Prince really hit the ground running following the release of his debut album For You in 1978. From that album, he scored his first hit single with “Soft And Wet,” and while he was keen to get back into the studio and get started and his second record, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Warner Bros. had put pressure on the young artist to come up with a more commercial sounding follow-up, as they needed to generate a healthy amount of album sales to recoup the money Prince had racked up recording his first album, which ended up coming in well above the projected budget. The best way to do this, of course, was with songs that were radio friendly enough to become hit singles once the label’s machine got behind them.
Prince clearly didn’t mind working under pressure, as he not only turned out an album much more accomplished than his debut but it also included a couple of gems that allayed the label’s concerns regarding the single front. Prince also relented from another battle and let the album go out as a self-titled release as was the long-standing tradition of introducing new artists to the record buying public. Released in October of 1979, Prince was again written, performed, and produced by the man himself, and you can still hear the learning curve that the young artist was embarking on. 
You can still almost feel that he knew he was close to greatness but not quite there yet. He was also being influenced by a new group of musicians who were now forming part of his road band as he began gigging incessantly to hone his performance skills in preparation for said inevitable greatness. Guitarist Dez Dickerson, keyboardist Dr. Fink, and drummer Bobby Z were on board for the ride; along with them, Prince began hanging out with their various friends and followers. Wendy and Lisa, Sheila E, and Morris Day were all on Princes radar and he was now for the first time expanding his horizons as far as the music he listened to went. Band mates began introducing him to hard rock, and the band that Prince gravitated towards the most was none other the Led Zeppelin. Almost overnight, Prince began amping up his guitar and employed a more driving and fuller technique and sound of playing.
All of this is clearly evident when listening to Prince today. The disc hits pay dirt right off the bat with its infectious opener “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” which is really the first classic song of his stellar career. The arrangement is more accomplished than any track from his debut and his guitar and synths are working in perfect harmony with his layered falsetto vocal track. The song became the hit that all involved were hoping it would be as it flew into the Top #20 as well as topping the R&B chart. Unfortunately, however, due to the album track clocking in at almost six minutes, the radio edit that went out as the single omitted three minutes of Prince genius. Those final few minutes found Prince laying down an extended funk workout on guitar that still is up there with his best fret work.
“Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?” is another funked up sexualized pop song that also was a moderate hit on the R&B chart and still sees airplay today; this time his crunching solo was included before the fade out at three and a half minutes. “Sexy Dancer” features Prince showing off his bass chops clearly inspired by Larry Graham and Bootsy Collins. “Bambi” is a full-on rocker that Prince would revel in playing live, his delirious vocal delivery in unison with his soaring riff. “I Feel For You” should have been a massive hit over the two singles that were released, as it is the most catchy and refined track on the record. It would later be covered by Chaka Khan, who scored a huge hit with it along with Prince’s blessings.
Prince is not one of Prince’s greatest albums, but it remains one of my personal favorites and it still gets it done after all these years.