Author: Zachary Hoskins
-
Nadira
Prince’s lyrics are typical of his early songwriting, quivering with nerves and lust in the face of a vaguely-defined object of desire.
-
Donna
With its double-tracked harmonies and simple acoustic guitar accompaniment, “Donna” points the way toward a few of the songs on Prince’s 1979 sophomore album.
-
Baby, Baby, Baby
Charming and catchy, but not exactly a buried classic; just another example of Prince getting some ideas on tape in the months leading up to the sessions for his second album.
-
Down a Long Lonely Road
Were it not for the unusual delicacy of Prince’s singing voice, “Down a Long Lonely Road” would sound for all the world like some old Folkways recording of a Black church group.
-
Just Another Sucker
Did Prince bring a dose of magic to “Just Another Sucker”–or did his own, much more lucrative take on the Minneapolis Sound owe an unpaid debt to Pepé Willie’s influence?