PURPLE RAIN

By the time Purple Rain was released I had truly worn out my copies of Controversy and 1999, and was excited when I heard that this new Prince album was coming out. By this stage I was quite passionate about many bands and was enjoying all the different tastes of music that the early 80s seemed to serve up weekly on the charts.

Unfortunately for me I was too young to actually go and see Purple Rain in the cinema, so when my older brother came home to tell me all about I was just itching to see it. Thankfully I had the album to let me paint my own visual story. Maybe in retrospect not seeing the movie made me able to separate the music from the hype the movie created. But regardless of actually seeing the movie, the music itself spoke of a more epic nature.

The opening strains of LETS GO CRAZY and the whole “dearly beloved” intro just seemed to make a bold statement, that this was going to be something special. When the beat kicks in, and the guitar riff kind of guides you into the song you can’t help but feel your heart race a little. Pure funk rock energy is laid out here and a few Prince trademarks were coming to the for, like the double rim shot accents, and the way the backing vocals would pick key phrases to highlight in the verses. The song just builds and builds until it washes over you with pure sonic electricity that explodes in that blissful swirling guitar solo. If ever there was a doubt about Prince’s ability to make the guitar sing, here was the proof.

TAKE ME WITH U followed and literally took me on a journey of perfectly crafted pop. It just seems to be infused with happiness that is hard not to feel uplifted by. And for the first time we hear a string section accentuating Prince’s melodies. Here was an artist pushing himself and spreading his musical wings and taking flight. A pure pop romance.

As if contrasting the lightness of Take Me With U, THE BEAUTIFUL ONES, delves into the darker tones of 1999 but gives his ballads a new sense of maturity and realness. Whereas in the past I had always skipped over the ballads, this one hooked it. It was sparse, seductive and distraught. In the same way that Something In the Water drew me in, the agony displayed in the final 90 seconds just feels so raw and real you couldn’t help but pay attention.

COMPUTER BLUE just blew my mind. It was the best parts of 1999 pushed to breaking point. The flanging synth bed, the rock guitar, the subtle stabs of synths, and the flurry of quirky strings and keys and guitars in the solo breakdown. To this day I hold this up as a song that has been completely underrated by most people when listening to the album. And unlike the hits that seem to have lost some of the freshness, this track offers new rewards with each listen. And here, for the first time is the new and improved Princely clap-pop. Like the mini opuses off Prince, the track feels like 3 songs in one, but here it seems to have a direction, a destination. It’s like being blindfolded and led on a musical journey that lands you right in the lap of DARLING NIKKI.

Here was Prince at his most controlled explicitness. The whole song drips sex, from the obvious one night stand lyrical content, to the way the music hits and pumps harder with each passing chorus. And again the final minute of the song just erupts in a musical climax that is second to none. The haunting backward masking of the vocals just added to the allure of the track. It wasn’t until I played it to my brother who showed me how to play the song backwards that the secret was revealed. “Hello, how are you? I’m fine, cause I know that the lord is coming soon, coming coming soon”. It sounded even more foreboding played correctly.

What can you say about WHEN DOVES CRY. By the time I got the album I had already bought the 12” and had fallen in love with both the a and b-side. The trippy use of a flange on the rim shot just seems to add to the hypnotic nature of the song. Again the sparse arrangement seems to allow Prince’s vocals to be even more front and center. Story has it that the bass line originally intended for the song was dropped from the mix, when Prince decided it felt too conventional. Written after the filming of Purple Rain, it’s really the only song that has a overall narrative to it that sums up what the movie was about. It was destined to be a classic, and to this day still sounds fresh and mildly eccentric for a pop hit.

There is frenetic energy underpinning I WOULD DIE 4 U and BABY I’M A STAR that would see then as conjoined twins for many years. As a song in it’s own right, IWD4U is as funky a song as you will ever hear. Unfortunately the bass s too low in the mix, but that aside there is no faulting this song. Prince’s craft as a songwriter was evident and by now undisputed. There is a sense of excitement in these two songs that you can’t resist thanks in part to the “live” recording of BABY I’M A STAR. Another funk party jam, this song struts it its cocksure posture. As if either declaring or demanding his place as a star, Prince lays it out there in a way that you can’t ignore. As a kid on the verge of being a teen, this self-assured attitude was massively appealing. “Take a picture sweetie I ain’t got time to wait”. Classic.

Speaking of classics, closing out the album with PURPLE RAIN was a masterstroke. Movie aside, the song just seems to remind you of the special musical journey you have been taken on and leaves you wanting more. So of course you flip the disc and play the whole thing again. It’s hard now to listen to Purple Rain without the whole history of the song and how it has become his signature tune. Whether or not he borrowed the phrase from America’s Ventura Highway seems irrelevant when Prince takes the phrase and wraps it up in his own persona. A twisted love song about wanting nothing but the best for a loved one, even if that means not being with them is a theme that Prince would return to later in his works. This mix of regret, solace, and desire meld in one of the most beautifully arranged “love” songs. It’s easy to see why the song has struck a chord with so many. It’s haunting, it’s raw, it’s alluring. It’s a song about isolation that thousands feel united by. And even hearing it fro the first time you knew there was something special about this song that would outlast the hype of a movie.

Looking back now Purple Rain is part inspired genius and part calculated ambition. The songs are perfectly crafted, packed with energy and the Prince sound, and even with a song as notorious as Darling Nikki on it, it deliberately strays away from being too explicit with swearing that had been displayed in 1999 and Dirty Mind. It was as though he knew the time was right. And he wanted to step into the spotlight with an album that a reflection of him but one also made for the mainstream to handle.

This is really a masterpiece of modern record making. Not a dud track on it, and closing out 44 minutes it makes you want to go back and back again. Sadly with the advent of 80 minute CDs the risk of filler would be greatly increased.

I guess it's kinda like what else can we say that hasn't already been said.

He really made sure to craft something that would throw him right into that crossover audience, which was exactly what he wanted.

Computer Blue has always been my favorite song on this album, and I've always been disappointed that the long version wasn't able to be on it.

I've listened to it so much it's almost like overkill. Like enuff Purple Rain already!

I think tho that it really shows how amazing Prince can be when he makes an inspired effort to create something really special. I always say of any artist that the hungry years are the best years because they feel like they have something to prove.

jaybendy said:

Swa said:

Really? No one else has opinions on this album. I mean I know it wasn't a huge smash and all but surely some people have heard it.

The only thing I have to say is that I always HATED "Take me with you" with a passion. Don't know why. I wish Dezs song had been put on instead of that. I am sure I will have tomatoes thrown at me.

DecaturStone said:

Swa said:

Really? No one else has opinions on this album. I mean I know it wasn't a huge smash and all but surely some people have heard it.

The only thing I have to say is that I always HATED "Take me with you" with a passion. Don't know why. I wish Dezs song had been put on instead of that. I am sure I will have tomatoes thrown at me.

Quick duck!

Hoe can you hate "Take me with you"??? Wow, never thought of all the songs to hate from Prince this would be one of them, lol. But each to their own.

Maybe others who love it as much as I can help get you to at least appreciating it a little bit more.

I love this album. I know some prince fans think its overrated because its full of "hits", or you arent a "real" fan if this is your favourite album. Well i dont think, its overrated. Yes this album unfortunately underrates the rest of prince's carrear when some (ignorant) people only refer to him as the purple rain guy, they forget he has made other great albums like 1999, SOTT AND TGE and others

The great thing about this album is that its perfectly sequenced, each track is in its right place. It flows togethar so smoothly. The only tracks i dont like are I would die 4 u and beautiful ones but i dont dislike them either

Lets Go Crazy- funny intoroduction, catchy song and a jimi hendrix like guitar solo to end the song.

When Doves Cry- incredible lyrics and imagery in the song. This is one of the few songs by any artist that i have never gotten tired listening too.

Purple rain- not a massive fan of long power ballads but this song his just so powerful. I dont listen to it too often but its always incredible to hear

Take me with u- the exchange between p and appolonia "your sheer perfection" and "thankyou" is so perfectly executed. Probably the most underrated track of the album

Baby i'm a star- shows off princes more cocky side, yet another terrefic single

Computer blue- have heard a few versions of this and there isnt any version i havent liked. Darling nikki is probably my third fav prince dirty song, behind erotic city and do me baby

[Edited 10/11/10 18:50pm]

[Edited 10/11/10 19:06pm]

This album is absolute perfection, there isn't a 1 song that I would have left off of it. I only wish Electric Intercourse had been included on the cd...would have made perfection, even more perfect!! And the movie just is the cherry on top, can't get enough of the album or movie and I've been loving it for 23yrs!

Swa said:

DecaturStone said:

The only thing I have to say is that I always HATED "Take me with you" with a passion. Don't know why. I wish Dezs song had been put on instead of that. I am sure I will have tomatoes thrown at me.

Quick duck!

Hoe can you hate "Take me with you"??? Wow, never thought of all the songs to hate from Prince this would be one of them, lol. But each to their own.

Maybe others who love it as much as I can help get you to at least appreciating it a little bit more.

It was just sappy to me. I like the longer version slightly better the instrumentation is pretty cool. Apples was over stacked on the vocals I think. It is not the worst Prince jammy just the low point of any otherwise perfect album.

... love the album and era and this era has some of the BEST unreleased music he's ever put out. Makes me wanna fly to Minneapolis and just hang at the Hard Rock across the street watchin' people walk by First Ave.

I understand the dislikes, but "Take Me With U" was adorable, u have to admit. Whether or not it is the weakest song on the album, (fairly said and true, not in a bad way of course)

I wish he hadn't made Apollonia sing tho .... that was just wrong

On the other hand, Computer Blue is on my top 5 of all time Prince favs ... I never get tired of hearing that song!

DaphneLovesPR1NCE said:

This album is absolute perfection, there isn't a 1 song that I would have left off of it. I only wish Electric Intercourse had been included on the cd...would have made perfection, even more perfect!! And the movie just is the cherry on top, can't get enough of the album or movie and I've been loving it for 23yrs!

I always agree with you!

Heidi said:

On the other hand, Computer Blue is on my top 5 of all time Prince favs ... I never get tired of hearing that song!

I love the long version I have always wondered if there is footage of the extended version that was filmed for the movie. I know we will never get a "Directors cut" but I would love to see that footage if it exist