I've been rediscovering Prince's debut album & I like what I hear.

It may not be full of Top 40 hits, and it probably isn't Grammy worthy (who cares, really!?), but there's a collection of songs which are a joy listening 2.

Emotions are present in such tracks as "Baby", "Crazy U" and "4 U", and there's a pretty cool dance-funk-romance in "In Love" while "Soft & Wet" is, well...soft n' wet! *lol*

I have 2 admit it's not one of the Prince albums that's constantly on my cd player, but it is a good album. Not bad at all 4 a debut - interesting ideas and a lovely theme throughout, + gr8 musicianship.

Please, dicuss.

I fully agree with you...

I play that album on a more or less regular basis. It's a great debut album it holds some gems. Especially I like "Just As Long As We're Together", even though I like even more as a live workout...

Once I used that album to introduce Prince to a friend of mine. I told him that I was going to play the debut album for him because I wanted him to understand that Prince was a "musical genius" from the first day of his career.
After we had listened to it I said "Any questions?" And my friend was, well speechless...

joecoco said:

That's a wonderful story about ur friend*

I think it's just Forgotten because Prince has so Many other albums. It's really a wonderful 1st album for a Debut performer;just that it's Softer in approach ,but I really like it alot. See it's just much more Innocent Prince and well everybody was digging on Dirty Mind or 1999,so it kinda got Overlooked,but I would Tell any Fan to Indeed check it out. Prince doing Acoustic is so Beautiful. I have the album with him on the bed with the mirror in the back and his Afro just Barefoot and like so Cool and Hippyish. I just thought Wow,Prince what a Gorgeous Guy with his Sexy Doe Eyes and just Marvelous Bone Structure and you know he really does have a Gorgeous Face. He is such a Cutie. Oh, what can I say...Prince never had to do a thing because he always was more than Hot. He Sizzled...

I second that, TheJoker. I'll probably get flamed for this (!) but I actually prefer it to 'Prince' and 'Controversy' (my least listened-to albums).
The title track is INCREDIBLE! I wish there was a longer version of it. The fact that it was the very first track, on his very first album, at such a young age - it's amazing to think he could construct something so complex even then. What a way to introduce yourself...

I listen to this album at least once a week. Great album!!

"My Love Is Forever" is a great Summer groove.

I'd love to hear it re-worked as a vehicle for a young female R&B act.

The "Doo, doo, doo, doo-doo" refrain is unbelievably catchy.

I get into modes where all I want to hear is Prince & For You - it's a great album, top to bottom. Definitely underrated...

Definately!
Just as long as we're together is a cool song
Has a cool old vibe to it.

Its weird that this album NEVER seems to get talked about, but for his debut and him being so young etc. I find that the songs are lot more heartfelt and show him being vulnerable? not sure if that is the right word, but it definatly showed his promise-I love listening to the disco stuff as it shows how much he evolved through music styles

My favourite on that one is "Crazy You". Love that track. Haven´t heard the album in more than three years, but I´m definitely gonna listen to it TONIGHT! Thank you for the reminder!

Forgotten and rated how it should be. This album does very little for me. One of the least solid debuts by a classic artist I've ever heard. I mean, it's all pleasant. Just not very good. 2 stars at best.

listened 2 it b4 bed the otha nite . . .loved it!

would b wild 2 hear the songs reworked with prince's sound of 2day & c what it'd sound like.
i dont listen 2 it much cos of the sound probably . .Prince & Dirty Mind r classic but.

however the SONGS on For You r just great rnb/funk music.

opening track is awesome!

Nightcrawler said:

YEAH MAN!!!

it's Sooo underated... i listen 2 this Album when i want 2 hear P when he felt free on WB... it's like a... Opening Chapter of Funk & Soul...

A one-man-band songwriter's masterpiece!

Totally under promoted and under rated.
Starts out with 40 vocal overdubs. Who does that?
Genius!

i know it isn't but i consider 'Prince' to be his debut.I have 'For You' on cassete but have no plans to get it on CD.I don't think it's that good to be honest and haven't listened to it in years.

'Prince' is a considerably better record.

I think For You was underrated and forgotten, but that was not such a bad thing. Eventually, not making a big splash with his debut actually worked in his favor.

Prince's debut was not a big hit and he didn't win a bunch of awards and acclaim like Alicia Keyes, Ashanti Macy Gray, or Lauryn Hill.

Prince gradually built up his career. I think that this contributed to him having a long career. He developed gradually instead of coming out like a flash in the pan and then fizzling out like artists who have big debuts.

4U is a great album. My favorite part is the opening - the over dubs of his voice are amazaing. It's like Prince is saying, look what I can do!

Hi Johnny

for you is an awesome album...the title track alone lets u know that it's the absolute ish.

It's ok. Nothing special.

I agree I have recently been listening to For You and Prince and rediscovered (as if I ever forgot) why he is the greatest!!!

For You...I LOOOVE that album. It was the reason I became a P fan in the first place. I was floored on the songs "for you" and "in love", but by the time "crazy you" came on, I was addicted like a crackhead. The only complaint I have about the album is that the songs are far too short. I'd love to have a extended version of that album.

The beauty of the album is in its simplicity. It's just simply beautiful. Nothing too flashy or overly complex, it simply emphasizes his vocals and lyrical prowess. If anything, it shows his amazing talent was obvious from the start. Listening to it, it still sounds more contemporary than most artists work from the 90's (and even today), yet this was a 70's album.....

I'd definitely say that it's an underrated album, to me it's one of his top 5 albums.
[This message was edited Wed Jan 22 14:13:12 PST 2003 by codshort]

Absolutely love this album. The vocals on the song, For You are incredible! "In love" - also a favorite for listening. But "Just As Long As We're Together" was always the jam!

this album is the fuckin' bomb... it has that great 70s funk & r&b sound, which i love... i think it gets forgotten by a lot of people who like to pretend that prince began with "dirty mind"...

I just so happen to play this cd at work today and I still love it. My favs are In Love. Soft & Wet, Crazy U, So Blue, I'm Yours. A true 70's funk rock workout!!

Yes..indeed, it is memorable..
From first listening 2 Soft and Wet.. then went 2 buy For You, and 2003 lol..still talking about it.