This is an amazing track. That beat is beyond this world. Perhaps his funkiest tune of all time. It sounds so easy and yet sophisticated at the same time.

langebleu said:

A thread from 2007, my gaawd how could I have overlooked that!

peter430044 said:

Good description. It does sound "sophisticated".I've stated a zillion times on here how much I thought this song was bangin'. To me, this is DEFINATELY one of my favorite things P has ever released. Like the rest of the 1999 album, this song REALLY showcases P's great musicianship. The breakdown in the middle of the track right before he unleashes with his guitar leads, that whole section is priceless. He trades off back and forth with the classic keyboard "Horn" lines to his rock guitar passages, perfectly blending funk and rock into another sound. The sound effects of an Elephant roaring, seaguls, someone gurgling...his aggression from anger to calm through sex with Jill and her moans...a very unique track. Musically as well as conceptually.

peter430044 said:

Yeah, wish I could include my post from that thread to this! langebleu is no joke!

blackguitaristz said:

Here ya go.... good job I was around!

One of the truest things P has ever released. This is classic Prince. Just him jamming along with himself. Jill understood P soooo fucking much. She sounds so good on all the tracks that she's on. Besides P, J.J.'s the star of that album. Her 'I'm getting fucked to death" moans, although over the top in places, are priceless. I remember vividly when this album was first released. EVERYBODY blasted THIS song. EVERYBODY. U heard it everywhere, Out of folks cribs. Out of their cars. I couldn't wait for him to play this live on the two times I saw him on the 1999 tour. His guitar solo on this song is also one of his best. The way he splits it up in phrases is so on point. He showed other musicians and folks in the industry at that time that he was someone to not be fucked with. He was so different from everybody else at that time. The only cat I think, who could try to hang with P , who had P's sensibilty, was Roger Troutman. Roger could smoke on rock guitar leads as well and at the same time doing some stoopid ass funk. But Roger wasn't crazy and nearly as weird as P was. And I don't think he had P's drive or ambition to be different from other brothers. One of the major things that I LOVE about this song is the special effects P employs in the song. Animal sounds. An elephant roaring. What in the hell made him think of that?! Seaguls. Then a church bell. All of this shit works too. That's what so coldblooded about it. He even has some shit that sounds like someone gurgling and spitting out water. That's stone crazy. To even put that in any song is way out. But he put it in here. The cat was out there, I'm telling u. Prince was crazy as hell.

I always found the lyric "drive this demon out of me" interesting.
[Edited 6/13/09 12:56pm]

peter430044 said:

No problems.

(All I'm doing is pointing you and others to thoughts people have expressed on the same subject which might be of interest. I'm honestly not making a point that you should have found this information or avoided posting. If the subject had come up three days ago, I would have posted the link and stated 'duplicate thread' and probably have reported it to the Mods simply to suggest they close it. Anyway, back on topic ....)

Great song

langebleu said:

I know. Thanks

"Lady Cab Driver" is probably my second favourite song on 1999. ("International Lover" is my favourite.)

never really cared for this for a long time, but I've grown to love it. it, along with "Free" and "International Lover," does seem a little out of place on this album. seems more like a track that would have fit the Time a little better at the time, no pun intended, but I'm glad to have it.

Jeffiner said:

Thank u miss...With u, who needs langebleu?

Love ittttt!!!!!

Don't know where I'm going....

One of his best songs EVER.

blackguitaristz said:

I can't compete with Jeffiner

langebleu said:

Thank you... thank you... It's nothing.. no, no really, it's nothing... Oh, and it's 'Ms' to you ...

(I can only manage it for one person though langebleu, not the whole org!!)

And Brilliant song, yes!

More food for thought/controversy http://prince.org/msg/7/284088?&pg=1
[Edited 6/13/09 16:25pm]

errant said:

Still not crazy about 'Free.'
Over 'International Lover' although I was crazy about it at one point.
Now that you mention it, it does sound like a Time song.I think Morris could've done it but maybe he thought it was 'too deep' for The Time.

Great Song off the 1999 album. a favourite of mine.

blackguitaristz said:

He's entirely too modest! I say...WE ALL DO!!! Recognize and respect!!!

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

That brick missed me by the way. Be cool, be cool,..I have MUCH respect for langebleu. As I already stated earlier, langebleu is no joke.

Everything about it is the work of a virtuoso; the vocals, the bass playing, the guitar solo, the beat, the song itself...sometimes frustrates me as a budding musician that I'll never be able to put together something that so wonderfully balances the technical and the expressive aspects of music.

FrankCapraMoment said:

Hey player, DON'T ever think that you won't be able to do something or achieve THAT. You dig those specific elements? Then STRIVE for it untill you reach it. Perhaps in the journey, you'll discover some other aspects that u hadn't tapped into before. Always strive.

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

We ALL respect and like langebleu, don't worry... langebleu has a great sense of humour and completely took it in the spirit it was intended, a joke!

blackguitaristz said:

Thanks guitarist. You're absolutely right. I probably would have an easier time mastering these techniques and styles had I been formally trained but heck last year I thought "Glamorous Life" was total jazzy mystery until I nearly killed myself trying to figure out the chords. Persistence never seems to go unrewarded.

Jeffiner said:

THIS thread is waaaay better and for folks who claim they really dig this song SHOULD read this one.

FrankCapraMoment said:

There it is right there. You will always be rewarded when u tread in uncharted waters. Once you unlock one box, then MANY other boxes that u once believed were unbreakable, will just open themselves up for you to explore.

I love the song. I wish I had something to add that hasn't already been said, but this is all I can come up with: I have been all over this planet. I have been in dozens of taxicabs. I have never had a lady cab driver.

It's been 27 years, and I still have yet to bone my first lady cab driver.

Such nastiness!

errant said:

I get what you mean but I think Prince probably put those songs on there for that exact reason. Most of 1999 is very "electro funk" and the more organic songs add a different flavour.

rialb said:

There you go...Very good observation and I agree 100%. The tracks like Free, International Lover, Lady Cab, which all have acoustic drums, definately fit well on this album and by having the electro funk element so prominent on the album, the 3 cuts that have live drums actually make the other tracks stand out even MORE. And visa versa. I think that's one of the main reasons, as a whole album, that this album "works" like it does. The contrasts in the production. Yet all the while, his other tracks like the bass guitar, the rhythm and lead guitars, all hold it all together.

Love it...and I love 2 drive.