No artist impacted the sound of the pop music in the 80’s more than Prince. His unique blend of virtuoso musicianship (his guitar solo on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” in 2004 is an absolute masterclass), unrivaled instinct for unique harmonic elements, and prolific writing capabilities that saw him release forty studio albums during his lifetime made an indemonstrable impact on the history of pop culture. With wide-ranging tastes that ran the gamut from pop, classic rock, R&B, funk, new wave, and soul, he was an absolute powerhouse in the studio and on the live stage, shaping the formation of popular music and serving as a muse for multiple generations of artists over the years. You just have to watch this video of legendary musicians like Vernon Reid, Bonnie Raitt, Nile Rodgers, John Mayer, Bootsy Collins, Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, and countless more talking about his impact on their own journey as musicians. He simply was one-of-a-kind.
Purple Rain is Prince’s best-selling album and his most recognizable albums in a long-career of recognizable albums. One thing that has always jumped out to me about Prince’s albums is the happy surprises you’ll find in every single one when you hear a well-recognized song that you forgot Prince wrote and recorded. But sure as day those songs will be there– for me that song was “I’ll Die 4 U”, an iconic 80’s cut which has sort of an androgynous vocal sound, something that Prince was known for and eventually took to the next level with an alter-ego named “Camille”. The whole album has a variety of these gems, from the uptempo “Let’s Go Crazy”, the provocative “Darling Nikki” (whose lyrics actually set in motion the decision to include Parental Advisory stickers on albums), the absolute groove of “When Doves Cry”, and of course the title track “Purple Rain” which will forever remain one of the greatest rock ballads of all-time. Purple Rain is just filled to the brim with so many great tracks it’s easy to understand why it has remained one of the most influential albums of all-time.
In my native state of Minnesota everyone has a great Prince story– he was notorious for his love for the Twin Cities, spending nearly his entire life there, and was commonly found out in the community and in its music clubs dropping in and supporting local musicians. My story is a second-hand account. My cousin was a bartender at a small bar in the early 2000’s when one night Prince walked in. The place was obviously electric with excitement, so after his shift my cousin decided to stay and hang out with a few of his buddies. On a trip late in the night to the bar he brought back a pair of huge beers when he accidentally bumped into Prince, spilling them both all over the front of Prince’s shirt. Prince looked him dead in the eye, simply raised his hands, and snapped his fingers. In less than half a second two of Prince’s massive private security guards picked up my cousin off the ground, walked him outside, and threw him out of the place. Yes, my cousin got kicked out of the bar where he was employed by Prince. It may not be as legendary as Charlie Murphy’s basketball and pancake with Prince story, but it’s damn close.
Go and watch his Super Bowl halftime show in 2007 tonight and tell me you don’t get goosebumps. Here’s to an all-time legend who left us far too soon.
Standout Songs: “Let’s Go Crazy”, “The Beautiful Ones”, “When Doves Cry”, “I Would Die 4 U”, “Purple Rain”
Matthew. 