Pretend that you are giving one Prince album to someone who has never heard Prince before. What album sums up Prince the best? In other words, what album lyrically, musically, thematically, and stylistically best represents Prince?

I pick Sign O the Time s because it is a perfect snapshot of what Prince is. It showcases a bunch of different styles, it demonstrates the famous Prince dichotomy of sex/God(love), it has "hit" songs, as well as "experimental" songs.

So what do you think?ˇˇ

Purple Rain, Parade & Sign O The Times

mmmmhhh....

i dont know exactly.....

but 4 me, its a mix:

Purple Ball

Crystal Rain

in combination

I would agree with "Sign O the Times" as the ablum that best demonstrates the diversity & genius of Prince's music: Funk (Housequake), Pop (U Got the Look), Jazz (Slow Love), Ensemble (Beautiful Night), Classic love song (Adore), Folk (Starfish & Coffee). This is some of Prince's best work and its all on one album!!!

Two other albums I always recommend to new Prince fans are "Around the World in a Day" and "Emancipation" because they both offer a wide diversity of music. There is something in each of those albums that someone can grab onto.

SIGN O THE TIMES.....PURE QUALITY
TALKING OF QUALITY ANYONE WITH ACCESS TO AUDIOGALAXY SEARH FOR A SONG TITLE ...SEXY KISS MACHINE....PURE FUNK OF LISTENING TO KISS REMIXED WITH SEX MACHINE PURE FUNK

Dirty Mind

Parade and Sing

Controversy too!

I would say that Sign O The Times best represents Prince. It has exceptional music and lyrics, and almost perfect balance. It's got ballads, rock, religious, and dance songs as well as some political commentary. If you accompany the album with the movie, then you have it all.

I would say that Purple Rain is second. It is an awesome album, but doesn't have the "depth" of SOTT.

If I had to recommend Prince to somebody, I would just tell them to get both albums.

That's just my opinion.

My vote goes to Emancipation. It has it all (but then again it's the album with most material on it) so obviously it would be a good album to represent the man !

Word out.

I'd say 1999, due the virtuosity on display there and the fact it was (for me) his first fully realized artisitc statement. Recording the whole thing, by himself, overdub by overdub, coupled with the deceptively simple arrangements, all created at such a young age, testified to his overwhelming genious and ability to control all aspects of his recordings.

1999 or Controvesry

Lovesexy or Sign o the Times

Anyways, no matter how U cut it...they all represent him 2 the fullest. So if this person never heard anything B 4...I'd start from when he did "78" and slowy work my ways through the years, so the person can have & respect & better understanding of hows he's changed from album 2 album. I mean 2 drop Purple Rain etc... on someone, won't give that person a soild foundation of his music as a "whole." ~That's like trying 2 place the Atlantic Ocean in someones backyard swimming pool~

The two (I know, you said one ) that sums him up are :

SOTT (of course) - pure genius.

Emancipation - showing how this genius can be diluted when there's no quality control.

Don't misunderstand, I love Emanc., but it shows just why P will never be mainstream again. Emanc as a single album, properly promoted, would have been superb, and sold a lot more.
Us fans love the triple CD thing, most punters don't - and P is too busy making music to worry about selling the music.

Good.

1999

I would pick sign O the times. The title track draws you in, and the rest of the album is excellent.

Lovesexy came to mind first...but I think he has many sides to him, it's kinda hard to just pick one.
[This message was edited Sun Apr 14 21:12:35 PDT 2002 by purpleleaf7]