MattyJam said:

I often see fans talk about Lovesexy being a disappointment following SOTT, which always baffles me, as I would take Lovesexy over Sign in a heartbeat. To me, Lovesexy is his greatest album bar none. Eye No is just the coolest opening track to an album, a pure musical rapture, which just builds and builds. The neo-classical synth/keyboard segue from Glam Slam into to Anna Stesia is one of the most epic moments in Prince's entire canon of work, which leads into one of Prince's finest tracks. Dance On succeeds in its intricate cluttered soundscape where songs like Tambourine and Life Can Be So Nice fail. Positivity ties the whole record together beautifully, with one of his most musically and lyrically intriguing album closers. "Don't kiss the beast, be superior at least!" Sign O The Times is a great collection of songs (but ultimately diluted and watered down from his original vision of Dream Factory). Lovesexy on the other hand is a fully realised conceptual piece of art. [Edited 2/14/17 7:15am]

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I agree. Lovesex is my jam.

Seriously though, I do agree, even though I'm not a fan of the sound of the mix. Lovesexy is a masterpiece indeed.

It was the very first Compact Disc I ever bought, by the way. Bought it together with Miles Davis's 'Siesta'.

KaresB said:

MattyJam said:

I often see fans talk about Lovesexy being a disappointment following SOTT, which always baffles me, as I would take Lovesexy over Sign in a heartbeat. To me, Lovesexy is his greatest album bar none. Eye No is just the coolest opening track to an album, a pure musical rapture, which just builds and builds. The neo-classical synth/keyboard segue from Glam Slam into to Anna Stesia is one of the most epic moments in Prince's entire canon of work, which leads into one of Prince's finest tracks. Dance On succeeds in its intricate cluttered soundscape where songs like Tambourine and Life Can Be So Nice fail. Positivity ties the whole record together beautifully, with one of his most musically and lyrically intriguing album closers. "Don't kiss the beast, be superior at least!" Sign O The Times is a great collection of songs (but ultimately diluted and watered down from his original vision of Dream Factory). Lovesexy on the other hand is a fully realised conceptual piece of art. [Edited 2/14/17 7:15am]

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I agree. Lovesex is my jam.

Seriously though, I do agree, even though I'm not a fan of the sound of the mix. Lovesexy is a masterpiece indeed.

It was the very first Compact Disc I ever bought, by the way. Bought it together with Miles Davis's 'Siesta'.

Edited to clarify that I applaud this reference. Not that I agree with the sentiment.

[Edited 2/14/17 11:11am]

Absolutely not. "Lovesexy" is my desert island album.

I really think it is the more quintessential P's achievement, the pinnacle of his music art and personality. A unique record, that sounds like nothing else.

Hard to say, really. Apples and oranges. Both albums bring about different moods. Even though Lovesexy is more of a bonafide "album" with a theme and atmosphere that ties the songs together, SOTT is pretty much the de facto Prince album. SOTT showcases a good portion of what Prince was capable of, and whatever style of music he felt like tackling. In other words; His diversity in all of it's funky, eclectic glory is on display on SOTT. Imagine you took all of Prince's recorded catalog and you compared it to a menu at a diner as an analogy. SOTT is the appetizer sampler platter that comes with a little chicken fingers, potato skins, stuffed mushrooms, mozzarella sticks, whatever. Even though Lovesexy is in my top 3 of his albums, I have to be in the mood for it. SOTT I can pretty much play whenever, and it's usually the first one I go to. I dunno, I'm rambling at this point. They're both equally good, just vastly different than one another.

[Edited 2/14/17 8:11am]

kygermo said:

Hard to say, really. Apples and oranges. Both albums bring about different moods. Even though Lovesexy is more of a bonafide "album" with a theme and atmosphere that ties the songs together, SOTT is pretty much the de facto Prince album. SOTT showcases a good portion of what Prince was capable of, and whatever style of music he felt like tackling. In other words; His diversity in all of it's funky, eclectic glory is on display on SOTT. Imagine you took all of Prince's recorded catalog and you compared it to a menu at a diner as an analogy. SOTT is the appetizer sampler platter that comes with a little chicken fingers, potato skins, stuffed mushrooms, mozzarella sticks, whatever. Even though Lovesexy is in my top 3 of his albums, I have to be in the mood for it. SOTT I can pretty much play whenever, and it's usually the first one I go to. I dunno, I'm rambling at this point. They're both equally good, just vastly different than one another.

[Edited 2/14/17 8:11am]

perfectly stated 100% agree

LoveSexy > Sign O' The Times even though both are great albums.

Lovesexy is a monster. Just absolutely amazing musicianship.
And "Eye Know" is one of the funkiest tracks he's ever done, in my opinion.

I'm right there with u. 2 be honest, I always thought Sign "O" The Times was a little overrated.

paisley2002 said:

I'm right there with u. 2 be honest, I always thought Sign "O" The Times was a little overrated.

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I wouldn't call it overrated, it is a great album, but it has a (maybe unfair) advantage over Lovesexy, when comparing the two: SOTT is much easier to listen to for someone who's not a fan yet. The arrangements are generally more complex and the whole mix is far busier on Lovesexy than on the other.

If someone hears Lovesexy from the radio or through some cheap system like an average car stereo, let's be honest, it's hard to listen to. It's not a particularly pleasant sound and hard to understand and enjoy without paying attention to it.

SOTT, on the other hand, is easier to digest for the untrained ears.

KaresB said:

If someone hears Lovesexy from the radio or through some cheap system like an average car stereo, let's be honest, it's hard to listen to. It's not a particularly pleasant sound and hard to understand and enjoy without paying attention to it.

"Lovesexy" is one of those albums that you can fully enjoy and understand with professional headphones on.

It is so complex and structured that after many spins you can still discover something in the mix you didn't notice before.

It has "Genius" written all over it.

BoraBora said:

KaresB said:

If someone hears Lovesexy from the radio or through some cheap system like an average car stereo, let's be honest, it's hard to listen to. It's not a particularly pleasant sound and hard to understand and enjoy without paying attention to it.

It is so complex and structured that after many spins you can still discover something in the mix you didn't notice before.

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Exactly.

That's why I'm saying that it's hard to enjoy UNLESS someone is really paying attention to it. And most people rarely pay attention to music – for them "listening to music" means having some music laying in the background while they're reading or talking or do whatever else.

Prince was actually right with "this is not music, this is a trip": Lovesexy is a trip, it's up to you if you're ready to embark on it or not.

Glad to see that many of us enjoy it so much.

[Edited 2/14/17 9:05am]

I find myself having to split SOTT a part to fully enjoy it.

I don't know if I prefer Lovesexy to SOTT. I think I'm kinda equal

But I do find that I can listen to Lovesexy through as is.

MattyJam said:

Am I the only Prince fan who prefers Lovesexy to SOTT?

No, you're not the only one.

NorthC said:

No, you're not Lovesexy is also my favourite Prince album. SOTT may have better songs, but it's a bit all over the place. Lovesexy works better as an album.

See, this part I don't agree with at all. I would take Eye No, Anna Stesia, Alphabet St, Positivity and Lovesexy over anything on SOTT. Each to their own I guess...

Both Lovesexy + Sign "O" The Times... = masterpieces, no less.

Maximum grade from me.. to both.

MattyJam said:

rusty1 said:

CandyCool said:

SOTTs is the end of his run of brilliant albums in the 80s. I like Lovesexy but it will always be a letdown in comparison imo.

I also think of the time it came out back in 88. SOTTs was still out there and had plenty of life left in it. There was a buzz around it...friends who couldn't get behind the weirdness of ATWIAD or Parade, got into SOTTs. If he released Strange Relationship as a single and toured the States, I think it would've hit 1999 heights.

Then, the Black Album confusion happened, and Lovesexy is announced and came out with the naked album cover and one-track CD. A lot of people thought he had completely lost it. Lovesexy has grown on me over the years, and the concert was amazing, but it was a nutty time to be a Prince fan

Agreed. I think Lovesexy was his pinnacle. Batman was the letdown for me. I had to learn to stop comparing his subsequent albums to Lovesexy so that I could fully enjoy them.

Lovesexy is the album I can't imagine anyone but Prince writing and recording.

As much as I have fond memories of that time, the Alphabet St video, the search all over town for a Black Album bootleg cassette, the LoveSexy show AND AFTER SHOW, the polka dots, if Sign of the Times is Prince at an apex, LoveSexy is the beggining of Prince's artistic decline. The tinny digital production, the overlayering of vocal tracks, the lack of interest in songs with a "hook" all start here.

While these songs are all often much better than what comes afterwards in Batman or Grafitti Bridge (which could be the worst prince era as he tries to incorporate new jack and hip-pop with even more plastic production) etc, its with LoveSexy you start to realize that not every track is gold or every song a keeper.