Winding our way through the magical musical tour that is a Prince album a day we arrive at the undisputed fan favourite of Sign O The Times.

Sign O The Times

As a 15 year old change was all around me, as life began to get a little more complicated with friends, girlfriends, and family relationships. It was a time of questioning things and trying to discover who I was, what life was about and who I could count on. Thankfully, one thing I could count on was that a Prince double album, was bound to make my world a little more fun. And Sign O’ The Times did that.

Rushing out of the record store, I walked home just looking at the front cover of the album almost mesmerised by the photo and wondering what tunes lay within. And with a huge buzz of energy I placed the needle on the record and waited….

Starting with that stripped back bass drum lead pattern, the counter beat cabassa shaker and that intriguing wooden bell like percussive “da doo do dadoo do” I was immediately hooked by Sign O The Times. Then as if to say, you are right to be excited Prince let’s loose with that “oh yeah” and the Fairlight tweaked bass begins. Feeling like Bootsy Collins had dropped by to say hello, the bass line expands and contracts in such a delicious way. Lyrically Prince is given us a state of the world address, outlining the ills that plagued us, AIDS, gangs, Crack, space shuttle disasters, racism, despair, hurricanes, drug addiction and so on. (18 years later not much has changed has it?) But even as he outlines what’s going on, there is still a sense of hope. Especially in the chorus where he outlines the unstoppable desire for progress and the confusion of priorities “is it silly no when a rocket ship explodes and everybody still wants to fly?”. Musically, it’s a sparse arrangement that lets the message shine through. Predominately sample tweaked via the Fairlight (love those orchestral stabs) save for the glorious guitaring that punctuates the song throughout. Epic, poignant and funky. This is Prince, the one man band at his best.

As if to make sure the sombre reflective mood of SOTT doesn’t get the listener down, Prince slams us with one of the party jams. I remember hearing Play in the Sunshine and tapping my foot along to the bass drum, and smiling when I realised the second beat was an off beat. Right away I knew I would love drumming this song. And as soon as the album was over I taped this song, hopped on my drum kit and spent an hour learning it. Still to this day, I’ll sit on the skins with my ipod and pull it up. If Prince’s songs can be classified by colour, this is a yellow song obviously, with the sunshine reference and the “one day every day will be a yellow day line” but it has a sense of fun and a leave your troubles behind mentality. That screaming guitar solo in the middle of the song isn’t overly fancy but just seems to fit so perfectly. Listening to the song, it reminded me of happier times, and still does. Like a romanticised notion of childhood memories it never fails to make me smile.

Bring on the funk with Housequake. Littered with mixed up samples, that whirling organ foundation, and that incessant drum beat, you can’t help but want to get up and dance and “put your foot down on the two and jump up on the one.” Here, Prince is back playing with bag of tricks, detuning things, slowing down backing vocals, and ofcourse speeding up vocals in the guise of Camille. (at that point I was unaware of the Camille project, and crystal ball, and the dream factory, so was intrigued by what he was trying to achieve with this alter-ego). One thing that doesn’t often get talked about in this song is the great bass playing. Next time you put it on, listen to the bass, and you’ll hear all these glorious little runs throughout the song. And of course those horns are the icing on the cake.

I remember thinking after 3 monster songs, Prince had to have an off day, but then I heard The Ballad of Dorothy Parker. Oh. My. God. This had everything in it I loved about Prince. The Princely drum pattern complete with tom fills, and rim shot accents (the only thing missing was his trademark hand clap pop). Then that underwaterdetunedorgan chords hit and I was like… “what is he doing?”. When the swirling bass hit he had me, just listen to that playing. Magnificent. Even the vocal delivery was unlike anything I had heard him do, half sung, half spoken this recounting of a the aftermath of fight with a lover seemed to be one of his most confessional kind of songs. If you haven’t heard this song on headphones do so now, and listen for the wonderful backing vocals especially on the introduction of “Dorothy laughed”. Once again Prince uses backing vocals to almost comment on the main story, punctuating and even predicting what the confessional storyteller is about to let us in on. Not that I have done it, but I have to say this song has tempted me to do two things – 1. order a fruit cocktail and say “I ain’t too hungry” and 2. have a bubble bath with my pants on. A true hidden gem in the brilliance of this album.

Hard hitting and lustfilled It sounds to me like a man getting increasingly obsessed and deranged by his desires accentuated by the mixed up frenetic orchestral stabs. There is something eerie and dark about It that excited me when I first heard it, especially the whispered “come on” that pops up here and there. Being 15, this song seemed to sum up my hormonal state, lol, and even today I get my “it” moments.

As if waking you up for a sweaty wet dream, the alarm clock at the start of Starfish and Coffee jolts us back into innocence. One of prince’s “experiments” this song was an instant favourite of mine. I remember lifting the needle and playing it again the first time it ended. With a sense of innocence and wonder this song builds with a singsong like appeal. The simple chord progression that underpins the track, the reversed drum loop, and the dreamlike extra instrumentation just adds to its charm and appeal. Who isn’t singing along with a smile on their face when the chorus hits? I’m always delighted when I find other people who love this song as much as me, and extra pleased when I hear it performed. Many have called it raw, but I like to call in unblemished, innocent, and pure. La la la la la.

Ok, so here it was. I was waiting unfortunately for this moment. I just knew Prince couldn’t back up great song with another great song, so I cut him a little slack when by track 7 he rolled out Slow Love. I humoured him and listened to this run of the mill ballad and knew something good had to be on the other side. Now many years later, I love it. The over romantic arrangement and swirling strings, and the way Prince teeters on the edge of being too soppy but keeps his foot this side of sopsville with witty observations including my personal fave “who can see through race car drivers”.

My face lit up when I heard the drum pattern of Hot Thang. As if the whole song is on heat, the gongs, the swirling synths, and the vocals just seems to growl. There is an undeniable sense of sexuality in this song. It prowls with the sole intent of seducing. And that it did.

Forever in My Life is just one of those moments of serendipity captured on record that forever sounds special and fresh, for when Prince went to record the backing vocals for the track, he miss timed his in point and ended up singing ahead of the main vocal. But rather than erase it and do it over, Prince has the coolness to recognise that something special had happened and let it stay that away. When listening with a friend I will always say – lead or backing, meaning who is up for the challenge of singing the forward backing vocals. Once again a sparse arrangement of treated drum machine, vocals, and minimal acoustic guitar at the end, this song somehow remains to sound rich and full. And how beautiful are those lyrics. I love how Prince always brings a different point of view or expression that is unlike anyone else. Once again a song that is just truly beautiful.

Ok so as I pulled out the second record, I was caught with a mix of dread. The first two sides (save for Slow Love for me at the time) had been truly magical. And here I was dreading sides 3 and 4 wouldn’t live up to what the first two had built.

Kicking off with the designated hitter of u Got the look, this song felt a little more natural and organic. Maybe a tad simple (in comparison to the other arrangements on the album) this pure pop song was destined to be a hit. I loved Sheila filling little percussive hooks throughout the song. And whilst I felt it was a hit by the numbers song, I still found myself grooving along to it and getting more into it as each chorus passed. I played this song to a friend of mine recently (who amazingly had never heard it) and she said – wow that had an interesting feel to it, and quirky ending to it. Hearing it through her ears helped me rediscover a sense of newness to it.

How much do you love if I was your girlfriend?. With the treated toms, that clap, and seductive melody I fell in love with this song first time I heard it, although the title raised an eyebrow til the vocals hit. Still to this day a friend of mine and I have a debate if this is written from someone in a relationship or someone lamenting the lack of closeness post relationship. Everything about this song is smoooooth. The underplayed bass groove, the high speed vocals and slowed down backing vocals juxtaposing a sense of pleasing and a matter of fact delivery. This is a make out song if ever I had heard one, and one put to very good use.

How does one follow up a true masterpiece like IIWYG? With Strange Relationship obviously. A deceptively happy melody counters the lyrical content, and is carried along by that whooping bass line. A can’t live with em can’t live without em song, It just has a catchy edge to it that is intoxicating, much like the love/hate relationship detailed in the vocals.

I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, always had a motown meets rock feel for me. One of the more uptempo tracks, ICNTTPOYM showcases many of Prince’s talents, his knack for writing a catchy groove, his often underrated guitar skills, and his sense of wry humour and. I love to just put this song on and float away with the soaring guitar solo, that takes the song from a joyous place to a darker, more primal one, then return us to that joyous place once more. Brilliant.

When I listen to The Cross, I like to close my eyes and just get drawn into it. Such a beautiful spiritual song, there is a sense of true hope in here. Obviously moving and inspiring this song sounds so simple and pure that you can’t help feel renewed when listening to it. (U2 IMHO borrowed a lot from the intro for All I Want is You)

If one song on SOTT sounded like a Parade song it has to be It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night. It just has that energy that Parade had. That party jam complete with Wizard of Oz inspired chant. Just hooked in a funk groove the song carries you along the best parts of a Prince live show – the band just grooving out and Prince commanding the hits, and punches.

Adore. Yes I do. Prince in full seduction make out mode. So smooth. Sooooo cool. And so inspiring. Still to this day, it makes me want that kind of passion and desire. Prince lays it all on the line vocally, and delivers one of his best vocal performances ever.

And with that it was over. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. How could one album be sooooo full of great songs. How could one album be so perfect. Instantly it became my favourite Prince album, and to this day is my “if you could only listen to one prince album” choice. It’s eclectic mix of funk, pop, rock, quirks, ballads made it the quintessential Prince album. And it’s no surprise that all these years later it still evokes the same sense of wonder, discovery and joy it held for me back in 1987.

Swa

I loved the concerts more than the album.

Dayclear said:

I didn't get the chance to see the concerts

Swa

For other CELEBRATION discussions visit:

FOR YOU http://prince.org/msg/7/311337
PRINCE http://prince.org/msg/7/311446
DIRTY MIND http://prince.org/msg/7/311567
CONTROVERSY http://prince.org/msg/7/311655
1999 http://prince.org/msg/7/311739
PURPLE RAIN: http://prince.org/msg/7/311810
AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY: http://prince.org/msg/7/311901
PARADE: http://prince.org/msg/7/312000

1987 was an amazing time.








credits: pics are from sleevographia, the SOTT vinyl

Another great album! It's usually a bit of a self debate whether I can consider "SOTT" or "Lovesexy" as his best LP... "Lovesexy" is a bit more personal with me but "SOTT" is, without any doubt, a masterpiece... I remember seeing the movie 1st and then listening 2 the album... I was a novice at the time so I was disappointed that the sounds and instrumentation of the album differed that of the live performances... I remember my reaction when I heard the vocals on "If I Was Your Girlfriend"... I was checking the liner notes and actually thought that Camille was some1 else (lol... ahhh rookie mistakes)... This album really took sometime 2 get in2... I remember that I listened 2 nothing but Prince at the time just 2 get used 2 his quirkiness and understand the man somewhat... I was only 11 or 12 (maybe younger) but I learned 2 lend an ear 2 music that dug deeper than just groovin' 2 the beat... I began 2 understand lyrics and have an open mind

Love love LOVE this album. It's the album my then-friend Sam used to finally make me "see the light". I was turned off by Prince due to his immense popularity (if everyone likes it, then it must suck, right?), but by the time "Sign" came out the fever had cooled, and I was able to see/hear what the fuss was all about.

However, despite this being my favorite Prince album of all time, I absolutely cannot STAND "If I Was Your Girlfriend". A complete screeching-to-a-halt good time killer when I listen to the album. In fact, on all my compilations that I take with me in the car or on vacation, I leave this one off, so that I pop from "U Got The Look" straight to "Strange Relationship".

This isn't a condemnation of anyone who likes the song... it's just not one of my faves. I skip it every time.

I was 11 years old and not yet a committed Prince fan but definitely remember U got the Look and Sign (My older and funkier brother (13.5) taped them on the TV). I ws too busy enjoying Whitney Houston, Club Nouveau and Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam along with hair metal like Bon Jovi in 1987, and more tragically Tiffany. What can I say, I really discovered it in 1992 as I was getting into Prince proper. What I realised was it eclipsed Purple Rain and Diamonds and Pearls, just absolute sustained brilliance. I loved every song but especially love Adore, 4eva in my life, The Cross, If I was ur girlfriend, U got the look (long look), Housequake and 12 minutes mo quake along with Sign itself. Just a piece of sustained brilliance. It was easily his best album and even outtakes from the period are enjoyable such as the Camille songs like Good Love and Crucial along with La La La Hee Hee, Prince was just in the best possible space at the time, it was his creative funk. I agree too you wonder how he kept it up the whole way through, because even Dirty Mind, Parade and 1999 have a few less brilliant songs but this dose'nt

A+++++ easily

Are you going to do the Black Album or Lovesexy tomorrow?
[Edited 6/24/09 18:21pm]

Huggiebear said:

Great review and thanks for you taking us back. When you mentioned Lisa Lisa and Club Nouveau I could see the 12" records of them flash up in my collection. I don't think it matters when you discover SOOT it will always blow you away.

I was planning on making The Black Album tomorrow's review.

Swa

Love the SOTT album

My favorite album..true it was patchwork but he came at u with body blow after body blow of bangers!!..how did u want it? social,rock,P-Funk (housequake).Sly Stone(Forever in my life), Babymaker (Adore)..Pop (U got the Look) and my favorite song of all time If I was your girlfriend..Stange Relationship was considered a filler but even that was hot(especially live)..the drum programming of dorothy parker to great live performance of a beautiful night..i was, like many who couldnt believe he kept up that level for a double album..The live show was even better!!..It kind of restored my faith in his ass..and yes Black Album HAS to be the next review..oops celebration

This is definitely P's greatest achievement, and no matter what he did before or afterwards. Artistically, he was on point with everything here and he peaked like never before. It's really like the culmination of everything he did in the 1980s. There's songs on here about sex, love, the power of God, society, controversy, and of course the funk is still alive. But he goes even deeper by talking about the world on a more personal level, giving his perspective on it all. No this album isn't solely socially motivated as a whole like the title track or The Cross is, but Prince uses the world's problems as the barrier and gives the listener the antidote. He used 16 of these timeless songs as the antidote to take our minds away from the problems this world went through back in 1987. The music on this album is overflowing with genius, style, and creativity. Before this album no-one had ever used a synthesizer and Linn-Drum Computer to the perfection that Prince did on the tracks "If I Was Your Girlfriend", and "The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker". The thought provoking lyrics of the title track "Sign O' The Times" and the simplicity of its music is unbelievable. This is one of the most important albums released in the last 25 years along with "Songs In The Key of Life", by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye's "Here My Dear" and Sly Stone's "There's A Riot Goin' On".

Prince became a musical prophet with "Sign O The Times," and for the first time, I began to see him as something more than the man who did "Purple Rain." He opened my mind with this album, which was one of the first I ever brought at the tender age of 9 years old. Now you might ask what does this now 17 year old guy know about such a classic recording like this, but it was a revelation to hear this man unravel different styles and sounds on a double album with such zest and attitude. This is an album that should've gotten him the Grammy for Album of the Year because it had much clarity and the songs just put everybody in awe. This showed that the Purple One hadn't lost anything after Purple Rain. And he did it all by himself once again! There's nothing here that is a dud, just a masterpiece of accomplished compositions, mature thoughts, and masterful musicianship.
[Edited 6/24/09 23:57pm]

Great album.

Prince or the record label took out a full page ad in either the Minneapolis Tribune or the Wall Street Journal on the day of the album/cd release. It was so cool looking I put it up on the door of my dorm room. By the end of the day somebody had stole it!

If anybody knows the ad and/or could post it online, I'd love to see it.

(And SOTT is still my all time favorite Prince song)

silverchild said:

Great insight here. Thanks for sharing it.

SOTT has an odd history for me. I became a big Prince fan in 92, and I never really got too into the album. I may have been too young to really get into it. I spent a couple of years not listening to Prince all that much (2000-1). After I went to a ONA show in March 02, I got back into Prince and was more into his music than ever. From right after that show until about August of that year, I listened to the entire SOTT album at least once every three days. Particular songs, mainly Ballad and Adore were listened to multiple times every day.

silverchild said:

Great write up silverchild.

Couldn't agree more. Whenever I get asked the question most important / favourite albums of all time. This one is up there.

When I first heard "If I Was Your Girlfriend" I was blown away. It is such a deeply intimate and personal song probing the limits of a relationship. I have "The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker" on several compilation CDs and its always a goto track when I'm driving in the city at night.

I love the guitar on "I could never take the place of your man" and "The Cross" starts beautifully and silently until it builds up to that crescendo with that hint of sitar in the background.

"4Ever In My Life" with its hypnotic rhythm that doesn't deserve to end ... and so on ... and so on

Great review!....Id just wish theyd release that album remastered....I want that more than teh others cuz it sounds terrible on CD

Creatively, he was on fire.

A masterstroke. Remasters = yes plz

A MASTERPIECE!!

it was the last project during his years of relevancy that really contained art, imo

shonenjoe said:

Absolutely agree in the years prior to this and a few years after he was absolutely at the top of his game and could do very little if anything wrong

I think that it is interesting to look at the Crystal Ball tracklist and compare it to Sign 'O' The Times. Does anyone think that the shorter Sign 'O' The Times is stronger than the longer Crystal Ball would have been?

Crystal Ball would have included these seven songs that were excised from Sign 'O' The Times:

Rebirth Of The Flesh
Crystal Ball
Rock Hard In A Funky Place
The Ball
Joy In Repetitiion
Shockadelica
Good Love

There is one track ("U Got The Look") on Sign 'O' The Times that would not have been included on Crystal Ball.

Here is what the Crystal Ball tracklist would have looked like:

Side 1

Rebirth of the Flesh
Play in the Sunshine
Housequake
The Ballad of Dorothy Parker

Side 2

It
Starfish and Coffee
Slow Love
Hot Thing

Side 3

Crystal Ball
If I Was Your Girlfriend
Rock Hard in a Funky Place

Side 4

The Ball
Joy in Repetition
Strange Relationship
I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

Side 5

Shockadelica
Good Love
Forever in My Life
Sign 'O' the Times

Side 6

The Cross
Adore
It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night

I'm not sure that "Rebirth Of The Flesh" would have been the best way to open the album. Also, I think that the song "Crystal Ball" may be a tad too long and would have slowed the momentum of the album but otherwise the Crystal Ball album looks like it would have been fantastic. Maybe someday it will be reissued as it was originally intended to be?

As far as Sign 'O' The Times this may be sacrilege but the first time I heard it, which was in 1997, I was a little disappointed. I was a relatively new Prince fan having come aboard in the summer of 1996 with the Chaos And Disorder album and I had heard over and over that Sign 'O' The Times was his masterpiece and the first time I heard it I was a bit underwhelmed. I think my expectations might have been a bit too high. Of course over time I really came to love the album and I now agree that it is his best. As others have said, it really does show you everything that he is capable of. Unfortunately for Prince it seems like everything that he has released since then has been compared to it and he always falls short of equaling or bettering it. Having heard some of the outtakes from this era I am really hoping that they will be given an official release as some of it is just as good as what made the album.

Favourites of mine are "Play In The Sunshine," "Housequake," "Starfish And Coffee," "Strange Relationship" and "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night."

I'm listening to the whole album for the first time in years, because of this thread.

I'd forgotten how good 'Hot Thing' is. I always used to fast-forward it when I was younger.

I miss Prince. I mean, 1980s Prince.

GirlBrother said:

It's great when you can rediscover a song or almost hear it for the first time.

Swa

rialb said:

I agree. Musically YIR would have fit very well but the lyrics obviously don't on the concept album about al facets of Love SOTT appears/ pretends to be. Same goes for the other songs. Good Love has suitable lyrics but is a bit, I don't know, too much of a Jam?

Anyone agree that Prince actually improved Starfish and Coffee for the '95 Muppet version??
[Edited 7/5/09 11:49am]

Masterpiece!

Swa said:

agreed!!!

It is a good thing that the album was cut down to two discs.

The other early Crystal Ball tracks aren't bad, but SOTT has all of the best songs by far.

This is his greatest accomplishment as an artist.

shonenjoe said:

Was it his peak? Or just one of many?

Swa