Around the World in a DAy - Prince & the Revolution (1985)

 


Around the World in a Day was Prince and the Revolution's follow up to the massively popular Purple Rain, one of the highest selling albums of all time. At first, it seems that Prince had started on a sequel to Purple Rain, but when the album and films exploded, far more successfully than even the little guy could have dreamed, he decided that massive fame was not actually what he wanted after all, and shelved the follow-up project, recording Around the World in a Day instead -- an album deliberately designed to dial back his fame somwhat and show listners and critics that he would not be bound to anyone's expectations.

So ARound the World in a Day tended to confound people when it first came out, because people really were expecting something more akin to Purple Rain. But Around The World in a Day is not Purple Rain: instead, Prince took one of the biggest left-turns in rock music history with this album, which took the basic funk, rock and synth-funk fusion he'd pioneered in earlier in the 80s and added Asian exotica and full-on sixties style psychedelic rock to the mix. 

People didn't know what to make of it and at the same time it coincided with some bad press which really wasn't deserved and the darling of 1985 became a hated symbol of ego and rock star attitude in 1985. If there's one thing people hate in rock stars it's attitude: that sounds like an absurd statement  -- isn't rock attitude valued? No, it isn't. People hate it. It ruins careers. Which is sad.

Having said, that AroundThe World in a Day is a still a great album, if not quite as awesome as Purple Rain or Parade, the albums which bookend it. It is truly weird, but most of the songs are excellent, I really enjoy the psychedelic aspect of it, the world-beat influence...In fact, I'd say it was almost as good as Purple Rain except for the last couple songs: "The Ladder", a slightly tepid Purple Rain like number and "Temptation" which woujld be an allright rhythm and blues-rock number except for a ridiculous and embarrassing two minute stretch at the end in which Prince and God (like, God, you know, the creator of the universe) have a conversation. When Prince says "I Do! (repent)", God replies "you Don't, Now die," it's such an absurdly and unintentionally (I think) silly moment that I can remember bursting out in laughter the first time I heard it which is something like 35 years ago. Still...recommended.... just skip that shit at the end.

The big hit on the album is "Raspberry Beret", a stone-cold classic, but I really do like the  first 8 songs very much, though some of it takes time: it's not an unchallenging album, as big hit albums go (and this did hit #1 and sell 2 million in the US alone.

 This below is one of the more challenging songs -- it really approaches classical music. What a musician, listen to that piano!



https://open.spotify.com/album/5FbrTPPlaNSOsChhKUZxcu?si=DiIh8886SSGCqZcjbPjuvg

4/5

I originally had this on cassette which I bought for $3 at the long-defunct Spin Again Record shop in Springfield Missouri. It's never been ruined by remastering so any copy one gets, digital or physical is likely to sound good. And it does sound good.


Coming Up:


A.M. Wilco

A.T.O.M. - Carbon Silicon

ABBA - ABBA 

ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits

Abbey Road - The Beatles

Achtung, Baby! U2

Actually - Pet Shop Boys

Adult/Child- The Beach Boys

Aerosmith's Greatest Hits

After The Gold Rush - Neil Young

Afterglow - Crowded House

Aftermath (UK Version) - The Rolling Stones

Against The Odds: 1974-1982 Blondie (three disc version)

Aimee Mann Live at St. Ann's Warehouse

Aiming For Your Head - Betchadupa

The Album -- ABBA

The Album That Never Was - The Kinks

All Four One - The Motels

All Over the Place - The Bangles

All Summer Long -- The Beach Boys

All the Great Hits -- Diana Ross

All Things Must Pass -- George Harrison

All This Useless Beauty -- Elvis Costello & the Attractions

All-Time Greatest Hits - Neil Diamond

Alluvium -- Eddie Rayner

Almost Blue -- Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Almost Summer - Celebration

Alpha Mike Foxtrot -- Wilco*

The Alphabetchadupa - Betchadupa

Altitude - ALT

American Idiot Green Day*

American Prayer -- The Doors

Amnesiac Radiohead*

And I Feel Fine...The Best of the IRS years (1982-1987) - R.E.M.

Animals - Pink Floyd

Anodyne - Uncle Tupelo

Another Life - Another Life

Another Music in Another Kitchen: The Buzzcocks

Another Side of Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan

Anthology: Diana Ross & The Supremes

Anthology: Smokey Robinson & The Beatles

Anthology 1: The Beatles

Anthology 2: The Beatles

Anthology 3 The Beatles

Anthology: North South, East West - Tim Finn

Apple Venus: Volume One -- XTC

Apollo 18 - They Might Be Giants

The ArchAndroid: Janelle Monae

Are the Village Green Preservation Society -- The Kinks

Are Well-Respected Men - The Kinks

Armed Forces -Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Around the World in a Day - Prince

Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) - The Kinks

At My Piano - Brian Wilson

Autoamerican - Blondie

Automatic for the People - R.E.M.

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