Sign O The Times - Prince (1987)

“Prince”, for most of the 80s, was synonymous with “Prince & The Revolution” for music industry purposes. He filled his band with talent and demanded a lot of them. Then he decided he didn’t need the band anymore and started recording by himself with drum machines and synths and just a few hired hands. It’s worth noting that quite a few of those hired hands were former members of the Revolution or were otherwise already in Prince’s circle. So while the change in sound is a bit radical, it’s not as radical as it might have first appeared.

Originally a triple LP called Crystal Ball, the label complained about its length. In typical Prince fashion, he instead gave Warners an almost entirely different double LP. Crystal Ball would subsequently escape the vault some years later, and is worth every second of the listen.

The result is another of those fabled sprawling double LPs that ends up as a sampler of a mad genius in his prime.

Tracks I Liked

Starfish And Coffee - a great tune. always worth recalling Prince’s spot on the revived Disney Muppet Show.

U Got The Look - generational hit. major banger.

I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man - remember that time that Prince just decided to sound like The Cure covering Springsteen, and it worked brilliantly?

The Cross - an underrated classic