Prince - Paisley Park (WEA)

The man in the violet loon-pants returns to us via an acid-drenched ballad called "Paisley Park". But doesn't Prince know that the paisley revival was strictly last year? In all honesty this sounds like one of the songs that didn't quite make the Beatles' White Album. If "When Doves Cry" conjured up images of tight spandex trousers ... then this is definitely flare city. Mutton dressed as lamb. (Dylan Jones, Record Mirror, May 25, 1985)

When all the flower power and Sergeant Pepper jokes have died away, Prince's Around The World In A Day LP will stand as a momentous achievement. Despite the pressure of mega-success it's patently not 'Purple Rain Vol. 2', but it marks yet another deft re-definition of the Prince sound. Across funk rhythms as dry and brittle as parchment he's scrawled guitar lines which are little more than feedback, with pained vocals that swoop, dip and finally crack completely. "Paisley Park" exorcises all these elements while it evokes a place where casualties of city life buy a "lifetime lease" to hippy happiness. A nursery rhyme tune pitched above Prince's range, it teeters on a tightrope between the ridiculous and the brilliant. And Prince – alone, currently, among all the major stars – will walk that rope till it's as thin as thread. (Martin Townsend, No 1, May 25, 1985)

Prince - If I Was Your Girlfriend (WEA/Paisley Park)

People call Boy George a "gender bender", but Prince confuses the sexes in a far more clever and subtle way. Consider: he's definitely a man, and most of his lyrics are steamy odes about how much he fancies women, yet he looks and sounds incredibly feminine and loads of blokes think he's extremely sexy. And now, to tangle the subject still further, here he is with a song about how he'd like to be his girlfriend's girlfriend, so he could help her get dressed and be privy to her innermost secrets. Which is probably a very erotic idea to the boyfriends of this world, but will leave most girls heaving a sigh of relief that, when they're squeezing their blackheads and moaning about men in the ladies' loos, their "loved" ones cannot be there to witness them. Confusing, non? (Vici MacDonald, Smash Hits, June 3, 1987)

Like it! Got a few tapes of his at home actually. Some people say that a lot of his stuff is too similar but I like that basic feel to all his songs. When you listen to the words they don't seem to go a lot of the time. Not that I'm saying he's mad or anything, he's just very creative and takes a bit of tuning into. I've never seen him live but I'm hoping to go to Wembley. Na, I'm not going to wear anything peach or black! I'll be wearing pink, dear! Don't put that bit in will you... (Neidet Salih, No 1, June 20, 1987)

Prince - Pop Life (WEA)

While Prince is off looking for the ladder, singles continue to be lifted from Around The World In A Day. The latest has that distinctive beat, some crazy psychedelic writing on the sleeve and synthesised vocals that first saw the light of day on The Beatles Sgt. Pepper album. So far so good, and although a bit insubstantial, "Pop Life" has a lot of charm. I don't reckon he'll ever top the God-like "When Doves Cry" though. (Karen Swayne, No 1, October 19, 1985)

Yaaaawn. Prince is sooo boring. This is a stupendously tedious "rock" "workout" about horrible decadent "rockbiz" types putting "stuff" up their noses, nudge nudge wink wink knoworramean. Complete drivel. (Vici MacDonald, Smash Hits, October 9, 1985)

Prince - Sign 'O' The Times (WEA)

In France a skinny man died of a big disease with a little name. By chance his girlfriend came across a needle and soon she did the same. . . Sign of the times. It was to be expected that the first Prince single from the album of the same name would be nothing like you expected. Stripped down, plain speaking, with no sign of loverswithholesintheirheads, 'Sign Of The Times' sees the little devil veering drastically, but surely, away yet again from his previous creation. (According to Sir Max Bell this resembles New Orleans group The Meters. Thanking you.) A major part of Prince's genius has always been to wiggle his finger one jump ahead of the pulse and with all the crack dance tracks beginning to emerge on both American coasts this tale of the times neatly trumps the lot. How jolly clever he is. (Paul Simper, No 1, March 7, 1987)

Astonishing. His Royal Pervness suddenly decides to give up singing about the joys of senseless bonking and instead turns his attention to the various social evils of life on Planet Earth in 1987. Everything from AIDS to Star Wars comes under the microscope and it's all accompanied by a typically infectious melody. If anybody else tried to turn such a cautionary tale into a brilliant single, they would undoubtedly end up sounding like Billy Bragg. Prince does it with effortless grace and ends up sounding like the voice of, em, God. Life just isn't fair. Single Of The Fortnight. (Barry McIlheney, Smash Hits, March 11, 1987)

Prince And The Revolution - Girls And Boys (WEA)

If Morecambe and Wise ever lent their gifted gabble to a snake-charming sketch, "Girls And Boys" should undoubtedly have been the soundtrack. Utterly ludicrous swaying rhythm and a voice sounding like it's spent a sojourn in a cement-mixer. Scummier than coffee from the rm drinks machine and less sexed than a neutered ant. The purest tackerama on two legs comes good, again. (No innuendo intended - smutheads!) (Lesley O'Toole, Record Mirror, August 16, 1986)

Yes, Prince is back on form after the disaster of his last single "Mountains". This is the third track from the Parade LP and it has lots of groovy sax, lots of mumbling in French, I think there's even a rude word or two. All in all a typical Prince outing. Good, but not special enough for anything other than sized chart success. 4/5 (Pat Thomas, No 1, August 16, 1986)

Released in place of "Anotherloverholenyohead." The drums sound like someone banging a wooden spoon on an Addis flip-top bin turned upside down; the cymbals sound like someone tapping a Lucozade bottle with a penknife, and Prince sings things like "she had the cutest ass he'd ever seen" and it's totally brilliant. (Simon Hills, Smash Hits, August 13, 1986)

Prince - Raspberry Beret (Warner)

The leader, and so far the only card carrying member of the new psychedelic revival is at it again. But if your first impression is to give this one a big raspberry, listen again.
This second single from the album that wasn't supposed to have any singles packs more punch than the last one. No instant appeal but could be a grower. (Pat Thomas, No 1, July 20, 1985)

The regal fruitcake returns with a chirpy tune about falling in love with someone who wears a beret. To my ears it's very much like the '60s-ish "Paisley Park", churning away to an addictive chorus in which Prince tells us about the said headgear. Of course paratroopers wear raspberry coloured berets, but I don't think we should jump to any conclusions there. (William Shaw, Smash Hits, July 17, 1985)