After seeing the movie and listening thru the songs, I thought that maybe I can keep around that area for a while. He just came off the success of 1999 and wanted to take that leap into "super stardom"... but I have wondered for a long time if I prefer 1999 or Purple Rain. The last I checked, 1999 was kicking butt, but now I'm not so sure.

[And I've kept this as short as I possibly can for those with SHORT attention spans]

All I can say about 1999, really, is that it is a HUGE selection of various songs with different levels of greatness attached to them. The album starts with a huge party, pretty much using the best of each member of the band with the 3-part-melody. Little Red Corvette remains one of my all-time favorites, the perfect pop song, great vocals, great story and wonderful instrumentals. Delirious is a fun, little corky trip. Even if the lyrics are cheesy, they're just so much fun to sing along to. It's keyboard dominated, which gives it an extra flair. And that's continued in the next, "Let's Pretend We're Married." I think in this part of the album, it's the ultimate of everything, a fun keyboard-driven party and of course, some risque implications and a great rant at the end.

DMSR, I'm gonna say this right now, I think it's FILLER. It's mostly instrumentals repeated over and over again with different vocals each time. There's very little substance and I get bored pretty easily with it. That's why I like to leave it out of the line-up sometimes.

Automatic so begins a storyline that's goes on for quite a while. From what I can tell, it's 4 songs long. I still think this is one of the most well-done songs he's ever done. It's just long enough. But it sounds like it's a two-part song. It seems innocent at first, where Prince basically says he'll stay with his given woman no matter what happens. Then 1/2way thru, it gets me a little worried about him, cuz it seems like he's not being treated 2 well. "I hope u have mercy, don't torture me." As great as the song is with the instruments and such, I hate hearing him go thru such an ordeal.

Something in the Water continues from that and kinda emphasizes the ordeal he goes thru, taking it to a different level and kinda emphasizes an inner sadness and unwillingness 2 let go. "I love u, I do, or else I wouldn't go thru all the things I do." Free & Lady Cab Driver are two different ways he could possibly recover/respond to what he went thru in the relationship. Whether or not it's based on reality, I can't say for sure, but I can honestly say I hope not. In "Free," he tells everyone to be grateful for what they have, seeming to mean that he's imprisoned in a controlling relationship. Then in "Lady Cab Driver," he takes a ride and gets his head on straight after the relationship ends.

I've skipped All the Critics for the longest time. I gave it another listen and it does have a certain charm. But it's pretty close to what he's going thru. His actions are outrageous, but NY (might actually stand for the mainstream critics) love him for being different and sticking with his beliefs. I still think it's taken from "Purple Music" (or maybe it was the other way around). All the same, I might just take out DMSR and put this back in. Heh, maybe it could go perfectly at the start of the album b4 1999. It'll at least keep the storyline going.

And of course, International Lover is unlike anything he's done, possibly ever. I still think the whole "airplane" metaphor is the cheesiest thing he's ever done, but overall, it's a pretty good ending for the whole album experience.

I'll get back to u on the other half of the argument, but I've got a feeling the better of the two will become clear depending on the mood I'm in.
1999 is full of great music, every song is good 2 a T (well, except 4 maybe one), but there's something... missing.

why compare in the first place?

jonylawson said:

2 figure out what I like better of course... but most likely, my mind will change quite a bit.

But once I get everything sorted out, I can make a well informed choice.

Besides, Comparing 2 brilliant albums is 2 fun to pass up

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

Looking forward to hearing your review of the purple Rain album. It's nice to read thought-provoking threds in btwn the beautful pics.

Okay, here we go.

The overall vibe I get of the album is pretty much the same as what the movie was all about. Prince wanted to star in a movie so the world could see into his world and what he's capable of. Here, he revisits some of the things he did in 1999 and even adds some new elements he had never done b4.

Let's Go Crazy said immediately "this is so mediocre compared 2 what came b4 it." I've always ranked this song at the middle of his "musical roster". All of the songs above it get better... and it starts 2 go downhill afterwards. It's meant to get you all excited and it's a bit of a teaser, meaning everything after it has to get better.

Take me with U is a little bit better. The music is pretty new, nothing really like it that came out b4. It's kind of a sweet track, it kinda deals from an "emotional core," but it's like a Coke zero compared 2 what comes next.

The Beautiful Ones, phew, it's one of my favorites. I'm kinda lost for words. It's amazing how he played all of the instruments for this song and it's just so passionate. He certainly hadn't done anything like this b4. Sure, "Do me baby" is still a passionate piece, but this is slightly different. His proclamation in the last couple of minutes of the song is really powerful.

Now this is where we re-enter familiar territory, but in the simplest terms & most convenient definition. The storyline from Automatic 2 Lady Cab Driver is revisited in the next three tracks.

Computer Blue reminds me so much of Automatic, but it's shortened not only to fit it into the album, but also to get to the point a lot quicker. The album is more or less a showcase of his talents in many different areas, but condensed. The guitar work here is its strongest feature and it showcases his emotions with very few words. Kinda the same way he does so in person throughout the movie.

Darling Nikki is his most risqué & nastiest side and it's one of the things he's been known for. All the screaming and moaning, he's done throughout his work, but here, it all comes together in a really fun piece.

When Doves Cry, I guess is Free & Lady Cab Driver in a nutshell, storyline-wise. But it’s a good album centerpiece because it showcases ALL of his talents and what he does in a lot of his work. Play all of the instruments, actually keeping to a small number of them. Indirectly, it shows what the album is meant to do in one song. And he also uses a zillion different versions of his voice to express every kind of feeling imaginable. Then the guitar solo shows a lot of the instruments coming together into a powerful whole. Still, he hadn’t done a song quite like this b4 or since this one.

This is where we start to officially get into new territory. He hadn’t done anything remotely close to these songs before.

I Would Die 4 U is a fun little song. And that’s all it really is. When it heard it for the first time, I thought the music was unlike anything I heard b4. Just full of energy and using new sounds, at least they seemed so to me.
Baby I’m a Star continues from that same tangent, but here he gets a little “egotistical,” saying how great he is, etc. But I think that’s one of the messages he wants us to leave with after the movie. Now that he’s shown us what he can do, he’s encouraging us to check him out. And it draws a little on the talents of his fellow musicians.

And of course, the song Purple Rain is in a class by itself.
Every song here deals from an emotional core, but this particular song takes the cake. No joke. I tried to listen to all of the instruments because I heard that Prince let all of the members of The Revolution put in their own parts, so it’s really The Revolution’s best combined effort, showing off what each of them can do. Prince’s guitar is a really powerful force in the song. His lengthy solo and the progression of it, I can feel and there are no words. Then the sing-a-long chorus nearly drove me to tears like the night before, but I got really close. He brings all kinds of happiness and pain and sadness into one voice.

Thanks for the reviews. I always enjoy reading what people have to say about Prince's music, especially when they take the time to go into detail. I think your one fault is to look at how each song plays a part in the album as a whole, as if each song is a chapter in a book placed specifically to move the plot along. Instead, I'd suggest taking each song out separately as its own, and digesting and dissecting them that way. Burn each song to its own CD, and listen to nothing but that one particular song. Outside of the similar instrumentation of all of the songs on the synth-oriented 1999 and the rock-oriented Purple Rain, I don't believe he had a particular album-concept in mind (the exception being his making certain songs fit certain situations or characters in the movie Purple Rain). Each song is a whole in itself. Appreciate the song for what it is alone.

Also, "International Lover" might make more sense to you if you knew it was originally written for Morris. Other similar songs that Prince was involved in writing for The Time include: "Cool," "Gigolos Get Lonely Too," "If The Kid Can't Make You Come," "Movie Star," "Donald Trump (Black Version)," and "Style."

great reviews Dreamy! though i really like DMSR and don't see it as filler. I liked the storyline concept- which I think is a definite Beatles influence (storyline concept, concept album?).

I agree that Darling Nikki is a really fun piece- but I always saw the song as Prince's way of sayin how he feels women use him and leave him.

I love the "coke zero" reference (though I might not necessarily agree). Hilarious. Take Me With U is such a great song- about putting your faith in someone you're in a relationship with.

Overall, def. 2 thumbs up! I always love reading your reviews- and the compare/contrast idea is pretty good.
[Edited 9/10/07 4:50am]

Snap said:

haha... International Lover was originally 4 Morris? Oh man, that just threw me 4 a loop. Thanx 4 the insight, though. I like hearing the history behind songs and stuff.

I know what you're saying... but haha, I've gotta take things one at a time here. I will eventually get to a lengthy review of each song... I just thought of this first... and instead, end up killing everybody cuz I have to write so much.
But I tend to look at albums at a whole when I can. In some cases, though, it's kinda hard, especially when I barely know the songs or the album itself. I knew Prince 2b the type of person that does make the album as a whole, and so that's how I see things. But occasionally, there isn't just one constant storyline, but there's at least one storyline going in the album. (As I explained, 1999: Automatic thru Lady Cab Driver, PR: Computer Blue thru When Doves Cry)...

I find it kinda amazing that the albums are a bit similar themetically. A lot of great music, but PR is condensed into only 9 songs, kinda like a sampler of what he's capable of and what he hasn't done yet. I like when his projects a bit more tight, but 1999 is type I'd be in the mood 4 if I want a long ride.

But of course, I appreciate hearing any replies I get with my ridiculously long posts, so thanx for ur .

tznekbsbfrvr said:

thanx 4 ur reply. I admire anyone who can deal with the endless posts I do.

The whole "women using him" thing... it really seems like in the beginning, that he points the blame on them, when its really him who has the problem (but who can blame him right). "Temptation" proves that he sees that he has a problem and he gets what's coming to him (unfortunately? maybe).

When it comes to emotions, 1999 is "Coke Zero" because it doesn't go into them all that much. It dips into emotions here & there, but it doesn't stuck around for a long duration.
Purple Rain is regular Coke... because there's a lot of emotions in each track, whether its a sense of fun or something more powerful like passion & love.

Aside from the first 3 songs 1999 is a fantastic album. Very experimental yet everything works.

Purple rain...aside from TBE/CB/DN most of it is pop music that while really good, is still aiming for the mainstream.

Yeah, it just came 2 me.

PR is more commercial, haha... I know, I'm an idiot.

1999 is a little bit of everything and goes all out on a lot of different angles.
All the music is arguably brilliant in its own aspects.

But PR has a lot more heart behind it and that's one of his more appealing qualities.