Purple Rain (Sdtk) - Prince (Cassette 1987)

Dearly Beloved,

We are gathered here today to celebrate Black History Month in this amazing Write-Off hosted by the vivacious diva herself Cletta1201 and the King of Hip-Hop in Epinions.com, Madtheory. The Black History Month W/O is a write-off to celebrate African-American culture through several medias in Epinions.com whether it s a review on music, movies, books, whatever, or you can make poetry on the joy of African-American culture. To celebrate Black History Month, I decided to do a review on one of the greatest albums of the 1980s created by one of the most uncompromising and brilliant geniuses in Black music. Ladies & Gentlemen, take off your clothes, get naked, be mystified, get a mix of gospel, soul, rock, and pop all rolled into one. Here it is, Purple Rain by the man himself, Prince!

Now I know I m not an expert in soul, hip-hop, and R&B, (that s Brotherman s job in the soul/R&B department while the Hip-Hop category is still in question since there s so many good reviewers in that genre) but after watching a lot of television specials on rock n roll, Black music has always played an important part in the genre, and in reality, they really did create Rock N Roll. Just ask Little Richard, the Originator, the Emancipator, the Architect of Rock N Roll. As rock entered the 60s, soul music began to emerge with the upbeat groove of Motown with acts like the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, the Temptations, the Four Tops, and the Jackson 5 while African-Americans did find heroes in Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and the Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown as they started to sing about social issues concerning their communities and political issues in America.

Social commentary became the catalyst for early 70s R&B as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and Sly Stone spoke about what was going on in the urban settings of African-American culture but that didn t mean soul music wasn t fun. That was provided by some of the funk bands led by George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Issac Hayes, Barry White, and the Philly Soul from the production team of Gamble & Huff. By that time, all that music wasn t just popular with African-Americans but with white people as well but by the mid-70s, funk started to transform into disco as the music got more into dance rhythms and at first, it was good since it got everyone of all races dancing but by the late 70s, it became redundant and some R&B purists began to detest disco as a backlash ensued. When there was that anti-disco rally in Chicago in 1979, some thought of that rally as racist while some R&B stations began to say all the rock bands in the 60s and 70s suck which really did hurt a lot of popular music at the time, for both rock and soul music fans.

As the 80s began, Black musicians at first were confused at what they wanted to do. Some know they don t want to do disco and they certainly couldn t really do the hard-funk of the early 70s so it was directionless at the time. Then came stuff like Kool & the Gang and Lionel Richie that were making music that appealed to both the Black and pop stations and all of a sudden, a new wave of pop-driven Black music emerged but to some purists, it had lost its edge. Before the 80s, soul music expressed every African-American s dreams, frustrations, and all sorts of emotions but by the early 80s, it became light-hearted and there wasn t a lot of talk on social commentary in the 1980s because a lot of the artists were caught up on success and all that bullsh*t while the economy at the time for African-Americans in urban settings was horrible which is why one of the reasons hip-hop and rap music emerged from those urban streets to talk about all of these social issues.

While hip-hop was starting to emerge, soul music was in search of looking for a new hero. They found it in a multi-talented musician from Minneapolis who would change the face of popular music. He was born Prince Rogers Nelson but to the world, he was AHHHH! MY NAME IS PRINCE, AND I AM FUNKY!!!!! In the late 70s, Prince made a couple of lightweight funk-pop albums that spawned a few moments including the hit I Wanna Be Your Lover before going full-throttle with his 1980 masterpiece Dirty Mind that broke all musical territories and taboos as he blended elements of funk, new wave, synth-pop, rock, and pop all rolled into one while singing shocking lyrics of sex, race, homosexuals, and all the things that would ve made Tipper Gore be sent into the hospital for cardiac arrest.

After 1981 s Controversy , Prince went forward and made a breakthrough with 1982 s "1999" that spawned the hit singles Little Red Corvette and the vivacious title-track "1999" that planted the seed for not only making one of the 1980s biggest superstars but also one of the decade s most influential figures. After that album became a hit, Prince was set off to do a movie featuring his new band the Revolution and began to write music for the album that would make him a superstar called Purple Rain .

Based on the 1984 film of the same name, Purple Rain is credited to Prince and his band the Revolution that featured longtime keyboardist Matt Fink, drummer Bobby Z, bassist Brown Mark, and the lovely female duo of guitarist/vocalist Wendy Melvoin and keyboardist/vocalist Lisa Coleman. While Prince and the Revolution performed most of the songs, Prince is still the mastermind behind every track on the album including the classic songs for When Doves Cry , Let s Go Crazy , I Would Die 4 U , and the epic title-track. While Prince does stray away from his R&B roots in favor of more pop-oriented territories, that doesn t mean he turned his back on soul music since a lot of the album carries soulful elements, particularly in his James Brown/Little Richard-inspired vocals. Though the soul is still in Prince s mind, he mixes it up with dashes of metal, new wave, pop, and psychedelia to convey an album filled with surprises that most musicians couldn t think of.

Another element of the genius inside Prince is the way he creates songs and it is always filled with unorthodox arrangements, particularly the single for When Doves Cry where in the last minutes of mixing the song, Prince took out the entire bass track to bring out something completely against the grain. Usually, Black artists love to have bass in their music but Prince destroyed the rules by taking the bass out on one of his singles. Lyrically, Prince always brings out strange metaphors in his music, particularly the subjects of sexuality and spirituality. While in the past, there s been a conflict between the two, especially with Marvin Gaye who struggled over the two subjects during his career but Prince made both subjects be as one which is one of the reason s he is one of pop music s greatest visionaries. Overall, Purple Rain is a masterpiece that helped launch Prince into superstardom.

The album opens with an opening sermon led by Lisa Coleman s wailing organ track as Prince goes into a gospel-type of sermon where he says, Dearly beloved, we r gathered her today 2 get through this called life/Electric word, life, it means for ever that s a mighty long time/But I m here 2 tell you, there s something else the afterworld as he goes on through the sermon with metaphorical lyrics about death including God as Dr. Everything and Satan himself in which he is called de-elevator where he says in the end of the sermon, And if de-elevator tries 2 bring u down, go crazy, punch a higher floor as Bobby Z s smooth, rhythmic electronic drum tracks comes with metal-blazing guitar riffs accompanying with wailing keyboards and punchy bass lines as Let s Go Crazy starts . Prince and the Revolution begin to rock as Prince begins to sing his fun, catchy lyrics of spirituality as it features the brilliant chorus of R we gonna let de-elevator bring us down/Oh no, Let s go/Let s go crazy, let s get nuts/Let s look 4 the purple banana til they put us in the truck, let s go as Matt Fink brings in melodic synthesizer chimes with Prince s droning, blues-driven guitar riffs with a dose of metal as Wendy Melvoin accompanies him as Prince sings the chorus for the last time that is followed by the final verse of Dr. Everything will be alright ll make everything go wrong/Pills & thrills and daffodils will kill/Hang tough, children/He s coming, he s coming, he s coming as Prince ends the song with a blues-metal guitar solo that just wreaks of awesomeness.

Next is the smooth, psychedelic-drenched track Take Me With U as it opens with pulsating bass drums that is accompanied by melodic synthesizer licks and soft, pounding bass lines as it leads to a smooth, chiming track led by swirling string arrangements as Prince and Purple Rain co-star Apollonia sing the love song. With its chiming percussions and guitar tracks, Prince sings lyrics of love as he and Apollonia sing the verse of I don t care if we spend the night at your mansion/I don t care if we spend the night on the town/All I want is 2 spend the night together/All I want is 2 spend the night in your arms/2 be around u is so-oh right in this psychedelic-inspired song with luscious strings and 1980s electronic textures.

Next, is the soulful love ballad of The Beautiful Ones as it opens smooth, electronically programmed drums and smooth synthesizers all performed by Prince himself along with a soft, bass accompaniment. Prince then sings in his smooth, soulful falsetto vocals as he sings lyrics of love that are simplistic in its delivery as he sings, Baby, baby, baby/Can t u stay with me tonight/Oh baby, baby, baby/Don t my kisses please u right? that is followed by a melodic verse of U were so hard 2 find/The beautiful ones, they hurt u every time . With the song later followed by a melodic guitar and synthesizer track, Prince then continues to sing the song until the final verse in his falsetto vocals until he picks up into a growling pitch as he goes bonkers with screams, grunts, and saying to his lover I WANT YOU!!! BABY, BABY, BABY, BABY, I WANT YOU!!!!!! that is so powerful, you don t know what the hell Prince is talking about at the end of this song, then you do not deserve to be reading this review.

Next is the electronic-driven Computer Blue co-written by Prince and the duo of Wendy & Lisa. Opened up by Bobby Z s electronic beats as Wendy and Lisa starts talking as they start to introduce the song with Wendy s melodic guitar riffs and Lisa s melodic keyboard chimes that then goes full-throttle into synth-funk mode of distorted synthesizer melodies, heavy bass riffs, and electro-funk dance rhythms as Prince begins to sing his metaphorical lyrics that is followed by a brief chorus of Until I find the righteous 1, computer blue that is followed by wailing synthesizers and a fast-paced, metal-blazing guitar solo. The song then changes its rhythmic pace a bit while still leaning towards funk as Prince plays a lovely guitar solo accompanied by Matt Fink and Lisa Coleman s synthesizers.

Next is the controversial classic Darling Nikki as it opens by slow, hammering electronic beats and squealing synthesizer layers all performed by Prince as he begins to sing the most infamous opening lines of I knew a girl named Nikki/I guess u could say she was a sex fiend/I met her in a hotel lobby, masturbating with a magazine/She said how d u like 2 waste some time/And I could not resist when I saw little Nikki grind as Prince plays metal-blazing guitars with its hammering programmed beats and his soulful yelling. The lyrics of the song filled with sexual references were so shocking, PRMC co-founder Tipper Gore (wife of then-Senator and future Vice President Al Gore) blasted Prince for his lyrics and formed the PRMC to call attention to music that is filled with graphic lyrics that eventually led to albums being labeled with the Parental Advisory Explicit Content sticker but that made people want to buy them more. Thanks Tipper, for making us record-buyers buy more dirty albums.

Next is the classic single for When Doves Cry that opens with metal-blazing guitar riffs that is followed staccato electronic beats with dance rhythms that is followed by melodic synthesizer riffs as Prince begins to sing his metaphorical lyrics filled with tension and confusion in his life as Prince sings the chorus of How can u just leave me standing? Alone in a world that s so cold/Maybe I m just 2 demanding/Maybe I m just like my father 2 bold/Maybe you re just like my mother, she s never satisfied/Why do we scream at each other/This is what it sounds like when doves cry as he continues to play the song with its unorthodox arrangements, particularly since the song features no bass at all since he removed it at the last minute. Prince continues to sing his lyrics of tension of Touch if u will my stomach/Feel how it trembles inside/You ve got the butterflies all tied up/Don t make me chase u/Even doves have pride as it leads to the chorus as it is later followed by an instrumental section led by droning guitar solos, Prince grunting on his vocals that is followed by pulsating, melodic synthesizer riffs as Prince goes way into his world of soul, rock, and pop.

Next is another classic single for I Would Die 4 U as it opens with pulsating rhythms of cymbals, synthesizers that is followed by a powerful electronic snare beat as Prince begins to sing lyrics filled with spiritual references that is said in its most simplistic tone as he sings, I m not your lover/I m not your friend/I am something that you ll never comprehend/No need 2 worry, no need 2 cry/I m your messiah and you re the reason why that leads to the catchy chorus of U-I would die 4 u/Dealing if u want me 2, u/I would die 4 u that is followed by funky guitar riffs, soft, melodic keyboard crashes, and sexual-driven rhythms that is smooth enough to dance to. Next is the party anthem Baby I m A Star with its head-bopping rhythm, funky dance beats, swirling string arrangements, upbeat and melodic keyboard riffs as Prince sings about his triumph on being a star as it features a catchy chorus of Might not know it now/Baby, but I, I m a star/I don t want to stop, until I reach the top/Sing it (We r all a star) as the song is in its celebratory mode as Prince belts out soulful lyrics as he gives each member of the Revolution to shine led by the soulful vocals of Wendy & Lisa, the funky rhythms of bassist Brown mark and drummer Bobby Z, and Matt Fink who lets out a squealing synthesizer solo as Prince yells Doctor! in the song s coda.

The album closer is the lovely, 9-minute epic title track for Purple Rain . Led by a somber, dream-like guitar riff, the song is followed by a slow, electronic beat by Bobby Z as Prince sings the opening verse of the song, I never meant 2 cause u any sorrow/I never meant 2 cause u any pain/I only wanted 2 one time see u laughing/I only want 2 see u laughing in the purple rain/Purple rain, purple rain/Purple rain, purple rain/Purple rain, purple rain/I only wanted 2 see u bathing in the purple rain as he is accompanied by lush strings, soothing synthesizer riffs and bass melodies as he sings his lyrics of sorrow and heartbreak as he sings the words Purple rain repeatedly in its most beautiful tone that is followed by a soft, blues-inspired guitar rain as he sings the verse of I only want 2 see u underneath the purple rain/Honey, I know, I know, I know times r changing/It s time we all reach out 4 something new/U say u want a leader but u can t seem 2 make up your mind/I think u better close it/And let me guide you 2 the purple rain/Purple rain, purple rain (repeat line 2 more times)/I only want 2 see u, only want 2 see u, in the purple rain as he plays an exhilarating guitar solo accompanied by soft, wailing synthesizers and later followed by Prince s crying falsetto vocals as he plays the guitar like a god as the song starts to end with wailing keyboards, crashing cymbals, and Prince s somber vocals.

Upon its release, Purple Rain catapulted Prince to the heights of superstardom as both the album and movie became big hits and he became a part of such 80s megastars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Tina Turner, and David Bowie in 1984. The album eventually went on to sell more than ten million copies as his star grew bigger and many wondered if Prince would produce a follow-up as big as Purple Rain . Instead, Prince went on his own path exploring psychedelic music in his 1985 album Around the World in a Day that spawned the hit Raspberry Beret that baffled fans who wanted Purple Rain Part 2 while he went further with album Parade that featured the classic single Kiss .

By the late 80s, Prince went further away from the public s expectation with his 1987 double-album masterpiece Sign O The Times where he spoke about AIDS and all the social problems concerning the world, particularly Black America which was a huge hit in the R&B charts but his more mainstream fans were having a hard-time keeping up with his activity as he created (and then shelved) The Black Album (that was eventually released in 1994), Lovesexy and the soundtrack to the Tim Burton film Batman in 1989. By the 1990s, Prince explored hip-hop and scored a hit with the Diamonds & Pearls album that brought him back to the mainstream for a while but his conflict with Warner Brothers pushed his creativity further as he released his next album with an unpronounceable symbol in which he adopted as the press began to call him The Artist Formerly Known As Prince. The hits became less and less though he continued to release albums with some fine moments until late 1996 when he was finally out of Warner Brothers and released the 3-Cd collection Emancipation . In 2001, he decided to call himself Prince again and later in the year, released the album The Rainbow Children independently to good reviews but low album sales.

Though he s often called a control freak, a nutcase, or sometimes, difficult, you cannot ignore the impact that Prince has made throughout his entire career, especially his influence in popular music. While it s a shame that he s not having the commercial impact that he once had in the 1980s, he s still made memorable hits that you could dance to while making you think. While compilations like Hits 1 & 2 and the recent Best of from Warner Brothers is a good starting point, more serious music fans should lean towards albums like Dirty Mind , Sign O The Times , "1999" and Purple Rain . Overall, Purple Rain is his most accessible album to date and it s really the best starting point for anyone interested in the music of Prince. It s a must-have for anyone who wants to have an 80s collection and if you don t have Prince in your collection, you friends would not look at your face. As for his place in the history of Black music, you must own an album by Prince or any of the artists he s been influenced by. It s just not Black music he s inspired but it s all sorts of music and most recently, white artists like Nine Inch Nails Trent Reznor and Beck have both acknowledge Prince as a singular influence for both pop and soul music while Saturday Night Live comedian Jimmy Fallon had a minor hit with Idiot Boyfriend that shows the wide influence Prince have in pop culture. In the end, buy an album from Prince. The guy s a genius and there will never probably be anyone like him for a long time.

Black History Month W/O hosts: Cletta1201 and Madtheory

W/O Participants:

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