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Purple Rain: Songs
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The biggest, and most disappointing, flaw in this Purple Rain package is the film's sound. The film is advertised as being remastered into Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround sound. And, indeed, all of the songs in the film are done in surround—and done fairly well. It appears the sound engineers attempted to capture a "you are there" feeling with the sound, and it's mixed in such a way as to give the impression that you're in a small club listening to the music. The tracks, though, are way too low in volume. At times, it sounds like you're outside a small club listening to the band playing inside.
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Part two, "Purple Rain: Backstage Pass" (26 minutes) is a more straightforward making-of, but it ... has some excellent insights into key songs, as well as the more autobiographical moments in the film. From Prince writing and composing "When Doves Cry" in an evening (after Magnoli simply suggested the film may need a lead-off hit single to fill out the soundtrack) to Wendy & Lisa revealing the gestation of the song "Purple Rain" itself, this is a must-see for Prince fans. Magnoli and Blinn are also frank about which aspects of the film mirror Prince's off-screen life, as well as the film's casting, the low-budget shoot and some incredibly oppressive production conditions.
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"Purple Rain" opens with a lone guitar quickly followed by live drumming and a prominent organ, evoking images of church gospel music. Three verses are followed by a singalong chorus, with a building emotional delivery. After the final chorus, a searing guitar-solo takes over the song, delivering just as much impact as the lyrics. The song ends with a gentle piano solo and orchestral strings.
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Bobby Z of the Revolution recalled the first time he heard Prince play "Purple Rain": "It was almost country. It was almost rock. It was almost gospel." The basic tracks were recorded live at a 1983 club date in Minneapolis, benefiting the Minnesota Dance Theater. But the seeds came from Prince's 1999 tour -- Bob Seger was touring at the same time, and Prince decided to try writing a song in the same anthemic vein.
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Despite or because of its young target audience, PURPLE RAIN and music video in general depend greatly on striking visual style and stunning male performers. Women are (so clearly it's silly to argue this) rendered as willing objects of the male performer's gaze and song and sexual interest. As such, women are used as the ultimate supporting players. Music video often makes them into adoring, dedicated, loyal fans rendered senseless by the magic of the dynamic male performer. Despite her desire to achieve professional status as a singer on her own, Appolonia must accept her supportive role. This is not because she is untalented but because she is a woman in a man's music video.
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