Controversy (1981)
Understandably for somebody who’s carved a career out of their passion, in Prince’s world ‘work’ means the same thing as ‘play’ – and they both mean sex. Let’s Work is a dutiful funk soldier, drilled to exude effortless dancefloor pull. Bass guitar flexing on pure muscle memory. Released as the album’s second single, the 12″ edit shows off its stamina, extending the locked groove and for the first time features samples from other songs from the Prince stable. A subliminal Controversy album sampler slipped in towards the end. I’ve already mentioned on these pages the influence of Michael Jackson’s Working Day and Night and the lyrics here at times again remind me of what I consider to be MJ’s finest song, but that probably says more about me than Let’s Work, and if it had been released under its original title of Let’s Rock, I may be comparing this song to the all-night pleas of Rock With You instead.
WOW – this one is your first major miscalculation. This is one of his top 30 best songs. The hook is undeniable. I’ve pretty much agreed with a lot of your rankings (other than the starfish and coffee debacle) – but this one is way way off.
Yeah. This is one of two songs so far that I regret placing so low (the other being I Wonder). I definitely wouldn’t put it top 30, but in another week, in another mood, it could easily have landed top 200. I stand by Starfish and Coffee though.
Love the idea behind the list. But I think you’ve placed too much love on the I’ll do anything soundtrack. Can’t wait to see where this list heads. As I read your wonderful reviews, I listen to each song anew.
Thanks for reading. And I’m sure there’ll be several more disagreements along the way. It’s all part of the fun!