outsideofthebox said:

I also remember that inside the double lp, it included a fan club invitation post card with the peace sign on it for you to fill out and send in the mail.

I still got that! "New Breed" was it?

yes....that was it.....mines got lost somewhere at that time so I wasnt able to fill it out and send it in the mail.

ufoclub said:

outsideofthebox said:

I also remember that inside the double lp, it included a fan club invitation post card with the peace sign on it for you to fill out and send in the mail.

I still got that! "New Breed" was it?

I also remember my grandmother bought for my uncles the 12" single mixes You got the look and I could never take the place of your man at flipside record store in columbus,georgia on christmas eve of 1987 and thats how I was able to eavesdrop the music outside of the room . I love my grandmother so much.

What is your first memory of listening to the album?

Living in NYC it was cold and I had 2 hurry before the wrecka stow closed.

What track blew you away on first listen?

Dorothy Parker, The Cross & Adore.

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now?

Adore AND Dorothy Parker.

What about the whole SOTT imagery, cool or old school?

So different for such an artist like Prince. It was an extension of his creative mind. Out there!

Did you go to the tour, what did you think?

Unfortunately, NO. Didn't have the funds. Seeing the concert film it was all I could talk about to anyone who listened.

Do you think the turmoil in P’s life spurred a stronger album?

Could be.

Did Prince get the single choices right?

No. With the exception of the tilte track the singles released afterwards were TOTALLY poor choices. But somehow it worked to cement him a a visionary artist.

How about them B-sides?

Fantastique!

If you were too young back in the day, do you think it’s as good as they say?

Actually better!

Has your opinion of the album changed over the years, does it hold up?

COMPLETELY!

Sum up the album in one word.

BRILLIANT!!!!

[Edited 3/9/12 13:42pm]

What is your first memory of listening to the album? I had the cassette. I battled a MJ fan constantly.....Sign O The Times vs. Bad. Great memories.

What track blew you away on first listen? Hot Thing

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now? Too many to pick just one, it's just that good.

What about the whole SOTT imagery, cool or old school? Loved it, the whole era, the songs, the look.

Did you go to the tour, what did you think? No.

Do you think the turmoil in P’s life spurred a stronger album? Don't know.

Did Prince get the single choices right? Maybe not.

How about them B-sides?

If you were too young back in the day, do you think it’s as good as they say?

Has your opinion of the album changed over the years, does it hold up? It sounds even better to me now that I understand the lyrics even more.

Sum up the album in one word. Eargasm!

Now go and stick it on your turntable, pod or player....and shut up already, damn!

SquirrelMeat said:

Can you believe it?

The opus double album Sign O the Times is 25 this month, being originally released on 31st March 1987.

As most polls suggest, this album is arguably Prince’s best.

Let’s have some fun remembering it!

What is your first memory of listening to the album?

I was 10 at the time and had been a serious Prince fan since Controversy (yes, I was 3). I remember thinking., "Wow. Prince has really grown up." I mean he was great before. Parade is still my favorite Prince album. However, SOTT caused me to really respect him as the genius he is.

What track blew you away on first listen?

If I Was Your Girlfriend

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now?

Adore

What about the whole SOTT imagery, cool or old school?

Cool, but it's not like I'm going to dress like that tomorrow or anything. Prince; however, can do what he wants.

Did you go to the tour, what did you think?

No, I was too young and it was too far away

Do you think the turmoil in P’s life spurred a stronger album?

Absolutely. He's a fighter. He wasn't going to come out with a busted album after he just ditched his "dream team."

Did Prince get the single choices right?

For the most part. IIWYG and Adore are still anthems in the Black community, so he definitely hit it on the nose there. I know people are saying Adore wasn't a single, but it was played on my radio station. SOTT (the single) is classic, U Got The Look was a good choice.

How about them B-sides?

Awesome!

If you were too young back in the day, do you think it’s as good as they say?

Well, I was 10 when it come out, and it is still the best thing I've heard besides Songs in the Key of Life.

Has your opinion of the album changed over the years, does it hold up?

I love it more and more, especially when I consider our current musical climate.

Sum up the album in one word.

Game-changing.

Now go and stick it on your turntable, pod or player....and shut up already, damn!

What is your first memory of listening to the album?

I saw the concert movie first (1994). I rented it on VHS and couldn't stop watching it over and over again (I think I went to sleep 4 or 5 in the morning finally). When I got the album it actually seemed like a demo version of the concert movie.

What track blew you away on first listen?

Adore. I had heard it on the HITS 1 compilation first though.

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now?

If I Was Your Girlfriend.

What about the whole SOTT imagery, cool or old school?

It was cool and very original.

Did you go to the tour, what did you think?

... No, I live in Finland and I was 7 or 8 at the time.

Do you think the turmoil in P’s life spurred a stronger album?

Maybe.

Did Prince get the single choices right?

No. But apart from "U Got The Look" the album doesn't really have as commercial songs on it as Purple Rain did.

How about them B-sides?

Meh. The good stuff is on the bootlegs (and on the Crystal Ball 1998 release).

If you were too young back in the day, do you think it’s as good as they say?

Yes, but there was a period when I didn't think it clicked with the times that well. The earlier synth funk style of Controversy / 1999 seemed to be influencing a lot of new artists a few years ago. I happen to be listening to SOTT right now and I'm lovin' it though.

Has your opinion of the album changed over the years, does it hold up?

The above comment probably explains this.

Sum up the album in one word.

Brilliant.

SquirrelMeat said:

Can you believe it?

What is your first memory of listening to the album?

I bought the album the day it came out. Listen to it and thought this is the best Prince album ever. I still believe that today.

What track blew you away on first listen?

I can't say just one track. The whole album did and does.

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now?

Honestly cant limit to 1 track.

What about the whole SOTT imagery, cool or old school?

Is what it is.

Did you go to the tour, what did you think?

No. But have the DVD of the live performance-which was and is cool.

Do you think the turmoil in P’s life spurred a stronger album?

Nope.

Did Prince get the single choices right?

IIWYG should have not been the second single-U got the look should have been.

How about them B-sides?

THe best.

If you were too young back in the day, do you think it’s as good as they say?

Was old enough but still young.

Has your opinion of the album changed over the years, does it hold up?

Yes, it still holds up.

Sum up the album in one word.

PRINCE

[Edited 3/10/12 13:31pm]



What is your first memory of listening to the album?

Bought it the day it came out, just like Parade before that. I remember being slightly underwhelmed/disappointed at the first listening session. I thought the record was a bit weird sounding, and not enough of that cold Minneapolis Funk. But I loved Housequeake and Hot Thing immediately.

What track blew you away on first listen?

Housequake, I just love hard funk like that.

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now?

Dorothy Parker and IIWYG. SOTT is great as well.

What about the whole SOTT imagery, cool or old school?

I loved the album cover and the stage design, I didnt think Prince looked really cool. His Purple Rain look was much cooler IMO.

Did you go to the tour, what did you think?

I went twice to the tour, in fact it these were my first major concerts in a big venue that I went to. I was 15 and I was blown away!!! Saw the movie in the theater too, it was a great experience!

Do you think the turmoil in P’s life spurred a stronger album?

I honestly don't know.

Did Prince get the single choices right?

SOTT was a good first single, U Got The Look or Housequake should have been the second single.

How about them B-sides?

Love them!!!

If you were too young back in the day, do you think it’s as good as they say?

N/A

Has your opinion of the album changed over the years, does it hold up?

I think it is an amazing album, one of the Prince classics. Not my alltime favorite though.

Sum up the album in one word.

"Jack of all trades"

PurpleChi said:

and had been a serious Prince fan since Controversy

I'm sorry but no you weren't. No human being is a serious fan of anything at 3 years old.

TheDigitalGardener said:

SquirrelMeat said:

What is your first memory of listening to the album?

Being disappointed for a third time since his style change beginning with "Around The World In A Day". The hype on the radio and in the magazines was that he had fired The Revolution and was going back to recording everything himself with no input from anyone else like he had always done. Me, and many others, figured that without their influence, maybe was was going back to being the "Old Prince" from the "Purple Rain" and earlier days. Instead, he was still on his retro hippie trip.

What track blew you away on first listen?

The song "It". It felt like the "Old Prince".

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now?

"Housequake"

What about the whole SOTT imagery, cool or old school?

I didn't like it. I thought he was trying to look John Lennon with the glasses and I didn't like the hippie looking things in the background. It was the 1980s and the last thing I wanted to see at that time was the 1960s.

Did you go to the tour, what did you think?

No. That little heffer only came to Jackson twice in his entire career. Once in 1980 on the Rick James tour and the other time was in 1997 on the "Jam O The Year" tour. I did see it at the movie theater though. Me and about 15 other people in the entire theater and I couldn't even get friends of mine to go with me to see the movie. They had been long time Prince fans and dropped him after "Purple Rain" when he changed his style.

Do you think the turmoil in P’s life spurred a stronger album?

I think he just continued on with the vibe he was feeling at the time.

Did Prince get the single choices right?

No. "It" should have been the first single. Since it sounded the most like "Old Prince", if it had been the lead single played on R&B radio prior to the release of the album, a lot of the older fans might have been fooled into buying the album thinking the "Old Prince" was back. I guess Prince figured he'd better not press his luck again since he did that strategy by releasing "Kiss" prior to the "Parade" album and had people buying it and finding that it was nothing like the lead single. If he had fooled them again, they might have come after him with flaming sticks. People don't like tricks when they're spending their hard earned money.

"Housequake" should have been the second single.

How about them B-sides?

They were great.

If you were too young back in the day, do you think it’s as good as they say?

Oh, I wasn't too young back then. I was grown and age 20 and I don't remember anyone raving about the album until I joined the org.

Has your opinion of the album changed over the years, does it hold up?

Yes, my opinion has changed over the years. I never hated the album but was getting damn sick and tired of being disappointed album after album beginning with "Around The World In A Day" thinking that Prince would snap out of it and go back to being his old self. Many others were too and dropped him because of it. If I had actually hated the music, I would have dropped him too.

Listening to it years later now with objectional ears and much more expanded tastes than I used to have (something that Prince is responsible for because I didn't have a variety of tastes back then like I have now before he changed his style ), I now love the album. Hell, I liked it back then too but didn't love it. However, even though I love the album, would I still rather he had recorded an album in the style of "Old Prince"? Hell yeah.

Sum up the album in one word.

Retro

Now go and stick it on your turntable, pod or player....and shut up already, damn!

Thank you. I think I will.

First memory?

I remember seeing the 45 cover of Kat holding up the heart..(who I thought was P) and thinking "this fool has REALLY lost his mind..dressing like a chick"...had me fooled.

I bought the LP the day it came out, ran home and listened to it. I thought it was WAY different than "Parade". Brown Mark had said that P was going back to old style with the new record and I really didn't hear it. I thought it was very outside the box. Some of the songs to me sounded like unfinished demos. Very dry and loose.

What track blew me away at 1st listen?

A tie between "Hot Thing" and "The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker".

The quintessential track?

"The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker".

The imagery?

Very psychedlic, soulful and sexy. Especially Shelia and Kat.

Did I go to the tour?

Only on VHS. They never came here.

Did the turmoil in P's life spur a stronger album?

Never knew he was going through turmoil.

Did P get the singles right?

Video wise yes. I hated "U.G.T.L" but everyone else I knew loved it. R&B radio played the title track and "Housequake" a lot. And the quiet storm shows played "Adore" a lot.

The B sides?

Great.

HAs my opinion on it changed?

No. It's actually my second favorite P LP. Very diverse, mysterious, sexy and creative.

Sum it up in one word?

aheadphonemasterpiece.

SPYZFAN1 said:

First memory?

I remember seeing the 45 cover of Kat holding up the heart..(who I thought was P) and thinking "this fool has REALLY lost his mind..dressing like a chick"...had me fooled.

I thought the same exact thing! I kept staring at the picture and thinking to myself......"His ass has REALLY gone crazy this time!".

By far my favorite Prince album & era...

What is your first memory of listening to the album?

-Although I loved ATWIAD & Parade, I was thrilled to hear a more funk/rock album again.

What track blew you away on first listen?

- It's Gonna be a Beautiful Night... Loved the live feel..

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now?

- Many great tracks, but SOTT is the signature.

What about the whole SOTT imagery, cool or old school?

-Old School is Cool, right?

Did you go to the tour, what did you think?

- I will always be pissed that the SOTT tour didn't come to the States.

Do you think the turmoil in P’s life spurred a stronger album?

-Not sure

Did Prince get the single choices right?

-They worked for me.

How about them B-sides?

-The B sides & outtakes from this period may be the best stuff he's ever done. Shockadelica!!!

If you were too young back in the day, do you think it’s as good as they say?

-n/a

Has your opinion of the album changed over the years, does it hold up?

-Still his best.

Sum up the album in one word.

-Masterpiece

Now go and stick it on your turntable, pod or player....and shut up already, damn!

What is your first memory of listening to the album?

*

I couldn't until after baseball practice to go to the record store and get it. I listened to it all night and every day for the next six to eight months.

*

What track blew you away on first listen?

*

The entire album wowed me. I had been a Prince fan since Dirty Mind, so I was used to him being great, but this thing exceeded my wildest imagination. It was so funky and soulful and rocking at the same time. I was listening to it from beginning to end, each and every time.

*

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now?

*

What I like most about SOTT is that it is a testament to the notion that Prince amalgamates musical and lyrical ideas better than almost anyone. The entire range of the album is the quintessential aspect of SOTT.

*

What about the whole SOTT imagery, cool or old school?

*

It was then and is now cool and old school. That is one of his great aspects--the ability to reshape the old into something new.

*

Did you go to the tour, what did you think?

*

Living in America, didn't have the opportunity to see the live show, but I saw the film sixty times in thirty days. You can read more about that below.

*

Do you think the turmoil in P’s life spurred a stronger album?

*

Cant' really say. I like angry Prince, even righteously angry Prince, but I can't say how much his personal turmoil impacted SOTT.

*

Did Prince get the single choices right?

*

Yes, if the answer is based on his personal aesthetic desire and the message and imagery he wanted to portray. No, if the answer is based on selling more units. While I love "If I Was Your Girlfriend," its release all but killed the momentum of the album. However, I do think than an American tour could have recaptured the loss momentum.

*

How about them B-sides?

*

Love them. The Funk Master was clicking full throttle! "Somebody give grandma a fan!"

*

If you were too young back in the day, do you think it’s as good as they say?

*

NA

*

Has your opinion of the album changed over the years, does it hold up?

*

I thought it was great then, and I still think it is great.

*

Sum up the album in one word.

*

Genius

*

While gone on business, my wife emailed to tell me that she read that this month is the twenty-five year anniversary release of Sign “O” the Times with the added note, “Twenty-five years! Good Lawd! You old playa!!!”

*

As I smiled at her email, I began to calculate. Purple Rain (1984) is twenty-eight years old. Dirty Mind (1980), the record that made me a Prince fan, is thirty-two years old. Dirty Mind has special memory for me because it was the awakening of what music could be as it is an intersection or a seamless amalgamation of soul, funk, and rock and the socio-political mantra of the individual: Eff the arbitrary indoctrination of this world filled with mindless cowards, revolution of the individual, now let’s funk and roll! It is also much of the material Prince was performing when he opened for Rick James as someone in their infinite wisdom thought it would be a good idea for me, a ten-year old, to attend that show. Whether it was a good idea or not, I’ve been an individual funkateer since that night. “Reproduction of the New Breed…” And in 1987, Sign “O” the Times presented my favorite Prince, angry Prince, proving to the world that he could still funk, rock, and soul better than anyone. Sign “O” the Times followed two very metaphysical and eclectic albums, Around the World in a Day (1985) and Parade (1986), which, of course, heightened Prince’s mad genius, pop/rock icon status, but also worked to lessen his popularity in the ‘hood. I, for one, didn’t care about his lessened popularity in the ‘hood, especially when I heard all the bull that was supposed to be more streetwise than Prince now was. I was enjoying the lyrical metaphysical ride with a kaleidoscope of sounds. Yet, at seventeen it did become a bit annoying to hear, “Man, Prince done sold out; he ain’t bringin’ it like he used to..” So when he dropped Sign “O” the Times, and it crushed the competition, I walked around with a silly smirk on my face at all the fake b-boys who thought they were funky. (Okay, in truth, some of those dudes where on the school bus, amazed that Prince had come that “hard” and that “real” talking about gangs and drug use. Of course, my response to them was, “Prince has always been that hard and real, but some people are just not analytical enough to get it. Yeah, teachers have been writing ‘does not play well with others’ on my report card my entire life.) But more importantly, Sign “O” the Times reminded me of the vastness of Black music. It was all that had come before with more possibility of what could be. It is James Brown as the sweat and funk of “Housequake,” especially the live version. It is Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield in the message of “Sign ‘O’ the Times”. It is the funky horns and grooves of Brown and Parliament/Funkadelic in “It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night.” It is Al Green and Luther Vandross showing that soul music is rooted in gospel as “Adore.” It is Jimi Hendrix’s physical questioning and metaphysical answers in “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” and “The Cross.” It is the nasty cafés and juke joints of “It.” It is the great poetry of Smokey Robinson in “Forever in my Life” and even more well-crafted poetry in “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” with a groove that would inspire a new generation of neo-soul folk like D’Angelo and Angie Stone. It is the Saturday night slow grind groove of “Slow Love.” It is the experimental form of digitized soul with jazz sensibility in “Hot Thang” and even more experimental sounds laced with poetry that celebrates the beauty and power of positive self-esteem in “Star Fish and Coffee.” It is Prince’s Stevie Wonder, Gaye, and Mayfield ability to craft poetry and sound that reflect the dichotomy of being flesh and spirit in “Strange Relationship.” And, it is the funky simmer of “If I Was Your Girlfriend” with the unapologetic metaphysical thinker/poet who didn’t really care if most radio listeners aren’t analytical enough to follow subtly or irony. Plainly put, while many critics assert that it is Around the World in a Day with its psychedelic funk and roll and daringness to be released after Purple Rain that elevates Prince to icon status, it is Sign “O” the Times that made him a legend. And for my mind and ears, it fulfills two needs. It provides a plethora of sound while boldly asserting, as most of his albums, that physical problems are merely symptoms of or results of metaphysical problems, and as long as we try to solve metaphysical problems with physical solutions—drugs, sex, money, and status—we will continue to travel the road of chaos and destruction. Thus, it was only appropriate that the album following Sign “O” the Times is the third greatest concept record of all time (after Stevie Wonder’s Secret Life of Plants and Marvin Gaye’s Here My Dear) Lovesexy, which is the apex of the metaphysical journey until the much later Rainbow Children (2001).

*

Prince cancelled the US leg of the Sign “O” the Times tour, opting to use the concert movie as an alternative. The cancelling of the US tour and the releasing of “If I Was Your Girlfriend” all but killed the momentum that the album had been building. As former road manger Allen Leeds stated, “Sometimes, Prince could be too smart or daring for his own good.” Radio wants an uncomplicated jam, not a lyrical puzzle that questions how gender perceptions affect the relationships between men and women, with an easily misunderstood title that causes most males to think they now have affirmation of Prince’s sexuality. While few Americans saw the film, Ricky Graham (my closest non-family friend) and I saw Sign “O” the Times sixty times in thirty days at the old dollar movie just off J. R. Lynch Street. There was a 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. showing, and we would pay a dollar and stay for both showings. But, in truth, the theatre manager stopped charging us after the first week, and even gave us a bag of the stale dollar movie popcorn and flat sodas for free. The first night he offered this, the look on my face prompted him to say, “Purple people gotta stick together. We are surrounded by fools that either don’t kno’ the funk or be tryin’ to fake da funk.” With that, we took our stale popcorn and flat sodas and enjoyed a month-long run of one of the greatest concert films made. And twenty-five years later, the album and film still crush most of what can be put beside them. Peace and be funky, no matter how old you are.

1725topp said:

Thus, it was only appropriate that the album following Sign “O” the Times is the third greatest concept record of all time (after Stevie Wonder’s Secret Life of Plants and Marvin Gaye’s Here My Dear) Lovesexy, which is the apex of the metaphysical journey until the much later Rainbow Children (2001).

Great write-up, 1725topp.

It's not often I run into another person who can appreciate the genius, not to mention the audacity, behind Marvin Gaye's Here, My Dear. Much as I adore Lovesexy, I think What's Going On would also have to slip ahead of it in the concept album stakes, too. No?

By the way, I love what the theater manager said to you. I wonder whether he's still riding the purple bus.

What is your first memory of listening to the album?

My friend's older brother played me Housequake on cassette. I was instantly hooked.

What track blew you away on first listen?

Housequake! It took me years to really like this album as a whole. I was really young when it came out and I didn't fully appreciate a lot other songs on it until much later.

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now?

If I Was Your Girlfriend

What about the whole SOTT imagery, cool or old school?

Super cool. Even the font was cool.

Did you go to the tour, what did you think?

Nope. But I watched the concert film over and over playing the drums on phonebooks.

Do you think the turmoil in P’s life spurred a stronger album?

Was it really more tumultuous than any other era?

Did Prince get the single choices right?

I think so. The thing wasn't exactly loaded with radio hits, imo.

How about them B-sides?

Some of my favorites of all time. Shockadelica just came on the other day and it still slams.

If you were too young back in the day, do you think it’s as good as they say?

Yep.

Has your opinion of the album changed over the years, does it hold up?

I think it's gotten better. I just wish I could hear it remastered.

Sum up the album in one word.

Majesty.

vainandy said:

SPYZFAN1 said:

First memory?

I remember seeing the 45 cover of Kat holding up the heart..(who I thought was P) and thinking "this fool has REALLY lost his mind..dressing like a chick"...had me fooled.

I thought the same exact thing! I kept staring at the picture and thinking to myself......"His ass has REALLY gone crazy this time!".

I was just becoming a Prince fan, and I remember thinking that I liked the song, but couldn't deal with his "weirdness".

What is your first memory of listening to the album?

I do remember the first time I listened to it, it was my sister's vinyl copy, this is probably about 90/91, so a couple of years after release. This was a time when I leaving teen popstars behind and listening to my parents record collections, so I was spinning T.Rex, the Beatles and Elton John - SOTT fits that canon of classic artist albums for me, the cover screams CLASSIC ALBUM to me - does that makes sense?

What track blew you away on first listen?

It was probably everything, I do remember Dorothy Parker, The Cross, Hot Thing and U Got The Look being favourites back then, but the whole thing was really amazing to me - Previous to this I was into 5 Star and Kylie Minogue as a kid, so this was mindblowing stuff to me!

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now?

Dorothy Parker, IIWYG, Housequake

What about the whole SOTT imagery, cool or old school?

Yes, I loved the look. The SOTT movie outfits, the pink fur coat, the Hot Thing bodysuit, the glasses - I was into all that.

Did you go to the tour, what did you think?

I was too young in 1987 and Prince wasn't on my radar until Batman.

Do you think the turmoil in P’s life spurred a stronger album?

No doubt. The incline of his creative powers up to that point reached a zenith, and the messy tangle of personal and professional tensions surely fed that, resulting in something truly unique - unique, but universal - we know about the personal history of something like IIWYG now, but it still speaks to everyone, the ability to make idiosyncratic art have a broad appeal is something maybe Prince has lost, or doesn't communicate as easily as before - a song like the Cross speaks to everyone, where as some of Prince's post-millenial music with similar themes can be hard to relate to.

Did Prince get the single choices right?

They were the right songs, but not the right order and not enough of them. I think Housequake or UGTL should've followed the title track, and IIWYG further along, and definately with a video to explain the concept/lyrics - but that is a song that deserved to be heard by a wider audience than those who bought the album. It's a testament to the album that some album tracks are relatively known - maybe only Purple Rain beats it in this respect for known non-singles.

How about them B-sides?

Oh yeah, well La La La is a bit throwaway, but we love it - Shockadelica is another classic, the other two could've been singles in their own right, and should've been if Prince had the staying power to promote a project fully.

If you were too young back in the day, do you think it’s as good as they say?

Well, I was only just too young, but yes it's that good.

Has your opinion of the album changed over the years, does it hold up?

It holds up, and no doubt along with Purple Rain it is the pinnacle of Prince's catalogue - it deserves it's standing amongst critics, casuals and fans alike - but for me personally, I've maybe tired of it a little, and I don't hold it up as the peak of his output any more. I can still accept, in general, it is the zenith of Prince's output.

Sum up the album in one word.

Intimate.

This was the first Prince record where I liked every song the very first time I heard it. Someone dear to me at the time had just given birth the day before. On the way to the hopsital I picked up the casette and put it on in the car. I must have sat in that car for the whole first side before leaving it. I was used to getting Prince albums and not being immediately taken in by them..in fact they usually would take me weeks to like them. After the ho hummnes of SOTT came Play In The Sunshine. Wow! What a rave up and funky and rockish too. Housequake had me trippin'! WTF? It was badass! He had made a perfect funk tune. Dot Parker..Starfish n Coffe..each tune was immediately a hit for me. Each one was "pleasant" to my ear and didn't take work (not sure if that makes sense). It just kept getting better and better, weirder and weirder. IIWYG. The vocals were varied and strong. Forever In My Life, Cross, Starfish. I mean damn. I read a quick synopsis in the L.A. Times that had the header Prince Regains His Senses..and I kept thinking of that the whole time I was listening. Here was where jams were recorded. The live Beautiful Night..finally a live tune and it was groovin, what with the Oz chants and all. Strange Relationship had me wanting more of that fade out to continue...SOTT became the litmust test in Prince music because it was the first cd of his where I immediately liked everysong from jump street.

airth said:

Great write-up, 1725topp.

It's not often I run into another person who can appreciate the genius, not to mention the audacity, behind Marvin Gaye's Here, My Dear. Much as I adore Lovesexy, I think What's Going On would also have to slip ahead of it in the concept album stakes, too. No?

By the way, I love what the theater manager said to you. I wonder whether he's still riding the purple bus.

Thanks for the kind words. I wouldn't be mad about What's Going On being ahead of Lovesexy because every song addresses the central issues of urban decay and man's inhumanity to man while being creative and solid jams.

*

That's a good question about the theatre manager. While I have thought about him and what he did a lot over the years, I've never wondered what became of him. He was about ten years older than we were, which would make him fifty-two or so now. The theatre, like all of the theatres in my city, is now a run-down relic. But, I pass it every day going to and leaving work, and it is rare that I don't look at it and smile about those thirty days. My best friend is now a plumber in Houston, Texas, and whenever we reminisce he says, "Hey, man, don't knock the stale popcorn and flat sodas. Would you rather it had been a bucket of squirrel meat and strawberry lemonade."

vainandy said:

Did you go to the tour, what did you think?

No. That little heffer only came to Jackson twice in his entire career. Once in 1980 on the Rick James tour and the other time was in 1997 on the "Jam O The Year" tour. I did see it at the movie theater though. Me and about 15 other people in the entire theater and I couldn't even get friends of mine to go with me to see the movie. They had been long time Prince fans and dropped him after "Purple Rain" when he changed his style.

Wow! Are you from Jackson, Mississippi. If so, I never put that together. Now, let me be honest, I probably missed it because I disagree with almost everything you post. Your posts are not rambling or in poor tastes or devoid of reasoning, but I do tend to disagree with most of what you post, mostly because I'm one of those so-called Kool-Aid drinkers who thinks that his songs like "Musicology" and "Colonized Mind" as well as the entire Rainbow Children compare well to his 80s work. For instance, even when you say that SOTT was not like old Prince, I am wildly amazed that you would say that. For me SOTT was like a return to the Funk Master, but a Funk Master who was also growing. Anyway, be that as it may, I'm more amazed that you are from Jackson, Mississippi, and I don't know why I'm so amazed at that. I saw him perform in 1980 and 1997. Did you attend either the 1980 or 1997 show? And, if you attended the 1997 show, did you attend the aftershow at The Dock? Finally, when you saw the SOTT movie, did you see it at one of the regular theatres or did you see it at the dollar movie off J. R. Lynch Street by Jackson State?

NouveauDance said:

Did Prince get the single choices right?

They were the right songs, but not the right order and not enough of them. I think Housequake or UGTL should've followed the title track, and IIWYG further along, and definately with a video to explain the concept/lyrics - but that is a song that deserved to be heard by a wider audience than those who bought the album. It's a testament to the album that some album tracks are relatively known - maybe only Purple Rain beats it in this respect for known non-singles.

I would have loved to have seen a video for "IIWYG," but I think that Americans who purchase the bulk of popular music are just too homophobic as well as not analytical enough to get the point of "IIWYG." I agree that it is a song that deserved to be heard by a wider audience, and it has produced some very interesting conversations in pop culture and gender studies classes that I once taught as well as great dinner table conversation, but I don't know if even today the mass consumers of pop music, especially the males, could ever get their brains around it fully, but maybe I'm just jaded on American mass thinking. And finally, I never thought about some of the songs being relatively known even though they were not singles. So, yes, that is another testament to the greatness of SOTT.

What is your first memory of listening to the album?

Reading the liner notes

What track blew you away on first listen?

Housequake

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now?

U Got the Look

What about the whole SOTT imagery, cool or old school?

Both

Did you go to the tour, what did you think?

No, it didn't come to Houston

Do you think the turmoil in P’s life spurred a stronger album?

No idea

Did Prince get the single choices right?

Hard to say. I figured "Play in the Sunshine" was pop gold but it wasn't released

How about them B-sides?

Loved 'em!

If you were too young back in the day, do you think it’s as good as they say?

N/A

Has your opinion of the album changed over the years, does it hold up?

I never thought it was as good as "Purple Rain" and I still don't. Great album, though.

Sum up the album in one word.

Omniprescent.

chocolate1 said:

vainandy said:

I thought the same exact thing! I kept staring at the picture and thinking to myself......"His ass has REALLY gone crazy this time!".

I was just becoming a Prince fan, and I remember thinking that I liked the song, but couldn't deal with his "weirdness".

your statement is incorrect because I was a serious Prince fan at 3 years old because my dad blasted the 1999 cassette in the car and he wore out lady cab driver. my dad had a loud system in his camero and I could hear jill jones having an orgasm during the song at 3 yrs old and I didnt know what that was.....it blew my mind...........to this day, 1999 is still my favorite Prince album of all time.....

TheDigitalGardener said:

PurpleChi said:

I'm sorry but no you weren't. No human being is a serious fan of anything at 3 years old.

[Edited 3/12/12 11:48am]

[Edited 3/12/12 11:49am]

1725topp said:

.... Peace and be funky, no matter how old you are.

Whoa - that was a great encapsulation of the greatness of SOTT. I'll have to save that to show my kids when they're old enough.

I loved SOTT already, but I'll have to give it yet another listen, with new ears.

Thanks for making it fresh again.