rdhull said:

I have never ever viewed you from that perspective but sometimes you do need a kick up the arse to get you to come out with your honest feelings. I know you don't like coming across as if you're dissing Prince and that must come from a deep love of the man and his music. You should know that I have nothing but respect for you. Thanks for talking...

Anji said:

Well I said what I said not aimed at you per se' but so people dont get the wrong idea about my seemingly bullheadedness. This site is sen by a lot of people and things can get misread or misunderstood. I have deep respect for you as well or else I wouldn't have aid dont drop the baton and you are worthy of running the race. You make me friggin work lol. .

.
[This message was edited Mon Mar 10 20:20:16 PST 2003 by rdhull]

Haven't read the entire thread...yet...lol...(so far, tho, extremely cool reading)...but I'll just toss in my first initial thought and reaction (sorry if I'm repeating anyone else's thoughts here)...

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...

And for the record, I think the Black Album is the most overrated...lol

wellbeyond said:

Right On Right On!

wellbeyond said:

Nobodys' fuckin with that..I damn sure aint..you just broke it the fuck down

but! Didn't he go through all of this spiritual conversion/awakening publicly once before on Temptation already? I guess this time he really meant it and it does feel more heartfelt this time around. Thanks for that explanation though..and thats how I fel when I get to the song Lovesexy..like I had just been through some shit to get there so lets all have a party. Thanks WB fro making me realize that and putting it into words.

This thread has been an incredible read. I don't have much else to bring to the table, other than my undying devotion to this album.

"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.

Anji said:

Him turning 30 perhaps?

Maybe after a decade in the business he just thought it was time to do something like that. Spiritual revelation or not; it was only in 1994 when he was going through the brouhaha with Warner Bros. that he gave in for the Black Album's retail release. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, I think at that time it was part of his contractual obligation - or he ended up allowing it to be. Whatever. Maybe after a myriad albums of spiritual songs included he just thought it was time to put all his spiritual whims together in one album (Lovesexy). It could be that simple. Sometimes things can be overanalyzed.

But I do agree with those that said it caught hold more overseas than in the US. Lovesexy was never a huge hit critically or commercially in the US (not that this matters in the scheme of something musically important), and it took years for it to go gold. I don't think the only reason for that was the material, unfortunately that album cover just does not lend itself to "blockbuster" status. A lot of casual fans thought Prince had lost his mind.

A quick thank you for everyone's great contributions to this thread, and for answering all my questions. LOL! I've always loved Lovesexy but this has taken my appreciation to an entirely new level...

I've been following this thread...I so totally disagree with the whole "over-rated" notion that I just couldn't post. Anji, was the title just meant to bait us?

"Eye No" is a song with confident conviction; the lyrics, the message, and the music all point toward joy in an introductory manner--it's an overture. It tells of the outcome before the story really begins.

Alphabet St. is actually Act 1.

Note the flow here: Alphabet street is early evening...he's out driving around lookin' for trouble. Not necessarily the right kind of fun. Then he scores: Glam Slam is reckless sex--note how it precedes AnnaStesia...kind of like his last big frivolous stay-out-late being promiscuous party before the hang-over the next morning. The lyrics help frame it this way. The fugue in between Glam Slam and AnnaStesia represents his restless sleep, before he wakes up and takes a serious look at his situation in AnnaStesia--which begins very much like a hang-over.

WellBeyond captured what follows from there pretty well, IMO.

I could go on, but suffice it to say that whole album is very, very inspired. Over-rated my ass...

rdhull said:

This is the first comment I'll make on this topic!

"goobly-gook he was preaching about" why is it when an Artist talks about his or her beliefs about Religion it's goobly-gook?
If Lovesexy did not have a tour it would be the same today as was yesterday, meaning The messages that were on that album in those's days and times were right on! that album he taught people that were lonely or depressed to look for God, what's wrong with that? and yes in retrospect the messages were very strong!
and yes besides Supa I was as well one of the understanding goobly gook lovers...As if ya' didn't know!

You really come up with some good threads Anji...

RiccoTheArtist said:[quote]

rdhull said:

This is the first comment I'll make on this topic!



Because the whole "feling u get when u fall in love not with a girl or boy but the heavens above" etc is goobly gook, just like paisley park is in your heart is...people like goobly gook instead of straight up TRC stuff though.



You need to loosen up your ear wraps and calm down. Religious fervor creating seemingly semi-stress or anger as per usual. Whats up with that?You need to feel your Lovesexiness and Cross The Line..

teller said:

you guys are starting to make Lovesexy out as The Bible..

rdhull said:

Stop being sacrilegious, Rd! Lovesexy deserves your respect and you know it...

rdhull said:

Ricco, not matter what you say, Rd will always bring up your moonwraps for comedy value.

teller said:

That's an interesting visualisation of the songs. I never pictured it quite like that and in fact, always wondered why people used to comment on the first side of the album being particularly dark.

wellbeyond said:

Moonbeam said:

I dig the record a lot. But haven't listened to it in a long while. Most interesting comment about the record was when the Village Voice said the music sounded like it had 3 turntables going on at once and they were highly complimentary of it.

Moonbeam said:

This is what I love about listening to challenging music! The more listen-learning that is required, the more enjoyable the music is once your brain has digested it. And LoveSexy really scores on this count.

Bring on the layers!!!

I think that a lot of Prince fans rate the record highly because:

01) The actual music. Its timeless - it didn't sound like anything else around in 1988 and it still doesn't. I always compare Lovesexy to drinking Tropicana and Diamonds & Pearls to drinking Fanta.

02) Non-Fans hate it. I think it makes the real fans more defensive of the record because its the album which non-fans can't listen to. I know somebody who bought the album and had previously bought Sign O' The Times. They expected every song to be an Alphabet St. but I think that "Eye No", "Dance On" and "Positivity" threw them. After the album had thrown my friend, he threw the record out. Seriously - he hated it so much that he put it in the trash one day.

03) The format. Although CD players had been around since 1985, the price of the players seemed to fall considerably in 1988. I think it may be the first album which fans bought on CD - I know it was for me.

04) The continuous sequence. I got bored of sitting there with my finger on the fast-forward button whilst trying to read a book or whatever - so I was forced to listen to every song. Its a pity that you can now purchase a tracked version of the record.

05) The Black Album. I think that the non-release of the Black Album and the fact that Prince stated that Lovesexy was an antidote to the bootleg, made the record more mysterious and anticipated.

06) The lyrics. With the exception of "Alphabet St." and "Anna Stesia" all the songs were about how he felt about things instead of just being narrative stories. Even then, "Anna Stesia" is a song with a storyline about how he felt.

God - there's loads of reasons and I'm rambling on - somebody else take over!

BinaryJustin said:[quote]I think that a lot of Prince fans rate the record highly because:


06) The lyrics. With the exception of "Alphabet St." and "Anna Stesia" all the songs were about how he felt about things instead of just being narrative stories. Even then, "Anna Stesia" is a song with a storyline about how he felt.


Now that is a great observation. I never thought about that aspect of the songwriting. That alone makes the entire project unique in the Prince canon.

Anji said:

whoops - there ya go again Anji with your
A
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self...once again.

Anji said:

whooops - there ya go again

naturegirl, would you care to answer the question re: Lovesexy?

Anji said:

i already have in the past
[This message was edited Tue Mar 11 18:53:16 PST 2003 by naturegirl]

naturegirl said:

I don't recall any opinion of yours on Lovesexy on this thread but if you'd like to make one, please feel free.

For your information, it's not in my interest to disagree with anyone unless it warrants discussion on the topic i.e. Lovesexy. If that's something you do not desire, I suggest you take any issues you may have with me, off this thread.

naturegirl said:[quote]

Anji said:

i already have in the past
[This message was edited Tue Mar 11 18:54:12 PST 2003 by naturegirl]

Anji said:

*****
no issue - just kidding with ya - i'm sure u remember that time before when i said u were analytical, and u came back and said "I DON'T AGREE"

ALL IN FUN ANJI - SORRY
[This message was edited Wed Mar 12 7:49:02 PST 2003 by naturegirl]