funksterr said:

Madhouse6 said:

funksterr said:

Dance On, Positivity, Ana Stesia, When 2 R In Love... very very basic 3 note chord structures. Nothing complex at all about them. Energeticly played for sure, but jarringly behind the times in terms of what was happening with most mainstream funk and r&b acts at the time. The entire record was too basic to be true, and that's why it flopped so bad in the US. Again as Prince enthusiasts, we listen and love it regardless really, but it was out of place in the commercial marketplace. One more thing, the way I recall it, there really wasn't any other image of Prince, besides the cover out there. There was the Alphabet St video, also done in an alarmingly low-budget haphazard fashion, but I remember feeling some frustration with the fact that you really didn't see Prince at the time. There was the cover, a few flashes in the Alphabet St video, and that was it. Then the CD dropped and it was all one massive track and I pretty much felt more negative energy toward the record than I did positive. The Sheila E album was out and Prince wasn't on any of the tracks, it was definitely not the best of times to be a Prince fan.

Not a good time to be a Prince Fan?? Wow, over here in Europe it was the best time!! As others have said it was a time of rebirth for Prince! He is an artist more than a popstar so u need to see it from his viewpoint

Europe and the US had complete opposite reactions to Prince at the time. It was really interesting.

[Edited 6/21/14 14:24pm]

ufoclub said:

Europe and the US had complete opposite reactions to Prince at the time. It was really interesting.

[Edited 6/21/14 14:24pm]

.

Definitely. Not a unique phenomenon for pop stars, Madonna & MJ, went through that too.

It must be hard for a guy like Prince to know how his audiences are reacting, as long as the bottom line looks good. The press around Lovesexy was all about how Prince was the indulgent genius, turning his back on stadiums but kind of praising him, while also signaling to fans not to bother at the same time. Then Alphabet St. which was pretty fluffy.

Favourite Prince album, and cover, ever.

The album and the cover were damn good. Thats all I gotta say. How they let him do it? I have no idea. But the cover never bothered me. I just thought it was a fine piece of art.

HatrinaHaterwitz said:

elf9933 said:

Dont kid yourself thats an alpha wolf in revlon mascara and an Versace pattern.

Yes and DAMN INCREDIBLY SEXY, too! Don't you kid yourself!

I agree with a lot that has been said. It is a work of art and certainly better than most Prince covers. It is sad that a naked or near naked photo could cause such grief. Prince looks very spiritual in this photo to me rather than say his Dirty Mind cover which is much more sexual.

This was not even the first nude Prince cover. The Prince album has him wearing a relaxed hairdo and riding a pegasus as opposed to the stamen of a flower.

thedance said:

MIRvmn said:

SoulAlive said: It's an embarrassing cover for a great album. I can imagine lots of ppl who refused to buy Lovesexy cuz of the cover

imo the Lovesexy cover pic is one of his best album covers,

Much better than the post-WB album covers 1996 - 2010,

Since Chaos & Disorder - the album covers have been rather awful.......


Lovesexy is a beauty, it's a "heavenly pic"...... and a classic imho.

I wonder why people (mostly americans) finds it offensive..

Unfortunately the 80's in America were almost exactly like the 50's in terms of racism, conservatism, and all around uptight-ness. Blame it on the Republicans and all their "political correctness". Just another way to keep the masses in line and unhappy so they buy more shit that they didn't need. Just like today. It never bothered me as I had grown up seeing him in way more rediculous outfits and such. It was actually rather tame compared to what had come before. That pic is like a mirror; reflecting your beliefs back at ya. I also think that sum good X had something to do with it.

[Edited 6/22/14 1:09am]

funksterr said:

paulludvig said:

Really??? Some of the more complex music he has written imo.

Dance On, Positivity, Ana Stesia, When 2 R In Love... very very basic 3 note chord structures. Nothing complex at all about them. Energeticly played for sure, but jarringly behind the times in terms of what was happening with most mainstream funk and r&b acts at the time. The entire record was too basic to be true, and that's why it flopped so bad in the US. Again as Prince enthusiasts, we listen and love it regardless really, but it was out of place in the commercial marketplace. One more thing, the way I recall it, there really wasn't any other image of Prince, besides the cover out there. There was the Alphabet St video, also done in an alarmingly low-budget haphazard fashion, but I remember feeling some frustration with the fact that you really didn't see Prince at the time. There was the cover, a few flashes in the Alphabet St video, and that was it. Then the CD dropped and it was all one massive track and I pretty much felt more negative energy toward the record than I did positive. The Sheila E album was out and Prince wasn't on any of the tracks, it was definitely not the best of times to be a Prince fan.

Those chords are just a starting point. All the songs you mention take several twists and turns.

paulludvig said:

funksterr said:

Dance On, Positivity, Ana Stesia, When 2 R In Love... very very basic 3 note chord structures. Nothing complex at all about them. Energeticly played for sure, but jarringly behind the times in terms of what was happening with most mainstream funk and r&b acts at the time. The entire record was too basic to be true, and that's why it flopped so bad in the US. Again as Prince enthusiasts, we listen and love it regardless really, but it was out of place in the commercial marketplace. One more thing, the way I recall it, there really wasn't any other image of Prince, besides the cover out there. There was the Alphabet St video, also done in an alarmingly low-budget haphazard fashion, but I remember feeling some frustration with the fact that you really didn't see Prince at the time. There was the cover, a few flashes in the Alphabet St video, and that was it. Then the CD dropped and it was all one massive track and I pretty much felt more negative energy toward the record than I did positive. The Sheila E album was out and Prince wasn't on any of the tracks, it was definitely not the best of times to be a Prince fan.

Those chords are just a starting point. All the songs you mention take several twists and turns.

Not really, the volume just gets louder, the distortion pedals click on, but the harmonic structure never improves. There's some "Do-Re-Mi" level shit happening there and I have mixed impressions about that entire era. I can't reconcile that period with Prince's previous albums and the contemporary hits of that time from Sting, U2, Robert Palmer, INXS, Babyface, Teddy Riley. Prince's musicianship isn't the issue, if anything it's the lyrics and maybe the production sound he was going for is maybe a little too ice cold? IDK. From a compositional standpoint, I think LoveSexy and, from the outtakes I've heard, that era in general, there are some serious weaknesses in what Prince was writing. But back to the cover, don't forget...WB let Prince put an erect penis on the "1999" cover... in 1982!

funksterr said:

paulludvig said:

Those chords are just a starting point. All the songs you mention take several twists and turns.

Not really, the volume just gets louder, the distortion pedals click on, but the harmonic structure never improves. There's some "Do-Re-Mi" level shit happening there and I have mixed impressions about that entire era. I can't reconcile that period with Prince's previous albums and the contemporary hits of that time from Sting, U2, Robert Palmer, INXS, Babyface, Teddy Riley. Prince's musicianship isn't the issue, if anything it's the lyrics and maybe the production sound he was going for is maybe a little too ice cold? IDK. From a compositional standpoint, I think LoveSexy and, from the outtakes I've heard, that era in general, there are some serious weaknesses in what Prince was writing. But back to the cover, don't forget...WB let Prince put an erect penis on the "1999" cover... in 1982!

I guess we hear different things. Or maybe we're talking about different things. I don't know. I think some of the harmonics on Lovesexy are positively avant garde in a pop context.

I really wpuld like to know wich country people come from wehn they react.

In teh Netherlands: no problems with the cocer at all.

i alwways get the feeling People in the States doe have problems with it/ are looking for things that are not there.

How was the album (cover) received in yur country?

I think it's probably Prince's best album cover (the only competition being Parade IMHO).

Aerogram said:

tobydavies said:

I think it's probably Prince's best album cover (the only competition being Parade IMHO).

I agree with you... Lovesexy and Parade.. they are beautiful.

elf9933 said:

The lovesexy album cover. Once was crickets on that album now listen to it as a concept album and adore it. But for the life of me cant find anything redeeming or understandable about that cover. Shock value is muted and worthless when you are made into a mockery. Anyone disagree or can analyze that train wreck photo into some kind of sense?

Heck, "1999" had a penis on the cover.

I love the Lovesexy album cover. It shows an unmatched boldness and a unique spiritual sensibility. Bravo, Prince!

thedance said:

ufoclub said:

Strange I thought it was a great cover. Like his version of a Michelangelo painting. Notice he has no theatrical eyeliner and his brows are natural.

taken from facebook somewhere, thanks to whoever made it:


[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v67/ecnirp2004/Prince/LovesexyGuitar_zpsf977be22.jpg[/img:$uid]


And. Like ludwig wrote:

Everything about Lovesexy is holy. To me as well.

BEAUTIFUL.

Amethyst5 said:

thedance said:

taken from facebook somewhere, thanks to whoever made it:


[img:$uid]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v67/ecnirp2004/Prince/LovesexyGuitar_zpsf977be22.jpg[/img:$uid]


And. Like ludwig wrote:

Everything about Lovesexy is holy. To me as well.

BEAUTIFUL.

Only would have been better if the guitar was the Blue Angel, but I can see why the artist went with the more familiar one.

paulludvig said:

funksterr said:

Not really, the volume just gets louder, the distortion pedals click on, but the harmonic structure never improves. There's some "Do-Re-Mi" level shit happening there and I have mixed impressions about that entire era. I can't reconcile that period with Prince's previous albums and the contemporary hits of that time from Sting, U2, Robert Palmer, INXS, Babyface, Teddy Riley. Prince's musicianship isn't the issue, if anything it's the lyrics and maybe the production sound he was going for is maybe a little too ice cold? IDK. From a compositional standpoint, I think LoveSexy and, from the outtakes I've heard, that era in general, there are some serious weaknesses in what Prince was writing. But back to the cover, don't forget...WB let Prince put an erect penis on the "1999" cover... in 1982!

I guess we hear different things. Or maybe we're talking about different things. I don't know. I think some of the harmonics on Lovesexy are positively avant garde in a pop context.

We often tend to analyze music as written pieces. That's a very western europe elitist way of seeing, and not hearing music. Can music be avant garde without proving to be mind blowing on a note sheet? Yes it can! I think of music as problem solving. People with the most knowledge are not always the best problem solvers. But they have the advantage of great knowledge of course. However amazing ability to use what you know or/and have is the actual problem solvers. Avant garde musicians/producers in a modern world knows that music can be just as much about how you hit the damn stick, what kind of room you record the sounds in, which musicians you put together, how you approach the same chords, melody whatever. It's all about context, and doing something that feels new. It doesn' t have to be proven by music "scientist" in a note sheet lab. Music is SO MUCH MORE.

novabrkr said:

Alexandernvrmind said:

EyeHatechu said:

Alexandernvrmind said:

Alexandernvrmind said:

Plenty of folks including ones that might have been really receptive to the message on that album never got past the image on the cover. So you have a sexed crazed rockstar sitting naked like a woman on a huge flower. If you didn't like Prince before that you definately weren't going to love him with that thing. If you want your music to reach people and we know P wants that....then make it accessible. Stop being so confusing. There should have been no mistaking the cover of that album. Make album cover white with the words Lovesexy and a single tree with fruit dangling from it. No not Prince... He essentially sabotaged the music on that album with that silly ass cover. I know WB was just Sick of him

I started getting really interested in Prince with SOTT, and as a 12 y.o. boy in Austria, finally got the LP from my parents as a present. Lovesexy was the first album i bought with my own pocket money, the day it arrived in my record store without even knowing any of the musical content. Of course because the cover won me over completely.

Beginning with Purple Rain there was this very public MiJac vs. Prince competition and up until then i always was on Jacksons side. But then in 1987 you could compare the ridiculously styled cover of Bad with the bare and honest one of Lovesexy. Prince said, "this is me, take me as i am", Michael said "i wish i was bad, give me some clothes that maybe make me look bad - at least a little. please!!".

From then on the competition was settled, at least for me: Prince was a very special artist following his own vision and not caring about what everybody else said. Which of course also was true for his musical direction. Jackson wanted to follow the trends and went so far to even hire Slash of Guns & Roses to play a guitar solo on one of his songs just to sell more records.

BTW, i cannot remember any controversy about the cover in Austria. Also none of my (male) friends seemed offended by it. I mean, how many record covers with naked women came before that one? So what's the deal with a naked man? I never will get that...