C/D: Prince's "Around the World in a Day"

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wow. now THAT, my friends, is a good post.

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 04:19 (nineteen years ago) link

Hear hear.

ffirehorse (firehorse), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 04:30 (nineteen years ago) link

It was good, but I'd like to grub some credit for the assist.

But what I really came back to the thread to say is: I think that, in to order to more accurately represent his actual bailiwick, fact checking cuz should expand his title to the Brighten-the-Corners deluxe version of "sanity and fact checking cuz."

Ken L (Ken L), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 04:48 (nineteen years ago) link

I remember deciding not to go to the stadium show, people we didn't like terribly much showing up in class the next day with the t-shirts... there was just as much pressure from the true fans on the followup, and when he just danced straight off the page with it and made the issue of topping the previous one a non-issue, it was one of those great moments.

and meanwhile, the 12" mixes & b-sides were killing... "Hello"

maybe it's different if you're going through his albums in hindsight, but this was a pivotal album where he showed everyone he was just going to keep going further, and it was cool, so I have nothing but love for this album

milton parker (Jon L), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 04:48 (nineteen years ago) link

I do prize having all the ATWIAD era 12"s than I do the actual album... they are all quite beautiful.

donut debonair (donut), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 05:10 (nineteen years ago) link

I predict one day that the WB albums will get deluxe editions with the full jamming 12" versions of all his singles on the second disc.

One day.

donut debonair (donut), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 05:10 (nineteen years ago) link

I remember the 12" version of 'america' was something like 25 minutes long... what was the b-side again?

milton parker (Jon L), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 05:29 (nineteen years ago) link

The B-side to "America" was "Girl."

ffirehorse (firehorse), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 05:33 (nineteen years ago) link

I don't know how ATWIAD is more "personal" than his other stuff - and how would you know? and how could you tell from its lyrics?

When is the Little One releasing his 12"'s ?

Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 12:22 (nineteen years ago) link

Who mentioned lyrics?

A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 12:30 (nineteen years ago) link

Why don't you like his lyrics, anyway?

A Viking of Some Note (Andrew Thames), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 12:32 (nineteen years ago) link

Disliking this album is akin to beating babies with pipes.

The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 13:19 (nineteen years ago) link

(ie, I could never do it and it upsets me that other people can and do)

The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 13:20 (nineteen years ago) link

Personal lyrics here:

1. Prince's quest to create an oasis of freedom and peace (Paisley Park) in the mixed-up muddled-up world (title track).

2. His glorification of the beautiful loser, the nerd, the freak, ("Paisley Park" the song, "Condition of the Heart" which is so overheated that you KNOW it's him talking), the black kids who listen to Joni Mitchell and Love.

3. His having to deal with the insanity he's created through fame, through arrogance, through beginning to piss off the music business that has finally embraced him ("Pop Life")

4. His walking away from the sex-crazed persona that America embraced, his trying to understand his religious underpinnings instead of just being flippant about it like before ("Temptation")

5. His backing away from his earlier Reagan-is-great stylings ("America").

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 14:36 (nineteen years ago) link

Classic. I don't get the dislike for the album in this thread; I would take this album over Sign O the Times or Parade anyday.

Vic Funk, Tuesday, 1 March 2005 15:33 (nineteen years ago) link

Hey, there goes my favorite Prince album.

Omar (Omar), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 15:41 (nineteen years ago) link

Matt, I'd accept your finely argued points if the music was stronger. "Temptation" and "Paisley Park" are retreads.

Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 15:48 (nineteen years ago) link

of what? SPECIFIX PLEAZE SOTO

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 15:56 (nineteen years ago) link

"America" - sounds like "Baby I'm A Star," with unspecific lyrics. With the exception of "Sign O'The Times," I'm no fan of Prince-as-Edmund-Burke ("Ronnie, Talk To Russia"), but

"Paisley Park" - I like the calliope. Sounds too much like "Magical Mystery Tour" and "Penny Lane." He did this strawberry-lemonade and tangerine trees shit better on the next album's "Christopher Tracy's Parade" and "Life Can Be So Nice."

Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 16:17 (nineteen years ago) link

"Paisley Park" is a future-funk song and has nothing to do with drugged-out Brit-hippie music-hall wank. Listen to it again and you'll see where I'm going, even if you don't agree. You might have a point about "America" but you didn't complain when he chopped and screwed "Delirious" for "Baby I'm a Star" so you cannot complain about him rocking it up for "America."

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 16:44 (nineteen years ago) link

If I had to make a choice I'd take all of the best tracks from Parade ("Girls and Boys," "Kiss," "Mountains") and/or most of the tracks on Sign o' the Times in preference to Around.

Not that it's not a (really) good album.

Also, I don't think "America" is a turn away from "Reagan-is-great."

These lyrics, for instance:

Communism is just a word
But if the government turn over
It'll be the only word that's heard

That's basically "Keep Ronnie, he's better than those Russkies."

ffirehorse (firehorse), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:12 (nineteen years ago) link

OTM, ffirehorse

Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:18 (nineteen years ago) link

sucks to have taller siblings, but this album's got things the others don't. it's weirder, spacier, further out, totally personal, couldn't care less about pleasing outside the core fan base, which was important coming off the last album

all of which is true, and none of which has anything to do with whether the album is any good or not

"Paisley Park" is a future-funk song and has nothing to do with drugged-out Brit-hippie music-hall wank

like FUCK it doesn't

Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:30 (nineteen years ago) link

Now, now, Matos; swearing will not help you make your point.

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:39 (nineteen years ago) link

haha he's not saying that just to be nasty, he sincerely wants to fuck the taste out of your mouth

j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:40 (nineteen years ago) link

CAN U RELATE?

j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:41 (nineteen years ago) link

blount you're a double-drag fool

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:43 (nineteen years ago) link

"Housequake" had nothing to do w/JB funk
"Do Me Baby" had nothing to do w/sex
Tony M had nothing to do w/commercial desperation
etc.

Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:49 (nineteen years ago) link

Nice job taking me out of context above. My original statement was in relation to Soto saying that "Paisley Park" was a retread of "Penny Lane," which it is not. There is more psychedelic music in the world than just the Beatles, who didn't invent it anyway, ho hum, la de da. Also, nice job doing the reductio ad absurdum tango to make me look like an ass, thanks a bunch.

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:53 (nineteen years ago) link

Tony M had nothing to do w/commercial desperation

fuck you! I had mad skillz!

miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:54 (nineteen years ago) link

"the future" had nothing to do with guy
"delirious" had nothing to do with john candy
"venus de milo" had nothing to do with television
"take me with u" had nothing to do with sophie's choice
"money don't matter 2night" had nothing to do with eddie money
"round and round" had nothing to do with new order
"head" had nothing to do with the monkees

j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:56 (nineteen years ago) link

reading it in context doesn't help any, either, Matt, so if you're trying to say something more than what I quoted, you need to elaborate.

Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:57 (nineteen years ago) link

The beats are all wrong anyway, the Beatles were on the ones and threes, "Paisley Park" is a Sly Stone shuffle thing to my ears.

The idea of "Take Me With U" as the theme song for "Sophie's Choice" is making me really nauseous

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 20:57 (nineteen years ago) link

Matt C. and Milton P. the most on-the-money on this thread (but yeah Matt you don't have to be all anti-rockist and dog the Beatles just to defend atwiad)

All the people that diss it but shot all the people that like it the most off-the-money

Stormy Davis (diamond), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:00 (nineteen years ago) link

didn't he record atwiad pretty much immediately after purple rain, like before purple rain was released even? it seems like i'd heard that

j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:01 (nineteen years ago) link

here's a statement I'll regret making, later, but am only pretty much doing it for (minor) humor value.

Q. How are the Beatles like Jesus?
A. They're just all right, to me.

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:02 (nineteen years ago) link

JB: yes, it's in that Alex Hahn book

MC: so is what you're saying that your not caring that much for the Beatles = that song doesn't ape them in any way? because that's an awful lot what it looks like

Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:06 (nineteen years ago) link

also, when did "drugged-out Brit-hippie music-hall wank" = the Beatles exclusively? no one else said it did.

Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:07 (nineteen years ago) link

i'm pretty sure this was the 2nd record (after Powerslave) I was so excited about I made my mom drive me to the record store to buy it on the day it was released. I wasn't disappointed, I thought it was awesome. The only song I didn't like at the time was "Condition of the HEart", I used to fast-forward the walkman through that one (producing that squeely high-sound, but it wasn't too harsh becuz there weren't no drums on the track) but you know, I was just a kid.

Last time I played the album I loved all of it, although "Temptation" sure does sound goofy.

Stormy Davis (diamond), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:08 (nineteen years ago) link

bet used to show that live clip of "america" alot

j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:10 (nineteen years ago) link

xpost to Matos:

Again, I was responding to Alfred Soto talking about the Beatles.

And, again, I was only making a little joke that occured to me. ("Little" = "Microscopic") I have never heard Lennon/McCartney much in Prince's psychedelia, more like Love and Sly and Beach Boys. But hey I could be wrong, what the fuck.

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:10 (nineteen years ago) link

there's all of those for sure, but the Beatles are certainly in there too. anyone who's listened to classic rock radio (specifically KQRS in Mpls, which Prince listened to as a kid when it was a progressive station) knows it favors the Beatles to Love and the Beach Boys.

Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:12 (nineteen years ago) link

well, yeah, that's true. and I'm not saying he never heard the Beatles. what I AM saying is that I never hear the specific influence of them all that much in Prince songs.

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:13 (nineteen years ago) link

oh, it's there all right

Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:16 (nineteen years ago) link

well okay then, you're the expert

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:16 (nineteen years ago) link

dude, read the Per Nilsen book--Wendy and Lisa and Alan Leeds talk about it very specifically

Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:18 (nineteen years ago) link

YEAH MATT

j blount (papa la bas), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:20 (nineteen years ago) link

I kind of can't see how there isn't a heavy Lennon influence on the song "Paisley Park"; in fact, that's one of the main things that makes it so awesome.

The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:21 (nineteen years ago) link

i still think this album felt pretty ubiquitous when it came out, despite lack of Purple Rain-ian megahit flurry, but maybe that's just cuz I was playing it a ton. and yeah, DB otm upthread when he talks about all the other extended family things coming out at the time. like Sheila E.'s Romance 1600 came out around the same time, and it felt like an extension of this album's aesthetic; "A Love Bizarre" would have fit right in on atwiad

Stormy Davis (diamond), Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:21 (nineteen years ago) link

I like this album, tho yeah I usually skip Condition of the Heart and find America's lyrics to be soooo silly (but what an otherwise great song!). Unjustly maligned, this one is.

Shakey Mo Collier, Tuesday, 1 March 2005 21:22 (nineteen years ago) link

really the only Prince album I've ever heard that I went "uh, why?" was the one a few years ago with the song "Guitar" on it....

ý never promýsed you a Weingarten (San Te), Tuesday, 24 August 2010 22:52 (thirteen years ago) link

I hear the title track and "Paisley Park" and think, well, okay, sitars and finger cymbals and Magical Mystery Tour -- so what?

Gucci Mane hermeneuticist (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 24 August 2010 22:54 (thirteen years ago) link

The A side of this album is brilliant: the first tune is nice intro showcasing how he's changed his game, "Paisley Park" is one his most hearbreakingly beautiful pop songs, the ballad is good in the sort of pathetic-yet-credible way Prince can write ballad, "Raspberry Berret" is plenty fun, and "Tambourine" is a nice little funk workout. But the B side is kinda bad: "America" is musically nice but has dodgy lyrics, "Pop Life" isn't as great a pop song as the ones on side A, and the last two songs are just half-assed, formless attempts to make something "psychedelic". Prince should've just made the 20 minute version of "America" as the entire B side. Or at least replace the last two songs with "Girl" and "She's Always in My Hair". They're not the most perfect Prince songs, but they're certainly better than what's on the album.

Tuomas, Wednesday, 25 August 2010 00:41 (thirteen years ago) link

Yeah: "Girl," "Hello," "She's Always in My Hair" pwn most of the album tracks.

Gucci Mane hermeneuticist (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 25 August 2010 00:46 (thirteen years ago) link

Basically absolutely LOVE "Raspberry Beret" and "Paisley Park". Also quite fond of the title track and "Pop Life". Not quite as keen on the rest.

Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Wednesday, 25 August 2010 21:25 (thirteen years ago) link

honestly i only came around to "parade" as an album this year (before i would always listen to kiss, mountains, and maybe another lover and that's it).

emotional radiohead whatever (Jordan), Wednesday, 25 August 2010 21:32 (thirteen years ago) link

the title track is the only thing I don't like much on "Purple Rain"

O_O

Anyway, great album. I never latched onto Parade as strongly as this one, myself.

ilxor has truly been got at and become an ILXor (ilxor), Wednesday, 25 August 2010 21:36 (thirteen years ago) link

one year passes...

I understand now
love is more important than sex
I have to go now

I don't know when I'll return

goodbye

chupacabra seeds (Abbbottt), Monday, 2 July 2012 21:52 (eleven years ago) link

Prince's worst 80s record?

to welcome jer.fairall, pie is served. (jer.fairall), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 02:57 (eleven years ago) link

way better than Lovesexy imo. i might prefer it to Parade too but i know that's a minority opinion.

abandon al ships (some dude), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 03:00 (eleven years ago) link

temptation is pretty embarrassing

buh, Tuesday, 3 July 2012 03:49 (eleven years ago) link

Anyway, "Paisley Park" and "Raspberry Beret" are fantastic songs because they sound like something The Beatles might have done in 1967.

Let us travel back in time to properly appreciate how wrong this sentiment is.

Naive Teen Idol, Tuesday, 3 July 2012 04:02 (eleven years ago) link

I just heard "Pop Life" somewhere the other week, it made me happy like it usually does. I think most of the detractory commentary above is fair, but for somebody's decade low-point to include "Pop Life," "Raspberry Beret," "Tamborine" and "Condition of the Heart" says more about the decade he had than the actual merits of the album. Even the title track is pretty cool.

something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 04:20 (eleven years ago) link

'raspberry beret' makes my shortlist of the best pop records of all time, easy.

(The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 04:45 (eleven years ago) link

"Temptation" is amazing, imo, always gives me chills

chupacabra seeds (Abbbottt), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 05:01 (eleven years ago) link

i'm hard-pressed to think of any song called 'temptation' that isn't awesome!

(The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 05:11 (eleven years ago) link

I've voiced the identical sentiment about songs w/tambourines in the title!

Race Against Rockism (Myonga Vön Bontee), Tuesday, 3 July 2012 16:28 (eleven years ago) link

five years pass...

Redirecting from this current sidebar: 'The Top' by the Cure: Classic or Dud?

imago— Definitely check out the b-sides from this album: 'She's Always In My Hair' (which is an absolutely classic song, full stop), 'Girl', and 'Hello.' There's also the twenty minute (no, really) version of 'America.'

he doesn't need to be racist about it though. (Austin), Saturday, 19 August 2017 17:43 (six years ago) link

Oh cool!

Yeah this was awesome. Didn't even falter in Side B, although I'm not sure the opener isn't my favourite track

imago, Saturday, 19 August 2017 18:27 (six years ago) link


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