purple rain is the better album

but the good songs on 1999 are far better than anything on pr

Dave1992 said:

I can't believe how a Prince fan can not like Automatic! Isn't that what makes Prince the mysterious, out-there, quirky, synth-driven Mpls-sound funkgod he is?

I mean, Automatic is probably the most trippy and haunting song ever written; it's so on point, it sounds so perfectly cock-sure - every single lyric, the delivery ("why do I love you so much? Have mercy..."), the synths in the "get ready to take off" part, the ending when it all settles down and you get back to Earth after a trip through every quadrant of the Universe. This is as close as a musical artist will ever come to "perfect" - every note in that song has a reason to be there, and every note that was left out had to be left out.

Automatic is Prince at his best. I'm sorry for having to sound so extreme, but I have to say it: If you don't "get" Automatic, you don't "get" Prince.

"Automatic" the most trippy and haunting song ever written?

"Something In The Water," is the darker side of the twilight zone when it come to songs Prince has ever written.

formallypickles said:

purple rain is the better album

but the good songs on 1999 are far better than anything on pr

That's exactly how I feel about the 2 albums

1999 is far better than Purple Rain!!!!!Apart from Take Me with u & The Beautiful Ones eye wouldnt miss PR!!!!But eye couldnt do without 1999!!! No way! 1999 rocks my world!!.

bigd74 said:

I would say 1999 only because i think Purple Rain was not released as a new album more the soundtrack for the film. if it was a proper follow up we may of got longer full length songs, like Let's Go Crazy, full length Computer Blue. PR is a solid commercial pop rock album. 1999 wasn't edited and is how it should've been (maybe with the Free - Moonbeam Levels switch).

I love your reasoning; therefore, I really connot decide. I've been thinking on this since this thread has been posted. Now I think everything adds up to 1999 as well, even though I love Purple Rain.

Purple Rain introduced the world to Prince. It was the best selling soundtrack until The Bodyguard uprooted it. It was his Thriller. A lot of people claim that as his best album. A lot of people also say that this is the only Prince album that they bought. Because of the anticipation built up from the genius of 1999 and a highly successful tour that ensued, made it possible for the Purple Rain tour de force. He gave no interviews, there was no internet and this was the only opportunity that anyone who had not seen a Prince concert to hear his voice for the first time. I believe June 14 1984 was the release date. I bought it and brought it home and I was a little disappointed. I considered it a let down. When Doves Cry was and will always be the shit, but there was nothing else on the album like it. Darling Nikki, Baby I'm a Star. Take Me with You, The Beautiful Ones and I Would Die 4 U never make my Prince mix tapes /Cds. I also hated the concert. I hated the song list. All the songs that i loved before Purple Rain were turned into medleys. Purple Rain was a product of marketing that Warner Brothers had never before allotted to Prince. It was like an all access pass to Prince. I consider 1999 to be his Off the Wall. A better album but not as popular.There are no throwaways on 1999. It is infinitely daring and nothing sounded like it in 1982. After skipping 1983 I guess that I was hoping for 1999 pt.2 in 1984. I guess what I am saying is that 1999 is interesting. Purple Rain was a planned POP album.

[Edited 6/17/11 15:22pm]

Dave1992 said:

I can't believe how a Prince fan can not like Automatic! Isn't that what makes Prince the mysterious, out-there, quirky, synth-driven Mpls-sound funkgod he is?

I mean, Automatic is probably the most trippy and haunting song ever written; it's so on point, it sounds so perfectly cock-sure - every single lyric, the delivery ("why do I love you so much? Have mercy..."), the synths in the "get ready to take off" part, the ending when it all settles down and you get back to Earth after a trip through every quadrant of the Universe. This is as close as a musical artist will ever come to "perfect" - every note in that song has a reason to be there, and every note that was left out had to be left out.

Automatic is Prince at his best. I'm sorry for having to sound so extreme, but I have to say it: If you don't "get" Automatic, you don't "get" Prince.

just hate it the first time I heard it, and now I just barely tolerate it...

give me Purple Music or Extra Lovable instead...

Automatic is just BLAND

1999 for me. Love Purple Rain, but when I'm riding in my car, if I had only these two cd's...1999 gets played first.

[Edited 6/17/11 18:12pm]

Dave1992 said:

I can't believe how a Prince fan can not like Automatic! Isn't that what makes Prince the mysterious, out-there, quirky, synth-driven Mpls-sound funkgod he is?

I mean, Automatic is probably the most trippy and haunting song ever written; it's so on point, it sounds so perfectly cock-sure - every single lyric, the delivery ("why do I love you so much? Have mercy..."), the synths in the "get ready to take off" part, the ending when it all settles down and you get back to Earth after a trip through every quadrant of the Universe. This is as close as a musical artist will ever come to "perfect" - every note in that song has a reason to be there, and every note that was left out had to be left out.

Automatic is Prince at his best. I'm sorry for having to sound so extreme, but I have to say it: If you don't "get" Automatic, you don't "get" Prince.

AMEN!!

True Dat

NDRU said:

GeminiBrown said:

See, I think that's what makes it great...it doesn't really follow rules. Sign O' times was also 'uneven', but was also one of his greatest imo. PR is GREAT true enough, but it's also the least listened to album in my Prince collection.

well, I am certainly not going to argue with you. 1999 might be his best album

Oh no I wasn't trying to pick a fight. The thread is about preferences and we all have them and they shouldn't have to be defended. I was just saying that the reasons 1999 lost points with you (against PR) is the reason it gained points with me. That's the best thing about P's music...he has something for everybody!

Dave1992 said:

I can't believe how a Prince fan can not like Automatic! Isn't that what makes Prince the mysterious, out-there, quirky, synth-driven Mpls-sound funkgod he is?

I mean, Automatic is probably the most trippy and haunting song ever written; it's so on point, it sounds so perfectly cock-sure - every single lyric, the delivery ("why do I love you so much? Have mercy..."), the synths in the "get ready to take off" part, the ending when it all settles down and you get back to Earth after a trip through every quadrant of the Universe. This is as close as a musical artist will ever come to "perfect" - every note in that song has a reason to be there, and every note that was left out had to be left out.

Automatic is Prince at his best. I'm sorry for having to sound so extreme, but I have to say it: If you don't "get" Automatic, you don't "get" Prince.

Well then I only half " get" Prince.

I think the song is OK....it just doesn't come "alive" And now it sounds really dated whereas anything off PR still stands up.

You know, maybe it's the production on 1999. ....cold and too sprase. Wouldn't it be interesting if P finally accepted to let another producer help him with his vision ?

Purple Rain! Sorry but as brilliant as 1999 is PR is just perfect. Its short, sweet, and to the point. Go ahead and start the "oh no he did nots" but I can see why 2010 was compared as being one of of his best since PR because it was the same way. Very short with a lot of energy. I just want him to do the intro to Lets Go Crazy but blast into Compassion at least once. I love that song.

eireboy34 said:

Dave1992 said:

I can't believe how a Prince fan can not like Automatic! Isn't that what makes Prince the mysterious, out-there, quirky, synth-driven Mpls-sound funkgod he is?

I mean, Automatic is probably the most trippy and haunting song ever written; it's so on point, it sounds so perfectly cock-sure - every single lyric, the delivery ("why do I love you so much? Have mercy..."), the synths in the "get ready to take off" part, the ending when it all settles down and you get back to Earth after a trip through every quadrant of the Universe. This is as close as a musical artist will ever come to "perfect" - every note in that song has a reason to be there, and every note that was left out had to be left out.

Automatic is Prince at his best. I'm sorry for having to sound so extreme, but I have to say it: If you don't "get" Automatic, you don't "get" Prince.

Well then I only half " get" Prince.

I think the song is OK....it just doesn't come "alive" And now it sounds really dated whereas anything off PR still stands up.

You know, maybe it's the production on 1999. ....cold and too sprase. Wouldn't it be interesting if P finally accepted to let another producer help him with his vision ?

1999 is one of the albums with the most impact on urban electronic music, not because it sounds dated. Personally I think Purple Rain production wise sounds a hell of alot more dated, because his drum programming was more on autopilot, and the processing of these sounds were also more on auto pilot, adding a bit more reverb to make it sound more "live" and like "real" drums that doesnt really sound real after all. On 1999 he wasn't trying to hide the fact that it was a drum machine. Purple Rain fails a bit on the production part, more so than on 1999. And I agree that Automatic is Prince at his best. It's the minimalism that eventually would give us classics like When Doves Cry. This is when he really understood the power of small details, and alot of "air".

njin said:

eireboy34 said:

Well then I only half " get" Prince.

I think the song is OK....it just doesn't come "alive" And now it sounds really dated whereas anything off PR still stands up.

You know, maybe it's the production on 1999. ....cold and too sprase. Wouldn't it be interesting if P finally accepted to let another producer help him with his vision ?

1999 is one of the albums with the most impact on urban electronic music, not because it sounds dated. Personally I think Purple Rain production wise sounds a hell of alot more dated, because his drum programming was more on autopilot, and the processing of these sounds were also more on auto pilot, adding a bit more reverb to make it sound more "live" and like "real" drums that doesnt really sound real after all. On 1999 he wasn't trying to hide the fact that it was a drum machine. Purple Rain fails a bit on the production part, more so than on 1999. And I agree that Automatic is Prince at his best. It's the minimalism that eventually would give us classics like When Doves Cry. This is when he really understood the power of small details, and alot of "air".

We'll have to agree to disagree!

Anyway, while the thread is fun, the reality is we don't have to choose and we can love both!

If fact, just to show there are no hard feelings I'm off to listen to 1999 right now!

See y'all in about an hour!

[Edited 6/18/11 7:06am]

hehe, well no matter what I say I'll easily put both albums at one of my all time favourite albums. But since Purple Rain has been overplayed on radio, I eventually got tired of that song, and other songs on the album, no matter how great they actually are. And I seriously wish that the music on the screenplay was better mixed, or even maybe 100% live, and not a compromise. I think the great thing about Prince is that it's so fucking good you'll be doing surgery when trying to find something bad on his best albums.

formallypickles said:

purple rain is the better album

but the good songs on 1999 are far better than anything on pr

Agreed. The Prince who sang “1999” and “Little Red Corvette” will always the Prince I think of. But as a hoslistic work Purple Rain is much easier to listen to.

jpnyc said:

formallypickles said:

purple rain is the better album

but the good songs on 1999 are far better than anything on pr

Agreed. The Prince who sang “1999” and “Little Red Corvette” will always the Prince I think of. But as a hoslistic work Purple Rain is much easier to listen to.

What is "hoslistic"?

Automatic, Something In The Water & Let's Pretend Were Married actually give 1999 the advantage for me. It's hard for me pick between these 2 albums & Sign O' The Times, I guess it depends on the mood I'm in. Purple Rain is just too damn short for me.

GeminiBrown said:

NDRU said:

well, I am certainly not going to argue with you. 1999 might be his best album

Oh no I wasn't trying to pick a fight. The thread is about preferences and we all have them and they shouldn't have to be defended. I was just saying that the reasons 1999 lost points with you (against PR) is the reason it gained points with me. That's the best thing about P's music...he has something for everybody!

I did not think you were fighting I just mean, that with two albums as good as those, any criticism that I give to one does not mean much except as an observation.

1999 is one of my favorite albums. I think that PR has a flow as an album that 1999 does not, but it's practically a coin toss. 1999 might be better for its songs, and individual songs are certainly as important as the way they flow together

'Purple Rain' is a great album but there's hardly any funk on it.'1999' features two of Prince's funkiest jams ("D.M.S.R" and "Lady Cab Driver").So for that reason alone,'1999' wins

I love both albums a lot but I prefer Purple Rain because it's more flawless. PR has two masterpieces, The Beautiful Ones and When Doves Cry, and six songs that are almost masterpieces. The exception is I Would Die 4 U which is good but nothing special.

On 1999 there's one masterpiece, Little Red Corvette, and seven songs that are almost masterpieces. Then there are the major reasons why 1999 is less flawless than PR in my opinion: Automatic and Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) fit into the same category as I Would Die 4 U, good but nothing special, and then there's All The Critics Love U In New York which is a little weak.

Purple Rain

Purple Rain is R&B-based pop fused w/rock polished perfect, 1999 is pure funk-pop extacy & the era of the 2 was great!!! Just listen to both, does the era including the b-sides & side projects make a difference?

purple rain.

I can't decide. To me, each album is missing something the other has.

1999 for sure! I love Purple Rain, it takes me back, even though I wasn't old enough to see the movie when it premiered. 1999 is a masterpiece, pure funk! Besides, I quoted "Automatic" below for goodness sake!

1999 by a hair.

meisme said:

Purple Rain! Sorry but as brilliant as 1999 is PR is just perfect. Its short, sweet, and to the point. Go ahead and start the "oh no he did nots" but I can see why 2010 was compared as being one of of his best since PR because it was the same way. Very short with a lot of energy. I just want him to do the intro to Lets Go Crazy but blast into Compassion at least once. I love that song.

The only song I really dug on 2010 was "Future Soul Song" and most of "us" agree that SOTT was his best not PR.