What would you consider the most quintessential Prince sounding album, in other words, to you, what album do you consider best represents Prince's sound & why?

To me, I believe that album would be 1999, because it has party songs, rock, funk, ballads & still infuses an experimental sound throughout.

Emancipation: the post-1995 sound is more P's sound than the Mpsl sound in the end.

For the Mplsound, if u consider it is P's "sound", 1999 is the winner, no debate. Not for any of the reasons the OP said, just because this album IS the album that really established the Mpls sound's typical elements.

nosajd said:

What would you consider the most quintessential Prince sounding album, in other words, to you, what album do you consider best represents Prince's sound & why?

What Time Is It?

Lovesexy.

Quintessential Prince. Nothing similar before, nothing similar after.

[Edited 4/10/15 0:46am]

BoraBora said:

Lovesexy.

Quintessential Prince. Nothing similar before, nothing similar after.

[Edited 4/10/15 0:46am]

Same can be said of Parade.

Rebeljuice said:

BoraBora said:

Lovesexy.

Quintessential Prince. Nothing similar before, nothing similar after.

[Edited 4/10/15 0:46am]

Same can be said of Parade.

Yes and no.

Parade is different from the other P releases, but I think every album from "1999" to "Sign O The Time" is different and unique, if you are meaning that.

Anyway "Parade" is P's vision applicated to a retro' soundtrack, as long as "ATWIAD" is P's vision applicated to a psichedelic album, to say.

To me "Lovesexy" is quintessential Prince because:

a) It's the final achievement of all creative experiences made by Prince on his growing artistic skill.

b) I really can't find an album by any other musician that can be compared with it.

Anyway, as usual, matter of taste.

BoraBora said:

Rebeljuice said:

Same can be said of Parade.

Yes and no.

Parade is different from the other P releases, but I think every album from "1999" to "Sign O The Time" is different and unique, if you are meaning that.

Anyway "Parade" is P's vision applicated to a retro' soundtrack, as long as "ATWIAD" is P's vision applicated to a psichedelic album, to say.

To me "Lovesexy" is quintessential Prince because:

a) It's the final achievement of all creative experiences made by Prince on his growing artistic skill.

b) I really can't find an album by any other musician that can be compared with it.

Anyway, as usual, matter of taste.

a) "Final achievement of all creative experiences" also goes for "1999", "Purple Rain" and somewhat even more to "Sign Of The Times".

Lovesexy suffers from the qualities of its tracklist. It's the final, approved draft for the Prince's 1990 albums tracklist :
a bit of Rap, the FM anthem, the crypto-catholic ballad, the wet dream ballad, the funky groove.

Myself I think it's a tie between "1999" for the homemade tour-de-force, the sonic inventions,
the sexual rythmic gimmicks that are a pure Prince's invention, and therefore defining,
and the whole "Sign 'O' The Times" ERA (unrealeased trilogy included) for the crystalline perfection of its fake lo-fi approach.

Not to mention SOTT has Camille all over the place, which is a pillar when it comes to Prince distinctive musical gimmicks.
No one can use, and no one will ever be able to use a high-pitched or accelerated effect on the lead vocal,
without making the listener think about "If I Was Your Girlfriend" or "Camille" (except for today's and tomorrow's ignoramuses).


Every output by Prince and Susan Rogers has an utterly original production approach, whatever the genre of the song.
David Z deserves his share as well.
"Kiss" is unique thanks to him.


Nothing sounds like the flangered hi-hat of "Shes's Always In My Hair", except "A Love Bizarre pt. 1".
Who originated on the pitched-down toms of the Linn on "The Beautiful Ones"?
or was it "Sex Shooter"? "Erotic City"? Or the background noises of "Irresistible Bitch" ?


At the time of the release, the "Purple Rain" production and sound
were as revolutionary and fresh as MJ's "Thriller", which says a lot.

"When Doves Cry" was an aural shock.
It's hard to remember it,
since each one of us know overplayed it to death
and know every breath by heart.

But really, the first weeks, the intro went on the radio,
and you HAD to crank the volume up.
The thing was litteraly unheard of.

[Edited 4/10/15 8:09am]

I guess that would be up to the fan at hand, right?

I like '1999' the best, but there was alot before that, and even more than that afterwards, with even so much more to come that i couldn't possibly say.

It's a vast catalogue that would make anyone insane.

Prince's sound changes too much to be pigeonholed into 1 album, imo. He hasn't consistently thought the same his whole life. A primary example is that he was recording dirty minimalistic synth funk in 1982 but three years later recording lush psychedelic pop. So which one is his true sound? I'd say both are.

I'd break his material down like:

1978-79: formulaic disco/pop/R&B

1980/81: minimalistic New Wave

1982/83: synthfunk/New Wave/electronic

1984: hard rock/power pop

1985-86: psychedelic, 'acid rock', baroque pop, etc

1987-90: minimalistic pop

1991-94: overproduced R&B/pop/dance/rap

1995-96: rock

1998-99: mainstream pop

2001-03: jazz, piano

2004-09: somewhat formulaic R&B/rock

For You and Prince have the very basic of Prince sound thought his career

Because the 1980s was his foundational album in the heart of developing his own sound it's hard to choose but they all in the 1980s stand out has having the the Sound.