Buffalo 8 March 2002 (am)

 All the talk this week has been about the appearance of a soundboard recording of the Buffalo 2002 aftershow. Any new soundboard is welcome, and although this show is not new to us (a Sabotage release of an audience recording has been circulating for some time) it is a welcome addition to the bootleg canon. Unfortunately, it is incomplete – there are sections of the show missing, but when we put it together with the Sabotage release we can get a well-rounded picture of the show. What excited me more than it is a soundboard, and it surprises me that this is not spoken of more often, is the sublime setlist and accompanying performance. The concert is relatively short, an hour and a half, but the setlist contains some show stoppers, including “Beautiful Strange” and “Paisley Park,” two songs that always deliver. The setlist is matched by a high-spirited performance that permeates a sense of joy and fun at every turn. All in all, this looks like a fantastic recording, and today I will be listening to it with the Sabotage recording near at hand to fill in any gaps, a stop-gap measure that works well until something better comes along. 

8th March (am) 2002 – The Tralf, Buffalo New York 

An unsurprising call for no cameras – “It’s blinding up here,” is Prince’s opening line, and it immediately takes me back to his Copenhagen show later in the year – a show he infamously stopped to berate the audience for taking photos (and incidentally a show I consider on par with Small Club). The music begins with a groove constructed from the bass and organ, it’s warm and inviting, and rather than throwing down a challenge it lures me in with its easy sashay. Renato Neto is an obvious hero, but a closer listen reveals Larry Graham’s distinctive bass as the glue that holds it all together. The first surprise of the night comes with Prince’s first line, drawn directly from “4 The Tears In Your Eyes.” It is the essence of why I collect these bootlegs, to hear such a rarity, and appearing in a completely foreign context. My heart lifts as Prince continues with this lyrical line, the groove remaining subservient to his willful indulgence in this song from his past. The song continues to delight, the keyboard is the first draw, but also with a cameo appearance of Prince’s guitar briefly revealed before Prince folds it back in behind the soft curtain of groove the band continues to tinker with. “Thank You For Talkin’ To Me Africa” remains its own man, the insistent horn lines barely make an impression on the groove and color the song ever so slightly with their input. Finishing with a soft drum solo, the song leaves me feeling nothing but good thoughts as we roll onward and into further groove territory. 

 

The is a laid-back feel to “The Work,” a song that normally I associate with an undeniable groove that I can’t resist. In this case, the groove remains tightly in Prince’s pocket. It comes as a gentle wash, Prince depowering it, and instead of weakening the song, it strengthens it as each player contributes a more nuanced performance. The soundboard recording doesn’t contain the whole song, but the Sabotage release is good enough for the final four minutes. Captured on the audience recording is Maceo’s solo, a piece of art that stands far above the quality of the recording and can be admired even under the most trying of circumstances. 

I am not convinced that “The Jam” needs to be on this setlist given the quality of the two jams that opened the show, however with Larry Graham on board for the first three songs I can’t say I’m surprised. It is Larry that gets things started with his distinctive vocal delivery, something that is only matched by his equally distinctive bass playing. It plays as we have heard throughout the years, everyone has their part to play, but to my ears, no one player stands out – they are all valuable yet equal, as they should be. With Prince’s guitar break kept to a minimum, the song quickly moves through its paces, enjoyable yet undemanding. 

Suddenly the sound of beach campfires and relaxing with friends fills my ears with the gentle strum of “Paisley Park.” It has a simplicity to it that speaks to my nostalgia, and in this bare form, one can easily imagine hearing it played at house parties over the years. Prince keeps this thought at the front of my mind as he asks the audience to take up vocal duties after the first verse, a task they take on with great gusto and enthusiasm, albeit not with great musicality. There is a sense of ease and humor present in the recording as Prince tests the audience on their knowledge of the lyrics, a test I may well fail myself if put on the spot. It is playful and light, adding a sense of intimacy to a concert that only has 300 people to begin with. Prince’s return to the song wraps it all up in a pop bow that neatly caps the most fun part of the recording. 

 

“Paisley Park” would be my favorite part of the recording, if it were not followed by “Beautiful Strange,” a song that is itself both beautiful and strange. It weaves its way slowly onto the recording, shimmering in and out of focus as the sound of a solo horn tries to tie it to something solid amidst its smoke and mirrors, hide-and-seek sound. There is only one way to hear this song and that is live. In the live setting, it becomes bigger than on record, more mysterious, and several levels deeper as Prince and the band bury it in untempered guitar work and keyboards that add a sense of unease to the sound. It is a song that exists outside of the people playing it, in fact at times it sounds as if it plays itself as it becomes more unworldly as we fall deeper into the web of guitar that Prince weaves across the latter part of the song. It is the horns that I cling to in the final minutes, the anguish of Prince’s guitar replaced by their hopeless melancholy sound that only adds to the allure of the song. It is a song to be wallowed in, and in the last two minutes there is plenty of wallowing going on at my place. 

The tight-fisted guitar sound of Prince builds us into “Calhoun Square,” a song that feels rooted in the Seventies, especially compared with the choice of covers in this setlist. With an organ rolling back and forth underneath, and the horns adding their sound, it takes me to another time, while Prince’s guitar work draws from the same era – rocking and rolling but never dominating in the way that he often does on this song. It is a tidy performance, classy and missing any sense of danger, but then again this is real musicians playing real music, danger belongs to the young and the dispossessed. 

This bootleg has thus far given so much, and that continues with a performance of “Dolphin” that is just as good as any other I have heard elsewhere on the tour. It draws from the well of sadness, Prince’s vocals saying so much in what he not saying, and even the quickening chorus remains low and serves a greater purpose. Prince inhabits the song, one senses he is not playing a character, rather he is himself directly speaking through the song. I cannot separate Prince from the message he is singing, and for me, this is the true weight and power of the song, much more than the notes played and the lyrics sung. It is another heavy blow in the concert, and matches “Beautiful Strange,” for its beautiful and perfectly pitched delivery. 

“The Ride” isn’t as essential as it was in the mid-Nineties, and Prince is more than happy to give way to Greg Boyer and Maceo Parker before he finally takes up the cause on his guitar. The horns are sharp, but Prince buries them under a landslide of guitar work, the notes coming thick and fast as he plays with a quickness belying the slow crawl nature of the groove. The song returns to form as the groove sinks back into the undergrowth, encouraged by Prince and the steadiness of John Blackwell’s hand, and Rhonda Smith's sense of time. 

 

It is the loop and hook of the rhythm guitar that holds court throughout the cover of James Brown’s “There Was A Time,” it is relentless in its energy and ensnares me from the start. Unfortunately, the soundboard is again incomplete, Sabotage’s release picking up the slack for the second half of the song. With Maceo picking up the lead vocals Prince sits back in the band, it’s no loss as the music remains central and one can hear his influence throughout. 

Maceo doesn’t take the vocals for “Pass The Peas,” it is presented as an instrumental and initially, it is the organ that has me salivating with its evolving wheeze and stomp. However, Maceo reclaims the song with his contribution, he was the man at the birth of it, and in this context, it is his baby and he squeals and shrills the room to a standstill. Even John Blackwell’s solo can’t upstage him, and the moment belongs to Maceo as the song crashes to a close. 

Larry Graham returns for the final song, a quick run-through of Sly Stone’s “Sing A Simple Song.” Compared to the rest of the show it is somewhat throw-away, but one can’t deny the quality of musicians Prince has on stage with him and they certainly live up to their billing. However, the song remains firmly rooted in the past, and no matter what the band brings to it, it remains overly familiar in my mind. I am unable to hear any freshness to the performance, and even Prince’s guitar solo fails to excite me as it so often does. Again, it’s not without quality, but in this case, it just doesn’t appeal to me in the way the earlier songs did. The show had to end somewhere, and here it is, not the exclamation mark I had hoped for, but a competent display by some world-class musicians. 

 

This old friend has been taken out and polished up with the appearance of the soundboard recording, and it certainly deserved it. I have previously enjoyed this but perhaps didn’t give it the respect it deserved being an audience recording. That has changed for good with this new recording, and I can only hope it reaches a wider audience in this form. I am sure most people have heard it by now, but if you haven’t I urge you to find a copy or pull out the old Sabotage release. This is real music by real musicians, and the recording is at its very best when Prince reinterprets his own music rather than taking on covers. 2002 is a golden era in my eyes, and recording like this only cement this thought. Prince was striving for new heights, and as this show demonstrates, he was hitting them. 

Detroit 6 March 2002

 This week, worlds collide as my love for the ONA tour crashes headlong into the always dynamic and vibrant Detroit audience. Detroit has been a fervent supporter of all the Prince concerts to this point, and this continues today with the more challenging Rainbow Children material and ONA show. The new songs and presentation phase the audience not one bit, and from the first note to the last they provide a knowledgeable and supportive base for Prince to play to. It is also worth noting that today’s audience recording is considerably better than anything else we have heard of late, so expect today’s post to concentrate a lot less on sound quality and a lot more on performance quality. 

6th March 2002, Detroit Opera House, Detroit 

One might expect a somewhat muted reaction to “The Rainbow Children,” but the Detroit crowd let the love flow from the first minute with their passionate embrace of Prince’s new direction. The lyrics may cause some diversion among the Prince fan community, but one can’t deny that it sounds oh so good, especially the flinty guitar licks that Prince provides, giving a sharp counterpoint to the otherwise downbeat groove.  When people speak of Prince’s greatest bands this one is often left out of the conversation, but listening here it seems desperately unfair as they stretch and flow in every direction Prince needs them, creating a sound that perhaps non of his other bands could reach. 

The slide and croon of “Muse 2 The Pharaoh” has me enraptured, and with the audience providing a soft percussion of hand claps it has a natural and organic sway. This smoky atmosphere Prince creates is blown away by the stern and sententious second portion of the song, and it is only the cool breeze of Renato’s piano that reminds us of the sweeter opening of the song. 

 

“Xenophobia” picks right up where “Muse 2 The Pharaoh” left off, as Prince continues his musical sermon. His comment about “coming to get your Purple Rain on” is greeted with a cheer, but not as loud as the cheer when he says “you’ve come to the wrong place,” a reminder of just how close this Detroit crowd was to Prince, and how they had a deeper understanding of what he was trying to achieve. The horn of Maceo Parker, along with Greg Boyers's trombone, subverts this message as they swamp the recording with their full sound, and John Blackwell’s final solo is a timely reminder of just how much he contributed to Prince’s sound, and how much we still miss him. Prince pointing out Morris Day in the house surprises me, it’s not something I remember hearing before, and although it’s only a few seconds it makes for a cool moment on the bootleg. The final few minutes are where the song spins off in a new direction, and with a furious Maceo blowing up a storm, with Prince matching him on the guitar, it is a dramatic rush to the finish. 

The fragile beauty of “A Case Of U” is just as poignant here as when we first heard Prince’s cover of it back in 1983. The lyrics flow easily from him, as if they were his and his alone, and listening to the song now I can see how it is a good fit for both the concert Prince is constructing, and for this band as they bend it ever so slightly with their delicate jazz touch.  It is again the second part of the song where Prince wades deeper into unknown waters, the song by turns becoming darker, deeper, and all the more ominous. 

I don’t get as lost in the “Mellow” as Prince would like me to, it treads the same sonic territory as some of the earlier material at the show without reaching the same ethereal heights, while not touching me as much as the previous “A Case Of U.”  However, it’s not as demanding as anything else we have heard and makes for an easy listen without forcing the listener into any corners. 

 

The bootleg becomes far more like a regular concert with the appearance of ” 1+1+1 Is 3,” a song that has an insatiable groove and draws the best out of every player on stage. With the Detroit crowd providing the double-time hand clap, Maceo again enters the fray with a cameo of a solo that raises the temperature of the performance. The rest of the song lives up to the opening jam, never once does the band lift their foot off the gas as they power the song through to the finish in a shower of horn blasts, buttery funk, and laughter. 

I'm not enthused for “Love Rollercoaster,” but Prince’s final flurry of guitar work cleanses any negativity and leaves me feeling like the exercise was worthwhile. A tiny triumph that cleanses my palate before the next course. 

A soft and feathery “The Other Side Of The Pillow” lowers the energy levels in the building but keeps the crowd engaged as they provide a gentle accompaniment to Prince’s pillow talk. The song itself is almost too soft and compared to the earlier material of the evening it kills with a slow smother rather than a hammer blow. The later meanderings of the song bring the piano to the fore before it washes up to a horn solo that nicely rounds out the moment. 

The first song to look back at Prince’s past is the spruced up “Strange Relationship,” brought back for the One Night Alone tour, refreshed and refurbished it carries its funk as well as it ever has. There are other far more impassioned versions on the tour, but the song itself remains undiminished here and it shines brightly in the middle of the set. 

 

I do enjoy Maceo and “Pass The Peas” and it only suffers in that I have heard it far too often. I would have liked to hear Maceo contribute some other songs from his past, but  one can’t complain, as Prince himself says midsong “music for music lovers” 

Prince stays with his musical history lesson as he steers the band into “Sing A Simple Song.” It’s a good fit for the band as they bring their smooth yet funky style to the party. And it is a party, one can hear the crowd enjoying the moment, and Prince has chosen his cover versions well. There are some dark clouds with the guitar bringing a winter sound later in the song, before retreating and leaving us with the warm summer's funk sound. 

The next cover version in this run is The Delfonics “La,La, La Means Eye Love U.” Prince owns the song for the next few minutes with his croon holding centre stage, before the release of the “la, la, la” chorus.  It falls soft as rain, the song seemly falling from heaven. It may not be the first song that one would gravitate towards on the recording, and I am surprised by how much I find myself falling for its hidden charms. 

Rhonda Smith provides a steady lead vocal performance for Eryka Badu’s “Didn’t Cha Know.”  There’s not a lot to it, the song dissolves as Prince gives some praise to Rhonda, and it is a moment that could have become something special had it gone for longer. 

I looked forward to “When You Were Mine,” but when it comes there is too much high end, and some of the basic rock n roll feel that I associate with it is waterblastered away by the over-the-top keyboard. It is glassy and shiny, the bedrock guitar subverted by this keyboard shrill, and leaves me feeling that this could have been so much more. 

 

There is a slow burn to “Avalanche” that appeals to me, and I listen enraptured as Prince smolders through the opening verse. The embers of the song continue to flicker and glow for the next few minutes as the piano smokes its way through the final minutes. 

“Family Name” is an important part of Prince’s One Night Alone concert. It returns us to one of his key themes of the album and tour, and although it's unconventional with its opening, the following music keeps the concert on track as the band plays behind Prince’s message-heavy lyrics. Prince’s guitar picks up where his lyrics left off, a hint of spite, malice, and pure anger present as he applies the pressure with his solo. It is an uneven song as it challenges expectations, and Prince rewards the audience with another jewel from his past in the form of “Take Me With U.” Obviously it can’t compare to his new material, but it once again turns the concert into a celebration rather than a lecture. 

This spirit of celebration is maintained throughout “Raspberry Beret” as we return to a style more in tune with Prince’s previous tours. I sometimes tire of this song, but in this case, it works well in a concert that hasn’t had any pop moments, or hits, until now.  The energy levels jump up on the recording, and it’s just as well as Prince is about to unleash his full arsenal for the next song. 

 

Prince and the band turn everything up to ten for the “Santana Medley” and with Renato Neto’s keyboard going blow for blow against Prince and his guitar it becomes titanic with the music swirling into an intense storm. There is no victor, and the real winner is the listener who gets to experience this maelstrom of musical fire and fury. It is ten minutes of carnage as Prince whips me into a fervor with his take on the Santana sound, and he carries the Detroit crowd with him with the same deep intensity and forthright guitar sound. 

Again Prince builds on contrasts and adds another level of sophistication to the concert with his precisely placed piano set. The Detroit crowd is all screams and cries for “Adore,” and in fairness, to them, there isn’t a crowd in the world that wouldn’t react the same. It’s short, there are plenty of longer versions from this tour, but it doesn’t matter as for the next couple of minutes as he plays Prince holds the audience in the palm of his hand. “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” comes from a similar place, and although I love the piano sound of it, Prince only gives us the opening line before he switches things up again. 

“Free” works well with Prince’s theme of emancipation, and here it sounds glorious as the band rises behind Prince with their uplifting sound. Again, it is short, but I do like it for the time it appears. 

The next three songs stay in this shortened manner – each barely a minute as Prince ticks off a few of the boxes for his hardcore fanbase. “Starfish And Coffee” has a whiff of teenage nostalgia, while “Under The Cherry Moon” speaks to the more serious music lovers. Both are well appreciated before “Nothing Compares To U” completes this diversion through the 1980s. In later tours, Prince would choose to have other singers accompany him, here it is just his lone voice and the Detroit crowd that create an intimate moment that one feels the recording doesn’t quite do justice to. 

There is a spring in the step of Prince’s piano playing as he leads us up the musical garden path before the verse of “Girls And Boys” reveals it for what it is. Just as good as anything heard on the piano and microphone tour, this is my highlight of the piano set, my only disappointment coming with its ending after five minutes. It has a groove that I could roll on for days, and I feel cheated as Prince brings it to an end long before I am ready. 

“Venus De Milo” and “One Night Alone” are mere footnotes and it is “Sometimes It Snows In April” that returns us to a more conventional full song. It is a light version, there is no real emotional depth here, but it sounds pretty enough, and like all good art often what you experience is what you bring to it. 

And that rings true for the following “I Love U, But I Don’t Trust U Anymore,” a song I feel far more connected to as I live through Prince’s heartbreaking lyrics. It is a perfectly pitched performance, Prince emoting just enough without giving over to the drama that is already inherent in the music he is playing. 

If “I Love U But I Don’t Trust U Anymore” was Prince’s moment, then the following “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore” belongs to the Detroit crowd, at least for the first portion of the song as they are word perfect with Prince. The arrival of the full band sees them slipping back, but they are still present to the end of the song, although they can’t match Prince’s final anguished squeal. 

 

There is a bold guitar sound that sits at the heart of “Anna Stesia” and this colors the song throughout. Prince lets it cry out later in the song, and overall it is much stronger than what we know so well from Lovesexy, Prince’s vocals are full of power and punch, and the guitar drives the song into darker and unfamiliar corners. There is a final speech from Prince, you’d expect nothing less, but it is the final refrain that hits me. I have heard this song for 30 years now, but that chant of “Love is God, Love is God,” still touches me in ways I can never get used to. Prince brings it back round to his current beliefs as the crowd joins him for his “rise up” Rainbow Children chants before the band brings the curtain down with several minutes of jazz-infused groove. A fitting end for this band as they play to their strengths, and a lovely way to end the show. 

Of the Detroit bootlegs, this is one of the better ones. After a string of great concerts and poor recordings, we finally have one where the concert has a suitable recording to match. The concert offers the usual smorgasbord of music we have come to associate with the ONA tour, and it’s captured for prosperity with a worthy audience recording. ONA tour is well documented in the bootleg world, and this is another worthy addition to that catalog, the fact it comes with a passionate and knowledgeable Detroit crowd is just a bonus. Everyone has a favorite ONA concert, this is one of mine. 

San Francisco 29 April 2001 (am)

 After listening to a string of after-shows and one-off performances from 1995, I was reminded of how large the gulf is between Prince’s main shows and his one-off performances. Sometimes that contrast is lost on me as I rarely listen to the two side by side, and indeed I often treat the two concerts as two different artists. I thought it might be fun to compare the two concert styles by listening to main shows and after-shows from the same night in a single sitting and letting the enormity of the difference hit me. A good place to start would be  28th April 2001, where Prince played an arena show in Oakland, California, before an early morning aftershow at the Fillmore in San Francisco. When I started looking at this, I realized that I have already written about the main show in Oakland, so this week we take a listen to the second half of this night, Prince’s aftershow at the Fillmore. 

29th April 2001 (am) Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco 

Ignore the first cheers and crowd noise and head straight to where the funk lies stretched out taut across the skeletal structure erected by the band. While the band maintains the shape of “Daisy Chain”, Prince and rapper DVS pull in separate directions creating a tension that Prince fills with unexpected melodies and subject matter. The song was released only two weeks before this, and its obvious freshness can be heard in the relatively quiet response Prince gets throughout the number. With the core song being unknown, it is the players themselves that gain the loudest cheers as they spin the song out to twenty minutes, the funk ribboning in and out the whole way. 

There are only two know performances of “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” – this show and the soundcheck of the main concert played just a few hours earlier.  It is the immutable vocals of Rosie Gaines that stand unjostled at the center of the song, even when buffeted by the deep waves of sound coming from the keyboards and the combined power of the NPG rhythm section. Rosie never wavers from her stance, her performance unflinching and uncompromising as she demolishes the song in yet another barn-burning vocal display. 

 

It is Rosie who stays at the eye of the storm with an all-conquering rendition of “Car Wash” that sweeps across the recording, leaving no room for any other member to shine. She dominates everything with punch and power, a colossal performance that has me temporarily forgetting that this is a Prince concert. 

“Ain’t No Way” rounds out this Rosie Gaines trifecta, whereas the previous numbers were delivered with a force of nature, this time Rosie gives an earthy performance that grounds the show in far more emotive energy, and this song is the one that demonstrates the sheer power of music and live performance. This sounds as if it is coming from the heart rather than the lungs, and it is a dizzying performance that puts an emphatic full stop on Rosie’s major contributions to the evening. 

Prince takes his rightful place at center stage for an incendiary performance of “Joy In Repetition,” a song that burns long and slow in the wake of Rosie’s more tempestuous execution. The bass drips slowly across the brooding saxophone and keyboards, the music a forlorn lament long before Prince even enters the scene. When he does take to the microphone the dark atmosphere becomes all the more enveloping, the air becoming thick and unbreathable as Prince and the band draw the air out of the room with their sonic drama. Before we are all crushed under its weight Prince finally releases the pressure with a guitar solo that is blinding in its brilliance. The song melts before the heat of this final climax, and it is as near to perfection as I can imagine. There is joy in repetition indeed. 

“Paisley Park” comes from another world entirely, yet is just as engaging as the previous “Joy In Repetition.” With its raw nerved guitar sound and vivid wordplay it clatters and rattles over the recording, forcing me to listen carefully for every speck of gold hidden in its many folds. This show has been thrilling in its variety thus far, and “Paisley Park” is a rare treat of retro rock that adds a touch of wistfulness to the previous somber and substantial songs. 

 

The pace becomes blistering for the “Santana Medley” and based on the quality of the audience recording so far I expect a lot from it. Sure enough, it delivers as Prince dismantles the song with a frenzied disregard from the start. It is Najee who injects some of his personality later in the song with a surprising saxophone solo, but Prince is the marquee name, and it is Prince who punctuates Najee’s contributions with strutting guitar bursts that jolt the room with their electrical charge. 

This ragged glory of “Santana Medley” is replaced by a rapidly deteriorating recording and “Oye Como Va” Until this point the audience recording had remained a secondary consideration, but it becomes noticeable with an ongoing crackle through this song. It becomes so much of a distraction that any positive thoughts, or indeed any thoughts at all, about the music, are forgotten, replaced instead with an ongoing battle between my ears and the distortion heard. 

Thankfully the noise issues are gone as the band settles into 100% pure groove for “Come On.” Only the horns dare raise their heads from this bass-driven sleaze, their brightness providing a gleaming foil to the otherwise titanic crunch and roll that crushes the rest of the song. True, it would be better served on a cleaner recording, but even as it is it punches hard below the belt. 

The opening of “Alphabet St” is promising, the drum settling on a quick beat while the rest of the band flitter and flame around the rapidly sketched-out song. With no lyrics to speak of in the first half of the song, it is all about the instrumentation, and the band delivers with a range of sonic invention. Things accelerate later as Prince does bestow some lyrical content upon the music and the song leaps forward in response. It is a gleeful stomp to the finish, the crowd, and band coming together in a moment of solidarity and celebration. 

 

The difference between this concert and the main show couldn’t be more striking. While the main show was a soundboard that offers a selection of tried and trusted hits, this concert is an audience recording that serves as a smorgasbord of after-show flavors. The covers, audience participation, and extended jams are all there in a 90-minute show which is only marred by the appearance of crackle in a couple of songs. If I had a choice between this or the main show, I would plump for this every time. It’s not one of the greatest, but it is very, very good. 

Oakland 28 April 2001

 Today I will take a listen to a show from Oakland during the Hit N Run tour of 2001. I have already covered a show from the Hit N Run in San Jose from December 2000, and this one from just four months later is pretty similar. Despite a lot of the setlist being the same, there are some differences, and I felt that the recording is worth listening to as well as the San Jose concert. Prince throws in just enough to make me want to give this one a spin too. So, if it does read similarly to the San Jose concert, I apologize in advance. Some things are the same, and some things are different, such is life. 

28 April 2001 Oakland, California. 

I am not a great fan of the prerecorded intros that Prince often uses. Yes, I do understand that it helps generate the energy and anticipation for the show to come, but in a way, I find the snatches of songs are like spoilers for a TV show or movie. I feel its removes some of the surprises that may lie ahead. The intro here contains snippets of “My Name is Prince,” and just the barest of lines from “Erotic City,” both of which I would have loved to of heard in the main show, but don’t get played beyond this intro (now I’m the one giving spoilers!) 

 

The thrill of “Uptown” live has never left me. As soon as that drum roll kicks off, and the signature guitar line plays I am like a 15-year-old again. The quality of this recording is very good, and the song sounds just as good as it ever has. The mix is very strong, and Prince and his guitar are crystal clear in my speakers. He doesn’t sing too passionately, and I do get the sense that he is just going through the motions. When I listen carefully to the song, it sounds like the whole thing is played in this way, but I am too much in love with the song to care. 

“Controversy” has the excellent funky guitar again right to the fore. It’s a nice rendition we have here, the rest of the band and the keyboards are back in the mix, and just like the previous song it’s mostly Prince and his guitar that we hear. And that’s no bad thing, as his singing and guitar playing are very crisp and clean. However, the song is kept to a minimum and we quickly segue into “Mutiny.” 

I have long been a fan of “Mutiny,” and have dozens of excellent recordings from various shows. This one doesn’t live up to any of those, sadly it's missing that special X factor. The playing is excellent, as is the vocal performance, but energy or passion is missing from it. It’s a shame, as the recording is very good, just the performance at this stage isn’t up to the same level. Najee does get a couple of solos but fails to add anything of real interest to it. There is a very fast and furious organ break just after which would have saved it all if only it had been longer. Again, I’m not criticizing the recording or musicianship, but for me, it’s just missing that little bit extra. 

I enjoy “The Work Pt 1” much more. Its live debut was only two weeks before this show, so to Prince and the crowd, it’s still very much a new song. He seems to be feeling this one a little more than the previous songs and is more engaged. The song does meander just a fraction, but Mike Phillips does play a lovely clean guitar solo which for me is the high point of the song. Prince does sing over most of it, but my ears are very much focused on what Mike is playing. 

Next comes “Cream,” and it’s played very smooth and clean, this band seems to have a good handle on this song and it plays to their strengths. Listening to a lot of recordings, I often don’t give Cream the time or attention it deserves, but here it has my full attention. Especially when Prince plays a nice solo on his guitar midsong, and it’s very much played in the ‘Prince tone’, it’s unmistakably his guitar sound. A very pleasant surprise to my ears, this song is the first time where I feel the show is drawing me in. 

That feeling continues next as “Little Red Corvette” gets a nice long intro, with plenty of keys and a few howls from the backing singers. As most of you know, I could just listen to this opening refrain over and over, and this one is no different. When Prince does begin to sing it’s once again with a very good clean sound. He isn’t too engaged but his vocals are very crisp. The song is kept quite short from this point, but it’s not too bad, as the next song is a real treat to my ears. 

Prince begins “I Wanna Be Your Lover” with a bold “Stop trying to front like you know my jams, you don’t know my songs” The rest of the song starts with Prince and the crowd alternating lines before Prince takes over and delivers his classic falsetto. Of course, the crowd knows every line, and you can hear them singing strongly in the background. The bass is nicely mixed on the recording, and I can hear it nicely bumping along in the left speaker. The song itself only runs for a couple of minutes, but it’s cool while it lasts. 

“Sexy Dancer” is next, and it is sounding like it’s a good song for the crowd to get up and dance to. There is no singing to speak of, it’s all groove with the snare and bass keeping the groove going with some keys run over top. It’s very tight, and great to listen to, but once again it’s only a couple of minutes. But still, I enjoyed it while it lasted. 

 

The kicking beat of “Housequake” begins next, and Prince lets it run for a minute before he hits us with “Tell me who in this house know bout the quake?” From here the rest of the band join in and I must say it sounds very cool. Najee isn’t strong, but his horn line does sound good. Sure there are better renditions I have heard, but Najee does his job well, and Mr. Hayes on the keys gives us some enjoyable lines. It’s got some new things for me to listen to, and I do like it all. There’s very little singing, just a nice groove and that beat that I will hear in my head for the rest of the day. 

I am very happy that “The Ballard of Dorothy Parker” gets another airing at this show. The low-key playing of the band and the disinterested singing of Prince suits the downbeat feel of the song. My enthusiasm wanes a little when Najee begins to play, but the moment is saved by Mr. Hayes on the keys. The song spins off into an instrumental jam, with Madhouse's “Four” thrown in as well as “Talkin Loud And Saying Nothin.” It fails to fire my enthusiasm, whereas on some other shows I enjoy Najee, here I find him lifeless and frankly a little boring. But the keyboard throughout is good and gives me something else to focus on. It’s all nice, but not something I would be in a hurry to return to. 

There is an interlude next where Prince speaks to the crowd about the NPG music club, and strangely I find myself enjoying his sentiments, even if I know that in the future he will shy away from the internet and such openness with his fans. It was a nice dream while it lasted, and I am reminded here of his idealistic vision. 

This speech about record companies and the NPG music club is followed by “Someday We’ll Be Free.” The song sounds nice but fails to engage me, as Prince himself doesn’t sing, and there is a lot of Najee in there. I am surprised how much I dislike Najee on this recording, as on the San Jose recording from four months previously I enjoyed him, but at this show, he seems to add very little. The song has a well-intended sentiment, and the execution is good enough, buts it’s not the reason I come to a Prince show or am a Prince fan. 

I am back on board as Prince sings “U Make My Sun Shine.” This is where the quality of the recording comes to the fore, as I can hear Prince's vocals, and the backing singers just beautifully working together. The song has a silky smooth sound to it, and although this smooth sound isn’t my cup of tea, I still appreciate and enjoy it here. There is the classic Prince spoken breakdown midsong, which is fun to listen to, without being outstanding. What is good though is the next minute when Prince asks Mike to play the blues, and there is a minute of very sharp guitar playing from him. It’s nicely paced and has a beautiful clean tone to it. Prince returns for some more spoken lines, but by now I’m a little over it and it’s perhaps a bridge too far for my tastes. Najee gets half a minute to play, and now I am dangerously close to pushing the skip button. There is some Prince playing guitar, which as always I give my attention to, but this portion of the show is a little drawn out for me. 

The next part of the show is very interesting to me and gives a good insight into Prince’s world at that time. Prince tells the crowd that he is happy to be in Oakland because that’s where Larry Graham is from. He then goes on to say “Sometime I think he is my best friend in the whole wide world”. He continues by telling the crowd that Larry Graham asked him if he ever tried a show without cussing, and told him he used those words for effect. Prince tells the crowd that those words from Larry messed with him and he decided that “It isn’t the words that make me funky, it’s the funk that makes me funk”. He then plays some real funky guitar which has me excited. He goes on to shout out some of the celebrities in the crowd that night and is in good humor as he tells the crowd that he told Laurence Fishburne he could have free tickets if he told him the plot of the Matrix 2 and 3. It’s a nice break in the action and he goes on to ask for the house lights to be turned on so he can see the crowd. 

 

Next, we get a nice up-tempo “I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man.” The up-tempo beat gets the show back on track after the lull of the last twenty minutes. It’s not a rocked-out version, but Prince does play a good break, although this is very short before the breakdown. There is absolutely no complaint from my end though, as the breakdown gets played to the hilt, and there is some excellent guitar playing from Prince for the next couple of minutes. The breakdown has some interesting guitar runs from Prince, it’s more sharply and faster than some other breaks I have heard from him. Najee enters for a minute too, and although I have been generally negative towards him so far through the recording, he does redeem himself here as I love the variation from what is traditionally a very rocky song. I am waiting for Prince to return with his guitar coda, but instead, it’s Najee who plays us through to the end of the song. Interesting, but not great. 

We next hear Prince at the piano for the piano medley part of the show. This one follows what we heard at the San Jose show, but it’s a great selection of songs and there is no complaint from me about what we hear next. He begins by playing my long-time favorite “Do Me, Baby.” The piano playing is nicely underpinned by some organ and a soft beat. Prince starts with his trademark “owww” before gently singing the verses that we know so well. He pauses after the line “You want me just as much as I want you” and receives an appreciative cheer from the crowd. The song resumes with Prince singing relatively softly and sounding reserved in his delivery. Even a shriek or two can’t quite shake the feeling that he’s holding a lot back. 

“Scandalous” too has this feeling about it, but that doesn’t prevent me from enjoying it immensely. Prince’s vocals are delicate, and the band provides some nice little stabs behind him. It doesn’t have the seductive power of the original, but it is well played. Again Najee comes on board for a solo, but it’s neither here nor there and comes across as bland rather than inspirational. The drum seems to lack some pop to it, and I wonder if it’s the mix or the performance. 

There is plenty of Najee influence all over “Diamonds and Pearls,” and it begins with him playing before Prince's vocal lines begin. It’s easy to dismiss it as nice but boring, but I do enjoy the half-minute we get here. Prince sings only the first verse before we move on to the next song. 

I was looking forward to hearing “The Beautiful Ones” when I saw it on the setlist, and it doesn’t disappoint. The sound seems to change during the song, and I wonder if it’s the recording, or if my headphones weren’t quite plugged in right earlier. But the recording does take on a deeper fuller sound, and at just the right moment too. Prince’s voice has more strength to it in this song, and he sings the second part of it in his throaty voice. This is some great howls and shrieks near the end and for a minute I am transported back to the 1980s. The song ends, but it seems like the concert has turned a corner, and we have reached a better place. 

“Nothing Compares 2 U” keeps to the love's lost theme, and Prince plays the part of the victim well. His voice is suitably sad and mournful when it needs to be, without ever being over the top. There is a moment when midsong he introduces Najee for a break, but it is kept short and we return quickly to the main body of the song. The song fades out with Najee playing while Prince speaks to the crowd about love, before the final coda with Najee. I enjoy him much more at this point, this seems like a much better fit for him here. 

There is then a break with what sounds like electronic movie music. It doesn’t do much for me, and it certainly doesn’t seem very Prince-like. But it does nicely fill the break while we wait for the encore. 

 

The encore begins with the long keyboard intro of “Let’s Go Crazy.” There is no spoken piece as you may expect with it, but it does run for a good minute before Prince can be heard with “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life” and the classic guitar riff begins. The drums sound good, the bass sounds good, and the guitar sounds good, but once again it’s missing the Xfactor. I can’t fault the song in any way, but it never quite grabs me. Prince’s guitar solo is nice, but not much more, and the song ends before it feels like it has even begun. Here it is just a shadow of its former self. 

“Take Me with U” begins, but it too feels like it is just plodding along. Prince sings a little, and then leaves the crowd to sing the chorus before we move quickly on to…….. 

“Raspberry Beret.” Not much surprise there. Prince does speak to the crowd briefly about God and Christ before the song begins proper with the crowd singing along. Prices guitar does chug along nicely, and the crowd does sound like they enjoy it. And it is good to hear a bit of pure pop and joy in the evening, which has sounded like a Prince concert by the numbers. 

“Darling Nikki” is a funny and cool arrangement. The rolling snare sounds sharp, and the keyboard has a fun dainty sound to it. Prince cleverly avoids singing the lurid lyrics by having the crowd sing some of the more risqué lyrics. The latter part is also a bit of fun, with the bass rumbling well in the speakers while the keyboards provide some thrills and excitement. They even play it right through to the end, complete with the backward finish, which is a treat. 

The start of “When Doves Cry” is pure purple Prince, with the cold passionless Prince singing the main lines while the keyboard plays in the background. It briefly raises my hopes that this too will be played in full, but after a brief drum and keyboard refrain we move on. 

“Fathers Song” is great, although short. Najee plays most of it, and he does a fine job of it. There isn’t too much more to say about it, although it does end with a few moments of him playing Computer Blue, which too is a tease and a treat. 

As with the San Jose concert, the arrangement of “The One,” mixed with “I Would Die 4 U” and “Baby I’m A Star” is outstanding. Over the somber music of “The One” Prince sings one line of “Baby I’m a Star,” and “I Would Die 4 U.” I couldn’t have imagined it working before I first heard it, but it is truly excellent. It runs for two minutes, and that is mostly the music alone before Prince sings his lines near the end. In my view, the concert is worth it just for these couple of minutes. 

Over the music of “God,” Prince works his way through the band introductions before he ends and hands the song over to Najee. Najee seems in his comfort zone here, and he gets a good four minutes to do what he does best. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea- it’s certainly not mine, but it does sound good, he does what he does well. It does feel like the show is coming near the end with this type of song and that’s proved correct as the next song is the final Purple Rain. 

 

There is very little in way of introduction for “Purple Rain,” Prince starts singing almost right from the start. The recording sounded good all the way through, and in this song, you can hear the nice echo of Prince's vocals. You can also pick up some seconds of sweet guitar playing throughout as he sings his lines. Later the more heavy guitar enters and it is here that for the first time in the show it sounds as if Prince is expressing himself. After the initial intro to the guitar that I am used to he goes into his longer improvised section, and it’s now that I listen more carefully and get a lot more out of this show. It’s not fiery, but it is impassioned. The crowd does have its moment near the end, but the recording doesn’t pick them up very well, either they weren’t into it, or the mics just didn’t pick them up. 

This show should have been more to me. It’s a great recording, and it’s got some top songs, and the band is faultless. And yet, as I said time and time again, it was lacking that magic to it. Something was missing, which left the songs sounding ‘nice’ but not great. Prince is in a holding pattern here, the next stage of his career, The Rainbow Children and ONA is very interesting for me, but here he is not quite there yet. He has moved on from his symbol era but hasn’t found his next place yet. But this is a great recording of a decent show, and I can’t fault it for that. A nice listen, but not essential. 

San Jose 8 December 2000

 Today’s recording is a dark horse to me. San Jose in December 2000 is a recording that I vaguely remembered was very good and enjoyable, but I couldn’t remember too much more about it. I gave it a fresh listen, and I was correct- it was a good fun concert. Sure, it’s very much a greatest hits show, but it’s all played with a lot of energy and pop that gave it a freshness that I found very enjoyable. Not too many surprises to be found here, but I had a fun couple of hours listening to it. 

8th December 2000, San Jose 

The slowed-down voice intro of “1999” is the first thing we hear on this recording, then the Prince squeal of ‘No’ from “Lovesexy.” It’s only an intro tape, but there is plenty of crowd noise, and it’s very clear that they are all in right from the start. The tape has snippets of “My Name Is Prince” and “Erotic City,” before a voice begins a countdown from 10, 9, 8, 7…… 

 There is a real sense of anticipation from the crowd, and even listening to the recording I feel the excitement growing in me too. The countdown reaches one and there is a long fast drum roll that takes me right back. It’s loud and fast and it reminds me of something I can’t quite put my finger on. Prince can be heard saying ‘San Jose’ and the band rock into “Uptown.” Now I know why that drum roll sounded so familiar! I would have never guessed that the show would open with this song, but it’s just fabulous, and as I say, I am immediately transported back to the early days. The band doesn’t overplay it, and it’s still got a nice down to earth feel to it. Sometimes songs like this get played with a modern sheen on them, but this one here sounds just like it did back in the day. We are off to a great start. 

There is no pause between songs, and we are still rooted in the early era as the band plays “Controversy.” Like the previous song, it’s played in a more original configuration, and there is some nice guitar funking me up. The band at this stage is small, and there is no large horn section or extra players. All in all, it’s a great sound. 

The song ends with the breakdown straight out of the Parade era. In my head, I can almost picture Prince doing the cigarette lighting routine as the song winds down. I hold my breath for a second and cross my fingers as I hope what I think is about to happen happens. 

The band seamlessly bangs into “Mutiny” and I feel like I have just stepped out of a time machine into 1986. It’s just as good as I had hoped. There is a sharpness and freshness to it, and it does sound just like the Parade-era version that I have listened to hundreds of times. I can barely write now as I listen to it, everything is as it should be. Not all modern versions of “Mutiny” sound this good, and this is one to cherish. It’s played to the hilt, and the crowd is going bananas as the sax solo is played- I only wish I could see it. There is then a longish keyboard break, which I want to believe is Prince, but that’s wishful thinking and speculation on my part. I am not normally one to dwell on the past, but these first three songs have me feeling like I am 16 again. 

Things take a smoother turn as Prince asks “We got any big soul sisters in the house?”, and then the smooth flow of “Cream” begins. Not being a fan of this song, it’s something I might usually skip over. But I listen to it here and find myself enjoying it. The song is a great pop song, and the guitar solo played on this recording has just enough rawness to it that it holds my attention on the song. I won’t be underestimating this song again for a while. 

 

“Little Red Corvette” is another exercise in nostalgia as it has a very nice long keyboard intro over the steady beat, while there are some very nice vocals overtop. I don’t know who is singing, but the sound of them over top gives a nice emotional feel to it, and the crowd gets in on it with some hand clapping. Prince comes in, and it sounds like nothing has changed in 20 years. As a nostalgia moment, it is pushing all my buttons. The guitar break is played on the keyboard, and even though it’s only a small change, it keeps me interested. Disappointingly what we get here is the abridged version and it ends right after this. 

The crowd is in a strong voice as the band play “I Wanna Be Your Lover.” There are many people there reliving their youth as I am now. The crowd is behind every line and there is an exciting feel to the whole thing. Prince only sings the first verse and one chorus, but it’s all a lot of fun. 

“Sexy Dancer” begins without break. There is a very nice clean keyboard at the beginning of it, and that has me listening closely. The song is only played for a minute, which is a shame as it was sounding like it could have been something special. But I can’t complain too much as “Housequake” is the next song up. 

This arrangement of “Housequake” is great. It retains the beat that I enjoy so much, and when Prince says “And the saxophone is at fault, Najee!” it sounds fantastic. Najee plays a very nice break, it's different but it sounds good. Prince also calls for Mr. Hayes to get funky, and he gives us an organ solo that grooves along nicely. It’s funky and again adds a little more to the song. Prince also calls out the drummer, and there is a drum break that isn’t too over the top and doesn’t derail the song as drum solos sometimes do. The song is played right out and there is plenty more drum and organ throughout. 

The tone is lowered and things take a darker turn as “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” gets an airing. It begins with Prince talking to the crowd about change, but the song is what gets my attention here. It’s suitable subdued, and the downbeat sound of it all is as it should be. I could listen to this song all day, and the version here is just as I like. There is an especially nice piano break midway. Prince calls something sounding like “my piano” so I guess it’s his playing that I am enjoying listening to. It takes the song in a different direction, but that’s okay by me. There is then a nice flute solo (At least I think it’s a flute) by Najee, and it’s the type of difference I enjoy in live performances. I give this one another thumbs up. 

 

There is finally a small pause in the action and a proper break between songs. This is broken when the chugging guitar of Prince takes us back into rock mode. It’s very much a classic rock sound, just Prince and his guitar chewing it up for a couple of minutes. He mixes some nice high lead guitar with some more heavy rhythm before the pounding beat of “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man” begins. Initially, it is just the beat, while Prince bangs out more guitar histrionics. Nothing is rushed and Prince gives it plenty before counting in the band with “one, two, three, four!” The band enters with a crash and the song begins as we have always known it. The backing vocals aren’t as strong as I would like, but who am I to criticize when Prince's guitar playing is what this song is all about. He dispenses most of the verses and heads straight to the guitar break. He barely begins before the band pulls back and we get the long extended midsection of the song. Prince plays an interesting break, plenty of long mournful playing, although to my ears it’s a little disjointed. The second half of the break is much more interesting to me, but unfortunately, I won’t be adding this one to my list of favorite guitar breaks. Najee takes over with his saxophone, and my interest is piqued once again. I have never heard this take on the song before, and I want to listen to it more. After this, I will be adding this to my playlist of songs I need to hear more of. Najee gets a handclap from me for adding a lot of color to this song. 

 

I wonder what we will get next as we have the sound of rainfall, then some soft piano and vocals from the backing singers. I don’t have to wait long as “Do Me, Baby” begins. Every week I write this blog, and every week I find myself heaping praise on this song. Today is no different; the introduction music has me salivating like Pavlov’s dog long before Prince even begins singing. He gives a couple of ‘ooowwsss” beforehand, and it only serves to ramp up the excitement in the crowd, and me! When he does finally sing there is a huge release, and I can’t help but sing along. The song doesn’t get played in full, after the first verse, it quickly segues into the next seduction classic. 

“Scandalous” is a must for any slow jams mixtape, but for me, it loses a little of its power with all the audience screams and shouts. Who can blame them, Prince is working them and the song the best he can. After the first minute, Najee gets another break, and I can see the groundwork being laid for the ONA tour of the coming years. Prince comes back and sings as Najee plays, as I said before Najee is all over this recording and sounding great. 

Staying in character the next song played is “Diamonds and Pearls.” I want to like it, I know that this is one of his most popular songs, but it’s just not for me. It’s played straight, but it’s very truncated, and it finishes in just over a minute. As a none fan of this one, I am slightly relieved, but I do feel the frustration of those who like it, these medleys can be teeth clinching sometimes. 

“The Beautiful Ones” should be a highlight. I am pleased just to hear it. Prince's voice isn’t as strong as I would have liked, but I overlook that as I am happy just to hear it. Like the previous songs it’s played short, this time Prince cuts the whole middle section from it and heads straight to the end as he howls into the microphone. Always my favorite section of the song, it loses a lot of its power in this shortened form. It should have built up to this point; instead by jumping right to it, it loses all its impact. 

Keeping in this vein “Nothing Compares 2 U” is next on the setlist. I like the song, I like Prince’s version, but this one is a little bland. But it gets a whole lot better when Najee appears and plays his sax all over it at the midpoint. Lots of these songs are being saved by his playing, and I am rapidly becoming a big fan. Prince comes back to sing some more, but the sax has stolen the show for me, and it’s all I’m listening to by now. The song ends with just a piano tinkling away. 

There is a break while a steady beat continues with a touch of organ, and something that sounds like a death laser. It doesn’t add anything to the show, but it does give us a pause to catch our breath. 

Finally the opening strains of “Let’s Go Crazy” begin and the crowd’s reaction is predictably noisy. Nothing is rushed and the opening chords are held for a long time while the tension is built up. Some epic-sounding lead guitar is played by Prince, but still, the song doesn’t snap into life. Then finally “dearly beloved” gets the song and its unmistakable groove started. I thought the guitar might have been louder, but thankfully it’s tucked nicely into the mix, and Prince’s voice and other instruments easily hold their own against it. The song is cut short and degenerates into chants of “let's go” with the crowd before the well-known Prince flurry to finish. Not my favorite arrangement of the song, but it is inoffensive enough. It's not a total write-off, after his finishing flourish, Prince engages with another minute of guitar work which is worth listening to. 

 

We may well be back in 1984 as the band plays a rousing rendition of “Take Me With U” next. It’s a facsimile of the song that we all know so well, and nothing has changed at all. Of course, it ends very quickly and moves into “Raspberry Beret.” Prince does his spoken intro at this point about “Who hasn’t seen me before? and who has seen me before?” It’s quaint, and even though I have heard it plenty of times it still has a certain charm about it. The audience does most of the singing on it before the chorus and Prince's vocals return. It's wound up here, and I’m about to get another surprise. 

“Darling Nikki” is the next song, I don’t know when he stopped playing this one, but I would guess that this would have been one of the last times it was played in full live. It’s an interesting version; there is a nice sharp drum roll all through it that almost sounds militaristic. Prince starts to sing as a dainty keyboard plays along. It’s back to familiar territory after this as the heavier keyboard rolls come after the verse. I am further surprised to hear it played right out in full, including the backward singing at the end. Prince, you are so full of surprises sometimes! 

 

We stay in the Purple Rain era with “When Doves Cry” following immediately after. Normally I am not a greatest hits concert sort of guy, but I am loving this one. Again Najee is all over this song, and by now I am full on board. He is awesome, and I love this version. It doesn’t surpass the original, but it is highly recommended. It gets even better as Najee plays straight into “Father's Song,” and “Computer Blue.” You have to hear this, it’s a perfect fit, and the newness of it all is so refreshing. 

There are then some nice keys while Najee plays some slow soft music over top. Like I said before, the template for the One Night Alone tour is all over this, moments like this have that sort of sound and vibe. If you ignore the greatest hits and just concentrate on moments like this you can see where he is heading. 

Prince then sings a fantastic version of “I Would Die 4 U”/ “Baby, I’m a Star.” Just over the same soft music, he sings the lyrics slowly and deeply. He only sings a couple of lines of each, but for that minute and a half, I am transfixed. I am disappointed he doesn’t take it all the way, but this is still a great moment for me. 

Najee takes the lead for “God,” and to be honest I am running out of words to describe how much I am loving him at this gig. Prince takes the time to introduce the band. He introduces each member as you would expect, but takes an extra moment to introduce Najee and get him plenty of praise. I wholeheartedly agree with Prince, and I am happy to find he is in agreement with me about Najees contribution. Obviously, at this point Njaee gets another minute to play all over “God,” and it's only fitting. It’s not outstanding, but it is entirely appropriate. As with the rest of the show, I find it very enjoyable. 

“Purple Rain” goes off in a direction I don’t expect, and I enjoy it even more for that. After the opening chords, Prince takes us on a soft ride with some great lead guitar. Nothing over the top, just a couple of minutes of fine lead guitar. It’s easily the best part of the recording for me, and if I hadn’t heard “Purple Rain” a 1000 times before I would probably come back to this one more. The rest of the song passes on much as you might expect, the guitar solo at the end, although enjoyable, doesn’t offer any surprises. I am pleased to hear Prince singing all the verses rather than skipping straight to the guitar break as he sometimes does, but having heard this at almost every concert there isn’t too much more that can be said about it. Prince does take a few minutes at the end of the song to preach the bible to the crowd, but that doesn’t detract from the recording at all, although it does probably go a minute more than it should do. 

 The encore begins with the beat of “Come On.” It sounds a little flat and lifeless, despite the band doing their best to encourage the crowd to party. It does get better as it goes along, but it feels a little forced by the crowd. I do enjoy the song, and I would like to hear it live more often. Unfortunately, this isn’t the best version I have heard. Najee sounds good on it, but for the rest of the song, it sounds like Prince is trying too hard to get the crowd partying. 

The party continues into the next song as Prince encourages Geneva to bring up some people for dance. As a listening-at-home experience, it’s not great, but I can fully appreciate that at the gig it would have been pretty cool. There is a bit of sampling, and samples from several Prince songs can be heard before he breaks into “Kiss.” Although not great, it does have a nice groove running underneath it. As I have written many times, this is one song that never seems to sound great in a live setting to me. This one is likable, but still doesn’t quite get there for me. The crowd sounds like they are having a lot of fun though, and several of them can be heard singing on the microphone during the song. Some are better than others, but no one is terrible which is surprising! 

“Gett Off” ends the show with a slowed-down nice deep groove. It’s another highlight for me, just the groove itself is enough for me. There is some rhythm guitar on top with Najee and his flute and the overall sound is funky with a capital F. Prince does deliver a heavy deep guitar break which shows off something completely different from the start of Purple Rain, yet I rate it just as highly. It’s a great way to close out the show, and as Princes ends his guitar break and says goodbye Najee plays us out. A fitting end to the show. 

The setlist for this show didn’t have me feeling overly enthusiastic. But the playing on it and the sound that Najee brings to the table more than compensated for the setlist. The hits had a fresh sound and were played with an energy that must have been hard to muster for songs that have been played so much. I remembered that this one was good, but I had forgotten how good it was and why it was so enjoyable. A solid fun show that left me feeling very satisfied. 

Grand Rapids 20 November 2000 (am)

 I have painted myself into a corner. Some time ago I listened to an aftershow from Chicago in 2000, and although it wasn’t my cup of tea, I found I enjoyed it. This week I picked another aftershow played just a few days after, but when I listened to it this morning I found it wasn’t quite what I expected. Most of the performance is Doug E. Fresh, and Prince can only be heard, along with his songs, a couple of times in the show. However, it’s too late now to find another bootleg to listen to, so I am stuck with my first choice. I find Doug E. Fresh inoffensive and pleasant enough, but he lacks any real bite and most of his performance is toothless. At this show Prince’s performance is understated and subdued, leaving us with an entirely forgettable experience. Being a hardcore fan I have to hear everything, and this sometimes means listening to flat concerts like this as well as the more dynamic performances I usually gravitate towards. So with that in mind, this is very much a concert that will bring balance to my listening experience. 

20th November (am) 2000, The Orbit Room, Grand Rapids 

I listened to both the Sabotage release and the Thunderball release, and to my ears they sound near enough to the same. The opening two minutes is entirely representative of what will follow, two minutes of Doug E. Fresh rapping and hyping the crowd while the music stays secondary in the background. If you weren’t a fan of Doug E. Fresh before this then you aren’t going to be a fan after as he stays in the safe lane and delivers a rap that fails to elicit any sort of emotional response. The concert improves considerably with “I Can Make You Dance” as the band build a solid foundation for Doug E. Fresh to frame out his song. Musically it’s more interesting than the opening rap, but it’s not the typical Prince aftershow we have come to expect, and even as an electric guitar begins to cry in the background the song remains far from inciting a riot. There is no sense of adventure, the music, and delivery remain tame for the time being. 

 

Another rap from Doug E. Fresh has me again questioning why I am listening to this. Guest appearances and other players are par for the course, and there is no denying that they do bring interest to these concerts. However, in this case, it feels too much, and there is very little Prince influence to be heard in the music. I do play along with the call and response, mostly to keep myself interested, but this is a Prince blog, not a Doug E. Fresh blog, and I do wait impatiently for my hero to make his mark. 

Finally, I am pacified by the appearance of “If I Was Your Girlfriend,” and Prince on the mic. The performance is easy enough to enjoy, although Prince seems caught in the same quicksand as the previous numbers, there is no punch to the performance, nothing challenging to grab onto, and very little in the way of surprise. It is a smooth, almost glassy performance, that is emotionally hollow and leaves me entirely unmoved. 

With “Passin’ Your Name,” all is temporarily forgiven. Kip Blackshire takes vocal duties and paired with Doug E. Fresh, the song has a drive and impetus that has previously been lacking. I can’t say I have heard a lot of Kip Blackshire’s singing, but from what I hear in this case he gives a nuanced performance that has a lot more character than the overwrought rapping by Doug E. Fresh. As one might expect, the horns rise to prominence through the song, and with some soulful keyboard, the song becomes greater than the sum of its parts. On a better recording I wouldn’t think much of this song, but surrounded by half-baked performances, and a concert largely lacking in Prince, it punches above its weight. With a crisp and taut guitar solo breaking up the groove the song changes direction and ferments with a Najee solo in the final minutes into something far more interesting than heard elsewhere on the bootleg. 

There is a sudden shift in gears, and a quickfire “Gett Off (Housestyle)” takes the previous laid-back jams and accelerates them into something that finally gets the heart racing. Prince’s performance doesn’t fill me with enthusiasm, but Najee elevates proceedings with his contribution before Prince’s final guitar solo starkly reminds me that I am listening to a Prince gig. 

It is the sound of Prince’s guitar that heralds the final song of the night, a detached rendition of “Johnny.” It sounds as if nobody is invested in the performance, and the halfhearted audience response matches the sound of the music. Even Prince’s guitar solo waxes and wanes in an uneven and inconsistent performance that is symptomatic of the show in general. On a positive note, it is short, and it is the end of the show. 

 

I don’t expect to love every Prince concert I listen to. I am a hardcore fan, but I am also a realist, and I trust my ears. This show isn’t dire, it certainly doesn’t sound like a disaster, but it is lacking in the soul, the emotion, that I so regularly hear on these bootlegs. We could attribute this to the lack of Prince’s input we hear on the recording, but it does sum up where he was at the time, musically adrift and leaning heavily on those around him. Normally I find something positive to say, and usually, finish with a recommendation to listen to a recording at least once. You needn’t bother in this case. There is very little here for a fan to enjoy, and it is a soulless experience. 

Chicago 17 November 2000 (am)

 This week I am digging back to a recording that I used to listen to a lot, but haven’t heard for a few years now, the show from the Cabaret Metro Chicago in 2000. It is worth the listen as Prince and the NPG play a show with the aid of a couple of guests’ appearances, namely Macy Gray and Common. The show starts with very little Prince, initially, it is Macy Gray and her band playing before Prince slowly eases his way into things. By the end of the show, however, he is fully engaged and playing just as hot as ever. It should be good to revisit this old friend, hopefully, it lives up to my memories. 

17th November (am) Cabaret Metro, Chicago 

The show starts with Macy Gray and her band playing without Prince. Common is on the mic free-styling as the band run through a jam that includes “Voodoo Chile (slight return),” “Sexy M.F.” and “D.M.S.R.” Considering Prince isn’t anywhere to be heard, it is surprisingly enjoyable and something I could easily listen to again. Of course, without Prince and the NPG playing it does lack intensity, it meanders easily in its way without ever being taxing to listen to. 

Things finally start on the Prince front as Macy sings a sweet-sounding “Forever In My Life.” I find her voice to be a good match to the song, and for the first few minutes, she makes the song her own. She’s unrushed and sings in a style that is unmistakably hers while the band quietly bubbles along behind her.  A happy cheer greets Prince as he arrives mid-song to sing his lines, and he promptly reclaims the show. As good as Macy Gray sounded, there is nothing quite like hearing Prince sing it, and when he sings his lines there is no mistaking whose song it is. 

The show moves up a notch with “The Bird.” It’s not immediately recognizable, but there is an increase in tempo and beat that signals something funkier is coming our way. With Common and Macy hyping the crowd the wave builds with the bass and organ adding momentum. That wave never crashes, and the band keeps on grooving, with the bass being the tracks that everything runs on, it sounds great on the recording and has me reaching to turn it up. I am underselling it a little, it is a fantastic jam. 

With a funky guitar and a steady beat another jam starts, this time more downbeat and easy. There are also the contrasting sounds of some bright-sounding horns, some squealing guitar, and the shine of the organ. It all comes together in a mix of sounds and colors that keeps things moving, and I am very surprised as it ends in a sudden stop after only a few minutes. 

 

Prince next tells us that Macy will sing a country song, so while the band plays a country-sounding beat she sings for a minute “baby, baby, baby”. There’s nothing to it, it is barely a minute long, but it does show the easy nature of the show, and as Prince and Macy talk it’s obvious they are just hanging out and having fun. 

The show settles as Macy sings her own “I Try” and it’s on her song that she shines. The band provides a strong skeleton for her to sing over, and as she sings it is easy to feel the warmth in her voice. I am so lost in the moment that it ends before I realize it, and a moment of horns carries us through to some heavenly guitar from Prince, playing in his clean sound as he solos around “No Woman, No Cry.” I thought Macy Gray was good, but this is even better and takes the show to another level altogether. He doesn’t play fast or make it scream, his carefully chosen notes carrying all the expression and emotion he needs. As the music rocks back and forth Macy sings lines from a few Prince songs (“Take Me With U,” “Anotherloverholenyohead,” “Adore”) but it's Prince’s guitar that holds my attention, injecting beauty and heart as it plays. As Macy sings “Take Me With U” the music increases in intensity and with the guitar still playing we reach new heights in the song, and if not for some distortion on the recording it would be an unforgettable moment. 

With Prince on guitar and playing so well, it’s only fitting that the next song should be “The Ride.” It is not as dark as sometimes heard, the groove is lighter, as is Prince playing. After an initial bluesy run, he swirls for a time, before returning to the bluesy tone. From here on Najee plays his sax for a time, bringing in a different sound to a song so familiar. Najee doesn’t get a lot of love from Prince fans, but he does a fair job and it is fun to hear him bringing something different to a song I have heard so often. Prince finally sings some lines, before he cuts loose with the guitar in the final minutes, really making it sing. Just as expressive as his singing voice, it more than lives up to the previous song, and Prince is bringing all his guitar skills out for the final part of this show. 

With a quick drum rattle, Prince turns everything up to ten for his final “Santana medley” which will close the show. As always he is on top of his game, but still provides plenty of space for the keyboards to fill out the song. There is some distortion, mostly from one of the keyboards, but for the most part, it’s a clean recording, and Prince's guitar sounds clean and strong all the way. The band chases each other around in a circle of riffs, as the intensity rises and falls. Again Najee gets a chance to contribute, his sound unusual for the “Santana medley,” yet I enjoy every moment of it. Despite being a band performance, it is Prince's final guitar solo that leaves the lasting impression, as he duels Najee blow for blow before laying the matter to rest with a scorching run that can’t be matched. I am surprised (although I shouldn’t be) by how good they sound playing off each other, and although this is far from my favorite band, they turn on a great performance that ends the show in style. 

The recording is very short, and the songs are only a few, yet it was the jams and the guest appearances that made this recording an interesting listen. Hearing Prince interact with Macy Gray and Common was a different perspective, and with them putting their twist on his songs it added something interesting and new to the show. Najee too contributed late in the show, and his sound with Prince worked well, something I hadn’t considered for an aftershow. All in all, a short but sweet aftershow and there was something for everyone in it. Far from a classic, yet worth a listen.