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Thread started 10/23/12 9:37am

GiggityGoo

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25 years of "Sign 'O' The Times"

25 years? Damn, it's been a long time. I remember hearing the title track for the first time, riding around Greensboro NC with my friends Angie and Nancy. Later that summer, my ex-friend Sam sat me down and made me listen to the entire album, and a casual listener became a die-hard Prince fan.

"Sign 'O' The Times" is one of a handful of albums that I will ONLY listen to as one whole experience. I don't pick out a track just to enjoy it and hum along... If I'm going to commit to one song, I'm going to commit to ALL of them. It makes my wife nuts, but hey, that's just me.

25 years is a loooong time. Over half my life. Since the album came out, I met and lost the love of my life, graduated from college, got married twice, moved across country, lost my father, and now I'm on the verge of perhaps having my first child. Yet that one album still sounds as timeless to me as it did that summer.

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Reply #1 posted 10/23/12 11:34am

luv4u

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canada

Ohh purple joy oh purple bliss oh purple rapture!
REAL MUSIC by REAL MUSICIANS - Prince
"I kind of wish there was a reason for Prince to make the site crash more" ~~ Ben
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Reply #2 posted 10/23/12 12:00pm

namepeace

SquirrelMeat Posted the following questions about this in a thread, linked below, and I will quote them in black, with my answers in red.

What is your first memory of listening to the album?

My mother driving me to the record store on the way home and playing it on my turntable on my bedroom dresser, not knowing exactly what to expect. I'd hoped for a bombshell and boy did P ever deliver.

What track blew you away on first listen?

The entire first side of the album.

What in your opinion is the quintessential track now?

Adore.

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

As to Prince, the peach and black aesthetic is even more definitive than purple. Cool and old school.

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

Tragically, no.

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

I'd prefer to describe it as "change," but "turmoil" I think is fair. My answer? Kinda. From what's been reported, i) his critical and commercial standing continued to take a beating; ii) he broke up the best outfit in the world at that point, iii) his relationship ended, and iv) he still had great material from the Revolution he needed/wanted to use, but blended in with his new direction.

Did Prince get the single choices right?

Very much so. I don't think they could have been any better, they were outstanding songs, they represented the whole spectrum of the album, and they charted very well.

How about them B-sides?

Killer, especially the 12" versions.

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?

It holds up well. As with 25 years ago, "It" is still the only song that hasn't aged well IMO. The year I spent playing that album non-stop was a transitional one in so many ways. The album was "right there with me." In terms of substance and impact, it is the album of my lifetime to date.

Sum up the album in one word.

DEFINITIVE.

[Edited 10/23/12 12:01pm]

Good night, sweet Prince | 7 June 1958 - 21 April 2016

Props will be withheld until the showing and proving has commenced. -- Aaron McGruder
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Reply #3 posted 10/23/12 3:05pm

SuperSoulFight
er
Funny thing, this is exactly the kind of album I do pick out the occasional track to listen to. I always felt this album has some of his best songs ever, but also a few that I just cannot get into, like Slow Love. And Beautiful Night is one of those tunes that just work much better in concert.
But the title track... U Got the Look... If I Was Your Girlfriend... Pure magic! music
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Reply #4 posted 10/23/12 4:00pm

robertgeorgeak
abob

i listen exactly the same way, sign o the times is the ultimate prince album for me. if i get to the little segue leading to play in the sunshine i'm seeing the whole trip through his playground. people will say it's not a coherent statement and is more compiled than other albums but so what?? its an amazing collection of the many sides to prince's personality(ies) during his most creative era of songwriting. the title track is one of the best rhythm tracks ever..by anyone...ever. the whole listening experience to me is musical narcotics.

some of the other albums i can't listen to unless its as a whole are lovesexy, around the world, 1999, dirty mind, in the 90s only the symbol album (though it takes a more determined effort, somebody recently labelled it "a mess-terpiece" which describes it perfectly) and 2000's i want to like rainbow children to that extent, some days i do, some days i don't.

don't play me...i'm over 30 and i DO smoke weed....
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Reply #5 posted 10/23/12 4:33pm

HamsterHuey

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/hhja/PRN/SignOTheTimesLP01frontcover_zpsea78179d.jpg[/img:$uid][img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/hhja/PRN/SignOTheTimesLP02backcover_zpsf55199e8.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/hhja/PRN/SignOTheTimesLP03innersleeve01front_zps7bf20c90.jpg[/img:$uid][img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/hhja/PRN/SignOTheTimesLP04innersleeve01back_zpsb52f71b9.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/hhja/PRN/SignOTheTimesLP07innersleeve02front_zpsa3ad92ae.jpg[/img:$uid][img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/hhja/PRN/SignOTheTimesLP08innersleeve02back_zpsd41ed50d.jpg[/img:$uid]

>>
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Reply #6 posted 10/23/12 4:35pm

HamsterHuey

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/hhja/PRN/SignOTheTimesLP05side1label_zps1207c4e8.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/hhja/PRN/SignOTheTimesLP06side2label_zps8f3ac0ac.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/hhja/PRN/SignOTheTimesLP09side3label_zps813bced2.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/hhja/PRN/SignOTheTimesLP10side4label_zps5bf7e413.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/hhja/PRN/SignOTheTimesLP11sticker_zps10447fc4.jpg[/img:$uid]

>>
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Reply #7 posted 10/23/12 4:36pm

HamsterHuey

[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v652/hhja/PRN/SignOTheTimesLP12stickeredit_zps412f4a79.jpg[/img:$uid]

>>
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Reply #8 posted 10/24/12 1:01pm

artist76

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GiggityGoo said:

25 years? Damn, it's been a long time. I remember hearing the title track for the first time, riding around Greensboro NC with my friends Angie and Nancy. Later that summer, my ex-friend Sam sat me down and made me listen to the entire album, and a casual listener became a die-hard Prince fan.



"Sign 'O' The Times" is one of a handful of albums that I will ONLY listen to as one whole experience. I don't pick out a track just to enjoy it and hum along... If I'm going to commit to one song, I'm going to commit to ALL of them. It makes my wife nuts, but hey, that's just me.



25 years is a loooong time. Over half my life. Since the album came out, I met and lost the love of my life, graduated from college, got married twice, moved across country, lost my father, and now I'm on the verge of perhaps having my first child. Yet that one album still sounds as timeless to me as it did that summer.



Thank you for sharing. That's the magic of music, how it becomes a part of our lives, a part of ourselves, even. Beautiful.
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Reply #9 posted 10/24/12 2:53pm

KCOOLMUZIQ

eye will ALWAYS think of prince like a "ACT OF GOD"! N another realm. eye mean of all people who might of been aliens or angels.if found out that prince wasn't of this earth, eye would not have been that surprised. R.I.P. prince
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Reply #10 posted 10/25/12 1:23am

thedance

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to HamsterHuey: you rock!!

Those scans are wonderful. excited

good work from you..

Thanks a lot,

heart

Prince 4Ever. heart
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Reply #11 posted 10/25/12 3:40pm

keyboardwizz

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So that means I'm having my 25th anniversary of being a prince fan...

In 1987 dutch radio had a program witch featured 1 track everyday of the album, I tuned in on that station everyday, and got me hooked. Started collecting and listeng till today.

And yes, it's great that music makes the soundtrack of our lives...

peace& headbang
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Reply #12 posted 10/25/12 4:03pm

keyboardwizz

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So that means I'm having my 25th anniversary of being a prince fan...

In 1987 dutch radio had a program witch featured 1 track everyday of the album, I tuned in on that station everyday, and got me hooked. Started collecting and listeng till today.

And yes, it's great that music makes the soundtrack of our lives...

peace& headbang
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Reply #13 posted 10/26/12 8:35am

outsideofthebo
x

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I bought this cassette at the value village thrift store for .45 cents about a few weeks ago and it sounds so good and crisp on cassette as it did back in the day even though I already have it as a double album.

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Reply #14 posted 10/26/12 9:40pm

HamsterHuey

thedance said:

to HamsterHuey: you rock!!

Those scans are wonderful. excited

good work from you..

Thanks a lot,

heart

You're welcome, mate.

>>
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Reply #15 posted 10/26/12 10:27pm

Scorp

one of Prince's finest moments of his career

the entire concept of the album was very unique......

this album was better than MJ's album BAD.....

when I listened to IF I WAS YOUR GIRLFRIEND for the first time, I was like "daaaaaaaaaaang" this is tight.....

he brought the house with Sign O' The Times biggrin

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