Prince was an original thinker who was driven and understood how to succeed. Purple Rain, which he released more than three decades ago, has proven to be a great masterpiece. Even though it was his sixth studio album, it was unquestionably a creative quantum leap. It encapsulated all of Prince’s most admirable creative qualities. Purple Rain is more concentrated, confrontational, and edgier than its predecessors, showcasing his pure talent and brilliance. Even if one ignores the fact that this is the soundtrack to his 1984 film, the album has enough intensity and passion to compete with any other excellent album of the era. What he achieved was original and uncommon at the time, and it became a milestone for various other performers, ranging from fellow rockers to pop icons.
Aside from being fun to listen to it, Purple Rain was anthemic, over-the-top, showy, and the ultimate Prince album. The songwriting was brilliant, the vocals were uniformly excellent, and the orchestration was first-rate. For the first time, I was amazed when I listened to this album. Prince was immensely varied in the range of compositions, and yet each song was not only coherent and crucial to the broader narrative but also seemed like a competitor for the best song ever recorded. It exuded perfection from the outset, with incredible attention to detail and intensity. It is one of those albums that manages to combine dance with trance. As a listener, I was essentially obliged to do both. Prince bares it all on wax lyrically, touching on love, life, and prosperity. All the while, the music was brilliantly done, with an airy, cheerful, yet emotionally engaging mood. There is no denying it is a pop masterclass, and it takes a certain sort of performer to carry it off successfully, which Prince achieved with unquestionable brilliance.
“Let’s Go Crazy”, the first song sets the tone for the entire album well. Prince adopts a preacher-like persona while the church-like organ plays in the background. When I first heard the song, I recognized that the lyrics were all about surviving life and fighting evil, with Satan serving as the de-elevator. I was taught not to let the adversary tear me down, but rather to turn to God for assistance when faced with difficulties. With a synth-driven spoken word beginning, Prince challenges listeners to rise above temptation. Instead of succumbing to dangerous temptations and vices, he advocates channeling that energy towards happiness and focusing on oneself (Tudahl, 2018). The instrumentals themselves are frantic and cheerful; they feature all synthesizers, hard-hitting percussion, and guitar riffs that are interspersed throughout the song.
“Take Me with U” takes a psychedelic turn, featuring a duet with album co-star Apollonia Kotero. This song is a tribute to love, more particularly, it talks about how you do not want to be anywhere without your significant other. I was amazed when I first listened to this music, at how far somehow can go when it comes to matters of love. To me, the song changed my perception of love, in the sense that I should never give up to someone I love. Prince explores this idea throughout the song, saying that as long as he is with his partner, no matter where they are or what they are doing, everything will be okay (Rogers, 2020). Although the lyrics are undoubtedly simple, “Take Me with U” is amazing because of the instrumentals and production. Rarely does a pop song begin with a drum solo and violins before immediately changing to a more rhythmic, harmoniously-driven arrangement. It is my favorite song from “Purple Rain” because it has an addictive melody.
“The Beautiful Ones” is Prince’s perspective on an age-old theme: unrequited love. He concludes his desperate plea to his lady love with some mind-blowing shrieking. When I listened to the song at first, I was surprised by sheer over-the-top desperation, which does not come off as corny. Similar to “Take Me with Uâ, the song was an eye opener to me on the matter of love. The song changed my view of love, precisely, I should never be desperate of love. Throughout its five-minute runtime, he pleads with his love interest to be with him rather than another guy.
“Darling Nikki,” one of Prince’s most divisive songs, is about a sex act with a Nikki, and it is one of the most contentious songs he is ever written. When I initially heard the music, I was taken aback by how sensual the lyrics were. However, the track was typical of a Prince song in terms of creativity, melody, and rhythm. I grew up in a period where explicit lyrics were more or less acceptable in mainstream pop music, so “Darling Nikki” just did not astonish me as much as it startled me. After listening it for the first time, the immediate shock just subsided as I came to understand its significance at the time it was released as a component of the Purple Rain soundtrack. The only thing it really accomplished for me was help me better understand Prince’s discography and distinctive musical style. “Darling Nikki” has a rawer, hard-rock feel compared to other songs on Purple Rain, which have a production that sounds more smooth and more pristine.
One of Prince’s best-known songs, “When Doves Cry,” was the first single from Purple Rain to be made public. When I first heard “When Doves Cry,” I realized I was completely out of my element. It was then that I discovered how vast music might be, and how much it could encompass. It took me by surprise, both musically and emotionally. In some ways, it unlocked a well of significance that continues to plague me to this day. The song, which was composed especially for the semi-autobiographical movie Purple Rain, is notable for its iconic guitar solo and the absence of any bass (Holland, 2017). The instrumentals have a mid-tempo and overlay Prince’s harmonies, synths, and drum machines.
Prince’s Purple Rain album, which is perhaps his best work to date, is much more than simply a soundtrack and is well worth recommending. The songs’ lyrics are relevant to the film adaptation, but they also provide comfort and optimism to listeners. Tracks like “Take Me with U” and “Purple Rain” is easily relatable, yet others like “I Would Die 4 U” and “Baby I’m a Star” emphasize that it is acceptable to be different and urge listeners to accept themselves for who they are. Listening to this album will actually strengthen someoneâs understanding of acceptance and optimism. While the album is undeniably ancient it is timeless in the sense that, despite using outmoded production methods and musical trends, it will still be a good album in 2022.
References
Holland, N. J. (2017). Prince: Postmodern icon. Journal of African American Studies, 21(3), 320-336. Web.
Rogers, S. (2020). Pop life: Prince in the recording studio. Popular Music and Society, 43(3), 237-243. Web.
Tudahl, D. (2018). Prince and the Purple Rain era studio sessions: 1983 and 1984. Rowman & Littlefield. Web.