You have to admit: this album is a stone cold classic.

For some reason, maybe b/c Rick became such a messed up junkie, this album never shows up on those Best Albums of All-Time that Rolling Stone or Spin magazines put out. Prince, Sly & The Family Stone, MJ, Parliament Funkadelic, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield - they all make those lists, but not Rick's STREET SONGS.

Well, there's no question that STREET SONGS belongs on any Best Album list. "Give It To Me Baby", "Ghetto Life", "Super Freak", "Fire And Desire", "Below The Funk (Pass the J)" - each of those songs is top shelf funk. Though I was a big Prince fan just prior to STREET SONGS being released, when this came out I was all about Rick's "punk-funk" for close to a year. But when 1999 came out, and Prince's fued with Rick escalated, STREET SONGS sorta became an afterthought. It shouldn't have though. Its a definitive 80s classic funk album from start to finish.

And one thing I love about this album is Rick's use of horns. THIS is how horns should sound - not the Vegasy style junk that Prince has been serving up for years now.

The musicianship is first rate - especially Rick's bass lines. The man knew his way around a bass guitar.

Too bad the drugs caught up with him.
[Edited 4/22/10 12:00pm]

AGAIN!!!!

Nothing against u, Linn, but this album comes up every week or 2.
http://prince.org/msg/8/333954
[Edited 4/22/10 21:09pm]

This album is a CLASSIC.