I finally had the chance to buy the Controversy album and replace my old cdr copie.
I hadn't really paid atention to this album and i had the chance to hear it when I was on the train back home.

Controversy is the most political and social album Prince has ever made and almost all of the songs are incredible and though provoking. It's surpasses Sign'O' the times album, traditionally considered has the prince "political and social" album.

Here R some examples in the lyrics of some tunes:

People call me rude, I wish we were all nude
I wish there was no black and white, I wish there were no rules

Don't let your children watch television until they know how to read
Or else all they'll know how to do is cuss, fight and breed
No child is bad from the beginning... they only imitate their atmosphere
If they're in the company of tourists, alcohol and US history
What's to be expected is 3 minus 3... absolutely nothing

Ronnie talk to Russia before its too late
before they blow up the world

You go to the zoo, but you can't feed guerillas
can't feed guerillas
Left-wing guerillas
You can go to the zoo, but you can't feed guerillas
who wanna blow up the world

she tried to kill Reagan, everybody say gun control
gun control

Controversy is really one of those masterpieces that captures the feeling of 80's , Reaganomics, Cold War and social trouble...

A great album indeed!!!!!

I used to think that it was a so-so album.

Then I heard New Power Soul, Rave, and The Rainbow Children. Now I consider Contreversy as one of his master works!

Here is what amazes me the most about Controversy---How old was Prince when he made this??? 22? 23? What 22 year old singers/performers tackle topics like this so boldy as Prince did? No one that age now days covers that stuff like Prince did. No at his age.
[Edited 5/5/05 15:07pm]

AsianBomb777 said:

U bet!

Remeber when they sold the cassette with "Dirty Mind" on one side and
"Controversy" on the other. I wore that tape out. Great, great stuff!

8up said:

Wow!

Fab!

skywalker said:

I think it was made in the summer of 1981, so that would make him 23 at the time of recording. Amazing, actually... just a little older than me now. I feel like crap.




Uh, I don't think so. It's great that he speaks about such issues, but I don't think he ever really made a spot-on political track. No for me at least.

Great Album!!

It's my favourite Prince record, numero uno.

8up said:

I had that cassette also, one of my favorites, it eventually broke

One of the best!

errm....among all the praise...i...i..have one minorpoint

Ronnie, talk to russia

Conclusion: Prince, PLEASE, leave writing about (world)politics over to peeps like Bob Dylan, Micheal Stipe and Bruce Cockburn...Please, can your hear me?

I like it, but my favorite track is "Jack U Off".

Does that make me stupid?

"Do Me, Baby"

Love this Album. One of my favorites

One of his most underated best.

"people call me rude I wish we all were nude etc etc"

is one of the most zen things he ever wrote and its in my top favorite lines of all time.

I remember watching the "Controversy" & "Sexuality" videos on NBC's Don Kirschner's Rock Concert when the album came out. Some folks were upset with Prince reciting the Lord's Prayer on the title track. Does anyone still have the poster that came with the record(Prince in the shower)?

A lot of my friends didn't like Prince back then. They didn't know what to make of him(is he black/white, straight/gay?). He was more or less a cult figure until 1999 & Purple Rain.

Although it was a lame album, Rainbow Children was much more political and social than Controversy. The politics and social critique is present on Controversy,but maybe due to his youth he comes off as naive. Ronnie Talk to Russia ain't exactly the deepest political statement.

Controversy was the better album though.


.
[Edited 5/10/05 8:46am]

Riverpoet31 said:

That sounds like a Prince-outtake from back then!

If that album was his most political and social work then his social and political agenda really isn't up to too damn much, I'm afraid....