The Very Best of Prince

Prince | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 31, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino
• ASIN: B00005M989
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (194 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #552 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #4 in Music > R&B > Funk > General
  • #23 in Music > Dance & DJ
  • #25 in Music > Pop > Dance Pop > General AAS

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Taken literally, this album's title is sure to cause endless arguments. Nothing from Dirty Mind, not a trace of the early anthem "Controversy," no "Erotic City"--no non-LP cuts at all, save some edited single versions--and a cold shoulder to the criminally out-of-print Gold Experience. Damn. As a compendium of 17 key A-sides from 1979 to 1992, however, The Very Best of Prince is (ahem) a quick-'n'-dirty review of the days when the Artist was, in the estimation of R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, one of the weirdest musicians in the Top 10. Blessed with both creative cunning and the wish to reach every listener possible, Prince revitalized rock and soul modes from the sex-crazed ("Little Red Corvette") to the cryptically spiritual ("Purple Rain"). Often he blurred lines between attitudes as surely as he did musical ones; the New Testament image of "Thieves in the Temple" became in his hands a complaint about a stolen girlfriend. Though a fine party artifact, this disc is still likely to prove too scanty even for many casual Prince fans. --Rickey Wright

Product Description

Putting together a single-disc compilation from Prince must have been a tough task, but whoever put this together did a great job. 17 of the R&B/Pop icon's best including 'When Doves Cry', 'Little Red Corvette', 'Kiss', 'I Would Die For You' and many others. For the full and part-time fan, this is like a trip down memory lane, but for the beginner, this is the best path to take. Warner.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 89 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Ideal For Casual Fans March 20, 2003

By G. J Wiener

Format:Audio CD

There seems to be some controversy regarding this one CD compilation. Some die hard Prince fans are offended that the record label released this one CD greatest hits when there were already two and three CD sets previously released on the market. Whereas I can understand these perspectives, I am choosing to evaluate the music on this compilation.

In spite of this CD not being all that comprehensive, I enjoy many of the songs on it. Little Red Corvette and 1999 are super classics as are the songs from Purple Rain. Well, I am not too crazy about I Would Die For U but the other tunes rule. Kiss is a funky soul number and Sign O The Times is kind of cool. Surprise gems are Cream and the hip hop Get Off. Alphabet Street and Thieves In The Temple are a bit to helter skelter for me.

Anyway, this compilation is for those who want a quick fix on Prince and aren't too interested in exploring him much further. Maybe that was the reason for this release in addition to the record company trying to bilk some more cash. Nonetheless, those fans seeking to explore this very creative artist should probably sample his originally released material or at least explore the other more comprehensive compilation sets out on the market.

57 of 63 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Prince on the Pop Charts 1979-1991 August 2, 2001

By T. C Lane

Format:Audio CD

The Hits/B Sides covered Prince's last years's on Warner Brothers, but this odd release focuses on 1979-1991 only. The idea is to cover his biggest crossover Pop Top 40 hits. No album cuts and if an album didn't have a Top 40 single (Like Controversy or Dirty Mind) it was skipped. So, while it's missing 4 Top 10's from this period: Batdance, Pop Life, I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man and Delirious, all 4 of those are the least played of Prince's Top 10's. As for the inclusion of the Top 30 Money Don't Matter Tonight, well it's a great song that the compilers must have thought deserved a second chance. But at 73 minutes Warner had time to squeeze in the under 3 minute "Delirious", especially considering that the versions of When Doves Cry and 1999 are the single edits. And that's the rub of this whole set. Using single edits (when they had time for the album length versions), no liner notes, no alternate takes and live cuts to entice the Prince collector and cutting off the whole affair in 1991, when The Hits/B Sides didn't, makes for a compilation that can only be recommended for those who are skeptical of Prince and need a reason to take a chance. Nice cover photos, though. For Prince Newbies Only.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A few reasons why I passed on this CD. August 13, 2001

By Mike Taylor

Format:Audio CD

This is a nice collection of hits, but there's a few things I didn't like about it. You see--Trust, Dirty Mind, Thunder, Pop Life, Sexy M.F., Nothing Compares 2 U, Batdance, If I Was Your Girlfriend, 7, P Control, Partyman, Controversy, Head, and a slew of others are missing. Now, if this is the very best of Prince, how come some real gems like these are out, while a song as lame as Money Don't Matter 2 Night makes the cut? I'm only a casual Prince fan myself, but even I recognize where a double CD would be needed to cover a twenty-plus year epic career.