I can never imagine that one of these could exist without the other. It's a one-two punch combo.

i see 1999 as the launch pad for purple rain. 1999 spawned several hits and really got his name out there as a mainstream pop star, but it still had a little bit of the "avant purple" of his last couple of albums, which might have made it a little difficult as a full-on crossover success story. but purple rain came through with a much more "rock-friendly" sound and finished the job that 1999 started. i think it was orchestrated perfectly, regardless of how intentional it may have been.

Anxiety said:

Great point. I always known that the real difference between both albums were the guitars getting more attention in PR. Other then that, the keyboard synths (my favorite instruments!!!) are all over the tracks.

1999 is more about the jams,its maybe the starter of house music.
purple rain have better compositions

TonyVanDam said:

Yes... 1999 is his best album ever so far... Purple Rain got the best singles... The rest is pretty boring to me...

1999 is the only Prince album I can listen from A to Z. I love it

TonyVanDam said:

Artistically, I think 1999 has much more in common with Controversy than it does with Purple Rain. I, also, think 1999 is a superior album in this regard. Purple Rain is a great "commercial" rock/pop album but doesn't have the depth of 1999 or later works. It's the D&P of the 80's.

1999 is much better. those long ass jams

They're different sides of the same coin, I think. But I'd say PR is the better album. The things that are great about 1999 (overlong, self-indulgent tracks) are also its downfall, and PR gets what's right about it VERY right. And then some.

1999 is a masterpiece in the same catigory as SOTT but Purple Rain is a soundtrack that is one of the best soundtracks ever recorded.
Purple Rain is amazing in the fact that it was all original music and not a hodge podge of greatest hits from various artists like lets say,"American Grafitti".
Prince is a genius.

InsatiableCream said:

Agree


Lady Cab Driver is my jam

InsatiableCream said:

I agree as well. Automatic works better as a extended jam.

shaedove99 said:

Right... If there hadn't been a movie then PR may have had sales in the same ballpark as 1999. Indeed, you could have made the PR movie with live versions of the 1999 tracks quite easily...

lol if 1999 were a movie half of it would b a porno!

Purple Rain is far superior. You have to remember almost all the songs on PR were edited. Computer Blue was tragically edited from 12 minutes to 4. Prince wanted PR to be a double album but Warners said screw that idea.

SanDiegoFunkDaddy said:

As nice as a double disc version of PR sounds, thank god they took the scissors to it. There's a lot to be said for a concise, focused work rather than a sprawling mess.

SanDiegoFunkDaddy said:

I don't recall there ever being any real info indicating that PR was supposed to be a double.

jtfolden said:

I think the only time it was planned as a double was before he'd even come up with very many songs for it. WB talked him out of it early in the process because they'd just put out a double album by him.

The Purple Rain soundtrack is VERY overrated! I DEFINITELY perfer "1999"!

They're both great, he has been able to ride on the reputation of those 2 releases basically ever since.

kcwm said:

LOL So are you saying you wouldn't buy it?

jtfolden said:

P had over 100 songs for the producers to choose from for PR. It didn't even contain When Doves Cry (written about Susan Moonsie) or Take me with you (he wrote these 2 overnight to fit into the movie. These 2 were added and several others. Purple Rain wasn't even written until the movie was almost completely finished. Lisa, Wendy and Prince wrote the song FOR the movie!
WHAT A GENIUS!

SMARTYSOFT said:

Uh-Oh.

NouveauDance said:

is that Sue Ellen Ewing in your avatar?

NouveauDance said:

That's what I was gonna say.

It gonna be hell from this point on.


I prefer Purple Rain, but 1999 is an excellent record. However, PR is an album that totally stands out from his entire catalog. It doesn't sound like anything before and really like nothing after. He didn't use his falsetto, the tracks are not that funky, lead guitar is the focus not the rhythm guitar, synths are not used excessively. Prince knew what he was doing. He made and album to get big, (whooooaaa he sold out) and then profited from it. The good thing about it is the fact that the album is excellent. I prefer PR, but 1999 is a great record and if it was a movie, it probably would have been a porno and NO I wouldn't purchase it because I could care less even about PR the movie. Music people, music!!!!

Two entirely different albums. Although parts of Purple Rain is an extension of 1999. Cuts like Let's Go Crazy is a bonafide follow up to the single 1999. That would have happpened without the film. A song like Computer Blue would have happened without the film as well. I would have loved to have heard P's follow up to 1999 if there was no movie at all. I've ran several threads regarding this in the past. The thing about the album Purple Rain is that it's totally designed for the film. Cuts like Take Me With U, Baby I'm A Star and the song Purple Rain I don't believe would have ever seen the light of day if it wasn't for the film. The Beautiful Ones was probably already written without the film in mind and would have been released. The music to Darling Nikki was probably already cut but with different lyrics. Comparing the two albums as a whole, nah,...Purple Rain can't hold a candle to the 1999 album. It's really not fair to compare the two because the film dictated what went on the Purple Rain album. Whereas 1999 was way more natural because it was freed up with nothing attached to it.

shaedove99 said:

Prince and Jill Jones fucking in a taxi with Lady cab driver as the soundtrack???
Oh my god!!!!

[Edited 5/14/07 14:09pm]

TonyVanDam said:

Yes a great one-two combo there. I do think 1999 could have had more hit singles.

blackguitaristz said:

While guitars were the main focus in Purple Rain, the synths were the main focus in 1999. I'm close to consider 1999 the closest thing to an electronic album that Prince ever done before or since.