Prince basically picks up where "around the world in a day" left off (in my opinion). But that's a good thing. The theme evolves around France and incorporates french instruments, french speaking women and 2 songs with a french title.
1 thing 4 sure is that the songs are relatively short and most run into each other giving u that movie feel without having 2 look @ 1.
4 some reason, I immediately took 2 this album upon its release even though i didnt care much 4 "Around the world in a day" when it was released. And listening 2 them both now they dont really sound too far apart.
I think what grabbed me the most is that we were presented with a unique packaging. Everything was presented in black and white, Prince changes his image AGAIN!, and starts wearing suits????
And the first single "Kiss" was slammin. and basically took over radio that spring of '86.
Now the movie that was made 2 accompany it.......that's a different story. The story goes that he wrote this movie in his spare time in between recording and touring. The movie started production and somewhere in the middle the original director walked off the set describing Prince as egotistical, and very hard 2 get along with, so what else is a man 2 do....pick up the directors chair and do it himself. Uhhhhhh maybe that wasn't a good thing. Prince has worn various hats throughout his career and most successful, but this proved he cannot hold everything down like he thought. Totally slammed upon its release, and the winner of various "Raspberry Awards" the movie went no where, while the soundtrack soared to # 1. (What a balance huh?)
4 me personally, I do like the movie only because its something that i grew up with as a child, the music is a good companion 2 most of the scenes in the movie, and i like the fact that it was just a fun, silly movie. Even though Prince may have had intentions on making this very serious, it isn't. And It gives us good insight that he and Jerome Benton( his co-star) can be silly as the next man, and just live life and have fun while doin it. And i like that aspect of it.
The song "Kiss" still recieves heavy airplay 2 this day and occasionally you'll hear "Girls and Boys" Overall making it a conceptual album, but alot of fun and enjoyable for its time.
Standouts here...My personal fav jam "Anothaloverholenyohead", "Mountains", Sometimes it snows in April",and "Kiss" of course
(NOTE: The video 4 Kiss only featured him and Wendy and a young lady which was rumoured at the time 2 be Vanity, but who could hardly tell because during the whole video she wore a dark vale and sunglasses. but it's not her we later find out, Also Prince totally extends his band to full lengths by this time adding 2 horn players, another guitarist, and 3 security dancers on stage, making the tour a full fledge revue show- this was one of his best tours in my opinion- I was there!!!! : )
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION/ AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY 1985
Expecting Purple Rain Part two. Not in this case. Prince does what only Prince can do in this situation. Sell over 4 million on album #6, and turn around the following year and release an album that is totally left field, change his image AGAIN!, and still make the album go platinum( well, not immediately, but as of this time it is platinum)
Prince develops an album reminisant of a Beatles 60's style, while still maintaing some funk and unique arrangements. I remember as a child, because i became a fan around 11 years old or so, my dad gave me the album, because i was spoiled, and all i had 2 do was ask 4 it : )
I didnt care 4 it much then, cuz of course....i was a kid. Hip-Hop was strong in 85, times were changing, things were changing, and apparently Prince was too. I even thought something was terribly wrong with my album the first few times i dropped the needle on "America" and the intro seemed warped. But i discovered later that, that is his genius. Doing something that hasnt been done before.
I distinctly remember my uncles playing the LP at the time and praising how good it was, and singing along. As time grew on i started digging it more and more. So yeah, it eventually grew on me. And now since i'm older, I totally understand it being ahead of its time and i caught up with it.
The cover artwork is unique, it's a painting, circus-like showing The Revolution members in gothic and clown apparel in an open landscape. A little boy flies in the clouds with a very huge balloon with the albums name in psychadelic print inside where u can barely understand it.
On the original album there is a huge yellow ladder that extends straight up the gatefold of it.
Prince used this analogy to propose 2 the world that he was tired of performing and recording and that he was going 2 stop everything and use the remainder of his life 2 "look 4 the ladder" in various interviews @ that time. He even composed a song with his father on the LP called "The Ladder', which is one of the strongest tracks on the album.
And of course, he reigns supreme on some strong B-sides again opposing the singles "Raspberry Beret" b/w "She's always in my hair" which he still 2 this day performs in concert. And 4 us Prince-heads there was "Hello", the back of the "Pop Life" single. And one rarity on a 12" @ that time the "America" song which appears on the album as a 3:42 song is stretched out to almost 23 minutes of music if u bought the extended version @ that time. A little long and drawn out, but irresistable at the same time, it becomes creative in a lot of parts of the song.
So all and all it is a very unique album, and definitely holds its place as groundbreaking at that time, and still sounds fresh 2 this day.
And as of that "Retirement announcement".....well we know that never happened because he was back 2 work the following year not only with another album, but also a movie starring and directed by him. What kind of retirement is that???
Standouts here are..."Pop Life", "The ladder", and "Raspberry Beret" (NOTE: Raspberry Beret was the only video made 4 this album even though there were 3 singles. There was a video made 4 the song "America" but it was actually a live performance promoting the song overseas)
Prince develops an album reminisant of a Beatles 60's style, while still maintaing some funk and unique arrangements. I remember as a child, because i became a fan around 11 years old or so, my dad gave me the album, because i was spoiled, and all i had 2 do was ask 4 it : )
I didnt care 4 it much then, cuz of course....i was a kid. Hip-Hop was strong in 85, times were changing, things were changing, and apparently Prince was too. I even thought something was terribly wrong with my album the first few times i dropped the needle on "America" and the intro seemed warped. But i discovered later that, that is his genius. Doing something that hasnt been done before.
I distinctly remember my uncles playing the LP at the time and praising how good it was, and singing along. As time grew on i started digging it more and more. So yeah, it eventually grew on me. And now since i'm older, I totally understand it being ahead of its time and i caught up with it.
The cover artwork is unique, it's a painting, circus-like showing The Revolution members in gothic and clown apparel in an open landscape. A little boy flies in the clouds with a very huge balloon with the albums name in psychadelic print inside where u can barely understand it.
On the original album there is a huge yellow ladder that extends straight up the gatefold of it.
Prince used this analogy to propose 2 the world that he was tired of performing and recording and that he was going 2 stop everything and use the remainder of his life 2 "look 4 the ladder" in various interviews @ that time. He even composed a song with his father on the LP called "The Ladder', which is one of the strongest tracks on the album.
And of course, he reigns supreme on some strong B-sides again opposing the singles "Raspberry Beret" b/w "She's always in my hair" which he still 2 this day performs in concert. And 4 us Prince-heads there was "Hello", the back of the "Pop Life" single. And one rarity on a 12" @ that time the "America" song which appears on the album as a 3:42 song is stretched out to almost 23 minutes of music if u bought the extended version @ that time. A little long and drawn out, but irresistable at the same time, it becomes creative in a lot of parts of the song.
So all and all it is a very unique album, and definitely holds its place as groundbreaking at that time, and still sounds fresh 2 this day.
And as of that "Retirement announcement".....well we know that never happened because he was back 2 work the following year not only with another album, but also a movie starring and directed by him. What kind of retirement is that???
Standouts here are..."Pop Life", "The ladder", and "Raspberry Beret" (NOTE: Raspberry Beret was the only video made 4 this album even though there were 3 singles. There was a video made 4 the song "America" but it was actually a live performance promoting the song overseas)
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