Listening to this album was a trip. I went into it with a little knowledge of Prince as I had the purple rain album when I was a kid and watched the movie more than a few times. Somehow, I never listened to this album before so this is my first time hearing most of these track (off a double album)
The one thing I got from most of these songs was prince was T-H-I-R-S-T-Y man.. Some of these songs were straight up filthy. Prince was a naughty boy and he didn’t mind letting people know. The biggest example was ‘It’ — “I want do it baby, every day, all right. In a bed, on the stairs, anywhere, all right” I mean.. No allusions here.. He’s straight up being nasty. If I was your girlfriend is a straight freek-a-leek song. This is an album you put on after you slip into your silk pajamas and start making the moves on the laaaaadies.
That being said – there was also some strong social commentary that was relevant to the times laced through out the songs especially sing of the times “In France a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name” – I mean that lyric is fire. I like how the album flip flops between social commentary and seduction so smoothly.
The one song that stands out to me is the lighthearted tune ‘Starfish and Coffee’ about a girl who radiates joy and innocence. It’s a catchy tune and it just makes me smile – can’t help but sing the chorus while grooving.
How this album makes me feel: If I knew this album existed – my teenage self would 100% have put a few of these into a mixtape for a girl I was seeing. It’s a vibe and I’m here for it.
I give this album a randy 3/5 – I’m not that big a fan of R’n’B and it infuses this album pretty heavily. The three is for the standard pop tunes that showcase Prince’s guitar chops and excellent lyrical ability.
