1999 is my choice for the greatest album of all time. Here is why:

1999 was incredibly relevant at the time and its messages loom large today as well. In 1982, the world was in a mess. AIDS was festering in Africa. The Soviet Union and the USA were entrenched in the frigid Cold War. The tension in the Middle East was augmented. The world's economy experienced an enormous crash, rendering several countries in South America and Africa paupers in the world market (many of which have not recovered). Who wasn't worried about the troubled times? 1999 tunes in perfectly to those fears. The title track is a viciously funky premonition of not only the current state of affairs, but things to come. Prince really tapped into his view of the future with this album. The foreboding messages of the title track are echoed in future classics like "Let's Go Crazy" and "Crystal Ball," but none are as timely nor as timeless as "1999," which is funny as "1999" is tied to a specific date.

1999 also reigns supreme due to its paradoxes. Whether it be Prince clamoring, "I'm in love with God, he's the only way" in juxtaposition with "I sincerely want to fuck the taste out of your mouth" in "Let's Pretend We're Married," the dedication of a sexual thrust to "love without sex" in the midst of the passion of "Lady Cab Driver" or the sonic paradox of "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)," a song literally being torn apart by the opposing forces of order in the form of the computerized synth and turbulence in the passion of Prince's guttural screams and the beat which is systematically chaotic, Prince was clearly functioning on a new level with this album, not just personally, but in music as a whole. Nothing previous to this had been as irreverent as "Let's Pretend We're Married," only to turn a complete 180 and declare love of God. Nothing prior to this had seen a song effortlessly blend the primitive outburst of screaming and the forward-looking sound of "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)." What was this guy thinking?

1999 also earns the award because it breaks so many formats. The smash singles are all placed at the beginning of the album, after which it meanders into much darker, experimental territory. The outburst of raging, swaggering funk in "Let's Pretend We're Married," "DMSR," "Automatic," "Lady Cab Driver" and "All the Critics Love U in New York" are stunning not because they are so drawn out (all but "All the Critics" are over 7 minutes in length), but because they still seem concise. Not a beat was misused, not a measure was misplaced. Speaking of "All the Critics Love U in New York," this song stands out not only as the most experimental song in Prince's career, but among the most experimental music of the modern era. Supremely funky, Prince turns a swipe at critics and hippies alike into a nasty, frenetic, rhythmic explosion over seemingly disinterested, lazy half-rapping.

1999 has a distinct sound. The entire album is tied together by a common sound, with instantly recognizable beats, synths and attitude. Despite this bond, the songs are easily distinguishable from each other. Regardless, no song on 1999 can be mistaken for being on any other album. I believe that albums work best that stretch the palate of one sound as far as it can go. 1999 is arguably Prince's most minimalist work, employing few instruments in the mix, yet it propagates a dense fog of funk that sounds both sparse and forebodingly full. Prince pushed himself to his creative limit with this album and the outtakes most associated with it. Prince incorporates inexplicable gurgling sounds, elephant noises, soldier footsteps and city noises into the mix and they perfectly fit the scheme of the music, sounding as if they were recorded for the sole purpose of inclusion on this album. Other albums also are deeply rooted with a single sound, but none, with perhaps the exception of David Bowie's Low, Prince's Lovesexy and Bjork's Vespertine, involve as much creativity. 1999 is a black beacon of foreboding funk.

1999 also rules the rest because it was recorded by an incredibly gifted artist on the brink of superstardom. This was the LAST music Prince recorded before becoming a bona fide mega-star. It exhibits all of the hunger, drive and determination of the first four releases, but it adds a confident swagger and a new maturity as well. This was Prince's rite of passage into manhood. Prince KNEW this music was legendary and stood out on its own. It didn't need any gimmicks- it didn't need Prince to grace the cover in some provocative pose. The music spoke for itself. Anything recorded after 1999 was created by someone who was already a household name. 1999 came from a relative unknown, making it all the more surprising.

Lastly, 1999 is so stunning because it is entirely the work of one man. Certainly, studio engineers were involved in the mix. Prince even includes "the Revolution" for the first time on this album. However, Dez Dickerson's influence is nowhere on this record. It's not Matt Fink's vision. This album is 100% Prince himself. Not only does Prince unveil all of his cards in this release, he turns them over in your face, making them impossible to ignore. This album is the culmination of his genius, the pinnacle of an artist whose talent is unrivaled by anyone of the modern era.

I rest my case.

My God, Moonbeam! You're a bloody genius!

this is an absolutely fabulous post, you've totally understood the album and all its complexities and subtleties as well as the passage of time it was released in. To me, this album marked a milestone in music history and reading your post brought back all the emotions of the time.

Please consider writing up your thoughts on PR;ATWIAD;Parade;SOTT and LS as well!!

SO WHAT DO U THINK OF 1999??

Still don't have this one yet. I might make it my next 80's album to get from P. I'm getting The Rainbow Children and the Vault first tho.
[Edited 6/8/05 1:13am]

doctamario said:

my advice is to get 1999 first then Sign "O" the times (if you dont already). They are his 2 best. with honorable mentions going to lovesexy, gold,contraversy, and dirty mind. The vault is good but i wasn't too fond ot TRC. . is also extreamly good to.

If you think it is the shit now you should have heard it in the summer of 1983 when everybody had it at full blast. Prince and MJ was locked in a TITANIC STRUGGLE for R & B supramacy . Little Red Corvette and Billie Jean fighting it out on the radio for #1. Radio was real when the radio could play for hours and the same song would not be heard for hours.MJ won the battle but Prince won the war.

Sigh .....the good ol days.

You got to put on some nice headphones and crank up "Lady Cab Driver." Then
you will be purified.