What's the best track on "Purple Rain"?

Hard to predict the result as this album contains at least three potential poll winners.

Me, I am contrary and voting for "Darling Nikki" instead of any of the hits.

Who's it gonna be, babe? DO YOU WANT HIM...OR DO YOU WANT ME?

With any luck, that will win. I voted for it.

it's "When Doves Cry" for me - one of the most interesting, gutsy, left-turn singles of my lifetime. Fuckin' Prince. Gets ready for his big moment and the lead single is this weird dreamy mind-expanding thing. So awesome.

Computer Blue in a walk.

Haha, no, I'm kidding. Let's Go Crazy.

Let's Go Crazy

Hard to choose just one, as with most classic Prince albums, but I'm with John.

I've never gotten what's quite so special about "When Doves Cry". It's a good song and all, but it's never struck me as mindblowingly brilliant or anything. I would say that maybe it's because I grew up with it, but that hasn't stopped any number of other songs I've heard all my life from impressing me. Anyway, I vote "Darling Nikki", and have to put in a mention for "Take Me With U", which is mad underrated.

"When Doves Cry" is probably the most important song in my life. That's why I voted for "Let's Go Crazy."

I Would Die 4 U

haha xp

when doves cry and purple rain are your only choice really everyone

in 3rd grade lets go crazy was my ab fav tho - still so great

does this album get overlooked by the hardcore? totally his 2nd best.

darling nikki, easily.

some of the production hasnt dated too well on this. nikki has the simplest production.

does this album get overlooked by the hardcore?

Probably too much of a "rock" album for his most funk oriented fans. As for me, I find it his best ever album. So many perfect moments. I stand by my vote for "Darling Nikki", but "When Doves Cry", "Take Me With You", "I Would Die 4 U" and "Let's Go Crazy" are also really marvellous.

Not too much of a fan of the title track though. Other than "Sometimes It Snows In April" I tend not to like Prince's ballads much at all.

Impossible. I'll probably go with "When Doves Cry" but "Baby I'm a Star" might be #2.

Maybe this should have been "What's the best track on Purple Rain besides When Doves Cry"?

Also Geir, I'm surprised you're a Darling Nikki guy, I think of it as one of the least melodic tracks! It's the metalhead favorite for the double bass drum break.

Hey, "Darling Nikki" has some wonderful harmonic changes. I few it as ace in terms of melodic and harmonic qualities.

Maybe this should have been "What's the best track on Purple Rain besides When Doves Cry"?

There are lots of "Let's Go Crazy" fans on ILM too, so don't be too surprised if that one wins.

I love "I Would Die 4 U" the most.

This is kinda impossible but I'm going with "Take Me With U."

"When Doves Cry" cause that's how I like my Prince best.

the extended version of computer blue (on bootlegs) and lets go crazy (from the 12") should be heard by more people. i wish they did a double-remastered job on this.

The Beautiful Ones for me. The quote above misses the best part of the whole exchange:

"Do you want him, or do you want me...'CAUSE I WANT YOU!"

It's just one hell of a song for making out, you know?

It's just one hell of a song album for making out, you know?

This really is quite impossible. "Darling Nikki" is so damn fierce though.

"Beautiful Ones" had better not come in last, is all I'm saying.

Sadly, "Baby I'm a Star" will probably come in last.

Can't listen to Take Me With U without thinking of its use as the backing music to Radio One chart rundowns back in 1984/5.
But it transcends that nonsense and takes my vote.

Went for WDC...I Love me some Prince but "Purple Rain" is the worst track on it for me

since i voted "when doves cry" as #1 in that '80s singles poll, i can't very well not vote for it here. but really i could just close my eyes and pick one and i'd be happy. nothing on this album i don't love.

I voted for When Doves Cry, but Patti Smith's version.

I Would Die 4 U

my top 3:

When Doves Cry
I Would Die 4 U
Let's Go Crazy

One more for Beautiful Ones.

The only song on this album I dislike is "Take Me With U", and that's only with respect to the other songs on the album.

iwd4u

paint a perfect picture

WDC is the best track on the album, but the live versions of Purple Rain make it the best song overall.

speaking of live versions i was at this concert (which is on video, but out of print, or maybe just never released on dvd)

March 30, 1985 Syracuse NY
Let's Go Crazy, Delirious, 1999, Little Red Corvette, Take Me With U, Do Me Baby, Irresistible Bitch, Possessed, How Come U Don't Call Me Any More, Let's Pretend We're Married, International Lover, God, Computer Blue, Darling Nikki, The Beautiful Ones, When Doves Cry, I Would Die For You, Baby I'M A Star, Purple Rain

it blowed my 15-yr-old mind

This may very well have been the first LP I bought with my own money. I remember it came with that weird poster with the eyes...

Anyway, I wish I could vote for "Erotic City" since that was the unparalleled b-side to "Let's Go Crazy". But since that's not an option, I also am a "Darling Nikky" guy. It still has a lot of edge.

Great, great album. The fact that half the songs were done entirely by Prince, and the other half was cut live in concert is still something I've never heard anyone else do. So rad.

i think "darling nikki" has maybe been done a disservice by being known as the dirty one. it's a monster groove and one of the best vocals on the album, which can get overlooked in all the lobby masturbating. of course, being the dirty one is part of what makes it great, it's really indivisible.

No disrespect to some of the other jamz, but after 46,023 spins every time I hear that Doves guitar intro I still get pumped.

the extended version of computer blue (on bootlegs) and lets go crazy (from the 12") should be heard by more people. i wish they did a double-remastered job on this.

True. For instance, there were a couple different tracks on the first test pressing that didn't make the cut. Not to mention "Erotic City" and the other b-sides. All of them would fit in perfectly on something like that.

I guess the remaster job, whenever done, will be done by Rhino though. And these days they tend to do a CD/DVD thing with the DVD consisting of 5:1 mixes and a documentary.

my top 3:

When Doves Cry
I Would Die 4 U
Let's Go Crazy

-- nicky lo-fi, Sunday, December 30, 2007 10:57 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

Call it OCD, but I feel the need to correct this. It should be:

When Doves Cry
Baby I'm A Star
Let's Go Crazy

"I Would Die 4 U". This album is kind of boring and bloated and way overrated tho. Prince has much better. I guess people like it so much for nostalgic reasons..

If I can get inducted into the RONG thread, so can Brainwasher. I just sayin', y'know?

I guess people like it so much for nostalgic reasons..

nostalgic for when prince used to make great albums.

I realized last night how fucking amazing that last part of Computer Blue is where the whole song changes, you know what I mean. Also if Wendy & Lisa aren't the absolute sexiest women in rock and roll ever, I don't know who is.

It always struck me as a bit too simplistic (much like his song "Kiss" later).

I'd join you in that critizism (particularly in the case of "Kiss"), but that is also why they are considered groundbreaking. And if you listen to the electronic minimalism in today's R&B, those two songs are very obvious influences on what was going to happen later on.

Being a maximalist, I don't applaud that though.

I hate to be predictable, but the title track.

There really isn't a bad song on the album...whether it's Let's Go Crazy's really bouncy guitar-driven rhythm, the amazing end of Beautiful Ones, that cool instrumental break in Computer Blue....

I love them all. But Purple Rain is the ultimate "bust out your lighter" ballad and I love the solo at the end.

I too have never understood why When Doves Cry is so special. It always struck me as a bit too simplistic (much like his song "Kiss" later). That said, I enjoy it enough when it's playing.

I don't feel that's a bad thing, though. That's what I love about the song. There's no bass guitar playing in the verse, just a damn drum...but the melody is extremely engaging throughout.

OH can't I change my vote?

IT'S ALL ABOUT COMPUTER BLUE DAMNIT

I voted for 'The Beautiful Ones', for sentimental reasons.

all I know is Prince's 'scream' at the end (which he did on several other songs) is just uniquely his. just awesome.

DO YOU WANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNT HEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM....OR DO YOU WANNNNNNNNNT MEEEEEEEEEEEE...YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA IIIIII WANT YOUUUUUUUU...

iIt's "When Doves Cry" for me - one of the most interesting, gutsy, left-turn singles of my lifetime. Fuckin'g Prince. HeGgets ready for his big moment and the lead single is this weird, dreamy, mind-expanding thing. It isSso awesome.

-- J0ohn D.,

That's fucking weak.

yeah wtf

and "The Beautiful Ones" ftw

Nikki, Nikki, and Nikki once more.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I don't care what wins, as long as it isn't "When Doves Cry"

all u who didn't vote for purple ran failed:

AMAs

If When Doves Cry wins, I'm gonna have to invite you all to a rumble in an alley or something. DON'T DO IT.

Last night I rewatched the movie for the first time since I saw it in the theater when it came out. Still an amazing film. Surprisingly, it looks like my pick for best track is now "Jungle Love."

As always, I love your posts, dlp9001

The Time's song "The Bird" featured in the film is not bad either

"Doves..." will probably get most of the lurker votes. Unless they go to the overrated title track.

The movie's shit, actually.

the movie is great to watch with a bunch of friends for a laugh.

I wish I could freeze frame and rewind the scene where Prince gets bitchslapped by his dad and replay it over and over again.

That scene is genius.

some of the lines too...

"Kid's what's up with this 'one song' shit?"

half expected him to respond "there's only 10 on the album and we have 89 minutes of movie left"...

Okay but I can totally understand now why some people flip over Darling Nikki

Because he says "grind" and the music goes "GRIND GRIND GRINDFUCKINGRIND", you know?

eye would die 4 u is so gorgeous.

polls should end < or equal to one week

Take Me with U.

^^^ no

The Beautiful Ones

then I Would Die 4 U

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

That's about right.

Then explain this:

Baby I'm a Star 1

Somebody's gotta lose.

"The Beautiful Ones" I have never really noticed as particularly good. It isn't among those I dislike either though.

Check out the Misty Dixon cover version, you guys!

Huh.

Wow Beautiful Ones at #2!

Now can you Doves Cry people please take your doves elsewhere to cry?

Let's do the poll again and exclude that one, I dare you.

Sadly, "Baby I'm a Star" will probably come in last.

-- Ioannis, Sunday, December 30, 2007 9:53 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Link

Bottom two deserved better; "Take Me With U" and the title track deserved (much?) worse.

"The Beautiful Ones" came second!

Wow!

Don't care about the others now!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2245/2283442450_88daefe398.jpg

That's awesome.

I want that on a t-shirt

Are ppl aware that a remaster of this has been issued in Japan? I found a DL of it last night and just finished listening.

Dudes, it fucking KILLS.

I think one of my coworkers is in JP right now and I may have to get her to buy me one. This was pretty much #1 on my needs-a -remaster list.

There was some talk on the Japan-only Prince remasters in this thread:

Prince remasters - will we ever get them?

I hope us lowly Westerners too will get a chance to acquire these one day.

There is a lot of interesting stuff available from Japan. Of course the problem is the cost is at least double even if you actually go there and buy them from Japanese shops.

Jesus, I'm not a Prince fanboy or anything. Saw Purple Rain when I was a teen and flipped over it, but he's not someone I spend a ton of time thinking about.

That said, like Jon above, I just dl'd the Japanese thing and it is just fucking insane. I don't care why it sounds like it does (compression or whatever) and have no idea, but it is incredible.