Prince fans, how do we feel about these new posthumously released albums?
@buffyleigh Kate Bush said she didn't mind fans sharing outtakes and bootlegs, as long as it wasn't for profit. Pat Metheny has said he doesn't want fans doing that, cuz the recordings represent moments when they weren't on their game.
W/o posthumous recordings, we wouldn't have 2pac's "Changes", which Bruce Hornsby has said was the greatest cover of his "That's Just The Way It Is" that has ever or will ever be made.
@GeePawHill @buffyleigh When talking about posthumous releases, I think there is a distinction to be made between collaborators finishing a work-in-progress (Otis Redding's Sitting on the Dock of the Bay would be another) and digging through the archives of material that an artist had chosen not to release.
That said, I personally have no problem with a "from the vaults" release if it is marketed as such, outtakes & demos, focusing on the process & encouraging discussion & comparison against his finished releases. He's never going to finish them now, so there's no saving them until they're perfect.
But if it's being presented as "ooh, look, we discovered an unreleased Prince album just sitting waiting for us," that would not be cool.
@AmeliasBrain @buffyleigh Dig. Yes. So, a lot of it has to be about how we present it, what we say about it officially in the release.
@GeePawHill @AmeliasBrain also, prince didn't leave a will, didn't have kids etc., so i believe his 'estate' is mostly some company that bought the rights. i don't think they should make any money off of whatever they posthumously release. release it for free, or donate all of it.
@GeePawHill yeah the thing with Prince though is that he was *so* particular. so if he didn't release these songs while he was alive, i feel like they ipso facto don't have his blessing to be heard...
@buffyleigh Yes, dig. My reply doesn't constitute an answer. It's just meant to complicate the question. :)
My vote got lost, but it was doesn't count but I'm okay with it.
@buffyleigh A good friend of mine worked as an audio engineer in Minneapolis, one of whose clients was Prince.
They'd work on these tapes, following his mastering instructions.
And he'd call them up, and say, "Play it."
Driving down the interstate in a convertible. And they'd play it for him, over his cellphone.
And he'd be like, "No, no, bring the bass down and focus on that cymbal, there, right there, at 1:38. Call me back when it's ready."
@GeePawHill oh sorry, i had done an edit and it wiped it out, you can probably re-answer?