Wow, I can't believe that it's been a month since I've posted here. So much has gone on that you would have thought I would've posted something. Anything. But nope, not a thing. Hmmm... well time to remedy that. Since my last post we found out the actual cause of death for Prince but I don't want to discuss that in this post. Maybe in a later post I'll broach the subject but I am here for a specific reason. Let's see, what else has happened in the last month? Oh yeah!!! The BET Awards kept their promise and gave us a tribute worthy of his Purpleness unlike that other awards show. Yeah, I'm talking about you Billboard and your weak @ss Madonna tribute that wouldn't have made it in a third-class karaoke bar. But, I'm not here to talk about the BET tribute either. No, like I said, I am here for a specific reason. I am here to retrospeculate on the NPGMC.
First off, let me say, I know that retrospeculate is not an actual word but hey, it's my blog and I like the sound of it. Besides, it describes what I am doing perfectly. I'm speculating what might have happened if certain events had happened in the past in a different way. Anyway, it's not like I invented the word. I stole it from Prince and the NPGMC. Track down the commentary Freedom, Pt. 2 from the 2003 version of the NPGMC and you will see Prince used it first. So there!!! Oh lawd, I sound like I'm in third grade! Once again I digress. Or maybe I regressed in my digression? Huh? Okay, forget all that noise and let's get on with this retrospeculation thang!
So, on February 14, 2001, the world (at least all the Purple Party People and True Funk Soldiers) was introduced to the first version of the New Power Generation Music Club. It was basically a download manager/media player that gave you access to various media made available by the club. Looking back at that first incarnation, I'm astounded I actually joined. It was pretty lame but then again, by 2001 standards.... hell, who am I kidding. It was Prince's website! I was joining! And join I did. I was a loyal member of the NPGMC until it closed in 2006. I bought the music, the merchandise and the tickets. Especially the tickets. Afterall, members got the best seats, didn't we? I know when I got my Musiclology 2004ever tickets through the club, I was on the front row. That is a show I will never forget!!!! So yeah, I'm like sailing along doing the whole club member thing like a good little soldier when 2006 rolls around and POOF!!!!! It was gone!!! (Side note: I think this is first time I have ever typed the word poof, much less used it on a blog post! So don't judge me! Now back to my regularly scheduled rambling.) But what if that hadn't happened? What if Prince had kept the club open and not lost interest in it like so many of his other projects?
Would we have gotten more music through the club than we did in real life? Maybe a few more live videos? How about a concert snippet or two from the 21 Nights in London concerts? Or maybe a live album from the 3121 residency in Las Vegas? I know, we could have gotten a concert video, a la Lovesexy Live, of the Welcome 2 America tour! Yeah, he could have released 3121 and Lotusflower through the club and...and...uh...hmmm....wait a minute. So in this alternate timeline that I am retrospeculating on, Prince hasn't lost interest in the NPGMC so he may not have come up with 3121. There may not have been a Lotusflower for him to release. His journey would have been greatly altered and may not have even crossed the path of...say....Welcome 2 America or Welcome 2 anything for that matter. It's that whole Butterfly Effect theory playing out in my purple universe! Instead of Schrodinger's Cat, I have created Schrodinger's Purple Yoda! Oh wow, I think I have officially lost it now.
I guess this has made me realize that it was probably a good thing that the NPGMC closed down when it did since he moved on to so many other things that are essential in the Purpleverse (that's the Purple Universe. Get it? Of course you do. Why am I explaining things to you? You are obviously all very intelligent since you listen to Prince. But not too smart if you actually read this stuff. LOL!). Wait...there I go with the regressing digression again! Let me try to wrap this up since I have rambled a lot longer than I meant to when I started.
Yesterday, princeonlinemuseum.com went live and they offer a virtual walk-through of Prince's various websites from over the years. The site is run by the same people that brought us these sites to begin with and are a great document to Prince's large on-line presence over the years. If you get the chance, I strongly recommend you visit the site and take a cyberstroll down random access memory lane. I spent hours reading the various commentaries Prince wrote that were posted on the different sites. Matter of fact, I will probably write a post or three at a later date about some of the articles he wrote and posted. But while reading all the stuff he posted on the NPGMC, I started to wonder what it would have been like if the club was still around. And that's how we ended up here...wherever here is. Just kidding, I know where here is....it's in the opposite direction from there. What??? Nevermind. Just ignore the man behind the curtain who may be a little senile and sleep deprived. Now, quit reading and head over to princeonlinemuseum.com and remember the Days of Wild!
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