Prince – Prince

As I was revisiting this fantastic 2nd release from the great Prince Rogers Nelson - I noted that the masterful ballad "When We're Dancing Close And Slow" is rarely, if ever, mentioned on top Prince ballads or songs!
It's a criminally underrated, beautifully atmospheric melodic tune that soaks in the ambiance of the intimate moment of dancing that lasts the song's duration.
This genius song is essentially the blueprint of the entire soundtrack of 80's R&B ballads that we 80s teenagers danced to in middle and high school, made mix tapes for our crushes, or, if lucky, two people connected. Prominent artists and songs such as Ready For the World's "Deep Is Your Love," "Tonight", "Love You Down," Debarge's "All This Love," "Love Me In A Special Way," "A Dream," to Prince adjacent The Time, "Girl" and "Giggalo's Get Lonely Too," Janet Jackson's, "Let's Wait Awhile," "Funny How Time Flies," the SOS Band, Morris Day, Alexander O'Neal, Cherrelle to later 80s powerhouses ballads from Al B. Sure, Keith Sweat, Force M.D.'s, and Terence Trent D'Arby. Even rap groups like UTFO dropped a classic ballad, 'Fairytale Lover, ' that fits the vein. Whistle went from a rap group to balladeers, scoring with 'Barbra's Bedroom' and 'Right Next to Me." You hear it in the 90s ballads from Jodeci, Mint Condition, D'Angelo, Maxwell, Portrait, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Mary J. Blige. It's in the blueprint of atmospheric electronic funk popularized by artists such as Aaliyah and Missy Elliot and on into the new millennium, all stemming from this powerful record!
Prince was a master musician and song-crafter—I recommend revisiting this early release, as I did before he became a household name!

What more can be said about Prince's make or break second album? Although it's overlooked and overshadowed by later, greater triumphs, it remains a crucial stepping stone in his canon. It showcases his growth spurt as a bona fide musician with impressive depth, while keying the first rumblings of distinctive hallmarks that would usher in his forthcoming purple reign. Additionally, it undoubtedly has to be Prince's most pristinely engineered album. A deliberate, AM radio-ready sheen on every song, with the precise amount of low-end and clean mids (although the highs get a little "tizzy.") The soundstage of Kevin Gray's mastering work on the 2016 vinyl reissue (553365-1) comes really close to the original.

A couple of other points:
1.) Does anyone know why the second refrain of the opening for "Still Waiting" that was initially present on the original vinyl pressings and cassettes for this album was edited on subsequent CD reissues? It was preserved on the Kevin Gray 2016 vinyl reissue (553365-1) and the HDTracks version.
2.) Though tame by today's standards, "Bambi" is still homophobic as fuck.
3.) I've always wondered if Prince's then-flame at the time, jazz/R&B master Patrice Rushen secretly play the keys for the climatic piano breakdown in "Sexy Dancer?" (I'm just kidding. That's all Prince. I know there's no trace of her presence in the album credits, but traces of her influence is in that piano breakdown)
4.) Prince's shy persona/antics during the Dick Clark interview of his immortal January 1980 appearance on American Bandstand was defiant self-promotion at its finest. Historic moment.

Prince's MASTERFUL 2nd album, once again, playing ALL the instruments & singing ALL the parts. With this album, he also proved, without a doubt, what a badass he was, and that he could convincingly get funky, rock hard, and deliver tender ballads.

(A shame Warner Bros. never replaced the edited LP version of "Sexy Dancer" with the full 12" (uncut version))

Why is the promo version not entered as a separate version? it is for the others...

Excellent sound quality on this pressing. My copy is VG or VG+, yet crystal clear, deep resonance, wonderful reproduction. I don't have a later pressing to compare against, but this is a very high quality pressing.

One of Prince's highligts especially "I wanna be your lover" (and please don't listen to the short version) and "when we're dancing close and slow". This is quite a different Prince though then from "1999", "Purple rain" and onward, but all the more enjoyable. Don't know why they are sold for such incredible prices (other than that the artist has just ed away) I see prices range from about €8 (Mint condition) to an incredible €527 (ok that's a Japanese pressing complete with OBI a CD (most expensive LP is €500 from and that's the normal Warner bros release) . but if you're a true Prince "connaisseur"like me you bought it many, many years ago (in 1981 in my case).

Prince's entire discography is being reissued chronologically. They just put out some really nice new copies of For You. This one is next. Just hold out, y'all.

just spotted a pre-order for a reissue of this classic on wax. Late May!

Just to say shame on traders cashing in before the man's even in the ground. If you want to further contribute to an ever closer soulless world, be a dumb schmuck & pay over the odds if you please. Bought my 3rd OG U.S copy of this last year for £25 here on the oggs, unplayed condition.