10th March: Prince - Sign “☮︎” the Times (contemporary r&b/pop/funk rock, 1987)
Right, I guess it’s hot take o’clock here. This is kinda bad. And I say this as someone who
enjoys a bit of Prince, and I do understand what he’s trying to get at for parts of it, but
it’s 80 (eighty) minutes long, and at least half of the tracks add absolutely nothing. But
maybe it just isn’t for me, after all, I find myself not even understanding the megahit title
track, despite Steven Wilson’s cover version being one of my all time favourite covers. I
think if there’s ever an opinion to get me cast out from society, it might be that one - but
the song is so thin and lifeless for such a great set of hooks.
And yeah, there are some good moments, like “The Cross” is nice, and “Play in the Sunshine”
is kinda fun (up until that utterly vomit-worthy closing cliche melody), but there’s so much
fluff. There’s so much nothing. What’s the point of “Hot Thing”, or “It’s Gonna Be a
Beautiful Night”, which extends at least three times longer than is necessary. I appreciate
the mix of genres on show throughout the record, but most of the arrangements are just so
thin that it does nothing for me either as a rock album nor a dancey pop album. I think I’m
gonna have to put this one firmly in the “do not get” pile. Sorry Prince.
5.1 (5th listen)
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