SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

For me, the songs that I hated on first listen are the ones that continue to bring this album down for me, namely Tamborine and The Ladder.

I did get over my dislike for Temptation, but the ending is so stupid. And I've grown to like America, based on the 21 minute version. It's unfortunate that the portion that's on the album is the weakest part. It really needs those extra 18 minutes to make it into something I want to hear.

yael72 said:

I think Wendy & Lisa, and later Clare Fischer are to thank for most of his strings.

Aside said:

The only song I ever had any issue with is the Ladder and it's very minor. Like I told God's Seat in another thread, I was born a filthy whore as I loved Tamborine the instant I heard it. My love for that song has only grown. Home grown freakfest

Pop Life and the Ladder!!!!

Need i say more!!

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I don't mind the stupid lyrics to Tamborine. What bothers me is the music. It just gives me a headache. And the vocal style is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.

Aside said:

Love the music, love the vocals It's all astray, like wild dogs

I never knew Tambourine was about masterbation until I was 20 when I picked up the CD. It was thanks to the org that I found out it's meaning. I thought he was just having fun with a real tambourine.

purplecam said:

Oh the days of innocence

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

yeah them days are looooong gone

This album is nearly flawless. It's definitely in my top five favorite Prince albums.

purplecam said:

haha...

I've heard "things" about this song.
And considering that "Little Red Corvette" isn't about a car (I knew that long b4 I came here... "100 greatest songs of the 80's", they said that... and I'm like "...I guess I should have expected that." See... its very interesting with Prince, I knew he wasn't talked about a lot for certain reasons. And I kinda knew that his material was about sex almost 100% of the time... but I was willing to accept that. Cuz I knew he was special)... I wasn't too surprised.

I dig this song, but when we were playing the album in the car (sans Temptation- for obvious reasons)... I was kinda cringing during this. Cuz my mom was in the front seat next to me... not nearly as bad as Temptation, but

Squirrelmeat, sorry, but this is total nonsense.

There is a lot of 'funk' on ATWIAD and when it comes to the arrangements, many songs are a continuation of the "Minneapolis sound". Those funky elements are more mixed with (psychedelic) pop elements, but ATWIAD is definately not a "white" album.

The beat of the title track is funk mutated into world-music, the synth break is 'pure' minneapolis sound.

Tambourine is mutated funk, America is funk disguised as rock and Pop-life is an almost perfect mix between pop and funk.

The Ladder leans towards black gospel, while the closing track, Temptation, is essentially a blues-song, a music form originated by black people.

Sorry squirelmeat, but take some lessons in 'musicology' before you judge music... (No hard feelings here, just pointing out).

When one album should be called "white" it should be "Parade", because it mixes Beatlesque psychedelica (Christopher Tracey's Parade, I wonder U), with cabaretsque music from germany in the thirties (Under the cherry moon), some light, semi-romantical classical work (Venus de Milo), jazzy french chansons (Do U lie?) with Joni Mitchell-like folk (Sometimes it snows in april).
But again, thats its arbitrary also, because their is also enough "black" music to be found counterbalance those styles: the carribean steel drums and JB-funk on "New Position", the jazzy funk of "Girl and Boys", the Sly stonesque "Mountains" and the stripped down James Brown on "Kiss".

Some albums from Prince might lean more toward "white" music or "black" music, but i havent heard a single album that can be labelled as narrow as those terms are.

Riverpoet31 said:

Nonsense in your eyes. But it seems you've been studying Musakology.

Sure there are elements hidden in there, but its a "white" album through the middle. What album do you think is more so? You start with Parade, then talk yourself out of it.

The title track is pure "world music" all the way through. There is no hidden funk there. There was funk in the original unreleased arrangement, but Prince himself admitted he stripped it down to just new age sounds for the album cut.

America is rock, Pop life is pop. Sure there are influences, but that doesn't change the genre of the track.

Parade, now that is a true mix of "Black" and "White". That can't be his "White" album.....New Position, Girls and Boys, Kiss. Those are as funky as they come!

I agree no album is neither one or the other (and I hate the musical term "Black" or "White"), but I still think the fact is ATWIAD is Prince's most "White" album"....by a mile.


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[Edited 11/29/07 17:04pm]

It's overrated, overappreciated, and yes, plain average. People praise it around here so much because Prince went off in a different direction and it proved how versitile he could be. Big deal. I could give less than a damn how versitile he can be. I preferred him when he was much less versitile.

Exactly. "Around The World In A Day" was like the police coming into a wild party that really got cranked up around 1979 and turning on the lights, shutting it down, and sending everyone home right after 1984. It reminded me of the closing of Studio 54, the ending of an era that ended too soon at the height of it's popularity. Or even a great TV show going off the air while it's still a hit. It never had a chance to die down so people were still looking for it.
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[Edited 11/29/07 23:16pm]

Close to perfect. Title track is a bit lacking, but still cool. Tamborine sucks ass. America is s 2/5 to me. If Prince spent a little more time on those, or even replaced them, the album would be perfect, in my eyes anyway.

Title Track- Just boring
Paisley Park- My favorite song on here, wish it was longer
Condition of the heart- A nice ballad, but I find it a little boring, still nice though
Raspberry Beret- Great pop song
Tamborine- Hate it
America- Blah. Nothing to special about it to me
Pop Life- Great song. Love it
The Ladder- A little above average. Still like it though
Temptation- Awesome

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Volitan said:

HamsterHuey said:

I'm already naked!

Cheek said:

It's just bleh to me. It's just sorta silly to me. It has a kind of "cheap" quality that I don't like. I can't really describe it....

DreamyPopRoyalty said:

For me its just another one of the Great Prince albums that came out and fits into that that 80's period when he was on a roll for about 10 years.

Maybe it is generally a little underappreciated as it probably gets a bit less attention in the shadow of a few other classic albums of that time but it is a great album, it has its own feel and again it was something new and fresh but still very much in a Prince feel and spirit when it came out it was probably artistically a bit inspired a bit by that Beatles Sargeant Pepeers album just look at the vid for RB.
I would probably put this album in my top 8 Prince Albums.

SquirrelMeat said:

Who cares if its black or white the main thing is you either like it or you dont, for the most part I like the album , Im not saying its his best but yeah it was somethin different in his prime/peak years and I think it came off well not all artists can do something different and make it look good I still dont think Prince did the homeboy/hiphop or rap thing too good for me that just didnt seem believable but Around the World did lets not forget Prince's early hippy influences via Joni and Hendrix thats part of his early musical persona amongst all the James Brown and Sly.
[Edited 11/30/07 4:52am]

jacobpb said:

It really is a perfect album

vainandy said:

I have a lot of respect for vainandy's opinions along with a few of the other old funkheads around here. There is no doubt that Prince left behind the vintage Prince with ATWIAD. There's funk aplenty in ATWIAD but there's also alot of crap piled ontop of that funk. I don't buy either stance that he changed for the worse after PR or that became more creative, both sides have very interesting sides to debate. What cannot be debated is that in sales, in the general public opinion(which is to say the people that make fads happen, not necessarily the most discerning of folks) left him after ATWIAD. Also, something left Prince, the wierd kooky, idiosyncratic blend of funk and rock that was all Prince's own and would be imitated long after he left it behind, would never really be heard again. In the future, the Pre-ATWIAD period will be looked at just like Elvis' Sun Sessions,like Springsteens Pre-Born In the USA period and the Beatles Pre-Sgt.Peppers period as the real, undiminished raw creative force. I'm not talking about how well they sang or played, that always improves with age just like production improves with money, i'm talking about the sound which will be remembered as inflential and vital to the society it was created in. That is what Prince lost.
[b][Edited 11/30/07 11:31am]

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I never really listened to that song... never really looked at the lyrics b4, and I thought the song was about a musical instrument.

Hell, is Guitar about a guitar???

Excellent post! Very well stated.

Underrated.

after becoming totally hooked on PR- ATWIAD was my first Prince WTF? moment. i was only 15, and had only just started buying music- what a waste of my pocket/chore money

but, (before i get bricks hurled at me ) after a few listens, it really grew on me, and 2 this day is one of my favs


PRB= Princes Raspberry Beret and has done since 1985

paisley park, RB, america, the ladder and, pop life are all great songs.
pop life even turns up in stores "mood" music every now and again, and when it does, i get a real buzz- and a little grin on my face.

prodigalfan said: