Reviews (page 9 of 13)
I've always been on the fence with Prince. I recognize he is one of the great musical geniuses of the late 20th century and I truly enjoy many of his albums and songs, but I find some of his material difficult listens, sometimes edging on self-indulgent, boring and bland. It's not to say, Sign 'O' The Times isn't a good album, it's got some nice stuff on here, but maybe there's too much material to fully highlight the quality. I didn't find anything earth-shatteringly brilliant or essential on Sign, in my opinion he's released better records. I like it, but I don't love it...next.
His name kind of says it all for me and maybe a hot take but he's certainly not an album artist... not to say there aren't great songs in his catalog and on this album but for me he's a notch below the greats and although this album has some funk, soul, psychedelic pop, electro, and rock, his voice doesn't shine nearly as much and the instrumentals don't always align just right. He's an incredible artist but this isn't a incredible album
Quality
Enjoyed this, although against other things in Prince's catalog, it feels like more of the same, but without quite as much magic.
I like the artist formerly known, but this was a bit of a slog if I'm being honest.
20241608 Sign "O" the Times 3/5 Coming back to this challenge two years after I started it, the first album I get is this well acclaimed album by Prince. I’m not much into his music, but I’m well informed of his impact on the industry during the 80’s, and this album is considered by many as his best. However, as it has happened to me before with other well-known last century "masterpieces", I’m not impressed with its songs, and the style and sound production is not for me. Regardless, there are a few songs that I have saved for a future listen. The variety of styles Prince is capable of playing is one of the highlights of the album, with pseudo “hip-hop” on Housequake, Gospel on The Cross, or Rock on U Got the Look, to name a few. Every song with a touch of Funk and an incredible groove, with the incredible range of Prince’s voice as the cherry on top of the positives of this album. On the other hand, the aged production is a low, with clear examples as the difference in volume between different songs (not sure if a problem of Spotify), or the lack of clarity on the mixing of the instruments. I feel like this is a “me” problem, as my ears are used to 21st-century production, but it makes for a poor listening experience. Other problem is that, besides some of my highlights and the difference on styles, most of the songs sound flat and boring. Probably because I didn’t experience it the time, but the album doesn’t sound (in my opinion) as revolutionary or groundbreaking as I was told. Perhaps working alone, without the influence or advice of other people, was the problem. Favourite songs: Sign "☮︎" the Times, The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, Strange Relationship Least favourite songs: It, Starfish and Coffee
Starfish and Coffee is a banger. I enjoy Prince, with how much I loved him aesthetically I wish I enjoyed his music more.
I can't really tell if I like Prince or not. It's very 80s pop, but done pretty well. It's almost nauseating at times with overproduced drums and synths, but then there are some magical solos sprinkled throughout that rock pretty hard. The lyrics are pretty thirsty, particularly in It and If I Was Your Girlfriend. I think my favorite was Play In The Sunshine, up until it plays Shave and a Haircut. So maybe U Got The Look is my favorite here? I'm sure there is more Prince on this list, at least Purple Rain, so I'm hoping to like that more.
It’s not bad
Look, Would I myself a Prince fan? Yes of course. Did I enjoy this album? No not quite. Took a bit of effort to really slog through it, I did really like Slow Love and The Cross though.
Prince's first solo endeavor. Immediately noticeable were the electronic drums featured throughout, almost sounding like a futuristic version of rock for the time. The album as a whole was a bit too up-and-down energy-wise for me, though. It just never maintains a high level, alternating between classic Prince horndog ballads and outright forgettable tracks. It almost feels directionless. I had heard that this album was one of Prince's more critically acclaimed coming into my first listen and I couldn't help but leave a bit disappointed. I can't deny that the album as a whole is produced well, which keeps my rating of it afloat.
2024-08-05...
More like a 2.5. Always great beats from Prince but the album didn’t do much for me.
Prince albums can usually be divided into two categories: where Prince is On One, and when he is not. When he's on, he's the greatest pansexual imp to ever pick up a musical instrument. But unfortunately, he was often led astray by leading the life of a medieval king, flitting between being obsessed with Jesus or getting all the pussy in the world. This album is the exception: it's both On and Off, sometimes in the same song. I don't know why the academic opinion is that this is Prince's best one, and after listening again, I still don't. The musicianship is insane but large chunks of this seem juiceless to me. I don't know. At least it's not that weird concept album about ancient Egyptian genetic memories solving racism
I liked this alright as a casual Prince fan and I can see diehards loving it.
Jim Coffell ski bus
Loved this album back in my ski bus days. Jim Coffell ski bus and my Sony Walkman
Very funk, it’s DIFFERENT that’s for sure Not any bangers that I liked, but I’ll give a 3*** for artistic creativity
I don't like Prince
Clearly fallen from his peak but still decent
This is a long ass album. Not necessarily long in a bloated way. Thought it was okay, not my kind of music. There’s some variety in there. I had checked out after 40 minutes. Standouts: Housequake, The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, If I Was Your Girlfriend, and Strange Relationship.
Hab disc1 angehört, am Anfang war ich so meh, aber nachdem ich mich drauf eingelassen hab wars ganz nice. Aber ich mag Prince Stimme nicht so und werde glaub ich kein Fan
#290. It's right. 3/5: decent
Classic Prince - a few sensational songs diluted with some average and a couple poor ones. Favourite: The Ballad of Dorothy Parker. Least favourite: Housequake.
You know how I feel about Prince
The title track is of course superb and the rest of the album bumps along well enough in mix of funk, rock and pop. But can't say I was overwhelmed
We all know he's done better
It’s Prince so you know it’s going to be reasonable. Can’t imagine revisiting it though.
I’ve been much of a Prince fan and this album doesn’t really change my mind. That digital snare drum (or however they produce that sound) is ever present and is not pleasant to my ears. I appreciate Prince as an artist but this album is just not for me.
Epah, eu não desgostei, as minhas músicas favoritas foram: play in the sunshine, hot thing e it, dou um 6 a este álbum.
as much as I like Prince, nobody needs a double album (Unless its Nelly's Sweat/Suit duh). honestly its fine, but its missing that Prince flair. solidly average.
Ok first off I like Prince. Maybe I just didn’t listen to this album correctly because it felt too long and not as engaging as some of his other albums.
I’ll never stan him as much as my mom does
Still better than anything Elvis Costello has ever made.
I'm not sure I will ever fully understand Prince. There are sections of this that cause me anxiety by sounding like kids let loose in a room full of instruments. Very production heavy. There was a song or 2 that seemed a little more stripped down that I liked a little more. Like The Cross
Not my favorite Prince album. But even bad Prince album is still pretty good
I was excited when this came up as I kind of lost track of Prince albums after Paisely Park for some reason, despite loving him. It's fair to say I found this underwhelming. Starts with Title track, which is cool. Next track was straight up pointless. Track 3 - \"Housequake\" - sounded like a jokey song from an animated film that doesn't quite work. Would have sat well in Shark Tales. Tracks 4-9 are OK. Defintely average by Prince standards. All a bit like AI being asked to do Prince - especially \"Hot Thing\" which shows there's a fine line between the genius of the effortlessly sexy \"Cream\" and a creepy piece of crap. U Got The Look - great pop song. Sounds dropped in from a height by record execs. Back to the AI songs after that for a while including a live track that was pretty dull. (\"I Would Never Take the Place of Your Man\" is fun) Ends with the sprawling, soulful \"Adore\" which sounds like it's going for a place on \"What's Going on\". It's one of the stronger tracks on the album, and a decent finale. But I don't feel like I've just listened to a Prince album. I shouldn't feel this bored.
He's just trying to have sex with you, and succeeding.
Soulful, smooth and sweet, but not all that interesting.
Kinda mellow, nothing especially memorable but still nice to listen to. Quite background
Ain't shabby m8
3/5 - again, I get it, but it’s still not my thing
fav - the ballad of dorothy parker
Aight, not as good as his others
Womp womp.
There's a lot of variety here and some good songs, but I would have enjoyed this album more if it was half as long.
Try as I might, I've never really found a way to be a true Prince fan, although he/they has had my respect for a long time. I can see why this is considered one of his best albums, and it certainly has a pretty wide-ranging selection of his distinctive styling. Perhaps almost *too* wide-ranging, as it sounds like this was kind of weird grab-bag of Revolution-involved compositions and some weird "Camille" alter-ego concept album. But still a good Prince sampling. That said, I'm a bit disappointed that the 1001-albums project included a double-album, as this seems like a bit of an imposition, but I can at least thank Warner Bros for resisting Prince's desire to make it a triple album. And it seems fair to give Prince 3 slots in the collection (although I'm sure some would want even more).
I may be burned at the stake but I just don't think Prince is for me.. or maybe this is one of his "lesser" albums...
Not the biggest fan of this one, much prefer Purple Rain. Sign O the Times is a great song though.
Don't think I'm a Prince fan
Du er ikke i tvivl om at der en grund til at Prince er et navn man kender og mange holder af. Personligt syntes jeg der var for mange numre som ikke sagde mig noget, men momentvis var der noget guf imellem. Jeg skal ikke afvise at høre mere Prince i fremtiden.
Ret så liderligt. Og jeg kan faktisk godt lide det. Hvis det skal være fløde lyd, så må det gerne være Prince.
I like Prince a lot but I think I’m more of a fan of his hits than his entire albums. High 3
It’s Prince so it’s great. Every song can be a minute shorter and I wouldn’t hate that.
Prince formerly formerly formerly. Kann man man hören, aber Fan werde ich nicht.
I love Prince, I think he is incredibly talented. He has written some absolute pop classics, he may be a top 5 guitarist of all time and he is cool as fuck. But sometimes I just can't get enthused. Maybe is the innate 80's feel, the overly long album with an absence of quality control I don't know. Would this be a better album if an editor has chopped it down to 40 mins? Definitely. Did anything really stand out? No
Love prince’s early work. Not a huge fan of this, but definitely dont hate it.
When I was a kid my parents banned me from listening to Prince because they felt he was too pornographic. Little did I know the Little Red Corvette was not a car. Obviously I didn’t listen to a lot of him off radio play. Now that I am old enough (I didn’t tell my parents …) I was amused by this album. You can hear a lot of Sly Stone and JB’s-era James Brown I there. His musicality is exceptional with a favorite track being Ballad of Dorothy Parker. On disc 2, U Got the Look and It’s Going to be A Beautiful Night were key tracks. Unfortunately, a lot of this album sounds like the 1989 Batman Soundtrack, which as a film did not hold up well. But you have to appreciate Prince made sure you got your money worth. I could listen to this one again!
I am today years old when I learned that U Got the Look was a Prince song officially. I knew Prince and Sheena Easton were connected but I thought it was a Sheena song that Prince was involved in and not the other way around. Regardless, that song is a banger and is the standout track on this album. I'm not a huge Prince fan, I'm into some of the hits but didn't really invest in Prince or his "artist formerly know as" persona. Anyway, this is a totally fine album and a decent listen but not a classic. I did notice he was 90s R&B before it became the dominant music force in the 90s. Plus he had a little funk that came from George Clinton.
Estando en la cima de su carrera tras el aclamado "Purple Rain" y la psicodelia mística de "Around the World in a Day" y "Parade", Prince se embarcó en esta grabación estilísticamente extensa, caótica, intrépida y ecléctica. En ella encontramos su afamado electro-funk, el soul suave marca de la casa y, por supuesto, el pop psicodélico de sus útlimos trabajos. Pero también hard rock, gospel, blues e incluso folk. Me gustan bastante "Hot Thing", sobre todo el arranque, y "U Got the Look" en el más puro estilo Prince. También "If I Was Your Girlfriend", "Strange Relationship" y el hard rock de "The Cross". Canciones en las que Prince nos habla de un mundo en descomposición golpeado por las drogas o el SIDA, y en el que sólo vislumbra esperanza a través de Dios, del amor o, curiosamente, de simplemente pasarlo bien. El signo de los tiempos de aquellos finales de los 80.
80s synth music elevated by Prince's unique weirdness.
Far from Prince's best, and I must say this really doesn't feel like it needs to be a double album, it makes it way more bloated than it should be. But I do admire a lot of the experimentation on this album.
Not bad, clearly early Prince. Raw.
liked it but couldn’t get through it
It's a great album in that's it's by Prince. Although, best track, in my opinion, is "Sign 'O' The Times" which is about the only song worth listening to repeatedly.
Not all that bad. Have a little fun.
Contemporary R&B, pop rock. Wasn't really into this album to be honest. Like it has all the makings of a great album, I mean it's Prince. He's an amazing vocalist. The talent of the musicians is on clear display, and the production is top notch. But still it felt kinda hollow to me. Definitely didn't help that it's as long as it is. I will admit I wasn't actively listening the entire time, hard to set aside time for the whole album and really pay attention. I didn't dislike it by any means. I thought it was good. Just not as good as everyone else seems to think. Just feel like I missed something, so I hate that I can't change a rating. I should revisit, doesn't feel fair. Light 3.5/5
B- Sign "O" The Times 3 Play In The Sunshine 3 Housequake 3 The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker 3 It 3 Starfish And Coffee 3 Slow Love 3 Hot Thing 3 Forever In My Life 3 U Got The Look 3 If I Was Your Girlfriend 3 Strange Relationship 3 I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man 3 The Cross 3 It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night 3 Adore 3 Prince is kind of growing on me
Loved Starfish and Coffee, the rest of the album was meh. 2.5 rounding up to 3, perhaps influenced by how much I’ve disliked the other albums this week.
Didn’t get to it today. Rating it from my vague memory when it came out that it was fine, but way too long, not worthy of a double album. Will listen this weekend and text any added comments or revised score.
Meh alright
3.5/5: A Promising but Disjointed Effort from the Purple One Prince's latest offering in the list had all the makings of a masterpiece, but ultimately falls short of its lofty expectations. The album's standout track, "Sign O' the Times", is an undeniable banger that showcases the artist's signature blend of funk, rock, and R&B. However, the rest of the album struggles to live up to the standard set by this exceptional cut. While individual tracks exhibit flashes of brilliance, the album as a whole feels disjointed and lacking in cohesion. It's as if Prince's eclectic style, which has always been a hallmark of his genius, has given way to a scattershot approach that prevents the album from truly gelling. Despite its inconsistencies, the album still boasts moments of brilliance, and die-hard Prince fans will undoubtedly find plenty to appreciate. However, for those expecting a cohesive, start-to-finish masterpiece, this album may come as a slight disappointment.
Me abrurrió un poco, me faltaron dos o tres temas.
I was excited to get a Prince album since I have always enjoyed his hits but have never gotten around to doing a deeper listen of his catalogue. On first listen I was pretty let down because I wasn't jiving with it very well and none of the tracks were any of his songs I know and love. Something told me to give it another listen the next day though and I definitely liked it a lot more on second listen. I suspect this will continue to grow on me with subsequent listenings.
At first I thought it was an ok album, but the more I listened to it the better it got. My favourite song is "It's gonna be a beautiful night". Other than that though, I don't know I'll probably continue to listen to this album from time to time, just to see if my opinion changes.
- Some strong tracks ("Slow Love" and "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" in particular), but combined with a lot that felt like generic Prince fair. Better than many artists? Sure. But standard stuff for Prince. - Not sure how I feel about "The Cross." Evocative, but not sure if it is being sincere or not with regard to the religious undertones. - People like this more than "Purple Rain"? Wtf?
I wanted to love this album. I love purple rain and had heard that this was a great album. I thought second disc was far superior to the first and thus it jumped a star. I appreciate what he does, just not a huge fan of the genre
Didn’t think there was much new from Prince on this album other than Housequake (best song on the album.) I like the idea of If I Was Your Girlfriend. It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night is weird, catchy, and brought me right back to the castle scene in WoOz. Somehow the album didn’t run too long. Don’t remember it from ‘87 and we were listening to Prince at the time. Don’t know anyone that owned the vinyl back then so it wasn’t one of his bigger albums. Maybe made the 1001 long album list? (2.7*s)
The only song that really stood out to me was "The Cross" which I liked a lot. The rest was pretty typical and this album is way too long. There's a lot of filler and a lot of squeaking. I get that this double disc set was attempting to showcase all of his variety but I just couldn't get into a bunch of it.
Good, but Prince has better albums in Purple Rain and Controversy that reach better heights and don't drag on so long.
I'm supposed to like Prince more than I do. Nothing other than the wonderful long live song "It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night" took my attention. Wasn't a bad listen because of the talent, but not my style of rock. Very long as a double album. Maybe one day I'll come to appreciate this more than Purple Rain, but not at this time.
Wanted to give this one more star, I really did. Some of the material on here is pure Prince gold (title track, I Could Never…, Adore), but I am a little more of a fan of his synthier side. As insane and underrated as his guitar playing truly is!
Good to listen to this album and hard not to have a dance. There are some great party tracks e.g 'Its going to be a beautiful night'. I also liked ' I could never take the place of your man' and Sign O' the times. The ballad of Dorothy Parker had a a weird haunting vibe that I'd like to hear again.
Prince is great, this isn't. It was good, but just not special compared to some of his other work.
Some good songs, but it felt like most was filler. There's also some cheesy sounds.
Exactly what you’d expect from Prince. Some great stuff, some that grates on my senses.
Charismatic Prince
I wanted to like this album more. While it sounded great and there were some great tracks, I feel overall it didn't grab me as much as say '1999'. The length was also very demanding.
Aunque creo que no es para mí, encuentro los aspectos positivos, creo que está bien. Pero demasiado largo jesus. 3'5, no sé si tirarlo para arriba o para abajo. Hmmmm... Para abajo lo siento.
Saw this movie in a park a while back, I wonder are all the manipulative abusive lyrics a character he’s doing or actually… him lol I was vibin though
it's OK, a bit too mellow for me?
Funk joy to be had, but you have to pick it out from a fair stack of tracks, many of which bogged this project down for me. The character based vocals took away what for me is normally one of Princes greatest strengths. Two and a half. Fave track: The Cross
Big double album here. Some really good stuff on it, but I preferred Purple Rain for its cohesiveness.
I've never listened to this guy. But I can hear the depth of creativity put into the layers of sound he has created here.. Plus the lyrics are poetic. I just don't have any funk in my soul. I'll give him 3 stars for his uniqueness.
There's some good ideas and experiments, and lyrically Prince is a great story teller, but a lot of it falls flat without leaving much impression.
Very princey enjoyable pop funk
Mixed bag - some great tracks, some terrible ones ('Housequake') and a fair bit of everything in between
I wasn't in the mood for a double-album, but at an hour runtime, wasn't excessively long. Overall, it was okay, lots of pop funk, but nothing to make me want to revisit in future. What was going on with "Housequake"? I thought WTF? Is that Eric Cartman singing? Then by the end of the track, I was bopping along. Not sure how to process this.
The drum machine songs are quite repetitive and kinda annoying, but the tunes with the live band are absolutely killer. Really would have worked better as two separate albums as opposed to a double LP.
There are only a handful of Prince songs I ever liked, Sign of The Times is one of them. Sadly, it's the only track I like on this album, the rest of it comes across like a petulant child stampkmg their feet in a tantrum, demanding everyone needs to understand his music, rather than enjoy it. All a tad dated 80s vibe.
I liked this album more than other prince records I've listened to, but I still am not a fan. I dislike how sexual a lot of his lyrics are, it's borderline gross.
It's good, but not nearly as good as other Prince stuff. At least for my taste.
A fantastic example of 80s singer-songwriter pop. Whilst definitely not to my tastes, I can certainly enjoy the more energetic, synth-based tracks, and can tolerate the more generic ones. I am quite averse to the slower “love songs” with questionable lyrics. A tad long, but still really quite enjoyable, with some songs standing out as ones to listen to again.
I've never been much of a Prince fan. I always felt like Michael Jackson was the more consistent great pop performer, and I've never liked how Prince treated anyone within his sphere. He seemed like an egomaniacal prick, but this is probably the most listenable of his works, even if it is ridiculously long. I enjoyed 3 of the songs, but only one of them was a single. Not really into the rest of it.
Heard of Prince but never really listened. Quite a nice vibe right away, slightly pessimistic lyrics but that’s my kind of thing in a dark way. So far am enjoying. A high 3.
Not bad but overrated as an artist in my opinion
I've never been a particular fan of Prince, and I've never playing this record before. On first listen, I was quite pleasantly surprised. However, as the album proceeds, I think there are some weaker tracks there - in fact, the last track 'Adore' is really pretty awful. Overall, this might have been a stronger album has a bit stricter quality control been applied.
Mixed feelings, some brilliant tracks, some fillers, and the variation in songs is less thrilling than the 1999 albums I had before in listing. Think guy was more brilliant than nearly every musician who ever lived but still only 3 stars,.
Good music, not great music. Favourite track: If I Was Your Girlfriend.
Gotta be in the right mood for it. When I was it hit but when I wasn’t unlistenable.
Not the best Prince, but Prince nonetheless
I respect prince's talent and output more than actually enjoy the songs themselves. Maybe would change with some more familiarity though.
I have this album and like it without ever listening to it carefully, bouncing off the surface happily. Sign and Look are absolute stunners, mind.
2,7
Bombastic and elaborate, never a dull moment. Have to give an extra star for presentation.
I was very split on this - I loved the more narrative/lyric driven songs, but really didn’t like the more dance/club songs. I am curious to listen to more of his music, though, since I know he’s such a legend and I know very little about his style.
I liked this album straight through! I found it much better than the other Prince album I have listened to (1999). It lacked the hits that album had but was better throughout.
Disc 2 was better than disc 1 for me
Did Prince invent Bedroom Soul? Listen... I get it. There is no other artist in popular music who has a more singular style than Prince. Its so singular that I find myself needing to re-tune my ear to it any time I listen to his albums. And Sign 'O' The Times is a good album. To me its more mature in content and style than his other records but I'm not blown away by the tunes... there's no I Would Die 4 U and no 7 here but as an album its fine. 10/10 album art
Mal wieder "objektiv nicht schlecht, aber nicht meins". War froh als es rum war und hab's auch nicht komplett durchgehört.
funky
Good album a little slow paced in some areas for my taste
Not bad. Didn’t wow me.
Wasn't thrilled with it at first but it did pick up a little bit before halfway. 3/5
Is he a genius? Yes Is this album a little self-indulgent? Also yes
This album isn’t bad, but not the best we’ve heard from Prince on this list. Nothing on here I dislike, but it’s not one I’m going to revisit as a while often.
Wish I could’ve experienced this in the 80s
First album on this list. We'll see how it goes. Pretty neat Album, first song was good.
aiight
High energy, intense musicality but too synthetic for me
yeah, this was rather mid – not unpleasant to listen to but nothing memorable either. some songs (hello, housequake) were straight up bad. would give it 2.5 and hope there are better albums by Prince on this list
Liked this more than I expected. A varied mixture of sounds and perhaps a touch too long but there were some songs I really enjoyed and will spend more time with.
Not as interesting as I would have hoped. Some songs are repetitive with its hook or musical chords that left me wonting. Other songs demonstrated Prince’s vocal prowess; mixing high notes and low notes which was great. Other than that, lyrics felt rather vapid especially ones pertaining to sex and relationships. Songs that offered an introspective insight into the social and political landscape of the 1980s were more engaging.
I guess I just don't like Prince that much, he is clearly an exceptional talent, but it has the kind of 80's corny to it sometimes that I don't vibe with, and how come he never wails since he is one of the greatest ever guitarists?
Great musician 3 stars
Prince Sign O' The Times 63.35 "Sign ""O"" The Times(34)" Play In The Sunshine(34) Housequake(8) The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker(55) It(34) Starfish And Cof Hot Thing(89) Forever In My Life(21) U Got The Look(89) If I Was Your Girlfriend(55) Strange Relationship(21) I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man(89) The Cross(55) It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night(13) Adore(21)
Genre: Pop Instruments: 2/5 Modern Translation: 2/5 Dance Potential: 3/5 Listening Location: During work Heard it before: No Favourite Song: Housequake and The Cross Made me feel: This was a long album but I enjoyed the upbeat vibes. Found Prince's voice octave too high in some songs but otherwise appreciated his talent - haven't listened to him much before.
I hate 80s music and this is so much of it sorry . Gets better in the second half
boy he really went on and on huh
I like Prince. But not this particular album. Great guitar playing, some songs I grooved to, and lots of songs failed to connect with.
It was pretty good. Don't know which I like more between this and purple rain. Still not my favorite genre. Rating: 3.3
Three or four really good songs keep this from being a 2. But it’s barely a 3. Definitely not his best work on my opinion.
Very surprised with this different version of princes early years. Ok refer later songs though
Better than I'd expected!
Meh
sexy
Not my favorite Prince album, and too long. Come at me
Well… I guess it’s half good. He sings like a girl on one. He plays these songs faster live. My husband is a big fan and had to break out the box set. Oh we oh not my fave Prince album tho.
This album definitely grew on me, and I enjoyed the second half a good bit more. I was surprised to read reviews that were so stellar for this album - I did think that some songs were not particularly great. Still good high points, and fun album overall. 7/10. Favorite Songs: Slow Love, I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night Least Favorite Songs: Housequake, The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, If I Was Your Girlfriend
Ok to listen to. Not as into the genre/at times the high pitches are ehh
My favorite from this album was “The Cross.” I enjoyed listening to the album.
Grew up with some of these songs. So ok ;)
Auch eine Ikone.
every element of each track was done very well. Stripped back almost lo fi sounding instruments at times, did not vibe with a single song here
Very inventive, good distillation of his work, not quite to my taste
My first exposure to Prince. I need a few more listens to better evaluate it., long album. I like some of it and some of it I can’t wait to end. Theres one constant annoyance in that the fake drums are too loud in the mix in my opinion, otherwise pretty good I guess.
Nog my thang
Not in the top three of my favorite Prince records but still neat.
"Sign o' the Times" is regarded as Prince's best, album despite being less popular thank his previous album, "Purple Rain." This album is quintessential Prince and perfectly encapsulates his sound and talent. Oddly, this album did not produce any long-lasting singles.
Not my favourite Prince album.
Coole Songs, aber der Sound ist schon speziell - für seine Zeit halt.
Slet ikke det jeg lige havde forestillet mig. Det var meget at tage ind her, men godt nok ikke min stil..
I wanted to like this more than I did because it's Prince, but it just seemed to be all over of the place (not in a great way). The music was great nonetheless because it IS Prince, but it just didn't move me like his other albums. Stand out tracks: Sign O' The Times.
Funky. Soulful. Some songs are jams. Some are nearly unlistenable.
Duplicate
That's not my taste in musik. But ok
It's got some good songs but much like Prince himself I find this to be pretty overrated. Way too long as well.
Listened maybe at the wrong time (while in the pits of despair doing a lit review). I think that probably it's quite a good album but, and I know this is sacrilegious, I didn't always enjoy Prince's vocals. Enjoyed If I Was Your Girlfriend and Adore.
Pretty good album. It's not as good as Purple Rain, but it's quite quirky and good on its own - in a VERY Prince sort of way. U Got The Look is the standout song on the album, and songs like Hot Thing, Housequake, and Sign O' The Times are very fun. Other songs, like Play in the Sunshine and Strange Relationship are very Prince-In-The-80s way. I'd love to give this album a 3.5
This was a good album. I think the opening song and some other songs on the album hit hard but I think it had some clear drop off. Also the odd genre switch between songs made it feel more like a bunch of songs rather than a flowing album
3/5. It had great songs, but some of them really let the rest down.
Most songs have a heavy droning percussion beat that bores me. His famous few songs are good.
I think my expectations were too high, or I don’t like Prince as much as I thought. 3.5
Before listening to this album, I didn’t really get the hype about Prince. And I still don’t.
Not a huge fan of Prince
Prince is just a one hit wonder with multiple hits. You know what I mean. Talented musician and his work is well produced, but his albums are mostly dull and lifeless.
Didn’t care for this when it was new, have a better appreciation for it now. Still not a favorite, but listening to it again I do find I like the song “Sign o’ the Times”
it's alright, 3/5
Never really been a big prince fan. This was enjoyable.
I'm fully aware that not loving/worshipping Prince is one of my most fatal flaws as a human. Many of the struggles I've historically had with his music - production elements, stylistic preferences, singing - come into play on this record as well. However, there's a decent amount of stuff I really do like here as well, and I think it can continue to grow on me. "The Cross" is my favorite of his by leaps and bounds, but I also quite dig the title track, "Starfish and Coffee", "Hot Thing", "Forever in My Life", and "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man". There are numerous cool, experimental moments that I don't get out of other lauded releases of his. I'll keep trying to right this wrong, y'all, but believe me when I say this is progress. 3/5
It all sounds quite flat. Not Prince at his best
Prince is a genius but he deffo made better things than this imho
Pop rock, funk, R&B. Ni fu ni fa.
Really enjoyed the opening track, thought it could be a high scorer. Rest of the album was just OK.
Funky. Not my typical taste but enjoyed this album.
Starfish and coffee track - great lyrics
A very odd mix. From anyone else, this would be a mess but Prince just had something didn’t he!? I’m going to confidently give this 3 stars
"Sign 'O' The Times" by Prince - diverse, innovative, but a bit long and all over the place. Standouts: "Sign 'O' The Times," "U Got the Look." Rating: 3.5/5 stars.
Minnesota boy! Funky, great instrumentation and vocals. And that guitar!
6/10
Thank you horny funk-pygmy for your advice on getting some. I’ll start with lying about my relationship status and taking bubble baths with my pants on tonight.
Het stelde me teleur, vond het zelfs een beetje saai
Not a fan of how late eighties this is. Maybe if it was made ten years earlier. Not consistent
Up and down, many forgettable stretches (the cross)
I mean you can tell it to prince, There's some okay songs on here but the whole things just 🤷
3rd prince album I’ve listened to and my last favourite. I feel like I’m missing something with this album, need to maybe look into it a bit and some context will make me appreciate it more.
3/5 funk i can get behind
It was ok
Some of these song I absolutely loved and will be listening to again. Some of the songs I couldn’t get into. Overall strong album, but not all my style 3.5
Classic pop Prince. Not my forte, but it is timeless music.
Prince was a genius in his area, but it's really not my thing.
THE CROSSSSS
I think Prince is my ‘solid’ baseline, I enjoy everything he does fine, and love the obvious highlights.
Prince famously plays something like 24 instruments including absolutely shredding it on guitar when he fancies which is why I found it annoying that so much of this sounds like him noodling about with a drum machine and a little keyboard recording sparse home demos. I think Purple Rain is head and shoulders better. I particularly enjoyed Starfish and Coffee, If I was your girlfriend, Cross.
Prince really is a legend.. Even if some of these songs aren't your speed, you can't deny prince is a musical genius. He plays multiple instruments, is an incredible singer and lyricist.. I personally loved this album, some of my personal favorites on this thing were the track the album is named after, 'Sign 'O' The Times' its just thing funky lil bop.. also, 'The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker' is just this encouraging jam that prince shows his talents off on. 'Starfish and Coffee' is a weird song that I just adore, but my favorite track on this thing has to be 'Slow Love' its just perfectly my speed.. Disc 2 has some bops on it too.. 'U Got The Look' has this kind of 80s robo feel that gets my foot tapping, and it has my SECOND favorite song on this thing, the MF CLOSING TRACK 'Adore' oh baby this one is for the keith sweat, baby making music fans.. Oooooh its a beautiful love song, a song you can dedicate to a lover. I absolutely adore this song. This is my first time digging deep into this album and it just reaffirms my love for Prince and my appreciation for him. He will forever be one of the greatest, and I would of loved to grow up in his era, and watch him in his prime.. alas, I have to settle for what we have on video. Long live Prince. Overall: 3.1/5
Prince is good singer and there is some aspects i fuck with
Horny 7/10
Quite long, but generally pretty good 👑
Love
Better than first thought. Very poppy and brilliant tbf
not sure about this one
Voor mij moet er niet in letterlijk ELK nummer een snare-drum met reverb of een 'clap' zitten (dankuwel 80ies). Ja... Prince. Heeft wel goede nummers maar heb die toch altijd al een beetje overrated gevonden. Heb zo'n beetje een kwantiteit boven kwaliteit gevoel bij hem. Zeker als ik dan een volledig album luister. Die machinale drumbeat gebruikt hij iets te vaak Als ik dan in de Wiki lees "arguably the best album of the 80ies"... Ja... dat geloof ik wel. Voor mij zijn de 80ies een zwarte bladzijde in de muziekgeschiedenis.
Prince doing Prince stuff. Nowhere near his best work.
It was cool to hear Prince’s first solo album. Wasn’t as much guitar as I was expecting, given his status. The album had a good vibe and flow to it which I liked.
whatever.
Alright in general Not my sort of music Prince sounded like a top shagger but a bit of a dodgy fella Probably won’t listen again Housequake was the worst- sounded like kids party music Best songs were the cross, slow love and strange relationship
unfortunately when it comes down to it i just don’t think i like prince very much. wish it leaned into his guitar abilities more. not ever bad though
A few standout tracks, but mostly background music. Nowhere near his pinnacle.
Trademark Prince robotic funky beats
It’s ok. The title track is amazing but it feels like there’s a lot of ideas that are only half finished. Expected more
I like Prince a lot. He was a god among men. This album has some bangers on it but a lot of it has a specific late 80s synth sound that I can’t quite stand. That’s why this is a 3 instead of a 4.
Not as good as I expected 2.7
Prince’s usual funky self. Can’t go wrong with Prince but it’s no Purple Rain or 1999.
Some catchy funk/groovy music - some nonsense sounds. Honestly don't know how I feel about the album.
I didn't find myself moved by anything in this album until Hot Thing, which is simply not at all what I expect from Prince. It's not offensively bad at all, but a pretty startling amount of stuff that only registered as background noise to me. The album does pick up quite a bit at the end, though. It's Gonna be a Beautiful Night is more of the energy I love from Prince typically. The second half of the album is a much higher score on its own, but this score is representative of the whole thing. Favorite track: It's Gonna be a Beautiful Night
“It” was a great song
Never been able to appreciate princes music aesthetically. But his music always feels like has impacted so much that came after.
Listened to it on the first day. Interesting album to start
pleasantly surprised by this; some songs i definitely wouldn’t vibe with again, but some were genuine bangers!
Ok, nema bas hitova osim Oh yeah
Essential Tracks: Starfish and Coffee (Playlist) Sign ‘O’ The Times I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
Despite its bleakness, I have always loved the title track, because it rightly concludes that the world is a completely messed up place. I always especially appreciated that because I thought it came from a totally irreligious point of view. In touch with reality, and no one needed to tell him so. But after listening to The Cross for the first time, maybe there was a spiritual side to Prince that I never knew about. Who knew. Apparently a very lusty zesty sexified spirituality, but still. Starfish and Coffee is fun too. The snare of his drum machine often has a sound like hands clapping. Strange Relationships is a good example. I never noticed it before, but now it feels like a key component of the Prince sound.
Not a huge prince fan and it was a little too long but still not bad
Ooof. This is definitely a 3 stars rating I’m gonna regret being so low in a few months. I can just feel it. This is Prince unleashed. He’s so all over the place here, it’s kind of all-inspiring. He is trying so much. This guy seems like he has unlimited energy and unlimited groove. Insane. As an album, it has some amazing, standout records (“starfish and coffee” is still one of my favorite Prince songs, since hearing him sing it on The Muppet Show of all places), and there are some tracks where I just have to stop the record and go “wow.” From a production standpoint, he’s so quirky. I just get this feeling of excess listening to this album. It’s too long, some of the tracks are so gratuitous and over-the top, especially on the vocal delivery, that it gives you a bit of vertigo sometimes. I had a super fun time, and Prince’s mind is like no other, but there are more album-driven, focused, thematic Prince albums out there… obviously! The man was a machine! Also, not enough Prince guitar. For a good time, but not likely to pick it up again (and the overlong runtime)… 3/5
Solid album, ready 3 not living it but there are some standouts housequake, slow love
Was ok
Wasn’t my favorite. A couple stand out tracks.
I’m not a huge fan of Prince’s, but I could find some songs that I enjoyed here and there. Overall it was ok
3.8
I really wanted to like this but somehow it didn't fit my groove. I probably need more time with it and I'll gladly give it another listen in the future.
Must re listen, I didn't give it enough love
Enjoyed. Got a lot more upbeat in the second half of the album. I don’t think I would particularly listen to it often or in a group setting, but it definitely has its place. Great lyrics and storytelling, the vibe and pace of the first half of the album wasn’t for me.
Pretty good, not really my thing though.
Some tracks (especially in the first half) dragged on for way too fucking long, and ironically enough the 9-minute "It's Gonna be a Beautiful Night" justifies its length more than some 4- or 5-minute tracks. Final few songs were great. Liked it overall.
has some catchy songs, also some pretty goofy stuff and attempts to be sexy that come off as pretty cheesy. also kinda goes in some experimental directions/funky sounds, but unlike the david bowie record it seems to still stay pretty musical. it all sounds very exact and purposeful, which matches what i know of prince's eye for detail. don't think i'll add it to my playlists, even tho i like some of prince's output, and he's a crazy good musician.
Started strong then seemed to fade in energy
Just okay, nowhere near my favorite prince album. Some good songs and some really bad ones lol, 6-7/10
While non of the songs here were catchy enough to stick in my ear or moving enough to stick in my head, I can't help but give credit to Prince for his incredible range on this album.
Not bad. Decent even. There's some fun stuff in here like "It" and "U Got The Look". Really enjoyed the drums and bass on this album, though a lot of the lyrics were a miss rather than a hit. It's a bit long at 80 minutes in total for the album. For me, it sits somewhere between a 3 and 3.5.
It’s okay. Not really my thing. I can tell it’s impressive, unique sounding, just doesn’t do it for me. Too much of what sounds like wining and synth bits/drum loops. Def pop. Not for me.
The album feels like it would be nostalgic if I used to listen to it when it came out.
Typical Prince: high quality, grooving music. A no-name looking at of songs that still rock. No singalongs, but a tone setter for a fun afternoon. Low 3
I want to like it... I really do. I just don't. Prince is objectively an incredible musician and I just don't connect with any project I've ever heard. I might have just missed the times. I don't know.
Like I had said on the other funk/soul/etc. album, I've never really been a fan of this type of music. I see that Prince is a great musician, and I appreciate the quality, but I just can't get into it. I've also been really busy and only half listening.
I know prince was ona different drug for every song. I wanna try em all and re-listen to this blitzd out my mind
The last few songs were excellent, but you have to wade through a lot to get there. I had high expectations too which doesn’t help
not my fav but still ok
Hmmm…can’t find the direction this album is going in. Not really one standout hit either. I think I heard the drums that were sampled for Hollaback girl. “The Cross” was kinda cool. Sounded very U2ish.
Un destacable álbum de Prince que si bien, está repleto de interesantes ideas que ayudaron a construir el imaginario del Hip-Hop norteamericano actual, carece del impacto y presencia que tuvieron sus antecesores. La producción en este álbum es bastante errática y la duración un poco exagerada. De todas formas, sigue siendo uno de los mejores lanzamientos que el artista de Minnesota realizó a lo largo de su larga e intensa carrera. Quizá no es una buena introducción a su trabajo, pero sí es un complemento para todos quienes se sientan atraído a su arte.
Understandably a 4 star album, but personal preference is a 3. Could see this going up on further listens, but it tires me out and is maybe too much? I can also imagine a cover of these songs in a slightly different style would make me appreciate them more. But 3 stars is still 'good' in my eyes.
Sign O’ The Times // The Ballad of Dorothy Parker // Starfish and Coffee // Slow Love // The Cross // Adore 3-3.5/5
Good album
Boring
I'm a recent prince convert and this one needs to grow on me more but for now it's a 3/5
For soul and R&B its pretty decent... 3 stars
solid
Geeft iets moderne Micheal Jackson vibes
I like Prince, I do, but I can't get on with this album. There's some class tunes here, and some really interesting stuff with the Camille alter ego. It's just a double album that should have been an album. Can't shake the feeling it sounds like what it is, 3 albums of track choices thrown into a single release. Probably for best that the triple didn't happen. If I was going to pick a 3rd prince album after the two most obvious choices, it would definitely be Around the World in a Day.
A diversidade de estilos musicais presentes no disco é um testemunho da versatilidade artística do Prince. Mas não foi suficiente para me empolgar a escutar mais.
Enjoyable in places, but thought it would be a bit better overall.
Honestly, not a fan
Okay, I suppose. A Iittle all over the place. I still liked the 3 radio hits, though.
Reading claims that this album is a contender for best album of all time, I was disappointed. I simply do not hear what other people are hearing. Replacing percussion and musical instruments with cold and lifeless synthesizers is a travesty that was repeated and repeated in the 80s. I did enjoy the song I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man.
3.5
Good but not his best
I liked it, the sound was good. Lyrically great and prince's voice is ovbiously a gift to this earth. Just don't think his music is my jam. That era of pop rock doesn't really hit me.
Not bad, not super my thing. I'm sure Prince has stronger albums.
Didn't like this as much as the other Prince album I've gotten so far. Some songs were bangin' for me but it dragged at other parts that made me dislike it.
I was really surprised that this was released in 1987. I thought it was a post love symbol album. It had passed me by until recently, I was a mid- eighties and a mid-nineties Prince listener. A few good tracks.
Try as I might, I just can't get into most of Prince's stuff - too many gated drums, too much performative sexiness, too much synthetic sound. This album was no different: listenable but nothing really stood out.
some proper bops, super energising
3/5 Best: Adore Worst: It
I can recognize that there are probably elements of greatness on this album, but it wasn’t for me. I’d give it 3.5 stars if I could.
It was good not great. Some good songs for sure but not enough for a second listen.
Lots of instruments....sax, xylophone....hollow sounding drums and electric drum machines. Jammy sessions.
How are Summer and Housequake not more widely appreciated.
Jesus this is a long album... double disc with an 80 minute runtime. Prince is often kind of frustrating to me. Very talented man who made some amazing songs, but I just wish he would let loose on a guitar solo. Sign O' The Times has an Emminence Front style synth beat with some funky guitar work and drums. Relative to the rest of his catalog however, its pretty forgettable. I'm surprised this was chosen for the album title. Play in the Sunshine is a little upbeat boppy tune. Feels like Wham! but as sung by Prince. It sounds like a "When Doves Cry" knockoff, but less interesting. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man is my favorite of the album so far. Happy, poppy, and a little noodly. Also one of the freer sounding Prince guitar solos I think that I've heard followed on by a jammy breakdown that was unexpected relative to the rest of the album. The Cross is an equally surprising track. Heavier with a driving drum line motivating the tracks progression. There are also some more psych undertones complete with an Indian instrument. I'm into it. I think this one is a soft 3/5 for me. This is one of Prince's more forgettable albums that I've listened to, but at the core, he makes good music.
I’ve tried really hard to enjoy Prince. He is a massive guitar talent and writes good songs but I just can’t get into most of his albums 5/10
Has a very soul-ish feel to it, whether that makes it good or bad you decide
Good
5/16, 31%
I can see the appeal, but not for me
It wasn’t bad. Probably wouldn’t listen to again but not bad
Fun and freaky, just like the man himself. I have more preferred lps but good overall.
Je peux reconnaitre que c'est un album très bien exécuté avec une belle production. Mais généralement je trouve la musique tellement insatisfaisante : elle ne me captive pas vraiment et souvent j'oubliais que ça jouait. Je pense que Prince n'est tout simplement pas mon genre. 5/10
Prince is Prince, he's a legend for a reason. That said, he's not an artist I enjoy a whole album of at a time. So many of his songs are great additions to playlists for specific times and places, this album was no exception, but for me, he's an ingredient, not a whole dish.
Funky but I’d need to be in the right mood to listen to the whole album in one sitting.
Вайбово очень. Только мне кажется, в некоторых песнях я опять мог бы запросто спутать его с Майклом Джексоном. Звук прикольный, минималистично-модный, прям захотелось сесть в лоурайдер и поехать гонять по Лос-Сантосу (зачеркнуто) Анджелесу. Но долго...
не был знаком с принцем и приятно удивился. 3+
Prince solos ripped, otherwise it would have been a 2.