Customer Reviews

For You

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The picture of an Afro-ed Prince, then 20, with a blurry light-motion effect on the right side of his head, is his introduction to the world. His opening album is a mixture of disco, funk, and romantic soul.

The title track opens with a capella dreamy falsetto and backing vocals by Prince himself. It might as well symbolize the dawn of Prince.

The use of the Poly-moog synthesizer and funky beats of the pleasant skip of "In Love" gives credence to Prince as being touted by his then-manager, Owen Husney, as the next Stevie Wonder.

The danceable "Soft And Wet" became Prince's first single, and it's easy to see why. There's even a good Arp solo here. It also has the sexual suggestiveness that would later explode with his Dirty Mind album.

The relaxing "Crazy You" has the feeling of watching a quiet tropical evening sunset. It also features water drums. Listen to this track and it won't be hard to pick them up.

The longest song here (6:24), "Just As Long As We're Together" is his shot at classic disco with a funky instrumental in the latter half of the song. This races even quicker than "Soft And Wet", which may explain why it also became a single. It's as engaging as the Bee-Gee's "You Should Be Dancing". He's credited with a lot of instruments, but clearly not the mirror ball, which he should have been on this song.

"Baby" is a lovey-dovey slow-dance number with shots of quick disco at the chorus. However, the subject matter is about a man discussing "Baby, what are we gonna do?" because his girl is pregnant. He promises to love and adore her and wishes that the baby's eyes are just like hers.

"My Love Is Forever" also belongs in the disco camp, and while not as floor-burning as "Just As Long As We're Together", might as well be comparable to the Bee-Gees' "More Than A Woman". Nice guitar solo near minute three of the song.

According to lore, Prince began as such a perfectionist that he waited to catch a cold before recording "So Blue", which kind of aims at being a hybrid of soul and bossa nova. He misses his girl so much that "even though the sun is shining, I spend my days crying over you."

The closing number "I'm Yours" has a fiery REO Speedwagon type guitar solo, and becomes more rock as a result. Kind of a foreshadowing of what he would use in Purple Rain, yes? He laces his funky rhythms with the guitar throughout the song.

Prince uses his falsetto voice here prominently, the sole exception being "Just As Long As We're Together" something he would do for his next two albums.

So, who does the guitars here? Prince. The piano? Prince. Backing vocals? Prince. The moogs, bongos, Orr bass, synthesizer bass? Prince, Prince, Prince, and, uh... oh yeah, Prince! This album and not his second album should've been titled Prince, because of the many instruments he plays. It's all a one-man affair on For You. An impressive debut album, although it pales when put next to his subsequent output.

Prince's first album (that is, if you don't count the "94 East" sessions recorded a few years earlier) is not bad at all. Pleasant, upbeat, sorta bouncy stuff that you wanna hear in your car on a long drive on a sunny day. The title cut, with our man Roger Nelson doing a multitrack acapella performance is quite stunning (it's also backtracked in the first few seconds-a trick he'd later repeat on end of the title cut to "Purple Rain."). "Just As Long as We're Together" and My Love Is Forver" are sunny little tunes that will make you smile while "I'm Yours" picks up where James Marshall Hendrix left off (although Prince went to great lengths to deny any Hendrix connection in the mid-80s). But either way, listen and you will enjoy.

someone recording a debut like this should be looked at as someone who has a supernatural talent, and it's no surprise that he is and was capable of something like this. but at this age-doing everything himself this good-wow!. from the acapella intricacies of the title track to the stellar arrangements in 'my love is forever' to the fairly sweet sentiments on lyrical display, aforeshadow of what's 2 come. yes, it sounds a bit lukewarm at times (the funk could have been souped up on 'soft and wet'), but it actually sounds a bit more diverse than subsequent releases, if only for the presence of two acoustic-based tracks (crazy you and so blue). he's showing us all his talent and his possibilities here. 'dirty mind' is the one to hear if u need a primer on what makes the prince we know so...dirty, but this is a worthy album nonetheless. and damn is that falsetto high!

Not bad debut album by the one and only Prince Rogers Nelson, it seems he was searching for his own voice in this Stevie Wonder/ Smokey Robinson inspired songfest but there a couple of classics in "Soft and Wet" and "Crazy You" the latter which has been covered by many artists and to think this guy was 18 years old and Warners let him produce and arrange this album. (that does not happen anymore.)He would go on to produce more classic and fuller albums but this is the start of the artist i call the most influential singer-songwriter of the last 25 years.

I've heard it said that there is little musically on
"For You" that would suggest that Prince would become one of
the 1980's most important pop music innovators.That is just
not true.The a-cappela tital song,the lacsivious "Soft And Wet","In Love" and the sweet "Just As Long As We're Together" are the prime early examples of the "minneapolis sound" Prince would soon pioneer,while "Crazy You" is fairly uncharacteristic acoustic soul.And nothing shouts "late 70's commercial R&B/funk
artist" louder then "Baby" and "My Love is Forever".In my opinion
a VERY strong start.

I may be Misunderstood,but think this is HIS best work!!! No drum machines ALL HIM !! Anyone that gives this cd less than 5 stars does not play an Instrument!!!or really know Music ! DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD THIS IS TO PULL OFF!!!!THE MAN IS ONE OF THE GREATEST MUSICIANS OF THE 21/20 CENTURY!!!!THE VOCAL HAMORNIES ALONE NO DAMN AUTO TUNE!!!!!And the feeling is SPIRITUAL!!! AMAZING PLAYING !!!!ITS A MASTER PIECE!

I may be hated for this but I dont have much to say about this album outside of the fact that it is amazing, funky and beautiful.
This is the best one man band Ive ever heard & for this to be his first album it is incredible.
If you stopped to look at it Buy this Album YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!

Prince's voice is captivating as always. Nothing else to say except, simply beautiful. Another exceptional album to add to his outstanding collections.

I'm the #1 Prince fan in tha world and 4 some reason I stayed away from this cd for years. It's the only album I didn't have on cd, so i finally completed the collection. I only remembered the tracks Soft and Wet and Just as Long as were 2gether. When I heard the other tracks years ago I just wasn't into them. Now that some time has passed and I have matured, I love this cd. It was like listening to "new" Prince material I never heard, ironically from his very first album. I love the songs "In Love", My Luv is 4ever, So Blue and I'm Yours. The titles are pretty basic but some of this music is better than his new material on Lotusflow3er. There is something about that 70's disco sound that is timeless. There was some soul going on back in those days and Prince sounds better than ever, keeping it simple n' singing about the best human emotion in the world, Love.

Of course no one can compare the music here to Prince's later work, but on its own, the album is really nice and entertaining. Not to mention, he was only 19 and already playing all of his instruments and writing and producing all of his music.

If he released this album today, he would still beat 99% of the male r&b singers.

In fact, if he released this album today, he'd be called Maxwell. (I'm not insulting Maxwell, he's really good: a lot better than D'Angelo.)

Highlights from For You: For You, In Love, Crazy You, Soft and Wet, I'm Yours.