Tokyo 18 November 2002

 My Japanese odyssey continues, we are still in Tokyo where today I visited the Budokan. For me, it is a venue that I was always associated with the Cheap Trick album Cheap Trick at Budokan, an album that was played ad nauseam when I was a child. Prince has played at the venue during two tours, he did four nights there during his 1996 tour of Japan, and another two nights in 2002 during the One Night Alone tour. Perhaps in this case we should call it the two nights alone tour. I am going to take a look at one of the shows played during the ONA tour, as much as I like the 1996 concerts the shows from 2002 are more attuned to my current tastes. Not everyone is a fan of the One Night Alone tour, I find the tour is divisive between fans – it is either one you really love or one you really hate. I have yet to find many people in the middle ground. I am going to stake my claim early, it is a tour I am a big fan of, so expect the following write-up to be completely biased for the positive. 

18th November 2002, Nippon Bodukan, Tokyo 

The audience knows what to expect from the start as is the norm for the ONA shows Prince begins with a distorted voice and heavily distorted drum solo. I like it, although it has no flow to it and is little more than a minute of sound that builds anticipation for the opening “The Rainbow Children.” The unease that “The Rainbow Children” creates can be heard in the music, but as always it is kept in balance by the band and their light sound that counteracts some of Prince's unsettling vocal effects. By the time Prince sings “Tokyo!” I am fully on board and ready for this song to roll on and on. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea (and I’m aware of plenty of people who downright hate it) but I can’t deny, Prince’s guitar work is pretty sweet on the ear, and I would hope most people would listen past the lyrical delivery and instead gravitate to this mesmerizing guitar performance. I like that the song continues to strike new ground, and it keeps me fixated without ever repeating itself. 

 

If anyone in the audience was worried about what might come next, Prince reassures them with the more accessible, and eminently more pop, “Pop Life.” Prince’s voice may not be as crisp as we have come to expect, but the rest of the song shines like polished silver, the recording sparkling as Prince turns the music this way and that under the lights. Renato and his jazz touch late in the song speak to me, and I am filled with regret that I never saw this band live. 

Prince brings discomfort to the pop audience with his introduction to “Xenophobia,” and the following song challenges expectations. At the time it came across as something new and shocking, fifteen years on I know what to expect and I am more than happy with the way the music unfolds over the next ten minutes. With Maceo playing there is very little to dislike, and as the horns run back and forth Prince's message gets lost in the raw sound of the music itself. It is the last half of the song that is the most challenging, and it feels good to hear this again, something far removed from his 80’s pop sheen, here is something with grit and body, something that looks both backward and forwards at the same time, a song that contains something new every time I hear it. 

Prince can’t quite keep to his promise to challenge and test the audience. It is “Purple Rain” that follows quickly after and soon enough any questions raised by “Xenophobia” is quickly painted over in the shade of purple. The audience recording is remarkably clean, there is very little background noise aside from cheers at the appropriate moments. Should I thank the recorder or the restrained crowd, I don’t know,  but I do know it sounds very good indeed and I am more than happy with the performance of “Purple Rain” that matches it. It never ignites into the blazing wildfire it sometimes becomes, but it delivers everything that one would expect at a Prince concert, be it your first concert or your 100th. 

 

“The Work Pt 1” surprisingly fails to fire. I had such hopes. I was expecting funk by the bucket load, instead, I get a series of solos that never quite build into a much wished-for payoff. I like the music just fine, but it is a platonic relationship and never becomes an intense love affair. Prince is too fickle and the music comes and goes as it pleases without giving me the time I need. I do like the “To-k-yo, woo-hoo” chant, something I may have been guilty of singing under my breath for the last three weeks as I wander the streets of Tokyo. The inevitable dancers on stage are the last straw for me, the heart of the song belongs to the audience in the building, and not to us listening here at home. 

For me, “Mellow” is all about sound and vibe. I have very little idea what Prince is singing about, but I do love the feel of the song. This performance is cool, and “Mellow” lives up to its name, aside from the occasional burst of a horn. It is unlike anything heard thus far on the recording, and for me, it again highlights the scope of music Prince created. It wouldn’t be the first song I’d put on, but it is one that I always like when I hear it. 

The concert energy again surges with an engaging rendition of “1+1+1 is 3.” Of course, it can’t lose with Maceo adding his years of experience with an instantly funky solo. Prince may claim that he is funky, but in this case, it is Maceo who brings the funk to the party. There is a funky guitar underneath that is pure Prince, but for my money, it is the horns that make this worth hearing. Nothing is added by appending “Housequake” and “Love Rollercoaster” to the second half of the song, and they could have easily been left off in my opinion. 

The melancholy dip and swoop of Prince’s guitar bring the concert into a more traditional realm, and the performance here could have come from any show in the last twenty years. That’s no bad thing, the guitar wail calling most Prince fans to duty with its mournful call. There is a heavy influence from the band, and the flashes of jazz later in the song remind you just what configuration of the NPG this is. The final few minutes belong all to John Blackwell, and that makes this rendition well worth a listen as he kicks and stutters around the kit. 

I am pleased to find that “Strange Relationship” is just as funky as it has ever been, the band locking together in a solid squelching riff. If anything, it is aged even better, and like a fine wine, I find it strong and more flavorsome than its 1980’s incarnation. Prince in particular seems to get a real kick out of playing this song, and he pulls the audience with him with his unbridled enthusiasm. It stands far above anything else heard on the recording with its energy and pure Princeliness. 

“Pass The Peas” I am happy to take a pass on. I like Maceo, but Prince and the band don’t add anything to the song we haven’t heard before. It does give the horn section a chance to strut, but it pales compared to the previous “Strange Relationship.” Although to be fair, almost anything would pale compared to that. 

A torrent of guitar notes flies from Prince’s hands, and serves as a great introduction to “The Ride.” What is great about this show is that every song gets a full rendition and plenty of time to marinate in its own juices. Every song runs five to ten minutes, and after years of feeling short-changed by Prince medleys with these concerts, I finally feel Prince is letting us fully appreciate his music. His comment “Can I take my time” gets full approval from me. The song contains the unrestrained howl of his guitar as he finally lets it off the leash and it runs rampant for the next few minutes. It is a biting performance that snaps and chews in equal measure. 

 

As a Prince fan I fail miserably, not recognizing “Sign O’ The Times” immediately as Prince elicits to shroud the intro with his chugging guitar. The song never really settles on a style from here on in, sometimes the horns come to the fore, giving it a brighter sound, while the record scratching pulls it in another direction entirely. And then pulling in a third direction is Prince’s guitar. I would happily take any style, but to my ears, all three don’t quite gel. There is some lighter guitar later in the song, which with the horns would be a much better fit for this band. 

Ahh, the old “Take Me With U,” “Raspberry Beret” combination. Regular readers will be familiar with my feelings about this. I like sweet pop sugariness as much as anyone, but not so much now I am older and, ahem, more mature. I happily digest “Take Me With U,” but by the time Prince segues into “Raspberry Beret,” I have had my fill and am ready for something more substantial. 

“The Everlasting Now” wouldn’t be my first choice for something more substantial, but I do find it more rewarding than the previous couple of songs.  The first few minutes are a nice little appetizer as Prince gives us a taste of what’s to come with parcels of funk and chants. The main course comes with some Santanaesque guitar before the rest of the band adds their sauce of horn riffs and piano twinkle. It’s a flavorsome combination and one that I happily indulge myself in. It is Maceo who rounds out this feast of sounds, with his dessert of saxophone sprinkling chocolate sprinkles over all that has come previously. I am sold on it, and as it all comes to an end I feel well-nourished and satisfied. 

 

A short break lets me digest what we have heard so far, before the encores open with Prince at the piano. “Condition Of The Heart” is simply divine, I am beyond words as I sit and listen to it, letting Prince's music and lyrics wash over me. It does become a medley, “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” getting a line before Prince indulges us with a slightly longer “Diamonds And Pearls.” It is “Adore” that gets the most time and attention, however, with John Blackwell ever so gently adding a heartbeat to the song. The crowd sits in an enraptured silence throughout, making this recording pristine and clean for the next few minutes. 

Prince piles on all his tender ballads at this part of the show, and “The Beautiful Ones” brings a further string of heart-tugging moments. It is almost too easy listening, some of the emotional strength of the song is sapped by its easy sheen and polish. I am engaged though, even if it is not the heart-stopper it used to be. 

It is very hard to clear my feelings about “Nothing Compares 2 U.” A song I heard countless times in the 80s from Sinead O’Connor, and then hundreds of times since from Prince, it is a song I am overly familiar with. Sometimes it breaks through and gets me in a soft moment, and sometimes it passes by making barely an impression. The rendition on this recording is good, but it fails to break my jaded exterior and I find I listen to it in an almost emotionless state. 

On the other hand, “The Ladder” shoots straight for my heart and does make the emotional impact I crave.  The drums are a little too much, but Prince’s vocals and delicate piano carry the moment. It is one of the shortest songs on the recording, barely a minute and a half, but it feels real to me and sincere. 

This pleasant stroll through Prince’s piano songs is rounded out by “Starfish And Coffee” It may not be on a par with the other ballads and emotional heavyweights in the setlist, but it does keep things light. 

The final song featuring the piano is “Sometimes It Snows In April,” a song that has taken on an extra significance since Prince’s passing. This rendition is a fitting tribute, his vocals alone out front in the recording, smooth and velvety and carrying a hint of emotion that makes it all the more powerful. A moment to sit back, listen and reflect. 

“Days Of Wild” isn’t as sinister and threatening as sometimes heard, but it is still a stone-cold classic. There are better versions on this tour (see Antwerp a month earlier where I swear Prince tears the roof of the place), but it is still eminently enjoyable, and as always I find my head bobbing and without even being aware of it I am singing along with Prince. The grind and churn of the song bring several different players to the surface, Dudley D can be heard on the turn tables midsong, and it is the horns that bring a different feel to the song. The song drops intensity halfway through though, and as the bass is pumped up for the first time the recording distorts. This mars the occasion as the final few minutes become a difficult listen. The rest of the recording sounded great, making this part sound all the worse. 

This show is fairly typical of the ONA tour but is very well recorded (asides from the final “Days Of Wild.”) There is a plethora of material available from the ONA tour, I would happily listen to any one of them, but I do enjoy this concert for the  quality of the performance and the recording. The setlist doesn’t throw up anything too much in the way of excitement, but this bootleg does a nice job of capturing the standard ONA show. Very good without being essential.