Next, we're polling DIRTY MIND.

yeah this is like my favorite prince record, best songwriting

"When You Were Mine". I'll take Controversy over this one, side 1 of that album is unbeatable, but they're both hit/miss, both ruled by 1999.

'uptown' and while this isn't album isn't a favorite, it's definite prime rib.

My conundrum here is that I want to vote for every song.

"Black,White.Puerto Rican...Everyone a just a freakin"...I'm goin Uptown

"when u were mine" is the instant pop classic, but i think "uptown" encapsulates the album better. there are no bad songs on this, though.

U said - "I'm just a virgin and I'm on my way 2 be wed
But U're such a hunk so full of spunk, I'll give U..."

Title track. This is probably my favorite Prince record.

Bump.

I was going to vote for "Uptown" but since everyone else did I voted for "Head"

i agree with Tuomas that Controversy is better but this album is pretty unfuckwithable. Those two are my fave Prince albums mos def

I guess I could do a Controversy poll after this one is finished.

"Uptown". But this is the first Prince album with several strong tracks to choose from.

I assume you mean the first album of his, rather than the first album we've polled.

Btw, does anyone know if there are any 12" mixes or remixes made of the singles from Dirty Mind? There are some extended remixes of the singles from the previous two albums, and there's obviously the classic 12" mix of "Let's Work" from the next one, but I haven't seen any mention of 12" mixes from this album in any Prince discography.

To be more correct: there were 12" versions of Dirty Mind singles available, but they seem to be the same as the album versions, which is not the case with many other Prince singles.

My only rockist objection with Dirty Mind: The complete absence of wah-wah wankery. (I don't think a token "Bambi" solo per longplayer is too much to ask, especially if it could enable the album to break the 30-minute barrier.)

Uh-uh. This album is PUNK. Wah-wah wankery/being over 30 minutes = not PUNK.

i think its a bit of a shame this phase didnt last longer in princes career.

this album is completely perfect. i barely have an idea what to pick -- leaning slight towards the opener, but i don't know. this is so hard.

yeah, this is one of the greatest albums ever (sorry ian).

I only like the last three songs on this album.

If Dirty Mind is punk, I guess that's the reason why it's not among my favourites. I prefer the wankiness, the experimentalism, the better songwriting and the more intricate arrangements of the later albums to the raw punk energy of this one.

Uh-uh. This album is PUNK. Wah-wah wankery/being over 30 minutes = not PUNK.

Breaking "rules" that exist only in somebody else's mind = VERY punk!

I prefer the wankiness, the experimentalism, the better songwriting and the more intricate arrangements of the later albums

fixed

People really think the songwriting on Dirty Mind is as good as on later Prince albums? Because I can't even hum any of the tunes on the album, except When You Were Mine. Most of the hooks on the album are simple keyboard riffs and chanted choruses.

To make it thing straight though, I have nothing against raw, simple, groove-centred funk, it's just that Dirty Mind isn't the best specimen of that. Also, I think Prince's biggest strengths lie elsewhere.

Because I can't even hum any of the tunes on the album

I feel the same way about Controversy, w/a couple exceptions. I can totally sing all the tunes on DM off the top of my head.

Yeah, I don't think Controversy is his melodic masterpiece either, but the reason I prefer it to DM is that it takes the basic sound of DM and brings it to more interesting and varied places.

I don't mean to imply that melody is everything... To me Prince's three major strengths are 1)his ability to experiment within the pop form, 2) his ability to build up original and surprising arrangements, and 3) his ability to write pretty melodies. DM doesn't really showcase any of these, and to me his ability to funk the hell out only comes after those three, even though he is great at funk.

I guess one thing I like about DM is that it shows how good he is at straight-up pop, without the expectation of doing a lot of crazy shit (although the arrangements still feel fresh to me, and only he could get away with a lot of the lyrics).

i think its a bit of a shame this phase didnt last longer in princes career.

-- mr x, Monday, February 25, 2008 4:26 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

kind of o_O to say this considering that Controversy is widely considered a retread of Dirty Mind (and honestly a lot of songs on 1999 are in a pretty similiar style).

tuomas how can you not sing 'uptown'

Uptown is a great beginning-of-the-night song.

Thank god we still keep the 'melody vs. groove' debates alive.

This, Controversy, and the first Zapp define my days in Michigan discovering the skating rink and mixed tapes.

Bump.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

i've had this whole album in my head since this thread was started

voted for the opening track, btw

this album is seriously so perfect

its a bit of a shame this phase didnt last longer in princes career.

kind of o_O to say this considering that Controversy is widely considered a retread

Nah, I totally agree with it (even if you do include Controversy) (hell, even if you include 1999, which doesn't make much sense.) But anyway, whether it's considered a retread now or not, at the time, Controversy seemed more new wave (like, inspire by the Cars or Devo or something), compared to Dirty Mind's punk. And regardless, they're still his two best albums, to my ears. So yeah, it should've lasted longer. (I do agree with Myonga that more "Bambi"'s would've been cool, though. I voted for "Party Up" myself, partly because somebody underrating it up thread, pissed me off. But I could easily have gone with maybe 5 other choices.) (I guess "Do It All Night" is my least favorite, for whatever that's worth.)

1)his ability to experiment within the pop form....DM doesn't really showcase any of these

I don't get this at all. How did Dirty Mind not "experiment within the pop form"?? Before it came out, "Bambi" or no "Bambi", Prince was just this disco kid who had a good Top 40 hit; it was a totally outlandish move, both musically and conceptually. There were probably precedents as far as punk-funk went (in fact, I think Rick James had invented the phrase), but Dirty Mind really didn't sound much like them, or like anybody else. It really seemed like a whole new thing at the time.

(Really, though, probably the only song on it that sounds punk is "Sister." I'm not sure what punk Prince was listening to at the time, though I wouldn't be surprised if he'd heard some Ramones. And he'd probably heard the Stones more than them. But Controversy still seemed closer to 1981 commercial dance-oriented-rock new wave, somehow.)

Alright, decision made. Keyboard solo on "Head" ftw.

I don't get this at all. How did Dirty Mind not "experiment within the pop form"?? Before it came out, "Bambi" or no "Bambi", Prince was just this disco kid who had a good Top 40 hit; it was a totally outlandish move, both musically and conceptually. There were probably precedents as far as punk-funk went (in fact, I think Rick James had invented the phrase), but Dirty Mind really didn't sound much like them, or like anybody else. It really seemed like a whole new thing at the time.

Okay, when Dirty Mind came out I was 1 year old, so obviously I can't tell what sort of an impact the album had when it came out, I can only look it in retrospect. But from that that point of view it doesn't feel that different from the sort of bare-bones guitar-and-keyboard-driven funk that was around the time (Rick James, like you mention) or before (Funkadelic, The Meters). Sure, the extreme stripped-down nature of the funk on DM can be seen as sorta innovative, but besides that the songs pretty much follow the basic structures of stereotypical funk/rock/pop tunes, and experiment little within those boundaries. Whereas on his later albums Prince often deconstructs both the sound and form of funk/rock/pop in ways that no other popular artist has done before or since.

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

Wow, Uptown @ #2! At least there were votes for every song except the one I always skip.

I can say i'm quite surprised by that...

Jordan, U crazy! "Gotta Broken Heart Again" deserved better than this.

I guess "Gotta Broken Heart Again" might gotten some votes in a weighed poll, where you could've voted it for the second or third best, but no one thinks it's the best tune on the album.

had no idea cyndi lauper covered 'when you were mine' !

cristina did too!

Nice! Great article, great album.

This is the best Prince album.

― The Reverend, Wednesday, September 15, 2010 7:09 PM (5 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This is the best Prince album.

― PappaWheelie V, Wednesday, September 15, 2010 7:54 PM (5 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This is the best Prince album cover.

― Mormons come out of the sky and they stand there (Abbbottt), Wednesday, September 15, 2010 8:25 PM (5 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

OTMFM

Huh i had never noticed that WYWM's verses all get progressively shorter, that's p clever

And yeah Controversy is better.

It was "Dirty Mind" I had in my head all day when I found out he'd died, for some reason.

That Matos article is very good. Never knew about Mitch Ryder version of "When You Were Mine."

The almost thrash punk lovesexy tour version of sister is one ofhis alltime great rock moments

the title track got jobbed in this poll. that synth riff alone rules.

Y’all are on crack. This album is incredibly disappointing, especially considering how many rave reviews it has on Wikipedia. The rinky-dink ‘80s keyboards are sooooo dated!

and sooooo tite

No votes for "Gotta Broken Heart Again" kinda breaks my heart

Good point.

Nothing wrong with it but competition was too strong. "When You Were Mine" alone is a contender for Prince's greatest track.

grammatical error iirc

bird otm

It's pretty much designed to be the dark horse on the album, I would bet that Prince would be amazed at anyone considering it the best song.

On a practical level, Prince was, literally, invaluable. His huge catalogue of danceable songs helped create a lot of stripper wealth — first as a thrilling new thing that got the boys grooving in their seats, then as a feel-good nostalgia trip. He even offered short cuts: If you wanted to get your stage set over with so you could get back into the audience and make money doing table dances, “Got a Broken Heart Again,” barely over two minutes long, was an exquisite choice.

from https://www.thecut.com/2016/04/why-prince-was-a-hero-to-strippers.html

I gotta broken heart, I just GOTTA

It's pretty much designed to be the dark horse on the album, I would bet that Prince would be amazed at anyone considering it the best song.

nah! he loved it and played it up until the end!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbpE4uP5rr4

Been meaning for months to post how much love I have for ‘Gotta Broken Heart Again’…so easy to overlook but contains his absolute essence…kill me every time

Beautiful guitar sound