The whole album is bangin' from beginning to end so I can't say I have a favorite. "Computer Blue", however, has had me in a serious grip for the longest, and it's showing no sign of letting go. That song spanks me everytime I listen to it LOL.

I'd say my favourite on the album is Darlin Nikki, just pipping The Beautiful Ones.

It depends you know, these days I love listening to Computer Blue the most, I honestly feel that the guitar solo screams 80s for me, that sound, the melody... I just remember so much from the 80's stuff (toys, films...) when I hear it.

The Beautiful Ones is always an airy ballad for me to listen while sleeping, it's almost surreal to listen to that song, you just get so high and so purple.

Purple Rain was my instant favorite off the album when I first heard it, I still like it, from the opening chords to that extra special prince purple ish piano/synth arrangement at the end...

I've never been a big fan of I Would Die 4 U or Baby I'm A Star, even if I play the latter almost in every party I'm having in my house, it's the purple mood that does it for me, you know, when you play your vinyl and it's all purple and shit, like, that song doesn't do much for me then.

And to conclude I can say Darlin Nikki is my favorite song by Prince ever, it's what Prince means to me, genius rock arrangement, brilliant story telling, brilliant atmosphere, and the exciting and passionate vocals...

Happy 30th birthday Purple Rain one of the greatest musical efforts of all time.

nursev said:

Elle85n09 said:

Depending on my mood, it's a toss up between When Doves Cry, Computer Blue, and The Beautiful Ones.

Yeah pretty much this - it's like a holy trinity!

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

"Electric Intercourse"

didn't you say you never owned or even listened to unreleased vault material?

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

"Electric Intercourse"

Baby I'm a Star

Gets in me a good mood.

Computer Blue for me.

Hard question, but its a toss up between When Doves Cry and Beautiful Ones, I have heard the former so many times, as good as it is, I sometimes get tired of it.

So it has to be the Beautiful Ones, I love the impassioned screams at the end and the whole feel of the song, he sings that song like he means every word of it. The passion, the panache and even the raw lust shine through on that vocal delivery.

But... If you ask me which song is your favourite from the period its the song that did not make the final cut, and was pushed off in favour of Beautiful ones. Electric Intercourse is just amazing, the lyrics, guitar and piano along with that amazing scream, it is pure perfection in a song. I really think that Take me with u, could have been taken off the album and this put in its place. Electric Intercourse is currently my all time favourite Prince song along with Adore.


There's also the famous 15 minute version of Computer Blue I really love too, with the spoken monologue by the girls about the "Chauvenistic computer", although the guitar feedback at the end could have been edited out.

Its not an easy question, as he was just making so much great music at this time, between 1982 and 1987 he must have recorded over 200 epic songs. Purple Rain teh song is not my favourite on the album, far from it, the guitar soloing drags on too long and the song for me ends at 4.30.

Tie between Darling Nikki & Computer Blue

[Edited 4/14/14 12:45pm]

[Edited 4/14/14 12:46pm]

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

"Electric Intercourse"

Smarty pants. LOL!

Computer Blue, and I especially love hearing it in sequence w/ The Beautiful Ones before and Darling Nikki after.

Whoo! That's a hard one because from top to bottom, this is a great album! I will have to go with "Computer Blue." Especially the 11 minute version of this song!

I actually hate the song Purple Rain. My fav song and in the top ten of all my favorite songs is Computer Blue.

nursev said:

RodeoSchro said:

"Take Me With U" is my favorite song of all time, by anyone.

what do you love about it?

So many things!

1. The beginning drum riff. Just so awesome!

2. The beginning guitar chords are in the key of F, and then the last one changes to the song's main key, which is F#minor

3. The way the main keyboard riff starts on the 2, not on the 1

4. Yes, I love the "Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da, Da-Da-DA!" hook!

5. The way Prince just strums an A chord on guitar on all the verses when he does it live

6. The chords of the middle break are just incredible. Once again, it goes down to F, and then ultimately resolves itself back to the main key. Just incredible!

7. I learned how to play guitar by learning this song. I had NO IDEA how complex it was, but man! Learning this as my first song ever made every song after it seem so easy! And, I was not smart enough to know that "Take Me With U" was hard, so I never got discouraged

8. I was able to make an 8-minute version of the song by restarting the song at the drum riff, which is played at the end. I could have made an hour-long version of it if I wanted!

9. And....drum roll, please....Prince showed what can only be called TRUE GENIUS when he pulled this song out beginning in the "One Night Alone" tour. See, originally the first chord in the middle break was an Fmaj7, played for two measures (Fmaj7 "I don't care, if we spend the night at your mansion", then F#minor-G-A-G riff, then Fmaj7 for "I don't care, if we spend the night on the town").

BUT, when he brought it back out, he added ONE LITTLE CHORD in the break. It was a G/A, and was added for the second measure, like this: Fma7 "I don't care, if we G/A spend the night at your mansion...F#minor-G-A-G riff...Fmaj7 "I don't care, if we G/A spend the night on the town".

FREAKING GENIUS! Who adds one little chord to middle break of a 17-year-old, non-hit-single song? THAT BLEW ME AWAY!

Listen to the "Purple Rain" version of the song, and then the "One Night Alone" (or any tour afterward) version and you will hear the difference.

This was my favorite song of all time BEFORE Prince changed the break. And now I like it even better!

You can imagine how I felt when Prince and my daughter sang the bridge of this song together in Houston at the first "Musicology" show. I STILL cry, just thinking about it!


.

[Edited 4/16/14 11:10am]

Dalia11 said:

"How Doves Cry"

You didn't!

Man that's funny, btw, how doves cry?

IstenSzek said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

"Electric Intercourse"

didn't you say you never owned or even listened to unreleased vault material?

From the new REMASTERED PurPLE rAIN dELUXE......

My two favourites from the record are "The Beautiful Ones" and "Computer Blue". I think I like a few other tracks on it more than the title track as well, for that matter.

I understand that the title track and "When Doves Cry" have the most "cultural importance", but the other tracks are just stylistically closer to the type of music that's the reason why I listen to Prince's stuff in general.

Elle85n09 said:

Depending on my mood, it's a toss up between When Doves Cry, Computer Blue, and The Beautiful Ones.

Same here But if I absolutely had to pick, it'd probably be in that order too.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

IstenSzek said:

didn't you say you never owned or even listened to unreleased vault material?

From the new REMASTERED PurPLE rAIN dELUXE......

saved by the bell my friend, saved by the bell

The Beautiful Ones is still his best song, period. I Would Die 4 U and Baby I'm A Star are the lesser tracks, while Take Me With U and Computer Blue are standouts along with Doves and PR. Darling Nikki is obvious ear candy. Let's Go Crazy is great but I never listen to it.

Erotic City is still amazing, for not being on the album.

SoulAlive, shame on u.

blacknote said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

"Electric Intercourse"

Smarty pants. LOL!