It's an OK song. Not one of Prince's best unreleased songs. It does have potential on becomming a fan favourite, if only Prince worked better on the main chorus:

"Oh, woah-ah, woah-ah, woah woah, woaaaa-oh

Oh, woah-ah, woah-ah, woah woah, woaaaa-oh

Oh, woah-ah, woah-ah, woah woah, woaaaa-oh

God is alive..."

Maybe with the chanting, he could have put more vocal effect into it, although the idea behind it is witty, really blues-sy.

I've always enjoyed it for what it is. Whenever I think about the track (without listening to it), I find myself thining of the studio footage - which I think has helped romanticize it in some respects.

Really, it's just everything that Prince achieved with Anna Stesia, except not as good or powerful.

I love most boots from the 80s. I wish I had a shorter version of this one.

I would love to know what this song would have sounded like if it was made in 1984 or 85

isn't some of it backward?

I remember the hype & mystery around the song. Word of it was out, and I was excited to hear it, but then.....nothing. When I did hear it, I was disappointed. It's lackluster, at best.

TrivialPursuit said:

I remember the hype & mystery around the song. Word of it was out, and I was excited to hear it, but then.....nothing. When I did hear it, I was disappointed. It's lackluster, at best.

same here.

If it had a lil more Let's Go Crazy or AnotherLoverholenyohead. It's lacking something

but as a backstory to the period I enjoy it

i love the song as is. the guitar, the lyrics, the ending...great.

not a good track

I must be weird cuz I love it.

Transformed1 said:

I must be weird cuz I love it.

You're not weird. You just happen to find value in something that most don't.

I think that's great!

Fits right into the album "Lovesexy", just like produced version of "The Line"... but where would they go on the album if it had come out in the post 1990 age of CD's always having longer than 8 track song sequences?

ufoclub said:

Fits right into the album "Lovesexy", just like produced version of "The Line"... but where would they go on the album if it had come out in the post 1990 age of CD's always having longer than 8 track song sequences?

Nowhere? I don't think the song sounds like it belongs on LoveSexy at all.

Rave 89 or Batman [with different lyrics, of course]? but not LoveSexy. It's way too dark-sounding.

I love it and the live versions from the Lovesexy tour.

bluegangsta said:

ufoclub said:

Fits right into the album "Lovesexy", just like produced version of "The Line"... but where would they go on the album if it had come out in the post 1990 age of CD's always having longer than 8 track song sequences?

Nowhere? I don't think the song sounds like it belongs on LoveSexy at all.

Rave 89 or Batman [with different lyrics, of course]? but not LoveSexy. It's way too dark-sounding.

To me, God is Alive that has the exact same production style as most of Lovesexy, with his fresh energy vibe. It even has has a beat not unlike the rhythm of Alphabet St, and was performed live on some dates of the Lovesexy tour. It fits right in with the Alphabet St, Glam Slam, Annastesia flow.

The Line features the EXACT bombastic clashing everything-up-to-11 production style of Lovesexy the album and is bright and crazy positive. It was actually on the Lovesexy album then replaced with the more mellow I wish U Heaven.

ufoclub said:

It was actually on the Lovesexy album then replaced with the more mellow I wish U Heaven.

Evidence?

(And while I'm here, PrinceVault does not provide a source for this)

[Edited 4/7/17 22:07pm]

bluegangsta said:

ufoclub said:

It was actually on the Lovesexy album then replaced with the more mellow I wish U Heaven.

Evidence?

(And while I'm here, PrinceVault does not provide a source for this)

[Edited 4/7/17 22:07pm]

Covered in detail in The Vault (the book) starting page 89. Songs recorded in December 1987 were: Eye No (the fuil band), Positivity (just Prince), then later the same month: Lovesexy (original uncirculating version), Dance On, Glam Slam, The Line, Alphabet St.

Jan 21 the sequence of Lovesexy the album had "The Line" and also still had the original version of "Lovesexy" (the song). The Line was then quickly replaced by "I Wish U Heaven" by the time the album was re-sequenced Jan 29.

The entire album seemed to be an experiment in very quick passionate production and decisions.

By early Feb it was locked at what we have.

The track would work better if he sped up the tempo a little. God is Alive always sounded unreleased to me. I feel like it was going to be shortened or split into two part before release.

ufoclub said:

bluegangsta said:

Nowhere? I don't think the song sounds like it belongs on LoveSexy at all.

Rave 89 or Batman [with different lyrics, of course]? but not LoveSexy. It's way too dark-sounding.

To me, God is Alive that has the exact same production style as most of Lovesexy, with his fresh energy vibe. It even has has a beat not unlike the rhythm of Alphabet St, and was performed live on some dates of the Lovesexy tour. It fits right in with the Alphabet St, Glam Slam, Annastesia flow.

The Line features the EXACT bombastic clashing everything-up-to-11 production style of Lovesexy the album and is bright and crazy positive. It was actually on the Lovesexy album then replaced with the more mellow I wish U Heaven.

which version of the Line are you talking about ?

OldFriends4Sale said:

ufoclub said:

To me, God is Alive that has the exact same production style as most of Lovesexy, with his fresh energy vibe. It even has has a beat not unlike the rhythm of Alphabet St, and was performed live on some dates of the Lovesexy tour. It fits right in with the Alphabet St, Glam Slam, Annastesia flow.

The Line features the EXACT bombastic clashing everything-up-to-11 production style of Lovesexy the album and is bright and crazy positive. It was actually on the Lovesexy album then replaced with the more mellow I wish U Heaven.

which version of the Line are you talking about ?

The finished version that sounds just like all the other production on "Lovesexy". The one that leaked from elite collectors only about 5 years go. Not the bare bones bootleg quality demo that we've had from long before.

ufoclub said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

which version of the Line are you talking about ?

The finished version that sounds just like all the other production on "Lovesexy". The one that leaked from elite collectors only about 5 years go. Not the bare bones bootleg quality demo that we've had from long before.

oh ok, yes, I'm with U on that one

Isn't it Mavis Staples song? I've always been taught this is church so....whatever.

Wlcm2thdwn3 said:

Isn't it Mavis Staples song? I've always been taught this is church so....whatever.

No it is Prince's song, the was slated for the 1989 Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic album. With co-Lead by Mavis Staples

I think it's off the boil. Sonically it points firmly towards that sparse sound of the Batman era. This era has the sound of Prince cloistered up by himself at Paisley Park knocking out track and track just because he could. There's worse songs but it limps along without making much of a statement to me but I quite like the vocals (both Prince and Mavis) and the guitar, I just think it sounds very bare-bones otherwise musically and would benefit from more - maybe if it had come a tad earlier in the Lovesexy sessions it would've been more bombastic and frenetic.

Loves it. Fuck Stauros.

bluegangsta said:

ufoclub said:

Fits right into the album "Lovesexy", just like produced version of "The Line"... but where would they go on the album if it had come out in the post 1990 age of CD's always having longer than 8 track song sequences?

Nowhere? I don't think the song sounds like it belongs on LoveSexy at all.

Rave 89 or Batman [with different lyrics, of course]? but not LoveSexy. It's way too dark-sounding.

Eh, I think it goes well with "Positivity", which also has a darker vibe. That said, it seems like it fits Rave 89 even more, based on the songs we know from that album.

The guitar and vocals are so vibrant and fun. I think it would have been awesome with some more keyboards/synths somewhere, it's just so sparse. I always have it on my Lovesexy/Rave/Batman playlists.