TS: Prince or Bowie?

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Listen to fuckin' "Wild is the Wind" and tell me again Bowie can't sing. The man can croon like a goddamn demigod.

I'll admit he's doing something on that track, though I'm not sure "sing" is the right word for it. "Croon" is a bit closer. In any case, whatever he's doing, it makes me wince.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:21 (nineteen years ago) link

David Bowie is much more Morrissey than he is Brian Ferry, Alex.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:22 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm waiting for Alex to realize we're not talking about Prince Charles.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:22 (nineteen years ago) link

You mean this isn't TS: Prince Far I vs. Ash Bowie of Polvo?

Hmmmmph.

― donut christ (donut), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:24 (nineteen years ago) link

ask Ned, who's a witness to my mass collection of T. Rex material the past year or so

And a good man you are to be doing that. I now have all the new remasters and really am just waiting on the final piece of the puzzle, the upcoming Born to Boogie DVD.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:25 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm kinda amused at how "how well he sings!" has become the most contentious point on this thread! They both have great voices for what they do... the fuck?

― donut christ (donut), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:27 (nineteen years ago) link

I wouldn't like his cover of "Kingdom Come" so much if Bowie could actually sing.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:28 (nineteen years ago) link

Jesus Christ, for a horrible second I thought you were referring to Bowie covering the Mission UK.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:28 (nineteen years ago) link

oh like he's above that

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:29 (nineteen years ago) link

Thing is.. i could easily see Prince do a kickass cover of "Fame"
..and I could see Bowie doing a kickass cover of "Girls and Boys"

― donut christ (donut), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:30 (nineteen years ago) link

I'd rather see Bowie cover "Adore" (see my take on "Kingdom Come")

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:31 (nineteen years ago) link

oh like he's above that

In 1988 I wouldn't have entirely put it past him.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:31 (nineteen years ago) link

Taking sides: French girl rants on "It's No Game" vs. French girl rants on "Girls and Boys"?

― donut christ (donut), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:32 (nineteen years ago) link

Tin Machine covering the Mission UK makes a whole lot more sense than the opposite.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:32 (nineteen years ago) link

Ur, change "French" on the left side of my last taking sides.. duh.

― donut christ (donut), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:33 (nineteen years ago) link

Tin Machine covering the Mission UK makes a whole lot more sense than the opposite.

"UNDER...THE GOD...WITH MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:34 (nineteen years ago) link

if Bowie is a demigod on "Wild Is the Wind" then Prince on "Adore" is Zeus

haha xpost

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:39 (nineteen years ago) link

The "icy detachment" dis on Bowie has always baffled me. If anything, he tends towards overwrought. "Wild is the Wind", "Absolute Beginners," "Rock n Roll Suicide," "Heroes" (esp. the German version), "Slip Away"--this is detachment?

― iang, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:39 (nineteen years ago) link

>>if Bowie is a demigod on "Wild Is the Wind" then Prince on "Adore" is Zeus
Then who is Wotan?

― iang, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:40 (nineteen years ago) link

Bowie is a goofball. Prince is a freak.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:42 (nineteen years ago) link

Freance is a prick.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:43 (nineteen years ago) link

http://ca.geocities.com/bluntedchambers/images/wu-logo-5.gif
wotan

― Haibun (Begs2Differ), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:43 (nineteen years ago) link

Man, Matt C just won the universe.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:43 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm not a fanatic for either but I'm voting Prince all the way, no contest. He plays some awesome guitar solos.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 21:48 (nineteen years ago) link

This is the sound of detachment bemoaning its own inability to feel.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:02 (nineteen years ago) link

I really like what Aphex Twin did with "Heroes".

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:05 (nineteen years ago) link

(To my ears, BTW, Prince certainly has the better voice, like, by a ridiculous margin.)

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:07 (nineteen years ago) link

What about Prince vs Eno?

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:08 (nineteen years ago) link

Music For Assless Chaps

― donut christ (donut), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:09 (nineteen years ago) link

In most walks of (musical) life, Prince vs Bowie is a landslide victory for Bowie. But not on ILM. That's not a complaint, BTW (even though I pick Bowie).

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:16 (nineteen years ago) link

In most walks of (musical) life, Prince vs Bowie is a landslide victory for Bowie.

I find this difficult to believe unless you are defining "musical" to be "Anglicized indie-rock".

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:18 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm still not convinced that the pro-Bowie camp on this thread is not composed entirely of myopic Brits who are overestimating Bowie's impact.

I mean, in America, Prince is unquestionably the more prominent figure, just in terms of exposure.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:18 (nineteen years ago) link

wait, don't English people think Prince only got good with Parade? that says everything you need to know.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:19 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm defining "musical" as "accepted canon". (British moreso than American, for sure. But the American critical establishment still ranks Bowie above Prince)

xpost

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:22 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm defining "musical" as "accepted canon". (British moreso than American, for sure. But the American critical establishment still ranks Bowie above Prince)

dude, have you actually read any American music critics?

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:22 (nineteen years ago) link

Purple Rain and Sign O' Times get a lot more love than Ziggy and Station To Station

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:24 (nineteen years ago) link

(cuz they're better)

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:25 (nineteen years ago) link

(duh)

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:25 (nineteen years ago) link

Matos would know.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:28 (nineteen years ago) link

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/5938174?rnd=1105568732835&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.872

Bowie has the highest entry but Prince has more on the list.

VERDICT: Inconclusive because it's Rolling Stone and the rules say that I must insult it.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:30 (nineteen years ago) link

That list is bananas.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:32 (nineteen years ago) link

There is no full-length album by a black artist more consistently rewarding than What's Going On. OK.

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:34 (nineteen years ago) link

Has Prince ever won anything at the Rock N' Roll Hall of fame? Because Bowie has purposely shunned the Hall of Fame and the whole concept of it, even though he was nominated for something there. (unless he's changed his mind since?)

― donut christ (donut), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:38 (nineteen years ago) link

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6596661/sort/artist/pagenum/8
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6596661/sort/artist/pagenum/2

Bowie's got 4 songs on the 500 greatest songs of all time list (46. "Heroes", 127. "Changes, 277. "Ziggy Stardust", 481. "Young Americans").

Prince has 6 (52. "When Doves Cry", 108. "Little Red Corvette", 143. "Purple Rain", 212. "1999", 299. "Sign O' The Times", 461. "Kiss")

Prince was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame I think two years ago? Whenever it was, he apparently played a gig with other inductees that was the best induction jam session ever.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:39 (nineteen years ago) link

well, there's Prince's performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at that Hall of Fame induction ceremony a while back has become semi-legendary (meaning experienced feelings of intense jealousy while hearing people talk about it)

altho I don't really see what that has to do with anything...

x-post

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:41 (nineteen years ago) link

should be "I experienced" duh

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:42 (nineteen years ago) link

Oh, I'm past the whole "versus" tbing already, as I thought it was kinda ridiculous (for me) since I saw the thread title...

I would love to see a "TS: Prince vs. Robert Pollard" thread, only to see Matos have to make that excruciating decision.

― donut christ (donut), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:43 (nineteen years ago) link

Yeah, but Bowie has 4 albums on Pitchfork's Best of the 70s list, including the #1 absolute best album of that decade. Prince only has 3 on Best of the 80s, none of which make the top 10. And Bowie has another album on the 80s list as well. And we all know that if Pitchfork says it, it must be true.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:43 (nineteen years ago) link

Hahahah PITCHFORK VS ROLLING STONE FITE

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:45 (nineteen years ago) link

hey, Dan SAID unless you are defining "musical" to be "Anglicized indie-rock".

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 12 January 2005 22:48 (nineteen years ago) link

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