Customer Reviews

Purple Rain [Explicit]

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I was in seventh grade the year Purple Rain came out. It was a time of making out with girls, riding my bike around the neighborhood after dark, hanging out with my best friends in our clubhouse, and just generally trying to gain more freedom from my parents. But the one thing that really stands out about this formative year is how much my friends and I utterly loved Purple Rain and its accompanying soundtrack. Stretching an extension chord from the garage to our clubhouse, my friends and I would watch the movie and listen to the soundtrack just about every Friday night for that summer. While probably somewhat of a bizarre thing to admit now, it was truly a great time which I'll never forget.

As it stands today, the Purple Rain Soundtrack is still one of the best albums I've ever heard. The nostalgic qualities it possesses after just a few notes into "Let's Go Crazy" are very powerful to me and remind me of those days camping out in the backyard on weekends. And I could even care less if Prince ever made another album after Purple Rain. It's the one! Sign of the Times was a fair effort, granted, and his first couple albums have charming appeal, but everything after Sign of the Times just missed the boat or ventured too far into insipid R&B territory.

So what exactly is it that makes Purple Rain so much more enjoyable than the rest of his catalog? What makes it the indisputable stand-out? For me, I think it has a lot to do with the Revolution's sound. They had a huge influence on the aesthetic of Prince's early albums, particularly from the input of Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (a/k/a Wendy & Lisa). Furthermore the production and instruments used by this group of musicians were less polished than what you'd hear from Prince today. And therein lies the primary reason for his decline over time.

The moment "Let's Go Crazy" opens with its funeral-esque keyboards and Prince's dialogue about life, there's a certain prevailing darkness. It remains until the ending moments of "Purple Rain," which I'll get to in a moment. And even though this is a pop record by design, there isn't the sugary sweet coating typically associated with this sort of music.

"Computer Blue" is another Purple Rain highlight. With a solo from Prince and an unobtrusive rhythm section, we get to hear the intricacies of his guitar skills. The song leads directly into the infamous "Darling Nikki." It's usually a favorite among the female crowd, but I find it to be one of the best due to the screeching vocals that have become synonymous with Prince. "When Doves Cry" is self-explanatory. "I Would Die 4 U" shows the same keyboard flair Prince possessed when writing the music for Stevie Nicks' "Stand Back." It glides along effortlessly and stands as one of the best tracks to grace this 40-minute experience.

Ending with Prince's most recognized song, "Purple Rain," I can't help but declare this one of the most perfect pop songs ever recorded. It's been played to death and just about everyone knows it, but that doesn't mean a thing to me. I'm talking about a song that should never be mentioned without words like iconic, transcendent, or epic attached to it. It also happens to be a gripping part of the film, in which Prince dedicates its lyrics to his father who has just committed suicide. Very few songs have since matched its beauty or timelessness.

Ultimately, I'd admit that it's inconsequential to review an album like the Purple Rain Soundtrack. It had such a huge impact on '80s culture and is still one of the most highly respected soundtracks in the history of our generation. It doesn't need press and it certainly doesn't need justification from me, but it's certainly worthy of celebration from time to time. And really, that's all I'm here to do. Well, that and maybe to relive my past a bit.

If 1999 was a warmup for Prince's stardom, it hit him like a bolt of purple lightning from the heavens, followed by an earthshattering thunderclap, for Purple Rain was Prince's supreme moment. And Prince introduced a sound that incorporated a snarling guitar that owed a nod to Jimi Hendrix.

The organ and Prince's monolgue heralds "Let's Go Crazy", then comes the drum machine and that snarling guitar. The song goes into full drive here and like "1999", is a song that brings life to any party. The fiery guitar solo at the end is well worth the song. There's a stab against psychiatrists who prescribe pills to their patients instead of real solutions. "Instead of asking him how much of your time is left, ask him how much of your mind."

The lush string-oriented "Take Me With U" is a mid-paced duet between Prince and his Purple Rain co-star Apollonia. Her vocals are really prominent when the two sing "I don't care if we spend the night at your mansion" and the other four verses of the bridge, as well when they repeat the title line toward the end of the song. Unless one has a copy of Apollonia 6 and her solo album, this is the closest one'll have of hearing her.

"The Beautiful Ones" about how the most beautiful women aren't necessarily the happiest, starts out as a slow ballad in Prince's falsetto, before he raises the power adrenaline several notches when screaming out "Do you want him, or do you want me, 'cause I want you." Matt Fink's piano- and later organ-sounding synthesizers provide a lush backing to this wonder. It comes to a quiet close, with only Fink's and Bobby Z's drums. Mariah Carey covers this on her Butterfly album to no avail.

"Computer Blue" starts out with a suggestive conversation between Wendy and Lisa. "Wendy?" "Yes Lisa?" "Is the water warm enough?" "Yes Lisa." "Shall we begin?" "Yes, Lisa." What actually takes place is a hard-pounding track featuring the lyrics at first, then fiery guitarwork throughout, climaxing in Prince's falsetto screams. Bobby Z's percussion provides a strong backbeat throughout. Love this one!

The grinding "Darling Nikki" has its notoriety about the title character and her house of eroticism, and is also the song that inflamed Tipper Gore. And yes, it has another killer guitar solo and passionate Prince screams. I wonder, are the last lyrics of that song the ones played backward at the end?

"When Doves Cry", which zoomed up to #1 to the charts in six weeks, punctuated by the percussion and keyboards, is yet further proof of premier songwriting and sound.

"I Would Die 4 U" which has a rippling fuzzy sound throughout, seems to be about God: "I'm not a human/I'm a dove/I am your conscious/I am love." Then again, it might be Prince, as he's for love and peace. It segues into "Baby I'm A Star", which rivals "Let's Go Crazy" in energy level. It's simultaneously a declaratory statement by Prince to his audience of what he is and an assertion by the common person that an engaging personality will make him shoot to the stars.

The apocalyptic title track is one of the loveliest compositions Prince has done. To hear it in anything other than its full 8:45 is sacrilege. The lyrics come in up to 3:45, the song then becomes a thundering symphonic rock instrumental with a fusion of guitar, cello, violin, and viola. For the last minute and three-quarters, the strings carry it through to its conclusion.

Every song on this album is so entwined together in Prince's unifying theme and sound that it's sometimes jarring to hear any of these songs on anywhere else but this album. Anyone wanting to know why Prince made the impact he did should get this album, which is the first ever piece of music I bought sung by one artist. A personal favourite and all-time classic.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, to get through this thing called life". My personal handbook I use to get through life, is this album. Clocking in at a ballsy 45 minutes, the album takes you--whether you're ready for the ride or not--on a journey of unprecedented scale. Prince holds no punches musically or lyrically on this tour de France of an album. Head bashing riffs, toe tapp'n beats, and tear jerking melodies collide here in a musical harmonic convergence. Simply put: you can go no wrong with Purple Rain. Now go, shower in its glory.

Prince took the style that he had created on 1999 and polished it to perfection making Purple Rain the masterpiece that it is. This album is a display of all of Prince's talents from his vocal pyrotechnics to his musical versitility. Prince is at his peak here in creating melodies that complement his outlandish lyrics perfectly. "Let's Go Crazy" begins like a sermon with Prince doing a little preaching behind a raging organ only to kick into a full blown rocker that never lets up. "The Beautiful One" is about a man confused and broken hearted because his lover is with someone else and he can feel the ominous end. This song is set to a slow pulsating groove culminating in a plea of passion. "DO YOU WANT HIM OR DO YOU WANT ME." "Darling Nikki" is a little tale about a woman in heat who can't get enough set to a seductive beat and melody. It's a wild and sexy ride that lingers in the mind long after its over. Some other highlights include "When Doves Cry", which was Prince's first number 1 hit,"I Would Die 4 U",the furious funked out "Baby I'm A Star",and the title song which features guitar playing that is passionate and inspired. Anyone who tells you that the 80's was a worthless decade for music should pick up a copy of Purple Rain and become enlightened. This is timeless stuff.Get it. To quote the Purple one... "We're not going to let the elevator break us down oh no lets go!"

Although I've always felt that 1999 was Prince's true breakthrough (read cross-over) disc, it's hard to argue wth this masterpiece. Prince took it to another level with this one. Wherein on his previous albums he pretty much stuck with R&B/Soul with a punk attitude, with Purple Rain he took rock by the horns and breathe new life in it. As usual, let's look at it song by song. Let'Go Crazy: A flatout, head banging rocker that became an anthem for the most part of the 80's. Besides Sign O' The Times, it is the best album opener in Princes great career.Though the album version is great, if you can dig it up somewhere, the 12 single version is even better. We hear some of the 12 inch version in the movie. All in all, it's a classic. Take Me With You: Only prince can rock us out and then take us to a pop wonderworld without skipping a beat......and we like it! Prince is helped out in the vocals by a cooing Appolonia. Which actually sounds perfect for the popish groove of this song. It's one of my favorite songs on the disc. The Beautiful Ones: This love triangle song is most notable for it's ending. It's filled with primal screams of anguish by Prince. The last where he states "I want you, yes I do". The music, a synth drum beat coupled with a cymbal fade away. It's a heart breaking song that should be played very loudly unless you have very thin walls. The neighbors may think you're killing someone! Computer Blue: This is a turning point for the album and I'll tell you why in a second. It's starts with a very lezbo exchange between Wendy and Lisa about the water being warm enough? Very sexy! That fades into what is the heart of the song where Prince is asking us "Where is my love life?" There can't be more than a minute of lyrics before we move on to another stage of the song that is solely instrumental, mainly guitar. And a great guitar solo at that! This finally ends with prince again screaming at the top of his lungs to end the song. But as the last notes fade into the next song, you can hear what can only be describe as a whooping, howling scream by Prince. So why is this a turning point for the album? This album is from a movie of the same name. When people bought it they of course would associate each song with a scene or moment from the movie. This song separates the album as a unique work apart from the movie. This album could stand alone even if a movie about it never existed. AND, the album is much, much, MUCH deeper than the movie could ever think of being. This album is about pent up sexual, and personal frustration. Prince fights his own demons on a daily basis. Like Marvin Gaye, his demons are dealing with sex and still loving and serving God. Prince took it a step further by really beliveing that when we make love, that is when we are the closest we'll ever get to God here on Earth. The screams amd howls of excrusiating pain at the end of Computer Blue brings this to the forefont on this album. Darling Nikki: Another very important song on the disc. On the surface "Nikki" just seems to be a funny song about a very horny girl of the same name. By the end of the song though, after more painful screams, the song fades into what sounds like a rain storm coupled with very weird backward singing. On the original album (and unfortunately you'll never be able to hear this from a CD) you could play it backwards. He sings praises and hallelujah to God and his plans for us. Now what a crazy way to end the most perverted song on the album! Again, it's the God and sex connection. And it's pure Prince. When Doves Cry: What can I say about this song? It is one of the songs I picked as the 5 greatest of the 80's and it is one of the best songs ever! Why? Really listen to it. It is the first song that solely uses percussion instruments for most of the song. The only melody is the lead vocal. Even at the begining of each chorus, those weird notes are played on a steel drum. A percussion instrument. Not until the end does the guitar come in. Why is this so important? Rock and pop songs up until then were built around an instrument that could actually play a tune! Although R&B and soul definitely put more emphasis on the rythym section, this song took it to the extreme. Couple such an arrangement with some very oriental sounding keyboards and harmonies and you get the timeless classic that is When Doves Cry. I Would Die For You: A jittery classic. This is a fast moving song that on the surface just sounds like it's about undying love for someone. It's about far more than just that. Listen to the lyrics. In the context of the movie it is just about the relationship between two people. In the more layered context of the album, Prince is speaking to us as God/Jesus Himself! Think of the lyrics, "I'm not a woman, I'm not a man. I am something that you'll never understand". Later on he even says "I'm your Messiah". The real tell tale lyric is said close to the end in the "rapid rap" part as I like to call it that starts off "You're Just a sinner I am told. Be your fire when you're cold..." Couple all of this with an infectiuos melody and rythym and you have a classic. Please, go back and REALLY listen to this song. You will appreciate more. Baby I'm A Star: Prince saw his own future when he wrote this one. Yes you are a star my friend. The song itself is just pure hard rockin' R&B/rock, and a joy to hear. In the movie this was the last song, which was fitting the way the movie played out. On the album it's followed by....Purple Rain: One of the original "wave your cigarette lighter to the rythym" songs and maybe still the best. It's a bonafide rock 'n roll anthem. Prince does one of his best guitar solos in this one too. This is also another example of how the album is superior to the movie. On the album, after the main part of the song is done, Prince ends it with a very weird and mornful string violin coda that goes on for about 2 or so minutes. It helps the album stay consistant with the frustration felt throughout it. Had it ended with happy go lucky "Star" it would have made it a completely different album. The only album that has a closing song to compare to this one is Sign O' The Times' Adore. Although I feel "Sign" is Princes best effort, Purple Rain was a journey I'm glad I didn't miss. Thank you Prince for showering us, no DRENCHING us in your purple reign.

Even several weeks before its release, "Purple Rain" was destined to be a smash hit. Here is the sountrack to the movie that would make Prince an international superstar, giving Michael Jackson some fierce competition on the charts. "Purple Rain" is the album that introduced the band the Revolution, and they do a formidable job serving an excellent blend of straight-up funk and guitar fueled rock. When the single "When Doves Cry" was released, nothing like it had ever been done before. Who ever thought of composing a song that completely eliminates a bassline? The single was simultaneously strange yet engaging, and amounts to a five minute stroke of brilliance. "Let's Go Crazy" is his most energetic single to date, a song that no doubt earned him a Grammy for best rock performance. But it's the lesser known songs that also stand out such as his duet with Appolonia "Take Me With U" and the often-overlooked "Baby I'm a Star," which he performed at the 1985 Grammys. Prince never released an album that sold even remotely close to this, but it did make him a household name and a fixture in mainstream pop. Truth be told, the soundtrack tells a better story than the movie itself, and it's one of the very best records of the last 20 years.

The weird backwards-sounding ending to "Darling Nikki" with the rain and chanting vocals is actually another "song"!

If you play this part backwards (which I did back in the 80's on my dad's turntable - remember those?), it says:

"Hello. How are you? I'm fine, fine, 'cuz I know that the Lord is coming soon. Coming again soon."

These words are sung to a very strange tune in an erie, almost unsettling harmony of voices. Haunting and unforgettable!

The album where Prince finally completely synthesized all his influences into a giant melting pot of genius. Of course, the movie is really stupid but we all know that. What matters is the music. Let's talk about the music.
Well, Prince has pushed synths to the background. Way to the background. Oh yes, they're still there but Prince has replaced his synth layering wizardy with something else: a full band. For the first time in his career, Prince plays with a full band and the results are shocking. Going from full muscular rock and roll roar, to delicate balladry, the band Prince had chose was not only accomplished but diverse and ready to challenge various styles. And they do.
Not only is the album more full arrangement wise because of the band, it is also more spontaneous, and it breathes more. Earlier Prince albums could be seen as a bit claustrophobic. Not here. This is a wide open technicolor album. Prince wanted to do everything on this album, and he achieved that. He would continue to try to do everything for his whole career, and though his albums remained brilliant for over 90 percent of his career, none ever his this peak. Purple Rain is one of hte most beautiful songs ever, that alone gives it a five. BUY IT NOW.

Prince is an artist who polarizes most music fans. To some, he is an unparalleled genius and even his apparent mis-steps are merely "beyond our scope" to understand. Others are confused by his sexuality, vulgarity or general behavior and find it more convenient to dismiss him as a overhyped wierdo. I tend to think of him as a genius who sometimes makes bad music (and I don't toss around the g-word lightly), but it doesn't really matter. Regardless of what you think of Prince personally, I can't imagine that anyone wouldn't recognize the monumental talent required to write and perform the songs on Purple Rain.

Barely a minute into "Let's Go Crazy", the tone is set. This is Rock. This is Funk. This is Pop. This is something else entirely. This is music with the cockiness and strut of an artist who is in full command of his considerable skills and knows it. What follows is a journey that is more vibrant and dramatic than the movie that bears the same name. Prince is demonstrating that he is beholden to no convention, but doesn't throw that fact in our faces. When he makes a decision on this album, there is no ulterior motive to show off or be controversial. His only purpose is to advance the "musical narrative". The level with which he succeeds can only be matched, not surpassed.

Many people will point to Sign of the Times or 1999 as Prince's best effort, but neither of these albums boast a collection of songs that cling together so organically, or pulse with so much energy. This is a soundtrack that renders the movie unnecessary. Each new song unfolds like a fresh scene or chapter, evolving out of the previous music. Check out the transitions between "The Beautiful Ones" and "Computer Blue" and "Darling Nikki", or the melding of "I Would Die 4 U" and "Baby I'm a Star". Whether its the squeal of the purple one's gutiar or his voice, the conviction is clear. He has committed fully to his work, and so will you.

Purple Rain is the rare album that is perfect to throw on at party, but also holds up through a pair of headphones with all of your focus on every note. One of the top ten albums of all time.

If I were stranded on a desert island and could only have 5 cd's, I would be hard pressed not to include this one in the group. I believe this is the definitive work of Prince and truly represents that magical time in the 80's where music came alive for the first time via MTV !! Really good music creates a feeling that transcends words....you simply want to share it with others and let them enjoy it with you. Purple Rain does that for me (and I'm sure for many of you). Prince is a master "Ar'Teest".....killer guitar licks, haunting keyboards and lyrics....whoa....this guy taps into a place "we all know" but few can put into words !! Love, sex, relationships, defeat, redemption.....Purple Rain touches it all. Its life captured on a glitsy set we can all see in our minds....and our hands all go up in the air...swaying back and forth...mezmerized !! And let's not forget THE REVOLUTION...his best backing band ever....it all just clicked !! Songs like "Beautiful Ones", "Doves Fly", "Die 4 U", "Nikki" and of course "Purple Rain"....are all indelible marks on the fabric of America....That's great music !!