Purple Rain

How does something sound simultaneously so excessive and so uncluttered all at once? That crisp, clean, joyfully exuberant sound with not a note out of place speaks of an artist working expertly in the easy-to-espouse-difficult-to-achieve mode of Serious Play. And so the entire album is suffused with a sense of delight and playfulness, whilst not-quite holding at bay the melancholic void that sits at the centre of all hedonistic partying. In short: tremendous.

That horny little man wrote some good tunes.

Its a shit film by word what an album (or soundtrack). The cover is horrendous. But the Music is glorious and the album flows between frenzied synth driven Lets go crazy through the eclectic fantasy of Darling Nikki all the way to the greatest closer of all time; the masterful Purple Rain, all which instantly became iconic. To this day the greatest live performer I've ever seen. Unbelievably he actually has a better album then this (Sign O'the Times) but this is a masterpiece in itself from one of the most complex song writing geniuses of his time. 5/5

prince is a strong contender for greatest musician of all time

Taken together, all of the stylistic experiments add up to a stunning statement of purpose that remains one of the most exciting rock & roll albums ever recorded.

Prince fucks so hard, i want to do cocaine and have SEX

another album from the little purple pervert. i wonder if prince writes the music or comes up with his sex words first? i'm pretty sure everything he says is about sex and even when it's not, it is really. it must have made life difficult when normal conversation and making small talk sounds like you're going to mount someone like some sort of sweaty 80s stallion. prince: excuse me, what aisle is the ketchup in? shelf stacker: i'm going to have to ask you to leave the store sir, that is not appropriate way to talk to staff. Prince: but i just need some red sauce. shelf stacker: * crumples to the floor suffering from a monstrous orgasm* to give it some credit its got his big ones on it. they're super 80s cheeseball and i still don't get why he's so famous. is he massive because he was big in the 80s and he somehow didn't get left behind?

I really want to like prince but most of this was samey 80s pop. Couple bangers and Prince is great on guitar but everything else is meh

There are a ton of major singles that came from this album; let alone the fact that it helped his win multiple awards including an Oscar. Prince's powers are firing on all cylinders as he is showing diverse influences in a tightly produced album.

Listened to it twice, then went back to 1999 and then found a live recording from the tour promoting Purple Rain. Turned into a Prince day, and it was a better day for it! I think either this or MJ's Thriller have to be the #1 album of the 1980s, and while Michael arguably came out of the gate harder, P.Y.T. just doesn't sound the same anymore. And Thriller was borderline schlocky and cool kids were dismissive. But nobody dismissed Prince and Purple Rain. When MJ wanted ripping guitar on Beat It he called Eddie Van Halen. When Prince wanted some shredding on When Doves Cry or the title track, he just grabbed his axe. MJ wanted hits, whereas Prince had a vision and it was so distinctive and so fully realized that it sucked you in. MJ went to the mountain, but Prince made the mountain come to him.

What can possibly be said. It’s Prince. PURPLE FUCKIN RAIN!

Pretty good album to juice celery to

One of my favorite albums of all time. I find it thoroughly enjoyable throughout and consider it a perfect album. Prince's absolute zenith with his greatest lineup. Love pretty much everything about this album.

I didn't see this one and I don't have to listen to this because I know every word and every guitar riff, Prince will remain a wonder always.

His mission is transcendence, and as a what-you-see-is-what-you-get performance he succeeds. Everything is oversized, virtuoso. No drum beat is permitted unless it's the biggest, baddest motherfucker of them all. No emotion expressed if not in extremis. It coheres too, mostly around the concept of ALBUM AS EVENT. Or maybe ARTIST AS EVENT. And on that level I enjoy the shit out of it in the same way I enjoy a fireworks show. Turn up, happily gawp for however long it lasts, retire home. EVENT over. As for the aftertaste, I'm not so sure.

Sheesh. The goat

Brilliant funky pop. Possibly Prince's best and cohesive standard length LP (Sign 'O' the times being a double!). Not too long, superb "backing" band in The Revolution.

Automatic 5 stars

I happen to really like Prince; liked him when I heard him all the time in the 80s, and now as I re-listen to him, I'm blown away by the musicianship. Because there is so much to Prince that his guitar playing (he played more instruments than I can list, and he was a phenomenal guitarist) gets overlooked, but he belongs in the Pantheon of all-time great guitarists. Quite a bit of his music can be too dance-pop for me, but that's just a matter of taste. Prince rocked.

I approached this album with some preconcieved notions, even some trepidation, being an MN native and resident but not a huge Prince fan. I realized very quickly though that I had never listened to this album as a whole, and I really thought it was exceptional. The songs are well written, they hold together well, and his raw talent is showcased throughout, both his musicianship and his vocals. Purple Rain as the album finale is just epic.

Top 5 Guitar Player EVER. Sorry I never saw him perform live. OUTSTANDING collection of songs on this album!

Dearly beloved. God. Euphoria on this one. I like the little one.

fuck yah

Its Prince. Its spectacular. Obviously.

Real good!

if you have to ask.. GLORIOUS

Classic.

Excellent Album

There was a lad in our class at school who was obsessed with Prince. We always thought that was a bit weird. Even though it was only 10 years prior, it always felt like it had come from a completely different era. A sound so defintitively 80s. A sound that just felt ... old, and not very good. I can't say my opinion has changed very much. There's no denying that some of his music absolutely slaps ... but I just don't think it has aged very well. It's not organic enough to sound cool like 70s funk, and the technology wasn't there to keep up with the sounds that came in the 90s. It all comes with a very plastic, 80's edge. So I've always found it hard to get on the Prince hype train.

There are great albums, there are legendary albums, and then there’s Purple Rain. From the moment "Let’s Go Crazy" opens with its electrifying sermon-like intro, you know you’re in for something special. The energy is frantic & raw. The fusion of rock, funk, pop, and R&B is seamless - and Prince doesn’t just play within genres, he bends them to his will. More than an album, Purple Rain is a moment in time, an artistic statement, and a revolution all at once. It’s Prince at his absolute peak.

Honestly one of my favourite albums, by one of my favourite artists. I think he’s the most complete musician and performer there’s ever been. Sexy as fuck. Charismatic beyond belief. Writes it all. Plays it all. Sings it all. The movie to this album is so of its time, but adds some great context to songs that I probably liked out of nostalgia as much as I liked them because they were him. I honestly can’t speak highly enough of him or or this album. The album is 5/5. And then there are moments on it that are beyond that. Lets Go Crazy is the perfect way to kick this off. Darling Nikki is mad sex crazed. When Doves Cry is one of the exceptional songs that goes beyond a 5 for me. It also kicks off the second half of the album which is flawless. I Would Die 4 U is incredible and gets me emotional. Baby I’m A Star is actually one I prefer the live version of, especially at the superbowl. Then Purple Rain is one of the greatest songs of all time. Words cannot do this justice, nor can 5 measly stars. Deserves more.

Masterpiece of a pop album from start to finish. His Royal Purpleness crossed genres like no one before him and pushed the envelope at every turn. It’s one of the few albums worthy of listening to front to back without skipping songs, but of course there are standouts like “Take Me With You” and the driving “I Would Die 4 U”. Saying the song Purple Rain is Prince’s greatest is like saying Skynrds best work is Freebird or Zepplins best work is Stairway to Heaven. Prince kept everyone guessing and wanting more. Fun fact: play the end of “Darling Nikki” backwards to hear the message “hello how are you, fine, fine cause the Lord is coming soon, coming, coming soon”.

I’m convinced this whole album is an inside joke where we pretend it’s great. The song concept was 1. Prince sings about sex for a bit 2. Prince makes screaming sounds 3. Prince sings about sex for a bit more. All songs sound like something I’d skip in a fifa soundtrack. Also please don’t talk about my stepmother like that please Prince I thought you were gay anyway thank you xxx great voice though!

I have this on vinyl and have listened to it countless times. I don’t know how much I can say about this that hasn’t already been said. But Prince just had a magic touch, an air about him, that modern artists fail to recreate. Prince was bound to nothing other than the full potential of his expression and this album is the culmination of it.

This album takes everything that's good about 80's over the top cheesy pop, rock music and soul and puts it all into a melting pot. Catchy hooks, melodies and earworms everywhere. But underneath that pop surface it's just really great music. I bet there will be more little bits and pieces I pick up on with multiple listens too. Prince oozes charisma when he sings and I absolutely love when he screams the really high notes. He can't half play a guitar solo either. It's just full of solid tracks. The opener 'Let's Go Crazy' is a fast foot tapper, 'The Beautiful Ones' slows things down and builds to the aforementioned trademark Prince screams and 'Computer Blues' is essentially a 90 second song followed by a 2 and a half minute guitar solo. It's metal as hell. Speaking of metal. 'Darling Nikki' has a really heavy and filthy guitar sound which matches the track's lyrics. 'I Would Die 4 U' is my personal favourite. It's got a hugely catchy chorus that I'll be humming for ages. Now for some blasphemy. I'd never heard the full 9 minute version of the title track before, or even the radio edit all the way through. It's a good song, with another catchy chorus but I'd argue it's one of the weaker tracks on a stacked album. At the four minute mark there's a two minute guitar solo and it's great, but there's two minutes left! What else is there? I really hoped it would build to a massive crescendo and wall of sound with a blisteringly in your face solo, something maybe along the lines of 'November Rain'. Unfortunately it was the opposite, it just kind of fizzled out into a fade out. Still, it's a cracking album and one that I definitely should have listened to sooner. Upon first listen I thought a four was fair. Nah. I gave it another spin and it's an easy five.

-Strong guitar and vocals throughout -A top 20-25 album of all time -Some weaker points which drag on slightly (not often though) -Best Song: Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain -Worst Song: Take Me With U -Overall 9.6/10

Purple Rain 1999 and Sign ‘O’ the Times both got 4, but this is an easy 5; 9 excellent tracks, all done and dusted in a superbly crisp and enjoyable 42 minutes. Let’s Go Crazy is an absolute banger, one of my favourite Prince songs, and up there with When Doves Cry and Purple Rain, but the rest of the songs are great as well, with some superb hooks and melodies. I love the little acoustic guitar figure on Take Me With U, and it’s a brilliantly catchy song. I love the 80s power ballad vibes of The Beautiful Ones, culminating in some Macca-esque vamping. Computer Blue is another great song, the piano motif and drum machine rhythms excellently set up for the solo passage leading into Darling Nikki. I have some practical questions concerning the opening lines, but nonetheless it's a brilliantly smutty bit of 80 tiny sex man r’n’b. When Doves Cry always seems to be one of those songs that pre-existed the time I first heard it, the piano hook and whole construction of it just feels immediately right. I’ve always tended to overlook I Would Die 4 U, but listening properly now I realise what a great song it its, the shimmering drum machine/synth part and chorus melody picked out by the piano is super. I love Baby I’m A Star, a great bit of propulsive, energetic synthy disco funk, a great bit of sequencing before the brilliantly grandiose and widescreen Purple Rain. I do love Controversy, 1999 and Around The World In A Day, as well as Sign ‘O’ the Times, but this is probably his best, most consistently great album - every programmed drum beat, hook, melody and arrangement add up to a joyously great, undeniable disco-synth-pop-funk-rock classic. 🟪🟪🟪🟪🟪 Playlist submission: Let’s Go Crazy

One of my Top 5 favourite albums. Prince at his finest

Great album some filler but great hits and cool unique sound

It’s hard for me to *not* get emotional here. I’ll start upfront with the important acknowledgment: I know Prince was not always a good person. He elevated women on stage and behind the scenes, but treated some of them, including Sinéad O’Connor, like shit. But, on a gut level, it’s hard for me not to see Prince’s music as a symbol both for a very particular time in my life and the apex of an entire culture I lived and breathed. It started when I lived in Minnesota and a friend gave me a flash drive that opened my mind to a whole world of music I hadn’t give much thought about before, from Bob Dylan to Prince Nelson Rogers. And in the blink of an eye, I was still in Minnesota when he died, and overnight the symbol became a synecdoche. Every billboard was purple. But there’s a reason six million people, from the masses gathered outside the First Avenue in April 2016 (myself included) to the conservative dads I talked to around bluetooth speakers at their lake houses later that summer. let this represent them: it’s impossible to deny how good the music is. Let’s ignore the legend. How many albums have you heard before that open with anything more purposeful than “Let’s Go Crazy”? How many albums have you heard before that have as popular *and* weird a single as “When Doves Cry”? How many albums have you heard before that has a song that still lifts your soul out your body no matter how many times you hear it like “Purple Rain”? Prince used his insane guitar guitar skills, yalping vocals, and Linn LM-1 to make an album that I’d like to think would still be a favorite of mine - or anybody with any sense’s - all time favorite albums in spite of any larger than life personal significance. I know I’m being hyperbolic. Let me be hyperbolic once more: sometimes whenever I listen to just about any popular music I think “what’s the point in getting opinionated on this, treating this like high art?” Well, Prince wrote a song about a woman jerking off in a hotel lobby and it only reinforces my belief in pop music as high art every time.

Dig if you will the picture.

aw let's fucking go. we all know this album. but instead of being a trek because i have to write about things i already know (tbh it only felt like that for the wall because it's like 30 tracks), i can't wait to talk about this. TRACK BY TRACK 1 LET'S GO CRAZY. this is absolutely everything an opener should be. an epic intro to get you hooked, iconic lines, packed full of energy and it shows you what to expect (but with plenty of more not yet shown). this song is actual crack in music form. 10/10 also am i the only one who thinks those opening synths need to be sampled in some hypnagogic pop 2 TAKE ME WITH U. such gorgeous production and composition, how does this sound so crisp. the strings are so alive and the snare is so good. i don't really have anything to say about this song but it's absolutely incredible and no steam has been lost. 10/10 3 THE BEAUTIFUL ONES. yes. this song shouldn't work after those two energetic ones but it just does. beautiful keys and probably the best vocal performance by prince bar maybe only the title track. so gorgeous, so lush and so smooth until he goes absolutely crazy. the best example of those insane screaming vocals he is so good at. oh man. 10/10 4 COMPUTER LOVE. is the song good? yes lisa. is it as good as the first three? no but that was some bar to cross. groovy and the progression is great, such amazing production. this song actually grew on me hugely this time around. 9/10 5 DARLING NIKKI. this album is just so glamorous. amazing production, when this song gets going it really gets going, those synths are everything. i really like that weird ass sound collage ending too, it sounds like something bowie would tack on to the end of his songs, it's probably the most experimental part of a top billboard album. 6 WHEN DOVES CRY. i don't even know if this needs a bass anymore. it's so minimalistic yet so great, and when those synths finally come in it's so glorious. such a catchy and flawless song. it's perfect and to think it isn't the best song on the album is crazy. 10/10 7 I WOULD DIE 4 U. this is another one that just grows on me everytime i listen to it. i always liked it but i never felt like listening to it but it's just great too. peak production, catchy, amazing composition and instrumentation. 10/10 8 BABY I'M A STAR. he is. i've always been of the opinion that this sounds like every other song on the album, and it kind of does, but every song is the shit. this is packed with energy and it's just so fun, and it drives the album forward. it drives it so forward that we're really gonna need a hell of a powerful ending but idk if he has it in him. 9/10 9 PURPLE RAIN. what the fuck do i even say about this. if for even one second i remember this as being a bit cheesy or overblown i can just listen to it and get totally floored by it everytime. one of the greatest songs of all time. everything about it is perfect. the buildup especially to the best guitar solo ever, it genuinely sounds like ascending to heaven despite how fucking cheesy that sounds. guy sounds like an angel over the guitar. i can't believe this song exists. 10/10 an outright classic in every regard. there was no way this wouldn't be beloved by absolutely everybody, and i hate to think that it mightn't were it released now. sure it's probably the poppiest thing prince released but for most artists that isn't also their magnum opus because this album is the shit. everything about it is perfect and you can pretty much play it at any occasion for any mood at all. there is never a time where i don't feel like listening to it, when it popped up as my next album a huge dumb fucking grin grew across my face. absolutely stunning. 10/10

This album is incredible on a couple of levels. First, it is an actually great pop rock record (which is akin to a unicorn sighting already considering how oversaturated and unimaginative this genre is). And second, this little man made me care about vocals, which only a select few albums could do. You know, it's surprising to me how little fun music a genre that is supposedly all about catchiness produces. Most pop rock bands focus so much on trying to produce something that as inoffensive as possible that they forget to make it interesting. And unfortunately, considering how many successful pop rock bands there are, this strategy seems to work. Some of the most catchy music I've heard unironically comes from prog rock, which has the opposite of pop rock's philosophy of simplicity. Why? Because there’s a lot more artistic expression in that genre. Instead of following the norms, they break them if that means creating better art. I don't know, maybe 4/4 songs mathematically engineered to be the most basic shit ever because statistics tell that that's what an average Joe likes is not that fun for someone who listens to more music than just what comes up on radio. I'm not trying to be snobby, but it's just frustrating to me how little effort some popular bands put into their music and still remain successful. This album, however, is nothing alike. This is some of the most fun and exciting music I've ever heard. This is what the genre is supposed to be like but unfortunately isn't. I also don't find vocals all that fun, which is another huge discrepancy between me and an average listener. But Prince's singing is just so good on this record that I couldn't not pay attention to it. Such horny writing usually makes me cringe a bit, but Prince delivers it with such electrifying passion that it almost makes me believe that he's actually straight. Even through I have no interest in the subject matter this album presents, there's so much energy seeping through Prince's vocals that it's nothing short of contagious. There's a couple of laid back songs on this album that are not quite on the same level with the best bangers here, in my opinion, but even they have something to love about them, like that incredible screaming part in The Beautiful Ones, which a pretty mediocre track outside of that (yes, actual extreme vocals on a pop album). Honestly, what a ride. 9/10

Possibly the best album of the generation, and one of the best of all time. Masterpiece start to finish.

Desert island disc for me.

Computer Blue was awesome and I was unaware of its existence — radio songs are all all-time bangers. Easy 5

Let's Go Crazy The Beautiful Ones Darling Nikki When Doves Cry I Would Die 4 U Purple Rain

Full disclosure: I’m a Minnesota girl and Purple Rain came out when I was a sophomore in high school. My friends and I saw the movie in the theater and shouted every time we saw a MN license plate and sang along to all the songs. First Avenue was my favorite hang in the 90s and I used to see shows at Glam Slam. I’ve been to the place where Apollonia jumped into the water (spoiler alert: it’s not Lake Minnetonka) and I’ve toured Paisley Park. I didn’t really need to listen to this to give it 5 stars, but I did anyway and still love it.

An amazing iconic album - proud b raking of its time and solidified Prince's place in Rock/pop. A joy.. even if it is heavy 80's beat. You can dance to this, even if you don't - your feet will tap. (Miss you, Jody!)

A certified classic. The movie is bizarre but the songs are all non stop bangers front to back. With maybe the best song being the title track an undeniably rock anthem. Sexy, energetic and a complete beautiful vision of a rocker who was a one of a kind.

Incredible opener and mind blowing closer. Everything in between rocks out too. Not a miss on the whole thing. Everything works hard and works well. Not an ounce of fat. Love this album and love to listen. Beautiful beautiful beautiful. 5/5

I don't think this album is a 10, but 4 stars seemed too low. This album was solid, even great until the last track. If not for the title track, it would definitely be a 4. Purple Rain. What a song. 8 minutes of pure catharsis and beauty. Possibly my favorite album closer OAT. Without it this album would be good, but nothing special, but the title track just brings it that extra mile.

This album was shorter than I remembered. There is little to be said that hasn't been said though. A ton of hits came off this thing, most notably the title track. That song is timeless. At just 44 minutes, the only complaint is that I wish there was more. The movie is a weird one, but the music is pretty much perfect. Prince was stylistic, an influencer, and a true artist.

Let's Go Crazy Darling Nikki When Doves Cry I Would Die 4 U Purple Rain

It’s a classic isn’t it! Funky, funky and funky! Opening three or four tracks are as good as it gets! Hell yes!

Never listened to Prince before as I'd assume it would be cheesy 80s. Despite some outdated production, I was proven wrong. It has 3 great singles on here and the album cuts were good too. It has made me look forward to watch the movie just to see how the songs are featured. Only a 4 because a couple of songs were average.

Calkiem niedawno przesluchalem purple raina poza listowym chalengem, bo jesli artysta/albumik zawiera w sobie tyle referencji bizarnych, to cos musi byc na rzeczy, i dokladnie tak bylo, dziwne ze opis albumiku nie wspomina, ze nagrany zostal on za banda the revolution, jako ze nie mialem okazji poznac sie wczesniej na poprzednich albumikach princowych i jego karierze, to aspekty autobiograficzne zawarte w tym albumiku dla mnie nie istnieja, ale podobno sa, bo sama plyta jest soundtrackiem do filmu o takim samym tytule, co wyroznia albumik, charyzma i energia princowata ktora sie z niego wrecz wylewa, zwlaszcza na 3 ostatkich trakach, ktore byly nagrywane live, wiec tytulowy purple rain jest to wersja koncertowa, oczywiscie edytowana i overdubowana, ale jednak czuc zycie w tym co slychac, mimo ze to prince byl glowna sila sprawcza za konceptami, to jednak tutaj banda revolutionowa dala mu dobry backup do tych pomyslow zapewniaja silidne gransko, nieprzesadzana ilosc synthow, co tak bardzo boli pop tamtego okresu, co do strony lirycznej, to jest tak szczera, ze w niektorych momentach az obsceniczna, jak na traku darling nikki , wiec nie bez powodu byl demonizowany jako spiewany zbereznik, nie moge sie przyczepic nawet do wycia na the beutiful ones, jak zazwyczaj bym zrobil, bo jest to tak ekspresyjnie wyjcowane, nie wiem gdzie slyszalem take me with u, ale wydaje mi sie ze musiala to byc jakas giera lub hinska bajka, ewentualne kompozycja oparta na tym traku, bo sluchajac tego mam lekkie deja vu, leci na plejke, kolejny trak to when doves cry, no i tytulowy purple rain, ktory jako najdluzszy trak albumiku, 8 minut, jest spokojnym kloserem niespokojnego albumu, jesli jackson byl krolem czarnego popowego granska, tak prince niech bedzie princem w moim rankingu popowych legend

Ik ga even serieus huiswerk maken, want tot nu toe snap ik Prince niet (Sign 'O' The Times gaf ik een 2) en dit album scoort gemiddeld bizar hoog. Track 1: Lelijke 80's winkelcentrum popmuziek, maar het einde (de laatste 50 seconden ofzo) is wel gaaf. Bij dit soort tracks vraag ik me altijd af wat mensen zo geweldig vinden aan de muziek van Prince, maar bij die laatste 50 seconden wordt een tipje van de sluier opgelicht van wat Prince stiekem in z'n mars heeft. Waarom die eerste 4 minuten die goedkope 80's sound met die neppe drums en vieze synthjes? Track 2: Ook wat 80's, wel een stuk minder pijnlijke 80's. Dit nummer vind ik catchy en hoewel het op mij ook weer wat kitscherig overkomt vind ik deze wel tof. Ik weet alleen niet of ik heel blij ben met die vrouw die ook vrij veel meezingt. Prima nummer. Track 3: De verplichte ballad. Beginnen met een kopstem, daarna even een soort praat-/fluisterstukje om de vrouwtjes net dat beetje extra nat te krijgen, stukje instrumentaal, daarna nog iets gevoeliger en nog hoger zingen. Ik vind hier de synths wel leuk gedaan moet ik zeggen, al is dit niet helemaal mijn nummer verder. Bij dit nummer krijg je ook voor de eerste keer zo'n pig squeal waaraan ik letterlijk* kapot kan gaan (einde track 1 zat ie ook maar daar heb ik hem kunnen parkeren, ik wilde het rant-monster niet bij track 1 al van de ketting halen). Ik trek dat zo slecht. Ik zie nu al op tegen Purple Rain want ik weet dat ik daar nog een enorme hengst ga krijgen. Track 4: Ik denk het meest generieke nummer van het album. Ik heb hier weinig mee of tegen, behalve dat dit ook weer erg 80's is. De hairmetal-achtige schreeuw op het einde had voor mij niet gehoeven. Dat is een thema voor me. Track 5: Het gitaarwerk is heerlijk, de dubbele bassdrum is dik, maar het zit verstopt achter een laag drek. Ik voel me inmiddels al flink vies en vettig. Weer dat geschreeuw wat ik bij Prince slecht trek. Op het einde ontdekt Prince dat je dingen ook achteruit kan afspelen. Ja oke, mag. Track 6: When Doves Cry, één van de bekendere. Begint met een gitaarinleiding waardoor je even rechtop schiet. Gaan we daadwerkelijk echt genieten? Het enthousiasme wordt echter vrijwel meteen weer de kop ingedrukt met die Cyndi Lauper kutsynth en die neppe kutdrums met reverb. Voelt met vlagen als een George Michael track en dat bedoel ik zeker niet als compliment. Er gebeuren (zoals bij eigenlijk vrijwel alle tracks op dit album) op de achtergrond wel echt leuke dingen. Ook die gitaarsolo: dikke prima. De gelaagdheid is geniaal, maar ik vind het zo jammer dat ik door een laag drek heen moet om erbij te komen. Ik snap wel waarom dit één van de hits is. Track 7: Begint als een Mario Kart of F-Zero (SNES) nummer. Eigenlijk jammer dat er gezongen wordt. Relatief eenvoudig nummer, wel aardig. Duurt ook niet te lang. Voelt een heel klein beetje als filler maar dat is geen probleem, het is een redelijk compact album verder. Dat compact houden kan ook makkelijk als je 39 studioalbums uitpoept. Ik heb gegoogled. Track 8: We are family, I got all my sisters with me. Ik heb je wel door, Prince. Deze track wordt iets te schreeuwerig, een voorbode voor wat komen gaat. Fuck ik haat Purple Rain en ik hoor dat die inmiddels uit het magazijn wordt doorgeladen. Klik klak. Track 9: En daar is ie. Purple Rain. Voor 80% de reden waarom ik eigenlijk een hekel heb aan Prince. Het begint prachtig, misschien wel het beste nummer van heel het album. Het is meer als rock (wel met die vieze 80's snare maar vooruit). Op 2:34 gaat het voor mij mis en begint de haat. Het valt me nu wel op hoe kort dat I KNOW I KNOW momentje eigenlijk duurt, in m'n hoofd zingt dat altijd een paar minuten door en ga ik letterlijk* kapot namelijk. Daarna kan ik er nog maar moeilijk van genieten, ik blijf erin hangen, enigszins boos. Diepe hekel aan dit nummer, ondanks het serieus heerlijke gitaarwerk en verder prachtige outro. Conclusie: Een goed album, maar niet mijn album. Elk nummer heeft fascinerende dingen, maar helaas gebeuren die fascinerende dingen 9 van de 10 keer op de achtergrond, verstopt achter een heel lelijk, kitscherig en vettig gordijn. Prince had 10-15 jaar eerder deze muziek moeten maken, dan waren het stuk voor stuk geniale nummers geweest, niet verpest door jaren 80 techniek en trends. Ik ga wel een 3 geven. Ik heb er weer een keer wat bij gevoeld en dat had ik bij de voorgeschotelde keuzes van de laatste anderhalve week wat minder. * figuurlijk

It's interesting how an album can be totally groundbreaking at it's time and because of that have a huge influence on contemporary and following artists and then when you listen to it decades later, it feels like you've heard similar music millions of times before and that makes it sound uninteresting and uninspired. It's a 3.5 for me, rounded down because although it's not bad, it failed to grab enough of my attention. When Doves Cry is a really good song though.

Camp and overblown

Слушал-слушал, ну никак не зашло.

Read a band interview recently where they talked about trying to avoid songs becoming "overcooked", where they neurotically tinkered with songs to the point they sounded worse for it. Prince is the, er, King at overcooking. The songs on here were a lot better than the previous album we had but would have been far better if he hadn't thrown every idea and variation at them. They didn't need the extra verse or the outro with the slightly different melody. Needlessly padding the runtime and making it harder to listen to. I didn't hate this album but it was frustrating and annoying which would make it very hard to listen to again.

80er. Nicht meine Musik.

I'm that one weirdo that doesn't like Prince. Even giving the whole album an honest listen didn't change my mind. At first I thought I might dislike When Doves Cry because it's in A minor, but I love Stairway to Heaven, Rolling in the Deep, and Smooth Criminal. Maybe it's the lack of bassline? Honestly I don't know. Bordering on one star, but I didn't hate hate it.

So I'll get my unpopular opinion out of the way first: "Purple Rain" is an insufferable song. Long, tedious, overblown, 80s wank. Its popularity makes me question humanity. Like, maybe a world-ending asteroid or an apocalyptic strain of COVID wouldn't be that bad after all. Shut this dullard species down. Admittedly, Prince is a great guitar player. But everything else about this song amounts to conceited fart-sniffing of the highest order. Prince explained the meaning behind "Purple Rain" in the following quote: "When there's blood in the sky – red and blue = purple...purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/god guide you through the purple rain." That's the goofiest, pseudo-intellectual, religious horseshit I've ever read. Childish drivel that makes no fucking sense whatsoever. So the rain is blood. But where is this blood falling from? Is it clouds? If so, then there can't be a blue sky. Unless the clouds are also blue, which seems unlikely. Clouds are a mixture of water particles & ice, so if these clouds were raining blood, wouldn't they be red? Maybe pink? Blood would not fall from a blue cloud. And in order for it to rain, the blue sky must be covered by clouds. So where the fuck is this "red + blue = purple rain" bollocks coming from?! There's a reason Prince didn't visualise this concept in the album art. It's so silly that it would look like a comedy record. Something that "Weird" Al Yankovic would produce. Or a total piss-take album cover like Primus' "Sailing the Seas of Cheese". Personally, I think Prince wrote this gibberish to fool uppity music aficionados. It's his Andy Kaufman-esque troll job on the music community. Near the end of the song, Prince sings, "If you know what I'm singing about up here, c'mon raise your hand." Anybody who listened this this nonsense, internalised the words, and still raised their hand, was - and is - a cunt. On the plus side, "When Doves Cry" is a certified banger. A song so good that it justifies all the adoration from the Prince fan base. All the love for "Purple Rain" should be redirected towards this triumph. A masterpiece. Sadly, there's nothing else on this album that hits the same way. I'm sure "Darling Nikki" was edgy and controversial back in the day. But 40 years later it just sounds lame. "Let's Go Crazy", "I Would Die 4 You" and "Baby I'm a Star" are all fun, happy dance/pop songs. Perfectly suitable to a teenage house party; a spirited environment where young guys are looking to flirt with young girls - and vice versa. However, if this shit is playing during any all-male get together, it will only lead to a voluntary recreation of the Human Centipede (with optional, but encouraged, reach arounds). And the rest of this album is shit. Prince is obviously an incredible musician. He's got a killer singing voice, he's a top notch guitar player, and plays every other instrument as well. A true savant. But even with all that talent at your disposal, it's difficult to create truly timeless music. "Purple Rain" is an album full of songs written in the early 80s, for the early 80s, and trapped in the early 80s. It's a musical time capsule of cheese produced by a virtuoso of early 80s cheese. It's not my jam. 👎👎

Ghost busters meets horny Jimmy Hendrix

It's funny for this album to pop up now; I was thinking a couple days ago about how I have literally never listened to Prince and was curious what makes him such a popular artist. I've always assumed it had more to do with his persona and showmanship than his actual music. While I knew he was considered a good guitar player, I was not expecting virtuoso-esque licks in his songs. Regardless, I am definitely still not vibing with it. I have never been a fan of 80's synth/pop, and this is pretty much fits the bill. Weird to me that Foo Fighters covered a prince song. Not really a fan of either, just interesting. I do not understand how Purple Rain is a popular song. I want to give this a 2 star rating because of my own personal tastes, but this leads me to the thought of how my rating system is going to operate across these albums..... I have to also consider cultural significance and , so I'll probably give it a 3 instead.

C Let’s Go Crazy - 3 Take Me With U - 2 The Beautiful Ones - 2 The Computer Blue - 3 Darling Nikki - 3 When Doves Cry - 2 I Would Die 4 U - 1 Baby I’m A Star - 2 Purple Rain - 3 I expected much more from the supposed musical genius of Prince (he can play 27 instruments).

Eh, I really don't "get" Prince. I can appreciate that 'Purple Rain' (song not album) is fundamentally an impressive song, but I don't really like it. The rest of the album is a bit... screechy in places.

Great album, but this dude is too horny sometimes

Super smooth. One of my faves. My 1st or 2nd Fav. Sign O the Times is the nearest competitor. OK, yeah Sign wins, but both are in my personal collection and fantastic.

So, I can probably figure we've all got those albums out there that you love that you can just talk about forever. I sure have my share. There's Stevie Wonder's 'Songs In The Key Of Life', and The Beach Boys' 'Pet Sounds', and Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here', and Weird Al's 'Alpoclaypse'... So on and so on. Apparently Eminem's 'The Marshall Mathers LP' is one of them, given how long I went on about **that one**. And believe you me, I **love** to go on about things. I'm autistic, after all; info-dumping is as much a part of me as breathing or blinking. If I can babble about something... Hoo, boy! Yet, as much as there are albums I can speak at great length about, there also happens to be ones where... And let me be clear, it's not a matter of me feeling like "What do you **want** me to say? It's all been said before!" Of course it has; what matters is it's coming from you. Y'know? No, with some albums there's just this case of... What do I even **wanna** say about it? I mean, right? And it's not that you haven't thought about why an album's good or your favorite. But how good can words by themselves really be? There are just some albums out there where you can talk forever and ever and ever about them, and it'd never stack up to just playing the dang thing. Where do I even **begin** about it? What foot do I lead off on? And Prince's 'Purple Rain', by all accounts, is one of those albums. Simply put, it's the greatest album Prince would ever make. Which, in a catalog like his, which also contains stuff like 'Dirty Mind' and '1999' before it and 'Sign "O" The Times' and the "love symbol" album afterwards, that's saying a **lot**. And given the regard it's held in to this day (last I checked it was top 10, maybe even top 5, on the last Rolling Stone 500), it can feel a little daunting to try and tackle it. But you didn't come here to read me wring my hands about this. So, hey, I may as well give it the best shot I can. If I can write over 1k about albums I'm not even fond of, I can write about this one. So. DEARLY BELOVED. WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS A LITTLE THING CALLED 'PURPLE RAIN'. AN ELECTRIC ALBUM, 'PURPLE RAIN'... Let's start at the beginning. Fittingly enough, my first introduction to 'Purple Rain' was through film — and not even the one it's a soundtrack to. I mean, if you get technical my first encounter with the album was Weird Al's "Let's Go Crazy" soundalike "Traffic Jam", but let's keep on track here. The first time I ever heard anything from this album was in the film 'KIngsmen: The Golden Circle.' It's a fun film, but clearly not as good as its predecessor. I mean, 'The Golden Circle' tried many times to match the last one's "Free Bird" sequence, but I don't think any of the attempts ever **really** quite got there? Except for the first one, scored to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy". Now, to this point, in 2018, I was not exactly a Prince fan. For the longest time, when I was younger and gave more of a shit about this kind of thing, I'd held a grudge against him for how he'd denied Weird Al's parody ideas. "How dare he not wanna hear his song turned into 'When Eggs Fry'!" Even after he'd passed in 2016, it's not like I felt too inclined to get into his music. I thought it was a shame he'd passed, and the same year as Bowie no less (who I also wasn't listening to yet), but... Eh, I had enough on my plate. And, in fact, after I watched 'Kingsmen: The Golden Circle,' I wouldn't **really** get into Prince until Summer 2020 (where I fell in love with the love symbol **hard**, and still remains my most-played Prince album by individual song plays). But back to when I heard it in the film. I just remember being blown away by it. The drive, the energy... The whole performance was absolutely electric. And when it got to that big, unaccompanied guitar solo at the end... It felt like a bomb going off. The part that followed it felt like the cloud rushing in to, indeed, "TAKE YOU AWAAAAY!!!!" It quickly entered my regular song rotation, and I jus'... Damn loved it every time I heard it. Fast forward to September 2020. After two years I'd finally gotten into Prince and was more regularly listening to his stuff, and I really loved it. And, hey, look what just got added to Crave (a Canadian streaming service, for y'all who don't know): the film 'Purple Rain'! Well, hey, I like the album a lot: why not finally give the thing it was made for a shot, huh? It would only be fair — especially given how much I'd read the mini parody in 'MAD'. And let me tell you, the film 'Purple Rain' is... Sure the best film Prince would ever make. I mean, when your competition is 'Graffiti Bridge' and 'Under The Cherry Moon', it's not hard. But seriously, folks, 'Purple Rain' is a good enough, low-budget star vehicle. Prince's character is... Kind of an incredible asshole, but I feel like that's really the worst thing I can say about it. Plus, I mean, I hear it's accurate to how he was in real life towards Wendy and Lisa, so... Bit of a dick move to put it on the big screen, my man. But if there's any reason you watch 'Purple Rain', it's not for the actual plot. Why is this woman stripping naked for Prince? Who knows! What you're here for is the **music**. And... Boy howdy, what sweet music it is. If you think it's good now, watch 'Purple Rain' and get a glimpse at Prince and The Revolution playing it on stage. Goodness me. And, yeah, it's finally time to address the music. This has to be, without a doubt, one of the strongest, most tightest packages of songs of the entire 80's. From the moment it begins to the moment it ends, it never stops hitting you with **hits**. I already talked a little about "Let's Go Crazy", but seriously, I need to bring it up again just to tell you how incredible of an opener it is. That whole "DEARLY BELOVED" sermon with the synth organ backing it — already it makes the whole album feel huge. Like you're not just about to listen to an album, but have a whole damn **religious experience**. And then the rest of the band kicks in and, oh, it just goes **off**. Talk about going crazy! The version heard on the album is actually shorter than the one in the film, and it actually had to be cut down (alongside "Computer Blue") in order to fit "Take Me With U" on the album. But I don't mind: it's perfect like this. An absolute blast of energy to kick the party off. And then I really could talk at length about every other song on this album. I mean... Just take "The Beautiful Ones". This is a song my group's already encountered thanks to the cover Mariah Carrey did on 'Butterfly', and believe me, I still think that cover **pales** in comparison. You ask me, "The Beautiful Ones" just ain't "The Beautiful Ones" unless you're screaming in desperation. That "DO YOU WANT HIM??!!? OR DO YOU WANT MEEEE?!!!!?" And then that pause where I can just feel the following line bubbling up inside him: "'COZ I WANT YOOOOU!!!" It's a great show-off of his vocals. Then we got "Computer Blue", which, 'ey, is sure a weird little number, isn't it? And it was damn 12 minutes before "Take Me With U" got added to the running! And I think it's here, with this song I especially, where I wanna point out how good The Revolution is. Now, Prince is an absolute mother of a multi-instrumentalist. If he'd wanted to play this whole album by himself, I'm sure he would have. But it should not go unappreciated the kind of energy a band like this brought to Prince's work. Here on "Computer Blue", with how wild and all over the place it is; or later on the siamese twin songs "I Would Die 4 U" and "Baby I'm A Star"... And, hell, it extends all the way to 'Sign "O" The Times" with "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" and "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night". I could spend all day gassing up Prince as a musical auteur, but like all those kinda guys, they probably wouldn't be nearly as great without the other people behind the scenes. Especially Wendy and Lisa, goodness. And if I could say a brief word about "Darling Nikki"... Once more, I enjoy his desperate screams... And I very much enjoy its place in music history as "the thing that led to the Parental Advisory sticker." Hi, Mrs. Gore! But anyway, "When Doves Cry". I think most everyone is well aware of this song's trick: that there's no bass. But don't let that little gimmick distract you from the fact that it's still a hell of a song. You'd really never notice there's no bass in the back with the performance Prince is giving. All the various vocal layers, and the guitar solos... I am absolutely not surprised that this became one of the biggest hits off of this album. Like, gawd, it kind of feels like he's showing off here; like "Yeah, I **am** that good, what of it?" In fact, I think it might be the only one on the album where he's the only one playing? So, hey, as I said above... But yeah, it's absolutely my second or third best song on the album, depending on how I'm feeling about "Let's Go Crazy" that thing. Though even as good as those two songs are, neither of them stand a ghost's fart of a chance of dethroning the absolute best song on the album — hell, the absolute best song Prince ever made, as much of a cliché as that is to say. And of course, it's here, with this song, where I return to my problem from the top: what do I even wanna say about "Purple Rain"? What **could** I even say to try and capture such a song? I mean, in mere words? No way. No damn way. If any song on this album truly qualifies as an experience, it's this one. Apocalyptic in its imagery, and absolutely a little melancholic, but soaring nonetheless. The solo on this song... Untouchable. The "HOO-HOOO-HOOO"s at the end... Magical. And, jus'... Jeez, I am actually struggling to think of more I wanna say about this song. But I can't! You just need to hear it, if you somehow haven't already. Bathe yourself in it. Hell, if you've already heard it, do it again. It's never not awe-inspiring, no matter how many times I've heard it. And it's more than enough argument by itself why this album is not only one of Prince's greatest, or one of the 80's, but of all music. You don't make an album with a song like "Purple Rain", and you sure as hell don't **name it** after that song and not make it one of the best to've ever existed. And would you believe I've written this much and haven't **heard** the album yet as I'm typing this sentence? Goodness. What more could you possibly want me to say at this point? I'm sure there's a dozen or so things about this album I'm missing out on, but that doesn't change the fact that, like I said, there's nothing that can really compare to just listening to this album. Even watching the movie isn't the same as putting the album on. If you're looking for any reason why Prince was as beloved a figure as he was, you're bound to find at least several here. Like, just consider this fact: to this day, I'm probably still more a fan of Prince's rival Michael Jackson. Something about MJ's music just appeals to me more. But — save for maybe 'Off The Wall', Michael doesn't have a single album in his discography on the level of 'Purple Rain'. You could debate elsewhere, but here? Even up against 'Thriller', 'Purple Rain' clears. And I love both of those albums dearly. So... Yeah. If 2k words worth of rambling hasn't convinced you to check out this album (if you somehow haven't already)... Just dang do it already. And for real, even if you've already checked this album out, try it again. There's almost nothing quite like it. So, please, close your eyes and let Prince guide you through the purple rain.

Prince was on one hell of a run in the 80s, which culminated into one of the greatest movie soundtracks of all time. Solid 6 Stars, if that were possible.

Holy fucking shit. I said it when we got “Sign ‘O' The Times”; I’ve always been an MJ guy and not a Prince guy, which is to say I’ve always treated Michael’s albums with incredible reverence, and only given the same reverence to Prince’s big singles. Much like back then, this album has made me realize I am a moron for not approaching Prince’s albums in the same way. Somehow, someway, perhaps through either stupidity or some level of buying into the “feud”, I have never heard this specific album in full. Don’t get me wrong; it’s too ubiquitous in pop culture for me to know nothing about this. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life” & the rest of Prince’s opening speech is one of the most famous verses to start an album ever (though I’ve somehow never heard the rest of the brilliant madness that is “Let’s Go Crazy”), and I think everyone is at least aware of “Purple Rain”’s opening chords & the monstrous guitar solo to end it. I think it’s nearly impossible to have avoided “When Doves Cry” if you’ve heard any ‘80s playlist ever, and I’ve somehow managed to hear “I Would Die 4 U” without knowing it ever transitioned into “Baby I’m a Star”, which further cements my utter ignorance about this whole thing as an album experience. I mean, what can you really say after listening to that album? Not one miss, not a single bad chord, not a single bad drum hit, and not a single bad note. You wanna talk about notes? Let’s fucking talk about the fact that Prince screeches out his passion in a way that’s infectious as hell. I knew this album leaned a little more into the glam rock sensibilities of the 80s, but I never realized it was THIS deep. His vocals on this thing are a fucking marvel, and it’s made me realize just how much Michael Jackson suddenly thrust some of Prince’s DNA from this album into his own style for everything after Thriller, and most obviously on Bad. Look, someone else can write paragraphs on paragraphs about this thing; the synth work, the percussion, the guitar (my GOD, the guitar), the near-perfect structure of the album, the overt horniness of “Darling Nikki”, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I can’t do it. I’m just stunned. I’m slapping myself for never giving Prince a fair shake when I was first really trying to get myself into music a decade ago, and I’m slapping myself for never listening to this album in full when I could’ve had the chance all these years later. This is that damn good; I think for my tastes, it’s better than “Sign ‘O’ The Times” on account of the length & energy (though the fact that it’s even in the conversation is a testament to that album), but I’ll let other people say if it’s better than Thriller. That’s a debate I’ve got too much bias on to put my two cents into, but I will at least say this – “Purple Rain” is a far, far, far better closer than “The Lady in My Life” is, and I still love the latter. Hydrogen bomb / coughing baby type shit. This album is a 10, by the way. Maybe higher. I figured that was obvious. Fucking hell.

Top notch music. Prince is not just a prince, he's a King

This is an album that truly deserves its place on the list. You don't need to know about its place in history or even much about Prince. It's just beautifully put together with some very strong songs.

1001 Albums Challenge (16/1001) 1. Let's Go Crazy (5/5) 2. Take Me With U (5/5) 3. The Beautiful Ones (5/5) 4. Computer Blue (5/5) 5. Darling Nikki (5/5) 6. When Doves Cry (5/5) 7. I Would Die 4 U (5/5) 8. Baby I'm A Star (5/5) 9. Purple Rain (5/5) Total (5/5)

…Look, it’s Purple Rain, what more do you want me to say?

I remember when I was a kid and I’d see a Prince video and be so confused as to why a dude would wear fishnets. I swore he was super gay. But I understand that he laid pipe quite often with tasty looking dames. Everyone has heard this album. Even if they haven’t, Purple Rain they have heard. Purple Rain itself makes this album a 5 star. That’s a rare feat. Somewhere after this Prince fell off but his legend is still moving on. Choice cut: Purple Rain

the most fundamentally perfect funk-pop record that has been and will maybe ever be - i see now even more than i did before why this was so immediately vital to the cultural fabric and zeitgeist of both the decade and the artform.

I've heard the hits so many times. Too many times, one could say. But the album tracks are really excellent. There's really no reason to give this less than a 5. The overplaying of radio hits, in this case, doesn't diminish how great those hits are. Prince lets out a piercing scream towards the end of 3 songs in a row (The Beautiful Ones, Computer Blue, and Darling Nikki), there's ripping solos, and then some killer double-bass happening on Darling Nikki that I've never noticed.

Deserves all the recognition it gets as one of the best albums of the 1980s (if not THE best). There isn’t a bad song in the bunch, and most of them are absolutely stellar. It’s a just about perfect combination of rock, pop, punk, R&B, and gospel-tinged funk rolled into 45 minutes of supersonic grooves and two of the best ballads in Prince’s songbook. What else can you say about an album that displays an unwavering faith in God while also provoking the wrath of the PMRC other than it has range?

Great. I think "Computer Blue" is the only weakness, and it's still pretty decent.

5/5 - Dearly Beloved, I am here to tell you that you need to hear this because it’s so damn good. I was too young when this came out to really get it, but even now, this is an exciting album. The funk, the sex, the guitar, the pop vision all in one package here.

Phenomenal. Every song works so well by itself and part of the album. In addition to the iconic two, special shoutout to let's go crazy, computer blue, darling Nikki, and baby I'm a star.

It’s a five even though it reminds me of an ex. That’s how good this album is.

Heard it before. Genuinely one of the best albums ever made and 100% an album everybody should hear before they die. A true masterpiece and if you purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka you will also appreciate the movie 5/5

His best Album, imho. More organic, more rock and really good Songs. Fav: When doves cry

I've already listened to his album (16). Not the biggest Prince fans, but it's impossible to deny this Purple Classic.

Album en tout point exceptionnel. Le goat de la pop des années 80

💜

What can you say? Prince was the best; this is peak Prince throughout, so many timeless tracks, I don't even need to keep dabbling on

actual music god

loved it

One of Prince's seminal albums. Classic in every sense of the word.

One of my 10 favorite albums. Only about half of my top 25 are on this list, so what a joy it has been to spend today with Purple Rain on repeat. I didn't understand or appreciate Prince until I was well into my 20s, but these songs all have a special place for me. The storytelling, craftsmanship, atmosphere, and inventiveness of each track is a wonder. Truly one of the most gifted artists of our lifetime. Not many others can create pop music that moves your butt and your heart, while also being musically complex. I'm of the opinion that this is the greatest pop album ever made. And let me just save a line or two for the title track. That sucker is 9 minutes of perfect notes, guitar tones, vocal flourishes, surprising timing that gives it a "performed live every time" feel, rises and falls, use of silence and volume, emotionally moving singing, wonderfully enigmatic and yet universal lyrics. The way it builds and climaxes never ever fails to not raise the hair on my arms. Is it actually my favorite song ever? It's at least in that kind of conversation. The five-est of five star albums.

Perfect album.

Masterpiece

literal perfection.

Prince is for sure is Goated. His music is always amazing.