Adam & The Ants Album: “Prince Charming”

At this point Adam and the Ants could do no wrong in 1981. This is their most realized and fun work. Of the ten original songs there's not a wasted note. Each song plays perfectly off the last. In America, the only song I saw a video for was "Prince Charming", but there were other great songs like "Scorpios", "Picasso Visita El Planeta De Los Simios", "Five Guns West", "That Voodoo", "Stand And Deliver", "Mile High Club", "Ant Rap", "Mowhok" and "S.E.X." are also as equally campy and entertaining. This is truly a fun album and no one makes music like this anymore.

The six bonus tracks consist of demos, two of which were never fully realized "Showbiz" and "Who's A Goofy Bunny Then?" To me, all of the demos are uninspiring but they let you hear the process. As with the other remasters the packagin is digipak and the artwork and design is great. I agree with the other reviewer here that the remastering isn't as good as "Dirk Wears White Sox", "Friend Or Foe", "Strip" and "Vive Le Rock", and it ranks down there with "Kings Of The Wild Frontier". The booklet comes with the lyrics to all the songs. All in all, a great album.

Generally the weakest of the three original Ants albums the remastering job does the album some justice. Songs really stand out now where in the past they sounded much flatter and dull.

Especially "Scorpios", "Mowhok" and "Mile High Club" - they were always the weaker ones (to these ears). "Picasso Visits The Planet Of The Apes" (talk about kitschy brilliance) still sounds amazing and psychedelic. "Prince Charming" still sounds like one of the most unusual No. 1 singles of all time (in a very good way). "Stand And Deliver" (also an odd No. 1 single) is still one of the best singles to come out of the early 1980's. "Ant Rap" is still one of the campiest singles to come out of the early 1980s's (although it does make me giggle quite a bit).

"Five Guns West", "That Voodoo!" and "S.E.X" (complete with the unlisted "The Lost Hawaiians" song after it) still sound like great, weird psychedelic Summer songs.

The bonus songs are also pretty interesting from the silly chorus

of "Who's A Goofy Bunny Then?" (which evolved into "Libertine" from Strip) and "Showbiz" (which mutated into "Crackpot History And The Right To Lie from Friend Or Foe). The demos are a bit trebley as they were only intended as demos to only be heard by the label in presenting new songs. They remain charming nonetheless. As is the entire collection.

(Prince) Charming Nonetheless.

"Da Diddley Qua Qua!!!"

The lyrics "Ridicule is nothing to be scared of" said a lot to me when I heard them first in 1982. But the album has not lost its attraction for me over the years. A WEST SIDE STORY song ( Scorpios), a "spanish" song (picasso), a "western" song (five guns west), a bossa nova (voodoo), an "indian' song (mohawk) and even a Hawaiin number. What more could you ask for?

At least that is what it sounds like to me. Guaranteed that you have NEVER heard anything like this album. It is weird and perfect. One of the best cds on Earth. And it has Stand and Deliver and Prince Charming- so you can't possibly go wrong. My favorite song on the cd is a tie between Voodoo and Picasso Visits the Planet of the Apes. Or S.E.X. Oh- how I love that song. Sigh.

Are you sick of everything being played on the radio right now? Do you want something different? Do I sound like an informercial? Well, fine. If that is what it takes for you to buy this cd!! Well? What are you waiting for? Whip out that credit card! Times a wasting!

Read the product description carefully and you will notice it says jewel boxed version of the CD. I missed this before I ordered and now I have 6 beautiful DigiPak remastered CDs and 1 jewel cased monstrosity in my Adam Ant Remasters Box Set. I did not even know they released these in jewel cases. I know it's the same disc but I wish it matched the others. Oh well.