Toronto 28 July 2004

 The Musicology tour was a success on every level. A huge tour that delivered quality performance night after night for seven months, it saw Prince return to his rightful place at the top of the musical mountain. Almost every show is worth hearing, which makes choosing one to listen to very easy, or difficult depending on your point of view. Any concert could be chosen at random and provide a fine listening experience. 

In the last five years, I don’t think I’ve listened to a single show from Canada. So with that in mind, I have not chosen a show at random, rather I have pulled out this lively show from Toronto for a listen. 

July 28th, 2004, Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada 

Written large across the tour is the name Musicology. The album name, tour name, and opening song title, also contain Prince’s philosophy for the concerts – real music by real musicians. In this case, it is a bright performance of the song itself that opens the show. With its sleek horn sound, Prince straddles eras. The song reeks of 1970’s excess, yet Prince and the band keep it neatly trimmed, the musicians given time to play without becoming indulgent. Of note is John Blackwell on drums, and the swing of the horn section. Both hold the song together and give the song its signature sound of driving funk. 

 

“Let’s Go Crazy” also nods back to a previous era, an era that Prince himself shaped and dominated. It can sometimes sound stale, but here again, the band plays with a sharpness that keeps it well-defined and fresh. I’m not always a fan of the call and response, but in this case, it works well enough. It is Candy that is my highlight with her midsong punchy solo. Prince’s guitar can’t match it for excitement, and even as his final notes blaze I am left with the thought of Candy. 

The concert continues with this brisk pace set by the first few songs. “I Would Die 4 U” feels faster than I remember, but it serves the concert well. It blazes across the performance, a musical comet that burns itself out within a couple of minutes. I barely have time to enjoy it, but enjoy it I do. 

With the appearance of “When Doves Cry” it is apparent the concert is front-loaded with Purple Rain songs. It is far from the drawn-out versions we heard twenty years ago, Prince ticking off the key spots as the song becomes a flickering memory rather than a wallow in nostalgia. 

“Baby, I’m A Star” rounds out this Purple Rain celebration. The song is a fine match for the band, the horns are given another chance to shine with their busy drive and energy. They become more prominent as the song snowballs into the first real jam of the night. There is a piano solo that must be heard in the mix before the horns raise their heads from the background to remind us of the hook, but asides from that it is a free-form workout. Do I like it? You bet! 

Prince draws the musical curtains on the party, and the warm sweat of “Shhh” rises from the soundscape. It is given the time and respect to marinate in its juices, and like “Baby I’m A Star it delivers on many levels. Prince’s sultry tones draw me in, but it is his guitar work that slaps me down. Again and again, he reminds us what a master he is, not just of his instrument and songwriting, but of his ability to create atmosphere and mood. There is no slow build to his solo, he cuts quickly to his work. The guitar adds steel to the song in an instant and burns brightly for the final minutes as Prince draws a sharp line under his lyrics letting his guitar say all he needs. I have written about many great performances of “Shhh,” rest assured this is another. 

As much as I like Maceo Parker, I have heard “Pass The Peas’ enough at Prince concerts to last me a lifetime. It comes from the same place as “Musicology” and “Baby, I’m A Star,” – a chance for the band to indulge in some freewheeling music. However there is not enough of Prince himself in the DNA of the song, asides from his constant encouragement of the band, and as much as I enjoy each band member’s contribution I fail to connect with what the song’s true heart is. Interestingly, the final minutes of the song is a carbon copy of what appears in the performance of “D.M.S.R” a few days later in Detroit, this seemingly something Prince could cut and paste into the show as is his will. 

 

The concert comes into sharp focus again as a gleaming “I Feel 4 U” lightens the show. It is a song that lifts the soul, although I can never quite put my finger on why. The lyrics and music are instantly recognizable, and I contribute with both my singing and humming. It may appear lightweight in the setlist, but it brings another valuable pop song from the past into the fold. 

Prince pivots from this pop into the world of clinical funk with “Controversy.” “Clap your hands and stomp your feet” doesn’t move me, but Candy knocks me sideways with her forceful contribution. The saxophone and guitar are the two main pillars of the song. Each brings a huge dose of funk to the song. “I am being well-schooled” passes through my mind and Prince confirms it with his “schools still in” and another fiery contribution from Maceo, ably assisted by Greg Boyer on trombone. An exciting and breathless moment, Prince refuses to let it lie, and the transition to “Housequake” with some quicksilver guitar work managers to both encapsulate and top all that has come before. 

The first time I heard the interlude, with its segment of Purple Rain’s ‘backward crying’ was interesting, but fifteen years later I can live without it. Likewise, as much as I like the song “Georgia On My Mind,” it’s not what I came to a Prince concert for, and my interest wains while Prince isn’t on stage. 

I am much more invested in the slow-burning and audience-infused “Little Red Corvette.” Prince alone with his acoustic guitar sketch out the integrity of the song. With no gimmicks, the music becomes the sole focus, and it is obvious the crowd is on-board from the first minute. The song is best taken as a whole as the guitar and vocals intertwine, each adding different inflections and nuances to the story Prince is telling. Not all songs work when stripped back like this, but “Little Red Corvette” certainly does, and it loses none of its luster in this intimate setting. 

The surprise package of the acoustic set is “Peach.” Not for its inclusion, but for how well it works. Previously it was all fire and brimstone as Prince unleashed his guitar histrionics. In its acoustic form, it is an endearing moment as the audience has a chance to sing along. Prince reveals some delicate guitar work that suggests that I have long underestimated what lay at the core of the song. It threatens to outstay its welcome, but Prince pulls the plug on it at just the right moment. 

The Purple Rain era has already made quite an appearance at this show, but Prince delights with the period B-side “17 Days.” A slab of cold funk on record, again with only Prince and his guitar it becomes all the more heartfelt and delicate. With Prince’s guitar bringing some warmth, the pain becomes lukewarm, yet remains from the original. 

I would have liked to indulge more in “Sometimes It Snows In April” but Prince doesn’t dwell on the moment and the song clocks in at just under a minute. A mere taster, it does leave one wishing Prince could have given us just a little more. 

“Alphabet Street,” promises more than it delivers. I expect energy levels to go up, but it remains stubbornly subdued throughout. That’s not to say it’s bad in any way, but merely disappointing. Prince is never loud enough, nor is his guitar or the crowd. “Peach” worked, while “Alphabet St” doesn’t, a complete surprise to me. 

One thing I always liked about the Musicology tour was the regular appearance of “Prince And The Band.” With his biting lyrics and sharp guitar sound Prince delivers another cutting rendition. The crowd responds positively to the line about Warners, no doubt to Prince’s great pleasure. The thought of Prince playing a song called “Prince and the Band” solo also brings further humor to the moment. 

Prince takes this humor and runs with it through “Cream.” He gives plenty of time to joking and teasing the audience, momentarily threatening to derail the song. However he returns to the music, and the guitar work in the first minutes is fast and furious. Every note shines and sparkles, and I find myself listening to it several times before moving on. 

The song that stands above all in this acoustic set is “Raspberry Beret.” The familiarity and ease of the lyrics mark it as an easy singalong from the start. Prince knows this and gives the audience the holes they need to inject themselves. It was never going to be the most demanding of songs, there is no challenge in the music or lyrics, and it is the warmest and most communal experience of the evening. 

 

“7” serves as the bridge back to a full band performance. Once again Prince carries the audience with him, their voices adding to the fullness of the chorus. It is a brief performance and merely perfunctory to bring the band back on stage. 

A rather odd “Sign O The Times” follows. I am not familiar enough with the Musicology tour to know if it is a fair reflection of its form at the time. It feels skittish, and never settles on the hard groove that I desire. Even Prince’s guitar fails to bring a sense of stability to the tail of the song, and by the end, I still don’t have a handle on the overall feel. 

“Whole Lotta Love” often ripped through the heart of the One Night Alone tour, but by Musicology it has been tamed. Although Prince indulges in plenty of guitar work over its eleven-minute span, it never feels as threatening or heavy as it did a few years previous. There is no sense of danger, Prince’s guitar raging only against itself. I appreciate its appearance in the setlist and lose myself in the guitar work, but the concert would do just fine without it. 

We return to the more fertile ground with “Let’s Work.” The funky seeds sown by Prince in the earlier 1980’s come to full bloom here with the horn section filling out what Prince could only hint at back then. They take the heavy lifting off the bass and propel the groove with their bright sheen. It’s far from the eighties sound of Prince but has the same hypnotic effect as the band all hit the groove. 

The band remains in lockstep for the following groove of “U Got The Look.” It all happens at the bottom end, Prince’s guitar a shrill interloper on what is otherwise a deep groove. The is no true resolution to the song, it remains undercooked as Prince moves quickly on to his next number. 

 

We return to Musicology and its themes with a stomping “Life O’ The Party.” There is a sense that Prince is book-ending the concert with this song, and it is a nice companion to the opening “Musicology”. With its organic sound and the horns at the fore, it brings a fresh blast as we head towards the end of the concert. Prince’s thanking of the crowd suggests that this can’t be too far away, although there are still a couple of treats to come. 

“Soulman” could well be a description of Prince as well as a song title. It is a fitting cover, but I would have preferred for Prince to sing it rather than Chance Howard. One can’t deny how uplifting it sounds, and Prince takes control for a timely “Kiss” to further lift my spirits. “Kiss” molds itself well to the Musicology sound, and it fits seamlessly with the surrounding material. Updated for the 2004 tour and sound, it reveals itself to be timeless. 

“Take Me With U’ continues this uplifting stomp, and marches onward without ever becoming pounding or tiresome. The Purple Rain album gets plenty of airtime at this concert, and this is another example of an older song being revamped for Prince’s current sound. It is just as successful as the previous cases, and Prince gives way to Maceo Parker, Greg Boyer, and Candy Dulfer to round out the song with their brassy sound and attitude. 

I had forgotten just what a gem “Call My Name’ was until I heard it again here. It won a Grammy award for best male R&B vocal performance and one can hear why as Prince loads the vocals with a lush, sensuous delivery. It never drips into syrupy or overworked, remaining aloof in its dedication to its theme. Of all the Musicology material presented at this concert, this is the standout and one only wishes it could have been longer. 

 

“Purple Rain” closes the concert and it is pleasing to see it bring the evening to a climax. It has previously been slotted into different places throughout the setlists over the years, sometimes shortened and abridged, and I am overjoyed to see a full-length version closing the concert. The lyrics and delivery don’t quite hit the emotional highs they use to, but as Prince’s guitar snorts and grunts at the start of his solo all thought of that is put aside. For the next few minutes, his instrument conveys all that needs to be said as it touches on an array of emotions, including nostalgia, with its far-reaching range and depth. I admit, that I am sometimes overly effusive in my praise of Prince’s ability on the guitar, but it cannot be understated – he is one of the best. As the final notes fade there is nothing more to be said, it has been a spectacular end to a spectacular show. 

This is not one of the more known Musicology concerts, yet it is just as good as anything else heard on tour. This speaks to the quality of the tour itself. The tour was long, but Prince and his band gave us memorable shows night after night. With twenty-five years of experience behind him, Prince put together a setlist that dips into his history without dwelling on it and gives us something both current and pleasingly familiar. Any show of the tour could be listened to with confidence, and I found this one from Canada to be a real treat. After listening to this I will certainly be coming back to the Musicology tour with a renewed interest and vitality.