TS: Prince or Bowie?

i pick bowie. though i also love prince.

This'll have to do then:

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00000DTQD.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

and i've tried, believe me. i've tried.

bowie, on the other hand, is unimpeachable.

(I'm going to have to go with +()-> on that specific one.. sorry, Duke)

Bowie, on the other hand, in considering his poor records - which still have some elements to admire in them - was a pivotal figure in pop/rock/weirdness, for at least a decade. And more.
And The Man Who Fell to Earth is better than Prince's cellulloid dross
Prince has never recorded, or even threatened to, an album as great as Low.
Bowie has written about 40 amazing songs, Prince, well, its about 4 - and oodles of crap.
And not having a bass on When Doves Cry does not make him a genius. It makes him unable to work a mixing desk.

Prince is only funky on occassion and is eclipsed by all the 70s bands he sounds similar to (Sly Stone, The Meters, Funkadelic etc.)

Bowie has sacks of poor albums, but has a great run of them in my mind between Aladdin Sane and Scary Monsters. He did a great video in "Be My Wife" and was pretty good in the Man Who Fell To Earth. He's quite good at taking the piss out of himself too, which is nice.

Sheena Easton's solo career was better than her time with Prince.

Prince is only funky on occassion and is eclipsed by all the 70s bands he sounds similar to (Sly Stone, The Meters, Funkadelic etc.)

I can't even count the amount of wrongnesses in these statements, and I'm saying this objectively, without even sprouting an opinion about Prince or Bowie.

Not putting bass into the mix is not necessarily genius nor being "unable to work a mixing desk". it's an aesthetic decision that you can take or leave.

Prince sounding similar to Funkadelic, Sly Stone, The Meters?? If you only listened to some filler on For You or Prince or the song "Musicology", *maybe* you can try to attempt that description.. but no, sorry.

Prince seems locked in a bouffant-haired shoulder-padded fishnet-stockinged 1980s bass-slapping hell, to me. Complete with saxophone solos.

As for anybody vs. Michael Jackson... haha... Invincible is Jacko's fuckin' kryptonite in any argument in that regard.

Which is when?

ahem.

To re-address: Prince has released an incredible amount of great work (the wife was spinning Sign 'o' the Times just this week, and said album does kick a whole bunch of skinny, assless-pantsed butt), but I just don't see Prince as having the flair for 180-degree reinvention that was formerly Bowie's signature. Maybe Prince's equivalent of Bowie's Berlin period is out there (during his wilderness "slave" years, maybe?), but I haven't heard it. Apologies if I'm sounding misinformed.

Bowie played the same old post-Beatles game, I think; Prince's sources are, to me, so much richer. In my opinion, there's no contest between the Beatles and James Brown or the above-mentioned "funky people" that Prince supposedly ain't a patch on. Which statement I find, uh, odd. "Sign o the Times" is a high point for Prince just like "Station to Station" or "Lodger" is for Bowie; I find Bowie the face-o-fashion most of the time, synthetic but not in a good sense. Prince might've dicked around with "personae" and all that but he never did anything as outright dumb as that Zigaboo Modeliste (funky) Stardust shit Bowie was guilty of--what a load o' crap. Which isn't to say the songs aren't good, thanks to Mick Ronson.

They're both cheesemasters--I prefer Prince's cheese, infinitely. Prince's "pop" rips like "She's Always in My Hair" and "Peach" and "When You Were Mine" are a lot better than Bowie's--again, it's just richer to my ears. I mean, OK, Boston or someone like that took off from that whole Beatles thing, whereas Prince took off from Sly, Brown, etc. What's a richer source? Again, to me, there's no question which is richer.

Also, Prince is a far better singer than Bowie; one of the finest musicians around; and sure, the quality of his work falls off after '88 and "Black Album," but even then he's done some great work.

In my opinion, Bowie's whole career has been at attempt to latch onto some illusory "zeitgeist" and that's fine, but I don't hear too much underneath that attempt, which is why I like the obvious stuff, the hits. Whereas Prince was just doing what he wanted to do--OK, the early Prince was "black man doing white music in a black way or black music in a white way," which actually isn't true at all, that's just people bringing their own misconceptions to the project. As let's-give-the-people-an-image-to-hang-onto (because they're too dumb to get it any other way), "Purple Rain" beats "Ziggy Stardust" hands down. I don't like "Purple Rain" all that much myself.

I don't know how the debunkers of funk define the term--there are lotsa ways to be "funky" and the Meters or Sly or Brown are all different; for that matter, lots of New Orleans music (Benny Spellman, a great minor artist, comes to mind) is certainly funky without being overtly so. Prince's whole idea of forcebeat drums tied to "funk" or whatever you want to call it is certainly a moment in the evolution of black music, funky music, music--now what exactly did Bowie do, stylistically, to equal that? Guitar riffs? Makeup? Went Philly soul on "Young Americans"? I don't hear it. So I say that to appreciate Bowie you have to appreciate *extraneous* shit like his hair, clothes, makeup, "ever-shifting persona," stuff like that. It's only when he gets a bit more honestly dishonest and relaxes some--on "Lodger"--that I kinda like the guy more. But then he ups and hires Stevie Ray V. to play Real Guitar and Nile Rodgers to make him some big fat dance tracks on that goddamned "Let's Dance." Yeah, man, let's dance.

And as proof that Prince is "funky," go back and listen to "How Come U Don't Call Me," which is pretty damn funky, and he did it with just piano. I don't believe David Bowie could've done that, do you?

It puts the finger on my feelings in this matter; I like my Prince, but I love my David Bowie. And that's a completely subjective opinion based on nothing else than gut feeling and teenage infatuation.

I'm gonna pick Bowie, with a hell of a lot of reservations.

Quite, quite true.

this is so unbelievably wrong on so many levels - you can count ON ONE HAND the number of great classic songs Jackson has written. And Jackson's got what, one, two truly solid albums (Off the Wall and Thriller) to Prince's four or five (1999, Purple Rain, Sign O' the Times, Controversy, Lovesexy) Jacko's peak period is unbelievably short and is owed to a host of other people (Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones, etc.) "Off the Wall" doesn't even come close to Sign O' The Times in terms of scope, innovation, depth of vision, catchy tunes, surprises, left-field references, or even in terms of pure FUNK. Prince recent public dismissiveness of Jacko is completely justified in my mind...

Both have been absolutely crucial to me liking the music I like, and to becoming the person that I am. I'd pick Prince if I had to, but as far as I can tell the main argument for living in Western society is that I don't have to choose.

Just thought I should point that out.

and for what it's worth, jacko's peak period began in 1969, before either prince or bowie entered the conversation.

I personally am far MORE entertained by Prince BECAUSE he takes himself so seriously.

I think British people here (assuming nomar is a British) are wildly overestimating Bowie's popularity in the states. Popular sure, but nothing close to ubiquitous. The only Bowie songs I heard before I was an adult and got into him myself on some music nerd shit were "Changes", "Let's Dance", and maaaaybe "Under Pressure". I certainly don't see him being huge in middle America, but yeah he has a certain prestige among coastal cultural types -- like Alfred said, a cult figure. There are quite a few musicians whose deaths will be bigger deals in the US.

he never had a #1 record here before! which is crazy, but there it is

Like Bowie vs McCartney? I remember George Harrison's death being as big or bigger deal than this (Time Magazine cover iirc?) and that was George freaking Harrison.

A couple days after Michael Jackson died, I stood in a giant crowd of people chanting "MJ! MJ! MJ!" at a DJ who had just finished playing, so we could summon her back to play another song by him. I love Bowie, but I don't see that happening with him.

Reverend OTM. The only Bowie fans I knew growing up were a couple of eccentric arty girls.

I think British people here (assuming nomar is a British) are wildly overestimating Bowie's popularity in the states.

I think nomar is American and I was definitely under the impression that it was US posters who were wildly overestimating Bowie's popularity in the states!

That's why I give side eye to the Bowie >> Dylan comparison. Dylan has several multiplatinum albums in the United States alone and enjoys a cultural force and cache that Bowie couldn't reach.

ILX's reaction to Bowie's death has surprised me because I've never believed Bowie was anywhere near as significant figure in the US as he was in the UK.

ILX sort of originated with Britishes and anglophiles, though.

and rock critics

Not many Britishes on it now tbh.

ILX Bowie sort of originated with Britishes and anglophiles, though.

― EveningStar (Sund4r),

I just tried to imagine a message board dominated by Midwestern construction workers and how it would react to Jon Bon Jovi's death.

I'm trying to imagine this message board and how it wld react to Jon Bon Jovi's death.

That was where I went next.

ran out of prayers, RIP

British people here (assuming nomar is a British) are wildly overestimating Bowie's popularity in the states.

dang that's cold : /

but I'm probably overestimating it yeah.

But I feel like people (maybe even now nomar as well, with this latest post) are misreading nomar's posts. I didn't read any of them as making any conclusions about Bowie's relative popularity anywhere. It was more about something particular ("can't quite put a finger on it" etc.) about Bowie and what he means.

Ha, apparently Jon Bon Jovi blocked The Next Day from going #1!

and it's ok if all we're talking about is "eccentric arty girls" (so to speak) because "eccentric arty girls" and their ilk might be a minority within any given county, but they're scattered throughout the land.

http://slate.me/1RohYZq

Ha!

"I didn't say that all rock musicians will automatically produce watered-down versions of other genres... (For example, a couple years ago this popular Finnish singer who used to do boring MOR dad rock music unexpectedly shifted into 80s style dance pop a la Michael Jackson, and the results were great! The difference between that "Let's Dance" is that he seems to have put his heart fully into it, so ) I'm just saying that these particular examples (the Youtubes Shakey posted) don't sound as good as similar records released by "proper" electronic musicians of the same era."

^soul-ism (or R&Bism/dance-pop-ism, etc). :P basically saying that bowie should have tried harder to sound less english, less white, less 'rock', or just less 'bowie' (ie detached, a bit arch, 'stiff') when maybe it was bringing all those things to lets dance that made it what it was. now back to the debate over 'who had the better death'. bowie obv bowed out a lot more gracefully than JB, MJ or other artists who were still a little too caught in the crassness of showbizziness. DB seemed to not really want much to do with all that.

got to take greg tate's piece with a pinch of salt (was bowie really inspired by kendrick lamar?!, and Ive never too keen on comments like "Andy Warhol was so white he was black” but whatever...), but yeah, i always wondered about that p-funk mention of bowie. sure, clinton doesnt dis bowie, but he doesnt really give him props as such either (or maybe the lack of a dis should be considered a compliment).

"We were listening to a lot of Kendrick Lamar," says producer Tony Visconti.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/the-inside-story-of-david-bowies-stunning-new-album-blackstar-20151123

funny thinking about bowie/prince/morissey - i could totally see prince covering bowies version of i know its gonna happen someday.

you beautiful men

looking for a picture with both of them on it

Gene Simmons,

"Prince, Glen Frey, Bowie. These are people who changed lives..."

haha

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/7/7e/Susanthesethings.jpg

Too sad: prince and bowie

i'll stick with you baby for a thousand years

http://www.breatheheavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/bowie-prince.jpg

Couldn't work Glenn Frey in there?

http://youtu.be/BSUGJBcNF0E?t=2m41s

Can't wait for the paintings of Lemmy, Prince, Bowie, Glenn Frey and Keith Emerson looking soulful and jamming on a cloud start cropping up.

http://i.imgur.com/npsQVdS.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/kQ1LXPC.jpg?1

Lol both of these assholes are DEAD

Prince covered "Heroes" last month in Toronto.

(All video footage of the above seems to have disappeared from the webz.)

Audio tho:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqDX8-s6jYI

i know its early days yet, but i imagine a far bigger outpouring of pieces on him in the US than the UK, compared to bowie.

Lol both of these assholes are DEAD

― • (sleepingbag), Friday, April 22, 2016 12:12 AM (two years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

:-(

sleepingbag makes some strong points

:D

I wish Prince had covered "Win"...

― Intelligence Lends Mojo (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, March 5, 2009

damn good call

"Win" is basically the perfect Bowie song, I doubt anyone could do it better.