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

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.

prince is a strong contender for greatest musician of all time

That horny little man wrote some good tunes.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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?

Excellent Album

Classic.

if you have to ask.. GLORIOUS

Real good!

Its Prince. Its spectacular. Obviously.

fuck yah

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sheesh. The goat

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!)

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”.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

That super bowl performance tho

Episk

Such a great album!

One of the best ever!

Fantastic album with great song endings

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

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

A masterpiece that I have never listened to straight through.

Really?

Maybe I’m biased because of New Girl but this album was amazi by. Lots of special hits on it and although it was thoroughly 80’s, something about a few of the songs were truly timeless. Best of his niche/sub genre. 4.5/5

Absolutely loved this album, a real rock classic. I like the way the whole album is great and upbeat. This was also the first time listening to the Purple Rain song in the 9 minute variant. All I can say is… wow!

More musically interesting than most grunge.

All-time classic. All tracks are fire, and "Purple Rain" is my least favorite--saying something.

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.

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

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

Excellent album. Bunch of known songs. 10/10

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

Guay. Un 5.

Obv

listen more of Prince

5.0 + One of my top 10 of all time.

Solid 5

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

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

Classic!

Great album. 5/5

It's Prince babeh

5 stars, a perfect album

What, are you kidding?

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

I mean, come on it's Purple Rain.

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.

GOATED

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.

Well...

Classic! Not much else to say.

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

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.

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

One of my favorite albums of all time.

a good first song - better than eurovision!

Prince's magnum opus

Sublime.

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

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

Prince is awesome

Prince is a legend, and this album is legendary. A personal fav.

Tremendous. Triumphant. Transcendent. Fourth Tr word. I’ve never listened to this full album as the artist intended it. I have now remedied that frankly unconscionable failing. This is the sort of thing I signed up for with this challenge.

Damn HBO Max for removing the film after adding it only 3 months ago. This album is best experienced through the film. Despite this, Prince combines pop, rock, R&B, electronic, and dance and experiments with every known instrument and sound the human mouth can make, and you've got to appreciate how much each track differs must each other while still being glued together by Prince's voice, personality, and themes. There is a balance found in every song. There's never too much vocals or too much instrumental. Everything mixes so well, and despite all but one song go 4 minutes or longer, there's always something new and exciting to enhance the experience. Despite its popularity, I'm actually not too big of a fan of the opener "Let's go crazy", but I admit it's a great way to excite the audience for what's to come. I like the experimental sound and storytelling of "Darling Nikki," which as we all led to the creation of the Parental Advisory label (just for referencing masturbation). "When Doves Cry" is without a doubt my favorite Prince song, and quite possibly a candidate for one of my favorite pop songs of all time. Thank god for it being 6 minutes. I'm a sucker for New Wave, so "I would die 4 U" really resonates with my pop soul. Finally, "Purple Rain" smacks us with heartbreaking lyrics in the first half while the other half is a masterpiece in music composition, extending the story without a single word.

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

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

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

Classic

Groundbreaking record. Just pure musical genius.

One of my favorites

I now get Prince after listening to this album

Super chill album

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.

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

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