July 7th, 2007 was a busy day for Prince and a great day for Minneapolis. Prince treated his hometown to three shows – A matinee show at Macy's (3121 perfume launch), and a main show at the Target Centre before following with an aftershow at First Avenue. The last two shows get plenty of coverage while the first show is often overlooked in the wider scheme of things. It is a short show, 40 minutes, but at the same time, it is a very well-recorded show that provides a short sharp shock of entertainment. It’s not too demanding, and worth a second listen.
7th July 2007, Macy’s 8th Floor Auditorium, Nicollet Mall – Minneapolis
It is hard to guess that the opening “When The Saints Go In” is by Prince and the band, but a closer listen and you can recognize the sound of Greg Boyer on trombone as well as the rest of the horn section. They are enjoying their time to shine and the show is off to a lively start with their upbeat instrumental rendition of an old classic.
Prince can be heard for the first time as his count-off introduces the steady groove of “3121.” It’s not as intense, or insistent, as I have heard elsewhere, and the horns add some lightness to it early on. The chorus has me sold on it, however, as Prince sings strongly and with obvious enjoyment. Shelby J can be heard on backing vocals, although she is oddly quiet. Prince's guitar break and the crowd both add a sense of urgency to the song and make it both enjoyable and serious.
“Girls And Boys” has a smoothness to it that belies its age, as Prince and the band slide across the glass-like groove. The sharpness comes in the chorus, although the twins seem to be making up their own French words for the backing vocals. The saxophone solo is replaced with a trombone solo, something that adds an element of interest to a song I have heard many times in my life. The high point for me is the solo from Renato Neto, it beams in from outer space and has a beautiful alien quality that gives the song an edge. The coda of “3121” chants sounds like a plug for the perfume, and as such, I consider it unnecessary to the song.
Sheila is low-key on percussion but makes herself heard in “A Love Bizarre.” This is a great version, and there is plenty of energy heard in the performance. Sheila and Prince sound excellent together, and the recording easily does justice to the song. Sheila sings with fierceness, I get the feeling that she is investing a lot of herself in the performance. Although only four minutes, it plays like a jam with a saxophone solo that is invested with a touch of fire, before Prince and Sheila provide some rhythm and percussion on their respective instruments. This is an excellent performance, and should not be slept on.
“Get On The Boat” takes a twist, and although the horns still drive it, it's Prince's guitar that catches the ear early on. It has a Santana flavor to it, and it wouldn’t be much of a leap from this to the Santana medley that Prince was fond of a few years previous. This could be attributed to Sheila E, whose percussion is the bedrock on which the song is built.
Sheila E. stays at the front of our minds as “The Glamorous Life” makes an appearance on the setlist. It is fitting in this setting, and it does sound glamorous as they sing it. Prince can be heard singing, but mostly it’s Sheila who is heard, both singing and playing percussion. Her final solo is the highlight of the song and underlines her talent as it finishes.
How many times have we heard Prince say “So many hits, so little time”? Too many and he breaks it out here again. The following “Take Me With U” has also been heard many times, although it is a bright and fresh-sounding performance here. It's a standard run-through, and the song shines even as the band sounds like they are giving a perfunctory performance.
“Guitar” was the song of the moment at this time, and Prince gives a performance that suggests he is feeling it. With the vocals coming with a rasp, the chorus comes and goes pleasantly enough before the song lives up to its name in the final minutes. The solo may start as expected, but soon enough it becomes more interesting and raises some pulses. The fireworks are all in the final couple of minutes as Prince and his guitar finally do take over.
Things get crazy for the finish. First Shelby J does her thing on a cover of “Crazy.” The groove is irresistible, and Shelby sounds full and bright on the recording. She raises several cheers from the audience as she sings, a sure sign that she sounds as good at the show as she does on the recording. There is some “put your hands up” shouting, but I’m feeling generous today and I’ll give her a pass.
Things become crazier as Prince introduces “Let’s Go Crazy.” It has the traditional spoken beginning, but the rest of the song is a wild ride as Prince solos, drawing influences from “Rock Lobster,” and gives Sheila E. another percussion break. It goes by with breakneck speed, and before I know it Prince is howling the last notes into the sky. It is a sharp ending to what has been a short and sweet show.
Don’t be fooled by the length of the show, at 10 songs and 45 minutes, it is just as long as his shows earlier in his career. This recording contained a pleasing mix of old and new material and Prince played a lively show to match. It may have been a matinee but it still sounded like a rock show should. Another excellent aspect of the show was the appearance of Sheila E, she put her stamp on everything she played. This is a sweet little show and something I shouldn’t overlook again.
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