Prince: Warner Brothers (1978 - 1996)
Girl 6: Warner Bros (1996)
Allowing the ice thaw, temporarily, with Warners' to release this soundtrack for his friend, Spike Lee, for his new film Girl 6, about an out of work actress who gets herself back on her feet by taking up phone sex. There is only one new song here, the NPG's title track, however it does pull together some of his good and lesser known funk, a lot of it coming from Sign O The Times, however there are Prince contributions from The Family, and Vanity 6, as well as some even lesser known B-sides headed up by the unmistakable Erotic City. New and old tunes combined here in perfect harmony, shame about the film but at least we owe it to Spike Lee for the soundtrack.
Chaos & Disorder: Warner Bros (1995)
The title says it all, Prince declares the end of his relationship with Warner Brothers. And Prince fans, get over it, this is a great album, sadly I will never find even a die-hard Prince/
fan who would agree with me, but they clearly don't appreciate Prince at his rawest. It is tracks thrown together to get Warner's off his case for once and for all and finish off his infamous 'CONtract', which is why this album is packed full with venom - fantastic! Chaos & Disorder does what it was all written to do - kick ass - and is what the Hate Experience is really about. There is a lot of good stuff here, Chaos And Disorder, The Same December, Right The Wrong, Zannalee, I Rock Therefore I Am, Dig U Better Dead, give the album amazing tempo. Who else would tell the largest record company on the planet to get lost. The opposite spectrum of Prince's passion should never be underestimated, although Prince's music is best in the bedroom, this is Prince as pissed off he can get, the man certainly has a dark side. And like Lord Vader, both excel at airing their frustrations in public. How else to finish off a decaying relationship with Had U and begin life as an independent.
The Gold Experience: Warner Bros (1995)
Sex, Fetishes, Loneliness, Vindication, Love, and Hate are the range of 'Experiences' Prince treats us to here. Its 'that' album which was the last straw over the split with Prince and Warner's over their refusal to release it. So along came a rare moment in music history when a tour (teasing the audience with 'Release Date: NEVER' slogans) preceded the release of the album it was promoting, which remains, frankly, one of his greatest tours to date. The album contains Princes worldwide smash The Most Beautiful Girl In The World (technically his last hit single). But for me its the stunning guitar over Shhh, where you can actually hear the guitar literally sing its heart out, and Dolphin make this one of his best compilations. I Hate U, Shy and the absolutely tight Billy Jack Bitch kicks this album into orbit and remains a deep personal favourite. After the Purple Rain styled Gold we are finally 'welcomed to the dawn' and what a great new day it turned out to be, roll on tomorrow.
Come: Warner Bros. (1993)
The Prince is dead, long live ! Come, the album of the one-word titles, well, he was cheating a bit with Letitgo! He gives us a secret, sex with him lasts 10 minutes and with the title track you live every second of it which makes magnificent listening. Its nice to see Prince try out dance music with Loose and lets hope he does it again. The album has great range from the fantastic base line of Race and the beats of Come and Pheromone, to pure soul with Solo to Dark gives the album true class. The radio friendly tracks are Space and Letitgo, no surprising that they are the albums only singles, the remixes on the EPs being some of his best. The writing was on the wall with his relationship with Warner's, he even killed his own name, which unfortunately for the inharmonious wake after Prince's 'death' was to last another 3 years.
The Hits/The B-Sides: Warner Bros. (1993)
Here is the situation, your most expensive and successful artist signed less than a year ago decides to 'kill' his name and change it to an unpronounceable symbol, coupled with the fact you feel their music is becoming less commercial, what do you do? You go back to basics and re-package a greatest hits collection. In typical Prince style, there is a ton of material to choose from. Throw in are a couple of unreleased tracks, Pope and Peach and a Prince version of Nothing Compares 2 U, but Warner's also resurface the long lost B-sides most notably, 4 The Tears In Your Eyes and Power Fantastic. Prince had Warner's sussed "everybody wants to sell what's already been sold..." but Warner's too realised he was dipping commercially "...all that glitters ain't gold." One highly respected DJ at the time said this is an "essential to anyone's music collection" so the moral here is: not all DJ's talk crap. Good music aplenty here, saves changing the CD around.
: Warner Bros. (1992)
First album of the new contract, and it always struck me as a little odd to release a song called My Name Is Prince for him only to go and change his name before the next album, but as a song it rocks and an ideal concert opener in the 77,000 audience at the Act II show at his first and only visit to Wembley Stadium. To fill a big venue Prince filled this album with big operatic and ballsey numbers. Symbol has a number of ballsy big productions in the form of 7, the Bohemian Rhapsody-esq Three Chains O’ Gold, The Max and, The Sacrifice Of Victor. The lyrics from the comical in Blue Light, to the impossible to broadcast Sexy MF as well as the self loving and massive My Name Is Prince "the one and only" puts the icing on the cake of this truly remarkable and extremely confident album.
Diamonds And Pearls: Warner Bros. (1991)
Prince's last commercially successful album for over a decade, and personally, Diamonds And Pearls, remains my favourite album of all time, it also got Prince his massive $100m recording contract with Warner's. Laying the ghost of the Revolution firmly to rest, the first album from his new band, the New Power Generation, offers an incredibly diverse blend of hip-hop, soul, rock, proving Prince could still blitz the charts if released today. The musicianship is notable, Sonny T's bass and Michael B's drum and bass are exquisite. With monsters like Cream, Gett Off, Thunder, Live 4 Love, Money Don't Matter 2 Night and especially the title track, releases just don't come bigger than this. The album does not let go, written against the backdrop of economic meltdown and Gulf War I, still packs one hell of a punch and is arguably one of the best albums of the 90's is also arguably Prince's broadest album to date. So, despite his recent success, this is Prince at his true hit making peak.
Graffiti Bridge: Warner Bros. (1990)
The 80's are over and computers inherit the Earth. This album is a great example of computerised and sampled music that came to dominate the 90's. In this collection we are treated to three absolute Prince classics, The Question Of U, Joy In Repetition and Thieves In The Temple. There are other tracks that should not be forgotten, We Can Funk and Still Would Stand All Time. The story line almost being a carbon copy of Purple Rain, this is the soundtrack to the movie and so is really a joint effort between Prince and The Time, which to say their contribution (Love Machine, Shake, and Release It) today sounds rather dated. Good party stuff here too with Elephants & Flowers, Can't Stop This Feeling I Got, but in the risk of repeating myself, the true masterpiece here is the mighty, and timeless, Joy In Repetition.
Batman: Warner Bros. (1989)
Overlook this album at your peril. This is the one that Prince literally recorded entirely on his own, and thank god he did. The quality of Batman is its diversity; for blending funk (The Future, Vicki Waiting, Partyman and Electric Chair), with sensitivity (Arms of Orion and Scandalous). Topped off by the terrific all time sampler classic Batdance which includes some of the strongest guitar Prince has put on a record. Excellent bass throughout, hard hitting and ahead of it time, will fool you into believing this could date back to the 1980's at all. It didn't come the fastest selling album of its day, for nothing.
Lovesexy: Warner Bros. (1988)
Yes! Prince obviously adapts well when working under pressure. Lovesexy was a rush job to replace The Black Album pulled after Prince, and probably the record executives, got a bad case of cold feet with its negativity, When 2 R In Love being the only song inoffensive enough to survive from The Black Album to end up on Lovesexy. The naughtiness not all gone, in fact the new theme became spirituality, yet the album cover caused much of a stir, but Lovesexy offers a first class sound, the mid-80's was a time in which Prince could do no wrong and the publics love affair with him was stronger than ever following this awesome collection. The only way is to listen to the album is right the way through (literally on the CD version), Prince treats us to highly rewarding journey perfectly ordering the previous track to complimenting the next. The album still offers diversity, the world beating pop of Alphabet Street, the funk of Dance On, to the sheer divinity of Anna Stesia. Closing with Positivity, Lovesexy coming off the back of just negativity, adds a powerful ray of light to Prince's astonishing repertoire.
The Back Album: Warner Bros. (1988)
This is not music, this is a trip - and it was, quite literally! Prince wrote the album after experimenting with drugs, and then hating it when he came back down, locking it away until Warner's finally set it free in 1994 at the height of the contract spat. The reason for its long stint in the vault was that it was too aggressive and negative and because of this, the spiritualistic Lovesexy was written all within a few weeks, doing Prince a huge favour in the process since, frankly, this unnamed album would have bombed in the charts anyway. There are good tracks fit for the clubs, in the shape of Cindy C (named after Cindy Crawford) and Le Grind, probably his best attempts at funk after his long flirtation with mainstream pop. Prince pokes fun at himself with Bob George. Actually, the rose amidst a tree of thorns When 2 R In Love is out of place on such a 'naughty' album.
Sign O’ The Times: Warner Bros. (1987)
This double album is his most diverse work of which is really his masterpiece. Will he ever emulate it? Could he? I would discredit this whole site if I did not give this album the thumbs up, and thankfully piling on approval on it could not be easier. The lyrics to the title track are a work of art serving as a time capsule modern day woes. Listen to the beat of IT, the rock of The Cross, the pop of U Got The Look, the smooth Ballad Of Dorothy Parker, the thoroughly modern Housequake, the subtleties of Adore, and the amazing guitar build up in I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man. There is too much to name here, but save If I was Your Girlfriend until the early hours of the morning, listen to it loud and in complete darkness and discover its majesty, and that's not even the half of it. This is a mature, thoughtful and intelligent album and once it gets in to your head you will never look back.
Parade: Warner Bros. (1986)
Here is an admission for you, I don't actually like Kiss, though its the most well known track on the album, it is, thankfully, not its best. Staying on subject, even Prince admitted that he did not have enough material to fill Parade. The album kicks off with a sense of circus with Christopher Tracy's Parade and New Position, slowing down with the moody I Wonder U and Under The Cherry Moon. Then things start to pick up, and improve, with the often forgotten Girls And Boys and Do U Lie? leads us to the best tracks on the album, Life Can Be So Nice and the sweeping Mountains. It is the longest word in history, Anotherloverholonyohead, that names the standout track on the album, the chorus is the best ever is the best cure to writers block anyone can get.
Around The World In A Day: Warner Bro. (1985)
What better way to piss off the world by following up one of the biggest selling albums in history with one sounding completely the opposite, but anyone who understands Prince knows its a typical thing for him to do. After Purple Rain, Prince relaxes and goes psychedelic with Around The World In A Day. The title track, though weird in its first few listens, matures well over time. Prince sings all about his new vanity record label with the motoring Paisley Park then slows it all down with the sweeping Condition Of The Heart. The album contains one of his most famous tracks, Raspberry Beret about a dreamy store clerk taking his nameless date out to a field of horses. But for me, the crowning glory on is The Ladder, the hard-edged America and Temptation plus the rolling Pop Life (complete with the recalling the boos from his time on the road with the Rolling Stones). A job well done, and if you back off a little, its equally as good as Purple Rain, be warned, "the steps you take are no easy road" but the reward is definitely great for those who want to go.
Purple Rain: Warner Bros. (1984)
It sounds like his greatest hits album, because that's really what it is. Needing no introduction, it is, to put it simply, utter perfection. 13 times Platinum and like it or not contains his greatest and best known work and an album which Prince will always be remembered in history for. His music is still trying to match this level, and to be honest, it never will. Purple Rain contains some of the greatest music of all time and it comes from an era when the media were talking about the music and their tired obsession with name changes. With songs like Lets Go Crazy, Take Me With U, Computer Blue, Darling Nikki (the very song which gave birth to the Parental Advisory warning), When Doves Cry, well actually every track on the album, makes it the definitive album of the 80's. I'm not an old-school Prince fan, but I give in, it simply does not come better than this. Purple Rain is, and always will be, the very essence of Prince. Essential in any music lovers collection.
1999: Warner Bros. (1982)
The hard core Prince fan favourite. This was the one that put Prince above all others, Little Richard and Rick James stepped aside after 1999. Featuring the hits like Little Red Corvette and of course the titular track foreshadows the greatness Prince was destined to achieve. The album is the fan favourite for D.M.S.R, Let's Pretend Were Married, Something In The Water (Does not Compute), Lady Cab Driver, and the brilliant Automatic. 1999 sounded 20 years ahead of its time guarantees it as the all time ultimate club classic album for the new Millennium. This album will never date, and will continue to be spun in clubs well into the next 50 years. There is no "out of time" for this party, this is Prince at his very best, and without it, Purple Rain would never have been written. Laden with grooves that you will find dancing too just A-u-t-o-matic. "You can dance if you want to" Prince invites - music will never be this exciting again.
Controversy: Warner Bros. (1981)
We are now into uncharted territory for the non-Prince fans. To them it is impossible to imagine that Prince existed before the 1999 album, there was life and what a good one it was too. Controversy, a personal favourite of mine, is massively and foolishly overlooked. Prince superbly fuses black and white music together in a way that would redefine music. The title track, still able to pack a punch even today, starts the album where the very dirty, Dirty Mind left off. Prince lets his pervy side rear its head with Sexuality and Jack U Off, then slows its all down nicely with Do Me Baby. Cold War politics gets its treatment with Ronnie Talk To Russia and gun control with Annie Christian. However, the top tracks are wonderful Private Joy and the rallying Let's Work. Controversy is fun, fast, charged laying the way to propel Prince out of obscurity.
Dirty Mind: Warner Bros. (1980)
Frankly, if you really want to find out where Prince's musical roots stem from, does show through better than on Dirty Mind. Funk is what Prince really does best, and he churns it out on here. Prince comes clean and names the album after the only thing on his mind - sex, and we get plenty of porno funk and lyrics in the title track, Do It All Night and Head. Alone and unable to have any sex, he gets all melancholy with When You Were Mine and Gotta Broken Heart Again, but thankfully he goes out partying again in Uptown, gets hitched and back into bed, even stopping for foreplay with Head. He even gets up to a bit of incest with Sister but ends up all elated with Party Up announcing that "fighting war, is such a fucking bore" too right, there is only room for one thing in his dirty mind.
Prince: Warner Bros. (1979)
His first ever and eternal hit, I Wanna Be Your Lover, starts off a surprisingly solid album for the youngest producer in history. Calling the album by his own name confuses many to believe his was his debut, in a kind of way it is, many of the songs here did not make it on the first album. Prince - the album - reminds us the soulful dude Prince - the man - really is. Unlike his following releases, although the content is all about sex, Prince keeps it refined and lets the music do all the suggesting. Bambi, quite honestly is the best demonstration of his skill with the guitar than any other record and gives the album a stellar sound. I Feel For You that everyone will know through Chaka Khan who covered it in 1984, but the original had more impact here. It's Gonna Be Lonely is one of my favourite tracks, and they say the old ones are the best, and with songs like these it is hard to disagree.
For You: Warner Bros. (1978)
The greatest palaces are built on strong foundations, especially ones fit for prince's. It set the familiar credit, produced, arranged, performed, composed by Prince, a mere 18 years old. Still, all sexual urges are kept under control as he puts on his best behaviour for his first solo outing. For You - named after the title of the first song - consists mainly of gentile ballads, picking up with Soft And Wet to give us a little taste of the smut that will follow in later albums. My favourite is the indulgent Just As Long As We're Together, few songs can clear 6 minutes this well. This is real 70's disco/funk stuff but it just goes to show you that Prince in his first offering was as good as many of his more established contemporaries and this was merely only a taste of what was to come.