Doves are Crying Today

I’ve seen a lot of concerts, but one artist that I never saw was Prince.  He was most definitely on my list, but alas, the dream of seeing him perform will be unrealized.  Prince died today at the “young” age of 57.  Like most untimely deaths, it was unexpected.  That doesn’t mean it was shocking – after all, the rock ‘n roll death toll is huge and filled with people who didn’t get their full allocation of American life expectancy.  We’re used to this in some sort of way, right?  But it was saddening and a bummer for those of us who were fans.

And how could you not like Prince?  The guy was flamboyant in dress and style.  He wrote great songs full of hooks and melody, loading many of them up with raunchy, sexually charged lyrics.  And he dabbled in so many musical styles that it is hard to characterize his genre:  funk, rock, soul, pop, electronica – you name it, he incorporated it into his repertoire.  Most of all, he loved to make you dance and get those gadunks working.

I’m always glad to see an artist hail from a place that no one expects.  It proves that great talent and world-changing ideas and creativity surround each of us no matter where we live.  Prince was from Minnesota, not New York or California.  Now, there are some great bands and artists from Minnesota, like the Replacements and Hüsker Dü, but it’s not exactly the first city that comes to mind when thinking of musical hot beds. 

I’ll miss the dude.  Yes, I will.  But he left behind a large catalogue that deserves further exploration and examination.  I started some of that review today on the way home from work, and was rocking out pretty hard by the time I got home.  I wasn’t sad, but actually happy because the music is so infectious and grooving.  But as I write this, I’m more melancholy about the world losing another talented and influential American musical artist.  RIP, Prince.