Originally Posted by paradoxguy

Although I don't like much of his music, I acknowledge Prince as a very talented musician in several parameters. He can play several instruments and is a gifted songwriter in addition to his guitar skills. I don't know if he's the most talented all-around musician, though. I think Paul McCartney in his prime was possibly more talented as a musician all-rounder, although Prince probably had the edge as an arranger and bandleader. McCartney was/is, of course, one of the best rock bassists and, during his Beatles tenure, a prolific and very proficient songwriter; he was also an underrated guitar player, playing leads on several Beatles tracks, notably "Taxman", when George Harrison was unable to play to McCartney's satisfaction. McCartney was also a decent keyboardist and, from what I have read, a fair drummer. Regarding his songwriting, admittedly one could easily argue he needed John Lennon as a catalyst to optimize it; his solo post-Beatles songs dropped precipitously in quality.