Hi,

I was wondering how those, who are a bit older, felt with the release of Around the World in a Day in April 1985.

After the massive selling Purple Rain, how did you feel about the different musical style of Around the World album?

Were you disappointed that it wasn't a sequel of Purple Rain in that the music wasn't a continuation of it, or was there interest and joy at him trying something different.

I was 14 when ATWIAD was released and I would agree with the descriptive 'mind-bender' I've seen used. I'm certain I was looking for a Purple Rain 2, musically. When I heard 'Love and Sex' from PR Deluxe, I felt like - yep, THAT'S what I was looking for in 1985.

I was 14 when it was released, and "Purple Rain" - the album that brought Prince's music into my life - had been on almost constant rotation on my Walkman for the previous year. Back then, there seemed to be very little hype, and albums almost snuck out. ATWIAD was one such record and with very little fanfare, there it was in the shops, along with a competition to win a white "cloud" guitar (I didn't win.)

I remember listening to the album a lot, and a few tracks instantly grabbed me - the title track, Paisley Park, Raspberry Beret, and America were the instant hits for me - but much of the rest left me cold. The ending of "Temptation" really spoiled it for me and usually found me hitting the stop button, fast-forwarding, then flipping the tape back to side one. Some of the other tracks grew on me, but it felt a bit too odd, and I put it back on my cassette shelf where it lay almost untouched for several months.

Skip to the next springtime. I was doing homework from school and wanted to put something on that wouldn't really distract me, and that I wouldn't feel the urge to sing along to or leap around the room like a maniac, and I put ATWIAD on as background music. Somehow, it just clicked, and the school work took a back seat. Okay, so I still wasn't keen on the conversation with God at the end of "Temptation" - it still made me cringe, and if my parents walked past the door when that bit was on they asked what on earth I was listening to, and shook their heads - but the rest of it suddenly worked, and from then on my love of the album just grew and grew. Now it's my fifth favourite of his albums. I think that releasing an album that sounded so different to its predecessor was an absolute masterstroke.

I remember riding my bike about 5 miles to our local mall (and 5 miles back) to get the LP of this when it came out. I was 13! If I was smart, I would've gotten the cassette to put in my pocket, instead of the LP to manage on 10-speed bike LOL.

First impressions, remembered decades later . . .

I remember being disappointed that the "purple trenchcoat" era was over. After 3 albums, you kind of get used to it.

The music: absolutely loved most of the album at first listen. The only song that I'm still lukewarm about is Condition Of The Heart, but was also not sure about Tambourine at the time.

As someone above wrote, it's not that different from Purple Rain when you look back. It just felt that way at the time. Over the years, Prince even performed Take Me With U/Raspberry Beret as a seamless medley.

This was Prince's first album that felt "less than" the previous one. Dirty Mind/Controversy/1999/PR all built on the one before and were arguably better. ATWIAD is not better than PR, but I get what Prince was going after.

It was like a "quicky"

Then, 'Parade' came out a year later and i discovered THE 12" SINGLE

i had to back order all those singles that i had missed before '86 and still think the ones from ATWIAD were the best run of 12"s

That's when i was "all in".

Ha!

I knew he was a badass after Purple Rain.

What was I looking for...? Something. Anything more from him that was just as good. It didn't matter what it sounded like. My world was turned upside down with Purple Rain and I went and bought all the old stuff that I could find. Looking at the liner notes and seeing who did the tracks, some of the hardest shit on the album was all done by Prince himself(Beautiful Ones, Darling Nikki, When Doves Cry) and he damn sure was overseeing all of the guitar and everything. I'm thinking...this dude Prince is unreal! Like I said, I go back and buy all the old shit from whatever record store. This dude Prince is doing all of his shit! He doesn't need anybody for ANYTHING! The only time he needs people is when he's on tour to play shit that he can't by himself. I saw the Rolling Stone magazine article that had him from the Raspberry Beret video; the interviewer...Kurt Loder maybe talked about the new album, some of it being psychedelic. Psychedelic? I had to look it up in the dictionary... I was getting into Jimi Hendrix around that same time, absolutely blown away by these innovator, trend setter, black guys(Jimi, Prince) who created this mind-melting rock music. My musical journey has been great to say the least through the years but I digress...

Anyway, I buy the album.

First track...sounds weird as hell. Otherworldly...funky...this Prince dude ain't no joke..."Say Papa...I think I wanna dance!"

Second track...Paisley Park...interesting guitar...I know Prince did all of that! Okay! Let's see what else.

Third track...UH-OH...all Prince! Boom! Drums. Piano. Keyboards. Rush of percussion/cymbal. Haunting. Little twinkling of the guitar here and there. THIS IS FUCKING MUSIC! This song is exactly what's in my soul. "Oooh ooh. Hoo...hoo..." Keyboard. Raspy voice. Lyrics. First verse ends. Boom of the drums. Second verse. How does he get his voice to do that? Listen to this..."Now isn't that a shame that sometimes money buys you everything AND NOTHING! Love it only seems to buy a terminal condition of the heart." Whoa! "Thinking about you driving me crazy..Oooh! ... I'm blinded by the daisies in your yarrrrrrd." Voice builds later on, several voices..."OHHHH!" Sad. "She never answered back and now...he'sssssssssss...he, he'ssss...got a condition...of the heart." Keyboard. Drums. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

Damn, this dude!

Fourth track...Raspberry Beret. We all know that one. I got the extended version.

Fifth track...Tambourine...sounds different. Not commercial. Funky. Interesting.

Sixth track...America...take the America the Beautiful song or whatever. Rock and funk it up...drop some killer verses about people. Favorite line..."Now Jimmy live on a mushroom cloud! America!"

Seventh Track...this is from memory cause I lost my copy of the album and need to go back and buy it and I will. I think it's Pop Life? Funky. Weird. Keyboard. Talking from somewhere. Deep lyrics about drugs. Damn, if I knew this shit would be prophetic later...Song stops and some high school gym basketball or sports shit? Back to the song...I think it ends again with the talk/sports interlude shit.

This Prince dude is definitely unique as fuck!

The Ladder...hmmmn...stirring gospelly...I don't exactly love it. I've been to church before. So, I know the sounds. I listen. Decent story. His voice sounds cool singing it. Some of the notes he hits here and there give me chills. Hmmn. "What's the use..?"

This dude...

Last track...Temptation...he knows how to get a party started. Prince is really into the track. Heavy guitar. I like that! I think there's saxophone on it that I don't care for. Then...the guitar shimmer or whatever you call it, which is awesome, into the "talk with God, regrets about sexual obsession". It ends. Album over.

Different guy, this Prince. I'm NEVER bored with this dude. So, it continues. I'm wondering if he's got anything else in the vault like the stuff he's already put out!

If he doesn't...damn it Estate, I STILL WANT THE UNDERTAKER ON CD or download! This year! This month!

Peace...

I loved it almost as much as PR at the time. Was really my first experience with an artist who could just keep constantly transforming. The more pretentious stuff on it didn't bother me, because at 13 that stuff really helped me expand my sense of the world (or at least of music's possibililties).

I got the cassette in I think 1989 not quite sure as I don't remember all too well in what order I got his back catalogue after becoming a fan in 1988.

But I do remember loving that cassette and the only track I thought was absolute shit was CONDITION OF THE HEART but that was just my young self not being able to make sense of it and later I came to love it with a passion uncontested

AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY was a great start to the tape and I remember that AMERICA being the first song on side B made me think "oh shit the tape got caught in my walkman" the first few times actually, not just the very first time

I loved it.

Here's the thing: I had all of Prince's albums up to that point - so I was totally used to him taking me somewhere different every time. In fact, as much as I loved the phenomenon of Purple Rain, I felt like he'd gone back to making albums for me.

I remember hearing random songs on the radio when it was released. Really liked Paisley Park, Raspberry Beret, and Pop Life (of course) from day 1. The others grew on me...especially Condition of the Heart. I didn't buy it right away as I taped most of it from the radio (I was a broke 15 y/o) . Most of my friends who loved PR hated the new stuff.

It is also THE album tho that solidified my love for his music AND not give a shit what anyone said about music I loved. It certainly was better than the hair metal crap that was popular at the time.

Btw, the end of Temptation never grew on me...I remember when I finally bought the cassette, I re-recorded it on my old tape and cut off the ending.

i might have thought it was kinda lame .. i was so excited to hear the new raspberry beret single on the radio and it was no lets go crazy computer blue guitar scorcher .. it got over barely on it being prince .. when i got the tape i was also disappointed as america seemed like a cop out on coming up with his own lyrics or chorus anyway .. temptation was just wierd . i loved pop life .. around the world was kinda boring .. tamborine was super cool ... after that i heard someone else playing condition of the heart on a stereo and wondered why i hand.t noticed it before as a classic and eventually the whole album grew on me except the title track and temptation is ok but still fun .. i really liked the badass no fear intensity of 1999 and purple rain and this seemed a lot less dark and tortured at the time .. it really didnt take me long to love it tho .. since parade is a movie soundtrack, i wish they would put out around the world deluxe next .. still in the golden zone .. nary a cringe

My first impression was 'Prince discovered the finger cymbals (or whatever they're called)!!!!' It was a complete turnaround from what PR sounded like and I loved it from the first listening. The title song was Prince telling us to just let go of the mundane things and enjoy life. Paisley Park was Prince calling us all to come and join him at the 'Park'. Never heard anything like Condition Of The Heart before and it was mind blowing. He ended the album with his cryptic message that he was going away and didn't know when he'd be back- that was upsetting to myself and a couple of my friends who were into Prince then. We weren't sure what he meant by that. Overall it's an album that I play when I want to feel happy in my soul.

LILpoundCAKE said:

I was 14 when the album came out. My brother was the bigger Prince fan previously to the release of the album but this album changed that. When the album came out, I was in the midst of immersing myself into sixties music, so I loved it. Still rank it as my favorite Prince album.

That first track hit and I was like "This is some weird shit, and I dig it!". I was 14 at the time. Tambourine was incredible. Condition of the Heart, heartbreaking. Temptation, especially the God part, was just the reason I loved his music. Nobody else made songs like that.

-

I was sixteen when I discoverd the song ''1999'', and it took me some months to get my hands on an import of the album.

And then there was the mind blowing ''Purple Rain'', I was 20.

Then '' Around The World In A Day'' came quite fast after ''Purple rain'', and I wasn't dissapointed at all.

(In the meantime I also got my hands on the (import) albums ''Controversy'' and ''Dirty Mind.'' Not all Prince albums were easy to find in Belgium at the time.)

ATWIAD was a big suprised. Loved the artwork and the way the album was executed.

I was very amused with it all, but felt a bit scared when he sang the last words :

-

(...)

"You don't, now die"
No, no
Let me go, let me go
I'm sorry
I'll be good
This time I promise
Love is more important than sex
Now I understand
I have to go now
I don't know when I'll return
Goodbye''

-

... I was very young, romantic, and took it all quite literally.

Everytime I listen to that album, I somehow remember how I had that feeling.

And yes, it took me a while to get into that album.

But it was a challenge that made me understand that Prince was a guy who had

much more to offe than ''1999'', ''When Doves Cry'' or ''Paisley Park''.

-

Smillan said:

Hi,

I was wondering how those, who are a bit older, felt with the release of Around the World in a Day in April 1985.

After the massive selling Purple Rain, how did you feel about the different musical style of Around the World In A Day album?

Were you disappointed that it wasn't a sequel of Purple Rain in that the music wasn't a continuation of it, or was there interest and joy at him trying something different?

We were still coming off the fumes of Purple Rain. "I Would Die 4 U" (and often "Baby I'm A Star") were on radio around Christmas and into the new year.

I remember being disappointed with the album. I ran out to buy it, and played it in the car with a friend who casually appreciated Prince. We were 16 years old, driving home. I kept thinking, "just get to 'Raspberry Beret,' please." I was embarrassed by it.

It was fluffy compared to PR. "Condition of the Heart" was long and annoying, the last half of "Temptation" felt embarrassing, "Tambourine" was half-assed. This is how I felt at the time. It took me a long time to really engage with the record. I loved the artwork, the videos. But I was much more engaged with Parade. I loved everything about it and was obsessed with it. Around the World In A Day was lost in the wake of Parade. They're sister albums in a lot of ways, although ATWIAD used the Purple Rain blueprint, almost song for song (much the way The Gold Experience would later, but in a longer verison). So in a way, it felt like a segue album, between two more distinct periods.

In hindsight, I love the album much more. It has a charm to it, a purposeful left turn as it were, a reason for doing what it does. Despite using the blueprint of PR, it does sidestep a lot of the basic tropes used on PR. I think Prince wanted to get as far away from PR as MJ did with Thriller or Madonna did for Like A Virgin. And Around The World In A Day certainly achieved that.

I had been a fan all the way back to "I Wanna Be Your Lover" so I wasn't one of those new "Little Red Corvette" or "Purple Rain" fans that could just hear his new album, not like it, and then drop his ass afterwards. I had experienced and loved all those previous albums and his protegee's albums when they were released and had felt the progression from extremely modern souding to futuristic sounding so I was extremely pissed when I heard "Around The World In A Day" and said...."What the hell is this hippie sounding shit?"

.

Oh honey, shit, I cussed his little ass for everything he was worth and when I got finished cussing about his ass, then I started cussing about the new pop/rock fans. I was like.... "Dammitt, I knew once he crossed over and got those damn pop/rock fans, he would weaken his sound trying to please their asses. They always do. I guess he'll be another fucking Lionel Richie now."..... Then I looked around and those pop/rock fans were cussing just as hard as us funk fans. Then I realized he had not sold out because hell, he pissed everybody off. That part pleased me and I thought to myself.... "OK, let those sales drop off and when that little bitch gets hungry enough, he'll snap his little ass back real quick."..... Then "Parade" came out and he was even further out there. I cussed that one even more.... "Dammitt, you made too damn much money off of Purple Rain because you're not hungry enough yet to snap back!". With "Sign O The Times", the same thing and my reaction was the same with the rest of the albums of the 1980s. When a new decade arrived, I gave up and said.... "That bitch is gone now. It's a new decade now and even if he did snap back, styles in general by everyone else have changed now and it wouldn't sell.".

.

Even though I cussed them, I did love the late 1980s albums but was still disappointed with each of them when they were released because I would have preferred his old self. It's because of those late 1980s albums that I was exposed to more than just ordinary funk/rock and those albums are what expanded my tastes and made me go back and explore other genres and previous decades such as the 1960s.....but only after shit hop took over mainstream R&B and I had no choice but to either lower my standards, sell out, and adapt to shit hop or go a different route altogether and explore other genres and previous decades. Well, Andy is a stubborn bitch that don't sell out so you know the route I took. I did the house music thing for a while and when that died down, I went back and milked the 1970s for all they were worth and I've recently gone back even further to the 1960s and have been milking them. I've gotten into The Beatles recently, especially the later Beatles albums and have been loving them. It's because of "Around The World In A Day" that I even gave those Beatles albums the time of day to consider listening to them.

.

Do I still wish Prince had continued his previous sound instead of releasing "Around The World In A Day" in 1985 even though I love the album? Hell yeah! Honey, he should have milked that signature, cold, futuristic Minneapolis Sound until the end of the 1980s. When the new decade, the 1990s arrived, "Around The World In A Day", "Parade", "Sign O The Times", "The Black Album", and "Lovesexy" would have absolutely blown my mind from first listen if they had been released in that decade instead. But when you're on a roll honey and the party is going on strong, don't change it up until the style goes down in general and then you have to change it up.

This is the first album of his I bought on day of release. I didn't think twice about it. I loved it from first listen. Wasn't until much later when I read a review stating how different it was from Purple Rain that I thought, hmm, yeah it is different.

I share similar memories most everyone else here has described. I really wanted more Purple Rain and I was dissapointed it didn't have the same synth and Linn like the last 3 records. I expected the whole paisley retro theme, and the cover really helped prepare me befoe the needle dropped, but I did find some of it corny and that was the first time Prince didn't seem 100% cool. I'd never recognize the corniness.

It also felt like a lot of filler that I wanted to like more than I did. I kind of forcd myself to like some of it, but then I also really got what he was trying to do, and I think it must have influenced my tastes broadening. I loved the title track instantly and couldn't stop listening to it, and songs like Paisley Park were instant classics that really captured my imagination. Raspberry Beret was okay but it didn't have any edge to it so I went back and forth to loving it and tolerating it. I also still wished we'd get more minimal Prince with weird sounds, though in retrospect a lot of it's there. I remember thinking America was the closest to that Purple Rain style but it really wasn't so I was kind of forcing myself again. I listened to Parade a lot lot lot lot more.

Smillan said:

Hi,

I was wondering how those, who are a bit older, felt with the release of Around the World in a Day in April 1985.

After the massive selling Purple Rain, how did you feel about the different musical style of Around the World album?

Were you disappointed that it wasn't a sequel of Purple Rain in that the music wasn't a continuation of it, or was there interest and joy at him trying something different.

When he said in 1982 "We need a purple high" I was constantly on a high from 1982-1985. And I can still remember the night I picked it up. Yes it was a hi. Did I expect the sounds of ATWIAD? No. But I was drawn in just the same. First being sucked into the paintings, and the lyrics/lyric fonts, credits, back to the paintings. And getting home that night, and putting the needle down and hearing those flutes and the screech. I was on a high from Around the World in a Day to Temptation. I wanted more, more... then with the expectation 1999 and Purple Rain gave, I knew extended versions and B sides were coming and couldn't wait. trying to figure out which song was an extended version...
.

And for some reason, my brothers and I and another friend who came over to listen, we all compared each song to how it connected to a Purple Rain song. And we assumed a movie was going to accompany.

.

I've always said, Around the World ina Day is more connected to Purple Rain.
Purple Rain for me, feels like life lived out in the world, on the city/country streets/roads, in the clubs in someones swanky studio apt. But ATWIAD feels like coming home from being out in the world and recapping the experience, hanging out with those that went abroad with him and eating Doritos and messing around with instruments, painting, fooling around

.

ATWIAD is always in my top 5, and usually #1. It's the album I so want outtakes from. I mean outtakes as in "This song was intended/created for ATWIAD"

.

What I was disappointed with is that Dance Electric wasn't released by Prince & the Revolution on ATWIAD.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Smillan said:

Hi,

I was wondering how those, who are a bit older, felt with the release of Around the World in a Day in April 1985.

After the massive selling Purple Rain, how did you feel about the different musical style of Around the World album?

Were you disappointed that it wasn't a sequel of Purple Rain in that the music wasn't a continuation of it, or was there interest and joy at him trying something different.

When he said in 1982 "We need a purple high" I was constantly on a high from 1982-1985. And I can still remember the night I picked it up. Yes it was a hi. Did I expect the sounds of ATWIAD? No. But I was drawn in just the same. First being sucked into the paintings, and the lyrics/lyric fonts, credits, back to the paintings. And getting home that night, and putting the needle down and hearing those flutes and the screech. I was on a high from Around the World in a Day to Temptation. I wanted more, more... then with the expectation 1999 and Purple Rain gave, I knew extended versions and B sides were coming and couldn't wait. trying to figure out which song was an extended version...
.

And for some reason, my brothers and I and another friend who came over to listen, we all compared each song to how it connected to a Purple Rain song. And we assumed a movie was going to accompany.

.

I've always said, Around the World ina Day is more connected to Purple Rain.
Purple Rain for me, feels like life lived out in the world, on the city/country streets/roads, in the clubs in someones swanky studio apt. But ATWIAD feels like coming home from being out in the world and recapping the experience, hanging out with those that went abroad with him and eating Doritos and messing around with instruments, painting, fooling around

.

ATWIAD is always in my top 5, and usually #1. It's the album I so want outtakes from. I mean outtakes as in "This song was intended/created for ATWIAD"

.

What I was disappointed with is that Dance Electric wasn't released by Prince & the Revolution on ATWIAD.

I was disappointed with "Around The World In A Day" but I was instantly pleased with the B Sides, "She's Always In My Hair" and "Hello". Those two felt like the Prince I was used to. I didn't care too much for "Girl" though which felt kind of bland.

.

As for "The Dance Electric", it would have stuck out like a sore thumb on "Around The World In A Day" with it's hippie vibe because it had that futuristic "Old Prince" sound. I always felt that instead of releasing "Take Me With U" as a single which had "Baby I'm A Star" as the B Side instead of a non-album track, he should have released the long version of "Computer Blue" as a 12 Inch with "The Dance Electric" as the B Side. That would have been hot since he had just recently referenced it at the end of the song "God".

I remember liking it but not as much as I wanted to - like another poster wrote.

When 1999 dropped, I instantly became a huge fan and then sought out his back catalog to where Dirty Mind and Controversy grabbed my attention. "For You" and "Prince" not so much, even though flashes of them broke through for me. Purple Rain obviously blew me away along with everyone else.

ATWIAD was...interesting I guess but felt a little too "try hard".

As if Prince were intentionally trying to adapt a style that would blindside his fans (which he WAS) and my main takeaway was that he was obviously brilliant but that other musicians can do and had done this sort of thing better (The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Jimi, Peter Gabriel, Sly Stone, Santana). I thought the attempted blending of styles wasn't fully realized and often felt derivative and was sort of a forced fit.

When I heard "She's Always in my Hair", I wondered why THAT FUCKER wasn't on the album and the lead single. When I heard "Girl", I thought that felt more original and natural and believed that should be on the record too instead of CoTH, which I've never liked. Prince went on to do experimental psychadelic songs later on that I think were much better when he was aiming to do something unexpected or outside the box (I Wonder U, There's Others Here With Us, Hallucination Rain, The Future, Colonized Mind, Wasted Kisses, Judas Smile). I could name a bunch.

Songs that are still kind of..."trippy" but still fit into his sound instead of him fitting HIS sound into them or what he thinks people on acid would want to listen to. Could probably make my own kick ass "Weird Prince Songs" album that would work quite well.

Just adding sitars, flutes and finger symbols to your sound doesn't make it psychedelic, successful or challenging though, and the album has too many moments where it drags and, again, just seem forced - almost corny. The god voice interlude just comes off as dumb.

I still played the hell out of it back then but don't pull it out much nor do I think it's one of his better records.

I think Parade was a much more realized attempt for him at attempting a "trippy" sound because it didn't fucking sound like anything else.

[Edited 1/15/21 7:48am]

TrivialPursuit said:

Smillan said:

Hi,

I was wondering how those, who are a bit older, felt with the release of Around the World in a Day in April 1985.

After the massive selling Purple Rain, how did you feel about the different musical style of Around the World In A Day album?

Were you disappointed that it wasn't a sequel of Purple Rain in that the music wasn't a continuation of it, or was there interest and joy at him trying something different?

But I was much more engaged with Parade. I loved everything about it and was obsessed with it. Around the World In A Day was lost in the wake of Parade. They're sister albums in a lot of ways, although ATWIAD used the Purple Rain blueprint, almost song for song (much the way The Gold Experience would later, but in a longer verison). So in a way, it felt like a segue album, between two more distinct periods.

In hindsight, I love the album much more. It has a charm to it, a purposeful left turn as it were, a reason for doing what it does. Despite using the blueprint of PR, it does sidestep a lot of the basic tropes used on PR. I think Prince wanted to get as far away from PR as MJ did with Thriller or Madonna did for Like A Virgin. And Around The World In A Day certainly achieved that.

This is well put.

ATWIAD was Prince trying to sound psychedelic and experimental. Parade was Prince being psychedelic and experimental. But how do you think ATWIAD used "the Purple Rain blueprint?" I don't see that at all so I'm curious. You mean in terms of pacing?

I tend to think of Parade and this one as connected myself and I'm not sure why. They're not companion albums and they sound totally different but it's more of...a progression...I guess? I'd throw Lovesexy in there as well as far as Prince trying to fully realize shit in his head.

That was a good post though TP.

RODSERLING said:

ATWIAD is not so different from PR.

I think it's VERY different. Most people do, in fact, and many folks jumped off the bandwagon when it came out. Prince himself said he said out to MAKe it different on purpose. Your Raspberry Beret/Take Me With U comparison is on point though. I'd never thought about that.

But going through the track list I don't see the strong comparison

Let's Go Crazy = ??? America....maybe? Gonna say no here.
Take Me With U = Raspberry Beret ok
The Beautiful Ones = ?? Condition of the Heart? Why? Just because it's a ballad? Those 2 songs are really different though
Computer Blue = ?? Again, MAYBE America.
Daring Nikki = ?? Paisley Park comes closest I guess
When Doves Cry = ?? Nothing on ATWIAD sounds like this
I Would Die 4 U = ??
Baby I'm a Star = ??
Purple Rain = ?? Closest thing is The Ladder. I suppose. Still no.

Not seeing it. The whole album sounds different to me. And I can tell because I love Purple Rain but can take or leave this record.