Purple Rain: The Official Prince Thread.

[Kevin Davis]

I know "Purple Rain" but it's a good example of what I'm talking about. I feel like guitar leads like this were a dime a dozen in the '80's -- what am I not hearing that makes this special? I'm legitimately curious about this by the way, I'm not trying to be smug.

I will track down the rest later and try to key in on the things you mention.

[Strat]

I know "Purple Rain" but it's a good example of what I'm talking about. I feel like guitar leads like this were a dime a dozen in the '80's -- what am I not hearing that makes this special? I'm legitimately curious about this by the way, I'm not trying to be smug.

I will track down the rest later and try to key in on the things you mention.

He's not shredding in purple rain. The melodic lines are so perfect. But, the rest of the album as well. You gotta listen to the entire thing for even the title track to really hit home. The diversity really hammers it all home.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

I know "Purple Rain" but it's a good example of what I'm talking about. I feel like guitar leads like this were a dime a dozen in the '80's -- what am I not hearing that makes this special? I'm legitimately curious about this by the way, I'm not trying to be smug.

I will track down the rest later and try to key in on the things you mention.

His reputation leading up to "Purple Rain" was largely built on live performance, much like Bruce Springsteen...he could get pretty much any crowd going back then, and nobody wanted to follow him. "Purple Rain" was kind of his "Born In The USA". He was also a grab bag of things rather than just focusing on one skill...he could play guitar like Jimi Hendrix but dance like a motherfucker in high heels and do splits like James Brown. And like I said, he had this clever, pimp-like aura to him that endeared him to the public on top of all the other things.

[Strat]

Or listen to his second album, self titled. The funk, the keys, the whatever he is doing and then there is a track like "Bambi"

The song Screwdriver. Listen to that guitar work. No shredding, just riff upon riff upon riff.

[Strat]

I know "Purple Rain" but it's a good example of what I'm talking about. I feel like guitar leads like this were a dime a dozen in the '80's -- what am I not hearing that makes this special? I'm legitimately curious about this by the way, I'm not trying to be smug.

I will track down the rest later and try to key in on the things you mention.

His reputation leading up to "Purple Rain" was largely built on live performance, much like Bruce Springsteen...he could get pretty much any crowd going back then. "Purple Rain" was kind of his "Born In The USA". He was also a grab bag of things rather than just focusing on one skill...he could play guitar like Jimi Hendrix but dance like a motherfucker in high heels and do splits like James Brown. And like I said, he had this clever, pimp-like aura to him that endeared him to the public on top of all the other things.

and his funk playing, and song crafting.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

I know "Purple Rain" but it's a good example of what I'm talking about. I feel like guitar leads like this were a dime a dozen in the '80's -- what am I not hearing that makes this special? I'm legitimately curious about this by the way, I'm not trying to be smug.

I will track down the rest later and try to key in on the things you mention.

His reputation leading up to "Purple Rain" was largely built on live performance, much like Bruce Springsteen...he could get pretty much any crowd going back then. "Purple Rain" was kind of his "Born In The USA". He was also a grab bag of things rather than just focusing on one skill...he could play guitar like Jimi Hendrix but dance like a motherfucker in high heels and do splits like James Brown. And like I said, he had this clever, pimp-like aura to him that endeared him to the public on top of all the other things.

and his funk playing, and song crafting.

Of course, but Kevin has already said that he doesn't get that part of it.

And it's not a situation where every clip you see and every song you hear is going to blow you away. But there are enough of them out there somewhere to make a believer out of anybody, I think. As I said...it's complicated.

[Strat]

I know "Purple Rain" but it's a good example of what I'm talking about. I feel like guitar leads like this were a dime a dozen in the '80's -- what am I not hearing that makes this special? I'm legitimately curious about this by the way, I'm not trying to be smug.

I will track down the rest later and try to key in on the things you mention.

His reputation leading up to "Purple Rain" was largely built on live performance, much like Bruce Springsteen...he could get pretty much any crowd going back then. "Purple Rain" was kind of his "Born In The USA". He was also a grab bag of things rather than just focusing on one skill...he could play guitar like Jimi Hendrix but dance like a motherfucker in high heels and do splits like James Brown. And like I said, he had this clever, pimp-like aura to him that endeared him to the public on top of all the other things.

and his funk playing, and song crafting.

Of course, but Kevin has already said that he doesn't get that part of it.

And it's not a situation where every clip you see and every song you hear is going to blow you away. But there are enough of them out there somewhere to make a believer out of anybody, I think. As I said...it's complicated.

its a strange relationship ship ship ship ship

[evenslow]

I'm not overly familiar with Prince's catalog, apart from a short list of hits that have never really done much for me, so I've watched a handful of the videos that have made the rounds this week and I gotta admit -- I actually find his guitar playing kind of obnoxious. This "just watch him play man, you think he's just this pop star but then you find out he actually plays like 556 instruments and OMG his guitar playing will BLOW YOU AWAY!!" business just doesn't resonate with me at all. I've seen virtuoso guitar players before -- at some point you stopped being "wowed" by people moving their fingers fast on a fretboard. What are some good examples of his playing that aren't just him shredding over a funk vamp?

"This thing is totally obnoxious and I don't respond to it now show me good examples."

"I have had limited exposure to his music, but my experience with it has been pretty much the exact opposite of what everyone is saying about it. What am I missing?"

His musical legacy is way too complicated to get into unless you are way into that kind of stuff...kind of like Frank Zappa. It's impossible to find a starting point, there is a lot of crap to sift through, etc....

Demonstrably untrue. Just stick to the 80s for starters. Listen to the following run:
Dirty Mind
1999
Purple Rain
Around the World in a Day
Parade
Sign o the Times

Well you have to add piles and piles of unreleased/bootlegged songs to that, the songs that were withheld and released much later, tons of b-sides, the concert videos...I said "musical legacy" not "basic discography".

You said it's impossible to find a starting point and I gave you a starting point for his musical legacy.

Cliffs notes bare bones version would be Purple Rain, Sign o the Times and the Hits comps.

If you're enthralled by that I would divvy up the rest by eras. There's a lot of shit but there's a ton of buried treasure.

[Strat]

I'm not overly familiar with Prince's catalog, apart from a short list of hits that have never really done much for me, so I've watched a handful of the videos that have made the rounds this week and I gotta admit -- I actually find his guitar playing kind of obnoxious. This "just watch him play man, you think he's just this pop star but then you find out he actually plays like 556 instruments and OMG his guitar playing will BLOW YOU AWAY!!" business just doesn't resonate with me at all. I've seen virtuoso guitar players before -- at some point you stopped being "wowed" by people moving their fingers fast on a fretboard. What are some good examples of his playing that aren't just him shredding over a funk vamp?

"This thing is totally obnoxious and I don't respond to it now show me good examples."

"I have had limited exposure to his music, but my experience with it has been pretty much the exact opposite of what everyone is saying about it. What am I missing?"

His musical legacy is way too complicated to get into unless you are way into that kind of stuff...kind of like Frank Zappa. It's impossible to find a starting point, there is a lot of crap to sift through, etc....

Demonstrably untrue. Just stick to the 80s for starters. Listen to the following run:
Dirty Mind
1999
Purple Rain
Around the World in a Day
Parade
Sign o the Times

Well you have to add piles and piles of unreleased/bootlegged songs to that, the songs that were withheld and released much later, tons of b-sides, the concert videos...I said "musical legacy" not "basic discography".

You said it's impossible to find a starting point and I gave you a starting point for his musical legacy.

Cliffs notes bare bones version would be Purple Rain, Sign o the Times and the Hits comps.

If you're enthralled by that I would divvy up the rest by eras. There's a lot of shit but there's a ton of buried treasure.

He is just looking for guitar work that could invigorate him? I can't tell.

I mean, outside of guitar playing, if you listen to LIttle Red Corvette and don love that song then you are just dead inside. That melody

[evenslow]

We take it for granted now but think of how fucking weird When Doves Cry is. And it went to #1!!!

Creepy vibe and off kilter but with like 14 hooks in it.

[Strat]

We take it for granted now but think of how fucking weird When Doves Cry is. And it went to #1!!!

Creepy vibe and off kilter but with like 14 hooks in it.

And that meaty guitar solo intro. Lol

[evenslow]

We take it for granted now but think of how fucking weird When Doves Cry is. And it went to #1!!!

Creepy vibe and off kilter but with like 14 hooks in it.

And that meaty guitar solo intro. Lol

One of those once in a lifetime things. Probably keeps Eddie Van Halen up at night.

[Strat]

We take it for granted now but think of how fucking weird When Doves Cry is. And it went to #1!!!

Creepy vibe and off kilter but with like 14 hooks in it.

And that meaty guitar solo intro. Lol

One of those once in a lifetime things. Probably keeps Eddie Van Halen up at night.

Kept billy gibbons up

[evenslow]

We take it for granted now but think of how fucking weird When Doves Cry is. And it went to #1!!!

Creepy vibe and off kilter but with like 14 hooks in it.

And that meaty guitar solo intro. Lol

One of those once in a lifetime things. Probably keeps Eddie Van Halen up at night.

Kept billy gibbons up

I want to become a hardcore ZZ Top fan now based on that interview alone.

[Strat]

We take it for granted now but think of how fucking weird When Doves Cry is. And it went to #1!!!

Creepy vibe and off kilter but with like 14 hooks in it.

And that meaty guitar solo intro. Lol

One of those once in a lifetime things. Probably keeps Eddie Van Halen up at night.

Kept billy gibbons up

I want to become a hardcore ZZ Top fan now based on that interview alone.

I dont. i just want to listen to more prince.

I wish Lament would join us here

[Kevin Davis]

He is just looking for guitar work that could invigorate him? I can't tell.

I was just zeroing in on that because the conversation a few pages back was focused on his guitar playing (whether he's better than Gilmour, whether he's top 5 of all time, etc.). I get that he was very talented on multiple levels, however much it may or may not be my thing.

Youtube seems pretty light on his proper studio stuff -- I am guessing he kept a pretty aggressive watch on this sort of thing?

[Brett]

Youtube seems pretty light on his proper studio stuff -- I am guessing he kept a pretty aggressive watch on this sort of thing?

He was so nutty about it that he used to get Youtube to pull live covers of his stuff.

[epilogue]

We all go a little mad sometimes.

Sometimes it snows in April.

I didn't see this post pre-edit, but I've fallen in love with it post-edit and plan on sending you a long hand written letter stating my intentions with your post.

[bada]

I get what KD is saying. Are there thousands of dudes that can play the way Prince does live? Sure. Is there some...."wait a min I didn't know Prince can play guitar like that?" stuff going on. Sure. Is there some "I thought black guys only sang and danced this is amazing". Sure. Is there some over-inflation cause the guy is dead. Sure. If his type of music isn't your thing it probably won't land. Someone mentioned Zappa earlier. That's a guy that I know is super talented but whos music mostly does nothing for me. Someone could say he is the best ever and would think maybe they are right but I wouldn't feel it myself.

[evenslow]

He is just looking for guitar work that could invigorate him? I can't tell.

I was just zeroing in on that because the conversation a few pages back was focused on his guitar playing (whether he's better than Gilmour, whether he's top 5 of all time, etc.). I get that he was very talented on multiple levels, however much it may or may not be my thing.

Youtube seems pretty light on his proper studio stuff -- I am guessing he kept a pretty aggressive watch on this sort of thing?

I was actually going to tell you not to bother with searching for his stuff. He probably had the toughest lawyers in the business WRT online material.

How about I PayPal you $1.29 and you buy I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man? My gift to you! I'm serious. To me, that song is a perfect example of what you're looking for in terms of high class pop songwriting in rock and roll clothing. The solo on that song is tightly constructed and melodic with just a little room for showboating. It's my favorite thing he's done.