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Prince|Sign "O" the Times

Sign "O" the Times

Prince

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Fearless, eclectic, and defiantly messy, Prince's Sign 'O' the Times falls into the tradition of tremendous, chaotic double albums like The Beatles, Exile on Main St., and London Calling -- albums that are fantastic because of their overreach, their great sprawl. Prince shows nearly all of his cards here, from bare-bones electro-funk and smooth soul to pseudo-psychedelic pop and crunching hard rock, touching on gospel, blues, and folk along the way. This was the first album Prince recorded without the Revolution since 1982's 1999 (the band does appear on the in-concert rave-up, "It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night"), and he sounds liberated, diving into territory merely suggested on Around the World in a Day and Parade. While the music overflows with generous spirit, these are among the most cryptic, insular songs he's ever written. Many songs are left over from the aborted triple album Crystal Ball and the abandoned Camille project, a Prince alter ego personified by scarily sped-up tapes on "If I Was Your Girlfriend," the most disarming and bleak psycho-sexual song Prince ever wrote, as well as the equally chilling "Strange Relationship." These fraying relationships echo in the social chaos Prince writes about throughout the album. Apocalyptic imagery of drugs, bombs, empty sex, abandoned babies and mothers, and AIDS pop up again and again, yet he balances the despair with hope, whether it's God, love, or just having a good time. In its own roundabout way, Sign 'O' the Times is the sound of the late '80s -- it's the sound of the good times collapsing and how all that doubt and fear can be ignored if you just dance those problems away.

© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

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Sign "O" the Times

Prince

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1
Sign 'O' the Times (LP Version)
00:05:02

Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc.

2
Play in the Sunshine (LP Version)
00:05:05

Susannah Melvoin, Backing Vocals - Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

3
Housequake (LP Version)
00:04:42

Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Camille, Lead Vocals - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

4
The Ballad of Dorothy Parker (LP Version)
00:03:55

Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

5
It (LP Version)
00:05:09

Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

6
Starfish and Coffee (LP Version)
00:02:50

Susannah Melvoin, Backing Vocals, Writer - Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

7
Slow Love (LP Version)
00:04:22

Lisa Coleman, Backing Vocals - Wendy Melvoin, Guitar, Backing Vocals - Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Claire Fischer, String Arranger - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer - Carole Davis, Writer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

8
Hot Thing (LP Version)
00:05:40

Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

9
Forever in My Life (LP Version)
00:03:30

Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

10
U Got the Look (LP Version)
00:03:47

Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Camille, Vocals - Sheena Easton, Vocals - Sheila E., Drums, Percussion - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

11
If I Was Your Girlfriend (LP Version)
00:05:01

Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Camille, Lead Vocals - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

12
Strange Relationship (LP Version)
00:04:01

Lisa Coleman, Flute, Sitar - Wendy Melvoin, Tambourine, Congas - Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Camille, Lead Vocals - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

13
I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man (LP Version)
00:06:29

Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc.

14
The Cross (LP Version)
00:04:45

Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

15
It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night (Live LP Version)
00:09:01

Jill Jones, Lead Vocals - Susannah Melvoin, Lead Vocals - Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, Performance, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Sheila E., Percussion, Rapper Vocals - Eric Leeds, Saxophone, Writer - Jerome Benton, Backing Vocals - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer - Matt Fink, Writer - Greg Brooks, Backing Vocals - Micro Weaver, Lead Guitar - Wally Safford, Backing Vocals

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

16
Adore (LP Version) Explicit
00:06:31

Prince, Producer, Arranger, Engineer, Writer, MainArtist - Bernie Grundman, MasteringEngineer - SUSAN ROGERS, Engineer - Eric Leeds, Saxophone - Atlanta Bliss, Trumpet - Coke Johnson, Engineer

© 1987 NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Records Inc. ℗ 1987 Warner Records Inc. Paisley Park, distributed by Warner Records Inc., A Warner Communications Company

Album review

Fearless, eclectic, and defiantly messy, Prince's Sign 'O' the Times falls into the tradition of tremendous, chaotic double albums like The Beatles, Exile on Main St., and London Calling -- albums that are fantastic because of their overreach, their great sprawl. Prince shows nearly all of his cards here, from bare-bones electro-funk and smooth soul to pseudo-psychedelic pop and crunching hard rock, touching on gospel, blues, and folk along the way. This was the first album Prince recorded without the Revolution since 1982's 1999 (the band does appear on the in-concert rave-up, "It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night"), and he sounds liberated, diving into territory merely suggested on Around the World in a Day and Parade. While the music overflows with generous spirit, these are among the most cryptic, insular songs he's ever written. Many songs are left over from the aborted triple album Crystal Ball and the abandoned Camille project, a Prince alter ego personified by scarily sped-up tapes on "If I Was Your Girlfriend," the most disarming and bleak psycho-sexual song Prince ever wrote, as well as the equally chilling "Strange Relationship." These fraying relationships echo in the social chaos Prince writes about throughout the album. Apocalyptic imagery of drugs, bombs, empty sex, abandoned babies and mothers, and AIDS pop up again and again, yet he balances the despair with hope, whether it's God, love, or just having a good time. In its own roundabout way, Sign 'O' the Times is the sound of the late '80s -- it's the sound of the good times collapsing and how all that doubt and fear can be ignored if you just dance those problems away.

© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo

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