"I Wanna Be Your Lover", "Bambi", "It's Gonna Be Lonely", "I Feel For You" (especially love the keyboards at the end), "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?"... five really great tracks... and the others are all pretty solid.

With "Dirty Mind", outside of the title track and "Uptown" the rest is pretty non-eventful. "When U Were Mine" is sheer cheese. "Head" and "Sister" are just very blatant and not particularly interesting attempts to shock.

Whilst the song "Controversy" remains one of his greatest tracks, there isn't really much else on the album - aside from "Annie Christian" - of any merit. "Jack U Off" is more cringeful than any of the contrived Hip-Hop attempts in the mid-90's. And don't get me started on the politics-for-the-intellectually-challenged in "Ronnie Talk To Russia".

I only actually bought "Prince" a week ago - not expecting much, as I hadn't been too impressed by much before the "1999" album. I bought it more for completist reasons.

But I'm loving it, probably more than "Around The World In A Day" too.
[Edited 1/13/05 11:52am]

better than the 3rd and 4th albums? bit of a stretch, considering prince was a musical stepping stone in order to get to those two albums.

A musical stepping stone for Jack U Off and Ronnie Talk To Russia?

What an insult to Prince.

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Better than Dirty Mind? Hahahahahahahahahahahah!!! Stop! You're killin' me! Next, you'll be sayin' New Power Soul is better than Sign O The Times!

MattyJam said:

if you say so, but you really can't separate one from the three.

MattyJam said:

'Dirty Mind' was a huge event because of its new wave/rock sound. It showed everyone that Prince wasn't limited to conventional R&B. Critics were practically falling out of their chairs because it was so different musically from Prince's first two albums. You couldn't have chosen words more wrong than "non-eventful" to describe that album.

at any rate: mattyjam, go back and study all three albums, in full, in chronological order. not listen to, S T U D Y. and no track skipping, either.

I'm no authority on music, but to me "Prince", while an awesome album in its own right, is so different than "Dirty Mind" and "Controversy" in so many ways, I don't see how a person could really compare them or declare it better than the other two, except as your own personal opinion.

And I disagree about your statement that "Dirty Mind" doesn't have much going on for it past the title track and 'Uptown'.

And also I must stand up for 'Jack U Off'. I don't think it's cringeworthy. I love that song.

sextonseven said:

Thank you. I'm sick of yougins coming here acting like they know shit.

JediMaster said:

Now COme on that is a bit of a stretch in no way can "Prince" be comparable to NPS. However, Prince vs. Dirty and COntroversy hmmmmm. I dunno dirty mind did have "Party Up" and "Uptown". But I see what you mean. Prince did have Sexy Dancr, I Feel for you, Bambi, I wanna Be your lover, and my fav Why you wanna treat me so bad!!!!! Controversy only really had Let's work, Sexuality and the title track. I think Prince is better than COntroversy but it is so different than DIrty Mind THat you can really compare the two.

sextonseven said:

Indeed. That album was what first put Prince on the map artistically. When it arrived, it really set him apart from the R&B crowd. The previous two albums were typical R&B/disco of the era, whereas Dirty Mind sounded like NOTHING on the radio at that point in time. It blew away critics and audiences alike.

How anyone can dismiss the incredible versatility of tunes like "When You Were Mine" is beyond me. That tune, in particular, is incredible in the way it is structured. It could easily be adapted into a pop track, a country tune, a rock number, or a ballad (and, it should be noted, there are existing covers of that song in all the aforementioned genres). Nothing on For You or Prince even come close to the brilliance of this single song.

Soulchild82 said:

I'm not saying that the two are comparable. I'm just saying that I find the assertion that a rather typical, if decent, album (Prince) being hailed as better than a groundbreaking, genre-defying album (Dirty Mind) to be ludicrous at best. I use the MUCH MORE obvious comparison of NPS to SOTT to illustrate my point. No one in their right mind thinks a crap-fest like NPS is better than SOTT, and no one should think that Prince stacks up to Dirty Mind

funny thing about all this is that ol' boy did the 2nd album to prove to warners that he could basically make money for 'em, y'know. he distanced himself far away from the whole commerciality bit with the next two albums--typical artist's move. you don't wanna be pigeonholed in the whole teenybopper/disco ketchuphead set for the rest of your career. dm had folks shittin kittens, cuz nobody saw that coming. to call somethin like that "uneventful" is outright bonkers.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Is "Prince", the album , better than "dirty Mind" and "Controversy"???

No.


In some people's eyes, Prince wasn't even really Prince until he hit us with "dirty Mind".

"prince" was a likeable album, but not very original-even by Prince's standards. I mean, "Rave" might not be innovative, but at least it still sounds like Prince. Much of the 1979 album sounds like it could have been made by several R&B acts of the late 70's/early 80's.

Dirty Mind >>> Prince.

and When You Were Mine is a certified CLASSIC.

I'm fast becoming one of those fans who consider Prince's best work to be pre-Purple Rain.

It sounds ridiculous I know, maybe it's not his *best* work, but it's the stuff I enjoy most.

Personally speaking, when asked I say Controversy is my favourite Prince album.

Previously I considered Parade my favourite and after that the Black Album, but for the past couple of years, it's been Controversy.

For You and Prince come soon after that - More For You than Prince, but 70s Prince is WAY under-rated by many fans. It's obscene that some don't appreciate Prince's 70s work.

Co-Sign! Although I disagree with you on a few points. "Let's Work" on Controversy is awsome. But I love dance tunes so I alot of songs I like a very damcey.But you are right that the Prince album is superior to the other two. It is a great album. And sorry but "When you were mine" is good yummy cheese. I love that song. Sometimes the Prince album does sound dated though "Still Waiting" sounds very seventies but that's ok. Love it, Love the whole album!

NouveauDance said:

I know what you mean. There was a time Parade and Lovesexy were my favorites but now I prefer the early 80's. Blame it on VainAndy.

I still like the early 90's too, though.

You're entitled to your opinion, but I have to say it's one of the most dubious I've read in a while concerning Prince's music.`
`
"Prince" is a polished late-70's record, well executed but fairly conventional both musically and lyrically. "Dirty Mind" is a ground breaking record on both counts. It's much bolder and it has this raw demo feel that perfectly complements the "letter to Penthouse" nature of the lyrics. It's one of Prince's best and most memorable records because it exuberantly documents a libido AND the sound of a new era of do-it-yourself-in-yer-own-basement-with-synths one.

I prefer Prince over Dirty Mind and Controversy. I listen to about 10 times as much. Maybe it's the songwriting that does it for me? Prince songs sound well-crafted; however, Prince did break new ground with the sound of Dirty Mind and Controversy, then 1999, then Purple Rain, then Around, then Parade, then Sign, then Lovesexy... wow, he was on a roll in the '80s, weren't he?

The "Prince" album was my first introduction to Prince and I instantly admired him for his look and attitude. "Dirty Mind" was when I fell in love with his music.

I'm by no means new to Prince or his music. I've been listening to him for about ten years.

Even if I were new to his music, it wouldn't make my opinion on it any less valid than yours. Lose the arrogance.

Dirty Mind is shrouded by fan hysteria. I've read a number of reviews (written at the time of release), none of which hailed the album as some kind of groundbreaking record. It may have been groundbreaking for Prince, it may have shown critics he was more than just an R&B crooner, but he wasn't the first R&B act to cross genres.

And if I'm to believe what I've read, wasn't it Matt Fink who came up with the majority of the title track? From the impression I got, Prince took what he came up with, wrote some lyrics around it and added a credit to the songwriting of the track. Write a word, take a third.

The lyrics are vulgar at best, with the prime intent to shock. I'm not uncomfortable with explicit lyrics, but I am uncomfortable watching people who think they're revolutionary just because they're writing lyrics about incest and oral sex. Eminem anybody?

Controversy the song is a great, funk-for-the-masses record. Annie Christian is a superb record - brand new territory for Prince and the only sign of anything innovative on the album. Only to be followed by Jack U Off - the kind of song you'd expect a kid to amuse himself with in the playground. The melody also sounds like break music. Cringeful.

His attempts at social awareness and political commentary are infantile at best.

Maybe those whose response to my first thread was "bwahahahaha" should learn to actually form a counter-arguement rather than trying to belittle mine. I expect half the members of this forum are afraid to express any kind of opinion due to the sheer amount of arrogant posters on here, who jump down peoples throats if their opinions don't match.

I appreciate those who actually bother to reply with a degree of respect, although unfortunately such people are out-numbered on this board.
[Edited 1/14/05 4:04am]

If you're going to express your opion on a subject your aware orgers will disagree with, take the heat. You'll be respected for handline criticism and move on.

Where I disagree with you is your comments about his ability to express political or sexual opinions. Artist are there to push the envelope and make us react. It may not be relevant now, but nuclear war with USSR was a concern back then. I happened to be a teenager at the time, so these were my anthems. I never believed he was doin' his Sister and doubted Vanity was walking through Minneapolis (warm 3 months a year) in lingerie.

The sounds and subject matter were very different than most anything else out there. I don't listen to most of NPG rap, because it doesn't toot my horn. But, if I expressed my opinion on it, I'd expect a fight.

JediMaster said:

MattyJam said:

I completely agree with you. I never really like Controversy and Dirty Mind, or For You for that matter. Prince is the only early album that I really listen to now.