Review Summary: A psychedelic rock record in the 80's? Bold, daring, yet a massively successful trip into a new music direction.
It comes to question, what will one do when they release their biggest, most successful and acclaimed album of their career? Do they follow up with an album meant to be grander and a more in-depth look at the style and sound formed on said record? Do they just copy and paste and hope the exact same formula that has already been perfected works again? Well, if you're Prince, the answer is neither. Instead, you take a sharp left turn into a colorful world of popping colors, whimsical images, and vivid psychedelia that recalls the 60's movement but reimagines it in a very unique way. During this time, the album was already being worked on before
Purple Rain released, and Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman had introduced Prince to artists they grew up with like Led Zeppelin and the likes, inspiring him to go more psychedelic and branch out more with his music, which was definitely a good thing.
No one wants someone to stay in the same exact style or song structure, unless you're AC/DC or the Ramones and it works for you; though this album was greeted with mixed reviews upon release and seen as a misstep by critics, alongside ostracizing crossover fans who jumped on the train with
1999 and
Purple Rain, none of that matters; after all they just wanted a mere sequel or follow up to the aforementioned record. But Prince didn't deliver what you WANTED, he delivered what he WANTED and you NEEDED. This is a complete sonic palette cleansing, and yet despite muted promotion from Warner Bros. (at the artists' request), it still reached #1 on the album charts and spawned two #1 singles that still get airplay today. Plus, it's now looked at in reverence by modern day critics and fans alike, but the question is does it deserve the acclaim it gets now?
Starting off with the first side of the album, the first track is an extremely unique song constructed by David Melvoin, Wendy's brother, as a demo initially with only the tag and chorus, and Prince loved it so much he decided to take matters into his own hands. The full band plays on this track, and it is definitely a very psychedelic rock song, with a fantastic use of Indian instrumentation in the form of the oud (a Middle Eastern short-neck lute), and the darbuka for the main drumbeat (also known as the 'goblin drum') giving it a different feel than anything he's ever done before, with some thoughtful lyrics telling listeners to "Open your heart, open your mind". Something that is essential to do to understand the beauty of this record.
"Paisley Park" is an astonishing, delectable slice of psych rock with some insane guitar work that takes the backseat to the main melody which consists of some epic Linn-M1 drum work, the unique use of finger cymbals which became a staple of his sound by now, and Wendy and Lisa's backing vocals give the song a spiritual feel that elevates it even further. The lyrics are very introspective and pretty, talking about finding inner peace within oneself and appreciating the good of life with Dr. Seuss-esque imagery in the lyrics! The song also ends with some great string section work.
"Condition of the Heart" is the album's best piece, a soulful song with Prince crooning in his falsetto with some jazzy chords before the song kicks into full drive with its synthesizer simulating a full orchestra that compliments the tear-jerking piano mastery, alongside timpani being added in as the song gets more developed with an actual string section and everything here is played by Prince himself. It's one of his most personal, endearing ballads and is bursting with creativity.
"Raspberry Beret" is a melodic psychedelic pop masterpiece, the lyrics recounting a tale of a one night stand and was a #1 hit upon release almost instantly. It's orchestral composition, and tinge of psychedelia make it a pleasant, whimsical song that recalls artists such as Syd Barrett or Jimi Hendrix.
Moving onto side 2,
"America" is another amazing song, featuring some intense slap bass work that keeps it funky while the guitar riff and solos provide a bit of a heavier bite, adding to the impact of the sardonic lyrics that protest the mid-80's United States, and reference nuclear war and communism.
"Pop Life" was the album's other hit with splashing heavy drum thuds accompanying a funky slap bass composition that absolutely rocked. The lyrics were quite deep and a biting commentary on the weight of success and lack of creative control; something that'd only get worse. The breakdown also features a recreation of when he was booed offstage in 1981 opening for the Rolling Stones, odd to think how that would happen seeing how big he was now.
"The Ladder" is a masterpiece of psychedelic rock with a tinge of gospel, building up to his shriek and heavier vocals through slow-swinging, traditional gospel chords, and some insane saxophone playing as the song tells the tale of a king who could not be pleased by simple pleasures but is, like all of us, searching for the answers to love and life.
"Temptation" closes the album with an absolute killer guitar riff and some more insane jazzy saxophone work and is probably the most Prince-sounding, at least in terms of its sexually provocative lyrics until the breakdown after the Hendrix-wailing style of the guitar closes it out where Prince has a talk with God who takes him away. If you ever need proof this man was one of the greatest guitarists to ever be on the planet, this song has you covered.
The only slight misstep really is
"Tamborine" which seems to be another more sparse, spacey minimalistic tune with not much going on in it, weird lyrics (is it about masturbation? Or is it about one night stands? It is hard to tell with how messy the lyrics are) that make it hard to get, as well as a loose composition. The drumming is done by Prince and sounds amazing and so is the bassline though. Really, it is still neat to see him attempt a minimalist style he'd perfect on his next album.
This album stands as a wonder among the other albums released in the 80's and is one of the greatest records ever put to tape. I highly recommend this as a listen and it's enjoyable start to finish; just don't go in expecting something like what you have heard on his previous albums and instead prepare for a flowery, mind-bending journey of brilliance.
Track By Track:
1. Around the World in a Day: ★★★★
2. Paisley Park: ★★★★★
3. Condition of the Heart 🎖️: ★★★★★
4. Raspberry Beret: ★★★★★
5. Tamborine: ★★★
6. America: ★★★★
7. Pop Life: ★★★★★
8. The Ladder: ★★★★★
9. Temptation: ★★★★★
