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Prince
 
 

1999 This is Prince at his best and worst. "Little Red Corvette" and the title track are just plain great. Other tracks move along just as wonderfully until some bit of self-indulgence gets in the way of perfection. The rape ramble in "Lady Cab Driver" is the worst transgression here. As Gary puts it, "He needs a good editor."

Purple Rain I'm among those who consider Prince a pop music genius. However, he's so reluctant to listen to anyone but his own muses that some of his best work has been marred by his overindulgences.  Maybe it's because this is a soundtrack that can't stray too far from the plot, or maybe he decided to aim more for mainstream ears, but for whatever reason it doesn't drift as much as some of his work. A spare, clean blend of funk and rock that incorporates myriad influences without sounding quite like any of them.