Reviews (page 5 of 14)
Honestly, I was bored through most of this. I'm not into those 80s synth beats and sounds. This is background music at best.
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
Ecoute agréable mais pas de coup de coeur
Never been a Prince fan. Listening to this (again) did not change this fact
2. Not a fan.
more of a groovier prince album, i really enjoyed it, had some very good tracks and nice to hear a different style of his
Still really really good, just not quite as cohesive as purple rain imo. He reminds me a lot of Michael jackson here.
Prince can do it
This is the first time I've ever listened to a Prince album, and I think I'd rather listen to Michael Jackson. Prince seems like his cousin who became a rockstar instead of a popstar. Sign “O” the Times ★★★☆☆ Play in the Sunshine ★★★☆☆ Housequake ★★☆☆☆ The Ballad of Dorothy Parker ★★★☆☆ It ★★★☆☆ Starfish and Coffee ★★★☆☆ Slow Love ★★★★☆ Hot Thing ★★★☆☆ Forever in My Life ★★★☆☆ U Got the Look ★★★☆☆ If I Was Your Girlfriend ★★★☆☆ Strange Relationship ★★★☆☆ I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man ★★★☆☆ The Cross ★★★☆☆ It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night ★★★☆☆ Adore ★★★☆☆ Average Album Rating: 3.0/5.0 ★★★☆☆
I want to like Prince and, with the odd song here and there I do. His music does feel quite samey to me. This album is 2 hours long and it was hard to hear the differences in the songs. All in all, perfectly pleasant music, but I'd never chose to put it on.
Yeah didn't hate this. Pretty catchy with some good hooks. I did have to skip Hot Thing cause he just said it too many times for my brain to cope with
Hey, at least it's not a triple album. 2/5
Idk why albums need to be this long, but this one is great. Enjoyed most of it but too long.
I can appreciate this one, but really didn’t enjoy more than a couple songs.
This seems like pretty average Prince, but average for Prince is high quality. An enjoyable listen.
I have to confess that I had never listened to a full-length Prince album until now. But I think this demonstrates his being pop royalty - not only by name, but by nature too. Great tunes, great performances, great production.
é um b0m mood, não sei para que contexto
In my humble opinion, it is nothing special: just the usual Prince stuff
a couple songs stood out to me otherwise i didn’t really vibe with the rest too heavily but overall it’s definitely something i’d put on every now and then :D
Ok not a hug fan of prince
What a fun, big album to dive into. A mix of funk, pop, dance, and rock. And since this is Prince, you also get some killer shredding guitar solos. I love how often the album surprised me. The genres switch between tracks, but each song has its own character. The production often adds weird effects to certain instruments. It keeps everything fresh and adds a playful tone. I get the impression that Prince was meticulous about this music, but it still feels fun and organic and wild. I could see this being one of those albums that takes a few listens before you realize just how great it is, but on a fist listen I still had a blast.
Really solid Prince album. I love the opening track; the verse is kind of Bruce Springsteen-ish but it's filled with Prince's great attitude that often comes through in his best songs. He's sharp, he's cool, he's the man. It's a nice 4/5 for me.
Some songs have a great groove, others are clearly experimental. I can't judge it against it's time as I don't ahve much context, but as an album not to my taste unfortunately.
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.
It was good, very 80s, the fist prince album I have listened to but it was good
on housequake he sounds like a south park character
Good easy listen album. 6.8/10
Damn!
I kind of made the assumption blindly going into this one that I would be giving it a 5 star rating. Tragically, I didn’t expect to find it so boring. Prince is one of the most well respected artists out there, and of course “Purple Rain” is legendary in its own right. It’s not on this album but whatever. I thought Prince did more balls to the wall, killer solo riff laden Rock, which is 1000% on me, but this was far from that. Was it funky? Sure, it was funky, but I’ve heard much better Funk during this project already. I would also call this Pop much more than I would call it Rock, but regardless it was just very average the entire way through as both. Some songs, notably “Play In The Sunshine” and “It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night” were my favorites and stood out as the best to me, but even then, neither of them absolutely blew me away. Never once did I find myself saying “Wow, that was really good” while listening to this album. It pains me to say that I wouldn’t exactly call this album goated. I WOULD call it very bloated however. With a playtime of an hour and 19 minutes, this one was actually somewhat difficult to get through in a sitting, which is just really not something I expected to write about Prince. Well, he’s got 2 more albums left to impress me. I’m sure I’ll like those more. This one wasn’t bad, but it did disappoint me more than anything I’ve listened to so far while doing this project, so that’s pretty rough. When I expect to enjoy something a lot and then don’t end up enjoying it all that much, I’m much more critical of it as a whole and the review ends up sounding like I hated it entirely. I did not hate this, it’s still a 3. But it’s a low 3 at that…
A double album of Prince without the revolution is quite a mixed bag but you can't deny his song writing. Dance tracks, funked up electro and psychedelic pop are all here. Never heard the album its entirety before and was worth a couple of playbacks. Somehow seems to herald the end of the eighties musically.
Keech!
It’s Prince….no mistaking him for anybody else!
Dit kan ik echt waarderen. Zou het zelf niet snel op zetten. Maar het is echt tof. Dus misschien vaker doen.
Ik hou niet van funk, maar wat een album en artiest is Prince
Yup.
I'm disappointed. I thought I would like this album more, but it really did nothing for me. Hopefully Purple Rain will be better. 2/5
Usually when I don't like a really popular artist or album, I assume I'm right and there's something wrong with everyone else. Prince is an exception to this. I recognize his insane talent and artistic prowess, but for some inexplicable reason his music just doesn't click with me.
Favorite tracks: Starfish and Coffee, Play In The Sunshine I really enjoyed the variety of styles on this album, and a lot of the instrumentals were really fun - I dare you to find someone who wouldn't groove to this! That being said, most of the lyrics really ruined this album for me. We get it: you like sex. I don't mean to come off as ~prude~ but it got old before I even finished the first disc. Hot Thing and If I Was Your Girlfriend in particular I couldn't even get through. Also, the cognitive dissonance to make a 2 disc album mostly about having sex with lots of girls, then ending it with "The Cross" is wild to me.
Like the title track. Melted away into abstract nothingness after that...
Funky cool ans a great song for any day. Starfish and coffee sounds like the perfect breakfast
I feel that this album combines electronic and physical instruments better than some of Prince's other albums, which makes it sound much less dated. I really enjoyed this one, the pop-ier songs were more palatable, I guess. The live track at the end was a great inclusion, really highlighting Prince's strength as a performer and showman. That being said, felt like there was a lot of filler, maybe could have benefitted from not being a double record. Standout Tracks: Sign O' The Times, It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night.
i have to say, it was a little underwhelming… i don’t agree with this being his best work, it does have a few nice songs like “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” or “Strange Relationships” but the rest of the album got kind of repetitive at times. still, it’s a good listen, even if it doesn’t top purple rain for me personally.
boring
Listened to this on a long-ish drive. It was funky and kind of hypnotic? Felt like it could go on forever but not necessarily in a bad way.
This album took me 5 days to finish. I must be listening to a different album than yall. This thing is bloated, and boring, and completely lacking any cohesion, except Prince’s trademark horniness. Do not want. TWO STARS
Shut up already...damn! And I mean that as the highest of compliments.
I feel like I’ll be eviscerated for this score.
Sure, some parts are pure decadence. But isn't that what made Prince great?
This is obviously a great album, but it just didn’t do it for me.
He de decir que ni fu ni fa
3.9, couldve been better it was a good listen tho.
Pas hyper fan de Prince. Pas mal sans plus.
Pakte me minder dan purple Rain. Maar er staan nog steeds bangers in.
I loved the joy in Play in the Sunshine and Starfish and Coffee
The first half is average. 2nd disc is good and way more consistent. Not his best work and 80 minutes is obviously too long.
it's the 80s innit??
I appreciate the musicianship of Prince but never been a huge fan of his records. This one didn't change my opinion.
It was a good time but never grabbed me.
I can’t tell how I feel about Prince. No one writes a song quite like Prince did, and I mean that in the best and worst ways. I don’t know that I always agree with every artistic and stylistic choice Prince makes in every song, but I have to admit that this was an engaging and interesting pop/rock/soul/whatever else he felt like doing album.
not obsessed... its good and i see why he is so popular just something about it isnt for me... to be fair didnt listen to the full thing
I don't think there's a Prince album so far that isn't groovy as hell.
GOATED ALBUM 100/10
Havent listened to a Prince aong in forever. Sign of the times is a bit dated, with the 80s synth rap bits. Play in the sunshine interesting. Builds into a rock out dancy number with a guitar solo that’s straight out of an 80s hair metal band. The drum sounds like a drum machine to me. Odd given Prince is credited as drummer (and everything else). Pretty funny when he sings ‘drummer do your thing’ and then he rips out a guitar riff. Housequake - theres a bit if funk and rythm in there but it just seems a bit lazy, let’s write a dance/rap track. Next song The ballad of dorothy showcases his skills a bit better. Still think there is drum machine used in there. I struggled for time to listen to this double album so the ranking maybe a bit unfair but i wasnt aorry i didnt have the time and that’s a but telling.
How can such a talented artist make such a cheesy, disjointed, and pathetic album? No one can question his skill as a musician, composer, performer, and all around artist, but Damn! This album is just sad.
So long, so boring...
Game, blouses.
Quite good, but feels like there's a bit of filler in there. The album doesn't need to be this long.
4 stars easily for starfish and coffee
I thought it was gunna be a harry styles moment with sign of the times. Guess not. It was okay. Wouldn’t choose it but i understand why someone would.
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!
Prince was certainly prolific. And horny. Nothing on here really stood out.
Better than I thought it was going to be, but still not a Prince fan.
My second Prince album. The first one was 1999 which was horrid I was completely sick of of it by the end of it, as I for some reason I set myself this challenge for this generator where I have to listen to all the songs (because I'm just like that,) which I sometimes regret, sometimes not. I definitely regretted it for 1999. Back on topic, I thought it wasn't half bad. Just like 1999, Sign O' the Times it's quite dense instrumentally, even if this sort of music isn't my jam, he still manages to make all the songs have their own character. I quite like how he approaches vocals, just having something new to try out. I felt like the album would've been better if it was just the first side, as 80 minute long albums are hard to digest and process. Highlight Song/s: Play In The Sunshine, Starfish And Coffee and I Could Never...
Meh
Title track is excellent Funky Very late-80s A bit much for me
5 sterne
Not for me. Think of Bruno Mars in silksonic (like the lyrics). And think of it made in the 70s or 80s. I’m neither a fan of Bruno Mars nor of lyrics like these so I don’t care much for this album. I only got till “If I was your girlfriend”
My absolute favorite
I've never given Prince much time beyond what I knew from stuff like Batman '89 and just his general cultural footprint and this is a great way to crack into what could be a very intimidating discography.
There was not a single song I enjoyed
If there's one thing I learned from this listening journey, it's that I can finally put to rest any notion that I might even possibly like Prince for anything more than When Doves Cry.
it's fine. not my style
it's prince. it's fucking prince baby
So groovy, great for strutting around in the city with a sick jacket on. Love Prince's storytelling!!!
Yo... this is groovy as shit. Fun and bouncy. Shout out prince.
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 ..
I wanted to love it but some of the songs just didn’t showcase his guitar. Lots of 80s style synths and just couldn’t connect
How do you top Purple Rain? Turns out you don't, unless you think knocking off Footloose is somehow better than that magnum opus. Ok, that's unfair. This album is DIFFERENT. It's bigger, it's varied, and it has a hell of a lot of experimentation. Which should be applauded, but experimentation isn't always great and in this case sometimes it sounds like Kenny Loggins. But much like the weather in your city, if you don't like what's happening, wait five minutes. Whoever compared it to The Clash's Sandinista! was on the money. Following a sublime effort, the walls fell and everything was included in the follow-up effort. But while I love Sandinista! (possibly due to the time I've spend with it - a lot of good music seems to challenge on first or second lesson) here it just ain't clicking.
Wow, what a discover. I higly recommend this album.
Much prefer this to 1999 - more poppy/hip hoppy less funk and slap bass. Only managed one and a half listens as its another effin double album so this is only my initial view (although I doubt I will listen again to form a more fuller view). The over reliance on drum machines dates it and makes it feel disposable. A few zingers - Sign of the Times, U Got the Look and I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man but quite a lot of filler.
Disc 2 is much better than disc 1. Disappointing if this is his best album. A couple of really good songs - Sign O'The Times and the catchy I Could Never..., some alright numbers and a couple of dross.
As with so much Prince, some of this is banging beyond belief. Other stuff is bloated and unlistenable. Like Zappa, an artist I prefer, when you put out this much, some of it just isn't gonna land to a casual listener.
Prince IS the 80s. Like seriously, almost every song sounds like the 80s! Drum machine, key-tars & synth galore. Prince is indeeded talented, soulful & oozes sexual energy outta every pore on his tiny sexy body. He sounds like a James Brown soul party at times. I just find everything about Prince to be off-putting. I get his appeal, lyrically he talks about treating women with respect & mutual pleasure. Men want to be him & women want to be with him. I just don't like the sound he Puts out. 2.5
Personally loved 1999 and Purple Rain; this was good but not essential listening for me.
nice choice for my 100th album on this thing, and a pretty decent album overall, although it's quite amazing how "The Cross" and "Starfish and Coffee" are (for me, personally) way above everything else on this album (and there's still plenty of good songs - "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker", "Sign o' the Times", "Hot Thing", etc)
Album 978 of 1089 Sign 'O' The Times - Prince (1987) Rating : 3 / 5 This is one I’d put firmly in the category of “interesting, but not quite for me.” You can hear the talent all over it - the writing is sharp, the musicianship is unmistakably Prince, and the production is as clean and creative as you’d expect from someone who could do just about anything he wanted in the studio. But for whatever reason, the songs just didn’t click with me the way I thought they might. It’s definitely a different shade of Prince than the big radio hits I grew up with, and while I respect the ambition and the craft, it didn’t leave me with much I’m eager to return to. I can recognize why this album sits so high on so many lists - the artistry is clearly there - but enjoyment-wise, it landed somewhere around the middle for me. Still, when someone is as talented as Prince, even a “not quite my thing” album is worth hearing once.
Great guitarrist, but a lot of boring tracks on this one. Expected *much* more out of it to be honest.
i'm being harsh but i just can't stand the sound effects everywhere. it gets good occasionally. it's so inconsistent Would I listen again: no Deserves to be on this list: maybe, not his best 2.9
The title track rules I loved this album in my youth
Too much junk for the hits
Top tier Prince. One of his best. The only way it could have been better is if they extended a few more of the songs and let him and the band jam a bit. Musicians like Prince shine brightest one the extended jams. Just my opinion though. I'd still put Purple Rain slightly above this one, but Sign O' the Times is certainly no mediocre album.
Starfish and Coffee ... Maple Syrup and Jam! That pretty much sums up, what is very probably Prince's best album!
The 80's slow/simple/repetitive drum synth in most every song has aged poorly and tends to dominate the listening experience given the "thin/sparse" production on most songs. Offbeat synth in "It" and "Starfish & Coffee" also add to this distraction rather than melodic value. Some songs sound like deliberate self caricature - both in vocals (eg: "Housequake") and in lyrics (eg: "If I was your Girlfriend") For a bloke who can famously play 27 instruments, it might have been an idea to bring a few of these to the studio with him other than just that rubbish drum machine.
A+
Over long, indulgent, boring, and only deserving a single star.
not a big prince fan. can't see what the fuss is all about with him.
Excellent stuff. "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" is the standout for me.
A proper double album. Meandering and weird
If I Was Your Girlfriend is probably the creepiest song i've ever heard. I've read all the arguments for how this is a romantic song, but if any male acts like this with one of their female friends, they would get instantly ostracized. The song was so jarring in a terrible, pathetic way. I was initially excited to see this album on here and i've never listened to Prince before....but man......it was not for me at all. But the entire time I was listening, I was thinking that i'm sure this album is incredibly well received. Lo' and behold, it is. It's basically the theme song of the 80's, especially I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man. Not dissing it, there are some incredible songs on here. U Got The Look, Sign O The Times is incredible, Starfish and Coffee, It, are all great and deserve the hype. Prince was definitely a musical genius and one of those completely untouchable, almost mythic figures........but the duds were real duds. I hated Adore. I hate the 80's male falsetto Soul Glo sound. JUST LET IT SHIIIIINE THROUUUUGH. It just bad. Hot Thing wasn't great......and other sounds were solidly mid. Basically this album didn't live up to the Prince hype for me and maybe none of them will (Haven't heard Purple Rain yet). I listened to the whole album probably 5 times at this point and it just doesn't change how I feel about it. He's a musical genius and an absolute legend, but this album just doesn't get me going. This was kind of his "coming out" album, and i'm glad it has been so well received, but it falls short for me. Ok maybe one more listen....i'm really trying here.
Something about this just didn’t click with me. I like prince and obviously his voice is amazing but almost all of these tracks felt very stripped and like bare? There was like a lack of melody or something idk. I like the beats though and a lot of the drum patterns are very fun and 80s-y! Definitely not bad but I would probably just listen to a different prince album instead. Fav songs: housequake, the ballad of dorothy parker
I thought I was missing out on Prince all these years, but I think he just has some great bangers, and the rest of his catalog is just meh. Most of this was kinda crappy 80s pop.
8 / 10
it prince.
LP 1 > Very good 4/5 sparse instrumentation, but the Camile stuff makes it a sore thumb on a great first half LP 2 > Some interesting ideas yet more Camile stuff brings it down 3/5 for me could have been better as a 1LP
It’s Prince, n’uff said
It is too mechanical for me, lacks any soul. There are a couple decent tracks but mostly forgettable. I prefer his earlier rawer work.
It’s not bad at all. Very diverse music. Liked slow love, hot ting, sign of the times. I love when artists do not try brainwashing the audience yet the melodies are catchy, interesting and fairly easy to remember. Very pleasant. He also has a good voice. The album ticks many boxes but it doesn’t impress me with something unique to it. So not yet a five for me.
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
I knew coming in that it was going to be off the beaten path and a little weird simply because it was a Prince album, and I wasn’t wrong. There were still so many tracks that were absolute jams and kept you engaged. There were parts that haven’t aged well since the 80s, but it added to the charm.
I guess this is my music hot take. Prince is overrated. He does nothing for me.
Какая-то ужасная поп-музыка с элементами современного РнБ. Слушать практически невозможно
Congrats on the Hat Trick, Prince!
Princes 80tal är sanslöst. Sign 'O' the times är jätte jättebra ändå är den inte nära att vara hans bästa, åtminstone Dirty mind, 1999, Controversy och Parade är ännu bättre album enligt mig. Men låt inte den åsikten lura er, Sign... är strålande bara inte lika koncentrerad. Det räcker med att rabbla upp låtlistan, jag räknar till tio låtar jag älskar. 16 spår, 1 timme och 20 minuter, det känns för kort man vill bara att det ska fortsätta. Prince är för bra för sitt eget bästa. Allt ska med och det gör det lite spretigt för att hålla ihop det till ett album. Men det är en marginell anmärkning när låtarna i sig är så bra. Bara för att belysa en tidigare ståndpunkt, lyssna på titelspåret och du hör Kraftwerks oändliga inflytande; minimalt, precist och svängigt. Vrålstark fyra
Rätt seg start på en i övrigt bra skiva. Titelspåret och Play in the sunshine är skivans tråkigaste spår, båda mer än 5 minuter långa. Hela A-sidan kan man i princip skippa. B-sidan sparkar igång skivan med It, Slow Love, Hot thing. Sedan rullar det på. U got the look, If I was your girlfriend och I could never take the place. Bra låtar. Men riktigt bra sparar Prince till sist, hela D-sidan, The Cross, It’s gonna be a beautiful place och Adore.
Återhållsamhet var aldrig Prinsens signum. Här är det mycket av det mesta. Han slänger sig vilt mellan olika genres även om den souliga funken ständigt är närvarande. Självhävdelsebehovet finns där. ”Ska visa dom att jag är bäst på allt”. Å förvisso, det kanske inte är sanningen rakt av men inte långt därifrån. Tror ändå att SOTT mått bra av att kortas ned till ett enkelalbum. Med det sagt är det svårt se vad dom ska bort. För min del funkar andra skivan något bättre än första. Inte minst den avslutande D-sidan som är lysande.
Jag har verkligen försökt gilla Prince, men han når inte hela vägen fram till mig. Ibland blir det bra funk, men oftast låter i mina öron som att han passerar över gränsen från lekfullt till tramsigt. Framför allt verkar han inte kunna begränsa sig överhuvudtaget vad gäller vad som ska ges ut. Här finns riktigt bra låtar (If I was your girlfriend, Sign ’O’ the Times) men också flera bottennapp (Play in sunshine, Hot thing, I could never take the place of you). En enkel-LP hade höjt betyget men nu insisterade Prince på en dubbel (han gav åtminstone med sig från kravet på en trippel). Ur ett albumperspektiv är det också märkligt att slänga in ett live-spår.
Sounded fine but kind of long and not engaging enough.
Prince is pretty overrated to me and this was also a lil too long
For as much as I loved Purple Rain, this album went in the opposite direction. I found it much more bland and mediocre than most of what I know Prince for. He's a great artist and musician, but this album seemed to suppress that. It was easy to tune out, which I thought was surprising given Prince has a penchant for grabbing your attention. It didn't help that the album was 80 minutes long. Even with the length, I actually found the last section of songs to be the most interesting and enjoyable. Unfortunately, getting to them was a slog. Some songs did well with a funky, rock feel. Most of the rest were boring and forgettable. More than a few had a cringy-ness to them from the overly 80s vibes. None of the tracks stood out to me as something great, even the ones I enjoyed. While I never really found the album bad, I didn't care for a lot of it. I'll probably stick with Prince's other works that, in my opinion, are much better. This one was merely OK. Overall: 2.4/5
I was shockingly bored by this album. Kind of surprising since I really like Purple Rain
No notes
Disc 2 was in my mind far superior to Disc 1. Disc 1=2; Disc 1=3.5.
*Love Housequake and Starfish and Coffee, but it can get feeling long at times.
So disappointed with this, the instrumentation just does not go anywhere in any song and yet the intros make you think "ooooh this is gonna be good" and it just tapers off
Honestly, I prefer it to Purple Rain…
Prince was a genius. 6/5
Knowing Prince by reputation, I went into this album expecting something good-to-great. Surprised to find it mostly disappointing. None of the songs really made a strong impression and it's about 35 minutes too long. I think maybe it just hasn't aged well. I can kind of see why you'd listen to this and think he might be a good choice for the soundtrack to a campy Batman movie?
This is fine, favorite track is If I Was Your Girlfriend.
Prince’s White Album.
pretty good
Purple…y. Miss this guy…gal.
Não curti muito a vibe. Achei legal, mas não me prendeu, nem ouvi tudo
Very solid Prince album. I like Purple Rain better, but has some super interesting songs and the style varies quite a bit. “U Got The Look” and “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Girlfriend” were highlights.
Energetic and enjoyable.
I think almost every Prince album from ‘79 to ‘88 is perfect. This album is incredible from start to finish.
banger
I’ve never actually listened to a Prince album from start to finish before this but I quite enjoyed myself. Had this on loop a couple times in the background at work and have definitely added it to my liked songs. Prince was such an influential voice and this album makes it clear as to why. I love how fun some of the songs are and will definitely be going back to this.
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.
Better than I expected, although there were a few songs that were a definite nope for me. Overall, I can't say the album turned me into a Prince fan, but I can understand better why he is popular.
It only took rating and reviewing 80 albums, but I've finally arrived at my first album from one of the artists I've been most excited to finally check out: Prince. I knew next to nothing about Prince before today, outside the fact that he had a guitar shaped like his logo, that his performance at Super Bowl XLI is often considered one of the best (if not, THE best) halftime shows of all time and that people gas up his music as if he were the second coming of Christ. I haven't even heard "Purple Rain" before – at least, not to my knowledge. As you can imagine, I didn't know much about Sign o' the Times going into it. I remember a YouTuber I follow saying that Harry Styles' "Sign of the Times" reminded him of the title track (which, upon actually hearing the song, I don't agree with at all), but that's pretty much it. I hate to say it, but this honestly wasn't the best first impression of Prince's music. It's all over the place tonally and stylistically, going from a slow song about the unfortunate state of the world to an upbeat song about making the most out of life to a dance track for house parties in its first 15 minutes. I found out in my research for this album that it features several songs from Prince's scrapped Crystal Ball album (which itself featured songs written for his canceled Camille album) and yeah, that completely tracks. It certainly comes across as a project with multiple visions somewhat crammed together – there's even a live recording near the end of the tracklist, for some reason. On a more positive note, Sign o' the Times ended up being more electronic-influenced than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. Every track I previously alluded to actually ended up being a highlight of my first listen and I even ended up listening to a couple of them (but not the whole thing) a second time. Listening through the album also made me realize Prince made that song that goes "I just want your extra time and your... kiss," which is one that I enjoy. All in all, I can appreciate the musicality and some of the ideas present on SOTT, but the album is too long and too all over the place to really make for something I'd want to revisit. I wouldn't necessarily be annoyed if someone put it on, but I don't think I'd listen to any of these songs recreationally (outside of "Housequake" and possibly "Play in the Sunshine"). It seems like the 1001 Albums Generator community liked this Prince album the least of the bunch though, so I'm nonetheless looking forward to checking out his other two entries! Highlights: Sign o' the Times, Play in the Sunshine, Housequake, The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, Starfish and Coffee, Strange Relationship, I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night
Solid. Catchy album!
Not bad, not my jam, less fun than Purple Rain and I didn't like that one much either
masterpiece!!
Typical(ish) Prince album: couple of absolutely brilliant bangers, a few well crafted interesting listens, a couple of pure Prince filth and a few that sound a bit like Flight of the Conchords
It was enjoyable enough but Prince just writes wierd songs.
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.
I find myself not getting prince. It seemed good but it’s almost as if he’s better live
Not my favorite prince
Bof hein
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.
Sprawling, perfectionist pop. You could tell Prince knew which way the wind was blowing with the production choices. It’s a bit unwieldy, but still full of banger instrumentals and great melodies. It’s another achievement among his many.
nop
It was a chore to get through.
2.5
Feels dated
doesn't really have the excitement and straight up banger quality that i might have ascribed to Prince before listening to this album. moderately fun, completely tolerable listening, but didn't really keep me engaged. most interesting and yet least favorite song: Housequake
Albüm fena değildi. Bu benim 1001albums te ilk günüm ve çok random bir albüm. hoşuma giden parçalar şunlardı; sign o times hoştu it güzel bir parça slow love if i was your girlfriend its gonna be a beautiful night (live) çok az dinlenmiş fakat çok güzel. neden dinlemediniz :((( ve son olarak adore. adore'u dinlemeden önce bütün albümü sırasıyla bitirdim ve adore'a sıra gelirken okul yolunu bitirdim ve kulaklığımı çıkardım. okuldan çıkarken, evet bakalım adore nasılmış diye heyecanla şarkıyı başlattım. pişman olmadım. 2dk geçmeden edit: starfish and coffe'yi eklemeyi unuttum. Prince'ın tangerine demesi çok hoşuma gidiyor nedense.
Cool
I’m just not sure I get this. That 80s sound really grates me I totally see Prince’s skill as a musician but then the music is just a bit empty for me
It's my 10 year high school reunion. I walk in the door and immediately see, let's call him Ricky, in the corner by the bar. "OH FUCK YEA!" I think to myself. I hadn't seen or thought about Ricky in years but he was the titts (as we used to say back then). Loved that guy! So funny and one of the best players on the soccer team. Just an all around BRO. I couldn't wait to catch up... But something was different. Maybe he joined a religious cult. Maybe he went off the deep end MAGA. But the guy he used to be just isn't there anymore. We make plans to get together after the reunion but I I know I never will. Best to leave some things in the past. This album feels like Ricky. You can tell it's Prince... no doubt about it. But it's just not that same magic as the Purple Rain era.
A good album, I liked Play On The Sunshine and Housequake the most.
I liked the first track. The rest was about what I expected from Prince, funky, 80s, some high pitched singing, some songs a bit repetitive in themselves. Not my cup of tea, but overall not boring.
So boring and long. One bright spot on disc 1. Disc 2 is overshadowed by how bad 1 is, but even then there's a lot of over staying it's own welcome
I mean it is Prince, but god I don't really like Prince outside of Purple Rain…
such an interesting album
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.
I don’t hate Prince but I don’t love him. I also am not a huge fan of double albums because unless I really like the artist, I find them too long (hell even if I do like the artist, I don’t always like double albums as I’m not a huge fan of the White Album). Anyway, this was nothing super special and I feel Prince has better music. Nothing really stood out. It sounded fine because Prince is a good musician who knows what he’s doing.
Je vais être transparent avec vous, comme je le suis toujours dans ce carnet de bord. J'attaque cette chronique avec la même appréhension que si je devais faire la critique d'un gala de patinage artistique car je n'ai jamais, jamais, été un client de Prince. Oh, je vous vois venir. "Hérétique !", "Philistin !". Calmez-vous. J'ai tenu un magasin de disques pendant l'âge d'or de l'indie, j'ai usé mes nuits sur les ondes d'une radio libre. Je sais reconnaître le génie quand je le vois et Prince, le nabot de Minneapolis, est un génie. Multi-instrumentiste ahurissant, producteur visionnaire, bête de scène... Le CV est irréprochable. C'est acté. Mais voilà, il y a un "mais", un "mais" gros comme une section cuivre de James Brown sous amphétamines. C'est trop... funk. Je sais, c'est mon problème, pas le sien. Je suis né en 1970. Mon adolescence, c'était la new wave, la cold wave. Mon panthéon personnel est basé sur le bruit, la fureur, la dissonance, la mélancolie poisseuse, le mal-être existentiel mis en musique. Et Prince, c'est l'exact opposé, c'est l'hédonisme, la luxure, la production tellement léchée qu'on pourrait manger dessus. C'est la célébration du corps, là où je préfère la dissection de l'âme. Bref, "Sign 'O' The Times" et moi, on n'était pas faits pour se rencontrer. D'ailleurs, en 1987, quand ce double album a déferlé, j'étais ado et j'écoutais probablement "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me" de The Cure. Prince, c'était "Kiss", c'était le son des boums de collège, de la FM, de la musique que mes parents auraient pu trouver "sympa". Et me voilà, des décennies plus tard, forcé par le "Livre" de m'y coller sérieusement. "Sign 'O' The Times" n'est pas un album, c'est un bordel, un bordel de génie, mais un bordel quand même. C'est le catalogue La Redoute de tout ce que les années 80 pouvaient produire. Ça devait être un triple album ("Crystal Ball"), ça a été réduit à un double et même là, c'est gargantuesque. On ne peut pas nier l'ambition, le mec touche à tout, et c'est là que je dois m'incliner car ce double album est le témoignage d'un artiste en état de grâce créative absolue, capable de pondre 16 titres dans 16 styles différents avant son petit-déjeuner. L'étendue de son talent est écrasante, mais le plaisir d'écoute, pour moi, est quasi nul. L'album est un tour de force technique et artistique ahurissant. Le mec a tout fait tout seul, ou presque. Il joue de tout, il produit tout, il pense à tout. C'est une démonstration de talent tellement insolente qu'elle en devient presque vulgaire. Et c'est là tout le problème pour le vieux con d'indie-rocker que je suis, car ce n'est plus un album, c'est une encyclopédie de la musique noire américaine des 40 dernières années, passée à la moulinette d'une production 80s rutilante. C'est du funk, c'est du R&B, c'est du gospel, c'est de la pop, c'est du rock psychédélique, c'est de l'électro minimale... Le mec est un caméléon, un monstre de polyvalence. Pour moi, "Sign 'O' The Times" n'est pas un album, c'est un portfolio. C'est le catalogue d'un génie qui nous dit : "Regardez, je peux faire ça, et ça, et puis ça aussi. Et je le fais mieux que personne." Et le problème, c'est que 80% de ce qu'il fait, c'est du funk. Et je n'aime pas le funk, je n'ai jamais aimé ça. Ce son de basse qui claque, ces guitares en cocotte, ces cuivres synthétiques, cette obsession du "groove"... Ça m'emmerde profondément. Je ne nie pas l'évidence : cet album est un pilier de l'histoire de la musique. Il y a des moments de grâce absolue, des fulgurances sombres et minimalistes qui me cueillent. Mais ces moments sont noyés, noyés sous une avalanche de productions léchées, de libido en bandoulière et de cette putain de bonne humeur obligatoire. Je lui mets donc la moyenne, avec un petit 3 sur 5, car n'est pas un disque pour moi. C'est un disque pour les gens qui aiment la musique... et moi, j'aime le bruit.
Wasn’t my favorite prince album
It took until track four to find something to enjoy, there’s a lot of crap on this record but some decent tracks. The problem is that the good tracks are surrounded by so much dross that they are lost. As an album it fails for me as it’s just a huge kitchen sink selection of stuff with no continuity. Maybe I just don’t get Prince, but it’s not for me. It’s also way too long at 80 minutes. It’s representative of 80s excess, unlimited recording budgets leading to way too much time in the studio, and resulting in quantity over quality.
I don't talk about Prince very much, but I probably should. He certainly deserves to be in the Funk/New Wave conversation I've been having for the last few months. This is just as weird (or more so) than Talking Heads, it's even more out there than The The, and I love that. This album is a party? Maybe that should be a statement. Like, this would have come out in a time when it was hard to buy compilations and there was no way to easily build your own playlist, so I'm convinced this record was built to be a 'press play to party' record. That's kinda neat, Prince is the right guy for that. Maybe I'll revise this rating up in the future, but let me see how I feel about the rest of the Prince catalog.
A real no skips but no repeats of an album for me. The title felt appropriate for a lunchbreak full of pizza and talking with coworkers about how the WWII generation is almost gone and people today seem to be forgetting their history classes. 3.5
Respect Prince and like a lot of his music. Not this album though. Given his illustrious career, why THIS album made the list is beyond me. I mean gimme Purple Rain. But the music is still good and there’s a lot to listen to here.
It's fine I guess. Nothing blows me away, like some of Prince's hits. Really kinda feels like a last hurrah, but it just doesn't work for me.
Awesome funk album, lots of great grooves. Only a few standout songs as a whole - but still an awesome Prince jam.
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
I owned a VHS copy of the Sign O' The Times concert film back in my first share house in 1991, and my flatmates and I watched it often. All of us went to see Prince at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in 1992. We were all big Prince fans, and especially those amazing 80s and early 90s albums. My VHS tape disappeared somewhere in my youthful travels, but day after Prince passed away, I went for a haircut at my barber. Bruce the Barber is a black American guy (noteworthy here in Australia) of a similar age to me. As I walked in, he was playing the Sign O' The Times concert film on the shop TV, and we watched it through together, comparing our memories of being Prince fans. It felt like a fitting memorial to remember and celebrate him at the height of his powers. This album is an absolute masterpiece, probably Prince's greatest record. A solo collection from his most fertile period at the height of his powers. Funky, fresh, profane, reflective, funny, sad, profound, silly. Ivy Nelson in Pitchfork wrote "it might be helpful to think of ... Sign o’ the Times as more of a network than an album—a small reservoir of music filled from many disparate sources. No wonder listening to it has always sort of felt like walking through the rooms of a house inside of Prince’s dream." And there is so much here; it is an encyclopedia of influences and styles, curated into a kaleidoscopic vision, varied and colorful, but surprisingly lean, with hardly an extraneous note. A brief aside on the nature of double albums: I normally do not truck with double albums (and don't even get me started on triples). I believe that, nearly universally, they should be trimmed to a succinct and more consistent quality single (this is sometimes known as The White Album Rule). But I was recently listening to Brian Dunne on the 'My Favorite Album with Jeremy Dylan' podcast (ep.451 for reference), and he made the case that he _prefers_ double albums because the space allows for experiments and weird shit that allows a whole added layer of context and artistic expression. And my immediate reaction was that this was a bullshit argument, and most doubles are still self-indulgent, poorly edited time wasting. And yet, the idea has been rattling around in the back of my mind, and the few doubles that I will concede are terrific (Electric Ladyland, Songs in the Key Of Life, and Sign O' The Times) are all great for exactly that reason. The experiments, blind alleys, and weird shit make this a rich and extraordinary album. I mean, a single album would never have space for a 9 minute live funk workout like 'It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night'. After an hour of solo studio virtuosity, he caps the album with demonstrable proof that he was the baddest bandleader of the funkiest band alive. And seeing him tear the roof off the Entertainment Centre in 92, I can personally attest that he was, indeed, the baddest. his output at this time was extraordinary. One of my favourite Prince tracks is the 10 minute version of 'La, La, La, He, He, Hee' on the b-side of the 'Sign O' The Times' 12" single. It's starts out as a minimal drum machine groove, but grows and builds into a full-band jazz-funk freakout by the end. It's amazing! And he relegated it to a goddamn b-side! Sign O' The Times is probably the last of the great, true double albums. If you only listen to one Prince album, this is the one.
I basically lean towards the Prince is an all time great innovator of sounds and singles artist, but a whole album - a double album even - is asking a lot. The critics clearly have settled on this as one of his two triumphs, perhaps even his greatest work. I otoh just don’t need this much Prince and the same goes for nearly every other double album ever made, unless the songs are short, which these are not. Who knows, maybe if I had come to this at a different age I’d have a different read on things - The Cure’s Kiss Me, The Wrens Silver and Secaucus, maybe Frank Black’s Teenager of the Year are all doubles and I love them despite their length. Throw in London Calling? Sign has at least 5 all timers and then a bunch of other material that, if you are a huge Prince fan, must be incredibly satisfying. Alas, I’m just not THAT much of a fan.
Couple of good songs. Not really my jam.
Prince has always been one of those artists I only end up listening to because other people like him, and this album didn't change my mind one bit. I'm not going to leave the room if this comes on, but I'd much rather listen to Trout Mask Replica.
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
Did not listen
J'ai de la misere a tripper Prince. Il y a des moments très forts mais quelques un qui me rebutent. Le talent est indéniable et j'aime mieux ça à chaque fois que j'en écoute.
C'est beaucoup de matériel a digérer mais un 3.75 facile en une seule écoute.
I used to think I was a Prince fan, but I’ve been severely turned off by 1999 and now this. There is no doubt Prince is a phenomenal singer and musician, and a hugely influential icon of sexual liberation. But as a bandleader and album curator I’m becoming very skeptical. This album is bloated. Almost all tracks outstay their welcome, with monotonous drum beats and circling riffs. It’s jam band funk, but it’s drastically inferior to Parliament/Funkadelic etc. The most interesting tracks generally tend to be that way due to Prince’s lyrical content - most notably If I Was Your Girlfriend, which would be too creepy coming from anyone else’s mouth; and the title track lamenting drug addiction. So basically this is not a bad album, but another overrated one, and for me lacking a standout bop like 1999. Fave Track: The Cross 2.7/5
Pra ser ruim tem que melhorar muito pq olha... eu não consegui terminar 3 musicas desse album
Fine I guess.
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.
Creative playful
not a big fan of prince.. i only like the purple rain album, and this not purple rain
I thought this was a really fun album, with a few weird moments. I’m a big Prince fan and I think he wrote incredible songs but I don’t think he ever released a truly flawless album. The highlights for me were the title track and It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night
Prince's music was more on the pop side than i usually like. That said, I respect his talent and ability greatly. This seems to fall flat though. Anyone else it might be a 2.2 dropped .to a 2. Respect for the artist, and I'll say 2.5 rounded up to 3.
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.
Ich kann erkennen dass es es gute Musik sein muss. Aber ich kann mir das nicht anhören :/
Viele Songs des Albums sind sehr gut, ein paar leider… nicht so sehr.
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.
It’s Prince at his peak. It’s Prince at his best. It’s Prince! Not sure the double album is warranted but there are tons of solid tunes on this album to justify it. Favorite Tracks: Starfish and Coffee, Slow Love, U Got the Look, If I Was Your Girlfriend, I Could Never Take Your Place, The Cross, Adore
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
A couple of songs were amazing. The rest were lousy. The album is too long. I don't remember everything because it was so long.
This album was a chore and a half. This is far from the king of pop title that I've heard be used about Prince. The vocals were fine, the instruments were fine, but just not great. I was honestly annoyed throughout most of this album
Lowkey disappointing compared to Purple Rain didn't finish it in one day- but anticipate rating will be 3/5
No purple rain
Top track: I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
Overall not bad but loses a point for being too long.
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.
This is close to 3.5 stars. There's a lot of good stuff going here. On several songs Prince is at his peak, with observant lyrics and good rock-funk brews. He plays a lot of good lead guitar lines. But on other songs, it feels like he gets obsessed and won't quit. There are a few that go on too long, seemingly so that he could add some more overdubs. The album overall includes all the elements that made Prince great, but just doesn't add up to a cohesive whole.
Some songs are groovy, he definitely is talented and has charisma. 80s aesthetic and overtly sexual and sometimes respective/shallow lyrics don’t really do it for me
A little bit of everything, sometimes all at once, and always engaging (and of course incredible production).
I was excited to listen to this because I’ve mentally held Prince in high regard, but it just falls flat somehow. Doesn’t even quite meld well into the background. Hoping the next Prince album to come up does me better bc I want to love him, I doooo.
top 3: - slow love - strange relationship - I could never take the place of your man
Definitely some pretty cool stuff on here but there's just way better I've heard from Prince
Too long purple rain better 2.5/5
Classic funk and groove from Prince
Recebi este álbum com expectativas altas. Eu ainda lembro onde eu estava quando foi noticiado a morte de Prince, em 2016. Estava na casa da minha ex-cunhada, e eu junto de minha família assistimos todos os inúmeros tributos ao falecido artista naquele dia. Passei os anos seguintes lendo incontáveis artigos glorificando Prince e seu trabalho, dando à ele títulos como “o maior artista que já viveu”, “artisticamente mais prolífico que MJ”, “como os Beatles dos anos 80”, etc e tal. Do trabalho dele, eu só conhecia as canções mais famosas, mas nunca havia ouvido um disco inteiro dele. Reconhecia que era essa uma grande lacuna no meu repertório musical, e faz anos que planejo preenchê-la. Parece que a hora chegou, em parte. Sinto muito em dizer que minhas expectativas não foram superadas. A experiência de ouvir este álbum foi, ao todo, decepcionante. Doeu mais ainda quando terminei de ouvir o disco e li no Wikipedia que este é considerado por muitos críticos a apoteose da discografia de Prince, seu melhor trabalho, seu capolavoro. Falhei completamente em reconhecer a grandeza nesse trabalho. Vou começar com os pontos positivos. É incrível a variedade musical apresentada aqui, o puro ecletismo do artista, a variedade não só instrumental mas também vocal. Além disso, acredito que o álbum seja muito bem sequenciado, especialmente considerando sua duração, ele poderia ter sido facilmente uma escuta exaustiva, mas até que não foi tão ruim, passou rápido. Além disso, tenho dificuldade em pensar em mais pontos positivos. Se não existisse essa expectativa monumental em torno da mitologia de Prince, talvez eu teria gostado mais desse disco. Mas todas as falhas ficam tão mais salientadas ao serem colocadas em contraste com a reputação do artista. Vamos lá, a produção do álbum é terrível. Sinto muito, mas não há outra forma de colocar. Eu aplaudi a variedade, mas não dá pra negar, tudo aqui é muito datado. É brega, é tosco. O pior pecado certamente se encontra na percussão, que é quase inteiramente artificial. De certo, as canções acabam ficando estéreis e vazias. Só comparar com faixas onde a percussão é composta de baterias de verdade, como em The Cross… A diferença em qualidade é gritante. Os sintetizadores aqui andam soltos e desgovernados, e todos possuem uma sonoridade que se remete às máquinas de karaokê baratas. Bem ruinzinho, e especialmente decepcionante ao perceber que este disco foi lançado em 1987, depois de incontáveis outros discos com sintetizadores e drum machines mais prazerosos de se ouvir. Os vocais de Prince também não foram totalmente do meu agrado. Eu gosto dos falsettos que ele realiza em algumas das canções, mas ao todo, acho a voz dele bem estridente em vários momentos. Acho meio criminoso como os críticos realmente o colocam acima do magnânimo Michael Jackson. É como o meme da bomba de hidrogênio versus o bebê tossindo. Mas não consigo dar uma nota mais baixa que a atual, por conta que algumas canções realmente me prenderam bem e demonstraram um pouco daquilo que os críticos tanto diziam. Gostei de faixas mais lentas e “groovy”, como Slow Love e Strange Relationship. Mas o que temos aqui, no fim das contas, é um disco duplo enorme, uma verdadeira odisseia, onde um número enorme de faixas são bem medíocres e descartáveis. Esperava bem mais! Até lá, aguardarei até o gerador me entregar Purple Rain e ver se ainda há como Prince se redimir aos meus olhos e ouvidos. 2.5/5
lowmid
Ahh, the Princely one. ★★★
Not my favourite Prince album, but what a wild time.
ive had it up to here with this dude
I may not have always loved Princes whole library of music, but always respected him musically.
More complex pop than I expected. Very impressed.
A hell of a product demonstration for the LinnDrum
Man I really want to like it and I do like Prince but its so mixed and I cant even listen to it in one go.
Ei se prinssi vaan vieläkään lähde.. Vaatii varmasti jonkun todella herkän mielentilan että jaksaisi tosissaan kunnella ja nautiskella. Hyvinhän tuo kitara välillä laulaa, mutta siihen se jääkin. Mennään tällä kertaa kakkosella
No ei ole tämäkään Prinssin levy mitenkään kovin hyvä. Muutama hyvä biisi, mutta siihen se jääkin. Jos paskat biisit olisi jätetty pois, voisi olla kolmosen, tai ehkä jopa nelosen albumi. Tällä 16 kappaleen kokonaisuudella tämä on kakkonen.
Ei tää oikein nyt lähteny. Prinssi lahjakas kaveri ja sillee, mut tää oli liian kasaria mun makuun. Paikoin paistaa myös semmonen "tehää ny vittu joku levy vaa"-meininki
Edellinen munattoman prinssin levy oli paljon parempi, tästä ei jäänyt oikein mitään käteen.
Selkeesti verrattuna edelliseen rinssiin tässä on kiimaisuuden määrä ollut matalampi levyä väsäillessä. Sekaan toki mahtuu myös ilmapano-biisejä likaisimmista fantasioista, mutta itse musiikki ei ole niin perverssin kuuloista kuin 1999-rieskalla. Joukkoon mahtui lähes bruus spranksteeniltakin muistuttavaa tavaraa (tais olla se I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man tms). Tästä aasinsiltana voi todeta, että melkoinen sillisalaatti tämä on kokonaisuutena. Tuotantojälkikin vaihtelee biisien välillä rajusti. Eipä siinä, kyllähän se rinssin mielenmaisema on omanlaistaan ja jos siitä ei saa otetta, niin varmaan tämä materiaalikin hirvittää. Joukossa vois olla jopa neljän tähden veisuja, mutta kyllä sinne sitä haisevaa kakkostakin mahtuu. Pituutta levyllä nimittäin taas piisaa. No mutta ei se mitään. Annetaan taas vaihteeks puolihölmö arvosana.
Prinssi ei kummemmin napannut tälläkään kertaa. Koko useiden kymmenien biisien pituista superextendedliibalaabaversiota en jaksanut kuunnella kokonaan, kun jo "vain" 16 kappaleen versiossa oli aikamoinen möhkäle sulateltavaksi. Musiikillisesti aika neutraali kokemus, miinusta levyn pituudesta kasuaalille ensikuuntelulle
Eee helvetti! Paskaa Princeä!
Vähän sama vika kun siinä edellisessäkin Princen levyssä, että ihan hyviä biisejä seassa mutta kokonaisuus kyllä melkoista kikkelijatsia ja huttua. Siihen kun lisää levyn nälkävuoden mittaisen keston, niin ei kyllä meinaa jaksaa edes kokonaan kuunnella. Oikeastaan levynä melkein huonompi kun se edellinen, vaikkakaan ihan yhtä huonoja biisejä tämän levyn huonoimmat biisit eivät ole. Pääasiassa levyn pituus ärsytti. Starfish and Coffee oli ihan kiva biisi tuolla kaiken hutun keskellä, muuten ainakin töissä paperihommien taustalla kuunneltuna ei aiheuttanut sen kummempia ilon väristyksiä.
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.
Fun Prince album. It's a bit weird, but weird in a way that made Prince iconic and unique.
Still over rated
Very long! And all very similar. Couple of redeeming features towards the end when I had all but give up hope.
Pretty poor and so dated. I struggled to get into this and in general found it a self indulgent mess, but it really picked up with some more rocky songs near the end.
The only good thing about having a second Prince album on the list is that it offers another opportunity to say how unbelievably overrated he is. Being able to play a tonne of instruments may make him a great musician, but if you can’t write a decent song it’s all a bit irrelevant. To be fair this album didn’t annoy me as much as Purple Rain, but it still has zero redeeming features. It just feels like someone showing off they can play loads of different styles but just getting stuck on one idea in each song that ends up slowly repeating said idea, often sounding like a sex pest and/or reverting to a nasty 80s funk pop, until Prince got bored. I got very very bored, much quicker than Prince.
I've learned that Prince has some great songs, but his albums just aren't really it. This one fooled me a bit, because the first two songs were good! And then it went right back to the Prince mediocrity that I have come to know. I think his voice is big part of that for me; I just don't think he sounds that great. I do like this one marginally better than the other two Prince albums I've heard from this list so far, but none of them as a whole have really impressed. This one got the nudge because I think the music is actually pretty solid. The song that had a 3-minute instrumental just barely missed my favorite songs list. And the xylophone in "Play in the Sunshine" nearly made me laugh out loud (in a good way). Favorite Song(s): Sign 'O' the Times
I like Prince. I do not like this album. Awful.
Hell yeah
Prince is an icon though he's one of these seminal artists that I don't usually love their full albums. Having this as a double, coupled with the comically '80's drum sounds knocks this down a star. 3.5/5
Will need to revisit, I feel like it would be a 5 if I kept on listening to it
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??
4.5
Что-то вообще не зашло.
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.
I dont think this was nearly as good as Purple Rain, or maybe even 1999. He’s great on here again of course, but I think the length is just way too much. I also don’t think it’s as coherent as some of his other projects. Loow 4
Man this album really just keeeeeeps goooooooing doesn't it... Production is bizarrely stripped down on a ton of the songs on this project. It's like Prince wanted to strictly abide by the "sounds of the future" and left tracks with just an 808 and electronic clap with a wonky synthesizer? But you hear the same sounds over and over and over.. If I'm being honest, I was disappointed by the mediocrity I encountered on this record.
Ahh the 80s, when everyone chased this man's prolific output. Overlong by 40 minutes, boring 80s drum machines, way overproduced tuneless pieces about havin sex with everyone walking around, danny elfman-level sound effects and silliness "I could never take the place of your man" is nice, but it also appears to have actual instruments, so it's a misplacement on the album. His music videos are great, high-energy cast of millions affairs, but they significantly improve on what's in the music.
Naw thanks
I think Prince is overrated. Not bad by any stretch but still overrated.
Prince was just unreasonably good at music. Fucking great
Prince is great. Not my favorite album, but a solid listen.
I know Prince is one of the geniuses of all musical geniuses, but there were honestly parts of this album I wondered if it was still his album. Not a huge fan of this one but RIP to one of the greatest ever.
Yet again I hope to get into Prince and yet again I find it a bit lacklustre.
Obviously a genius. Don’t connect with all of it but enjoyed.
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
Too sexy!
Hasn’t beard this album before and it’s okay.
Vraiment pas fan non plus, ça me touche vraiment pas malheureusement
Definitely my favorite Prince album. Mixes a lot of different influences in this Pop-Soul-R&B like slushie. You could consider this his White Album!
So very 80s. If I could be your girlfriend and I could Never Take The Place of Your Man are my favs from this.
A solid album with good singing and catchy song. Not much else to say, Prince was a great artist and that shows. Even on the weaker songs on this album the floor is high.
In my top 5 albums of all time
Went from irritated to intrigued and finally entertained throughout this. Last few tracks stand out, specifically O Could Never Replace Your Man and It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night. One thing Prince does that kinda bothers me is where other artists would lean into a melody and make it stand out he uses the most timid imaginable synth, where you almost have to strain to latch on. A kink of his I’m sure. Good album.
Starting to think 1999 was Prince’s best work. Slow Love and Adore were good tunes, but I didnt connect with much else. 2.5 stars
Excellent double album that stays consistent throughout all four sides. I even liked the stuff with the sped up vocals.
I give 4 stars to the songs I extract from this double album and forge into my own playlist. They are: Sign o’ the Times Play in the Sunshine Starfish and Coffee Forever in My Life U Got the Look Strange Relationship I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man The Cross The other songs display Prince’s versatile talents but these are the songs that resonate with me at this point!
This album tarted slowly, but really really grew on me. An amazing album in a lot of ways that I don't quite know how to explain. The tone, mood, and vibe command your attention. And while there is no single that stands out, the album just feels stronger as a whole rather than on the weight of its tracks.
3.5
3.0
Great solo effort by Prince! IMO, the last great Prince record.
I can sorta get why people like it, but not my cup of tes
Loved a lot of this. Wish Prince would lean into his strengths more (guitar work and epic vocals). But I like the variation.
Not my personal favorite, but I understand why it’s on this list. Extremely funky and fun with some deep messages, overall enjoyed it.
Very good
Prince is unique, not always what I’m looking for, but imaginative and fresh
Maybe not my sort of thing, but it grew on me. Housequake the best song.