Is something I've always been wondering about. It's truly
striking how juvenile albums like Dirty Mind, Controversy
and the first two still sound and how polished, and solid
all the albums onward of it sound.

Don't get me wrong, it's just as striking how he managed
to release "Dirty Mind" only a year after "Prince". Who
would be allowed to change course like that in the modern
pop arena? And who could? But still, it's less jawdropping
than the jump from "Controversy" to 1999.

I mean, the leap from Controversy to 1999 isn't that big
in terms of the "feel" the songs have, but it is in the
way songs change gear, the way they are embellished with
little touches of stuff left, right and centre.

Also, the songs no longer feel like just a collection of
songs put together making a rather nice album. This time
round it feels like a proper, cohesive, themed album.
Themed by means of a general sound and feel, not so much
by lyrical content -since all Prince's early albums are
mainly centered around love & sex lol.

And, sure, the songs are longer, but even beyond that,
they seem to span a larger scope. The lyrical content is
more sophisticated, even when it's blatant sex that's on
his mind.

I think, for a lot of other artists, an album like 1999
would be their opus magnum, the crowning achievement of
their entire carreer. They'd be happy to show that much
growth as an artist and just coast it beyond that album.

The next leap is from 1999 to Purple Rain, another jump
of mindblowing proportion. Instead of repeating the 1999
formula [which he could have easily filled another album
with, given the number of outtakes and session tracks],
he came up with this rock intensice style and eventho it
was his first real stab at it, he achieved it to a T and
it became one of the best selling albums of all time.

Damn.

Next jump in songwriting is the Parade/Madhouse/Sign era
which is simply beyond comparison in the popworld, well,
except perhaps for the beatles. Within 2 years Prince &
his band, or solo, layd down close to 100 tracks of which
almost 90% are of outstanding brilliance. Well, I guess
that is debatable lol.

Anyway, you can't deny the obvious experimental trip set
into motion with Around The World In A Day. All of those
songs from these sessions, including the many many many
outtakes show such incredible grasp of the songwriting &
instruments that it's almost beyond comprehension.

The way he knocked those songs out day by day by day is
just *squuuaaakkkhhh* lol Reading DMSR and seeing
the order and the incredible pass in which those tracks
were put to tape makes your eyes grow the size of some
rather nice dinnerplates.

I guess after that, he kind of didn't know where the hell
to take things next, so he recorded Lovesexy which was
still very good, perhaps even one of the very best. But
then came the whole commercial era with

Batman/Bridge/Pearls/Symbol.

Nice, often times inspiring, cool and occasionally even
brilliant. Yet inconsistend and out of focus.

Then "The Hits" was released and he started quarelling with
Warners. Got pissed off, mad and sulky. In return he wrote
some of the best music he ever churned out. He was angry &
his music was LOUD. Whereas it used to be brilliant, yet
always subdued, this time it was loud as hell, nasty angry
and fuck yes, in your face lol.

Things went potty though when he regained his "freedom" &
apparently didn't know what the hell to release first. It
went from bad to worse with Emancipation and NPS.

Yet "The Truth" sounded very good, although it failed to
ring in another string of incredible albums like previous
killer albums had.

However, The Rainbow Children did, it propelled another
streak of genius and yet another level of sound and, yes,
genius. This time round the songwriting is more organic
and alive than it's been since, well, since day one.

The musical format might not be everyone's cup of tea
anymore, but you have to admit that the execution of the
music is simply brilliant.

They're albums that sound warm, human and intimate, even
if some of the lyrics are all but inviting heheh.

THE RAINBOW CHILDREN/ONE NITE ALONE-PIANO/EXPECTATION/NEWS

is to me -and you might tarr and feather me for this- the
new millennium equivalent of the 80's streak of brilliance
that featured:

PARADE/MADHOUSE 8/SIGN O THE TIMES/MADHOUSE 16/BLACK ALBUM


Hmm, as usual, I seem to have lost the plot again somewhere
halfway down this story. Ah, yes, I was trumpeting the
wonders of progression between Controversy and 1999.

Close second to that jump would be the one from RAVE toward
"The Rainbow Children". I know we already knew he mastered
all the styles and surely had it in him, but still, the
jump from RAVE to TRC made me gasp for breath and jump for
joy. It startled me. For that, it deserves praise.



So what do you think is the biggest progression between
to single albums by Prince??

I don't see it as that big a leap.

Dirty Mind was a batch of raw demo-like songs.

Controversy was an attempt to replicate and expand on that in the studio, introducing the Linn drum machine, you hear 1999 on Controversy no doubt - Private Joy (the pop of Delirious), Controvery (the worked out lengthy funk), Annie Christian, Sexuality (the experimental, electro-funk work outs), Do Me Baby (the lacivious ballad), Let's Work (the tight funk of Let's Pretend We're Married).

I think also add the work on The Time and Vanity 6 to that, and your on your way to 1999.

I know a lot of fans regard Controversy as a lesser album between the pillars DM and 1999, but I think you gotta be one helluvah good mortar to sit between those two stones!

I agree with you on the Parade/Madhouse/SOTT point.

I regard Parade as Prince's experimental pinacle (and my favourite album).

ATWIAD is not THAT dis-similar to Purple Rain, has a lot of the same sounds, some very different too.

But post ATWIAD pre-Lovesexy is my favourite Prince era.

I think after Lovesexy he kind of found his sound, and after that it was technology and outside influences that drove the changes in the music (better sonics, rap, house etc).

As for Rave/High to TRC - I don't know WHAT the fuck went on there, but I'm glad it did! TRC is a fantastic album, holds together as a whole brilliantly, and it's my favourite album post-80s.

1996-99 was just a real bad time IMO.

I'm very eager to see where Prince goes next with his next "proper" album post-TRC, reports of Musicology and the couple of NPGMC tracks from this year do *not* fill me with confidence I have to say, and I adored TRC/Xpectation.

Whatever comes next, as much I like to voice my opinion, Prince 1978-1980 is the best music I have ever heard in my life, and I do not think that will ever change.

IstenSzek said:

Completely agree.

I was listening to 1999 just yesterday (and I don't listen to Prince everyday), and noticed that I STILL hear things in it that I never noticed before. Just think how great it would sound remastered. I'm in the minority about this here (and don't care), but when you talk about feel, there is a feel of sonic consistency (production-wise) in 1999 that is lacking in SOTT. This is one reason it has always been my favorite double album by Prince.

And the embellishments you talk about on the album are vastly more accomplished on 1999 than they had been on any album previously. I'm still discovering those embellishments, even on this outdated 20th century mastered recording.


Interesting.


I may have to agree with your top choice, but can't say for sure off the top of my head at this very moment.

IstenSzek, you're posts really always are a pleasure to read. The biggest progression from one album to the next would be Rave/TRC for me.
Where Rave was just an album, a collection of songs which could very well be changed, TRC is a statement. I bet this album was as important for Prince as Lovesexy was.

ya'll know.

calldapplwondery83 said:

I completely agree with you. Around the time of Rave it
kind of sounded like he'd fallen asleep and a lot of
people finally started to seriously doubt wether Prince
still had it in him to create an incredible album and
*pow* here comes "The Rainbow Children" which sounds
warmer, more alive and diverse and deeper than any other
album he's ever done.

It's hard to imagine where it came from all of a sudden.

Listening to some of the NPGMC tracks that were recorded
post-Rave you can hear that he wants to create a different
warmer sound but it still sounds like RAVE/NPS too much.

Somehow it must have clicked all of a sudden because TRC
is a leap in evolution, so to speak. Amazing.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

calldapplwondery83 said:

I agree with this thought. I also think that in some ways Prince was trying to please others with Rave. TRC was a concept album that came from the heart and you can hear it in the execution of the music. Whether you like the lyrics or not, it's a brilliant album and a huge step up from Rave.

Excellent thread.

Great thread.

Great thread. I'd definitely say the leap from "1999" to "Purple Rain" was the greatest progression. It was as though he took everything that was brilliant, and distilled it into the perfect pop album, totally ready for mass consumption.

The leap from Parade to Sign is significant as well, I believe, but more as a return to form as a solo artist.

I'm not sure if I can go along with the "THE RAINBOW CHILDREN/ONE NITE ALONE-PIANO/EXPECTATION/NEWS" as the next "streak of brilliance." I'll give u TRC, but I still think the high point of ONA is "A Case of U," and "Expectation" and "NEWS" just don't speak to me.

Dirty Mind was recorded because Prince felt bad putting mostly commercial, easy going soul music out--he wanted to get raw. He just expanded from there.

And his fall in 2003 is not surprising. At least he has written more great songs than any other artist in history.

calldapplwondery83 said:

co-sign.

I agree that 1999 was monumental, a masterpiece. In many ways, this was him at the point all great artists come to in their careers, where the arc of commerce and art peak together. Elvis' sun sessions, Bruce's Born to Run or Darkness, the great ones have the inimitable ability to suggest an alternate reality. I remember being a teen and looking at the artwork on 1999's cover and feeling it was in sync with the music and was a reflection of Prince's world and vision. This was really, the peak of him finding his own distinctive sound. He would go on to branch out into many different styles with equal, mayber greater brilliance, but never would it be so personal a reflection of his soul. The difference between his first albums and this one are like comparing genius to promise or talent. All of the earlier albums were solid but particularly on the first two, he was trying to hit the pop marketplace. Dirty Mind was the turning point which allowed him to find his own sound. Incidentally, I listened to Parade recently for the first time in a while, and was just blown away, I mean it was just non-stop brilliance, you get the feeling listening to it that he was on such a roll that he couldn't stop himself. Just bursting with brilliance. We all know Prince is one of a kind in pop music, the likes of which we will never see again.

mozfonky said:

Don't be so sure.

TRON said:

Yeah, just wait until Justin Timberlake releases his 47th
solo album. He'll give Prince a run for his money.

IstenSzek said:

That's not what I'm saying. But I think other people have managed to reach Prince's level of brilliance at what they do. And I think others will in the future.

TRON said:

I was just being funny, well, trying to be funny Tron.

IstenSzek said:

I was afraid for a minute that you actually thought I liked JT. That wasn't very funny.

TRON said:

I have a confession to make though...

















































































I like some of JT's solo stuff...

TRON said:

IstenSzek said:

???

I think 2 major changes lended themselves to the 'weightiness' of 1999 that became even more apparent on Purple Rain. For the most part Prince abandoned his fey falsetto on those records and developed a sexier, more emotive midrange. I think this raised his accessibility and appeal to the masses more than most people realize. And just as importantly, he became a confident and competent rock god on the guitar. You can hear the anger and passion in his playing on songs like "Lady Cab Driver" and much more on the Purple rain material. I think these 2 things more than anything else in his music at the time (aside from maybe engineering himself) were the keys to his change.

TRON said:

You know, listening to Purple Rain again last night, that's
what struck me too. The change in vocals. As you call it,
that "sexier, more emotive midrange". I think that's indeed
a large part of what appealed to people. It makes his sound
more accessible.

Although, some people might disagree with that anyway
I think that's a crucial part.

IstenSzek said:

Honestly though, can you imagine When Doves Cry or Little Red Corvette sung in his normal high register?

Before 1982, I can only think of a handful of songs where he uses a predominantly midrange to lower vocal range.

About half of the songs on Controversy - Sexuality, Ronnie Talk To Russia, Jack U Off, etc.
The ending chant of Partyup
A few outtakes from the time

But mostly it was always falsetto.

Am I wrong in thinking that "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and "Kiss" were the only falsetto sung songs to hit big outside of the r+b market?

TRON said:

no, please god, don't!

TRON said:

Well, The Most Beautiful Girl In The World was a hit too,
number one on several continents.

But from what leaked out in later years, Prince bought a
lot of those singles himself didn't he?

So it begs the question if it would have been as huge a
hit if Prince hadn't bought half the singles himself.