I am on the late shift tonight, and I have just had a (good-natured) argument with a woman in the office who reckons that Prince is shit.

She genuinely believes he is utter crap. It's not that he's just not her thing, musically; but that she thinks his music is piss-poor, low quality, badly done.

The same woman's favourite act in the entire world is Paul Weller.

I mean, where do I start?

Skin colour?

Solo Paul Weller?

How old is she? Prince's output has been at best patchy for 17 years - not unlike Weller, of course, but we might be talking about poor exposure here.

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I mean, where do I start?

With a hammer. It'd be for her own good.

I've never liked Prince, but the difference between what I dislike and what is shit may be a large one. I doubt it, though.

Paul Weller is miles better, and always has been, by virtue of being in the Jam.

She's about 35 and a bright individual in most other ways. And yes, solo Weller, and the Jam (but not the Style Council, presumably they were too synthy and effete for her).

I can understand someone simply not wanting to listen to Prince's music, for reasons of individual taste, but it blows my mind that someone would barefacedly claim that he's shit at what he does.

Prince is one of my trinity of acts that are loved by people on OTF and elsewhere whose musical knowledge and taste I respect, but who I can't for the life of me be getting started with (the others being New Order and the Pet Shop Boys). They've all had their moments, mind, but overall I honestly can't see what the fuss is all about. I believe the term the young people use these days is "meh". It's like tomatoes - I know I ought to like them, and I've tried, but it just doesn't work.

Paul Weller has probably provided me with more enjoyment than the three of them put together, but that was a very long time ago, and pretty much everything I've heard by him in the last ten years has indeed been "utter crap", and that's not something you could level at Prince, like him or not.

Still, it takes all sorts, eh?

If your understanding of music is totally identified with melody, old-fashioned self-expression, "meaningful" lyrics, harmonic variation and a certain symmetry, and you really don't respond to things like rhythm, dynamics, tension, poise, momentum, strange textures and the sensuality of sound, I suppose it could seem self-evident that Prince is shit and Paul Weller is better. After all, most of Prince's songs don't even have a middle eight, so how can they be any good?

The question is, why would even a person with this common but lamentable wiring think that Paul Weller is not just better than Prince, but better than anyone? Even Paul Weller doesn't think that.

Oh, that's nothing. My best mate is doing a music degree (jazz drumming) at Trinity College of Music in Greenwich. Him and I have sort-of similar musical tastes in many ways, having introduced one another to plenty of acts down the years (he gave me jazz, I gave him funk and soul). He likes James Brown, Curtis, all that shit. Prince isn't his cup of tea but he recognises that he's still good, likewise with Stevie Wonder. I can dig all that.

But every time, and I mean every fucking time I mention a particular artist to him, he gives me a pitying look and says something like 'really? him? Why?' and goes on to tell me that that man, and his band, are crap. In spite of the fact that he's listened to one of this man's albums, once.

That, you would think, is bad enough on its own. But wait until you read who the artist in question is.

Sitting down?


Sly fucking Stone.

I mean, there are times when I wish you could divorce friends, or something.

am on the late shift tonight, and I have just had a (good-natured) argument with a woman in the office who reckons that Prince is shit.

She genuinely believes he is utter crap. It's not that he's just not her thing, musically; but that she thinks his music is piss-poor, low quality, badly done.

The same woman's favourite act in the entire world is Paul Weller.

I mean, where do I start?

Well, I think traditionally you ask her out for a drink first. You two are just meant to be.

I think Taylor just described me, there. Is out "not liking singers who put on annoying stupid voices" covered by the whole "sensuality of sound" thing, then?

Take "Kiss", for example. I mean, it's not that bad a song. But Prince sings it so badly, it's unbearable. Get a decent singer in, like Tom Jones, and it gets a whole lot better.

Of all the songs you could have chosen, Ton Ton, you chose "Kiss" to make your point?

As for Hierony's chum, I forgive her not enjoying the oeuvre of Mr Rodgers, even thinking that Paul Weller is great. But thinking Weller is great and NIT liking the Style Council? Bring back public floggings!

G.Man as Trotaconventos wrote:

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Of all the songs you could have chosen, Ton Ton, you chose "Kiss" to make your point?

As for Hierony's chum, I forgive her not enjoying the oeuvre of Mr Rodgers, even thinking that Paul Weller is great. But thinking Weller is great and NIT liking the Style Council? Bring back public floggings!

There are times, G-Man, when one can really 'hear' your accent.

Ha, keeping it real, or something.

Actually, I don't think I have a South African accent at all. Still German, I've been told. I'll have to train myself to mistype the word "not" nott.

Taylor wrote:

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The question is, why would even a person with this common but lamentable wiring think that Paul Weller is not just better than Prince, but better than anyone? Even Paul Weller doesn't think that.

I'm a big Weller fan - since "Going Undergroud" and I've found in the last year there has been a massive change in his attitude - defenently for the better - and probably for two reasons. His 50th birthday and that Paolo Hewiit book which seemed to rip him to shreds a bit. And maybe not before time to be honest.