Prince - The Black Album (CD, 1987/1994)

The story behind one of the most famously recalled/bootlegged/fabled albums in history is still a little hazy. This much is true: Prince put together an album - this album - that was to be his follow-up to Sign “☮” the Times. And a quick follow-up, at that: the record was supposed to be released a scant nine months later, in December of 1987. At the last minute, after initial copies had been pressed and promos had already been sent out, Prince called it off. He wanted it back.

Stories about why Prince decided not to release it vary, but it usually comes back to him deciding that it was evil, or too dark, or he took ecstasy and had some premonition or something. Whatever the reason, it immediately made the album mysterious and sought-after (the name certainly helped, I'm sure), and through a promo or two that got away, the thing got the shit bootlegged out of it.

I'm still unclear on how many actual copies of the 1987 pressing exist that aren't promos. This one showed up on eBay last week, and as you can tell, somebody really wanted it. (If the link is dead, the auction was for a sealed, longbox copy of the CD, and it went for $3,150.) They're claiming one like that hadn't been sold in fifteen years, but who knows if that's true. Even if it's not, you get the idea: it's probably the rarest and most sought-after compact disc in existence. (Please leave a comment if you know of another one in contention.) You can read a bit more about it on this site, though it hasn't been updated in forever.

I first heard The Black Album (not the official title, btw - it actually has no title) in 1994, when Warner Bros. did an official - though limited - release of it. I picked up a promo copy on cassette from my local record store, which was odd considering that I was way out of Prince mode at that point in my life, but I had heard so many rumors about this record that I just had to hear it.

Of course, like any album that you've built up in your mind as something that is so crazy that it had to be kept from the world, it did not live up to my expectations. I'm still not sure what I expected, but this funk frenzy was not it. I used to listen to the tape here and there, and after a while, I began to accept The Black Album for what it is: a totally decent Prince record.

The good stuff ("Le Grind," "Cindy C.," "Rockhard in a Funky Place") follows up on the party-time funk that Prince had mastered on his previous record. The hip hop shit ("Dead On It," "Bob George") feels forced, and strangely defensive. It's developed more of a context as the years have passed, but they still don't quite work. And the leftovers (The bizarre, mostly-instrumental "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton;" the slick synth-funk of "Superfunkycalifragisexy") feel like B-sides. (Oh, and "When 2 R in Love" is on here, too, but we already knew about that one.)

I still dig this record, and really, it's about as good as Lovesexy. So I guess that makes sense. In fact, if you put the two together, you've got yourself some nice '87/'88-era Prince. And there's nothing wrong with that. Even Prince's weaker stuff from that era is always worth listening to. Dig it.

"Le Grind"

Prince - Batman (LP, 1989)

Prince doing the Batman soundtrack seemed to make perfect sense and no sense at all. I don't consciously remember thinking it was odd, but I must have. They would have been short-lived: as soon as we all heard "Batdance" and saw the video for it, we realized that the dude got it.

In the summer of 1989, Batman was the coolest thing going, so Prince, by osmosis (or whatever) was cool as shit as well. It didn't hurt that "Batdance" was the dopest almost-non-vocal dance track since "Pump Up the Volume," and it certainly didn't hurt that the video looked as high-budget as the film. People were walking around saying "Vicki Vale" all the time, aping the way it's said in the song. I annoyed myself by doing it. I couldn't hear that name without instantly going to that. "I like... BATMAN!" It was nuts.

Whatever it was, it got Prince to churn out a cool little record. "The Future" and "Electric Chair" are both stomping dance tracks, and it's cuts like those that work the best on this record. "The Arms of Orion," a duet with Sheena Easton, is a little too "Somewhere Out There" for me, and "Scandalous" is a decent slow jam, but it lags a little around the fifth minute.

But whatever. Tracks like "Partyman," "Trust," and "Lemon Crush" bump nice and hard, and if Prince was trying to make some sweet dance jams, he pulled it off. Having "Batdance" close the record is a bold move, but of course, it makes sense. That song sounds fairly dated now, but it's still impressive. Prince really could do it all.

It's funny to hear some of the vocal samples on this record. Not on "Batdance" so much, but on some of the other cuts. They don't quite match the ones in the movie. It's hard to explain, but you can notice it if you listen close. Apparently Prince worked with a rough cut or something. This record still feels like a bit of novelty, but it's really not. There are some solid tunes here.

This would pretty much be the end of Prince for me, though that wasn't a conscious decision at the time. 1990 was around when I started getting into other kinds of music, and not relying on the radio so much, I guess. But, you know, "Thieves in the Temple" and that New Power Generation shit just didn't really do it for me. And if you've ever seen Graffiti Bridge (the "sequel" to Purple Rain, then you probably understand what I'm talking about. It's just a terrible, terrible movie. And this was when Prince started hyping Tevin Campbell - it was just no good.

But the 80's were good for Prince. Damn good.

"Partyman"

Prince - Lovesexy (LP, 1988)

Yes, the cover is ridiculous. And whether that alone was the determinant in making this one of Prince's least commercially successful releases up to this point is unclear, but it certainly couldn't have helped. It could also be the fact that next to Sign "☮" the Times, this record just doesn't hold up that well. It's still a great record, but it's just not one of Prince's greatest.

Lovesexy holds the slot in Prince's discography where the fabled Black Album was supposed to go, before it was hastily recalled at the last minute. Prince was obviously having some internal battle between good and evil, hence the release of this upbeat record, and hence its underlying themes involving God, Satan, all that mess. Those lyrics don't really interest me too terribly much, but I can tell you that there are some great songs on this record, regardless of goofy content.

The LP starts strong, with the one-two combo of the mighty fun "Eye No," and the rap-dance anthem that is "Alphabet St." "Alphabet St." remains a great song, and at five and half minutes, the album version cleans the clock of the radio/video edit. (When this came out, I had the cassette single for "Alphabet St.," which had the radio edit on the first side, and the remaining part of the song on the second side. Pretty cool.) Such a catchy tune, and Prince really knows how to get the most out of the hook.

It's followed by "Glam Slam," which I've never been a fan of. Prince went so far as to make it a single, which really makes me wonder if I'm missing something with this one. In fact, in my opinion, it's one of the weakest tracks he released up to this point in his career. Maybe this is where Prince started losing me. Either way, a very generic song from the little guy.

"Anna Stesia," the next track, isn't too great either, which may be evident from its cornball title. (Not that that's ever stopped Prince songs from being good.) This is where he starts spouting his "God is love" stuff, and it drags. Thankfully, "Dance On" (One of the stronger songs on the LP) and the title track follow it up, and they get shit back on track a little bit.

"When 2 R in Love" is the only track that is on both Lovesexy and The Black Album, which makes me think Prince felt strongly about it. He should have; it's a solid slow jam with a nice refrain. It's followed by "I Wish U Heaven," which is an okay three-minute pop tune, and was the third single from this record. Makes sense. The album closes with "Positivity," which is seven minutes long and a bit draining.

This is the first record - I'm fairly certain - where Prince mentions the New Power Generation. They weren't officially his band at this point, but he was working towards it. This directly coincides with where Prince starts losing me. That and the 90's, I guess. Either way, he seems to get more and more jumbled after this point, and for the first time, I found it hard to go down the weird-ass roads with him.

Well, actually, we took one more ride. Wait - maybe two.

"I Wish U Heaven"

Stallion Alert at the Movies: Sign "☮" the Times (1987)

The only thing that could have made Prince's best record any awesomer would have been if he released a movie to accompany it. So, because Prince is awesome - and because he probably wanted to wash the taste of Under the Cherry Moon out of society's mouth - he went ahead and dropped this bad boy.

I've been trying to think of theatrically-released concert movies that top this one, and all I can come up with is Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads. And while I'll probably always give that one the nod, Sign "☮" the Times is a very close second. Like I said: Prince was untouchable at this point.

Though there's a few tidbits of a storyline sprinkled throughout this thing (kind of hard to explain), it's really just a straight-up concert video. And though it's not simply footage of a one-off show (much like Stop Making Sense isn't), it's made to feel like one, and that's just as good. Prince is in rare form in this movie, and it's fun as shit to watch. He even gets behind the drum kit, for cryin' out loud.

Prince and his band barrel through 12 tracks from Sign "☮" the Times, and also throw in a short version of "Little Red Corvette" and a Charlie Parker cover. The album cuts are almost all different from their recorded versions, which makes this thing even more interesting. Lots of weird intros, outros, extended jams, and even a few songs mixed together ("Forever in My Life" and "It"). This was during the short-lived Sheila E era, and she's featured prominently in this thing, banging the shit out of her drums. The lady's an ass-kicker. The whole band is full of ass-kickers. And Prince plays plenty of guitar throughout, which is always a good time.

The fact that this movie has yet to see a U.S. DVD release is a real crime. Apparently it's available in Canada, but it's a bare-bones release, so I'm not too intrigued. The word is that a bunch of other songs were filmed and not used, so I'm holding out for the deluxe edition that will probably never arrive. Until then, I'm still the proud owner of a VHS copy. And I watch it every once in a while. And it never disappoints.

Trailer

Prince - Sign “☮” the Times (2xLP, 1987)

Prince's crowning achievement came at a time when things could have easily gone in a completely different direction. He had just parted ways with most of his longtime band (Dr. Fink stuck around), his latest film had just flopped, and his identity was becoming more and more hazy. The fact that he pulled together an album as flawless as this is just further proof of Prince's genius.

Sign “☮” the Times is not only Prince's best record, it's the best "mainstream" record to come out in the 80's, and arguably one of the greatest albums of all time. It's 80 minutes of non-stop awesomeness, tackling pop, rock, and funk in a way that was both musically complex and extremely palatable. That had always been part of Prince's M.O., but the ways in which he pulls it off on these 16 songs is unsurpassed by any other record in his catalog. This is post-Revolution, pre-New Power Generation Prince, and if he felt alone, his back against the wall with something to prove, then there's no denying that the man works wonderfully under pressure.

There's not a weak spot throughout the entirety of these two LPs, and while Prince had certainly been fairly consistent up to this point, this was a whole 'nother level. Every track on this album is a winner, and though the singles it spawned (the title track, "U Got the Look," "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man") are representative of the album's brilliance, they only tell part of the story. This is a collection of tunes that demands to be listened to from beginning to end, and once you do that two or three times, you'll be stuck on this thing for a year. Yeah, I talk big, but seriously: it's that good.

I'm going to track-by-track this one, just so I don't miss anything.

"Sign “☮” the Times" - Though this is fairly dour lyrically (as far as Prince songs go), the melody and stark drum track are just too dope to let it become depressing. The two little bridge parts ("Is it silly no/ When a rocket ship explodes...") are just too good.

"Play in the Sunshine" - And, here's where the party gets started. If people had been waiting for Prince to get back to some straight-up feel-good shit, here it is. Huge song.

"Housequake" - The first song on the record where Prince uses his squeaky "Camille" voice, this track lets you know that apparently "Play in the Sunshine" was just a warm-up. Hearing Prince yell "Bullshit!" is never not fun.

"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" - The warbly keys and spazzy drums on this ballad-y cut are abstract, but Prince's clean vocals complement the whole thing perfectly. Contains the classic line "Yeah, lemme get a fruit cocktail - I ain't too hungry." His falsetto on this one is gold.

"It" - There are songs I'll never get sick of, and this is one of 'em. The melody on this song is nerve-wrackingly cutting, and the orchestral stabs in the background are just way too dope. And man, those drums sound like guns.

"Starfish and Coffee" - The most out-and-out pop tune on this record, and it's a pretty one. The shortest song on the album at under three minutes, and it comes at a perfect point in the sequence.

"Slow Love" - The Prince slow jam to end all slow jams. If you can't get laid to this song, turn in your boner.

"Hot Thing" - When a track like this is relegated to b-side status (it was the flip of "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man"), it's only another indication of how incredible this record is. The drums slam, Prince sounds pervy, and it all rules.

"Forever in My Life" - Another track with buzzy synths and badass drums, and another one where Prince just slays it with his vocals. You think it's going to build and then he jukes you. Sweet.

"U Got the Look" - Another Prince-doing-Camille cut, and one of the catchiest singles dude ever released. Prince managed to make Sheena Easton cool. Now that's something. And "Your body's heck-a slammin'" remains a classic.

"If I Was Your Girlfriend" - One of the more odd singles that Prince ever released, though it should have been way more popular than it was. Prince - again as Camille - just wants to know why these ladies won't change their clothes in front of him. Fair enough.

"Strange Relationship" - If you're in a tumultuous relationship with a chick, put this one on a mix for her. It'll score you big points. Or get her pissed. Hard to say. Either way: great song.

"I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" - Probably my favorite Prince song, and the album contains the sweet six-and-a-half minute version, which is far superior to the radio edit. Prince absolutely slays it on guitar during the breakdown on this one.

"The Cross" - Love Prince, love his weird religious shit. Regardless of the message, this is a classic Prince ballad.

"It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night" - This one was apparently recorded live, but I have my doubts about how "live" it actually is. It doesn't matter. This is nine minutes of sweet, sweet funk complete with Sheila E rapping.

"Adore" - A great closer for this record, this is Prince getting all sultry and smooth, winding things down.

So there it is: the peak of Prince. At least as far as I'm concerned. If you're going to own one Prince record, this should be it. It just refuses to get old.

"Housequake"

Stallion Alert at the Movies: Under the Cherry Moon (1986)

Proof positive that Prince could do whatever the fuck he wanted at this point.

How about a noir-style cutesy-drama, shot in black and white, directed by and starring Prince, that features only half of one song as a musical performance? Clearly, no one was going to say no to him around this time, but they had to have known this wasn't going to work out.

Aside from the frustrating lack of musical numbers, watching this movie now is actually fairly entertaining. It's certainly an ego-driven mess, but viewed as a document of where Prince was at in 1986, it's so strange that - at times - it's infatuating. Still, do I want to sit through this thing again anytime soon? Nah.

Prince and Jerome Benton (from The Time) star as two money-swindling playboys who apparently play music for a living (though you don't see much of that). They fall for a girl (Kristen Scott Thomas) who's due to inherit a large sum of money, and all sorts of tomfoolery ensues. The film keeps getting pulled between Fellini-esque abstractness and madcap comedy, but they never lean hard enough to either side. There's a loose plot, but the whole thing is based in this weird fantasyland where it's 1940 and 1985 at the same time, and you never feel grounded enough to believe a bit of it.

Still, like I said, watching Prince do his thing is entertaining enough, but you quickly find out that it's way more entertaining when there's the promise of a musical performance ahead. As it stands, a lot of the songs from Parade make their way into the movie, but they're almost all relegated to background status.

If you've got the patience, this thing is worth watching. If nothing else, you can just marvel at the fact that it exists. It really does seem like some strange, Prince-led dream.

Trailer

Prince and The Revolution - Parade (LP, 1986)

At this point, Prince was in the zone. Parade may not be as fondly remembered as some of his other albums from his classic run in the 80's, but I'm not sure why. It's just as ambitious as his previous record; possibly even more so. But while Around the World in a Day relied on pop when all the "psychedelic" stuff was stripped away, Parade doesn't always follow suit. I'd argue that that's a good thing, but it also doesn't shock me that this album wasn't a huge success.

1986 was the year of Sophisticated Prince, where everything was stark and slick, classic-styled, and more about jazz and orchestration than funk and guitars. It was a sweet move, though one that might have confused his fans a little bit. Remember: this was only two years after Purple Rain (a little less than, actually), and a year before this, Prince was borderline kaleidoscopic. Now he was black and white? It was a lot to keep up with. But if you were willing to stick with the guy, it always paid off. Most people were more than willing to latch onto "Kiss," but I guess the rest of this record didn't hold the same appeal. Of course, like most Prince records pre-1990's, it's aged brilliantly.

The first four songs are all around two minutes in length, and they blend together to form a nice little intro. Each one features big-ass drums, especially "New Position," which is devastatingly catchy. "Under the Cherry Moon" is the classy-jazzy end to the suite, and it rolls into "Girls & Boys," which should have been a huge hit, but Prince didn't release it as a single in the U.S. for whatever reason. "Life Can Be So Nice" continues with the thundering drums, and is a bizarrely blistering tune. It's followed by the sweet little instrumental "Venus de Milo," which finishes up the first side.

"Mountains" begins the second side, and though it doesn't sound like a typical Prince single, it'll grow on you if you let it. I'll be the first to admit that it's one of his most generic songs, but I dig it. "Do You Lie?" is the apex of Prince's classy vibe on this one, and just one more song that sounds like the inspiration for Andre 3000's The Love Below. (Pretty sure he was listening to this record a lot when we was writing that thing - or so my theory goes.)

Parade ends even stronger than it begins, with "Kiss," the smooth-then-rugged "Anotherloverholenyohead," and one of my favorite Prince ballads, "Sometimes it Snows in April." It's a throwback to some of the softer shit on his first two records, but it's way more fully realized. And hearing Prince with an acoustic guitar is always awesome.

This would be Prince's last record with The Revolution, most of whom who had been with him even before he was putting their group name on the records. They had planned one more album, and apparently even recorded most of it, but it never saw release.

Oh, and this album is also the soundtrack to Under the Cherry Moon, but barely. Although the stinkiness of that movie may have accounted for this record's relatively lackluster sales. Anyway, forget the sales: this record is damn good. Pick it up on the cheap if you can. And you can.

"Anotherloverholenyohead"