Controversy - Prince (CD)

Now that the seediness of Saturday night is but a memory, now that we've all returned to our lives of respectable normalcy, it somehow seems fitting to cap it all off with a review of "Controversy". After all, any number of the things mentioned on this album could've come to pass in a shadowy little chamber in the heart of Manhattan but thankfully...didn't.

Besides, the demon of speed is a Prince fanatic. So let's dedicate this one to him.

I have owned this album for many, many years. It occupies side two of a tape cassette, the other side of which contains Prince's previous album, "Dirty Mind". I'm proud to say that I've never had a dirty mind in my possession, but I have seen a bit of controversy in my time; maybe that explains why I find myself drawn to such thrilling ditties as "Annie Christian" and "Ronnie, Talk To Russia".

Wait- who am I trying to fool here? We all know the album's charm really lies in such Sunday school numbers as "Sexuality", "Do Me, Baby", and a song that should've been subtitled "Pyfr Ain't Gonna", the legendary "Jack U Off".

But before we get to the squeaky mattresses of the songs themselves, let us talk briefly about the world of the Purple One, as it looked in 1981.

Prince was something of a rising star by then. He already had a couple of albums down, as well as an opening slot for Charlie Murphy's favorite homey, Rick "cocaine's a helluva drug" James. I don't think Rick ever tried to muddy up Prince's couch with his boots, but it was apparently apparent that P. Rogers Nelson had every intention of stealing away the crown of funk. Seeing as how Rick is dead and Prince is a multi-bazillojillionaire, I'll let you decide who won the race.

So "Controversy" came out in late '81, and boy was it different. It's kinda political in places (such as in the ultra-dated "Ronnie, Talk To Russia", a goofy plea for Reagan to save us), even more driven and New Wave-inspired than fellow funkers, and absolutely swimming in a sea of sweat. The kind that just rolls off a hooker's earlobes, of course.

The highlights of the album are generally agreed to be the title track and "Do Me, Baby". The former is a rigid straight-up synth funk assault that finds Prince reciting the Lord's Prayer, wishing we all were nude, and questioning his own identity (is he black or white? straight or gay? direct these questions to Mike, please- he's the high priest of Princeology). On the latter, Prince divides our attention between some seriously impressive falsetto shrieking, soothing balladry, and lyrics that weave back and forth between R&B horny and downright corny ("I ain't gonna stop until the war is over"? What the hell does that mean?). Rumor has it that he actually boinked someone in the studio while recording the song, but I'm convinced the guy ain't the slightest bit into humping. One does not become such an excellent musician by spending time in others.

Several of the lesser knowns are not markedly different from the stuff on "Dirty Mind". He equates love and revolution with activities that result in heavy breathing on "Sexuality", strangles Valentino and offers up his toy for play on "Private Joy", and damn near turns the Protestant work ethic into a night of push-ups on "Let's Work".

And then come the songs that truly make the album worthy of its title. "Jack U Off" is a playful thing that has Prince offering to lend a hand to just about any woman, anywhere. Virgin or nearing menopause, driving a car or sitting in a theater, the guy is always there to assist a sista. Though he was obviously trying hard to shock, it's still a fun track.

"Annie Christian" is not as fun, but I like it lots more better. I'm pretty sure that whoever Annie is or was, she didn't kill black children and John Lennon; however, Prince is convinced she's the Antichrist and avoids her by living in taxicabs. I know he probably had some kind of deeper message here, but I don't know what it is. All's I know is that the song is sorta experimental in sound and eerie in feel.

And that was all he wrote. For the moment, at least.

The bottom line is that "Controversy" found Prince in a holding pattern after "Dirty Mind". He's a talented enough guy to get away with it while waiting for some real inspiration to kick in, and when it did, the result was "1999". Thus, "Controversy" was the last album before he became a mega-superstar and an impossibly weird individual.

If you like the dancey stiffness, swanky subject matter, and vocal theatrics of "Dirty Mind", you should love this album. It gets weird in the above-mentioned places, but I think that gives it a more varied feel than its predecessor. Pick it up, dim the lights, and tell your loved one Pyfr sent ya.


More tales of stained sheets, incest, and girls with special talents:

Dirty Mind http://www.epinions.com/content_164282142340