracks or the cussing.
I didn’t expect “Sexy MF” in this show. But I really didn’t expect the title lyric to make my mom laugh. And that laugh came out a couple of times. By the end, I was starting to dread that they’d overdone it and there’d be another comment. But that never came. It did remind me of the one time I actually counted how many times sexy MF was spoken. It was somewhere around 36, I think.
Not only did we get to see in this show that Rosie did the “Gett Off” scream (a fact I only found out from the official podcast), but Levi did the Sexy MF line (which I have known for over a decade).
That just blew my mind that someone who wouldn’t have any association with Prince if not for me would find that funny.
Heck, I didn’t find that a funny lyric. But considering the story behind it, yeah, it is meant to be a joke and I can certainly get behind it as one.

My sister was with me for nearly the whole show. I think she left toward the end, before “Gett off” really got off the ground.
There was a funny moment where “Jughead” was starting and Tony took over the stage and she chose that moment to go upstairs.
She did come back down with her Nintendo Switch to continue her latest Pokémon playthrough. But it would’ve been falling over hilarious if she didn’t just come back.
We hate rap in this house just in general. So I could understand that being a turnoff. Tony was featured a lot in this show, probably to the chargrin of many hardcore Prince fans that thought he ruined his music.
She also made a comment that “Daddy Pop” ran too long. And knowing how these shows typically work, I was thinking “oh… just wait… there’s sure to be something longer.” See “Sacrifice of Victor” above for more comments.

Mayte starting the show with “Thunder”… that was super cool. Her moves really complemented the music and gave it a visual element I never would’ve expected. And it was great to finally have a full live showcase of “Thunder.” Having the intro on the video collection wasn’t nearly enough.
All that being said, my definitive version is still the album version of that song. All of that keyboard wizardry is what makes that song special for me.
I missed having Live 4 Love in this show, but if I remember right, the version from the video collection should be sufficient. I’ll have to revisit that sometime soon.

Thieves in the Temple was another unexpected surprise. But as much as I liked how it differed from the album version… again, that’s my definitive version and nothing is going to be overtake that for me.

Another interesting moment in the show- Prince leaving the stage and going to the Melody Cool section. I thought somehow he’d gone to another venue and I was like “he has another venue?”… but then I forgot Glam Slam and Melody Cool were both Graffiti Bridge clubs so there’s probably a pandamonium section too.
This part of the Prince-lore is not one I’m super familiar with.
I watched him for all the different hand signals and cues to see when things were going to change. But it was kinda interesting to see those in-beween moments where he returns to the stage amid a clothes change. He was so comfortable and at ease with the audience it hardly mattered.

Insatiable was another mega highlight for me… of course I was dreading it was going to be over the top sexy and there’d be an awkward conversation afterward. That didn’t happen.
It was long and steamy and… dang… also, hearing him saying lines that later appeared in “Love 2 the 9’s”… that was unexpected and it worked REALLY well. It was seriously a pleasure.
There was another song that had lines from “It”… probably Sacrifice of Victor… another moment that came out of nowhere that worked.

And just the athleticism from the dancers throughout the show… those dudes must have had all kinds of energy just to keep up with Prince’s pace.
No disrespect to anyone else in the show, but my highlights for the band were easily them, Rosie and Levi. Sonny didn’t get a lot of time in the spotlight. Tommy scrubbed those dishes in “Sexy MF”, but nothing else super memorable for me. And Michael Bland had one song where he got camera time, but beyond that, he didn’t grab my attention a lot of the time. If “Live 4 Love” had been in the setlist, it would’ve been a different story.

But yeah… I feel like this might be my favorite live show from these SDE releases so far.
Although the 1999 was also really good and Sign o’ the times NYE had some great moments, although it did run long at times.
I’m so inexperienced with Prince concerts, I’m not really a good judge. But I will say I’d be game for more of them… it seems like there’s too many that the SDE’s won’t get them out fast enough and there needs to be a different release method. Preferrably nothing that makes me subscribe to a streaming service.
The editing and how much we saw of Prince alone- this show was put together really well and I’m excited for what’s next.

Music for the fans or everyone? [Plus more Evermore banter]

I wouldn’t call myself a Reddit person but I’ve picked up some interesting things off that site when I’m searching for answers.
Lately that’s been various Evermore lyrics… and maybe one or two from folklore.

But while doing so, I found one interesting comment. It mentions how Taylor’s music can only be fully enjoyed by her fans and herself and aren’t as accessible to those outside of that sphere.
Later mentioning the 2020 albums being less diaristic.
Also- I didn’t know that was even a word but I get it.

Looking at the big picture, I’d have to say that’s pretty accurate.
I’m sure there was a handful of people who became fans of hers through her indie folk period or were quote “finally able to take her seriously”
But there’s the other side of the coin too. Longtime fans like me who didn’t quite understand that approach so there was a little disconnect at first.
Evermore, I think I’m finally turning that corner where I’m finding myself in the music. That relatability I had trouble finding. But also, a lot of these songs were written like they were from a different time. You know how in Shakespeare or old time English novels where the wording for simple sentences is over complicated or you have to get the meaning of the sentence rather than one word at a time. That was my issue for most of it.
Turns out- all I needed was to reread midnight sun. Seeing some of these songs through the lens of Edward and Bella unlocked a lot that I was missing before.
And also my brain finally made space for some of the lyrics. With that less of a problem, I’m finally able to make sense of things.

Going back to the criticism, though.
I’m not going to disagree with it. But at the same time, I don’t feel like she’s closed herself off from general listeners. Everyone can get something out of her music. She’d been around long enough where there really is something for everyone, even the people who aren’t into the romance and relationships.

There’s plenty of evidence to support both sides of the argument- whether artists should cater their music to the masses or their fans. In other words- put out the energy you want to receive back. Whether it’s commiserating over lost love or throwing out a moral question and making people think about their feelings on it.

I don’t spend nearly enough time in the Swiftie community to know where everyone stands. So it always surprises me that our favorite songs tend to line up. I’m not being influenced in my choices by anyone but Taylor. Which is probably the greatest proof she really is a mastermind.
But from what I’ve experienced with the Prince fan community, I’m willing to bet all fan bases have their array of issues and critiques. You only really hear about these things when you spend time around other people.
I’ve learned pretty quickly in my time how opinionated prince fans can be and how, at the end of the day, you’re never gonna please all of them at the same time. Because they all want different things.

It’s funny to me to consider if this criticism was brought up to Prince.
Like after he’d done multiple accessible pop albums in a row and he put off fans by doing something like lotusflow3r or the rainbow children or Lovesexy. Longtime fans will immediately stand up and say “hang on, prince began his career doing his own thing and then he started to do pop music”. Essentially doing the opposite of most people in music do. They get your attention with the poppy stuff and once they’re established, they can experiment and the right people will stick around. Prince did that by following purple rain with around the world in day, which had a lot of bandwagon fans scratching their heads.

In either case, both of these artists never stopped being their authentic selves.
Even on the pop albums, Prince did some weird stuff just to keep things interesting.
Purple rain had darling Nikki and computer blue. 1999 had lady cab driver.
I’m sure there are plenty more but those are the ones I can think of right now.

Of course a lot of Prince fans would rather prince do the weird inaccessible stuff because it stretches his creativity and makes him less predictable. But I’m sure part of it is that they simply don’t want to share him for the rest of music fans.
There’s common jokes about how some of his songs after the 2000s is like “if you don’t agree with this, you can leave”… but really, some of us just choose to ignore the rainbow children and other JW messages and take out of his music whatever we want.
I don’t think Prince ever wanted to drive his fans away from his music. Sometimes he just wanted us to consider a different perspective… whether or not we change is still up to us in the end.

It’s always gonna be fascinating to me how evermore was the Taylor swift album I found the most challenging.
Part of me really thought my road with her was going to end at reputation. All because I don’t like hip hop and rap or general cussing in music. But that gritty side of Taylor wound up becoming my favorite version of her for as long as that was her most recent album.
Both reputation and Evermore, if I could connect them to any Prince album, they’d be like her graffiti bridge. All three happen to feature other artists and create a new vibe that hadn’t existed before. Although the level of songwriting with evermore and Coney Island is probably still better than the non Prince music on graffiti bridge.
I make these connections primarily because of something Prince said about his fans and how they reacted to his album. Basically, your fans will see themselves in your music and when you act in a way they don’t expect, they blame you for not living up to their idea of you.
Graffiti bridge is one of those prince projects only a handful of his fans really understood. He used it to try to bring a message across but he did it in such an abstract way that it didn’t make sense right away. It took many years for people to warm up to it. Some never have but still enjoy most of his other work.

For reputation, I know for sure that challenged my idea of who Taylor was.
She was the safe, squeaky clean girl next door. Suddenly her being “the bad girl” and talking about drinking, getting revenge and so on. It was intimidating. I was also afraid all the haters that put her down changed that sweet little girl forever.
You know, the whole “the old Taylor can’t come to the phone… she’s dead” thing.
Lover was all the reassurance I needed that the good girl Taylor is wasn’t gone forever. She’s still cussing in her music but it’s still not nearly as bad as Prince in his heyday. Or the legions of rappers that curse every other breath. And sure I could just get the “clean” non explicit version of her albums to avoid this but whatever… for all I know it’s a phase she’ll get out of.
Prince was able to stop but his newfound faith had a fair bit to do with that. Although he did bend over backwards in order to sanitize all of his music after becoming a Jehovah’s Witness. All the fans he lost cuz he wasn’t cursing or doing his most explicit music anymore… I still think they missed out on a lot. If anything was worth sticking around for, art official age certainly was.

For whatever reason, evermore was a bigger challenge for me than Taylor’s other albums. Heck, it was from the same cloth as folklore but one worked for me and one didn’t. Maybe because one was more hopeful than the other. Evermore had way more sad songs than I was used to hearing in one place. And the sad stuff was REALLY sad. I’d argue sadder than all too well and last kiss. At least with those, the reason for the sadness was more on the surface. With tolerate it, champagne problems, Coney Island and evermore, it was far more complicated.
Champagne was about her turning down a proposal but never explaining why other than “I never was ready”
Coney Island… I’m still working that one out. Supposedly it’s her “to all the guys I loved before”- thinking through past mistakes and hopefully moving past them.
And evermore, it’s a lot like last kiss because it’s a post breakup reflection. But much more complicated. It’s more about reconciling what happened, the struggle to move forward and finally succeeding.
The song happiness and the whole idea of “you haven’t met the new me yet” is one potential resolution. Once you lose the version of yourself that existed in that relationship or that breakup, you become a stronger version of yourself that’s open to experience new things. But also gaining the perspective where the past doesn’t hurt like it used to.

And going back to the twilight connection, that helped me understand Evermore the song a bit more. Or to be more specific, new moon did. Much of that book is Bella trying to live her life without Edward. Although like with “wasting all these tears” by Cassadee pope, I see both of these songs as new moon songs… except that she and Edward never get back together and she’d successfully moved on without him.

I’d spent a bit of time on Reddit trying to answer questions about the evermore songs and I’d found plenty of answers. It’s just that at face value, very little of it made sense to me. And I’d loved Taylor since her first album
I’m also the type of person who likes to interpret her songs through my own experiences, afraid any outside information will ruin the image I’d put in my head. That’s why I’d stopped watching her videos. I don’t want that image to interfere with mine. Although “all too well” I had to see because that song coming out in the full 10 minutes. And my version of the song in my head remains unaffected even though I’d seen it twice.
Someday soon I hope to watch her other videos from the last 3 years as well.
But to go back to the top of this paragraph, I really did need Taylor’s help to figure out what she was trying to say with these songs. And from there, I was finally able to make connections of my own.

The criticism about her music catering more to her fans than music people as a whole— while a legit critique, all I can really say now is “dude, what’s stopping you from changing that?” Maybe you owe to yourself to take that deep dive into the connections, references and Easter eggs.
Sure, 10 albums (plus all the Taylor’s versions) may seem like a lot. But it isn’t that bad. Unlike me coming into prince world 30+ albums behind in 2007, you have plenty of time to catch up.

***

Also, maybe it’s just me. But the further I go down rabbit hole like this, it makes me think… Prince and Taylor Swift could easily attract the same kinds of people toward their music. It can’t be just me. Granted, with Prince, you have to do a little more digging to find your niche in his vast catalogue of music. Not all of it is poppy and accessible like Taylor’s.
It’s just so funny to me how I keep making connections between the two when, really, I’m the only thing these two have in common.

Diamonds & Pearls SDE- First Impressions

These are some notes I typed up on my phone as I was listening to the first couple of discs of the set.
And I planned to include everything about the first few discs. The live stuff, I’ll get to at some point. That deserves its own post. And with what I’ve heard about its contents, I might get to them sooner rather than later.

For now, here’s what I have so far.
And apologies if I don’t have all the songs in order or by name. Like I said, it’s a first impressions post so it’s not going to be perfectly written.

Album

I’m not a big audiophile. My ears can’t discern these differences very well so I might not be a reliable source.
But this remaster is on par with 1999.
1999 is only slightly better to me because the technology for CDs back then wasn’t very strong so the difference in sound quality was huge.
D&P was from 1990 when they pretty much had the kinks worked out, but heard lots of new things I hadn’t before. My favorites blew my mind like always if not a bit more. The others, maybe didn’t notice much difference. Jughead- I heard a huge difference but maybe because this is the most intently I’d listened to it, haha

Sign o the times- when that came out, 1999 set a high bar so I expected more that I didn’t quite get. In retrospect I don’t know what I expected. Maybe I was just disappointed that ballad of Dorothy Parker wasn’t in crystal clear quality. But considering the state of things in princes home studio, nothing was gonna fix it unless it was fully redone.
And of course purple rain needs that proper remaster… I don’t know what I didn’t like about it compared to the original release but something was different that killed the vibe for me.

What I’ve always kinda done with the SDE releases was do the discs in order.
This time I think I’ll do the vault discs a few songs a day and then sprinkle in some disc 2 stuff. Because I don’t want to listen to multiple versions of the same song in one day.
And also I’m going to look at the tracklist to pick and choose the songs. Whereas with the vault, I’m just going in blind so I can be surprised.

Frisbee disc no more?

Just at a brief glance, half are edits and half are other versions. But there’s some fan favorites on here so it might get a bit more love than some previous iterations.

Gett off 10min

This was always among those Prince songs where I’ll listen to but I’m rarely in the mood to skip directly to it. I’m sure I’d heard this version once before but it’s been ages. I’m sure I would’ve remembered all that cool guitar work.
With the length I probably won’t be listening to it a lot. But if I need something to just play in my headphones while I try to concentrate on something else, it’ll be really good background. Lots of instrumental highlights I’d definitely go back for.

Gangster glam
One of those songs where it’s cool at first but it wears out its welcome. Really nice melody and the samples from gett off worked well. But the repetition of “get on up and jam”- I liked it the first few times but got sick of it. Especially when it does that whole record scratch stop-start thing common in a lot of hip hop

Horny pony

This one I’ve definitely heard before but only a couple of times.
Just like the original get off (that spelling is correct btw) eventually led to captain’s favorite prince song KC’s do your dance remix, this song clearly connects to another.
Not just Rosie’s scatting but other elements hint at the emancipation opener jam of the year.
Forget the peach and black bsides review for this but I’m sure someone said the dialogue in this gets old after a couple listens. Right now it’s funny to me but we’ll see how long it lasts. Reminds me of Robin from graffiti bridge but it’s probably not her.
Whether I like it more than gett off where it should’ve been on the album instead, I don’t know. But I get why it missed the cut. The whole “inventing a new dance” thing is kinda played out.

Cream NPG mix
I like the backing beat and the horn line. But after a bit, there’s just too much going on and I don’t like that. The live sample introducing the NPG is especially annoying.
Having said all this, I know this era had TONS of remixes for the album tracks so I’m glad this set only has a few of them. I’m sure there’s enough to have 3 discs of just remixes… that holds no interest for me at all, not this era anyway.
Give me the come and gold remixes and alternate versions in a couple years- that’s all I really want in that niche of princes music

Things have got to change

Not sure if it was at the start of this or the end of the previous track. But that phone conversation was kinda funny cuz it echoed a lot of my earlier sentiments

Another cluttered remix but not quite as bad. One of the earlier iterations of the scratch-gasp from “my name is Prince” and “however much you want”.
Tony’s rap has a lot of good messages to it but I’ll probably have to listen to get them all. I wouldn’t mind doing so much

KC’s do your dance

I’ve heard this once or twice before. Only one time actually knowing it was the prince song captain praised a bunch on peach and black.
There’s so many little references in this that it’d take many listens to pick them all out.
That bright cheery synth line gives me major glam slam, Lovesexy vibes. I could just listen to that on its own with a beat and I’d be good.
Then at one point Prince starts calling out instruments and does his Larry graham impressions. I immediately recognized that as a reference to “dance to the music” by sly and the family stone. They do that call out thing through the whole song. Prince took it to another level and it was cool.
That’s all I’ve got at the moment but for sure I’ll be playing this song a bunch more times.

Day 1
Tracks 1,4-8

Vault one- to track 9

There’s another alternate version of gett off with the glam slam repetition. Just got so sick of “grab a body like you want somebody”… there’s too many versions of that song, I swear

Meanwhile, really loving the other versions of insatiable and live 4 love.
Insatiable rivals the album version. I like that it has less going on and doesn’t have those synth bits. I like the vibe with the piano. It’ll take a few listens to see which I prefer. I half expected him to not have the “video” monologue but it comes later in the song. The “story” has some differences and I’m not sure what they are.
Live 4 love I really like as an instrumental and I like how it’s stripped down in places. But I miss the dynamics and the guitar solo. The huge bombastic elements. Which is why I’ll always sorta prefer the original.

Schoolyard runs a little long but it’s very bright and fun to listen to. It’s a great way to kick off the disc.
The next song (My Tender Heart), which was originally written by Rosie according to the podcast but prince changed the story. He emotes with it so well that he could sell me anything. Don’t feel like I’d seen that side of his artistry before.
There’s a song that’s really poppy that I liked but most likely other fans will not because of the lyrics are rudimentary.
Darkside- might be the closest we’ll get to the undertaker but it was giving those vibes. Also some 3rd eye girl vibes because of the live instruments. It was super cool to hear plus with princes comments and the banter after the end of it.

I can’t remember the other two at the moment but so far I’m really enjoying this. Just the whole vibe of these songs. It’s very vibrant and full of energy

Day 3- finished vault 1

Cream, take 2- definitely getting Robert Palmer vibes, much stronger than the final version but it’s in both
Almost like it better because it’s less polished and I don’t like the female backing vocals on some of the lines

Skip to my you my darling
Started out fine because it’s something new. But going into it further, I found myself quickly lose interest. It turned into an idea in search of a song and it never came to fruition. Lyrics are throwaway but I liked the music

D&P (long version)
This was a rollercoaster that ended on a high. I’m like, oh another demo version? But it went on and it followed the final version exactly. Heard keyboards instead of fake horns in the bridge and I was like- ok why is this version on the set? It didn’t seem to be different enough to warrant inclusion. Then I wound up being proven wrong in the best way. The ending went longer and had some great moments with prince and Rosie plus a guitar solo. And it had a definite end- I think I heard somewhere this was planned as an album closer at one point. If so, I can see this version ending the album and it might actually work. But I’d miss live 4 love too much.

Day 3

Frisbee 2-3, 12,14

This mix of gett off (houstyle) is definitely my favorite. More jazzy with horns and Eric Leeds getting more screen time. Cool scatting from Rosie. Horn section is familiar from the long version of cream video. 8 minutes but it doesn’t feel like it. I kept waiting for a moment where I get sick of it or a random thing ruins it. Moment never came

Violet the organ grinder
I’m sure I’d heard this once and never revisited it. Something about it put me off but I don’t remember ANY of this. Kinda reminds me of proud Mary and evolves into a mix of future 7 and slave
Intriguing narrative that keeps drawing me in, like what’s gonna happen next. And it gets more filthy as it goes. Almost to the point where it’s too much but not quite. Might be something I have to be in the mood for, otherwise I won’t likely play it a lot on its own. Clare Fischer strings create cinematic energy and only makes it better

Call the law

NPG showcase where I think prince just does a guitar solo.
A jam with a little bit of a story about a block party. Not sure if calling the cops is necessarily a good thing

Willing and able (video version0
More country than the album version
Not sure if I like this better than the original but I do like it. Probably 50-50

Vault 2

Daddy pop (12″)

Longer version? Builds on the 3rd verse with the people calling and how they won’t stop until you talk. That takes up the last 2 minutes
Gets really good as it goes

Martika’s kitchen

I’ve heard of this album with this name but never knew it was an actual song. Probably a demo for her to sing to but it’s fully fleshed out. Horn solo melody sounds like something from another song- maybe a don Henley song but I’m not sure
Very bright and playful

Spirit

Caught my attention immediately but now I’ll have to figure what it means. It’s gospel with some 80s remix keyboards. Another song where he mentions an angel telling him life isn’t what it seems and things are about to change

Open book

Omg!!
I’ve heard of this song existing and one lyric was familiar.
Could’ve been a break through hit for someone else. It’s REALLY good.
Can imagine him playing this at the piano and in his own room world as he’s putting it together
Love thy will be done

Work that fat

I’m sure I’ve heard that beat somewhere before.
Doesn’t sound like prince but definitely get Bob George vibes from this narrative.
Ode to fat bottom girls but in rap form. Sonny’s bass thundering in background and calling for solos
Kinda weird and pushes the envelope but I don’t mind it

Horny pony (version 2)

Similar style to version 2 of big tall wall
Solo number with tons of backing vocals and there’s no dialogue.
I’m not super familiar with this song so right now, either version could potentially become my favorite of the two.

Something funky (this house comes)

Tony leads the vocals and calls out to the different band members. Breakneck pace all around. Kinda hard not to be impressed.
Lots of rhythm guitar in the pocket
Who got the juice gets annoying toward the end

Hold Me

My mind knows that this isn’t his type of song and it’s probably an idea he followed from start to finish. Feels like a Taylor swift song talking about not wanting to let people talking about their relationship to tear them apart
Exclusively falsetto and almost gets old. But I get to the end and the hopeless romantic in me falls for it hook line and sinker

Day 4

Blood on the sheets

Seriously, that’s the name?! I don’t think this as often as I used, but WTF Prince? Why do you have to make it weird?

That aside, I really do like really this one.
I’d been in the mood to listen to Depeche Mode all day. So it’s kinda scary how much this reminds me of their sound. Like prince was issuing me a challenge like “oh yeah watch this”
3rd eye girl vibes again but with Depeche Mode indie rock mixed in
Maybe gets long toward the end but I could go for a whole album or just this

The last dance (bang pow zoom and the whole nine)

I can see why this didn’t make the album. A little too close to the Morris day mentality. But it’s a lot of fun- the dynamic between him and Tony. Cool seeing all the elements that eventually went into jughead and how the whole thing evolved

Don’t say u love me

Did he go to a new kids on the block show and think “hey I could do that”. And for a fleeting moment he considered putting together a boy band.
Not sure how that would work out but it’s a cool idea. The part of me that really likes boyband stuff loves this
Especially like how he says she can’t love herself so she’s incapable. Not the rhyme I expected but it works

Day 5

Did all of Vault 3 this day

Get blue

R&B ballad with really striking keyboards
Could be part 2 of 1000 X’s and O’s
Deep blue colors but deep emotions and staggering backing vocals

Tip o’ my tongue

2nd come on track in a row but much energetic
Every little step with horn section
One of a few that could fit on newpower soul

The Voice

Social injustice in different forms
Could fit well on welcome 2 America but the message doesn’t smack you over the head
Old school funk vibe from 70s but current at the same time
Ends in cool acapella section

Trouble

Part 2 of previous song but from 1st person instead of just being an observer
Probably him waking up or not being able to sleep because of it. And it’s a pick me up song
With backing from Rosie or Elisa
Runs a little too long
He seems fond of that club sample cuz it’s in a bunch of these tracks

Alice through the looking glass

Not sure how I feel about this one, it’s kinda spooky sounding with the deeper vocals all mashed together
Probably the darkest of any song I’d heard on this subject. Like we’re in the deepest darkest part of wonderland
First impression- don’t know if I like it. I’m sure I’ll find some place for it where it makes sense to me. But right now, I’m a little put off about it

Standing at the altar

As this goes on, I’m getting the impression this was an idea and he was trying to see if it’d go somewhere. Basic drum track. Really nice strings and vocals
But he repeats the chorus so many times I’m sick of it in the final minute or so
Sounds like it’s part 2 of the song where he says for her to ignore what others say about them and it could’ve worked for someone else. A female artist
Arms of Orion, here from MPLSound

Hey u

NPG a little more present as his entourage
Sister song of get your groove on but more personal
The “hold it friend” sample sounds like mavis staples and after a while it started to get really annoying
Almost expected it to go somewhere like a dialogue of her rejecting him
Ends 30 seconds before song ends
Really fun musical arrangement that gets some good time to stretch out

letters 4 Miles

(no wonder this was so jazzy… cool… princevault says it was recorded 2 days after he’d passed away)

Unreleased madhouse track or part 2 of strolling
Either way it’s a really nice change of pace. Lots of cool things. Horns, maybe tommy on keys, definitely Michael on drums

I Pledge Allegiance to your love

Dang- only thing that would make this better is Rosie singing it. She would bring the house down!!
Old jazz standard type of song but timeless
Wow!!

Thunder Ballet

I remember hearing this but it’s been years
The bootleg I have sounds like someone recorded it at the Joffrey ballet cuz it had people cheering at points. And in the middle of the operatic section when it got dark, people gasped and screamed. That wasn’t here- and I’m kinda grateful cuz it kinda freaked me out. Like someone had died and they were reacting to it
But it goes the full length and had a proper story end. The bootleg cut off a second too early, before the final record scratch

Remaining frisbee edits

Insatiable

First of all, I was thrown off in seconds because I forgot how the song even started.
Then it just got worse.
I’d have to double check but it’s got to be the clunkiest edit I’ve ever heard. It’s 4 minutes but the song is butchered up so much, if someone put this on to set a mood, they would’ve fallen flat on their face. It just wouldn’t work.
I know I complain sometimes when prince stretches songs out too long but this is not how you make a proper edit. This was so badly done, it wasn’t worth the attempt.
Needless to say will not be listening to this one again

D&P

On the other hand, this was barely an edit. Probably only took out a few seconds here and there to get to the next verse a little faster.
But the point of an edit is to keep the spirit of the song intact and it fits better into a playlist. So by those standards, this was an edit done correctly

Money don’t matter 2nite

I was waiting with bated breath… like, ok, where’s the edit?
The only difference is just having the chorus run through one time at the end.
So the edit feels kinda pointless but whatever

Willing and able

Ok, this one’s not bad…
The instrumental break with Rosie cheering on prince is cut in half. Then Tony’s rap- the raspberry sound he makes is gone and it just goes into the organ solo.
I was half expecting no rap at all and how all the Tony M haters are probably like “oh crap, the rap is still here” lol

Thunder

It’s the whole song untouched… except it fades out at the end of Prince’s “do it like this” organ solo
After going through this whole set on the studio side of things, I was half joking to myself that maybe this is the song I’d get sick of the most. Only cuz I’ve heard 2 versions of it so close together
But I’m a purist for “thunder”- the album opener is perfect exactly as it is and no other version will do. Although I’m secretly hoping I’ll come across a full live version I’ll like just as much, if not better

The rumored number of boxsets of Prince vault material…

According to Prince author Duane Tudahl in a recent article… 50-60.

This blog post, a reaction post if you will, might inspire more experienced fans to revoke my fan card… but my initial reaction is a panic I’m trying to keep quiet 😛

Other reactions vs my own

The more “typical” reactions have a wide range and were predictably quick to make their presence known. Experienced fans foaming at the mouth either from the anticipation of getting their hands on all this material or angrily demanding it all be released during their lifetime.
The latter is a sentiment I’ve been hearing a lot. While it’s hyperbole in its purest form, it’s not completely inaccurate. The legion of Prince fans that REALLY care about hearing everything is aging and there’s a high chance some will miss out on the releases they really want to hear, whether from loss of hearing or loss of life. Nobody lives forever.

Me, my reaction comes from a place I’d almost forgotten about but it was a very vivid experience.
In my earliest days of fandom, I had a panic attack that almost put an end to everything before it got started. I’d mentioned a bunch of times about being uncomfortable with Prince’s material and that was an issue. But the issue more pertinent to this post- I had 30 years of Prince music to catch up on and I was feeling immense pressure to get caught up as soon as possible. And I didn’t think it was going to be possible. Add on top of that the vault material other fans kept sending to me to further my assimilation into the community and comments about how if I shut myself in with all the music Prince ever made, I’d never come out again because there’s so much.

Yeah, it’s a lot.
And no, I’m not going to say something like “if I knew how expensive this Prince thing would be, I never would’ve started.” I have zero regrets about being on this journey or being part of this community. It’s been amazing and will continue to be.

Why all this panic?

But I think of all the music that has yet to come out of the vault, I panic. A) because I’m not made of money so I’d probably never be able to afford all of it, if I was going the completionist route, and B) the realization that, even if everything is out of the vault and ready to consume this second… it is impossible to get through all of it.

Somehow I don’t think the fans complaining about the lack of consistency of releases and the whole timeline crunch realize that.
How Prince was able to write, record and edit as much as he had in one lifetime is insane in its own right. How does anyone expect to have the time to listen to all that? When people have day jobs or need to sleep and do other human things… which is why people wondered if Prince was human.

Logistical problems

Never mind my bank account- I may not have much a life outside working from home 40 hours a week but I do have other hobbies. As much as I’d wish it, listening to Prince music will never be my full time job. And it’s not as if I have the same freedom I did in college to shut myself in with his music, before I had some measure of a social life. I like listening to him undistracted and I live with a lot of distractions that get in the way of that. Realistically, I only have maybe 14 hours a week to spend in that rabbit hole- 2 hours every night before bed, assuming I don’t worry about getting a proper night’s sleep… and I love to sleep whenever I can.

Anyone thinking right now “you’re way overthinking this”… believe me, I know.

The most grounded response I do have for all this— yeah, I’m excited at the prospect of 50+ boxsets of Prince music. But the limit of time and money is very real.

Too many choices, not enough time

It compels me to pick and choose what I want. Personally I have my eye on parade, come and gold experience super deluxe packages.
But realistically it’s probably going to be AGES before that 1993-95 material gets released. Only because it’s not concerned to be Prince’s most profitable period by the people who care about making money off his music. All of us waiting for that stuff can shout “take my money!” as loud as we want but that’s the way it is.
Complicating things further, super deluxe editions are a limited time deal. So fear of missing out on these while waiting for what I really want to hear is a very real thing.
It’s a safe bet that anything connected to rave, rainbow children or Batman… I’ll be saving my money because those areas really don’t interest me.
But while I wait for come and gold, I’ll probably be paying for symbol album, black and Lovesexy and around the world in a day first. And of course another purple rain release (grumble…)

It is very frustrating and confusing. I totally get it but even if people were churning out this music at a regular pace, it still takes time to design and make the packaging to go with it.
Yeah, you could release everything digitally in a new NPG music club format just for the sake of releasing music. But I personally want physical media and I want it to be done right. You can’t rush perfection.

The rest of the iceberg

Then in addition to ALL of that, there’s video footage of concerts, rehearsals and music videos for songs we’ve never heard.
I try not to think of all that because when I do, my brain short circuits and I wouldn’t be good to anyone.
I’ve said this before- I don’t have the stamina to digest so much media so quickly. I don’t understand how other people have the capacity or at least think they do.
It doesn’t even have to be music. I’ve overindulged in lots of other media in recent weeks and it either leaves me with a huge headache or robs me of sleep.

The part you can probably skip cuz it’s just me getting existential

Unfortunately I may have reached a point where I need to make an effort to STOP the moment I realize I’d been doing an activity for too long and I need some downtime to unwind. That’ll be next year’s resolution…

Maybe I should also strive to learn how to give shorter answers to these dilemmas… but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t overthink things. I mean, somebody has to, right?

At least I had the sense to make this a blog post. If I did this as a Twitter thread, I’d still be writing it.

Conclusions and a random movie idea out of nowhere

What Prince did in one lifetime would take several lifetimes for the rest of us to experience, let alone comprehend. I just don’t see how it’s possible. I’m too exhausted just contemplating the notion of trying.

One last thing… this just made me how this could be a movie.
“Fanboys” was about Star Wars fans making a road trip to skywalker ranch to see a rough cut of episode I 6 months before its planned release… cuz one of them has terminal cancer.
In the end, he alone is able to see the movie.

What if they did a movie like that but for breaking into iron mountain to listen to the Prince music they don’t have the time or patience to wait for it to be released on its own.
Now that’d be a movie I’d love to see. If only for Prince’s non 80s material to finally get a proper spotlight.
Just add that in with a bunch of other ideas I’ve had but never wrote into a full fledged story.
And what would be REALLY cool… they did this movie but it starred the guys from the peach and black podcast. It’d be hilarious!
For this case, it wouldn’t be enough to just listen. They’d want to make physical copies of the media. And when they’re found out, they’d have to swear to only share it with a few people. They can’t just produce hard copies and distribute. That’s literally the definition of bootlegging. But if they got permission to distribute this stuff, the contract would be that the profits would go to the proper channels. Keeping paisley park in business and so on.

This is just a rough sketch but it’s something to consider…

Ok, I’m done for real. At least for now.

Detroit 1999 show (1999 SDE)

Not sure if I ever wrote a blog post on this part of the 1999 SDE set… but in case I didn’t, I wanted to enter a few notes.

I haven’t been to many concerts in general but whenever I listen to or watch an old Prince show, I teeter over a debate I have with myself.
This is one of those things that’d probably get my fan card revoked. But my overall impression- concerts are either “I’m sorry it’s over” or “omg, when will this end?”
And the perfect concert strikes the right balance between the extremes. I’m not sure if I’ve ever had that happen with a Prince concert yet.
Again I never saw him in person so I can’t know for sure and will never know. But sometimes I get the impression I’d reach a point where, believe it or not, I’d get bored and just be ready to be done.
The Revolution show I went to, I did have that “ok I’m done” moment but for a different reason. I had some sort of IBS event happening in my gut, something that’s happened maybe twice in my life… I needed to make a break for the restroom but I didn’t want to leave in the middle of the show. My chance finally came after purple rain ended and I got back in time for “Baby I’m a star.” It all worked out extremely well and I’m happy with how it went. That was just the one thing that took away from an otherwise perfect night.

Anyway— I’d only done both 1999 concerts once each.
And this was my first time listening to the audio in over a year.

Just a few quick takeaways

*It’s super cool hearing the guitar and bass pops super clear. I don’t often notice those parts on studio recordings unless they’re the main part of the song

*I’m still super disappointed that “little red corvette” wasn’t just like the version of the “live rehearsal promo” from the previous disc in the set. It had none of those cool dance mix elements and not nearly enough Linn drum. It almost made me ask why the promo was there if that sense of progression wasn’t there.

*How come you don’t call me… goes on way too long and kinda took away from what I liked about it in the studio. He’s much more bitter and vindictive in this live version

*There was a transition in “automatic” identical to the section directly following the hallway speech in “computer blue”… that just blew my mind
Some other parts made me think of purple rain elements like “take me with you”, “baby I’m a star” or “the bird”- little instrumental things

*1999 was the perfect end… revoke my fan card if you want but I’m not a fan of DMSR and I was just done by the time that song came on
Also… are we ever going to find out what is up with the ending of DMSR? I never understood that “call the police” part. I’m hoping it connected to some other song that was abandoned (like the segues on the symbol album) and it wasn’t just random like the baby at the end of delirious… cuz it’s a disturbing thing to include at random

EARLY impressions of Diamonds & Pearls SDE

As of the beginning of this post, the OFFICIAL announcement hasn’t been made yet by the people in charge of the music. So I’m not going to click “publish” until it is. (Meaning, if you’re reading this now, it’s officially official… since roughly 11am EST).

BUT after a 2 year drought of Prince releases, here’s the new one.
Honestly not the one I wanted… I’m holding my breath still for Parade, which is sure to come with official releases of “old friends 4 sale” and other “others here with us” and “empty room” tracks I’d heard of but haven’t heard.

The unfortunate part of all this was that all of us fans have been dying for a new release that we’ll take ANY deluxe edition at this point.
The good news (only good news from this point forward- I promise) is that we’re finally away from the 80s and this set looks AMAZING.

Anyone wanting to avoid spoilers may wanna stop reading… although I’m not going to go into every detail, there will be details and comments.
…

Clearly whoever put this together, if they weren’t the same team, took a cue from the team that constructed the sign o the times release. Many discs, vault tracks, concerts and video. Plus a sweet looking hardcover book with articles from some of the best purple scholars out there.
Including, if I have the name right, the leader of the Muse 2 the Pharaoh podcast miss Darling Nisi herself.

In terms of specific tracks, I want to be surprised so I only skimmed the song titles. Assuming the sound quality is really good, two are sure to please the peach and black crew. Here’s hoping it’ll convince them to come out of recording retirement.
On their review of the album, captain mentioned “KC’s do your dance remix” as his favorite Prince song and everyone spoke higher of the video version of “willing & able” than the CD version.
For once, the hits and b-sides disc may finally be worth the inclusion more than the so-called “frisbee” discs of deluxe editions’ past. It’s probably the biggest criticism of these sets. Me, I may not be crazy about having a dozen versions of the same song but as someone who doesn’t own hard copies (ie not bootlegs) of b-sides, I’m happy to have them. Even if I don’t play them all that much.

I saw the words “glam slam” next to the concert stuff and I haven’t been able to get the song out of my head.
(Yes, I know it’s the club and not the Lovesexy song, but I couldn’t help myself).
It’s cool the show will be on Blu-ray. Although for me, I’d have preferred dvd. Only because I don’t have a personal Blu-ray player and I’d have to wait until I have privacy until I can watch.
I’m not opposed to sharing prince concerts with other people. It’s not like it’s a dirty little secret or anything. But in case there’s some salacious onstage antics (like the end of the 1999 Houston show) or there’s an extra long pause between performances (new years Eve paisley concert), I wanna know first so there’s no uncomfortable surprises.

Thankfully enough time had passed where I’m not feeling sticker shock over the price. I know from past experiences I’m gonna get something really good for the money. Plus it’s not like I shell out a lot of money on my credit card that often.

Funny coincidence is that this is coming out the same day Taylor swift puts out her next “Taylor’s version” album. But while I can wait a few weeks to buy my copy, I preordered the Prince set the moment it was announced.
October is gonna be an amazing month… at least the end of it will.