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Prince - 1999 Brazil Import

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"1999" also reigns supreme due to its paradoxes. Whether it be Prince clamoring, "I'm in love with God, he's the only way" in juxtaposition with "I sincerely want to f*** the taste out of your mouth" in "Let's Pretend We're Married," the dedication of a sexual thrust to "love without sex" in the midst of the passion of "Lady Cab Driver" or the sonic paradox of "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)," a song literally being torn apart by the opposing forces of order in the form of the computerized synth and turbulence in the passion of Prince's guttural screams and the beat which is systematically chaotic, Prince was clearly functioning on a new level with this album, not just personally, but in music as a whole. Nothing previous to this had been as irreverent as "Let's Pretend We're Married," only to turn a complete 180 and declare love of God. Nothing prior to this had seen a song effortlessly blend the primitive outburst of screaming and the forward-looking sound of "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)." What was this guy thinking?

"1999" also earns the award because it breaks so many formats. The smash singles are all placed at the beginning of the album, after which it meanders into much darker, experimental territory. The outburst of raging, swaggering funk in "Let's Pretend We're Married," "DMSR," "Automatic," "Lady Cab Driver" and "All the Critics Love U in New York" are stunning not because they are so drawn out (all but "All the Critics" are over 7 minutes in length), but because they still seem concise. Not a beat was misused, not a measure was misplaced. Speaking of "All the Critics Love U in New York," this song stands out not only as the most experimental song in Prince's career, but among the most experimental music of the modern era. Supremely funky, Prince turns a swipe at critics and hippies alike into a nasty, frenetic, rhythmic explosion over seemingly disinterested, lazy half-rapping.

"1999" has a distinct sound. The entire album is tied together by a common sound, with instantly recognizable beats, synths and attitude. Despite this bond, the songs are easily distinguishable from each other. Regardless, no song on "1999" can be mistaken for being on any other album. I believe that albums work best that stretch the palate of one sound as far as it can go. "1999" is arguably Prince's most minimalist work, employing few instruments in the mix, yet it propagates a dense fog of funk that sounds both sparse and forebodingly full. Prince pushed himself to his creative limit with this album and the outtakes most associated with it. Prince incorporates inexplicable gurgling sounds, elephant noises, soldier footsteps and city noises into the mix and they perfectly fit the scheme of the music, sounding as if they were recorded for the sole purpose of inclusion on this album. Other albums also are deeply rooted with a single sound, but none, with perhaps the exception of David Bowie's "Low," Prince's "Lovesexy" and Bjork's "Vespertine," involve as much creativity. "1999" is a black beacon of foreboding funk.

"1999" also rules the rest because it was recorded by an incredibly gifted artist on the brink of superstardom. This was the LAST music Prince recorded before becoming a bonafide mega-star. It exhibits all of the hunger, drive and determination of the first four releases, but it adds a confident swagger and a new maturity as well. This was Prince's rite of passage into manhood. Prince KNEW this music was legendary and stood out on its own. It didn't need any gimmicks- it didn't need Prince to grace the cover in some provocative pose. The music spoke for itself. Anything recorded after "1999" was created by someone who was already a household name. "1999" came from a relative unknown, making it all the more surprising.

Lastly, "1999" is so stunning because it is entirely the work of one man. Certainly, studio engineers were involved in the mix. Prince even includes "the Revolution" for the first time on this album. However, Dez Dickerson's influence is nowhere on this record. It's not Matt Fink's vision. This album is 100% Prince himself. Not only does Prince unveil all of his cards in this release, he turns them over in your face, making them impossible to ignore. This album is the culmination of his genius, the pinnacle of an artist whose talent is unrivaled by anyone of the modern era.

I rest my case.

30 of 35 found the following review helpful:

2000 zero-zero party's over oops out of timeApr 22, 2002
By Daniel J. Hamlow
Looking back, I don't know if we were ever that close to nuclear war, but Prince put out a double-LP worth of songs (due to the plethora of long songs) back in 1982 and declared that he was gonna "party like it's 1999." That album made 17 years before the title year is one of Prince's most vital, danceable, and best albums.

"1999" is one of Prince's masterpieces, punctuated by punchy synthesizers and an infectious percussive beat, with Cold War nuclear angst lyrics: "Everybody's got a bomb/we could all die anyway. Jill Jones, keyboardist Lisa Coleman, and guitarist Dez Dickerson all have guest vocal duties. The song closes with a poignant child-like question "Mommy, why does everybody have a bomb?" Why indeed?

That classic number is followed by "Little Red Corvette," the highest charting single from this album, and rivalling "1999" in importance, career-wise. Using a hot red car as a metaphor to a red hot, love'em and leave'em lover before AIDS was a concern works. Lisa and Dez have more co-lead vocal contributions here.

"Delirious" follows with an infectious backbeat and squeaky keyboards. Hey, I don't know how else to describe it, okay?

Things get a little bit hotter with "Let's Pretend We're Married," hotter meaning explicit content. I've no doubt that it was the single edit that was played on the radio and not the unexpurgated version here. As this is an unabashed paean to free love, the line "all the hippies sing together" is apposite. It also paraphrases the 60's slogan, "if it feels good, do it." Key lyric: "My baby's gone and she don't care at all/And if she did, so what, come on baby, let's ----."

"D.M.S.R." continues the party but with a funkier tone, handclaps, synthesizers, and in a more fun, Bacchanalian vein.

For a song to clock in over nine minutes, it had better be good. Well, "Automatic," though not as rowdy as "D.M.S.R.", is compelling even at its great length.

"Free" starts out as a ballad before exploding into a gospelish-style number. If John Stuart Mill ever needed a song to associate to, this would be it. Prince is ever the populist, civil libertarian, and this is his best political song. The song tells us to be glad that we are free compared to other countries in the world. What about Holland or Denmark? For those worried about the denting of our personal liberties in the wake of 9-11, these lyrics seem apropos: "Soldiers are a marching they're writing brand new laws/We will all fight together for the most important cause/Will we all fight for the right to be free?" And I'm NOT referring to the terrorists! A wonderful song, with backing vocals courtesy of Jill Jones, Lisa, Vanity, and Wendy Melvoin.

Prince then asks a "Lady Cab Driver" (Jill Jones) to take him away from his "trouble winds [that] are blowin hard" and back to her place, where some heavy action takes place. It would be more appropriate to call Jill's lines, "sounds." Yes, THOSE kinds of sounds. Come on, this is a Prince album!

"International Lover" is done in the same vein as Controversy's "Do Me Baby." He uses the analogy of a pilot inviting a passenger aboard, flying to one's destination, and preparing to land an airplane to a date and sex. After the climactic falsetto screams, he gasps, exhausted but satisfied, "Thank you for flying Prince International." Sheer genius of the man!

Trivia: on the album cover, notice the football-shaped bulge in the "I" of "Prince." Spelt backwards are the words "and the Revolution." The unisex symbol that would be on Prince's Purple Rain motorcycle can be seen in the first "9."...

11 of 12 found the following review helpful:

Party Like It's.....Aug 17, 2000
By Thomas Magnum
1999 is the album that propelled Prince from a crtical darling to a best-selling artist. The album contains all the familar Prince elements from rock to funk to dance while exploring his favorite themes: sex and religion. The album was originally released as a double with most of the songs clocking in somewhere between 6 & 10 minutes. Each is a musical workout from the apocalyptic dance of the title cut to the ripping guitar solo on "Little Red Corvette" to the sexed up funk of "D.S.M.R." There are no bad songs contained here but some to pay attention to include the hit "Delirous", "Something In the Water", "Free" & "Let's Pretend We're Married" which I think is one Prince's all-time best songs. The album has it all from great songwriting to supreme musicianship and is a true classic.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:

Even better than I remembered.May 22, 2006
By mary o'malley
I bought this CD in a nostalgia-induced music buying bender and have had it in heavy rotation ever since. Unlike Def Leppard's often cringeworthy 'Pyromania,' (my sincere apologies, guys)1999 has stood the test of time--and then some. If you haven't listened to this album in a long while or if you (gasp) have never heard it, you owe it to yourself to give the early genius that is Prince a listen.

While I used to choreograph dance routines to 'Little Red Corvette' in my basement when I was in sixth grade, now I vacuum my livingroom with it cranked. (Sad but true.) At least I have Prince to ease the pain of aging.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:

An Ambitious & Innovative Prince MasterworkJun 27, 2004
By Brandon Ousley
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+

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