Passaic 30 January 1982

 I am very excited about today’s recording. I am going to be listening to Prince playing Passaic in 1982. What is getting me excited though is I am watching this on a pro-shot DVD. Prince shows from this era are always very intense and enjoyable to listen to, but being able to see them as well as hear them adds so much more to the experience. I love the music, but I want to see the performance, see the dancing, see the funk face, see the band, see the moves, see the interaction on stage, and see the audience reaction. Today I get all of that - let's go! 

30 January 1982, Capitol Theatre, Passaic 

The show opens, as they did on this tour, with the sounds of Second Coming while the stage is in darkness. A soulful a capella number, it acts as a nice counterbalance for what is to follow. 

The band explodes after this with a very fast drum roll from Bobby Z, and plenty of Prince “Awws”. The first song is “Uptown,” which I suppose could be taken as Prince's agenda at the time. The band has a raw sound and with Dez on guitar a real rock presence. Asides from Prince, Dez seems to be the focus of a lot of what is happening on stage, and it’s great to see the interaction between him and Prince. 

 

“Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad” has an introduction that seems to ramp up the energy levels in the building. The crowd can be seen with hands in the air right from the go. The song pulls back, and Prince delivers the first verse, looking dead cool in his trench coat. The chorus sees Prince hamming it up with the crowd, pulling faces to the side of the stage. He seems to be putting a lot into this performance, pulling faces, and eyes at the crowd one moment, then closing his eyes and singing passionately the next. The guitar break is the highlight of the song and sees plenty of play back and forth with Prince and Dez. The playing is great, and as he starts playing Prince gives an expression that says he knows how good he is, and he’s about to kill it. Prince dominates this song with his playing and it's just as good as anything else I have heard on the tour, but Dez and Brownmark aren’t forgotten- they move plenty around the stage, and they make themselves heard on the recording. The song ends with Prince playing guitar and accompanying himself on the keyboard, it’s hard to describe but he does do it- playing his guitar one-handed before the band comes on board for a final crash and the finale of the song. 

 

The nice electronic sounds of the keyboards introduce the next song, “I Wanna Be Your Lover.” It’s always a favorite of mine, and here is a very good version, the crowd is clearly enjoying it too. Prince loses his trench coat and guitar for it and gives a nice performance. The song only lasts a few minutes, but Prince works the stage very well, giving plenty of attention to everyone. I have heard heavier more energetic versions, but this one isn’t bad. I was expecting the latter part to be played out longer, but there is only a minute of the groove before Prince picks up his guitar and the band segues into “Head.” 

“Head” sounds suitably nasty right from the start. The drums seem a little quieter compared to other recordings from the tour, but the sound of the band playing this great. It’s particularly good to hear Lisa’s vocals are nice and clear on here. There are plenty of cheers from the crowd, they are enjoying it as much as I am. Do I need to mention Dr. Fink’s solo? You know I love it! It’s so good to be able to watch him bobbing and twitching as he plays. Right after the solo, there is a breakdown and Prince encourages the crowd to sing along. It doesn’t take much, they are more than happy to yell “head!” The best is yet to come, and there is another breakdown and some great bass sound from Brownmark. Then over just the bass and cymbals, Prince indulges in some very good guitar work. Not fast at all, but very loud and clear. The song then lives up to its name, and Prince his reputation, when he engages in some very sexual acts with his guitar. It sounds crass, but I love it, and I know that this is why the teenage me became a fan. The guitar sound here is sometimes whiny, sometimes rhythmic, and yet always interesting. Although it goes on for some time, I just don’t have the words to describe it. But watching this was the highlight of the whole DVD for me. It ends with an orgasm, both visually and sonically. 

 

“Dirty Mind” bounces along very nicely. I like the sound of Dez’s guitar on this one, nice and rhythmic. Watching it, it’s apparent that Bobby Z is putting a lot into his playing, and seems to be pounding the drums. Prince too is giving it plenty and can be seen sweating. There is a lot of motion, but the music is always first, and it sounds just as good as it does on record. Prince plays a little keyboard himself, which is always great to see. There is an interlude mid-song, but it is not as long or drawn out as I like, nor does it have the intensity I have heard elsewhere. 

 

The more I write about these shows, the more I fall in love with some songs. “Do Me, Baby” is one of those songs. It’s gone from being a song that I like to be a song I love. There is a nice introduction to it on this recording, and Dez plays some very nice guitar with Prince looking over his shoulder. The song is a great showcase for Prince, and his vocal delivery is fantastic. I love every minute of this recording. His shrieks and yells are what make it for me, and they sound crystal clear. The spoken parts get the ladies in the crowd excited, but it doesn’t do anything for me. The song ends with him shirtless and sweaty, and the crowds are lapping it up. It’s not my sort of thing, but I must admit he’s in pretty good shape! 

 

Prince dons the trench coat again as the throb of “Controversy” begins. The band plays faithfully to what is heard on record, but that’s no bad thing, the song is pretty well perfect to me already. Brownmark gets plenty of shine on this one, and it’s nice to see him get some spotlight and play. Prince is back on the guitar by now and playing with plenty of vigor. Again his showmanship is outstanding, and the performance is mesmerizing. I have heard this song hundreds of times, but I find myself watching this performance transfixed. The crowd is enjoying it just as much as I am, there is a lot of very energetic dancing to be seen, and people losing themselves in the music. For a bit, I think the song may turn into a long jam, but it finishes up in good time. 

 

“Lets Work” begins with Prince dancing on the raised section of the stage before sliding down his fireman’s pole to deliver the opening lines. The trench coat is gone now, and the gig seems to change gear somewhat. The song gives Prince plenty of opportunities to dance, and he dutifully obliges. At this stage, he was no great dancer, and often he looks like he is doing calisthenics rather than dancing, but he is passionate about it, and the music does seem to genuinely move him. The song is played for fun, and the band seems to enjoy playing this one. The crowd picks up on this vibe, and there is plenty of dancing and singing along with them also. There is a fun moment mid-song when Dez sings “Let's Work” several times from the central microphone before Prince pushes him aside to take up the singing. The song ends in darkness as Prince says thank you and good night. 

 

Half a minute of chanting “we want Prince” and the lights come back on. Prince delivers a sly “Do you want some more” and the band career into “Jack U Off.” For me, “Jack U Off” was a quirky little song, that didn’t quite seem to fit on Controversy, but here in the live setting, it is brilliant. Prince doesn’t play guitar, all the furious playing is coming from Dez. . Dez sounded impressive on the recording, but seeing him play – he is even more so. Prince himself seems to love singing this one, he has a big grin on his face throughout the song. The song is very short, as it is on the album, but a lot is happening in those couple of minutes. I love seeing the interaction between the band, and the end of this is great, Prince gives five to a couple of people in the crowd, before heading over to Dez for some more skin. Then he is back to the mic for his “If anyone asks you, who you belong to?” He has such a big grin by now, and the crowd yells and screams his name. In a final crescendo, Prince waves bye and the show comes to an end. 

 

My final thoughts on the recording are very short. I loved it from the first second until the last. Not very objective, I know, but that’s the truth. I have heard plenty Controversy recordings where the energy and intensity could be heard in the music, but in the show that energy and intensity can be seen in all aspects of the show. As far as Controversy shows go, this one is a must-have.