circle of amour is maybe his most todd sounding song. also one of his best songs of the 90s. never knew that about tusk. but he did play synths on stevie knicks' stand back (which i have played far too much the last week) so hey, who knows. purple rain was apparently prince hearing bob seger and wanting to make a song like that. i always thought i could never take the place of your man sounded a bit like springsteen (whose purple rain cover i think has to be one of the best, i found it more moving than dangelos sometimes it snows in april). as he aged, he sounded a bit more like hendrix as a lead guitarist to me, but in the 80s, he said santana was the one *he* thought he sounded like the most. i remember in a late 90s interview, he said the artist he was checking out most was bjork. surprised he didnt try to lure her to paisley park.
i dont think prince was into 'drugs' like TMZ are making out (not in the way james brown suddenly started on hard drugs at a point in his life when most people would be trying to get off them). painkillers maybe, but all those years of dancing on heels would prob put anyones body to the test. i dont blame him. just a shame if that is what killed him.
There's tracks on the 92 Love Symbol album that stand up to anything made in the 80s, but nobody would say it was a great album. And hardcore fans claim they can make amazing tracklists by dredging up gems from the last 20 years, and I believe them, but only they would have the patience to do it.
i made a 90s playlist that i think is full of superb stuff. emancipation, if you edit it (and even theres a lot of good songs left over, they just dont really add up to a great 'album', never mind a triple album), also is prob his best, most consistent 90s album - i have a one-disc playlist that makes me think its quite overlooked (but then who could take 180 mins of new prince at that point?).