Put on headphones, that is a perfect pop song. Might be better than Purple Rain. That song is clever as shit. Executed to a tee. There is no better ear candy. Apples backing vocals kinda works. That out of tune sht make me smile.

One of those songs, that despite appearing on his biggest album, rarely gets any attention at all.

Worst song on PR for me. Barely played live after the PR tour. Raspeberry Beret is a very similar song, but is way better.

SquirrelMeat76 said:

Barely played live after the PR tour.

Not true atall. Check Princevault:

https://princevault.com/i..._Me_With_U

[Edited 10/16/24 6:21am]

"Rock & Roll Love Affair" is also a similarly fantastic song

Also in the video is a never-spoken-of telecaster with a pickup-less mirrored body and inlays on the fretboard!

[Edited 10/15/24 10:50am]

Good "film" song but I've never cared 4 it.

nayroo2002 said:

Prince fans just like to hate on anything that doesn't feature 100% Prince on all lead, backing, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th background backing vocals buried deep in the catacombs of the background mix.

"Works in the movie," please. "Baby I'm a Star" is the true PR clunker that clearly only works in the movie, but let's all keep pretending that slice of cornball cheese is somehow better than this ardently-crafted piece of pop songwriting perfection.

[Edited 10/16/24 3:31am]

WhisperingDandelions said:

Prince fans just like to hate on anything that doesn't feature 100% Prince on all lead, backing, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th background backing vocals buried deep in the catacombs of the background mix.

"Works in the movie," please. "Baby I'm a Star" is the true PR clunker that clearly only works in the movie, but let's all keep pretending that slice of cornball cheese is somehow better than this ardently-crafted piece of pop songwriting perfection.

[Edited 10/16/24 3:31am]

Was about to say. BIAS was only good on the tour, it's the only real dud on the album.
TMWU is a great pop song, and the extended or longer version is even better

It's the only song on the album I don't like. Would have been better if it had been on the Apollonia 6 album and the extended Let's Go Crazy didn't get edited for the album.

This is NOT because it's not all Prince vocals, that's a weird take. It's because it's too pop, too conventional, for such an avante-garde collection.

[Edited 10/16/24 6:46am]

djThunderfunk said:

It's the only song on the album I don't like. Would have been better if it had been on the Apollonia 6 album and the extended Let's Go Crazy didn't get edited for the album.

This is NOT because it's not all Prince vocals, that's a weird take. It's because it's too pop, too conventional, for such an avante-garde collection.

[Edited 10/16/24 6:46am]

"avant-garde" collection?

The album bookeneded by a generic 80s rock and roll track and a by-the-numbers Journey ripoff that he cleared with the band beforehand like Weird Al clearing a song parody? That album, avant-garde?

'Purple Rain' is hardly 'Romance 1600', it's a very straightforward rock/pop/funk hybrid record, hence why it's like the ultimate intro-to record for an artist regardless of what someone's prior background or taste may or may not be.

It's actually the complete opposite of avant-garde. It puts the pop in populist. Avant-garde records don't sell in the US like PR. It ain't Trout Mask Replica.

[Edited 10/16/24 13:25pm]

WhisperingDandelions said:

djThunderfunk said:

It's the only song on the album I don't like. Would have been better if it had been on the Apollonia 6 album and the extended Let's Go Crazy didn't get edited for the album.

This is NOT because it's not all Prince vocals, that's a weird take. It's because it's too pop, too conventional, for such an avante-garde collection.

[Edited 10/16/24 6:46am]

"avant-garde" collection?

The album bookeneded by a generic 80s rock and roll track and a by-the-numbers Journey ripoff that he cleared with the band beforehand like Weird Al clearing a song parody? That album, avant-garde?

'Purple Rain' is hardly 'Romance 1600', it's a very straightforward rock/pop/funk hybrid record, hence why it's like the ultimate intro-to record for an artist regardless of what someone's prior background or taste may or may not be.

It's actually the complete opposite of avant-garde. It puts the pop in populist. Avant-garde records don't sell in the US like PR. It ain't Trout Mask Replica.

[Edited 10/16/24 13:25pm]

When Doves Cry? Computer Blue? Darling Nikki? Complete opposite of pop, at least when it came out. Due to it's success, pop changed as influenced by Purple Rain.

To each their own, opinions are just that. And in MY not-so-humble opinion, Take Me With U stands out among the rest of the tracks as saccharine. Pure pop cheese.

BTW, the term "avante-garde" was used often when discussing Prince in general and the album Purple Rain specifically by the critics at the time. If anything I shouldn't have used it because it's cliche to call it that at this point, not because it's not true.

But that's one of the great things about Prince, ask any 10 hardcore fans to rank songs (or albums) and you'll get completely different answers. Or do you not remember the excessive amount of threads about editing Emancipation down to 1CD. Everybody agreed a near perfect single disc could be culled from the 3CD collection but nobody agreed on which tracks it would include. Can't get much better than that.

I really like Appolonnia's vocals on this track as well as the tambourines and the string arrangements used on it too. One of my favorites off the album

[Edited 10/16/24 14:03pm]

[Edited 10/16/24 14:04pm]

SoulAlive said:

There are no “duds” on the Purple Rain album

Yup, got that right! No duds at all!

WhisperingDandelions said:

djThunderfunk said:

It's the only song on the album I don't like. Would have been better if it had been on the Apollonia 6 album and the extended Let's Go Crazy didn't get edited for the album.

This is NOT because it's not all Prince vocals, that's a weird take. It's because it's too pop, too conventional, for such an avante-garde collection.

[Edited 10/16/24 6:46am]

"avant-garde" collection?

The album bookeneded by a generic 80s rock and roll track and a by-the-numbers Journey ripoff that he cleared with the band beforehand like Weird Al clearing a song parody? That album, avant-garde?

'Purple Rain' is hardly 'Romance 1600', it's a very straightforward rock/pop/funk hybrid record, hence why it's like the ultimate intro-to record for an artist regardless of what someone's prior background or taste may or may not be.

It's actually the complete opposite of avant-garde. It puts the pop in populist. Avant-garde records don't sell in the US like PR. It ain't Trout Mask Replica.

[Edited 10/16/24 13:25pm]

Compared to his own releases (or his protege releases) then sure it's not avant garde, but compared to all other commercially succesful records that came out back then (and the reviews using the word avant garde alot for this album back in 84) it's highly avant garde.

SoulAlive said:

There are no “duds” on the Purple Rain album

i politely disagree, but that's the beauty of opinions right, i like what I like and you like what you like

JorisE73 said:

Compared to his own releases (or his protege releases) then sure it's not avant garde, but compared to all other commercially succesful records that came out back then (and the reviews using the word avant garde alot for this album back in 84) it's highly avant garde.

Ew no.

2freaky said:

Put on headphones, that is a perfect pop song. Might be better than Purple Rain. That song is clever as shit. Executed to a tee. There is no better ear candy. Apples backing vocals kinda works. That out of tune sht make me smile.

Prince and 3rdEyeGirl did a cracking version live across 2013 - 2015 (IMHO)

[Edited 10/22/24 0:35am]

JorisE73 said:

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

JorisE73 said:

Compared to his own releases (or his protege releases) then sure it's not avant garde, but compared to all other commercially succesful records that came out back then (and the reviews using the word avant garde alot for this album back in 84) it's highly avant garde.

Its pop music. Great, original, surprising, experimental, but still pop songs. There is real avant garde music out there. Amd its not pop music, even if pop music can incorporate aspects of it.

Sure, but avant garde is the term they used for many reviews back in the day and compared to all those commercial album from 84 I would say Purple Rain qualifeis as avant garde

I don't care what anybody says but BIAS is my jam

TMWU is awesome, love the cello and violin.

However, only gripe I have is that it seems to cut short at then end with the ooh oohs.

It def needs a longer/extended version.

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

JorisE73 said:

Compared to his own releases (or his protege releases) then sure it's not avant garde, but compared to all other commercially succesful records that came out back then (and the reviews using the word avant garde alot for this album back in 84) it's highly avant garde.

Its pop music. Great, original, surprising, experimental, but still pop songs. There is real avant garde music out there. Amd its not pop music, even if pop music can incorporate aspects of it.

The professional critics of 1984 disagree.