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Rating: When in 1973 Marvin Gaye released “Let‘s Get It On,” there was talk of the unprecedented and unheard-of sexual charge unleashed by the songs, filled with lyrics that were moving away from the romantic/sentimental towards more erotic themes, though always distant from explicit references. Only seven years later, the third album by Roger Nelson - known for a few years by the stage name Prince - eliminated any remaining modesty with a cycle of wild and borderline steamy songs. If "Let’s Get It On" seemed like a direct title for an album, how does “Dirty Mind” sound to you?
It’s a moral and musical manifesto, that of the “dirty mind” and its manual of life to survive in the urban jungle of early '80s America. To give you a reference point, we are in the year of Carpenter's “Escape from New York” (1997), when Saturday night fevers and the vibe of good times had long been archived, and the scenario was anything but comfortable, on the contrary. The first singles by Duran Duran resounded in the stores, at parties, Chic were beginning to be replaced by the Cure, and a darkness that prompted more reflection than dancing was spreading. But as we know, this very atmosphere of early post-punk/post-disco uncertainty would lead to a very fortunate season, producing incredibly innovative masterpieces for nearly five years.
It was in this season that Prince emerged, after a couple of naive attempts (“For You” and “Prince”) to resurrect a disco-funk that now seemed trite and worn out by rampant and destructive commercialization. Roger had truly believed in his initial works, and the disappointment of both him and Warner over the almost-flops of the preceding releases was instrumental in the maturing of the artist's new choice: to create a 33 completely played in solitude, just him, the instruments (needless to say, he was a complete multi-instrumentalist), and a rudimentary sixteen-track setup. Prince unleashes his faucets of emotions with an instinctive rawness that neither he nor others had dared before. Driven by sentimental, professional, and social dissatisfaction, our 23-year-old decides to claw back, scratching and confronting his own anxieties head-on.
The atmosphere is dark, but more in the sense of “dark” than “black.” Everything is sparse and immediate, as in the magnificent black and white cover, featuring Roger in the foreground wearing only a hippie jacket and pants, gazing proudly in front of an overturned bed (the mattress frame also lends a psychedelic touch to the setting), as if it were a portrait of himself. The brazen image of a young man who, amidst the general anxiety, wields a singular approach: living life wildly, making love and especially sex a source of joy, a commodity to exchange between society's victims, dedicating himself to music and women as ultimate means to feel alive.
From here a very short journey, only eight songs, which are sufficient for initiation. Even “Let’s Get It On” had only eight songs, not just as a record industry trend, but because the tracks are real bombs, icebreakers to be consumed in small doses.
The opening is entrusted to the robotic funk of the title track, where already the young man yearns to hook up with a girl in her father's car... and we've only just begun. As the tracks follow one another, we will witness scenes of punk incest (“Sister”), danceable jams like in “Uptown” (where he briefly meets a girl on the street and moments later proves to her “that he is not gay”), splendid new wave ballads like the ultra-covered “When You Were Mine” (perhaps the only truly sweet and fragile piece). Obviously, the most inappropriate is the legendary “Head”, meaning “Blowjob”, a spicy funk where our hero takes advantage of a bride still a virgin but skilled in oral practices. The world of black music would take years to recover from these thirty minutes of genius delirium.
Musically, Prince thus dismantles the dying vein of '70s soul by creating a renewed funk sound, dirtier, essential, yet full of effects (note the rich depth given to keyboards) and adapted to the changing times. He also proves to be an excellent guitarist with a clean, crisp, original technique; and to skillfully immerse himself in genres until then jealously guarded by the “whites,” forging incredible rock hybrids.
“Dirty Mind” would essentially be yet another commercial flop, but also his first masterpiece. And the keenest ears would soon appreciate the newborn "Minneapolis Sound," a prelude to rides under the purple rain.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Dirty Mind (04:14)
There's something about u, baby
It happens all the time
Whenever I'm around u, baby
I get a dirty mind
It doesn't matter where we are
It doesn't matter who's around
It doesn't matter
I just wanna lay ya down
In my daddy's car
It's you I really wanna drive
But you never go too far
I may not be your kind of man
I may not be your style
But honey all I wanna do
Is just love you for a little while
If you got the time
I'll give you some money
To buy a dirty mind
Don't misunderstand me
I never fool around
But honey you got me on my knees
Won't you please let me lay ya down (down, down, down, ...)
I really get a dirty mind (mind, mind, mind, ...)
Whenever you're around
It happens to me everytime (time, time, time, ...)
You just gotta let me lay ya
Gotta let me lay ya, lay ya
You just gotta let me lay ya
Gotta let me lay ya down
In my daddy's car
It's you I really wanna drive
Underneath the stars
I really get a dirty mind
Whenever you're around
I don't wanna hurt you, baby
I only want to lay you down
05 Uptown (05:32)
She saw me walking down the streets
Of your fine city
It kinda turned me on when she looked at me
And said, "C'mere"
Now I don't usually talk to strangers
But she looked so pretty
What can I lose,
If I, uh, just give her a little ear?
"What's up little girl?"
"I ain't got time to play."
Baby didn't say too much
She said, "Are you gay?"
Kinda took me by suprise
I didn't know what to do
I just looked her in her eyes
And I said, "No, are u?"
Said to myself, said
"She's just a crazy, crazy, crazy
Little mixed up dame.
She's just a victim of society
And all it's games."
Now where I come from
We don't let society
Tell us how it's supposed to be
Our clothes, our hair
We don't care
It's all about being there
Everybody's going Uptown
That's where I wanna be
Uptown
Set your mind free
Uptown
Got my body hot
Get down
I don't wanna stop, no
As soon as we got there
Good times were rolling
White, Black, Puerto Rican
Everybody just a-freakin'
Good times were rolling
She started dancing in the streets
Ow, girl, she's just gone mad
U know, she even made love to me
Ooh, best night I ever had
Ah yeah
I never talk to strangers
But this time it's all right
See, she got me hot, ah
I couldn't stop, ah
Good times were rolling all night All night, yeah
Now where I come from
We don't give a damn
We do whatever we please
It ain't about no downtown
Nowhere bound
Narrow-minded drag
It's all about being free
Everybody's going Uptown
It's where I wanna be
Uptown
U can set your mind free, yeah
Uptown
Keep your body hot
Get down
I don't wanna stop, no
Uptown
Ooh, ooh, yeah
Uptown
Everybody's going, everybody's going
Everybody gotta gotta
Uptown
Now go-go-go, go-go-go
They're going
Uptown
Uptown
Yeah, yeah, now, all now
Uptown
Gotta go-go-go
Uptown
Yeah, gotta go, gotta go
Uptown
C'mon, c'mon, you
U have to, you gotta go
Uptown
oh yeah
YEAH!
06 Head (04:44)
Head
Prince
Remember when I met you, Baby,
You were on your way to be wed.
You were such a sexy thing,
I loved the way you walked, the things you said.
I was so nonchalant.
I didn't want you to be misled.
But I got to have you, Baby.
I got to have you in my bed.
You said, "I'm just a virgin and I'm
On my way to be wed.
But you're such a hunk,
So full of spunk,
I'll give you"
Head. Til you're burning up.
Head. Til you get enough.
Head. Til your love is red.
Head. Love you til you're dead.
You know you're good, girl.
I think you like to go down.
You wouldn't have stopped but
I came, on getting down.
You said, "I must confess
I want to get undressed
And go to bed."
With that, I changed.
You fool, you married me instead.
Now, morning, noon, and night I give you
Head. Til you're burning up.
Head. Til you get enough.
Head. Til your love is red.
Head. Love you til you're dead.
Ahhh!
Oooh yeah. Oooh yeah. Oooh yeah.
Head. Head. Head. Head.
Oooh. Ahhh!
[musical interlude]
Head. Til you're burning up.
Head. Til you get enough.
Head. Til your love is red.
Head. Love you til you're dead.
I know.
Head. Head.
I know.
Head. Baby, Baby, Head. Oooh.
Head. Oooh. Head. Ooooh.
Head. You just said I could. Head. I'm good.
Head.
07 Sister (01:31)
I was only 16 but I guess that's no excuse
My sister was 32, lovely, and loose
She don't wear no underwear
She says it only gets in her hair
And it's got a funny way of stoppin' the juice
My sister never made love to anyone else but me
She's the reason for my, uh, sexuality
She showed me where it's supposed to go
A blow job doesn't mean blow
Incest is everything it's said to be
Oh, sister
Don't put me on the street again
Oh, sister
I just want to be your friend
I was only 16 and only half a man
My sister didn't give a goddamn
She only wanted to turn me out
She [took a whip to] me until I shout
"Oh, [motherfuckersjustamotherfucker]
Can't you understand?"
Oh, sister
Don't put me on the street again
Oh, sister
I just want to be your friend
I know what you want me to do
Put me on the street
And make me blue
Oh, sister, oohoohoooow
08 Partyup (04:24)
We don't give a damn, we just wanna jam
Partyup (Partyup, got 2 partyup)
That army bag, such a double drag
Partyup (Partyup, got 2, got 2, got 2 partyup)
Party - got 2 party down, baby
Revolutionary rock ‘n' roll
Goin' Uptown, baby (Woo)
How U gonna make me kill somebody I don't even know?
They got the draft, ha ha, I just laugh
Partyup (Partyup, got 2 partyup)
Fightin' war is such a fuckin' bore
Partyup (Partyup, got 2, got 2, got 2 partyup)
Party - uh uh, got 2 party down, baby (Ooh)
It's all about what's in your mind
Goin' Uptown, baby (Woo)
I don't wanna die, I just wanna have a bloody good time
Partyup, got 2 partyup {x2}
Because of their half-baked mistakes
We get ice cream, no cake
All lies, no truth
Is it fair 2 kill the youth?
Partyup!
Got 2 partyup, yeah! - Got 2 partyup, baby, ooh {x4}
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah
(Partyup, got 2 partyup) {repeat in BG}
Got 2 partyup, baby, ooh
Got 2 partyup, yeah
Got 2 partyup, baby, ooh
Got 2 party
Got 2 partyup
Ooh yes
Got 2 partyup, baby, ooh yeah
Revolutionary rock ‘n' roll
(Partyup, got 2 partyup) {x5}
(Partyup, got 2 partyup, baby) {repeat 2 lines in BG}
(Partyup, got 2 partyup, yeah)
U're gonna have 2 fight your own damn war
Cuz we don't wanna fight no more!
U're gonna have 2 fight your own damn war
Cuz we don't wanna fight no more!
U're gonna have 2 fight your own damn war
Cuz we don't wanna fight no more!
I said we don't wanna fight no more
(U're gonna have 2 fight your own damn war)
Cuz we don't wanna fight no more!
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Other reviews
By Blackdog
"Dirty Mind is the germ that will infect the world to come, written, produced, and played by the civil Roger Nelson."
"The opening of the title track is a hypnotic and syncopated disco/funk rhythm, bathed in the murky and dark waters of new-wave lyrics."
