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"...Let's Pretend We're Married..."
Having only just turned 26 years of age mere weeks before its worldwide release, Prince was already a five-album veteran for a major respected record label (Warner Brothers). But platter number six - "Purple Rain" from late June 1984 - sent him, his world and the rest of ours - into serious reeling mode.
As if the double-album "1999" from 1982 wasn't enough, "Purple Rain" arrived like a frenzied storm-trooper ready to prove a point to his mommy who didn't love him enough and left a copy of Hustler lying around the little darlings crib. From the opening Guitar/Synth Pop attack of "Let's Go Crazy" to the stunning and indeed majestic title track "Purple Rain" that ended Side 2 with a string arrangement that still leaves me jaw-struck - the whole album was a take-no-prisoners assault by both the artist and his tighter-than-tight backing group - The Revolution (credited for the first time as his chosen band on the LP artwork).
But the famous records transition to digital has been a tale of woe for far too many decades. Well now - at last - we get the 'Ultimate Collector's Edition' and 'Super Deluxe Edition' treatment in 2017 - reissues that like the album 'pour it on'. We're dealing with the baby version. Here are the dove details...
UK released 23 June 2017 - "Purple Rain" by PRINCE and THE REVOLUTION on Warner Records/NPG 9362-49132-0 (Barcode 093624913207) is a 3CD + 1DVD 'Ultimate Collector's Edition' Reissue with Rarities, Unreleased Material and Bernie Grundman Remasters. It plays out as follows:
CD1 "Original Album – 2015 Paisley Park Remaster" (43:48 minutes):
1. Let's Go Crazy
2. Take Me With U
3. The Beautiful Ones
4. Computer Blue
5. Darling Nikki
6. When Doves Cry [Side 2]
7. I Would Die 4 U
8. Baby I'm A Star
9. Purple Rain
Tracks 1 to 9 are his sixth studio album "Purple Rain" (first credited to Prince and The Revolution – released 27 July 1984 in the USA on Warner Brothers 25110-1 and in the UK on Warner Brothers 925 110-1. Produced by PRINCE – it peaked at No. 1 in the USA and No. 7 in the UK.
CD2 "From The Vault and Previously Unreleased" (76:33 minutes):
1. The Dance Electric (11:29 minutes)
2. Love And Sex (5:00 minutes)
3. Computer Blue ("Hallways Speech" Version) (12:18 minutes)
4. Electric Intercourse (Studio Version) (4:57 minutes)
5. Our Destiny/Roadhouse Garden (6:25 minutes)
6. Possessed (7:56 minutes)
7. Wonderful Ass
8. Velvet Kitty Cat
9. Katrina's Paper Dolls
10. We Can F**k
11. Father's Song
CD3 "Single Edits & B-Sides" Bernie Grundman Remasters (78:05 minutes):
1. When Doves Cry (7" Single Edit) – A-side, May 1984 US 45-single, Warner Brothers 29286
2. 17 Days (Edit) – B-side of "When Doves Cry", May 1984 US 45-single, Warner Brothers 29286
3. Let's Go Crazy (7" Single Edit) – A-side, July 1984 US 45-single, Warner Brothers 29216
4. Let's Go Crazy (Special Dance Mix) – August 1984 US 12" Single, A-side of Warner Brothers 20246
5. Erotic City (Edit) – B-side of "Let's Go Crazy", July 1984 US 45-single, Warner Brothers 29216
6. Erotic City ("Make Love Not War Erotic City Come Alive") – B-side of "Let's Go Crazy", August 1984 US 12" Single Extended Version, Warner Brothers 20246
7. Purple Rain (7" Edit) – A-side, September 1984 US 45-single, Warner Brothers 29174
8. God – B-side of "Purple Rain", September 1984 US 45-single, Warner Brothers 29174
9. God (Love Theme From Purple Rain) – B-side of UK 12" Single for "Purple Rain", September 1984 on Warner Brothers W 9174 T
10. Another Lonely Christmas (Edit) – B-side of "I Would Die 4 U", November 1984 US 45-single on Warner Brothers 20291
11. Another Lonely Christmas (Extended Version) – A-side, December 1984 US 45-single, Warner Brothers 20291
12. I Would Die 4 U (7" Single Edit) – A-side, November 1984 US 45-single on Warner Brothers 29121
13. I Would Die 4 U (Extended Version) – A-side, December 1984 US 45-single on Warner Brothers 20291
14. Baby I'm A Star (Edit) – B-side to "Take Me With U", January 1985 US 45-single on Warner Brothers 29079
15. Take Me With U (7" Single Edit) – A-side, January 1985 US 45-single on Warner Brothers 29079
DVD – Prince And The Revolution Live at the Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY, 30 March 1985
1. Let's Go Crazy
2. Delirious
3. 1999
4. Little Red Corvette
5. Take Me With U
6. Do Me, Baby
7. Irresistible Bitch
8. Possessed
9. How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore
10. Let's Pretend We're Married
11. International Lover
12. God
13. Computer Blue
14. Darling Nikki
15. The Beautiful One
16. When Doves Cry
17. I Would Die 4 U
18. Baby I'm A Star
19. Purple Rain
On first glance the silver-foil-look multi-foldout-panel cardpack certainly looks the part - a Remaster of the original album overseen by prince at his Paisley Park studios - a chockers CD2 with unheard rarities which are actually worth hearing - a third CD of myriad 7" and 12" single versions (promos included) and the icing on the cake - a concert DVD that amply shows why he and his band (on form) were one of the greatest live draws in the world. But you quickly begin to realize that the 36-page booklet (pretty as it is) is a truncated variant of the much larger version in the 'Super Deluxe' Box set and only comments on the album - then nada. No debate or enlightenment for fans on any of the rest of it.
Audio Engineer SUSAN ROGERS opens the text with reminiscences of the album's making and Prince's impact not just on the R&B and Soul scene, but what crossover appeal "Purple Rain" gave Prince with the Rock Crowd who after "1999" had woken up to his brilliance. It was his fusion of Hendrix going wild on Guitar, Sly Stone getting Funky in the keyboard department and James Brown's band The JB's meets Motown's locked-in rhythm section The Funk Brothers letting rip with the back beat. Pretty much irresistible stuff and yet Prince felt new - like you just weren't sure he would go next.
There's a slew of suitably outrageous outtake photos but perhaps best of all is a song-by-song analysis by the musicians of The Revolution - Singer and Keyboardist Lisa Coleman, Guitarist and Vocalist Wendy Melvoin, Drummer Bobby Z, Bassist and Vocalist Brown Mark and Keyboardist and Vocalist Dr. Fink - all filling out the section called 'Fearlessly Breathe In The...Purple Rain - The Revolution Track-By-Track'. Immediately you're hit by their affection - the sense of good luck too that they were part of such an extraordinary ride. All tasty - but in the end it was always going to be about the Prince Remaster of the Album (CD1) and BERNIE GRUNDMAN handling the rest. While obvious big hitters like "When Doves Cry", "Purple Rain" and "Let's Go Crazy" will get the immediate attention - it's those album gems like the ballad "The Beautiful Ones" and the Funk-a-thon "Baby I'm A Star" that fans will love - suddenly lifted up out of the mire - instruments and moments swirling around your speakers. I love it.
But little (apart from his reputation) will prepare you for the gems and excesses on CD2 - a haul of unreleased - some of which Funk-U-Up for eleven and twelve minutes - the lady vocals start in "Our Destiny" that then segues into Prince taking over for "Roadhouse Garden" only to end the five-minute two-parter with the rip-roaring-est geetar solo you've ever heard - the kind of thing that Hendrix might note with a smirk in the great blue yonder. He does the same on the massively extended "Computer Blue" version - in fact its fading out and he's still punishing that guitar for even existing. Of the outtakes "Velvet Kitty Cat" and "Father's Song" impress and you can't help thinking that a five-minute edit of the Funk workout that is eleven-minute "The Dance Electric" could easily have made the album itself.
Directed by Paul Becher with the Audio also remastered by Bernie Grundman - the video concert shows his smarts by mixing in rarity material like "Do Me, Baby", "Possessed" and "Irresistible Bitch" into his live set thereby keeping uber-fans happy and the casual audience on its toes. The final three of "I Would Die 4 U", "Baby I'm A Star" and the epic "Purple Rain" show that fine line he tread - egotist, sexpot and genius too - and man did he know it.
Despite the annoyance of having a chunky booklet that doesn't actually tell you about the contents of its three CDs and 1DVD - this is a fabulous reissue and of course, my bank manager has booked cardiac-relief sessions as I now pursue the 'Super Deluxe Edition' because more of the same isn't just a good idea, but on the evidence presented here, damn near essential...
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