mirrorbestfriend said:

Nothing wrong with your confidence.
[Edited 12/25/07 17:34pm]

Controversy reminds me of a Frank Zappa album. It was way ahead of its time."Let's Work" has some of the funkiest bass known to man.

VenusBlingBling said:

Let's discuss it again.

Controversy is my favourite Prince record. It sits between two landmark albums that are fan and critics favourites - DM and 1999. Controversy often gets dismissed as not as good as Dirty Mind, being less raw and such. I look at it from the other angle, and look at it as a proto-1999. So it's the rough, rawer edge of 1999.

The last two tracks kind of sum it up - the LP looks back to DM with the closing shock-tactics of 'Jack U Off' and looks forward to 1999 with the bleak synth landscape of 'Annie Christian'.

'Ronnie, Talk 2 Russia' is probably the most misunderstood song in the entire Prince canon and of my top two Prince tracks of all time.

'Let's Work' is Prince's truest funk track. 'Private Joy' is pure synthpop bliss - I love the way he sings 'Joy' in the chorus - I would love a remastered version of this.

Then, since we're going backwards, Side A is flawless too - Title track is a masterpiece of proto-House funk, manifesto for life in the 80s, 'Sexuality' is New Wave Prince par excellence and 'Do Me, Baby' is THE Prince ballad template, again the synth work at the end points to 1999.

Controversy is Prince just before the cusp of cross-over mega-stardom, a little rougher, a little rawer, and I love it.

/Gush over.

Jeffiner said:

iheard by rumor that he isnt playing his vegas show any more/is this true? /found a way 2 make money/but those are not his normal stomping ground/and fifty doesnt mean he's old.just aged like a fine wine

misslilly said:

He hasn't been playing vegas for a while, naw.

Certainly relevant.

VenusBlingBling said:

This is what got me listening to Prince. The song didn't sound like anything else I had heard at the time, and I liked the performance in the video for the song. Once I got the album, I'd play it over and over. I need to get it on CD...

NouveauDance said:

I have long been interested in this person: "Nouveau Dance."

First, I agree with "her" assessment of the album-- the rawer version of 1999 etc. There's something about "Controversy" that makes it extra special, maybe that whole cusp of greatness etc thing and the magic that is all flippin out when that's on it's way. Well, I should add to the whole opinion/critique bit but instead I'm going to lame-out and schmooze-up to Nouveau.

When I first joined up... your image intrigued me in that-- you payed the homage to my favorite Prince album AND the fact that you seemed super cute (if the girl in the picture is, indeed, you.) Anyway, whoever she is, she's cute, and the picture is handled well and made me giggle. I read a few of your posts and you seem to be both succinct and intelligent. Anyway, I know this isn't some goofy dating site, so anyway, I'll shut up now. Thanks for the Freudian confusion over finding girl who looks like Prince to be super cute.

this album is half and half for me and always has been. i really love some of the tracks, and others just kind of leave me cold (Ronnie, Jack, Annie), no matter how interesting they are. it's definitely a "tweener" album for me... stuck halfway between Dirty Mind and 1999, but not as fresh or relevant as either.

Its my favourite Prince album right now.
[Edited 12/27/07 9:12am]

Controversy has always been an "almost" album for me.
It contains some great tracks and it contains some of my favorite Prince songs.
However, as an album, I've always thought it could've been better. If just
doesn't flow quite right for me, especially side 2. It also contains a couple
of tracks which I'd preferred to have seen used as b-sides.
[Edited 12/27/07 9:54am]