Sign O' the Times is my pick. Some of the songs on 1999 are overly repetitive unless you are on a dance floor., which is my only complaint, No complaints at all about SOTT,

WhisperingDandelions said:

1999 has a little more focus and is more consistent thematically, but SoTT has more variety and much more clever virtusoso/realized genius level shit happening. But 1999 is my desert island disc. To this day I can hear new shit every time I play it and it's pretty clever in its own right, just not so in your face with it' brilliance. It does more with less and, IMO, has fewer low points (Slow Love, It) but also covers less range. Sign doesn't have anything on it as visceral or as organic as the solo/drums towards the end of "Lady Cab Driver".

On 1999, some of the callbacks and...well...not "time changes" really....but more the different spots it hits with the tiny nuances it adds on top of some simple 2 and 4 beats is pretty masterful and what makes a lot of those songs not feel too long. On almost every track, as soon as you think it's worn out, Prince will hit you with something different on the next measure to change it up, sort of like what Parliament used to do only (IMO) better. This really reveals itself on headphone listens.

Sign is more like "hold my drink and get out the way". 1999 is more like a young man saying "I can do this all by myself in a basement with these simple tools. Watch." and has more of a cohesive vision. It's sort of like the difference between someone learning to cook preparing a carefully crafted 5 course meal (1999) vs a master chef offering a buffet at a fancy dinner party (SoTT).

I dunno. I mean...they're both fucking fantastic and, IMO, his best two albums.

1999 has the most incredible 'start' of any Prince album.

The song "1999" followed by "Little Red Corvette"......what a way to kick off an album!

WhisperingDandelions said:

SoulAlive said:

RODSERLING said: No,there aren’t.

"Critics" meanders, "Delirious" has annoying squeaky synth, and "Free"....

.

You're seriously including "Free" in your sweeping assessment there?... "Free"? The double-wrapped limburger of 80s Prince ballads?... srsly, "Free"?

[Edited 10/28/20 17:43pm]

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What is it that people don't like 'Free' or 'Arms Of Orion' ?

I like 'Free', and I'm a Limburger from Bilzen.

ANd the meandering in All The Critics could last even longer for me too.

Apparently, "des goûts et des couleurs on ne discute pas" as the saying goes.

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Vannormal said:

WhisperingDandelions said:

"Critics" meanders, "Delirious" has annoying squeaky synth, and "Free"....

.

You're seriously including "Free" in your sweeping assessment there?... "Free"? The double-wrapped limburger of 80s Prince ballads?... srsly, "Free"?

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What is it that people don't like 'Free'

I like 'Free'

I don't understand it,either "Free" is a wonderful song....it has a beautiful arrangement and a great message.

1999 it's more groundbreaking and a more Cohesive experience while SOTT has much more veriety.

[Edited 10/31/20 9:00am]

herb4 said:

1999 has a little more focus and is more consistent thematically, but SoTT has more variety and much more clever virtusoso/realized genius level shit happening. But 1999 is my desert island disc. To this day I can hear new shit every time I play it and it's pretty clever in its own right, just not so in your face with it' brilliance. It does more with less and, IMO, has fewer low points (Slow Love, It) but also covers less range. Sign doesn't have anything on it as visceral or as organic as the solo/drums towards the end of "Lady Cab Driver".

On 1999, some of the callbacks and...well...not "time changes" really....but more the different spots it hits with the tiny nuances it adds on top of some simple 2 and 4 beats is pretty masterful and what makes a lot of those songs not feel too long. On almost every track, as soon as you think it's worn out, Prince will hit you with something different on the next measure to change it up, sort of like what Parliament used to do only (IMO) better. This really reveals itself on headphone listens.

Sign is more like "hold my drink and get out the way". 1999 is more like a young man saying "I can do this all by myself in a basement with these simple tools. Watch." and has more of a cohesive vision. It's sort of like the difference between someone learning to cook preparing a carefully crafted 5 course meal (1999) vs a master chef offering a buffet at a fancy dinner party (SoTT).

I dunno. I mean...they're both fucking fantastic and, IMO, his best two albums.

Beautiful worded.

"Free" is fine. Maybe it suffers from most people considering it the weakest song on the album (I give that to "Delerious" but w/e). Some call it jingoistic but I never read it that way. I'll take it all day long over "Slow Love" which I despise.

herb4 said:

"Free" is fine. Maybe it suffers from most people considering it the weakest song on the album (I give that to "Delerious" but w/e). Some call it jingoistic but I never read it that way.

another thing I like about it: Vanity is singing background vocals on it

SoulAlive said:

[Spambot snip - luv4u]

When someone ask me what exactly is the MPLS sound and what does it sound like, I tell that to listen to Prince's 1999 album in its entire. 1999 & Purple Rain will tell a first time listen where the inspiration for Ready For The World, The Deele, The World Class Wreckin Cru, Teena Marie's Emerald City album, The Egyptain Lover, Jane Child, Bruno Mars, & Thomas Troelsen came from.