LindsayBW's Full Review: Purple Rain by Original Soundtrack/Prince & the Re...
There was a time I was listening to the song Purple Rain on a road trip with a few friends, singing along at the top of my lungs, when one of the more musically challenged of them asked me "Is there anything that could make you stop loving that little freak?"
You'd think, by impulse, my right hand would fly from the steering wheel and hit her in the face, but it didn't. Instead, I brought it to my head and starting scratching. She had posed an interesting question. Was there anything that could make me stop liking that funky Minnesotian vagina monger? Maybe if he killed someone close to me, or mutilated me... or if he remade 1999 into 2009 featuring Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz. While all of these things would more than likely make me despise Prince, I wouldn't like his music any less (besides said Lil Jon song). I came to the conclusion that as a musician, there really was nothing that could make me stop loving Prince.
It's funny that way, considering Prince is one of the more fluctuating artists in my music catalog. My love for the Beatles is clear, the motives obvious - even their "bad" albums are better than everyone else's. But Prince's bad albums are... bad. While there are songs by the Beatles that I can't stand, there are entire albums by Prince that are pretty repulsive (Rainbow Children, anyone?). But regardless of his shortcomings, Prince occasionally still does succeed in releasing something worth listening to.
But before my rantings on less favorable Prince albums, before my praise of good ones, there was just Purple Rain. I caught The Artist's self-absorbed movie on VH1 one day, and watched the performances in awe. Okay, the movie was kind of retarded, but the music was awesome, especially the energetic performance of the title track. I decided to pick up the soundtrack and found it for a measly $8 at Wal-Mart.
Prince's Purple Rain is everything the 80s should have been, but usually failed miserably at. It's got a few words of wisdom, but most moments filled with emotion and a little bit of tongue-in-cheek. The album starts out with Prince letting us know "In this life, you're on your own."
The uptempos on this album are something to be reckoned with. First off: Respect. You have got to respect an album full of uptempo songs (from the 80s no less) that don't sound aged and corny. They're all just as packed full of energy as they were 20 years ago. Let's Go Crazy will have you clapping your hands and bobbing your head, shouting along with The Revolution as they yell "Oh no! Let's go!" With a tinkling keyboard thrown in, and then a wicked guitar solo by the man, it's easy to see that Prince is definitely a better guitar player than anyone in Good Charlotte. Darling Nikki is a carnival, sexual foray about a "sex fiend". With it's thumping verses and crazy chorus, full of wailing, it's an energetic taboo number, every note oozing with hormones. Computer Blue is a strange one, but the keyboard line is unforgettable, a creeping little riff that wouldn't sound out of place in a sci-fi movie, and a hectic guitar line that somehow fits in all its irregularity. It sets up a good atmosphere for the mood of the movie. It's a fitting (almost) instrumental thrown in for good measure.
One of my favorite kinds of songs is the kind of upbeat song that still has a pretty melody. These songs are really hard to come by, but Prince is one of the masters, two of the nine tracks fitting into this category that is so hard to fit into. The first one, and probably more superior, is Take Me With U, a duet with Apollonia. (Kelly Clarkson, if you're reading this, Prince can pull off U. U can't.) It starts off mediocre enough, but starts in with an easy, dancy melody that will have you jammin' in no time. It's a pretty simple song about love, which is nice. "I don't care where we go, I don't care what we do, I don't care, pretty baby, just take me with you." It has a really nice melody, and combined with the lyrics, it is a really sweet song. Prince and Apollonia's voices blend together really well, over a funky, beat driven, and synthesized arrangement. The other is the very 80s-a-rific I Would Die 4 U, coincidentally, another love song. The arrangement mostly consists of a drum line and a few sythesizer effects with some occassional horn-like sounds, nothing over the top. The harmonies are really nice, the melody is just very sweet sounding. "I would die for you, darling, if you want me to." (I never got why Apollonia would want him to die, but oh well.) It pulls off the pretty fast song in a way so many others can't.
Of course, Purple Rain is also the home to one of Prince's biggest hits, When Doves Cry. The interesting thing about this song is that there is hardly any instruments in this song, but it is still really successful. Personally, I'm not a big fan of this song - I think it sounds a little too robotic, but it's still good, especially for the lack of layers behind Prince's vocals.
While O{-> can make some great uptempos, he can also make some great ballads. The Beautiful Ones is an easy going, bluesy slowed down song with a repetitive synth line over a heavy, expanding bass. Prince's vocals are insane in this song. They start out all falsetto and nice, but it's just an act - before it clocks out at five minutes, he is demanding and emotional, as he demands "Do you want him? Or do you want me?" You have to love when an artist just lets it go, and he does, admirably. If you've only heard the Mariah Carey version of this song, you're really missing out.
But the ballad is Purple Rain. You know from that first strummed chord that this song is good, but all freaking 8 minutes and 40 seconds in it are too. Purple Rain is honestly one of my favorite songs of all-time. The Artist's vocals are surpisingly gentle and subdued when this song begins, the entire slow paced, somewhat power ballady atmosphere just wants you to put your lighter up in the air. Complete with drum machine, strings, and stellar harmonies from The Revolution, Purple Rain is one of those songs that you can't help but sway to. And then there's the second half, where Prince lets it all go with a stellar guitar solo that lasts for over two minutes, topped off with high pitched "Ooohs" in a melody you will never forget. And the way it fades out so strangely, the minor chords, one last "Ooh" from the man... it's really a perfect song, even if the lyrics make no sense.
Overall, Prince's Purple Rain project was a little bit odd, and while the movie may be remembered for bad acting, a really weird motorcycle, and a lot of hairspray, the soundtrack will always be remembered for being amazing. Even though there's only nine songs, none of them are bad, and most of them are stellar. Listening to it will give you enough reasons to never stop liking Prince.
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Tracklisting
1. Let's Go Crazy
2. Take Me With U
3. The Beautiful Ones
4. Computer Blue
5. Darling Nikki
6. When Doves Cry
7. I Would Die 4 U
8. Baby I'm A Star
9. Purple Rain
Skip It: Maybe Baby I'm A Star
Repeat It: The rest.
Bow To Prince: For You, Prince, Dirty Mind, Controversy, 1999, Around The World In A Day, Parade, Sign O' The Times, Lovesexy, Batman, Graffiti Bridge, Diamonds & Pearls, O{->, The Hits / The B-Sides, 1-800-New-Funk, Come, The Black Album, Exodus, The Gold Experience, Chaos & Disorder, Emancipation, Crystal Ball, Newpower Soul, Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic, The Rainbow Children, N.E.W.S., Musicology
Great Music To Play While: Wondering what ever happened to Apollonia... or Lisa & Wendy, for that matter.
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