Purple Rain (CD - 1984)

Prince & The Revolution: Prince (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Wendy Melvoin (vocals, guitar); Lisa Coleman, Matt "Dr." Fink (vocals, keyboards); Brown Mark (vocals, bass); Bobby Z (percussion).

Additional personnel: Apollonia (vocals); Novi Novog (violin, viola); David Coleman, Suzie Katayama (cello).

Engineers include: Susan Rogers, Peggy Mac, David Riukin.

A soundtrack to a movie so appalling that it is infinitely wiser to let the record stand on its own merits. While Prince cavorted in purple kitchen foil and rode his Harley in high heels, the real star of the film, the music, was doing all the talking. A knit of funk and rock, a heavily stylized Hendrix guitar lick here and there, and a wilfully danceable backbeat all made for a huge commercial smash, and the first real international introduction for many people to a star-in-waiting. 'Darling Nikki' accidentally set the PMRC ball rolling, but the heady lilt of the title track and the crushing 'When Doves Cry' can pardon him that. minimize