Track Listing

1. I No
2. Alphabet Street
3. Glam Slam
4. Anna Stesia
5. Dance On
6. Lovesexy
7. When 2 R In Love
8. I Wish U Heaven
9. Positivity

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31211 in Music
• Released on: 1988-05-09
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

CD Description
With powerhouse drummer Sheila E. and synthesizer wizard Dr. Fink still remaining from Prince's classic mid-to-late-'80s band, LOVESEXY is an all-out funk assault, aimed squarely at the dancefloor. The elaborate, genre-crossing arrangements of PURPLE RAIN give way to an irresistibly propulsive dance-funk-rock aesthetic. Basic, primal rhythms, gritty sax andchattering, funky rhythm guitar help drive the long, foot-moving tunes. As usual, the lyrics tend toward the carnal, and as dance-oriented an album as LOVESEXY, that lascivious sensibility just helps to push the whole thing along. The romantic ballad "When 2 R In Love" provides an effective change of pace, but don't expect to sit down for long once LOVESEXYgets underway.

Customer Reviews

So glam, it's absurd
If Sign 'o' the Times was Prince singing about things we all understand and can empathise with-- being in love, being horny and worrying that the world might not last long enough to enjoy it-- then Lovesexy is Prince begging us for 45 minutes of our time, as he now has something extraordinary to tell us, and we certainly haven't heard anything like it before.

It begins with the sound of fire and ends with water. We are welcomed to the New Power Generation (back then, a concept rather than a backing group). We are exhorted to say 'YES!', jerk our bodies 'like a horny pony would', to clap our hands, stomp our feet and chant that 'God is love, love is God'. To dance on, dance on, dance on... It all crystallises on the title track, when what has gone before begins to make some kind of sense: love God, love life, love sex, but know this-- they're all the same thing. 'I wish U love, I wish U heaven' he says, in one of pop's simplest, yet most profound statements of love for another person. Then it ends as bafflingly as it began, with a warning not to 'kiss the beast' and sounding for all the world like a black mass.

Still listening? Probably not. Because this isn't what people want from their pop music, is it? It all sounds like too much hard work? Far from it-- Lovesexy is an album of nine songs that have enough killer tunes for a record more than twice its length. Whether or not you buy into Prince's concept of the spiritual lay, hearing him try to convince you is enormous fun.

The band is the best he ever had, his production was never more sure-footed and as an artist, he was never more creative. Like all the best albums, Lovesexy is filled with wonderful, singable melodies and songs that exhibit a broad emotional range, from the highs of 'Eye No' to the lows of 'Anna Stesia' and beyond. It's a breathtaking trip, spirited and uplifting, performed with such exuberance that it makes even its out-there concept become utterly convincing.

Yes, it's arcane, messy and borderline pretentious. Yes, it has a few X-rated moments and a noticeable lack of the conventional pop song Prince reliably included amongst even his most difficult work. It's far from perfect, and loses some of its thrust towards the end. But this is pop music for grown-ups, that delivers new pleasures as the years go by. And that's very rare.

Say YES.

Prince's last great album
This was Prince's last great album, coming at the end of an amazing creative streak encompassing Parade, Dream Factory/Camille/Crystal Ball/Sign o' the Times, The Black Album, and this hastily realeased but lushly brilliant substitute. At the time, it was a let-down from Sign o' the Times, and everyone made sure to get their hands on a copy of the Black Album boot, but in retrospect it clearly belongs to the fertile Sign period, rather than to the decline that began with Batman.

Lovely
With this album Prince expertly tackles the most complex of human emotions- love, in just 45 minutes. For example, being deeply in love with someone is analysed in the fantastic 'When 2 R in love' and loneliness is covered in 'Anna Stesia'. He also looks into when love is merely physical with such songs as 'Glam slam'. Not only does love come in for a deep examination but Prince's faith is a continuing theme throughout. Obviously 'I wish U heaven' is concerned with religion but references to god and the like are spread all the way through. Though it has a message to tell it is still catchy and very listenable. It is the perfect CD to unwind to and is uplifting. As mentioned in other reviews originally the songs were all blended together and so there was just one track. However on my copy despite the CD label saying "songs are in a continuous sequence" all the songs are have individual tracks, making it a 9 track album Additionally the inlay helpfully comes with lyrics. Amazingly apart from 'Alphabet St' much of this material has been largely over looked. Nevertheless, despite being released back in 1988 it still sounds fresh today and is a essential addition to any Prince collection.