When studying and preparing skills for usage as a critic, for any medium, there is a grey area in which the writer can assert his or her opinion regarding the artwork. Sometimes there will be very little personal opinion within criticism of a writer that does not have personal experience with the work. On the other hand, when a writer has a lot of personal experience with the artwork they should incorporate it within their criticism in order to increase authenticity and improve storytelling.
Such is the way I feel about Prince’s Purple Rain.
The album was released in 1984, a couple of years before I was born. Even though I did not get to experience the mass hysteria this album caused among the fans, I’ve heard plenty about it from my mother, who was a super Prince fan in those days.
Aside from introducing me to the music, my mom confirmed her sincerity as a fan when she told me what happened the day she tried to bum rush her way into Prince’s dressing room. In the 80s there was a music store called Peaches in St. Louis. Many artists who were on tour would stop by for meeting with their fans by giving autographs, picture sessions, album promotion, and sometimes just to hang out. The sad reality is that the building for Peaches is now gone and has been replaced by a gas station, which is extremely unfortunate. Nevertheless, after the release of Purple Rain, Prince was scheduled to make an appearance at Peaches. He decided that he wasn’t going to appear at this event because he heard that alcohol was being served by the venue. He opened the door several times in order to gauge how the crowd was acting, but he kept closing it because he felt uncomfortable. In between the shutting doors, my mom got to see him very closely. She noticed that he was wearing heels and that he was probably still shorter than she was (at least from her vantage point). She is 5’ 4”.
After it was announced that Prince changed his mind about making an appearance, my mom snuck pass security and tried to open his dressing room door. She had to be carried back to the crowd by authories. She also wanted to go to the concert he had that evening but my grandmother thought she was too young to attend, which she is still totally upset about. In 2016, Prince’s Piano and Microphone Tour was set to play at the Fox Theater in St. Louis, but Prince passed shortly before he could perform that concert.
For many listeners of his music, the album Purple Rain is sort of Prince’s magnum opus. It released in the middle of the 80s, where there was a lot of great music being created. Today there appears to be somewhat of a dichotomy between his fans; there are those who know him almost exclusively from Purple Rain and others who see the album as one of many excellent projects created by Prince.
Over the years, I’ve become a fan myself. I’ve listened to nearly all of his albums and purchased 10 or 11 of them. From my perspective, Prince should be applauded for the chances he took in creating the album. The interesting thing is that in 1982 he released 1999, which is still one of my all-time favorite albums, but it got overshadowed by Michael Jackson’s Thriller which released the same year. While Thriller became the blueprint for how to create a pop album, Prince was determined to make Purple Rain as original as possible. Unlike many of his contemporaries who wanted to replicate the sounds of MJ and Quincy Jones, Prince continued to create music his way.
As for the record, he plays each song with his band The Revolution, and they make some very unique songs and sounds. Before getting into the music, there is one thing regarding the album that I’ve always found peculiar. It was categorized as an R&B album, which it totally has features of that genre on some of the songs, but most people would probably agree that it is more of a pop/rock album. Let’s get into the music.
Let’s Go Crazy: The lyrics juxtapose the gift of eternal life with that of “the elevator” which represents “the devil” or “evil”. He tried to record the song with “devil” as a part of the lyrics but he didn’t feel like people would resonate with it so he changed it to “elevator”. Prince has a strong vocal and demonstrates his range excellently throughout the song. The instrumentation is vast, but the most important features are the thriving drums and electric guitar that are masterfully played on this track.
Take Me With You: The lyrics are about decadence and the development of romance. Prince is on lead vocals; Wendy and Lisa from The Revolution are on background vocals. The instrumentation relies heavily on drums and synthesizers that are pleasant to listen to.
The Beautiful Ones: The lyrics tell the classic story of boy meets girl who is deciding if she wants to pursue a relationship. Prince’s vocal range is awesome on this track. His voice and the music build to a certain level of intensity where he is pleading with his person of interest in a very rock n’ roll style vocal over live drums, electric guitar and some wonderful sounding piano chords. Prince often performed this song with a dancer. He used to perform it on tour with his ex-wife Mayte Garcia, or in more contemporary times with ballet dancer Misty Copeland.
Computer Blue: The lyrics describe a futuristic relationship that is up in the air as one partner had disappeared and the other has no idea where they have gone. The vocals are straight forward and to the point in this song in order to have space for the other half of the track that is all instrumental. The Revolution is on full display in this song. You’ve got wonderful piano chords, drum machine that turns into live drums, exceptional guitar playing. It is apparent that this was a fun song to create and perform.
Darling Nikki: The lyrics describe the occurrence of an unexpected one-night stand, Prince’s vocal range is stellar, it starts out at baseline and as the song progresses his voice goes up a few octaves. The music builds up in ways that correspond with the lyrics, making this song fun to listen to. In the latter part of his career, Prince did not perform this song very much. However, it was covered by the Foo Fighters. As a way of showing appreciation, Prince covered “All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix and turned it into an awesome cover of the Foo Fighter’s “Best of You” during his Super Bowl Half Time Show.
When Doves Cry: The song is one of the most well-known on the album. It is still played somewhat frequently on radio when DJs want to play a good “throwback” song. The lyrics describe a person going through an inner struggle to figure out what they can do to be better for themselves and whomever they are in a relationship with. Instrumentation standouts are the piano and electric guitar.
I Would Die for You: The lyrics are symbolism meant to take on the perspective of the Messiah. They are a musical representation of the Messiah’s perspective before experiencing the stations of the cross, death and resurrection. Prince’s vocals are light and steady throughout the song. The instrumentation is a beautiful mix of drums, synthesizer and acoustic guitar.
Baby I’m a Star: This is directly meant to be a party song similarly to “Let’s Go Crazy”. The lyrics are about the music the band plays, as well as its decadence and glamour. Prince usually performs this song without an instrument, instead taking on the track as a pop singer. The musicology of The Revolution really works out well on this song, which makes it another one that is really fun to listen to. A highlight in the instrumentation is the keyboard solo toward the end of the song that is so fun and captivating to hear.
Purple Rain: “Purple Rain” is my favorite song on the album. The lyrics are about the singer’s desire to see his “friend” in the “purple rain” which is symbolism for a state of nirvana where things like money, materialism and sex don’t matter, but rather true happiness is bestowed upon the partner in the rain. Prince’s voice is more baritone during the verses and tenor during the high notes at the end of the song. The instrumentation has a simple drum beat, a piano chord here or there, and very memorable electric guitar. If there were a list of the greatest guitar solos ever created and performed, the one in “Purple Rain” would certainly be on the list.