Lovesexy

Prince

Paisley Park/Warner Bros.

SINCE Prince achieved commercial success with the Purple Rain sound-track four years ago, he has been edging steadily away from its rock-like sounds. He has turned out an album every May since 1984, each with very diverse, direction-seeking tracks. Each has had sounds ranging from Minneapolis funk to samba to "house" music to the psychedelic.

But on Lovesexy, his latest recording, Prince seems to have found a single direction. What he calls the "New Power Soul" sound is a funk sound which moves the listener right along without being too forceful in the beat. As a result, a highly orchestrated sound plays against Sheila Es drums.

This "New Power Soul" sound can often be a bit taxing on the ears. A multiplicity of sounds--Cat and Boni Boyer's vocals, Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss' brass, Levi Seacer Jr's. bass, Miko Weaver and Prince's guitars, and Matt Fink's keyboards--all clamor for the listener's attention.

Sometimes there is so much sound that you have to strain to hear Prince's great electric guitar riffs. The overall effect is reminiscent of the Parade track, "Christopher Tracy's Parade," which was criticized for being too instrumentalized.

The "New Power Soul" sound is the key to Prince's new overall direction. It totally envelops Lovesexy, making it less experimental, more homogeneous than his other recent efforts.

Well, almost. To make a danceable, guaranteed hit, he takes the "New Power Soul" sound and tightens it to make it more traditionally Prince-like due to its lack of instrumentalization. The result: "Alphabet St."

But enough with analysis. Lovesexy is an incredibly danceable album, and very infectious. You put this tape into a player, and immediately, everyone within earshot will begin to bob their heads and tap their feet. It's almost uncanny how quickly it works.

Though at times, he seems to be trying to make too much happen at once in segments of his songs, the music still has Prince's signature on it, which means Dance, Sex and, to an extent, God.

Prince brings in his recurring concept of God (under the allegorical guise of "Lovesexy,") and pits Him against the Devil ("Boogie Electric"). The overall message, especially in the song "Positivity," is thinly veiled--"Don't kiss the beast."

A song with less esoteric and more social overtones is "Dance On," a scathing look at gang violence, and murder in Detroit and how it was influenced by war on television. At the end the question "What color is your money today?" is especially potent.

Lovesexy represents Prince's logical musical evolution towards funk. While Parade and Sign "O" The Times both have featured some funk tracks, Lovesexy goes all the way.

It seem to be the perfect preview for the already legendary Black Album, a collection of unreleased Prince tracks from the past couple of years which may hit import bins this summer (it will not have a U.S. release).

Lovesexy begins with an invitation. "Clap your hands/Stomp your feet...Welcome to the New Power Generation." And before you finish the album, you'll be pleased that you've accepted.