Around the World in a Day is Prince’s seventh album, and second with The Revolution (even though the band had played on some of his other records without their band name appearing in the title). It was released in 1985 jointly with Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. It is the first album Prince released after Purple Rain, and the artist went in a new direction with the music, some of which could be categorized as “acid pop/rock” or “psychedelic”. It is an album of experimentation that features many different styles and sounds of music.
It is noted that this album did not receive the same level of promotion as Purple Rain. Despite this fact, for whatever reason, the album went double platinum and was number one on the Billboard 200. Two singles “Raspberry Beret” and “Pop Life” made the Billboard Hot 100.
The album cover was painted by visual artist Doug Henders. The artwork shows a number of individuals with different styles, but through expressionism it can be inferred that each character had a reason to visit Paisley Park. It is a running them throughout the album that people should have a space where they can open their minds and find inner peace, which is what Paisley Park represents throughout the album’s lyrics.
As a listener, it is important to approach this album with an open mind. Most of his previous records had songs that were more radio-friendly. The majority of this album does not have a commercial sound. Prince and The Revolution decided to try to find new sounds and they succeeded, but it takes approaching the art with an open mind in order to understand what the music is trying to achieve. One apparent ultimate goal is to invite the listener to not wear their heart on their sleeve and go to Paisley Park to find a cure for damages they feel throughout life.
Around The World In A Day: The song is heavy on the lyrics. It is essentially a recruitment song for anyone to visit Paisley Park (not the physical place in Minnesota but the fictional one in the songs). Prince shows a strong vocal range, and instrumentation standouts are the sounds of the drums and keyboard. There’s a dance break section that features guitar with a funk sound that appears toward the ending of the song in order to make the fictional Paisley Park seem like a more exciting place to be.
Paisley Park: The song has a “acid pop” or “acid pop/rock” quality to the sound. It is also heavy on the lyrics, which is great because it is a well written song like the one on the first track. In his efforts to get people to attend the fictionalized Paisley Park, he uses the lyrics in this song to describe the people who are already there and have overcome their challenges in life. The vocals are excellent with Prince singing the verses and being joined by Wendy and Lisa from The Revolution on the chorus. The instrumentation is a simple drum beat and light electric guitar throughout the entire song.
Condition of the Heart: There is a lengthy section in the beginning that is piano and synthesizer; it is a beautiful, unique sound. I once used a portion of this section as the opening song to a stage play I directed-July 7, 1994 by Donald Margulies. It is another very well-written song. When the lyrics start, Prince is singing over piano chords and synthesizer sounds periodically throughout the song-the instrumentation is simple yet poignant and it places a lot of emphasis on the lyrics that tell the story of how relationships can lead to a condition of the heart. He is singing about himself and some of the visitors at the fictionalized Paisley Park.
Raspberry Beret: This is one of my favorite songs ever. The lyrics feel like something that everyone can relate to. It is a deviation from the abstract sounds of the first three songs, it sounds more like a traditional creation by Prince and The Revolution. The song is about being blindsided by someone’s beauty and character so much that you are willing to try your best to get the person’s attention. It is a relatable love song. It’s got drum machine to give it more of a pop sound, but all of the other instruments that are typically found in Prince and The Revolution’s songs are on display here, and it created one of Prince’s best singles.
Tamborine: The lyrics use the word “tamborine” as a metaphor for male and female genitalia. The song is upbeat and is carried from start to finish with strong sounding drums and some synthesizer here and there. The instrumentation is simpler than some of the other songs, but that just places more emphasis on the lyrics. The song is about having a prospective partner while being in somewhat of a dream state and hoping that the person actually exists in the real world.
America: The song starts out with electric guitar and drum machine. Before the lyrics, Prince is playing the chords for America The Beautiful on electric guitar and it sounds awesome. Once the lyrics kick in it becomes more of a protest song that challenges some of the social issues taking place in America at that time.
Pop Life: The song uses the tempo of the drum machine in much the same ways as Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones would to make it have a strong pop sound. The guitar and piano are standouts in this song. It is also a protest track in some ways, but it also challenges human behavior and how everything that glitters is not gold.
The Ladder: “The Ladder” is my favorite song on the album. It is about the ability of people to acknowledge the beginning of something and its ending. What’s most important is the steps you take in life that occur in the middle of climbing the ladder. The lyrics describe that everyone is looking for the ladder but not everyone is ready to climb. It’s a simple concept in the song, and builds to a point where Prince, Wendy and Lisa sound excellent over a slower sounding production. I think the message of this song is certainly relatable and is a good reminder that achieving what we want in life-be it a relationship or perhaps a career goal-doesn’t happen overnight. Everyone must climb every rung of a ladder to have a successful journey.
Temptation: “Temptation” is one of the wildest songs I’ve ever heard. Everything about it is extra. Later on in Prince’s career he became the self-proclaimed “master of the not too soft, not too loud guitar”. In this song, that is completely not the case. It starts with him whaling on his electric guitar in a frantic manner. First time listeners will have a hard time discovering where the song is going to go. The lyrics and vocals are also over the top. Prince admits that the type of temptation that he is singing about is sexual temptation. The song ends with the voice of God telling him that his desire for the particular person is based on lust and therefore he must die. He shouts “No!” and has a strange epiphany where he is trying to prevent his destruction by telling the truth that love is more important than sex. The entire presentation is…it’s hard to put in words…it’s just out there, very out there!