Prince: Controversy - 1981

 

Building on the saucy, sexualised new-wave influenced funk from 1980, Dirty Mind, Prince returned the following year with what was pretty much more of the same, to an extent. 

It was also the first album to fully feature Prince's muse Lisa Coleman on keyboards. In comparison to the previous album, though, Prince seems to concentrating more on the groove of the songs than on their inventiveness, which sort of initially laid the foundations for 1999, although it is not as hook-laden as that album. There is also nothing as blatantly taboo-challenging as Sister or Head on here either. If anything, Prince ditches the no-holds-barred controversial eroticism for a political conscience, certainly on some tracks. 

Controversy is a seven-minute plus funky jam of an opener that utilised what was becoming a trademark sound by now. The funky guitar throughout the track is compelling. He introduces some religious "controversy" by curiously narrating The Lord's Prayer half way through before launching in to a rap - "people call me rude, I wish that we were nude...". Not the most convincing of raps ever laid down. The track gets into its groove, though, and never lets up, but it also suffers from being a bit one-paced and uninventive. The tempo is upped, however, on the keyboard and funky guitar-powered falsetto fun of Sexuality. The production isn't great on this one, but its vibrancy overshadows that. 

Do Me Baby is a piece of intuitive seduction for those late night moments. It is full of squeaking sexual noises and a necessary "bump and grind" slow rhythm. He hasn't lost as his lust, then. Its extended running time is fine if you're between the sheets, but as a listening experience it could do with losing a few minutes. The old "side two" is completely different to the lengthy funk-late night groove of "side one", being populated with short, fast paced numbers. 

Private Joy is a bouncy piece of synthy pop funk, pleasant enough, but not particularly memorable. The "get up" exhortation bit, with its fine bass and drums is the song's best moment, followed by some searing electric guitar. You can always trust Prince to add something to an ordinary-ish song to enhance it considerably. Ronnie Talk To Russia is Prince's attempt to reach out to President Ronald Reagan. It is a breathless Blondie meets The Attractions organ-driven romp, complete with Clem Burke drum rolls and Steve Nieve parping organ. It is Prince at his most punk and ends just under two minutes. 

The upbeat grind of Let's Work adopts contemporary dance-funk rhythms to great effect with lots of slap-bass and funky keyboards. Annie Christian is a hard-hitting Velvet Underground-ish diatribe against gun crime semi-spoken against a quirky, programmed drum-keyboard backing. It is a most unusual track. Jack U Off was a frantic, organ-powered slightly rock'n'roll end to the album. Its sexual message was somewhat lost under its breakneck rock beat. It was also the first to use the infuriating "u" spelling too. 

For some reason, though, this album has never done it for me in the way that Dirty Mind has. If I want some early eighties Prince I turn to that album as opposed to this one. This one sort of treads water. Prince was due a change now, and he duly delivered accordingly with several different and diverse albums over the next seven or eight years.