Sign O the Times

 (174 customer reviews)

I have no idea what the guy who called this album "Un-genius like" is talking about. The music on this album is overflowing with genius, style, and creativity. Before this album no-one had ever used a synthesizer and Linn-Drum Computer to the perfection that Prince did on the tracks "If I Was Your Girlfriend", and "The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker". The thought provoking lyrics of the title track"Sign O' The Times" and the simplicity of its music is unbelievable. "Play in the Sunshine" is a gospel meets rock and go-go track that makes u want to dance and shout. The rock guitar riffs, bass line and drum work are amazing. Its hard to belive that this is one musician playing all of the instruments. If dance tracks are what u are looking for, they are here in many forms, from "Housequake" and "Hot Thing" to "U got the Look" and "It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night". For the rock guitar lovers u have...Read more

Ok. The age old question: What IS Prince's best album? Sign 'O The Times or Purple Rain? I personally would throw in 1999 in that question too. Well to answer that you probably should look at it the same way that we look at Stevie wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life and Innervisions. Songs is Stevie's most important work for MUSIC. Innervisions is his PERSONAL best. Therefore I feel Sign is the Purple One's most important work for music and Purple Rain is his personal best. Why? "Sign" bashes down musical doors just as "Songs" did 11 years earlier. And, as with "Innervisions", "Purple" has better all around song writing and energy to it. Enough of the comparison, you should have BOTH CD anyway! On with my review. Because this is a double disc, reviewing all of the songs in 1000 or less is impossible so I'll stick with what I feel are the best songs.
Sign 'O The Times: A slow, purculating classic. Prince sings of all of the maddness going on in the world today and how things seem to...Read more

Sign O The Times came to us by chance. Originally titled Crystal Ball (not quite the same as the current CD with the same name), but what we got was something unexpected. The first album after the breakup of The Revolution, it contains everything from Rock (Play in the Sunshine and Title Track), pure pop (U GOt The Look), sensual ballads that would put Luther in jail (Adore, If I Was Your Girlfriend) and funk (Housequake, It, Hot Thing) and somethings we've never heard before (Forever In My Life). "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" was actually recorded with a mix of error. Engineer Susan Rogers recorded Prince with only half the mixing board up and running, but the results were fresh and original. Most all hardcore Prince fans will always list Sign as one of their favorite albums. Purple Rain is for those who like top 40 radio, as is 1999. Sign is for those who want to go deeper.