Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.
Half of the Purple Rain album invaded the radio airwaves in 1984 as Prince explored varying tempos, genres, instrumentation and lyrical themes. The title track, “When Doves Cry”, “I Would Die 4 U” and “Let’s Go Crazy” all felt like they righfully belonged on the same soundtrack, but each had their own distinct personality. And for the latter, you can make the argument that there were multiple personalities at play.
Potent, intense and epic. These are a few of the words that come to mind when I look back at one of my favorite Prince anthems of all time. The song is structured in three key movements: an introduction that’s written like a eulogy, a middle that runs at full throttle and an ending that’s nearly apocalyptic. It’s as if those first few bars on organ seem to reel you into a cathedral. Next, the Linn LM-1 drum machine and the first of two Prince guitar solos knock the pews over. Lastly, one more guitar solo burns the whole thing down.
“Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”