In Princeland, Batman is like one of the most subjective albums between Prince fans and either has u loving it or hating it. As far as a soundtrack to a movie the album sucks but as an album it's quite good. To me the song Batdance sums up the album quite well. You either see the album as a clusterfuck or a well put together album of many different vibes that gell together. Also, part of the song rocks, then it slows to this weird unfitting groove. Songs like Partyman, vicki waiting, and the future could stand with the rest of Prince's catalouge and are great additions. Batdance and the electric chair are good at first listen songs but unfortunately don' t age well.

When ranking Prince albums i often forget to include Batman and notice that the album has kinda been erased from Prince's repitoire except for the occasional performance of Partyman. Personally, I prefer the album to Lovesexy and Graffiti. But Prefer Diamonds and Pearls and the Symbol album to batman. To me the album is good but musically it fails to asert Prince as a Genius. Allmusic sums up the album nicely "ven with these highlights, there are no true classics on the record, and it tends to evaporate in the memory after it's finished -- there's no doubt it spent six weeks at the top of the charts because of the blockbuster film. Still, Batman sounds fine while it's playing". But however a 2.5 star rating out of 5 is a bit low and my opinion 3.5 is in order.

How do you guys see the album? How does it compare to his other work and his work at the time? How do non Prince fans react wen show them the album?Why are fans and critics so divided on the album?

riocoolnes said:

In Princeland, Batman is like one of the most subjective albums between Prince fans and either has u loving it or hating it. As far as a soundtrack to a movie the album sucks but as an album it's quite good. To me the song Batdance sums up the album quite well. You either see the album as a clusterfuck or a well put together album of many different vibes that gell together. Also, part of the song rocks, then it slows to this weird unfitting groove. Songs like Partyman, vicki waiting, and the future could stand with the rest of Prince's catalouge and are great additions. Batdance and the electric chair are good at first listen songs but unfortunately don' t age well.

When ranking Prince albums i often forget to include Batman and notice that the album has kinda been erased from Prince's repitoire except for the occasional performance of Partyman. Personally, I prefer the album to Lovesexy and Graffiti Bridge the two previous albums. But Prefer Diamonds and Pearls and the Symbol album to batman. To me the album is good but musically it fails to asert Prince as a Genius. Allmusic sums up the album nicely "ven with these highlights, there are no true classics on the record, and it tends to evaporate in the memory after it's finished -- there's no doubt it spent six weeks at the top of the charts because of the blockbuster film. Still, Batman sounds fine while it's playing". But however a 2.5 star rating out of 5 is a bit low and my opinion 3.5 is in order.

How do you guys see the album? How does it compare to his other work and his work at the time? How do non Prince fans react wen show them the album?Why are fans and critics so divided on the album?

[Edited 3/4/13 9:54am]

after the fact, when I think of the whole period, I love it, I like the music from the album, the outtakes it felt so much like a part of the Lovesexy period (probably because most of the music was recorded during that tour as possibilities for the Rave album)

But I judge it totally different from general Prince albums, and the soundtrack albums to his movies

It works here and there, the Future Scandelous Trust Vickie Waiting love em

As a rule of thumb, I think people who are bothered by Prince's pure pop efforts dislike this album. That being said I LOVE IT! I agree that it's superior to Lovesexy and FAR superior to GB. I actually feel like the music on Batman has more in common with the Black Album/Funk Bible then anything on Lovesexy or GB.

My only gripe is Arms of Orion lol. I just wish Rave and Pink Cashmere had found their ways onto this release some how. A lot of times I'll play this hybrid Rave/Batman/Black Album tracklist:

Le Grind

The Future

Electric Chair

Partyman

Love Song

200 Balloons

Vicki Waiting

Sex

When 2 R in Love

Trust

Scandalous

Rave Unto the Joy Fantastic

Pick Cashmere

Feel U Up

I like the album. It's not his strongest output, but I thank this album for giving me the Scandalous Sex Suite. While not a fan of The Future, I do see the OP's point of it aging better than Electric Chair.

Can't take people seriously who really think that Batman is a better album than Lovesexy. Sorry!

^ While Lovesexy has this big rep, and it's definitely more of an artistic statement, but at the end of the day, Race Cars are Burning Rubber in his pants, and that's not an image ANYONE wants to think about Prince's Hershey squirts....

But seriously, I do think that Lovesexxy gets a lot of points for being an artistic album that is totally different then anything else out there, but is it really GREAT music? I say knocking on the door to greatness, but not quite there.

At the end of the day, when I have the MP3player going and it's a long car ride, Batman will be player more often then LoveSexy.

funkomatic said:

Can't take people seriously who really think that Batman is a better album than Lovesexy. Sorry!

I agree I like both albums,but there's just something really special about Lovesexy.

Batman has its moments but at the end of the day,it's really just a commercial pop album.Not that there's anything wrong with that,I just find Lovesexy to be more artistic and creative.

SoulAlive said:

funkomatic said:

Can't take people seriously who really think that Batman is a better album than Lovesexy. Sorry!

I agree I like both albums,but there's just something really special about Lovesexy.

Batman has its moments but at the end of the day,it's really just a commercial pop album.Not that there's anything wrong with that,I just find Lovesexy to be more artistic and creative.

Right, one important thing that will always make Lovesexy better than Batman, is that Lovesexy is Prince's vision, Batman is not.

Lovesexy was specifically created for the purpose that swirled around Prince's issues at the time. Batman, some songs were obviously created prior to and outside of the Batman direction, some created directly for it.

Good music on both, but Lovesexy the 1 till my day is done

OldFriends4Sale said:

Right, one important thing that will always make Lovesexy better than Batman, is that Lovesexy is Prince's vision, Batman is not.

20ten was Prince's vision, I think Batman is still better by a mile

Wildboy said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Right, one important thing that will always make Lovesexy better than Batman, is that Lovesexy is Prince's vision, Batman is not.

20ten was Prince's vision, I think Batman is still better by a mile

but the comparison was Lovesexy not 20Ten which is almost 20yrs later

a lot of the music than ended up on Batman was created out of the Lovesexy experience

and no matter what others may say Prince was still smelling of Purple Rain then.

Some good stuff on 20Ten though

^ Prince needs someone to keep him in line sometimes, his visions aren't always.....top notch lol

Brilliant album, and the singles (Ext versions):

The Future,

Partyman

Batdance,

Scandalous (Sex Suite)

And Vicky Waiting, too.

Just brilliant music

Much better music than what he has released post Warner.

The only weak songs on the Batman album are Trust and Orion.

kpowers said:

I'd put it this way. The album might not fit the movie, but it has had more lasting value than the movie.

Burton's Batman flicks are okay (I thought the second one was better), but I can't really imagine myself feeling motivated to watch them anymore. I can throw in the album and still enjoy the music just like when I did when I was younger.

Several of the songs from the album convey "what Prince is about" really well: "Scandalous" - one of the best prince sex ballads or maybe even the best, "Partyman" - a great example of Prince's uptempo pop / funk style with a lot of curveballs etc.

I do wish he had put out a "proper" Prince album that year though (what could have been the "Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic" album). He was going through an interesting period musically. The way he just used synths and his voice during that time had something to it that appeals to me a lot.

riocoolnes said:

How do non Prince fans react wen show them the album?

I'm still going to answer this.

I'm not going to show them the album.

A few of my friends have bought the record second hand (sometimes as a bit of a joke) and I have recommended them to take a a non-prejudiced listen to several tracks on it.

Wildboy said:

^ Prince needs someone to keep him in line sometimes, his visions aren't always.....top notch lol

I agree, but the again the comparison was Lovesexy / Batman not 20Ten / Batman

Lovesexy whatever the meaning still had a cohesive direction (Scarlet Pussy) didn't fit but Escape did

the Batman material you could put 2gether a good album with a combo of outtakes and album cuts from that period, but the purpose of Batman was someone elses vision, not Prince's

Not in the A league of albums by P, but it's definitely one of the more listenable ones. Great little purple funk album

It took me years to appreciate this album and to get into it. I hated it when it first came out, hated the whole era, the look, Prince´s hair, the Game Boyz, the cover versions during the Nude tour, the omnipresent Batman logo, hated how the whole project started, everything.

And I think, from what I recall, Tim Burton didn´t even really WANT Prince to make this soundtrack, he merely wanted to use a few Prince songs and that was it, and I saw an interview where he expresses his frustrations with the whole thing but I guess in retrospect the album is considered part of the whole "Burton´s Batman" hype so you can´t have one without the other.

By the way, I couldn´t stand that movie either. But I love Chris Nolan´s version of Batman.

In hindsight, it is a pretty decent commercial album with a lot of pop appeal ( at least back then), and I still like the Mark Moore remix of The Future. Partyman is a quality song, and I like The Scandalous Sex Suite (and Scandalous, the song). I Love U In Me and Arms of Orion are not really my favorite ballads, but I prefer the former to the latter and I prefer both over dull and derivative stuff like Satisfied or On the Couch.

Really not my favorite era. This and GB made me grow cold toward Prince until a friend of mine hooked me up with a mix tape to get me back into Prince again. People love to hate Diamonds and Pearls but it helped me to like Prince again, despite the often criticized sellout aspect of it. It´s just a very positive, uplifting, cheerful and warm Prince album, whereas Batman is not.

novabrkr said:

I'd put it this way. The album might not fit the movie, but it has had more lasting value than the movie.

Burton's Batman flicks are okay (I thought the second one was better), but I can't really imagine myself feeling motivated to watch them anymore. I can throw in the album and still enjoy the music just like when I did when I was younger.

Several of the songs from the album convey "what Prince is about" really well: "Scandalous" - one of the best prince sex ballads or maybe even the best, "Partyman" - a great example of Prince's uptempo pop / funk style with a lot of curveballs etc.

I do wish he had put out a "proper" Prince album that year though (what could have been the "Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic" album). He was going through an interesting period musically. The way he just used synths and his voice during that time had something to it that appeals to me a lot.

I'm with U on that

the bad part was that most of the people he had in his camp were gone, If he released Rave 1989 I would still want Sheila Cat Boni Dr Fink Atlanta Bliss Eric Leads Mico & Levi

the next bad part was that he was focusing on Graffiti Bridge

Hmm. I love the Batman album.

I remember when it came out. IT was summer and my friends were dispersed all over the country on vacations. We had to call each other to say "Did you get the album! What are favorite songs!"

I liked many songs instantly. I am baffled that OP praised "The Future" but dismissed "Electric Chair." I think they are both equally amazing, unique, atmospheric and stylistic. They along with" Vicki Waiting" are the best of the album. OP, how can one put PartyMan above Electric Chair??

Only songs I didn't care for were Batdance (it was fun though) and Arms of Orion, but they were tolerable. I feel more connected to Batman than most of the 90s albums.

My brother and I went to see the movie just to hear the Prince songs and see if they would play everything on the album (they didn't). The movie was silly, but thank you Jack Nicholson for lobbying for Prince to make the soundtrack. We would also stay up late Friday nights watching video shows where Prnce would reveal his latest video for the soundtrack singles.

So fun! I loved everything about that time: the tragic, controlling romance with Kim Basinger, the facepainting, the wacky videos, the long hair. Fun times!

I disagree with opinions that this was a commercial album. I don't even understand the sentiment. In spirit, it wasnt'. IT was made in conjunction with a commercial venture, yes, but, aside from a couple of tracks, the album isn't commercial sounding. It is actually VERY artistic and eclectic -- so much so that the general public couldn't access it, really.

It is not what most singers would have thought about contributing to Batman -- and I like that about Prince. (Of course, I still like the songs he made for the soundtrack of that Nick Nolte movie ("Ill Do Anything??) ). He just has a unique, honest perspective when writing music for movies .

I dont' think Prince compromised any integrity with the Batman soundtrack and I remember people saying his career was over around that time and he lost popularity... I've always thought that was an unjust twist of fate.

I'd rather Batman to Madonna's overrated Like A Prayer Album of the same year.

love batman!! Its one of the FEW Prince albums that I play regularly. Always has been one of my favs. Its actually the album that got me back in to Prince after ATWIAD.

Funny I thought Batdance was a little bit cheesy at the time - but liked the video.

Now I can actually appreciate the compexity of production in the song - it's very powerful and very well conceived. It's got the funk and rock Prince does so well.

PS that drum machine beat is relentless and so loud and solid. love it . Similar to DMSR but a lot faster. you can hum the leadline to it.

[Edited 3/6/13 14:53pm]

I love the Batman album, minus Arms of Orion.

In context with the movie the music is sick and twisted like the Joker.

I even think that is still the best Batman film.

I loved Batman. It was also the time I realized that Prince was capable of writing a horrible song (Arms of Orion).