Munich 21 May 1987

 It's days like this that make me the Prince fan that I am. Just when I think I have heard all that is good and great, a surprise recording surfaces that leaves me shaking my head at both the brilliance of Prince and the quality of the recording. The Park Cafe aftershow has been in high rotation at my place since it surfaced, and I am amazed that such a recording exists. After 28 years, for it to appear is like finding a lost treasure. The quality of the recording is high, and there is a couple of special things for us to enjoy and appreciate. Firstly it’s a Prince aftershow tacked onto the end of a Madhouse performance. That sound and style permeate through the show, and Prince gives us some of his more experimental and jazzy sounds. Also, his father makes an appearance, playing piano on one of the tracks. Although I am not blown away by his performance, I do acknowledge that to have a recording of Prince and his father playing together live is pretty cool. The recording starts with a few songs from the  Madhouse set. Normally I would skip over them when writing to concentrate on the Prince songs, but I will take the time to write about them today, as I think they are an important part of the recording.

21 May 1987, Park Cafe, Munich

The first thing we hear on the recording is a crisp drum roll, before the piano and sax start on a nice circular motif, and we get an excellent sounding “Two.” I am immediately struck by the clarity of the recording, maybe I have been listening to too many audience recordings of late. It does sound good indeed, and I especially notice that I can hear the vibration and buzz of the cymbals in particular. After the initial circular loop early in the song, Eric Leeds becomes more expressive. As much as I enjoy his playing in Prince's shows, here I find even more to enjoy in his playing. He feels a little lighter and doesn’t seem to push as hard as he does on the Prince songs. There is a nice break midsong, where it is just him alone, and the crowd is noticeably appreciative. He does play well here, and after the band comes back in behind Dr. Fink plays an equally impressive and electric-sounding keyboard solo. It’s a nice contrast to the piano we hear throughout the song, and I liked the synthy solo better than any other keyboard work I hear in the song. The song ends soon after to soft applause from the audience.

 

“Three” follows as you might have guessed. It has a much more traditional sound to it and is again led by Eric Leeds playing some smoky-sounding sax. The rest of the band doesn’t do too much behind him, they just lay a platform for his more relaxed noodlings. It very much has a summer’s day feel to it, and I am transported away. But in the larger scheme of things, it is just a touch too traditional sounding for my tastes, and I do find myself drifting away by the end.

“In A Sentimental Mood” is very well named indeed, it is accurately described in the title. It’s all Eric Leeds, and the sound of his horn does sound suitably sentimental. I am impressed at his ability to convey sentimentality in his playing, even if I am not feeling that way inclined myself. It’s only a couple of minutes, but well worth the listen.

“Sixteen” is probably my favorite Madhouse song played on the night. I love the saxophone refrain, it conjures up all sorts of images of adventures past. There is something fun in the sound of it, and as much as I love Eric’s playing on it, I feel Dr. Fink just edges him with another cool synth solo. The organic sound of the horn plays off great against the electric futuristic sound of Dr. Finks's keyboard.  The main refrain returns before Eric plays some crazy buzzing lines that make me hot. Not to be outdone Dr. Fink also plays some wild-sounding passages, and the effect is dizzying. I am disappointed when like all good things it comes to an end.

“A Conversation” is the title of the next song, and at this point, I am in heaven. The song begins with a soft drum roll, and then the drummer plays a light cymbal run. The sound is very familiar to me, it very much has the sound of the drum opening on the Small Club gig a year later. The drum sound on this recording has that classic familiar sound from these years. I become further interested when I hear the sound of a guitar. I presume now that it is Prince playing. His playing is very slight, just a few notes here and there. It’s Eric Leeds who starts it properly, with a couple of minutes of him playing alone over the sparse music. It has a very cool atmosphere to it, you can hear the music slowly build, a chord now and then from the keyboard, slowly adding more and more layers. The bass has a simple yet alluring loop going underneath, and it gives Eric and the other players a good platform to play over. Most of Eric’s playing is sharp and steady, but occasionally he lets forth a blast that keeps me guessing. At the seven-minute mark, the much stronger guitar sound of Prince enters. His playing has an electric quality to it, and the closest thing I can compare it to would be the opening song of the Small Club gig. His guitar has the same tone and sharpness to it, but is more relaxed and held in check here. He doesn’t get too extravagant with his playing, and it heightens the tight feel of the song. Prince finishes his playing and some more synth sounds are played. As with the guitar, it’s not fast or furious, it’s quick and tight. The song moves up a notch from here, the drum takes on a more urgent pounding beat as the horn and piano start a groove before the guitar again comes to the fore. This time the guitar is stronger and more insistent- the playing is quicker, louder, and cold. After a time the guitar eases up as the sax hits a nice refrain, which sounds more like a hook you would expect to hear in a more traditional song. Prince’s voice is heard for the first time at this stage, as he calls for a sax solo. The music is intense at this stage, but after the sax solo the sound pulls back and Princes introduces Atlanta Bliss for a trumpet solo. The jam has already taken several twists and turns but there is more to come as I hear the sound of a heavy funk guitar. It doesn’t last long, and I think it has been put on the back burner, but soon after I hear it again, and it continues for much longer as the song winds downs. The song ends with a steady beat on the drums and a minute of funky guitar with more horns. The song finally stops and I want to walk outside, raise my arms and say “Oh GOD YES!!”  The 20 minutes of this song had everything I love, lots of changes in direction, a little experimental, a little jazzy. If this was all we got I would be a happy man, but there is so much more to come.

 

It takes me a second to register where I have heard the horn riff from, as the next song starts. There is a dog bark sample that we know well, but it distracts me for a minute. Prince plays some Stevie Wonder-sounding keyboards and I click that it is “Strange Relationship.” I thought the last song was great, but this one, although different in style, is equal. The keyboards have an innate funky sound to them and bounce. The horns and guitar are very well placed in the mix and add color without ever being out front. “Strange Relationship” is brilliant on record, but live it’s a monster. Prince curses as he says “I bet you wish this was a fuckin movie” and after so long of listening to the modern clean Prince it sounds like strong profanity indeed, The song becomes a jam as it reaches the “yeah, yeah” section, and there is a cool moment when Prince manages to drop the word ‘Leviticus” into the song. Now that is genius! A few moments after there is a very brief drum break, with a few quick rolls, before we go into more “yeah, yeahs” as the funky keys continue with Prince saying all kinds of crazy talk. He calls Levi for half a minute before he puts a snare on it, and some subtle funky guitar lines are playing. It’s very much a typical Prince jam, with a few turnarounds, a false ending or two, and a long groove. The song continues with Prince and the band singing faster and faster until we speed into the next song.

Another long jam, this is also suitably called “Groove In F (an argument).” There is some tight bass and guitar work in the introduction before a horn loop begins. This beat is humming along quite quickly, it's up-tempo all the way. The horn is replaced by the keyboard. It’s not overplaying, just some long notes. I have already said that several things at this show were very typical Prince, and this falls into that territory. It sounds like many of the rehearsal jams I have heard Prince and his band play. A nice quick beat and a horn refrain, with the keys filling out the other spaces. It’s different from the jams he plays live, where every player plays a solo, like I said it’s much more like the rehearsal jams we hear. There is a cool choppy sound I hear, but I can’t decide if it’s the bass or a keyboard, I need to hear it a few more times to decide- but that’s not going to be too taxing for me. There is a rhythm guitar running underneath, but the main sound of the song is the horns and the keyboard. The end catches me off guard, as it just suddenly stops and there are plenty of cheers from the crowd.

 

There is then a longish break, with lots of calls for more, before the hand-clapping settles into a steady rhythm. There is the sound of a drum playing along quietly, but I can’t decide if it’s onstage very quietly, or if someone in the crowd is banging something. Eventually, the crowd becomes more vocal, and it’s obvious we are about to get more. Prince is on the microphone, he apologizes to the crowd “Sorry I had to leave, it was too funky in here” There is some gentle patter, then the downbeat keyboard of “Dorothy Parker” takes us into the next part of the show. Prince's singing is up-sounding here, and quite bright against the darker music. It works well for me, I do like it a lot. The horns also sound bright in the song, there is a very quick piano solo, which gets drawn out into a second section. It’s all very sharp, but short. Even with the sound of extra pieces thrown in, it still finishes at four minutes.

I fail to recognize “Just My Imagination” when it starts. It’s heavy on synth and piano and has a great sound to it. The synth plays strongly, while a piano improvises over the top. It’s not what I expected when I first saw the song listed, but it exceeds my expectations. I love it as the band play on and on in this way. It’s almost disappointing when Prince begins to sing, as he sings it’s still the piano I am listening for. His singing is fine and delicate, but almost too delicate for the heavier keyboard and piano, and I tend to drift away from listening to his melody too much. The recording is very good, I notice here as his voice interacts with the backing vocals, I can pick them out from each other well. There is a fantastic horn solo right after Prince finishes the verses. As the music swells underneath it adds a nice sharp counterpoint to it. Eric Leeds is a great foil to Prince, and he is on top of his game at this show. The song fades out with another chorus refrain before a heavy guitar comes to the front.

Prince calls “Blues In G,” and that is exactly what he delivers. It’s a sharper guitar than we normally get when he plays the blues. It’s playing a much higher and stronger sound, yet I can still hear the piano banging away underneath. Things take an interesting turn when Prince calls “ehhh! substitution” and a very different piano sound is heard. It’s his father playing, and his style is sharply different from anything else we have heard this evening. While the bass walks along nicely, he keeps the piano banging and sings several verses. He does call for Little Steven, and we get a guitar solo. There is some interplay between the guitar and piano, but it doesn’t greatly excite me. The song goes on for another minute, but it never really connects with me. I rate this song very high for novelty value- featuring both John L Nelson and Little Steven, but musically it didn’t do anything for me. I hate to say it, but this is the weakest part of the recording.

 

“What we gonna do now Prince?” Levi asks Prince.  “Whatever it is, it got to be funky” is the reply, as the familiar intro of Housequake begins. The horns are somewhat subdued in the song, and it is played straight. It does have a fun feel to it, but there isn’t anything new in it for me to listen to. I do enjoy the band interaction, the sound of the interplay between Prince and his singers is joyful to listen to. I don’t know what more I could want for it, it is a classic song, no doubt, but I always want a little more from it when I hear it live. After some of the jams we had earlier in the show, it’s surprising that this is so short, and Prince doesn’t play with it at all. It comes to an abrupt end with Prince closing the show with a simple “Thank you, bye-bye”

I can’t write about this show objectively. I have been playing it a lot, I love the fact that it’s a new leak, that it’s got novelty value, that it’s got some great jams and of course, I love the fact that it is a soundboard. It will be some time before I can look back and see how it fits in the wider Prince canon, until then it’s going to be constantly on my stereo. Is it one of the greats? -take a listen and decide for yourself.

The last couple of weeks have been very good to us fans, so much to listen to recently. I feel reinvigorated, and have plenty more to write about

Berlin 15 May 1987

 

OK, I admit it, I didn’t do my homework this week. Things have been kinda busy of late and I never found the time to have a quiet moment and think about what recording I would like to listen to and write about. So twenty minutes ago I found myself looking at a blank screen wondering where on earth I should start. Without a particular bootleg in mind, I considered what sort of show I would like to listen to and what songs I would like to hear, which brought me nicely to this week's recording – an aftershow from Berlin 1987 featuring “Housquake” and “Just My Imagination.” The recording itself is short, less than 40 minutes, and to be honest it is rough to listen to. By rough, I mean plenty of tape hiss and a muddy sound, but I have recently come to the realization that I am a hardcore fan and will listen to anything with a beat, so with that in mind read on…..

15th May 1987(am) Quasimodo, Berlin

The first part of the show is missing from the recording, there is no Madhouse or the opening two songs from Prince, and instead, as it begins we catch the tail end of “Redhouse.” The guitar is sweet enough, but it isn’t setting the world aflame, this is the sound of it slowly winding down in the last minute of the song. The following words by Prince are completely lost in distortion before things pick up with the horn refrain that becomes Bodyheat. Now we’re talking, despite the recording, it sounds like a great show as the band locks into a riff that will cement the funk of “Bodyheat.” The horn riff is good, the solo that it plays even better as the recording briefly clears and the show begins to cook. Through the limitations of the recording I can hear something special as the band play the living daylights out of “Bodyheat,” there is no doubt that it would have been a monster to hear live. Did I say solo? I mean solos, as Eric Leeds plays freely over the top a couple of times, each time upping the ante as far as intensity and pure musicianship go. The keyboard heard near the end comes from another place entirely, and is the icing on top as the song finishes with some of the horns as heard in “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night.”

Led by a piano sound, “Just My Imagination” is different in this incarnation, and all the more soulful for it. With Eric Leeds giving it some extra life with his horn any other memories of the song are washed away as this version is heard in a completely different context. The spell is broken with Prince’s distorted vocals (it’s all the recording, not him) and although I can mentally fill it in and make it work, to be honest, it’s a tough listen at this point. A shame as I can hear a fantastic gig unfolding before me, I just can’t hear it in a listenable quality.

“Housequake” is much more agreeable to the ears, although compared to other recordings it is still rough. Prince’s vocals for the most part sound better, and the song is easily recognizable as Housequake. Eric adds his shine, but for most of the song it is the rhythm section that sounds the best -that is until his second solo, where I am forced to eat my words.

 

The final “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night” is yet another chance to enjoy the funk of Prince and the awe-inspiring playing of Eric Leeds. Things improve sonically too, as the recording does become better midsong and the song can be heard in all its glory.  The moment right before Shelia E’s rap has me all in, as for a few moments the guitar sings out brightly in the darkness, so tight in its funk. The song becomes jam, and one of the better ones I’ve heard as it maintains its kinetic energy for the entire ten minutes. By the time the finishes I find I have forgotten and forgiven the recording limitations and I am enjoying purely the show.

Wow, that was shorter than I thought. It was also far better than I anticipated. There is no denying the recording was less than stellar, but the show itself was pure fire. Like everyone I trawl the internet looking for shows, and there seem to be the same shows circulating again and again among trading communities, leaving very poor recordings like this forgotten. I know that this type of recording appeals to a very small portion of the fan community, it is not an easy show to listen to. But part of the fun for me is listening to shows like this, with a faint hope in my heart that one day a better recording will surface of a show such as this. Final verdict:  Recording 3, Show  9.

  

Stockholm 8 May 1987

 

I have recently been enjoying the latest release from Eye records that covers a couple of well-known concerts of 1987 that have been circulating for some time. It did, however, make me think that I, like many others, only listen to a small selection of shows from the Sign O The Times era. Everyone listens to “For Those of U On Valium,” the Paris concert from June of that year, and a handful of aftershow concerts. I rarely hear of anyone talking about other concerts of this tour, perhaps because with several quality soundboard recordings circulating there is little need to dig further. This week I will plunge deeper (but not too deep) and take a listen to an audience recording from the first night of the tour. It promises little, and indeed delivers little, but as a diversion from the more well-known concerts, I welcome the change.

 

May 8th 1987, Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden

The setlist is standard as heard through the Sign O The Times tour, and the only surprise in the opening “Sign O The Times,” is the jaunty pace it comes at. It undoes the serious tone somewhat, but on this average recording there is no real depth anyway, and one doubts that even at a different pace it would sound any different on this tape. The burning fury of Prince’s guitar work also suffers from this lack of depth, the recording is just not good enough to catch the intensity of the flames that Prince is playing. As is the case of so many of these recordings, it is up to the listener to mentally fill the sound out from the memory of other concerts.

“Play In The Sunshine” also comes at a fast rate, leaving me to assume that the tape is running at the wrong speed. As a performance it is fun and colorful, as a bootleg it is average, touching on less than average as some extra sound bleeds through the right speaker. On the positive side, there is no distortion, the bane of my existence on so many of these recordings, and one can discern the music and nuances, even if it does sound two-dimensional.

 

I do like the cameo role that “Little Red Corvette” plays at these concerts, and here is no different as the concert is briefly bathed in a nostalgic glow while Prince nods to his back catalog, the song from only five years ago suddenly sounding alien among Prince’s more eclectic work. Prince pitches it just right, not dwelling on the moment, and quickly bring us to the present with a heady rush through “Housequake.”

This is one song on the recording that could do with added the depth, the distinctive beat, in this case, is flattened against the other music, everything is present as it should be, but crushed together there is little room for the song to properly breathe on the tape and again I mentally remix it in my mind as it plays.

The fanboy in me temporarily lets go of any thoughts on the quality of the recording as I wallow in, and indeed sing lustily along with, “Girls And Boys.” My singing is much louder than the recording, unfortunately, but it is a reminder of how much the listener is invested in the performance. It may be Prince singing on a thirty-year recording, but it draws from my well of inner youth, and as it plays the years fall away, and suddenly the recording sounds better on the back of my nostalgic recollections.

 

I am sure we could point to any number of recordings of “Slow Love” from this tour that sounds better than what is heard here, but it has a warmth throughout this track that I can’t help but fall for. I didn’t think I was in a romantic mood, but by the time this song finishes I certainly am, and I guess for a slow jam there is no higher recommendation. Next time I will have to make sure I listen to a better quality version.

When I first heard ” I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man,” on Sign O The Times, I took it as a light pop/rock song. In these live performances, Prince turns it into a whole lot more, injecting it with the sense of drama and pathos that the lyrics allude to. Bestowing it with a drawn-out introduction heightens the sense of anticipation and gives the feeling that what will follow will mean something more than we would otherwise expect. When the song is finally unfurled in all its glory Prince takes the lyrics and turns them into an onstage melodrama that the bootleg has no chance of ever truly capturing. One can hear it however in Prince’s pleading lyrics as he plays out both parts, both the object of affection and the spurned lover dismissed with the line “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man.” This all boils over in the final volcanic eruption of a guitar solo that unleashes all the frustrations, the sense of hope and despair, in a minute that rips the song in half. The breakdown and subsequent dark cries of Prince’s instrument hint at a Hendrix sound that Prince is so often lumbered with, and here he wallows in the sound, the stripped-back band leaving Prince alone out front of the recording in a moment where we can reflect on this one man's brilliance. Immensely enjoyable, it only fuels my desire to dig out a soundboard of this tour and truly wallow in its sound.

 

Pleasingly “Hot Thing” maintains this intensity, albeit in a more funky form. Prince’s vocals sit under the music due to the quality of the recording, but for me the highlight of the song is the final few minutes as the lyrics disappear, giving way to a flurry of saxophone and horns. Futuristic yet drawing from the past, this song sees Prince tying together several strands of his musical repertoire into a four-minute funk song, no mean feat.

 

The horns remain at the forefront of my mind, and the recording, as they spin out the opening of “Now’s The Time.” I am pleasantly surprised by the recording at this stage, it sounds better here than perhaps at any other moment of the concert, and Sheila E. gets plenty of shine for her rattle around the drum kit. It is a satisfying portion of the concert, without being too demanding, and the recording reflects this nicely.

Sad to say “If I Was Your Girlfriend” sounds nowhere near as good on this recording. It is distant and hollow sounding, the song never once given the chance to breathe as the recording suffocates it in its solid block sound. There is little more to say apart from the bitter disappointment of almost having to skip one of my favorite songs.

The punch of “Let’s Go Crazy” fares better, but not a lot. Its saving grace is the crackle and fizz of the guitar which stands starker against the blandness of the recording, giving the bootleg a sliver of light with the grey. Turning it up loudly helped, and no doubt my neighbors appreciated the gesture.

“When Doves Cry” is heavily truncated, but the minute of “La, La, La, He, He, Hee” tacked on the end is a rare treat on an otherwise basic show. Not everyone would enjoy hearing it in this quality, but it does give the bootleg an added point of interest and makes it worth listening to up to this point.

Before I know it, “Purple Rain” has come and gone, with little fanfare. There is a scant introduction to the song, the verses are heavily pruned back, and the final guitar break is kept tightly in the pocket. The fact it only runs for three minutes tells you everything you need to know, Prince isn’t interested in revisiting his most purple of eras, and he glosses over the moment as the concert continues to rumble on.

 

There is far more love for “1999” from Prince than the preceding song, and one can hear the crowd indulging in plenty of fun and chanting as they blitz through one of his earlier bona fide classics. It’s a romp, but not a great one, again the recording renders even the best moments average at best.

What follows is a great version of “Forever In My Life,” the simplicity of the song matching the shortcomings of the recording. Prince’s acoustic guitar work is mesmerizing as he delivers a sack full of rhythm from his six strings. Boni Boyer is in fine fettle, and although she doesn’t bring the house down as she does on other recordings, she does add a lot of soul to what could easily be a light moment of the show. The final minute is stolen by the crowd and as they sing the song briefly becomes theirs before Prince serves up a fast-paced “Kiss”

This is how “Kiss” should sound, fast, light, and funky. The band doesn’t overwork it, they throw it out there and let the natural funk of the song do its thing. You can sing to it, you can dance to it, what more do you want? Nobody is ever going to dig out this bootleg to hear “Kiss,” but it is on here and it sparkles while it plays, and I temporarily forget where I am.

There is a deceiving start to “The Cross,” but soon enough it settles into its familiar sound. It builds to its predictable climax, and a swirl of guitar punctuated by the pound of Sheila E. cutting through the sonic storm with her heavy rhythm. On another recording it would be magnificent, on this recording, it is stripped of its sonic power by the quality and limitations of the taper. It doesn’t matter to me, I am more than happy to let the sound of Prince and his guitar wash over me, but for the more discerning listener, it may all be a little two-dimensional.

 

It is a furious “Its Gonna Be A Beautiful Night” that closes out the recording, the band well and truly warmed up and on top of their game for this final knockout punch. There is energy abound, and the music comes at a gallop, never once letting up or giving the listener a chance to draw a breath. Sheila’s rap is indistinctive from the chaos and cacophony of sound on stage, but she is undeniable there as the music briefly swirls around her. “Six” raises its head from the music, bringing a brief smile to my face before it is steamrollered by the rest of the music and becomes little more than a footnote. I can think of no more fitting way to end these Sign O The Times concerts than with the sprawling wonder of “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night” and although this bootleg isn’t one of the greats, there is no denying the quality of the music and performance.

A recording I shan’t be returning to, nevertheless, I did enjoy the energy and sheer fun generated by Prince and the band. Far from perfect, this recording does ignite an interest in other concerts circulating of the era and again demonstrates the power and beauty that this band can conjure. 1987 was a stellar year for Prince, and I find any recording from the year worthwhile in its own right. I could never recommend this recording to anyone, but it is another piece of the tapestry of 1987, and will firmly remain part of my collection.

Minneapolis 21 March 1987

 

For Those Of You On Valium is surprisingly short. I always thought it was longer, but today when I was listening to it, it seemed to fly past pretty fast. Every warm-up gig that Prince plays at First Ave is special. The music is fresh, the crowds are always up for it, and Prince is always happy and at ease. This recording has Prince introducing a new band after the demise of The Revolution, and a raft of new material from the Sign O The Times album. It’s a classic Prince recording and is often quoted by Prince fans. For today’s post, I listened to the CD and then decided to also watch the DVD. It was well worth the effort.

21 March 1987 Minneapolis

Who doesn’t love the start of this show! Prince’s intro is just great and the way he keeps the crowd waiting only adds to the excitement. He’s in no hurry at all and is completely at ease as the gig begins. The gig starts with Prince and the band coming on stage, and Prince introducing the new band. He briefly explains that this is still just a rehearsal, then after a pause “These are my new friends” and quickly runs through the band members before coming to “That’s an old friend, Dr. Fink, this is a new friend, polka dot suit” then the rest of the extended band. His look is one of my favorites, with his hair slightly longer, his polka dot suit, and his glasses. He finishes his introductions with one of his most famous lines “and for those of you on valium, my name is Prince”. I knew of this recording for a long time before I finally heard it. I always thought that it was a great title “For Those of You on Valium” and I was intrigued by what it could mean. I had a grin from ear to ear when I heard Prince utter those lines and all was revealed.

 

“Shut up already, damn!” What a way to kick-start the music. “Housequake” is a great song for a gig like this. Who am I kidding; Housequake is a great song for any gig! The band is immediately behind him and tight as ever. They are well-rehearsed, as it goes without saying for all of his bands. Within 30 seconds of the music starting the glasses and suit jacket are gone. Prince is working the stage very well, moving from side to side and dancing. I am not a great fan of Prince's dancing, I would rather see him play some sort of instrument, but here he is right in step with the rest of the band, and I can’t help but be impressed by how well drilled they are. This song was made for playing live, the beat is captivating, and the horn lines are everything you could ever want from Eric Leeds and Atlanta Bliss. They are crucial to his sound at this point. I should also mention, that Prince's facial expressions throughout this are priceless. He is always so expressive on his face.

Prince encourages the crowd to clap their hands as Shelia E drums in the intro to “Girls and Boys.” “This is my jam” is not a phrase you would normally hear me say, but in this case “Girls and boys is my jam!” That guitar is hypnotic to me, and I enjoy Eric’s playing on it. At any gig, this is the song that stands out for me, and the version played here is a lot of fun. Again Prince is very busy with his gesturing and facial expressions. Oh, and there is plenty of ass-wiggling for the ladies. The coolest guy in the band and perhaps on the planet is Eric Leeds. When he steps forward to solo, he is the epitome of cool, with his sunglasses and classy suit. With Cat on his shoulder, feeling it, it’s a great moment in the song. Prince himself is having a lot of fun in this song; he is very active off the mic and is all smiles. I do have one complaint, and that is that the song ends much too soon.

 

Three songs in, and we have a ballad. “Slow Love” on any other album would be a stand-out. On Sign of the Times, it sounds a little average surrounded by the other classics on that album. The performance here has Prince in full seduction ballad mood, and it comes across very well. It doesn’t deviate from the recorded version, but it does feel nice and strong. Prince’s voice is more forward, and the horns are much stronger. After listening to it here, I think it’s something I should probably play more often. This is a must for my slow jams playlist.

Prince introduced the show by saying that it was a rehearsal, and it seems most like that during “Hot Thing.” “Hot Thing” is excellent, and played very well, but it seems like the band and Prince are trying very hard to get their dance moves right, and working on the stage routines. As a result, it feels too tight, and a complete contrast to “Girls and Boys” which was loose and joyful. Things kick up a gear after Eric plays a solo, and Prince quickly bangs away at the keyboard, but unfortunately, it ends just after this.

 

I have never properly understood the purpose of “Now Is The Hour,” aside from an obvious costume change by Prince. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy it very much, but it does seem a waste to be at a Prince concert and he’s not on stage. The band is great here, every member shows off their obvious credentials. I particularly enjoyed Atlanta Bliss and Miko. Everyone was very good, but these two in particular I don’t hear enough off. It’s hard for me to get excited about Shelia E’s drum solo. I have never been a fan of drum solos, by anyone, anytime. But it is a suitably exciting way to close out the song.

The next song, “Strange Relationship,” is the absolute highlight of the gig for me. This version always makes my best of playlists, I rate it very highly. It starts with the beat and some great keyboard that puts me in mind of Stevie Wonder. It’s nice and drawn out, just the way I like it. Prince encourages the crowd with his now trademarked “ooh wayy ohh” The main lead line plays and my head is bobbing. As much as I love the singing, the beat, the horns, it’s the keyboard that I love on this. The song and band are very loose here, with Prince jamming on the keyboard a lot throughout. But the very best is after the main song finishes and it does move to a jam. Shelia plays a great percussion solo, as Prince calls for “just the drums” while he plays the keys for a minute or two. Boni brings her unmistakable sound, while Prince calls over and over “Is he good to ya?” A couple more changes and we are left with a stripped-down beat, and Eric playing a nice little riff underneath. Prince then gets on the mic and mentions “we have some new shit for you, squirrel meat.” Yes, it doesn’t make any sense, and sounds mad, but as we all know it's absolute genius. Miko gets a brief moment to play, and then a little flourish by Prince. He does sing a few lines from Superfunkycalifragisexy but I don’t think any of us know what he was singing about at that time. It all looks and sounds effortless, and as I said, it's the highlight of the gig.

 

The show has been getting better and better and after “Strange Relationship” is another classic as he plays “Forever in My Life.” For a song so slight on record, it certainly packs a punch live. There is no extended intro here; he goes straight into singing over the beat. It gets interesting right after the singing when he picks up the guitar and plays. I remember the first time I heard this, I had never heard anyone play an acoustic guitar like this, and even today I am struck by just how great it sounds. He gets so much soul and funk out of it. Every time I hear it I find myself moved. The song then moves into the sing-a-long that it always is. It’s no bad thing, and again Prince is looking like he is having plenty of fun, with lots of smiles and facial expressions. And watching this I am again reminded that Prince is as much a visual experience as an aural one. I love listening to his music, but when you can see him at the same time it adds a whole new level to it, and being there live is even more intense. Nothing can capture the live experience like being there.

 

“Kiss” is a great song, but I have never heard a live version I like. This one probably comes closest. The first part of it here is played nice and strong and sounds pretty good. There is some very nice dancing between Prince and Cat. It’s all short and sweet, but excellent. The song then fades out to just the sound of Miko on the guitar. I haven’t too much about it, as it is the shortest song all night, but it is my favorite live version of Kiss.

Prince thanks the crowd for coming at the end of “Kiss,” but there is one more song to come. The energy level goes right up with “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night.” I am a big fan of this song, and I enjoyed this performance a lot. As you might imagine, the version here is the same as seen in the Sign O Times movie, with every dance step, move, and Prince on the drums. Again it feels very rehearsed, and yet it is completely believable and fun. There is one moment when Prince is talking about a brand new dance, and for a moment I worry he is going to break out the wooden leg again, but thankful he doesn’t. We get a variety of dance moves, but no wooden leg. “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night” is one of those songs with plenty in it to keep you interested, so no matter how many times I hear this, I never get bored or tired of it. There is one more horn flourish and Prince ends the song and the gig with a “Thank you, good night”

 

There are many great Prince recordings out there, and I am reluctant to use the word ‘essential’. However, this one certainly is essential to any fan. Showcasing new material and band to a small audience, this one is outstanding. The fact that there is a pro-shot video of it circulating makes it even better. This should be in any true fan's collection.

1986 - A year in the life

 

Late last year the beautifully curated 1986 box set appeared online and it has had pride of place at my house ever since. The 20 disc set covers 1986 in all forms, including live recordings, studio recordings, outtakes, and released songs. Some people collect live bootlegs, other unreleased studio tracks, and most people have a happy mixture of both. Personally, I love live recordings (hence the blog) but this set has proved irresistible to me, the discs are never far from the stereo, and I am compelled to write about it. As passionate as I am, even for me, 20 discs of material are too much for me to discuss in detail, so this week I will be presenting an overview of 1986 in general and how well this set covers this extraordinary year.

  

 

  

The 1986 Box Set ‘A Year in the Life’

In 1987 I was 15 years old. Everywhere I went I carried Sign O The Times under my arm, not the cassette tape or the CD, but the full vinyl album. It was a statement about who I was and what I was about. Obviously, I couldn’t play it when I had it with me but I used to love the feeling of it in my hands and I would spend hours poring over the artwork and lyrics. I had never seen such a beautiful piece of complete art in my life. It’s only 30 years on that I fully realize that although Sign O The Times was released in 1987, it is actually a product of 1986’s extraordinary body of work. I may have listened to Sign O The Times all through 1987 but it sprung from the fertile ground of 1986.

It was not alone- a great many other creative ghost albums from 1986 have slowly revealed themselves over the years- The Flesh, Dream Factory, Camille, Crystal Ball as well as the genesis of The Black Album. The breadth and scope of 1986 are phenomenal, Prince touches on many different genres and seems to be at the peak of his powers in all fields- performance, songwriting, command of the studio, creativity, as well as productivity. The 1986 Box Set brings together all these different strands and presents them in a way that I get a better feel for what was happening. I can see clearly how it all ties together, the moves and motivations in what I am listening to. When I see it all laid out I can see that at the heart of it all is a lot of humanity and for me, this is the key thing to remember as I listen to all this music.

Several things immediately spring to mind when I think of 1986. Firstly is the feeling of joyful camaraderie and humor. It’s well that Prince filmed Under The Cherry Moon in France, for its two French words that are at the front of my mind as I first begin to listen to this set, joie de vivre and esprit de corps. There is joy and playfulness in the music and the band’s performances. It won’t last all year, but certainly, early on they look like they are having a great time together. Have a look at Wendy’s face as she plays at the Shelia E show, she is strutting and having a great time, definitely one funky lady, as Prince was fond of telling people at the time. You can see that smile fixed upon her face, and the rest of the band is following suit. Again in the Cobo set you can see it, I too feel uplifted as I watch them all play together as a tight unit, especially when standing in line playing “Mutiny”- the music is flowing easily, and they seem to be close to family. It’s the same all through the first half of 1986, the band is smiling and laughing, and you can hear that in the live recordings in this set. In Prince’s singing it’s there, and you can see it in the live clips. They are a close-knit unit, and it seems that Prince has reached the point where he trusts the band, and they have a lot of freedom under his direction. He certainly calls all the shots during the tour, but the band has the freedom to jam and play their own thing, Eric Leeds in particular seems to propel the music in new  directions, and who doesn’t love that moment in the shows where he gets to play solo before being cut off by Prince “Eric, shut the fuck up!” My mother used to hate it as I stomped around saying this- I sure was a strange kid when I was younger. Even scripted ‘impromptu’ moments like this as he talks with the band, or the audience, reveal his feelings towards the band and raise the curtain on a performer that previously seemed a little cold and clinical.

This new humane aspect to Prince’s music for me makes it much more accessible, and long-lasting. The thing that first attracts me is the humor, it runs throughout 1986, firstly with The Revolution-both live and in the studio, and then later in the year when he goes it alone. Listening to “Data Bank” for example, we can hear the good times in the studio, and whether it is scripted or not, there is no denying that it is done in a very light mood. Who doesn’t find it funny as the band plays on ignoring Prince's instructions- something which I imagine would never happen in real life. Later in the year, after The Revolution has crumbled and the dark clouds have gathered, Prince still retains his humor and expresses it in his lyrics. Whatever is going on in his personal life, there are still moments to make you smile. A lot of these songs are on the unreleased CD from the second half of the year, as well as the Black Album, and of course Sign O The Times still has plenty to make me smile.

 

The music is infused with new humanity as well as emotion – both positive and, later in the year, negative. Knowing what we about Prince's life at the time, we can see that he is pouring a lot of his personal life into these songs. The final sessions of Parade hint at this, and it becomes much more apparent as the year progresses. Listening to the warm-up show at First Ave we can hear a mixture of all these feelings, Prince’s love songs, a big splash of humor, as well as a dig at former colleagues with Mutiny and of course his symbolic chopping down of the Oaktree and turning it into a wooden leg. He is much more human than the funk machine we know from earlier years, and the smutty imp is replaced by someone I can relate to and warm to. The music has the full gamut of emotions, and no matter what my mood, when I listen to this I can find something I relate to.

In 1986 his love songs become more meaningful, personal, and as a consequence deeper. He is obviously a happy man in love, at least before April of that year. The songs early in the year speak to this love, and later in the year after his world is transformed, he still writes plenty of great songs based on love lost. When I connect Prince's personal life to his musical life it’s hard not to look at a song like Strange Relationship and connect it to what is happening in his world. Likewise, the song “Mutiny” which I have spoken of previously is heavily connected to what is happening with his other personal and professional relationships. He taps these emotions to great effect, and some of his most powerful music is drawn from this well.

There is a darker undercurrent running beneath all this emotion, humor, and music. There is a dynamic tension in 1986, it propels everything in the year and it’s extremely fertile. The shiny pop vehicle that he rides in on in early 1986 is not the same as the one he leaves in. You only have to look at his personal appearance to see the change. Looking crisp and clean at the start of the year in his black and whites and short-cropped hair, by the beginning of 1987 he has taken on a more rough and tumble look, his hair grown out, and a more adult look. He has moved away from the timeless Peter Pan and closer to the sort of person I could expect to meet down the street. The contrast in looks is matched in the contrast of styles he produces throughout the year. Everywhere I look I see tensions between different sounds and movements. We have the conflicts in The Revolution, both personally and musically, then the tension between his Funk work and his Jazz work. There is discord between his private life and his professional life. All of it gives tightness and drive. He is moving in several different directions at once, and tension in the band and his music can be heard. Wendy and Lisa may have railed against being “Just another funk band”, yet they still played on some of the funkiest songs he has put out to date. After the band split it gets darker and funkier as Prince regroups and is free to go where ever he pleases musically. You can hear the darkness descend in songs like Big Tall Wall, it is balanced by lighter moments, but it’s definitely there. Prince is so prolific that the ideas are bouncing off each other and the connections between his personal life and musical life are blurred. He is a driven man, and everything is thrown into the music. The Black Album bookends this set with Parade, and although dark by name and sound, the lyrics create further tension, demonstrating a healthy sense of humor against the darker music. It’s a conflicted year, with the joy of The Revolution early on and a flowering of the music, before Prince brings it to a crashing end in Yokohama smashing his guitar on stage and signaling the end of the Revolution but not his creative spirit as he continues to deliver some fantastic music later in the year. When I listen to the studio recordings, and I mean really sit down and listen to them carefully, I can hear this tension, the light against the darkness, the deep against the shallow, the band against the individual, the funk against the full spectrum of music. This conflict is what makes this year so interesting, and best of all Prince had the tapes rolling the whole time.

 

If humanity and feeling is the most important thing I take from 1986, the second would be productivity, work ethic and the sheer quantity of music Prince recorded and performed in the year. This box set is 20 CDs, plus extras. Full credit to get it down to that, it could easily have been much more. If it was me it would have stretched out to 40, it all feels essential. But these 20 CDs capture the key moments perfectly, if anyone was looking for the essential must listens, this is it. I would love to take any non-believing music fan and sit them down to listen to this, it’s all here. The glorious highs of The Revolution live shows, the unreleased songs that any other artist would kill to release, the released albums, the unreleased albums, an amazing after-show full of rarities, and a couple of CDs of Princes Jazz leanings, all of it essential and all of it of the highest standard. I have been listening to this music for 30 years, and I am still shaking my head that all of this could have been produced in one year. Prince may have sung “You don’t have to watch Dynasty” but he obviously didn’t spend much time watching TV himself, and I am surprised he even found time to sleep. If I could have heard all of this in 1986, it would have blown my tiny teenage mind, it’s probably just as well that a lot of this music has leaked out slowly over the years.

Live bootlegs are the thing for me, and the ones presented here are among the very best from Prince's career. Sure, there are better-recorded bootlegs from other interesting periods of his career, but most people would agree that the ones in this set are among the most essential. The show from the 3rd March I have written about before, may not be the best, but it most certainly is my favorite. The old Prince is fused with the new, and he delivers a show that touches on everything I love about him, his showmanship, his ability to play a mixture of instruments well, his great vocals, and most of all his songwriting skills, it all starts and ends in the songs themselves. Then there is the beloved Cobo show, I don’t think I have ever met a Prince fan who didn’t own a copy of this and cherished it. It is indeed ‘untouchable’. The next live shows each capture a moment of the evolution of the band and Prince, the Stockholm show shows them at their peak, the Le New Morning show captures what we would consider the start of Prince’s after shows (despite its dubious recording quality) and then a beautiful soundboard of the Paris concert where It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night was recorded live for “Sign O The Times.” Each one of these shows is worthy of its inclusion, and I rate them all very highly. Don’t be put off by the sound of the Le New Morning after show, the amazing setlist more than makes up for it – what I wouldn’t give for a setlist like that nowadays. Finally, to top it all off we have the final show of The Revolution. An interesting historical document, the fact it is their final show makes its inclusion a must. Prince smashing his guitar brings the end to an era and the live shows in this set.

The unreleased music and albums in this set throw up a great mix of style and flavors. Prince is experimenting here and pushing himself. The things I first gravitate to are the jazzy flavored CDs, The Flesh shows Prince dipping his toe in the water before immersing himself more fully with Madhouse later in the year. I rate both highly and for me “Junk Music” is the must-listen track, if you haven’t heard it I suggest you skip straight to it now. The two CDs of unreleased tracks throw up all sorts of interesting tracks and are a real grab bag of sounds and styles. It’s a lolly scramble with many flavors and colors to try, and again I have to remind myself that this is all coming from one guy in one year. These are trumped for me by the unreleased albums presented here- The Dream Factory, Crystal Ball, Camille, and The Black album (later released). Each of them has a distinct flavor and sound. The Dream Factory to my ears is the most cohesive as well as sounding the most like a band effort. It’s the album I listen to most of the four and in some ways, it’s a disappointment that it didn’t get released at the time. I can understand why the record company was reluctant to release it in this flood of material, just as I can understand Prince's frustration in producing all this great material and being unable to release it. Crystal Ball has an unsettled sound to it, and I feel it reflects well the state of play in late 1986. It has an unease about it and a darkness. Camille is a somewhat artificial creation, more a fan-made creation than an actual album, it nevertheless is a lot of fun, and I give it a lot of play in my car. The Black Album is the dark funk album of the four, but as I mentioned earlier, Prince’s tongue is firmly planted in his cheek with his lyrical content. Who knows what the world would have made of it in 1986, by the time it was released times had moved on, but it’s still a great party album.

The box set opens with the final Parade sessions, and at the other end, we have Sign O The Times which is a nice exclamation mark at the end of it all. It’s self a hotchpotch of everything that has come before, it encapsulates everything that has happened in 1986 and neatly sums up the year in its four sides. Love songs, live tracks, sex songs, spiritual songs, psychedelic songs, funk songs as well as some good old-fashioned rock, Prince picks something of everything he has done through the year and throws it in. No need to tell you I have heard it thousands of times, yet it’s still an essential addition to this boxset.

 

The final thing that marks 1986 as an outstanding year, is not just the quantity of the music, but the quality. Sure there are a lot of songs there, and honestly, every one of them is worthy of its place. Prince was untouchable, and everything he tried in 1986 came off for him. He experimented with a range of styles and mixed them into his own sound, producing something unique. In 1986 he did this over and over, I could pick any song from this year and hold it up as an example. His jazz moments get a lot of praise, and then again we can’t forget he also produced the funky Black album to boot. Listening to all these albums and songs now, any one of them would hold its place on a released album. Prince did a lot in these 52 weeks, and he did it oh so well. The band's influence can be heard early on, and later in the year, he is still taking on other influences as he works alone. In 1986 I knew Prince was good, I just didn’t realize how good until a few years later as these songs came to light.

Prince plays many different styles throughout the box set, and for me, the two that are of the highest standard and both worth mentioning are the Jazz stylings and the hard funk. Again, they feed back into the dynamic tension that drives 1986, and the unsettling nature of hearing one man produce both at such high quality in a small period of time. Parade may have had hints of Jazz, but it’s The Flesh where Prince first begins to flesh it out (excuse the pun). The Parade sessions end in January and then in the same month Prince records this collection of Jazz flavored songs. You could argue that it’s not a jazz album, but the intent is there, as is the sound, helped notably by Eric Leeds. I have to constantly remind myself that these are essentially the same group of people that recorded “Anotherloverholeinyohead” just a few weeks previous. Prince gets a chance to do it all again later, with his Madhouse configuration later in the year. Here he strips it back to just him and Eric Leeds, and this time it’s no studio experiment, he is recording for release. Looking at it now it seems a mad idea, but when you look at the body of work from 1986 it makes perfect sense. Of course, he wants to record a jazz album and put it out, this is Prince we’re talking about. I am not a fan of everything on the album, but I am full of admiration for the fact it is done, and it does stand on its own as an album.

This being 1986 there is an opposite to this, and that would be The Black Album. It’s easy to point at similarities too, the Black Album is conceived as an album that focuses on one style and aspect of Prince’s music, and of course, it does feature 2 Nigs United 4 West Compton which works as a jazz fusion funk jam. Elsewhere though, the colors are drained out and this is a lean mean funk album. The lyrics as noted earlier are fun and light, even if the music is hard-edged. Again, I am not a fan of everything on the album, but it does hold true to his vision, and like everything else in the year it’s done to a high standard.

There is no doubt in my mind that 1986 is the peak of Prince's productivity and creativity, and as such the 1986 boxset is essential. If I was to introduce a newbie to Prince, this would be the place to start. It reveals him not as a pop star or performer, but as a true artist. True, he is playing the game in his live shows, but it’s in the studio where he is pushing boundaries and himself. When I listen to this set, I don’t hear pop songs, I hear art, art that will last long after Prince’s star has faded. There will be those in the future who won’t have grown with his music as I have, nor seen him live, and its box sets like this that will remain as a testament to his genius and vision. There is more to it than this however, for me the music here is not just about Prince, it is deeply personal to me, and I carry a variety of associations with it. It represents not just a milestone in Prince’s life, but also a series of milestones from my own as it has soundtracked my life for the last 30 years. 1986- A Year In The Life has lasted me a lifetime. Good times and bad, I have had this music with me through my journey, providing comfort and uplifting moments when I needed it. I may have carried Sign O The Times with me all through 1987, but this collection of music from 1986 I have carried with me all my life.

-Hamish

For more on this extraordinary collection visit: 1986boxset.blogspot.com