#326 Prince, 'Dirty Mind' (1980)

Previously #206

His third album, ‘Dirty Mind’ has been acclaimed and Prince’s first great album. Like the two albums before it, Prince wrote, produced and arranged all the songs, as well as played all the instruments, save for some synth by Doctor Fink on ‘Dirty Mind’ and ‘Head,’ as well as backing vox from Lisa Coleman on ‘Head.’ This album foreshadowed the sound to come, as well as his explicitly sexually charged lyrics and innuendo. He fused funk, new wave and dance on this album in a way that only Prince could.

The basis of title track and album opener was formed Doctor Fink as he jammed out during rehearsals. Lead single from the album was ‘Uptown,’ a song dealing with prejudice and racism - “"What's up little girl?"/"I ain't got time to play"/Baby didn't say too much/She said, "Are you gay?"” It featured as the opening song on the ‘Controversy’ Tour in ‘81/’82. ‘When You Were Mine’ was later featured by Cyndi Lauper’s acclaimed album, ‘She’s So Unusual,’ which featured quite low down on the list last time. I’m assuming we won’t see it again. This album doesn’t showcase Prince’s most well-known songs, but it certainly features some really great ones. At a brisk 30 minutes, the album is short, sharp and to the point, and the point is that Prince was a certified genius (I still find it unbelievable to refer to him in the past tense).

#rs500albums