I admit for the longest time I never really bothered much with this album. Other than Soft & Wet and the title track I seldom played it. I've also noticed many fans ranking it fairly lowly in their list of favourite Prince albums. But in recent years, I've come to really appreciate this album.

The title track remains one of his best opening tracks imo, a true sign of the genius that was to come. And songs likes In Love, I'm Yours, My Love Is Forever, Soft & Wet and Crazy You are all brilliant tracks.

Something that is often levelled against "For You" is that the songwriting is underdeveloped, which is something I strongly disagree with. If a song like the gorgeous, laid-back acoustic bliss that is "Crazy You" were on one of his later albums it would receive a lot more praise and attention from fans.

Now seems a perfect time to go right back to the very beginning and give this underrated album the props it deserves!

I listen to it about once a week...at least some of it. (I put his fist 12 albums on 2 CDRs ages ago and play in my car) since the 21st i have put more stuff on CD (I use MP3s for 2 reasons I am old and can not tell much difference and 2 having 5 to 7 albums on one disc is so much easier)

No.

P's most criminally overlooked album by his own fans is "N.E.W.S.".

BoraBora said:

No.

P's most criminally overlooked album by his own fans is "N.E.W.S.".

I'll go along with that.

It's not a very good album. The album is bland, boring, derivative, common

.

Furthermore, the album offers absolutely nothing for the listener to think that this new guy Prince was capable of becoming one of the greatest artists of the century. Listen to The Beatles first album. The recognition that this new band is very special is on there. But on "For You," there is no hint at all of Prince's genius. "For You" is like a very bad Sylvers record.

So Blue off this album has always got a lot of love from me. Otherwise, I don't think you could say that For You is the most overlooked. What about Come? Prince? Around The World In A Day? I even passed on getting Lovesexy due to the cover art for forever. Who is to know?

I really wish he would've revisited and reworked these songs into some great live performances. There are some really great, fun, feel-good songs on this album. Personally would've loved witnessing "Just as Long as We're Together" and "I'm Yours."

Cloreen said:

Cloreen said:

For You, not a very good album? Haha, no...

it's actually an excellent album ... it's just that its charms are simple ones...

There's some beautiful sounds on there and some beautifully played music, some well-written songs... there's an innocence and charm to it that of course was never repeated, because it couldn't be... I'm a big big fan of his first two albums.... and I disagree completely that is showed no sign of what he would become... just playing all the instruments himself and more or less completely producing himself already stood him out from the crowd... but I agree with the comment above that everything was already there, just waiting to develop.....

It's a good first start, but not very indicative of his later work. Hell, it's not even similar to Prince. For me, it's just a nice album. Nothing stands out that much. It's very R&B, equaled with the then-common yacht rock Ambrosia/Ace/Player/ AM gold type stuff.

Close - but the top spot goes to Rainbow Children

BoraBora said:

No.

P's most criminally overlooked album by his own fans is "N.E.W.S.".

Yep.

I do love For You, though; it has a lot of charm. 7/10.

Come on, there is NOTHING on that first album that gives a hint of how special the artist was.

.

The first track? Just studio manipulation of voices. I used to do that with two tape recordrs when I was thirteen. And every other track on that record is lyrically bland, musically safe. Are you going to say that the album is in any way lyrically or musically adventurous? Warner Brothers should have turned it down and said, "Kid, you've got to do better than this." Which he did. The second album does have moments where eyebrows are raised and the listener can say, "We're not in Kansas anymore."

.

And as for Dylan having a weak debut album: Come on, the guy was a recognized folk genius before his first record. A must see performer in The Village folk scene, rave write ups from top journalists, Dylan showed his chops well before his first record.

Cloreen said:

It's not a very good album. The album is bland, boring, derivative, common

.

Furthermore, the album offers absolutely nothing for the listener to think that this new guy Prince was capable of becoming one of the greatest artists of the century. Listen to The Beatles first album. The recognition that this new band is very special is on there. But on "For You," there is no hint at all of Prince's genius. "For You" is like a very bad Sylvers record.

.

I didn't care for it for the longest time but it great on me and now I love it. Prince's voice sounds like an angel on My Love is Forever. A couple of songs are boring... Baby and Crazy You, but all the rest are solid and Just as Long as We're Together is Prince's first classic funky extended jam.

Cloreen said:

Cloreen said:

meh...sorta like the calm before the storm. It's a nifty late 70s/early 80s R&B record but it didn't portend the greatness that soon followed.

I've always dug "For You". It doesn't sound too far off from what was played on r&b radio back then. The arrangements on the ballads are nice too....(and I agree about the "N.E.W.S" comment).

Title track is harmony heaven and always has been

I'm Yours is my shit

I always fantasized about a concert where Prince played one song from each album in reverse-chronological order. I'm Yours was the big finale.

One more thing that can never happen now.

I love the album. I keep it in constant rotation.

eyewishuheaven said:

I always fantasized about a concert where Prince played one song from each album in reverse-chronological order. I'm Yours was the big finale.

One more thing that can never happen now.

Awww. That would have been perfect.

It's good, but it's his second album where the genius is ever-present.

fortuneandserendipity said:

It's good, but it's his second album where the genius is ever-present.

and that album is my fav Prince album ever Have loved it for almost 30 years. The ballads alone make it classic.

I like 'Soft and Wet' and 'My Love is Forever'. The rest is so-so. Some outtakes from 1977/78 are more enjoyable than the actual album.

.

Personal rant: What is it with people's obsessive use of the adverb "criminally" in regard to the adjective "under-rated', or, in this case, "overlooked"? There is nothing criminal about ignoring or disliking an artistic product, no matter how good/great/average that product is.

.

Is there some reason we can't just write "very" overlooked? or, "quite" overlooked? Why does it always have to be "criminally"? I hate that word.

.

Rant over.