Issuing a debuting artist full creative control is a bold move which has, from time to time, paid off masterfully. R.E.M. can be credited with their slow burn and consistent, interesting build from album to album with this freedom, and Prince, too, benefits from having a full understanding of what he can and cannot do in the studio. He was a limitless artist and while his hits would profile this, the early years of the Purple Rain hitmaker is essential listening. His debut album, For You, summarises his stance on what his work would offer people. Listeners are told, expressly, that this is for them, the individual. The collective too is included, it’s an experience for anyone listening, be it on your own or in a room with others. For You channels that energy and understanding with such confidence that you’d be forgiven for thinking Prince had worked with this degree of freedom for decades. Far from it, but what a remarkable debut. A thoroughly intense and interesting experience.
Confidence is everything. Bring that to the studio as an individual and you have a hit on your hands. Not because the song may work for an audience, but because you are then assured of its message and the emotionally precarious nature of it. For You, the title track, does just that. Prince is far more interested in funk and soul here than he would be on later releases. Rock and roll was not on his radar just yet, and it means songs like In Love have a wonderful, floaty appeal. Prince’s vocal work is lost in the mix a little here but it’s a small price to pay when the instrumentals are this strong. Upbeat disco thrills with the promise of falling in love right at the heart of the song. Prince is a convincing guide through this, a chance to connect with the intimate details comes because they’re delivered with such clearness in their intent. There’s no subterfuge here, no game of want, just clarity of how love is making him and the protagonist of In Love feel.
Honesty is undervalued in romantically inclined songs. Those who want a blur of Prince and synth are well served here. It’s thrill after thrill for those who want that. Soft and Wet is an upbeat treat with the synth in the spotlight more than anything else. Never perfect, but always great, that’s what For You is. What’s staggering, though perhaps not surprising, is just how well Prince can mould the funk and synth tones of For You. Just as Long as We’re Together has all the makings of a sluggish love song but it, ultimately, marks the strongest song of the album. If he had kept on this thrilling, lighter style, it would be among his best songs. A resounding end to the A-side, backed by some steady B-side treats.
Lighter tones on Baby, the higher pitch from Prince, the twinkling piano notes, and inevitable strings to back the emotional point, feel weak on paper but he brings a swagger to them. It’s the bursts of energy and excitement, more than anything, that works in Prince’s favour here. Flickers of his instrumental brilliance can be found on My Love is Forever, honestly sensational work there. Prince’s debut tees him up for a multitude of dominant genre showcases, and at this early stage in his career, having so many options open to him is a staggering achievement. Prince would dabble in what he could, when he could, and would bring about some truly effective moments. Much of it is better than For You, but in isolation, as a purely thrill-filled synth and funk piece of work, there’s much to love about this release.
I bought this album t-shirt in blue and black dye from a shop in the Mall 6 YEARS AGO. If it wasn’t for my Uncles having this cassette tape in their collection over 35 YEARS AGO, I would have never known that this was his very 1st album because I always thought that the 2nd album with the blue cover was his 1st. I thought that soft and wet was a fancy, disco number when I heard it on the radio in my Mom’s Dodson car 40 YEARS AGO. My love is forever is a pretty song but the highlight of the album for me was I’m yours which was basically him having a jam session in the studio with himself and it’s like his guitar and bass playing was having a faceoff during the bridge and as soon as he played the bass FAST with what sounded like 16th notes or triplets, his guitar playing took you higher with notes that soared to the sky. Warner bros threw him to the wolves with this release especially how it went over budget during the production and even though it wasn’t a massive hit record, it is still a must have for all music collectors on the market.