Reviews (page 9 of 15)
Groovy yet somehow kind of boring?
I will confess to the heresy of not being the biggest fan of His Royal Purpleness, but this album is excellent. Mush better than I thought with several HOF tracks. Not all to be sure, but really worth a listen.
What great way to start an album! It's got to bangers to start, but as with most prince, he was an amazing musician and knew what he wanted but I more of a hits guy, but the album had some surprises! Definitely liked it more than I thought but still not better than purple rain!
Such a strong start but songs were either too long or too focused on sex... or both lmao. Not a bad album but won't be coming back to it quickly
I can respect Prince’s talent, but I’ve just never connected with the music and that continued with this 80s funky + electro-synthy album. I don’t mind the lengthy tracks when they have some cool funk jams going; but overall the lyrics, tone, and feel don’t grab me (lady cab driver is a great example of both). If the sound doesn’t grab you, this album just doesn’t cut it. Good musician though and some strong instrumental parts, I just don’t dig the package they’re in.
Wow - easily party like it is 1999
The lyrics at the end of "1999": "Mommy, why does everyone have a bomb?" OMG did Prince predict 9/11?!??1 Masterful album.
Favourite tracks: 1999; little red corvette; let's pretend we're married; dmsr; automatic; lady can driver
Prince
I thought I would enjoy this more!! Title track is obviously great but most of it I could pass on 6 out of 10
I feel like Prince made this 69 minutes long on purpose, the dirty little fucker. There's a couple of b-sides on this as well otherwise it's easy 5 stars.
ziopera se era infoiato prince
le princy princ ;))
Great first few tracks, but a little goes a long way on this album.
Classique
Too poppy for my taste. Not terrible though. 2/5.
Personal preference
It's Prince, at his most 1999. I enjoyed it but not my favourite Prince album. 4/5
Alright album, had fun listening till the end. Songs near the end started to go too long
Favorite Track: Little Red Corvette
1999 is a fun listen, it has a couple all-timers on it. There are a few misses I just can't do, but overall it's a win.
Well it's 1999. I'm afraid I didn't have the patience for this. I love the fact that Prince existed in the world but I never been bitten by the bug.
no
I wasn’t a big fan of the new wave songs. Good exploration but I don’t think it’s for me
I'll be honest this was mid AF. The mainstream songs were the highlights and the rest of the album was mediocre imo. In the war between MJ and Prince, MJ is the winner for sure. I expected more from Prince.
My first album from Prince. I enjoyed it. It was funky, sexy and a bit weird at times but in a majestic way.
Nice listen. Prince is usually a good time. Some songs are more eventful than others, but there's some really enjoyable songs here.
The music that plays in hell, round 2. hated. (⌐☍_☈)
lol good god Prince was a weird little dude
Never got the appeal of Prince but I’ll concede this album has its moments. There’s some quirky experimentation here, and, even while the sound itself is the most synthetic assault of 80s cheese, I quite like the programmed drums and bass from this period. Especially given its influence on early techno. The issue is that it feels like a collection of 12” extended mixes that could have been edited down, and it blunts some of the pop hooks by ramming them down your throat for about 3 minutes longer that they should be. On the whole, however, there’s some great funk here, and just about any of these tracks would fill a dance floor without necessarily challenging conventional taste.
Prince is one of those artists where you can see the talent from a mile away. The guy could write, produce, perform, and probably fix your car while shredding a solo. But no matter how many times I try, his music just doesn’t click with me. 1999 has its moments. The title track is fun, and “Little Red Corvette” still holds up. But as a whole, it feels like something I respect more than actually enjoy Favorite song: 1999 Least favorite song: Automatic
The Good: Prince!!! The Bad: double album… The Ugly: failure in predicting the future… If I am correct, there are 3 Prince albums on the 1001 list, and this is the first one I get to listen to. If I am also correct, the “professionals” who have created this 1001 list are a bunch of ignorant bastards, as there are, at minimum, 3 Prince albums which should have been included additionally (Dirty Mindy/Controversy as this is the OG Prince, Around the World In a Day as this heralded his release from the mayor labels, and Parade which is the soundtrack to his second movie “Under the Cherry Moon”, probably my favorite bad movie ever! But I digress, as we are not here to bitch about the list, but we are here to talk about this album…. I heard the song 1999 when it came out, but I did not buy the album till I became enthralled with Prince due to Purple Rain. Consider me a fanboy! The album which I purchased was the single vinyl version, which even had a press error as on side 2 the label had been double printed—and I speak in past-tense as, unfortunately for me, my entire record collection was sold by my mother at some point in the ‘90s as she needed to create space… but let’s not go there… 1999, Little Red Corvette, Delirious and Free, that was side 1… as close to perfection as one can get. Side 2, well, not bad, but it didn’t get the playtime as side 1 did. Originally I was going to give this album 4*, as this is one of my least favorite Prince albums from his pre NPG oeuvre, however, by the third listen, I was all smiles!!! 5*
Classic dance album
Prince is a legend.
funk。I don’t really like but it’s relax
Solid album. Still love the hits the most - Little Red Corvette, Delirious, 1999. Love the funk in DMSR, what a jam. Liked the ballad Free a lot too (hadn't really listened to that before). Not sure I can go full 5, so...
I like the idea (and lore) of Prince more than the pure listening to Prince. The only super bowl I ever attended was in Miami when he did Purple Rain in the pouring rain...that was sick.
I'm walking down the street and I can hear a commotion. It's a party in a giant purple mansion. Loud music playing, people fucking everywhere. Everyone is screaming and crying for Prince. PRINCE, PRINCE, PRINCE!!!! Prince sees me and seductively asks if I'd like to come in. I do. I want to be in the Prince party. I've always wanted to be in the Prince party! But I just can't. Too buttoned up maybe? Not horny enough? I get that Prince is great but for some reason I have never fully understood or connected to the music. There will be a song here or there I keep in the rotation, I think mainly from his self titled album. I asked my Mom what they thought of him when he was coming up and her answer was simple, "Pervert". After hearing "I want to fuck the taste out of your mouth" I get it. I'm glad that Prince existed and maybe some day I'll make it to the party.
I really love the premise of little red corvette: that Prince, a lascivious sex alien, thinks this girl needs to tone down her horniness a little. She must have been so confused. You’re telling me I’M too sexual prince? You’re wearing leather pants and a mesh blouse! You’re gyrating right now as we speak! Anyway, my favorite prince songs are when he wants to fuck a girl so bad it makes him emotional. I think even us white stiffs can relate to that feeling. In general, I like Prince more than most pop (1999 and little red corvette stand out) but it’s still pop, and thus a little formulaic over the course of an album. The unanimously upbeat grooves feel like they are really designed to be played in the background of a dance party, rather than listened to by yourself, so don’t lend themselves too well to this exercise. Most lot of these songs have a real ASS on them too, with these sort of standard riffs ending w overlong, repetitive outros. But I guess for prince’s tastes that’s probably fitting.
Very pleased The album titled track is ridiculously cool. Little red corvette (possibly overplayed) is a great one to follow. I also really liked DMSR and lady cab driver. Prince has always been that artist I don’t completely understand the hype for. Ive heard cool tracks, I know how flexible he was as a musician and his rockstar personality. His music can sometimes be just… overly poppy? With a talking heads weirdness. That said, hes got an incredibly unique voice to scream and sing. You cant take that away from him - not even Michael Jackson I still wouldnt put myself into his wild fan group, but im getting closer. His superbowl halftime show in the rain (from the early 00s) nearly pushed me there last night 😅
I thought amongst a bunch of music dudes there would be at least one rabid Prince fan. I am not one either, though have always kind of wanted to be. There are 5 or 6 really good songs on here, and I have no doubt Prince would have been an incredible live show. In the end though I have trouble connecting with this completely - musically and lyrically. I really want to hear more of his great guitar playing - feels like it’s so sparse or faded in the mix. Maybe it’s the recovering Catholic in me that would rather listen to Alice Cooper sing about necromancy than hear Prince moan sexual aviation puns. There’s something nice about being in your mid thirties, feeding your baby a bottle, listening to this freaky horned up dude sing about nonstop partying and fucking. Very happy for you Prince, but honestly sounds exhausting.
The songs all run a little long (even 1999, the only one I know on the album) which makes it quite a slog to get through as I'm quite impatient. Didn't manage to get through the whole album, but it wasn't dislikeable
I liked it, it was great, but there are other Prince records that are better than this
Would have probably blown my mind if I heard it for the first time in 1983. Some definite bangers - let's pretend we're married comes to mind. Lady cab driver's breakdown is great. Creativity comes through in each song. Sounds very "80's" synth keys, groove bass, the sound effects.
Good musically but not my jam.
Partying like it's 1999 sounds so quaint now. A very 80s album, but I could vibe with it. The back half didn't do it as much for me. Highlights: 1999, little red corvette, delirious (a goofy line but super catchy)
Starts with a bang and maintains an incredible level of funk rock with the showmanship that you expect of Prince. The guy injects so much passion into his music, that you may ask yourself, “is there anybody around?” And “why do I feel so dirty, yet free?” The album slows a bit in the end, but remains a magical journey. Prince is first-class talent with his guitar work, singing/screaming, and writing chops.
Det sämsta soundet från 80-talet. Alla låtar låter som ett demo på en synt. Ofta går beatsen och sången på loop. Det finns väldigt lite som är njutbart på skivan. Allt låter som filmmusik till B-komedier från 80-talet. Obegripligt att Prince är så hyllad. Hellre Fiona Apple än Prince.
Börjar bra med 1999 och framförallt Little red corvette, som är bäst på skivan. Därefter är det väldigt blandad kvalitet, bitvis dåligt, för långt och 80-tal som åldrats illa, bitvis helt okej (t ex Let’s pretend we’re married). Svag trea.
Amazing funk, the sound of the 80S in one album. This is album sounds dirty and sexy. 1999, Delirious and D.M.S.R are great funk songs. I really enjoyed this album Favourite song: 1999 Least favourite: All good Album artwork: Cool cover
Bem massante de ouvir, esperava mais
pretty good, classic, fun sound
Songs: 1999
Sexy, funky, groovy, sensual and fun. Classic Prince. I like it.
This became the blueprint of the sound of pop music in the 80s.
No notes
p485. 1982. 3 stars. Starts off rock hard and ends sadly limp and flaccid. There's not doubt he could write a tune, and was an exceptional musician, but no-one needs a double album of multiple 7+ minute tracks. A bit of judicious editing into a single album and this would have been an easy 5 stars.
omg omg parisnsi prinsssiiiii huudan huudan niin ljaa tällä hetkellää diung diung diiung deliiroious ding ding ding dung.. aivan uskomaton poppiseksistara. 1980-luvulla tämä mies seksikkäin maailmassa! diung diung diiung deliiroious ding ding ding dung.. se on panomies... panee vaan.. no panee panee!! panee kun samalla diung diung diiung deliiroious ding ding ding dung.. anna mun haravoida pikkuviiksiäsi pliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis anna haravoida... diung diung diiung deliiroious ding ding ding dung.. diung diung diiung deliiroious ding ding ding dung.. diung diung diiung deliiroious ding ding ding dung.. diung diung diiung deliiroious ding ding ding dung.. diung diung diiung delirious
I appreciate his work ethics and creativity, I just don't like the result very much. And there's too much of it. Favorite song: 1999
Prince! 4
Good
Starts well with the two singles that continue to get airtime as they are great funky tunes. Thereafter I lose interest fairly rapidly - 80's funk not my bag especially slap bass and the quality of the tunes gets weaker as album progresses.
Not his best but still good
Title track is decent though Sussudio by Phil Collins is a better song
Reminiscent of 80s video game sounds and very raunchy 👀
A few 5 star songs. Great musicianship
Never used to be a fan when growing up. However, I admit it must have been quite eclectic for its time. A generous 4 stars
I've always enjoyed Prince's main pop hits & respected his talent as one of the world's greatest guitar players of all time. But this album only had a few tracks I could get into, mostly the singles. The rest was definitely funky & well produced, but just never landed for me.
Cmon listen to these beats and try not to dance
Albumi #130, 10.12.2024 Princen viides albumi vuodelta 1982. Kelpo kasaripoppia on tämä levy. Ei ihan kirkkainta kärkeä kaverin tuotannosta, mutta ihan hyvä levy kuitenkin.
I love music that makes me move and if it’s got some funk, then even better. Clearly this is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!
I thought I would love this but I grew increasingly tired of it as I neared the end of it. It's an okay album. I think Purple Rain is better despite it being a soundtrack. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
i mean i guess its pretty good...
It's a good Prince album
1999 and Little Red Corvette are both classics, so after those two I really thought this album was gonna get a four. But the rest just didn’t hold up for me.
1999 Little Red Corvette Delirious
I respect Prince and think he's a fantastic musician, but I just don't get on with a lot of his music. Whilst it's not for me, I recognise it's not bad in any way, so this rating seems fair.
Prince was truly ahead of his time with 1999, only mf horny enough to know how to party like it's 1999 in the year 1982 Prince leaned much more heavily into the electronic synth-dance style of his music which I don't like as much, only utilizing the guitar-ballad style of Purple Rain and When Doves Cry in the track Free, although this was 2 years before Purple Rain. Rest of the album is funky riffs, catchy lyrics, and enough innuendo that this listening to this album counts as credit for grade 8 sex ed. thank you prints for retuning the signature Prince wail to us in International Lover 🙏 🙏 I give it one star for each testicle that Prince had if he had as many testicles as Josuke Higashikata from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 8: Jojolion
Great album. 5/5
Loved all the hits, but the others were so-so for me
I bet whoever came up with that riff in delirious ran and showed it to everyone because my god is it CRISP. Uh everyone is right, this album is way too long. But it really has some incredible highs on it. The first three tracks are so good.
This album is fine, kinda goofy and fun in a slightly dated way. But it does not need to be a double LP at all. None of these songs need to be longer than 6 minutes, and the ones that don't know when to end go on for absolutely no reason. Maybe I'd like it more if it was more streamlined, but I also don't get why this was so popular when it came out.
Songs i knew:2 Songs i like:0 Jesus christ, thank god that's over with. Took me 3 attempts to finish this album, a hard graft with lots of teeth gritting. I always thought I liked prince but thats based on that video of him shredding while my guitar gently weeps. Now I've had to sit through 1 hour 10 minutes of that I'm not sure I do like him as much as I thought. Sounds like a teenager who's just discovered how to use a synthesiser while refusing to sing directly into the microphone. Can't understand a word he's saying half the time and the other half is him basically having a wank with porn on the background. Mid 1.
Might as well call this Jizzing: The Album Never been big into Prince. Talented? Sure. Prolific? Absolutely. International sex midget? So he’d have you believe. His stuff’s always left me a bit cold. Purple Rain is obviously flames 100, but his output is a bit spotty. 1999 is a brilliant tune though. I recall New Year’s Eve of 1999 fondly - Nick arrived from the birth of his first child and proceeded to squirt vodka into my mouth using some syringes he’d stolen from the hospital. What a guy. Actually this may have been NYE 2000, which still counts as it’s mentioned in the song and it’s a good anecdote, and I can’t be arsed editing this. He’s managed to formulate the single most annoying synth sound of all time on Delirious (Prince, not Nick). Impressive. “Let’s pretend we’re married and go all night” - is he taking the piss? Maybe he’s being sarcastic. MAYBE HE’S NOT AS MUCH OF A SHAGGER AS HE MAKES OUT. To give him his due, he is excellent at extended on-the-nose sex metaphors (Prince, not Nick). International lover is just ridiculous. Ultimately I think my issue with nearly all of Prince’s stuff is the production. Every note is quantised, every snare sound gated. It just gives everything this weird plastic-y sound and strangles the life out of it. This has its moments (well, one moment), but by and large I think it’s a bit shite and way too long. Guess I like my sex jams shorter and a bit more rugged. Best tracks: 1999 Worst tracks: The rest of it P.S. “two thousand zero zero” would imply the year 200,000 AD, so either he’s shit at maths or he’s doing a very big shag (Prince, not Nick).
For years I didn't think I liked Prince, apart from bangers like Purple Rain. It was only after he died when 6Music played him for about a month that I realised he had loads of tunes that I really liked. Vids like him shredding and stealing the show to While My Guitar Gently Weeps helped too. Highlights: 1999 Little Red Corvette D.M.S.R Lady Cab Driver. Bit too long but some lovely shredding at the end. International Lover. Wow ok. Felt like I needed a cigarette at the end of it. Think this might be the greatest song of all time. He literally cums in it. Lowlights: Delirious. Sounds like Black Lace. School disco music. Automatic. No reason this should be 9mins long as it doesn't do enough to justify. This album is a bit of a mixed bag but mostly enjoyed it. It's very sexy isn't it. Absolute shagger was ol' Prince. A solid 3.
So, I’ve liked this Prince album. The problem is I think the recording sounds shit. Which is mad for someone who is a supposed prolific writer and recording artist, I think he’s just shit at production. I hate the really clipped reverb/delay he has on his voice, which I suppose is his trademark, just makes the recordings sound a bit fuzzy. Also, some of the tunes end with dark undertones like when the woman calling for the police or the kid is asking why does everyone have a bomb at the end of 1999, I reckon he was a proper wrongun. The lines “I want to fuck the taste out of your mouth” and “(Yes, we're certain of it, he's definitely masturbating)” solidified this opinion. Not a bad album, room for improvement.
Classic Prince including 1999, the song I want to be played at my funeral. 4*
It was fine. Little Red Corvette is a banger, the rest OK. Gets a little much after a while.
oh prince! you're so forward! 😊
Other than the known hits, this album does nothing for me. The double-time beat under every tune is just annoying.
Prince at the height of his powers. 10/5.
Most of Prince’s best songs are on here so yeah, it’s pretty good
I can't get into Prince. I wish I could but his music is just to weird for me.
Garbage music from the most overrated musician in the history of pop and rock. Yes, you read that correctly. Weird little midget gets a few hits here and there but otherwise his output sucks. Fight me, IDGAF.
goed album, maar zoals steeds weet Prince niet van ophouden, waardoor deze plaat iets te lang duurt (en sommige nummers ook uitgemolken worden)
The instrumental skill is there but I just wasn't into it.
Who doesn't love Prince? The man was a genius. This album is wonderful. And although I don't like it as much as Purple Rain or Sign O' The Times, it's still a banger. Great grooves, nice funk, brilliant instrumentation and production, just enough weirdness to it. What's not to like? As with a lot of his records, I feel like this one is better as a whole album rather than pulling songs out individually. Sure, 1999 and Little Red Corvette are great on their own but the album as a whole is really fantastic. 5/5
I ended up enjoying every song on this album. I had no idea this was from the early 80s. I always thought it came out sometime near the year 2000, but never expected it to have been from 1982! It sounds like an album from the 90's emulating the sound of the 80's! Despite 1999 and Little Red Corvette, the rest of the album maintains the sex and romance and quirk. As I mentioned the sound feels like both a fresh take on the 80's sound while also transcending it despite it's creation before most of the 80's sound really took off. This album must have been a trendsetter for that sound and it is obvious.
Started strong and faded. Always room for Prince, even the mediocre stuff.
Classic Prince! Huge hits, a few good grooves, and some random crap that still sounds funky. This one is an easy: 5⭐️
4-
Tiene algunos tracks buenos pero en general lo sentí lejísimos de la genialidad que es Purple Rain. Pasa, pero no me encantó. Y qué con las canciones larguísimas? Podrían estar bien, pero cuando duran 10 minutos ya cansan.
Erótico, para hacer el amor
I know this is going to sound sacrilegious to some, but after listening to this album, it seems to me to be really overrated. I never cared for the singles off of this record, but went into it with as open of mind as possible, even hoping to like it. But I found several of these songs really redundant and even more repetitive, seeming to go on forever. Most of them were just too long. I never have been a fan of 80s electronic pop, and this album just reaffirms that for me. The last song, International Lover was probably the one I liked best. But, I just don’t get the critical acclaim and love for this album. Two stars from me.
Maybe the smuttiest album on this list. But it's Prince and he can make smut work. Not quite as good as Purple Rain or Sign O' The Times but this is still pretty damn good.
Oh yea
I found this very irritating.
5 forever.
i hate sex, but groove is fine
Da e greit, men har aldri skjønt meg heilt på prince
3.5, rounded up
A little bit of Prince goes a long way.
Dance Music Sex Romance. This man was a purple horndog. Some interesting stuff here, but I view it more as a precursor to what would come from him later. Some of these songs are too long and become bland. Yet somehow still sexy? Blexy? I think that sums up how I feel about this album. Decent sex that just goes on for too long. For some of these songs, it feels like someone left the drum machine on and everyone forgot about it. But, I quite like a lot of the synths on the album, and Prince's wails and vocal swells are just awesome. Some good guitar solos, too, if somewhat random. Fav tracks: 1999, Automatic, International Lover
Hadn't listened to this in a long time. Holds up well.
Have listened to this album often, but not in a while. It's nice to have an excuse to listen to this album again. It's a classic that still sounds great. Great hits, great deep cuts. Interesting that it was released as a double album but has just over 70 minutes of music.
Some hits some misses
Classic album
Does an album all about sex count as a concept album? Only appropriate for a nice JW boy. Great dance music, and the long rhythms are just perfect, remind me of the stuff I listened to in my disco days. Some of these are excellent songs, ("Free", "Delirious") but I doubt I'll listen to this album as a whole again. 4/5
Good tunes and some good laughs along the way. I enjoyed this album immensely. I'm giving it five stars and adding it to my Tidal library.
It's not that often that I listen to much classic pop music, but when I do, I honestly don't mind it. I quite like a few of Prince's songs however his music just doesn't click with me. I forgot why, but last time I listened to a Prince album, there was something about it that just put me off his music for quite a while. Well enough time had passed since then, so it was definitely time for me to give Prince, and his music, another chance! Now I'd never actually listened to this Prince album in full before, and truth be told I actually really enjoyed a few songs and certain moments on this record. However, the one glaring problem I have with it is the lengthy runtime. The 11 song tracklist looks perfect on the surface, until you realise that the total runtime is 1 hour and 10 minutes. That's an average track length of 6.4 minutes, which would be fine if the songs were just a little more engaging and didn't drag out as much as they did (especially towards the ends of the songs when the track basically just turns into a Prince monologue of him telling me how badly he wants to do explicit things to me). Aaahhhhh.... that's what it was that put me off his music! 😂😂
Yeah, noo.
Iconic album. Unfortunately this one seemed to pigeon-hole Prince and only true fans were able to witness and feel his genius.
Cool music but not REALLY for me. I like the singles but many of those songs were almost 10 minutes long. im sorry prince
Such a great album. There’s only one Prince.
Pretty good, but not quite as catchy as I expected?
💜💜💜💜💜
First impression: repetitive, long, horny, and a little dated. Not bad, but it didn't really move me. Also the 1 in 1999 looks wild phallic.
Ah eleven tracks, great length...what? An hour and ten minutes?!
Exceptional
“I just don’t get Prince.” Son, you don’t get life.
Fun but not totally my style
Pure pop perfection
I hated this so much
So, some of my favorite songs but then some real deep cuts. I'm amazed this sold so well. It's a jam though
Groovy hits
I appreciate that Prince is an icon, but I just can’t click with his music. 2.5
5
This was an alright album. I know that it is Prince but it was mainly enjoyable as a background listen and wasn't too exciting to properly focus on the songs. A bit mid nowadays, 42 years later but as we all know, 42 is the meaning of life, so I'll just rate this somewhere in the middle.
Except for 2-3 of his most famous songs I've never really listened to Prince before. I don't think this is his most famous and popular album and I'm not sure if there is a correlation but a lot of the songs seems kind of meh. Its not bad in any means, its just not that good or anything that sticks out. Nothing that makes we want to come back and listen again.
I don't usually get on so well with Prince. I always found his persona overly exalted. The music may have been great. It was only exceptionally accessible to me. So my expectations were rather low. The album has clearly surpassed it. I had completely forgotten the 1999 piece. And I also really liked the other tracks. A very good funky album. It was fun listening to it. 4/5
This was less good than I assumed. I'm a Prince fan going way back, and his talent is undeniable...but dare I say I see him more of a singles artist?
the last part was a bit more experimental and i think and that is keeping me from giving 2 stars
Sorry, y'all. I respect the hell out of him, but it just ain't my bag. 2/5
Better than expected though I enjoyed the tight songs of the first half from the longer jammier songs of the second half
Theatrical, sexual and never compromising. That's Prince, baby.
A bona fide classic. Front loaded with hits. I haven’t listened to this album in a long time but it is a really fun listen. The hits all bounce along with the type of funky, dance energy that you would expect of a hit 80s song. It’s just that this album is full of these songs. Even the songs that I never heard on the radio are infectious and could have been the best songs of many other bands.
This was the first Prince music I remember hearing. 1999 and Little Red Corvette were pretty inescapable that year. Prince was such a massive talent. I regret not seeing him live. Fantastic stuff.
I feel very sorry for myself that I didn't listen to any Prince growing up. This shit is funky, fresh, and the best vibe. without knowing much of Prince's discography - this sounds like a great jumping in point. as shown in the wiki detail as well, this is his album that helped him break through and set the stage for what Prince would become. This album is officially in rotation for me. Love it.
I like the vibe, but the songs are too long for me, as is the album in general.
Definitely funky. I’m all about that funk but it started to get a little old by the end. I don’t know too much about prince other than his main songs so this was a good introduction. None of these songs seemed super innovative here but seems like he’s forming his overall sound. I’m excited for more of him tho.
1999 is one of the best songs that we’ve seen on the list. I felt as if the songs were each a bit too long, but I don’t know if I would have felt that way if I was just vibing and not intentionally listening to the album to get through it and rate it. Prince is like the Bean to Michael Jackson’s Ender in Ender’s Shadow. Michael Jackson is better in a lot of ways and more renowned, but there is something special and magical about Prince. He is a little bit looser/more experimental/less polished, but I think it makes his music fun and unique. It also makes it less easily digestible.
An album that I had no idea was going to rival Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret for the coveted Horniest Album on the List award. Starts out super strong with 1999 and Little Red Corvette and then the length and repetitive nature of the songs just drags you down. I’m not one to question the musical genius of Prince, but I will say my rating would be a star higher if the album was 30% shorter.
Prior to this listen, I only knew Prince for his songs "Purple Rain" and "1999". I didn't quite realize how much of a nasty little freak (in all the right ways) he was. The lyrics to "Let's Pretend We're Married" are absolutely wild! This album and it's songs are too long. That would normally be enough for me to take it down a star, but I had too much fun with this to go anything less than a 4.
I read a lot of reviews complaining that these songs last too long. I’m here to tell you every song could be another 5 minutes longer and I’d still love it. Killer album, raunchy as hell, don’t listen if you have kids around.
I’ve always had a lot of respect for Prince because his talent and uniqueness are undeniable. But just recognizing that doesn’t mean I’m fully on board with him or really enjoy his music. There are definitely elements in his songs that I like, but they’re often mixed with other parts that I’m not as into. So, for me, this ends up being a pretty middle of the road album.
Pure musical genius.
Mein erstes komplettes Album von Prince. super starkes Album. Alles dabei, was mein Herz höher schlagen lässt: Funk, soul, tolle Gitarre, wunderbares Songwriting, nicht mein letztes Album von Prince
Not my favourite album by Prince, but still great funky, inventive tunes
um dos melhores de todos os tempos
Prince merges soul, rock, r'nb and more into his own unique sound. There's a couple big peaks here and no real valleys. Good stuff.
First half bangers! Second half some misses but overall a classic
unbelievable levels of freak happening on this one
Iconic. Classic. These are the words we use to describe Prince's 1999 now. Back in 1982 we said something different. Wow! Mind blowing! Tight! Finely crafted. These were the 1982 phrases for what would become one of the best albums of all time. 1999 not only blew apart the pop charts then, not only did it dominate MTV, not only were these staples of any club experience no matter what the genre of the club, they introduced the larger audience to funk in a way that no one else had ever done. Prince was a genius and 1999 his masterpiece. That's obvious today, but it was equally obvious, even to this punk rocker, in 1982.
Much better when Prince focused on being funky, rather than trying to use every preset on the Revolution's fancy new synthesisers. Listen to the 2019 remasters - improvement on the original CD masters in every respect.
Really don't rate this - repetitive, vain and dated
80s slop
radio music
Great album. Lady Cab Driver stand out banger for me. Not his best album but elite still. Wish they did half stars on this because 4.5 for me
Prince is a genius. A lot of his songs have sentimental value to me, with little red corvette being my absolute favourite on the album and in my top 5 Prince songs. Would be surprised if Purple Rain doesn’t appear on the list. Might as well of just put Best Of Prince album. RIP legend!
Jesus christ that's a horny album. Would be 4 stars but some songs are just so long and some just mad filler lol. I really like Prince though, he was an incredible talent. 3 stars, wish it had stayed as strong as it had opened. Enjoyed this though
Great artist, great album. This is probably from his best and most creative period of his amazing career but that's only my opinion. The man was a genius and a legend and his untimely passing has left a void in the music industry
Prince's double disc best of are some of the greatest pop songs written. A lot of these songs are not on the best of disc's. 3/5
The perfect distillation of hedonistic fun, and a non-stop party that somehow doesn't let up even once for 70 whole minutes.
Perdón pero me aburrió un poco.
Starts of with the banger 1999. Little Red Corvette also a lot of fun. Let's Pretend We're Married had some funny lines. DMSR was a blast. Most of the rest of the songs are kind of meh. Biggest stinker was Automatic. It's repetitive and dull and.....9 minutes long. Best song: 1999
Great album. Some of his best tracks on here; although there's a couple whose absence wouldn't be missed.
My delicate sensibilities! I forgot how salacious Prince can be.
solid album great musicianship
I was not a huge fan of Prince but recognize his talent and musicianship and songwriting. This album has notable songs.
Repetitive and feels dated, the production especially. Some of the synth lines and samples sound straight out of a sega game. Uncomfortably over sexual in places.
This is the second Prince album on my journey, after Sign 'O' the Times. I will say my enjoyment of 1999 is about the same as that album. This was the album that defined the "Minneapolis sound"—funk with an emphasis on synthesizers, loud guitars, drum machines, and faster rhythms. Suffice it to say, the sound is very much of its time. 1999 starts well with the title track leading into "Little Red Corvette" as a fine-rocking tune. Then afterward, tracks such as "Let's Pretend We're Married" and "D.M.S.R." come off as extended jam sessions, which I didn't mind. I'm certain the stretched-out duration of some of these tracks coupled with the dated sound can make the album feel its length on occasion though not to the same extent Sign 'O' the Times felt. Nevertheless, Prince wrote such wonderous sex jams with charisma and played nearly every instrument to great effect, making the experience remarkable. 1999 is another funky and sexual 80s album by the legend himself. It is certainly worth a listen.
Fun.
This is Prince's fifth album and it's the one that launched him to major fame (and his first album with his band the Revolution). It's my third Prince album so far on here, adding to Sign o' the Times and Purple Rain. I really don't consider myself to be a huge Prince fan, and I say I don't really like the synth-pop thing, but then I listen to each of these albums and they are all pretty fun. It has so much more of a layered sound than a lot of other '80s synth-pop, so it's probably unfair to just call it that (and probably why I like it more). Overall, I enjoyed this better than Sign o' the Times, though it's a bit short of Purple Rain for me. This is a 70 minute double album, and the first side is really awesome, "1999" is an iconic opener, and then "Little Red Corvette" and " Delirious" are both strong follow-ups. Sides B and C are a little weaker in my opinion, though there are still some enjoyable songs on there. "Let's Pretend We're Married" has a catchy little chorus "ooh wee" thing going on for one. The D side picks things back up a bit though, with "Lady Cab Driver" and "International Lover" the standouts, but also "All the Critics Love U in New York" which is a favorite of mine. My biggest knock on this album is that the songs are all so long. Like 7 of the 10 songs are 7 minutes or longer, and I'm just not sure they really needed to be. In his defense, they're generally pretty dance-y songs, so if you're just bopping along to the vibe out on the dance floor it might work, but as a cohesive album I think it breaks up the flow a bit ("Automatic" is the biggest example for me, I generally don't hate the song, but it's like 9 minutes and just feels like it drags on). Overall a really strong and enjoyable album. I still don't know that I quite fully get Prince, and I'm tempted to call him more of a singles artist than an album artist, but this was solid overall, despite a few shortcomings. Favorite song: 1999 Other: Little Red Corvette, Delirious, Let's Pretend We're Married, Lady Cab Driver, All the Critics Love U in New York, International Lover 10/12/24
Dunno about this one. 1 2 punch then falls off a cliff
never quite understood the prince hype aside from his skills as a guitarist. now i do. wow that man is great. 9/10
2472 - Okay, this is his surpassing of Off The Wall, some of the best songs of the 80s on one album with his unique synthy style.
Few catchy songs but the production is achingly dated, it probably sounded like the sound of the future at the time but it's aged like milk!
3.5
"I was dreaming when I wrote this" Just fucking brilliant. Prince is up there with Elvis, Lennon and McCartney etc as a true great. Deservedly in this list and quite possibly top 10. "All bangers, all the time" as Kendall says in Succession 5 because I cant give it more.
Sometimes the instrumentals got a little boring but Prince has some amazing vocals and I like how horny his lyrics are 8/10
I prefer Prince's funky stuff rather than the radio pop-friendly songs. Not a huge fan of this or Purple Rain.
Always a good shout!
Starts with a banger, stays high. I like this much more than Purple Rain.
I've never really been a fan of Prince and I have had over 30 years to try. He was talented and driven, super professional, and I hear he was pretty good at basketball. Nothing more to add. Three stars to not mess with the average.
Lempparit: 1999, Little Red Corvette
Meisterwerk.
Maybe too much sexy
Funky 3.5/5
I tried, but I think I drifted off somewhere around the seven hour mark. Five and a half hours later when I started paying attention again Prince was still bouncing his indefatigable purple booty off all the walls and having marathon sex sessions with everything in sight. The poster child for ADHD and short man syndrome.
i'd never heard prince before which seems crazy but this is pretty much what i expected
Solid, but I do feel that Prince is more hyped up by my rose-coloured-glasses-wearing Gen X parents than it should be. 1999 (and Prince's discography as a whole) speaks to a post-disco generation who's still interested in this whole moonwalking/showboating gig. There are some great electronic sounds here, and that's the main highlight. Almost comedically 80s-sounding for pretty much the entire runtime. Throughout this "1001 Albums" project, I've really warmed up to musicians who wholeheartedly embrace that feel. That being said: the songs are far too long, having an average track length of more than 6 minutes (and some reaching almost 10 minutes). Disco and post-disco have a habit of doing this – presumably because it works well in a club-music context – but during close listening the songs get a little repetitive. The title track is the only one that really gets away with being this long, though it could still be shaved to half its runtime and I'd be happy. I get the feeling this album would've been excellent for live touring. 3/5 Key tracks: 1999, Little Red Corvette, Lady Cab Driver
Several bangers, and then a lot of Prince songs.
same song
Prince is the Stephen King of music. Talented, but can't write an ending for shit. I don't know about his views on weird teen sex, though. Pretty much every track here could be cut in half and nothing of value would be lost. Having said that, an album like that would still only get 3 stars at best from me, so the fact this bloated thing is solidly over an hour long means that I'm sorry Mr Nelson, but it's a 2 from me - I just don't get your stuff.
Every song is about two minutes too long.
Heard this album a few times. Really good sound that inspired music from today
It started off great, then slowly deteriorated into prince moaning.
The album starts of strong and keeps the momentum going. The harmonies and vocals are as varied as the instrumentation, and even more so, the synthesizers. You can tell this is when synthesizers really started to develop as a form of instrumentation, and Prince used them a lot of this album to good effect. The hits definitely hit. But I also found myself enjoying the lesser-known songs. There is also a theme of... danger? That prevails the album even when the songs are upbeat and party vibes. I liked this juxtaposition. Overall- very good dance/party album with a lot of uniqueness. I can see how it established Prince as a powerhouse
Not my jam. Good stuff though .
I loved this album. Every song felt like I couldn't turn my attention away from it, it made me want to dance and groove the whole time listening to it. Some songs did feel like they went on longer than they should have, but it never felt like it was dragging for so long that it was annoying. It was an almost perfect album, 9/10.
Fun
3.5
Fantastic; a classic
Prince, well I love Prince but I have struggled with his music, I know how does that make sense (it doesn't). Well I love how talented, creative and focused he was. One of the best musicians of all time, great writer for others and all that. But I just find some of it just a bit cringe, anywho giving it another go. Stand out tracks: - 1999 - Little red corvette (with the cringe factor) - Let's pretend we're married
A very 80’s synth heavy album. Little red corvette is one of princes best
It's a bit odd for me, for every song I'm indifferent on, there's a song I love too. I hate 1999 so much though that it's mere inclusion brings it down a star for me.
Prince is the musicians musician, the man could do it all. He really set the scene for 80s music.
Best of the 80’s, funky and freaky The first definitive prince album
Songs like delirious and free were nice and funky, but it got to a point where they all just sounded a bit too synth-poppy for me. Also, having 1999 and little red corvette on loop on the radio in the car to and from school for 7 years didn’t help. I want to give it more stars, but none of them are making their way into the rotation.
mj better
He created a whole new world with this album
Okish..but pretentious
1999 This is when he took his funk and disco into the computer age. I love the combination of the synth heavy and robotic computer sound with his soul, funk and pop approach - kind of Kraftwerk + Early Hip Hop + Funkadelic + catchy pop. And what an opening 3 songs on the first side of the original album. 1999 - banger, Little Red Corvette - classic, Delirious - super Let’s Pretend We’re Married has more than a hint of The Visitors by ABBA, and is a great up tempo bit of disco inflected pop. DMSR is very Afrika Bambataa in its drum sound and I love the two synth lines settling into a great hypnotic groove. Automatic has another great groove in a similar vein to what’s gone before. I love the rhythm pattern and descending synth motif on Something in the Water (Does Not Compute), it’s a nice change of pace and style and has a pleasing oddness to it. After this fantastic set of 7 electronic funk party songs though, the album does start to run into trouble. It really doesn’t need to be a double and while the following songs aren’t particularly bad they do drag the album out of focus. Free’s more soulful vibe feels a bit strained, and Lady Cab Driver, while having a great guitar groove feels like a not so successful version of the first 4 or 5 songs. All the Critics Love U in New York is good and has a nice Kraftwerk-esque detachedness, but International Lover isn’t great and feels a step too far. If this was a single album ending at Something in the Water, with perhaps the addition of All the Critics it would easily be a 5. The opening 4 songs in particular are superb, a fantastic run of tracks - funky, catchy and with enough oddness and quirkiness to keep you coming back. As a double though it is too long, with the last 4 songs or so noticeably of a lower quality than the first 7. That makes it a 4 🚗🚗🚗🚗 Playlist submission: 1999
Not my vibe
This was disappointing
It's all right. Yet another that kind of fades into the background. It feels jarring for Prince -- so stylized and affected, with his elaborate costumes and precise choreography -- to sing of blatantly crude and sexual things, as he does occasionally in these songs. Otherwise... yeah, it's fine.
I find it hard to believe this man goes on to write Nothing Compares 2U after this... First couple of songs were great, after that noise. Pretty disappointed. I thought it will be better...
A nice listen; grooves all in the right places.
Starts well but then it’s very “bah bah bah” (hard to illustrate in words) but erratic sounding it was not pleasant
Starts with two massive hits and has some excellent songs throughout, it just wasn’t really consistently captivating enough for me. 3.5/5
Very long and very repetitive
Stupid dance music, don’t like
A few bangers, but overall cohesion wasn't there for me
Got to re-listen to this on an old vinyl courtesy of Tom. A great album.
5 stars
Besides the title track this isn't much to my taste at all 1/5
It's so weird but it still works somehow
startet mit zwei tollen songs, fällt nachher massiv ab. und hey, das war der start einer steilen karriere (ja, 5. album, ich weiss) welche nebst vielfältiger musik auch viel „lärm“ umfasste. also fast wie dieses album. 😉
Ein Album aus der Zeit als Prince noch so hiess und einfach Superplatten machte.
Big sexy synths 80s style. This album is horny even for prince. Personally I think prince is a musical genius but he isn't for everyone. Not his best though 8/10
It was quite good! I'll check it out again later!
1999 oli mun elämän paras vuosi
Princen ainoo persoonallisuuspiirre on se et se on vitun seksikäs ja tbh, se ei tarvii muuta, seksikkyys riittää. (varsinki jos toinen vaihtoehto olis se et se puhuis sen mielipiteistä.... hetki kiitollisuudelle)
The songs weren't bad, quite catchy. But the album was too long and I hate the screeching Maybe I'm just not a Prince fan 3 ⭐️
Abysmal. Yeah first 2 tracks are "okay" however a whole album of songs (which are mostly a considerable length) consisting of the same thing on repeat. Here's my quick guide to writing a song to appear on 1999: "Girl, you want to have dirty sex with me" *bad synth noise* "Girl, I want to have sex with you" *squeal* "It feels really good" *80s porno sounds* Repeat for around 8 or even 9 minutes give the track a silly name. DONE. Genuinely the first album yet I've gotten halfway through a song and skipped, bear in mind halfway through I've already dealt with 4+ minutes of it... I'd give it a 0.5 if I could. 😅
Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 🔮🪩🎨 Mix: 🎧😘🤌 Musik: 🌶️🌋🎆 Wertung: 🔮🔮🔮🔮(🔮)/5
Aside from the album’s release being 17 years before the year in question, Prince was ahead of his time in other ways - namely the consistent synth pop/funk punch that this packs throughout its hour-ten runtime. Whilst the title track stands a cut above the rest, I was pleased that a lot of others on here stood up to it, with their own unique (often excessively horny) sound. Despite most tracks straying well over the six minute mark, nothing in here is drawn out, except perhaps the length of the entire album. At points way too horny for my liking, but that’s Prince.
This is #day39 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... my wife made me laugh when she found out which album I needed to listen to today. She said she used to think Prince was Michael Jackson's son... Anyway, diving into 1999, it was interesting to learn about the Minneapolis sound. The rhythm section and those cosmic synths steal the spotlight, adding a distinct flavor... Eventually, when I realized there's an Edit feature on this site available, I came here to re-rate an album because revisiting it made me score a NM vinyl copy for peanuts, and it sounds absolutely phenomenal. Such a NYC vibe and sex all over. One of my favorites in the collection. I'm giving this a 5 out of 5. Looking forward to #40.
I love prince
a party that fizzes out a bit at the end.
Second Prince album of the list. Couple of decent songs and a whole lotta shit. 9 minutes per song is just self-indulgent - guy needed an editor to be firm with him.
This is often labelled as Prince’s first real breakthrough album and I would tend to agree. Not to say his previous efforts were bad at all, but they were certainly more hit and miss than anything. ‘1999’ marked a Prince that had a lot more conviction in his sound and production techniques. I also believe this is the first time ‘The Revolution’ were credited with him; and it became the start of his era of critical and commercial success. I’m going to make a pretty bold comparison here. Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ is often defined as his definitive work just as much as ‘Purple Rain’ seems to be viewed as Prince’s magnum opus. But like Jackson’s ‘Off The Wall’ album, Prince’s ‘1999’ is pretty much the damn near perfect predecessor that enters an underrated territory because it immediately flies under the shadow of the follow up’s massive success. ‘1999’ has no bad tracks and is pretty much 11 songs that are absolute bangers. The self titled opener and ‘Little Red Corvette’ are legendary tracks. The former using a keyboard riff that sticks with you long after the song is over, and an infectious, infamous chorus to boost it up even more. The latter seems almost designed for radio and MTV, but doesn’t lose the depth of production Prince is famous for. The absolute bop that is ‘Let’s Pretend We’re Married’, the funk driven ‘D.M.S.R.’, the beautiful power ballad ‘Free’, the atmospheric, fast, and smokey ‘All The Critics Love U In New York’, and the phenomenal finisher ‘International Lover’ where Prince really lets his strong vocals shine. Nearly every track features infectious bass lines, impressively programmed drums, and some of the absolutely best funk driven guitar work you have ever heard. ‘1999’ is simply great from start to finish, and could make the case for Prince’s best work. It is self indulgent (it is Prince, after all). It is confident. And it is unapologetic. But it wouldn’t be the album it is without these qualities; and it is worth listening to for any fan of fantastic production and dance-y psychedelic funk. 5/5
Props for being a big seller. Prince has some good dance tunes, but as for an album that I'd sit down and headphone, it's not for me. I know this is nigh near blasphemy to lots of folks. :-D
I've never been a huge fan of Prince, but I can't deny his talent in producing massively popular pop songs. There's some classics on here, but did it really have to be a double album? The back half really drags in my opinion.
I like Prince and this album is good. However some of the compositions are a bit long. Other than the hits can’t see myself really good back to this often.
I just don't really like Prince that much. This is 'alright'.
They could never make me like you Prince
This is definitely the longest album so far at 70 mins, and it's not just the album itself. I was driving while listening to the middle songs, but they all kind of blended together to me. So many of them seemed to stretch out for a long time. Definitely felt like black dance music. Prince's singing is very good, I enjoyed listening to his voice and the smooth music that accompanies it. Overall not my favourite album, but there are a few songs I really like. Favs: 1999, International Lover, Little Red Corvette
So very Prince
This album starts out HOT. 1999 is once of Prince's best songs, and then he follows it up with Little Red Corvette and Delirious. The rest of the album isn't quite as good, but it is really consistent. Great 80s synthpop by one of the masters 4/5
Good quality pop but not my cup of tea.
Definitely a classic and deserves Top 1001 status. Talk about firepower right out of the gates! The album starts with the intro title song which is still in heavy radio rotation 40 yrs later, followed by massive hit "Little Red Corvette", which is followed by fan favorite "Delirious". The 8 minute "DMSR" (Dance Music Sex Romance) is a sing-along dancefloor filler with a killer beat and memorable lyrics. The album is cohesive and sounds fresher than the 1982 release date would indicate. It's a double album so it's a lot of music and some long songs are included. Other standouts and fan faves include "Let's Pretend We're Married", "Lady Cab Driver" & slow jam "International Lover". "Something in the Water" was unnecessary and "Automatic" is a bit redundant at 9.5 minutes, but those are the only flaws. Top 1001 deservedly, it has hits, it's still popular, it's influential, it broke him as a bonafide star & everyone knows the cover!
Don’t like prince couldn’t listen to the first 3 songs and stopped listening
First few tracks are absolute bangers. Could be a 10/10 but all the tracks are just way longer than they should be. And the last few just don't hit the same. Feels like realizing what sex really is Strong 8 to a light 9 Art: 6/10 You had work from 6-2, then class, then came home and chilled
I like Prince. He’s clearly an immensely talented artist that really had a vision for his work. And so I have no issue praising him for that vision and confidence that so clearly come through in his work. But I didn’t get this. It was too damn long. I mean my god - it was only 11 songs but somehow 70 minutes. So many of these tracks were just too damn long. Stuff that repeated and repeated until it became tiresome. The grooves were great, but even the best grooves can’t save a song that overstays its welcome. Prince is a genius, no doubt. And a lot of this was cool. It just overstayed its welcome and got a little too weird at times. Like I’m sure it all made sense in his head, but it just didn’t land for me. Three stars still because Prince, but beyond that I wasn’t sold. Also “Little Red Corvette” is one song I hear about a lot and I finally heard it and do not understand the hype. Please explain. Standout Tracks: Delirious, Lady Cab Driver
All great quality stuff, the sophistication and creativity above and beyond. Would be 5 star but not a sound that does it for me.
The Purple Rain one. Musical Genius. I actually had this album in my hands today looking through what’s left of my albums. First 3 songs take one back and still forward. Miss this guy.
Negative points for the songs that unnecessarily go on forever. Prince, like Bowie, sorry not gonna upvote just because.
No
Sex music but its actually good
Not my vibe.
Love me an extended album-cut funk jam! This one is just chock full of yummy goodness. Keep you moving all day! Many sounds and much excitement.
Somehow not as good as I remember it. 5/10
Classic album. Prince is always amazing.
Does Prince need an introduction? He is the King of 80's Pop Rock and Synth Funk and pretty much the King of the 80's in general, at least for me. I'm sorry MJ but you don't stand a chance against Purple Rain. But this isn't Purple Rain, so let's get back to talk about 1999. Prince's first double album and easily his most conceptual work yet. It's full of dancy Pop Rock and groovy Synth Funk with many very forward thinking moments and a few Experimental bits sprinkled throughout. It was at that point in his career his best album only surpassed by a handfull later on. It's just such an incredible album that does not feel like it goes on for 70 minutes with some songs being nearly 10 minutes long. It's just THAT good. The title track '1999' gets the album started with a slightly creepy spoken intro but quickly turns into a mix of Funk, Synthpop and Disco. It's full of incredible production, great vocal performances by both Prince and the background singers and it's just so fun to listen to with so many energetic moments. It's a perfect opening song and a perfect song in general. Hard to get much better than this. This is how you do 80's Dance-Pop! Second song 'Little Red Corvette' goes more R&B and even a little Pop Rock while keeping a lot of the sonic styles the first song introduced. The build up into the chorus is fast and makes the verses absolutely worth it. It's such a beautiful song with so many dynamic changes and energetic moments. His weird and crazy vocals towards the end are incredible and the details are overall done in very thoughtful way. It's another simply perfect song and one of the albums biggest highlights. 'Delirious' sounds pretty silly at the start but the Rockabilly influence in the delivery is just incredible. I am genuinely amazed by how he came up with that, this is literally the 50's but int the most 80's way possible. And the song is just full on amazing and stays as interesting towards the end as it did at the start. The synths are so cute, the vocals amazing and the lyrics are quite fun. This whole song is fun. I absolutely love it... Perfect song again. The much more Electronic 'Let's Pretend We're Married' brings in some moments from the Hi-NRG genre which was popular in the gay bars of San Francisco and New York in the early 80's and even if Prince was strictly heterosexual, the mix works quite well as this song is another incredible song even if it takes a bit to get started but that can be excused when THIS is what it turns into. Full of great moments, production, performances and what else there is to mention. Just a pretty much perfect song, again! It's just so much fun. 'D.M.S.R.' gets really funky with a very thick bass line and a very great vibe to it and it's even groovier than most of the stuff that was featured so far. The vocals are absolutely incredible with how they are layered and echoed. I just absolutely love this song from front to back. The instrumental parts that mainly put the synths in the forefront are just perfect with the few but effective melodic changes. The second half of the album is opened with 'Automatic', the albums longest song running in at nearly 10 minutes. The synths are really carrying this even if Prince is still killing it with his performance and the songwriting. It is a beautiful song through and through and even with the sheer length that this offers, it is really diverse with the sound and structure. I do think that a couple of moments feel a little bit streched but not that it harms the song too much, it is still incredible. The very New Wave sounding 'Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)' is weirly ethereal and even slightly Industrial while keeping the very clear Art Pop tendency throughout very present. The performance is again killer and Prince really perfects himself in some of the weird ways he is using his vocals to shine. I really love this song for the atmosphere but it just doesn't feel like it was completely thought through and perfected. It is a really great song but a couple moments desire for the song to build more into a final climax rather than just ending slowly. Still, a great song. The very strong and present Soul on 'Free' is something sonically completely different but of course Prince also makes an incredible song like this. The quieter backing vocals with his very "aching" voice adds a lot of emotional weight to the track which makes it one of the albums most dense tracks in terms of emotional depth but it also very much stands out with all the dancy and energetic tracks which does harm the song. If it was released as a single but was omitted from the album, the track would flourish in another light but here it just feels a little bit off. Or as a break after all the dancing but still... It is a great song but that's it. Luckily Prince follows it up with the very fitting and dancy 'Lady Cab Driver' which is very funky and I absolutely love the bass on this track. It is a little more Disco and Boogie but groovy. It's a really great song that feels very similar to something you'd maybe find MJ doing on previous records but I don't feel like it needed to be nearly 9 minutes. I know Prince wanted to go all out with this album and it definitely is his best yet but with songs like this I think he should've cut it a little bit. The bridge is nice but goes on for a little too long. 6 to 7 minutes would've done it more justice even if the guitar towards the end really uplifts the song as a whole, it's "just" a great song. 'All the Critics Love U in New York' is another really dancy, Hi-NRG inspired Disco song with some really well made moments especially in the chorus but it feels a little bit bland in comparison with some of the verses and instrumental parts but the strong moments make up for the slightly more average moments to make this at least a really good song but it is one of the albums weakest songs. The Smooth Soul closing track of 'International Lover' is a beautiful end to the album with a lot of R&B sprinkled into the vocals. It's a great closing track and a lot better than the other Soul song here and I do think that it's the second best song on the second side of the album but it doesn't stand a chance when compared to some of Side 1. favourites: 1999, Little Red Corvette, D.M.S.R., Delirious, Let's Pretend We're Married least favourites: All the Critics Love U in New York, Free Rating: decent 9 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes
It's undoubtedly a classic. Perhaps a smidge too long.
IT'S GOOD BUT I'M SO IRRITATED. ALSO WHAT IS THAT ONE TRACK. WHAT DID THIS DEVOLVE INTO. I AM DEEPLY CONFUSED. FIRST 4 TRACKS BRILLIANT REST NOT SO MUCH. 2.5/5 I AM CONFLICTED.
Some of Prince's best known bops are on 1999! Despite this being his fifth album, it is the album that truly put him on the map. He honed in on his unique sound, the Minneapolis sound, perfectly in 1999. The album opens with classic Prince songs, his fun dance bops. Then Prince delves into possibly what's best known for: his long and sexual jams. Holy shit, the order of "Let's Pretend We're Married"/"D.M.S.R."/"Automatic" is one of the best combinations in all of music. Regretfully, I am loath to admit that the double album that is 1999 goes for too long. Far be it from me to suggest Prince rein himself in, but I've always thought the second disc's second side could have been eliminated without suffering any integrity to the album. I proclaim my love for the song "International Lover" and its sensual lyrics (thank you for this gift, Prince), but the final 3 songs just go on for too long. If I were a stickler, I'd say this album is a 4.5, but I gotta go for a 5 for the genius that is Prince.
I can only imagine when this album was released. In the same way that we are seeing an electronic dance pop renaissance in 2024, Prince no doubt dropped this album in 1982 like a breath of fresh, freaky air in the funk genre. This album is so very forward-thinking; it no doubt served as a blueprint for many artists in the 80s seeking a funky dancey sound, and yet it still sounds so unique and incomparable to anything else. While this was not Prince's first great work, it was arguably his first great work where he pushes the creative envelope so much, jumps into uncharted music territory, and sticks the landing. This album would turn out to be a game changer for him as he moved forward in his career and continued to take this approach.
Now I can see why Prince was so popular. Compared to Singing O The Times, i enjoyed this album much, much more. The opening to this album is awesome, with 1999, Luttle Red Corvette, and my personal favorite, Delirious. This album is a sex-crazed synth party, and it's simple drum machines and repetative pop notes somehow works for me. It's very confident in its identity, so much so that the ending of Let's Pretend We're Married somehow feels earned and not cringe.
Tremendous! First three songs are true bangers!! Rest of album is funky and fun
I think I need a cigarette and an adult after this... ... although I think I liked it o_o 9/10 Would I listen again? Only if he buys me a drink first!
Funky com elevado clima travesso. Mas sem hit que conheço num fica muito interessante.
That was tough listening, again because I really thought that when I at some point I'd give Prince the time of day I'd absolutely love him, after only knowing Purple Rain (song, not the album) and loving it. For the second time I'm left sorely disappointed. 80s pop dross to be honest. Almost made it to the end but I just couldn't anymore. I'd love for someone to explain the attraction of prince to me. Maybe you had to be there.
10/10
Outside of the few hits, I wasn't vibing
International Lover
I'm not the biggest Prince fan but this album is probably the one I return to the most. Lots of really fun funky stuff here that is super impressively forward-thinking.
Funky! Prince is one of those artist I respect more than I like. He certainly doesn't lack for talent or confidence but I just don't gel with his music. Appreciate it though and think seeing it live would be stellar.
Starts off OK but loses steam after the first 3 songs. Too much electronic drum machine and the songs get longer and drag on. Would not listen again.
went into a fugue state and now my dick is purple??
STANDOUTS: 1999 Little Red Corvette OVERALL: 3.5/5; I wanted to like this more than I did.
First three songs were classics, then things headed south. Could have shortened majority of the songs, not to mention the trashy lyrics for lot of the album.
I learned that I am not a fan of him or his lyrics
This album was hanging onto a 2 only because of "Little Red Corvette". Then "Automatic" came on and it all went down hill real fast. I just don't get Prince, I don't get the appeal, either from his music or his style, none of it makes sense to me. This dude had a one track mind. All he talked about in this album was sex, sex, and more sex. This album was just awful. It didn't help that every other song was like 8 minutes long. You can hate me if you want but this dude was just not it. I do not understand why he is so revered if this is the stuff that he put out.
2, maybe 3, songs by Prince & then I'm done. several of these just ramble on, & on. I don't get the huge hype-too many falsettos, overly synthesized
Good album, "Little Red Corvette" is a certified banger, but it still feels like a rite of passage considering what Prince's career ultimately reached.
Starts off and finishes brilliantly but a bit self indulgent in between
For all the smooth buttery horny energy, this didn’t excite me very much.
Sexy