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Customer Reviews of 1999

From the apocalyptic disco funk of the title track with its infectious synthline and distinctive three way split vocal you know your in for a special ride!

This segues into one of my favourites of all time "Little Red Corvette". This is a supreme pop song, how infectious is that hook! How haunting are those opening synths! :)

Next up was the catchy Rockabilly of "Delirious" which goes into the X-Rated "Lets Pretend We're Married".

Other highlights on this consistent album include the funk chant of "DMSR", "Free" (The blueprint for "Purple Rain"), Funky guitar led "Lady Cab Driver" and the class ballad "International Lover" (Prince ballads have always been very consistent since "Do Me Baby").

Throughout the album the use of the experimental Linn Drum machine gives it a very unique sound, coupled with his distinctive synthlines, Prince's "Minneapolis Sound" was truly in effect! Sales wise it fared well on the back of success of "Little Red Corvette" (A big part in black artists getting on MTV).

This initial break through allowed the mega-stardom of "Purple Rain" to follow but artistically this album outdoes even that in my opinion.

Prince- 1999 (1982, Warner)
... Easily known as Prince's best album! The only songs I dislike is "International Lover" & "Delerious". So many 7-9 minute songs here. When this was first released on CD, "DMSR" was foolishly omitted. Why? When CDs were first made, they could only contain so much data, unlike most discs now that can hold 80 minutes worth of data. I could tell that this album was made with so much care & pride. My favorites are "1999", "Let's Pretend We're Married", "A-U-T-O-matic", "Something in the Water", "Free" & "All the Critics Love U In NY". The only thing missing on this album is the 12" version of "Little Red Corvette", although I never cared for that song. This album is more blatantly explicit than "Dirty Mind", but it's still not a very bad album. Songs like "Let's Pretend We're Married" & "Lady Cab Driver", be more aware of certain people listening in on these songs; like hyper-sensitive, easily-squeamish people & smaller kids ... . I really love "Something in the Water" for it's melody & Prince's hardcore emotional feeling sung in the song. At most record stores, this Prince album is more expensive than many of his other older albums. Not because of length, but because of popularity! Prince really did it here!

An Ambitious & Innovative Prince Masterwork
Prince, barely in his 20's, recorded a cultural landmark in 1982, called "1999". It showed how genius could turn vulgarity into erotica, synthesizers into orchestral weapons, and weirdness into eccentricity. This double-album introduced his band, The Revolution, before they came out fully on his 1984 seminal album, "Purple Rain". But on this album, he's still a one-man band, mastering the synthesizers and the experimental Linn drum machine. The album also broke through his 1981 album, "Controversy", which was a backlashed and disappointing set. This double-album (now compact disc) is way too extended. There are only 11 songs, but some of the songs extend 6 or 9 minutes long. It's really not like a typical double album, having a range of musical styles or having far-reaching scopes. It's an album that has extended dance jams and ballads. The album opens up with the famous title track, "1999", a song about dancing through the night even as nuclear war erupts. The song has some killer drum and synthesizer work. The song is a classic. "Little Red Corvette" is a slow, bass-driven song with many liquid-type synthesizers being played throughtout the song. It's another one of those feel-good Prince classics. And it's true, Saturday night does make everything alright! "Delirious" has some catchy synthesizer hooks and killer drum beats (drum programming). The song, itself, has a cool melody. "Let's Pretend We're Married" is an upbeat explicit tune with non-stop computer drum beats. The drum patterns are mellow and the synth is crisp. On this song, his lyrics are downright, sexually explicit and really down-to-earth. The songs starts off nice and lust, and then the synthesizers and drums go into a long breakdown and the song gets too far into sex. What makes this song real surprising is the ending, when he's talking about God and the afterlife. Yes, the song is strange, but it's also brilliant. Then, after the 7-minute, "Let's Pretend We're Married" fades away, the 8-minute, "D.M.S.R" comes in. "D.M.S.R" is a funky, dance song with chunky synthesizer fills, repeated drums, and bloated, yet rhythmic guitars. The song sounds like a Morris Day cut. "Automatic" is a song that has many sex-laden lyrics and a funky beat. On this song, the synthesizer overlaps the drum beat, to show the listener how the beats fit together. "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)" is an up-tempo, experimental tune that features a smooth non-stop drum beat. "Free" is a syrupy, political anthem, that has a somewhat spiritual vibe in it. "Lady Cab Driver" is an 8-minute, up-tempo tune that has Prince making some kind of sexual fantasy. It's really a notorious, electro-funk cut. "All The Critics Love U In New York" is a strange, upbeat tune that has Prince attacking the hipsters. "International Lover" is a slow, R&B cut with Prince having a passionate night with a lover in terms of flying an airliner (Prince International). The album, "1999", was probably one of the best releases to come out in 1982-83. It was not only Prince's first megahit, but it was his first masterwork. In my opinion, it laid the groundwork for his next classic, "Purple Rain". The one thing that shocked me the most about this album was that it didn't (and still doesn't) have any "parental advisory" sticker on the cover or anywhere on the album, with all the explicit themes some of the songs have. "1999" still remains one of the definitive statements of the 80's. Though, it's not the apex or pinnacle of Prince's career, it's still Prince at his best. Yes, "1999" is one of Prince's most experimental and self-indulgent works, but it's an ambitious and innovative classic. This is a 5-star must buy. A+