MINI REVIEW: PRINCE "PURPLE RAIN"

Artist: Prince and the Revolution
Album Title: Music From Purple Rain (more commonly known as Purple Rain)
Genre: Rock/Soul/Funk
1984
Warner Bros. Records

When did I buy it?: I bought it on March 7, 2007, which was a Wednesday.

Why did I buy it?: This was one of those "must-haves" for the music library. I've seen it often at my favorite music store selling for $10 in the bargain bins, but never seriously thought about buying it until this year. Of course, the day I decided to buy it, it wasn't in the store. I had to go to Fred Meyer to purchase it, and I got it for $8. That's the lowest price I've seen for it yet!

I've recently gained an appreciation for Prince and his music, and I thought that this would be a good place to start with His Purpleness.

What are the best songs?: Most of the songs are great! "Let's Go Crazy" starts out with that great church-like introduction, and this isn't your momma's church. What follows is a few minutes of guitar-driven rock and funk, with Prince demanding that you go crazy and let loose. What a great way to start an album! "The Beautiful Ones" is a gorgeous ballad. It would be ordinary if not for the end of the song when Prince screams out in passion, letting his love for the woman show with every squeal and sigh.

"Computer Blue" is a nice piece of funk. It will make you get up and dance and shake all over. It also features some wonderful (but too brief) vocals from Prince. "When Doves Cry" is a pure classic. The strong beat, the jangly piano, and Prince's smooth singing make this a winner all around. The guitar playing is very strong too, and the lyrics are filled with strange, sexual imagery. "Baby I'm A Star" is another upbeat, funky dance tune. I think it's my favorite song on the album, especially due to Prince's impressive vocal performance. You'll be amazed at what his voice can do when you hear this song. Even when he isn't screaming, the tension in his voice unnerves you and makes it clear that Prince is feeling every word.

"Purple Rain," the last song on the album, is epic. Prince leaves behind the showing-off and delivers a heartfelt, moving rock ballad. If "Let's Go Crazy" is the perfect start to the album, then "Purple Rain" is the perfect finish.

Any bad stuff?: "Take Me With U" is an average, dated love song. Prince can do, and has done, a lot better. Perhaps it fits with the movie, but it drags down an otherwise excellent album. "Darling Nikki" is the most explicit and most weird song on the album. It's a very hard, dark song in contrast to the sensual imagery of the lyrics. Well, perhaps the lyrics aren't as sensual as they seem at first glance. What saves this song, though, is the odd backward vocal part at the end. It throws you for a loop and manages to sound almost gospel-like. If you think about it, there are many gospel tidbits scattered around Purple Rain ("Let's Go Crazy," the title track, and this).

"I Would Die 4 U" is another fairly average song. It's not bad at all, but not as strong as some of the other songs on the album. Even though a break was needed from Prince's screaming and crying, I still miss it in his vocal performance in this song.

The only other major misstep is the decision to cut "Computer Blue" to one lyrical verse. I enjoy Prince's vocals on that song so much that one verse simply isn't enough!

Overall thoughts: This album has certainly earned all the acclaim it has been given over the years. It does sound a bit dated in a few places, but what else can you expect from one of the seminal albums of the 1980s? Prince delivered a great set of very strong songs (with the exception of "Take Me With U"). It's more of a rock album than a funk album, but there are indeed songs that bring the funk. The upbeat songs, in particular, get inside your head and move you physically as well as emotionally.

The guitar is great, the grooves are punchy, but what sets this album apart is Prince's very expressive singing voice. Vocally, this album almost reminds me of Grace by Jeff Buckley. Both singers can dial it down and deliver a smooth ballad, but in the same song they can scream and wail and push their voices to the limits. It's the singing on Purple Rain that makes me listen to it time and time again, even though I've only owned it since March.

Album Score: 4 out of 5