Aug 10 AOTD: Prince - Sign O the Times.

Aug 10 AOTD: Prince - Sign O the Times. 

There is no way to sum up this sprawling, 2 disc masterpiece (but, of course I'll try :). It's been in my top ten albums of all time since its release in 1987 - the same year of Joshua Tree by U2 (another immediate, steadfast top ten album). In less than ten years Prince had already pushed rock, pop and r&b into so many directions, that it didn't seem they could be pushed any further.  But Sign O the Times only proved that Prince's imagination had no limit. It's almost entirely written, produced, and performed by Prince - alone; though, he often varies his voice, even creating a high-pitched character named Camille that he sometimes slips into. 

There is no ONE highlight among the 16 tracks, and there is not a single misstep.  The album begins with more of the minimalism born of "Kiss" in "Sign O the Times"; however, the only love or lust here arises out of desperation following an ominous list of societal woes. But then the album immediately veers up and out into the light on "Play in the Sunshine." In the party anthem "Housequake" Prince commands a dance floor with a dare and supreme confidence EARNED - and only three songs in!! The first side ends with a return to minimalism and Prince back in charge in a "three-ring circus" that seems symbolic of the entire album: spirituality, human love, and imagination.  

The second side extends the possibilities even further beginning with the grinding, witty "U Got the Look," then continues a count-down tour de-force to three of the greatest musical workouts of his career, starting with "If I Was Your Girlfriend" with that popping bass and trippy synthesizer, eventually slipping through "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man," which even challenges a classic rock guitar hero, echoing Pete Townshend's guitar breakdown on The Who's "Who Are You." It's hard to say where the finale begins, but in "The Cross," Prince strains for the heavens, crescendoing in his earthiest, raspiest, most moving vocal yet. In the first of the final two songs, the live-band workout "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night" - the only true "band" song, and featuring  his old Revolution - every instrument - drums, horns, guitar and keyboard step out into extended funk solos, Prince commanding them on a dime - there's even a "soul clap" and phone-recorded rap. And then Prince does his best "mic drop" since Purple Rain, delivering a vocal performance on “Adore” that showed every other contemporary r&b singer, this Prince was KING!