Tokyo 3 April 1992

 

I owe you all a large apology. I take Prince and his music far too seriously and for this I’m sorry. Yes, his music is worthy of such an investment of time and energy, but one thing that I have had to remind myself recently is that music is about emotion, feeling, and above all, fun. For all the hours I have sat and considered his music and where it fits in the cultural matrix, both my own set of cultural experiences and the wider world, at the heart of it all Prince’s music is fun and brings me pure joy when I listen to it. Sometimes I have lost sight of this fact as I listen too deeply for clues and signposts to both the past and the future, but I am constantly brought back to earth as I bang on the roof of my car and sing lustily to “Endorphinmachine” while driving to work. So with that in mind, I’m going to take a step back from listening too closely and just enjoy it for what it is rather than listening at a microscopic level.

Today I intend on enjoying a Diamonds And Pearls show, something I have rather neglected in my selective snobbery. The concerts are glossy and bright, highlighting the pop sheen of the album, and as a purist, I have disdainfully ignored them. Yet for another generation of fans, Diamonds And Pearls represents their Purple Rain, their gateway to the world of Prince. The album was hugely successful, bringing a new wave of fans eight years after the initial hysteria of Purple Rain, and the tour was a spectacle-filled showcase for the new album as well as dipping into the back catalog. So with that in mind, let’s turn it up to eleven and take a listen.

3rd April 1992. Tokyo Dome, Tokyo

The introduction music is skippable, without the visuals to back it up it is confusing and adds little to the concert. However, near the end of the introduction, Rosie Gaines is heard for the first time, and even though it’s only for a couple of lines it is worth checking out.

The first song proper is “Thunder,” a fine way to open with Prince playing new music off his new album. There is very little to be heard in the way of embellishments or enhancements, the song remaining a faithful rendition of what’s heard on record, but that’s more than good enough as the band plays with a vigor and energy that brings a smile to my face. I would have liked just a touch more punch, but I certainly can’t complain about the energy levels.

 

The school-yard pop sound of “Daddy Pop” follows a song that feels firmly rooted in the era it emerged. Just listening to it now, I am filled with nostalgic thoughts of the bright colors and endless summer days of the early 1990s, a feeling that the song seems to plug directly into. Prince loses me mid-song as it briefly pauses for his singing of “grooves and grooves,” and I am only all too happy when the groove returns and fulfills his promise. I would like to sing along with Tony M, but he’s all too fast for me, and there’s little chance of me matching his masculine bravado, so I am left merely listening as he wraps up the song.

The title track of the album and tour slows the pace of the concert, “Diamonds and Pearls” drawing Rosie Gaines into the light, her voice glistening in its surroundings, a heavenly light that lays easy on the feather bed grooves laid on by the band. Prince is still the star of the show, but at this stage, he has some serious competition beside him for my aural affections.

Six months ago I would have rolled my eyes and sighed at the appearance of “Let’s Go Crazy,” but with my new attitude, I find myself filled with excitement for its appearance. Not quite the same excitement as 1985 of course, but enough to remind me why I love this guy and his music. Previously I have been drawn to the guitar, but in this case, it is the bass guitar that has my ear, I can’t think of anything else as it walks up and down through the song. There is a tinge of funk near the end of the song, and it is a signpost of what will follow.

The funk of “Kiss” picks up the funk baton, and runs hard through its funky lines for the next four minutes. My inhibitions slip away as the song slithers into my body, and soon enough I am up and dancing, playing my computer keyboard like it’s a synthesizer – a sight you don’t want to see. If a song moves you physically it’s doing its job, and this one is working some fine magic as I listen.

 

The much-maligned “Jughead” is a lot of fun in this context, Tony M’s brief rap from “Dead On It” adding a touch of self-awareness to what could otherwise be a self-indulgent few minutes. He is neatly balanced by Rosie who once again adds some vocals that wash away some of the more shouty aspects of Tony M. I am all too happy to hear Prince’s vocal contribution to this gumbo of sounds, and his verses lead us to a bridge that straddles delicate guitar and more forceful horns. For all the different vocals and instruments, it does come across as bare-boned and one could see this getting the full treatment under different circumstances.

“Purple Rain” is out of place surrounded by these more horn-inspired and rap-filled songs, and is a throwback to a different era. Although the song is miscast, I do enjoy the opening guitar strains, however, weighed down they are by the more steady beat, as they pull and lift at the song, willing it every higher. Prince’s vocals maintain this rising tone, and the final redemption of the guitar break splits the song wide open leaving us temporarily spirited away from 1992 and back to 1985 as the song and crowd sways back and forth across its bow.

It’s tough to follow “Purple Rain,” but “Live 4 Love” is an inspired choice as it takes the loving feel of the previous few minutes and amplifies them through this crushingly intense new song. Prince introduces it with his soft “live for love” chant picking up the strands of Purple Rain’s ”oowwww, owwww” but the following beat and crackling guitar are peak 90’s in sound, and the lyrical content sees the here and now firmly in Prince’s sights. In the live context, a lot of Tony M’s lyrics are lost in the cacophony and steely sound of the music, but somehow Prince’s guitar cuts through this sound with its fury and incandescent rage. The song ends with one more angry squall of guitar before the concert collapses into a completely different genre.

From this electrifying noise comes the warm, organic sound of “Willing and Able.” It simmers quickly along on the back of some itchy and scratchy drum work. The horns and backing vocals make it the most timeless song of the concert, and of all the songs here this is the only one that has not dated and aged if we overlook Tony M’s brief appearance. His appearance adds some welcome color to the song, but he isn’t entirely necessary and the song would still be a work of art without his appearance.

There is a sweet moment as Prince offers love to Tokyo before we are swept up into the warm arms of “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Time may have aged me, but it has not aged my love of this song, and this performance is spot on in terms of the feelings it elicits. I am right back with my teenage heartbreaks as Prince and Rosie mine my pain for musical gain. I have long thought that Shelby J and Prince’s renditions were the gold standards, but I realize how wrong I am as Prince and Rosie pair up for a version that burns bright in my mind long after the last notes fade. Rosie deserves all the praise Prince gives her at the end of the song, and a whole lot more, she is truly one of a kind.

 

I have waited all night for some funk to grease my wheels, and Prince gives me plenty with his “Sexy M.F.” I would like to sing along, but my wife is in the other room, so I content myself with vigorous head nods and quickly mouthing the words. Tokyo doesn’t get into the whole singing along thing as much as I do, perhaps as the song was unreleased at this stage, but with the various solos the crowd can be heard voicing their appreciation- they haven’t been rendered totally mute by the moment.

I cannot express my joy at hearing the opening of “Thieves In The Temple,” the live version kicking just as hard as the lyrics. The darkness of the opening moments is matched by the kinetic energy of the harmonica, and the extra funk that the bass brings to it in this live arena. It isn’t quite what is heard on record, but it has its own energy and forwards propulsion that more than makes up for the unfamiliarity. Of course, the real treasure of the song lies buried in the heart of it as the music quietens for Prince’s vocal scat. With Rosie adding her talent, it becomes a moment where every word is worth hanging on to, and the moment is amplified as Prince breaks into an inflammatory few verses of “It.” All in all, it is a glorious live moment and although the song runs to six minutes it still feels all too short.

Again the pace slows with a brief instrumental of “Strollin'” serving as an introduction to the much weightier “Insatiable.” It is aptly named as I am insatiable throughout the song, no matter how much Prince gives I want more and more, each morsel leaving me hungry for more of this sexy syrup he pours over the music. With an all-enveloping warmth to his vocals, Prince draws us to the very center of his world, the music drowning us in its loving arms and the song disappearing as we sink under its spell.

The concert is up and running again with a pounding version of “Gett Off,” the drum threatening to burst the seams of the song with its relentless drive and focus. The band circles the song at first, never quite surrendering to its groove, until Prince’s scream brings everything into sharp focus and gives the song a very human heart. It doesn’t reach the same vocal heights as the preceding “Insatiable,” but it does bring sharpness back to the concert, and Prince’s shrieking guitar work is not to be denied. As the song breaks into “Gett Off (Housestyle)” new life is breathed into the concert and the fast and furious rendition gets just as much time in the sun as the album version. It’s a breakneck five minutes and is almost too much for a man of my age, but I can’t deny that is a lot of fun, a younger me would be up and dancing – if only my knees could still handle it.

 

On record “Cream” comes as a neat four-minute package, but live in concert Prince stretches it put, adding in “Chain Of Fools” as the song breaks the eight-minute mark. The opening verse and chorus are merely the jumping-off point, it is the second half of the song where all the action is, and it is notable for Prince’s patented dog bark leading into some delicious guitar work from Levi, as well as some exquisite vocals provided by Rosie. One can’t help by smile at the warmth in her voice that conceals the raw power she provides across the concert. There is light against this heavy backdrop, the horns fluttering across the music as big bumps and grinds beneath.

There is no better way to end this Prince party than with the king of all party songs -“1999.” Prince’s shout of “are you ready” reaches welcoming ears, and I am more than ready for what unfurls. Uptempo, the song soon vanishes under a dazzling string of party-infused bass, horns, and vocalizations. With the lyrics of “Baby, I’m A Star” appearing in the mix, there is no doubt that this is very much the same style as the extended jam that particular song had at the end of the Purple Rain shows. It is pleasing that Prince keeps it in the current era with “Push” driving the song forward. This medley, a mad rush to the end of the concert, isn’t quite up to the standard of other concert tours, although there is plenty here that isn’t heard elsewhere. It’s all a lot of fun, but it never amounts to much.

And so ends the first concert of the Diamonds And Pearls tour. It is far from a perfect concert, but it does bring a sense of fun and delivers the current album and a string of previous hits to a crowd that is hungry for all Prince can give, I included. It is rooted firmly in the era, and never more so than when Tony M is on the microphone. Although some of the songs have aged well, the overall feeling and production of the show have not. However, I’m not here to place the concert in context with Prince’s career, or the culture of the time, I’m just here to enjoy the music, and there is no doubt that it delivers on that front with every song brimming with fun and enthusiasm. I enjoyed it, and right now that’s all I want.