Prince Best Ever Albums Review

“ Dirty Mind , 1980. He’s 22 years old, wearing a trench coat and bikini briefs on the cover. It’s only 30 minutes long. It’s about incest, oral sex, and killing your rival. Recorded on a four-track in his basement. No Dirty Mind , no Sign o’ the Times . That’s the real best ever. Because it’s the one where he had nothing to lose.”

“It’s for your ego,” she replied. She set down her coffee. “Fine. Let’s settle this like Minneapolis does. You pick the top three. I’ll tell you why you’re wrong.” prince best ever albums

“It’s a double album!” Leo said, gaining confidence. “It’s schizophrenia on vinyl. One track is a funky jam about a girl named Starfish and Coffee, the next is a whispered newscast about AIDS and crack. He plays every instrument on half the songs. He broke up the Revolution just to prove he didn’t need them. It’s not an album—it’s a weather report from the end of the 80s.” “ Dirty Mind , 1980

Marta leaned back. “And yet. You forgot Dirty Mind .” It’s about incest, oral sex, and killing your rival

Marta, the store’s 50-something owner, didn’t look up from her magazine. “You’re making a ‘Best Ever’ list. First mistake.”

Marta stood up and patted his shoulder. “Kid, there are 39 studio albums. Plus the vault. The ‘best ever’ Prince album is the one you’re listening to at 2 a.m. when you realize he’s not coming back. For me? It’s The Rainbow Children . Because it’s a mess. And he never cared if you agreed.”