Sign O' The Times (Super Deluxe)

Prince

Released on 30/03/1987 by Warner Records
Main artists: Prince
Genre: Funk

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Prince and the Revolution released the Parade album in March 1986, after which, the following Prince projects were conceived, mostly completed, and abandoned: a single LP Dream Factory, a double-LP Dream Factory, the 3-LP Crystal Ball, a musical known as either The Dawn or Dream Factory, and a single LP Camille. Finally, in March 1987, the double-LP Sign O' The Times was released, cherry-picking highlights from most of those projects and adding brand-new material. It is—even for an artist who has gone down in history as one of the most prolific pop musicians of the 20th century—an astonishing volume of work. Even more astonishing is the consistently high quality of the work.

The original Sign O' The Times has long been recognized as Prince's creative zenith, garnering the sort of contemporaneous and retrospective critical admiration that very few double albums have ever claimed. But the fact that this work was the result of a 27-year-old creating at such a fast clip and such a high level is, when you stop and think about it, not just the mark of a genius at the top of his game, but something truly singular.

That uniqueness may bedevil listeners of this Super Deluxe Edition. While the Sign O' The Times album itself is, of course, still an incredible work that benefits immensely from the careful remastering (this album, probably more than any other in Prince's catalog, was in dire need of it), there is no easy way to mentally process its 45 unreleased tracks. They are sequenced in chronological order of recording, which makes sense, as there really is no other simple way the Estate could have presented this work. However—believe it or not—this isn't even everything! Due to licensing restrictions and the fact that many of these tracks exist in multiple versions, there is no way this set could be comprehensive.

So, while this presentation does deny listeners the chance to compile their own versions of the Dream Factory or Camille albums from the unreleased material, it also declines to provide any sort of narrative listening experience. Which is probably for the best. When, in just two years, you can go from the height of the Revolution's powers ("In A Large Room With No Light,""Soul Psychodelicide") through a collaboration with Miles Davis ("Can I Play With U?") and a run of inventive, immersive home-studio creations ("Cosmic Day") and then on to the sounds that would define Lovesexy ("The Cocoa Boys,""Walkin' in Glory"), the only story to tell is one of a prodigy at his most prodigious. With four albums' worth of unreleased material here—nearly all of which is in surprisingly solid sonic condition—your best bet is to proceed slowly, soak it all in, and find your favorites. And, if the original album and 45 unreleased tracks wasn't enough, this set also includes a handful of edits and remixes along with the two b-sides that were released contemporaneously with the album and an absolutely blazing live set from the album's European tour. © Jason Ferguson/Qobuz

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Sign O' The Times (Super Deluxe)

Prince

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Sign O' The Times (2020 Remaster)