If A Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up) is indeed pretty funny. The music is great and it's Prince's first skit. That being said, the song is a bit long and the skit is indeed funny, but that's it actually. In the end it's a song that I like from time to time, but after the "click" (2:45) I wanna go to the next song, a song that I always look forward too: Make-Up So, this is a 3 out of 5 for me.
If A Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up) For a change hearing them speak their minds is okay; the groove is pretty basic and not much else going on of interest after the click. 2.5/5
Wow, so I'm a bit behind, serves me right for going away for a few days, so I'm going to have to do a triple review here. Have missed the score cutoff, but delays be damned, my voice will be heard Drive Me Wild Actually, I don't have a whole lot of things to say here. This is a really good song, but probably one of the ones I enjoy the least. I know that sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, but even though I recognise the quality that's there, it's not one I'll ever add to a playlist, or actively seek out. I won't ever skip it when it comes on, and when it does I'll be "hey, there's that song", but I won't ever give a mental fist pump for 'Drive Me Wild' randomly showing up. This is a good 3/5 song to me.
He's So Dull So, when I go over to Google Play Music, or iTunes, where I have my *ahem* copies of this album, I can see the play counts for each track. There's no surprise that 'Nasty Girl' has a high play count, same for some other songs (one I'll get to next), but the runaway leader in terms of plays is none other than 'He's So Dull'. I feel like I've said this a few times about songs here in this thread, but I freaking love this song. When I said for 'Nasty Girl' that I'd love the song even if not written by Prince, well here's my opportunity to say I love 'He's So Dull' even though it's not written by Prince. First maybe dozen times I heard the song, I had no idea that it was a Dez track. To me, it fit the album so perfectly I just assumed it was a Prince song, and the lyrics just seemed like Prince's smackdown of nerd culture. It's not deep, it's not epic. It's slight, poppy, and I can't get enough of it. So what's to love? The melody bops and pops and flows so well. Vanity smashes the vocals Brenda's backing vocals are (not for the first nor last time) bang on. When Vanity sings "I'd like to tell that I wish he was dead" and Brenda chimes in with "Drop dead!"? My god it's impeccable. "He's always reading science magazines, and he doesn't even wear blue jeans". That blue jeans line is so sarcastic I assumed it must've been a Prince line. Wonderful But you know what probably appeals to me the most about the song? I think I might have been the dull guy once upon a time. Not to the full extent of what the song describes, but I'll put my hand on my heart and unashamedly admit that I was 100% intimidated by beautiful women for a long time, and I may have ruined a couple of friendships (that could have been more) because of it. But no, never did I need a chaperone on dates. Oh yeah, a couple of other things: It's also kind of funny that if Vanity hadn't thought he was "dull" and stuck it out with the science nerd of 1982, she'd probably be married to a tech billionaire by now. Of all the things she's complaining about in the song, of all the things that she find so dull about him, one thing stands out above all else. She still gave him a shot. Way to go, dull guy. You're a hero to many. I mean, have you seen Vanity? We're talking about one of the most classically beautiful women of the 1980's here. I'd high-five you if I had the chance, buddy. So yeah, this is a vigorous 4.5/5 for me. Love this song.
(Before I get to the next song, I forgot to add in the 'He's So Dull' review that the long version isn't better. Much prefer the short, album version, that's for sure) When a Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up) Yeah, so this song's a bunch of crazy. Good crazy, but still crazy. Two stars in this song, Prince, and Brenda Bennett. Yeah, Vanity's great (the way she says her name when she goes "this is Vanity" is capital-S sultry), but it's the others that just crack me up. Prince is swinging for the fences as the girl on the other end of the line. How lucky for us that he eventually discovered 'Camille' and gave us that voice, otherwise I'd hate to hear how 'If I Was Your Girlfriend' would have sounded in this voice, haha. But yeah, Brenda is the real MVP here. Just a supreme amount of moxie required to attempt the rap she blasts through. Think about it, it's 1982 and she's ripping this out. How much rap (and by 'rap' I mean the '82 version of what rap was) did she have to base her vocals on? Let alone female raps? I'm not a rap historian by any means, so I'll say you had Blondie's 'Rapture' in 1980 and that's all I got. Some of the lines she's given are hysterical "Hey tramp, take a bath and puke!", actually most of them are, but she blitzes it. Yeah the song goes for a bit too long. You could shave a minute off the end and no one would honestly care, but it doesn't diminish my enjoyment of the song. 4/5
If A Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up)- Bob George precursor ( granted not as dark) ? This song doesn't do it for me but I'm really enjoying the record overall and would pick it up if reissued.
Yeah, the rap is hilarious and drives a serviceable funk groove along, but when the rap ends the song loses its purpose. Still, this is yet another track which demonstrates these ladies had talent and weren't just three pretty faces. It's a borderline novelty tune that probably should have played up the novelty aspect - might have been enough to make it a breakout hit. Also shows that Prince was actually fairly early to the whole rap game, and makes me wonder why he didn't do more of it. As others have pointed out, would have probably been more appropriate coming from The Time, or possibly as a Time/Vanity 6 teamup on The Time's next LP... 3/5, but this could have been a 4...
If A Girl Answers (Don't Hang Up) Hilarious and funky. Favorite part: "Did he just take out the trash?" "No, that's something he used to do, now he's taking out ME!" 5/5 -George
I always enjoy “If A Girl Answers” when I listen to the album but when I think of my favorite songs off this record it doesn’t come to mind. 3\5.
Today's song is "Make-Up", written by Prince and credited to Susan Moonsie; produced by Prince (credited to The Starr Company and Vanity 6.) This song was originally recorded by the Hookers in 1981. Susan Moonsie: vocal Prince all instruments In 2019 Prince's original demo of the song was released on Originals. That version is below.
Prince's version, featuring Prince on all instruments and vocals. https://open.spotify.com/track/2QV0yWj76FGLzK6gqFWNSb?si=bssbY2hhTWWLTHdufN0uyQ
The demo seems to have been heavily digitally compressed. That having been said, the more in-your-face presentation kind of works. It's interesting to hear what he's going for on this one...and I like the atmosphere. But it's a little too simple, and doesn't have enough tricks to maintain much interest. Fortunately it's brief. I do wish Prince had done more synth pop like this...only better. 2/5.
I think "Make-Up" is pretty cool; this is some weird stuff, really; the minimal synth backing and emotionless vocal by Susan Moonsie are nearly disturbing, again, I get this feeling of the human mixed with the machine, the digitilization of the human spirit; then therés that middle-eastern synth flute bit. And it's only 2.39, which is good. Prince's version of course is basically the same, only compressed with Prince's vocal. Both vocals are better but I probably prefer Susan Moonsie's vocal on this one. 4.0/5 for both of versions.
Make Up is one V6 song that sounds SO much better in Live setting than studio. The Time's rockier arrangement (from behind the pink curtain ~) makes the rather monotone song comes alive. Make Up is the opening song...this video/audio btw is the original MN 1999 homecoming show that was mentioned earlier.
Some great lines delivered perfectly flat by Susan Moonsie. That combined with the cold electronic soundscape makes another s*xy standout.
Make Up This is a big one for me ... electronic music, a bit female Kraftwerk with an ill groove. Drive Me Wild and Make Up are the only titles like this in the Prince discography. Just amazing that he was even capable of that. Susan's vocals fit the theme of the song but the Prince demo is equally good. Futuristic, robotic, fantastic. 5/5
Yes, We Are The Robots. One imagines an android getting reading for action. Echoes of moroder's synth on I Feel Love of course. I think it's lousy though. Make-Up Vanity 6 version 0/5 Make-Up Prince version 1/5
I didn't know this was Prince or Vanity! used to hear it in clubs!!!! might have been a cover. who else did it? 5/5 Amazing
