I know anybody younger than 33 and older than 36 will sneer, snicker and and ridicule me for this - but they only do it because they don't understand.

Only people who experienced the glory years of Prince (or the "Artist formerly known as Prince" - oh, and now Prince again) truly understand. For he is, has been, and always will be the music industry's one and only Rhythm Master.



Don't believe me? Watch Purple Rain. I happened to catch it yesterday on HBO, and it left me in awe again. Ok, maybe not in awe - but I'm listening to the soundtrack as I type this, and my feet and legs are independently moving from my body. And against my will, I must add. Such is the lure of Prince's infectious beats and melodies that you simply cannot just sit there and listen. You have to MOVE. And if you can listen to "Let's go crazy" and not feel strangely compelled to shake your booty, you're either dead or deaf.

Admittedly, the movie itself is closer to "aweful" than "awe", but let's face it - the story, directing, or even acting doesn't matter here. It's about the music, and his Highness himself. And if you subtract the strange one-sided hairdo, the ruffle shirt, and the heavy mascara you're left with one HOT guy. In 1984 anyway.

For the sake of full disclosure however I have to add that I've actually seen Prince live on stage (yes, I paid for the ticket myself). I can't remember which tour he was on, but it was the late 80s, he was already past his peak of popularity, and the outdoor stadium in Switzerland that usually held about 50,000 people was only about 3/4 full.

Yes, he's surprisingly short. Yes, he was wearing at least 5-inch heels. And not even the generous dump of free condoms a rented airplane showered on the crowd could appease die-hard fans of the disappointing fact that the concert was only 45 minutes long.

Yet, those 45 minutes were musical bliss. That little man can play the guitar like nobody's business. The 20-minute custom rendition of "Purple Rain" was exquisite and unforgettable. I don't think I stopped moving my body once for the entire length of the concert - and not because I didn't want to. It was literally beyond my control. And the experience was quite beyond words.

16 years later though I can attest to the fact that no matter what has happened to Prince, or what will happen to him in the future, musically - he's a genius, and has a sense of rhythm quite like no other musician out there.

If you don't believe me, just listen to the Purple Rain soundtrack, and you'll understand.