LILpoundCAKE said:

emesem said:

Dirty Mind is Prince's Rubber Soul

My brain has been trying to formulate a response, or even just my own feelings on this, but it keeps shutting down and rebooting I mean, I'm not saying I agree or disagree, my brain just cannot process the comparison. My eyes feel funny. I think I smell burnt toast. Awwwwww I'm in my 20's Awwwwwww.

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I Like you.

You remind me of me when I was 30.

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KoolEaze said:

In hindsight, I´d say that they (Prince and WB) probably underrated the potential of When You Were Mine, which is, in my opinion, a very catchy and well-written pop song that many listeners beyond his usual fanbase could have related to.

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This track often regained attention when it was covered by other artists (and he kept on playing it live throughout his carreer).

Prince said that when he wrote that song, he was inspired while listening to John Lennon.

I can't remember where I read that, but I always liked that and think of it when I hear it.

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He started to record the album ''Dirty Mind'' right after he was the opening act for the Rick James tour in 1980. Must've influenced him somehow.

I think that album meant a lot to him after it was released.

He often went back to several songs of that album (live).

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Lyrics and dress code too far out... and well, musically not as consistently brilliant as 1999, PR and SOTT

I still love this album

djdaffy1227 said:

TwiliteKid said:

mynameisnotsusan said:

Anyone with more than a passing knowledge about Prince place it near the top. When You Were Mine is absolutely one of his most classic songs. All the critics loved him
As far as non-fans/general public who gives a shit?
[Edited 1/12/21 15:01pm]

Nah. I’ve been hardcore for 30+ years. It’s not in my top 10.

rusty1 said:

JayCrawford said:

Every website and other forums I go to, I never see people mention Dirty Mind and that album was just as highly acclaimed as 1999 and Purple Rain and is ranked as one of the best albums of all time but you often hear the trilogies 1999, Purple Rain and Sign O'the Times. I've always wondered this.

Probably because it doesn't have the extensive work those other 3 have.

But because of the 'underground' energy the New Wave directive, it's supposed to be subversive. Not mainstream.

I knew he would never, but I wish Prince celebrated his earlier work more(the pre New Power stuff) and actually talked more about the albums. He did some really deep and interesting interviews in 97-98 where he even talked about unreleased songs. But these interviews he really opened up about 'music/sound/tones/instruments'

I love Dirty Mind, it is one of those albums that I'll forever want more from, because there was so much there. But that is how I am with the others from then too.

When I look at when the Dirty Mind era started and stopped it was almost less than a year. He really didn't promo well/much.

It's long bothered me that Dirty Mind is made out to be a record worth appreciating for what it started, not for what it is. The argument I've seen too often is that it's great because it laid the blueprint for the later albums, which are better, more complete, and more masterfully written and composed.

What the hell? This is one of his ULTIMATE masterpieces. This is his most dangerous record. And musically and lyrically, it's the only Prince album -- the ONLY -- that rides a single idea so hard: stripped down. Everything is stripped to the bone. There's nothing hidden, there's no bullshit pseudo-lyrics, there's no psychedelic musical flourishes. The whole album is about the most important issues: love, sex, racism, sexism, poverty, homophobia, and war. In the vein of doing the most with the least, he'd never top this. And it's, as someone once said, "the funkiest record that's ever come out of this town."

If I had to venture, I'd say the album still scares a lot of people away, and partly because it's so brief. It's a single slice of the sword and the deed is done. It's hard to categorize because it goes by so fast. And so we can't totally figure it out.

paraded said:

It's long bothered me that Dirty Mind is made out to be a record worth appreciating for what it started, not for what it is. The argument I've seen too often is that it's great because it laid the blueprint for the later albums, which are better, more complete, and more masterfully written and composed.

What the hell? This is one of his ULTIMATE masterpieces. This is his most dangerous record. And musically and lyrically, it's the only Prince album -- the ONLY -- that rides a single idea so hard: stripped down. Everything is stripped to the bone. There's nothing hidden, there's no bullshit pseudo-lyrics, there's no psychedelic musical flourishes. The whole album is about the most important issues: love, sex, racism, sexism, poverty, homophobia, and war. In the vein of doing the most with the least, he'd never top this. And it's, as someone once said, "the funkiest record that's ever come out of this town."

If I had to venture, I'd say the album still scares a lot of people away, and partly because it's so brief. It's a single slice of the sword and the deed is done. It's hard to categorize because it goes by so fast. And so we can't totally figure it out.

I love this reply. I feel the same way.

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I always felt in so many ways it stands on it's own like Parade

It took the best of For You and Prince and solidified and defined what would be 'Purple Music'
And the first introduction of Jamie Starr.
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I can still feel a fleeting emotion of hearing the title track for the first time.
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When I bought it, I remember rushing it into my bedroom and slidding it under my pillow until everyone was gone from the house lol

Dirty Mind has had critical love, Robert Christgau and Rolling Stone for example. I think it has been hurt by the lack of videos other than concert style videos, the fact it has been recognised as going gold narrowly as far as sales go. If you know Prince it is a cornerstone album, fundamental to Prince. It takes him to the Punk Funk side, which then turns towards the intimations of the Minneapolis sound that is Controversy which will be fully realized in 1999.

I also think that it is a short and compact album and does not have the Film, music awards, oscar, concerts that went with Purple Rain or the double album length, wide variety of projects (camille, madhouse, sheila e) the concert film or concert footage and even such things as 4 those of u on valium to build it into a big elaborate project.

Dirty Mind is historically important to Prince. It is vital. But to the casual fan reviewer or john q public it is seen as a developing work without hits. This is an error and fans could legitimately have this as a favorite era and album. It was at this time Prince went to Europe for a couple of concerts and created some super fans such as Bill Oddie who was their for early Prince concerts.

There were no big hits from Dirty Mind. The tour wasn't on a large scale. The production is minimal compared to those albums mentioned. And IMHO, a lot of the songs on the album, even though I think they are great and I'll listen to them whenever, don't have the same effect as When Doves Cry or Little Red Corvette. A great era, an important era, and an era that changed Prince's trajectory forever, I absolutely agree, but an era where he was still finding himself.

paraded said:

It's long bothered me that Dirty Mind is made out to be a record worth appreciating for what it started, not for what it is. The argument I've seen too often is that it's great because it laid the blueprint for the later albums, which are better, more complete, and more masterfully written and composed.

What the hell? This is one of his ULTIMATE masterpieces. This is his most dangerous record. And musically and lyrically, it's the only Prince album -- the ONLY -- that rides a single idea so hard: stripped down. Everything is stripped to the bone. There's nothing hidden, there's no bullshit pseudo-lyrics, there's no psychedelic musical flourishes. The whole album is about the most important issues: love, sex, racism, sexism, poverty, homophobia, and war. In the vein of doing the most with the least, he'd never top this. And it's, as someone once said, "the funkiest record that's ever come out of this town."

If I had to venture, I'd say the album still scares a lot of people away, and partly because it's so brief. It's a single slice of the sword and the deed is done. It's hard to categorize because it goes by so fast. And so we can't totally figure it out.

Great post, and a great way to look at it, very accurate. I fully agree.

LILpoundCAKE said:

emesem said:

Dirty Mind is Prince's Rubber Soul

My brain has been trying to formulate a response, or even just my own feelings on this, but it keeps shutting down and rebooting I mean, I'm not saying I agree or disagree, my brain just cannot process the comparison. My eyes feel funny. I think I smell burnt toast. Awwwwww I'm in my 20's Awwwwwww.

Post of the week.

Margot said:

"When u Were Mine" was a sleeper for me as well until I watched the 2009 Montreux version on YT. He rocked that song with such confidence that I sometimes return to it. Even Renato played a

vrtuoso solo; Prince 'hi-fived' him with a guitar response. Very cool.

I didn't pay much attention to it until he did it live during the Lovesexy tour. That gave me a new appreciation for it.

One word: scope.

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Though Dirty Mind is, indeed, when Prince really became Prince, and unleashed his genius upon the world, it is not a sprawling album. That's not a bad thing though.

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1999, Purple Rain, and SOTT are multi layered, multi faceted, and contain worlds with in worlds. Dirty Mind is basically it's own funky ass block of Uptown, rather than a trip into outerspace. It's also limited to a few topics/themes.

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Again, it's no put down to Dirty Mind. It's important. It's just not as "epic" feeling as the others.

[Edited 1/15/21 19:37pm]

Because it's not quite as good. It's a great record but the ones you mentioned are better.

Well 4 albums appeared in rollingstones top albums of the 1980's issue (Purple Rain, 1999, Sign O the times, and Dirty Mind.)

I think the "low-fi", gritty production has something to do with it also, especially considering the time period. Of course, it matches the mood and music perfectly, but the huge reverb power ballads that would dominate the radio in the decade to come aren't a fit. Still doesn't stop it being an incredible album... 'Head' is a minimalist funk masterpiece. That bassline runs through my head on a daily basis, even if I haven't listened to it in months.

jfenster said:

It would be cool for the Time(O7) to perform Party Up

Yes prior to Rubber Soul the Beatles were just another british invasion cute boy group with great party songs not unlike Prince's disco albums. Rubber Soul is we're people took notice that there was something else going on here and a classic album in its own right but followed by masterpieces like Revolver (1999) and SGT Peppers (PR) and the White Album (SOTT).

I guess you can also argue its his Revolver given the black and white theme

mynameisnotsusan said:

jfenster said:

Can someone explain that rubber soul comparison?

I interpret it as being the point where the Beatles start expanding their vocabulary and experimentation pointing towards more widely appreciated works in their oeuvre. I get the brain melting thing too - I've never drawn that conclusion and the idea of Dirty Mind being comparable feels wrong? But... ok... [Edited 1/17/21 20:27pm]

[Edited 1/19/21 13:14pm]

JayCrawford said:

Every website and other forums I go to, I never see people mention Dirty Mind and that album was just as highly acclaimed as 1999 and Purple Rain and is ranked as one of the best albums of all time but you often hear the trilogies 1999, Purple Rain and Sign O'the Times. I've always wondered this.

One reviewer has said that Dirty Mind is as good as Sign o the Times, and are his two favorite Prince albums. Neosoul.com posted the Billboard review of Prince's 1980 Dirty Mind in Buffalo NY. There are some other artifacts at https://neosoul.com/riaa/...dirtymind/dirtymind.html

I love Dirty Mind of course, but to me it is Prince still finding his voice, the voice that to me became fully formed starting with 1999

Chart apartheid at the time as suggested by Vainandy and a few others. The anti disco backlash and again even though its punk funk and pop, Prince's previous album was discoish sounding with songs like Sexy Dancer and IWBYL.

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Also as new fans and casual listeners generally have not heard of it or know much about it. A lot of casual listeners think Prince really started with LRC and 1999 as they were the first big hits (Lover was a hit, but only really in the USA and NZ and it was really seen as a one off minor rumble on late 70s dancefloors rather than the first shot from a major talent - only much later did people link the song with the man singing Purple Rain).

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I think also at the time, this album had a very limited distribution outside the USA and even then outside of the African American markets. It was mostly African Americans attending the DM tour concerts and only a few of the avant garde tastemaker crowd in the non black community.

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None of the Dirty Mind singles charted on the pop chart and only Uptown was a major hit on the Soul chart. Despite rave reviews by critics, these came months after it was released (Feb 81 for RS vs the Oct 80 release of it) and I hardly think these helped sell many more copies. Prince and the band were playing gigs mostly in small nightclubs that held a few hundred people. Hardly placing yourself in front of teeny boppers.

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I also suspect the mainstream media was pretty much ignoring him until Little Red Corvette became a major hit and both 1999 era singles appeared on MTV in early 1983.

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Coming to the present day, its only really big fans who know and love that album, the average casual music fan would have not even heard of it, let alone heard it. Finally its a short album only 30 minutes long with 8 songs and some are pretty graphic and tinny sounding (Sister for instance).

"Dirty Mind" is the ONLY Prince(r.i.p.) album that I remember sneaking in the record section of the department store & secretly getting it, putting it under my shirt. Then I had to sneak it in the trunk of my Mom's car, then wait for a safe moment, to get it out the car when no one was looking. Then listen to it when no one was home.

Margot said:

Poplife88 said:

It was NOT a hit. That is the main reason why. I do remember WXRT in Chicago (my sis fave station at the time) playing When You Were Mine back then. I had zero opinion about the song or Prince for that matter (I was 11 and really into arena rock at the time . But got the cassette prob around 85 and it slowly grew on me over the years. I love it now.

Didn't Cindy Lauper make it into a hit?

Cyndi did not make it a hit, but she did perform it on an awards show. And John Mellencamp produced a cover version for Mitch Ryder. So it definitely was a hit for white fans of great music, a small but influential group. And Dirty Mind was the beginning of his crossover to a white punk audience. I'm obsessed with the album now and have posted a review of one of his Dirty Mind concerts at neosoul.com