Purple Rain

1	Let's Go Crazy 4:39
2	Take Me With U 3:54
3	The Beautiful Ones 5:15
4	Computer Blue 3:59
5	Darling Nikki 4:15
6	When Doves Cry 5:52
7	I Would Die 4 U 2:51
8	Baby I'm a Star 4:20
9	Purple Rain 8:45

Barnes & Noble

The soundtrack to Prince's loosely autobiographical rock-u-drama, Purple Rain, is a delicious fusion of musical genres, from the rock-tinged anthem "Let's Go Crazy" to the gospel-rooted title track. Moving seamlessly from the mindless pop of "Take Me with You," an endearing duet with the film's costar, Apollonia Kotero, to the sparse funk of the bass line-less "When Doves Cry," Purple Rain catapulted the androgynous Minneapolis native and his multi racial funk-rock band, the Revolution, into pop superstardom. The record, which sold nearly 1.5 million copies its first week in stores and garnered "His Royal Badness" two Grammies and an Academy Award for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special, forever changed the sound and fashion sensibility of modern pop and R&B. With this flawless nine-song record, Prince proved once and for all that baby, he's a star. Deanna L. Martin

All Music Guide

Prince designed Purple Rain as the project that would make him a superstar, and, surprisingly, that is exactly what happened. Simultaneously more focused and ambitious than any of his previous records, Purple Rain finds Prince consolidating his funk and R&B roots while moving boldly into pop, rock, and heavy metal with nine superbly crafted songs. Even its best-known songs don't tread conventional territory: the bass-less "When Doves Cry" is an eerie, spare neo-psychedelic masterpiece; "Let's Go Crazy" is a furious blend of metallic guitars, Stonesy riffs, and a hard funk backbeat; the anthemic title track is a majestic ballad filled with brilliant guitar flourishes. Although Prince's songwriting is at a peak, the presence of the Revolution pulls the music into sharper focus, giving it a tougher, more aggressive edge. And, with the guidance of Wendy and Lisa, Prince pushed heavily into psychedelia, adding swirling strings to the dreamy "Take Me With U" and the hard rock of "Baby I'm a Star." Even with all of his new, but uncompromising, forays into pop, Prince hasn't abandoned funk, and the robotic jam of "Computer Blue" and the menacing grind of "Darling Nikki" are among his finest songs. Taken together, all of the stylistic experiments add up to a stunning statement of purpose that remains one of the most exciting rock & roll albums ever recorded. Stephen Thomas Erlewine