Great solo by Prince

[metalone]

I cant get no satisfaction... lot of thought there bud. Get of my cloud.... brilliant thoughtful MUSIC. Nothing wrong with the Stones music if that is what you are into. They have never progressed or changed their formula for writing songs though. As far as playing their instruments..... HAHAHAHA They are not all that technical or advanced. Kind of "so easy a caveman could play their music" thing (to quote a TV commercial). I believe we were also talking about playing a guitar and not song writing. Prince appeals to a certain type of people. Stones same thing. Both groups are lacking in skillful players compared to the guys playing today. Not being a tru Malmsteen fan, I do have a huge respect of what he does and he executes his music. Few on the planet can play and write the stuff he does. But he is not my cup of tea for regular listening. I am just a grumpy old fart that enjoys good musicality on all different styles of music.

Very well stated
All though I do like Malmsteen and a lot heavier stuff

[atdguitars]

One word describes this guy's "abilities".... POSER. Routine abilities. Nothing special and I have had guitar teachers and friends that would wipe the floor with him on a guitar. He is not alone in the category of players who have made music their living. Look at the Stones. Average musicians on a good day. Kiss on par with the Stones. The list goes on.... Prince.... HAHAHAHAHA

Didn't see you include your own skills among those you named. Everybody "knows" someone better than someone.. When your opinions or skills start earning you the bankroll and endorsements of Prince,The Stones,Kiss, etc etc etc check back in. Until then go back to wailing away at your local guitar store and impressing all 3 jr high kids that just started playing.

[Endrik]

They have never progressed or changed their formula for writing songs though.

that's funny, after listening most of their albums, they started as a R'n'B fan, then got big during their rock'n'roll era, then they had a psychedelic period, during 70's every album contained all kinds of tunes, from blues to funk and soul, from country to harder rock and disco, during the 80's they changed their sound pretty drastically, somewhere in the 90's they returned to more classic sound but also experimented with modern music.
that's a pretty admirable accomplishment, being able to play in so many genres, but I guess you know better

As far as playing their instruments..... HAHAHAHA They are not all that technical or advanced.

Charlie Watts is a very precise drummer with a very good meter and can lay down a groove very well.
Bill Wyman is a really great bassists who has made countless awesome grooves and whatnot. After he left, Stones has played with many great bassists like Doug Wimbish who is one of the most technical and innovative players ever.
When it comes to prince, then he is an ok guitar player, it's just one of the things he does. He has played most of the instruments on his albums. He is considered one of the best bass players in history, many bass virtuosos copy his grooves even today.

Prince appeals to a certain type of people. Stones same thing.

I'm very interested in hearing what type of people I am. I'm sure your psychological profiling will be outstanding.

Both groups are lacking in skillful players compared to the guys playing today.

Can't wait for you to list down all those mindblowing players of today. I bet they all are so innovative and create new styles every year.

[mikefred]

Didn't see you include your own skills among those you named. Everybody "knows" someone better than someone.. When your opinions or skills start earning you the bankroll and endorsements of Prince,The Stones,Kiss, etc etc etc check back in. Until then go back to wailing away at your local guitar store and impressing all 3 jr high kids that just started playing.

Your statement above makes no sense. Endoresements and bank rolls does mean a person is a gifted musician. It does mean that a lot of people like what you do. Two totally different things. That does not mean I suck or you suck or anyone is any better or worse. Look at Britney, Miley Cyrus and Milli Vanilli. They sold a lot of records.

As for my skills.... I get by with what I play and do not play music for a living. I am content playing for those who will listen and hopefully enjoy. I am NOT someone who is going to turn heads with my playing, but I can usually make a song sound good (I play originals and church stuff FYI). Of course there are those clunkers that seem to show up from time to time.

As for my friend's skills, most of them are better than me. I do not care. I love to play guitar regardless. Oh yea, Prince is probably better than me too. Don't care. He still does not do it for me and there are thousands more that are better.

[mikefred]

Charlie Watts is a very precise drummer with a very good meter and can lay down a groove very well.

Charlie is a human metronome. Nothing fancy and keeps a beat. My friend's son would mop the floor with hiim on the drums though. :ROTF:


Bill Wyman is a really great bassists who has made countless awesome grooves and whatnot.

average bassist


I'm very interested in hearing what type of people I am. I'm sure your psychological profiling will be outstanding.

HAHAHA You funny guy.... :idea:

Can't wait for you to list down all those mindblowing players of today. I bet they all are so innovative and create new styles every year.[/QUOTE]

Well the guys I enjoy? Phil Keaggy, Steve Vai (small doses), Malmsteen (in small doses), Satch (small doses), Eric Johnson, Brian May, Tommy Emmanuel, Doug Smith, Jim Earp, Pete Huttlinger, Muriel Anderson, Ed Gerhard, Pierre Bensusan, oh yea, I have been a die hard Blackmore fan since his early days. But different strokes... It is all what you prefer to listen to is all and I do not like what Prince has done. In case you do not know some of the players I listed, they are fingerstyle players, which is what I prefer to listen to these days being the grumpy old man that I am.

[atdguitars]

Yep..once again millions of people are wrong but we are so lucky to have found the one person that is right about everything.

[Grandturk]

Is this one of those "technical brilliance vs. popular songwriter" debates?



Again??


Yikes... I dug Prince's solo at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction for George Harrison on While My Guitar Gently Weeps. But he seems like a ginormous dick... just like Malmsteen.

I like to get PG's DVD's and lessons because he seems like a genuine, down to earth guy. I've never bought one of his CD's (except Mr. Big back in the day).

[mikefred]

Just watched the "PRINCE GREATEST SOLO IN THE UNIVERSE" video again just to see if I was missing something there besides his cliche posing. Nope. Just posing and not very impressive playing skills. I did like his Huggy Bear Pimp special he was wearing though. He must have gotten hold of the old Starsky N Hutch clothing wardrobe and picked up those mack daddy duds. I hear guys in music stores with better chops than he displayed on the "PRINCE GREATEST SOLO IN THE UNIVERSE" video. Is that all he has to offer? Oh yea.... Purple Rain. <yawn> zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Endrik]

Well the guys I enjoy? ....Steve Vai

a big fan of Prince

[mikefred]

Yep..once again millions of people are wrong but we are so lucky to have found the one person that is right about everything.

And once again, someone who does not agree with YOU is judged as thinking he is better than others. It is weenies like you that just make life so much more fulfilling and entertaining. I am always amused that people take topics like this so personally. You would think I insulted a personal acquaintance or something. We are/were discussing a simple little guitar solo and here you go getting your panties in a wad.

I guess since my opinion is different than yours, then you must be the one who knows everything. I never claimed nor would I ever foolish enough to even think I know more than someone. I am truly honored to be in your presence here.:ROTF: Now go pass judgment on the next person who does not see your Precious Prince as you do.

That solo on the link was nothing special IMO and IMO only. I am sure to be in the minority here but that is life. Why all the anger?:think:

[atdguitars]

Why all the anger?:think:

I have yet to see any anger at all. I've seen a lot of opinions stated. I've seen some rather thought provoking conversation about what people think about some artists versus others. I've seen that some people are rather proud of complete unknown players that can supposedly wipe the floor with rather famous players' asses. Nope no anger here. Just someone that doesn't like Prince but admires his attire and freely states his opinion in a rather confrontational style. Thats ok. Maybe once some of the new wears off you will see we aren't nearly as confrontational about things as it seems.

[khabibissell]

How can you say that writing a song that millions of people want to hear over and over again isn't a skill or "gift"? The Britney, Miley Cirus, and Milli Vanilli examples are bad because they didn't write their own music. Someone else did and the people that did are most certainly talented or "gifted". Sure corporate marketing helps, but that will only get you so far. Stuff that sucks but is still heavily marketed falls off the radar pretty quick.

Comparing instrumental virtuosity and songwriting is apples and oranges. To reach the highest levels (being lauded for your technique or selling millions records) you must possess talent or be gifted, though in different ways. In the case of popular music, I'm not necessarily talking about the personalities singing them, I'm talking about the writers behind it. I don't know if you've ever tried to write a song but it is friggen hard, especially writing something people want to hear more than once or twice. People that can pull it off are gifted. I'm not a big Stones fan, but I can surely appreciate their success... they must be doing something right to have the 40+ year career they've had.

As for Prince, he brings it in this video. Playing guitar on stage in a rock band is more than just the mechanics of playing and the fancy techniques you bring to the table. It is about attitude, confidence, and presentation, and Prince brings this in spades. Besides what you see here, the man is an extremely talented and successful multi instrumentalist and songwriter.

[mikefred]

How can you say that writing a song that millions of people want to hear over and over again isn't a skill or "gift"?

I do not think I ever said that. This whole thing was over Prince's alleged abilities on the guitar in the video which I seem to to have missed because I thought what he played was nothing more than anyone on this message board could do. I was just not impressed.

>The Britney, Miley Cirus, and Milli Vanilli examples are bad because they didn't write their own music.

Good point. The songwriters never get their kudos as they should even if their music is packaged for nothing more than money (but that is the bottom line to all who are out there gigging for living isn't it....).

Comparing instrumental virtuosity and songwriting is apples and oranges.

Right again. I have seen guys who can write brilliant songs, yet they need others to pull the songs off musically, and more guys that are brilliant musicians yet do very little composing.

>To reach the highest levels (being lauded for your technique or selling millions records) you must possess talent or be gifted, though in different ways.

Not sure I can agree with this statement as there are loads of people who are marginal musicians but they play music that is appealing to the masses, and have very limited skills with their insturments. I guess it helps to have a good marketing team to hype you up!

>I don't know if you've ever tried to write a song but it is friggen hard, especially writing something people want to hear more than once or twice. People that can pull it off are gifted.

Yep. I play 99% original material (instrumental) and I am not a great writer by any means, but I manage to still sell a few CD's the few times I get a chance to play (which is not often since I bounce around travelling although most of my gigging is on the road). I am not a great songwriter by any means, but I still do the best I can with the limited abilities God has givne me.

>I'm not a big Stones fan, but I can surely appreciate their success... they must be doing something right to have the 40+ year career they've had.

No one can argue that point. I guess that is what frustrates me when I see guys like Phil Keaggy (who has roughly 50 albums out there and countless studio appearances) can play circles around most players out there, yet in common circles no one knows who the guy is, yet far less talented people get all the kudos for being this "great and awesome" musician. It all boils down to taste I guess and just how one measures success.

>As for Prince, he brings it in this video. Playing guitar on stage in a rock band is more than just the mechanics of playing and the fancy techniques you bring to the table. It is about attitude, confidence, and presentation, and Prince brings this in spades. Besides what you see here, the man is an extremely talented and successful multi instrumentalist and songwriter.

successful yes..... talented yea as a performer, but IMO not a real great guitar player.... Thanks for the insight.

Mike

[Grandturk]

It is weenies like you that just make life so much more fulfilling and entertaining.

Whoa whoa whoa!

You need to be a little more specific. There's a lot of weenies on this board!

[Gartron]

Comparing instrumental virtuosity and songwriting is apples and oranges.

this really is the beginning and the end of this discussion, the two are completly seperate...how many Mike Varney shredders had multi platinum albums??..are they talented? ..of course...but no songwriting = no commercial success.

You could also argue that Malmsteen, Vai , Satriani are far better guitar players than say David Gilmour..but I know who I would rather listen to ..or rather who is more interesting to listen to.