(Yeah, I know what you're thinking -- 'Tamborine'! But no...)

.

So I love Around The World in a Day. Bought it 22 years ago, listened to it a bit back then, but in the past couple months I've returned to it and I really love it. Much gets made of how different it was from expectations after Purple Rain, and how different it sounded, etc., but I personally think all that's a bit overblown. The album still largely maintains the essential 'Prince sound' of the time, but it is fairly uncompromising (after three massive singles and 20-million seller the year before), and I do admire Prince for going with his whims and not making 'Purple Rain II'.

.

'Side 1' (yes I remember vinyl) is just about perfect. The title song was given instrumental flourishes to really make it sound unique, but it's just a really solid little track (I think it was the last one recorded, and it does sound like a track that would fit perfectly on Parade). 'Paisley Park' is sublime, and I can't get enough of it. For me, it's one of the 5 or 6 greatest Prince tracks, ever, and the highlight of the album. That melody is just killer, and the lyrics very uplifting. 'Condition of the Heart' is where Prince tries the patience of his new tween audience, but when you stick with it it's a really, really good song. Great vocal, too. 'Raspberry Beret' would have been a guaranteed #1 hit if he'd issued it before the album, but he stubbornly didn't want to. Obviously a classic. And 'Tamborine', if a bit throwaway and lyrically silly, is punchy and uptempo (which the records needs here) and, for me, quite enjoyable.

.

'Side 2' kicks off with the much edited-down 'America'. I've not heard the 12-inch longer cut, nor the really long original, unedited (does this exist in bootleg-dom?), but anyway even this short LP-track is jam packed with groove, rock, and cool musical motifs and moments. It's nice that The Revolution get credited for songwriting, as this obviously grew out of a rehearsal jam of some sort. Some people took issue with the second hit song, 'Pop Life', thinking Prince is looking down at the less successful than he, but I don't hear it that way. I think he's just calling out some of his ex-friends who, in the wake of his mass-success in 1983/84, were (in his view) selling him out and had gotten into drugs, etc. Anyway, killer track; I just love the chord changes that only Prince would write. (I love how it just ends abuptly, too.) 'The Ladder' is sort of a weird one, in that it sounds (musically) like a romantic slow-jam, but the lyric is straight from church. Prince's hymn for the mid-80s. Maybe it's a bit overblown, but I like it. But then the big mis-step to close things out: 'Temptation'. Here we're back to 1981 horndog lyrics -- rather jarring after 'The Ladder' -- but with the absurd God-Prince conversation at the end. I can't stand the R&B-style saxophone (by 'Eddie M.' -- who's that?), and the whole track just sounds terrible (to me). It doesn't help that it's nearly eight-and-a-half minutes long.

.

So, by my personal score, that gives Around the World in a Day 8 very worthy (mostly great) tracks, and 1 dud. The good thing is the dud comes at the very end, so you can just shut off the CD or playlist.

.

I love the sound of this album. Maybe I could have enjoyed a bit more Prince guitar, but of course he didn't want to repeat the previous record. And there are a lot of new sounds being thrown up here that we've never heard on a Prince album until now. (Wendy & Lisa were particularly big influences at this time, according to most sources.) The album sleeve is pretty cool, too.

.

Does everyone agree with me, completely, 100%??

.

But seriously, what do you think of this album?

[Edited 4/3/16 16:46pm]

no bad ones..just singles u can do without anymore

Temptation was just too long. Great song but he could have cut a 1:30 off and it would have been better.

DecaturStone said:

Temptation was just too long. Great song but he could have cut a 1:30 off and it would have been better.

it has the "Cant U hear me knocking " sections..aint nothing wrong with that

ThePanther said:

(Yeah, I know what you're thinking -- 'Tamborine'! But no...)

.

So I love Around The World in a Day. Bought it 22 years ago, listened to it a bit back then, but in the past couple months I've returned to it and I really love it. Much gets made of how different it was from expectations after Purple Rain, and how different it sounded, etc., but I personally think all that's a bit overblown. The album still largely maintains the essential 'Prince sound' of the time, but it is fairly uncompromising (after three massive singles and 20-million seller the year before), and I do admire Prince for going with his whims and making 'Purple Rain II'.

.

'Side 1' (yes I remember vinyl) is just about perfect. The title song was given instrumental flourishes to really make it sound unique, but it's just a really solid little track (I think it was the last one recorded, and it does sound like a track that would fit perfectly on Parade). 'Paisley Park' is sublime, and I can't get enough of it. For me, it's one of the 5 or 6 greatest Prince tracks, ever, and the highlight of the album. That melody is just killer, and the lyrics very uplifting. 'Condition of the Heart' is where Prince tries the patience of his new tween audience, but when you stick with it it's a really, really good song. Great vocal, too. 'Raspberry Beret' would have been a guaranteed #1 hit if he'd issued it before the album, but he stubbornly didn't want to. Obviously a classic. And 'Tamborine', if a bit throwaway and lyrically silly, is punchy and uptempo (which the records needs here) and, for me, quite enjoyable.

.

'Side 2' kicks off with the much edited-down 'America'. I've not heard the 12-inch longer cut, nor the really long original, unedited (does this exist in bootleg-dom?), but anyway even this short LP-track is jam packed with groove, rock, and cool musical motifs and moments. It's nice that The Revolution get credited for songwriting, as this obviously grew out of a rehearsal jam of some sort. Some people took issue with the second hit song, 'Pop Life', thinking Prince is looking down at the less successful than he, but I don't hear it that way. I think he's just calling out some of his ex-friends who, in the wake of his mass-success in 1983/84, were (in his view) selling him out and had gotten into drugs, etc. Anyway, killer track; I just love the chord changes that only Prince would write. (I love how it just ends abuptly, too.) 'The Ladder' is sort of a weird one, in that it sounds (musically) like a romantic slow-jam, but the lyric is straight from church. Prince's hymn for the mid-80s. Maybe it's a bit overblown, but I like it. But then the big mis-step to close things out: 'Temptation'. Here we're back to 1981 horndog lyrics -- rather jarring after 'The Ladder' -- but with the absurd God-Prince conversation at the end. I can't stand the R&B-style saxophone (by 'Eddie M.' -- who's that?), and the whole track just sounds terrible (to me). It doesn't help that it's nearly eight-and-a-half minutes long.

.

So, by my personal score, that gives Around the World in a Day 8 very worthy (mostly great) tracks, and 1 dud. The good thing is the dud comes at the very end, so you can just shut off the CD or playlist.

.

I love the sound of this album. Maybe I could have enjoyed a bit more Prince guitar, but of course he didn't want to repeat the previous record. And there are a lot of new sounds being thrown up here that we've never heard on a Prince album until now. (Wendy & Lisa were particularly big influences at this time, according to most sources.) The album sleeve is pretty cool, too.

.

Does everyone agree with me, completely, 100%??

.

But seriously, what do you think of this album?

I don't agree with you completely but this is a great post! You don't see too many articulate
posts in the Org anymore: well done.

Anyways, I do agree that "Temptation" is kind of a slog. But "Tambourine" is Prince at his
most dexterous when it comes to rhythm/poly-rhythm - I would never think it is the "1 bad
track" on ATWIAD.

What?

This is a perfect album with stunning single releases:

Paisley Park 12" ext remix
Raspberry beret 12" long version
Pop life 12" remix + long UK version
America 12" 21:40 minutes

Also, some excellent b-sides as well..

Incl 1 of Prince's best songs ever She's always in my hair...

No bad track here imo... Tamborine is wonderful and about masturbation, what more do you need?

I loooove the drum pattern on Tamborine a lot... love this song..

ThePanther said:

Does everyone agree with me, completely, 100%??

.

Nope.

But then again, I don't think anyone has ever agreed 100% with something written regarding a Prince album. At least, not once that analysis goes past a few lines.

But it is a great album, I just don't find any of the tracks to be terrible. My favourite P album.

ThePanther said:

Does everyone agree with me, completely, 100%??

.

Nope.

But then again, I don't think anyone has ever agreed 100% with something written regarding a Prince album. At least, not once that analysis goes past a few lines.

But it is a great album, I just don't find any of the tracks to be terrible. My favourite P album.

thedance said:

Tamborine is wonderful and about masturbation, what more do you need?

I loooove the drum pattern on Tamborine a lot... love this song..

The first time we listened to "Tambourine," we all bugged out! Prince killed that track!

I love Temptation.... It's so crazy how different we all are

"Tamborine" and "Temptation" are the two duds on this album.

Everything else ranges from very good ("Paisley Park","Pop Life") to just OK (the remaining tracks)

In a lot of ways Around the World in a Day is very much like Purple Rain.

Tamborine is too short to be a throwaway or filler. It's perfect in the color of the album. And sits as Prince's sefl indulgent/masturbatory track. Listen to it alongside Tick Tick Bang(81) and Darling Nikki.
I agree, it is quite enjoyable. I love the whole first side.

Side 2 I love all the songs, and agree that Temptation should have been shorter. But is raunchy rock. Eddie M's sax is nasty and fits perfectly in Purple Music. Eddie M by the way is the same guy playing sax on the Ladder, and Sheila E's sax player 4 the Glamorous Life tour Romance 1600 tour/album and on some Sheila E album songs. Not to mention he added to sax spice on the Purple Rain tour:Possessed/America/Baby I'm A Star etc

This is my #1 favorite Prince album still.

Temptation is better without the add-on ending.

TrivialPursuit said:

Temptation is better without the add-on ending.

yes, I admit there is something wonderfully lascivious about it (especially hearing it's beginnings on the PR tour) that if somehow it was released as a 3rd piece on a single/Bside I would love it more.

But hearing the Prince & the Revolution do this live @ the 1985 show in France was crazy, I LOVED it, that live kick, they were cranking on that show.

The trick with Temptation is you have to turn it up and give it your full attention. Then, at least, you can live in Prince's mind in the moment. Attempting to just 'rock out' to this song playing in the background will fail every time, due to the 2nd half...

My least favourite of the classic albums. Love Condition of the Heart, though.

this Album! I had it on cassette. I remember when this first came out, my

cousin that wasn't into Prince at all, was visting me from out of town.

One night at 1 in the morning, I played that tape over and over and over again

that she had no choice but to sing the songs with me and that is when

she became a Prince fan.

She teases me about that to this day.

Hi Detria---

Temptation used to scare me ..I fast forwarded that song all the time back in the day.

# true story

Great post, and I agree - great album. Personally I like Temptation but I agree the last few minutes of the song were a bit weird.

One thing - "by 'Eddie M.' -- who's that?" - Eddie M. is Eddie Minifield and at the time was in Sheila E's band. If you happen to catch the Baby I'm a Star performance from the Purple Rain, he's the dude blowing up his sax. I guess it could be said he's the first horn player to be featured in a Prince song. He played with Sheila E on 2 albums (The Glamorous Life and Romance 1600), and he also was featured prominently through out the Purple Rain tour. He also played on a couple of Jesse Johnson's albums (including his last one - Verbal Penetration)

Pop Life it's for me the best song here, then the beautiful Paisley Park such a wonderful song and i really like Tambourine. I do not know about the rest of the album.

Eddie M

Not in 100% agreement.

-

Listened to this album in high dosages back in the day. The ones that made the timeless journey to my ipod are Condition of the Heart, (though I prefer when only Prince is singing), Poplife, (Mega-Love this still, lyrics and chords) that damn postman! America, The Ladder (for specific moods) as with Temptation: for specific moments when you have extra energy to shed need to scream a little with finger clicks to cool you down. It will put me in a bad mood if I'm in a good mood and listen to it. Of course Paisley Park but the title track, hmmm never liked it. Had another listen to check why. Lyrics and music are nice but not the vocals and the chorus is annoying. Tambourine also not.

-

So including Rasberry Beret, which I now only prefer live because it has become like Thriller, 7 great tracks!

Cool record but not something I reach for.... "Tamborine" is my favorite cut..I love P's drumming on it. "Pop Life" is a great song and it used to get massive airplay on the R&B stations out here....This was the record where P started to challenge his listeners...It was either wait and give them "Purple Rain - Part Two" (which some probably expected) or give them something a bit different (and quickly)....The orchestration, melodies and guitar work were slightly reminiscent of "P.R", but you could also hear the early seeds of "Parade"....I thought it was smart that he dropped this right near the end of the "P.R" mania...Totally unexpected.

I agree that Temptation would be better without the outro.

For the title track I prefer the more conventional version, sounds a lot better to me.

And adding the b-sides would have made it a even better album.

But still one of the classic albums as it is.

i think it was alex han who said this... but he said she's always in my hair was more powerful than the whole album itslef... i actually tend to agree.

feeluupp said:

i think it was alex han who said this... but he said she's always in my hair was more powerful than the whole album itslef... i actually tend to agree.

Maybe because it gave him the feel of Purple Rain to some degree.

I don't think it is more powerful than the album. The album explores different depths of subjects and takes us on a journey beyond Boy & Girls subjects.

feeluupp said:

i think it was alex han who said this... but he said she's always in my hair was more powerful than the whole album itslef... i actually tend to agree.

My top 10 prince songs list includes Tamborine and Condition of the Heart, but not SAIMH. So, I would disagree. I also really like Temptation.

That album came out when I was 14, and I brought it to my therapist, and played her Tambourine. I think I spent that entire session talking about what a genius Prince was, using Tambourine as an example.

JudasLChrist said:

feeluupp said:

i think it was alex han who said this... but he said she's always in my hair was more powerful than the whole album itslef... i actually tend to agree.

My top 10 prince songs list includes Tamborine and Condition of the Heart, but not SAIMH. So, I would disagree. I also really like Temptation.

That album came out when I was 14, and I brought it to my therapist, and played her Tambourine. I think I spent that entire session talking about what a genius Prince was, using Tambourine as an example.

I've just discovered that song, is so fuckin trippy. Great, although lyrics could be a little better.