Prince Album: “Purple Rain: Music From The Motion Picture”

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.

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!"

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 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.

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 !!