Customer Reviews

Prince

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The disco synthesizer and its soul/funk beat of "I Wanna Be Your Lover" gave Prince his first Billboard's Top 20 single (it reached #11), and also topped the Black Charts, and no wonder. Lyrically and rhythmically it's tighter and punchier. The song has a line where he wants to be some overarching expression of love, where he sings, "I wanna be your brother/I wanna be your mother and sister, too." It's sexually charged in one part. This is the full 5:47 version and not the single edit, meaning there's an extended instrumental section. I wonder if there's a 12" mix of this available.

The other single, "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" is another out-and-out synthesizer dance number, articulated with some rock guitar chords, kind of an expansion of what he did in "I'm Yours". I like this better than "I Wanna Be Your Lover". A rock guitar solo, more closer to Hendrix, is included. More shades of Purple Rain.

The upbeat stuff continues with "Sexy Dancer", which has simple lyrics, about the effects of what that sexy dancer has on him: "Sexy dancer, you got my body screaming" etc. One line is more explicit than the others. Some panting is included here, as well as monologue, something he would use in many of his future songs.

"When We're Dancing Close And Slow" is a contrast to the previous three floor-burners. It's closer to a nocturne, featuring a quiet acoustic guitar, piano, and drum.

"With You" is more a Lionel Richie-type radio ballad than "Close And Slow" is, as there's a constant synthesizer backing. It's more a romantic tune without the sex references in "Closer And Slow".

The rock-guitar tinged "Bambi", is surprising coming from someone who advocates sexual openness like him. The title character is a lesbian and he screams out the chorus: "Bambi, can't you understand?/Bambi, it's better with a man."

The piano-dominant ballad "Still Waiting" is the trials of a man waiting for that true love to come around. A similar sound would be used in "Gotta Broken Heart Again" on his next album.

The mid-paced third single, "I Feel For You" had its start here before Chaka Khan took it to the Top Ten in 1984. With the layer of moog-synthesizers, I definitely prefer this version.

A single edit of the 5:30 "It's Gonna Be Lonely" could've made this a good radio ballad. I like this lyric: "I'd be in a messed-up state of blue."

Like Prince, this was another one-man production, yet the fact that he thanks Bobby Z, Andre Cymone, Dez Dickerson, Gayle Chapman, and Matt Fink, who comprised his band, indicates that he may have had some kind of help from them. It's difficult to tell from the liner notes and credits. Prince has better songs, cohesive rhythms, and catchier tunes and outdoes his opening shot, For You.

i still love i wanna be your lover,sexy dancer,why you wanna treat me so bad and still waiting.it's basic sounding and what have you but his voice and the stylings were cool.this along with dirty mind,1999,sign o the times is my faves by prince.this is a cult album.there have probably been more covers from this album than any of his other albums.the keyboards and bass are banging on this disc.

This LP has what all outstanding Prince LP's have: tremendous range. Prince, at a very early age, demonstrates the ability to master different genres of the day, which few artists of that era (Stevie, Curtis, EWF) were able to pull off.

There are great cuts to please any Prince fan. Of course, there is "I Wanna Be Your Lover," the unique cut with the killer guitar hook. Then there's "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad," a nicely-paced guitar-pop ditty with a great solo. Move next to "Sexy Dancer," a synth-driven disco cut. Then of course, there is the original "I Feel For You," an uptempo, stripped-down piece which is just as enjoyable as the Chaka Khan version. As a matter of fact, the remaining cuts are very good too: the ballads "When We're Dancing Close and Slow" and "It's Gonna Be Lonely," the rockin' "Bambi," and "Still Waiting" (a hidden jewel that is SCREAMING for a country cover).

Hey, I have heard this album for years, and just writing this review, my already-high opinion of this LP has been raised. It's enjoyable from beginning to end, and as I see it, it served as a building block (artistically and commercially) for the rest of his career. Don't pass this one up.

This album lands on my top 5 favourite Prince albums of all time...One thing that seems to be overlooked is that this album has some amazing guitar in it. That old, funky rock and roll guitar I love to hear. The guitar in "Bambi" is absolutley some of the best guitar I've ever heard on any Prince album. The end of that song rocks like no other. I remember seeing the video for "Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad", which I think promted me to buy this album. Simply amazing. What I think I like most about this album are the ballads. They have some of the most simple lyrics about love, but have so much passion and romantism built in to them. "With U" is a sexy slow jam (actually Jill Jones' version is almost better than the Prince one), the lyrics are sickly sweet. Another powerhouse ballad is "It's Gonna Be Lonely". Prince's high pitch is at it's prime in this period, so he truely wails on this one. Classic underated Prince. Another track I absolutley love is "Still Waiting". A total adolescent Prince with yearing lyrics that seem like Mariah Carey poetry. But the message is plain and clear, and Prince can tear up a love ballad. "Sexy Dancer" has an extremely rare 12" version that's awesome. There is also an outake track that is now a bootleg called "Lisa", that I think is from this period. It's a great song that I wish Prince would release on another Crystal Ball!! To sum up, This is a Prince album I find myself going back to time and time again, and love the way it makes me feel every time. And for the reviewer who critizes the album's cover and fonts, calling it "tacky".....Tacky is timeless, and tacky always ends up being beautiful in the end.

This is a great ablum!! Prince did all of the work on the ablum too and that is very impressive! This was a perfect follow up to Prince's 1st ablum For You, and I LOVE this ablum!! I Wanna Be Your Lover, Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad, and Still Waiting are my fave from the ablum, but honestly this is one cd that I don't skip any songs, as the entire cd is rocking good. This is on heavy rotation of my daily listening!!!

3 1/2


Solid sophomore was for all intents and purposes the debut of an artist who would go on to be one of the eighties most prolific pop stars, offering ample proof of a sexed-up dance-funk that would dominate the airwaves for years to come.

One of the greatest musicians of our time. He is playing all the instruments and vocals on this masterpiece! Great song writing, great music. He makes that guitar talks!!!!

You have to prepare yourself for OLD Prince...this is not quite the same kind of music as 1999...however, if you are a die hard fan like I am, you will love this...mellow, but funky...all around good.

Although some may be mislead into thinking that this is Prince's debut album, it is actually his second (1978's _For You_ being his first), and it benefits from being a bit more polished, and fleshed out in it's production and execution, than the aforementioned first album.

The tracks here, on this second offering, are more developed, more striking in gorgeous melodies, and the sensuality that drives Prince's music is upped quite significantly, which helps to create a stronger album than the first. Prince supposedly has said that on this particular album, he created it more to please the record companies, than he did for himself. No matter, it's an excellent album, and like the first, Prince is credited for playing all the instruments, and performing all vocals.

Things start off with the hit, "I Wanna Be Your Lover", with it's pulsating rhythms, and slick guitar melodies, which are fronted by Prince's sexy falsetto, and creamy harmonies. As mentioned elsewhere, the album version (contained here) features the extended jam, which is more hypnotic and mood-inducing, than it is dance-inducing. "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad" is another hit from the album, and is one of my top-favorite Prince songs; the melodies themselves are highly sensual, and it's all topped off by a fantastic distortion-laden, Hendrix-like guitar solo at the end. One of the most orgasmic songs I've ever heard, and any time I listen to this album, I can't resist the urge to listen to this song multiple times, before resuming play for the rest of the album. "Sexy Dancer" is a funkified disco jam, and features a nice jazzy keyboard solo from Prince near the end. "When We're Dancing Close And Slow" is a beautiful ballad which stays on one or two main chords for the majority of it's 5-minute playing time, but the mood of the song draws you in to the point where you're not worried about it seeming too repetitive.

"With You" is a gorgeous ballad, if not somewhat generic-sounding. The orchestration is lovely, and the melodies are poignant. "Bambi" is pre-_Purple Rain_ metal crunch, with subject matter about a woman who prefers consummation with another woman, than with the male protagonist. "Still Waiting" almost makes me laugh in the fact that, musically, it sounds like something from James Taylor and/or a few others of the "singer/songwriter" pack from the early/mid 70s. You could easily confuse it for such, if it weren't for Prince's vocals and lyrics. "I Feel For You" was another hit for Prince, even though most remember the version that Chaka Khan did sometime after this version. Lovely dance track with great melodies, and the keyboards are nifty. "It's Gonna Be Lonely" is a gorgeous, somewhat downbeat, mid-tempo ballad, featuring excellent vocals, especially during the chorus.

Although things would generally get better from here, fans owe it to themselves to check out Prince's first two albums, since they are generally better than most people give them credit for.

Wow, this album takes me back to the fall of '79,
around the same time as MJ was taking over
the world with his scorching solo debut "Off The Wall"!!
Both of these albums got heavy rotation on my turntable
and were house party essentials when I was a 15 yr old
kid spinning the hot joints of the day!

At this time, Prince was still a virtual unknown
to the mainstream, but to a hip urban audience
comprised mostly of blacks, gays, and ultra-hip whites
who really knew what time it was,
this LP served as notice that a "new thang" was
brewin' in Minneapolis that was going to take
the pop world by storm in a few short years!
From the opening track, "I Wanna Be Your Lover",
his first big single (gold) to the rockin'
"Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?", which also was
a single and a true fan fave!--
To "Sexy Dancer" which was sure to bring everybody
to the dance floor and into a frenzy!
Prince then cools down the mood with
"When We're Dancing Close and Slow",
which is just beautiful with its sparse piano
and acoustic 12-string guitar--one of his many
underrated slow jams of all time!

Then Side 2 opened with the pretty "With You"
and into the scorching rockalistic ode to female
bisexuality.."Bambi", which still knocks me for a loop!
I've had the pleasure of seeing him perform this
song live twice down through the years..
once in 1980 during his "Dirty Mind Tour" and
again in 1992 during his "Nude Tour"
while I was overseas!--Awesome!!

Then there's what I call "The Great Triplicate"...
"Still Waiting" (another underrated slow classic!),
followed by what is to me, the definitive version
of "I Feel For You"(no disrespect to the
great Chaka Khan!), followed by another
underrated slow jam masterpiece
"It's Gonna Be Lonely", which still sends
me today at 41 the same as it did when
I first heard it at 15!
This album was Prince's first Platinum album,
proving that he (at only 21) was indeed a
hitmaker and one to watch!
This album and the next one, "Dirty Mind",
served as a changing of the gaurd from the older
established innovators of that day like
Stevie Wonder, Earth,Wind & Fire and
Parliament / Funkadelic, etc. &
is an essential if your collecting Prince classics!
In fact, you can't go wrong with this kat
between his debut, 1978's "For You" to
1987's "Sign O' The Times"...it just doesn't
get any better!