Prince album reviews: Warner Brothers era
Goldie’s review of Prince’s albums over his years contracted to Warner Bros Records (1978 to 1996). His commercially and artistically most successful period, that produced some of the most recognisable songs of the 1980s. Prince’s relationship with the record label produced 18 albums. When it came to renewing their arrangement in 1992 it brokered the highest valued recording contract to that moment.
That relationship turned sour in 1993 and spiralled into a public feud that reached its bitter conclusion in 1996. This much disputed contract had put the ownership of those recordings and control of that output in the hands of the label. Prince’s joint venture with Warner Bros, Paisley Park Records, was closed down. Echoes of this feud continued deep into Prince’s career and leave an enduring distrust on the industry, so much he vowed to never again sign a multi-album deal with another record company.
For You
Warner Bros. Records • 1978
US #138 UK —
Pop royalty is born. For You provides our young Prince a palace built on firm foundations. It also sets the familiar production credit: produced, arranged, performed, composed by Prince – a mere 19 years of age at the time of this release. All his later fascinations with sex is under wraps for our young star’s first solo outing when distracted with the world of disco.
Prince
Warner Bros. Records • 1979
US #22 UK —
Prince’s eponymous album and the one that also provided his first and eternal hit: I Wanna Be Your Lover, opening a surprisingly solid album for then the youngest record producer in history. Naming the album after his own name confuses many to believe this is his debut, which in a kind of way it is, with many of the songs being out-takes from his actual debut For You.
Dirty Mind
Warner Bros. Records • 1980
US #45 UK #61
After two albums Prince finally reveals to all what fascinates him most. Women. If you really want to find out where Prince’s musical roots stem, they don’t shine through clearer than on Dirty Mind. Funk is what Prince really did best and he churns it out in abundance and names the album after the thoughts dominating his mind.
Controversy
Warner Bros. Records • 1981
US #21 UK —
Whilst it is to some impossible to imagine Prince existed before the 1999 album, Controversy is a massively and foolishly overlooked album. Prince underlines the roots that in later albums superbly fuse black and white music in a way to create an entire musical genre of his own. The title track, Annie Christian and Let’s Work are essential and timeless.
1999
Warner Bros. Records • 1982
US #7 UK #28
1999 is considered the favourite album of Prince fans. It is the record that powered Prince into the music mainstream: Little Richard and Rick James were brushed aside in the wake of 1999 and even then Prince’s mind was on bigger things. Featuring hits like Little Red Corvette and of course the title track, Prince’s first double LP foreshadows the greatness he was destined to achieve. 1999 influenced music for the next three decades and still sounds like the future even today.
Purple Rain
Warner Bros. Records • 1984
US #1 UK #4
Purple Rain sounds like the greatest hits album of the 1980s, because that’s exactly what it is. Needing no introduction, Purple Rain, to put it bluntly, is the ultimate box ticker to musical perfection. Thirteen times Platinum certified and a cultural phenomenon, Purple Rain houses Prince’s best known work. He spent the next 40 years trying to step out of its shadow but will always be remembered for it. Unbeatable for the hits When Doves Cry, Let’s Go Crazy and the haunting title track, this album influenced the artistic direction for the next thirty years of music. Industry insiders hailed Prince’s later albums ‘his best since Purple Rain‘ but we all know to draw comparison is utter nonsense.
Around The World In A Day
Warner Bros. Records • 1985
US #1 UK #5
What better way to upset the world (and record execs) by following up one of the biggest selling albums in history with one polar opposite. Anyone who follows Prince knows this became a typical Prince trait and something fans had to learn to get used to. Around The World In A Day is the second outing for Prince and The Revolution although this is still a largely solo effort. Prince switched formula for Around The World In A Day, hear it in context and re-rank it as one of his best records.
Parade
Warner Bros. Records • 1986
US #3 UK #4
Parade marks Prince’s first foray into theatrical music. With fame and confidence heightened by the success of Purple Rain, Prince spreads his wings. Ranging from minimalistic to sweeping cinematic orchestration, Prince admitted he had not enough material to fill Parade, feeling it rushed, under prepared and lacking clout. I beg to differ. This is nothing short of iconic.
Sign O’ The Times
Warner Bros. Records • 1987
US #6 UK #4
Sign O’ The Times is the benchmark release of Prince’s forty year career. This double LP houses Prince’s most creative, diverse and lyrically impressive work. The journey to Sign O’ The Times is the stuff of legend and through it Prince became a master lyricist and producer. A time capsule to modern day woes, Prince was never again this inspired. His masterpiece.
Lovesexy
Warner Bros. Records • 1988
US #11 UK #1
Yes! Prince had obviously adapted well to working under pressure, since Lovesexy was a rush job to replace The Black Album pulled after Prince, and probably the record executives got a bad case of cold feet over its negative slant. The saintly Lovesexy was created to atone his dark outlook with a more heavenly gaze. The first LP Prince produced at his clinically white new studio complex Paisley Park. There is everything from pop fare to soaring heights. Powerful and divine.
Batman
Warner Bros. Records • 1989
US #1 UK #1
Overlook this album at your peril. It still unbelievable Batman hails from the 1980s. This is the LP Prince literally recorded on his own, and thank God that he did. The quality of Batman is its diversity, from Scandalous to Batance, there’s no surprise it was at the time the fastest selling album in history. It’s Prince’s only album to top the charts in both the US and UK.
Graffiti Bridge
Warner Bros. Records • 1990
US #6 UK #1
The 80s may well be over but Graffiti Bridge has Prince updating much older tracks and came to dominate the 90’s to be the soundtrack to his third and final movie. There is real quality to be had, led by the sublime Joy In Repetition and The Question Of U. Graffiti Bridge was Prince’s first album not to receive a dedicated tour to support it. When Nude Tour went on the road, it was as a greatest hits show when his live act was more in demand than record sales.
Diamonds And Pearls
Warner Bros. Records • 1991
US #3 UK #2
What came to be Prince’s last commercially successful album for over a decade, Diamonds And Pearls nabbed Prince his record breaking $100m (albeit swiftly regretted) contract renewal with Warner Brothers. Prince’s first record with hi new backing band New Power Generation. Unlucky for Warner they did not get six more albums like this. Hip hop Prince style, it’s still solid Prince as you’d expect.
Love Symbol
Warner Bros. Records • 1992
US #5 UK #1
The unpronounceable Love Symbol was Prince’s first LP under that auspicious new contract with Warner Brothers that would turn so publicly sour. Prince’s obsession both with the female body and with himself give explanation enough why this could only be named Love Symbol, or to be correct Prince Love Symbol. Opening with My Name Is Prince the name would be ditched shortly after, adopting the title of this remarkable LP. Is it a symbol of a star going off the rails or of an artist reborn?
The Hits/The B-Sides
Warner Bros. Records • 1993
US #4 UK #4
Here was the situation. The most expensive and successful artist signed less than a year ago decides to ‘kill’ his identity and rename himself to an unpronounceable glyph ( Prince Love Symbol), coupled with the fact his music is becoming less commercial, what do his label execs do? Sledgehammer the emergency glass and unlock the vault to repackage a stellar greatest hits collection. This is not just the greatest hits album of Prince but the greatest hits of 1980s music.
Come
Warner Bros. Records • 1994
US #15 UK #1
Always judge the quality of an album by the times it is played, and this you’ll play a lot. Come is the ‘Prince is dead, long live Prince Love Symbol‘ LP, created in tandem with The Gold Experience they represent the peak of Prince’s golden period. The latter album was aimed for chart success, the former was not. Come is no mere half-arsed effort. Perfectly themed, not only by its one word song titles, the range of genres from house, R&B, to soul pop and rock hold it together flawlessly. Two albums created by the same artist at the same time yet sound totally different and as strong as the other. What better demonstration can there be of Prince’s mastery of album craft.
The Black Album
Warner Bros. Records • 1994
US #47 UK #36
This is not music, this is a trip. And it was – and quite literally. Prince wrote The Black Album after experimenting with ecstasy and then hating the output when coming back down, locking the album away until Warner Brothers finally set it free in 1994. This is the infamous once-deleted funk bible of Prince lore and lives up to its mythical status.
The Gold Experience
Warner Bros. Records • 1995
US #6 UK #4
Sex, Fetishes, Loneliness, Vindication, Love and Hate are the range of experiences Prince throws the listener into. The Gold Experience is reputedly Prince’s favourite record and is mine too. Put on now twenty years later its testament to that. If there is one album that shaped Prince’s later career this is it. Prince’s first outing as Prince Love Symbol returns him to fearless form laying down the future of music. Urgent and fresh it sounds as sharp today since the day it was made. Prince may have ruled 80s pop but it was the 90s he reigned supreme.
Girl 6
Warner Bros. Records • 1996
US #75 UK —
Allowing the ice thaw, albeit temporarily, with Warner Bros to allow them to release Girl 6 as a soundtrack for his friend Spike Lee for his new film Girl 6, who other than Prince could provide a more suitable backing track to a B-movie about phone sex.
Chaos And Disorder
Warner Bros. Records • 1996
US #26 UK #14
The title says it all. Prince’s animosity toward Warner Brothers is laid bare in this electric album. It’s woefully almost impossible to find even die-hard Prince / Prince Love Symbol fans to publicly champion it. Those who don’t clearly don’t appreciate Prince at his rawest. There is absolutely nothing disorderly about it.
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