NouveauDance said:

I agree! "It" is one of my favorite songs on the album.

SoulAlive said:

that distorted vocal at the end, that's one of my fav prince moments ever.

how did he do that? did he filter his vocals through a guitar feed or how
did he do it?

micknme said:

I love It

Imago said:

I think the instrumental run in the last few minutes of Play... is one of the greatest exhibitions of his 'one-man band' studio virtuosity. The song itself is fun, melodic and full of great twists: I think it absolutely explodes with musical ideas, as does most of the rest of the album.

Beautiful Night is the only song on the record that I don't care for much.
[Edited 6/12/09 7:12am]

I always always skip over Slow Love I think because of the Miles connection it suffers from emperor's new clothes syndrome IMO

Sign of the Times I love the sparse almost cold feel the Future reminds me of this one... I love the live SOTT film version even more
Play In the Sunshine, really fun song...Susannah on backing vocals, This song if recorded with a band would have been much better, definately love the live version especially where they break into a hard rock jam 'on the drums Sheila E"
Housequake love both version
the Ballad of Dorothy Park just can't be improved my favorite
It To me this would be the weakest, I love the guitar solo, sound like something from Dirty Mind or Controversy, more electric guitar through like Bob George would take this to a higher intensity
Starfish & Coffee love it perfect ... Susannah real life inspiration
Slow Love I love this song live and album
Hot Thang new sound experiments love it
Forever In My Life I prefere the live version, I don't listen all the way through... another Susannah muse

U Got the Look Love the song Love the video especially the beginning
If I Was Your Girlfriend top 5 favorite on the album live or studio cut
Strange Relationships #2 favorite this song in every way is dead on it
I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man Love guitar work by Prince, live or studio
the Cross prefere the live performance especially during the Lovesexy tour
I don't know if this is Prince or includes any of the Revolution but this would definately be better with a full band recording
It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night Prince releasing an obviously live recording is a + I love the fun, just about everyone from Paisley Park was on this one Sheila Jill Susannah the extende Revolution this song + You Gotta Shake Something (2 songs by the Flesh)
Adore just beautiful

La La La He Hee Hee
Shockadelica


This album of course a puzzle of different albums[Dream Factory, Crystal Ball, Camille] and a mixing pot of previous music he put out from For U - Parade/Dream Factory

just like the SOTT stage setup, which is a mix of trash & gardens, city lights Uptown new drum set and paisley covered Parade tour speakers, I wish he didn't move from this look and sound to quickly, Black album felt like it should have followed

Byron said:

Hey Hey Hey

that rap is Sheila E or Jill Jones
and that is not Rap it's Prince incorporating a style without changing his vision
no later in the post Batman years that's embarassing RAP, he changed to suite the genre

that 'rap' fit's for me with the ATWIAD Parade SOTT years it comes across as so 'learned and worldy'

it's actually an ole English poem

Sheila E.: "Transmississippirap" on "It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night"

micknme said:

Me too. I love that song. It's as romantic to me as "Adore" is. There isn't a bad song on this album. It's great from start to finish, even though I will admit, I have to be in the mood to listen to "It" and "Starfish and Coffee" sometimes but even those are great.

DecaturStone said:

Kind of agree with this one. But really? Wouldn't change a thing..Slow Love is the only tune I COULD skip but never do. How people could not like Its Gonna Be A Beautiful Night, It, THE CROSS??? , HOUSEQUAKE???? AMAZE me...these are all kickin tunes and it wouldn't be SOTTs if they weren't on there!!!

It
Slow Love

I cannot get over the "Slow Love," diss around here...

"Slow Love," is a beautiful song...

rialb said:

Definitely agree with this especially on the movie its one of the best performances i think It, The Cross and Slow Love are just ok

aiden3121 said:

But i prefer to watch the movie than listen to an album i think the performances are much better on the movie

Byron said:

Smokes?


Smooches;)

peter430044 said:

I would agree that IT is not his greatest. I don't usually listen to it


Smooches;)

OldFriends4Sale said:

Sorry, it still comes across as forced and bland in its delivery, regardless of where the words of the "rap" originated lol ...and I hate the vocal effects on it.

MsMisha319 said:

Yes, smokes lol ...actually stole that from Loder's review of SOTT--he said, when reviewing "Housequake", that "the whole thing smokes ferociously", and I wholeheartedly agree.

Hmm.

Well I think that "Beautiful Night" always stands well in the context of the album, but no so much on its own. It is a powerful jam, and I like the transposition of an actual live song, a lengthy live song that presents Prince as a live artist as well as a reclusive studio man (all the other songs).

Slow Love may drag a little, and I always thought "Sign" was sort of a weak track to begin the album...

But in some ways that is what endears me to it. It's a very subdued way to start the album.

In all, the pacing of SOTT is essentially flawless, and I think it helps to override the flaws of some of the songs.

Otherwise, this album is Prince's strongest material, hands-down, no contest.

I will never understand the criticism IT usually garners. To me, It's one hell of a song, completely encapsulating everything about Prince at the time - U can just picture him, prowling the corridors of Paisley (although Paisley obviously wasn't built when Prince recorded It), hot with lust and in pursuit of some insatiable nymph.

U got an incredible drumbeat - really slammin' - the perfect imitation of hard pounding sex - which is surely the intention.

You have a vocal of almost unequalled desperation - Prince is goddamn horny here - he's simply going out of his mind with desire and lustful craving.

You have a sizzling guitar solo that simply blisters - my god, it's just so vibrant and dynamic, jumps straight off the track and mirrors the increasingly desperate drum pattern.

You have a incredible build of vocal guitar and electro before it all climaxes and breaks on down to just the drum beat - it's as if Prince is saying "that was great but I'm not finished baby, I gotta have u hard and deep" - and he does just that - pounding drum, relentless rhythmic beat - oooweeee!

If you still not feeling it then 3 tips:

1. Check out the lyric - the way he sings "fucking on your mind...." - filthy cute!
2. As with all material that hasn't been remastered, Play it LOUD!
3. Have sex to It!

owen said:

Excellent description of "It" ...couldn't agree more, that song is WAY underrated. The beat is insistent and tense, funky as fuck and is indeed sexual ...GREAT use of silence in that beat. The guitar solo is a bit Pink Floyd-ish and is damn near note-for-note perfection...cool lyrics, and Prince's vocal delivery is exactly what a song like this requires.

Does Sign O' The Times contain any songs that are good, but not better than good, or even weak songs?

Short answer: NO. All songs are great.


:loves SOTT:-----
[Edited 6/22/09 10:12am]

Byron said:

Prince called and woke Sheila, then recorded it over the phone???...That's hot, lol.

Honey said:

It's like really boring phone sex lol...

ohbabydothatsomemoreyeahtouchmerighthereyouturnmeonsomuchgoodgod.

Byron said:

Yeah...

Yet we do know that Sheila can do it better. (SOTT film.)

IMO Slow Love is in my top 5 Prince songs ever. I cant believe some people don't appreciate the intricacy of the brass and woodwind. The instrumental to that song is brilliant and Prince was as on point as he'll ever be.