Gosh what to say about this song...I think it's great, shows what Prince is capable of in many ways...thx for sharing!

SchlomoThaHomo said:

Quite good, some interesting funky moments.

imprimis said:

paisleypark4 said:

They are because, compared to Baltimore out now..yeah not sure why this is getting rave reviews. This is alright, its slow and kinda cheesy then turns into his 90's chant stuff he started doing around that time.

Defenitley not Like A Prayer material. It started off strong but he kinda took it off course, and sounds unfinished. More so Ingrid Chavez like. I can defenitley see why it was turned down and unreleased but nice to hear it anyway Always liked the title.

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This appears to be a jumble, or sketch, of musical and lyrical ideas, some of them individually strong (but brief and never completely realized), superimposed onto the structure and some of the backing tracks of an even earlier (possibly ~late 1987) outtake. The transition to a 'funk workout' towards the end is not unlike parts of 'It's a Wonderful Day' (or its instrumental excerpt in UTCM).

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The song concludes with an ever-so-important late-1980s 'public service announcement'-worthy message (here, an admonition against teenage suicide, and, perhaps, the circumstances behind adolescent drug abuse). Is this Prince's 'Close My Eyes Forever'?

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Did he think this track could serve Madonna as a Lovesexified positive, constructive, redemptive, uncritical campaign for youth, providing edge without risking controversy like the previous album's 'Papa Don't Preach'?

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Alhough one would expect a far more conventional pop track of a collaboration between two of the largest recording artists in the world, it seems well intended if misguided.

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While this is clearly a demo, I imagine P would have considered this to be close to being a finished track. What it is lacking cannot be made up by production alone, which is why the track is branded as bizarre and doesn't work in the end.

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I believe Prince revamped this specifically for Madonna, rather than simply offering her an existing, pre-configured outtake from the Vault.

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He may even be loosely attempting to stay within the limits of her vocal range and styling on the 'sing-songy' (guide?) vocals.

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It appears to be envisioned as a duet, with some sections as individual solos, some parts together-- back and forth.

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I believe [0:01 - 0:43] are meant to be sung by Madonna alone, [0:50 - 1:30] Madonna and Prince, breakdown at [1:38 - 2:19] Prince alone, etc., the 'rap' delivered at the end Prince with some interplay with Madonna ('Serve It Up, Prince').

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The initial 43 seconds are to me the most interesting part. Treading in similar territory to 'Others Here With Us', enigmatic and macabre, even vaguely sinister.

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The opening 43 seconds have been arranged to, or at least happen to mirror, the organ-backed (or in this case moody strings in their place) 'confessional', extended-narrative introduction approach of the 'Like a Prayer' (the song). [I do not mean to suggest this song is at the production standard of that massively successful track]

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He may have already heard demo versions of, or made his studio contributions to, the 'Like A Prayer' tracks by the time he resolved to put this one together.

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'By Alien Means' actually is not entirely far removed in spirit from the 'Oh, Father', 'Act of Contrition', 'Supernatural' and 'Promise to Try'-artsy and introspective pretentious elements of the 'Like a Prayer' album and era, but filtered through the weirdness of Prince's Lovesexy/Rave/Batman-era sensibilities.

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I wouldn't fully rule out the [remote] possibility that Madonna recorded some vocal tracks for this song, even though it had virtually no chance of making the album.

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The existence of 'By Alien Means' seems to have been very well documented in the Madonna community, from at least the early 1990s, before perhaps even most Prince elite collectors and traders were aware, for a track it is said she simply really didn't like and nixed. Is the suggestion that the song was simply so bad (or weird) that its name was remembered even years later by her behind-the-scenes people? It is not at all incompatible with Madonna's own penchant for pretention and quizzicalness during this phase of her career.

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She did, after all, record the [not very much better from a standpoint of commercial or critical achievement] 'Love Song'.

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A song like this wouldn't be an entirely unwelcome addition to the 'Graffiti Bridge' film or soundtrack, after failing to beat the appreciable odds against it as a Madonna-Prince effort on 'Like a Prayer'.

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[Edited 5/9/15 23:40pm]

Thanks for that review. Yes I caould defeniltey see the first portion of it being very Like A Prayer worthy, but he ruined it taking it into the Batman era and overproduced much of the rest. Sometimes this is a good thing (The Voice Inside, Wouldnt You Love 2 Love Me, We Can Funk) but here it does not work. Sounds like 3 ideas in one song.They went with the right choice with Love Song being the worthy track.

I honestly prefer the song Baltimore.

This is kind of strange song. It has that etheral, surreal quality to it similar to All My Dreams or She Wants A Place In Heaven, yet the subject matter doesn't seem to fit the sound of the song. It left me feeling kind of uneasy.

Thibaut said:

I honestly prefer the song Baltimore.

Ok.. this demo is a little weird..

But. Me too. It's better than Baltimore. Yes.

Woah, these are crazy, alien times, huh? Another one I'm gonna have to track down.

Looking forward to hearing it.

snakesineverycolor said:

Looking forward to finding this one - love getting the chance to hear such old material without ever having even sniffed it before.

[Edited 5/10/15 14:35pm]

Thibaut said:

I honestly prefer the song Baltimore.

Im saying right. Listened to this one 2x now...yeah im good

Revolution81 said:

Classic 80's unreleased Prince, whats not to love

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[Edited 5/10/15 22:12pm]

xpertluva said:

I wonder how many of you are looking at this one through rose colored 80's glasses.

Exactly, this is fucking awful.

If it had been on AOA, all those saying it's quirky, cool, classic wierd Prince etc would be saying he'd lost it and was better in the 80's.

There is no way this would have sounded right on Like a Prayer, I was a Madonna fan long before I was into Prince and always thought Love Song was a little weak and didn't really fit the album. But if this is any indication of the other tracks considered for LIke a Prayer, then Love Song is a no brainer slam dunk for inclusion.

TheEnglishGent said:

xpertluva said:

I wonder how many of you are looking at this one through rose colored 80's glasses.

Exactly, this is fucking awful.

If it had been on AOA, all those saying it's quirky, cool, classic wierd Prince etc would be saying he'd lost it and was better in the 80's.

There is no way this would have sounded right on Like a Prayer, I was a Madonna fan long before I was into Prince and always thought Love Song was a little weak and didn't really fit the album. But if this is any indication of the other tracks considered for LIke a Prayer, then Love Song is a no brainer slam dunk for inclusion.

I agree...not feelin this one. It would NOT have fit on Like a Prayer.

tatocorcu said:

Thibaut said:

I honestly prefer the song Baltimore.

My thoughts exactly!

the song is...."interesting"....that's about all I can say

The arrangement is really weird...lacks a strong melody.....

I do enjoy this song. The atmosphere it creates is rather great, the arrangement is unusual and the lyrics are interesting. I think it could have been included on Like A Prayer cohesively.

ElectricMayweather said:

I do enjoy this song. The atmosphere it creates is rather great, the arrangement is unusual and the lyrics are interesting. I think it could have been included on Like A Prayer cohesively.

Are there two versions of this song circulating?

Two?

At least I obtained one.

The song is a master piece. Classic.

Not hit material or anything but very interesting. Listen to the instruments. Do you recognise any?

Where did you here these sounds before?

Do we have any backgrounds for High Calonic and/or Voodoo Who?

(is there a separate thread for these?)

I received these tracks with the Alien Means song.

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Ah, oh.

Stupid me: http://princevault.com/in...gh_Calonic and http://princevault.com/in...Voodoo_Who

[Edited 5/14/15 0:49am]

udo said:

ElectricMayweather said:

I do enjoy this song. The atmosphere it creates is rather great, the arrangement is unusual and the lyrics are interesting. I think it could have been included on Like A Prayer cohesively.

I don't think it fits well with the other songs on Like A Prayer.

SchlomoThaHomo said:

Obsessed with the lyrics.

Is it far

This place that we're going 2?

Is it someplace that I

Want 2 go?

Do we get there alone

Or by alien means?

When I go

Will I ever return?

What makes a girl of 17

Look 4 comfort within suicide?

Does she get there alone

Or by alien means?

When she's dead

How will she ever know?

1100 flying children

Rave until they drop.

1100 more will 2

Until the flying stops.

Until alternative ways of action

Equal airborne satisfaction.

13 year old lookouts

Layin 4 the cops.

Get ur hands off me, Sammy!

Alien...

Is there really joy in this place

That we're going 2?

Everlasting joy?

Does it last 4 3 hours or more?

Do we get there alone

Or by alien means?

Which one will U live 4?

Alien...

I'll try it.

Don't wanna go out by alien means. No.

Explore the interplanetary field inside ur mind.

But don't U go out, don't U go out

By alien means.

Serve it up, Prince.

[Edited 5/9/15 13:28pm]

Those are some lyrics...

ElectricMayweather said:

I do enjoy this song. The atmosphere it creates is rather great, the arrangement is unusual and the lyrics are interesting. I think it could have been included on Like A Prayer cohesively.

now you and I both know this song is a hot mess lol

KingSausage said:

I'm not that impressed by By Alien Means. The title is so much cooler than the song itself.

I agree.

With the recent leaked stuff I like Telepathy the best so far...