Purple Rain (Review)
Hi. Hey. Hello. ItzSonny...and Prince. Never really got into his music when I was younger, NOW HOLD UP HOLD UP, BEFORE YOU STRIKE ME DOWN (even though you can't because nobody is reading this and even if you were, you're reading this after the fact), I never said I disliked Prince's music, no no, not at all, from what I heard growing up as a young laddie, I really adored it...I was just a Michael Jackson fanatic growing up, yet it's time to change that and see what the supposedly superior king of pop has to offer according to the internet's melon head, and what better way to do that then by checking out his most well-known work that even I knew of growing up in his 1984 record, "Purple Rain". Let's see what makes the rain so damn purple and analyze the musical genius of this classic album.
BACKGROUND
Prince who is a musical icon was well-known for his previous "solo" recording albums and this album was the first one to go under the name he had developed of "Prince & the Revolution." The Revolution being his live band who supported him in concerts who became his studio band. Not only that but, Prince always wanted to make the jump from musical projects into film by utilizing the album as both an album of his music catalogue, yet also as the soundtrack for a film adaptation of the same name "Purple Rain". Prince and his Revolution got to producing the album during 1983 to 1984 and put a lot of thought into the tracks of the LP, especially in the overall meaning behind the term of "Purple Rain", when being asked of it, he conveyed:
“When there’s blood in the sky – red and blue = purple...purple rain retains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/god guide you through the purple rain.”
After completion of the album, they released it and it became the legendary hit we all recognize to this very day, so let's hold our hands together and walk into the pouring purple rain.
REVIEW
"Let's Go Crazy"
What an electrifying song to kick open your album, man, this song...weirdly sounds similar to the theme song of DuckTales (I'm going crazy) and yah, it's that sparkly clean and party dance vibrancy ripped out of the 80s conveyed by the sheer music entity that is Prince with a glorifying arrangement from the Revolution, fun delivery, and a simplistic charm of going all out and getting wild, making this set the perfect tone for the rest of this experience.
"Take Me with U"
I think this song is pretty great, a nice sort of shorter track that still manages to keep up with the record's flow as it has a banging tone to it with nice overall instrumentation with nice small bursts of specific sounds throughout it to hone in on the flow with a nice overall vocal balance between Prince and Apollonia that makes this a nicely tight small-rounded single of the LP.
"The Beautiful Ones"
Sort of following this romantic ideal, this one tackles Prince being conflicted and desiring for a woman choosing between him and another man, bringing out frustration in how he wants her and also feels she doesn't appreciate his gestures, I like the overall more slow-tempo and pop tone to the song with a consistent and steady flow that makes the song more focused and condensed to really bring out the thought process of Prince during the track's duration with the highlight being him lashing out his emotions in frustration as the song closes, being both personally funny for how exaggerated it is and yet still make me commend him for how clear he's putting his all into the song, a really admirable artist.
"Computer Blue"
Now this one right here is my kind of groove, continuing the romantic ideals, it's just simply Prince contemplating what's up with his love life status and halfway through the lyricism completely stops, just letting out the incredible flow and production on this one with the heavy guitar progression, synths, and overall aesthetic the album has been breathing so far fully out with a great and captivating energy that makes this a personal highlight for me.
"Darling Nikki"
Prince getting to the point of being with a sex fiend for any resemblance of romance, the song fully embraces his mindset starting off bizarre and lashing out in explosive sound with an insane bouncing beat and heavy keys and overall instrumental sonic boom into a highly addicting section of the song that makes this one have started off solid and end up being great with a great portrayal of its emotion both in delivery, writing, and mostly of all, sound.
"When Doves Cry"
The hit single from this album we all recognize most from this album, this one still hits even today, detailing Prince back at confrontation only to be more calm and wise, feeling saddened at how his love abandoned him to be alone in this cold and cruel world which is greatly effective through the incredibly well-executed melody that is memorable to this day with its percussion to the small, yet appreciated guitar strikes and the never-ending flow that never once is dull that makes this a true staple of 80s pop music.
"I Would Die 4 U"
Another hit track I remember loving as a kid, this one really syncs with me as well with its incredibly addictive repetitive synth in the back as the tone and the overall impactful melody and lyrical chorus that makes this song entirely short, sweet, and simple with the idea being right in the title and being just a nicely well-packaged song in this album that nicely stands out all on its own.
"Baby I'm a Star"
I really have grown to appreciate this one as this track serving as the penultimate song really circles the album together by bringing back that positive attitude missing since well very much the opener really going all out with its party dance and celebratory nature by well highlighting its idea in the title itself, with everybody being a "star" and it all works well here, feeling naturally earned from its positivity rather than coming out of nowhere due to the previous tracks really earning it again here.
"Purple Rain"
An outstanding closer that perfectly marks this album as a worthy classic, perfectly tying up its overall idea and revealing the concept behind the title of the LP in "Purple Rain", representing a kind of rain that both represents the harsh and cruelness of this world and yet unveil the beauty of it by guiding those under it, especially lovers, into a path of positivity perfectly conveyed in its truly beautiful and courageous ending moments of sound across the song that has just the perfect melody and tone to it that ends this album on the right note.
CONCLUSION
In my humble opinion, I wouldn't call Purple Rain a personal favorite album of mine, yet, do I dislike it? Of course not, not at all, not even close for this album works well by not being some groundbreaking or revolutionary release for its time or for all time, but by just being a damn good music album, every song ranges from being either really solid to being downright incredible and is all perfectly well-rounded from Prince's compelling writing, dreamy delivery, incredible instrumentation from his Revolution, and overall fantastic production that makes this album a staple of 80s pop music, being an album that has a great ideal we can all relate to and believe in its execution, whilst still being an album that can get mature, yet still by the end, shine a light of positivity when we need it, Purple Rain. It's been Sonny and so long, farewell, and goodbye.
“I think you better close it
And let me guide you through the Purple Rain”
