I was actually quite shocked at just what a talented multi-instrumentalist (that freak) Prince is. He's actually a very talented musician/producer/entertainer. I was biased against him from when I saw him on "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" a few centuries ago, and his stage act disgusted me. It was only within the last couple of years that I saw how talented he really is.
Mark
Having been to more than a few Prince shows, I know what you mean, but it’s a pity. The decadent stage persona was largely a schtick for the audience. The man himself was/is self contained to the point of walling himself off from the world and not nearly so show business. Work related travel took me to Minneapolis several times a year back in the early nineties, I actually did a tour of Paisley Park once. There is a sort of brilliance at work in his music that is often overlooked due to the sexualization and other pop culture trappings.