Rocktrospectiva: The Massive "Purple Rain" Turns 40

 

Released on 25 June 1984, "Purple Rain" was the sixth studio album by the American singer, Prince, it was released as the soundtrack album to the 1984 film of the same name, the sound is much more denser than Prince's previous albums, for the ocassion the listener can hear multiple layers of guitars, keyboards, electronic synthesizer effects, drum machines, and other instruments, the album spawned five singles ""When Doves Cry", ""Let's Go Crazy", "Purple Rain", "I Would Die 4 U", & "Take Mw With U", the first two reached No. 1, while "Purple Rain" No. 2 and "I Would Die 4 U" No. 8, making the album to reach the No. 1 on Billboard 200.

 

While Prince¡s previous album were solo recordings by himself, this record contained credits under the name of Prince And The Revolution, recorded between July 1983 and March 1984, except for "Baby I'm A Satr" early in December 1981 and "I Would Die 4 U", & "Purple Rain" and the first one were recorded as live track on 3 August 1983, this marked Prince's first album to include live recordings. 

 

Purple Rain was musically denser than Prince's previous albums, emphasizing full band performances, and multiple layers of guitars, keyboards, electronic synthesizer effects, drum machines, and other instruments, and as a soundtrack record, much of the music had a grandiose, synthesized, and even – by some evaluations a psychedelic sheen to the production and performances, regarded as the most pop-oriented record on Prince's career, with a certain elements of more experimental and creative, the artist was always open to anybody trying to contribute creatively to the process of writing but Prince was the main lyricist and melody maker for all the songs, the band members were "absolute musical equals in the sense that Prince respected us, and allowed us to contribute to the music without any interference.

 

Revolution members Fink, Coleman, and Melvoin helped write the album's fourth track "Computer Blue", the full band appears on six tracks: "Let's Go Crazy", "Take Me With U", "Computer Blue", "I Would Die 4 U", "Baby I'm A Star" and "Purple Rain" while the remaining three tracks are essentially solo performances by Prince. Apollonia sings co-lead on "Take Me With U". Three of the tracks include a string section arranged by Coleman and Prince which were conducted by Coleman and Melvoin: "Take Me With U", "Baby I'm A Star", and "Purple Rain". The string players are violin and viola player Novi Novog and cellists David Coleman and Suzie Katayama.

 

The critics ignored the album at the beginning but once this take off, the music critics noted the innovative and experimental aspects of the soundtrack's music, most famously on the spare, bass-less "When Doves Cry", its synthesis of electronic elements with organic instrumentation and full-band performances along with its consolidation of rock and R&B, were identified by critics as distinguishing, even experimental factors, and due this, the album was added to the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry list of sound recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". 

 

Purple Rain Track List:

 

1. Let's Go Crazy

2. Take Me With U

3. The Beautiful Ones

4. Computer Blue

5. Darling Nikki

6. When Doves Cry

7. I Would Die 4 U

8. Baby I'm A Star

9. Purple Rain