I watched the documentary on 808 I was reminded what it was like to hear R&B music that was heavily synthesized and remember how foreign & weird it sounded.

I mean 808s and drum machines were cool for hip-hop but I remember thinking of Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing or singing the National Anthem and remember thinking at the time even as like a 9 year old, that's cool but it would be better if they used real drums.

I also had that reaction to Prince's Sign of the Times. Just remember thinking it was a negative that it sounded so synthesized and electronic.

Then I heard recently this:

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lH5mczsaj16GEFpZRiqMVWder3eSFiFYc

It's an early version of one of my favorite songs and one of the reasons I dislike it so much is because it didn't sound as synthesized as the final version.

And as Prince moved more and more into being a live performance artist I think his music got a lot less interesting.


Am I making this up or do other people remember how jarring the transition from live musicians to electronically produced music was?




**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"