Click above to hear an audio version of this review, with musical selections. Audio produced by Derrick Stevens.

There are two words that sum up Prince's music in a nutshell: Lovesexy.

In late 1987, Prince pulled the plug on his Black Album project, shelving it indefinitely after he had a last-minute change of heart. He then retreated back to the studio to craft the Lovesexy album, a looser, more relaxed series of jams that countered the complex sentiments of Sign o' the Times.

The Lovesexy album was designed to flow together as a single piece. The early editions on vinyl and CD did not offer individual song breaks.

If you do dare to break Lovesexy into its individual sections, you'll find the hit "Alphabet Street," which made the Top 10 on the Billboard charts and features a rap from Cat Glover.
Elsewhere the album ranges from slow jams to sex jams, from intense spiritual pondering to goofy fun.

In other words, it's another solid Prince record. It's lovely. It's sexy. It's Lovesexy.