Heiress said:

Okay. I just seem to remember reading something about Russell measuring a pyramid he visited, and it somehow corresponding to some numbers he calculated from the Bible. Wish I could remember the exact details. I guess its really not relevant, but I think it would be an interesting footnote to this topic (especially when I get to Emancipation and its pyramid related structure).

JediMaster said:

That'll be my homework, since I just so happen to have an original copy of that book here, w/ the pyramid fold-out & all.

Heiress said:

Cool! Look forward to reading your findings!

JediMaster said:

Found the pyramid diagram, in "Divine Plan of the Ages," which is the first book in the series "Studies in the Scriptures" (mine copy 1907).

The pyramid was used in a very convoluted illustration of the story of civilization, from a Biblical standpoint. So, why a pyramid?

Therein lies the illustration's most significant detail: the top of the pyramid, which symbolized Jesus in the illustration, as a "chief cornerstone." See, the top of the pyramid could come off, and still remain a perfect pyramid. Thus Christ at the head of the congregation, perfect with or without us.

As for the rest - it's no wonder that the metaphor came into disuse, it in no way resembles the simplicity of Jesus's illustrations! That's men for you, all this love of "structure" & theory.

So now, what's the theory on Emancipation?

would spend most of 1994 and 1995 playing shows where he would unveil music from his unreleased album The Gold Experience. He had taken to scrawling "Slave" on his face, as a pot-shot at his record label's unwillingness to surrender his master tapes to him (he had reportedly become concerned with this after having a discussion with Nona Gaye where she informed him that she didn't own her father's masters). While the legal tug-of-war over this issue would continue, TGE would sit on the shelf.

Of course, would not just sit idly by. He recorded an album with his band, crediting the whole thing to The New Power Generation. To disguise his blatent involvement (thus violating his recording contract), he billed himself as "Tora Tora", wore a red scarf over his face, and coupled his vocals with those of bassist Sonny T. The result was an album called Exodus (no relation to the Bob Marley classic). While, on the whole, the album isn't particularly spiritual, it still has its moments. "Count The Days" details a gangbanger torn between revenge and taking the moral high ground to "cure the ills of the people", while "The Exodus Has Begun" takes 's struggle with Warner and compares to the Biblical exodus of the Jews out of Egyptian captivity. 's "exodus" is to a "promised land" away from record company control. Interestingly, the one point on the album that actually quotes the Biblical book of Exodus is on "Return Of The Bumpsquad". Sonny T reads a passage where the followers of Moses questioned why he had brought them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness, while a group of hecklers cat-call him with "chill out, nigga, we don't need that shit". Perhaps this was foresight on 's part that some of his fans were not going to stick around for his battle with Warner's, and that they would reject his shepherding of them? Still we see once again in a spiritual leadership role, comparing himself to Moses.

JediMaster said:

Ya know, I think the theme of "slavery" in Prince is a whole 'nother paper. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me!

Finally, in late 1995, The Gold Experience would be released to the general public. As the first full length album billed to , its fairly obvious by listening to the lyrics that he intended it to have been released well over a year prior. Its his bold, grand debut as a "new" artist.

The album's second track is one he had been playing live ever since his name change in 1993, "Endorphinmachine". The song is notable for one line in particular: "every now and there comes a time U must defend U're right 2 die and live again, live again, live again". This is the most overt reference to rebirth on the album, and it basically sums up the idea that Prince had "died" and been "reborn" as . Shortly thereafer, Mayte's voice chimes in in Spanish "Prince esta muerto (Prince is dead)".

The rebirth theme appears again, this time referencing reincarnation, on the track "Dolphin". laments the loss of a friendship due to the former friends attempts to control him (a thinly vieled jab at WB), and states he will come back in another life as a dolphin (a peaceful, friendly animal that still has a fierce independent streak, despite living communally in pods with others of its species). This is yet another move by into a more New Age based belief system, coupling it with his already established Judeo-Christian based faith. This would only deepen in the next few years as his relationship with Mayte proceeded.

The albums finale, "Gold", is an anthemic number emphasising the spiritual over the physical, and the importance of artistic expression & development over the bottom line. states that it's important for him to find new artistic achievements, and that he cannot be bound into retreading his past accomplishments (which WB desperately wanted him to do). This, of course, take on a spiritual overtone as well, when he compares his plight to that of an old woman on her deathbead. Since she has led a good life, and trusted in God, Heaven will take her soul. Those who are not willing to discover this for themselves should "step aside and make the way 4 those who want 2 go". Thus, the soul seeking Heaven and the artist seeking new acheivements are kindred spirits, and those who have no interest in finding these truths should stop making it difficult for those who do. "All that glitters ain't gold" he declares, illustrating that money isn't the end-all, be-all of existence.

Of course, the "gold" metaphor goes deeper than that. Just giving the album the title of The Gold Experience is significant due to the alchemy connection tied into the symbol-name. Prince has, spiritually, been transmuted into a "golden" being by becoming . During the time period of 1993 to 1995, he had gone out of his way to stress the point that he was completely reinventing his persona. While this wasn't anything all that different than what he had done with Lovesexy, it certainly seemed as if he was quite serious about Prince being "dead". He even introduced a symbol-shaped guitar into his live act, for the most part replacing his "cloud" guitar (at least for a little while). He was making a point that he was a "new" artist, and that he should not be judged with any preconceived notions.

Heiress said:

True, but they still are somewhat linked. Here Prince is likening his record company dispute with the captivity of the Israelites by Egypt. He views his right to creative expression as God-given, and that the label is trying to "enslave" him by preventing this expression. Thus, he views himself as a victim and a captive of a corrupt system. He puts himself into the Moses role, defying a corrupt monarch. Prince's personal mythology is completely interwoven into his music, his life, and his day to day struggles. His spirituality is a cornerstone of this mythology, so he obviously sees himself as a sort of hero struggling against the world's corrupt system.

He gets more into the Moses thing later, and I will get to that.

JediMaster said:

You're right. In this initial paper, I have to touch on a million themes that could be much better fleshed out. I only have 6500 words!

Owning his work was tantamount to owning his soul, thus the slavery. Which led to the whole concept of a promised people, which eventually led to the rainbow children...

I feel I have to substantiate my earlier comment and pick up on some points whichsome people appear to have missed - or maybe not - you will see what you want to see and no-one is right and no-one is wrong. What follows is my belief. Also what follows is not about the music alone, it is the messgae contained within it and the lyrics therein.

Up until '88 everything had been a journey, discovering his sexuality, conflicting with his religion, how can the two be joined. Pushing the boundaries. Head is a love song. If two people are in love then Head is no different to holding hands. Sometimes you allow yourself to hear what others say, those that don't understand and only see the darkness and you fall into that pool and drown with it. Enter the Black album. Allow one person in, pierce a piece of your heart and find your way back to the surface where all of a sudden the light is bright, the water is pure. It is all so simple. Rain is wet and sugar is sweet.

Lovesexy was his "only" spiritual peak. Lovesexy was the name he gave to this height. Sprituality to me has no rules except what your heart tells you. Religion is simply a set of rules to live by. Up until Lovesexy I was on the same journey as Prince, looking for the answers, the way of living a better life. God is love and love is God. So simple really. Accept love and give love and act on love then you need no other rules. Love and sex together to make lovesexy? Of course! The greatest gift we have is life, the greatest gift in life is love, the greatest gift love can bring is another life.

Many feel Batman was a deviation from this. No - it was the perfect follow up, good versus evil, Prince and Camille = Gemini - the character in the video clips. Batman and the joker. Without one the other cannot exist. You need to have experienced bad to appreciate the good. You have to have the dark side challenging you to help you make the good decisions, face the challenge and cherish the sweetness of victory.

Graffiti Bridge was again on the same lines just another way of putting things, Graffiti Bridge was Paisley Park. Prince then continued to explore other ideas and other religions as is evident in the ensuing albums. I stopped at Lovesexy on my spiritual journey as this provided me with all the answers I needed.

Then TRC hit. Here I lost my way with Prince. Played the album once and have never since. It contradicts all that Lovesexy is.

NEWS came at the perfect time for me, it brought me back into the fold, just giving me the music and letting the music speak for itself. Musicology says the same with words.

I can see it's seven, you can see eleven. They sound the same but they are so different. See either way but still I wish you heaven.

67TBirdHeartAttack said:

That sums up so many thoughts on this board... A lot of people stopped at Lovesexy, but Prince kept right on going.

It's like buried treasure - you keep on digging, and find more & more.

67TBirdHeartAttack said:

AND THERE IT IS!

Great read 67TBirdHeartAttack.

If Prince had to keep going after the beloved Lovesexy, it was because he somehow lost his way.

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

Only problem is, once you understand more, it's hard to go back to understanding less...

67TBirdHeartAttack said:

Well, ultimately, that's what this entire thread is about



I'd disagree with this strongly. If you listen to the lyrics, Prince is seducing a bride on her way to be married, and his basis is soley physical attraction. He just wants her for sex. Nowhere in that song is anything but pure lust represented.




Again, I must disagree. Lovesexy was, arguably, his GREATEST spiritual peak, but its hardly his only one



Completely agree. I expounded on this in my analysis of the album.



I'm a bit confused here. Are you saying that, since you stopped with Lovesexy, that you find the spirituality in the subsequent albums contradictory? If so, then why are you citing Batman and Graffiti Bridge as being in the same veign? (I agree that they are, but I'm confused by your comments)




Okay, I'm even more confused. There's a whole lot of intervening years and albums between GB and TRC, and LOTS of spititual journeying there. You say you stopped with Lovesexy, but then say TRC is what lost you.

As for TRC "contradicting" Lovesexy, I think that's subjective. I'll get to my thoughts on the matter later, but I don't think its a total contradiction at all. There's a whole lot of similar themes that crop up on both. The biggest difference is that TRC is rooted in a more specific doctrine. This doesn't mean that Lovesexy had no doctrine whatsoever. It is, at the very least, rooted in Christianity.

Not dissing you here, just trying to understand where you are coming from.

It's not surprising that some people think that 'Lovesexy' was the end-all-be-all to Prince's spirituality. Perhaps we should open our minds to what spirituality actually is before we make such a judgement. We may want to stop and wonder if we are being "wise in our own eyes", forgetting that spirituality is a very personal thing.

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

Don't agree at all. I think that someone having an epihany on the scale like the one that produced Lovesexy is hardly the end of a spiritual journey. It certainly is the setting out onto a new path, but that doesn't make it the end.

When someone becomes a Christian, is that the end of their spiritual questing? I personally think not. In fact, I think its the beginning of a brand new journey. You grow, mature and develop as time goes on, and you seek a greater understanding and relationship with God. Perhaps the best example of this frame of mind I've ever heard was U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".

Now, you may not be down with where he's at spiritually now (I'm not a JW either, mind you), but that doesn't mean he's done questing. I've known people who became Christians, studied the scriptures and decided that they agreed with one sect (like Catholicism, The JWs, Methodism, etc) and then later moved on as their studies delved deeper. I certainly think that Prince's spiritual evolution is far from over. Evidence suggests that he's in a different place AS A JW than he first was when studying their beliefs. According to Wendy Melvoin, he was a major Bible beater who was intolerant of gays, but now he's relaxed with her. Why is this? If anything, he's now a baptised JW, so shouldn't he be LESS tolerant??? (if you subscribe to the viewpoint that JWs are intolorent, which I do not)! To me, it shows that he's studied more, and come to different conclusions than he did initially. To me, a believer will be on a path of discovery all of their life.
[Edited 3/7/05 9:51am]

Heiress said:

You're telling me.

It's just too bad that he went in a different direction of knowing more.

OdysseyMiles said:

Well said.

JediMaster said:

You are right Jedi. I didn't properly type what I was thinking.

What I meant was, that once he realized the ultimate truth, he should've continued to grow in that direction. I don't understand his need to start looking into other theories to try and understand what he'd already learned.

Expound on the truth you've found. A need to look into other areas to emphasize what you already know shows confusion... he got confused at some point.

LovesexyIsThe1

People grow n the directions their soul requires. There is no "should have" about it. 2 each their own...
4 a spiritual person, LovesexyIsThe1, how can u b so judgemental about the growth of others?

love

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

I see your point. I do believe he went through a period of major spiritual confusion, and I will get to that with my analysis.

JediMaster said:

He's maturing as a human being - spiritually, and in every other way.

Anji said:

Exactly what I wanted to say, thank you. Obviously he's dealing with his own personal history through his art, and his will be different than anyone else's... But he keeps moving along.

It's kind of like college... the longer you go, the more specific and specialized your knowledge will become, true? And yet you take so many other things in along the way... random bits of knowledge and experience that shape your worldview. His spirituality has been shaped and tempered by his life, and even the lives that came before him... we all come from somewhere, and from there we head where we can - and as far as we can.

Peace.

A u-phoric, naive, blief n GOD, Lovesexy did not provide the answers 2 the ?s he asked.

Thru-out the Lovesexy tour, Prince was seeking connection with those who felt as he did. The problem was...Lovesexy was not a clear message. It was a feeling. As much as some say they "understand", he didn't find many passengers at the time. Those who new him, no this dismayed him 2 no end. At the close of the last nite, nstead of joining the rest of the band 4 the post-tour celebration, he simply went 2 a club...alone. There's a clue n this passage as 2 y Lovesexy did not represent the end of his spiritual journey.

It ain't over...

love

Heiress said:

True. I think its important to remember that. People seem to assume that once he became a JW that he would become static in his beliefs. I think most people have different views as they progress in their respective faiths. He wouldn't have the same viewpoints now that he did when he first converted, and he probably won't have the same views a few years from now.

Anji said:

Good point that "Lovesexy" was described as a feeling: a sense of knowing there is a loving God. That's it, nothing else. Its a pretty broad statement that most people of any Christian denomination can get behind. To think that he wouldn't get deeper than that seems a bit naive (I'm NOT insulting anyone here, so please don't take offense). Lovesexy was, in my mind, a turning point for him, but it wasn't the beginning or end of the quest.

Anji said:

If he had become a jw in '88, and was still one today... that would show a sign of understanding, commitment, and a strong, spiritual foundation.

The fact that he was rooted in Christianity, then looked into eastern spirituality, and then to jw... he was most defenitely confused.

I'm not passing judgement on him, just making an observation.

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

Obviously, Prince did not believe he had found the ultimate truth back in '88.
The views expressed in 'Lovesexy' may have been enough for some, but they simply weren't enough for him.

OdysseyMiles said:

Exactly. Poor confused little dude... he'll be alright.

LovesexyIsThe1 said:

I doubt if he considers himself confused now, but I'm sure he'll be alright.