London 2 February 2015

This week's recording -I am going to take a gamble with this one. Today's recording is not a favorite, much-loved recording, but instead a recent one that I have never heard before. Today I will be taking a listen to Prince playing at Koko London from last week. Before I have even heard a note, I already have mixed feelings about this one. At first glance, there are a couple of positives and also a couple of negatives. Firstly the negatives – it is an audience recording, and a greatest hit show to boot. I am not a great fan of either. On the plus side – it is a smaller venue, and also a recent show, so it will be something new to my ears and I won’t have any preconceptions about it. The other thing about it which is making me curious is the songs from Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue as they say. So, let's drop the needle and see what we got

February 2nd, 2015 Koko London

 

As the recording begins you can hear the anticipation as the audience awaits the music to start. The opening chords of “Purple Rain” is greeted with plenty of cheers and squeals as you might expect. The recording is not too bad- I can hear everything I need to hear. The crowd is all onboard right from the start and you can hear them singing along, line for line. Prince himself sounds fairly relaxed, there is no intensity to his singing, and the whole vibe comes across as casual and happy. His guitar sound early on sounds like this may be a pretty rocking gig. It was just after I thought this that I can hear some audience members talking, which instantly takes me out of the song. Soon enough Prince and the band get a little louder and rawer and I am happy again. Throughout I can hear his guitar sound nice and deep and I hold my breath as I wait for the solo. And, it’s a good one! All the usual elements are there, as well as some nice deviations by Prince. Nothing too off the chart, but it does have a good rocking sound to it. The crowd is well in the mood for “ahhh, ahhh, ahhh” but Prince closes them down soon enough. The reprise is short, there is a minute of crowd singing before Prince brings it to an end with his guitar. We are off to a good start.

Prince tells the crowd that they are going to play 14 hits in a row and the band starts the grind of the modern take of “Let’s Go Crazy.” I am not always the greatest fan of this one, but I haven’t listened to any 3rdeyegirl recordings for a while, and it’s not the chore that I sometimes find it is. It sounds like it's going across well tonight, and I enjoy the guitar divergence midsong. It adds a little lightness to a song that sometimes sounds bogged down in its modern incarnation. The band sounds tighter than some of the other shows I have listened to, and looking at it I guess they have been together quite a while now. They have certainly lasted longer than I expected, and full credit to them. My only quibble would be that perhaps the song lasts a minute longer than my attention span does, but as always that’s my problem rather than a recording problem.

“Take Me With U” takes me by surprise with its nice fresh sound. There is a nice guitar sound at the beginning that is playing what was originally a keyboard on record. It’s only a small thing, but it has me listening right from the start. The song is nicely balanced, and although the guitar leads it, it still feels light and has a pop shine to it. Liv’s singing is very good, and it’s nice to hear her adding to the fullness of the song. I should have tired of this song years ago, but today it’s still getting me moving in my chair.

And joy of joys, the next song isn’t “Raspberry Beret!” Instead, we are treated to a solid performance of “U Got The Look.” Sure, I have been critical of this in recent blog posts, but again on the recording, it’s a nice crisp performance. Both the guitars have a clean but heavy sound, and I can clearly hear what they are playing. It’s a change from some other performances where the guitar is lost in muddy sound or distortion. Liv can once again be heard doing her thing, and I admire her voice for standing up against all the guitar sound. For a minute I thought it was going to degenerate into a guitarfest, but the band quickly moves into “Funknroll,” much to the delight of the crowd I might add.

 

It’s very cool, and as usual, I like the live performance of it much more than the album recording. The band owns this one and it’s very obvious that this is one song that they all buy into, and belong on. The breakdown and Prince's guitar sounds like a lot of fun and gets plenty of shouts from the crowd. It sounds very much like a good time, and I can only imagine what it would have been like to be there. I think cool is the word that suits this song tonight, and Prince plays us out with some more cool guitar playing.

I have tried to avoid using the word funky too much when writing this blog, but I can’t help but use it at the beginning of “Controversy.” 3rdEyeGirl strikes me as being a very unfunky band, the opening guitar rhythm is right on the money. They don’t let up as the song kicks off properly, and this stripped-down band takes me right back to the original sound in the eighties. I have to be honest, I was even clapping in the air at one point. The crowd is feeling funky too, with a chant of “Ow wee ow” starting mid-song. Prince comments “I see you all come to jam tonight” before singing controversy. There is then some very fun call and response between Prince and the audience, they can’t quite match his squeals and sounds, but they more than makeup for it with volume when he says “now somebody scream!” The song ends, and I find myself thinking this was the best version of this song I have heard for ages.

The timeless intro of “1999” moves us right along, and I can feel the smallness of the venue and the vibe of the band. It’s very heavy on bass, with everything else floating along over the top. Prince sounds like he is having as much fun as the crowd and I marvel at his ability to play at such a level still after all these years. An average gig by Prince is still better than 90% of everyone else’s, and this gig is far from average. They more than do the song justice, and like all the best versions I can hear plenty of Prince's guitar in the mix.

Staying with the 1999 album, the next song up is “Little Red Corvette.” It’s played in his modern ‘slow down style’ but it is not as drawn out and emotional at the start as other times I have heard. It’s slightly let down by crowd noise in places, and although Prince's voice isn’t always clear, his guitar certainly is. After 30 years I still feel a rush as he plays the guitar solo, before pulling it back and taking it down a notch to his slow hand guitar, and eventual “slow down” refrain. There is a lovely moment before his slow-down lines, where he emotionally sings “I know what I want, I want you” The crowd gently sings “slow down” in the background while Prince delivers his lines. For me, it was a surprising highlight, and I find myself totally in the moment. Mindfulness with Prince, who would have thought. The song continues to offer surprises as it ends with Prince and the women of the audience singing “oohhh oohh ”

 

It gets even better when Prince sings “Nothing Compares 2 U” over a bare keyboard. In my mind, this is the way it should always sound. The band joins after the first verse, but the song still holds its emotion, and Prince ups his delivery when the drums and bass enter. I have to say, I was a little worried when he says “on the guitar, Donna”, but her solo is pitched just right, and is kept nice and short. Prince comes back with plenty more character in his voice, and the crowd carries us home. It’s short, but all done in the best possible taste, and like all good things leaves me wanting more.

I love this version of “Kiss.” Anyone who has read any of these blog posts knows that this is quite a statement from me, I am what they call “a hater” when it comes to this song. But here on this recording, I find it very appealing. It has some interesting keyboard running through it and is seriously lacking its distinctive guitar signature. Although not a fan of the song, I have always liked its guitar sound, so for him to drop it out, and I find I like it, even more, I am very surprised. That same guitar sound returns in the second half of the song, and it’s nice and strong. I could just listen to that rhythm all day. If you want to hear a different take on a classic, I recommend you bend your ear to this. The band jam on it a little later in the song, and it's all good to me.

I am not very familiar with Paloma Faith, but Prince's cover of her song “Only Love Can Hurt Like This” is just divine, and Liv gets a chance to do what she does best on it too. Gentle at the start with some beautiful singing during the verses, the chorus skyrockets when Liv gets her lungs right behind it. As an unfamiliar song to me, this will certainly be one that I will be revisiting. There is some very decent lead guitar in the latter part of the song, but it’s Liv that holds it all down, and the second half is very much her voice versus the power of Prince’s guitar. Princes guitar wins out, but I am never going to complain about that. I would like to hear a better recording of this one, and maybe a better mix from the desk, but it is a cover with potential and I’d like to hear more of it.

 

Prince then asks for the lights to be turned off with the comment “it’s not a country and western show” and that brings a smile to my face. That smile gets even bigger when I hear the opening of “When Doves Cry.” Although not a pristine recording, it’s good enough when the music is this good. After a few bars, the music stops and leaves the crowd singing. Yes, it is the dreaded sampler set. But tonight Prince plays this one pretty straight and I am pleasantly surprised as we get four minutes of the song played in the form I know and love. There is some interaction between Prince and the crowd, with a few “owww owwws” from both.

I wait with bated breath as “Sign O The Times” begins. Will this be cut short, or will I get a good chunk of the song? Thankfully it’s the latter, and there’s also some meaty guitar work in there for me to enjoy. It’s not particularly sharp, but it is suitable grime and has a heaviness to it. Once again the crowd is in good voice, and Hannah on the drums gets a good workout near the end of the song. On a better quality recording, this would be a standout.

“Hot Thing” gets the familiar sampler set treatment, as Prince teases us at the start, before delivering the song proper. It’s got a nice groove to it, but the beat is slightly weaker. Prince pushes it out forcefully in compensation, and both I and the audience enjoy it. I am happy to see this one get a real play rather than a sampler tease, and by the end, I wish it was longer.

One of my all-time favorites is next with the big sound of “A Love Bizarre.” I would just seconds from leaping to my feet and dancing, but instead, I am bitterly disappointed when it ends after just 40 seconds of the intro. Such a lost opportunity, I think it would have gone down a storm.

The sampler tease continues as the music of “Darling Nikki” is played next. There is no way in the world he was ever going to sing it, and as we all expect it ends after 30 seconds.

“Pop Life” has me back on board, although it’s played very short at least we get a verse and a chorus. A classic pop song, it’s impossible to hear this without feeling some sort of joy. I find myself singing along loudly with it, and I am sure my neighbors are thankful when it quickly ends.

“I Would Die 4 U” sounds upbeat and fits with this ‘pop’ section of the gig. I would have loved to hear a little more of it, but Prince ends it after the first chorus with a simple “Thank you so much, good night”

It is of course another tease, and immediately the beat of “Forever In My Life” begins. This is no tease, and Prince takes his time with the intro, before singing the words we all know so well. I mouth the words rather than sing along, I don’t want to miss a note of this. Prince sounds great and I find myself inwardly moaning again that this isn’t a soundboard recording. The arrangement played here somewhat resembles the one that appears in Sign O The Times movie, and there is plenty of time for the crowd to sing along with “alright, alright”. The only thing missing is Boni Boyer singing the house down, but we are nicely compensated by Prince providing some bass lines. A very electric sound cuts through the vibe as we near the end, but the mood is restored by some great singing by Prince, and the audience doing their best to emulate him.

I’m not sure this is the band for “Housequake,” but in the sampler set, they seem to get away with it. My ears aren’t sharp enough to tell you who is playing what, but it all comes together alright. Not the funkiest version in the world, but the sampler provides the kicking beat while Prince keeps the energy levels high. Ida gets a moment on her bass, and this is probably the high point of the song for me. Donna also plays a brief solo, but I find it takes me out of the song, and I am pleased they don’t play on it too much longer. They hold it together long enough to get through it, but I fear it may unravel after another minute.

Oh WOW, was my first thought as they begin “U Know.” It sounds like it is going to be fantastic, but Prince says “You’ll can't have that” and I know we aren’t going to get too much more. Sure enough, it ends before it even starts. There are a few boos to be heard from the crowd, and I can fully understand their feelings… I am quietly booing here at home. You can’t always get what you want.

I feel similarly cheated when he plays only the intro to “Gold Standard.” It’s good to see he isn’t biased, both old and new songs get the short shrift, but I would have liked to have seen a little more faith in the newer songs, especially the ones that get an obvious reaction from the crowd.

“If I Was Your Girlfriend” gets the same shabby treatment, it’s barely worth mentioning here for the time we hear it. I barely register it before it ends.

Normal service resumes with a loud, slightly heavy rendition of “Guitar.” Prince’s voice on the recording comes across as a little muffled, but the guitar is the real star of this one. It sounds great not only during the verses but also when the solos start. Of course, this suits Donna very well, and her solo is on point throughout. I am even happier when Prince adds his guitar to the mix later in the song. At this stage, I find the recording slightly uneven, but there is not a huge dip in quality. Once again Prince wishes the crowd “Good night” before bringing us right into “Plectrumelectrum.”

I like the song well enough, but it just sounds a touch labored here. It has plenty of rock flourishes, but they do sound heavy-handed to my ears. Of course, I am listening too carefully to it, and I find that once I close my eyes and go with the sound it’s much more enjoyable. To me, it sounds like a good rehearsal song rather than a song that got a proper release. I have no real problem with the song, but it does outstay its welcome by a minute or two.

Prince begins again by saying “I would like to dedicate this to a friend of mine”. There is a brief moment while he gets the stage sound right, before a gentle intro to “Breakdown.” My favorite song on the Art Official Age Album, when I saw this on the setlist I was immediately very excited to hear it. I was not disappointed in the slightest. Sure, the recording isn’t the greatest, but I can still hear that Prince's voice is note-perfect. The song sounds a little lighter in the live setting, it seems to be lacking some gravitas, but I can’t quite pinpoint what it is that’s missing. Maybe it’s the fact that I can hear the audience talking during several segments of the song. But there is enough there for me to love every moment, and when the guitar enters it adds just a shade more emotion. Very good song, and on a better recording it would have been excellent.

It’s followed up by a fantastic intro to “What's My Name.” I love that this is getting an airing. There are better renditions of this song out there, I enjoy hearing this one but it's not top shelf. A lot of the crowd sounds somewhat disinterested, and again it does affect the quality of the recording and listening experience. All the pieces are there, but it’s not as strong as I would like. This song could be much more muscular and beefed up, it’s a shame it’s not at its full potential here. Things get better when the guitars are in full flight, buts it is not quite there.

“Stratus” is sometimes great, and sometimes not so great. I know its purpose is to show off the different band members' talents, but sometimes I just don’t feel it. This is one of those occasions. Donna’s first solo is nice enough (the fact I used the word nice rather than something else should tell you enough) but by midway through the keys, I find I am beginning to tune out. Things are better in the second half, a little more heavy sounding and some good bass and drum. And surprisingly, to my mind, it’s enough to save the song. By the time it finishes I am pretty happy with what I have heard.

The opening chords of “Sometimes It Snows In April” fill me with joy, and as Prince sings the opening lines I am off to my happy place. But sadly he ends it after the first couple of lines, and the guitars jump in with “Dreamer.”

This band is well suited to “Dreamer,” and even though I was disappointed about “Sometime It Snows In April,” I am very happy with “Dreamer” and its performance here. The guitar playing is less pedestrian and the band sounds like they are energized once again. The song is saturated in guitar solos and all of them are sounding good. After the solos ease back, there is some nice heavy guitar work that sounds good, before Prince sings the title a few more times. The song ends just after this, and despite clocking in at almost seven minutes it still feels like a shorter song, the energy kept me in it throughout.

“Let's Work” caught me off guard, with its heavy intro. I am much more comfortable once its classic groove takes up the song proper. Late into the show now, yet Prince's voice still sounds fresh and he does a nice impersonation of his younger self. The bass playing on this is excellent, and I find myself grooving along to it nicely. I didn’t expect this band to play it so well, but it is very good.

I am further surprised when 3rdeyegirl take on “Cool,” and they make a good job of it. Liv takes on a lot of the load here, especially when she first starts to sing “Don’t Stop Until You Get Enough.” It does sound a lot like other renditions we have heard in the last few years, but that’s not a complaint at all. The first half of the song is all Liv singing “Don’t Stop Until You Get Enough,” before Prince sings “Cool” proper in the second part of the song. This is very much a crowd-pleasing song, and there sounds like a lot of fun is being had when Prince gets them singing. There is a couple of cool moments when Prince gets the crowd to soul clap and I am instantly transported to his 1980s heyday. The song ends with the classic Prince “Las Vegasss!”

So all in all a very fun gig. The setlist and performance are good without being great. The recording is as one would expect for an audience recording, it is fine- it’s far from being terrible, but there were moments when I found myself wishing for a soundboard. This is not an essential must-listen, but if you have access to it then it’s a fun couple of hours.