So, let's discuss Prince

[Guest Van Mundegaarde]

On Aug. 8 and 9, I will be in Atlanta, GA for two nights of a glorious experience in purple. Needless to say, the anticipation is killing me. So, to soothe my excitement, I figured I'd initiate a little Prince-related discussion on the board.

 

Now, I know Edwin is a Prince fan and seem to recall Inc having given him mention once or twice, but am not sure about the opinion of him from the rest of you guys.

 

SPIN, who rarely do or say anything worth paying attention to, recently labeled Prince the greatest frontman of all time. I think I'd agree on that. In fact, I have Prince pegged as the third greatest artist in Popular music for the modern era, right behind The Beatles and Bob Dylan, and only barely surpassing David Bowie.

 

His mainstream success is staggering considering the sprawling nature of his body of work and the unconventionality of some of his "hit" records. I personally own every album of his from Prince (1979) and Lovesexy (1988), as well as Diamonds and Pearls (1991), O(+> (1992), The Hits/B-Sides, Emancipation (1996), Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic (1999), and Musicology (2004). Other than that, I'd say the only thing I desperately need are The Gold Experience (1995), Batman (1989), and maybe MAYBE Graffiti Bridge (1990).

 

I have his top ten albums reading something like this:

 

1. Sign 'O' the Times

2. Purple Rain

3. Around the World in a Day

4. 1999

5. Diamonds and Pearls

6. Dirty Mind

7. Parade

8. Controversy

9. Musicology

10. O(+> or Lovesexy (really depending on the day)

 

Strangely enough, my favorite Prince song isn't on any of those albums. That honor goes to "Gold", the closing cut on The Gold Experience. Yeah it's a little too anthemic near the end, but something about that song draws me in and gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.

 

I may do a Top 100 Prince songs, in installments, to perpetuate discussion if this thread gets going...

 

So discuss Prince, everything about Prince, make this the OAO Prince thread if you will.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

You like Around the World in a Day a lot. I like it alright myself, but it's only just above Controversy from his '80-'87 glory run. And speaking of AtWiaD, no one ever mentions "Paisley Park" as one of the Great Prince Songs, but they should.

[spiny norman 0]

Prince is my #2 singer/songwriter after Lennon. Sadly almost everyone I know severely underestimates him and can't believe that I would like a "poor man's Michael Jackson". Almost everyone I know coincidentally have absolutely no idea about music and/or are ultra-conservative.

 

With your ten best albums list, I'd swap Dirty Mind and Around The World In A Day, otherwise that's a pretty good list. As for best song, I find it absolutely impossible to make a choice. It really depends on the day as to whether it will be Little Red Corvette, Darling Nikki, Adore etc. I really like Gold, but that ending with the "You are now a member of the New Power Generation" completely loses it for me in its silliness. If its favourite songs that he's written, Sinead O'Connor's Nothing Compares 2 U is possibly the best pop ballad ever and thus gets my vote.

 

Oh, I also consider his to be the best concert I've ever attended.

 

Now if only we could have a Madonna Appreciation Thread...

[Guest Van Mundegaarde]

Yes, i like "Around the World in a Day" more than pretty much anyone I know and probably like Dirty Mind less than most. Of course arguing the greatness of any of my top 8 Prince albums is arguing over a fairly small margin. Save "Sign 'O' The Times"(I guess that type of Lightning only strikes once, even for Prince). And, yes "Paisley Park" is another one of my ten favorite Prince songs. Criminally underrated.

 

Yeah, the end of Gold almost compromises that which comes before it. If it faded out around the 4:45 mark, it would be a guaranteed classic in his oeurve.

[{''({o..o})''} 0]

I saw his third day show at the Excel here in Minnesota and it's gotta be the best concert I've been too. I didn't even have a ticket till 2 hours before doors opened, but it was definately worth the $200+. Watch for his cover of Whole Lotta Love, it was just audio bliss.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

"Paisley Park" is splendid. I agree - top 10 material. I'm surprised he never turned into a huge hit.

 

Ranking the albums is tough for me, mostly because I can never decide if I like the sprawl of Sign o' the Times more than the focused perfection of Purple Rain, or vice versa. Generally I go Purple, simply because, when someone asks, "what's your favorite album, period," Purple Rain is the first thing I say.

 

The 80-87 period is pretty much a perfect run in terms of range, quality, and pop skillz. And everything outside that is still pretty good for a run, though the 90s material does work best when distilled down to a few tracks per album.

 

A few tracks that I don't think get nearly enough love: "Sometimes It Snows In April," which is one of my favorite ballads. Gorgeous, minimal, perfect coda to a puzzler of an album. "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker," which is one of his best stories. And, even though I know it is quite popular, "When You Were Mine." Never will I get over how fun, funny, and intimate that manages to be.

 

I'm thrilled that he decided to go big and really do a full-on, mainstream arena tour. I hope you're lucky enough to get an extended encore one of your nights; as I've said before, "The Beautiful Ones," "Nothing Compares 2 U," and "Purple Rain" one after another is about as great as you can get.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Lovesexy doesn't get enough, um, love, due to the whole "all nine songs being on one track" thing.

 

"Alphabet St." would be in my top five of all-time favorite Prince songs if it didn't include that cheesy rap section.

[Guest Van Mundegaarde]

Alright, here begins my countdown of the 100 greatest Prince songs, expanded by two songs because I didn't feel right leaving them off...

 

102. Everyday is a Winding Road-Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic: Sure enough this will be the only cover song to make it on this list. But what a cover. Somehow manages to turn a song I couldn't bring myself to listen to in its original form (compliments of Sheryl Crow) into a completely engaging 6:12. Being upstaged like this renders Sheryl Crow completely useless as an artist and as a human being. Great track on a very substandard album.

 

101. Jam of the Year-Emancipation: Horrible, horrible album with a cruelly deceptive opener. A nice little piece of jazzy funk that lingers on just a tad too long. But it makes your mouth water in anticipation of three discs worth of similarly entertaining cuts, but only a handful follow that have any real power. Regardless this track is worth mentioning for being a rare occurence in the middle nineties when the quality of Prince's music alluded to that which made him a legend.

 

100. Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic-Rave Un2 the Joy Fanastic: I know it doesn't look good when the first three songs on this list are from two of Prince's most maligned albums. But that just means most of Princes early work will place higher on this list. The song itself almost sounds like it could be the opener for Prince's version of Sgt. Pepper. Once again a tad misleading as to the quality of the album to follow.

 

99. Girls and Boys-Parade: Parade is Prince's most underrated album. I blame 'Under the Cherry Moon'. Rather stripped down for a Prince track, relying on a bass line and saxophone to carry it along. Prince himself is almost factored out vocally and yet the track is really cool. Not my favorite on the album, but one I never feel obliged to skip.

 

98. And God Created Woman-O(+>: I fail to see O(+> as a disappointment. True only about half of it works, but the half that does is awesome. I think the last two tracks could have been left off which would have made this track a good little finale. How Prince makes me a willing follower on his little religious excursions is a mystery and a commendable acheivement.

 

97. Batdance-Batman Motion Picture Soundtrack: I'm not always in the mood for Batdance. When I am, this is a top fifty track easy. But, to split the difference, I'll let it in under the wire and hope that avid Batdance supporters do not call for my head on a pike. However, the song is great on its own merits. Beginning with four loud guitar licks and the Joker's eerie cackle the track makes a song created by mostly audio samples really interesting and danceable. Worth being on the list for the "Ooo yeah, ooo yeah, i wanna bust that body." portion alone.

 

96. Slave-Emancipation: I suppose this first installment almost qualifies as a 'Best of the Worst.' The best of the worst still being quite good. Slave is another one of the few exceptions to Emancipation's underwhelming nature. One of Prince's better artistic meanderings, the song is an adequate summation of his feelings towards Warner Bros. at the end of their partnership.

 

95. I Wish U Heaven-Lovesexy: Other than 'Alphabet St.', the only other track on Lovesexy worthy of being singled out from the pack. I groovy little love song that stands up well in the pantheon of Prince love songs. Short and sweet.

 

94. If Eye Was the Man in Ur Life-Musicology: One of the more adventurous tracks off Prince's latest release. The latter half of that album, where Prince goes all monogamous on us is sort of off-putting. But it's relieving to see one of the stranger characters in pop music traveling on a healthy social progression. Even those with the assless chaps must one day settle down. That's either comforting or depressing. I'm not sure.

 

93. Reflection-Musicology: This song left me cold the first time I heard it. I still believe the album could have been sequenced better in it's latter half. (At the very least moving Dear Mr. Man up before what I've dubbed the 'Committment Suite'. Good slow track with slightly saccharine lyrics made all the more believable by the sincere, unassuming delivery. Great closer to the album and, apparently to an era of Prince's career.

 

92. Love to the 9's-O(+>: I kinda wished I'd put this song higher. But I don't feel comfortable demoting anything to do so. I like this song a lot. I think the four songs that open O(+> give it one of the strongest first impressions of any Prince album. This song is less engaging than the other three and could have benefitted from nixing the out of place rap section in the middle. God, Prince should be more selecitive about usurping MC duties as it rarely comes off the way he wants it to.

 

91. Anotherloverholenyohead-Parade: One of the better songs on Parade. I wish I could have placed this higher too. Regardless, good track.

 

Sorry for any brevity and incoherence in the latter half of this. I'm sleepy. I'll be back tomorrow with the rest... probably...

[spiny norman 0]

102. Everyday is a Winding Road-Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic: Sure enough this will be the only cover song to make it on this list. But what a cover.

Really? I'd say his cover of One Of Us on Emancipation was a better song and a far superior cover than the original. I'm a tad disappointed that it will not be on this list, as it would be a contender for my Top Thirty.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Prince Query: I've often heard the man being touted as a multiple instrument mastermind. I'm not after anything show-offy, per se, but something that showcases this moreso than his image as a pop genius. I'm not with it at all when it comes to Prince, and his radio hits don't exactly enthrall me, so I've never dug deeper.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Sign o' the Times—a double album that, with the exception of one track, features Prince playing all the instruments himself—is along those lines.

 

But if the singles don't move you, I don't know if Prince is up your alley, then. His album tracks are often very different from his radio hits—like 1999, for instance; aside from the three singles from that album (which all, by the way, happen to be placed at the very beginning of the record), the album is filled with extended dance jams composed entirely on synthesizers and drum machines (with only very, very little guitar).

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

But if the singles don't move you, I don't know if Prince is up your alley, then

 

This is what I was figuring. I just wondered if he'd done any kind of godlike innovation or something so instrumentally cool as to make me go "oh shit," and ignore the fact that I don't care for straight pop music, even if it is good.

[King Kamala 0]

I got tickets to see Prince at the Fleet Center in August. No opening acts, just two and a half straight hours of audio bliss. Although as I stated in an earlier thread, would it hurt for Prince to take Morris Day and the Time along with him as an opening act?

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

He did for a show in Atlanta towards the beginning of this tour. The Time opened up, which is pretty awesome. Van Mundegarde might get lucky in the same fashion at one of his ATL shows if the pattern holds.

[Guest Van Mundegaarde]

He did for a show in Atlanta towards the beginning of this tour. The Time opened up, which is pretty awesome. Van Mundegarde might get lucky in the same fashion at one of his ATL shows if the pattern holds.

 

Here's Hoping...

 

I'm just going to post the rest of my top 100 and we can discuss tracks individually. I don't really have the time for a song by song synopsis.

 

90. I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore

89. What Do U Want Me 2 Do

88. Partyman

87. Christopher Tracy's Parade

86. Temptation

85. Ronnie, Talk to Russia

84. It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night

83. On the Couch

82. The Holy River

81. International Lover

80. Shockadelica

79. Prettyman

78. Nothing Compares 2 U

77. Partyup

76. Peach

75. Lady Cab Driver

74. Under the Cherry Moon

73. I Hate You

72. The Cross

71. I Feel for U

70. The Question of U

69. How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore

68. Walk Don't Walk

67. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?

66. Musicology

65. Housequake

64. Forever in My Life

63. Joint 2 Joint

62. Play in the Sunshine

61. Mountains

60. 17 Days

59. Call My Name

58. Uptown

57. Delirious

56. Around the World in a Day

55. America

54. The Greatest Romance Ever Sold

53. Sexy Mf

52. Do Me Baby

51. Pink Cashmere

50. The Ballad of Dorothy Parker

49. My Name is Prince

48. Insatiable

47. A Million Days

46. Jack U Off

45. I Wanna Be Your Lover

44. Alphabet St.

43. Computer Blue

42. Something in the Water (Does Not compute)

41. U Got the Look

40. Pussy Control

39. The Beautiful Ones

38. Annie Christian

37. Head

36. Starfish & Coffee

35. Cinnamon Girl

34. Gett Off

33. Pop Life

32. Let's Pretend We're Married

31. Controversy

30. Adore

29. Cream

28. The Morning Papers

27. Dirty Mind

26. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

25. Erotic City

24. D.M.S.R.

23. I Would Die 4 U

22. Thieves in the Temple

21. Darling Nikki

20. 1999

19. Condition of the Heart

18. Diamonds and Pearls

17. When You Were Mine

16. Strange Relationship

15. 7

14. If I Was Ur Girlfriend

13. Little Red Corvette

12. Sometimes it Snows in April

11. Purple Rain

10. Money Don't Matter 2 Night

9. Kiss

8. Paisley Park

7. When Doves Cry

6. Sign 'O' The Times

5. She's Always in My Hair

4. Raspberry Beret

3. Gold

2. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

1. Let's Go Crazy

 

Explanations available upon request

[Henry Spencer 0]

My top ten:

 

10. Sexy MF

9. If I Was Your Girlfriend

8. Head

7. Kiss

6. Let's Go Crazy

5. Darling Nikki

4. Le Grind

3. I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man

2. The Beautiful Ones

1. Purple Rain

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

But if the singles don't move you, I don't know if Prince is up your alley, then

 

This is what I was figuring. I just wondered if he'd done any kind of godlike innovation or something so instrumentally cool as to make me go "oh shit," and ignore the fact that I don't care for straight pop music, even if it is good.

Well, Prince never really did "straight" pop music, which partly explains why you'll find a bunch of decidedly non-pop people singing his praises. He often subverted conventions; look at "When Doves Cry" and "Kiss"—two of his most well-known songs—for example. Both are a stripped down, minimalist form of funk (funk, yet neither had bass), containing seemingly un-radio friendly rhythms (neither song sounded like anything heard on radio) and song structures, yet both became big hits.

 

Slight change of subject, I recommend you adventurous types check out Dump's That Skinny Motherfucker With the High Voice. Dump is just James McNew, bassist for indie rockers Yo La Tengo, and on this album he adds his own lo-fi spin on a dozen of Prince's songs, both well-known ("1999" and "The Beautiful Ones") and the more obscure ("Erotic City" and "Another Lonely Christmas"). McNew is certainly not the performer that Prince is, but he holds his own rather well; I dare say I prefer his takes on "Pop Life" and "When You Were Mine" to the originals (and with the latter, that's saying a lot), as he manages to find heartache and sadness in the tunes that Prince's at times too smarmy delivery never did.

[B. Brian Brunzell 0]

I jsut wanted to add my two cents on the Purple Genius. I've been a HUGE fan of his since I was a kid growing up in the 80s. From the first time I heard "Little Red Corvette", a fucking GREAT song about pussy, maybe the greatest ever written, I was hooked. I had alot of his stuff on TAPE back in the day, but then kind of stopped listening to him for a bit when I got into my grunge/metal phse in the early-mid 90s. I recently started listening to his stuff again, and honestly, I feel horrible for excluding him for all of those typical teenage, angst-ridden years of listening to bands whine about how they were picked on as kids.

 

If I were to do a top 10 list of songs, I honestly couldn't do him justice. There's been SOOOO much great material over the years that to make just a "best of" top 10 would be an insult to all of the other tracks that he's written/played/produced, etc. Now, a favourites list is a different story. I'll just leave it at five:

 

5. "Darling Nikki"

4. "If I Was Your Girlfriend"

3. "Little Red Corvette"

2. "Alphabet St."

1. "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man"

[Hank Kingsley 0]

Slightly off topic, but still:

 

 

August 24th!

 

I'm glad I didn't buy the old version of it.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Two discs. Nice. I’ll have to look into the special features, but this is a no-brainer pick-up if there’s two discs worth content in any form. I have the original, but it was a gift, so I won’t feel lame for a second about double-dipping.

[Hank Kingsley 0]

The answers you WANT~

[godthedog 0]

i have very very little experience with prince. but he will always be special, as the first tape i ever bought was the 'batman' soundtrack. i'm also an ENORMOUS fan of ween's "l.m.l.y.p.", the eight-minute prince tribute.

[King Kamala 0]

Alphabet Street would easily be one of my top twenty (hell maybe even ten) favorite Prince songs if it weren't for that shitty rap section near the end. I think somebody else shares this sentiment with me.

 

Btw what happened to the rest of the Revolution. I just read that Dr. Fink is producing music for video games back in Minneapolis, but I wonder if everybody else has just fell off the face of the earth.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

That DVD's going to be the best thing in my collection. Nice.

[King Kamala 0]

At the same time they're releasing the Purple Rain SE, they're releasing a bare-bones DVD of Grafitti Bridge. And I'm sure the ten people clamoring for Grafitti Bridge on DVD are going crazy right now.