Purple Rain

Its a great fucking album! Purple rain, purple rain, yeah Purple rain, purple rain, wooo! If you know what I'm singing about up here Come on, raise your hand Purple rain, purple rain, yeah I only want to see you Only want to see you in the purple rain AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Sublime

Some legendary stuff but a couple of songs not so good that see it fall short of a 5.

First side of this album is good, but not great (Let's Go Crazy aside). Second half is an absolute masterpiece. Purple Rain the best album closer of all time? Don't think we've had much better so far, close to 600 albums in. I think it's probably about level with Sign O' The Times - that had the more varied, more interesting overall sound, Purple Rain has the bigger individual hits. 4/5.

How the doves cry

It's ok I guess. Nice 80's pop album. Both Prince's songs I've known before are part of this album.

rife with jams

Great album and of course a fantastic ending.

Lots of great songs and Lets Go Crazy is one of the all time feel good / get ya goin bangers.

Enjoyed it. Takes me back

bangers

One of those super famous albums that I've never actually listened to. It was good, but I liked the singles I already knew the most. I think I liked 1999 better. But still good

A national treasure. I doubt there will ever be a better Superbowl performance than Purple Rain. Even though it's not my thing, it's impossible to not appreciate the artistry on this album or treat it as anything other then Genre Defining

Classic Prince

74/100

Much better than I expected.

Good. First prince album I’ve listened to

Inventive

How iconic do you have to be that people think of you when a COLOR is mentioned?

Not my favorite genre, but you can see why this album elevates itself above others from this time and genre. Immense skill on their instruments and quality songwriting

Great album

Fav Tracks -Lets Go Crazy -Purple Rain

Now That's What I Call Prince!

Incredibly culturally significant but not all the way up my alley.

Prince. I find about 20-25% of his music absolutely amazing and pretty much everything else ranging from mediocre to down right awful. This album really doesn't have anything awful, but a few songs are just ok. It's also one of the few albums I will listen to in it's entirely. It's a 3.5 but I'll round up for my love of When Doves Cry and Darling Nikki.

There’s no denying Prince was talented and unique, and a great entertainer. This was a good album, but I’m not sure if I can say that I loved it. It was still worth the listen.

This is such a great album on its own, but also one of the great movie soundtracks of all time. The movie itself wasn't particularly great, but the album became the soundtrack of 1984, it was so huge at the time. The songs are musically creative and wide ranging, but tightly arranged and beautifully cohesive as a whole. Ultimately the album is just so much fun to listen to. It's funky and soulful, frequently hard rocking, sometimes straight up weird, and never boring. Three of Prince's best songs reside on this album, and it's tempting to give it an outright 5, but there are a few throwaway tracks that keep this album at a solid 4. When he gets it right though, it's masterful. Fave Songs: When Doves Cry, Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain, I Would Die 4 U, Baby I'm a Star

I’ve never really listened to prince, which is definitely a musical blind spot of mine. I definitely like it so far. Computer blue had some great guitar.

This cat could ball, man.

4.25

Pop. Venga, un 4 por Purple rain.

This is a big classical album by Prince and certainly one of his top 5 if not top 3 albums. Much has been said about it. I find some of the outros of some of the songs a bit irritating. Hence I give it 4 out of 5.

It's good. The title track is amazing and has one of my all time favorite guitar solos. There's some other classics to be found here as well. I do think that some of the deeper cuts are a little lacking. Overall I'd say that this is a really good album, albeit a bit overrated

i have learned to appreciate my boy prince. could do with a few more guitar solos though.

Can I just say I’m an asshole for not liking Prince all these years?? I literally thought it was just crappy glam pop and that every song would sing like that Corvette song or Purple Rain, and I was so wrong!! I didn’t realize just how rock he really is, and the fact he started out playing alllll the music and producing himself as a teenager?! Mind blowing!! This album has a lot of synth in it, which gives the full 80s vibe, but it’s such good background music at home. Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: maybe Favourite Song: Computer Blue

familiar with this album and I have always thought this was his best work. shows Princes skills.

Prince is obviously one of the best guitarist ever and its shown in this album and he expresses himself and his playing so well that everyone should like this album no matter what your into. The album just has that feel of satisfaction because of the amazing sing writing and lyrics. This album is a absolute classic among rock and pop and everyone should give it a listen.

Awesome mainly upbeat fun album. Great guitar obviously and loved the drums. Some vintage 80s sound. So great ending the album with purple rain. Rating: 4.4

Alright, game on. Prince has always felt like a bit of a blind spot in my music knowledge, so looking forward to diving in here. That was great. Short and sweet. Very fun, Purple Rain is as epic as everyone tells me.

It's good, not quite rock. More comparable to pop but obvious why people like his music. I wasn't familiar with any of these, even purple rain

Very silly and fun album. The very end section almost sounded like Ganon's theme from zelda. It sounds great and it's extremely horny. First time ever listening to Prince and I can see why people liked him. Score: 80 Art: 80 It's awful and great at the same time

This was even better then I remember. Besides the well known songs, I really liked some of the other ones.

Ganz okay, Purple Rain ist der Hammer

lots of screaming i loved it

Good album. Very musically interesting, didn’t get bored listening to it. However I’m not a huge huge fan of that 80s sound. Top 3 tracks: Darling Nikki When doves cry Purple rain

Earns its reputation as one of his best and most eclectic.

это хороший альбом к середине крика стало слишком много, ну больно прям но в остальном шикарное музло

С Принсом у меня сработал эффект Манделы. Долгое время (до прослушивания этого альбома вот сейчас) я был уверен, что Принс - это второй Майкл Джексон. Ну вот эти вот, заводные поп-песни с запоминающимся ритмом и экспрессивными танцами на сцене. Ну ладно, на самом деле, от истины я недалеко глобально. Но не в этом альбоме. Во-первых я не знал, что существует одноименный музыкальный фильм, саундтреком к которому пластинка и является. Эдакая фэнтезийная автобиография самого автора. Во-вторых, альбом пытается быть лирическим. Не под каждую песню здесь можно "оторваться на танцполе", иногда хочется сесть в кресло с бокалом чего-нибудь хорошего и задуматься о вечном. Конечно же, лучше всего это применяется к одноимённому синглу, который наверняка многие слышали. В общем, не так всё просто с этим Принсом. Кстати, с Джексоном, нетрудно догадаться, у них было соперничество за покорение музыкального Олимпа. Нашёл хорошую цитату по этому поводу в интернете, из допроса Пола Гонгавэра, заместителя директора AEG Live: "Прокурор: Сколько концертов планировалось дать? Гонгавэр: Мы заключили контракт на 31 концерт. Прокурор: Почему было выбрано такое число, вам известно? Гонгавэр: (улыбаясь) Да. Принц дал 21 концерт на арене O2, и Майкл хотел дать на 10 больше". Альбому ставится крепкая (!) 4+ за просевшую середину. Как-то она мимо меня пролетела, постфактум тексты прочитал - ухмыльнулся.

OMG - saw Prince in San Fransisco 1982!

Fun and dynamic and even gets to edgy at times. "When Doves Cry" and "Purple Rain" are master classes in how you to make pop music sound serious – near Platonic ideals of such elevations and the title cut is how the end of a "serious" pop album should sound; one wishes one'd heard more of Prince operating in this elegaic, classically-inflected mode during his career. There's some dreck here, to be clear, "Computer Blue" is the dreckiest cut, though the guitar playing is decent. Much the same could be said of "Darling Nikki." One has always found "Let's Go Crazy" to be overrated, and a spot annoying besides, but one gets why less distinguished palettes might like it. "Baby I'm a Star" sounds very much like minor variations on nearby cuts, an outtake with different lyrics. "The Beautiful Ones" is seriously underrated – Prince's ability to do sexual yearning so convincingly might have been his superpower (or one fo them). And "Take Me with U" and "I Would Die 4 You" show Prince's versatility and are awfully good to be the 5th and 4th best songs on the record. One feels not all compromised in his assessment by the fact that a highly memorable high school date was had on the opening night of the movie; one sees and hears the record clearly for what it is, lo these many years hence.

Top 3: Darling Nikki I Would Die 4 U Purple Rain

such a fucking bopper. Shout out the buddy prince. shout out my mom who saw prince live in concert

Prince is not one of my favourite musicians.., but c'mon... it's "Simple Rain"

Really horny. Good stuff tbh.

Great listening, first real deep dive into Prince.

Me impresionó lo creativo de la música y la voz de Prince.

"oh hey its starting to rain" "does it look purple to you?" "huh, it does" "ooh ouch this rain is kinda hurts" "the emotional distraught one feels upon the loss of a loved one can be immense, i don't even just mean death, it could be a break-up, two friends drifting apart, a disagreement in one's core beliefs, i hope you can fill this hole safely and with good company, i am here if you need anything" "i think this is acid rain" (fav songs: take me with u, when doves cry, i would die 4 u, purple rain)

I’ve never enjoyed this album as much as I feel like I should. The Beautiful Ones, Darling Nikki, When Doves Cry, and especially the title track are all fantastic but the rest doesn’t really do a lot for me. However it is such a monumental record from one of the most iconic artists of the 80s, with such an important legacy in the history of popular music that I feel like to give it any less than a 4 would be an injustice

Great album, love all the cool synth stuff and the song writing is top notch.

Banger

I loved the opening, ending and all throughout. It is so obvious how much talent Prince has, both vocally and instrumentally. I love the 80s sound in each song. If I had one critique, which I do, occasionally some of the screamy parts were a little confusing. It is no doubt that this album is one of the most influential and talented. 4/5, 9/10.

Man this album was huge - it was also a bit of an eye-opener in terms of seeing/hearing Prince's elite musicianship. But then - and still now - it kind of pains me how sleek the production/mix often is. I lived it :D - it was *definitely* a product of the times with the glossy synths etc but not far underneath is a collection of perfect pop-rock hits that I always end up wanting to hear more of. It's kind of a mandatory album to "understand" the 80s - I still wouldn't say I love it (rock/raw remix someday??) but there are no truly weak tracks, just a few average ones among the classics and those alone make it more than worthwhile - highlighted by the all-time track "Purple Rain" to close the record. I always seem to find or focus on the negative more than the positive which isn't fair by a long shot - in the end I'd probably listen to this any time, and not least-important: the lead and end tracks on this album are *perfectly* arranged/placed on the album. 7/10 4 stars

The album is so diverse, love that

This album made me a monarchist

Mycket bättre än de senastegångerna ja lyssnat

Wow, what a great album! The title track is a 10/10, and the album is brimming with bangers from start to finish.

Going into this I'd only heard the big hits so I was excited to listen to the rest of it. Honestly, though, I was very slightly let down because none of them really stuck with me the same way that let's go crazy sticks with me. It was by no means bad but I think I was just let down by extremely high expectations. The hits still hit really hard though.

classic

Highlights: The Beautiful Ones, Purple Rain

Oprócz "Purple Rain" reszta git

quite good, cannot complain. good sound good voice, just prince

J'aime la richesse des arrangements, on dirait qu'il y a de tout sur cet album. Ça devient intoxicant. Je suis aussi sensible à toute la sensualité/sexualité transmise par la voix (les paroles bien sûr) et les rythmes.

Never listened to this all the way through before. I guess I get the hype? Not fully though? It's real good though, I fully enjoyed it. To me, it's a very solid 4. Some great singles, and nothing bad. But not exactly mind-blowing or anything.

such a versatile album with so much going on. prince truly is a master at what he does.

1/3- Playing Xbox

Hard to listen to it objectively but I feel like it has aged well.

good! a little 80s, a little gay, overall good!

sick album. lots of god things not a lot of bad but a couple of the suns blend together a lil bit

Prince is not someone I would listen to. However, there is no denying that I enjoy a few songs on this album. Let's Go Crazy standing out. It's still a good song 40 years later. Little Nikki is a Prince song? I had no idea. It's not super great song, but the remake certainly has had some radio play. Also, the title song is not good :D

I had heard of Purple Rain and Prince...because I live on this planet, but i had *never* listened to the album and I think I only knew one song (When Doves Cry). Super enjoyable.

Finally, '80s rock that actually works.

A slightly less-horny Prince that the first album I received, but he's still there. The man was crazy in the right ways and can just... write a banger of a tune. You can see that brilliance when he starts a song giving a gospel-style sermon about life and ending with a guitar solo so awesome, I'd be amazed if his guitar didn't spontaneously catch fire. Favorite tracks: "I Would Die 4 U", "Purple Rain", "When Doves Cry"

This is an album that I've always been curious about. I've never listened to one of Prince's albums, but I have tremendous respect for his abilities as an artist. This album shows off those abilities well. The album is cinematic, which is certainly appropriate, and all of the songs are good. There's a good mix between upbeat poppy songs and more somber ones 4/5

Some decent funky pop. I didn't care too much about some of the first songs, it seems to get better and better towards the end of the album though. The last four songs are great in my opinion. Despite being one of Prince's biggest songs, I'd never given the title track a proper listen in full, but it proved to be an amazing power ballad that was just a great journey for nearly nine minutes. Favourite: Purple Rain

some crackers, some filler

pretty fuckin' slammin. 4 stars just for "When Doves Cry". Darling Nikki crazy sexual with a hidden religious message at the end - what the heck lol. Now I gotta go watch the film

After you subtract the monster hit singles that everyone can sing in their sleep, there's only four tracks left. They are all pretty good. Why only four stars? I don't think it is anything like his best album and what do I give Sign O The Times then? 4.5 if they did halves.

I remember listening to this when it first came out and I thought it was the most overblown histrionic hyperbolic music. Ask me now and no question that there are some absolute classics on this album but there are also some filler tracks which don’t feel as complete or dramatic. I do love most of this album now. It has grown in stature for me over the years and no doubt it’s an absolute blinder. However there are a couple of tracks I could absolutely gloss over and I don’t need to hear them again. But that doesn’t detract from Prince’s extraordinary talent.

This album is so good. It has so much of what people like to parody Prince for, but done so god damn well. I challenge anyone to listen to Baby I'm a Star and not shake their ass. 4/5

One of his best!

Excellent

loved it

Really good album, would listen again

track 9: purple rain is GREAT obv. everything else, really good! 👍 maybe 4 stars?

Prince rules. He is a rock, funk, and pop master. Vocally incredible (from range to timing), his pop sensibilities are on high alert. Everything on this record is fresh and vibrant. His music is intricate and, at times, challenging. Dude had it all. This album will knock your socks off and leave you pining for more of his delectable musical nectars. Bruh is pop pantheon.

Prince was a bit of a one off. Pop yet experimental. Funky yet hard rock guitar. Shite film and awful cover but an album of brilliance. Prob his best single album. 4

When Doves Cry and Purple Rain are probably the most famous tracks but I think the front half of the album is actually my favourite.

Very much enjoyed.

Fantastic 80's pop record, Prince was a one of a kind act

hits you fast with lets go crazy before some mellower songs before finishing extremely strongly with purple rain. The songwriting remains quite strong throughout. Fav. song: lets go crazy Least Fav. song: darling nikki

Mostly solid album. A few songs had an odd mix of instrumentation that I wasn't a huge fan of but the hits are hits and the songs I knew were still my favorite, which is almost all of them. 'The Beautiful Ones' and 'Darling Nikki' were the two that didn't do much for me, aside from that I really like this album.

For a little bit, I was convinced this wasn't the classic it was made out to be. But by the end, I understood. I only wish the instrumentation was a little bit better on a couple of the tracks.

Strong contender for greatest album opener of all time. It also feels like Prince is remember more for his eccentric style rather than the fact that he can shred better than the best. Prince also has a knack for these passionate wails that sells the high points of the albums. Purple Rain is unmatched in dynamics; Prince really knows how to reign in back to make way for big killer moments. I also appreciate the natural flow of the songs, going from one track to the next while still feeling distinct. I'll be honest in saying that side 2 doesn't grab me as much as side 1, but the closer track goes crazy. He knew what he was doing with this one.

Prince was a weird due but this album is jampacked with hits

Good.

Not my style, but not bad.

Prince- Purple Rain Genre: Synth Pop, Pop Rock Score: Decent 8 Favorite Songs: Let’s Go Crazy, Take Me with U, The Beautiful Ones, Computer Blue, Darling Nikki, When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 You, Baby I’m A Star, Purple Rain

Its actually an excellent album. 4/5

8/30 - first time I ever listened to this album front to back. Wish I had done it sooner!

Nice, smooth, just Prince

very nice album would definitely listen again no skips

Great pop album with some really catchy songs. Has a few highs and lows for me, but has that sound you can't find anywhere else

This album is a masterpiece.

The hits are still amazing, especially When Doves Cry  but, aside from Nickki Darling,  most of the rest hasn't aged that well. Also,  the asskicking guitar he is known for doesn't come out to play except on the first songs of each side. I know Rolling Stone had this as #8 all time which should mean 5 but I can't get there.

So much said about this album already over the years. No need to repeat all that. Yes it is a masterpiece.

A couple of minor quibbles; sometimes the volume of ideas overwhelms the songcraft, but only occasionally. Secondly, Prince has a tendency towards a kind of sweaty, cramped version of funk that can feel claustrophobic and a little unsatisfying. However, Purple Rain is a kaleidoscope of talent. When everything comes together 'just so', the results are mighty. I would rate 'When Doves Cry' the crowning success - the audacity to create a funk song with no bass! - but there's almost too much to enjoy here. I had the privilege of seeing Prince live on the final night of his London O2 residency. Outstanding, and astounding.

(4.5) !ǝlqɿυᕋ

Having only heard Prince through the pop-cultural grapevine, it was dope to listen to this the whole way and get the holistic feel of Prince. Wow! When Doves Cry tho bro, shit is top 10 songs frfr

I must say that I didn't like this so much of this release (I prefer his less-pop releases), but I should pay respect to Prince.

Enjoyed the album more than I thought I would. Can't believe I haven't listened to it in it's entirety before

I’ve always wished this album was mixed more like a 70s funk album than an 80s pop album.

A staple 80s album that cannot be missed. At least half of this record is stone cold classic pop from Prince. This is him at (or close to) his peak.

When it fucks it fucks hard

Prince definitely made good on the comparisons to Michael Jackson. He was certainly different enough to stand out on his own, which is really significant given just how much of a mega star Michael Jackson was. Prince is going to have quite the edge though as far as musicianship goes, and to a fault because the opinion of this review is that he held himself back in favor of a more complete composition. "Purple Rain" starts with "Let's Go Crazy", a funky start with a remarkable guitar solo by Prince to wrap it up. Prince's guitar playing is seemingly ignored, and while there is reason to view him more broadly than that, it just seems rare that he is lauded for that capability outside of people that had opportunity to witness him play. The songs on "Purple Rain" do feature his electric skills quite a bit ("When Doves Cry" has a fine opening), but the featuring of it is held back somehow until we get to the title track "Purple Rain" where the song is capped off by an incredible solo. The song leaves the listener with a desire for more of that passion from the guitar. Prince himself, is a showman/entertainer with a very disciplined and bridled energy, "Darling Nikki" is an example of this where his vocal range is explored a la Steven Tyler-esque screams, and perhaps this same discipline is what creates Prince's undeniable balance. Musically, for the 1980s, Prince seemed to rely on actual instruments as well as synthesizers. The drums are heavily electronic, auto-tune is plenty, all of the token sounds of the decade are present here. What makes this appreciable is that we can hear the real instruments too, and much of that is to Prince's credit for playing the guitar. The thing is, we only get pieces of that since his songs tend to phase in and out of the electronics and the real ones. The beat and primary melodies are certainly synthesized, and are then layered by actual instruments. A person can hear when it is all electronic, and when it is not. Not sure if that is genius, or just a product of the decade but the point here is that Prince did a way better job as a pop-rock artist using these tools than any of his contemporaries in the pop genre. If there is to be a complaint, it is when a synth solo is used in place of featuring Prince's prowess at guitar, the example being on "When Doves Cry" when the synth solo should have been him on the guitar. The sound of synth invokes the feeling of having sold out, but then the disciplined balance of Prince comes to mind and somehow even this most egregious error is somehow forgiven. Overall, while it may take repeated listens for armchair recording engineers to hear it, Prince's vision and his intentionality in producing this album becomes evident. Any band can take their standard 3-piece and make it be the forefront of their production, but not Prince. He did it differently, and while it may not make everyone happy, the thing is that he did it remarkably well. In a way it is though he gave us strong guitar moments just so we could understand that he did not need to, that he could compose beyond that, perhaps beyond himself.

Some great tunes amongst some boring ones!

Des bas des hauts

mieux que dans mes souvenirs

Like so much of mid-’80s pop, the synths date this and it doesn’t hold up quite as well as one would’ve thought. A handful of great songs but a few too many throwaways.

Een klassieker! En best wel goede nummers met goede teksten. Een paar liedjes vind ik toch minder of iets te expliciet

5/31/2022 - ALBUM #124 Today's Album: "Purple Rain" by Prince - From what I have heard from an anonymous Prince aficionado, this is not his best work, but if that's the case I have only the highest hopes for his other work because this project is amazing. It's one of those cases where an album is so generally appealing it becomes very popular and once it's printed on enough shirts and posters, it becomes iconic no matter if there are better albums by the artist or not. Most of the time in these cases it makes the album incredibly hard to live up to this image it's created for itself, but I really feel like this album perfectly met the expectation that was set for me. From the very start, Let's Go Crazy is an incredibly energetic and powerful opener with an absolutely killer guitar solo at the end. The production across the album has the punch of a classic Michael Jackson record, but the sounds feel so much more experimental and inventive and the personality of the songwriting makes these songs pretty incomparable with MJ's work. Each track has this lightning in a bottle energy, with very impressive performances, especially from the synth and bass. Prince's vocals sound really unique, confident, and strong, with an honestly impressive range and some moments where he screams out without holding back whatsoever. The song When Doves Cry is a particular favorite for me. The synth loop honestly sells the entire track for me, but everything else in the track including the incredibly catchy chorus just pushes it over the edge to make it such a fantastic track. The closing rack Purply Rain also stands out as this really epic closing track that wraps a lot of the lyrical themes of the album together, while bringing the whole project to a satisfying resolution. Many of the other tracks on here like Take Me with U, Computer Blue, and Darling Nikki also stand out to me as really solid tracks to me as well, and I just want to point out that none of these tracks fall below the 7.5 Highlights threshold. There may be songs that I think slightly lesser of than others, but every track on this album deserves a listen and the album as a whole flows incredibly well. Overall, this is an essential listen for any music fan and especially for anyone that loves the glory days of new-wave and electronic pop. Give this one a listen if you want a great introduction to Prince or just want to know why this album is so iconic. Highlights: Let's Go Crazy, Take Me with U, The Beautiful Ones, Computer Blue, Darling Nikki, When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 You, Baby I'm a Star, Purple Rain Score: 8.5/10 Iconic, Inventive, Incredible

Listened Before?: N This is an all time classic. I've never listened to it beginning to end but I really enjoyed it. Not much else to say. It's Prince. Added to Library? N Songs added to Playlist: Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain.

I got this right after 1999. This isn't as much fun as 1999 but there's still some amazing music in here.

Cool album. Some great songs on here much better than any other prince album I've listened to on this list.

With Prince albums, there are always songs that I absolutely adore, and songs that I can't stand; rarely anything in between. This one was no exception. However, there was only 1 song on each side I disliked. The rest was pure gold. Remove those two tracks and we would have an easy 5 stars here.

A pretty good album and definitive Prince sound. Faves: Let's Go Crazy, Darling Nikki, When Doves Cry, Purple Rain

iconic album, Purple Rain is such a beautiful piece, one of the most romantic pieces ever created

Still not sure I get the fuss about the song purple rain, but funky album, feel like I knew most of the tracks already. Always meant to listen to more Prince.

'When doves cry' and 'Purple Rain' elevate this album to a complete classic. I am not going to individually review each track, but this is a quintessentially the 80s contemporary piece of pop art that should be the showcase of the vernacular of the era. Drum sound, slight kitsch - hedonistic and yet innovate and ground breaking. Very close to a 5/5 - it's a 4/5 because it requires some adjustment to get into the mood for it, but when you do, you're well rewarded.

Lot of great musicians in the 80s. Prince was definitely top two....

Dad used to play this while I waited in the car and he ran in to get cigarettes. He would restart it when he got back in. Bonus nostalgia points, not my thing, but enjoyed it more than Sign Of The Times.

although im dont consider myself a fan prince, he has his own style and he executed it with class this album holding 3 great songs and the others not far behind

The musicianship on this is astonishing. Prince can get a bit samey though - I prefer the tracks to the album.

Is good, did not know what to expect.

Oh Boy do I remember this album- my sister played it to death. Listening to it now is quite refreshing since a lot has happened since. There's a lot of energy and flamboyance and no matter how OTT it's Prince. It just epitomises the 80's for me so I wouldn't play this other than for nostalgia. Musically dare I say I find it quite two dimensional: lots of energy and skill but there's no depth. Even the deeply personal tracks don't come across with any emotion. Maybe it's like the man himself- there's an impenetrable mask?

This started off with me thinking that maybe prince was a bit intense, but really liked the instrumentals which pushed it over a 3 into a 4.

1984. Blown away by When Doves Cry. Bought the 12". Went to see the film. Cheesy but entertaining. Bought the album. Played it to death. Parade is better though, in retrospect. What a talent.

Prefs: Let's Go Crazy, Computer Blue, Darling Nikki, When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U, Baby I'm a Star, Purple Rain Moins pref: Take Me With U

definitivamente uma vibe bem anos 80 (pq bem, o álbum é dos anos 80.) tem umas bem popzinha e outras bem legais no geral eu gostei, 4/5

Fantastic, no notes

Som diferenciado. Cpx se puxou a fu

Absolutely fantastic. The first few songs sounded more conventional than the core of the record, which ends on a slower note. I hear the movie's awful, but expect it adds some amount of context.

listened to again it's...purple rain

Nearly a 5

03/14/22

A real banger of an album. While side 1 doesn’t ever really match the energy of the opener, it’s still rock solid. The only misstep on the album is “Darling Nikki”, which is both just kind of a bad song and the mixing was terrible.

Hier kun je natuurlijk geen buil aan vallen.

i mean come on, it's prince

Some great tracks and a few average ones.

4.5

Enjoyable and fun, classic, wish I'd listened sooner.

Como não cantar Purple Rain junto? Impossível. Adorei perceber como ele influenciou o meu amado Synthwave.

Good and sexy.

vou ter que ouvir de novo pq achei bem diferentão mas gostei.

Gewoon goed. Vult de hele kamer

So I appreciate the different themes in each of the songs on this album. Each one feels like it’s trying to achieve its own thing, or is separated enough to not get old. Most of them have decent grooves, but not incredible. It feels like the hits from the albums were the hits for a reason. Still a fun and interesting listen. 7/10

I am having hard time figuring all the eighties music, I'm so sorry. Not my bowl of 🍲

I like a few, but that’s how I am w/Prince

Standouts - When Doves Cry; Purple Rain

Classic. It’s just so good!! There will never be another like Prince.

Forgot what a genius Prince was.

Great album from Prince

So much incredible music on one album. Goddamn.

Helt ok album

Absolutely wonderful, a time capsule for the 80s with great production and musicians. Standouts are obviously Purple Rain and When Doves Cry.

Very entertaining.

TAFKAP bumpin

151225 12:28 4.5 / highlights: let's go crazy, when doves cry, purple rain

I mean, hell yeah. As the album goes on, I like less of this than I expect to. Some of it is crazy high tempo pansexual gender-queer pop at its finest. Others are... muddy and lost. Purple Rain is a jam for sure, but its not good consistently and its like 10 minutes long, if you want me to listen to a ten minute song it has to be good all the way through. Goods - Let's Go Crazy, When Doves Cry Bads - Take me With U

I've underestimated Prince. This was good

Original, one of a kind, unique :)

Kim Basinger has aged and so has Purple Rain. But the classic album endures partly because of the personality and all the stories tied to it. The Charlie Murphy skits on Chapelle's Show were the best. My favorite is when Prince challenges the Murphy crew to a game of hoops, destroys them and then serves pancakes afterward. Sure, Let's Go Crazy has got to be one of the best 'pick me up' songs there is known to man and despite the inclusion of Computer Blue, this album still scores high. But it's the basketball and pancakes story, the fancy roller skates and afterhours rollerskating with Questlove story, the personal ads story (where in 1993 to spend the holidays someone) give PR longevity that Kim Basinger will never have... even after being immortalized by releasing recordings of the two having sex. https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/24-outrageous-prince-stories.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff8LEx9Mw54

"Let's Go Crazy" is an awesome way to start an album. And "Purple Rain" (the album) mostly delivers on that promise. But it is buoyed by the hits. "Let's Go Crazy," "When Doves Cry," "I Would Die 4 U," and "Purple Rain" are terrific songs. The other half of the album is less remarkable, but they're still much better than most of "Sign 'O' The Times."

I've heard a lot about Prince but until now have never actually heard an album. I'm not even sure what songs he has. This particular album is definitely of its time and for me that's not necessarily a bad thing. The production is dense and there's a lot going on. I quite enjoyed his singing (he's very charismatic) even if the lyrics are mostly trite.

не ну ваще никогда не был фанатом принса, да и особо не слушал, но этот альбом очень понравился

Classic.

When Doves Cry and Purple Rain are great songs the rest of the album is good but nowhere near as strong, of note is some of the incredible singing in songs like The Beautiful Ones. Also some incredible guitar playing, beautiful tone, always tasteful yet impressively heavy. Took two listens through to gain appreciation. 4 🌟

Funky

A classic

Another classic

a classic, probably seminal album, i see the appeal.

Really love this album some great songs on there, doves cry and purple rain. But it creates a sound that sleazy, wholesome confused pop and funk. It's so conflicted it makes this unique pop that is so not pop. I don't know how to describe it really but great stuff

Purple Rain, When Doves Cry...keep it coming. A Multi instrumentalist who loved music and everything it brought.

Now here is an album I haven't listened to but know so many of the songs. SO happy to have this on the list with classics like Let's Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U, and Purple Rain. Prince was an enigma and while I was never really a fan of him just due to little exposure, I recognize what a special person he was and this album is a perfect showing of that. Album cover is also an all timer.

Dang, another heavy hitter artist, not a bad streak lately. Just like I did with Queen, there was a time when I went through most of Prince's albums. This isn't my favorite, but it's still very strong. Some classic jams on here for sure. Lots of melodies that I know, even on songs I don't remember lyrically, like When Doves Cry and I Would Die 4 U. Prince can be a bit too quirky for his own good sometimes, but he's an undeniable creative force. It's always a bit of a headscratcher for me to remember this is a soundtrack album--I never heard about the movie. I can't imagine it's as good as the music. Favorite tracks: I Would Die 4 U, Purple Rain, Let's Go Crazy, When Doves Cry, The Beautiful Ones. Album art: Classic, iconic Prince cover. One of my favorites to look at, even though I'm just realizing now that it's the movie poster with a cool floral border. 4/5

All great songs, fun and they don't blend in with each other. Lots 80's synth use but the good kind.

Clásico. Prince era un gilipollas pero este es un discazo. 4'5/5

Kind of an iconic album, huh? Still pretty good.

Classic. Huge part of my youth.

Perfect pop not pop

If you ARE going to insist on making pop music, then have the decency to do what Price did, and do it with talented colleagues and make it a little funky.

I wonder if it's a little dated? Still, a classic pop/rock album!

4.5

Mr. Clapton, what does it feel to be the best guitarist alive? -I don't know, ask Prince

La neta lo tuve que escuchar muchas veces para poder subirle a las estrellas, pero al final sí me quedo convencido de lo chingón que está.

Easily the best gigs I ever saw. But I’m waiting for Sign O’the Times.

Суперб

Good

Классный, но не мое

прикольненько, но в какой-то момент всё сливается в одну песню. 4/5

A classic.

A few great hits, and "Darling Nikki" was a delightful hidden gem. Not perfect, but a classic.

Notable Songs: Darling Nikki Purple Rain

Brings back a flood of memories of freshman year at college, fall of 1984. Although I've never been a huge Prince fan (more of a classic rock guy) I can appreciate the brilliance of this album. 4 stars.

About half the songs on here are _amazing_, but the others don't quite do it for me. I think this is the first album I've wanted to give a .5 star to, as it's not quite 5 stars for me, but maybe should be classed higher than the other 4 stars. Massive kudos to Prince for defining his own sound with such confidence. Sounds fresher today than a lot of his contemporaries. Fave track - "When Doves Cry" and "Purple Rain" are frickin' epic. Really like "Let's Go Crazy" and "I Would Die 4 U" too though...

Funny story, I won this record in a draw but didn't really like it. As the years passed, I learned to appreciate its finer qualities, and - more importantly - learned to recognise Prince for the talent he [sadly] was.

Can’t give this anything less than 4 due to it being a hit factory and the album cover.

Very good.

Prince = artista, polistrumentista e compositore ma anche studioso e ricercatore. In questo album mi piace la sua cura nei dettagli: quel determinato riff o quel suono di chitarra, il fatto che Nikki si stesse masturbando su dei magazine (tra l'altro ho letto che l'etichetta Parental Explicit è stata introdotta per la prima volta grazie a questa canzone). C'è una componente anni '80 anche in questo caso, ma mi pesa molto di meno. "Genio!" (Letto con la voce di Boris) Voto: 4

5/5/21: I've heard many of these songs on the radio, but first time listening to album from start to finish. 1. Let's Go Crazy - Damn, that bass in the outro was hittin hard, I loved it. Never noticed before. The drums on these headphones are amazing. 2. Take Me with U - Great intro with the drums. Is that Prince and someone else? "I don't care...just take me with you" 3. The Beautiful Ones - Sounds similar to something else, not sure though if from before or after this song, so who inspired who, you know. No mistaking that 80s synth. "I gotta know, do you want me?! Baby baby " Yea, karaoke song right here! haha 4. Computer Blue - Who names a computer Wendy? I guess someone named Lisa...whatever. That like the weird science riff? Nice guitar solo. That sounds familiar too. 5. Darling Nikki - Damn Nikki. 6. When Doves Cry - That melody always hits. Not to overshadow Purple Rain but just as good. 7. I Would Die 4 U - One of my favorites on the album, but I always go towards the upbeat, dancing type, synth. 8. Baby I'm a Star - Honestly didn't pay close attention to this one. Not the most memorable, just waiting for Purple Rain to come on...wonder if this is what cassette playing listeners felt back in the day. 9. Purple Rain - YES!!! Fuck, if I could play guitar I'd play this all day. When it comes to Prince, I can't help but remember Sandra Bernhardt dancing to Little Red Corvette at the end of her special. While I don't always get her comedy, she was doin alright by in the day.

I know people really like Prince but in general I've never really liked a lot of his popular songs and haven't tried too hard to get into his work. Because of this I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked this album. Even if I didn't really like the lyrics (pop lyrics just don't do anything for me), the instrumentation on the album is really interesting and varies between spare and very dense, and there's some cool experimenting going on that works really well. Prince is also clearly an incredibly accomplished and virtuosic musician, and that's on display throughout. So, while in some ways it's dated and not really my cup of tea all the time, credit where credit is due. This is at a minimum a 4 star album, and I'm only subtracting that last star because it's not for me.

In conclusione: Io gli anni ottanta li odio musicalmente (e forse anche non) però Prince è una delle poche eccezioni per me. È un artista che rispetto molto, suonando e producendo mediamente tutto da solo (anche se in questo album aveva la sua band) comunque ha sviluppato molto la sua voce artistica che è davvero riconoscibile anche se il suo modo di comporre è così pieno di influenze e raramente si ripete. Questo album ha dei piccoli gioielli come Darling Nikki o When Doves Cry e nonostante la patina anni ottanta sia tutt'altro che assente comunque secondo me l'identità artistica di Prince riesce ad emergere lo stesso con quei testi così surreali e gli arrangiamenti eclettici. Anche la stessa purple rain con i suoi 8 minuti in cui parte mezza ballad country e poi finisce in tutt'altro modo. Si sente che è un album colonna sonora da una parte ma questo in bene e in male (il film non l'ho mai visto). Diciamo che per me è un quattro solo perché non posso passare sopra a certi suoni, in particolare i brass e i lead synth e i riverberi sui rullanti me ammazzano.

Enjoyable. Never really checked out the whole album before

been along time since I listened to Prince, glad he's in the top 1001 albums.

Just Prince innit,absolutely class. Super talented and a lot of thought gone into the album design, felt like a story. I was going to just automatically give this a 5 but it's hard because even though I appreciate the class it still isn't ever going to be a regular 'go to' album for me. So, 4/5 but in reality it's like 4.8 😂

bit of filler but when it bangs it bangs

How can you not give it a minimum of 3 stars with that smoldery look from prince.

No sé por qué nunca había escuchado a Prince, me gustó su vibra

Super

Very 80s, some filler, but it's got some stonewall classics. 7/10

Aw it slaps so hard, some of the album tracks are a bit alright but the hits HIT

Classic! Never listened to the album in it’s entirety before. Highly enjoyed!

Bängeri Slässic Prince

I feel like this is such an iconic album, and I’ve never listened to it. And why have I never really listened to Prince in general? I’m not sure why he wasn’t played on the stations I listened to growing up. I liked this one pretty well and am still perplexed at the lack of Prince in my growing up radio life.

Good tunes,

Steengoed album van legendarische artiest

Great album. Didn't care for darling Nicki,

Well mastered

Priceless

Overall great album

Iconic. Fun and interesting, poppy 80s sound.

purple rain... purple rain..

A classic jam.

I want to be born new again

false

Every song basically really good. Will listen to it more.

Own. Fave Song "Purple Rain"

Great album! Not always what I was expecting but still had some great moments and Purple rain is an amazing finisher.

1984. Key Songs: When Doves Cry, Let's Go Crazy, Purple Rain

Prince at his most accessible, but perhaps too accessible in my opinion. While the highs "When Doves Cry" and "Purple Rain" are very high, a lot of the rest of the album sound too much like other 80s songs.

Some fun sounds, iconic hits - a little less rocky and more R&B for my tastes.

Album #196 Prince: Purple Rain I recently found out that I find Prince to be incredibly overrated. Maybe overrated is the wrong word, since who am I to say that people are wrong for enjoying him, but I definitely find his popularity kind of baffling. I would understand if it were casual listeners enjoying him for his hits, similar to Michael Jackson, but real music aficionados actually walk around claiming that songs like Darling Nikki are great, and I will just never understand that. I’m not a prude or anything, but most of Prince’s discography makes me feel like I need an STD check after listening to it. That being said, Purple Rain is definitely his album which is most up my lane. As a fan of all things 80s, even the cheesiest of schlock, I was quite late to listening to what is often heralded as the best album of the decade, and since I’m a human, I already was quite a fan of the title track, so I was expecting great things. Instead, I was met with 3 great tracks and 5 that did absolutely nothing for me. I really wish I could give this album a 4 star off the back of those songs alone, hell I wish I could give it a 5 just for Purple Rain, however I just can’t justify it when in between greatness I have to listen to Prince jerking off. I thought that maybe after listening to more Prince, the others would grow on me, but four days ago I received ‘1999,’ which I was utterly unimpressed by, and after relistening to Purple Rain today, my thoughts are unaffected. Maybe one day I’ll get it, but for now, this seems like the peak of my Prince enjoyment. Best Songs: Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, I Would Die 4 U Worst Song: Darling Nikki Score out of 10: 7.5

Prince is incredibly ambitious here and is a great guitarist, but this record favours style over substance and feels like an amusement park ride. An incredibly horny and sexed-up amusement park ride, but an amusement park ride nonetheless. This struggles in the same way as a lot of other eighties pop records do on this list. It feels dated now due to certain production choices such as the over usage of synths. I may not be as high as other people are on this, but the final track is absolute bliss. Prince wailing his heart out as the title track reaches its epic crescendo warrants this record making the list.

It's ok

3. Its good. Somehow outdated? Jeg skippede halvvejs igennem purple Rain. Sorry. Kan godt sætte mig ind i der er kæmpe fans dog. Mange sange lyder som en fest.

I prefer MJ tho

me gustó la segunda mitad

Listened through it. I’ve definitely heard the name of the album and the associated memes it’s inspired but for me it just sounded like normal pop. Maybe that’s why it’s so iconic… because it influenced so much stuff afterwards

This exercise has shifted my tastes all around, so these last reviews often feel like housekeeping. I’ve lost patience for Prince, but acknowledge this is better than the others. The other two, I am downgrading to 2. I am growing and learning

Absolute classic album. Sounds a bit dated now.

I liked it

The first half of the album is unbelievably mid but the second half redeems it. When doves cry is a banger and I would Die 4 U are so good. Then obviously Purple Rain is an outrageously good song that really redeems the whole album.

didnt enjoy that much the last tracks were amazing. .

A few good ones, and he’s a bi-con but music was ok

Was purely an okay album nothing really stood out at all but purple rain but other than that nothing really.

Let's Go Crazy - 3.5/5 Take Me with U - 3/5 The Beautiful Ones - 2/5 Computer Blue - 2.5/5 Darling Nikki - 3.5/5 When Doves Cry - 3/5 I Would Die 4 U - 3/5 Baby I'm a Star - 3/5 Purple Rain - 5/5

My wife was quite upset by all the screaming

Idk, I think I just don't quite understand the appeal of Prince. I know lots of people are _really_ into him. I enjoyed this album, but it didn't seem like anything too special to me. I guess maybe people just like that he sometimes sings about sex and other sexy things? Idk. It wasn't bad and I didn't dislike it.

Good album of funk/rock from paisley park

DEARLY BELOVED, we are gathered here today to listen to the weird, wonderful sounds of Prince’s afterlife. A classic I hadn’t listened to fully in years. I’m not the biggest fan of some of the ballad songs like The Beautiful Ones, but I Would Die 4 U comes out as a new fave.

To be honest, I wasn't too captured by this. Having said that, purple rain is a classic tune and I love it. Just overall, the album was a bit flat for me. Maybe it's the weight of expectation.

great 80s

minneapolis memories!

at the crossroads between rock and synth things that stood out to me - the intro to lets go crazy (electric word, life.. there's something else - the afterworld); nikki (was she js freaked out or was there a deeper meaning???); when doves cry; baby im a star the title track, purple rain - faint memories of driving home from officeworks, then, later, the stranger things finale an album that i can tell is good, but the sound is lowk js not for me like its not sparking my ratatouille fireworks

Some of the melodies are nice. But outside of Purple Rain (the song), this album feels pretty forgettable/meh to me.

Jotain tuttua tässä on ilmiselvän Purple rain -hitin lisäksikin. Prince on jäänyt mulle tosi vieraaksi mutta jotain deja vu-fiiliksiä tästä tulee, ehkä lapsena tullut kuitenkin tätä kuultua. Ei lempimusaa todellakaan mutta positiivinen fiilis jäi. 3/5.

Prince is one of those artists that I've been aware of for most of my life, but never really connected with. I am glad that I was able to hear one of his albums all the way through, but I'm finding that the music is still not connecting strongly with me. Prince's ability is clear -- I am particularly impressed with his guitar soloing. The top tracks for me are Let's Go Crazy and the title track.

Iconic. Not my taste. Excellent musically. Has a couple of weird synths that dont exactly land well.

трек purple rain мне уже давно нравится) он по сути и оказался самым хорошим на альбоме the beautiful ones тоже неплохо но остальное как-то скучновато

Classic.

The hits are enjoyable, but the rest doesn't capture me.

I can see why Purple Rain is popular, it's objectively very listenable, beautifully composed, and certainly my favourite of the Prince albums that I’ve listened to. Perhaps it is the general drawn out and exaggerated aesthetic which I struggle with, but it doesn’t make me want to party, or stand in the pouring rain crying. It's certainly very interesting though and a worthy addition to the cannon of “classics.”

tenho de ouvir de novo

Title track is good, but rest us meh

swings and roundabouts on this very famous, well-regarded record that i've never cared much for. i am perhaps the only person on earth who doesn't like When Doves Cry, and i'm loath to hand it to Tipper Gore, but man, is Darling Nikki overbearing and unpleasant. the good: title track is undeniable, the first two tracks are canny interpolations of classic rock'n'roll and motown beamed in from an alien planet 1000 years in the future, and I Would Die 4 U is genuinely perfect - short song that fizzles and pops against its own compactness, sexy and uber-serious, desperate and divine. overall mixed things for me - I've never really gotten Prince fully, and this wasn't the revelation i'd hoped for

The guy was obviously a musical genius but I always found his persona a little offputting. The singles on this album are great, the rest didn’t do much for me and I wouldn’t be in a hurry to relisten.

Fun for 1 time listening, a bit boring tho

When Doves Cry is a great tune. Let's Go Crazy and Purple Rain I respect. Masturbating Nikki was an ear opener. I credit the little purple fella (that sounds very innuendo-y when talking about Prince themes) for being an 80s mainstay, but I just don't get all the hype. That's now three of his albums that haven't been as cracked up as they are supposed to be.

i am not seeing myself liking many more of this after hearing lets go crazy computer blue was fine darling nikki was interesting when doves cry is alright really like i would die 4 u which is probably because i've heard it before baby im a star is really sick too purple rain is awesome i think overall 6.8/10 because i really liked the last few songs the rest didn't do a lot for me

Alright, little bit overrated

Princes melodies are corny. maybe that’s the point, maybe there’s some genius behind it, some elevation, but it’s never broken through for me.

Is Prince a hugely talented multi instrumentalist? Yes. Is he an incredible guitar player? Also yes. The thing is, for me it's the songs that can fall short and that's kind of most important. I'm not a huge Prince fan in general though there are definitely some songs I like. I don't understand the hype of this album though. The title track to me is overrated and overplayed and I really don't see the huge appeal. Top picks: Let's Go Crazy, Computer Blue, When Doves Cry.

I can see why this is a great album but it’s sound just dint connect with me some songs felt a bit chaotic I loved the first and last song on the album but the ones in between didn’t work for me somehow.

Excellent production, Prince's perfect pitch and guitar shredding, and top-notch sounds from the 80s. I really need to watch that movie.

These are the toughest ones for me to rate. If I didn't know anything about Prince, didn't have friends who loved his music, I'd probably give this a 2 I was just never into the pop for pop's sake stuff. Sure its catchy.. But the guy is really talented. Great on the guitar, which makes me angry. What would he have sounded like in a blues driven rock band? I love SRV, Clapton etc. In fact when asked what if felt like to be the greatest guitar player, Clapton said I don't know, ask Prince. So this gets a 2 plus 1 for his talent that I wish was used in another way. 3

I'm afraid the best Prince album remains "The Best of Prince".......

Some good songs on it, feel its around 2 1/2 stars so I'll round it up

I'm not a prince fan, but a mix of nostalgia and his guitar playing on a couple of the songs being a reason to give this a 3

Non sérieusement... on ne peut pas faire trois pas dans ce bouquin, le fameux pavé des « 1001 albums qu’il faut avoir écoutés avant de crever », sans tomber sur une photo du Kid de Minneapolis ? C’est le troisième que je me coltine depuis le début de ce projet, et je commence à avoir une sensation de déjà-vu assez persistante. C’est un peu comme ce client qui revenait tous les samedis matin au magasin de disques entre 1996 et 2000. Vous savez, le gars super sympa, techniquement brillant, qui connaît toutes les gammes de jazz et les branchements de chaque synthé vintage, mais qui finit toujours par vous raconter sa vie pendant deux heures alors que vous avez juste envie de ranger vos bacs d’imports en paix. Prince, c’est exactement ça pour moi, un mélange d'admiration forcée et d'agacement profond. On est en 1984, j’ai quatorze ans et c’est l’âge où l’on commence à se construire une identité sonore, où l'on cherche des trucs qui grattent, qui dérangent, qui nous appartiennent. Et là, on se prend l’ouragan *Purple Rain* en plein milieu de la tronche. Le mec est partout. Il est sur MTV, il est au cinéma, il est sur les murs des chambres des filles et même sur les platines des mecs qui ne jurent que par la technique. Et le pire, je ne peux pas dire que c’est mauvais car ce serait mentir. Ce serait faire preuve d’une mauvaise foi crasse, et même avec mon ton acerbe, je n'en suis pas encore là car Prince est juste un putain de génie. Un multi-instrumentiste capable de vous pondre un morceau entier en jouant de tout, de la batterie aux froufrous de sa chemise. Mais voilà, il y a un « mais », un énorme « mais » violet qui brille dans le noir. Ce son « Prince », c’est ma némésis. Cette batterie Linndrum qui claque comme un fouet dans une cave SM, ces synthétiseurs criards qui s’incrustent partout, et surtout, surtout, cette attitude. Ce côté « je suis le plus sexy, le plus mystérieux et le plus doué de la planète, et je vais vous le prouver en faisant des grimaces pendant dix minutes sur un solo de guitare ». C’est trop... C’est beaucoup trop pour moi... C'est le trop-plein de tout. Pendant mes années en radio indépendante, entre 1991 et 2000, j’en ai bouffé du Prince. Car les gens voulaient du « funk », ils voulaient du « sexy » et moi, je regardais mes bacs de post-punk et de rock sombre en soupirant. Je reconnaissais la prod impeccable, le sens du tube qui te reste dans la tête mais l’émotion, putain l'emotion, elle restait à la porte car je n'ai jamais réussi à franchir cette barrière de soie et de paillettes. *Purple Rain*, c’est l’apothéose de ce que je rejette tout en le respectant. Prenez le morceau titre, c’est une ballade monstrueuse. C'est le genre de truc qui devrait me faire chialer ou au moins me donner des frissons. Le solo final est objectivement l’un des meilleurs de l’histoire du rock. Mais quand je vois Prince le jouer, avec son regard de biche mouillée et son jeu de scène outrancier, ça me sort par les yeux. Au magasin de disques, à la fin des années 90, quand on ressortait les classiques pour les clients qui voulaient se refaire une culture, *Purple Rain* partait comme des petits pains. C’était l’album consensuel par excellence, celui qui mettait d’accord le fan de rock, l'amateur de funk et le nostalgique des charts. Et moi, je le glissais dans le sac en plastique avec un sourire poli, tout en pensant intérieurement : « Pourquoi ? Pourquoi lui et pas un truc plus viscéral, plus brut ? » Parce que c’est ça le problème avec cet album : il est trop parfait. Il est produit pour conquérir le monde, et il a réussi. C’est une machine de guerre déguisée en drag-queen. Chaque note est à sa place, chaque cri de Prince est calculé pour déclencher une réaction. Il n’y a pas de place pour l’accident, pour la crasse, pour le vrai danger. C’est du danger de studio, de la provocation de plateau télé. Et pourtant, je reviens à mon constat de départ c'est un putain de génie. Sur *When Doves Cry*, l’absence de basse est un coup de maître et il fallait avoir des couilles en acier (ou en satin) pour sortir un tube mondial sans ligne de basse à cette époque. C’est inventif, c’est audacieux mais est-ce que j’ai envie de l’écouter le dimanche soir seul dans mon salon ? Absolument pas car ma relation avec lui reste conflictuelle, et cet album est le point culminant de ce conflit interne. C’est le troisième album de sa discographie que je me farcis pour ce projet un peu tordu. Après *1999* et *Sign o' the Times*, je pensais que l’étincelle finirait par prendre, que j’allais enfin comprendre ce que tout le monde trouve de si vital dans ce personnage. Mais non, la sauce ne prend toujours pas. Le son m’irrite, l’attitude me fatigue et je n’arrive pas à m’attacher à cette perfection. C’est bien, oui. C’est même très bien si l’on s’en tient aux critères objectifs de la musique pop-rock du vingtième siècle. Mais ce n’est tout simplement pas pour moi. On va donc rester sur une note de cohérence parce que si je mettais moins, je serais malhonnête envers son talent. Et si je mettais plus, je me mentirais à moi-même. Je lui accorde donc un beau, gros et massif 3 sur 5. C’est la note de l’estime technique sans l’amour du cœur. C’est la note du gars qui reconnaît la statue mais qui refuse de s'agenouiller devant. Prince, tu es un géant, une légende, un dieu pour certains. Mais pour moi, tu resteras ce type brillant au magasin de disques qui parlait un peu trop fort et dont j'évitait le regard car soyons honnête par moment il me gonflait.

I got much more into this as it went on - or maybe the best songs are just heaped towards the back-end? He's clearly such a talented guy, and such a singular artist, but I just don't completely vibe with his music. Lots of it felt dated and wafted past me a bit, but I was on-board later when it got really, really energetic and kind of manic. I still don't really get why he's such a huge artist for people, but I do respect him. I also like the album cover, which is kind of badass and hilarious in equal measure. 3.5 rounded down.

あらゆる制約から解放された自由な音楽、に聞こえる。好みではないが面白かった。