Yup. Finally broke down and bought "For You" on CD this mornin' at the Beast Buy, which means I gots 'em all (save for "The Very Best Of" and "1999:The New Master", two releases which I continue to deny exist )!!!

It took me forever to buy "For You", because for the longest time, I just didn't give a crap about this album. Oh, I had it on vinyl when I was a young'un, but I got it at the same time as "Prince", Dirty Mind, Controversy and 1999, and to my little ears, those four albums were so much more colorful than "For You"...I always liked the funky a cappella thing at the beginning and "Soft and Wet" was awright, but for the most part...just too spare and syrupy for someone who was getting weened on Lady Cab Driver and Annie Christian.

So I got Sign O the Times as a Christmas Present in 1987, and that was my first Prince album on CD...fast forward to 17 years later, and now I got 'em all, ironically closing the gap of my collection with the dude's very first album. Go figure.

So now that I got this thing in my possession, who's a fan of "For You"? Someone get me revved up to listen to this album with new ears...or maybe I'll give it a spin this weekend and be surprised at how my tastes have changed over the years...who knows...but it would be very cool to get some thoughts on this album nonetheless...

Congrats ....!

Funny thing is that I also completed my collection with the "for you"-album on CD two weeks ago. So I am not the only one, huh? Now I'm gonna store all my vinyl untill I have grankids!

Well....about the For You album .... Prince himself hardly plays any songs from that album. Does that say enough?

To me, there are some great songs on that album, but production-wise it's too perfect. Prince himself said that he thought it was almost a "computer" making music. Besides that, a lot of musicians would die to make an album like that all by themselves...

But I still enjoy that album ... I love the openingstrack ...What a way to start your career!!!!

Yeah, from the times I listened to it back in the day, I remember "For You" sounding really stiff and not really unique in any way at all to my ears...at least he started busting out the guitar on the second album and putting together some sticky melodies. From the first time I heard the first five albums, I've loved that you can trace his evolution as a recording artist from album to album to album - it's a textbook case of how an artist grows (and/or, I suppose, how an artist is ALLOWED to grow) over the years.

It'll be interesting to listen to it again after sleeping on it for so long.

For You is a great record but it took me a long time to really appreciate it. I first got into Prince with SOTT at the age of 13. When I first heard For You I didn't dig it at all, thought it was boring. But now I think it's awesome!!! Christ the guy was like 18 when he recorded it! For a first album it's pretty fucking impressive! And I'm Yours is AMAZING!! The bass playing!! You can really see how talented he is from this record, OK some of it's quite derivative and there's nothing really groundbreaking but for a first album, shit! Not only can he play but he knows how to make things sound interesting, he knows how to bring diversity to his work. Compare 'Crazy You' to 'I'm Yours.' For You is fantastic. End of conversation.

What took u so long?

Now, 4 ur next goal. Get every picture disc that been made.
myself just recently completed that goal.

Funny, this was my first Prince CD...back in 1989.

Not because I liked it (I don't rate it), but I figured I better get the crap one first, otherwise I might spend 20 years with an incomplete collection!

i'm a bit disappointed it took u this long 2 complete your collection, but oh well, at least u have it now. better late that never.

favorite tracks:

IN LOVE
SOFT AND WET
MY LOVE IS FOREVER
JUST AS LONG AS WE'RE TOGETHER

u should be in the JAM after listening 2 this album.
these particulare songs are especially the JAM!!!!!

I went through a very similar thing with Prince. I got all his albums on cd between 1989 and 1990 and "For You" was the last of the bunch. I just didn't give a fuck about it then and I still think it's his weakest effort. I know he was young and the produced/arranged/composed/performed thing is supposed to impress us, but it's just not very good. I don't think that it showcases his talent or promise at all and isn't an indication at all of what was to come. "For You" the song is gorgeous. I've always loved that. The 2 singles are pretty funky. "In Love" is very bouncey and fun. "I'm Yours" is pedestrian, but I still find it pretty enjoyable. The rest is all acoustic folk/soul hybrids that just don't take off. By the time of "The Truth", he had mastered this kind of song, but back then it just sounds immature and silly. I liken it to "Space Oddity" by Bowie although it's not even that good. Both were trying to find their "thing" but came off sounding naive and forced. It's good that you got it for the collection and compilation purposes though.

ThePurplePeopleEater said:

naw, i just care about having the music, i don't really care for getting all the collectible stuff cuz i never have anywhere to display it and i'm bad at storing and taking care of stuff like that. i might decide to start collecting all the CD singles that were made available, though ...there are quite a few i don't have, or only have on vinyl or (gasp) CASSINGLES.

dont feel bad,i have yet 2 get it myself

i think at this point, the only prince-related CD i'm really interested in getting is the NPG "goldnigga" album...i'm sure i'll loathe it, but i've never heard it other than little bits and demos from various bootleggage, and i gots the other NPG stuff so i might as well...

My first album purchase was 1999. I think I started going back into the catalogue shortly thereafter so I've loved the For You album since my early, early teens. Used to have Prince marathons where I'd start w/ For You & work my way up to whatever album was most current. I love every single song on it, My Love Is Forever is probably my fave on that album (w/ Soft & Wet of course). Glad you finally got this one!

For You

I had ALL Prince's stuff on vinyl, I had ALL stuff on cd's & a couple of bootlegs (lovesexy 88, after shows 88, and SOTT 87)
I sold it all!

Well, to be exact, I kept Purple Rain & SOTT on cd.
(I sold the Lovesexy cd, cuz I got tired of that 'one track' thing. (fed up with fastforwarding to Dance On )

'For You' didn't do it for me, except for the cool intro.
It was one of the first cd's I bought originally, after Purple Rain, SOTT & Lovesexy, I bought everything in chronological order.
Up until the 'love symbol', that was just TOO much after Batman, Graffiti Bridge & D&P, pleeez!

Since Rave, (dvd, very average, except for The Time they rule(d)!) I got a little more interested, and after buying The Rainbow Children & Musicology I got into that 'retro' mood.

Since Musicology, this is the score so far:
Emancipation, Lovesexy ('loose' tracks, yesss!) ONA, ONA Live, Chaos & Disorder, The Vault & Crystal Ball.

So people, what should I do next?
[This message was edited Sat Jul 17 4:28:47 2004 by LookUp2C]

I finally got around to getting all my albums on CD also. The hardest one to find was "Batman". The last one I bought was "Parade" and before I bought it, I had to think long and hard...."Is there another one that I missed before I buy this one". I never have cared for that album except for "Kiss".

When I finally got a CD burner, I replaced "Lovesexy" with a burned copy with track numbers inserted. I also pulled out all my old vinyl and burned all the 12 inches and extended B Sides. Then I started burning the unreleased stuff and bootlegs I had on cassette.