Prince And The Revolution - Purple Rain

Arguably the best pop album of the 80's and undeniably one of the most exciting and vivacious albums ever recorded, irrespective of genre, Purple Rain is Prince's single greatest contribution to the world of music. Obviously, the soundtrack to the movie of the same name (which was equally as magnificent), it could just as well pass for a soundtrack to life in general, dealing with virtually every emotion people are nurtured to experience.

Musically, the Purple One himself takes no prisoners, and with the help of his band The Revolution, he dabbles, to some degree, in every style of music there is, was or ever would be, all with astonishing results. Whether he's letting it rip on the pop metallic 'Let's Get Crazy', or crooning it out ballad-style on the epic title track, or doing something in between on the stark but beautiful 'When Doves Cry', it's evident that Purple Rain is Prince's audible translation of love, life and then some. While the album is anything but formulaic nor predictable, there are some obvious nods to his previous offerings; the electric funk of 1999 returns on tracks like 'Computer Blue' and 'Baby I'm A Star'; tunes like 'Take Me With You' and 'I Would Die 4 U' are clearly reminiscent of the innocent pop on his earlier albums, not to mention the carnal R&B of Dirty Mind also makes a return appearance. Every song is almost its own planet, complete with separate ethics and diverse cultures. Everything from the lyrics to the instrumental jams to the pristine production to the electric energy of the live recordings, indicate that music like this emerges only a few times per generation.

A lot is to be learned from this album, not just about musicmanship, composition, songwriting or sheer talent, but an abundance of what it's like to live, die and everything inbetween. Any self-respecting music enthusiast of any genre need grab this album, should it presently be mysteriously absent from their collection.