http://www.rhino.com/rzin...StoryID=94

A guide to owning his right stuff

by Julia Rubiner

Prince

Though Prince has remained an elusive minx for most of his tenure in the spotlight (he's done precious few interviews since going public with his nascent genius in 1978) few of us are unaware of the stunning breadth of his talent. A Sly Stone with longevity, a George Clinton with discipline, Prince found religion at the age of 10 at a James Brown concert (his footwork and personal style, as well as his music, have often been compared to The Godfather's). By 16, he had already developed the seeds of what would become the Minneapolis Sound, an enduring aesthetic that would lead from Prince and his mates through Janet Jackson (whose producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis were two of those mates) to Britney Spears, OutKast, Lenny Kravitz, N.E.R.D., and more of the biggest stars of the modern age–whether R&B, pop, rock or rap adherents. Certainly, no contemporary artist fond of mixing these genres can deny Prince's influence; he built it on a head-spinning amalgam of funk, rock, R&B, pop, gospel, and dance music. He produced and frequently played every note himself, then teamed with The Revolution and The New Power Generation, superb live ensembles reminiscent of James Brown's legendary bands. Though his sometimes elliptical, sometimes righteous, sometimes filthy (okay, often filthy) lyrics were frequently the source of head-scratching, and his career arc weathered many a peak and valley–let's call the man eccentric–Prince has managed to remain vital, relevant and fiercely independent since the '70s. His latest work, Musicology, debuted at #3, and his current, hits-heavy tour is garnering rapturous reviews. The following guide to his must-haves is an impressionistic look at how he got to where he is.

At a major turning point in his career, Prince wrote a fantastic, Messianic, largely incomprehensible song called "7" (it appeared on the album bearing that one nameless male/female symbol as a title; more on that later). So it seems appropriate to recommend seven sacred tablets from his funky wisdom, a lucky seven-pack of his most brilliant/most important/most consistent albums. Dig if you willŠ

#7: Diamonds And Pearls (1991)
His fifth album in five years, Diamonds And Pearls found Prince in fine fettle and The New Power Generation in force with "Gett Off" ("Now move your big ass 'round this way/So I can work on that zipper, baby"), the shimmering title ballad, the strutting "Cream," and the tender, reflective "Money Don't Matter 2 Night." The album signaled a return to the R&B flavor Prince had back-burnered in favor of more straightforward pop and rock sounds.

#6: Parade: Music From The Motion Picture Under The Cherry Moon (1986)
A sparkling soundtrack from a truly poor film–to be sure, Under The Cherry Moon makes Purple Rain look like Citizen Kane–Parade bore one of Prince's very best songs, the slammin' "Kiss," which spent two weeks at #1. The album is steeped in occasionally melancholy melodicism, with "Sometimes It Snows In April" recalling one of Prince's avowed idols, Joni Mitchell. Adventurous as ever, he dabbles in cabaret on "Venus De Milo" and "Do U Lie?," acid-trips the light fantastic with "Christopher Tracy's Parade," takes a jazzy detour on "New Position," then reasserts his ass-shakin' prowess on "Girls And Boys" and "Mountains." Parade is Prince at his high-art best.

#5: Around The World In A Day (1985)
Chart-topper Around The World In A Day suggested that back in the day, Prince had worn through the grooves on his copies of Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour. You didn't need to see the Sid and Marty Krofft-styled video for "Raspberry Beret"–the first single released on Prince's new, aptly named Paisley Park imprint–to apprehend his journey to the center of the psychedelic subconscious. His growing spiritual identity would find expression on "The Ladder" and "Temptation." "Condition Of The Heart" is a naked, aching ballad, "Pop Life" a cautionary tale of life inside the fishbowl: "What u putting in your nose?/Is that where all your money goes/The river of addiction flows/U think it's hot, but there won't be no water/When the fire blows." Expansive in its sonic outlook–replete with cello, viola, oud, darbouka, finger cymbals, sitar, and saxophone–Around The World nonetheless signaled the limits fame was thrusting upon our reclusive hero and the increasing insularity of his daily life.

#4: Sign O' The Times (1987)
This ambitious double album found Prince flexing the full extent of his wingspan and cogently decrying urban social ills. The set itself debuted at #6 and quickly went platinum. Prince continued his gender-role-playing, the vocals on "If I Was Your Girlfriend" credited to a female alter ego named Camille. Switching gears, the driving "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" made the Top 10, and the guilty-pleasure duet with Sheena Easton, "U Got The Look," shot to #2. "The Cross," a haunting dirge-like number, should resonate with even the staunchest nonbeliever. "Housequake," on the other hand, is a full-on booty romp, while "Starfish And Coffee" charms with sweet pop simplicity.

#3: Dirty Mind (1980)
Though the cover photo–our protagonist staring down the camera, dressed in bandana and banana hammock–made more than one record-buyer blush, the music inside was the real scandal. The title track bursts forth today with the same sexual bravado it boasted nearly a quarter century ago. As it pulses along, Prince croons in his seductive falsetto: "I just wanna lay ya down/In my daddy's car/It's you I really wanna drive." "Head," meanwhile, seems perfectly shocking, its diamond-hard beat commanding that you move your body to this celebration of, yes, oral sex (oh, how we giggled). The rocked-up "Sister" appears to be a paean to incest, no less. In retrospect, it's surprising that Tipper Gore and her Parent's Music Resource Center (instigators of the parental warning sticker) didn't get their knickers in a twist over this album; the future Second Lady didn't get hip to the divine perversion that was Prince until "Darling Nikki"–you know, the gal "masturbating with a magazine" of "Purple Rain." A gold record that also featured the gems "When You Were Mine" and "Uptown," Dirty Mind hinted at Prince's forthcoming status as an auteur; he produced it on his own 16-track machine and managed to complete it almost single-handedly.

#2: 1999 (1982)
This was Prince's breakthrough album, the one that made it clear Dirty Mind was no fluke. 1999 represented the transition from bone-dry electro-funk to the more pop-oriented material of "Purple Rain," and it was the first album to be credited to Prince And The Revolution (though, typically, Prince had played most of the instruments himself). The record landed in the Top 10 and was certified platinum. "Little Red Corvette"–buoyed by its ubiquitous video, the first to really break the color line on MTV–"Delirious," and "1999" were all hits. "Let's Pretend We're Married" and "D.M.S.R" (dance, music, sex, romance), among others, have endured as fan favorites. Those of us who saw Prince on the "1999" tour, with The Time and Vanity 6 opening, still feel a frisson at the memory of this star being born.

#1: Purple Rain (1984)
In 1984, the world was awash in Purple Rain. The movie was ridiculous, but the soundtrack was sublime. The music was so good, in fact, that it elevated Prince to superstardom–it remains the album most closely associated with His Purple Highness; rendered the film a hit ($60 million in just two months); and won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. Purple Rain is a rare meeting of art and commerce, selling more than ten million copies in the U.S. alone, spending a mind-blowing 24 weeks at #1, and consistently delivering more unadulterated (non-guilty) pleasure than almost anything released that year (or that decade). The electricity of "Baby I'm A Star," "I Would Die 4 U" and "Purple Rain"–recorded live at Minneapolis' First Avenue, where the movie's performance scenes were shot–could power any major metropolis. The album's first single, the furiously innovative and fearlessly confessional "When Doves Cry," was (deservedly) Prince's first chart-topper. "Let's Go Crazy" followed it to #1; the transcendent, Grammy-winning ballad "Purple Rain" hit #2. Purple Rain is inarguably the quintessence of Prince and should thus be a bulwark of any respectable record collection.

Also: For You (1978): With his first album, Prince gives up the key to his erotic city. Much can be heard of the greatness to come, particularly in the singles "Soft And Wet," "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover." Controversy (1981): Not the statement of Dirty Mind, but a good time nonetheless–and noteworthy as a bridge between Mind and Prince's next masterpiece, 1999. Best: the new-wavy "Controversy;" worst: the well-meaning "Ronnie, Talk To Russia;" most likely to inspire titters: the swingin' "Jack U Off." Musicology (2004): Of-the-moment Prince. Not his best work, but in many ways a return to form. First single "Musicology" manages to sound like vintage Prince and today's Prince-inspired hitmakers, though the stellar beat and arrangement support a rather undistinguished melody. Still, one's heart leaps up to see Prince back on the pop charts, especially this late in the game. There's much to enjoy on this disc. The Black Album (1994): Originally scheduled for release in 1987, this album was shelved at the last minute. It was widely bootlegged, however, rendering its ultimate appearance a bit anticlimactic. Worth checking out for the mystique alone–"Bob George" does sound a bit satanic, and who is this Spooky Electric?–and the funk flares fabulously throughout.

Avoid: Graffiti Bridge (1990): Yet another soundtrack. Considered a mess by many a critic due to its unfocused assemblage of guest vocalists, this one is slightly redeemed by "Release It," an amazingly propulsive dance-floor workout performed by The Time. The Tevin-Campbell delivered "Round And Round" has a certain appeal; some swear by "Thieves In The Temple;" and a record featuring Mavis Staples can't be all bad. But barring the odd opinion to the contrary, Graffiti Bridge was far from Prince's best, and a commercial disappointment to boot. Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic (1999): This should have been a solid comeback; it wasn't. Despite Clive Davis's practiced machinations, Prince is no Santana in his embrace of the mainstream for the embrace's sake. The collection features worthy collaborations with Gwen Stefani, Sheryl Crow and Chuck D, but ultimately feels phoned-in. Symbol (1992): This album (widely known as Symbol because its title was the inelegant admixture of male and female gender pictograms that would become Prince's name) signaled an ominous crossroads. (For a time, he was referred to as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, or TAFKAP. Some wags–mean people, really–dubbed him The Artist Formerly Known As Talented.) The album took flight with the aforementioned "7," the stomping "My Name Is Prince" (if only it had stayed that way), and the horn-spiced instant classic "Sexy M.F." But, alas, Symbol represents Prince's slide into the self-indulgence and willful resistance to commercial conventions that would mark most of his subsequent work–and frequently render him his own worst enemy. (Fortunately, "Sexy M.F." and "7" can be found on the superb, though strangely sequenced, The Hits.) It's wise to bear in mind, however, that even Prince's bottom-of-the-barrel scrapings are superior to the best efforts of many a lesser artist. He is Prince, after all.

The Very Best Of Prince is available from Rhino.com.

Before working for a decade as a corporate hack in the music industry, Julia Rubiner worked for several years as a corporate hack in the publishing industry. She has also served as a staff writer for the Benzie County Record-Patriot (summer circulation: 3,000), a cheesemonger, a combine driver and Madonna's lap dance stand-in.

One person's opinion.

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Typical