1001 Albums Summary

Let’s Go Crazy is a perrenial banger. Take Me with U is an interesting and subtly discordant tune I’d never heard. The Beautiful Ones is an intensely cringe ballad. The lyrics are on the nose and his almost screaming at the end is way OTT. Not a great song. Computer Blue is another odd duck. Starts with a strange rock intro with one woman abiding by everything Lisa asks for, Prince sings, there is a weird ELO style break in the middle and the rock break comes back at the end. Darling Nikki is known as a classic but musically the song doesn’t really wow. The lyrics seem to be what makes this song memorable. This album is starting to feel much less coherent. So many strange styles mixed in. Much more avant garde almost. This transitions into When Doves Cry. The difference in impact is stark. When Doves Cry crafts a clear image and generates and eminently danceable pop-rock hybrid. The musical style in this song is very fresh and unique. I almost wanted to say “Prince, listen to the power of this. You don’t need to try so hard to be oblique and varied in the other songs.” He even includes a longer interlude at the end with a baroque flourish to end. It works here. I had forgotten about I Would Die for U. So happy that memories of hearing it came flooding back. Again, what a song. It works and has that coherence. I know that Prince intentionally inputs a flamboyant air to his music on this album. It works where it works but it’s so jarring when it is used with extreme intentionality. Don’t remember hearing Baby, I’m a Star. I was super young when Purple Rain came out in theatres. I remember my dad taking me to see it even though I was way too young. Pretty sure the movie broke part way through. This song had that classic jumpy, danciness to it. It even seems to have a slight homage to the style of Morris Day and the Time in it. This was Prince at his most musically intuitive. He was so talented at hearing similarities between styles. Follow this up with the last track, Purple Rain. Such a dramatic tone shift. I generally hate ballads and this will always hold a place in my heart. It’s gentle without being earnest. Overall, I’m surprised that such an important album has two exceptionally weak songs on it. I’d say three but I know that Darling Nikki has its devotees. Glad I listened to the whole album finally. Though I think I’ll stick to relistening to the hits.

Really happy to have expanded my knowledge of Brazilian funk and Tropicalia. This definitely feels like the kind of album Questlove would recommend. The first two songs are absolute bangers. Learned that Rod Stewart used Taj Mahal sequences in Da Ya Think I’m Sexy. An energetic album.

First time ever listening to this album. Familiar with the hit single, Once in a Lifetime - though it is my least favourite among their hits. Definitely felt a Tom Tom Club vibe in the music, as that band started up close in time to this recording. Not an album I’d necessarily seek out to put on and listen to. But I’d be very happy to have this on in the background of a get-together with friends, sharing some drinks and discussing culture and politics. It has a distinct intellectual vibe to it. It feels very much the product of the NYC new wave, art pop scene in the late 70’s to early 80’s. This is what was being listened to in hipster apartments in Greenwich Village and the LES when the atmosphere outside was too unpredictable. This sounds of the future, standing at the door, about to knock and come in and start the party. I came away feeling that the music on this album supercedes the lyrics. Almost like it became important despite David Byrne’s lyrics. Maybe I’m too far away in time to appreciate them, but I’d listen to this as an instrumental. I’d give this a 4.75 but will give five stars as I don’t want to split hairs.

Quick thoughts: absolutely love the beats and the flow. But the content of the lyrics got so repetitive I zoned out. He was a master at rapping and the style of writing is exceptional. But there is only so much repetitive talk of violence and sex I can listen to until it becomes sonic wallpaper. Bumped up to four stars because of the exceptional hits on the album.

I feel bad giving such a legend such a low score. But I wonder if the hype around this album was largely tied to his death. This is way too obtuse an album. Like overly-complicated Radiohead (and overly-complicated is Radiohead’s thing but they make it engaging).