Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me? The CONTROVERSY poll.

To me this is the first great Prince album, though some of the politics on it are kinda cryptic ("Annie Christian") or downright silly ("Ronnie, Talk to Russia"). Still, I really love the way how he throws everything into the stew: funk is sexuality is politics is religion... Plus his music starts to get quite adventurous too.

"Controversy" mainly cuz I played the entire track on a loop in my head to pass time in boring junior high classes.

"Do Me, Baby" fans need to check out Meli'sa Morgan's version best heard on David Toop's Sugar and Poison. It's not as good as Prince's which just makes Sugar and Poison all the more world historic.

"Private Joy" do NOT need to check out Cheyne's version on the Weird Science soundtrack.

"Annie Christian" scares me.

"Private Joy" FANS do NOT need to check out Cheyne's version on the Weird Science soundtrack.

This is the title track something EASY. Not even a question, although I do love "Annie Christian" in all its bizarreness and, of course, "Jack U Off". But yeah, everything ever said about this album being inconsistent and slightly subpar is true.

A boring pick, but the title track is obviously the best here.

i love the title track, but "do me baby" is possibly his best bedroom anthem. bonus points for simulated orgasms.

Every song on here is brilliant, even when they are awful ("Ronnie...").

title track one of the greatest things Prince ever did. top 5 easy.

yeah, title track vs Do Me, Baby for me.

Bump.

"Controversy" is easily among my top 10 favourite Prince songs, but I think I'm gonna give my vote "Let's Work", since it's one of the best pure grooves he ever put on record. The first five seconds already, with the oft-sampled "let's work!" chant and the bass and drums immediately kicking in, makes you wanna shake your butt.

title track.

But yeah, everything ever said about this album being inconsistent and slightly subpar is true.

^yea

some of the politics on it are kinda cryptic ("Annie Christian") or downright silly

Neither a surprise nor a bad thing.

Title track is the boring choice. But I kinda want to single out "Ronnie" and "Jack U Off" for being such bizarre non-thrownaway throwaways - the sort of curios Todd Rundgren used to create back in the Wizard/True Star days.

Every song on here is brilliant, even when they are awful ("Ronnie...").

This, even though it's not a great album.

"Do Me, Baby."

The people saying this isn't a great album are kind of insane from my point of view.

"Annie Christian" or "Ronnie..." insane?

Every song has a lyric or musical detail to treasure, but "Sexuality," "Let's Work," and "Ronnie" are just OK.

"Sexuality" and "Let's Work" are fucking massive and awesome, wtf.

"Ronnie..." is srsly goofy tho.

It's a great, and seriously goofy, album. Probably my second favorite Prince album ever (though I chalk that up more to my love of early '80s new wave cheese than anything else). But no way is it better (or more "adventuruous") than Dirty Mind.

I went with the title track, fwiw.

(I also don't know if I agree that the album is "inconsistent". Compared to what? Intentionally or not, even the really ridiculous quasi-political tracks like "Annie Christian" and "Ronnie Talk To Russia" are funnier and weirder, and hence more fun, than lots of stuff on 1999 or Purple Rain or Sign O' The Times, all of which I like a lot, but all of which also strike me as cautiously professional and maybe even sort of cold in comparison. And no Prince album I've heard after Sign O' Times even comes close to this one.)

"Free" and "Something in the Water" are as weird as "Annie Christian" and "Ronnie"!

and better realized too. They ARE longer, though. You've got a problem with length, right?

Annie Christian is one of the few Prince tracks that's crazy in an not-very-enjoyable way.

They ARE longer, though. You've got a problem with length, right?

Yep. I was gonna say: this album and Dirty Mind are both really short, which makes their alleged inconsistencies a lot easier to sit through. ("Ronnie Talk To Russia" is less than 2 minutes long; "Sister" is just 1:33.) Seems to me the more Prince got convinced of his own genius, the more bloated his albums got. (More "conceptual" as well, yuck...though I suppose there's concepts here, too. Maybe I like that they're less "realized.")

hmm i kinda forgot about both "primary joy" and especially "let's work", those songs are awesome

"Free" is weird???? wth

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Last chance to vote.

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

missed the chance to vote in this but I would've picked the winner anyway

This was close.

I knew "Controversy" was gonna win, but not with that large a margin! I ended up voting "Private Joy" btw. Sad to see "Let's Work" got no votes.

okay its fucked that Private Joy did not get more votes. CRAZY.

keyboard riff in "controversy" >> "do me, baby" >> "controversy" >> rest of album

surprised to see ppl hating on "ronnie, talk to russia" itt -- "annie christian" otoh is pretty dreadful

I'd have voted "Do Me, Baby" in a minute.

private joy

Any of the first five tracks on the album would've gotten a vote from me if I could've mustered.

Title track is beyond dear to me, maybe for obvious reasons.

This, even though it's not a great album.

Alfred Soto rong like a motherfucker

guitar solo on "Private Joy" -- MAN.

Hang on, is 'Jack U Off' the first song in the Prince catalogue that uses his soon-2-become trademark text speak?

Sometimes I think he stuck great guitar solos where they didn't belong. Like private joy (or the extended mix of sexy dancer) which is just none more perfect 80s pop. But it us a great solo.

what the fuck is Annie Christian about anyway. Every time I listen to this album this song sorta sticks in my craw, because it makes no sense from one line to the next.

"Ronnie, Talk To Russia" such a lol title