gypsyfire said:

In that case, your vote cannot be deemed vaild.

Anji said:

Anji said:

This is some crazy shit right here...

CalhounSq said:

It's working!

Anji said:

ANJI...your question is a tougher on than you'd think.

all 3 albums have different feels to them.
dirty mind is quirky-new wavy.rock with funk guitar in da
mix...
controversy is about the same...let's work is FUNK to da
max...
and 1999 is a cleaner production DMSR AND ALL DA CRITICS
love U is funk.

so what's my pick? dirty mind barely!!!

Dirty Mind: 10 votes
Controversy: 10 votes
1999: 8 votes

:MRGREEN:

Anji said:

This is truly amazing to me.

Come on people...1999? Let's Pretend We're Married? DMSR? Automatic? Lady Cab Driver? All the Critics Love U in New York?

Hands down, "1999" is the funkiest.

"Dirty Mind" and "Controversy" have funky tracks, but "1999" takes the cake!

Moonbeam said:

Moonie, I said this on another thread...

1999 is a better album than both Dirty Mind and Controversy on so many levels but I still think Controversy is a funkier experience. There is something altogether more biting and impactful in Controversy's swagger than 1999's meandering grooves. I like all of them but for entirely different reasons.

In response to this,

Giotto said

BUT AS THE ALBUMS STAND, CONTROVERSY IS FUNKIER THAN 1999!

Anji said:

"Dirty Mind" and "Controversy" are great fun, but to me, they sound like child's play in comparison to "1999." With "1999" Prince opens the gamut to a whole new array of funk styles. All the songs I mentioned garner a different feel of funk. "1999" really is Prince's funk Bible.

"Controversy" certainly has some funky tracks, but "Sexuality" seems like the poor step-cousin to "Controversy." "Do Me, Baby," "Ronnie Talk to Russia," "Annie Christian" and "Jack U Off" aren't funky at all. That leaves what I believe to be three eighths of the album as genuinely original funk. When it delivers though, "Controversy" serves up the funk quite nicely.

"Dirty Mind" is funky as well, but it seems one-dimensionally funky. Whereas "Controversy" and "1999" is funk with a message, only "Partyup" and "Uptown" really add something to the table other than a groove. "Head," "Do It All Night" and the title track are all fun, funky numbers, though.

I'd say Prince was getting increasingly funky with time- "Dirty Mind" was superceded by "Controversy," which was superceded by the funk odyssey that is "1999."

Moonbeam said:

Fair assessment but if you can't feel the funk of Annie Christian, Sexuality and Do Me, Baby, I really can't help you.

Anji said:

"Sexuality" is funky- it just doesn't sound original. "Annie Christian" and "Do Me, Baby" have funk elements, but I wouldn't call them funk songs. "Annie Christian" is a psychotic rock/funk/trippy story and "Do Me, Baby" is more of a passionate, silky smooth bed-burner that just happens to have a little slap bass.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE "Controversy," but Prince tore it up like no other on "1999."

Moonie, let's just remind ourselves of the results so far. Which album is funkier?

Dirty Mind: 10 votes
Controversy: 10 votes
1999: 8 votes

I'm not disputing that 1999 is a better record. Perhaps, the essence of 1999's funk get's lost in the long jams. Interestingly, Rd also voted for Controversy being the funkiest album.


[This message was edited Fri Mar 14 15:20:52 PST 2003 by Anji]

Anji said:

I won't deny that ALL THREE ALBUMS are funky- DAMN funky. "1999" just is 100 times more complex than the other two.

Moonbeam said:

Complexity doesn't necessarily lend itself to this debate of which album is funkier. In fact, I would argue the opposite. 1999 probably loses the tightness of it's funk, which is undeniably there, through it's meandering arrangements. Dirty Mind and Controversy serve the funk straight up and that is possibly what these results are showing.

Controversy the siong itself has enough funk to spread over several pieces of bread to make many sammiches...feed the earf

rdhull said:

Anji said:

yes agreed

Dirty Mind: 10 votes
Controversy: 11 votes
1999: 8 votes

1999 got that synth-fried geetar heavy funk. Acid trip.

Dirty Mind and Controversy are not funk, they're new wave.

TRON said:

Dont laff at the new wave ref..Prince even called out "new wave" on the live DMSR staccatto synths on that Aug 1983 performance.

Rick James had punk funk and Prince had New Wave Funk

rdhull said:

I understand. Controversy is still funkier.

Anji, you know I love you, but I've got to go with 1999.

Dirty Mind and Controversy were wonderful classics, but they were the natural hodge podge of a musician keenly in touch with the popular sounds of the time -- disco/synth-heavy new wave/punk/70s slow jams/Philadelphia funk. Of course, Prince was maybe the best of the few mass media-ready artists with the right balance of qualities to pull off this mix -- balls, endearing eccentricity, vulgarity, a pretty face and (gasp) blackness, but the musical hybrid was nothing stunning or unexplored. Just check out Tom Tom Club, Talking Heads, Chic, Blondie or Geman import Nina. (OK...I admit, none of these guys could crank out a good slow jam, but still.)

Then 1999 came out of nowhere! And not only did it feature the Prince sounds we'd already come to love (DMSR, International Lover), but it suddenly threw at us his answer to Devo's mindless electronica (Delirious); more artistically subversive and radio-worthy cuts (Little Red Covette); the soon-to-be trademark Linn sound (1999); more sophisticated chords, arrangements and extended jam sessions (Something in the Water, Lady Cab Driver) and inklings that his mind could focus on something other than sex, incest, partying and social rebellion (Free). This, I think, was the true start of innovation for Prince, not just an embellishment of existing musical thought.

"So," you say, "that establishes 1999 as the best album. But what about the FUNK factor?" Well...

Not much can touch the sheer attitude or the way Fink and Lisa's keyboards wrap around the beats of Dirty Mind and Head. But the true, flat-out, ass-shaking, head-bobbing funk stops there. Sure, Uptown and Partyup are nice party tracks, but that's not funk... that's just fun.

As for Controversy, the title track's keyboard and rhythm guitar plainly kick ass; Sexuality's attitude alone is amazing; and Let's Work's bassline is ferocious, but again it ends there. The rest of the album is evocative from a musical or lyrical standpoint, but that's not necessarily FUNK.

Now 1999: Tell me you don't get off on the rhythm guitar in the title track's last 12 or so seconds alone. Tell me Let's Pretend We're Married's soaring keyboard doesn't make you wanna do the white man's overbite. I feel it would be unfair for me to even mention DMSR's bassline! Tell me Automatic's stacatto percussion and hook don't have you bopping your head and singing "tell me what to do-oo-ooo." Tell me you don't feel the Linn funk of Something in the Water's breakdown...

And "Lady Cab Driver"? Funky? C'mon! ...All I can say is !!!

Lammastide said:

Great post but your argument is floored, Lammastide; you forgot to mention All The Critics Love U In New York.

Anji said:

no he didn't forget "all the critics..."!!!

1999... was a hard choice but thats what I am goin for!

Which album is funkier?

Dirty Mind: 10 votes
Controversy: 11 votes
1999: 10 votes

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I actually could never forget All the Critics... but for some people the funk of that song has to be worked for, and I wanted my post to be a slam-dunk.