I'm actually listening to the Purple Rain album right now,
for the first time in probably 5 or 6 years. And I still
have to force myself not to hit the STOP button.

If it wasn't for "Beautiful Ones", "Computer Blue" and
"When Doves Cry" I would never ever listen to this album
again.

Don't get me wrong, it's an ok album, but urgh, it's been
played to death. And where the "1999" has some deep purple
jams and good story telling to keep you interested, this
whole "Purple Rain" album just doesn't do anything for me.

Why the hell do people want the man to keep going back to
this? Dressing up in purple bathrobes with brillo-pads on
their head and liberace shirts on.

I suppose you're gonna cut off my head with a chainsaw now
but what the hell. I created this topic simply to find out
how many people actually like "Purple Rain" and consider it
to be a "top 5" Prince album.

I enjoy it for what it is. It's not a top 5 Prince album for me, but I still enjoy it. You're right though- it has NOTHING on 1999.

IstenSzek said:

Likewise, I am listening to the Purple Rain album right now. I do think it's very listenable however for a number of reasons.

Firstly, I think all of the songs fit into a classic Prince storyline, helped by the film. Regardless of the film, the songs themselves are also just the right length to feel like you are listening to their 'pop' essence and not too short or long that leaves you feeling like your just listening to musical ideas. It is very well nailed down for the pop market point of view even though there is so much more to it. For these reasons, I also highly rate Sign O The Times.

currently in an anti-"pr" mood...i haven't listened 2 this album in several months...it just may be a couple more months till i can listen 2 it again.

Moonbeam said:

It has something on 1999, and that is conciseness. 1999 is my favourite however, followed by Sign O The Times and then Purple Rain.

Purple Rain is definitely in my Top 5. It is a perfect pop album. Like Anji said, there is a conciseness that is not in 1999, or many other of his albums. He gets in, gets the job done, and gets out. This isn't a criticism of other work, just a distinction of why I do appreciate this album from beginning to end, and what made it a classic beyond "the purple circle."

And while I have no problem with the "purple bathrobes," I am fine with the absence of "brillo pads and liberace shirts!"

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The only reason some hardcore fans tend to undervalue Purple Rain is because it's Prince's most successful work. The fact that most non fans associate Prince primarily with Purple Rain makes it difficult for hardcore fans to fully appreciate it. The truth is, if Purple Rain had not been such a monster hit, it would get a lot more praise in this forum. Purple Rain is a top three Prince album, no question. Give it the respect it deserves...

End.
[This message was edited Mon Feb 10 11:14:17 PST 2003 by PeterJL121]

Agree 100%

PeterJL121 said:

PR may not be Prince's best album, but it's definitely Top 5 for me.

Peace, David

Purple rain was my first album of Prince and i still like it a lot.
I never liked the purple rain song so much (maybe because it was so popular) but nowadays i fully appreciate it.
I think it is a great album and i still play it a lot.

It's hard the remember the fervor around PR when it came out almost 20 yrs ago(jeez i feel old now), but PR is a great rock n' roll album. LGC is a hot jam on guitar, Take Me With U a great upbeat ballad IMO, and the clincher Purple Rain has some of the most beautiful guitar work ever.
To me, PR the song IS the 80's anthem.

...And while 1999 is a great funk/r&b album, i think it lacks the heart and tenderness of PR. But don't get me wrong, i love both albums.

Purple Rain has a lot on 1999 and vice versa. They both do what they do very well. They're both perfect albums. Purple Rain is just played out to most people. Too obvious and not enough new thrills to be found.

But I don't listen to any Prince albums so who am I to say?

PeterJL121 said:

Thankyouverymuch. Had it been a boot instead of an authorized release it would be considered The Motherload to certain people. The fact that the music has been saturating the airwaves for almost 20 years doesn't take away from its inventiveness, it just reinforces the fact that familiarity DOES breed contempt in this instance. Put in its place any other Prince album would have the same thing happen.

Most hardcore Fleetwood Mac fans (during the Buckingham/Nicks era) feel the same way because of Rumour's radio saturation.

Most hardcore Bee Gees fans feel the same way because of Saturday Night Fever's radio saturation.

Most hardcore Michael Jackson fans feel the same way because of Thriller's radio saturation.

Most hardcore Peter Frampton fans (yes, they exist) feel the same way because of Frampton Comes Alive's radio saturation.

Most hardcore Eagles fans feel the same way because of Hotel California's radio saturation...etc.

I'm not saying all of these albums are of equal standing artistically, but they're all obviously said artists biggest sellers and dominated radio more than any other single album they released.

Like a whore, Purple Rain is taken for granted simply because it's been EVERYWHERE.


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[This message was edited Mon Feb 10 23:23:09 PST 2003 by Supernova]

I have to admit, by the time the disc ended when I had been
listening to it last night, my oppinion had somewhat changed
and I felt a little emberassed to have started this thread.

I actually enjoyed hearing most of the tracks again and so,
well, I guess I was wrong.

I liked it better at the time than over time."When Doves Cry",Baby I'm a Star,Purple Rain moved me more.I like ELements of the other songs like the Drums in Take Me with u&The Vibe of Darling Nikki in Relation to the Movie.I think this Album was very Straight Forward for a Prince Album in that it was very Direct.I Respect it.but I Hardly listen to it all the way any longer.

Purple Rain is a great album, however i think only half of what is on it transcends the time it was written and released. Ie..some of it sounds very '80s in attitude and delivery. On the other hand some is terrific and timeless. For instance Let's Go Crazy is just so off the radar now for me. I wouldn't care if never performed it again and i've not cared since 1987. The title track will always hit the mark if its pulled out at the right time, on the right ocassion. For me the songs that still sound fresh are The Beautiful Ones, Computer Blue, Darling Nikki and When Doves Cry. The rest just scream of another place and time. It's still a great album though even if it lacks the sheer brilliance and vision of 1999 and SOTT.

TRON said:

I really feel that 1999 tops Purple Rain on all counts.

Anji said:

1999 wasn't supposed to be concise.

Moonbeam said:

Well, you may disagree but I think you're wrong.

Purple Rain is much more spiritual and meaningful songwriting.

Purple Rain's ballads kick the shit out of the ones on 1999.

I feel that all of the Purple Rain b-sides are better than the 1999 ones.

Prince's guitar playing grew by leaps and bounds during this time. This is when he became a rock god. Just listen to Billy's Sunglasses, Let's Go Crazy, Computer Blue or Noon Rendezvous.

I feel that with Purple Rain, that this was his first fully arranged album. It's more melodic than anything he had put out previously. His late 70's and early 80's albums sound sparse and demoey. This does not.

During this time, Wendy joined the band. A very fruitful collaboration with the Revolution began.

And of course, there's the movie.

The albums do some things equally- production, proteges, videos, tours, the look, the use of the color purple.

Now granted, 1999 has its high points, but I think it's a overdoing it a little to say that it beats Purple Rain in every way, cuz it doesn't.

But...

1999 is funkier. More bass, more synths, more beats. The sound is slinky, slutty and sexy.

1999 is darker. It might be his evilest album, tied with The Black Album.

1999 is sprawling and I love it for that. It really stretches out.

1999 is simple. It's his minimalistic masterpiece.

1999 started the trend of having lots of b-sides for Prince. That's a very good thing.

I think they're both perfect albums. They both have their strong points.

TRON said:

I am not.



Most spiritual? Yes. But that wasn't 1999's purpose. More meaningful? That's debatable. "Something in the Water," "Free" and "Lady Cab Driver" are very meaningful, with the first being perhaps Prince's MOST meaningful song. But "Purple Rain" has a lot of meaning as well.



Again, that's debatable. I like "Free" more than "Purple Rain." "International Lover" can't touch "The Beautiful Ones" though.



I like "Irresistible Bitch" and "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore" much better than "God" and "Another Lonely Christmas." You are right in that the B-sides from "Purple Rain" are great though. I've been referring to strictly the albums themselves.



His guitar work is very impressive on PR, but it is also impressive when he chooses to showcase it on 1999 in tracks like "Lady Cab Driver." I could just as easily say that the synths on 1999 blow away the synths on PR, but that isn't a fair comparison.



PR does sound grandiose and accomplished. It is definitely an arena album. I tend to like it better when Prince uses his resources...well...resourcefully. That's just a matter of taste I suppose, but Prince pushes everything on 1999 to its limit- not a sound is wasted.



PR needs Wendy. 1999 doesn't. Wendy does rock hardcore, but her influence would be out of place on 1999.



The movie is great, but I'm only talking about albums here.



I like the videos from 1999 a lot better. That is completely a matter of taste though. The tours and protoges are pretty much equal though.



For me, it does. PR will never be in the same league as 1999 for me. Then again, not much can step up to that plate.



All very good points.



You are right- both are perfect for what they are. 1999 has a trump card though- it is the last music Prince recorded before he became a household name. It still has the youthful fervor, that spirit that is fighting just to stay on the block. 1999 made PR possible. It gave him the confidence, the audience and the swagger he needed.

Don't get me wrong- I love "Purple Rain." It just doesn't compare to me to "1999" in any way related to the albums alone.

Moonbeam said:

I didn't say it was. Prince could have released Purple Rain in the extended fashion he released 1999 but he didn't. He keeps PR to it's pop essence and that is what Purple Rain has over 1999. 1999 usually stretches and jams. Perhaps, it could have been Prince's Purple Rain if he had had his pop sensibility hat on.

I listen to "Purple Rain" from time to time, it's probably in my top 5 prince albums.

I remember feeling like you did about 10 years ago, I couldn't stand it and found myself skipping thru most of the album, I didn't even listen to "Purple Rain" (the song)I in its entirety. Then about 3 years ago I really started to get into it again (after seeing the movie on B.E.T).
So now I listen to it as a nostalgia trip, for me it brings back great memories, now that I'm satrting to get older. I think "Purple Rain" is one of those albums that get better with time, the more I age, the better it gets, along with few of his other albums.

lovebizzare said:

Purple Rain will always be his greatest work IMO. Only Sign O the Time's could come close.

I'm not condoning drug-use but the whole Purple Rain album sounds fantastic with a bottle of poppers nearby. 1999 is more of a stoned album.

NWF said:

Yes, I agree with this...

End.

In some cases, I was speaking about preferences. But others I was not.

I wasn't talking about the usage of synth or guitar on the albums. I was talking about how good his playing was. It's pretty clear to me that his guitar playing became much better around this time.

And whether it was 1999's purpose or not to be meaningful, it doesn't really matter. Prince rarely spoke about spiritual concerns before Purple Rain. So he recites the Lord's Prayer in 'Controversy'. So he says he's in love with God at the end of 'Let's Pretend We're Married'. I hardly find that enlightening. I think that Purple Rain has a much more uplifting, emotional and positive outlook than he had previously.

You admitted to liking the love ballad on Purple Rain better.

Purple Rain is also quite sparse. There's very little going on in the mix. So it too is resourceful. But the difference is that he had more fully formed songs with that album than before. Little or no arrangement went into most of the songs on 1999.

I know that you don't like every song on 1999 more than your favorite on Purple Rain, so right there, it's got something going for it.

And I don't understand why you keep going on about 1999 being the last music he made before becoming huge. What difference does it make if an album sold 4 or 13 million? It has nothing to do with the quality of the music. Purple Rain is every bit as avant garde and unconventional as he was previously, if not moreso.

I can't get into Purple Rain, and I don't think it's because it has been overplayed (possibly bar When Doves Cry). I became a Prince fan in the early 90s and the record was way off the airwaves by then in Australia (once again, bar When Doves Cry). I just don't think Prince and rock mix in the same way as Prince and funk or Prince and soul, and Purple Rain is among his more guitar-heavy albums. (Which might also explain why I can't appreciate Gold as much as many here.) I have never been able to understand people's obsession with The Beautiful Ones (especially when he botches the ending with that horrible wailing), and I can live without Let's Go Crazy. I think Take Me With U is fun, and Computer Blue is a great idea that never really takes off. I have loved When Doves Cry and Purple Rain in the past and will continue to to some extent, but the gloss has worn off both after repeated listens.

It's funny that this topic would come up now because I've been listening to Purple Rain everday for a week now. I haven't played it in quite sometime and I can't get enough of it. It's the album that made me decide that I was going to always be a Prince fan, especially Purple Rain, the song. It's great for sentimental reasons but it's also great because it's one of the best albums ever IMO. The songs fit perfectly together, they go as long as they need to go and to me it hasn't aged much at all, especially When Doves Cry. It's just a great Pop album that deserves all the praise that it's gotten and still gets after all these years.

fairmoan said:

VERY interesting.


Botched? It's not botched, you just don't like it.
That wailing is intentional, and very necessary.


But can you live without the 12" version of LGC? That is the question.

Supernova said:



fair call, although I am not even close to comprehending its appeal.



I have to this point. What extra fun am I missing?
[This message was edited Wed Feb 12 5:47:55 PST 2003 by fairmoan]