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THE ESSENTIAL PRINCE

BY RAFER GUZMÁN
STAFF WRITER

March 14, 2004


It's hard to think of an artist more prolific than Prince: He's released about two dozen studio albums, some boasting two, three, even four discs. His greatest-hits compilations (Volumes 1 and 2 on Warner/Paisley Park) are worthwhile, but those who want to dig deeper should start with the following:



"Dirty Mind" (1980)

Prince's third album is the best example of his "early" work. The sound isn't far removed from, say, The Gap Band, but Prince turns the sexual undertones of funk into full-on pornography. The music is raw, direct and often obscene, particularly on "Do It All Night," "Head" and the incestuous "Sister," which packs plenty of shock into just 1:31.



"1999" (1982)

A beast of an album, and the one that introduced Prince to mainstream listeners. A double disc upon its release, "1999" starts with spanking snare drums ("Little Red Corvette") and giddy keyboards ("Delirious"), then becomes progressively more jazzy and adventurous, with songs that push the nine-minute mark - early signs of Princely excess.



"Purple Rain" (1984)

This soundtrack to Prince's autobiographical movie became his definitive album. He's halfway between two personas - the funkateer and the psychedelic rocker - and offers the best of both. "Let's Go Crazy," which opens with a somber church organ before launching into a hyperactive dance beat, is classic Prince: transgressive, liberating, electrifying. From the surreal "When Doves Cry" to the histrionic title track, this is Prince's best and most cohesive disc.



"Around the World in a Day" (1985)

Prince's sudden left turn into psychedelia wasn't just a fashion statement. Along with swirling melodies and acid-rock guitar, this album reveals countercultural lyrics as well. Many songs are about shattered illusions: Check out the fierce "America" and the ghetto critique of "Pop Life," one of Prince's finest recordings. Even the lovely, lightweight "Raspberry Beret" is tinged with youthful rebellion.



"Sign O' the Times" (1987)

The party-hearty '80s were winding down, and this double album has some sobering moments. The title track confronts AIDS (one of the first songs to do so) and drug use; dysfunction rears its head on "Strange Relationship" and "If I Was Your Girlfriend." Yet much of the album is utterly delightful. Among the highlights: the fanciful "Starfish and Coffee," the oddball "Ballad of Dorothy Parker" and the bittersweet "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man."



"Graffiti Bridge" (1990)

Releasing bad movies, ditching his band The Revolution, getting all flower-power on us: As Prince entered the '90s, even fans suspected he was losing it. But this soundtrack to his third film is a return to form, full of goofy rave-ups with George Clinton ("We Can Funk") and snappy dance numbers with The Time ("The Latest Fashion"). The standout track, though, is the moody, complex narrative "Joy in Repetition."



"(SYMBOL)" (1992)

Prince would later change his name to the symbolic title of this album. But for now, "My name is Prince," he proclaims on track one, "and I am funky." With help from the super-versatile New Power Generation band, he races from one genre to the next. "Love 2 the 9s" touches on cool jazz, "Damn U" is a straight-faced soul ballad, and the cryptic "7" creates a genre of its own with funk bass, sitar (!) and a roller-coaster choir.



"Emancipation" (1996)

The title of this three-disc, three-hour set refers to Prince's split with Warner Bros., but also to personal growth: He's newly married and in love. Disc one is full of romantic ballads modeled on '70s soul. The songs on disc two chronicle his courtship and marriage ("You don't even know what kind of cereal I eat. Wrong - Cap'n Crunch"). Disc three is an exuberant mix of styles that would be worth owning alone. This is Prince at his most conventional, and it suits him wonderfully.
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