Reviews (page 2 of 13)
another prince album today. this right here is his first solo venture after disbanding with his band, the revolution. now that prince is by himself, he's essentially alone in a warehouse, constructing a strange and sexy world unique to him. i only have but more praise to give the guy. you know me, i like musicians that experiment and play around with sound, and prince's sound is just... trademarked. nobody has and nobody will write songs like that guy. even with some of the same equipment that plenty of others have used in the past, prince will use those machines in a way that's so offbeat and so delightfully different compared to everyone else. this is probably the first time prince allowed himself to say and do whatever he felt like with little filters. well, unless we're talking about a helium voice filter. then in that case, i guess there's some filters!
something that really impresses with me in music, something I put an unreasonably high premium on, is when an artist has minimal outside involvement in the creative process. Prince is the encapsulation of this. He is such a genius. This album is awesome, so groovy, catchy, and keeps you hooked with the "slow burn" element of every song. Love the lyricism as well, feels more raw and kind of self aware. Love The Cross. This is definitely the most perfect 80 minute album I've listened to. It feels like 40 mins. So groovy and really locks. a Prince concert would've been a top tier event. Might be in my top 10 of concerts I wish I could have been to. Feels like this is easily his most influential album also more accessible. and I put an unreasonable premium on influence as well.
Listening to this on an evening walk in the park is actually peak. Groovy disco melodies with very strong lyrics as well—perfect evening outside of the mosquito bites.
ja geweldig
Ended up being a new favorite. Listened twice throughout day. Just got better.
Prince halt..
Bonk (complementary).
I think this is my favorite Prince album. Starfish and Coffee is always a standout track for me.
I received this from a record club on cassette. I was in 7th or 8th grade and while I liked the album OK (and LOVED "U Got the Look,") I was not ready for it. It didn't immediately grab me like Purple Rain had. I knew nothing about the social issues Prince was singing about and musically I had veered hard into metal and punk, where I would mainly stay for a few years. It was not until revisiting this album years later that I recognized the genius here.
I dare you not to shake your ass.
Prince is exceptional.
A full sonic tapestry, folding in influences as far afield as Joni Mitchell, early hip-hop, classical Indian music, and the psychedelic soul of Funkadelic and Rotary Connection. I likewise hear the ripples in pop music this record has made in every direction, from the more obvious examples (D'Angelo and the Soulquarians) to Mac Demarco and Quasimoto. I need to frame it in comparisons because there are so many things happening on this album. I had my favorite moments: "If I Was Your Girlfriend," "Adore," the clever response-then-call on "Forever In My Life," and especially the rapturous odyssey of "The Cross." But the work as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and together the songs created a vivid world of experience.
Stylistically it’s all over the place, as if Prince had all the time in the world and few constraints in his home recording studio (not sure whether Paisley Park was officially live yet), feeling unshackled from his former Revolution backing band. The sound is a little more spartan than previous releases, owing largely to the use of drum machines. It also feels a little transitional, foreshadowing the influence hip-hop would have on his work in the coming years and also conveying a sense of wariness as the ’80s grew long in the tooth. But man, there are so many bangers. Prince really just couldn’t miss at this point of his career.
Love ❤️ Loved!!!!
A creative force throughout his career.
Prince at his most charismatic
Some say his best album.
Brilliant funk all the way through, not quite as catchy as purple rain but it's a lot more interesting. The Cross, Starfish & Coffee and Adore especially are so good
Perfect
This is one of my favorite Prince albums
Quality
It’s Prince! Might like Purple Rain a little more but still great
Brilliant
1 extra Stern für Martin
This operates on a completely different level of control and vision. The minimal drum programming, the sharp melodic instincts, and the constant stylistic pivots all feel effortless, even when they should not. What makes it stand out is how stripped down many of the tracks are, yet they still feel full and expressive. There is no excess here, just precision and imagination working in perfect balance. It is one of those rare records where experimentation, songwriting, and emotional impact all align without compromise.
Yessss! Finally. I've always wondered if there would be a Prince album I would love. I've never ended up completely liking his records. But this one is flawless. It starts pretty mid but... it builds up so quickly. Each song is better than the previous one. And the second part of the album is fantastic, so enjoyable, so funny, so lively, such a masterpiece! I've loved this album. So much. It's a great record with so many fantastic songs. In just one word, it's great!
Sprawling, indulgent, maximalist, too much. And nonstop kick ass genius. Prince was so on. Starfish and Coffee has a large chamber of my heart, but almost all the songs are perfect.
I owned this on vinyl when it came out and liked it okay. Youth is wasted on the young: this album is much more amazing than I remembered. It might live in the shadow of Purple Rain. It’s baggier and less cohesive, but honestly it’s not a second too long. I adore all the sides of Prince on display here: the funk and soul and new wave, and the weird trippy screams that are his hallmark.
It’s pretty great. I’ve heard it a couple of times before and didn’t appreciate how many great songs are on it.
genioo
Prince es Prince, fin del comunicado.
Prince’s magnum opus. There’s nothing I can say about this album that hadn’t already been said. IYKYK.
“C’mon, it’s Prince.” That’s not a cop-out — it’s a recognition that some artists operate at a level where the usual critical frameworks feel slightly inadequate. Sign ‘O’ The Times is the fullest expression of what made Prince extraordinary, and spending sixteen tracks with it is less like listening to an album and more like being taken on a tour of a very large, very strange, and completely inhabited musical universe. The range is genuinely staggering. The stark, minimal title track opens the album like a quiet alarm — social collapse delivered over a drum machine and almost nothing else. From there Prince moves through gospel, funk, psychedelia, rockabilly pop, children’s songs, and devotional slow jams without ever losing the thread. “Starfish and Coffee” is a completely sincere children’s song that has no business working as well as it does. It leads directly into “Slow Love,” one of the most sensual things in his catalog, with a horn arrangement so restrained and beautiful it stops you cold. That two-track sequence is the whole argument for his genius compressed into eight minutes. The closing stretch delivers on everything the album promises. “The Cross” builds from quiet acoustic beginnings into something almost arena-sized and completely unguarded. “It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night” releases the tension with pure groove and joy. “Adore” closes the whole thing with a devotional love song that asks for nothing except your full attention and earns it completely. A generous five — and a reminder that generosity is sometimes just honesty wearing a warmer
Just stop your crying it's the sign of the times... wait wrong artist. Anyways WOWOWOWOW Prince is an artist and knows how to make a pop album like no other. I think Prince is way more exploratory and experimental than most pop artists of his era and that is due to me never getting tired of his sound. Slow love is such a highlight I bet the live version of that song is amazing it is everything you want in a prince song. It is slow and musically distinct and sounds perfectly of its time yet still fresh and it is such a love song god. Prince is sexy and his music shows that Starfish and coffee what does that even mean and why is it so catchy. There isnt a song here that I dont like. I love this, and I thank the woman who showed me this.
Maybe the best purple album
Prince’s masterpiece is a difficult and dense album, emotionally open and worldly aware. It was born of three projects that shifted as bands and relationships were dissolved. Proof that the very prolific artist needed an editor as the triple album he presented label was rejected and after whiddling it down to two - his most powerful and original statement was born. As usual it somehow was of the moment while incorporating the past and stretching music to the future. A touchstone and the end of an era.
spent a lot of time on this one. while i personally don’t find it better than “Purple Rain,” “Sign ‘O’ The Times” is definitely denser and heavier. The live track was cool, ending with “Adore” is incredible, and the range Prince shows off here is truly inspiring. an amazing work of art
Awesome!
More than anyone possibly ever, Prince just has that "it" factor. I didn't know this album or these songs but loved it. He covers a LOT of ground musically and you can tell just has the music pouring out of him. 16 songs and over an hour 15 mins. Covers a lot of ground musically. "Housequake" was the most Missy Elliott song I've heard, not by Missy. "The Look" came out a year before the more famous "The Look" by Roxette. Very progressive yet sounded incredibly 80's. Awesome listen!
I just think this is one of the greatest albums ever. So many incredible and off the wall songs (from if I was your girlfriend to starfish and coffee to adore). My favorite Prince album and arguably his best.
5 stars for The Cross alone.
A perfect blend of all the studio styles and tricks they had developed up to that point. One of my favorites from the 1980s.
I forget that some people can't listen to 80s production sounds until I read reviews on this site. I like how the 80s stands out on its own. Sometimes with certain genres it can feel like we have the 60s and 70s and then the 90s onwards looking back at those two decades. Most guitar music does that let's be honest. Prince took plenty from the 60s and 70s but made music in the 80s that was vital and utterly of its decade but also to my ears utterly timeless.
classic
4.5/5, only because the album could've used a few cuts. Otherwise, a nearly perfect album. You can hear early influences here for 80s/90s techno, the 90s R&B craze, and OutKast. The final three tracks are the cherry on top of what you can tell is a work of pure love
Probably my favorite Prince album. A bit more downbeat but that kind of carries it and makes it better to listen to
ÄNTLIGEN! Vad skriver man ens om ett sånt här mästerverk? Han är som en översexuell, dvärgväxt pastor som bara messar funkens gospel. Här finns alla Prince-lägen representerade - grisig funk, smäktande falsett-soul, 10/10-pop/rock-hits, kvinnliga alteregot Camille, ljuvligt gitarrspel. Titelspåret är en av mina absoluta favoritlåtar någonsin, the ballad of dorothy parker är 30 år före sin tid och så har vi SMUTSET i housequake?! Snusket i Hot thing?! Också otroligt svag för (den märkligt garage-mixade) ”the cross”. Han har nog aldrig sjungit så bra. Kan bli kristen för mindre. Inte en dålig sekund på knappt en timme och tjugo minuter. 5a räcker inte.
Absolutely what I needed today, this week, this month, this year, this administration. Holds up incredibly well for a record that (at the time) was a departure for Prince. Incredible songs, and incredible production.
absolute baller of a time with this. need to listen to more of prince
A brilliant masterpiece that stays engaging despite its massive runtime and a few dated 1980s synth choices. Prince’s ability to jump between futuristic funk and vocal experimentation is staggering, and the crystal-clear production on the mid and high frequencies is a masterclass in mixing. This record is so technically and artistically dense that even its minor flaws feel irrelevant compared to its overall genius.
The best album from tafkap symbol or just prince
Prince's magnum opus is a juggernaut of a record. I'm still finding lots of new things to be enthralled by. Wish I had more time to write about this one today.
Bangers.
OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS ALBUM. SO fun! Kept me pumped up while working. I absolutely LOVE purple rain so I had high hopes but this album is so good
lbum #38, Prince, Sign o' the Times ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ How could you not be bowled over by this? This is easily the best new discovery I’ve had so far. Outside of the album Purple Rain, I’ve never actually listened to Prince. So it was pretty eye-opening. This isn’t usually my kind of thing. I like soul, but I’m more of an old folky and punk kind of guy. But the quality of the music here, the inventiveness, and the consistency across such a diversity of genres and styles is incredible. I adore the minimalism. How he got such a great pop sound from so little on some of these tracks is beggars belief. It's all tied together by his voice. Is this the best use of multi-layered vocals in music? The way he sings and harmonises along with himself is just so creative. The one thing that isn't consistent is the mix, but I love the more lo-fi/demo sounding songs like Play in the Sunshine and It. It just works! The album moves through style after style, it goes from strength to strength. The last run of songs are the best on the album, but by the time I got there I was already completely won over anyway, so it really just sealed it. It deserves all its critical acclaim. I can’t get over this one. It's an 80 minute long album and I listened to it twice back to back. This is going to be in my rotation for a long time to come.
Great double album
Prince has his own style that is so evident in this album. it has so much of that 80s vibe mixed with his vibe and it’s so unique. he does his own thing, and he does it well.
It's Prince so.
man this is way too long. this is similar to the beatles white album. a bunch of incredible songs with a bunch of filler to hit the double album length. in both cases though filler songs from great musicians are still pretty good songs. i listened to this a few months ago and was between a four and a five. i enjoyed it more this go around.
There's instant pop hits here and songs that make no sense and take a real long time to fully appreciate. For example, 'Adore' was my least favourite track for a long time, but 2:30 to 3:30, once you know it well, is one of my favourite song moments of all time, the passage is just pure perfection. Also, interesting fact, Dorothy Parker is about an autistic young lady. Again, another grower, needs a lot of listens to be truly fully appreciated. A masterpiece imho.
An amazing album.
There’s no single song that makes this album great. It’s a collection of little flourishes that make this album cohesive, distinctive, and full of life.
Wow. Like blonde + disco b in 1987…
My second Prince LP in three days – I’m not complaining, especially as Sign “O” The Times is absolutely peak Prince. I had tickets for this tour in London, but Prince pulled the dates for some reason, so we all trekked into town to watch the tour film at a big screen cinema instead, blown away with the man’s brilliance and gutted that we weren’t getting to see it in the flesh. As for the album, the title track is worth the price of admission all on its own – a stone-cold classic and genuine protest song (a rare beast in the ‘80s, outside of punk). There’s also plenty of other great tracks to be found here; “Play In The Sunshine”, “Housequake”, “U Got The Look”, “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man” and “The Cross” for starters. It’s an incredible collection, and a double album that doesn’t outstay its welcome for a minute. 9/10
This was so fresh and different I love the freedom he was given on this album. You can just tell and feel he didn't change a thing for the studio. His appetite for "lovin" is just un-matched lolol. Absolute animal. The album also has crazy rang, funk, soul, hard rock, hip hop. Feels like an honest and true personal expression.
favorites: housequake; the ballard of dorothy park; slow love
Oh yes. Possibly my favourite Prince album and for good reason. It’s sprawling and magnificent, from the dryly political title track to the babymaking jam of closing track Adore. There isn’t a bad song here and it’s very hard to pick highlights. This truly is an album everyone must hear before they die.
593 albums in and we have hit what may be my #1 album of my musical history. Could be because this album came out in 1987, shortly after I met Mindy as a 20 year old college student. Could be because I think this album fully showcases all of his music styles, sounds, creative energy and song writing. We have funk, soul, jazz, dance tunes and of course his over the top sexual energy. Mix that with Mindy, at the beginning stages of what turned out to be a 30 year marriage and it couldn't get any better. This is a no skip album that I have probably said "this is my favorite song" about every song on the album. Shit, I played Forever in My Life so early in my relationship with Mindy, she had to wonder wtf she got herself into. Probably thinks the same to this day. Adore definitely near the top of his Prince's most beautiful songs. Starfish and Coffee you can't help but sing along. Go on Cynthia. Set your mind free, baby. Pretty sure Mindy strutted across the stage to Hot Thing during one of her Hawaiian Tropic contests. I know we danced the night away at Bourbon Street and hearing Housequake and You Got The Look. Shit even Strange Relationship and If I Was Your Girlfriend were getting airplay at he time. Yea, parts of If I was your girlfriend were edited out. I love how The Cross, a song about despair and desperation, evolves into a rock n roll song while still touching the heart. So many songs that make me think of the person I love so much, about times I would love to relive again, from a musician that opened my eyes, ears and heart like no one since. Heading to Puerto Rico in a couple weeks. Already know we'll be hearing It's Gonna be a Beautiful night! Shit, me just may play the entire album, but we may have to skip the "Mindy" songs so we don't embarrass the kids. This is #1 of the 593! 5
Wahrlich eines der besten Alben, ever!
非常美妙哇！ 合成器和鼓机用得好棒。
It’s Price of course it’s GREAT MUSIC
Super Dope
Incredibly strong songwriting and some really catchy songs on this. Just makes it to a 5.
Although I don't particularly like the weird helium vocals on a few tracks, and the drum machines sound a little rubbish whenever I notice them, this is mostly amazing. A sprawling and eclectic mix of songs but it does a bit of everything - soulful, sexy, groovy, rocking, funky and epic. I haven't even listened to close to all of his albums but this seems a pretty good indicator of what a mad genius he was
Masterpiece!
Besta plata þess herrans árs 1987, á því leikur enginn vafi. Heilt yfir er það frekar magurt ár í tónlistarsögunni, en skortur á samkeppni breytir því ekki að hér er okkar maður í toppformi og súpertöff. Meðal hans allra bestu verka og færa færa má rök fyrir því að hún taki toppsætið.
This album made me a fan of Prince. The range and control of different genres, instruments and tools is inspiring
Wow that was a amazing album. This was my first time listening experience with Prince and this album absolutely destroyed it. I liked the mix 80s rock with a more groovy tone. Definitely listening to it again in the future, or other Prince albums. 5/5
Highlights: Sign O' The Times, Play In The Sunshine, Housequake, It, U Got The Look, If I Was Your Girlfriend, I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man, It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night, Adore Lowlights: ---------------------------------------------------------- Yeah, this was amazing man, I don't know how else to describe it. 100% transparency, I've seldomly listened to Prince at all in my life, my favorite track of his going into this was Paisley Park. I've only heard one song off this album before (U Got The Look) and I didn't even know that until I heard it. So, I had no idea what I was really getting into here, but I'm so glad I was able to do so.
Five, five, five, five, five. Five.
For the first time in this project, I'm brought to tears. The album starts with a cold, mechanical groove: a wet Linn Drum, reverb and echo like it's coming from an empty subway or the sad quiet of a hospital hallway. Bass enters and at first impression it's not giving any impression besides maybe a light, friendly gift to the groove. Within the first lines, I realize I've made a grave error, there is menace in this bass. A warning flash of teeth was mistaken for a smile. A mention of church, and a flash of steely rich bell synth gets interrupted just as it's about to lift off. A hurricane mistaken for salvation. Somehow, the same nervy bassline's groove and menace is now speaking sadness as well. Maybe it's a sign of OUR times, but even prior knowledge of the song's subject, I had never really connected in a meaningful way to the song's lyrics. In part, for years, for me, Prince for me was firstly party music. Through a bit of willful ambivalence supported by the "Totin' a machine gun" lyric having me too easily picture a 1920's gangster with a Tommy gun, I naively never much took the song seriously. That changed today. (Damn, the power of intentional, attentive listening strikes again!) I'm also older now. I guess you can't expect someone to be able to emotionally take a song like "Sign 'O' The Times" at face value, unless they've faced some of the signs themselves. I have friends with HIV and AIDS (the big diseases with little names). As a society we've collectively faced COVID. The machine gun in question is now an AR-15. I've lost friends to heroin. I have had to move because of a Hurricane. Even outside my own experience, social media today has given the song power, making any of these Signs ("every other story is tellin' you somebody died") palpable, ready, and real for someone attentive to quick and shocking news, with the empathy and imagination to care about the world outside their own experience. The song had me crying sadness for the situations I could relate to, or even just imagine. I had tears, too, laughing at the absurdity of thinking I could recognize menace or sadness in a short punchy bass. That teary feeling turned warm with gratitude when I realized that this vague shapeshifting might be intentional, and it might be the genius of Prince. Just as the opening song comes in for a landing, the spirit turns optimistic, and for the rest of the album, its as if Prince is in service to his listeners with more secular concerns: play, dance, curiosity, horniness, absurdity, horniness (but slow), flirting, love, aesthetics, dreaming, fidelity, and faith. The gravity of the opening song is never lost or buried, though, beneath the 15 songs that follow it. My friend Naomi passed away tragically a few years ago. She was an amazing and widely respected chef. In life, she possibly had one real singular joy though, and that was Prince. Everyone understood that Prince just 'worked' for her, even if it didn't get them off, themselves. She was a bit older, and had certainly seen more than me in this life. I've been with this album for so many years, and now with this recent listen, I'm joyfully floored with the understanding of Prince's joy. He has done absolute service to music, and in doing that service, he has done service to us willing to listen. Thank you, Prince.
One of the best ever from one of the best ever!
You can keep your Michael and Madonna. Prince is the only pop royalty we need. This album is just funky enough to keep it interesting, sexy enough to be alluring, poppy enough to keep it bouncy, rocky enough to groove. This is an actual "you must hear this" album. It deserved more radio play. Come on, radio guys, play more Prince! My Rating: 5/5
LOVED this. very cohesive album whilst also being so stylistically diverse. Prince was an absolute genius
It's prince, of course this was going to be a great album!
I love Prince...big into his whole sound, vibe, energy, and especially his personality. It all comes through here in another masterpiece of an album.
A great balance of the slower-paced, spacey, and cerebral '1999', and its more catchy, explosive, and immediate younger brother 'Purple Rain'. The contrast is made clear right off the bat, with the opening title track sticking to this vibey, simplistic, and synthetic sound that was so prominent in '1999', with lyrics that are equally as ominous and forboding as that album's title track as well. While the song 'Play in the Sunshine' is a stark contrast to that, as the title may suggest, it feels like a bright sunny day, and is far more catchy and immediate. Overall, though, I'd say this album is certainly Prince's most alien-sounding, filled to the brim with numerous production oddities, grooves, and samples that couldn't have possibly come from this world. 'The Ballad of Dorothy Parker' comes to mind, with these aggressive drum fills hitting the listener more often than it sounds like they should - like the song glitched and all its various tracks started going haywire. Still, a good chunk of it, and my favorite songs, are some of Prince's more easily digestible ones. I really loved the cutsey, jolly piano-chord progression and vocal melodies of 'Startfish and Coffee'. It's sort of simple by Prince standards, but it works remarkably well. The string-backed and lush 'Slow Love' may be Prince's sentimental magnum opus, another gorgeous chord progression, and those harmonies are to die for. 'If I Were You Girlfriend' is maybe the most "Prince" Prince song out there; it's what I'd show someone to get them into the guy. This song has it all: the slowly creeping, tight groove with an emphasis on a popped bassline, the intense falsetto shrieks and vocal inflections, and lovesick lyrics with a heavy emphasis on the sexuality of it all (Heck, Prince is playing a female character on this song!). 'Strange Relationship' and the jammy, psych-influenced 'I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man' are two other highlights here. Just another great release from this guy, not much more to be said. If you remain unimpressed by this, I'd say it's important to put into context that this batshit experimental behemoth of an artsy RnB and rock album was released in the late '80s. It's no wonder so many people look up to this guy.
Mystical and magical
Sign 'O' the Times Housequake U Got the Look If I Was Your Girlfriend I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man Adore
9/10 Favorites: Sign O’ The Times The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker Slow Love If I Was Your Girlfriend Strange Relationship I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
done
Incredible stuff. So so so influential
day 3
A new listen for me. I've listened to People Rain and find the highs low but infrequent. This us a much better album. There's no Purple Rain level song but lots of extremely good material and no clangers. I suspect it's an album that would reward repeated listens
Dette er et monumentalt verk av Prince. Hans Tusk, eller White Album. Til tider er det bedre enn begge to! Det er kaotisk, eklektisk og gjennomgående bra. Ja, jeg liker Housequake, og det burde du og! At noen sammenligner Michael Jackson med denne mannen er et under. Dette albumet er på Top 10 i hele lista.
Already one of my favorite albums - and it stays there !!! so many jams, so upbeat, so fun, so funky !
I mean it's Prince! Boom;
My favorite so far! It was funny to recognize some sounds that I known cause Prince was probably que og influence.
STARFISH AND COFFEEEEEEEE SO GOODDDD. Love all the songs and the cover is perfection.
This is a sublime work full of masterpieces from a genius artist at a creative peak. Energized by his new band, he melds genres and styles, even production styles—from lo-fi to full studio flourish to a live track ... amazing. So many of my favorite Prince songs are on this album. I'm not even going to call them out, you may as well just read the track list 'cause they're all that good. I'd give it more than 5 if I could. P.S. What a thrill to have seen that drum kit when we toured Paisley Park. P.P.S. Shut up already. Damn.
Prince may be the only person who can make religious conviction feel genuinely moving. The Cross really got to me on this listen not because of the topic but rather his sincere devotion is captivating. Just like his sexiness..it draws me in not with desire but with an intensity I just want to absorb. 5'3" and packed with big musicality and feminine masculinity. Such dichotomy in his life and even his death. He contained such multitudes. This really is a perfect album. So many sounds and instruments. I've likely mentioned this to you before but try to visit Paisley Park before you die. He has a mansion filled with so much art and music it's hard to comprehend all that he did in his short life. And how much more he could have done...
Top artist , top album , great singles so well produced and such an iconic performer , only regret that I didn’t see him live
91/100. This is a great R&B album that mixes different genres in a fun and creative way. Prince’s singing is amazing, and the whole thing has a playful, exciting vibe. At this point in his career, Prince was on fire.
Awesome album. Great grooves. Can tell this has influenced a lot of music today
Six new favorites. Who knew that I'd be taken to church today by Prince? And why had it been 48 years for me to hear The Cross?!? This song could've been on my top 25 list for years now! This album builds and gets better and better. 5/5
more of a groovier prince album, i really enjoyed it, had some very good tracks and nice to hear a different style of his
Funkylicious!
For some reason I have always gravitated more for Purple Rain and Dirty Mind but this album is loaded with bangers. Slow Love is a treat and the Dorothy Parker song is one of my favorites ever.
Damn!
Yup.
Shut up already...damn! And I mean that as the highest of compliments.
Sure, some parts are pure decadence. But isn't that what made Prince great?
I don't think there's a Prince album so far that isn't groovy as hell.
GOATED ALBUM 100/10
10/10 if i was your girlfriend is my fave track no words amazing album!!
This was a refreshing album to me, the Prince lore becomes clearer and clearer to me with every album I listen too. Both discs felt like separate projects that had their unique sounds to them. Prince put that drum machine to WORK too. And needing the album with Adore… bruh… what an album!
5 sterne
My absolute favorite
it's prince. it's fucking prince baby
3 songs added to my favorites. Want to listen again.
Another five star album. Prince at the peak of perfection. He brought the house on this album and proceeded to burn the place down to the ground. This album is sprawling and yet very grounded.bin it's themes and style. I'd say this is probably my favotrite prince album ..
Starfish and Coffee ... Maple Syrup and Jam! That pretty much sums up, what is very probably Prince's best album!
A+
A proper double album. Meandering and weird
The more I hear Prince, the more I fall in love with his music. His voice, the groove, just everything about this album I super enjoyed. It was a bit longer, but I let it ride and listened to it all again. Tl;dr - Prince fricken rocks
Congrats on the Hat Trick, Prince!
No notes
Prince was a genius. 6/5
I think almost every Prince album from ‘79 to ‘88 is perfect. This album is incredible from start to finish.
banger
Another genius output
Just the best Prince album. I wish the last side wasn’t part of the album but like a bonus disc thing.
masterpiece!!
Tuli kuunneltua levy kokonaan ensimmäistä kertaa. Albumin nimi biisi on yksi Princen suosikeista ja kappaleen single löytyy hyllystä. Valitettavasti tätä levyä ei tullut koskaan hommattua, vaikka siellä paljon artistin tuotantoa onkin. Hivenen epätasainen kokonaisuus. Levyllä on hittejä, mutta myös huteja.
Start listening, move your body, and just dance! It’s pure fusion. His voice is distinctive, shifting from raw to falsetto — that’s what I like the most. Prince is also a visionary and a remarkable musician, and this is always reflected in his work. Sign o’ the Times captures exactly that — the 1980s were all about diversity and multiculturalism. That’s why we have it here: funk, rock, pop, soul, psychedelic pop, electro — all in just 16 tracks! His versatility and creativity shine through every song, making this album a true explosion in the music world. My favorite track in this album -- Sign o’ the Times (track no. 1) opens the album with a groovy beat. The lyrics are highly relevant, addressing themes of urban decay, AIDS, and violence, reflecting the late 1980 in America. A true masterpiece — perhaps one of his finest albums.
I went into this double album expecting some filler—after all, it's a sprawling 16-track set—but was pleasantly surprised to find that every track holds its own. The title track is a stone-cold classic, setting the tone with its stark social commentary and minimalist groove. U Got The Look, featuring Sheena Easton, is an infectious blast of pop-funk energy that’s impossible not to love. What really impressed me was the consistency—there wasn’t a single track I felt like skipping. Prince’s versatility and creativity shine throughout, making this not just a great double album, but one of his finest works.
Another almost beyond criticism album. And by a musician who transcended his instruments. It’s as if this could be a worthwhile project. 5
Prince is definitely a an artist that absolutely has to be listened to good album listen won't hurt anybody. Who, hasn't heard the true sensual, sexual explicit grooves of the guitar master himself, however big disclaimer here is I don't know if this is his best album, but it definitely has some of his bangers rang it Up to a 5 just because Prince is essential
It’s just got to be five stars because If I Was Your Girlfriend is just too good. Especially when you’re laying in the sun in peak fall park subtly moving your hips and nodding your head and thinking life is pretty damn cool
Honestly this album is kind of all over the place but I just love everything about who Prince was and his energy in the universe and I would give this 5 stars just for starfish and coffee
Reading up on the origins of this album and all its incredible songs, it's unbelievable that so many different projects could come together in this and not be a total mess. Instead, it's just an explosion of ideas and creativity. It's relentless and energetic. Although some of the production is very 80's, it's still fresh and danceable and even weird in some places. By weird I mean unpredictable, especially in its pitch-shifted vocals and background additions and shifting styles song to song. It's really a masterpiece in both content and execution. This has convinced me that Prince is indeed the GOAT multi-instrumentalist. The fact that he worked so quickly means that he could hear the music in his head and his immense talent allowed him lay it down exactly how he wanted without needing to convey it to a band. It effectively seems like he could constantly stay a step ahead of everyone else and experiment along the way and pour out his creativity upon the tape. I doubt there will ever be anyone like him, surely not as great as him. This is a clear 5/5. It's a behemoth double album, but doesn't feel that long. A reviewer described it as Prince's "White Album" but it's better than that.
Double albums are kinda fascinating, right? There are a ton of things that apply to most double albums throughout music history. They're obviously on the longer side, they tend to be among the more experimental albums in the artist's discography, and they often represent the point where the artist feels that they can do whatever they want musically because of the success they've achieved up to that point. However, they also tend to be a bit sloppy. You'd have to be an artist or band who really knows what you're doing to make a double album work in your favor, and if there's any artist whose ego is already high enough to make a crazy-ass double album work in their favor, it may just be Prince. Of course, Sign O' The Times was not Prince's first double album. 1999 had released even before Prince achieved legend status with Purple Rain, but Sign O' The Times is not only a better representation of what double albums often are, but is also just a better album, at least in my opinion. Sign O' The Times is such a cool album. There are so many interesting things happening with this album and I love it. This is one of those rare instances where I don't think the double album has a single bad song. Even the most acclaimed double albums of all time have a weak song or 2. Somehow, Sign O' The Times doesn't have a "Revolution 9" or a "Jamaica Jerk-Off." This thing is all killer, no filler. Despite being 10 minutes longer, I feel like this album's pacing is actually better than that of 1999. To me, 1999 started out on its best songs before fizzling out a bit by the end. Additionally, there were multiple songs on that album that just kind of went on for too long. Sign O' The Times? The great songs are spread throughout the album and the vast majority of songs hover around the 4 to 5 minute mark, which is much more doable. Speaking of songs, boy does this album have some great ones! The title track is such a good opener. It's a very different opener from the more energetic openers of past Prince albums. I really love the production on "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker," which is funny because the song sounds how it does by complete accident! "I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man" is super fun. "Adore" is a very nice closer that feels more like a 90s pop song than an 80s pop song. I could go on and on about these songs. Prince's musicianship is especially impressive on this album since he doesn't have the Revolution backing him up anymore. Most of this album is his own work, which is incredible. Prince's songwriting is at the top of its game here as well. You've got some solid variety while still keeping a sense of cohesion. In fact, the cohesion of this album is incredible by double album standards. Is Sign O' The Times better than Purple Rain? No. There's a reason why Purple Rain is the album that's hailed as Prince's masterpiece. But there's also a reason why Sign O' The Times is often put in second place. While I can't call this Prince's best album myself, I can see why many people do. This album is full of so many cool ideas that, for the most part, all work in the album's favor. It's an incredible showing of the insane talent that Prince showed at his creative peak and is, dare I say, a masterpiece in its own right. 5/5.
Wahnsinn! Das Album beginnt beim Sonnenaufgang, geht über in die frühen 90er, Gameboy und endet mit ner Lagerfeuer-Fete. Super abwechslungsreich. War zuerst überlegen, ob 3 oder 4. Aber es wurde hinten heraus immer besser. Das beste Album seit langem 5/5
YES! Habe dieses Meisterwerk letztes Jahr für mich entdeckt. Das Magnum Opus von Prince. Super abwechslungsreich. Aktuell Platz 6 meiner Lieblingsalben ever.
I opened up a sealed first pressing of this and that annoyed the guy I bought it from.
Some of the sexy stuff is kind of off putting in my opinion, but that's really the only flaw in the whole thing. Probably a VERY HIGH 4, but might as well round up 0.001
Fantastic album. Prince at his best.
Prince's masterpiece, simple as that. Thankful to listen to this for the first time. I can see how this is very much a bridgeway from 80s-90s R&B + Pop.
Classic funk and groove from Prince
The perfect double album, arranged, performed and produced to the nines!
I mean, there's not much to say. At his best, Prince was absolutely a force, moving pretty much all popular with him as he developed somthing new. Sign 'O' The Times is defnitely him near his peak.
As a Minnesotan, I feel immense pride every time I listen to Prince. And this is some of my favorite Prince I've heard so far
This made me realize that I haven't listened to much of Prince's music outside of Purple Rain and the music he did for Batman. Which is a failure on my part because this was amazing and dare I say... better than Purple Rain??
Prince is better than John Mayer. 5 stars
Ah, what a great album. It automatically gets a high rating for having my favorite song by the man, I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man. The songs are all very well composed and played, with some seeming like Prince is just showing off how damn good he is. It's good, then, that he's REALLY good.
The best album of the 1980s and the last great album Prince recorded. I once broke a toe dancing barefoot to Housequake. It's that good.
Seen prince in Edinburgh love him so he’s getting a 5
In my top 5 albums of all time
Excellent double album that stays consistent throughout all four sides. I even liked the stuff with the sped up vocals.
Great solo effort by Prince! IMO, the last great Prince record.
Prince is the king. I don’t care that this is over an hour, no space is wasted. Amazing and funky and sexy and clever and FUN!
Amazing!
This is Prince's best album hands down. Just an amazing, genre hopping album of great songs with lots of his fantastic guitar playing interspersed throughout. Psychedelic rock ("Play in the Sunshine"), sweaty funk ("Hot Thing"), smooth R & B ("Slow Love"), an impassioned gospel song ("The Cross"), and topical commentary (title track). And so many more bangers. My college roommate was a HUGE Prince fan and this album was one of the very few that we agreed on as being one of the best albums of the 80's.
o álbum me surpreendeu bastante, ele me trouxe uma sensação boa, não sei explicar. Adorei o jeito que o álbum mistura o punk, rock e até um pouco de jazz.
This album demonstrates the limitless powers and talents of Prince. It has a little bit o' everything - Politics, funk, jazz, psychedelics, soul, rock & roll, and of course, sex. A true masterpiece.
oh wow…. OH WOW… i waited too long to listen to this one 4.5
BANGERS
Unique, funky sound
Rating: 10/10 Possibly my favorite pop album of all time, even though it's so much more than that. What an eclectic mix of genres and styles that culminate to make Prince's masterpiece. Even at its length, it does not overstay its welcome one bit.
Divo
Prince at the peak of his powers. He wanted a triple album but comprised on a double. Filled with absolute gems.
The greatest rockstar of all time’s greatest album.
Favorites: Sign 'O' The Times Play in the Sunshine Starfish and Coffee Slow Love If I Was Your Girlfriend Strange Relationship I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man Adore Rock and roll. R&B. Vocal chops and guitar riffs. Incredible all 'round. Very listenable album if you wanted to put it on repeat.
incredible and its two fucking discs so its an hour and 20 minutes but all of it hits
Wow. Probably my favourite of the later Prince albums. It's where it all comes together for me. Still gets a regular play around here.
It feels like a diary written by someone who’s way cooler than me but somehow still relatable.
Great classic Prince. First time listening to a full album by him.
Prince is always worth listening to.
Prime time Prince, pure class. Listened to this since it came out. It’s the journey he started and accumulation of all his ideas over the last few albums into a varied somewhat genre bending record to my ears coherently, while pushing complex themes from social issues to spirituality. While mainly being the man himself just in the studio, but then brought it live, good memories. The man sure was talented. 5 Star On side note just saw in the reviews Prince has 3 albums in the list, while others like Elvis Costello, who I seem to have on here every other week, have it seems 600, that’s an interesting take on music through 2 careers that ran pretty much in parallel in time, one being very influential but from this list you would be misled to which one it was.
Fantastic, if a little overbloated...
***** Isn‘t it wonderful? Prince in his prime
The Good: We are taught the sign ‘O’! The Bad: We aren't taught what that ‘O’ really means… The Ugly: Realizing it is a future reference to the movie Officespace… It this Prince’s magnum opus? Not for me. What it is for me is the culmination of a creative period that started with Controversy, switched to 1999 (included in the 1001 list), drove us to higher spheres with Purple Rain (also on the 1001 list), surprised his fans with Around the World In A Day (regretfully not on this list), couldn’t repeat the Oscar with Parade (also, not on this list… I believe), to finally get us all excited with this album. For me, that’s 6 5* albums in a row… but I am a fanboy… I saw the tour… and what a fucking show! It was my third Prince concert, and my last. This album has a little of this, a little of that… and for me, never get’s old. Made my day seeing this gem pop up! If you can’t dig it, give it another spin, and another, and you will come around! Oh Yeah...
Sign O’ The Times will be my third and final Prince album to review. So far, I gave five stars to Purple Rain (an instant classic) and four stars to 1999 (it’s a bit much, and collapses under its own weight at times). I consider myself a Prince fan, but I’m not incredibly certain what to expect from this album. Looking at the track listing, I think I only know a couple of songs here, and they’re not songs I know particularly well. I’ll be honest that I’m a little daunted by the fact that this is a double album, because I feel like that was one of the things that weighed down 1999 so much. Hopefully this will be 80 minutes of funky bliss! Man, I’m really struggling with how to rate this album. On the one hand, I loved the synthesizers and drum machines, and I thought the album sounded amazing overall. Sign O’ The Times really is a testament to Prince’s abilities to create incredibly rich sounds that pull the listener into the worlds that he creates. On the other hand, though, it was a little bit boring in parts. Some songs went on a little too long, and a few others felt like they could have been cut from the album, and I wouldn’t have missed them. But now that I’ve written that sentence down, I immediately disagree with it. I think trimming this album down would have taken away from the work as a whole, cutting the knees out from under Prince’s vision in a way. Part of the fun of this album for me was not knowing what was coming next, and getting hit with some really wonderful surprises for my ears along the way. I found myself audibly going ‘ooh!’ whenever a song would start, and I’d hear that particular synthesizer arrangement for the first time. I don’t think this is an album I’d listen to again, but that’s a personal preference, and it doesn’t take away from how fun it was to experience this album for the first time. Now that I’ve talked through the conundrum of whether this album gets four or five stars (it’s getting five), I’ll go through my reactions as I went through these songs. -I love the sound of the title track. It’s funky, and I love how Prince paces the vocals. This is album is really starting off great. -“Play In the Sunshine” sounds great too. I love the timbre of the vocals, and that synth intro is great. The backing vocals are awesome too. I love the screeching guitars and the percussion. The outro feels like an homage to “Aquarius” by The Fifth Dimension. I dig it. -The homage to Joni Mitchell on “The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker” was really great. I loved the slower and more relaxed vibe to this song. -“It” is incredibly weird, but I do love the synths and drum machines, even though I don’t care much for the vocals. -“Starfish and Coffee” is really unique. I’m not quite sure what to make of the lyrics, but I think it’s about how limitless our imaginations can be if we let them. Really cool and whimsical. -“Hot Thing sounds awesome.” I love those synths and the drum machine. -“U Got The Look” is exactly what I want from Prince. Sexy guitar, awesome vocals, killer drum machines, awesome synths. This is the only song I knew on this album, and it rocks hard. -I really love the synths on “Strange Relationship” -I love the synths on “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man.” The guitars sound amazing too, and I love the vocals. What I realized in typing out this review, is that this album is great because of the journey it took me on. Prince is an incredible musician, and while I love jamming out to Purple Rain, in my opinion, Sign O’ The Times is more about the discoveries of pushing the boundaries of music with drum machines and synthesizers, than it is about kicking out the jams.
Love!
Prince just prints hits
The Camille Album. It’s possible this is Prince’s best work. Definitely under appreciated. Housequake is an absolute banger, and If I Was Your Girlfriend is my favorite Prince song. People wanted Prince to make Purple Rain 2 & 3 but Prince had other plans. 💜
Brilliant
Yet another album I have already
What a banger
Alright, let's talk about Prince's Sign o' the Times. And seriously, how in the hell did I miss this one back in the day? I know, I was stupid. My apologies to the masses for my previous shortcomings. But wow, I'm absolutely blown away by this album. It's just so good. I've always loved Purple Rain, but this might actually be his best work I've heard. Every track is a gem. Man, I really wish he was still here, still making music, still blowing minds. And yeah, I definitely wish I would've seen him in concert. This album is a masterpiece, and I'm hitting the vinyl hunt as soon as I'm done with this. Pure genius.
Parliament Funkadelic, his best?, drum machine, Camille, super solid - no throwaways Housequake Starfish and Coffee If I was your girlfriend I could never...
Prince was a genius, and this album just provides proof of that fact. The songwriting, the musicianship, the production… all outstanding!
### **In-Depth Review of Prince’s *Sign O’ The Times*** #### **Overview** Released in 1987, *Sign O’ The Times* is Prince’s ninth studio album and a sprawling double LP that showcases his genre-defying genius. It emerged from the ashes of three scrapped projects (*Dream Factory*, *Camille*, and *Crystal Ball*) and stands as one of his most ambitious works, blending funk, rock, soul, jazz, and electronic experimentation . --- ### **Lyrics** **Pros:** - **Social Commentary:** The title track addresses AIDS, gang violence, and the Challenger disaster with stark, poetic urgency ("A big disease with a little name") . - **Emotional Depth:** Tracks like *Adore* and *Forever in My Life* explore devotion with raw vulnerability, while *If I Was Your Girlfriend* dissects intimacy through gender-bending perspective . - **Whimsy & Wit:** *Starfish and Coffee* celebrates eccentricity with childlike charm, and *Housequake* delivers playful, James Brown-inspired funk . **Cons:** - **Uneven Themes:** Some tracks (*It*, *Hot Thing*) lean heavily into carnal clichés without the lyrical nuance of his best work . --- ### **Music & Production** **Pros:** - **Genre Fluidity:** From the minimalist electro-funk of *Sign O’ The Times* to the live-band exuberance of *It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night*, Prince effortlessly shifts styles . - **Innovative Soundscapes:** The Fairlight CMI sampler and LinnDrum create futuristic textures (*Housequake*’s syncopated beats, *The Ballad of Dorothy Parker*’s hazy atmospherics) . - **Vocal Mastery:** Prince’s falsetto (*Adore*), Camille’s pitched-up alter-ego (*U Got the Look*), and spoken-word delivery (*The Cross*) showcase his range . **Cons:** - **Overstuffed Moments:** The 80-minute runtime includes filler (*It*) and abrupt transitions (e.g., *Play in the Sunshine*’s disjointed coda) . --- ### **Themes** - **Duality:** Sex and spirituality collide (*The Cross* vs. *Hot Thing*) . - **Apocalypse & Hope:** The title track’s despair contrasts with *Adore*’s romantic idealism . - **Identity & Gender:** *If I Was Your Girlfriend* and Camille’s persona challenge norms . --- ### **Influence** - **Legacy:** Inspired Outkast, Kanye West, and Frank Ocean with its genre-blurring audacity . - **Critical Impact:** Ranked among the greatest albums ever (BBC, *Rolling Stone*) for its innovation . --- ### **Pros vs. Cons** | **Pros** | **Cons** | |----------|----------| | Lyrical depth (*Sign O’ The Times*, *Adore*) | Some filler tracks (*It*) | | Genre-defying musicianship | Overlong runtime | | Pioneering production (Fairlight, LinnDrum) | Uneven thematic cohesion | | Vocal and stylistic versatility | Occasional lyrical clichés | **Verdict:** A flawed masterpiece and Prince’s creative peak, *Sign O’ The Times* remains a towering achievement in pop music .
The link is the remastered album…much worse then the original from 1987 Original: 11/10… funk / pop-rock
Fantastic.
This is one of those albums that gets better with repeated listens. Prince is funky, musical, cool. The album makes me happy. Favorite songs: Sign O' the Times, Housequake Strange Relationship, If I Was Your Girlfriend. "And together we'll stare into silence And we'll try to imagine what it looks like"
This might be the Prince album that made me decide the man was a genius. Fun, thought-provoking, and both of and ahead of its time. If you told me this was all I could listen to forever, I think I'd be ok with it.
- not a perfect record but so very good. Still gets a 5 just for the quality / ambition ratio. -
Do me baby.
Just supreme.
Love Prince. He’s so SEXUAL!
This is Prince going all out. "Housequake" alone is worth atleast one star. I would normally say that 80mins is too long for an album, but it's pretty hard to get bored during this.
Super artistic, playful, and full of personality. Loved how diverse it is. Just a wild ride through themes and sounds.
WOW.
Best album ever, all categories.
Classic
All songs were great. No song felt like I was forced to sit through. The pop elements in this album really shined and made the whole experience really enjoyable.
how can anyone not give prince 5 stars
Very peculiar production.
Honestly, this is my 2nd favorite Prince album. I like Dirty Mind more. But I like this album (just slightly) more than Purple Rain. And I love Purple Rain.
well. guess i didnt have to keep u in suspense for long about what my fave prince album is FHJSFHUJFS so many things i could say ab what is just clearly one of the peaks of Music Generally. whatever caused prince to make his sprawling eclectic album also be one of if not his absolute Purest funk album, it was one of the great benevolent forces of the universe...the record feels infinite not just in the variety of style but just how far down the beats reach in their endless swirl...the Cumulative Effect of this record just pulls me in deeper and deeper the further it goes on, each groove a new flight of spiral stairs. if this is pop music, its certainly highly decompressed...all about the space and the ambiguities and the weird squishy in-between bits that are what Define art for me personally. and all of this aside, theres not a single song on this lengthy tracklist that doesn't deserve to be considered in some sort of all-timer context , in at least a few if not all relevant categories. i cant believe i live on the same planet as the person who wrote i could never take the place of your man. one of the desert island discs to end all others.
So so good.
Just great. Love it. Such an amount of talent, such an idiosyncratic artist. One of the few records of the time I immediately fell in love with.
What can you say about Prince? He was the GOAT. It was great to listen to this album again and appreciate the tracks that I don't know as well--The Cross, the jam at the end of I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, and a taste of the phenomenon of Prince live with It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night.
What's not to like about this? It's funky, soulful, rocking, danceable, sexy, and super horny. For a double album, I never got bored or antsy. Some standout tracks: Housequake, The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, Starfish and Coffee, Slow Love, It, U Got The Look, I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (Prince just jamming on the guitar at the end takes it), The Cross (holy shit what a late album banger, amazing)
Sensational
Prince is one of the few artists capable of producing a double album that merits it's length
Banger
Probably his best album tune for tune.
By far my favourite Prince album. 9/10
Heb ik al vaak geluisterd, staat zéker inmijn top10!
When prince died I was just a child. Everyone was losing their mind and I didn't know the man. Someone told me he is like Michael Jackson. I will never forget that. Because he is better than MJ.
so wie ich das album in erinnerig han ischs teils wxtrem geil aber afoch laaang. de song sign o the times findi haaammer. text super dark intrumentierig mega minimalistisch, melodie super synth bass hammer. d glocke d gitarreiwürf suuper. weiss nöd ob wendy oder prince aber shüüsh. play in the sunshine huere herzig findi sehr feelgood. oooh d bridge goht huere ab. mmmh yes premium prince. housequake isch sehr cool aber de prince sött glaub nöd rappe. aber sau funky. dorothy parker no nice, prince horn dawg. it macht wiiter mitem gated reverb shit aber er singt huuere geil git mega gäse. er insano horndawg. ok coole song. magi. starfish and coffe storytelling type prince, hani ebe gern. ui de wuschh vo rechts noch links. noice. slow love wieder insane horny aber schööön super sax bgvs geili druuums. hot thing WIEDER HORNY. aber banger. ui bis etz isch alles eaaasy geil? ui aber s sax wieder yeeeesss huuuere geil hot thing. forever in my life au super minimalistisch aber s funktioniert suuuuper. ich hanen gern. u git the look isch au uuuuhuere geili melodie soo funky catchy aiii yessss. if i was your girlfriend etz nöd min lieblingstrack aber meega herzig er will mit ihre zumne film brüele jö. ui wiso wirds so dark mann? ui und denn HORNY. bro prince. strabge relationship vorallem de synthbass huere cool. i could never take the place of your man isch jo au suuuuper cute. de refrain isch haaaammer. alte the cross hani etz au extreeem geil gfunde. wow. its gonna be a beautiful night easy geil, ischs live? nöd oder? adore isch au insaaane geil die briiiidge. fuuuuck. es isch amel scho extreeem cheesy schmalzig übertriebe horny aber sooo so guet. wenni jede song geil find mueses es füfi sii.
This album us amazing. It has some of princes best songs. Years ago this album made me a hard-core prince fan 4 life.
One of his best, an absolute classic. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man is one of my all-time favorite songs. The Ballad of Dorothy Parker and If I Was Your Girlfriend are also so brilliant.
Pure excellence
Superb. Track 8-14 is some of Prince's best work. A double album which most deserves it's length. When i purchased this album for the first time in 1987, Some dude named Camille Housequaked all over it
Hard for me to put into words how much I love Prince. Purple Rain is viewed as his best, but I think Sign ‘o The Times was Prince at his finest. One of my favorite albums of all time.
Well. I had this album on vinyl, and vinyl melts when subjected to high heat, so I lost this album when I lost my house. I miss this album, and it sounded great on vinyl. The first track is the weakest, with some cringey lyrics. (Actually, there are a lot of silly lyrics on here, but the first song has the most cringey ones). The rest is pretty fantastic, near perfect. 4.99 stars.
My all time favorite
incredible vibes. production was so strong especially in comparison to the leonard cohen album from yesterday. a fantastic listen, some of this still feels genuinely fresh.
Great production. His jehovah witness shines through a little too much by indicating smoking weed leads to heroin, but I digress. Besides his production and musical ability, the lyrical direction Prince takes is fun. Embarrassed I didn't know the verse from '03 Bonnie and Clyde was from a Prince song. It’s interesting that he used more automated instrumentation on this after breaking up with his band. This review is crap, but this album is amazing
This man is an absolute genius. Everything from production, to instrumentation, to lyrics. Just all stellar, diverse, innovative, and most importantly it's incredibly enjoyable to listen to. Whether you're looking for something meaningful or just a bop to enjoy. It has it all in almost every single song. Can't believe I've never listened to this album before. So good.
Immaculate production, brilliant song writing, just a real joy to listen to. I hadn't listened to this record before which is an absolute shame but I'm thrilled this project gave me a chance to do so.
Bangerz
Great!
even by Prince's eclectic standards, Sign "☮︎" the Times is an absolute smorgasbord. there's plenty of the fun, funky heaters that he's now synonymous with, but also way more sonic detours than on any prior Prince album. he really takes full advantage of the flexibility that the double-LP format allows for. it's hard for me to get into as much detail as I typically do, since the act of listening to so many great songs in so many different styles tends to scramble my brain a bit. while this is becoming one of my favorite Prince albums, I think I need a little more time with it compared to Dirty Mind or Purple Rain. just rest assured that whether Prince is in sex funk mode, romantic balladeer mode, gender-bending mode (with the Camille songs), or what have you, it's gonna be great. it never ceases to amaze me how many different talents this guy had. truly a musician's musician's musician. the fact that some of these larger-than-life tracks were made totally in isolation is insanely cool. the biggest highlight is easily "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man," an absolute show-stopper that foreshadows the sound of contemporary creatives like Mk.gee. light 9/10.
Bravura masterpiece. Really bold and diverse. Loved it.
Damn. This era of music has always been hard for me to get into. It has dated instrumentation and production style that often make it DOA in 2025. Absolute genius savant exploring his artistic nature and styles as the world of music changed. Instead of resting on immense success, he went all in on a double album exploring his brain after abandoning two stalled projects. Absolute artistic fearlessness and commitment to the art. If the music commands it!
the BEST from the BEST
Beautiful work truly an artist
This is what Marvin Gaye could have been, with just a little more sexual healing.
5/5
Such a great album. Prince is a legend!
I find it funny that this was my next album because the album I listened to prior was 1999. However, I am not complaining. This is another great Prince album. I still liked 1999 more, but I still enjoyed this one.
The first song is a masterpiece and then the rest of disc one is good. However, this album reaches masterpiece status on the second disc.
I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Prince. For some reason, this album is not one I’ve listening to. I think I was more into the singles. However, this whole album is fantastic. The funk sound he pulls + his amazing guitar work. It’s his best in my opinion. It’s getting added to my desert island list. I’m glad it spun up today, otherwise I may have never listened to it. Solid 5 ⭐️ for me.
What a legend. Gone too soon. This was my favorite we’ve listened to in awhile. What a masterpiece.
A great album from the nameless one. My old version on iTunes named this “Sing o’the times”, which make it sound like it is going to involve sea shanties! 😀
Easy listening with stories from the heart.
Tämä ja Purple Rain kilpailevat mulla kyllä parhaan Princen levyn kärkitittelistä. Tää on jotenkin helvetin hieno kokonaisuus ja tiivistää paljolti kaiken sen mistä Princessa oon oppinut tykkäämään. 5/5
Went into this album and the only thing I knew about Prince was when he changed his name. Now I know he’s an all time great artist.
Astoundingly good.
A perfect album. It's so varied and well executed. Obviously I'm a Prince megafan, but I finally get 'Adore', what a song. There are just absurdly good songs on here, and runs of songs.
I enjoyed my time listening to this album again but unfortunately for Kirk I have to be that guy and still say that I prefer Purple Rain because I enjoy the highest of highs that album reaches over the consistency of this album. When you are comparing the best of the best, it comes down to picking favorites at the end of the day. I'm feeling a strong 9 to light 10. Favorite Songs: Slow Love / U Got The Look
Possibly my favorite Prince album. A great mix of his funkier side, with just enough pop polish. Get ready to get down.
The only bad thing about this album popping out is that I got a lot of things to do today and I don't have the time to elaborate about how wild a ride it is. *Sign ☮️ The Times* is an exhaustible treasure trove filled many different sounding gems within Prince's discography, and as such, this double album probably equals the magnum opus that *Purple Rain* is. The opening title-track is moody and iconic, "Play In The Sunshine" is lively, inventive and adventurous (especially in its second half), "Housequake" is a fun old school hip hop romp (whose very formula will be used later for hit single "Sexy MF" on another Prince album). "It" is epic eighties regalia as it should be done, cold and driven with its mesmerizing synths and drum machines. "U Got The Look" is another catchy hit with one instance of crazy guitar soloing along many during the course of the album. "If I Was A Girlfriend" is a ballad for the ages, where Prince's falsetto conveys both his lust and love in ways that are simply irresistible (see also the excellent musical mini-narrative "Ballad Of Dorothy Parker" on side one for yet another example of love songs with a knack for endearing details - both musical and lyrical). "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" delves into rockier tones (whose glossy eighties feel didn't age that well on a production level, maybe, but the intent can still be felt at least). And "The Cross" is a moving and dignified folk-rock-adjacent topical cut with late sixties, early seventies psychedelic overtones that's instantly lovable. The songs I haven't mentioned yet (most of them on the second side of disc 1) are maybe a small notch under the ones I have, but they're all *very good* anyway. "Slow Love" and closer "Adore" tick the soul ballads boxes in nice enough ways to offer the full monty in terms of a Prince multi-music-styles experience, and if the live-recorded "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night" is an obvious funky jam filler that helped this release reach the 80-minute mark, it's still a fun "document" to listen to. Tracklisting a double album is always tricky, but the Minneapolis genius pulls it off effortlessly (or so it seems). I had not listened to this great record for quite some time, and what I got from it as I did so again today (while working on stuff I had to work on) is how my memories of its many melodic, harmonic and stylistic twists and turns were still vivid today. And of course, Prince was a powerhouse in terms of vocal and guitar performance. Full marks for this one (rounded up just a tiny wee little bit). I'm almost reaching the end of this project. And it's very pleasant that I have so many great albums to listen to for the last run. Number of albums left to review: almost none of the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past editions of the book have mentioned albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions. Number of albums I'll keep in my own list: half, approximately (including this one) Number of albums I *might* keep: a small quarter, approximately Number of albums I won't keep: a large quarter
It took a second listen for me to get into this but I was really loving it by the end. I could do without listening to the slow love songs again but there's a lot of great tracks. And I loved the variety as well, with funky tracks like Housequake and It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night, and chill and intimate tracks like Starfish and Coffee mixed in with the soul and r&b.
Thank the sweet baby Jesus algorithm! I hope this is a sign o' the times that we can finally be done with jazz! Prince is right there with David Bowie for me. I know I'm biased, but I can only describe this as brilliant. Like Bowie, Prince does things that no one else has done - good things. I guess I should clarify because I've heard some unique things on this list that were not do good.
I came to Sign O’ The Times 25 years ago expecting more rock God awesomeness ala Purple Rain. I was very disappointed, but as time went on this album and its R&B flavors and pop varieties grew hard on me. Play In The Sunshine...Wow, what a great high energy pop song! Next up, Housequake buries itself under the skin and forces you to shake your booty like no one is watching. It still sounds cool as F. The Ballad of Dorothy Parker is sublime chill and quite arty for 1987. Onward, it’s all Prince gold. Every song hits and owns its place on this double album. In hindsight, this album is far more indicative of Prince’s greatness than Purple Rain. That album was a one off to show the masses just how great he really was when he wanted to be. This one is the masterpiece for the true Prince fan and what he really stands for.
Perhaps Robert Christgau, chief music critic and senior editor of the Village Voice said it best when he wrote about ‘Sign ‘O’ The Times’ by Prince not being a "formal breakthrough" per se, but rather "the most gifted pop musician of his generation proving what a motherfucker he is for two discs start to finish.” Ain’t that the truth. This is Prince at the peak of his powers, creatively and artistically. His most adult and mature work. Purple Rain might be his commercial peak, but he was never better than he is here, and he was never this consistently good again. ‘Sign ‘O’ The Times’ is arguably the best album of the 80s (and close to my favourite album of all time). No one got close to the sheer breadth and depth of the songs committed to wax here. Listening to it almost feels like a religious experience at times, and the way it is both sacred and secular, with all its sprawling, messy, transcendent glory is why this album is a masterpiece.
Love it
This is when I learned TLC’s “If I Was Your Girlfriend” was actually a Prince cover. So that’s cool. This album is eclectic and smart. Prince is a powerhouse musician and vocalist. My Dad was a big fan of Prince, so I grew up with his music on - I wish I could talk to him about this album, especially compared to his others. I always knew Prince was cool, and this album feels cool to listen to.
Prince records should get an automatic 5. This is one of his best albums. Strong 5.
LOVED this!
This is great. Listen again
after listening through for a second time, his virtuosity blows my mind. It's funk, soul, unabshedly pop, R&B, raunchy, in between the sheetsy .. each song so different from the last, just awesome - whether you dig his sound or not, he is/was really all that.
Coming in - this is my favorite Prince album. Just reading the tracklist it makes your head hurt. It's just banger after banger. It feels like an artist no longer reaching - just doing - in the best possible way. He is in total command. He is in the zone not matter what he's doing. And a lot of what he's doing is getting down with his bad self. So many funky confections - all with enough pop sheen to make then universal. If Purple Rain was the culmination of all his influences consolidating in an amazing record - this is Prince transcending. Singular.
Every song is good.
it's prince. come on.
Cool
9.5/10 Kakav album! Od pocetka do kraja fantastican, iako mi fali jedna stvar oko koje bi bio skroz opsjednut da bude cener. Prince mi je uvijek bio svojevrsna enigma jer ga nisam puno slusao, sve do pred koju godinu, gdje sam shvatio da mi je zapravo jedan od drazih artista 80ih i 90ih. Favorita na albumu ima puno, mogao bi pol albuma izlistati ali honourable mention ce dobiti The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker, If I Was Your Girlfriend, I Could Never. Vec vidim da ce mi biti zao sto mu nisam desetku dao, al bit ce jos njegovih albuma i prilika!
OBSESSED
I admit it, I'm a Prince superfan. But come on... the Ballad of Dorothy Parker is brilliance. U Got The Look is an anthem. If I Was Your Girlfriend the most bare-souled sexy love song. No notes.
First song's lyrics took me by surprise, such a tough song on top of an easy groove. Overall I like how this sounds, although I don't think any of these are mind blowing. Still like the cohesive sound and production. Highlights: Starfish and Coffee, I could never take the place of your man, The Cross (loved this one!!!) I think it's a 4.5
Loved it! So good to dance and think. Starfish and coffee I could listen to over and over.
one of my all time favorite albums already
Might be the best prince album
Prince is one of the greatest, most unique, and creative musical artists of our time. Surprised this was the first of his albums to appear on the challenge for me so far. This album is fantastic, although not my overall favorite. We still have fantastic songs like “If I Was Your Girlfriend”, “U Got The Look”, and “Slow Love”. My least favorite track is "Sign o’ the Times", and personally it still feels like an odd choice to start the album off with a socially conscious song, instead of getting the listener into the more groovy stuff.
A truly great album; he’s the nearest we had to Beethoven Inthink and this album is Prince at or near his peak. A masterpiece.
No known "hits" but a solid album front to back. Highlights for me were The Cross and Adore
Good shit
There are a few certainties in this world. Grass is green, Pope is catholic and Prince is the greatest musician to have ever walked the planet. And this is truly one of the all time great double albums. So fresh, funky, vibrant and eclectic with the heavy, politically conscious title track opener, hip hoppity Housequake, tinges of Daft Punky electro on Ballad Of Dorothy Parker, the badass genre bending chipmunk voice of Camille on the fantabulous, philosophical If I Was Your Girlfriend, religious soul searching with the acoustic rocker The Cross, the greatest house party and last hurrah of his former backing band The Revolution on It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night, classic rock fm/baseball anthems with Sheena Easton duet U Got The Look, a pantheon of feel good pop with Play In The Sunshine, Starfish and Coffee Strange Relationship and more as well as some of the slinkiest soul ever with the slushing scorchtastic closer Adore. Even though it’s a double, each disc is really tight and it all flows wonderfully. There’s little padding on this sexy beast. Easiest 5 stars ever.
Love love love
one of the increasingly rare double albums that actually feels like it both values your time and expects you to sit through the full thing. going in, i thought an 80 minute album was at the very least gonna be a bit tiring, but it feels shorter than some 50+ minute albums i've heard. i hold the theory that this is due to no two songs sounding alike -- Sign "☮︎" the Times always has another trick up its sleeve, and switches you from soul to dirty funk, and Christian rock to a goddamn Wizard of Oz chant live jam. i'm not saying that he's doing any wild genre experiments on S☮︎tT, but Prince always keeps things moving from one new idea to another, like a brisk studio tour that is also nearly an hour and a half. the record just bristles with this wild, colorful energy, a kaleidoscope of song that shifts the world around it. by no means is it perfect, but if someone said this was Prince's best album, I don't think anyone would fault them for it. the idea of being Prince turns my stomach. can you imagine having a new, exciting musical idea every day of your life and live with the fact that you'll never be able to play them all?
Now he’s doing a horse called June.
'o'
Bellissimo
I am a huge Prince and have been since my first listen of the 1999 album. SOTT was peak Prince. He was in complete control and put out an album with funk, rock, dance, orchestra, and rap (tongue-in-cheek). And his trademark sense of humor was also present (Housequake….Starfish and Coffee). There is not a skip on this album. This is my favorite album by the purple one and the one I point people toward to experience a perfect album.
Sign 'O the Times is one of Prince's masterpieces. It is his ninth studio album, an expansive double album including songs of a surprising range of sounds and styles. Prince released a concert film of the same title which is, in my opinion, among the best concert films ever produced. Prince combines R&B, funk, soul, and rock in his work; the result is some of the most engaging, influential songs in modern music. This album included a few hit singles - the title track, "If I was Your Girlfriend," and "U Got the Look" - but these were not among his biggest singles. The album is so very well regarded for the incredible range of the tracks, which show the boundless talent behind the music.
Stone cold classic
I've heard this many times. It's been a while since I've listened to this album. I had forgotten just how great this album is. 80 minutes that covers the gamut of Prince's abilities in performance and songwriting. The fact that the great pop song "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" doesn't appear until the end of Side 3 of the double album gives an indication of how much great music is included on this album. Perhaps Prince's best album. Definitely the best representation of the breadth of his abilities.
I’d heard some of Prince’s songs before this, but I didn’t expect this album to be this amazing. It feels like I found the missing link to most of the r&b I like. Favorite Song: If I Was Your Girlfriend Least Favorite Song: Slow Love
Two double albums in a row and they couldn’t be more different. Loved it!
Prince is essential!
Oh my lord unbelievable. Every song was so gucking good
Prince, you’ve done it again. And this time with an album twice as long. Need to listen more but Prince is quickly becoming a favorite artist of all time dang.
Yes
Not me giving a double album 5 stars. Tis the season of miracles. Honestly, though, this is fabulous.
What a run of albums…