Prince - Sign O the Times
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Free Music Notes for Sign O the Times
Free Music Review: Listening carefully...
Hit: 5 Stars
I once had an English teacher--a guy who I have a ton of respect for--who was a passionate music fun. We used to discuss music once a week or so, and he used to say that there are so many albums and artists one hears in his life that he probably doesn't give certain music a chance to work its magic (assuming it is in fact that good). I listened to Prince a while back and had the cliched he's-like-Michael-Jackson opinion, and then I thought his music was too feminine. But I finally asked a friend to make me a tape of "Sign o' the Times" because I'd heard it was a landmark of 80's music, something worth hearing at least once. With most major artists I tend to prefer the raw, messy double albums most (see: "Blonde on Blonde," "The White Album," "Exile On Main Street," etc.), and eventually I'm guessing this will rank with those very high on my list of favorites. Since this is my Prince epiphany I'm only starting to research him more, though I do know that he's the only one here playing the music (except "Gonna Be a Beautiful Night," recorded live in Paris with the Revolution), and it's funky, rhythmic, soulful, and catchy. Prince goes all over the place and is unafraid to take chances, though they're all glorious. The title track is a fine late 80's perspective on the world's problems and one of the best songs here. But who would've expected a song about Dorothy Parker? And if you know Jay-Z's "'03 Bonnie and Clyde" look no further than "If I Was Your Girlfriend," which was sampled by Big Jay. The album-closer "Adore" is one of those songs you play a girlfriend you're REALLY in love with. "Housequake" is nutty, though a favorite. I could go on about these, but instead I'll go get some of Prince's other albums. While he supposedly fell off permanently after this album, it's not like anything after it was going to be better. Thanks Mr. Sweet. Even though I know you don't like Prince, your advice has helped me appreciate someone I thought wasn't worth the trouble. How I was wrong.Free Music Review: ahead of its time
Hit: 5 Stars
After an adventurous run through fields of Beatlesque psychedelia, Prince seemed ready to get back to the task of creating the epic that both his audience and adoring critics had been demanding since PURPLE RAIN. Originally put together as a three-LP opus titled CRYSTAL BALL (but pared down pre-release by the picky artist), SIGN O' THE TIMES wasn't exactly the historic merger of rock and R&B that the world hadbeen expecting. Instead, it played like an ultimate mix-tape of Prince-ly styles--from grinding, house music-inspired funk ("Housequake") to idiosyncratic pieces of irresistibly sweet pop fare ("Starfish And Coffee"). Yet, the man's singular outlook could constantly be identified; and as varied as the music got, that outlook worked as a uniting factor.Abandoning the Revolution and returning to the one-man-band ethic made the overall sound of SIGN O' THE TIMES far more spare than recent efforts. Variousmembers did make random contributions, and the entire group is featured on a lone live track (the driving extenda-groove, "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night"); but Prince seemed adamant about unshackling himself from the responsibilities of being a particular band's leader, and constructed an album that reflected his evolving musical vision, rather than the Revolution's signature sound. Though that sound still rears its head--particularly on "Play In The Sunshine"--on SIGN O' THE TIMES, it's only part of the picture.
The other parts are as discombobulated as Prince the one-man-band had always been. Social relevance as a funky turn ("Sign O' The Times"), spiritual strength as heavy metal gospel ("The Cross"), and sex in every form and position possible were all moves Prince had already done, or at least hinted at. But never before had he delivered these moves with such maturity, or as such a complete package, which is why SIGN O' THE TIMES is undoubtedly among the apexes of Prince's career.
Free Music Review: Masterpiece-One of the greatest double albums ever made.
Hit: 5 Stars
If you are new to Prince and you are looking for a good place to start then you've come to the right place :-). Prince has created at least three masterpieces that are all outstanding in their own right (this album, "Purple Rain", "1999",...the outstanding "Dirty Mind" comes pretty close too), but this album has the broadest range of them all. This album gives you a little bit of almost everything that Prince does well; deep-groove funk (Housequake), lush pop (I Could Never Take the Place of your Man), spiritual anthemic rock (The Cross), impeccably constructed beautiful and sensual ballads (Adore), free-flowing musical pieces that leave no doubt about what an exceptionally gifted musician that he is (Play in the Sunshine), and other wonderful signature pieces that can't be easily categorized (Ballad of Dorothy Parker, If I was your Girlfriend, Starfish and Coffee...which sounds like it's actually about a girl at a school who loves to trip off of some psychedelic drug, and the open, kaleidoscopic world that she exists in as a result). This album is one of Prince's most light and airy releases and was made at a time when his pop sensibilities were at their strongest, so it's a whole lot of fun to listen to and it should be pretty easily accessible to most. It is true that some of the production sounds oh so 80's but no matter how heavy the synth is laid on (It), the compositions themselves are simply outstanding, and I don't think the album would be as fun or have the charm that it does if it didn't have this sound. And besides, this could very well be the greatest album of the decade, so if your looking to go on a nostalgic trip, then I can't think of better album to use:-). Prince is a consumate musician with a unique vision and one of the most creative minds in the history of music, and after repeated listens, this album utlimately proves to be his magnum opus. I encourage everyone with even a passing interest in his work to check this album out.Free Music Review: Artistic peek of a decade.
Hit: 5 Stars
Prince had 3 projects canceled in a year time. And in that year he accumilated an incredible bulk of music and a lot of them were among his best compositions. Almost all songs are solo efforts and if you take that into account you can only conclude that this album was not only his personal best, it is perhaps even the best album ever made. In the end 16 songs landed on this album. The music ranges from soulfull ballads to rock, funk, gospel, livesongs, demo, and anything that goes in between. You'd expect a inconsistent sound, but the quality of the songs is so high that it doesn't. The first 4 songs of the album album covers a wide genre but the flow between these songs is so natural that are the best showcase of Prince's talent. There is no filler on this album. Prince experiments throughout the album with new sounds, but it doesn't get pretentious anywhere, instead it all sounds very spontanious and fun. "Adore" is the best soulsong ever about eternal love (and it is not cheezy by far), "Housequake" is one of the funkiest tracks ever produced. "If I was Your Girlfriend" poetically depicts the differences between genders. There are hooks, build ups, changes, guitars solo's, multilayered backgrounds to be found throughout the album. Even for me, after almost 20 years the music is still fresh, fun and still holds some surprizes. It is considered Prince's artistic peek by many, sometimes emphasizing that it went downhill from here. But first of all, I can't see how someone could top this. And second, Prince never stopped changing his sound with every new album he made, taking risks that most mainstream artist wouldn't dare undertake. (and he did crashland on some ocassion. So if you don't like this album, don't buy any other of Prince, because you simply don't like his music. If you do, you have an impression of Prince's talent and his entire catalogue and a musical journey can begin.
Free Music Review: Spontaneous Creativity
Hit: 5 Stars
"Sign O Times" is perhaps the best example of Prince's boundless creative energy. Literally spewing out song after song, Prince would usually work the songs out as they came to him before quickly moving on to the next one. The result is an almost random collection of songs that cover the full range of Prince's favorite styles at the time: guitar pop, rock ballads, motown ballads, funk, dance...etc. Essentially hot off the press, the songs have a raw demo feel not found in his more polished full band recordings with the Revolution. Some are incredibly mimimalist, often just Prince singing over a snyth pattern and a simple drum machine beat. As a result of it's randomness the album doesn't come off as coherent as say a "Purple Rain" but that's part of the magic really. Common themes do pop up, especially the theme of monogomy as Prince was engaged at the time, while the opener manages to string them all together under the "Sign O Times" banner.
Highlights include: "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" with it's huge catchy ringing guitar lead and shockingly sincere delivery. "If I Was Your Girlfriend" is perhaps the greatest lyrical achievement of Prince's career, an androgenous envy of the closeness women share with each other but not men, sung in a sped up seductive falsetto. "Sign O Times" stands out as the best of the minimalist tracks with a disturbing almost stoic sing/rap delivery detailing the horrific state of the world. Excluding the live "Beautiful Night", "Play in the Sunshine" is the closet thing to a Revolution track on here with Prince getting a little help to create a full band jam feel. Some of the more simple repetitive tracks like "Hot Thing" and "It" can be a little patience testing but there's really not much you can complain about with this one.