P has had some material that I refer to as "wicked". Some of Prince's best material is in this mode. He first truly embraced it on The Time's first album but I won't count that since it wasn't released under his name. I'm talking about his tracks that has a dark,sinister,spooky,somewhat crazed element to it. To me, this is the Prince I most identified with. Here are some cuts that fall in this category;

Controversy
Annie Christian
Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)
Lady Cab Driver
Automatic
The Beautiful Ones
Darling Nikki
Shockadelica
Bob George
There Are Other's Here With Us
Anna Stesia
Positivity

What songs would u place under "wicked"?

I think these are in a similar vein,

Papa
Scarlett Pussy
Had U
Superfunkacalifragisexy

'Superfunkycalifragisexy'? And 'All Day, All Night' also has a lot of these things - dark, crazed, etc. Love that track, very intense.

Purple Music too.

blackguitaristz said:

These are good ones. Both really brooding and intense, TBO is very insular, it kind of comes from a negative place in a strange way - emotions expressed in the song can turn sour quickly and tip over the edge into obsession.

'Positivity' has always been an odd track for me - I've always found it quite depressing and maudlin. I can see how you place it on the list, same can be said for 'Anna Stesia' - and even 'Dance On'. There's a lot of loneliness on Lovesexy.


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[Edited 5/27/08 10:10am]

Hot Thing. The clinical coldness of that synth line. robotic and precise. Grinding on into frenzy. Love it.

NouveauDance said:

I love "Positivity" and "Anna Stesia". I even think "I Wish U Heaven" is somewhat dark. I dig that one too. Not crazy about the rest of the album though. I purposely left out a lot of songs as to leave it open for others to mention. If they so wish to do so. But good post nouveau. I agree about Purple Music.

For sure:
In a Large Room With No Light

Big Tall Wall is kinda wicked...or just plan mean

mrbump said:

Yep, especially Scarlet Pussy and superfunkacali

I think a lot of the "1999" album has this feel to it. I was scrolling through my iTunes and noticed that the only really "happy" song is "Delirious," which functions in the same way that tracks like "Private Joy" and "Take Me With U" do on their respective (and mostly dark) album tracks. I guess with "1999," this feeling most likely stems from the "computer" vibe that stems from the tunes, the heavy presence of synths and the cold singing and weird lyrics. I'm so happy you included "Automatic," because I always forget that this jam only starts out nice before ending in a sinister fashion...


I also think some tracks from ATWIAD and SOTT definitely deserve mentions, both albums have a dark side that contrast very starkly to the happier, poppier songs.
How about:
ATWIAD (title track)
America (how frantic the pace is)
If I Was Your Girlfriend
Strange Relationship
It (this track is weirdly insular, but I've always dug it)

I'd also have to add Extra Loveable. The poppy beat always masks the weird earnest, desparateness and the "rape" breakdown section.

Temptation
It
The Future
The Question of U
Joy In Repetition
Pheromone

All of these have that "dark" element. One track that stands out for me is Lemon Crush. Everything about that song is sinister. From the music to the way in which he sings the song.

Purple Music is one of my favs! That Joint is so cold!
Darling Nikki falls in this vein he has never made another songs so cold. I LOVE IT. Most of Sign of the Times and Lovesexy.

i like that side of p too, blackguitaristz . the black album is one of my faves for that reason. my current fave from there is rockhard in a funky place . another song i like is the ten-minute (unreleased ) gb version of we can funk, some extra lyrics and an extended music portion at the end with some keyboards and some odd prince screams. freaky shit, it . crystal ball comes to mind as well .
[Edited 5/27/08 11:59am]

God - vocal. I know it seems strange to call it 'wicked' but it is, or sounds dark, sinister, spooky and somewhat crazed imo! Nearly everyone I know is terrified / horrified when they hear that song - except me!

Pheromone is crazy wicked. Tha's some nasty shit there.
The Future
Electric Chair
Bob George
The Dance (from 3121 - dude is PTFO in that version)
What's My Name
Face Down
Bambi (Not only not accepting a woman's sexuality - but thinking you can "turn" her? That's pretty wicked.)
Shy

NouveauDance said:

I've wondered about this song from the beginning, and when I called it twisted,
everyone defended it.
Now it's being examined in this light, and being called close to obsession.
This is interesting, and the thread as well.

blackguitaristz said:

Interesting that some on this thread identified with Prince on this level,
maybe I can identify a little on this level too. What is it do you think that you identify with?

And out of curiosity, what specific elements on some of these songs make them 'wicked'.
I can see Lady Cab Driver because he sounds desparate and doesn't know where to go, as he states.

Sister.

Just because I always saw something almost satirical and ironic with this song. The subject matter is this awful, horrible, traumatic thing, but he takes it and puts it into this light, pop-ish song. And you're justing thinking, "what the hell?" while you're listening to it.
And I thinks its just crazy the way the lyrics contradicted the overall sound of the song. I mean, Automatic, controversy, etc, etc fits the bill of a "wicked song" 100% because of that cold, mechanical funk sound its got going. But then we got sister, which sounds like friggin' Raspberry Beret. but he lyrics are so sick.

Jeffiner said:

I left God (vocal) out cuz I KNEW u would list it. I'm not terrified of it and u KNOW me, Jen.

blackguitaristz said:

I'm getting a bit predictable I can tell....

Well, I know YOU'RE not terrified of it!! That's 2 of us then

I can't believe anyone wouldn't be afraid of The Beautiful Ones If a man was shrieking like that in front of your face, you'd run Killer song.....killer.....

wildgoldenhoney said:

God and the devil, Good and evil, push and pull.....

Jeffiner said:

That sounds like flesh vs. spirit to me which is a tendency that all have...

Z, we've posted before about P's demonic image in the 1980s...



(Whatever became of that thread? )

I think he's most suspect when he's twisting Scripture or misappropriating religious iconography for his own weird expression. Sure, artistically, the results have often been brilliant. But, from a religious perspective...

Also, I'd add songs where he seems a bit maniacal (something he conveyed well with his Camille character).

My picks for his "Oh, he on some other stuff, now..." songs would be:

Pheremone
Temptation
God (vocal)
Shockadelica
If I Was Your Girlfriend
Irresistible B*tch
The Word
7
Lion of Judah
Darling Nikki (including the hymn)

wildgoldenhoney said:

I've always identified with these elements because that's a big part of who I am. Personally and musically. I just relate to it. I "understand" where P is coming from. Like I didn't list the track "Free" but towards the end of that song, when P is adlibing over the chorus, ....

ThreadBare said:

I can dig it...Yeah, that other thread freaked a lot of folks on here out too much.

blackguitaristz said:

cystal ball

rebirth of the flesh

There is lonely!

That song is depressingly dark!

cassingle said:

Good post....I've stated this on here several times about just how dark and sinister the 1999 album is. In some ways, it's his darkest album. Even more than The Black Album, I think. I totally agree with u about Extra Loveable.

purplepolitician said:

Yep, but I like P's demo of We Can Funk a lil' mo better. P was definately on that "let me be as weird and funky at the same time as I can get!" during the 80's.

Another two cuts that was "wicked" in a similar vibe as "Shockadelica"

Gett Off
Organ Grinder (that's what I always call it)