I wish he were MY prince! (The Hits / The B-Sides - Prince)

Member Name: Leolover

Product:	The Hits / The B-Sides - Prince
Date:	04/02/02 (96 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great music, Prince's voice

Disadvantages: None

I first discovered Prince in my teens, when I bought this triple album on impulse because it was on sale in HMV. It was the first CD I ever bought, and is still my absolute favourite. I was obsessed with ‘his purpleness’ for quite a few years. I loved the fact that he was so different to all the washed out, teenybopper heartthrobs around at the time. I found him dark, sexy and exciting, and his music rocked my world.

These days I’m a little less obsessive about the man and his music, but I would still urge anyone who has never really listened to his music to buy this album. It’s a fantastically eclectic mix of songs spanning the very beginning of Prince’s career to his more recent funky pop and weird name changing phase. There’s a song for everyone. Don’t bother buying the recently released ‘best of’ album, as it only contains the songs that were a commercial success, and none of the lesser known but brilliant tracks such as ‘Do Me Baby’ (sexy as hell!) and ‘Dirty Mind’.


*** WHAT YOU GET FOR YOUR MONEY

For approximately £17.99 you’ll get three CD’s, two of which contain all the most well known hits and some slightly more obscure, but no less brilliant tracks. CD 1 concentrates on Prince’s earlier material, and CD 2 contains more of his later stuff, such as ‘Gett off’ ‘Cream’ and ‘Sexy MF’.

The B sides is a selection of Prince’s uncharted material, none of which have ever been on any albums – chances are you will never have heard of any of the tracks on this CD. There are one or two good songs on this CD, although I’d say it’s the weakest of the three.


*** THE BEST OF CD 1


When u were mine

A great tune, and even better lyrics. Prince sings about an ex girlfriend who treated him badly when they were together and used him for money, s
lept with his best friend, etc. Prince does this great little screaming thing with his voice which really adds depth and emotion to the song.

When Doves Cry

This is one of the songs from the ‘Purple Rain’ album and is featured in the film of the same name. Prince uses his natural, deeper singing voice in this one instead of his trademark falsetto. It’s a powerful, funky song with a great background beat. Love the video where Prince rises out of the bath naked!

Let’s go crazy

Another ‘Purple Rain’ classic, this is an upbeat dance track that begs to be played at the loudest possible volume. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life…” Fantastic!

1999

The song that saw us into the new millennium., 1999 is one of the songs Prince is best known for and it’s classic Prince. A loud, throbbing tempo and an addictive chorus, this was the best song from the album of the same name and is arguably the song that made Prince a star.

Kiss

Much, much better than the Tom Jones version, Prince really goes for it in this song, sexing it up with quirky little voice tricks and brilliant dance moves in the video. This song suits his famous falsetto voice perfectly. It’s guaranteed to get people on the dancefloor at an 80’s night.


*** THE BEST OF CD 2

Dirty Mind

I absolutely adore this song. Prince sings it in a robotic monotone, which sounds dull but actually works really well. There’s a thumping background tune which really grabs you. This is the perfect song to blare
Out from your car stereo while racing along deserted country roads…

Do Me Baby

A gorgeous, sexy ballad about two people both dying to make the first move, but both lacking the courage to do so. Never fails to send tingles down my spine.

Cream

One of Pri
nce’s later tracks, from the Diamonds and Pearls album, this is completely OTT, camp and great fun. One to strut your stuff to on the dancefloor. A real feelgood track.

Purple Rain

From Prince’s 1984 film ‘Purple Rain,’ This is my favourite Prince song EVER. A haunting, plaintive ballad with a powerful chorus and some fantastic guitar playing from the maestro. It’s a sad song about lost love and friendship. It’s one of those songs it would be a sacrilege to switch off halfway through. Stunning.

Raspberry Beret

Another fun, funky offering. Prince sings about a girl he met in a second hand store, and their subsequent ‘getting together’. It’s a great number to singalong to.


*** THE BEST OF THE B SIDES

Scarlet Pussy

This is a funny little song about a little cat that drives all the neighbourhood dogs wild…Bit of a weird subject choice, but it’s actually very good! It shows that Prince doesn’t necessarily take his music too seriously, and likes a laugh along with the rest of us.

*** CONCLUSION

If I were to comment on all the songs on all three CD's, this would become an extremely long opinion, so I’ve just highlighted my favourites. However, I can honestly say that I really like all the songs on Hits 1 and 2, and the B sides are something different to play once in a while, when you’ve overdosed on the other songs.

If you’re toying with the idea of buying the new ‘Very best of Prince' album, I urge you to buy this instead. It’s a more varied collection of tracks and you’re bound to find some that you like. Whatever you think about the man himself, there’s no denying that he’s a very talented and productive musician. He will always be my favourite male solo artist, and I hope some of you are encouraged to give his stuff a try after reading thi
s.

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