I have only recently fully appreciated the true quality of this album, its definately up there with the best of them. It is flawless in my opinion. I would be interested in everyones views on this album.

It's definitely not flawless in my opinion.

I felt this way when I first bought it but after that "new CD smell" wore
off I could see it definitely wasn't flawless.
Some of those slow songs can be a bit too sappy and "typical"
but all of the uptempo songs are definite jems (ie Bambi )

Ballad-wise I think P really didnt master them until the late 80s-90s

The whole album rocks hard! Especially Sexy Dancer and I Feel 4 U. Two of my faves. This is a MUST HAVE album indeed.

i did this testimonial last year, but it's still fitting:



the way i see it, prince has gotta be like one of the most underrated albums in the cat's whole catalogue of work. yes, every once in a while you'll see somebody mention about "i wanna be your lover" or "i feel for you"--but they won't mention shit else on the album! shame, too, because this entire album is teh mega-hottness. this album was like the musical equivalent of prince poppin his head outta the freak closet, because the album was a helluva lot more sexually trumped-up than anything on for you. folks have said that dirty mind was p's first foray into the whole sexually explicit thing, but it ain't really so. this album here was the true foundation to all of that stuff, and most folks overlook this.

i remember the day when i first heard this album in full--i was about 18 or so, and i had special-ordered the album out at the mall cuz there wasn't a record store anywhere in my hometown that had this album on their shelves. i had thought that i'd never be able to hear anything else off of the album other than "i wanna be your lover", "why you wanna treat me so bad?" and "i feel for you", which i had heard on my copy of the hits/the b-sides that i had at home. anyway, i got out to the mall and picked up the album, paid for it, took it home and popped it into my tape player (i didn't have a cd player yet, so the shit was on tape)...gave it a listen...by the time it all ended i was all like "wooooo!" the two songs that kicked my lil' ass upon the very first listen were "sexy dancer" and "bambi" (more on these in a sec).

the album, song by song: side one

i wanna be your lover: this is like the ultimate happy song for me--if any prince song conjures up images of ridin around in a car on a sunny day, this is it. the whole song is class, man...and the opening line of the damn thing is so on-point to me because it sorta stood out from all the other "baby i got a cadillac, a penthouse and a bearskin rug"-type luv (that's right, i said "luv", dammit) songs: i ain't got no money/i ain't like those other guys you hang around...if THAT don't signify truth in a cut, i dunno what does. seriously. that, and the instrumental coda on the tail-end of the song is the shit, too.

why you wanna treat me so bad?: to me, the bestest part of this cut is the little geetar solo at the end. it's just...it just is, alright?

sexy dancer: when i first heard the prince album i remember readin the track list on the cover and thinkin, "'sexy dancer'? what's this?"...then that two-note intro popped up...and the song started goin...then i got a hold of that bassline, and it was just OVER. i was like "oh hell yeah!!!!" i loved-ded "sd" from the very first time i heard it, and to this day it's one of my all-time fave songs. thing of it is, it got whittled down to 4 minutes so it'd fit on the album, which is a pity cuz it woulda been hot if they had it in its full 8 minutes of funk glory...but, it was 1979 and cds n'shit wasn't around yet, sooooo...anyway, "sd" is the ultra-shit!! everything about it is hawt--plus, it had prince's first killa bassline in it. it's simplistic, but it sure as fuck gets the job done. most of my female friends love this cut cuz of one thing and one thing only: the breathing.

y'know that old coca-cola commercial, "i'd like to buy the world a coke" or sumfin like that? me, i'd like to tape copies of the full-length version of "sexy dancer", so the world can shake its collective ass in perfect harmony. for those of you who have either dissed or slept on "sd" and haven't heard the 12" version, believe me...you'd love it after you heard it in full. the album version don't do it justice.

when we're dancing close and slow: this cut is more or less p's first "baby-maker". the sexiness of this cut cannot be denied. never never ever. ladies, ya'll can probably testify to this...

the album, song by song: side two

with you: if there were a prince song that was so sugary...so sappy...so ultimately saccharine...this would be the one. if this song were a krispy kreme donut, your teeth would immediately rot and fall outta your head upon biting it. it's that damned sweet. the song is beautiful, don't get me wrong...but it makes my stomach ball up into a little marble when i hear it.

bambi: the first time i listened to this album i remember recovering from the sap-fest that was "with you" and lookin at the track list and goin, "now what's this?" then the geetar intro came on, the rest of the shit came in and it just whooped my black ass. HARD. "bambi" rox all the sox, shoes, underwear, hair weaves, contact lenses--no, wait! fuck rockin the sox, it rox the whole wardrobe, okay? although this track kicks ass, i still kinda poke fun at the lyrics--sounded more like the brotha was just sorta burnt n'jealous cuz ol' girl was gettin more pussy than he was.

still waiting: listenin to this song always gets me like, "damn--somebody throw the brotha a sympathy fuck or sumfin..." it paints a perfect picture of just plain ol' pitifulness, pretty much. sorta like p's sittin there next to you, tellin you how it sux that he can't get the hook-up with nobody--then it's like, "as fine as you are, and you're cryin over this chit?!" you feel sorry for 'im, but you still wanna slap 'im so he'll quit blubberin. eheh.

i feel for you: chaka khan did this song justice, but nothin beats the original. i actually prefer the original version to the remake, it sounds a helluva lot warmer.

it's gonna be lonely: i always say "fuck 'adore'!" because of this track. everything about the song is just lovely, and that multi-tracked harmonizing bit towards the end, where everything sorta cascades (ya'll know the one)? that never fails to have me testifying. it makes my heart go "yaaaaay!!!!" a great way to close out the album, for sure.



...and there it is.

"Prince" was some nice shit. I like Chaka's I Feel 4 U better, but the originals good also. It was all a nice fairwell to disco. Still Waiting is the one exception, tho. It gets on my nerves.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Take a bow!

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Excellent!

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

thanks for trumpeting my fave P album , couldnt have said it better myself !

and another thing ,....

isnt this the only P album that every track on the lp has been covered ???

said it b4 and i'll say it again - with the exception of a handfull of sensational tracks, both 'prince' and 'for you' lick balls.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

couldn't have said it betta myself.

"why you wanna treat me so bad?: to me, the bestest part of this cut is the little geetar solo at the end. it's just...it just is, alright?"

yea this solo seems to flow so naturally into this song. Unlike other p trax when the solo can sound forced. And the feel good factor about this album is definately there. As u mentioned this is a classic album for playing in a summers day with a few chilled beers.

scandalousalan said:

No can't say that I think that it is 'sublime' I do like it and there are a few great songs on there but 'sublime' is way too strong. I wouldn't even call the 'Prince' album great.

The whole album is great.

Yes! My favourite of the first 4 albums.

I just listened to the cd yesterday. There is no one in music today that could possibly come up with an album like this - much less so early in a career.

I think it's mostly brilliant, except for "When We're Dancing Close and Slow" which is coma inducing.

"For You" is a bit better though, in my opinion.