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.

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

That horny little man wrote some good tunes.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Automatic 5 stars

Pretty good album to juice celery to

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?

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

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

Its Prince. Its spectacular. Obviously.

Excellent Album

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.

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

Classic.

if you have to ask.. GLORIOUS

Real good!

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.

fuck yah

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.

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.

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”.

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!)

Sheesh. The goat

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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 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.

Take me with you... Where do we go, moment to moment? If thoughts were physical locations, the brain, a teleporter. What did we leave to be born? Is the uterus a revolving door between dimensions? Emerging, we are tiny astronauts out on a space walk, tethered to the mothership. Mama Placenta I am air, antibodies, food, and blood -- I was once your entire world. the entire earth in my belly. When it is time for you to leave, pack that picnic basket of essentials: shortbread cookies, potted meat, and celery sticks. Take me with you, but be sure to leave all of our disappointments behind.

Such an influential album

No question this gets a 5. It's Prince. It's one of the more formative albums of my childhood. Purple Rain was the closing song of every dance in middle school and high school. It's a classic, he's a genius and it deserves all of the stars.

Masterpiece. Prince at his greatest. Extended version of Purple Rain with the guitar solo 👏🏻👏🏻

Legendary. Sent me down the rabbit hole of watching live performances. His Super Bowl halftime show may never be topped. Best track: Purple Rain

🦹🏼‍♀️Loved the artist and all his quirkiness. Tiny man with huge talent. I’d put him up there as one of the best writer, performer and guitarist out there. I know he is in a band with Freddie Mercury right now fighting over who gets to wear the tightest, brightest, studded out fit. Rock on gentleman. Easier to list which songs I didn’t like-none.

Excellent album. Bunch of known songs. 10/10

Yes! Not a bad track on the album. The Beautiful Ones is one of my favorites.

Sublime.

Guay. Un 5.

A masterpiece that I have never listened to straight through.

Epic album. So many upbeat good groove bangers before possibly the greatest closing track ever. The more I hear this album the more I love it.

I forgot how great this is!

Well...

5.0 + One of my top 10 of all time.

The day before his deathiversary too, what timing. I miss albums that were more varied and dynamic like this.

a good first song - better than eurovision!

One of my favorite albums of all time.

A classic

Excellent album some iconic songs and a joy to listen to prince is a genius

A fantastic album. One of my favourites.

best concert i have ever seen. listened to this twice.

-Just a bunch of great songs -I liked "Let's Go Crazy," "The Beautiful Ones," and "When Doves Fly"

Perfect beginning to end. Amazing that the last song was from a live show

нет слов - одни эмоции невольно сравниваешь с Майклом Джексоном, на половине перестаешь и слова кончаются, начинаются эмоции

Episk

Classic!

One of his best. From open to close not a bad track on the album.

Fantastic album with great song endings

Timelessly good. Prince in his prime was truly a poet. This album is a masterwork.

Obv

ЧТО: Шестой студийный альбом короля ритм-н-блюза - Принса, который стал самым популярным альбомом в дискографии артиста, а также неким манифестом его уникального стиля. Считается одним из самых успешных альбомов в истории (чтобы было понятно, по миру было продано 22 миллиона копий). КАКОЙ: Лучший R&B альбом, что я слышал. Одно решение здесь выглядит безумнее другого. Весь альбом пропитан энергией провокации и сексуальности. Но смысл пластинки, конечно, гораздо глубже банальной провокации. В каждой песне подбор инструментов, звучание вокала, структура песен индивидуальны. Но общее звучание альбома вдохновлено каким-то готическим нуаром из бёртановского «Бэтмэна» (саундтрек к которому кстати тоже написал Принс). При этом сексуальная энергия борется как одна из сторон личности музыканта с другой стороной - религиозностью. Первое начало проявляется в бодрых гитарных риффах и вокальных изысканиях Принса (например, на Darling Nikki). Сексуальность вообще одна из главных тем в творчестве исполнителя. Религиозное же начало проявляется в использовании органа на некоторых песнях, а также в некоторых фишках, которые Принс делает со своим голосом: то он похож на госпэл, то звучит по-дьявольски (например, гроул (гуттеральный вокал; звуки, издаваемые за счёт резонирования гортани) на When the doves cry). Видны попытки избежать посредственности. Именно поэтому все на той же When the doves cry напрочь отсутствует басовая линия, что необычно для танцевальных песен. Интересно, что начинается альбом с некой небольшой интерлюдии в начале Let’s go crazy, а оканчивается долгим проигрышем и аплодисментами на Purple rain. Таким образом происходит своеобразное замыкание альбома на самом себе, по форме напоминающее цельный музыкальный перфоманс. Подводя итог, можно сказать, что Purple rain структурно и музыкально вовсе никаким нормам не подчиняется, по крайней мере он так выглядит; очень старается быть таким: ярким и неформатным, при этом штурмуя мировые чарты. Такое может себе позволить только поистине гениальный музыкант. О ЧЕМ: Тексты оплетают уже высказанную выше основу: единство противоположностей в душе Принса, выраженных сексуальной свободой и религией. Многие песни повествуют о прекрасном времяпрепровождении с любимым человеком. Но, естественно, всё не настолько целомудренно. Darling Nikki - вовсе история о безумном сексе, в которой Nikki - это дьявол. Последние реверсивные (здравствуйте, мистер Нолан) строчки показывают, что эта песня есть признание в грехах, перекликающееся с историей Фауста. Тут стоит упомянуть, что именно «Пурпурный дождь» стал поводом для появления знака Parental Advisory, обозначающего, что альбом содержит ненормативную лексику, либо тексты провокационного или непристойного характера. Вспоминая о прекрасной титульной песне Purple rain, следует сказать, что весь этот альбом является саундтреком к одноименному фильму. Вкратце: Принс учится исполнять роли бойфренда, музыканта, лидера, сравнивая себя со своим отцом, который не смог реализоваться, растерял все свои мечты и стал жестоким. При этом, сколько бы боли этот человек не вызвал в сердце, Принц все равно говорит, что любит его. Короче говоря, секрет в том, чтобы быть собой и верить в свои силы даже если больше никто не поддержит. ИТОГ: Во всех смыслах сильный альбом супер-звезды в зените славы. Справедливо названный классическим этот альбом затрагивает проблему неидеальности людей. Человек ошибается, но от этого не перестаёт быть человеком. Эта пластинка не только триумф Принса, но и манифест свободы и оригинальности, который покажется потрясающим до глубины души всем хоть сколько-нибудь мыслящим людям. ЛУЧШИЕ ПЕСНИ: Let’s go crazy, When doves cry, Purple rain.

listen more of Prince

It was pretty good, but everything sounded the same after a while.

Solid 5

Great album, great guitar work and an insight into genius.

Classic 80's album. Some excellent so gwriting with great melodies and arrangements, very much enjoyed.

A blast from start to finish. Get me hyped up just to cry when doves fly.

Classic! Not much else to say.

Prince is awesome

This is a classssssssssic album. Top 50 all-time across all genres

I mean. It has all the bonkers fun stuff of prince just having a blast. Bop after bop.

Great album. 5/5

The man and master. Prince is a marvel of modern music. We lost him too young. This is his masterpiece. This is one of the most obvious 5/5 in this list it's not even a question.

Prince's magnum opus

I've never really listened to Prince but this is bloody brilliant

It's Prince babeh

Super chill album

YES, THIS!! I've only come to appreciate Prince in the last few years, really. This album is a fav though. The tracks are all so varied, but so funky. Love it.

This album is prime Prince for me. He may have gone deeper lyrically on later albums, and certainly broke as much (or more) new ground sonically elsewhere, but PURPLE RAIN is nothing if not pure Pop/R&B genius.

5 stars, a perfect album

I love you Linn! I can’t believe how good this album still is.

15th June 2021 Listened on the living room speaker with jen during the afternoon after hanging my notice at GCF. It's Prince. It's purple rain. One of the best ever.

Classic

One of the best in one of his best moments. Amazing record. 💜

What, are you kidding?

Groundbreaking record. Just pure musical genius.

Dearly beloved...Let's go crazy listening to this album!

I swear I've heard every single song from this album covered by at least one other artist, I like these versions better

Really?