I was liss'ning to Heaven and I got a bright picture in me head.Heaven clocks in at 7 minutes 18 seconds of childhood joy.I get the feeling that it was recorded at the same time as All My Dreams and Big Tall Wall.These are the songs of my dreams.These are part of the fantasy of being a Prince fan.I used to dream of song titles and grooves and album covers.( as recntly as last year)I dreamt of a large wondrland full of thousands of album covers I hadn't seen before and magical song titles promising grooves that made feel pure joy like when I used to race to the record store to cop a new Prince collection.(long ass sentence,huh?)

Listen to Heaven and the like and hear the little nuances and quirks and keyboard taps that make it like a whimsical treasure world.You smile and feel at peace when you listen.

Try as Prince might,he ain't always the "cool of cools".Prince is childlike just as much as he is big cool ass pimp with the third leg beating his inner thigh.He gives himself away.He tries to make the groove hard,as in the thud of Heaven or the stunted rumble strut of Question of U ,but the vulnerability and the belief in all things sugary betrays him in the melodies and dreamlike faux harp sweeps.And that is where I connect with Prince,mostly.It's not even all about the Peter Pan-like quality of grown boy's minds...some of it is also a fantasia of sweet delights in the feminine form.Some of it isn't so innocent.But,it's all beautiful,in my mind.

When prince is seducing a synapse -firing girlfriend,I feel it and I know what he is taklking about and I picture my dream girl with the smiling face,the warm ,caring eyes,the supple body,the mind that is in concert with mine.She is innocent and pure and yet,she lusts for us as much as I do.Together,this girl and I will reach a caribbean warm pool of ...bliss.We are in love...even more...we lust.We lust fo wonderment.And Prince helped bring her back to me.

Also,though,it is that Peter Pan state I connect with.The vision of pretty children of all races playing and singing together and laughing.The vision of God that I see in my mother's and my father's faces.The slight glimpse of good I see when I look in the mirror.I see the love that was etched in my heart and eyes that burns bright forever.


I do hear these things in the music.I KNOW Prince encases these things and other things that aren't so pretty.But,it's all love.

Heaven is an ultimate destination,but it's also here on Earth.I've seen it.It's elusive,but it shows itself when you really need it.

Think about 7 minutes and eighteen seconds.Were your thoughts positive or negative?All you see is a reflection of you.How do you interpret?Sometimes a song is a song.Sometimes a song is a sign. Dance on,with your bad self.

One of the few "classic" era Prince boots I haven't heard It looks like it could be my favorite.

where's the template?

rockwilder said:

Known recording dates:

All My Dreams: April 28, 1985 (Sunset Sound, LA)
Heaven: May 26th, 1985 (Sunset Sound, LA)

I have not seen a precise recording date for the original version of Big Tall Wall (1986 or earlier)

rockwilder said:

Good lawd ... entered 'cause i saw my b-day, but sumbody pass me a handkerchief ... beads of sweat pouring down my face ... gone & testify.
[This message was edited Thu Feb 27 4:11:06 PST 2003 by aspera773]