Dirty Mind

Personnel: Prince (vocals, various instruments); Lisa Coleman (vocals); "Dr." Matt Fink (synthesizer); Bobby Z (drums); Dez Dickerson, Andre Cymone.
DIRTY MIND is the most focused and uncompromising of Prince's early albums. In 1980, the Purple one wasn't a superstar, he was an undeniably gifted weirdo, sort of a funk/R&B Todd Rundgren, composing, performing and producing everything himself. His singular vision combined a driving, spare R&B style driven by danceable drum machines, funk guitar and colorful synths, (a palpable new wave influence is also at work here) with a near-scandalous attitude towards sex. The unprecedently graphic lyrics of tunes like "Head" and "Sister" make rock & roll rebels of the past decades look like uptight puritans. Prince hadn't yet developed the panoramic production style that would define his greatest '80s album, but this leaner, more direct sound suits the visceral material well.