GOOD STUFF: APRIL 22, 2016

Like everyone, yesterday I was shocked and sad when I found out about Prince’s death. His passing leaves a huge void in the world of music, in the world of art…in the World in general. Prince was unapologetically innovative and a true talent; other-worldly.

May he rest in peace.

The silver-lining in what is otherwise a sad event, is that Prince left us with so much amazing music. Usually my Friday posts are for reflecting on all the “Good Stuff” that happened during the week. This week I am using the post to remember the legacy of “good music” that Prince leaves and to celebrate how his songs punctuate the soundtrack of my life…

PURPLE RAIN (The Album)

When I was growing up my parents were pretty strict about the type of music my younger brother and I could listen to. They never explicitly told us that there were things we couldn’t listen to, they just did a good job of keeping things we were too young to understand out of sight and/or earshot (that was much easier to do before the Internet Age). My Dad had a huge record collection…hundreds, if not thousands, of meticulously alphabetized albums. He kept a pile of frequently played records on a lower shelf for easy access. These were usually the albums that our family listened to frequently…Michael Jackson, The Temptations, Billy Ocean (don’t judge us!) and Stevie Wonder.

One day as I was going through the pile I noticed a white album with flowers on it. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was looking at the back cover of Prince’s Purple Rain album. When I turned the album over to look at the front cover I was confused, in the best possible way. I remember thinking: “Wow, here’s a Black man dressed like the men from my piano lesson books (Beethoven, Mozart, etc.) sitting on a motorcycle…and he’s SO pretty”. I didn’t understand it, but knew that if I asked my parents too many questions the album would “disappear” before I got a chance to play it.

I finally had a chance to listen to the record a few days later when my parents were gone. I was home with my Grandma and her rules were a bit more “flexible”. I remember putting the record on, sitting on the floor and listening to the album from beginning to end. I loved it! The music just felt “different”. I didn’t understand the lyrics, at that age it was just about the music and the feeling.

That was my introduction to Prince.

I WOULD DIE 4 U

I’ve been rhythmically-challenged my whole life; I don’t see this changing. One thing that makes me feel good about I Would Die 4 U is that I can do the dance – which is really just hand movements – (almost) perfectly on beat.

RASPBERRY BERET

For the longest time I thought this song was about Raspberry Sorbet. I used to ask my parents for Raspberry Sherbet because it was the closest thing they had to sorbet at the grocery store. I’d feel extra grown when I was eating that sherbet.

THIEVES IN THE TEMPLE

I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it because it sounded so dark and mysterious. For some reason after seeing the video I wanted to get a pair of finger cymbals. I never got them, finger cymbals weren’t easy to find in suburban Wisconsin back in the day.

1999

I distinctly remember listening to this song at midnight on New Year’s Eve in 1998… and then again on New Year’s Eve in 1999 because I felt it was applicable to both celebrations.

2007 SUPERBOWL PERFORMANCE

Prince performed “Purple Rain” in the rain. What else needs to be said about this? It was epic.

ADORE

My all time favorite Prince song…until the end of time.

Source: Graphic Image

GOOD STUFF! showcases a few of the “good” things I enjoy during the week. You can find more “GOOD STUFF” here.