I'm listening to 'Around the World in A Day'

Benny Bunter

Benny Bunter

Well-known member
I can't remember any of the songs tbh and I used to own it on vinyl for years.

This was Crowley's defence of it
CrowleyHead said:
I could never call ATWIAD forgettable. "America" is the improved version of his whole slowly developing bullshit politics into a good funk jam. There was a live version from a concert movie (not the Sign of the Times concert movie, but like... I think MTV had it first) where he's extending the jam constantly to stop and then go into this swing jazz vamp before back into the jam, and all he's doing is bandleading, and its SOOO RAW. Beyond that, "Paisley Park" is such a ridiculously dark attempt at psychedelia, "Pop Life" as well and the punishment from god section of "Temptation" at the end is so bizarre. I'm always amazed people think this album is so light? "Condition Of The Heart" is also brilliantly somber, that fake French accent being the only bit of humor and joy. Like, beyond "Rasberry Beret" and "Tambourine" its actually a v. miserable album, which few critics catch up on.

I will holistically cosign the B-Sides. "Irresistable Bitch" is a jam and I think "She's Always In My Hair" is one of my top 10 Prince songs.
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Corpsey

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
America and Pop Life were the ones I liked other than Raspberry beret, and Paisley Park I was warming to even though I gave it 6/10.
 
Corpsey

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
I have a horrible feeling I'll listen to this album later with headphones on and realise it's a masterpiece
 
R

rubberdingyrapids

Well-known member
i like all of it.
but a lot of isnt that consequential and sounds like he didnt put that much effort into it, its a quickie album, apart from:
paisley park, raspberry beret, and pop life.
tambourine is very funky though and funny.
condition of the heart is a great campy ballad.
the ladder is overworked and temptation is a bit of a dud but its fun.

the production on almost all 80s prince is thin and weird but thats cos he preferred using highly inexperienced engineers and recording in warehouses or at home a lot of the time. more than that though he just didnt like spending much time on recording AFAIK. he wanted it done quickly so he could move on to the next thing. the problem is, when he did really make an effort with the production (eg diamonds and pearls), it can sound too slick and polished.

this is a quickie album though. so was parade. princes career is full of quickie albums (the ones from the 70s/80s that arent i think are for you, dirty mind, purple rain, SOTT, i suppose 1999 isnt either actually, but its def not all tight pop songs, everything apart from the hits is about 6-7 mins lol). sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. but you get used to it if you like him.
 
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Corpsey

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
I might listen to every single one (up to his crap period) and give them the facile kneejerk treatment too -- only I'll be a lot more positive, I know for a fact I really like Dirty Mind and Parade e.g.

The word camp there, that's something I don't enjoy much in music, as far as I remember -- anything camp or ironic or arch, bit of a turn off to me

But then actually I like the smiths and that's on paper all like that. But musically it's romantic.
 
C

CrowleyHead

Well-known member
Dirty Mind is easily his worst album. It reveals a true perversity in a lot of music fans that when they want to approach Prince 'objectively' they cite that as the one.

Benny B said:
Don't worry, literally everyone in the world thinks this album is mediocre apart from crowley
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I can't help that I have better comprehension of Prince than 99% of people (his fans included!)
 
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