Originally Posted by
timmyfunk
Tried to post yesterday from the phone. So here we go again.
Like most Black folks, I discovered Prince through "I Wanna Be Lover", his first number one R&B hit. The journey in terms of following this dude career has been a series of peaks, valleys and WTF potholes in the road.
After that discovery, I didn't get into Controversy or Dirty Mind. Didn't hit my primal button in the least.
When he dropped 1999, he definitely got my attention. Skipped over Little Red Corvette anytime I played this disc. Irresistible Bitch started my interest in his B-sides.
Next stop, Purple Rain. Coming through the 1970's, I always wanted my Funk uncut. This was camouflaged Funk. Wasn't feeling it at all. Erotic City, however, restored some faith. For obvious reasons.
Around the World in A Day didn't hold much interest for me outside of Pop Life [[12" mix). Raspberry Beret? Next.....
Parade was a definite improvement. Kiss [[12") wraps JB, Sly and P-Funk in one glorious purple gift box. I also started exploring Madhouse [[Prince's answer to the JB's?). They grooved me far more than Prince himself.
And then the decline set in....
Lovesexy provided me with my first embarrassing record buying experience. The cover was bad enough, but to get home and find out that the record was worse than the cover was a double shot in the gut. What made me more pissed was the fact that he put that album out as a replacement for a project he called the Black Album. I purchased a bootleg vinyl version and then later in 1994 purchased the legitimate version. Right up until today, that album stands as his greatest achievement in my eyes. Raw, Funky and free of any kind of "pop weasel dust" that mars so many of his recordings.
Batdance [[Vicki Vale mix) and Partyman [[video mix) are the bright spots in an otherwise uninteresting Batman soundtrack.
Graffiti Bridge was promising. Thieves In The Temple and We Can Funk were decent tracks.
Diamonds and Pearls is, as far as I'm concerned, the Swan Song. Gett Off was the crowning jewel.
From this point on, numerous factors [[musically and otherwise) made me distance myself from this cat permanently. Still, he did more than enough to get into and remain in the history books.