The Hits 1 - Prince (CD 1993)

Prince has had long career, which for the normal "Pop" sensation would mean that with each album release, there's one really great track that everybody knows and loves, and nine other mediocre songs all of the same format (and usually with the same theme). He's an outstanding musician, obviously a guitarist, however has self-educated himself in most of the other instruments you hear resonating behind him. That said: true musicians are perfection-obsessed and always have final say in what a consumer hears.

Prince, as well as all of his producers and cowriters, have superb imaginations, making every song they rock a unique jewel.

"The Hits" and "The Hits 2" are both examples of poetry and motion that could just as easily be appreciated by serious fans and the top-40 listeners as well. All of the most popular songs that you would expect to be considered a "Hit" (top of the charts) is there, as well as one or two newer listeners may not have heard--a nice surprise.

Ballads and fast dance songs are formatted back-to-back: just when you start concentrating on the lyrics and wondering what woman was blowing his mind to make him write that way, an upbeat song like "Let's Go Crazy" will come on and make you look around to see if it's okay to get up and dance around a bit.

The art in the jewel cases is tasteful, and as a nice touch, on the flip side there is a history of each song on the "Hits" album. Did you know that Prince originally didn't like his first album's "When Doves Cry" because there was no bass?

The first CD showcases (to name a few) "When Doves Cry," "Let's Go Crazy," "1999," "I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man," "Nothing Compares 2 U," and "Diamonds and Pearls."

I won't attempt to compare this CD to any others I've heard: the man is incomparable and is in a genre of his own. This is a fine collection.