Just heard "Baby I'm A Star".

I will always be floored by the genius of this album. That's right. ALBUM. Vinyl with the big insert and all the lyrics in different freaky fonts and flowers in the background and just pure badassedness from start to finish.

Just mind blowing still, better than anything else he's ever done.

We've tuned out it's brilliance from too many spins...

Once mo 'gain....

PURPLE RAIN IS THE GREATEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME!

not a bad song on there, it cud b mistakened for a greatest hits album,
it is the best album ever!!!
[This message was edited Tue Mar 9 12:47:29 2004 by JCL04]

Just imagine how many times you have actually listened to this album.
The fact it is still fucking fantastic after 1,000 or so listens is testament to it's utter genius.

Mind you,.....it's no Parade

---

One of the first ALBUMs i bought (mid-price, late 80's) and i can even remember the smell when i opened it. Great lay-out, and in fact i still think the whole Purple Rain period was great!! All the special, limited editions i started to collect are jewels, like the purple vinyl 7" singles etc etc. Makes me want to buy frames and hang them all around the house! Think i should???

it is a great album! we've had it for so long and listened to it so many times that we take it for granted. just because the rest of the world doesn't realize he's made other records since, purple rain has not become any less of a brilliant fucking record. it's not my favorite prince record...maybe not even in my top 5...but, yeah, what a fantastic record. not one weak track. not one minute of filler. every song could have been a hit...shit, even the b sides were hits in my town.

i think i'll listen to it right now!

Bastian said:

Go for it!

SassyFras said:

Erotic City! Co-sign the rest of this. No filler! Great movie to go with it! I wasn't really a Prince "fan" at the time and I was diggin' it ALL! Even my aunt would watch Purple Rain with me constantly. We had this joke at the beginning of the movie, you know when you get a glimpse of his eye? She would always say "Did you see his eye?" Not really funny "ha-ha"... But we said it every time, like it was a new thing... "Did you see his eye?"

an ALBUM is a collection of songs that can be recorded onto VINYL, CASSETTE TAPE or COMPACT DISC (or 8-TRACK). i STILL use this term because it is correct, besides, CD's or mine at least, don't always contain music.

otan said:

Like Vinablue said, we still make fun of some parts in the movie Purple Rain. Like the part where P throws a stone into the water (video When Doves Cry) and my girlfriend always reacts like: "aargh! he's p...ing in the water!!" Sure looks like it.

Purple Rain is the greatest album. It is a perfect distillation of all that is Prince. It shows the variety of what he can do, and it does it naturally. It easily shifts gears while holding together as one solid piece.

It's pure fucking genius.

i haven't listened to the album in over 2 years. it annoys me that much.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

bkw said:

at least i like the movie...

It's funny.. i hadn't listened to this album for about a year.

I suppose when you're a big fan of an artist you always reject the piece of art that's most recognised by the public.

A couple of days ago i'm lying in the bath, and out of nowhere i hear 'lets go crazy' blaring out of my housemates stereo!




- i always thought that all she knew about Prince was the music that comes outta my room: '1999', 'Parade' etc - all that time she must be thinking: "why the fuck does he never play 'Purple rain'!?



So i'm lying there just listening to this album.




It's so fucking fresh! i had a massive smile on my face singing along - i could hear her singing along as well in her room!

As i leave the bath i walk past her in the hall she smiles at me. she must be thinking : "you pretentious prick!" lol!
And she's right.


I think after all this time i can say 'Purple Rain' is his best album, though 'Parade' remains my favourite
[This message was edited Tue Mar 9 15:13:33 2004 by Sly]

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Was just listening to this today… Not my favorite..but I realized just how good it is from beginning to finish. I actually came to appreciate I would die 4 U and Baby I’m a star (Damn that song just is relentless)…and have just recently started to like the Beautiful Ones and Purple Rain. Actaully..aside from When Doves cry, Computer Blue and Nikki, I hadn’t really liked this album…until recently. It's definitley worth a spin if you haven't in a while...it may surprise you

I don’t think we’ve heard a guitar riff like Lets go crazy in a pop song since

And listening to it more and more…I don’t think the full version of Computer Blue would have worked…tho I LOVE the full song. Should have been a release or a 12” b-side or something.

superspaceboy said:

you didn't like 'the beautiful ones'?! this is one of his greatest tracks!!

superspaceboy said:

i gave my copy to the used cd shop about 4-5 months ago. i'm not plannin on buyin another copy of it, either. i don't need it.

That's funny, I listened to the Purple Rain album all the way through last Saturday, with an old friend of mine, it was the first time in years that I did that. We also came to the conclusion that it still is one hell af an album, no filler at all! My favorites are When Doves Cry, The Beautiful Ones, and especially Darling Nikki. What a great track is that!

I agree with what Sly said: when you're a big fan of an artist you always reject the piece of art that's most recognised by the public. You start to hate it just because of that fact, wondering why "the others" don't hear the greatness of Prince's other works. But if I am true to myself, although I seldom spin it, the album remains a true masterpiece!

funkaholic1972 said:

maybe. but with me, i've never looked at that album as a masterpiece.

Sly said:

I do now. It was always just ok... I heard him do it in concert just recenly and it gave me a new look at it. He was still screamming at the end. I had totally missed on that songs demanding nature.

I am also very slow to like the ballads...they just creep up on me and I ending up liking them a lot...damn u, sweet baby, insatiable, scandelous, etc....He also has a way of spinning a song live that makes you like it i.e. u got the look when you may not have cared for it originally.

I love the fact that it isnt a perfect album - the bleedthrough 4 example on Computer Blue just adds 2 it,
and makes it something more than the sum of its parts.
Im still listening 2 that album all these years on, and Im still not bored.
I agree with Otan - the packaging and presentation of that album is pretty special. Iconic even.

I still listen to this album regularly , but reading this thread kinda makes me glad I'm not a long-time fan like some of you if youve really got so bored of such a great piece of work ,
not living through the Purple Rain era per se means I was never force-fed the music through constant radio play and never tire of it

sorry guy's this is 1 o the 2 prince albums i totally take 4 granted the other being 1999, i just never listen 2 em anymore. same with the movie pr i never watch it , yet ive never stopped watching utcm and ive had it also from day 1 ,,,... weird !

bananacologne said:

I forgot about that shizzle too. The mistakes on the record make it all the more raw and punk rock. When the record came out, the only station that played it was the college radio station. Hard to believe I know, but that just goes to show how raw this was at the time. (provided, they played it before the movie came out.)

And speaking of, I remember owning the cassette first, before the movie came out, wondering what the HELL the movie could be about with all these crazy lyrics and stuff.

Computer Blue is the jam...i hope he plays it at the R&R Hall of Fame....Purple Rain definately in the top 3 Prince albums of all time....1999 will give it a run 4 its money!

superspaceboy said:

I think you're exactly right on 'the beautiful ones'. It's a demanding song in the way that you have to listen to it all the way through to truly appreciate it- the climax brings it all together. And what a climax it is!

I remember leaving one of the ONA gigs with my then girlfriend. We're walking behind a young couple (early 20's) and this guy's talking:

"my favourite song is the one where he screams "Do you want him.. Or do you want me?! 'Cos i want you!!!" I dunno what's called"

I wanted to stop that man and scream in his face "It's 'the beautiful ones' you fucking idiot!!! what right do you have being in a concert if you don't know that!?"

Alas i didn't.
[This message was edited Wed Mar 10 2:03:23 2004 by Sly]

Here's my two cents...

There are some songs on it that I can live without...and others that I can't. "Computer Blue and The Beautiful Ones" are 2 that I just don't know who the hell I would be without them.

The saddest point is....when you start getting bootlegs..you start hearing the "uncut" versions of the songs...."computer blue...the 11 min one"..."the beautiful ones....long version" and "darling nikki....unreleased version"....you start wishing that someone would make the album the WAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE....with the inclusion of "Electric Intercourse" and "Father's song" (NOT "GOD") The B-sides also!!! (12" versions, of course)

That whole 84-85 Minneapolis thing was such a GREAT movement....I feel lucky that I grew up when I did...I feel sorry for all the younger fans that have NO IDEA about that...only from what "older" relatives tell them and from our memories in the threads.

But I'm with Dansa...the album "as a whole" never did much for me...only those 2 songs I've mentioned...If I hear "Let's Go Crazy, Baby I'm a Star and Purple Rain" again...I'll pluck my fucking eyes out. (I was not impressed with the Grammy's...needless to say, I tied my hands behind my back watching that)

thebumpsquad said: