Let's say you have one friend who has never heard Prince but refuses to believe he is a musical genius despite you telling them about how many instruments he plays, how many songs he's wrote etc.

What 1 song would you play for them to prove his genius???

For me it would have to be "Thunder"... what an explosive track! True musical talent at its finest, the harmonized vocal intro, the unusual phrasing of the guitar solo, the insane climax ending, the mix of classical with an almost heavy metal approach... not to mention the fact that the whole track truely represents the theme of "thunder" despite their only being a slight sound effect that resembles thunder itself... yowza! The only thing that lets the song down is that he says the word thunder about 390483904860934 times. But nevermind ey!

So what 1 song would you pick to define Prince's musical genius?

Erotic City

"Thunder" is a dry, thin, over-produced, tinny song. HORRIBLE choice to show Prince's genius. It's a crap song.

Adore

Endorphinmachine

ernestsewell said:

"Thunder" is a dry, thin, over-produced, tinny song. HORRIBLE choice to show Prince's genius. It's a crap song.

Adore

Endorphinmachine

Crap? Hardly. Thunder is brilliant...But I would choose a different song to play for your friend.

It would really depend on what kind of music your friend likes IMO, and then go from there.

XNY said:

ernestsewell said:

"Thunder" is a dry, thin, over-produced, tinny song. HORRIBLE choice to show Prince's genius. It's a crap song.

Adore

Endorphinmachine

Crap? Hardly. Thunder is brilliant...But I would choose a different song to play for your friend.

It would really depend on what kind of music your friend likes IMO, and then go from there.

agree

I realise it is predominantly a hypothetical question, but I wouldn't be trying to convince anyone of Prince's (or anyone else's for that matter) musical genius - if they're not interested, they're not interested. Their loss

It all gets so subjective anyway, you never know what song is going to push someone else's buttons.

FWIW, Thunder was one of the songs that sealed the deal for me when I was just discovering Prince. I'd never try to argue the musical merits of it, I just love the song

Does not compute

ernestsewell said:

"Thunder" is a dry, thin, over-produced, tinny song. HORRIBLE choice to show Prince's genius. It's a crap song.

Adore

Endorphinmachine

I can't stand that song. Yuck. I threw up out of my dick when I first heard it. The Billboards version is tolerable. I guess I can see why some people would like it, but it's not my cup of tea - and definitely not brilliant, as the lyrics take it completely out of the running.

squirrelgrease said:

ernestsewell said:

"Thunder" is a dry, thin, over-produced, tinny song. HORRIBLE choice to show Prince's genius. It's a crap song.

Adore

Endorphinmachine

I can't stand that song. Yuck. I threw up out of my dick when I first heard it. The Billboards version is tolerable. I guess I can see why some people would like it, but it's not my cup of tea - and definitely not brilliant, as the lyrics take it completely out of the running.

Exactly. The lyrics are vapid and banal, and the song itself sticks out like Holly Hunter's metal finger tip at the end of The Piano. Tinny, noisy, and a facade of the real thing.

The album would be better starting with "Daddy Pop".

I did it with some friends who thought that Prince was a gay wearing leopard string.

I just played chaos and disorder straightfully and they got addicted.

This album is just classic rock song / ballade with no falseto voice or strange Prince harmonies, you can not failed with that one;-) .

I like and love Thunder.

The vocals are great, reminds me of the later "7" imo...

But Thunder could be a little too polished??

I would choose a more brilliant song When Doves Cry og the extended Let's Go Crazy.

robinhood said:

Erotic City

the reason i suggest erotic city is because i played it to two macho funk haters.

by the end of the song they were sold and wanted to hear more.

i figured if i could convert two 'doof doof' guys to funk off one prince track, then erotic city must have the magic.

It depends on what kind of music they like really.

I always let people listen to Purple Rain. I don't know anyone who doesn't like that song. But if I had a friend that was really into R&B, I would let them listen to Adore. If they liked Pop, I would do Raspberry Beret or When Doves Cry, if they liked Rap, I would let them listen to Facedown, if they liked Rock, I would play Crimson and Clover. Etc, Etc, Etc. I usually play songs that I really like for my friends, depending on what they like, then I let them listen to songs like If I was Your GF, Darling Nikki, The One, Somewhere Here on Earth, Let's Go Crazy, and Do Me Baby...those songs do it everytime!

It depends on the person honestly.

Like robinhood, having some macho guys listen to a VERY sexual song that has been shown to turn women on will catch their interest for sure. But playing that for a woman who's not really into overly sexual things would turn her away from his music. For a woman like that you'd wanna play "She Gave Her Angels" or something poetic.

I saw this post earlier and couldn't think of the perfect song. Then later in the day, I ran across "Electric Intercourse (LIVE)" . Perfect Song. Cannot understand why this wasn't officially released. Amazing!

[Edited 9/5/10 9:04am]

the ballad of dorothy parker

"Three Chains of Gold" , "7", "Here", "Come", "Alexa De Paris" a few of the many.

[Edited 9/6/10 5:22am]

NONSENSE said:

I saw this post earlier and couldn't think of the perfect song. Then later in the day, I ran across "Electric Intercourse (LIVE)" . Perfect Song. Cannot understand why this wasn't officially released. Amazing!

[Edited 9/5/10 9:04am]

I agree. would've been a great b-side if it didn't fit on the PR album.

NONSENSE said:

I saw this post earlier and couldn't think of the perfect song. Then later in the day, I ran across "Electric Intercourse (LIVE)" . Perfect Song. Cannot understand why this wasn't officially released. Amazing!

[Edited 9/5/10 9:04am]

This song is GREAT on all levels. It's my favorite song by Prince of all time. It isn't overly sexual, despite the title, and it really expresses a deep feeling. To me, all the way through, word for word, it's exquisite. I have chills everytime I listen to it. And his live performance of it was just amazing. Everything about it was PERFECT!!! I fell in love with Prince big time after hearing/seeing it!! Anyone who can watch that 1983 performance of it and not love it, well, I may not ever talk to them again! lol I mean that song is just great, I listen to it minimal 10 times a day!!

"Crystal Ball"

If I Was Your Girlfriend

Spinlight said:

"Crystal Ball"

That is to me the quintessential Prince song: every element I like about Prince is in that track!

It's got funk, it's got sexuality, it's got spirituality, it is adventurous, instrumentally interesting, it just kicks ass on so many levels.... Good choice!

Anna Stesia from ONA ... but then only the first 3 minutes ... if my friends hear him talking/preaching, they will just think that everything they thought about him is true. Which is ... kinda .. the truth anyway.

Heidi said:

Anna Stesia from ONA ... but then only the first 3 minutes ... if my friends hear him talking/preaching, they will just think that everything they thought about him is true. Which is ... kinda .. the truth anyway.

Why bother. Just play the album version. It's superior to any other version he's ever done.

Hmmm ... I haven't listened to the album version in years now .. good idea, I'll give it another listen.

When Doves Cry

Depends on the person. I'd probably play them Alexa De Paris to show them that Prince isn't just a one trick only, maybe ONA from ONA Piano, um... lemme see.. I'd give them Endorphinmachine maybe, but NOT the one with that got damn cowbell.. Shh also from TGE, Comuper Blue the long one, but not the hallway speech one... Somewhere Here On Earth IS a good one, I agree with that one also.

I feel like folks should already know the basic songs like Adore and Erotic City Purple Rain stuff, SOTT the song, and stuff like that. And if they've heard those and are still not a fan or at least appreciative of the man and his talents well there isn't much more I can do for them. Their loss.

Space never fails to impress.

Depends on my mood and the day of the week.

As for this moment, Pheromone; Friend, Love, Sister, Mother/Wife; or Starfish & Coffee.