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Thread started 07/07/17 4:43am

ChrisLacy1990

Appreciation Thread: “Automatic”

“1999” and “Little Red Corvette” are the two pop smashes on 1999, but “Automatic” is the hidden classic that laid the groundwork for several Purple Rain cuts. Mixing icy synthscapes with programmed Linn-Drums and human percussion? See “When Doves Cry.” Flirting with love and lust through a technical filter? See “Computer Blue.” A hypersexual temptress dominates Prince via S&M bondage? See “Darling Nikki.” Experienced on its own terms, “Automatic” is a steamy, nine-minute stroll through Prince’s red light district playground, replete with cries of torture and a blistering guitar solo.

746d25788c533740c9d04ac2febc7320.jpg

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Reply #1 posted 07/07/17 6:21am

OldFriends4Sal
e

PRINCE_LITTLE%2BRED%2BCORVETTE%2B%2B%2BPOSTER-3216.jpg

PRINCE_1999%2B-%2BNINETEEN%2BNINETY%2BNINE-3301.jpg

2c674e3fed0f8d7aa280684d6d253ec3.1000x1000x1.jpg

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Reply #2 posted 07/07/17 8:18am

GiggityGoo

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After years spent with the "1999" song cycle, "Automatic" has slowly crept up the list to become my favorite track on the album. It's the perfect combo of Prince's mindset, his lyrics, the Linn Drum, the band... I love it.

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Reply #3 posted 07/07/17 8:54am

CAL3

Overlong - but damned if that isn't a great synth riff its built around. This one takes me right back to my misspent youth every time.

I’ve been informed that my opinion is worth less than those expressed by others here.
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Reply #4 posted 07/07/17 3:07pm

bonatoc

avatar

GiggityGoo said:

After years spent with the "1999" song cycle, "Automatic" has slowly crept up the list to become my favorite track on the album. It's the perfect combo of Prince's mindset, his lyrics, the Linn Drum, the band... I love it.


Same. At some point, I didn't care much anymore about it.
But the gods of random at work in my playlist had the good taste to surface it more than once, and I found a new love for it. It's full of tiny details, subtle and radical variations, voices doublings, a sonic feast, stuck between organic and mechanical sounds.

It's just incredibly good, from the bass lines near the end, the pan-potted speech, to the production, and most of all, the pure, sheer fun of it. The clash between the invasive technology at the turn of the 21st century and the human feelings, which is basically the concept that traverses the whole album, whether lyrically or stylistically.

That is why I don't get the "Free" haters. This battle bewteen human and machine, the apex of which being Prince trapped in the web of a psychotic Linn's hi-hat that chops his mind into tiny slices all over SITW, is followed by a gospel deliverance, the resurgence of the sould amidst the urban agressivity of modern times.

Machines and urban life are all over 1999. Nuclear bombs, cars (sports cars, car brakes, steering wheels, cabs, electric windows), infidelity, synths, electronic drums, police, soldiers, computers, New York and planes. And I keep hearing Prince was a poor lyricist. Oh well.

[Edited 7/7/17 15:11pm]

The Colors R brighter, the Bond is much tighter
No Child's a failure
Until the Blue Sailboat sails him away from his dreams
Don't Ever Lose, Don't Ever Lose
Don't Ever Lose Your Dreams
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Reply #5 posted 07/07/17 6:32pm

mltijchr

avatar

probably my favorite track on 1999 - & all those songs are great.

.

I mean, the lyrics. the synths. the guitar solo. the slap bass in the last 3rd of the song.

.

only Prince could have written - or pulled off - this brilliant track.

I'll see you tonight..
in ALL MY DREAMS..
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Reply #6 posted 07/07/17 7:14pm

purplethunder3
121

avatar

bonatoc said:

GiggityGoo said:

After years spent with the "1999" song cycle, "Automatic" has slowly crept up the list to become my favorite track on the album. It's the perfect combo of Prince's mindset, his lyrics, the Linn Drum, the band... I love it.


Same. At some point, I didn't care much anymore about it.
But the gods of random at work in my playlist had the good taste to surface it more than once, and I found a new love for it. It's full of tiny details, subtle and radical variations, voices doublings, a sonic feast, stuck between organic and mechanical sounds.

It's just incredibly good, from the bass lines near the end, the pan-potted speech, to the production, and most of all, the pure, sheer fun of it. The clash between the invasive technology at the turn of the 21st century and the human feelings, which is basically the concept that traverses the whole album, whether lyrically or stylistically.

That is why I don't get the "Free" haters. This battle bewteen human and machine, the apex of which being Prince trapped in the web of a psychotic Linn's hi-hat that chops his mind into tiny slices all over SITW, is followed by a gospel deliverance, the resurgence of the sould amidst the urban agressivity of modern times.

Machines and urban life are all over 1999. Nuclear bombs, cars (sports cars, car brakes, steering wheels, cabs, electric windows), infidelity, synths, electronic drums, police, soldiers, computers, New York and planes. And I keep hearing Prince was a poor lyricist. Oh well.

[Edited 7/7/17 15:11pm]

Excellent review! thumbs up!

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
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Reply #7 posted 07/07/17 10:49pm

HatrinaHaterwi
tz

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See, since there is NOW an OFFICIAL Prince Youtube Channel...we should be able to show our appreciation of and love for Prince's song "AUTOMATIC" by posting the video...right here...right now! hammer

Sadly, it is NOT anywhere on Youtube nor the rest of the Internet but I am quite happily watching ithe full versioin of it as I type this because I have it. I've had it for YEARS, could and have watched it any damn time I've felt like. What I've couldn't do, is SHARE it...so that y'all could watch and enjoy it WITH me. Ooops! shrug

[Edited 7/7/17 23:13pm]

I knew from the start that I loved you with all my heart.
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Reply #8 posted 07/08/17 1:29am

SoulAlive

this is my favorite Prince song music

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Reply #9 posted 07/08/17 3:04am

Guitarhero

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

See, since there is NOW an OFFICIAL Prince Youtube Channel...we should be able to show our appreciation of and love for Prince's song "AUTOMATIC" by posting the video...right here...right now! hammer

Sadly, it is NOT anywhere on Youtube nor the rest of the Internet but I am quite happily watching ithe full versioin of it as I type this because I have it. I've had it for YEARS, could and have watched it any damn time I've felt like. What I've couldn't do, is SHARE it...so that y'all could watch and enjoy it WITH me. Ooops! shrug

[Edited 7/7/17 23:13pm]

Are we all sure this is official Prince channel , it seems i posted a comment on one of the videos 1 year ago. confuse As for the song i loved it from the first time i heard it music

[Edited 7/8/17 3:05am]

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Reply #10 posted 07/08/17 3:07am

mdmeridius

Guitarhero said:



HatrinaHaterwitz said:


See, since there is NOW an OFFICIAL Prince Youtube Channel...we should be able to show our appreciation of and love for Prince's song "AUTOMATIC" by posting the video...right here...right now! hammer

Sadly, it is NOT anywhere on Youtube nor the rest of the Internet but I am quite happily watching ithe full versioin of it as I type this because I have it. I've had it for YEARS, could and have watched it any damn time I've felt like. What I've couldn't do, is SHARE it...so that y'all could watch and enjoy it WITH me. Ooops! shrug


[Edited 7/7/17 23:13pm]



Are we all sure this is official Prince channel , it seems i posted a comment on one of the videos 1 year ago. confuse As for the song i loved it from the first time i heard it music

[Edited 7/8/17 3:05am]


You could be mistaken as all of the videos on that channel were uploaded yesterday.
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Reply #11 posted 07/08/17 3:12am

Guitarhero

mdmeridius said:

Guitarhero said:

Are we all sure this is official Prince channel , it seems i posted a comment on one of the videos 1 year ago. confuse As for the song i loved it from the first time i heard it music

[Edited 7/8/17 3:05am]

You could be mistaken as all of the videos on that channel were uploaded yesterday.

Double checked your right. I posted a comment on the discussion section 1 year ago. Yes the videos are recently uploaded. boxed

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Reply #12 posted 07/08/17 9:00pm

Laydown

great song

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Reply #13 posted 07/08/17 9:19pm

TXfan

Always loved that song. Very sexual, made me want to hear more Prince when I was a kid.
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Reply #14 posted 07/09/17 12:59pm

TheFman

No. 1 Prince song.

Went sleep every night with this song for years (!) until about 2002.

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Reply #15 posted 07/09/17 1:33pm

rdhull

avatar

TheFman said:

No. 1 Prince song.

Went sleep every night with this song for years (!) until about 2002.

Damn, Automatic was your lullabye? what were your dreams like? lol

"Climb in my fur."
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Reply #16 posted 07/09/17 7:20pm

214

purplethunder3121 said:

bonatoc said:


Same. At some point, I didn't care much anymore about it.
But the gods of random at work in my playlist had the good taste to surface it more than once, and I found a new love for it. It's full of tiny details, subtle and radical variations, voices doublings, a sonic feast, stuck between organic and mechanical sounds.

It's just incredibly good, from the bass lines near the end, the pan-potted speech, to the production, and most of all, the pure, sheer fun of it. The clash between the invasive technology at the turn of the 21st century and the human feelings, which is basically the concept that traverses the whole album, whether lyrically or stylistically.

That is why I don't get the "Free" haters. This battle bewteen human and machine, the apex of which being Prince trapped in the web of a psychotic Linn's hi-hat that chops his mind into tiny slices all over SITW, is followed by a gospel deliverance, the resurgence of the sould amidst the urban agressivity of modern times.

Machines and urban life are all over 1999. Nuclear bombs, cars (sports cars, car brakes, steering wheels, cabs, electric windows), infidelity, synths, electronic drums, police, soldiers, computers, New York and planes. And I keep hearing Prince was a poor lyricist. Oh well.

[Edited 7/7/17 15:11pm]

Excellent review! thumbs up!

As usual. I haven't got into this song yet, it's overlong.

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Reply #17 posted 07/10/17 2:45am

TheFman

214 said:

purplethunder3121 said:

Excellent review! thumbs up!

As usual. I haven't got into this song yet, it's overlong.

Than listen to the edited version instead. Everybody happy.
AUTOmatic isn't overlong in any way, it's perfect, it's natural, it flows. You could even call PR overlong if you want, but not this one.

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Reply #18 posted 07/10/17 9:34am

pdiddy2011

I have loved this song for 30+ years. Nobody around me seemed to share my intensity for the song. The video, the bravado, the confidence, the in and out of instruments, the long buildup... I listen to every minute of it every time, and yes, I have heard plenty of people complain (air quotes), "this is a loooong song". lol And I was on cloud nine when the Revolution included it on their tour! Still sounds great live!

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Reply #19 posted 07/10/17 10:08am

Genesia

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One of my favorites on 1999 since the first time I heard it.

And it is not "overlong." Good grief. I bet you all eat microwave popcorn, too. disbelief

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #20 posted 07/10/17 2:13pm

SoulAlive

Genesia said:


And it is not "overlong." Good grief. I bet you all eat microwave popcorn, too. disbelief

lol

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Reply #21 posted 07/10/17 6:59pm

jdcxc

Genesia said:

One of my favorites on 1999 since the first time I heard it.

And it is not "overlong." Good grief. I bet you all eat microwave popcorn, too. disbelief



Agree! This digital generation has no clue.
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Reply #22 posted 07/10/17 9:41pm

HatrinaHaterwi
tz

avatar

Genesia said:

One of my favorites on 1999 since the first time I heard it.

And it is not "overlong." Good grief. I bet you all eat microwave popcorn, too. disbelief

falloff

I knew from the start that I loved you with all my heart.
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Reply #23 posted 07/10/17 10:09pm

HatrinaHaterwi
tz

avatar

I just happend to have some free time on my hands and...

bb1af0bc76170ffffa3d27ed10ff86f4.jpg

NDU0OTg4NDQzNA==_o_prince---automatic-original-promo-video-lp-mix.jpg

hqdefault.jpg

as soon as I saw these images...it was A U T O MATIC! I may have only been 12 years old at the time but I fastened my seat belt and was prepared for take off...from that moment on! And I will happily testify in ANY court that it was a hellava ride...ever since! hammer

[Edited 7/10/17 22:11pm]

I knew from the start that I loved you with all my heart.
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Reply #24 posted 07/10/17 10:23pm

Goddess4Real

avatar

Automatic = cloud9

Keep Calm & Listen To Prince
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Reply #25 posted 07/11/17 12:20am

bonatoc

avatar

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

I just happend to have some free time on my hands and...

bb1af0bc76170ffffa3d27ed10ff86f4.jpg

NDU0OTg4NDQzNA==_o_prince---automatic-original-promo-video-lp-mix.jpg

hqdefault.jpg

as soon as I saw these images...it was A U T O MATIC! I may have only been 12 years old at the time but I fastened my seat belt and was prepared for take off...from that moment on! And I will happily testify in ANY court that it was a hellava ride...ever since! hammer

[Edited 7/10/17 22:11pm]


3 different sources, huh?
U know... U're just an addict! biggrin

I was 12 too. Prince made precocious children out of us. In every way.


The Colors R brighter, the Bond is much tighter
No Child's a failure
Until the Blue Sailboat sails him away from his dreams
Don't Ever Lose, Don't Ever Lose
Don't Ever Lose Your Dreams
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Reply #26 posted 07/11/17 5:12am

mnfriend

bonatoc said:



GiggityGoo said:


After years spent with the "1999" song cycle, "Automatic" has slowly crept up the list to become my favorite track on the album. It's the perfect combo of Prince's mindset, his lyrics, the Linn Drum, the band... I love it.




Same. At some point, I didn't care much anymore about it.
But the gods of random at work in my playlist had the good taste to surface it more than once, and I found a new love for it. It's full of tiny details, subtle and radical variations, voices doublings, a sonic feast, stuck between organic and mechanical sounds.

It's just incredibly good, from the bass lines near the end, the pan-potted speech, to the production, and most of all, the pure, sheer fun of it. The clash between the invasive technology at the turn of the 21st century and the human feelings, which is basically the concept that traverses the whole album, whether lyrically or stylistically.

That is why I don't get the "Free" haters. This battle bewteen human and machine, the apex of which being Prince trapped in the web of a psychotic Linn's hi-hat that chops his mind into tiny slices all over SITW, is followed by a gospel deliverance, the resurgence of the sould amidst the urban agressivity of modern times.

Machines and urban life are all over 1999. Nuclear bombs, cars (sports cars, car brakes, steering wheels, cabs, electric windows), infidelity, synths, electronic drums, police, soldiers, computers, New York and planes. And I keep hearing Prince was a poor lyricist. Oh well.

[Edited 7/7/17 15:11pm]



Thank you, superb--
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Reply #27 posted 07/11/17 5:55am

HatrinaHaterwi
tz

avatar

bonatoc said:

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

I just happend to have some free time on my hands and...

bb1af0bc76170ffffa3d27ed10ff86f4.jpg

NDU0OTg4NDQzNA==_o_prince---automatic-original-promo-video-lp-mix.jpg

hqdefault.jpg

as soon as I saw these images...it was A U T O MATIC! I may have only been 12 years old at the time but I fastened my seat belt and was prepared for take off...from that moment on! And I will happily testify in ANY court that it was a hellava ride...ever since! hammer

[Edited 7/10/17 22:11pm]


3 different sources, huh?
U know... U're just an addict! biggrin

I was 12 too. Prince made precocious children out of us. In every way.



LOL...yes! Yes, I am and yes, he did! nod

I knew from the start that I loved you with all my heart.
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Reply #28 posted 07/11/17 9:45am

sulls

avatar

TXfan said:

Always loved that song. Very sexual, made me want to hear more Prince when I was a kid.

YES! Very sexual, and the synth made me feel like there's some weird shit going down.

"I like to watch."
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Reply #29 posted 07/11/17 9:46am

sulls

avatar

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

I just happend to have some free time on my hands and...

bb1af0bc76170ffffa3d27ed10ff86f4.jpg

NDU0OTg4NDQzNA==_o_prince---automatic-original-promo-video-lp-mix.jpg

hqdefault.jpg

as soon as I saw these images...it was A U T O MATIC! I may have only been 12 years old at the time but I fastened my seat belt and was prepared for take off...from that moment on! And I will happily testify in ANY court that it was a hellava ride...ever since! hammer

[Edited 7/10/17 22:11pm]

Thanx 4 the screen shotz

"I like to watch."
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