blackguitaristz said:

For the Jimi & Sly tribute.....

I always said that Prince & The Revolution, was the 80's Sly & The Family Stone....

Black , as always you're on point...

All you have to do is play All The Critics...loud...to know the answer.

onenitealone said:

I was wondering when somebody was going to ask me that. Oh well.., without a doubt, the 1999 album, to me, is the superior of the two. This is coming from someone who has been more than hip to Prince from day one. I saw P in concert early on in his career, before the 1999 album. I, as much as anyone, maybe more than most, championed Prince during Purple Rain. As a guitarist, I was and am VERY influenced by Hendrix and Santana and Funkadelic. As a kid, that's one of the things that drew me to Prince in the first place. I was so happy that a black man, at that time, was doing that. Purple Rain, to me, what it represented, was and is, paramount. It's basically a tribute to Jimi and Sly & The Family Stone. Musically, in theme, and certainly, visually. The vibe of it influenced me greatly as a kid. BUT, the songs, the daring, innovative funk/rock of so much of the material on 1999, is on another level than Purple Rain. The songs on Purple Rain have more of what I call, a "pop sensibility". They're more pop oriented. "Take Me With U" & "I Would Die 4 U". Even though P has a masterpiece on there in "When Doves Cry". But the sheer brilliance of the 1999 album, to me, without question, has Prince's best playing, his best singing and his best songwriting, between the two albums.

I can dig it ..but truth. I'd thought Purple Rain would have been your choice. b'cause of the guitar work. you can't go wrong with either tho'.

Hey BG, thanks for letting me know about this thread.

I have often wondered about this myself... and several of you are on the money.
PR was a great launch to a fun musical movie... but for me 1999 was a journey. Take me with U and Baby I'm a star are great pop songs... but really in a way forgettable. I can't think of anything on 1999 that didn't blow my mind the first time I heard it. My then boyfriend had the 1999 LP and I thought he was crazy for spending that much money on a record... it was a double LP. But it was worth every penny.
I really liked all the critics love you in NY. I thought the lyrics were a bit egotistical and in-your-face, and that is what made the song even better. It was the first glimpse at the confidence Prince felt in his musical abilities. Lady Cab driver was the jam! I like the hand claps on the off beat (you know what I mean?) it was not predictable beat and it sounded funky.
The whole LP was more than a record. it was a musical experience

As I said before 1999 is most cetainly his best work yet. And the reason I say that is because I belive he has the ablity to do something just as good.
Could someone please post that wonderful pic from the inside album sleeve!

Aerogram said:

I personally prefer to listen to 1999, but I know in my heart that Purple Rain is the best of the two, all things considered.

It doesn't matter which is considered the "best" of the two. It only matters what you prefer.

DiamondGirl said:

that song is fierce,isn't it?

Appreciation for both releases for different reasons makes this a tough call.
1999 is a sonic leap from the demo sounding Controversy and Purple Rain takes it a step further. Artistically, 1999 is a standout based on the musical genres it bridged (Funk, New Wave, R&B, etc) especially when the obvious comparison is made to the more popular (based on sales) Thriller.

I'd have to agree with Anx's opinion that Purple Rain is a "far more fully realized" and focused record. Also, IMO, there's a more compelling statement being made with the release of PR beyond the actual music. I believe with PR's more Pop/Rock flavor, in conjuction with the movie, Prince is stating to the music industry in terms of marketing, "You will not bag me as a Funk/R&B artist". This is a financial statement and directly relates to $$$s.

Miles Davis took a similar stance with the Jazz community by thumbing his nose at what they considered the appropriate music for a Jazz Artist...

"I never thought that the music called "jazz" was ever meant to reach just a small group of people, or become a museum thing locked under glass like all other dead things that were once considered artistic."

IMO, Prince is saying you're gonna have to give me access to the same money and visibility as the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Sting or any other big name/big money Pop/Rock act. It's part of Music Business 101. Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone and Michael Jackson were a few of a handful of black artists afforded this stature.

I've noticed that there's a bit of a love/hate relationship going with PR as many old-school Prince fans feel that although this release pushed him into the mainstream arena and confirmed his credibility (to them anyway), it also meant they had to share their "pet" artist with a larger fan pool.

Anyway, 1999 gets points for being the musically daring free-for-all that it is.
But i'm picking Purple Rain for what I think are some political reasons Behind The Music.

tA
France countdown - T-Minus 5 days and counting.

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm
[Edited 8/19/05 12:17pm]

Damn B!! You've created a MONSTER of a thread (lol). I love "Purple Rain" because of the guitar licks, the Sly cum Jimi vibe, and the LP just brings back some good memories (and mammaries-lol)..but I'm gonna pick "1999". That LP was cutting edge for it's time. Prince took his influences from Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, ZAPP (even if he won't admit it), and George Clinton and took it to church. That LP influenced a lot of heads from PM Dawn to NIN to Pharell to Living Colour. I've even seen Vernon wear a cool "1999" pin for a long time. Even light "1999" ripoffs from Phil Collins, Shalamar, and the 1984 era Isley, Jasper, Isley picked up on the P "1999" vibe. Good thread brutha B..You're always on it!

So far, 1999 easily is running away with it as far as being the fave between the two.