206Michelle said:

The name “Anastasia” comes from the Greek word meaning “resurrection”. This meaning, rather than the Russian princess Anastasia, is likely why Prince chose the name (spelled differently) for the song.

The resurrection thing actually lends a note of realness to it. He used to take that song to near spiritual heights in the Lovesexy show. It ended the first act, which was his evil side - Spooky Electric. The 2nd act of the show started with him and the band literally rising out of the ground like God making Adam then Eve, or Jesus being resurrected.

I'm not sure it's a nod to anesthesia. He wasn't sucking down ether back then, just X.

TrivialPursuit said:

CAL3 said:

wtf...

.

Prince died from some counterfeit pain pills, so now it's assumed he was high AF all the time and all his music is drug-inspired?

.

smh

He wasn't high on drugs, but he's had times of being altered in short periods. It was rare I believe. But he had his moments.

Him experimenting with X in 1988/9 is quite real. Susan Rogers has a story about him and Ingrid being weird late one night and were almost certainly high on something. Band members at the time have also talked about him experimenting with X.

There was also the April 21, 1996 incident with wine and heart palpitations. He also medicated himself with booze approaching the end of his WB years. He touches on it in "The Holy River" talking about drinking more and more Port to forget what was going on around him. Prince is in his music and even his darker moments have been exposed.

But I don't believe he was a druggie. People use that term thinking of someone on the street. Some of everyone's favorite people in movies, on TV, and on radio are high when you see them, or have done something very recently. Unfortunately Prince was subject to horrible pain and desperate measures to sooth it.

Was Lovesexy drug inspired? Maybe. I mean, this is not music, this is a trip.

.

ah fuck all that, heresay.

.

Susan Rogers can say whatever she wants, it's still speculation on her part.

.

"Medicating himself with booze" is overstating based on the available facts, and that includes the incident you speak of. Many people go over the line on an occasion and it doesn't really indicate they're self-medicating. It can just be a one-time mistake.

.

CAL3 said:

ah fuck all that, heresay.

.

Susan Rogers can say whatever she wants, it's still speculation on her part.

Okay let me say this clearly: a member of Prince's band told me directly that Prince and Ingrid experimented with X on more than one occasion during this time period.

Lovesexy is such an amazing masterpiece of an album, and tour.. and hair and clothes.. the Lovesexy band..

the Lovesexy videos... Glam Slam, I Wish U Heaven, Alphabet Street...

Brilliant album, I even love the Lovesexy very stylish cover art.. very cool and it even hit the front page on the tabloid (B.T.) in Denmark.. it's still one of his best covers, together with Parade. imho..

Everthing was amazing in 1988,

I wanna say f*ck to (some of) the americans, for not digesting this wonderful trip.

Selling of Lovesexy.. was excellent in Europe - UK & Germany, and I believe in Denmark as well...

Lovesexy = the screaming guitars, the many layers in the music, excellent production, pop-funk artistry, nothing less than.. brilliant.

I love every single note on this fine album from "Eye No" / the start to the end with Positivity.. wow..

IF I should say something "critical".. hmm hard to find, but maybe "Dance On" doesn't hold up to the rest of the songs, I can still aprreciate "Dance On" though, the song is not that bad after all.


Lovesexy.. I looove this fine masterpiece, this album is in my Prince album top-5 with Purple Rain, Sign O' The Times, Parade and 1999.

Excellent....

bonatoc said:

namepeace said:

Didn't he define "LoveSexy" as:

The feeling you get

when you fall in love

not with a girl or a boy

But with the Heavens above

Or something like that?

Spells like a 1967 Summer Of Love slogan.

Yeah, it's a hippie album. Drugs and hippies often go together well, so I can understand folks interpreting Lovesexy this way. The utopia of spirituality ruling all aspects of life. The social issues concerns. The dream-like intro and outro. The absence of a specific Dogma, even though christianism is still at the core of it. Symbols that can be easily adopted and reproduced (the "newpowersoul" arrow, the "yes" heart).

The big paradox is that it relies so heavily on machines (you can tell Prince had new gear, the sonic jump from SOTT is huge), not to mention the tour, which was a very controlled environment.

On a "Love is God, God is Love" album, one would expect folk guitars, tamborines and congas : instead you get the über-futuristic "Alphabet St." rhythm pattern, doubled synth soloes, and an ecstatic Blue Angel screaming, howling, pleading, acting more as background coloring than the prominent role the lead guitar usually takes.

It's the dichotomy between the "peace and love" manifesto and the state-of-the-art electronica (at the time) used throughout that makes for a very strange album, and possibly one of his major influences on all the musical genres to emerge in the nineties. And I'm not talking exclusively music here : there was some media coverage a month ago about Madonna's "Ray Of Light", presented as the first true personal, emotional statement from a big pop-star. In truth, Lovesexy is the first to tackle something deeper than the usual, and may explain the biographic turn the "Like A Prayer" album took, not to mention Michael Jackson's "Dangerous". Not to say that Prince didn't cover spiritual issues before in his work, but it is the first time spirituality took the center stage for almost all songs in an album.

I'm with the rollers here. But what do I know: A fat one made me love "MPLSound" beyond any reasonable limit, on one epic conscience-altered evening.

That's what could be considered the trouble with Prince: many albums are likeable because of what they represent in Prince's history, what they represent for Prince's growth, not because of how they compare with the contemporary pop productions of the time. And this is not easily achieved, to appreciate it in fairness requires deep knowledge of Prince's history, personality, pursuits, ambitions and flaws, and most of all, his music.

If I were to consider "Lovesexy" through the prism of Prince's personal history, or at least the very little we know of it, it's clearly an album that says no to drugs.

But I would definitely recommend Clouds to adourn Lovesexy’s electric blueskies.
At least it would make you have a vision of how much of masterpiece the album closer is.

I agree with so much in your well-written post, though for my LoveSexy is a mind-blowing experience that needs no adornment.

For the record, I'm with TrivialPursuit on this one. It has been widely speculated that LoveSexy was recorded in the wake of Prince experimenting with drugs, and that that brief period was euphemstically referred to as a "vision" inspiring the album.

But as TP said, it appears he was not under the influence at the time he cut the album. If that's true, it's apparent to me that he took his experiences from that experiment, or "trips," as it were, and processed them into his sound.

To me, LoveSexy resolves the central conflict in his 80's work -- the tension between "love" and "sex," or God and the "flesh." He found a way, at least musically, to reconcile them.

Before LoveSexy, he'd explored religious themes, sometimes through allegory ("1999," "Let's Go Crazy") and sometimes overtly ("God" "4 The Tears in Your Eyes," "I Would Die 4 U," "The Cross"). Over the decade, Prince basically pieced together his version of a Nicene Creed with slow jams, rock anthems, acoustic ballads and synth-driven funk. While LoveSexy was mostly free of orthodoxy, his prior religious songs also didn't quite sound like what you'd hear on Christian or gospel stations.

I'd also point out that " No" is Prince's gospel masterpiece and the sounds from that track are heard in churches every Sunday.

Good post --

[Edited 3/26/18 9:48am]

[Edited 3/29/18 13:24pm]

its possible prince did this on purpose to appeal to both sides

luvsexy4all said:

its possible prince did this on purpose to appeal to both sides

I'd say probable. Few if any artists did a better job of cross-selling audiences than Prince did in the 80's.

namepeace said:

luvsexy4all said:

its possible prince did this on purpose to appeal to both sides

I'd say probable. Few if any artists did a better job of cross-selling audiences than Prince did in the 80's.

freakin genius

"Anna Stesia"

ShaggyDog said:

"shoot me up baby...lets take a trip"

namepeace said:

bonatoc said:

Spells like a 1967 Summer Of Love slogan.

Yeah, it's a hippie album. Drugs and hippies often go together well, so I can understand folks interpreting Lovesexy this way. The utopia of spirituality ruling all aspects of life. The social issues concerns. The dream-like intro and outro. The absence of a specific Dogma, even though christianism is still at the core of it. Symbols that can be easily adopted and reproduced (the "newpowersoul" arrow, the "yes" heart).

The big paradox is that it relies so heavily on machines (you can tell Prince had new gear, the sonic jump from SOTT is huge), not to mention the tour, which was a very controlled environment.

On a "Love is God, God is Love" album, one would expect folk guitars, tamborines and congas : instead you get the über-futuristic "Alphabet St." rhythm pattern, doubled synth soloes, and an ecstatic Blue Angel screaming, howling, pleading, acting more as background coloring than the prominent role the lead guitar usually takes.

It's the dichotomy between the "peace and love" manifesto and the state-of-the-art electronica (at the time) used throughout that makes for a very strange album, and possibly one of his major influences on all the musical genres to emerge in the nineties. And I'm not talking exclusively music here : there was some media coverage a month ago about Madonna's "Ray Of Light", presented as the first true personal, emotional statement from a big pop-star. In truth, Lovesexy is the first to tackle something deeper than the usual, and may explain the biographic turn the "Like A Prayer" album took, not to mention Michael Jackson's "Dangerous". Not to say that Prince didn't cover spiritual issues before in his work, but it is the first time spirituality took the center stage for almost all songs in an album.

I'm with the rollers here. But what do I know: A fat one made me love "MPLSound" beyond any reasonable limit, on one epic conscience-altered evening.

That's what could be considered the trouble with Prince: many albums are likeable because of what they represent in Prince's history, what they represent for Prince's growth, not because of how they compare with the contemporary pop productions of the time. And this is not easily achieved, to appreciate it in fairness requires deep knowledge of Prince's history, personality, pursuits, ambitions and flaws, and most of all, his music.

If I were to consider "Lovesexy" through the prism of Prince's personal history, or at least the very little we know of it, it's clearly an album that says no to drugs.

But I would definitely recommend Clouds to adourn Lovesexy’s electric blueskies.
At least it would make you have a vision of how much of masterpiece the album closer is.

I agree with so much in your well-written post, though for my LoveSexy is a mind-blowing experience that needs no adornment.

For the record, I'm with TrivialPursuit on this one. It has been widely speculated that LoveSexy was recorded in the wake of Prince experimenting with drugs, and that that brief period was euphemstically referred to as a "vision" inspiring the album.

But as TP said, it appears he was not under the influence at the time he cut the album. If that's true, it's apparent to me that he took his experiences from that experiment, or "trips," as it were, and processed them into his sound.

To me, LoveSexy resolves the central conflict in his 80's work -- the tension between "love" and "sex," or God and the "flesh." He found a way, at least musically, to reconcile them.

Before LoveSexy, he'd explored religious themes, sometimes through allegory ("1999," "Let's Go Crazy") and sometimes overtly ("God" "4 The Tears in Your Eyes," "I Would Die 4 U," "The Cross"). Over the decade, Prince basically pieced together his version of a Nicene Creed with slow jams, rock anthems, acoustic ballads and synth-driven funk. While LoveSexy was mostly free of orthodoxy, his prior religious songs also didn't quite sound like what you'd hear on Christian or gospel stations.

I'd also point out that " No" is Prince's gospel masterpiece and the sounds from that track are heard in churches every Sunday.

Good post --

[Edited 3/26/18 9:48am]

[Edited 3/29/18 13:24pm]

Excellent post as always, Namie.

To this day some 30 years later I still consider Lovesexy to be a contemporary Christian album, his Christian lp before TRC was his JW album but like you said a bit unorthodox. I know Prince fans disagree with calling Lovesexy that because Prince is a Pop artist. To that I say what's in a name?

thedance said:

Lovesexy is such an amazing masterpiece of an album, and tour.. and hair and clothes.. the Lovesexy band..

the Lovesexy videos... Glam Slam, I Wish U Heaven, Alphabet Street...

Brilliant album, I even love the Lovesexy very stylish cover art.. very cool and it even hit the front page on the tabloid (B.T.) in Denmark.. it's still one of his best covers, together with Parade. imho..

Everthing was amazing in 1988,

I wanna say f*ck to (some of) the americans, for not digesting this wonderful trip.

Selling of Lovesexy.. was excellent in Europe - UK & Germany, and I believe in Denmark as well...

Lovesexy = the screaming guitars, the many layers in the music, excellent production, pop-funk artistry, nothing less than.. brilliant.

I love every single note on this fine album from "Eye No" / the start to the end with Positivity.. wow..

IF I should say something "critical".. hmm hard to find, but maybe "Dance On" doesn't hold up to the rest of the songs, I can still aprreciate "Dance On" though, the song is not that bad after all.


Lovesexy.. I looove this fine masterpiece, this album is in my Prince album top-5 with Purple Rain, Sign O' The Times, Parade and 1999.

Excellent....

I love that it combined the contrasting moods between dark and whimsical. It totally fits the mood of the album. He was a true Gemini till the end.

luvsexy4all said:

A lot has been said about the level of muscianship of the album. But let me just say that I love the fact that this is a truly a "headphone" masterpiece. Like Sly Stone, it proved once again that Prince is a studio wizard. Its sonically surrealistic, which fits the story of the album and Prince along with his engineer at the time truly take the credit for that.

IstenSzek said:

i like to visit this site, most days it's nice. sometimes it makes me sick though.

can you guess what kind of day this is?

I had forgotten about the Alphabet St. 12". Two lyric lines were interesting. The one stated already, This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip. After saying that a few times, then there's the lyric, No It's Not A Drug, There's Nothing Wrong Here. I always found that interesting because I hadn't yet heard about the XTC story at that time.

gold31 said:

I had forgotten about the Alphabet St. 12". Two lyric lines were interesting. The one stated already, This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip. After saying that a few times, then there's the lyric, "No It's Not A Drug, There's Nothing Wrong Here". I always found that interesting because I hadn't yet heard about the XTC story at that time.

I'm not sure that is correct. The 12" has few lyrics in it at all, at least the "This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip" remix. In fact, that's is pretty much the only lyric in the song, repeated a gazillion times, along with "put your love down baby when your money get shot".

The lyric you're hearing is "No it's not a drug, it's something more hip".

Genesia said:

TrivialPursuit said:

CAL3 said:

ah fuck all that, heresay.

.

Susan Rogers can say whatever she wants, it's still speculation on her part.

Okay let me say this clearly: a member of Prince's band told me directly that Prince and Ingrid experimented with X on more than one occasion during this time period.

well I really hate to break that 2 u but THIS is exactly the definition of hearsay

erik319 said:

Genesia said:

Ecstacy puts its name on his thigh? And when he touches it, race cars burn rubber in his pants?

Lovesexy (the song) is not about ecstasy, the drug. It's about sexual ecstasy.

I'll repeat what I said before. The track could easily be about the effects of ecstacy. (see how I wrote the word COULD, not DEFINITELY IS?) You disagreeing doesn't make it any less true. It just makes you look argumentative & blinkered. As always. 'This feeling's so good in every single way. I want it morning, noon and night of every day. And if by chance I can not have it - I can't say. But with it I know heaven's just a kiss away. Kiss away' Yup, that could be a great description of the effects of ecstacy.

Isn't Purple Music supposed to do the same to your brain?

bonatoc said:

TrivialPursuit said:

CAL3 said:

ah fuck all that, heresay.

.

Susan Rogers can say whatever she wants, it's still speculation on her part.

Okay let me say this clearly: a member of Prince's band told me directly that Prince and Ingrid experimented with X on more than one occasion during this time period.

.

So that's third-hand information, at best. (aka heresay, as I previously said)

[Edited 3/30/18 15:01pm]

CAL3 said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Okay let me say this clearly: a member of Prince's band told me directly that Prince and Ingrid experimented with X on more than one occasion during this time period.

.

So that's third-hand information, at best. (aka heresay, as I previously said)

LOL you might look up "third hand". If someone saw him do it, that's first hand. No one told the band member, they were a witness to it.

TrivialPursuit said:

gold31 said:

I had forgotten about the Alphabet St. 12". Two lyric lines were interesting. The one stated already, This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip. After saying that a few times, then there's the lyric, "No It's Not A Drug, There's Nothing Wrong Here". I always found that interesting because I hadn't yet heard about the XTC story at that time.

I'm not sure that is correct. The 12" has few lyrics in it at all, at least the "This Is Not Music, This Is A Trip" remix. In fact, that's is pretty much the only lyric in the song, repeated a gazillion times, along with "put your love down baby when your money get shot".

The lyric you're hearing is "No it's not a drug, it's something more hip".

You may be right. I always assumed he was saying one thing, but there are a bunch of his songs where I've misheard some of his lyrics.

RJOrion said:

luvsexy4all said:

"shoot me up baby...lets take a trip"

yep...Private Joy could easily be interpreted to be about drugs...even if it isnt...or, is...or is it about a sex toy?...or is about his dick?...or is it about Susan Moonsie?...Prince was the master at telling us everything while telling us nothing...

"i wanna smack it all night long"

thedance said:

Lovesexy is such an amazing masterpiece of an album, and tour.. and hair and clothes.. the Lovesexy band..

the Lovesexy videos... Glam Slam, I Wish U Heaven, Alphabet Street...

Brilliant album, I even love the Lovesexy very stylish cover art.. very cool and it even hit the front page on the tabloid (B.T.) in Denmark.. it's still one of his best covers, together with Parade. imho..

Everthing was amazing in 1988,

I wanna say f*ck to (some of) the americans, for not digesting this wonderful trip.

Selling of Lovesexy.. was excellent in Europe - UK & Germany, and I believe in Denmark as well...

Lovesexy = the screaming guitars, the many layers in the music, excellent production, pop-funk artistry, nothing less than.. brilliant.

I love every single note on this fine album from "Eye No" / the start to the end with Positivity.. wow..

IF I should say something "critical".. hmm hard to find, but maybe "Dance On" doesn't hold up to the rest of the songs, I can still aprreciate "Dance On" though, the song is not that bad after all.


Lovesexy.. I looove this fine masterpiece, this album is in my Prince album top-5 with Purple Rain, Sign O' The Times, Parade and 1999.

Excellent....

Very well said!! Love, Love Love, Lovesexy!

luvsexy4all said:

RJOrion said:

luvsexy4all said: yep...Private Joy could easily be interpreted to be about drugs...even if it isnt...or, is...or is it about a sex toy?...or is about his dick?...or is it about Susan Moonsie?...Prince was the master at telling us everything while telling us nothing...

"i wanna smack it all night long"

http://www.500princesongs...ivate-joy/

Adisa said:

namepeace said:

I agree with so much in your well-written post, though for my LoveSexy is a mind-blowing experience that needs no adornment.

For the record, I'm with TrivialPursuit on this one. It has been widely speculated that LoveSexy was recorded in the wake of Prince experimenting with drugs, and that that brief period was euphemstically referred to as a "vision" inspiring the album.

But as TP said, it appears he was not under the influence at the time he cut the album. If that's true, it's apparent to me that he took his experiences from that experiment, or "trips," as it were, and processed them into his sound.

To me, LoveSexy resolves the central conflict in his 80's work -- the tension between "love" and "sex," or God and the "flesh." He found a way, at least musically, to reconcile them.

Before LoveSexy, he'd explored religious themes, sometimes through allegory ("1999," "Let's Go Crazy") and sometimes overtly ("God" "4 The Tears in Your Eyes," "I Would Die 4 U," "The Cross"). Over the decade, Prince basically pieced together his version of a Nicene Creed with slow jams, rock anthems, acoustic ballads and synth-driven funk. While LoveSexy was mostly free of orthodoxy, his prior religious songs also didn't quite sound like what you'd hear on Christian or gospel stations.

I'd also point out that " No" is Prince's gospel masterpiece and the sounds from that track are heard in churches every Sunday.

Good post --

[Edited 3/26/18 9:48am]

[Edited 3/29/18 13:24pm]

Excellent post as always, Namie.

To this day some 30 years later I still consider Lovesexy to be a contemporary Christian album, his Christian lp before TRC was his JW album but like you said a bit unorthodox. I know Prince fans disagree with calling Lovesexy that because Prince is a Pop artist. To that I say what's in a name?

There it is.