Vienna 13 July 2010

 I remember 2010 well. I separated from my ex-wife, changed jobs, moved house, and came back to my own country after living abroad for six years. It was a year of upheaval, change, and uncertainty.  Stability was a stranger to me. So when Prince toured through Europe in summer, playing another greatest hits package, I found myself devouring the shows as soon as they become available. There was a satisfaction in hearing the comforting songs I knew so well, and it was reassuring to know that those songs still existed as they were when my life was on steady ground. I often dismiss these hit shows, but these songs tie us back to a time when Prince was on top of the world, and his songs were the soundtrack for every aspect of our lives. Thirty years on they remind me where I came from and who I am as the world swirls around me in constant change. Sometimes it is good to have that rock in our past that we can anchor ourselves.  I have rarely listened to the 2010 concerts since then, they are just on the wrong side of vanilla for me, but as a live package presenting some of Prince’s most well-known material, they serve their purpose well. 

13th July 2010, Vienna, Austria 

Of the summer tour of 2010, this was the only concert to be played indoors. The assumption is that ticket sales weren’t as strong as expected, and from that, we can further infer that Prince isn’t playing to a strong fan base here, more fans fall closer to the casual end of the scale rather than the hardcore end of the spectrum. If that is indeed the case, then “Purple Rain”  is the ideal choice to open the concert with. A song that appeals to the most casual of casual fans, it immediately sets up the greatest hits show as it unfurls it's away across the first minutes. The introduction itself is almost seven minutes, the tide slowly rising with the trickle of keyboards that slowly rise to a river. The first fingers of Prince’s guitar wrap themselves around the song, crushing the delicate and intricate lace of the keyboards and giving the song extra power and emphasis. In this case, however, the song doesn’t belong to Prince, but rather to the crowd who are involved throughout. Prince knows he is onto a good thing and doesn’t give them any more than they need – his final guitar solo plays within the flow of the song, and instead of an emphatic exclamation mark, it is little more than a pleasant outro that equals the introduction of the keyboards several minutes previous. 

 

  

“Let’s Go Crazy” is little more than a thin veneer over the insistent beat. With chants, the scantest of guitar riffs, and a quick verse and chorus, there is no real meat to the song. It is recognizable but is an anorexic version of the Rocky-Balboa-punch of a song we know so well from the 1980s 

I prefer “Delirious” in this case, it is longer with punchy drumming and some added harmonica which brings a different flavor to a familiar tune. It is hardly a pulsating performance, but it keeps the show bouncing forward and provides me a chance to sing along. 

The “Let’s Go Crazy” coda with its “Oh no, let's go” chant isn’t worth mentioning, but “1999” certainly is. I often underrate “1999,” and I have been dismissive of its live performance more than once on this blog. If “1999” was a person I would apologize to it right now. Prince and the band play a lean and cohesive rendition of it at this concert, and to my ears, it has never sounded better. With a sense of purpose, it brings the concert onto an even keel, as well as satisfying the old-school fan inside me that wants to hear these songs as they should be heard. It’s an exhilarating few minutes, and if it is nostalgia you want to hear then this is the place to start. 

 

The opening stabs of “Shhh” contain far more keyboard than drums, and it doesn’t come as the intoxicating rush we so often hear. The vocals though are far more noteworthy, Prince is in his element as he weaves his vocal magic through the song before topping it with the beguiling guitar work I have been waiting for. I am almost sick as he plays a head-spinning few minutes, the sound and the emotion perfectly enmeshed making for the alchemy that can be only found on live recordings. 

“Cream” comes from the other end of the scale. Where “Shhh” had depth and emotional weight, “Cream” is shallow and narcissistic. That doesn’t make it any less enjoyable though, and with Prince’s guitar still adding body to the song, it does come across better than I expect. A lightweight and creamy-sounding song, here it has a bolder sound that Prince will carry forth for the next few numbers. 

 

That punchy guitar sound stays front and center for “Dreamer.” No real surprises there, but it is an arresting few minutes as Prince and the band up the intensity and assault of sound from the stage. The only time this assault eases is when the harmonica makes an appearance and Prince eases the band back to allow the crowd to clap. This merely signals things are about to get a whole lot better, as Prince takes up his axe to deliver several killer blows that close the song on a murderous high. 

“Stratus” is forceful and makes its mark with plenty of purse and direction. Sometimes I find it meanders, but not at this concert, Prince and the band play a tight version that contains several key elements – Prince’s guitar, the harmonica of Frederic Yonnet, and the drumming of Cora. Taken as a while they become a feast, and I dine on each of them individually as they have their moment on stage. 

Sheila E. is on board for “The Glamorous Life” and although I love the song, I find this rendition just a little too thin sounding. It may or may not be the recording, but other songs have sounded strong, so in this case, I’m going to assume it is indeed the performance. Prince isn’t on stage, leaving plenty of space for Sheila to get some shine. The singing is good, but it is the final percussion that makes the song valid and real, bringing something to the show that only Sheila can bring. 

The natural pairing of “The One” and “The Question Of U” stands alone as the towering landmark at the center of this concert. Building from Prince’s quiet lyrics it becomes an intricate maze of delicate vocal performances before the strident guitar builds architecture around these more organic moments. It doesn’t have to be loud to be the most captivating part of the concert, I am completely enthralled throughout as the music continues to intrigue and swirl. Forget the rest of the recording, skip straight to this song and stay there. 

I feel completely deflated as “Musicology” plays, the preceding song has sucked everything out of me. It doesn’t help that the recording sounds distant at this point, and a lot of the emotional tension that Prince has built up dissipates as the band rumble through the song. Sheila on percussion is a positive, but overall the song feels hollow and empty, leaving e hoping that the following numbers will raise the ante. 

The hits arrive in the form of “Take Me With U.” Confident from the start, it sounds like a different concert entirely as Prince does his best to recreate his 1980s sound. He’s not quite there, it harks back to the sound of his 2007 concerts more than his 1984 concerts, but it still retains energy that gets the crowd moving. I think it sounds good until I do compare it to a rendition from 1984. It’s at that point that I realize that it is missing a spark that lifts it from an energetic performance to an exhilarating ride. 

 

From the same place comes “Kiss.” All the key components are in place, yet it remains flat when compared to its younger self. It’s dangerous to always look back and compare ourselves to the people we were 20 or 30 years ago, but when I hear “Kiss” on the radio I have no choice but to compare it to the more recent versions. It's still a great song to sing along with, and this performance has plenty to recommend it, but it's not what it once was. 

With Shelby J. singing with him, Prince plays a version of “Nothing Compares 2 U” which again consigns Sinead O’Connor’s version to the dustbin of history. With Rosie Gaines in the 90s and Shelby J in the 2000s, Prince’s live version has consistently eclipsed the more well-known version, and he has stamped it as one of his great songs. At this particular concert we get a solid rendition that still stands head and shoulders above Sinead's rendition, Prince and Shelby invest themselves in the song making it much more than just a greatest hit. 

 

Prince continues to reclaim his songs from other artists with a feisty performance of both “The Bird” and “Jungle Love.” They are watered down from what we have come to expect from The Time, nevertheless, they fit well with the set Prince is presenting, giving the show a push towards the all-dancing, all-singing last half hour that Prince was doing at the time. With a couple of funk tunes thrown into the mix, (“Play That Funky Music”, and “(I like) Funky Music”) Prince makes it quite clear where he is coming from. Neither excites me, but the blowtorch of a guitar break does have me raising my head with a smile. 

I am fully on board for “Controversy.” It is another exercise in nostalgia and one I happily buy into as Prince plies us with lashings of a scratch guitar. The performance is tightly focused, and even with the audience interaction and harmonica solo, it remains insistently on course and funky. It may not be as dry as some early performances, but it works well in its updated form. 

 

It is Prince's guitar that introduces “A Love Bizarre,” and if there was a song that was going to get me on my feet, this would be it. The crowd feels the same, there is a noticeable increase in crowd enthusiasm as the song begins and this is maintained throughout. At only three minutes, it comes as a short, sharp shock, a feeling that is only heightened by the high voltage guitar break that short-circuits the song and introduces the next number. 

Ah yes, “Dance (disco heat),” I had forgotten that this was a regular on the setlists through 2010. At the time I found it unappealing, and as I listen to it now, I find that that feeling hasn’t changed. The clapping and guitar are relentless, but they never build to anything rewarding and I feel shortchanged by the performance. I want to like it, I do, but this just isn’t for me. 

 

The inevitable come down from this mad party follows, and that comes in the form of “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” The concert is transformed again as Prince takes us from the stomping dance numbers to a revealing piano confessional. I revel in the contrast and am rewarded by the backing singers joining Prince in the final minutes to lift it into the realm of spiritual music. A surprise package this late in the concert, it was well worth the wait. 

An out-of-kilter lilt to “Mountains”  leaves me off balance as the band begins. It isn’t helped by the left turn late in the song as they veer into “Shake Your Body” Much like “Let’s Go Crazy” earlier in the concert, it is shorn of its cohesive sound as Prince breaks it down to a collection of ear-grabbing soundbites, none of which work as well as the song as a whole. 

There is something entirely predictable about “Everyday People” and “I Want To Take You Higher” Neither are show-stopping in their intensity, they keep the show simmering rather than bringing it to a boil-over. The show still sounds as if it has more to give, but these songs don’t bring us to the climax I crave. 

I was looking forward to hearing “Ol Skool Company” again, and I am more than happy with the feisty performance on this recording. It has sass and attitude that elevates it beyond a mere recap of all that has come before. Even the “funky” chants in this climate sound better, and to my ears, this is better than the funky songs that Prince played in quick succession earlier. Prince is indisputably better when he sticks to his full renditions of his songs, rather than watered-down covers, or abridged arrangements of past glories. 

The last song on the recording is “Peach.” A late encore, we miss the first minutes, but it matters not as the joy lies in the unbridled guitar flurry that makes up the back end of the song. Prince doesn’t dominate though, as he has throughout the concert he lets Fredric Yonnet have time to come center stage with his harmonica. The final burst though is pure Prince, and just as regal a guitar solo as we have ever heard. The final slash from the guitar is only fleeting, but a timely reminder of who Prince is and what he could do. 

All in all, an enjoyable show. As you can see, I wasn’t enamored by every song in the performance, but at two and a half hours, there was plenty of something for everyone. Three songs stood out above all others for me, “The One,” “A Love Bizarre” and “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore.” All three had an emotion to them that appealed to me, and played on my feelings of nostalgia. Prince was often at his best when he was looking forward, in that aspect these concerts from 2010 don’t serve him well. But they are a fitting time capsule of how far he had come, and as a look back these concerts do serve a purpose. 2010 is a year I would prefer to forget, and these concerts will probably go back in the vault now for some time. They served their purpose and got me through at that time, but like Prince, I too am at my best when looking forward. Sometimes it’s good to glance back, but it’s dangerous to spend too long there.