I'm listening to the CD and damn if the title track is still not one of the most visionary songs by any modern artist. This song was written in 1987 by a man not yet 30...it should sound completely dated and yet is feels chillingly relevant. And taking the conclusion of the man's life out of the context of the song is almost impossible now. But then, "Play in the Sunshine" takes the whole freaking thing 180 degrees and it's still not possible to listen to the song without a big old smile on your face.

Sign O the Times is the BEST FREAKING ALBUM OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What took u so long?

2freaky4church1 said:

What took u so long?

I listened to the CD so many times over the last 3 decades that I have usually given myself a break of a few months between listening to it again. Before Prince's death, I hadn't been really listening to Prince that much. Since April 21, it has been too painful to listen to a lot of it but SOTT has always been my favorite. I was already a Prince fan before it came out but SOTT took me next level. Today I just decided to listen to it so I could let the brilliance be rediscovered yet again. Housequake is still the jam!

GottaLetitgo said:

2freaky4church1 said:

What took u so long?

I listened to the CD so many times over the last 3 decades that I have usually given myself a break of a few months between listening to it again. Before Prince's death, I hadn't been really listening to Prince that much. Since April 21, it has been too painful to listen to a lot of it but SOTT has always been my favorite. I was already a Prince fan before it came out but SOTT took me next level. Today I just decided to listen to it so I could let the brilliance be rediscovered yet again. Housequake is still the jam!

Shut up already DAMN>

Somewhere someone is writing a doctoral thesis on the meaning of "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker"

Okay if Prince was a badass for not other reason in the world (and he was for many reasons) consider that he made freaking Sheena Easton edgy and provactive. He made Sheena "Morning Train" Easton sing the line "get to ramming." U Got the Look could be released today, in 2016, and be a hit. Not dated at all.

The Cross will be the kind of song that should be taught to future musicians on how you build a song layer by layer. Slow acoustic number to full sonic explosion and you don't even know how or when all that happens because the lyrics captivate you.

Adore is the best Prince love song ever. End of discussion "If God one day struck me blind, your beauty I'd still see"...forget about it. No one writes songs like this.

I love the album. I would like too see it get a proper remaster. Are you listening Susan Rogers?

mrwiggles said:

Complete masterwork. The stripped down "It" is still my personal fave.

IT! Now that I find interesting. It is commonly referred to here as one of the weakest tracks (admittedly on a very strong album). I don't necessarily agree with that assessment, and it's nice to see It getting some love.

I think It gets forgotten because to get the most out of it, you have to pay very close attention to it - if it's just playing in the background, it can seem come off as kind of flat.

Whoever refers "It" to being a weak track needs their ears cleaned.

For me, Slow Love is the weakest track on that album.

I'm not really a big fan of 'Adore' (runs and covers head), but yeah the lyrics are good.

.

Serious question: If, in March 1987, Prince had released only disc 2 of Sign O' The Times (and maybe called it U Got The Look or Beautiful Night or whatever title instead), how would you rank it among his albums?

.

The tracklisting would be only 7, but it's incredibly strong:

Side 1

1. U Got The Look

2. If I Was Your Girlfriend

3. Strange Relationship

4. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

Side 2

5. The Cross

6. It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night

7. Adore

.

Singles:

- 'I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man'

- 'U Got The Look'

- 'If I was your Girlfriend'

.

I mean, I think it would still be his 2nd-best LP of the 80s, and maybe even his 2nd-best ever...?

GottaLetitgo said:

Sign O the Times is the BEST FREAKING ALBUM OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.

Since his passing I've been playing each Prince album entirely and in order of release and I have discovered that "Come" is a far better album than "Sign O The Times." Top to bottom "Come" is near perfect. Not a bum track and some very great ones. "Sign O The Times" on the other hand, has too many weak moments. Even the brilliant "Never Take Place Of Your Man" is destroyed by that nonsensical slowing down extension that goes on and on and features a very weak guitar break. "Sign O The Times" should have been a single album. No doubt.

.

All should do it -- play every Prince album in order from "For You" to "Phase 2." You may be surprised by how you view things. Heck, I now think "Symbol" album is pretty darn good. Never really liked it. Do now.

ThePanther said:

I'm not really a big fan of 'Adore' (runs and covers head), but yeah the lyrics are good.

.

Serious question: If, in March 1987, Prince had released only disc 2 of Sign O' The Times (and maybe called it U Got The Look or Beautiful Night or whatever title instead), how would you rank it among his albums?

.

The tracklisting would be only 7, but it's incredibly strong:

Side 1

1. U Got The Look

2. If I Was Your Girlfriend

3. Strange Relationship

4. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

Side 2

5. The Cross

6. It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night

7. Adore

.

Singles:

- 'I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man'

- 'U Got The Look'

- 'If I was your Girlfriend'

.

I mean, I think it would still be his 2nd-best LP of the 80s, and maybe even his 2nd-best ever...?

The song "Sign O The Times" is one of his greatest accomplishments so I can't imagine cutting that track! Everything he cut from 1984-1987 is excellent. I even like "It".

All 16 songs on Sign O The Times are fierce...... only Slow Love is a little weak.... still this song is amazing played live in the movie...

I have made my 1-CD with all 16 songs included... (Only had to cut 3-4 secs of silence inbetween)

And like the original poster (Gottaletitgo).... I have been listening to this CD-r several times yesterday and today as well.....


Could this be the best Prince album ever...?

I won't comment too much on ThePanther's post... it simply makes no sense to me...

I mean different opinions are ok about Sign O The Times... I just can't say I agree with him.... at all...

a very very strange post imo....

You guys don't understand me. I'm not suggesting Sign 'O The Times should be cut, or that there's anything wrong with the 1st disc.

.

I'm just asking: if, hypothetically, the second disc as it is was released on its own, how good would it be?

ThePanther said:

I'm not really a big fan of 'Adore' (runs and covers head), but yeah the lyrics are good.

.

Serious question: If, in March 1987, Prince had released only disc 2 of Sign O' The Times (and maybe called it U Got The Look or Beautiful Night or whatever title instead), how would you rank it among his albums?

.

The tracklisting would be only 7, but it's incredibly strong:

Side 1

1. U Got The Look

2. If I Was Your Girlfriend

3. Strange Relationship

4. I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

Side 2

5. The Cross

6. It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night

7. Adore

.

Singles:

- 'I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man'

- 'U Got The Look'

- 'If I was your Girlfriend'

.

I mean, I think it would still be his 2nd-best LP of the 80s, and maybe even his 2nd-best ever...?

????????????

You need a few more semesters at Prince U.

The whole point of SOTT is that it's an artistic statement first and a commercial venture second. Removing the more whimsical tracks means that it's no longer SOTT. And removing the track SOTT itself is sheer madness.

Sorry but this is one of the worst posts I've read this week.

SOTT is an absolutely near perfection album.
A real classic and one of the highest peak of P musical travel.

The only thing I don't find "perfect" is the inclusion of "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night".
As itself the song is really good, but knowing other tracks left out the album I think there was something better to include.
And by the way the inclusion in the track list before "Adore" break a little the flows of the album itself.

Anyway, I'm talkin' of a little detail in a sea of perfection.

Cloreen said:

Aerogram said:

????????????

You need a few more semesters at Prince U.

The whole point of SOTT is that it's an artistic statement first and a commercial venture second. Removing the more whimsical tracks means that it's no longer SOTT. And removing the track SOTT itself is sheer madness.

Sorry but this is one of the worst posts I've read this week.

.

Nice. The point of my question was mainly to point out how great Disc 2 of the album is. I thought that might be an interesting talking point. Thanks for turning my hypothetical into a bitch-fest, though. Carry on...

carlluv said:

Somebody needs to release Starfish and Coffee as a single. That song has so much potential

I loved the song back then its amazing.. and of course I still love it,

I completely agree, Starfish & Coffee would make an excellent single maybe with the Muppets alternate version on the b-side?

thedance said:

All 16 songs on Sign O The Times are fierce...... only Slow Love is a little weak.... still this song is amazing played live in the movie...

I have made my 1-CD with all 16 songs included... (Only had to cut 3-4 secs of silence inbetween)

And like the original poster (Gottaletitgo).... I have been listening to this CD-r several times yesterday and today as well.....


Could this be the best Prince album ever...?