Not sure of how many Prince fans are on here in the Prince Music and More section that were actual fans before "When Doves Cry" was released. But, for those that fall into the category, I ask these two questions: What is your favorite Prince album between 78 and 84 and what is the "better" album, "1999" or "Purple Rain"?

Mine are: Best album between 78 and 84? 1999
The better album? 1999

blackguitaristz said:

Controversy
and 1999 is way better

Fleshofmyflesh said:

Hmmm.

I was a fan in '82

So not surprisingly my favorite 78-84 album is 1999 and I think 1999 is a better album.

Still...I think PR has a better flow and production. 1999 has terrible production and I think the flow breaks down a bit after Automatic; the songs are great, but it sounds more disjointed to me.

PR has a magic that 1999 never will, probably because it was just so damn popular.

Dirty Mind might just be the most innovative, though. I think he really invented a new sound/visual style with that one.

I'd rank them:
1999
Purple Rain
Dirty Mind
Prince
Controversy
For You

andyman91 said:

Good post. My main reason for asking was this. When Purple Rain hit, MANY Prince fans who were there from the beginning, did not really dig that album. Some then saw that as "Well, it's because there's a strong "rock" element to it." Which is bullshit, because, P always showcased rock elements in his sound. From "I'm Yours" to the rock breakdown in "Lady Cab Driver". What I feel it was, could have been a vibe that P really was trying to crossover. With the exposure he got from MTV and "Little Red Corvette", P set his sights on that and it may have influenced his choices. By the time Prince hit the road for the PR tour, the rebellious one had toned way down. So, when u went to the show, u saw a lot of kids and Tipper Gore looking women. Huge contrast from his Controversy and 1999 shows.

blackguitaristz said:

Well BG Baby, I would say that my 4 favorite albums by P during that period would have to be Controversy,Dirty Mind, For You, & 1999.

I've been into Prince ever since seeing him in "Right On!" magazine in 78 (with his big "Sylvers meets Dwayne from What's Happening!! afro)..My favorite LP from 78 to 84 would have to be "Dirty Mind". That when P just let his freak flag fly. New Wave was just becoming popular and P-Funk was starting to slow down so "Dirty Mind" just fit and filled the void. That's the nasty, lewd and mysterious rock and rolling Prince that I love. Every song on there is a jam and he made you believe he was living this "crazy/uptown party-sex filled" life. As far as it goes with "P.R." and "1999"...I'm gonna go with "1999". Lots of cool stuff on that LP and it's a favorite from everyone to Vernon Reid (Living Colour) to Trent Reznor (NIN). NOBODY was putting out jams like that in 1982 on the radio.

Controversy for me also.....

He was still raw at that time.....

SPYZFAN1 said:

Tell it, player! U hit it dead on the head. It's cool to see soooo many people on here who seems to truly dig the shit out of Prince. To be honest, I was kinda surprised to see so many under the age of 25, in this day of time , to really dig Prince.I mean, P is what, way in his mid 40's, got another birthday coming. And yet, young women on here still find P sexy. But, at the same time, I feel kinda sorry for them cuz they missed out on some wild shit from P back in the day. I mean, Prince was bringing it. Even from early 86, P had changed so much. If they think P is "hot" now, I wonder how they would have felt about P back then? When he truly didn't give a fuck. I knew some girls that were scared of Prince. Thought he looked evil and shit. Spyz, remember that? That was what was going around back then. If u held certain Prince pictures in the mirror, you'll see this and his eyes will look like that.

You speak the truth Black!! (lol) I'm so surprised to see a lot of under 25'ers into him too. Yeah Prince had that "evil eye/Dracula" thing goin' on back then. The "Controversy" video is a perfect example of that. Yeah a lot of girls liked Micheal Jackson back then, but you KNOW I pushed them aside to hang with the Prince chicks! (lol)...Micheal used to sing about taking a girl out on a date, while Prince sang about what he was going to do the girl AFTER the date. (lol)

SPYZFAN1 said:

man, don't get me started on the "Controversy" video. In a church no less! With angel statues on the sides?

blackguitaristz said:

They don't make videos like that any more.

blackguitaristz said:

I must have a different Controversy vid than you. Mine is concert footage shot at a concert, not a church./

They damn sure dont!!!..You guys are gonna make me pull out some of the old 80/81 stuff and watch it this weekend. Prince with the trench and Dez with the headband..I'm not stuck in the past but I miss the old days! (lol)

blackguitaristz said:

I would answer exactly the same way. 1999 is my favorite of all his albums

Hotlegs said:

which Controversy video are you guys talking about? Are there different versions?

"1999" is not only my favorite Prince album of that time period, but also my favorite Prince album of all time, so for me, it beats "Purple Rain" also.

Everyone I knew at the time liked "Purple Rain" but after it blew up real big, they were all saying they hoped that now that he had a pop audience, he wouldn't turn his back on his old fans and he did.

Lord have mercy, I remember all that shit. The "Dirty Mind" cover looked like he was staring an evil hole in you.

vainandy said:

My favorits album between 78 and 84 is 1999.
I choose 1999 over Purple Rain because 1999 is just too funky, but I do love the guitar work on PR.

Bought 1999 about a month after it was released
& it was astounding & sumptous & almost overwhelming.
It will always be the best.
Maybe because it was my first.

If I remember correctly, and I do, I had only listened to Dirty Mind, Controversy and 1999. Without question 1999 was the best of those, but DM is a close close second to me.

Whats an O.G. P fan?
Old Grandpa Prince Fan?

thedoorkeeper said:

Old Guy

blackguitaristz said:

Wow. This is a tough one. Before 1999, Prince, to me, was a really weird, effeminate guy who I just couldn't "get". Controversy made him more interesting, but in the late 70's and early 80's there was no WAY radio was gonna play "Head". I remember being surprised that the same guy who did "I wanna be your lover" also did "Controversy". Two different sounds. 1999 put Prince on the map with MTV airplay, so he was less this weird, underground artist, to more of a mainstream cat that everyone knew.

But it was the guitar on "When Doves Cry" that just blew me away. Purple Rain as an album was a tightly organized set of jams that to this day are my favorite album of all time. It's just on another level for me, from the guitar on Let's Go Crazy to the screams of passion on The Beautiful Ones, to the bravado of Baby I'm a Star, the audacity of Darlin' Nikki, and the melodies of Computer Blue; Prince just kicked up another level and came out with music and songs that sounded like nothing else at the time. PR is a more polished and professionally produced album than 1999.

1999 sounds like a very talented guy experimenting with a synthesizer. Some of the songs are great, some are not so great; it's the Classic example of the Minneapolis Sound and the blueprint for 80's funk. So many have ripped off 1999 that it's not funny. ( see George Michael,Phil Collins, Ready for the World, Janet Jackson, Andre Cymone, Jodi Watley...etc, etc, etc.)

Yet for all that, Purple Rain was the album that seems greater than the sum of its parts. Before Purple Rain, I never knew that Prince even played much guitar. I never knew how expressive an instrument it can be when played by a master.

Maybe all of Prince's CD's should be no more than eight songs of his best material.

It may not be fashionable to say this because it was so damn popular, but Purple Rain is Prince's best album.

thedoorkeeper said:

OG.
Original Gangsta



OG is usually used to denote the older players in the game, or the older members of a street gang.
[/streetology]

blackguitaristz said:

1999

But radio did play "Head" and they played it a lot. Before this, I had a few Prince 45s. After hearing "Head" (which wasn't available on a 45) numerous times on the radio and on a local TV dance show, I bought my first Prince album, "Dirty Mind".