I have a confession to make. I CAN'T understand die-hard fans that dislike Batman. There's some "crictical understanding/consense", or there was for some time, that Around the world in a day was a weak album. Happily, this nonsense has been corrected over the years, if not in the critic's community, at least in places like the org. For me, his "golden age" surpasses Lovesexy and goes foward to Batman (except from some cheesiness from The arms an orion, an untouchable album). People may not agree with me, but Batman's not a weak album in ANY WAY. What's wrong with it? Is it beacause it's more pop? Is there anything wrong in being pop, when you're delivering perfectly crafted pop? The future is cold chilling funk, climatic, sensational. Vicki waiting is an unique melodic piece, inventive, unique even in his catalogue (as can be said of Dorothy Parker as well, to stick to an example). Electric chair rocks, effectively. Partyman is pumping robust funk that preceeds his 90s funk aesthetic of songs such as Sexy MF and Gett off. Scandalous is both one of his best soul ballads and vocal performances (and that is saying much). It's all so good....

What we believed to be weaker albums in the eighties and nineties turned out to be quite strong albums, looking back today in 2013.

Batman is a perfect example. Because it sounded more commercial/poppy (especially after LoveSexy) people dismissed it quickly, but really: a lot of songs were of very good quality.

yes, the singles were strong:

Partyman,

Batdance,
Scandalous,
The Future.

Also Vicky Waiting and Electric Chair...

Yeah I love most of the Batman album..

Batman was a big sellout. There are very little artistic achievements on this record. It's not risk taking, it's not the work of a genius, it's something what he believes people want a poppy Prince to sound like.

So to me it's the first album that kind of established the poppy mediocrity he's still known for up to this day. Of course it might be better than what followed, but still: it's the big turning point for Prince as an artist.

funkomatic said:

Batman was a big sellout. There are very little artistic achievements on this record. It's not risk taking, it's not the work of a genius, it's something what he believes people want a poppy Prince to sound like.

So to me it's the first album that kind of established the poppy mediocrity he's still known for up to this day. Of course it might be better than what followed, but still: it's the big turning point for Prince as an artist.

u state that like u mozart or some kind of musical genius yourself lol what have u ever done or sold 2 judge his so harshly?? lets hear your music now???

funkomatic said:

Batdance forever!

Best super hero movie soundtrack ever!!

cbarnes3121 said:

funkomatic said:

Batman was a big sellout. There are very little artistic achievements on this record. It's not risk taking, it's not the work of a genius, it's something what he believes people want a poppy Prince to sound like.

So to me it's the first album that kind of established the poppy mediocrity he's still known for up to this day. Of course it might be better than what followed, but still: it's the big turning point for Prince as an artist.

u state that like u mozart or some kind of musical genius yourself lol what have u ever done or sold 2 judge his so harshly?? lets hear your music now???

The truth hurts, doesn't it?

Why does the topic just keeping comming back?

There are so many topics about the Batman album I actually starting to believe it's everyone's favourite album!

cbarnes3121 said:

funkomatic said:

Batman was a big sellout. There are very little artistic achievements on this record. It's not risk taking, it's not the work of a genius, it's something what he believes people want a poppy Prince to sound like.

So to me it's the first album that kind of established the poppy mediocrity he's still known for up to this day. Of course it might be better than what followed, but still: it's the big turning point for Prince as an artist.

u state that like u mozart or some kind of musical genius yourself lol what have u ever done or sold 2 judge his so harshly?? lets hear your music now???

Worst post ever.

I like the Batman album and listen to it regularly.

However, I do remember a conversation with a friend of mine (this was just after it came out)

MY FRIEND: Why do you like Prince?

ME: He's a muli-instrumentalist who writes his own stuff. He's a musical GENIUS!

MY FRIEND: So, where's the 'genius' on Batman?

ME: Ummm....

Even though it DID lack signs of his 'genius' and didn't really show people what he was capable of, I do think it's an enjoyable album. There were some acts back in the day that would have KILLED to make an album like that. I just think we can be bit harsh sometimes when comparing Prince against his own standards.

Sometimes the notion of "genius" or lack thereof is used improperly to denounce something that is good or solid. Just because something doesn’t “break new ground” doesn’t mean that it lacks value. A good steak or fried chicken is pleasurable even if I’ve had good steak or fried chicken before. So, what did Batman show at the time of its release? "The Electric Chair" showed that he could rock harder than anyone at the time. "Partyman" showed that Prince was the funkiest cat out at the time. (I'm not going to discuss how funky "200 Balloons" and "Feel U Up" are since we are strictly discussing the album.) "Scandalous" showed that very few can write as soulfully as Prince, and the he was one of the top ten soul singers of that time, which is saying a lot if we remember the names on the soul/R&B charts at the time. "Vicki Waiting" showed how Prince was still the most subtly experimental artist at that time because experimentation is not usually discussed with R&B/pop tunes, but "Vicki Waiting" deconstructs pop/R&B/funk in such a way that it can only be called a Prince song. It is simultaneously hard and smooth. "Batdance" shows that not all pop songs must be devoid of interesting musical changes and ideas. And the lyrics throughout the album showed that Prince was still funny and creatively discussing the struggle between the body and the soul. So, Batman showed that Prince was still a master even if most people were looking for reasons to demote him from the top of the popular music food chain. Selling lots of records ain’t a bad thing, and producing records that are “cult” classics ain’t a bad thing either. Thus, Prince’s “genius” and the “genius” of Batman is that it shows Prince’s ability to do both, often on the same album. In short, Metallica can't write "Scandalous" and Luther Vandross couldn't write "The Electric Chair." And the fact that Prince could write in varying genres so well and have them appear on the same album is genius. But, because he had done this before, we take this act of genius for granted.

funkomatic said:

Batman was a big sellout. There are very little artistic achievements on this record. It's not risk taking, it's not the work of a genius, it's something what he believes people want a poppy Prince to sound like.

So to me it's the first album that kind of established the poppy mediocrity he's still known for up to this day. Of course it might be better than what followed, but still: it's the big turning point for Prince as an artist.

Not sure this logics stands up to scrutiny given that it was a soundtrack to what was definitely known to be a blockbuster movie. I loved the album from day one as this is how I listened to it; a companion soundtrack to a comic that I read since childhood. There is no way in Hell that Prince could have released an album as sonically disparte and diverse as SOTT or LoveSexy to an audience that was going to watch Batman. That would have been commercial suicide for the album. For those of you that saw this as a failure because it didn't highlight his "genius", I think the genius in this album was straddling the line between what could pass for commercially viable and still being Prince.

Compare that to SOTT or LoveSexy; I had been a P fan since "For You", and I know it took me a good long while to digest the genius of both albums. Definitely not the path for a movie like Batman where fans want to immediately "get it".

GeminiCalling said:

I like the Batman album and listen to it regularly.

However, I do remember a conversation with a friend of mine (this was just after it came out)

MY FRIEND: Why do you like Prince?

ME: He's a muli-instrumentalist who writes his own stuff. He's a musical GENIUS!

MY FRIEND: So, where's the 'genius' on Batman?

ME: Ummm....

Even though it DID lack signs of his 'genius' and didn't really show people what he was capable of, I do think it's an enjoyable album. There were some acts back in the day that would have KILLED to make an album like that. I just think we can be bit harsh sometimes when comparing Prince against his own standards.

U should have told your fan to just listen to the full version of "Batdance"...It's easily one of the most weirdest pop hits ever created....Beyond its commercial target, it's pretty genius....

funkomatic said:

cbarnes3121 said:

u state that like u mozart or some kind of musical genius yourself lol what have u ever done or sold 2 judge his so harshly?? lets hear your music now???

The truth hurts, doesn't it?

maybe if it was the trith but i guess its your lame version of truth. i love the soundtrack and the movie 2 this day and i feel prince delivered what the movie exects expected of him

murph said:

GeminiCalling said:

I like the Batman album and listen to it regularly.

However, I do remember a conversation with a friend of mine (this was just after it came out)

MY FRIEND: Why do you like Prince?

ME: He's a muli-instrumentalist who writes his own stuff. He's a musical GENIUS!

MY FRIEND: So, where's the 'genius' on Batman?

ME: Ummm....

Even though it DID lack signs of his 'genius' and didn't really show people what he was capable of, I do think it's an enjoyable album. There were some acts back in the day that would have KILLED to make an album like that. I just think we can be bit harsh sometimes when comparing Prince against his own standards.

U should have told your fan to just listen to the full version of "Batdance"...It's easily one of the most weirdest pop hits ever created....Beyond its commercial target, it's pretty genius....

I agree, this was/is a very experimental song, definately not Prince resting on his laurels!

loved this soundtrack not sure what this thread is about

for the fans still stuck in 1984/Purple Rain era, this probably wasn't what they wanted to hear

you could especially feel this in the U.S. where his fans are a fickle bunch

funkomatic said:

Batman was a big sellout. There are very little artistic achievements on this record. It's not risk taking, it's not the work of a genius, it's something what he believes people want a poppy Prince to sound like.

So to me it's the first album that kind of established the poppy mediocrity he's still known for up to this day. Of course it might be better than what followed, but still: it's the big turning point for Prince as an artist.

If you were talking about Diamonds & Pearls, the I would have TOTALLY agreed with you. But not Batman.

.

.

As cringe worthy as the both are..... Batdance >>>>>>>>>>> Cream

I liked Batman.

Wasn't as strong as SOTT or Lovesexy...but it still rocked (and was perfectly tailored to the movie).

For an album that he put together in - what like 2 weeks? - it was great.

On the other hand...'200 Ballons' makes me cringe. I didn't like it then, I don't like it now.

callimnate said:

It was an alarming sign of things to come. This man was ready to sell out, no matter what!

BlackandRising said:

I'm tired of the theories making you believe Prince had to do it this way, as if there was no other way out. Prince has to do nothing. There's always a choice!

I love the Batman album...it gets better each time I listen to it!

Also...I just found out that Partyman was released 24 years ago yesterday!

http://princevault.com/index.php/Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/August_18

7roses said:

Also...I just found out that Partyman was released 24 years ago yesterday!

http://princevault.com/index.php/Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/August_18

Happy Anniversary Partyman!

PurpleJedi said:

7roses said:

Also...I just found out that Partyman was released 24 years ago yesterday!

http://princevault.com/index.php/Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/August_18

Happy Anniversary Partyman!

YES! I love the song and the video, 24 years...wow!

7roses said:

funkomatic said:

Batman was a big sellout. There are very little artistic achievements on this record. It's not risk taking, it's not the work of a genius, it's something what he believes people want a poppy Prince to sound like.

So to me it's the first album that kind of established the poppy mediocrity he's still known for up to this day. Of course it might be better than what followed, but still: it's the big turning point for Prince as an artist.