#45: I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

#36: Purple Rain

Here's the list. Whatcha think?

[Edited 1/8/12 7:23am]

is purple rains solo really that great compared to some other stuff hes done? i feel like they just throw purple rain on stuff like this out of obligation sometimes

uuhson said:

is purple rains solo really that great compared to some other stuff hes done? i feel like they just throw purple rain on stuff like this out of obligation sometimes

No dude... Purple Rain's solo is epic!

The entire song, while played to death by us fans, is a monumental statement in Prince's career as an American pop music songwrtier/entertainer.

The solo is brilliant and really takes the song to the next level where it passes the baton to Prince's angelic falsetto at the end.

This is his greatest recorded guitar solo

- although I understand if some prefer his incredible chops and vision on his cover of Everyday is a Winding Road. Pure Genius!

Genesia said:

Genesia said:

Clearly, they have never heard the Small Club recording of Just My Imagination.

I bet you're right...

That's crowning!

J

i was sorting out someones computer at xmas and they mentioned a problem with youtube, so i tried it out by tying best guitar, and it autocompletes as best guitar solo ever and it's prince doing whilst my guitar gently weeps with tom petty, jeff lynn, stevie winwood, and dhani harrison

to come out tops on such a big site says a lot

i'd like to hear prince do a classic rock covers album like the one santana done. imagine him doing sweet child o mine, creep, smells like teen spirit, freebird, hotel california, street fighting man, layla, comfortably numb, maggot brain and go your own way

Just My Imagination Small Club <3

Milty said:

I don't understand how people think the solo on PR is that great. It's buried so far in the mix that you can't really hear it. We only think its great cuz live he tears it up. Surprising that both those songs made that list.

That's part of its beauty... it's not right in your face.

It just fits the song and what it emotes.

J

jayARDAHB said:

Milty said:

jayARDAHB said:

That's part of its beauty... it's not right in your face.

It just fits the song and what it emotes.

J

You can't hear the solo.

There's a beauty to that solo not being right in your face...

He's done a lot of stuff that allows for room in his sound...

It's a technique he used to use often... not so much anymore.

J

I have been saying for years that the solo in ICNTTPOYM was amazing and one of my top 2 or 3 favorites of Prince. Nice to see that there are others that agree.

Not bad but there are other Prince solos that could be included also including Just My Imagination.

WhatdoUwantme2do said:

Not bad but there are other Prince solos that could be included also including Just My Imagination.

Like the solo in the studio version of "Joy In Repetition", even though it's a cut and paste job of at least 3 different solo's he tried for the track...

The short solo in "Batdance" is pretty mindblowing too...

The guy has released so many more great solos than the "Purple Rain" one...

One can only imagine what these list makers would think when they would hear the full solo as performed on August 3rd 1983 instead of that cut-and-paste solo on the album...

Neversin.

jayARDAHB said:

Milty said:

jayARDAHB said: You can't hear the solo.

There's a beauty to that solo not being right in your face...

He's done a lot of stuff that allows for room in his sound...

It's a technique he used to use often... not so much anymore.

J

i understand what you might mean but it doesn't hide the fact that at times you can't hear it. i just watched the PR scene and there are lots of other instruments over-powering it. I understand how a solo can be in the background ie Joy In Repitition, Call The Law etc but I believe he should have mixed it more promininently in the foreground.

Personally I think there are better solos in Prince's repetoire. However, it's nice to see two entries in a list from a magazine that's not usually that kind to Prince.

[Edited 1/9/12 10:46am]

Those lists are useless. Art is subjective.

I'm sure there's someone that thinks the solo in Katrina and the Waves' "Walking on Sunshine" is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

The entire list of top 50

1.Guns N' Roses - 'Sweet Child O' Mine'
2.Led Zeppelin - 'Stairway To Heaven'
3.Jimi Hendrix - 'All Along The Watchtower'
4.Rage Against The Machine - 'Killing In The Name'
5.Muse - 'Knights Of Cydonia'
6.Nirvana - 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'
7.Radiohead - 'The Bends'
8.Chuck Berry - 'Johnny B. Goode'
9.Radiohead - 'Paranoid Android'
10.Pink Floyd - 'Shine On you Crazy Diamond'
11.Deep Purple - 'Highway Star'
12.Neil Young - 'Hey Hey My My'
13.The Rolling Stones - 'Sympathy For The Devil'
14.Oasis - 'Live Forever'
15.Led Zeppelin - 'Communication Breakdown'
16.The Eagles - 'Hotel California'
17.Michael Jackson - 'Beat It'
18.Queen - 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
19.Muse - 'Stockholm Syndrome'
20.Stone Roses - 'I Am The Resurrection'
21.Radiohead - 'Just'
22Guns N' Roses - 'November Rain'
23.The Strokes - 'Reptilia'
24.Thin Lizzy - 'The Boys Are Back In Town'
25.Led Zeppelin - 'Since I've Been Loving You'
26.Lynyrd Skynyrd - 'Free Bird'
27.George Harrison feat. Eric Clapton - 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'
28.The Strokes - 'Last Nite'
29.Van Halen - 'Eruption'
30.The Rolling Stones - 'Sway'
31.The Libertines - 'Time For Heroes'
32.Cream - 'Crossroads'
33.Television - 'Venus'
34.АC/DC - 'Let There Be Rock'
35.Santana - 'Soul Sacrifice'
36.Prince - 'Purple Rain'
37.Joan Jett And The Blackhearts - 'I Love Rock N Roll'
38.Blur - 'Coffee And TV'
39.Bad Brains - 'Banned In DC'
40.Thin Lizzy - 'Roisin Dubh (Black Rose)'
41.Smashing Pumpkins - 'Soma'
42.Dinosaur Jr – 'Get Me'
43.Electric Prunes – 'Holy Are You'
44.Manic Street Preachers - 'La Tristesse Durera'
45.Prince - 'I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man'
46.The White Stripes - 'Ball And Biscuit'
47.Rage Against The Machine - 'Bulls On Parade'
48.Suede 'Animal Nitrate'
49.Kansas – 'Carry On My Wayward Son'
50.Babe Ruth – ‘The Mexican'

Actually, I do not think that list is very good. My list would look completely different and would include no more than 20 solo from this list
+ This site has a strange obsession with Radiohead.
No one artist does not deserve more than one position in the top 10, IMHO!

The problem with "Just My Imagination" is that it is not a hit, nor is it a Prince song. It is way under the radar. I think the two songs represent Prince quite well. One is a ballad and the other is an up beat quasi-rocker. That shows tremendous range and versatility.

Helluva good list. Good to see some obscurities on there. I've always thought the solo in I Could Never Take The Place was under-appreciated.

Genesia said:

Clearly, they have never heard the Small Club recording of Just My Imagination.

or the list is made from only officially released popular songs (both of the prince songs listed were top 10 hits). Which also explains why Prince's version of While My Guitar Gentely Weeps doesn't make the list while the original does.

RodeoSchro said:

Those lists are useless. Art is subjective.

I'm sure there's someone that thinks the solo in Katrina and the Waves' "Walking on Sunshine" is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

these lists aren't useless. if you want to have a party or play music in a club or store or make a compilation cd for someone it can be handy to know what other people consider the best

plus people can look at the lists to see what is included and they will often see tracks they aren't familiar with and can check them out, thus these lists make people aware of music they otherwise didn't know about, so particularly good for younger people who otherwise might not know the music of the doors or velvet underground etc etc

anways, walking on sunshine is one of the top 5 records to play on a monday morning

alandail said:

Genesia said:

Clearly, they have never heard the Small Club recording of Just My Imagination.

or the list is made from only officially released popular songs (both of the prince songs listed were top 10 hits). Which also explains why Prince's version of While My Guitar Gentely Weeps doesn't make the list while the original does.

Oh, I'm sure it is. Which is why it's stupid to call it a flat "50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time." Most of the greatest guitar solos (in Prince's case, anyway) happen in concert.

unique said:

i was sorting out someones computer at xmas and they mentioned a problem with youtube, so i tried it out by tying best guitar, and it autocompletes as best guitar solo ever and it's prince doing whilst my guitar gently weeps with tom petty, jeff lynn, stevie winwood, and dhani harrison

to come out tops on such a big site says a lot

i'd like to hear prince do a classic rock covers album like the one santana done. imagine him doing sweet child o mine, creep, smells like teen spirit, freebird, hotel california, street fighting man, layla, comfortably numb, maggot brain and go your own way

Some of these would be hilarious! What about Come as you are also..

squirrelgrease said:

Helluva good list. Good to see some obscurities on there. I've always thought the solo in I Could Never Take The Place was under-appreciated.

It's obscure, alright. I have never heard 25 of those songs.

squirrelgrease said:

Helluva good list. Good to see some obscurities on there. I've always thought the solo in I Could Never Take The Place was under-appreciated.

It's the solo I find myself humming to myself the most. I guess it must be my favourite solo.

Great.

Cool to see Prince there - twice!!