The Batman soundtrack came right after an incredible run from Prince's first album through Lovesexy.

Because it is a motion picture soundtrack it rightfully can be viewed in a different light than a "proper" album.

But, just for discussion, if it wasn't a soundtrack, what would you think of it?

Overall, I think it's a strong collection of songs (Partyman, Scandalous, and Lemon Crush being my favorites), but I'm not sure where to place it in terms of Prince's artistic achievements.

What do you think?

I never think of Batman as a soundtrack.
It's the last record of the 80s and it's just gr8!
My favourite song on this 1 is "ELECTRIC CHAIR"
It's certainly in my Prince top ten

Love it

My first Prince CD (as in not vinyl) and still amongst my favourites

God I'd forgotten about this album.Thats the problem with Prince, he has so many albums and tracks to choose from you forget some of the best tunes

I will go home right this instant and place it in my CD player and rediscover it.

Partyman, Lemon Crush, The Future. ALL GREAT TUNES

Thanks for reminding me about this.

Ya'll gone crazy. This album sucks. "Arms of Orion", "Vicky waiting" "Batdance" "Partyman"...!!! This was the first "Prince by numbers" album - which carried on through the 90's


The future and electricchair almost save the album...almost

This album had a sound all to it's self apart from Lovesexy, SOTT and GB. To me this is one of Prince's strongest album by far. It has great guitar, pounding drums, and meaningful lyrics. This album surely can't be over looked!

Great album!

Many think this was the end of a fantastic run of classic albums by Prince, a sell-out for commercial gain, and a weaker album because of it.

But really, it continues many of the themes of Lovesexy/The Black Album, that of coming to terms with 2 sides of your character, the spiritual 'good' side and the lustful 'bad' side - represented by the Gemini character encapsulating aspects of Batman (himself filled with self-doubt of whether he is a vigilante with a dark side like those villains he pursues) and The Joker (Batman's arch-enemy, evil personified).

I reckon it is a pretty good album, it was raised to commercial success by being associated with the film, but in a way that same association has somewhat led to it being trivialised and somewhat dismissed as an album in its own right.

Lot of nostalgia for this album. The excitement of there being a Batman film, AND Prince doing the soundtrack, was a massive double whammy

Apart from Vicky Waiting, which is shite, it's a good album. And I loved his "Partyman" look

'Vicki Waiting' may be my favorite Prince song. That guitar solo before the last verse is SICK, and the final solo is mind blowing. A reviewer once called it "The best song that Stevie Wonder never wrote". And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the "Talk of children" verse's lyrics.

This album has some very strong songs on it:

The Future
Electric Chair
Partyman
Vicki Waiting
Trust
Lemon Crush
Scandalous

For any of you Batman-haters, try taking off Batdance, rename the 8-song album Scandalous (or The Future, or Trust) and listening to it fresh. You may still hate The Arms Of Orion, but it really is a strong album; albeit one with a very commercial final track.

Incidentally, I started as a comic book fan who just bought the album because of the Batman connection. I've been a Prince fan ever since. So the album did its job...

I don't spin it as often as I should
but I have grown to accept it better than before

I loved BATMAN. Great C.D
Actually it was better than the movie IMO

coltrane3 said:

Even though it does have good tracks, I never listen to it because it was a commercial product with copy cat sounds from other songs he made,therefore it sucks! In a different way then COME and Old friends for sale does, they suck too not because of the songs but other reasons hard to explain Like thieves in the Temple! I Hate that Song! Fake when doves Cry type!

He should never do anything for hire he loses his creative spirit.

Snake said:

The fact is, it was his own idea to do an entire album, the film producers only envisaged him doing 2 songs to replace 1999 and Baby I'm A Star which were stand-ins for scenes, but after a visit to the set he was so inspired he offered to do an entire album. He got into the studio straight away and was so into his 'creative spirit' that he had to be talked into going off and completing the final Japanese leg of the Lovesexy tour. So he wasn't really for hire, and did it because he was really inspired by the concept.

metalorange said:

I think in a lot of ways The Joker visually represented his idea of Spooky Electric.

If you take 'Arms of ....' off you have a ggreat CD. Arms is IMO the single worst Prince song ever. It is the only Prince slow jam I have never put on a slow mix CD

Love it - I think it's his most underrated album. There's some great songs on there and some stonkingly imaginiative production. Lemon Crush and Vicky Waiting still knock me out, and those chord clusters running up to the first chorus of Scandalous are just orgasmic.

I liked the Future.
And I like Electric Chair.

It went south after that.

metalorange said:

Hey, that's interesting! I assume 'Baby I'm a Star' was in the temp-track where 'Trust' was eventually placed, but what did '1999' stand in lieu of?

I unconsciously sneer at this album out of habit, but when I actually put it on, I'm totally into it... the last Prince album totally untouched by hip hop! Deep music, interesting theme throughout, and probably his last album that wasnt TOO LONG! And even 'Arms of Orion', while kind of limp, is pleasing to sing along with.
[Edited 3/14/07 12:53pm]

eyewishuheaven said:

1999 stood in for the 'Partyman' scene where the Joker vandalises the gallery.

I love most of this album.....but most importantly it includes- ELECTRIC CHAIR!!!!

Loved it at the time, but now with hindsight one of his weakest albums that really hasn't stood the test of time. A couple of pretty good tracks, but lots of fillers.

I love Batman, it's one of my favorite cd's! I love Vicky waiting..

metalorange said:

Jack Nickelson put him on the mind of the director.
And the songs still are copy cat formats which have uninspired life to it.
He viewed it as a easy pay day and it shows.

Batdance FTW!!!!