So today I was off work and I took a stroll through the local scenery trail in my city while listening to this psychedelic gem. The day was beautiful, nice cool breeze, crisp bright sun, yeah, that kind of day. Green everywhere. I don't know, it was a surreal experience. I walked two miles and listened from start to finish at a loud volume, and when I still had more time left, I began "Let's Go Crazy" on the MP3 and sequenced through the classic Purple Rain album (which was just as effective as an experience). I felt like I was in my own little world for an hour and then some.

I gained a whole new and fresh perspective on this album. It is a masterpiece. Seriously. It is hard to rank especially his 80s material because it is SOOO GOOD, all of it.

I especially love the format and sequencing of the album. Three parts to the whole. "Around the World in a Day" through "Condition of the Heart" is the straight-up acid trip, "Raspberry Beret" through "Pop Life" a psycho-funk workout of short-but-sweet popfest tunes, and the last two epic tracks praising to and pleading to a higher power (explicitly God), respectively, in different forms. God and sex. Here we see Prince's two primary (well maybe) suits of interest.

I gotta admit, "The Ladder" for the longest time followed inferior footsteps of "Purple Rain", but I got rid of my bias and listened to the song and found that it manifested a new sound to me separate from what I thought was the lesser "Purple Rain Pt. 2". I totally love this song now! Spiritual bliss! And "Temptation" - WOW. Sounds like Prince meets the late sixties meets Stevie Ray Vaughn in this eight minute bliss.

I am addicted to "Raspberry Beret", it is the perfect 80s pop song to me it seems. How does he manage to make it sound so commercial and make it sound so psychedelic simultaneously?

Don't get me wrong, upon first listen, I fell in love with ATWIAD, but the last two tracks just kind of were, bleh, to me for awhile. That is why I emphasized expressing my perspective on those two tracks.

Favorite songs: "Around the World in a Day", "Condition of the Heart", "Raspberry Beret", "The Ladder", "Temptation"

Fellow orgers, comment please. One of the many reasons I joined this site a couple weeks ago was to share my love for Prince's music and to gain better perspective on Prince and his music, and myself. Others' opinions truly fascinate me, that's what I love about these forums. So yes, I am a "newbie" to this website. I have posted several times, but I will formally introduce myself;)

Thanks for your thoughts!

I've always had very fond feelings for this because it was my first Prince CD, from the infamous Wal-Mart bargain bin. (Back between Musicology and 3121 releases, if I remember right.) During that comeback period, I wanted to explore him so honestly I randomly picked this up because it was cheap. Pure blind buy.

Mind you I was always vaguely familiar with Prince and his whole "slave" goofyness, fighting his label, and PR (if never listened to or watch the movie.) A rock/R&B figure, but that's about it. Then of course ATWIAD opens as you put it, first few tracks is a pseudo-acid trip. Completely different from what I was expecting. It helped that with my background growing up with 60s pop, I totally instantly understood audibly what he was aiming for. (And really, a quite unhip vibe potentially to aim for in the Reagan Decade.)

Sometime back people threatened me with a ban because I said "Condition of the Heart" is a piece that seems to never go anywhere. I still that thought, but even then I respect it's existence because it was fascinating, the whole record was from the pop hits (Raspberry Beret and Pop Life) to the funk awesome supreme (America) to the gospel rock (The Ladder) to the experimental jamfest (Trampoline), all that.

My favorite track? Probably America. I love the false starts, a practical joke on cassette owners.

I remember being so impressed, the very next day I went back to Wal-Mart and got another Prince CD in that bin: Parade. If somewhat different sonic tone, it still fits in that interesting experimental aspect which earned me my admiration and respect for Prince. Unlike most of the 80s major pop stars, Prince audibly took creative chances and pushed himself and the audience. Maybe too much at times, but that's part of the charm. Pretentious enough, I do "like" Purple Rain, but I don't listen to it as much as ATWIAD and Parade, if only because PR is so immaculately calculated and quite frankly sane, it's kinda boring. (Which is weird to say about technically a superior masterpiece record.)

In retrospect, I think Prince screwed himself out of sales by his decision to release this without fanfare and without the lead single coming out before release, and for that matter releasing this in spring '85 instead of the summer. He cost himself an easy #1 with RB by what he did. But I do admire he put this out as his follow-up to the monster that was PR. Ballsy.

If I have to criticize ATWIAD...

(1) Why didn't Prince ever consider "She's Always in My Hair" for the album? IMO I prefer it honestly to everytrack on the LP.

(2) Am I the only one who really can't listen to RB unless its the Extended Cut?

(3) I wonder if Prince at one thought seriously thought "The Ladder" coulda been a single? It wouldn't have been a barnstormer single, Top 20 perhaps but not one to stick around the charts long. I do agree with the Peach & Black podcast guys who argued that it didn't become a single because it would've been easily dismissed as a lukewarm "PR wannabe." He might've made the right decision.

(4) Am I the only one left indifferent to "Condition of the Heart"? Please don't ban me.

This is the album that is in my car right now. When i first got in2 prince i heard about his taking down videos, etc because of copyrights so i went out and bought several CD's of his :p which i rarely bought CDs but this is one of the ones i bought and has been in my player for a couple weeks now. Temptation is by far my favorite song on the album but i also love condition of the heart and paisley park a lot. there isnt a song i dislike but these 3 are my favorites. i like raspberry beret and pop life a lot 2 but i'd heard both so much before that the previous 3 are the ones ive been listening to everywhere i go. i really liked condition of the heart though because it was sentimental and showed the flashy pop side of prince as well as the more poetic side. I think all prince albums have that buffet :p which is what makes prince so unique. I am not in the happiest of times now so "condition of the heart" kind of stuck with me. I do love around the world in a day the song as well this is definately one of my favorite prince albums.

~Ixt After

Worth if for "Condition of the Heart" and "Tamborine" alone.

"America" and "Pop Life" just add to it.

I like "Raspberry Beret" too but it's on eof those songs that I've heard so much I almost don't like it anymore.

This album is one of my faves, probably even in my top 5. I have a mint vinyl copy too which sounds awesome, everything sounds warmer, fuller and has more bottom end among other things..

Pretty much every song on ATWIAD is great. "Tamborine" in particular though has always floored me. It is just evil funky and he achieves so much intensity even though all it is is vocals, bass and drums/percussion. Amazing track.

The only song I had to warm to on this album was "Tamborine". But once I listened to it as I got wiser; I love it.

Wow, thanks for all the input everyone! To RRA, I have to be confident in saying that "Condition of the Heart" is the least commercial and most "out there" song on the album. It took me quite awhile to get into it myself. Now, with repeated listens I am totally hooked.

What are your reasons? Is it the three-minute intro? The rest of the song? Vocals? Lyrics?

It is a really good album, underappreciated by general audiences because it wasn't Purple Rain.

Someone (I think Dave Hill in his book on Prince) pointed out the similarities between several of the songs on PR and ATWIAD. Which isn't that big of a deal to me. Because IMO the anchors of the album are its 2 great singles, "Raspberry Beret" and "Pop Life," which are two of the greatest songs in his entire catalogue.

But the album, the extended versions of the singles, and its Killer Bs stand on their own. Other faves include the title track, "America," and wicked groove of "Tambourine."

Purple Rain made me a Prince fan, ATWIAD made me a Prince fan for life, because the music and vibe were as exciting to me as PR's.

Love this album. He should´ve put She´s Always in my Hair on it, too.

[img:$uid]http://prince.org:81/img/b0b671f779.jpg[/img:$uid]

coreysamson said:

Wow, thanks for all the input everyone! To RRA, I have to be confident in saying that "Condition of the Heart" is the least commercial and most "out there" song on the album. It took me quite awhile to get into it myself. Now, with repeated listens I am totally hooked.

What are your reasons? Is it the three-minute intro? The rest of the song? Vocals? Lyrics?

It just leaves me cold.

It's alright if that baffles you. My eyes bulge when I read people say they're cold to "Mountains" or "SOTT" or any songs I love. So I get the feeling.

You know what's another Prince track that does absolutely NOTHING for me either? "Gett Off."

Around The World in A Day

Pop Life

Condition Of The Heart

Tambourine

Raspberry Beret

America

Holy Smokes! ^six stone cold classics on one Prince Album. Those were the days.

The Ladder and Temptation simply did not fit. Not terrible songs, but their presence is jarring in a bad way. My one day trip ends two songs short for me. I always skip those two. "OH SILLY MAN"

[Edited 4/26/12 18:29pm]

KoolEaze said:

Love this album. He should´ve put She´s Always in my Hair on it, too.

[img:$uid]http://prince.org:81/img/b0b671f779.jpg[/img:$uid]

this

colorblu said:

KoolEaze said:

Love this album. He should´ve put She´s Always in my Hair on it, too.

[img:$uid]http://prince.org:81/img/b0b671f779.jpg[/img:$uid]

this

Me too, great picture. Quite ironically anyone notice that what is supposed to be "Paisley Park" in this picture looks strikingly similar to a Jehovah Witness "Watchtower" based portrayal of Paradisical Earth? Just a silly observation I guess, but I connected the two, kind of as if this album was foreshadowing his conversion.

RRA said:

coreysamson said:

Wow, thanks for all the input everyone! To RRA, I have to be confident in saying that "Condition of the Heart" is the least commercial and most "out there" song on the album. It took me quite awhile to get into it myself. Now, with repeated listens I am totally hooked.

What are your reasons? Is it the three-minute intro? The rest of the song? Vocals? Lyrics?

It just leaves me cold.

It's alright if that baffles you. My eyes bulge when I read people say they're cold to "Mountains" or "SOTT" or any songs I love. So I get the feeling.

You know what's another Prince track that does absolutely NOTHING for me either? "Gett Off."

Not that it leaves me baffled necessarily. I understand. Just kinda curious.

"Mountains" and "SOTT" are two of my favorite Prince songs. I thought I was gonna royally crap myself the first time I heard "Mountains".

I personally love "Gett Off", but one fault it does have is that it has a VERY sloppy sound to it. It simply sounds very messy! I dunno if that is why you don't like it but just one observation I have about the song.

V10LETBLUES said:

The Ladder and Temptation simply did not fit. Not terrible songs, but their presence is jarring in a bad way. My one day trip ends two songs short for me. I always skip those two. "OH SILLY MAN"

I could see that. At times The Ladder does seem like an oddball track sonically. Simultaneously I have an instinctual habit of associating songs with albums and then deciding that it has it's place. For example I think the songs perfectly fit the sound and theme of "Around the World in a Day" as an album. Kinda like sometimes Kiss sounds out of the blue on "Parade" but then again it would be almost wrong to cake it onto the likes of "1999", "Sign O' The Times", or especially "Lovesexy". Or like two of my favorite albums, the previously mentioned opus "Sign O' The Times", and "Love Symbol". They are chock full of musical styles, variety, and even themes, but each song contributes equally to the fullness of the album as a whole. But yeah I could still see that. I could only imagine what the album WOULD sound like if those two songs were replaced, and by what.

I just looove the psychadelica...

this is Prince's sgt pepper album.

Every track is fantastic.. and the 12 inches, WOW!!

Pop Life 9 minutes from UK,

America 21+ minutes,

Raspberry Beret and Paisley Park extended,

She's Always In My Hair.

so many classic songs from this era.

Around The World In A Day, 1 of my faves,

a Prince masterpiece.

This album immediately makes me think of Spring. Will always be in my top 10. The only tune that I am not crazy over is Temptation and that is only because of the crazy end.