Whenever I hear people say about how Sign O The Times is Prince's greatest musical achievement, I'm always a little puzzled. No matter how hard I try to get into it, I can't. I never have been able to. Don't get me wrong, I know that it's a work of genius, but I think it's eclecticism is one of it's problems. It never settles on one particular mood. And when I'm wanting to listen to music, I generally want to listen to an album that matches my mood at the time and keeps the same vibe throughout. I love Parade, the Black Album and Lovesexy, but Sign hardly ever gets put into my CD player.
The only songs that I quite like on it are the title track, Housequake, Starfish and Coffee, I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man and The Cross. The rest I just find bland. And I know that I'm going to get crucified for this, but I can't see what the fuss is about with Adore. Again, another song that I can't get into.

Now, I'm not trying to be controversial here - this is genuinely how I feel about the album. But I'd like some advice on what I should be listening for on the tracks that I'm not getting into? What should I be appreciating that I'm not?

Or do many other people feel the same way, but don't admit it because it's the accepted thing that Sign O The Times is such a work of art?

Yeah, just forget it. If you can't get into it, you can't get into it. Now if you couldn't get into The Truth then that's a different matter. Any Prince fan who doesn't like The Truth is no friend of mine.




_ The Enemy is YOU.

I'm not crazy about "Adore" either. I have always found it grossly overrated.

As for the album, it is a lot to absorb. Like you said, it sprawls all over the place, but I kind of like that. Sometimes it just takes time. Some albums just took me awhile to love, like "Come."

ConsciousContact said:

Can I PLEASE be your friend?

Moonbeam said:

OMG!! I thought I was the onl person who thought this! Nice to know I'm not alnoe.

stymie said:

yeah, I'll make an exception for you

ConsciousContact said:

Now The Truth to me is classic Prince. Totally uncommercial, beautiful in most places and proof that the simplest arrangements are the best.

ConsciousContact said:

And I'll make an exception and try to like The Truth for you.

Sign "O" the Times was my favorite album for years and years. From about when I was 14 to 20. I've heard a lot of people say that younger fans can't appreciate it but that's not the case with me.

It just has this imaginative, impressionistic, intelligent thing going on. Very abstract and colorful. It's the album where Prince really grew up. If you haven't learned to appreciate it yet, I would suggest watching the movie very very loud. It's all there.

lovebizzare said:

Make that three! "Crucial" would have fit "Sign", better, and "Adore" would have been a better end to "Lovesexy" than "Positivity".

Anyways,I think "Sign o' the Times" was one of those albums better appreciated at the time of release than if you were to pick it up today. Nothing at the time sounded like it; no one making records could approach that. I agree with "Haystack" I like albums that run on entire themes and conceptsmore: "Parade", "Rainbow Children","Purple Rain", etc.

I think that Sign O The Times is Prince at his best! It's my favorite album - period.

In what order did you start listening to Prince albums? I'm just wondering, because for me it was forward from the album 1999 until now (I started with 1999, and got the earlier albums later).

The reason I ask is because Sign O The Times followed a certain "timeline" for me, and fit well within that timeline. The music was a natural evolution from Purple Rain, ATWIAD, and Parade - and every album paved the way for the next.

I can't imagine hearing Sign O The Times - for the first time - after Gold or Emancipation (just examples).

I would say to give it time, and to NOT skip through tracks - instead listen to the whole album. It WILL grow on you!!

And, if that fails, pop in the Sign O The Times movie! That will convince you!

Se7en said:

I've been a fan since ATWIAD, and bought all the albums since in the order that they appeared.

I do wonder if having the songs re-mastered would help. It has to be said that SOTT has, for some reason, the worst sound quality of ANY of Prince's albums (bar perhaps the official release of the Black Album). The CD is so quiet, you have to turn the volume to almost full to make the most of it.

Yes, the CD quality isn't very good. The cassette is actually better (go figure).

Again, I'd say to watch the Sign O The Times video. You get to feel the "momentum" of the album a little better on film -- the guitar work is more apparent (ICNTTPOYM and The Cross), the ballads seem more heart-felt, and the dance tracks just MOVE!

You mentioned that you couldn't find the consistent "vibe" in SOTT. The songs all feel related to me, especially when I hear the Linn drum machine. The only song that doesn't follow the flow is It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night -- but don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change a thing!


[This message was edited Tue Feb 11 17:40:48 PST 2003 by Se7en]

Damn the org is negative today. Every thread seems to be about how people can't get into this song or that album. You people need to take your plus sign!

Slammin'!
[This message was edited Tue Feb 11 15:52:15 PST 2003 by cracknbush]

cracknbush said:

LittlePill said:

Sorry, I haven't really read any of the other threads today. This thread is just something that I've been wanting to post for a while, though. If it makes you feel any better, with the exception of For You, Rave, Xpectation and SOTT, there's not one Prince album that I can't listen to all the way through without getting bored. That's not a bad ratio!

I was 13 when SOTT came out and despite my young age i fell immediately in love with it. Some songs i didn't appreciate as much as i do now..ie Dorothy Parker and Forever In My Life but otherwise my mind assimilated itself with the music so easily. Lovesexy i did have a problem with at first, it was way too busy but that's another thread.

it's still my Favorite Prince Album because the Writing for me connected on this One.His View of Music Past&Present came as One on this Set IMHO.I mean this Album like One of My Other Favorite Prince Albums "1999" had alot of Hits but also Had Material that could easily Rival anything else on some of His Other Albums&the Other Tracks on this Album like "Ballad Of Dorothy Parker","Adore","Strange Relationship","HouseQuake" would Be Monster Hits on any other Release by Him if they were the Main Hits such as "DMSR","Lady Cab Driver""Automatic" were they released as Singles.Great Albums Balance out Great Commerical Material&that is one of the Strong Strengths about Sign&1999 IMHO.Balance.I think that's one of the Many Reasons why His 80's Albums for Me Tower over His Records since then IMHO.you had alot to pick from be it a Hit or Not.

Sign "O" The Times is definitive Prince period. Truly his best album he's ever put out, the reason being that it encompasses various musical styles which all flow great together. It is a treat for ones ears to hear this album.

Plus listen to the lyrics of every song closely. It right on point over a decade later. Prince hit his musical peak with this album. Imagine if Crystal Ball was released the way it was supposed to. The album would have been legendary.

It would make a huge differrence if they remastered it

Haystack said:

You don't like "If I Was Your Girlfriend"? "The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker"?

I've never been afraid to admit I don't think SOTT is THE high water mark for Prince. I just don't find it that consistent. Most of the songs on it the hardcores rave about I don't feel are rave-worthy. But it is one of his top tier albums. "Adore"'s cool.

LittlePill said:

Well I'm sick as a dog and can hardly talk, so that would explain why I'm not happy-go-lucky today. (I'm one of the posters of one of the "negative" threads)

Sign of the Times is probably my favorite album of all time, but I'll admit that I can understand why some folks may not like it. For some, it's too long. For some, it's the wide sprawl of musical style. And for almost everyone, it's the fact that it's so damn soft and needs to be remastered more than any other album I can think of in existence. Someone pointed out that the cassette of this album actually sounds better, and I agree. I'm glad I kept it. It helps a lot to get into it more. Play it LOUD!

I think the biggest sign of genious to this album is how (at the time) it was his most pop/commercial album to date, full of some happy, sunny, toe-tapping, feel-good music; and yet it sprang from a man who was quite depressed at the time, and the production through almost every song sounds claustrophobic and insular. It's a brilliant mix (the production) making the album both commercial and experimental, complex yet simple, fun yet "possessed" sounding... That's just my take on SOTT.

Of course, now that I think about it, my description of SOTT would fit the 1999 album well too!

This album took me about 2 months to really get into when it first arrived (March 87),so I can understand the vibe.
SOTT was the 80's period & someone not of that era really might not get it.

jtgillia said:

Agreed !

Also, look at the SOTT concert film .

I really do enjoy SOTT, I just think one of it's songs is not as great as it's made out to be (I think most people know which one I'm talkin' about), but I really do like it and feel that it's one of his best efforts. I think you really have to have been around during that time to really understand it. It's very, how should I say, "era defining".

Sign O The Times is in serious need of a remaster.

Out of all the Prince CD's made, this one has the
worst transfer quality.

My old overplayed vinyl copy has more oomph.

Someone tell Prince & WB to get together and sort
something out, cuz his back catalogue could
really do with an overhaul.

Just listen to the new remastered CDs by
Stevie Wonder & Joni Mitchell. The sound quality
is absolutely fantastic.