OK, here's the truth about the whole 'Black Album thing' (short version)...

1. A lot of the tracks that appeared on the black album had originally been recorded by Prince as music for Sheila E's 29th birthday party on 11th December 1986. He originally had no intention of releasing them commercially.

2. Prince was getting a certain amount of critism for 'abandoning his black roots' and 'losing the funk' due to his more rock-orientated recent output. In response he started to assemble an album of mostly funky party tracks, which he called 'The Funk Bible'.

3. Prince finished 'The Funk Bible', and wanted to release it under a pseudonym, possibly Camille. He wanted to release the album without anyone initially knowing it was by him, so it would be an underground thing that would spread by word of mouth. He dropped the pseudonym idea (everyone already knew who Camille was), he then came up with the idea of releasing it in a plain black sleeve, with no listed artist or title at all. The Black Album was born.

4. The Black Album was given a WB catalogue number and release date, everything was going to plan. This would shut up the people who said he'd 'lost the funk'. The album appeared on WB's relase schedule listed as 'Something' by 'Somebody' to be released on 8th December 1987.

5. November 1987: The first set back... News had leaked out that Prince had a new album on the way, this upset Prince's plan. He hadn't intended the album as a 'proper' new album, it was supposed to be more like a side project (much like the later NPG albums). Prince reluctantly resigned himself to the fact that the album would be seen as his next album, and started thinking about his next project: Graffiti Bridge. The Black Album was pressed up ready for release.

6. Prince was concerned with releasing 'The Black Album' effectively under his own name, and was having second thoughts about it. He took a copy down to Rupert's in Minneapolis with the intention of getting the DJ to play it so he could see what kind of reception it got from the crowd.

7. At the club he met a songwriter/poet called Ingrid Chavez, with whom he ended up talking with at length that evening. Prince had been recently going through a sort of spiritual awakening (another reason he was having second thoughts about 'The Black Album'), and he found that Ingrid was very much in tune with his current wavelength.

8. It has been reported that the crunch came when he was looking at his reflection in the cover of the album, and Ingrid said something like 'You should learn to smile more'. At that point Prince realised that if he died now, 'The Black Album' would be his final work, and he definitely didn't want that as his last artistic statement.

9. 1st December 1987 (1 week before release): Prince calls WB chairman Mo Ostin (with whom he had a good, trusting working relationship) and says he wants to cancel the release of 'The Black Album'. Mo Ostin agrees to Prince's request and production was ceased. WB ordered all existing copies of the album destroyed.

10. A few copies of the album escaped destruction. Many promo and advance copies had already been given to friends and family, as well as WB executives and reps. about 100 vinyl copies 'vanished' from the Alsdorf pressing plant in Germany. Also about 10 CD's 'escaped' from the pressing plant in the U.S. These genuine 1987 pressings are still worth a bomb (especially the CD's).

11. After shelving 'The Black Album' and putting 'Graffiti Bridge' on hold, Prince immediately starts work on his next project 'Lovesexy'. He records half the album on 11th December! The first version of the album is completed by 21st January 1988, with only a few changes made before it's release on 10th May.

12. As part of his settlement with Warners in 1994, Prince agreed to a limited release for 'The Black Album'. Warners had wanted to release the album for some time (it came close to being officially released in 1991), but Prince had always been against it. He finally relented when it became a bargaining chip in his bid to be released from his contract. Prince used it as 'contract filler' along with 'Chaos And Disorder' and 'The Vault...Old Friends 4 Sale'.

"So, you found me? Good - I'm glad. This is Prince, the Cool Of Cools. Some of you may know me, some of you may not. Some of you may not want to know. We are here to give you service - please do not try to stop us, for we come regardless. For we are as strong as we are intelligent. So come vibe with us - The Funk Bible, The New Testament..."

The one main reason Lovesexy is as highly rated among fans (and more than a few critics): "Anna Stesia"...

I don't say that simply because I "like" the song...but because that one song is the centerpiece of the album, the one song which almost explains both the rest of the songs' meanings and what was most likely Prince's mindset at the time...and it dunt hurt none that the song is simply great...When Prince sings that he needs to learn to love "the right way...the only way...", and has that inner conversation with himself about what it is he truly needs to do to escape that intense loneliness..."Maybe if I were closer to something/Closer to your higher self (I don't know)/Closer to heaven (maybe)/Closer to God? (Yeah...closer to God)"...That's not bullshit tossed out, that's completely fucking sincere on every level imagineable...and it's poetic, it's profound, it's heartfelt...it's direct, and it's unlike any spiritual proclaimation he's issued before...By the time "Lovesexy" comes on, it sounds so joyous and spirited, as if whatever "conversion" he went thru in "Anna Stesia" has brought him to this revelation of "lovesexy"...

"Anna Stesia" makes you reconsider the other songs on the album, and causes you to realize that he's going thru "something" at the time of the album's creation...so I think that, along with the feel of it being a "concept album", it also gives many Prince fans a more intimate interaction with the artist and his art...Prince wasn't simply entertaining the masses with this one...he was sharing himself with us in a sense...and for hardcore fans, that makes it more "valuable" in their eyes...

Lovesexy" became a favorite of mine around the age of 18, when I was struggling to both forge my own identity and cement my spirituality. "Lovesexy" was an album that brought me through. Hearing Prince's humble supplication in "Anna Stesia" to be taught how to love the right way brought me to my knees time and time again. The poignant meaning of "When 2 R in Love" and "I Wish U Heaven" taught me about love in an intimate and a spiritual realm. "Positivity" shed light on the darkness of the world and reminded me to hold on to my soul- this was just the beginning of the ride. Graduating high school and heading to the unknown world of college, "Lovesexy" helped me to establish who I was and what I felt. As a result, its message became my own battle cry.

However, I have a great appreciation for the music as well. Through its wide range of emotion, "Lovesexy" explores the highs and lows of spirituality and its epic messages are present in the instrumentation as well. The ecstasy of the horns in "Eye No," the sexy, confident strut of "Alphabet Street," the closing string jubilation that closes "Glam Slam" which sounds as if it was leaking from an aperture from Heaven itself, the pomp and bombast of "Lovesexy", and the heightened sense of spirit and love that overwhelms "I Wish U Heaven" showcase Prince at his most delighted. His joy is so powerful and so infectious that he cannot help but share it with the world.

Meanwhile, the solitary piano that opens and closes "Anna Stesia" bookends a dark piece whose urgent strings and fiery guitar effervesce with the broken but fighting lyrics of the song and the eerie percussion and writhing synths meandering around a sordid guitar entrench "Positivity" in a diabolical darkness that culminates in the genuinely chill-inducing percussion during the "Spooky and all that he crawls for" segment, only to be vanquished at the end, after which Prince cleanses the listener from the darkness with the soothing water and warm synth paads.

Another aspect of the music of "Lovesexy" is that it is the LAST Prince record that comes from a source of youth. The psychodelic ecstasy of the light songs struts with a youthful vigor. In its hyperactivity, the album can't help but scream "Hundalasiliah!" at the top of its lungs. After this release, Prince moved into darker and more adult territory. Additionally, the sound is so full that it takes the ear several listens to grow accustomed to all of the layers present.

Its messages live within me today and its music continues to surprise me to this day, its many facets showing their faces for the first time with each listen. It is an album overlooked by critics (I've never seen it given more than 3 stars), but cherished by those who are touched by it becuase of its vibrant color, joyous message and unique perspective. There never will be another "Lovesexy" and it stands alone as one of Prince's most singularly identifiable records.

Just as a “blow job” doesn’t mean blow, this song shouldn’t be taken so literally.

Prince in an interview with Chris Rock revealed how he was introduced to sex as a young boy. He described the experience as one that was “initiated heavy and quick” by his recently remarried mother. He was given playboy magazines and erotic literature was laying around to be easily picked up. He said that it was “pretty heavy at the time” and that it “really affected [his] sexuality a great deal.” Perhaps his older stepsister also contributed part of her library to this “education.”

That sounds like the birth of a “Dirty Mind”, and when mixed with a heavy dose of imagination also the genesis of “Sister”.

I think Prince is using the song “Sister” to come to terms with this own twisted, familial feminine introduction to sex. The way Prince was taught the birds and the bees is not exactly textbook child psychology.

Prince was never pimped by his own sister and forced to work the streets of Minneapolis to make money, nor was he forcibly molested by her.

This is just Prince using a whole lot of smoke to hide the metaphorical, personal flame within. It’s actually quite sweet when you get at the heart of it. Poor little guy with no male figure around to guide him properly through puberty grows older and takes his anger out in song.

I think for any fan who's had Prince's music as the background to their life for any significant period of time there will come a point where it will affect your outlook on life in small and large ways. I don't think his music and philosophy does anything less than challenge what you know, and the assumptions behind your thinking - and whether you are receptive to his views or in disagreement, he sets off thoughts and ideas that will ultimately inform your viewpoint.

Two examples from two major themes in his work.

I became interested in his music when I was 15. Like all 15 yr old boys, sex was an overwhelming concern of mine - what was it, how could I get it, was I up to it, was it difficult etc etc. Fear of the unknown. I seriously believe that getting to know Prince's music and lyrics when I did affected my attitudes towards sex, in so much as it placed female satisfaction at the centre of the endeavour. Prince back then to me was a kind of uber-man, the ultimate example of sexual prowess and the secret to his success seemed to me in placing the woman above all else. In retrospect, I was probably displacing my own desires and self esteem on to a potent totem symbol, but if nothing else it helped channel all that testosterone in to a real consideration of what it meant to be manly and what sex might actually entail, change what a "real man" should be about. You know, the images out there for a priapatic teenager are all macho and violent, but who else would promise to "kiss u there, u know right there where it comes." To me it seemed some sort of cosmic secret.

As he said, "u wouldn't drink my coffee if I hadn't served u cream". D&P was the first P album I ever heard.

Secndly, I'm from the UK, we don't generally "do" religion in the same way that the USA seems to. God is not discussed much, and the underlying assumption made whenever you meet someone is that they a) don't go to church, and b) probably only believe in God in some half assed conviniently nebulous way if at all. For me personally, I never drank Prince's coffee, I never bought the religious aspect of his work at all. It doesn't do it for me. However, hearing an artist whose convictions are so genuine at least allows me to challenge my own beliefs in a godless world and refine them. I have the opinion that god for most people is again a projection of a personal ideal onto the chaotic reality, and I see this in some of P's work - ie the religious element usually comes out strongest when his personal relationships are weakest - post Sussanah with Lovesexy, the difficulties in 1997 leading to the stauros JW pronouncements in 98, TRC post Mayte.

I guess those are the two major areas Prince's work has touched upon - sex and religion, and for me personally his lyrics have helped inform my attitudes to both in different ways. Of course ther are many other ways his work has impacted on my views in some way, but I'll leave it there.

So, Prince is a constant so far. Not always telling where to go, but usually offering a different way of getting there.

In a way, I did get a lot out of Prince's music from 1988
up to about 1997. I honestly didn't listen to anybody else
during that period. Not seriously anyway, not like I did
with Prince music. He was the only artist of whom I owned
more than 1 album.

His discs were like a yearly letter from a far away friend
who'd drop you those songs every year to let you know what
he was up to and how he viewed things.

A lot of his music made me see that you can do things your
own way without having to bother about what other people
might think of you. It also made me non-judgmental since it
made me realise that everyone has their own problems and
the right to live their life the way they want to.

It certainly made me appreciate music for more than just
the sound. It made me listen more closely to what I was
hearing on the radio and to the ludicrous lyrics of most
modern day pop tunes.

Despite his overtly sexual lyrics -which everyone was
always going on about- he kind of made me aware that there
is a whole other side to things than just the fucking and
that it's much better if there's a real connection and a
certain sense of spirituality. If anything, it made me
wait a lot longer before getting kneedeep into sex instead
of promoting it. Which is another hinter that a lot of
people don't really listen to lyrics at all and only take
about 30% from them. In Prince's case most casual listeners
only take the sexual part and remain pretty much unaware of
the spiritual side of it.

People used to say that Lovesexy was a dirty sex record.

I mean, please. Lovesexy is the one record that got me thru
the most depressing stages of puberty. Whenever you'd feel
really down you'd just have to put the needle on Lovesexy
and before "Eye No" was halfway through I'd be grinning like
a Cheshire cat.

At that time I also became more interested in the music
that Prince had been inspired by and started listening to
Miles, Jimmi, Funkadelic, Joni Mitchell, Parliament etc.

It certainly broadened my musical horizon. I think I was
the only kid in our class at 17 whom knew those acts and
wasn't hysterical over NewKidsOnTheBlock or HollyJohnson
and such.

After 1996/1997 I discovered a lot of other artists whom
translated my own personal feelings into songs and words
a bit better than Prince. Tori Amos, Nick Cave, Radiohead,
Mainly because they sang about life in a different way
from Prince. They sing about every day life but they kind
of acknowledge the hurt, despair and bleakness that comes
with it. Whereas Prince usually has more uplifting and
joyous messages to his songs.

But since 1997's "The Truth", that's kind of leveled itself
out and he does write more songs about hurt and isolation
now. I kind of almost lost interest in his music after the
whole Emancipation thing but "The Truth" is the main thing
that kept me interested.

Now with "One Nite Alone", "The Rainbow Children", and
"Xpectation", "C-Note" and a bunch of the npgmc songs, I
enjoy his music more than ever. It seems more serious this
time 'round. I've seen people complain a lot over here
about his changed views and his rather radical choices but
in return, his music has grown up tremendously over the
last decade. It's not about pop songs or showing off like
it used to be. It's more introverted and reflective and
that's something I really enjoy listening to.

The best example of that 'turning point' is RAVE for me.
About half of that album still has those uplifting joy
hipper than thou songs and they simply suck. But a song
like "I Love U But I Don't Trust U Anymore" just cuts
through all that. It sounds real. Just like most of the
tracks on ONA and TRC.

And that's what keeps me so interested in his work right
now. The fact that he changed his style again. The new
organic sound and the deeper lyrics [although still a
tad silly at times] are exactly what I wanted from him.
He's done enough pop music. This time it really does
feel like he's making music for himself.

I'm sure that I'll still be listening to Prince 10 or
20 years from now, perhaps not to the album, but
certainly to "The Truth" and "One Nite Alone".

Ehm, I completely forgot what I started out talking about
so I'll better end this babble right now.

Suffice to say that I'm glad I discovered Prince's music
when I did since it certainly helped me out a lot of
times and some of my best memories are interconnected with
his songs or albums.

I think assuming Prince had little exposure to diverse sounds and musical insights prior to meeting Wendy and Lisa robs him of the genius that defines him. Certainly, Prince was influenced by the likes of a good many rock, punk, funk, 60s and 70s R&B and disco-era musicians. A simple look at his aesthetic, his attitude in lyrics and musical style of anything pre-Purple Rain suggests this. Still, mastery of certain popular musical styles and exposure to those forms that are more obscure are two different sides of the same coin. Having the daring and prowess to successfully incorporate those more murky influences into one’s future work is something else even further, and I DEFINITELY think the classically trained Wendy and Lisa were instrumental and unparalleled by any Prince cohorts before or since in “bringing in the arcane” and helping to bolster the scope of his artistic vision.

Just listen to the evolution of his music: I love the pre-Purple Rain canon. It’s funky, attitudinal, uniquely colored by Prince’s talent and sensibilities, but it’s definitely time-stamped by the popular sounds of the era – sort of a Clash-meets-Donna Summer-meets-Devo-meets-Rufus concoction. And its fairly stylistically unchanging at that. Take away Prince’s unique vocal stylings, and those instrumentals could easily be releases by a number of bands from Chic to Rick James on the funk/R&B side to Tom Tom Club or Blondie on the “blue-eyed funk”/rock/punk side. Prince’s sound was not unique, and with the exception surfacing only at the maturation of certain musical eccentricities and trademarks of 1999, it was easily duplicated.

Interestingly enough, everyone WANTED to sound like Prince with the coming of the more collaborative Purple Rain, a totally new artistic plateau for Prince, which boasted both more pop sensibilities (catchier melodies, radio-friendliness, better production) AND superior musicianship (richer aural textures and orchestrations [the use of strings was maximized here], more sophisticated compositions, etc.) And look at the ground he treaded from ’83 to ’87: He’d touched upon everything from the instruments of the middle- and far east to the jazzy/retro/mod sounds and arrangements of Alexa de Paris and Crystal Ball to backmasking to even the prominent sound of brass, which earlier in his career he’d been quoted as saying he hated. I’m sorry, but while I think Prince has range, those influences came from somewhere.

Furthermore, much has been circulated by a number of people around at the time about the parity with which Prince engaged Wendy and Lisa from a creative standpoint and the high level of input they brought to the table. I simply don’t think the corroborating stories are lies… and I’ve NEVER heard Prince, who displayed such creative proprietary awareness that he wrote “slave” on his face, mimicked his own assassination (complete with blood) on David Letterman and even changed his name in a struggle to emancipate himself from Warner Bros., refute ANY claims that Wendy and Lisa contributed greatly to his Revolution-era output. I find that interesting.

SquirrelMeat offers a great array of credits to Wendy and Lisa (although I don’t think they can take the credit of introducing Prince to Joni’s works), and clearly even beyond the individual songs listed (to which I’d add Power Fantastic and, therefore, who knows just what extent of similar songs/sounds of that era), they offered so much more that was vital to Prince while they were around – enigma, the babe factor, the ethnic and gender diversity, etc.

No one’s saying Wendy and Lisa did it all. And, of course, no one can divine whether Prince would have ventured into/mastered these things without meeting Wendy and Lisa. But the fact of the matter is, he did meet them, and he reached new heights while they were around. And after they left, while his scope of vision had been forever broadened, his work did transform (some say steadily degrade) with the coming and going of other musicians who, while some of them could play their asses off, weren’t as conceptually gifted.

Controversy is the bomb diggity---this is the album that Prince put his shit together and took his studio wizardry to the next level from Dirty Mind. He learned to "freak" the slow song with Do Me baby.He learned to punk funk the jam with Controversy--that opening to Controversy--wa wab--is the shit. The whole song screams of a Prince manifesto,lyric and music-wise. The chicken scratch guitar alone makes it a classic...the odd synth--the lords prayer-the grunts of "ugghs" on the back beat..the whole damn thing is the ultimate Prince song. Vintage Prince shit. Sexuality shows his new wave influence,and intoduces his trademark aoohoo scream. Do Me Baby he realized what he could actually do in a dark studio..precursor to all slow jams being freaked and an album before International Lover. Private Joy with that Linn-drum machine is ultimate pop. Very underrated. I love th e voice he uses in it especially when he says "cant get enuff cant get enuff". Lets Work, rubbery bass and razor synth that goes together and jams. This is the MN. sound. Annie Christian-anti music, Prince weirdness that made him Prince. And driving it back home, J U Off, his rockabilly rock pre Delirious Elvis imitation. Controversy is the essence of Prince music. This is one of those records that I want to fuck. This is not music, this is a trip. Every home should have one.

There is no point arguing why 1999 is my favorite album as taste is entirely suggestive. This is going to be more of a reflection of why I think it is THE greatest album ever.

"1999" was incredibly relevant at the time and its messages loom large today as well. In 1982, the world was in a mess. AIDS was festering in Africa. The Soviet Union and the USA were entrenched in the frigid Cold War. The tension in the Middle East was augmented. The world's economy experienced an enormous crash, rendering several countries in South America and Africa paupers in the world market (many of which have not recovered). Who wasn't worried about the troubled times? "1999" tunes in perfectly to those fears. The title track is a viciously funky premonition of not only the current state of affairs, but things to come. Prince really tapped into his view of the future with this album. The foreboding messages of the title track are echoed in future classics like "Let's Go Crazy" and "Crystal Ball," but none are as timely nor as timeless as "1999," which is funny as "1999" is tied to a specific date.

"1999" also reigns supreme due to its paradoxes. Whether it be Prince clamoring, "I'm in love with God, he's the only way" in juxtaposition with "I sincerely want to fuck the taste out of your mouth" in "Let's Pretend We're Married," the dedication of a sexual thrust to "love without sex" in the midst of the passion of "Lady Cab Driver" or the sonic paradox of "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)," a song literally being torn apart by the opposing forces of order in the form of the computerized synth and turbulence in the passion of Prince's guttural screams and the beat which is systematically chaotic, Prince was clearly functioning on a new level with this album, not just personally, but in music as a whole. Nothing previous to this had been as irreverent as "Let's Pretend We're Married," only to turn a complete 180 and declare love of God. Nothing prior to this had seen a song effortlessly blend the primitive outburst of screaming and the forward-looking sound of "Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)." What was this guy thinking?

"1999" also earns the award because it breaks so many formats. The smash singles are all placed at the beginning of the album, after which it meanders into much darker, experimental territory. The outburst of raging, swaggering funk in "Let's Pretend We're Married," "DMSR," "Automatic," "Lady Cab Driver" and "All the Critics Love U in New York" are stunning not because they are so drawn out (all but "All the Critics" are over 7 minutes in length), but because they still seem concise. Not a beat was misused, not a measure was misplaced. Speaking of "All the Critics Love U in New York," this song stands out not only as the most experimental song in Prince's career, but among the most experimental music of the modern era. Supremely funky, Prince turns a swipe at critics and hippies alike into a nasty, frenetic, rhythmic explosion over seemingly disinterested, lazy half-rapping.

"1999" has a distinct sound. The entire album is tied together by a common sound, with instantly recognizable beats, synths and attitude. Despite this bond, the songs are easily distinguishable from each other. Regardless, no song on "1999" can be mistaken for being on any other album. I believe that albums work best that stretch the palate of one sound as far as it can go. "1999" is arguably Prince's most minimalist work, employing few instruments in the mix, yet it propogates a dense fog of funk that sounds both sparse and forebodingly full. Prince pushed himself to his creative limit with this album and the outtakes most associated with it. Prince incorporates inexplicable gurgling sounds, elephant noises, soldier footsteps and city noises into the mix and they perfectly fit the scheme of the music, sounding as if they were recorded for the sole purpose of inclusion on this album. Other albums also are deeply rooted with a single sound, but none, with perhaps the exception of David Bowie's "Low," Prince's "Lovesexy" and Bjork's "Vespertine," involve as much creativity. "1999" is a black beacon of foreboding funk.

"1999" also rules the rest because it was recorded by an incredibly gifted artist on the brink of superstardom. This was the LAST music Prince recorded before becoming a bonafide mega-star. It exhibits all of the hunger, drive and determination of the first four releases, but it adds a confident swagger and a new maturity as well. This was Prince's rite of passage into manhood. Prince KNEW this music was legendary and stood out on its own. It didn't need any gimmicks- it didn't need Prince to grace the cover in some provocative pose. The music spoke for itself. Anything recorded after "1999" was created by someone who was already a household name. "1999" came from a relative unknown, making it all the more surprising.

Lastly, "1999" is so stunning because it is entirely the work of one man. Certainly, studio engineers were involved in the mix. Prince even includes "the Revolution" for the first time on this album. However, Dez Dickerson's influence is nowhere on this record. It's not Matt Fink's vision. This album is 100% Prince himself. Not only does Prince unveil all of his cards in this release, he turns them over in your face, making them impossible to ignore. This album is the culmination of his genius, the pinnacle of an artist whose talent is unrivaled by anyone of the modern era.

I rest my case.

I love this album however it has taken on a world of its own in terms of cult status amongst the hardcore. I don't believe this has as much to do with the aesthetic of the music as it has to do with the greatness of the message Prince was conveying.

The lyrics touched people on a very personal level and actually outweighed the musical content. I've heard so many people say 'Lovesexy saved my life.' That's amazing, however, musically the album is not as powerful as the uplifting, spiritual vibe it contained and that is the reason for its cult status.

As Prince proclaimed, 'This is not music, this is a trip...'

...The transitional drumming from New Position to I Wonder U to UTCM. He supposedly did all the drumming for three songs in one take.

The bass on New Position..sweet

The slow groove of I Wonder U..and the ending of it with that heaviness...and that muted horn throughout..and the girls laid back vocal...and the geetar picking at the very end

In UTCM where Prince goes "thats alright" in the breakdown bridge..and U can hear the horns having a field day with headphones

How Girls and Boys has that push me pull you rubbery bottom like Bowies Fame. When the girls sing I Love U Baby, I Love U so Much--damn!The kazoo keyboard and the linn drum "kuhh!" sound at the end

how Life Can Be So Nice starts up real fast and has that "kah" sound at the beginning with the keyboard lines..then it stops when Prince starts to sing...when he says "Kisses never lie" it all starts up again--this is Roadhouse Garden material--really. Then near the end it all comes crashing together with the vocals going wild! the drums live being played furiosly, then it ends

how Venus just pops up giving the sense of having just reached climax and now your laying there letting it happen...and the mournful horns polaying near the end--I picture an overcast dock when they play..and that last piano key played

then the very best part is the opening of Mountains..that linn drum making it like rubber and the "puhc puck' sounds interlaces throughout the fake heavy drums...the falsetto--nice and "dry"...the part that says "the sea would one day overflow with all your tears, and love will always leave ya lonely"..the ethereal choir (or is it synth) that gets higher in register...the horn blasts like staccato keyoard synths..the break fucking down...the part where he says "guitar and drums on the one, huh!"..then the guitar strumming..slurp..then part where he goes "and the girls say/sing"...

the bass seprated in Do U Lie...when he says "mama mama" or something like that..and when he comes back for the bridge and says "when I lie..."

the JB geetar lick that opens Kiss..almost like a reverse of when Venus starts, inside out..the push push sound like moving furniture...the denseness of the production..sounds like its "air tight"...the drum sound and that synth tha spounds like nothing else...the wah wah geetar part..saying Dynasty, one of the only few pop culture references hes ever used..the ending geetar licks like its being strangled

the droning strains of Anotherlover..and the drums beating like they're waitng for something..then the boom of the piano and sludge...the bottomness of the whole song..his lackadaisical singing..(this song is POP Life inside out btw)...how the girls etc sing with Prince a few beats behind then it all comes together for the chrous after the second verse...the geetar strains in th e bridge..and when he says "baaad"...thers gonna be a riot and when they say that thers that piano key rise real quick


Sometimes Snows In April..The "ahs ahs oh ohhhs", the tuba sounding Prince singing with that first ones..then the real horn blwoing...the strumming of the acoustic...the chorus voices mixed on the title part and when they sing "sometinmes I feel so bad"...when he says "now looking at his picture I realize"...

thedoorkeeper said:

And here you are criticizing someone for posting on a website you visit yourself.

I don't want to see Prince get nasty again, per se, just for the sake of getting nasty and to satisfy the primal desires of certain of his fans. He doesn't have to prove anything to me by resorting back to ground he covered in a multitude of ways years ago. Maybe it's because I'm older myself. It's like, "Been there; done that!" His song writing is not going to necessarily reflect the hormones, angst, passions, and libido of his youth anymore. And this really has nothing to do with The Watchtower. He's a grown man now. Yes, a middle-aged man.

Generally speaking, all R&B, Soul, Funk music...the music of black people in America...has combined elements of God and Sex. The sensual and the spiritual. This dichotomy was/is in many a performer. Many black performers got their start where?... in churches, singing Gospel music. Their roots are there. Blacks have always worshipped God in the spirit of King David as he brought back the ark of the covenant. With singing, dancing, and instruments. Making a joyful noise unto the Lord. From the heart, from the soul(with emotion) and IN THE SPIRIT. They sing a new song, lamenting and/or rejoicing. II Samuel 6; Read the Psalms. When these singers decided to do other music (i.e. secular?), they brought that vibrancy right along with them. Listening to their songs often is like "havin' chutch"! When they sing of love, loss and heartache and heartbreak, life's trials and difficulties, and yes, even sex, the overtones of a deep spirituality saturate their themes.

A man sings of his love for a woman as if it's the very love of God. Her love "SAVES" him. The Barkays once sang about love being like the Holy Ghost! Ben E. King sang, Your love, your love is a supernatural thing. There are a multitude of examples from Al Green, to Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, ad infinitum. What Prince did was go steps further lyrically...more explicit than the very Song of Solomon in the Bible...and gave us raw sex/sexuality itself as a spiritual experience. He even explored and covered what many would consider sexual taboos. It's like lyrically he's been to the bedroom of King Solomon, the adulterous bedroom of David and Bathsheba, the Holy of Holies in the Temple experiencing the Shekinah of God, the streets of Sodom and Gomorrah, to the house of Babylon the Mother of Harlots, to the bedroom of Ruth and Boaz to that of Samson and Delilah. He's painted his face like Jezebel and called on God like Jabez. He's taken his fans on a fantastic musical journey. He can still be sensual, sexual and spiritual at this point in his life without being explicit. Prince may yet surprise us all. More power to him.

Uh, Miabocca, I think you may have misinterpreted this line if you think it is anti homosexual.

It is a retelling of the Genesis story, and refers to the temptation of the wise one's (Prince's) woman (Mayte?) by the serpent, or in this case the resistor. The resistor knows that the wise one's love for god is so strong, that he decides to assimilate/tempt the woman first and only. She falls, and is banished from the garden/rainbow forever (Mayte leaves Prince for good).

The remainder of the album is concerned with the wise one (Prince) explicitly laying down his conditions for a new love - ie the muse (Mani?) must share his understanding and love for god to truly understand and love him. By "She Loves Me 4 Me" it is clear that the muse has reached this understanding and true love. It reminds me of the scene in GB when he plays hangman with Aura.

Through this main narrative, Prince touches on common themes of the medicocrity of mass media, the history of his people and the treatment of his musical heroes by this mass media, and how ultimately he doesn't care for their rules, because he is secure within the walls of his palace to do as he pleases. His faith in god is his faith in his abilities because his music is a gift from god, and rises above the criticisms of others.

At least, that is one of my takes on it. There are lots of levels of understanding on this album, which is why it is one of my favourites - whilst people have said it is explicit and unambiguous, I believe that it can be interpreted in many ways, as most of his albums can. For all the dressin gup in pseudo biblical terms, however, I do think one major strand in TRC is autobiographical, and describes how Prince has moved on from the Mayte years and found an equal. Don't forget a few years ago he made a huge public and artistic thing out of his relationship to Mayte and for him to move on required an equal artistic statement. However he has learnt to keep his new love out of the public eye, and to express his love in a less explicit way than previously.

onenitealone on the distorted opening words of The Black Album:

When I first heard Tevin Campbell's version, I was like "Uhh okay, I'm glad Prince gave that one away... with him singing about doin you after school like some homework and what not." It was a pretty straight forward R&B ditty.

When I saw that Prince had reclaimed the song I was worried. Would those high school lyrics work for him? But then I gave it a listen... Clocking in at a little over 7 minutes, this is just one of those gems where P captures the rhythm, tone, and tempo of sex like no other (I'd put "When We're Dancing Close and Slow" and "Joy in Repetition" in this category).

Take a listen with me.

Starting with the drums at the beginning and Mayte's moans... I mean it is clear clothes are being ripped off in the heat of passion... moving fast... and then and then...

Shhh! Break it down STOP! A slow building back and forth, moved by the rhythm track. Slowly rockin while the lyrics slink back and forth. And as it builds up with the one off lines...

The song goes for a smooth hypnotic climb I'd-rather-wait-til-everyone's-fast-asleep-and-do-it-kitchen-on-the-table-top with-NO-pause-then-a OHHH Stop pull back slow down not yet. Shhh

Bring in the chorus...

We got the break it on down Take it slower, this is gonna last a little longer. Here we go again. You ready?

Candlelight I don't think so. Now it's gettin hot, drippin. Drippaannn. A few verses and then it climbs after the crackle of the flame... keep it goin-no-pause-takin-you-to-the-edge again drippin-all-over-you-like-a-ball-of-wax-relax-LET GO!!! but hold up not yet.

Chorus kicks in... The guitar wants to speak tho. The guitar wants to come. But not yet. Just a little stroke. Play... climb halt. build build build. Take it up up UP. you say you wanna STOP slow jam

Back on track.

Are you listening baby? Here come the drum break. It's about to happen. You make me wanna HUH Take it to the edge. All the way. Speed it up. Take it all the way. Let's go let's go let's go.

Bring in the guitar. Stretch bent pitch. Guitar is holla'in. Here it comes whooo-eee-ooo-eee-ooo-eo-eo-eo-eo-eo-oe-down down down. Down down down. (it's coming now) down down down. down down down... down down down

Keys taken it up...and... and... and... and... band HIT...drums.

whispering sex is not all i think about. it's just all i think about... you

WHEW!

This song is a WORK OUT!

"The Truth" is the more personal of the two. The project
was recorded during a time when there was so much going
on in his life at once. On the one hand there was Mayte
and the death of their baby and on the other hadn there
was the 'emancipation' from his contracts. He had just
gotten married, became a father, lost his child, gained
his freedom and was sort of cut adrift and I guess for
the first time in his life really thrown back unto his
own self and being left having to fend for his own mind
and a deep self analysis of what is was he really wanted
from his life, his music, his god, his marriage.

Eventho not all of these are explicitly mentioned on the
album, they are definately there. It's in the subdued &
sparse style and arrangement. The vocal delivery, in the
chords. But it's also more apparant in places where he
does directly touch on the subject matters, in songs like

"Come Back",
"Don't Play Me",
"Welcome 2 The Dawn",
"The Other Side Of The Pillow"
"One Of Ur Tears",
"Fascination".

"The Truth" feels like am effort to redeem himself and a
means of getting a good firm grip on the situation again.

Compare his "accusations" on the album to the ones MJ has
recorded for his "History" album [the new material disc],
and note how Prince doesn't throw a finger or doesn't try
anyone on for size and doesn't ramble on and on about how
he has been wronged.

This album seems intent only on looking inward by mirroring
the outside world onto the self and looking at what doesn't
fit or what seems to have shifted in balance.

It's a record that comes from a very dark and insecure place
which is where Prince hadn't been many times before. One
could argue that "Lovesexy" came from such a place, but I
don't think you can compare those two "situations".

A bad trip and insecurity about your identity or even your
mental health ain't got shit on getting married and losing
your child and all the other stuff he went through at that
time.

That's why the album sounds more real and mature to me than
Lovesexy or any other Prince album for that matter. Because
it doesn't have anything to prove. It's a quest for answers
and a journey through pain and disrepute. It touched on the
wrongs but only seeks a kind of consolence instead of tryin
to blame of persecute.

Even songs like "Animal Kingdom" have their purpose, if you
just stop to think about it for a minute.

I guess in many ways, "One Nite Alone" is also very much an
intimate album since it obviously deals with his divorce &
the death of his father. But still, I don't think this album
even comes close to the personal and honest atmosphere that
was portrayed on "The Truth".

There’s no denying that Prince was shooting for the top with “Diamonds & Pearls”, but how much of that album was actually rap? I haven’t counted the number of minutes, but there isn’t a single rap song on it, only rap incorporated into small parts of his fusion style of pop, R&B, rock, gospel and jazz. But I forgot, he made fun of rap on record and long before that he even slighted jazz. I suppose that means he can never grow out of his previous bigotry and expand as an artist or else he’s a hypocrite, right? I think the true hypocrites are those who never grow or change.

Prince to me seems to be one of the rare musicians who doesn’t see music as categories but rather possibilities. Thankfully he didn’t listen to this criticism and we get to enjoy “Days of Wild”, “Face Down”, “Come On (remix)”, “Sexy M.F.” -- four of his greatest funk works, the first of which is up there with the funk masterpieces “Housequake” and “DMSR”. Yes, he’s created plenty of mediocre songs that incorporate rap as well, but so has he with every other style.

There’s very little doubt Prince has created music for some of the wrong reasons, but only a small part of it was rap, but nevertheless it seems to get a disproportionate amount of the blame. Perhaps his first record produced for partially the wrong reasons was the “The Black Album”, ironically the record in which there was no rap at all, but rather only a diss at tone-deaf rappers. A subject that, by the way, is more relevant than ever. But I forgot, people like “The Black Album”, so its authenticity is rarely ever questioned. It’s only the stuff you don’t like that could possibly have less-than-noble intentions.

And just because you choose to use a particular style in your music, doesn’t mean you have to be innovative. No one is saying Prince is Public Enemy when he uses rap or Duke Ellington when he calls upon jazz. To me these are just unrealistic expectations put on by fans who want to only hear genius. Well genius is never that clean and neat and you don’t grow as a musician by just continuing to play that which you are best at. Not everything Miles Davis tried was successful, but he kept trying to reach beyond his comfort zone. Without “The Family” album and Madhouse projects we don’t have “Xpectation” and perhaps at some point down the road with continued growth and evolution I’ll be able to say without “Xpectation” we don’t have his latest creation which is on par with “Bitches Brew.”

Thankfully Prince continues to use all the colors in the box, despite the many people who continue to want to put him in a limiting space, a space that not coincidentally usually shares the same volume as its listener.

The important thing is that as an artist Prince seems to be very much back on track and inspired again. And that has absolutely nothing to do with his current or future choices in musical style.

Oh yeah, the subject was rockabilly. Just another flavor to “Jack U Off”. But he's not as great as Elvis was at rockabilly, so perhaps I should dismiss it and diss it and call him a joke for even trying. After all, what does he know about rockabilly? Stay in your box, Prince. Stay in your box. I know what's best for you.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

And thats good he created someting that influenced folks to think that way etc..which he was influenced by as well. But did he really mean it? Even Bowie said Lets Dance was crap (yes it was) and Young Americans plastic soul, and...at least Bowie admits when he was bullshitting. Does an artist have to really mean it for the doctrine or message to actually be meaningful..I guess not. If one knows they are bullshitting from the git go will they take the message as well as if they had no knowledge? ...

IMHO The Truth was purely an artistic statement.
It's a case of Prince wanting to give the people
what they need as opposed to what they want.

There are several reasons why I think he decided
to include The Truth with Crystal Ball as a bonus
disc, rather than release it in it's own right.

The Truth was Prince's latest thing at the
time, it conveyed where his head was at at that
moment in time. He has a long history of very
quickly creating something almost fully formed,
and wanting to immediately release it, rather
than waiting until his current project has run
it's course, and releasing it after that. It
was one of the big problems he had with WB, so
now that he was free, he wanted to do just that.

He was already commited to Crystal Ball, so
rather than having to wait until after it had
been released, he decided to include it as part
of the package. He could have released it
seperately from Crystal Ball, but I expect he
thought that the fans wouldn't be able to
handle another new album in competition with
the 3CD set of outtakes that they were already
expecting.

For this reason, I think that Prince recognised
that The Truth's appeal would probably be fairly
limited (the general public wouldn't really be
interested in an 'acoustic' album). So rather
than risk The Truth getting 'lost' in the crowd
he decided to sneak it into Crystal Ball, so
that everyone would get to hear it.

It also meant that Crystal Ball would now include
'something new'. He'd never been keen on 'archive'
releases anyway, be they 'old unreleased albums'
or 'best ofs'. Also, even though Prince knew that
The Truth was uncommercial, he hoped that once
people heard it, they would be 'wowed' by it's
stark simplicity, and deep down I expect he was
hoping that the reviews of Crystal Ball would
reveal The Truth as being the highpoint of the
set.