OF COURSE NOT!!!

It is a lovely cover. Poignant, ethereal, sexy, erotic - hence the title.

I'd be more embarrassed buying Eminem's album! *sic*

Sorry 4 this but I don't get the guy.
Good talent, though. Can't deny that.

Mindflux said:

The bottom line is,I think *MOST* straight men would have a problem buying an album with a nude man on the cover.I remember many of my male friends being disgusted by that photo ("He looks like a fag", they said).It's a shame because in many cases,the cover got more attention than the actual songs.

I bought lovesexy at a flea market when i was like 13. the guy selling it to me looked at me like i was queer (which i am, lol) but even moreso, i was wondering why he had it in the first place.

Due to this cover, my mum contineously refers to Prince as the "flour - worm". "Oh no, did you spend that much money on a concert with that pale flour-worm/oh no not another CD for Christmas with the flour -worm". Maybe because of her harassment, I find it hard to think of this cover as sexy AT ALL!

I thought it was the coolest cover. I was 14 when i bought it. My friend called prince a gay or said that he was disgusting but that only made me think that the cover was even cooler.

I agree with you DavidEye, but what you have said just supports my statement. Unfortunately, people can't see past their own prejudices and its a shame that people don't seem to realise that a majority of art through the ages has been based on the human form.

Lovesexy, I think, was one of Prince's more considered covers and complements the album perfectly.

Hah! I remember before it was released when the music critics were talking about him being naked on the cover I thought they were exaggerating. Then I went to the store, saw the cover and thought 'Oh my, he really is naked. How am I going to get this in the house past my mom.'
[This message was edited Fri Nov 22 5:50:14 PST 2002 by Ifsixwuz9]

toejam said:

I think it's embarrassing for guys more than anyone else.. can't even show it to my friends...

I got my copy for £4.99. It wasn't one of the first I bought but when I saw this price I couldn't resist and I'm very happy I bought it.

no embarrasment here.I took it out of the bag as soon as i exited the store, i was scaring men, women and Grannies!.The BEST Prince cover!

What is it about a naked man that scares people? it's ridiculous.

y'all noticed the stamen on the flower and what it represents?

The only reason I was embarrassed was because I took it back the next day demanding to know why I couldn't forward to new tracks on my CD player - "It MUST be faulty!". DUH!

I was 9 years old and the salesman stared at me with an accusing look.I blushed,gave themoney and just left the store.
So YES I did feel embarrassed.

I bought it the day it came out. It didn't bother me. I know who I am...so it didn't phrase me. Back then, some retailers were selling it out of a brown paper bag or something like that.

I can't even remember when I bought it so I don't think the cover bothered me. When I went to university in '92 I had a poster of the album cover on my wall and this guy saw it and accused me of being gay!

I don't remember how or what happened when I bought this album.
I can understand that as a teenager you're more concerned on what people think of you, and if they see you with an album that has a nude man on the cover, what will they think of you then?
But still, Prince was very famous then, and people loved him, so they probably knew what you were holding in your hand.
Nothing to be ashamed of, IMO.

I don't get what the big stink over the supposed nudity was. You didnt see anything but his thigh. No genitals, no pubic hair, not even an ass crack. Shoot, we saw more on the 91 VMA's than on the lovesexy cover.

He did look pretty queer on that album cover though. I mean come on, his face is painted, his legs are shaved, it looks like a poster for a drag queen competition.

divo02 said:

Agree. But, what you're suggesting is also where things get a bit tricky. Because when you say

"Still this new spirituality encompasses a side of Prince we have not seen before...with the scripture lyrics, controversial race topics."

in my mind, I see it a little differently. I believe that references to scripture and other things were already present - even in Prince's older music prior to Lovesexy. The difference then is that Prince was much more cryptic about his true intentions and true meanings behind the lyrics. But if you dug his music and your REALLY "got it", then the things that Prince was saying in his songs even way back then that seemed "weird" actually made a lot of sense to those "in the know". But I acknowledge that many fans don't have a spiritual and/or religous base of reference, thats why a lot of the things Prince was saying and doing didn't make sense to a lot of people - even though the underlying message was always present. But now, Prince is being a lot less cryptic and a lot more direct and some people don't like that directness and that is the reason for the negativity. But my point is that if you really understood what was going on all the time, then something like The Rainbow Children shouldn't come as a surprise.

I was talking about when I first bought it, I have NO problem with it today.

I had no problem with it, or buying it, or anything else. I feel sorry for so many of u straight guys. So worried somebody is going to think u are a fag or something. If u are that easily embarassed and upset by a naked man maybe u do have issues. Either with your sexuality, confidence or both.

Tom said:

Now, you start off sounding so freaking sensible, Tom. And then you go and say some shit like this:


I'll never get over the homophobia that exists around here. I mean, you're all fans of a guy that has made a carreer of gender-bending and challenging sexual conventions. In the words of the immortal Kurt Cobain: "Everyone is gay!" Yeah. What he said.

fragisexy said:

Maybe embarrasment is too strong a word. But, as a straight man, I feel a slight discomfort even purchasing porn, condoms, etc. It's not an insecure feeling but a heightened alert that you know the cashier is thinking something to themselves. And that applied for the purchase of Lovesexy.

divo02 said:

No, I wasn't embarrassed to buy it.

Instead, I was embarrassed because I actually took it back TWICE -- thinking it was skipping. The beats were way ahead of their time, you have to agree, and since it was vinyl... well, I actually thought the damn thing skipped. Come to find out, it was intended to sound that way!

Now, I consider it a classic and have bought it as a couple of CDs (mine were never tracked, by the way -- yet I hear others were) and cassettes since it's release. I've worn them out! It also helped to see the concert in '88... talk about a religious experience!!!

LOL at the old discussions we used to have

Hehe cool to see this thread again... but we frown on bumping you naughty person Okay I'll add something to the thread myself then...

I was embarrassed to buy Lovesexy at the time.

I was just a kid and the idea of buying an album with a naked man on the cover wasn't very appealing. Also the Lovesexy t-shirts around at the time looked very gay... Prince wearing lipstick etc.

Sadly, that era was a prime example of Prince's persona and image overshadowing his musical talent.

did you ever see the cover of the "Lovesexy" tourbook? Yikes! I think he was portraying "Camille"?

Couldn't have cared less about being embarrased at the time. And Ian I wore my "gay" Lovesexy t-shirt with pride! Love them polka dots.

My grandmother brought me it 4 christmas she went in to buy it said oh no i carnt buy that and stormed out the shop in the end a very red grandfarther bought it 4 me lol
this cover also started my farther 2 question my sexuality

ehmmm...Why the FUCK would I be that??
And if someone stared me down while buyin it, I'm just happy.
MF's don't get what's good music - and good style.
Duuuh!

yes, you were the only one