DecaturStone said:

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

Agreed! The rehearsal version that is out there is pretty much spot on in terms of where the album track should have concluded.

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.

I agree,too.

Love love love Temptation. Could be shorter, but I am going to default to Prince's judgement because, well, he has a little better rack record than I do when it comes to these things.

The 12" version & the live video version of America are way better than the album version. But other than that one issue, ATWIAD is a Prince album [with secord opinions by Wendy & Lisa!] that works as is.

SoulAlive 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.

I agree,too.

dont get me wrong ATWIAD is a great album. deff a top 10 prince album by all means... but she's always in my hair, has this energy to it that no other song on the ATIWAD album has.

as a song in general imo it's better than anything else on ATWIAD.

feeluupp said:

SoulAlive said:

I agree,too.

dont get me wrong ATWIAD is a great album. deff a top 10 prince album by all means... but she's always in my hair, has this energy to it that no other song on the ATIWAD album has.

as a song in general imo it's better than anything else on ATWIAD.

I don't think that makes it better than anything on ATWIAD.
The energy of Temptation and the sounds actually kill She's Always In My Hair.
America's energy goes further than She's Always In My Hair
Condition of the Hearts poetry and Prince's piano showcasing takes up places we've never been on a Prince song.
Prince himself said he could have opend ATWIAD with screaming guitars, but he didn't want to.
Technically he could have opened with Paisley Parks long version with that killer guitar solo at the beginning. He could have opened with America etc
She's Always In My Hair was released and go great airplay back then like most of Prince's B sides.
The song being on the album would not have gotten the album bigger reviews. Prince doing live performances and releasing videos would have gotten the album bigger reviews.

As I said in the OP, I don't like 'Temptation', so yeah my own disc of this album would probably let 'The Ladder' be the final track, and I guess I'd stick 'She's Always in My Hair' somewhere in the middle. That'd be just about a perfect Prince album.

.

But even with 'Temptation', this album is still 4.5 stars out of 5.

needa remastered version with The Ladder LA 88 soundcheck as a bonus

It just gets better with age.

Sgt. Pepper era The Beatles or A Wizard, A True Star era Todd Rundgren combined with Prince's own electrofunk stylings? What else is out there that compares?

I love She's Always in my Hair as much as the next person, but I just don't get the idea that it should be on Around the World; it sounds way more 'Purple Rain', and just wouldn't mesh with ATWIAD, in my opinion.

Just like Alexa de Paris and La la la He he hee, sometimes a B-side should be exactly that... a B-side.

eyewishuheaven said:

I love She's Always in my Hair as much as the next person, but I just don't get the idea that it should be on Around the World; it sounds way more 'Purple Rain', and just wouldn't mesh with ATWIAD, in my opinion.

Just like Alexa de Paris and La la la He he hee, sometimes a B-side should be exactly that... a B-side.

Yes, it fits more within Purple Rain, i think is a good song but a little overrated here.

I think all the songs A & B fit Around the World in a Day perfectly.
I don't think She's Always In My Hair needed to be on the Album.
All the messages on the album cuts were specific and took us on a journey beyond the general girl/boy topic, including Rasperry Beret.

nyse said:

Not a huge fan of this album. Favorite songs are POP LIFE and TAMBOURINE 1. Around the world in a day - 6- its cool but seems all over the place. Good instrumentation 2. Paisley park - 7- good song 3. Condition of the heart -8- amazing song beautiful strange 4-rasberry beret - 7.5 - cool catchy classic 5. Tambourine - 8- weird freaky funk. 6. America - 6- not bad but i never play this 7. Pop life - 8.5 one of my all time favorites 8. The ladder -7.5 beautifully written song 9. Temptation - 7 - its a cool song but nothing about stnds out amongst the prince catalog .. its a good album but not a classic to me.. neither is parade. These to albums are to me the first low era of his career. I applaud him for being a bit more creative but i think these two releases kind of alienated fans looking for that amazing 1999 purple rain sound

But isn't that the problem of the people that wanted the same ole same ole?

That doesn't make it a low, and in the greater picture those 2 albums are very much classic.
And definately SOTT/Lovesexy would not be if it wasn't for these albums.

OldFriends4Sale said:

It's a great album and has gotten better with age. Its brilliant fusion of a 60's tone and 80's sound keeps it from aging much. Though, I do think it suffers from its more accessible B-side tracks being relegated to singles. "Girl," "Hello" and "She's Always in My Hair" could have helped give the album a little more direction.

OldFriends4Sale said:

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.

Did they do the extended part as well? Back then, Prince was pretty known for those godawful lags in a concert when he was talking to God, or pontificating on spirituality. But the first half live had to be amazeballs.

His shows were incredibly, but sometimes the pacing was a tad off, mostly with those "can u see me" moments.

I always thoght the tempo for TEMptation and paisley park were too slow. Thy sound good speeded up, using a program like audacity so that you can change the tempo without changing the pitch. Scarlet Pussy and Rick James Slow Dancing sounds a lot better speeded up too

TrivialPursuit said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

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.

Did they do the extended part as well? Back then, Prince was pretty known for those godawful lags in a concert when he was talking to God, or pontificating on spirituality. But the first half live had to be amazeballs.

His shows were incredibly, but sometimes the pacing was a tad off, mostly with those "can u see me" moments.

No, he did that communcation with God stuff on the Purple Rain tour

Yes the song live though was electric. Which is why this album should have been performed on it's on(with a few connected tracks) live.
I love Paisley Park live during the Parade era.
America live on the PR tour, the album/extended version, the video performance and the Parade tour I love all of them.

nyse said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

But isn't that the problem of the people that wanted the same ole same ole?

That doesn't make it a low, and in the greater picture those 2 albums are very much classic.
And definately SOTT/Lovesexy would not be if it wasn't for these albums.

you are right people always want the same old stuff. I do enjoy these albums but to me its this.... as i look at the progression from dirty mind to controversy to 1999 to purple rain.with every album he was finding and mastering his sound more and more.with Each album that followed the previous album he elevated his sound. From the drums, synths,guitar, writing, ballads . . Then with ATWIAD the progression of that sound stopped. I mean like a complete halt. i dont knock him for trying something different at all. But his sound between 1980-1984 to me was his most exciting era. Watching the kid transform and grow musically. If he continued along the lines of purple rain and 1999 his impact on music culture could have been so much bigger. . Btw i kind of do not see the connection between atwiad/parade and sott/lovesexy musically that is my friend

Your reply #44 points prove how classic an album it is.

.

I think Prince could have asked to release 2 albums in 1985 and he would have gotten it.
I LOVE Around the World in a Day the whole project. I could not do without it.
But it would have been cool if he released an album of music that also came out of the PR era but has a different direction: Dance Electric, Manic Monday, Roadhouse Garden, Our Destiny, 4 the Tears In Your Eyes, G-Spot, Electric Intercourse, Traffic Jam, Purple Music

.

I think during the PR era he was exposed to a lot of instruments and new sounds, coming from those in his community. The PR era musically in my opinion was very far away in sound from 1999:accordians, finger cymbals, steele drums, timabales and percussions, stringed instruments:violins, violas, cellos, harps, sax etc

That I don't know how he could have continued the minneapolis sound via (1999)
.
The connection as in the journey, there is no doubt what happened during the PR era influenced ATWIAD, and what happened in those 2 era(along with the Family/Romance 1600) influenced the Parade sessions which of course the Dream Factory/Camille music was being developed and created @ the same time which of course turned into Sign of the Times. etc

SoulAlive 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.

I agree,too.

actually the funny thing, is when you can have ONE SONG and compare it to a WHOLE ALBUM... it shows you not only the energy but the power that song actually has.

yes ATIWAD is a GREAT PRINCE ALBUM! yes there are beautiful songs like Condition of the Heart, and pop classis like Raspberry Beret... but there is something about SHE'S ALWAYS IN MY HAIR imho that overshadows the whole album.

especially on the extende 12" mix when he's begging and screams almost like it's in vain... that right there in my opinion ofcourse brings more energy than the whole album, or whatever song Temptation, etc...

She's Always In My Hair had a different feel to it, wow. i absolutely love She's Always In My Hair.

[Edited 4/5/16 20:09pm]

feeluupp said:

SoulAlive said:

I agree,too.

actually the funny thing, is when you can have ONE SONG and compare it to a WHOLE ALBUM... it shows you not only the energy but the power that song actually has.

yes ATIWAD is a GREAT PRINCE ALBUM! yes there are beautiful songs like Condition of the Heart, and pop classis like Raspberry Beret... but there is something about SHE'S ALWAYS IN MY HAIR imho that overshadows the whole album.

especially on the extende 12" mix when he's begging and screams almost like it's in vain... that right there in my opinion ofcourse brings more energy than the whole album, or whatever song Temptation, etc...

She's Always In My Hair had a different feel to it, wow. i absolutely love She's Always In My Hair.

[Edited 4/5/16 20:09pm]

who is Alex again?

George Clinton loved the album... So did Joni Mitchell
I think that says way more.

She's Always In My Hair is not disconnected to the album. It is 100% a part of the project. Just like Erotic City, God, 17 Days, Another Lonely Christmas are a part of Purple Rain.

She's Always In My Hair feels like anothe song from ATWIAD the vibe is very similar, the finger cymbals the quirky guitar playing etc it's all on the ATWIAD album
If the song overshadows the album why does Rasperry Beret & Pop Life still get airplay?

MOJO: Let's talk about the album, Around The World In A Day... which I think was one of the greatest albums.

PRINCE: My favorite!

MOJO: It's absolutely my favorite, without question. Tunes like "Around The World In A Day," "Paisley Park." What type of mood were you in when you recorded that album?

PRINCE: Yeah, I sorta had an f-you attitude, meaning that I was making something for myself and my fans. And the people who supported me through the years -- I wanted to give them something and it was like my mental letter. And those people are the ones who wrote me back, telling me that they felt what I was feeling.

Do you read most of what's been written about you?

A little, not much. Sometimes someone will pass along a funny one. I just wrote a song called "Hello," which is going to be on the flip side of "Pop Life." It says at the end, "Life is cruel enough without cruel words." I get a lot of cruel words. A lot of people do.

.

I saw critics be so critical of Stevie Wonder when he made Journey through the Secret World of Plants. Stevie has done so many great songs, and for people to say, "You missed, don't do that, go back" -- well, I would never say, "Stevie Wonder, you missed." [Prince puts the Wonder album on the turntable, plays a cut, then puts on Miles Davis' new album.] Or Miles. Critics are going to say, "Ah, Miles done went off." Why say that? Why even tell Miles he went off? You know, if you don't like it, don't talk about it. Go buy another record!

.

Not long ago I talked too George Clinton, a man who knows and has done so much for funk. George told me how much he liked Around the World in a Day. You know how much more his words meant than those from some mamma-jamma wearing glasses and an alligator shirt behind a typewriter?

What picture were you painting with 'Around the World in a Day'?

[Laughs] I've heard some people say that I'm not talking about anything on this record. And what a lot of other people get wrong about the record is that I'm not trying to be this great visionary wizard. Paisley Park is in everybody's heart. It's not just something that I have the keys to. I was trying to say something about looking inside oneself to find perfection. Perfection is in everyone. Nobody's perfect, but they can be. We may never reach that, but it's better to strive than not.

Does it bother you when people say you're going back in time with 'Around the World in a Day'?

No. What they say is that the Beatles are the influence. The influence wasn't the Beatles. They were great for what they did, but I don't know how that would hang today. The cover art came about because I thought people were tired of looking at me. Who wants another picture of him? I would only want so many pictures of my woman, then I would want the real thing. What would be a little more happening than just another picture [laughs] would be if there was some way I could materialize in people's cribs when they play the record.

How do you feel about people calling the record "psychedelic"?

I don't mind that, because that was the only period in recent history that delivered songs and colors. Led Zeppelin, for example, would make you feel differently on each song.

Does you fame affect your work?

A lot of people think it does, but it doesn't at all. I think the smartest thing I ever did was record Around the World in a Day right after I finished Purple Rain. I didn't wait to see what would happen with Purple Rain. That's why the two albums sound completely different. People think, "Oh, the new album isn't half as powerful as Purple Rain or 1999." You know how easy it would have been to open Around the World in a Day with the guitar solo that's on the end of "Let's Go Crazy"? You know how easy it would have been to just put it in a different key? That would have shut everybody up who said an album wasn't half as powerful. I don't want to make an album like the earlier ones. Wouldn't it be cool to be able to put your albums back to back and not get bored, you dig? I don't know how many people can play all their albums back to back with each one going to different cities.

nyse said:

^^^^^ Indeed, as i listen back to this album now. Every song is very cohesive to the other. And its a very well built and ambitious project. probably his most eclectic along with parade. This atwiad/parade era really solidified the kid as a artist not just a funky brother who can make some amazing hits. Funny how i am totally contradicting myself but upon another listen i found a new love for this album. also on this album he 1st explored middle eastern sound in which he alway incorporated throughout his career. and thx oldfriend for always dropping some real good point of views that i can really dig

Before I even know what Prince said in interviews about the album I felt that.
When I looked at the painting on the outside and then looked at the painting on the inside.
The lyrics and their individual fonts. Then the single arts pieces and the specific Bsides which go hand in hand with the A side. There is no way I can't see how powerful and important and person the album was to Prince.
Purple Rain was Prince, the Revolution, Sheila E etc getting fame, going to Hollywood, being out in the happening places day or night going out to the world. Around the World in a Day, is the memoirs after they've come home, hanging out at Prince's house or the studio, riding around Minniapolis, or home alone letting the previous experiences wash over them as they talk aout it, feel it, share it.

Around A World in a Day goes hand in hand with Purple Rain. She's Always In My Hair, Girl, Hello and even 4 the Tears In Your Eyes