This is just a killer track. The opening percussion and keyboards is pure Prince. And that scream by Prince towards the end of the song is his all time best scream imo. So much emotion. Smething in The Water is a great example of a Prince tour de force: his ability as a musician, singer, lyricist, and producer.

LinnLM1 said:

Some ppl tell me eye got great legs
can't figure out why U make me beg

a song I've blasted in the ride time and time again

This song is the best. I love it. Especialy the altnernate version with the outstanding piano and base playing. I like better than the album version. But both are great.

Man, u must have missed all of the threads I did on the 1999 album! Anyway, yeah, this song, like many others on this joint, is bangin'...
"Bitch!..u think you're special...well so do I."

Hell yeah this song is the joint! And yes I agree that the alternate version is also killer, love the bass playing and the live feel of the alternate version. Classic Prince!

You think you're special well so do I ....why do special women make me cry?
Does Not Compute!
[Edited 6/13/08 16:44pm]

I Absolutely LOOOOOoove this song!! That scream at the end gives me goosebumps whenever I hear it.
[Edited 6/13/08 17:50pm]

The best and most original song ever written.

one of his best, it would be so koo if he can perform that song live sumtyme in the future

yes. very underrated

What'z the hang-Up? What'z the Scam? Gonna slap your ass oh yes I am.

This song is insane. Don't get me started.

ToraToraDreams said:

Go ahead and get started baby...

prince's emotion at the peak of his powers. everything he did back then, you could feel from his gut and soul. i'm not going to get started again. I DO LOVE U, I DO. OR ELSE I WOULDN't GO THROUGH ALL THE THINGS I DO.

blackguitaristz said:

Please do. Wax lyrical.

I would do so myself but am too scattered at the moment to do it justice. Suffice to say that in my opinion 1999 is one of the finest albums ever produced, by anyone, ever, and every track within is a masterpiece.

even songs such as extraloveable, moonbean levels & how come u don't call me anymore?, & irrestible bitch personified that ers!

blackguitaristz said:

ha. So this is why I appreciate it.
Well, I think this is one of those quintessential Prince tracks.
Only he would make a track like this.
its definetly a weird song, probably the weirdest on 1999, It's got a cold, almost mechanical sound to itself. And its got those desperate, fluctuating vocals with the reverberating effect. Overall this song has just a flat out psycho feel to it. I mean, some chick drove this man crazy. And that's perfectly conveyed through the song. And that is just confirmed with that CRAZY scream at the end. It conveys alot of emotion.

I think all of these things put together is a perfect example of that special brand of insanity Prince had 80-83. This is a PRINCE track. Only he could have made this.
[Edited 6/13/08 20:48pm]

ToraToraDreams said:

U know I agree..Folks on here can tell a lot of these newbies that I've probably have written the most about this album, championed this album on here more than anyone. I UNDERSTAND this album. Always have. And by me being an o.g and bought this album, the singles and the 12' when they were first was released, I've been hip to all of the little dark places that's hidden in this spooky ass album. There's things on this album that STILL to this day, many folks simply aren't aware of. Example; Like when Prince screams "All Those Motherfuckers" towards the end of "Free". Check for it....oh, it's definately there. There are some other "hidden" things on this album like that. Ya'll think this album sounds waaaay out today? Imagine what it sounded like in 1982....People were convinced Prince was insane. They were right....This is a demonic album in the sense that Prince exorcised his 'demons' i.e., anger, desperation, loneliness, fear, passion, desire, love, hate and being driven to be admired and respected. When Prince sang "I don't care to win awards", at that moment when he wrote that line, he probably didn't. But deep down, the cat wanted folks to realise how bad he was. Simply put, Prince was on a mission.

LOOOOOVE this song. The alternate version is amazing as well! Definitely one of his best ever.

blackguitaristz said:

Very good post ! I also enjoyed all your other 1999 related posts and reviews.

This is one of my favorite Prince songs and I find it amazing how he has changed and rearranged it so drastically and differently over the years.
From the album version to that alternate version with the bass and piano and those infamous 1983-84 rehearsal versions that seemed neverending. I was VERY surprised when he later came up with that new, more light and airy version at the 2002 celebration at Paisley Park, which he kept throughout the ONA tour.
He also did a short but great rendition of it on piano during one of the London shows during the 21 nights dates.
The only live version or arrangement I haven´t heard yet is the acoustic version he did during the Musicology tour. The London piano version was great but, somehow, the main melody was missing. Is it just me or does he sometimes stray away from the original melodies of songs when he does them acoustic or on the piano ? Sometimes it´s hard to recognize them until he starts to sing the lyrics.

All in all, one of his best songs ever !

I really loved these type of songs. Along with Annie Christian, it's just pure genius. The pure quirckness of it is awesome. Awesome synth riff. It's almost borders on non-music. Very sparse. Like When Doves Cry, but Doves is more musical. Brilliant singing. Wish he had more like this.

fantasticjoy said:

Do you really think so?


Really?

He's done better.

blackguitaristz said:

As someone who also bought the album back in 1982, I don't think it was "waaaay out." I was also listening to Human League's 'Dare' which was more way out to me. No one I knew could understand why I listened to 'Dare.' I thought 1999 was mostly brilliant but not a perfect album. For instance I think Delirious and Free are out of place on the album.
Actually I can't think of a perfect Prince album. Which isn't to say there aren't some great ones.

blackguitaristz said:

Exactly. I got that album when it first came out and I liked it, but it took me a really long time to truly appreciate it. I remember when I did, though; it was a cold fall that led into a really cold winter, and I played that album a lot. Which is kind of how it should be. That album is winter on vinyl--cold, stark, beautiful, dark, and with lots of things hidden under the layers.

Efan said:

I like.

It is my favorite song ever by any artist ever!!! When it came out(1999) I was in college and I would go down to my friend Ernie's room and play this song over and over and over again because my roommate couldn't take Prince being played. My older brother, Joe Was that roommate. So I had a problem that I couldn't avoid so I just hung out with some of my friends and we would just let that album jam and get drunk but that song was so true for what was happening in my life at that moment cause I knew that same woman that seemed to be described in that narrative of this particular song and so it remains my favorite of all time and I love everything that I own by Prince but this is the ultimate of all to me.

jimmyrogertodd said:

I have that same relationship with I Wanna Be Your Lover. I became a Prince fan on Nov. 7th 1979 because Prince knew what this girl was putting me through.
I bought the 45 that day, listened to the B-side and wanted to hear more. So I bought the album.
I also remember snorting off the Controversy album. Which always struck me as weird. I was the only known gay male in the group but there would be a group of black males snorting lines off the album cover. Of course lined up with Prince's nostrils. You finished staring into his eyes. . .

SUPRMAN said:

Yes I do think it's the best

ToraToraDreams said:

Winter on vinyl . . .
I've always thought Controversy was colder and Dirty Mind angrier. 1999 I associated with alienation. Lady Cabdriver, Something in the Water, All The Critics Love You In New York, Free, Little Red Corvette (he's obviously not her only lover). In D.M.S.R. he could easily be dancing with himself. In 1999, Automatic and International Lover her tries to break through his alienation.

those opening linn sounds go right through your soul. you just knew you were getting a kickass song. prince was at his musical heights were you just had a smile on your face. there weren't any cringe moments in the 1980 to 88 area. something in the water is where you could feel prince's anger at full force. those screams were used at its best on that tune. the 1999 album was such a groundbreaking masterpiece,indeed.