Sign O' the Times - Prince (super deluxe edition)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by masswriter, May 29, 2020.

  1. Stillwaiting

    Stillwaiting Forum Resident

    Anytime I say anything remotely negative about those powers that be, I get admin warnings. I no longer put names in my posts, and just leave it up to the imagination. Prince's material is being handled by industry types, who are marginal fans at best, who when interviewed, show poor knowledge of the material, and do not have the passion for it that many on here do. I'd do it for free if I could, but involving a die hard fan who knows how to market and cater to the largest portion of the fan base does not seem to be important to them at all. It is what it is.
     
    Mechanical Man and zphage like this.
  2. Stillwaiting

    Stillwaiting Forum Resident

    Remedy? Nice song by the Black Crowes. I recently had a job with tons of 18-35 year olds, and if it doesn't have an auto tune voice that sounds exactly the same as all the others, almost no interest. Obviously, not all USA young people are adverse to Prince, but a ton of people live in the copycat society where they have to like what everyone else likes, and have to have the same type of tattoo that so and so has, and want their life to be generic. Prince does have young fans, but it would take a miracle to actually get young fans that will spend money. My generation was into getting into artists from the past. That's why I have Hendrix, Dylan, and Beatles Box Sets. Music was important to young people, now it is something in the background, something on Spotify, minimized in the background. It's still important to some, but my generation also has promoted budget cuts that reduce or even eliminate music programs in schools, so even the few that want to play an "instrument" not that many opportunities.
     
  3. April Snow

    April Snow Forum Resident

    On thing that also gets me about the SOTT Vinyl release, looks like the LPs are not in gatefolds? So they must be in the slip sleeves like the ONA Live LPs are? But these look like there are three crammed into one sleeve maybe? At least the ONA LPs are one LP per sleeve. Maybe it is just the way they are photographed?
     
    groovelocked likes this.
  4. fpas

    fpas Just...take it easy, man.

    Well, there’s a difference, yes. But that bullcrap was thought up by the movie studios.
    1080p content plays always, if set to the right region. Most modern tv’s play 50hz and 60hz content. With Blu-ray there is no PAL / NTSC thing going on. Only with SD content, from the DVD era.
    But, since you live in the US, I’m guessing that you hardly ever import from Europe, and only have a few titles that are Region 2 locked. You wouldn’t have to switch that often anyway (which takes the same amount of time as putting on another record).
    Also, the majority of Blu-rays are regionfree. Some of the major studios never bothered to ‘lock’ their discs. I don’t really see a downside when I’m able to buy discs from anywhere in the world, knowing I can always play it.
    Firmware can be set to update automatically.
    But then again, I’m also a moviebuff and use my Oppo on a daily basis. And yes, I switch more often, as I buy a lot from the US. For me, it’s no bother at all.
     
  5. Orthogonian Blues

    Orthogonian Blues A man with a fork in a world full of soup.

    Location:
    London, UK
    As writer Quentin Crisp once said:

    The young always have the same problem - how to rebel and conform at the same time. They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another.
     
  6. Turntable

    Turntable Senior Member

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    It's a box inside a box like 1999. SOTT was never a gatefold, so they are probably not going to start now. from the pic, hard to tell how each other 2LP set are packaged.
    I really hope they come in poly lined sleeves like the 1999 box.


    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2020
  7. Dark Horse 77

    Dark Horse 77 A Parliafunkadelicment Thang

    I'd like that rule applied to all threads.
     
    rednax, superstar19, EVOLVIST and 2 others like this.
  8. Turntable

    Turntable Senior Member

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    it's getting closer :D

    https://www.amazon.com.au/Sign-Times-Super-Deluxe-Prince/dp/B08BMXT2SK/ref=mb_oe_l
     
  9. Campaigner

    Campaigner Too late to cause a stir

    Location:
    Australia
    You seem to think that the largest portion of Prince's fanbase reside in forums like this. If your marketing plan is to cater to us, then I don't think anyone can help you.

    Here's a hint though: Prince's material is being handled by his Estate, comprised of members of his family. They want to make money. Lots of money. The way they can make lots of money is by marketing to as many people as possible, not the types of diehards who would buy the product anyway.
     
    Matthew Tate, TheLastVoice and obi like this.
  10. jmxw

    jmxw Fab Forum Fan

    None taken. Just trying to avoid the wrath of the easily offended and/or Gorts... :edthumbs:
     
    DolphinsIntheJacuzzi likes this.
  11. DarylB

    DarylB Forum Resident

    I had had this same thing on my mind about the estate doing a lavish box set of the greatest concert film!
     
  12. englishbob

    englishbob has left the SH Forums...19/05/2023

    Location:
    Kent, England
    Combination of record label, the members of the Prince Estate, and the marketing department gone mad. I can just hear the conversations now in a board room somewhere about this set...

    "But wouldn't it be great if we did a hardback book with it, I mean, if they are already going to buy a 13 disc set of something, then throw in the kitchen sink too and put the bill on them"
     
    905 likes this.
  13. Mr Olsen

    Mr Olsen Granddanois

    The booklet in the cd boxes for the 1999 and Purple Rain deluxe sets are tiny and the text close to unreadable. I dont mind paying extra to get a better product.
     
  14. Gavaxeman

    Gavaxeman Take me back to dear old Blighty...

    Location:
    West Midlands U.K.
    Agree ..it’s a great set but that booklet hurts my eyes ..rather have paid £20 more for a 12x12 box
     
    Mr Olsen and Matthew Tate like this.
  15. TheLastVoice

    TheLastVoice Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hollywood, CA
    Funny. I know lots of old people who fit that description too. Being a boring copycat who's adverse to something new or different isn't limited to just the young.

    I can't imagine that The Estate is under any illusion that this would convince tons of "conformist" young people to run out and start spending money on cds and expensive box sets, but what it might do is generate more interest in his music. Maybe if people hear a clip in a TikTok video they might like it enough to seek it out on Spotify (or what ever streaming service they use) and they might even end up listening to more of his music. I mean, why isn't Prince on the list of Spotify's top 40 legacy artists streamed for 2019? (scroll down to the "Most streamed legacy artists" section) Even Elvis and Sinatra are on that list. I'm all for them trying things that might possibly get younger people to hear his music. And what's the alternative, just keep catering to his aging, dwindling fan base until he's mostly forgotten and ignored?
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2020
  16. HotelYorba101

    HotelYorba101 Senior Member

    Location:
    California
    Looks like the CD set on Amazon is now 11 bucks higher, glad I locked in the pre-order at the lower price just in case this happens even more!
     
    Matthew Tate, 905 and TheLastVoice like this.
  17. C6H12O6

    C6H12O6 Senior Member

    Location:
    My lab
    Just imagine, in less than a decade, we'll begin seeing copyright dumps à la Bob Dylan that should satisfy even the most critical naysayers. Stay healthy and stay alive kids!
     
  18. possumdude

    possumdude "Spies Like Us" Aficionado

    Location:
    USA
    Hey, can we stop pretending that the current generation of young people is the first and only one to listen to generic pop? "Generic music enjoyed by the general public" isn't exclusive to the 2000's, it has happened in every decade for as long as music has been commodified. Plenty of people my age have a deep respect for music from the past, and plenty of your peers didn't care about the artistry of music while growing up. Trends and fads have always existed, and it's natural to want to fit in with those around you. No offense, but I hope I never sound like you when I get older.

    ps: I do appreciate your last point, economics unfortunately play a big role in how younger people engage with music.
     
  19. April Snow

    April Snow Forum Resident

    Yes but cramming 3 LPs into one sleeve? I replaced all my 1999 boxed inner sleeves with Mofi inner sleeves anyway. The ONA Live 4 LP set at least only had one LP per sleeve............I understand that that SOTT was not gatefold to start with and I have plenty of albums with 2 LPs per sleeve, but wondered about the 3 LPs in one sleeve?
    Anyway, guess we will find out in September, but hope the cardboard is sturdy and not flimsy like the ONA Live ones are..............
     
  20. Stillwaiting

    Stillwaiting Forum Resident

    I may sound like the get off my lawn guy, but when I was growing up, the charts were filled with artists of all ages, much diversity. OLD artists like Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Lionel Richie, Aerosmith, Kool & The Gang had ACTUAL songs hitting the Top 10 with ease. Many of them well past 40 with Top 40 hits. Quick name Five artists since 2000 who had multiple Top 40 hits after even 35? Look at The Police, Sting was almost THIRTY ONE when they had their first number one album, and Sting was 43 when he had his last Top 40 hit. If you aren't 25 or younger, and you don't have a hit, you are done, and you had better use Auto Tune and copy everyone else to be relevant...and it's not like I have a bad memory, young and old people alike listened to real music, and what about generic pop music? Sure there was some awful stuff, but even Billy Ocean was not that bad. Sure, there is some good music by young people today, but not as much. And young people in general are not passionate in the same way, times change...but my best friends Daughter is really into music, but I asked her how many people were wearing concert shirts after a recent big show...almost none. When Prince or The Police played shows, the high schools had so many wearing these shirts, it looked the damn school uniform.
    But yeah, the economics play a part in this, but more kids are stuck to their phone, and yes, people my age are too. I'm not. I won't spend more than 20 minutes a day on my phone.
     
    andycherry, Grant and Lands End Drums like this.
  21. AshS

    AshS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    I was just checking my orders on Amazon US...

    The pre-ordered price I paid for the CD set is sitting at $149.98, now it is $159.98.
    The pre-ordered price I paid for the LP set is sitting at $279.98, now it is $299.98

    For all those complaining about price, you always get the lowest price on Amazon even if the price fluctuates up and down. Plus, they have the best no hassle return policy and release date delivery.
     
  22. Timjosephuk

    Timjosephuk Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hull, UK

    Exactly. I don't care what anyone (well, one person) says, they dropped the ball with the CD packaging. The only equivalent vault catalogue of comparable importance (not to me, but many) is Bob Dylan's. None of his Bootleg Series releases came in such a small box. Imagine the outcry if The Basement Tapes were packaged like 1999!!
     
    Dark Horse 77 and Matthew Tate like this.
  23. DolphinsIntheJacuzzi

    DolphinsIntheJacuzzi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Prince's lack of impact on millennials has nothing to do with young people being "copycats," and everything to do with exposure. Young people love Michael Jackson and Queen, and to a slightly lesser extent, David Bowie and Elton John. But that's because these acts have had exposure.

    David Bowie starred in a cult movie that kids can watch on Netflix. Queen and Elton John have had biopics. And Michael Jackson has had so much exposure (good and bad) that he's practically inescapable.

    But Prince? Prince wouldn't even let people watch his videos on YouTube. Much less streaming sites. There was no biopic. No televised special events. (Not since the Musicology tour, anyway, which was an eternity ago.)

    So, how were they supposed to become fans of the music? Nobody but the people on this forum buy physical copies of anything. Today, people stream. And you can't blame them. I would have done the same thing at that age. Could have bought a lot more packs of Ramen and cans of cheap beer for what I would have saved on music during college.

    But The Estate is finally starting to ease up some on that. And I heard talk awhile back about a Prince biopic (of sorts) in the pipeline. So, maybe, in another few years, Prince will have regained the status befitting his legend.

    But for now, millenials hear Prince, and they wonder, "William or Harry?"
     
  24. HotelYorba101

    HotelYorba101 Senior Member

    Location:
    California
    I can attest to this anecdotally as a Millennial. I knew Prince from when I was younger seeing him on the Superbowl and a couple of the radio hits on FM radio whenever I was in the car. I didn't get bit by the Prince bug until I got a recommendation on an old music forum about funky tracks that pointed me to "DMSR" and I was lucky that I found the studio version on Youtube because the next day it was removed! Around that time there were barely any videos on the site with Prince's music on it at all

    If I had found that recommendation a day later, I wouldn't have had an easy way to check out that song, which inspired me to get the full album, which kicked off my Prince fandom. I feel like the potential butterfly effect of not having an easy way to preview songs via Youtube in the 2000's and 2010's really did impact the amount of people my age who potentially would have at least had Prince on their radar a bit more
     
  25. Dark Horse 77

    Dark Horse 77 A Parliafunkadelicment Thang

    That is true and sickening.
     

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