Customer Reviews

Ice Cream Castle

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The year was 1984, and Purple Rain featured a contest between Morris Day and The Time and Prince, aka The Kid. Of course, in real life Day and Prince were best buds, and Prince wrote plenty of material for The Time.

But...it was fun to see the "contest" and I do believe The Time, with Jungle Love, and the great funk of The Bird had the better tunes! (Well okay, Let's Go Crazy was up there too.) For pure get down and dirty raunch, My Drawers and Chili Sauce take the cake. My Drawers gives you a hint of what was to come...(think: Oh Sheila!).

I can still see Day, patting his ridiculous pompadour while an obliging Jerome holds up a vanity mirror. What a character!

Not their best album, that would be What Time Is It, but definitely the best known, it's a shame it had to be their last.

Though not as great as their second CD, "What Time Is It?", (hence the 4 star rating), this one is more memorable, if only because of the connection with the hugely successful "Purple Rain" movie and CD. You can't listen to "Jungle Love" or "The Bird" without picturing the Time's animated performance in that movie. The same can be said for other tunes such as Chilli "Sauce" and "If the Kid Can't Make You Come", which both play on Morris Day's character that many met for the first time in the flick (not that his personna didn't exist in previous recordings). But timing, as they say, is everything. "Puprle Rain" served as a breaththrough for both Prince and the Time, at a time when it wasn't easy breaking yourself apart from the rest of the R&B, funk music pack. Without Purple Rain, The Time (and Prince to a degree) didn't have the marketing tool that made "Castles" such a huge success. And because of the band's ensuing break up, the time between solo releases by Day, or as a group with the tim (Pandemonium) was just too far apart to stay in the minds of their adoring public - especially after opening the floodgates for wanna be bands to come. Can you say bad management? That's a pity. This is one of the greatest 80s funk bands of all time - Morris one of the most memorable in all around talent and charisma. Prince, The Time, along with bands likd BarKayes and Rick James pushed the envelope when it came to provocative content, perhaps unwittingly laying the goundwork for the more explicit, even pathetic lyrics of today's artists. But the fact that this band couldn't rise up to overcome internal combustion to put out future albums of similar quality is one of the great shames in music history. Pandemonium was, a 3 star effort at best, and Morris' 2 solo efforts (anyone got a copy of "Daydreaming" I can have? ) would recapture some of the magic, but "Ice Cream Castles" was their zenith. Lots to dance and romance to. Am I the only one who ever used his approach in "Chilli Sauce" while out on a date?

The original Time did not exist any longer as a band,(due to Jam and Lewis getting fired the April before) so in early 1984 Prince aka Jamie Starr, Jesse Johnson, and Morris Day assembled in an L.A. Studio and recorded "Ice Cream Castles" four great songs and two classic the title track a pop/funk ditty grooves along at nearly 7 minutes and is about their love of women of all races probaly written by Prince with it's classic lean guitar and synth fills. "My Drawers" is as Rock as "The Time" would get until "Pandenoium" six years later.and the Prince written ballad "Chili Sauce"is typical Morris Day come - ons with Prince serving as the waiter in a very high ptiched "garcon- like voice" side two (If you have it on vinyl)is where the classics reside.

"Jungle Love" the first Time collaboration with Jesse Johnson and Morris Day writing and arranging (Prince along with various Revolution members played on the first two albums)where the other songs were lite, Jungle Love swings with a aminalistic funk edge that was unlike the Minneapolis Sound(for the electronic 1980's )with all the elements of what made The Time the best R&B band of the 1980's. Day's macho but flirty come-ons the Drums and Bass lines that would swing the Keyboards playing the classic Minneapolis blueprint but one the one thing that tied it all was Jesse Johnson's monster solo while the band is in full flight.

If the kid can't make you come is the Prince written sexual vibe to a lady he is trying to seduce, but Morris Day and Jesse make it their own jam, with a bluesy guitar line and swirling snyth they take the tune and slam it into a sedctive song that ends in a orgasm of sorts with The female singer cooing the Star- Sapngled Banner in an post sex glow. And finally, one of the best funk jams of the 80's "The Bird "recorded live with many of the new members, they show why they are one hell of a live act. Playing classic funk lines (watch Purple Rain)and cheorgraphy, they take this raging funk jam into the stratosphere.Ironically they broke up as a band not to hear another note expect in their solo ventures (or in Jam and Lewis case producing) for another six years. This is one underrated album in The Time Canon and their biggest selling album.

Morris and company put forth a great album with "Castles"....but I can't understand why I can't purchase my FAVORITE Time album on cd, which is Pandemonium. If you've never heard it, It is totally more Jesse Johnson with absolutely KILLER guitar and one of the best ballads I've ever heard by any artist-"Sometimes I get lonely". Add to that the supercool dance tracks "Chocolate" and "Jerkout". I actually found Pandemonium in my mother's tape case several years ago and I have been a big fan ever since. I even got to meet Morris,Jerome,Jellybean,Monte,Freeze and the others once at a casino show in Tunica Miss. They still kick azzzz! If you can find it, you'll love it. PEACE

This album was FANTASTIC in CASSETTE format.Unfortunately it was transfered to CD in analog instead of being digitally remastered and the sound quality is AWFUL,I only gave it 2 stars because of the sound quality.Had this CD been digitally remastered however,I would have given it a 5 star rating.What a shame,guess I will just have to enjoy it on cassette.As for my CD of this album.....guess I will just use it as a drink coaster.

We all know the story surrounding The Time. Prince wrote for and produced them and put the group together. Unfortunately because of his alpha male syndrome he exerted too much control over the band until they imploded. Ice Cream Castles reflects the tension that was going on in the group (infighting, Prince's dominance). Somehow with Terry, Jimmy and Monte leaving-well being fired by Prince in the case of Terry and Jimmy, the chemistry seemed no longer to be there. Don't get me wrong, Morris was very charismatic and a great lead man and Jesse Johnson on guitar was simply unbelievable, but the spirit and thrill seems to be gone as it seems as if they are just going through the motion. The album seems as though it is pieced together. The title track "Ice Cream Castles" is a mesmerizing song about love and harmony-which is ironic because there was nothing harmonious about climate the group was working in-I love the song but it does seem a tad bit out of place given the songs that proceed it. The synthed out "My Drawers" is a bit of an oddity-but it'll do. I don't need to talk about "Chilli Sauce" which acts as filler. Morris even uses the same line he uses in Purple Rain-the bit about having "a brass waterbed" and having "an Italian cook". The song "If the Kid Can't Make You Come" is not at all satisfying. Then there are the songs for which the band is best remembered, "Jungle Love" and "The Bird" which are hot tracks and the stand outs on this album.

The Time was an extremely talented R&B/Funk band that was not allowed to flourish. Prince was indeed a genius-this has already been established. The problem is he should have given the group the opportunity to have some artistic freedom (something that he ironically preaches day and night about these days). By the time he "allowed" the group to be involved in the process it was too late-Morris and Jesse were headed on their way out of the door. I think Prince never intended them to be anything more than just an opening act. When they began to outshine and upstage him in their live shows-where the music sounded as good if not better than the studio album-he would pull dirty tricks like demoting them. He played too many games-I mean the stories are legendary I'm surprised they endured as long as they did (which was only 3 or 4 years!). I love Prince he is probably my favorite artist of all time-but The Time is a sore spot for me because I love this band and I long for what they could have been. Who knows what the band would have become-unfortunately we'll never know.

Even though Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis had been fired by Prince by the time this album
was released in the magical summer of 1984, herein referred to as THE SUMMER OF THE PURPLE REIGN,
and were on their journey to becoming the baddest production duo of the 1980's and early 90's,
Prince aka Jaime Starr and Morris Day quickly retooled THE TIME with the addition of a new bassist
and keyboardist and a new character Jerome Benton (Terry Lewis' half-brother), who became
Morris Day's colorful and glib sidekick!
This went over well in Prince's then new movie "Purple Rain", which swept the summer of '84
and grossed $80 million and brought his Minneapolis sound to worldwide prominence!
THE TIME was already a household name in the black community of 1984 because of their
two previous smokin' funk classic albums; 1981's self-entitled "THE TIME"
and 1982's "What Time Is It?"!!---So going into the movie, we already knew the backstory
of Prince, THE TIME, and the whole funk storm that was brewing out of Minneapolis!
Anybody who saw "Purple Rain" back then or since, knows that it was the music and
the live performances which set it off! Though Prince is a mastermind and a true musical
genius and had one of the most electrifying stage presences since James Brown or Sly Stone
in their prime, it was the performances of THE TIME doing "Jungle Love" and "The Bird"
that were buzzing on the minds of many as the left the movie theatres back then!

Having said that, I will go on to say that this was the last really good TIME album.
In addition to "Jungle Love" and "The Bird", there was the very sexy "Chili Sauce",
the crass but funky "My Drawerz", and another slow jam "If The Kid Can't Make You Cum, Nobody Can"
which was very crass and bragadicio as well, but still sexy as hell!
Morris Day had found his niche' as a sauve, clever and above all else, COOL character who
dressed to the nines, rocked with his funky band onstage and clocked many pairs of fine panties
(drawerz) from his bevy of beautiful female conquests, which he had Jerome dispose of in
various ways the next day! (LOL!!) Yes, he was an A-HOLE, but he was a SMOOOOOOOTH A-HOLE!!
Bottomline, this album is not as potent as "THE TIME" or "WHAT TIME IS IT?" was,
but it still a solid funk album and worth getting. It did well that summer because
of the movie and of course Prince's sold-out "PURPLE RAIN TOUR" of '84/'85, which was
an incredible moment in pop/rock/funk history!
After this album, THE TIME split up and all went their separate ways...
But this album captures perfectly what the zenith of Prince's SUMMER OF THE PURPLE REIGN
was all about!!---The only reason that I took away one star is because I never fully
forgave Prince for firing Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, but hey, they did alright, didn't they?

In the life imitating art category was the Morris Day - Prince feud that ultimately found The Time clocking out of the music scene. Such a rivalry was the plot to the movie, Purple Rain.

Ice Cream Castle features music from the movie and is highlighted by the funk rave-up, The Bird. Even today you have to get those arms moving up & down when the beat heats up.

Another dance club gem is Jungle Love, as My Drawers keeps the pace swift, while the catchy title track has a midtempo clip. The facetious lyrics in Chili and If The Kid Can't Make You Come rounds out one of the most satisfying Prince projects from the 1980s.

Prince was building a recording dynasty with a lineup of artists who would dominate the charts. The Time was arguably the best group from that impressive roster.

This album is lots of wild fun, as was the case with much of the antics of Morris Day that livened up the "dark ages of black music" of the 80s.

Of course there's "Jungle Love" and "The Bird" (Squawk! hallelujah!) which was one of the most fun songs of the era. Then the bizarre "My Drawers" (which musically seems to pick up where 777-9311 left off in mxing rock and funk). This, Chili Sauce (which takes a sexy dialogue with an unidentified young lady to a level above a similar routine in "The Walk" from "What Time Is It"). Much of the latter was considered quite vile until this thing called "Gangster rap come along and...well, that's another story. In either case, this holds up the level of fun from the previous time releases.

After the sucess of Purple Rain, The Time seemed destined to be huge. Prince was talented but Morris was a cool a jerk you just wanted to hang out with. The CD includes tehe huge hits Junge Love and The Bird both of which can still get a party started. Also worth noting is the ballad If The Kid Can't Make You Come.