Tuesday, December 29, 2015

"The Joint I've Been Layin' For" - Favorite Prince Songs (Part 1)

Even though my book is about Prince's spiritual journey, it was his music that attracted me. I was a fan before I wrote one word about him. I will always have respect for him and I truly believe he is a musical genius.

I was familiar with a lot of Prince music before I began this project, but this process has really exposed me to even more songs. I love that I am still discovering new musical gems in his discography at this stage, and I've been a fan for 14 years now! He is one of the most prolific artists in popular music.

With that said, I thought it'd be fun to list my favorite song from each Prince album that I've researched so far. This was a very difficult task; I really wanted to include "ties" between two songs in many cases. However, I asked myself which song I would take with me on a deserted island.

  1. For You (1978): "Soft and Wet." It's just so funky, and I love the layered vocals.

  2. Prince (1979): "I Wanna Be Your Lover." I know it looks like a cop out because it's the single, but it's a classic. I really enjoy the extended instrumental section at the end (extended instrumental sections are kinda my thing).

  3. Dirty Mind (1980): "Head." I'm so embarrassed, but it's the funkiest track on the album.

  4. Controversy (1981): "Controversy." I really, really wanted to say "Annie Christian," but I just feel the funk of "Controversy" in my bones. "Love you, love baby." 

  5. 1999 (1982): "D.M.S.R." Ok, this is becoming a pattern; I'm a funk head.

  6. Purple Rain (1984): "Computer Blue." This is the song that made me pay attention to Prince as a rock star. I am obsessed with the B section.

  7. Around the World in a Day (1985): "America." You guessed it.

  8. Parade (1986): "Anotherloverholenyohead." Surprised? That was hard because the piano solo on "Under the Cherry Moon," though very brief, gives me chills.

  9. Sign O' the Times (1987): "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man." Ok, no one should ever have to choose a favorite from this album. How did I do it? The extended instrumental section strikes again...

  10. Lovesexy (1988): "Glam Slam." Many would say that this is one of the weakest tracks, but the melody just gets to me every time. I hope I made the right choice; it's hard to ignore the vibrant, positive explosion that is "Eye No."

  11. Batman (1989): "Vicki Waiting." I talked about this in a recent blog post. I can't get this melody and Prince's vocals out of my head. I had this on repeat in my car practically all month.

  12. Graffiti Bridge* (1990): "The Question of U." What a bloody fight between that, "Joy in Repetition" and "Elephants & Flowers." "The Question of U" is just so intriguing due to the dark mood, voice effects and hand claps. 
*I haven't studied this album in depth--I put it on my calendar for next week. I wanted to motivate myself. 

What are your favorite songs on Prince's first twelve albums?

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

"The End of the Journey's So Clear" - Plans for 2016

In my last blog post, I decided that I wouldn't get hung up on due dates. I supposed I've changed my mind...sort of. While I'm no longer promising my audience a specific time frame, I would like to stick to a schedule in 2016.

What if I tried to finish my book next year? Even if I don't reach that goal, I think striving for it can only help me. So, I'm bringing my content calendar back!

In addition to scheduling my day-to-day tasks, I've also created a high-level calendar based on Prince albums. Take a look:

  • Jan 2016: "Batman" + "Graffiti Bridge"
  • Feb 2016: "Diamonds and Pearls"
  • Mar 2016: "Love Symbol"
  • Apr 2016: "Come" + "The Black Album" + "The Gold Experience"
  • May 2016: "Chaos and Disorder" + "Emancipation"
  • June 2016: "Crystal Ball"
  • July 2016: "The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale" + "Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic" 
  • August 2016: "The Rainbow Children" + "One Nite Alone"
  • September 2016: "Xpectation" + "N.E.W.S."
  • October 2016: "Musicology"

I'd like to spend the remainder of the year writing the conclusion and epilogue, and editing the entire book.

Additionally, I have outlined my blog topics for the next five weeks so I can stay on track! Next week, I'm going to talk about my favorite Prince songs. 

Stay tuned!

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

"Last December" - When Will My Journey End?

I was so energized and productive last week. This week has been a bit of a drag. My spirits have been low, and I'm blogging a day late, but I'm going to push through!

As 2015 comes to a close, it's time for me to review my progress on the Prince book. I'm not where I want to be, but I've certainly come a long way.

When I started my blog in 2010, I wanted to expand my book and meet Prince by December 2011...and then by 2012. Next, I decided that meeting Prince was not mandatory for my book, and I set a goal to secure more interviews and add 80 pages--as part of my thesis for grad school--by December 2015. I'm proud of myself for adding well over 80 pages, completing a ton of interviews, and graduating from Ohio University before my deadline!

My next goal is to complete and publish the book. I would love to finish writing by December 2016, but I'm not going to get caught up on anymore due dates right now. I'm just going to continue to do my best. So, let's just say I'll be done on a purple day in December!

I am going to make a rough writing schedule for myself, though. I'll share that next week.

Thanks for your support!