Album Review Friday
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#10 Couldn’t Stand The Weather - Stevie Ray Vaughan
#9 Let It Be - The Replacements
#8 Learning To Crawl - The Pretenders
#7 The Smiths
#6 Born In The USA - Bruce Springsteen
#5 Reckoning - REM
#4 The Unforgettable Fire - U2
#3 How Will The Wolf Survive? - Los Lobos
#2 RUN-D.M.C.
#1 Purple Rain - Prince And The Revolution
1984 began as the year of Michael Jackson as his album Thriller dominated the pop world, sitting atop the Billboard charts for the first fifteen weeks of the year. To consider that 1984 would end commanded by an artist even more influential is a thought that would have been unbelievable at the time. Yet by years end, Prince would control both the music and film world with his masterpiece album by the same name, Purple Rain. Not only did the album spend the last twenty-two weeks of the year as number one, but two singles reached number one and one reached number two. The movie itself did not fare too badly, either. It reached number one knocking off Ghostbusters, and went on to be the eleventh highest grossing film of the year. If that were not enough, there was one week in the summer of 1984 when America switched from red, white and blue to purple. Prince became the first solo artist to have the number one album, the number one single, and the number one movie. All at the same time.
Prince could not have been more of a contrast to Jackson, both in his music style and methods. Where Jackson worked with a team of songwriters and musicians, in addition to legendary producer Quincy Jones, to create Thriller, Purple Rain was Prince’s project from start to finish. Though this was the first album Prince gave his band The Revolution a well deserved featured billing, he wrote all the songs, played lead guitar, back up guitar, keyboards and supplied lead vocals. Oh, and he also produced the album, in addition to starring in the film that generated the soundtrack. Though he was already a notorious workaholic before 1984, these efforts only confirmed his ability to master multiple talents and see them to brilliant completion.
Most of the albums that made this top ten list did so by excelling in a specific genre, whether it was hip-hop, rock or blues. What makes Prince such a legendary musician is that on Purple Rain he shows his mastery of multiple styles, from guitar rock to soul to pop to funk. The album opens with the instant classic “Let’s Go Crazy”. Though it starts off with a sermon, the song is nothing you would ever hear in church. Prince uses his rock guitar chops to tell us we are all going to die so we better live and enjoy life now. And if you do not enjoy his guitar solo at the end of “Let’s Go Crazy” (easily the best guitar solo of 1984 if anyone is checking) than you certainly are not living.
His ability to switch styles is demonstrated on the love song “The Beautiful Ones” . Slowed down from the frenetic pace of “Let’s Go Crazy”, Prince delivers the lyrics with a soulful sincerity. And his passionate howls as the song concludes are not filler or fake, as they represent the emotion felt not only by the character he’s singing for, but the emotion he clearly put into this entire project.
Prince does not shortchange us on danceable club songs, something he was known for both on his recordings and in his live performances. Tracks such as “Computer Blue” and “Darling Nikki” have enough guitar and synthesizer fuzz that seem to demand to be played at a party with the volume turned up loud. But he also masters the ballad, evident in his performance of “When Doves Cry”. Prince the vocalist delivers a passionate performace while Prince the guitarist plays bursts of Hendrix-style riffs throughout that support but do not overwhelm the track, creating an effect likely due to Prince the producer.
There are innumerable three minute rock songs that can not end soon enough, that overstay their welcome after the first verse. It is the rare rock song that clocks in at eight minutes and leaves the listener wanting more, hoping the fade out is just a tease into yet another brilliant verse or solo. Maybe the best example of this is the final track on the album, the title track “Purple Rain”. Prince redefines the power ballad, setting the bar to almost unreachable heights as he turns in his best vocal performance on the album. Verses are delivered with tight vocals that are not overwrought, and the choruses have enough emotion to convey sincerity without being forced. And the guitar work? One criticism could be that it is indulgent, but if so, please sir may I have some more? (If you have never witnessed his performance of this song at the 2007 Super Bowl halftime show, likely the greatest of all halftime concerts, then please enjoy the video below. I guarantee that when it is over you will watch it again. )
All of Prince’s talents are on display for us to enjoy on the song “Purple Rain”, and not only does the track stand by itself, it wraps up all of the emotion of the whole album into eight glorious minutes. And the words he sings not only speak to the themes of the album, but also predict the future of music.
Honey I know, I know, I know times are changing
It’s time we all reach out for something new
That means you too
You say you want a leader…
And let me guide you to the purple rain
After Purple Rain popular music would change, with Prince leading the way. The album would sell almost 30 million copies, win Prince a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance and win him an Oscar for Best Original Song Score. It is consistently ranked one of the best rock albums ever, and inarguably was the best album of 1984.