Honolulu 17 December 2003 (am)

 Today’s show is a rather random selection – I was thinking about what I was going to listen to next, and I chanced upon this recording from 2003. There doesn’t seem to be too much to it, but Stretchin’ Out (In A Rubber Band) seems to feature prominently, and that has me a little excited. I often play this song when I am driving, but I don’t recall ever hearing Prince’s take on it. So, it’s with anticipation that I take a listen to today’s show, I am sure I have listened to it in the past, but right now I have no recollection of it all. Right, it’s time to stretch out and get this thing started. 

17th December 2003 Volcanoes Night Club, Honolulu, Hawaii 

My excitement is tempered somewhat by the crowd noise, and sound of an audience recording. It’s not bad by such standards, it just takes my ears a minute or two to adjust to the sound of it. The first song in the set is “Mama Feelgood,” and it does indeed make me feel good, especially with the sounds of the horn section and a sharp-sounding keyboard. The horn section is particularly strong, and I impress myself when I recognize the sound of Maceo Parker in the mix – I must have listened to too many of these shows now. Rose Ann Dimalanta is singing, and it’s a shame that the recording doesn’t do her justice, she sounds secondary to the band, and her vocals aren’t picked up very well. As always, there is something positive to counterbalance this, and in this case, it is the horns, which increase in intensity as the song progresses. The keyboards too get plenty of time to play, and the song stretches out as it gives us a good idea of how the rest of the gig will play out. It’s topped off by some funky guitar licks that whet my appetite. 

 

The funk continues as the next song begins, and it grooves right from the start. The band locks in nice and tight and my head starts bobbing. They slide through “Yes We Can,” and then we hear Prince singing for the first time “Ain’t It Funky Now”. Rose Ann Dimalanta quickly pickups with singing “Yes We Can,” and the band stays in this groove for some time. I like how smooth and seamless it sounds and, if not for the quality of the recording, I could easily close my eyes and groove out to it. It feels light and summer-like and conjures up all sorts of imagines as I nod along to it. The song takes another up turn as Prince begins to sing “Yes We Can,” he sounds much stronger and louder on the microphone, and the show seems to pick up some momentum too. At the same time my ears prick up, and I listen for more of him. I am rewarded by a simmering guitar break that gains in intensity as it plays us through the last couple of minutes.  On a soundboard recording, this guitar break would be excellent, as it is, it’s just very good. 

Things don’t let up as next we get a great version of “1+1+1=3.” It’s got a great funky intro, with plenty of guitar and groove. The scene is set as Prince has the crowd chanting “we like to party” early on, and they are very enthusiastic about doing so. There aren’t any lyrics sung, but at an after-show like this, that is irrelevant, It’s all about the music and the groove. The energetic trombone solo from Greg Boyer sounds like a lot of fun. All the horn section is in on the party, and Maceo plays a brief solo too before there is a horn riff from all of them. It’s nicely counterbalanced by Prince and a laid-back guitar solo which I didn’t expect to hear at this point. It’s refined and only takes on a heavier tone when the band pause and we catch a breath. The band picks up right where they left off and now the party gets serious, I can hear it oozing out of my headphones. This song has a little bit of everything, there is “Life O The Party” in the mix, as well as “Stretching Out (In A Rubber Band)” as well as instrumental “Hot Pants.” Although he played parts of “Stretching Out” in the last two songs, it wasn’t quite the full-on version I had hoped for. Still, what I have heard so far from these first three songs has been very good, so I have no complaints at all. 

 

“No Diggity” is bass-heavy, with a fat squelching bass at the start. It’s not until a minute in does it become apparent what the song is, with the introduction of the keyboards and Chance Howard singing. It’s missing some of the sharpness that I like in the song, but I put this down to the recording rather than the performance. What I like about the song is the solo from Candy on sax. It’s bold when it needs to be, and adds a brighter sound to the recording. The song doesn’t do much else later, but that chorus is so catchy that I sing heartily along to the finish. 

I love the next moment as someone in the crowd yells “play some old school!” I can’t help but laugh as he calls it out. Prince then does the opposite and plays something current from the time. “Ooh!” is another chance for Rose Ann Dimalanta to sing, and this time she sounds better, especially in those moments when she is backed by Prince. I do like the song, but compared to everything else in the show it seems to fall through the cracks. There’s not much of a chance for the band to play, and Prince is minimal throughout. There is a guitar break late in the song, and this is about the only moment when I feel any interest in it. It’s not a scorching solo, instead, it’s a sweet little sharp sound that is very enjoyable. 

 

“All The Critics Love U” initially sounds shallow. It’s got a hollow electric sound to it, however, this improves immeasurable when the bass gets stronger. The beat is hypnotic rather than insistent, and it sounds soft to my ears. Maceo’s solo sharpens things up, there is no denying that he is a master at what he does. For all that though, it doesn’t reach the heights of some of the earlier songs, and it’s a disappointing ending to the show. The shallow sound of it reminds me of some of the Diamond and Pearls era mixes, and for a show in 2003, it has a definite 1990’s sound for this last song. There is some chanting with the crowd, which I guess is a fun way for them to finish, but I can’t get past that dated sound. Greg Boyer makes amends with a spirited trombone solo to finish, and the show closes on a high, I’m smiling here at home. 

This was an odd little show, I can see how I easily overlooked it. Although it didn’t feature “Stretched Out (In A Rubber Band)” as much as I had hoped, there was still plenty there to recommend it. I enjoyed hearing the horn section and Prince himself sounded very at ease. It may be some time before I play this one again, there are too many classics out there to listen to, but next time I won’t wait so long before I give it another spin. 

Melbourne 23 October 2003 (am)

 Last week's blog about the Melbourne show of 2003 left me unsatisfied. As much as I enjoyed it, it was an incomplete recording that left me wanting more. As luck would have it, I have in my hand the aftershow from the same evening. This is a complete recording, but it is short – clocking in at just under an hour. I don’t mind that too much at all as the contents within are interesting – an unusual arrangement of Musicology (still five months away from being released), a slowed-down “The Work Pt 1.” and a left-field cover version in the form of “When The Saints Go Marching In.” It’s a tidy setlist that keeps the listener engaged throughout as Prince leads us down various musical alleys and backstreets. It is in contrast to the greatest hits package served up at the main show, making it an even more intriguing listen for me. 

23rd October 2003 (am) Melbourne, Australia 

Prince emerges regally through the crowd noise, although the audience recording cannot match the moment and is not quite good enough to make out his introduction. It matters little as the music takes its rightful place at the center of the recording for the live debut of “Musicology.”  In the smaller and more intimate venue, it sounds soulful and full, the drums especially sounding huge in the opening stanza. The horns are still busy, and Prince delivers his vocals with panache, but it is less Vegas sounding than on the Musicology tour, and for my ears, it resonates with its soulful roots showing. Maceo and Greg Boyer are well into their work early here, and they are infusing plenty of kinetic energy into the song, Maceo with his furious saxophone solo, and Greg with his mighty trombone solo that for my money tops him. It’s early days and Prince is still playing with the arrangement for this song, in this case, it is broken into two with  “Brick House” making a cameo appearance between the two sections. As much as I love “Brick House,” on this recording, I am not too fussed. Prince is bold with his vocals, and, unfortunately, there is a slight distortion in the recording at his loudest moments. It is left to the horns to save the day, and they segue back into Musicology with aplomb and remain the main focus of my listening experience for the rest of the song. 

 

It is Rad that sings “Ooh,” but she is far from the center of attention as it is the rest of the band that grabs the song and shakes it up into a cocktail of horn and keyboard funk. Another shot of trombone action from Greg Boyer leaves me drunk in its wake, the music a powerful mix of 100-proof funk that is overpowering and intoxicating. There is little I can do but lose myself in the moment as Prince demonstrates exactly what after-shows are all about – purity of the musical experience. 

“Peach” is lost to me in the general noisiness of the recording, the vocals washed away in the waves of crowd noise and general thinness of the recording. However, the recording does a good job of capturing the horns (here, and throughout) and especially Prince’s guitar. It is a shame then that he doesn’t engage with his instrument as much as you might expect, and aside from a couple of storming runs, there is very little guitar to be heard. 

Rising on the back of the horn motif comes “The Work Pt.1” My soul sings as the horns play, but for me, the meat and potatoes of the song are the rhythm guitar that arrives later in the song. Even as the sound becomes busy and spreads out in several directions I can still hear the guitar, a style I have always gravitated towards and held dear. The rest of the song goes by in a blur and there is much to admire in the way the band all play so uniquely but blend their styles and sounds seamless. This may not be the best-recorded version, but there is still plenty there for those that listen close. 

It is Chance Howard’s time to claim some spotlight as he comes forward for his take on “No Diggity.” It's a relaxed cover version, the rhythm section, however, is flawless in their work, and although this isn’t the most energetic version in circulation it is still interesting enough in its way, especially when Maceo adds his talents to the mix. Truly a legend, he elevates every song as soon as his saxophone is heard on the recording. 

Prince leads hand-clapping into “When The Saints Go Marching In,” and this version isn’t just about the horn section as you might expect. There is some excellent keyboard to be heard, but in only a few minutes there is not enough time for anyone to show off their abilities. However, the crowd liked it and it is a neat way to bring us to the last song of the evening. 

 

That last song is an instrumental jam and a fast and furious one at that. The key elements are all in place, chants, whoops, and the various band members playing sharply throughout. It isn’t an elongated jam as we often hear at after-shows it's one of the shortest jams I think I have heard at barely a couple of minutes. That doesn’t count against it in this case, as the crowd sounds as though they have been whipped into a frenzy, and it is easy to understand why as the music vortexes and increases intensity. It isn’t what is expected, but it is a good way to finish the show, putting an exclamation mark on all that has come before. 

An interesting little bootleg this one, it doesn’t sound quite like other after shows in circulation, yet it has its irresistible style and feel. There are a few nuggets sprinkled throughout the set that keeps the listener engaged, and it does come as a nice palate cleanser on top of the main show I covered last week. The recording is far from perfect, but the contents of the bootleg more than makeup for it, making for an engaging listen from start to finish. 

Melbourne 22 October 2003

 Prince didn’t jump straight from the ONA era into Musicology. There was a year gap, featuring a world tour that took only Australia and Hawaii. I find these shows interesting as they are the stepping stone between the two, and we can see the crowd-pleasing hits played with a trace of the ONA concerts heard in the smooth and easy style in which this band plays. The concerts in Australia should have been a great chance for me to see Prince play live, Australia is only a four-hour flight away, unfortunately, I was out exploring the wider world and was living in London at that time. My opportunity to see Prince play would come later. 

There are several releases of the concert I am listening to today, I am listening to the Overfunk’d release as to my ears it sounds slightly better than the other versions. An audience recording, it is pretty good – with no distortion, the mix is about right and I can clearly hear and enjoy the music throughout. The only thing that counts against it is that it is an incomplete recording, we are missing the opening bracket of ten songs, but it is a long show, and what we have is plenty enough to cover two discs. 

22nd October 2003, Melbourne Australia 

The recording begins with “The Beautiful Ones,” and it immediately puts me in mind of the ONA tour from the previous year. With Maceo Parker on saxophone, the introduction lingers and Maceo does what he does best and fills the room with a steamy atmosphere. With the band draping their sultry veil across the soundscape it could have easily been lifted from any 2002 show, and I am more than happy with that as I am infused with the ghost of concerts past. It’s not all about the past however, this is not Purple Rain Prince, and as he sings he is very much Prince of the time. His voice doesn’t ache and bend as it had previously, and as much as I love his performance here, I must admit it is workman-like in the most professional way, with no bells or whistles here, just a straight delivery that serves his maturing sound well. 

I have similar feelings about “Nothing Compares 2 U.”  Prince is good, without ever flooring me, and it is Maceo Parker whose brief moment stirs up the passion with me, and within the song. The recording shines though, and even though I haven’t shown any real enthusiasm for the first couple of songs, I am greatly enjoying the bootleg. 

 

It is “Insatiable” that first has me swallowing hard and listening close. Now, this is what I came for, a delicious delivery that has the crowd swooning at the show, and me having all sorts of feelings here at home. The more Prince croons, the louder the crowd swoons, and I am giddy with fanboy love as Prince walks us through a vocal maze, following the trail of bread crumbs that Renato Neto lays. It is a lethal combination, the song sneaking up on me and drawing all the oxygen from the room. 

Although “Sign O The Times” moves in the opposite direction, it demands listening to just as much as the previous “Insatiable” and drives out an irresistible funk groove. I am disappointed that the crowd gets to sing along, while here at home I have to stay quiet as my wife sleeps in the other room. It matters little, I lip-sync along with them in a happy delirium, and I am happy to report that “Sign O The Times” gets a whole nine minutes to funk and roll across the recording. The real action begins after Prince finishes his lyrics, Rad (Rose Ann Dimalanta)  gives a brief and electric keyboard solo that leaves me wanting more, and it gets better as John Blackwell plays us through a turnaround that leads the music into a swirl and even more keyboard work that excites me in ways that I never knew a keyboard could. 

The combination of “The Question Of U” and “The One” reached its peak during the tour of 2002, for my money those performances will never be bettered, and although this version is sonically very similar, it lacks that magical quality that was heard the previous year. It is slightly more labored, and deadened in sound, there is a lightness of touch that is missing, and although the song is guitar-heavy, it is this finesse and delicacy that makes it what it is. The chunky guitar by Prince midsong does briefly have me breaking into a sweat, but that sweat turns cold as the band goes through the motions later in the song. 

 

“Let’s Work” has things jumping again, and it sounds nice and sharp on the recording. The horns in particular leap out at me in their energy and brightness. Prince doesn’t work the song too long, it is only a couple of minutes, but it does signal the next upbeat part of the performance. 

In the same vein, “U Got The Look” is a short, sharp shock of energy and pace that accelerates the concert further. The guitar sounds strangely quiet as Prince solos, and for me, this is one of the key reasons to listen to the song and its muted sound leaves me silently frustrated. 

The show is gathering pace rapidly at this point of the bootleg, as Prince tears through a series of covers and upbeat numbers. We first get an embryonic version of “Life Of The Party,” which is too busy for its own good until it settles for the chorus. It is in the following “Hot Pants” where the groove gets hot and heavy, one can almost feel its hot breath on their neck as the groove becomes dark and dangerous, hinting at unseen sexuality. Prince breaks the mood with  “Life Of The Party” rap, and before I can fully immerse myself in the bass end of the song it transitions to Chance Howard and his lively rendition of “Soulman.”   It’s hard not to like it, and I find a smile spreading across my face as it plays though. It sounds so summery and easy, that for a minute I consider tackling it next time I go to karaoke. 

It is a keyboard push that drives “Kiss,” its pulse beating just under Prince’s lyrics throughout. I like the sound of the keyboard, but I could take or leave the rest of the song. I appreciate the new arrangement, but “Kiss” is one song that I have heard far too often. 

Prince’s cackle introduces “Take Me With U” and one can appreciate why the band and the crowd respond with energy and love. Like the previous “Kiss,” this is one song I have heard too many times, yet I fully understand why it has been a constant in the setlist over the years. An uplifting song from Prince’s most successful album, it never fails to elicit a response from the crowd and re-energizes the concert. 

 

The main set is rounded out by a full rendition of “The Everlasting Now.” It encapsulates the full talents and scope of the band as it moves quickly across the musical territory, throwing up all sorts of sounds and styles. The funk grows and evolves through the song, the ground never quite solid beneath my feet as the band moves swiftly through this soundscape. It is a fitting end to the main show and a great reminder of how good this band is. 

The piano set encore opens with an understated “Adore.” As much as I love bootlegs, I have never enjoyed hearing “Adore” on bootlegs, mostly because the screams and shouts of the audience ruin the moment for me as Prince plays the one song that truly connects to my heart. Here is no different, each line is greeted with rapturous shouts and squeals of excitement, and as much as I share their enthusiasm it does take me out of the moment. The song does get its full five minutes, which for me is an exercise in frustration as the crowd stays prominent. 

Prince keeps with humor as he segues into “Sleep On The Couch.” He takes his time over the delivery, each line hanging in the air so it can be fully digested by those listening. I laugh a little early on, but soon enough I am cocooned in Prince’s vocal delivery and lose myself in a soft delirium. A song that didn’t promise much, I am surprised by the emotions it brings to the surface. 

Emotion is the name of the game as Prince has the crowd clap as he plays a soulful version of “Forever In My Life.” Head bobbing, and hand-clapping, it has a unique rhythm that is offset by Prince's lyrics and vocal delivery that speaks of love and honesty. It's only brief, but it is the perfect fit with the two previous songs. 

“One Kiss At A Time” gets a different arrangement, and is a fine match for “Forever In My Life” I am surprised that Prince sticks with some of the risque lyrics, but he is doesn’t engage with any curse words, so I guess in his head that makes it all alright. It is a surprising end to the piano set, a set that I have found most enjoyable, my feelings about “Adore” notwithstanding. 

 

As much as I enjoyed the piano set, I am more than happy when the funk returns with “All The Critics Love U In Melbourne.” I like the insistent funk drive of it, and the color that the keyboards and saxophone add. Maceo is at his very best at this point, the music and concert orbiting around him as he plays. The keyboard rhythm later in the song is a match for him, and it is a devastating few minutes of funk that has me applauding at home in appreciation.  “Phew, can’t nobody mess with this band” is my only thought as the song ends. 

The keyboards are equally to the fore as a frenetic “Alphabet St.” follows. It is derailed by Prince's interruption to talk himself up to the crowd, but as a performer at the top of his game, he has every right to brag and enjoy the spotlight. The song never regains momentum though, and I feel the constant stoppages would be better left out. 

There is an easy jam that leads into “Days Of Wild”, a jam that tidily takes a low-key funk groove and allows Prince to chant with the crowd. The serious business comes with “Days Of Wild” as it stomps across the landscape, bringing tension to the previously lighthearted concert. It is not as quite as dangerous as other performances I have heard, Prince is enjoying himself too much, but the music has a touch of malice that keeps it just on the right side of the ledger. 

The final song of the night is of course “Purple Rain.”  as befitting a greatest hits show, the moment is milked for all its worth, with the usual introduction sweeping across the arena before Prince begins to punctuate it with some lead guitar. It's a worthy rendition of a much-loved classic, but there is nothing new here for anyone who has followed Prince’s career. The final guitar break has me interested only for nostalgic sake, Prince isn’t breaking new ground, but he is playing his signature song to an appreciative audience at the climax of the concert. 

This is a bootleg that you don’t hear much about, yet I would happily recommend it to anyone wanting to hear a quality audience recording of what is a standard hits show. The band is coming off some fantastic 2002 shows, and although different in style, they are just as good here in 2003 as they were the previous year. it may not be a complete show, but it never drags either, making for a bright and easy listen. For those that were there, this is an excellent document of that experience. 

Tokyo 18 November 2002

 My Japanese odyssey continues, we are still in Tokyo where today I visited the Budokan. For me, it is a venue that I was always associated with the Cheap Trick album Cheap Trick at Budokan, an album that was played ad nauseam when I was a child. Prince has played at the venue during two tours, he did four nights there during his 1996 tour of Japan, and another two nights in 2002 during the One Night Alone tour. Perhaps in this case we should call it the two nights alone tour. I am going to take a look at one of the shows played during the ONA tour, as much as I like the 1996 concerts the shows from 2002 are more attuned to my current tastes. Not everyone is a fan of the One Night Alone tour, I find the tour is divisive between fans – it is either one you really love or one you really hate. I have yet to find many people in the middle ground. I am going to stake my claim early, it is a tour I am a big fan of, so expect the following write-up to be completely biased for the positive. 

18th November 2002, Nippon Bodukan, Tokyo 

The audience knows what to expect from the start as is the norm for the ONA shows Prince begins with a distorted voice and heavily distorted drum solo. I like it, although it has no flow to it and is little more than a minute of sound that builds anticipation for the opening “The Rainbow Children.” The unease that “The Rainbow Children” creates can be heard in the music, but as always it is kept in balance by the band and their light sound that counteracts some of Prince's unsettling vocal effects. By the time Prince sings “Tokyo!” I am fully on board and ready for this song to roll on and on. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea (and I’m aware of plenty of people who downright hate it) but I can’t deny, Prince’s guitar work is pretty sweet on the ear, and I would hope most people would listen past the lyrical delivery and instead gravitate to this mesmerizing guitar performance. I like that the song continues to strike new ground, and it keeps me fixated without ever repeating itself. 

 

If anyone in the audience was worried about what might come next, Prince reassures them with the more accessible, and eminently more pop, “Pop Life.” Prince’s voice may not be as crisp as we have come to expect, but the rest of the song shines like polished silver, the recording sparkling as Prince turns the music this way and that under the lights. Renato and his jazz touch late in the song speak to me, and I am filled with regret that I never saw this band live. 

Prince brings discomfort to the pop audience with his introduction to “Xenophobia,” and the following song challenges expectations. At the time it came across as something new and shocking, fifteen years on I know what to expect and I am more than happy with the way the music unfolds over the next ten minutes. With Maceo playing there is very little to dislike, and as the horns run back and forth Prince's message gets lost in the raw sound of the music itself. It is the last half of the song that is the most challenging, and it feels good to hear this again, something far removed from his 80’s pop sheen, here is something with grit and body, something that looks both backward and forwards at the same time, a song that contains something new every time I hear it. 

Prince can’t quite keep to his promise to challenge and test the audience. It is “Purple Rain” that follows quickly after and soon enough any questions raised by “Xenophobia” is quickly painted over in the shade of purple. The audience recording is remarkably clean, there is very little background noise aside from cheers at the appropriate moments. Should I thank the recorder or the restrained crowd, I don’t know,  but I do know it sounds very good indeed and I am more than happy with the performance of “Purple Rain” that matches it. It never ignites into the blazing wildfire it sometimes becomes, but it delivers everything that one would expect at a Prince concert, be it your first concert or your 100th. 

 

“The Work Pt 1” surprisingly fails to fire. I had such hopes. I was expecting funk by the bucket load, instead, I get a series of solos that never quite build into a much wished-for payoff. I like the music just fine, but it is a platonic relationship and never becomes an intense love affair. Prince is too fickle and the music comes and goes as it pleases without giving me the time I need. I do like the “To-k-yo, woo-hoo” chant, something I may have been guilty of singing under my breath for the last three weeks as I wander the streets of Tokyo. The inevitable dancers on stage are the last straw for me, the heart of the song belongs to the audience in the building, and not to us listening here at home. 

For me, “Mellow” is all about sound and vibe. I have very little idea what Prince is singing about, but I do love the feel of the song. This performance is cool, and “Mellow” lives up to its name, aside from the occasional burst of a horn. It is unlike anything heard thus far on the recording, and for me, it again highlights the scope of music Prince created. It wouldn’t be the first song I’d put on, but it is one that I always like when I hear it. 

The concert energy again surges with an engaging rendition of “1+1+1 is 3.” Of course, it can’t lose with Maceo adding his years of experience with an instantly funky solo. Prince may claim that he is funky, but in this case, it is Maceo who brings the funk to the party. There is a funky guitar underneath that is pure Prince, but for my money, it is the horns that make this worth hearing. Nothing is added by appending “Housequake” and “Love Rollercoaster” to the second half of the song, and they could have easily been left off in my opinion. 

The melancholy dip and swoop of Prince’s guitar bring the concert into a more traditional realm, and the performance here could have come from any show in the last twenty years. That’s no bad thing, the guitar wail calling most Prince fans to duty with its mournful call. There is a heavy influence from the band, and the flashes of jazz later in the song remind you just what configuration of the NPG this is. The final few minutes belong all to John Blackwell, and that makes this rendition well worth a listen as he kicks and stutters around the kit. 

I am pleased to find that “Strange Relationship” is just as funky as it has ever been, the band locking together in a solid squelching riff. If anything, it is aged even better, and like a fine wine, I find it strong and more flavorsome than its 1980’s incarnation. Prince in particular seems to get a real kick out of playing this song, and he pulls the audience with him with his unbridled enthusiasm. It stands far above anything else heard on the recording with its energy and pure Princeliness. 

“Pass The Peas” I am happy to take a pass on. I like Maceo, but Prince and the band don’t add anything to the song we haven’t heard before. It does give the horn section a chance to strut, but it pales compared to the previous “Strange Relationship.” Although to be fair, almost anything would pale compared to that. 

A torrent of guitar notes flies from Prince’s hands, and serves as a great introduction to “The Ride.” What is great about this show is that every song gets a full rendition and plenty of time to marinate in its own juices. Every song runs five to ten minutes, and after years of feeling short-changed by Prince medleys with these concerts, I finally feel Prince is letting us fully appreciate his music. His comment “Can I take my time” gets full approval from me. The song contains the unrestrained howl of his guitar as he finally lets it off the leash and it runs rampant for the next few minutes. It is a biting performance that snaps and chews in equal measure. 

 

As a Prince fan I fail miserably, not recognizing “Sign O’ The Times” immediately as Prince elicits to shroud the intro with his chugging guitar. The song never really settles on a style from here on in, sometimes the horns come to the fore, giving it a brighter sound, while the record scratching pulls it in another direction entirely. And then pulling in a third direction is Prince’s guitar. I would happily take any style, but to my ears, all three don’t quite gel. There is some lighter guitar later in the song, which with the horns would be a much better fit for this band. 

Ahh, the old “Take Me With U,” “Raspberry Beret” combination. Regular readers will be familiar with my feelings about this. I like sweet pop sugariness as much as anyone, but not so much now I am older and, ahem, more mature. I happily digest “Take Me With U,” but by the time Prince segues into “Raspberry Beret,” I have had my fill and am ready for something more substantial. 

“The Everlasting Now” wouldn’t be my first choice for something more substantial, but I do find it more rewarding than the previous couple of songs.  The first few minutes are a nice little appetizer as Prince gives us a taste of what’s to come with parcels of funk and chants. The main course comes with some Santanaesque guitar before the rest of the band adds their sauce of horn riffs and piano twinkle. It’s a flavorsome combination and one that I happily indulge myself in. It is Maceo who rounds out this feast of sounds, with his dessert of saxophone sprinkling chocolate sprinkles over all that has come previously. I am sold on it, and as it all comes to an end I feel well-nourished and satisfied. 

 

A short break lets me digest what we have heard so far, before the encores open with Prince at the piano. “Condition Of The Heart” is simply divine, I am beyond words as I sit and listen to it, letting Prince's music and lyrics wash over me. It does become a medley, “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” getting a line before Prince indulges us with a slightly longer “Diamonds And Pearls.” It is “Adore” that gets the most time and attention, however, with John Blackwell ever so gently adding a heartbeat to the song. The crowd sits in an enraptured silence throughout, making this recording pristine and clean for the next few minutes. 

Prince piles on all his tender ballads at this part of the show, and “The Beautiful Ones” brings a further string of heart-tugging moments. It is almost too easy listening, some of the emotional strength of the song is sapped by its easy sheen and polish. I am engaged though, even if it is not the heart-stopper it used to be. 

It is very hard to clear my feelings about “Nothing Compares 2 U.” A song I heard countless times in the 80s from Sinead O’Connor, and then hundreds of times since from Prince, it is a song I am overly familiar with. Sometimes it breaks through and gets me in a soft moment, and sometimes it passes by making barely an impression. The rendition on this recording is good, but it fails to break my jaded exterior and I find I listen to it in an almost emotionless state. 

On the other hand, “The Ladder” shoots straight for my heart and does make the emotional impact I crave.  The drums are a little too much, but Prince’s vocals and delicate piano carry the moment. It is one of the shortest songs on the recording, barely a minute and a half, but it feels real to me and sincere. 

This pleasant stroll through Prince’s piano songs is rounded out by “Starfish And Coffee” It may not be on a par with the other ballads and emotional heavyweights in the setlist, but it does keep things light. 

The final song featuring the piano is “Sometimes It Snows In April,” a song that has taken on an extra significance since Prince’s passing. This rendition is a fitting tribute, his vocals alone out front in the recording, smooth and velvety and carrying a hint of emotion that makes it all the more powerful. A moment to sit back, listen and reflect. 

“Days Of Wild” isn’t as sinister and threatening as sometimes heard, but it is still a stone-cold classic. There are better versions on this tour (see Antwerp a month earlier where I swear Prince tears the roof of the place), but it is still eminently enjoyable, and as always I find my head bobbing and without even being aware of it I am singing along with Prince. The grind and churn of the song bring several different players to the surface, Dudley D can be heard on the turn tables midsong, and it is the horns that bring a different feel to the song. The song drops intensity halfway through though, and as the bass is pumped up for the first time the recording distorts. This mars the occasion as the final few minutes become a difficult listen. The rest of the recording sounded great, making this part sound all the worse. 

This show is fairly typical of the ONA tour but is very well recorded (asides from the final “Days Of Wild.”) There is a plethora of material available from the ONA tour, I would happily listen to any one of them, but I do enjoy this concert for the  quality of the performance and the recording. The setlist doesn’t throw up anything too much in the way of excitement, but this bootleg does a nice job of capturing the standard ONA show. Very good without being essential. 

Paris 29 October 2002 (am)

 When it comes to these shows from Le Bataclan, I have saved the best for last. The last couple of shows I have written about were good, today’s one is another level altogether. In my research, for this one, I found that many people spoke of it as being one of the greats, and some thought it was even better than the small club show of 88. I have already praised one show from the ONA tour as one of the greatest (Copenhagen aftershow), and my first impression of this one is that it might just trump it. The setlist has some highlights, and some great song selections are in there. It’s also better than the Copenhagen gig in that it runs for two and a half hours, so there’s a whole extra hour for me to enjoy right from the go. I have been looking forward to listening to this one for some time, and I think it’s a fitting way to end this Bataclan trilogy. 

29 October, 2002. Le Bataclan Paris. 

The show has barely started, and already I am saying wow, wow, and wow. The first song of the night is an instrumental, not that there is anything too unusual about that, except this one gets me. The drum shimmers and Renato Neto plays some figures over it, and it’s a mature jazz sound that I warm to right away. It’s not too often that I feel Renato’s playing, here is an exception. There are drums, a piano, and a bass, and it starts the show in fine style. The playing gets hotter and then cools off before it begins to build again. Each movement draws me in more, and Prince plays his part for the first time of the night with some guitar playing that has his loud strong style that was often heard at this time. It’s not crunching, but it’s the heaviest instrument playing. Things get serious later when everyone hits the same groove, and I get the feeling that the warm-up is over, and the band is together, and tight. A brief drum solo, and then we spin off into another direction, the horns appear and we hear a hint of funk. It’s doing the song a disservice to write about it, this has to be listened to rather than written about. This is a fantastic opener, and if the rest of the show is this good then it will certainly be one of the greats. 

 

The guitar jam that follows has a very different vibe. Prince riffs as he sings to the crowd “Good morning to you”. I can’t think of anything more fitting, and after this initial riff, there is some suitably heavy guitar playing as the horns join in. The crowd joins in next, picking up the chant of “Good morning to you”. It seems so simple, and yet I find myself enjoying it just as much as I enjoyed the complexity of the opening jam. 

The song morphs into “Bambi,” and I am not surprised to hear it in this context. The sound of the show changes, and I find I don’t have to listen as hard as I am so familiar with the song. It’s not as heavy as I have heard, the guitar is nice and clean sounding, and I am impressed by how much guitar noise Prince can generate just by himself. His soloing in the latter part of the song swirls around in my head, it’s something I could listen to for days. It does stop unexpectedly, giving Prince a chance to sing another verse before his guitar re-enters the fray. As with the previous two songs, I rate this very highly. 

We rock on well and truly next with Prince’s take on “A Whole Lotta Love.” Prince nails the main riff and then Renato Neto surprises me again with a fantastically futuristic solo. Prince backs it up with one of his own before a howl signals a break down a chance for the crowd to sing. This leads to Prince singing as the band quietly plays behind him. I keep waiting for the music to explode back, but Prince strings me and the crowd along for some time before switching to “Family Name.” 

“Family Name” starts with just Prince and his guitar, and soon enough the rest of the band joins. The horns and the guitar are what I hear most, and the song moves along quite quickly. Things get more interesting later in the song, Prince stops singing and lets the music speak.  There is some loud guitar work, which Prince acknowledges at the end of the song as he asks the audience “Ain’t too loud am I?” 

 

A guitar strum and clap throw me initially, but the band joins and we get a very different take on “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)” It’s very mellow sounding, and the cold feel of the drum machine is missing, replaced with an organ sound, and some sharp and loud guitar work by Prince. The organ is quiet and holds it together while Candy plays a sweet-sounding solo. It’s totally in keeping with this band’s sound and they make it their own. What I like most is a drum break on the tom-toms near the end of the song while Prince plays sharps of guitar, it’s very cool, and makes me feel like a Beatnik. 

The opening riff of The “Question Of U” snaps me back to reality, as Prince plays the riff over the drum sound. His voice is sounding as good as ever, and before I know it I am singing along. Renato adds his sound with a piano solo that fits the mood very well. Prince returns for his stark-sounding guitar break as I nod along, smiling knowingly. 

I love hearing “The One” in this setting, my only negative is it’s only a minute, which is a real shame because I could have easily listened to it all night long. Prince sings, and then as he begins his solo we switch to “Fallin’.” He only sings a line or two before his guitar work takes over, and his playing is superb. I don’t have any words for it, it's short, and yet every note is perfectly placed. 

Prince steps back as the band shows their chops with an easy take on “Take 5.” Renato excels in this, and his solo early on is just as good as Prince’s solo we have just heard. Very different in sound, but just as brilliant. Maceo adds his sound to the mix, and the crowd can be heard yelling their approval. As Prince sings “Ain’t No Sunshine” the song takes a darker and quieter sound, and at this stage, there is some very sweet singing and interaction between Prince and the crowd. Like everything previous at this show, everything has its place and sounds perfectly in line and as it should. The song ends with the men and women in the crowd trading lines, something that sounds surprisingly good. 

Surprisingly good is apt for the next song, for it is both surprising and outstandingly good. “She’s Always In My Hair” is always a must-listen for me, and this one has some of the best guitar work of the show. It’s heavy when it needs to be, and also light when Prince demands it. His latter solo in particular is a show stopper, it certainly stops me and I just sit and listen. The song doesn’t have the breakdown that I have come to expect, and it ends in just under three minutes. 

 

It doesn’t matter too much for people who like Prince’s guitar work, as he next gives us some guitar soloing for a minute or two before the band picks up a groove. He continues to solo as the crowd chant “It ain’t over” – nothing too fierce, he plays in and out of the music before the horns enter with the “It Ain’t Over” riff. I did expect it to go like this for some time until Prince begins to talk about “here she comes in them hot pants” and I know a change will be coming soon. He does draw it out, with the crowd providing a soul clap as the horns and band swirl around. The moment I am waiting for never comes, as Greg begins to solo on the trombone, with not a guitar in sight. The other horns join and I think the guitar will never enter until suddenly it does for a minute. The chant of “It ain’t over” quickly returns and the song ends with Prince singing us straight into “Shake.” 

“Shake,” now I didn’t see that coming. Prince leads the crowd in the singing of “Shake!” while he provides the lines in between. It’s very refreshing to hear Shake again, and Candy gives it a new sound with her energetic solo. Prince sings her praises as the ‘it ain’t over’ refrain sounds on the horns and the audience keeps up the shake chant. It ties together beautifully, and I am beginning to understand how some people lose their heads over this recording. 

The band picks up a funky groove, and I am not surprised that it’s James Brown's “I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door, I’ll Get It Myself).” Prince does well to weld it to his own “The Work, Pt 1.” There is a natural fit there, and Maceo is right in his element as he takes an early solo.  The band pulls back and there is some funky play between the horns and Prince’s guitar which I just love. When the groove resumes it's much more horn-infused and it’s the riffing of the horns that carry it along. “The Work Pt 1” is much more evident at this stage as Prince sings it properly. There’s plenty more of Candy to come, and I don’t mind that at all. Even John has a chance to play a drum solo before the song eventually comes to a close. 

“777-9311” is short, and leaves me floored. Prince is jamming on the bass, and he is sounding fierce. Normally it’s the drum pattern that I listen for, in this case, it’s Prince’s bass work that demands my attention. This alone is worth the price of admission. 

Prince thumbs us easily into Hair. It’s considerably more laid back than anything else we have heard in the last half hour. It’s twice as long as “777-9311,” but still much too short for my liking. Prince plays a brief bass solo which I hope will go on, instead he defers to Renato who plays a cool-sounding solo that takes us to the end of the song. 

“Brick House” continues this easy flow, Prince’s bass playing is loud, and for this one the horns make their presence felt especially Maceo’s solo. The song is not much more than a verse and a solo from Maceo, and I dig every second of it. 

Things stay in this vein as Prince gives us a laid-back “Skin Tight.” I have heard this very funked up on other recordings, tonight he sounds more laid back as they play it. Prince chooses not to play the whole song, and it gets a brief treatment before they segue into “Cool.” 

“Cool” is indeed cool. It’s not overworked, and the mood stays laid back. What I appreciate about it is that Greg gets to play a trombone solo, which generally isn’t cool, but in this case, most definitely is. The pace quickens mid-song and the bass work of Prince and Rhonda catches fire. There is some great stuff in there, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. As the crowd cheers, Prince calls “touch the bass” but I feel like it is the bass that has touched me. 

There is some spirited clapping and chanting by the crowd before the music returns with “All The Critics Love U In Paris.” A pounding beat and some great electronic noises get things moving, there is a futurist keyboard solo that starts things off very nicely. It’s the keyboards for the first couple of minutes that get my attention, much more than the groove and the beat. There is no singing, and it’s very much a jam over the top of the rhythm track. Both keyboards sound excellent, and the song is fantastic. 

The guitar is back to front and center as Prince plays “Alphabet Street” (Including “The Ballard Of Jed Clampett”). It’s light sounding coming after “All The Critics,” and yet just as enjoyable. Prince doesn’t jam on it at all, and it’s just a pause before the next song begins. 

Prince begins a slow groove and the crowd picks up the chant “NPG in the motherfuckin house”. I am laughing as Prince stops the music and tells the crowd they got the wrong chant “We aren’t going to do nothing to nobody’s mamma up here tonight” The music resumes with the crowd chanting “NPG in this funky house”. Over the groove Candy begins to play. Everything is slow and very relaxed sounding. I like her solo, and I like when Prince has the crowd singing “Oh Candy” as she plays. Things stay on this gentle course with a piano solo following. Like everything tonight it’s a joy to sit back and listen to. 

 

“All The Critics Love U In Paris” is next, and this time it’s in a different form. It’s much more insistent, and Prince sings the lines as you expect. The guitar and keyboards are lively and the horns too add their sense of urgency. Prince commands Maceo to blow the roof off, and he gives it a good effort. It has me wanting to get up and dance, and that’s a sure sign that it’s pretty damn good. Renato too seems to have found an extra gear and he more than does his part in keeping the up-tempo groove going. 

I couldn’t imagine what they might follow with, and I am delighted to hear that it is “Dolphin.” The opening guitar is full of emotion, and it’s a credit to Prince and this band that they can still play something so heartfelt after such an extraordinary show. Prince’s vocals are just as clean and beautiful as his guitar playing, and during the chorus, he switches from singing the chorus to playing it on his guitar instead, just the sort of thing I like to hear. I can’t decide what I like most about this, his vocals, his guitar, or the piano playing behind him. All of it is worthy of my time and attention and truly the sum is greater than the parts, and the parts are mind-blowing. It’s one of those songs that I never want to end, and as soon as it finishes I decide that this is my new favorite bootleg. 

The “Santana medley” that follows seals the deal, and there’s plenty of Prince on the guitar as well as some frenetic keyboard from Renato. Prince excels in these medleys and he does the sound of Santana so well, as does Renato Neto on the keyboards. The two of them trade solos on their respective instruments. I am running out of words for this show, I would love just to switch off the computer and sit back and enjoy it. If ever a show deserved to be called a ‘headbuster’, this would be it. It has it all, and there’s so much to enjoy at such high quality. 

Even after two and a bit hours, the crowd still chants for more, and they are rewarded with an instrumental Come On. The bass is fat and full which is nicely offset by the keys and some scratching. Prince starts a chant and very aptly it’s “party till the sun come up” The choppy rhythm guitar has me bobbing, and I find myself subconsciously chanting along. 

Prince sings “Housequake” so slow and relaxed it’s far removed from the album. A rhythm guitar, bass, and drum are the main building blocks as Prince sings his lines slowly before building the crowd to a chant of “Time to get funky”. The horns swell through the song, and there are a couple of solos, all of them on point. I am thinking it might slide by in this way until the end, but there are more fireworks from Prince and his guitar, and the song gains in intensity. Suitably he finishes his solo and the song as the crowd continues the chant for another minute. 

I admit it, I slept on this one. I have to agree with what others have said about this recording- it certainly is one of the greats. I can’t fault it, the performance is tight, the band is on form, the setlist is perfect, and the crowd is a big part of the fun. I may have overlooked this show in the past, but it will be on high rotation now for a very long time. Just fantastic in every way, and a fitting way to remember all the great shows from the Le Bataclan. I am going to go listen to it again right now, have a great day where ever you are, and see you next time. 

Copenhagen 26 October 2002 (am)

 I am going to go out on a limb here. This recording, in my opinion, is the greatest Prince bootleg of all time. The default setting for most Prince Fans is to say Small Club is the greatest bootleg, but I feel this one slightly edges it. There are a few reasons for my opinions on this. Firstly the quality of the recording is fantastic. It's a soundboard, but it is better than 90% of the other soundboard recordings I have heard, the mix on this is outstanding. The band and the playing are excellent, and the setlist contains a great mix that showcases all of Prince’s styles. The first part of the gig is guitar-heavy rock before he moves through funky jams, ballads, and ends with a knock-out version of “Dolphin.” Top-notch in every aspect. This recording is not my favorite bootleg, but it’s definitely the best out there. So let’s have a look at ‘The Greatest Of All Time’ 

 

26 October 2002, Copenhagen 

The recording starts with the end of the DJ's set. It’s a nice touch and sets the scene for what will follow. Even this part of the recording is pristine. The DJ spins “Gett Off,” “Poom Poom,” and then a hip hop song before a flurry of guitar work has Prince warming up his fingers. He plays fast and furious from the start, and after a minute of fretwork the band begins with “Who Knows.” It is, as you might expect, just a showcase for Prince to dazzle us with his guitar work and he delivers. I have found throughout writing this blog that it is impossible to properly express the sound of his guitar. Let’s just say, that in this case, it’s hot. 

Keeping with the guitar-based songs he follows up with “Bambi.” The band sounds very strong behind him, he is way out front with the guitar sound, but the band is pushing it along – especially the drums and bass. I feel the buzz in the room when Prince calls “Turn me up Scotty, want to feel it in the whole house” Cue more guitar heroics. The guitar comes in waves before it pulls back to give Prince space to sing “All your lovers look just like you”. This bit is quite enjoyable as Prince sings it in his deeper speaking voice, something I want to hear more of. 

The song segues straight into the main riff of Led Zeppelins ‘Whole Lotta Love.’ I love this intro, especially as the riff blasts out, in the left speaker you can hear someone lose themselves in the moment and yell “Whhhooooaaaa” I love that! If I could have been there I think I would have done the same thing. The guitar is deep and throaty and it's a nice contrast with Prince singing in his usual falsetto. A couple of verse-chorus and Prince pulls out not one, but two spectacular psychedelic guitar solos. You gotta hear these. I’m still flying as the crowd gets a quiet moment to sing along with “A whole lotta love” Prince ends their moment with a “Turn it up!” and yet another (short) killer guitar solo. 

The pace is brought down a lot following this when Prince plays the opening refrains of “The Question of U.” The keys enter and the whole mood and tempo of the evening are changed. As he sings “What is the answer to the question of you?” I realize just how great this recording is. The quality is apparent when I listen to him sing, you can hear just how great his voice is, perhaps the one instrument people forget that he is most proficient with. After the verse, I half expected another guitar outburst but instead, we are hit with sublime piano playing. There are a good variety and variation throughout this show. Of course, there is an inevitable guitar break after the piano, but again he surprises me by moving on to singing “The One”. This is one of my favorite sons, and I think it is one of the most underrated songs in his catalog. For me the lyrics are fantastic and heartfelt, I feel every word. My pulse quickens when Prince says “Go ahead Eric”- any band that has Eric Leeds in it is alright by me! The sax here is very nice indeed, and Eric demonstrates that less is more. Very delicate, and missing the “Honk” that I usually associate with Eric Leeds. (I mean that in a good way!) 

“On the one” Prince stops the band in an instant. “Didn’t they tell you no cameras?” he asks the audience. I wonder what is about to unfold as Prince chastens the crowd for taking photos. I laughed when he said “I got a nice warm hotel bed waiting for me” then instructs the crowd that next time someone takes a picture the person next to them should grab them and twist their neck. After saying one more time “No pictures please” the band resumes with another verse before Candy Dulfer has a chance to shine with a sax solo. It is better than I am making it sound, trust me. Prince sings a couple of lines of “fallin” by Alicia Keyes, which I think is a nice touch. The horns and piano then take center stage and we have “Take Five” played into the mix, you’d be surprised by how good it all sounds. The song then ends with a drum solo. How about that, a bit of everything! What a sequence, the last ten minutes have been amazing. 

Things take a funky turn with the bass taking a prominent stand. First, we have “Brick House.” The bass leads in before the horns and band join in. Prince is singing, but it’s the bass and horns that are the heroes here. Prince name-checks Eric for a solo and then we stay in the funky vain as the band starts playing “Skin Tight.” Another favorite of mine from back in the day, this version is just too short for me, I want more, more, more. Prince's singing has a funky sound to it, especially as he sings “She’s a bad, bad lady, in skin-tight britches.” Another call of “on the one” and the bass plays the distinctive intro to “777-9311.” But before I disappear into a cloud of excitement they quickly move into Hair. Oh such a shame, I would kill to hear a full version of “777-9311.” The song “Hair” itself is good enough, and it does have a very fine trombone solo (it is not very often I get to write those words), and Candy also gets another chance to do her thing. The song ends with a very distorted prince guitar drowning out everything else. Again it’s another spectacular ten-minute sequence that leaves me hungry for more. 

The next songs begin with a steady drumbeat and surprisingly some record scratching and sampling. It’s not a bad thing, and I enjoy it. To hear it, I could have never guessed what song was coming next. The band enters and there is a nice groove going, the horns play a very good rising line and then Prince hits us with “One more jam, one more Jam, for Prince and the band” The crowd immediately takes up the cause and keeps the chant going. Candy starts to play, and I still have no idea where this song will go next. I can’t help but laugh when he says “Ain’t you gotta go somewhere tomorrow, Ya’ll as crazy as me!” “It ain’t over, it ain’t over” The crowd loves the “It ain’t over” chant and keeps it going. They definitely don’t need any encouragement from Prince. 

Finally, Prince plays the main riff of “Peach” and I know where this is going. Normally I ain’t a fan of “Peach”, but of all the recordings of it, this is my favorite version. This one is not so saturated in guitar, the verses have plenty of horns, keyboard, and sampling, the guitar only really dominates at the end of each chorus when Prince lurches into a solo. The solos are excellent, as always. The solos end, and the band groove on and on. Prince leads the crowd into “Copenhagen, we be shaking” while there are a couple more solos from the horns. The groove sounds effortless, and I could listen to it all day. There is some very funky sax to be heard here. With a “From NPG we love you all, good night” from Prince and the song comes to its climax and ends. 

 

But it ain’t over! The crowd claps and chants “Copenhagen, we be shaking” for two minutes, without pause. It is impressive and adds to the feeling of this whole recording. The band obliges and the drums take up a new beat, supported by some sort of sampler and scratching. Prince sings “Prince And The Band,” but to be honest it’s a little disjointed and messy. There seems to be some sort of problem and a couple of times the song breaks down. I always have liked this song, but this version is one to forget. I’m not sure who’s playing what, or why it doesn’t work. It is obviously distracting to Prince who loses his flow a couple of times. For all that though, I think it doesn’t detract from the recording. It’s good to see that even Prince can have his problems on stage, and he is at the mercy of temperamental technology. Phew, I’m not the only one! 

“All The Critics Love You In Denmark” follows up. Although crowd-pleasing by title, it hits my sweet spot too. The long groove gives plenty of time for the horns to play their thing. The track isn’t too busy, and Candy plays some very nice sax on it. I find that I am not writing much, I am too busy drumming along with it on my desk. Sometimes it’s good to just enjoy a song rather than overthinking it. The keyboard in this song was outstanding, and it was nice to have something not so guitar-heavy near the end of the show. 

I failed to pick “Dolphin” when it first began to play. It starts very slow with some nice gentle guitar playing. The whole song is played in this way, slow and minimal. For me, this is an outstanding performance on the recording. I don’t normally enjoy Dolphin, but I find this more slow and more soulful version very moving. It suited the lyrical content much better, and one can feel Prince’s emotion in it as he sings. I think the best word to describe this song here would be beautiful. It’s overused, but in this case, this is one very beautiful song. Prince’s guitar solo that closes the song is retrained and right on the money. A great way to end the show. 

For me, this is the greatest Prince bootleg. I know 90% of people would disagree with me, most choosing Small Club over this. But by the time this had finished, it did feel like I had been on a musical journey. I feel this had a better variety than small club, the recording quality was about the same, but the audience is more in the mix giving it a better live feel. Some might say that the disastrous performance of “Prince and The Band” detracts from it, but to me, it adds a more human aspect to the show, it is a bit more Rock n Roll. Also having the horns on this give it more color and again shows another aspect of Prince as the bandleader. 

In fairness, I will look at Small Club next week, something that I don’t listen to too often having overplayed it when I was younger. Another knockout show, it’s something I will look forward to writing about. 

Berlin 19 October 2002

 The One Night Alone tour is one that I listen to often, and one of his best. Although not everyone enjoys the Rainbow Children album, there is no denying that it is a strong artistic statement, and a lot stronger than the albums that preceded it. The tour itself shows that Prince has a lot of faith in his new music, and plays the bulk of it throughout these shows. I enjoy the intimate feel of these concerts, and some of the set lists are great. It’s somewhat surprising that I haven’t blogged about these shows previously, but today I will address the imbalance. The show I have chosen to listen to is from the European leg and is ONA Berlin. There are a great many shows from this tour circulating so I had plenty of choices, but I had a feeling in the back of my mind that this one was one of the longer ones, and pretty darned good. Hopefully, it’s as good as I remember. 

 

19th October 2002 Berlin 

After some cheers and clapping from the audience the show opens with a digital type of sound before the steady bass line of “The Rainbow Children” is heard and the band settles into a steady beat. There is some sax work, but my ears aren’t good enough to tell you if it's Eric Leeds or Candy Dulfer, but I’m thinking it might be Candy. There are several cheers from the audience as the song continues in this vein for some minutes. Some people might be wanting Prince right from the go, but I am more than happy just to sit back and listen to this band play, it’s very classy and smooth. There is a louder cheer and I assume that Prince is onstage. That is confirmed when a few seconds later Prince is heard singing with the Darth Vader sounding effect on his voice. I don’t listen to the lyrics, so I find I quite enjoy it, and I like the different sounds it gives. The Prince voice we are accustomed to is heard a minute later when he says “are we in Berlin” before the first chorus of “Rainbow Children” The song is enhanced further when Prince says “can I play my guitar” and some nice guitar stabs are played. The guitar has a strong tone to it, and it gives the groove a bit more backbone. I like this one a lot, it’s not something I listen to a lot on the album, but I find myself returning again and again to the live version. It’s got a lot more stiffness and sharpness to it which I like. In this situation I find myself enjoying Renato Netos playing and it does add to that overall uncomfortable sound in the song, that feeling that everything is not quite settled. He does play for some time, both with an electric digital sound, and a more natural piano sound, and both are fine by me. Two keyboards are playing off each other, but once again my ears aren’t good enough to tell you which is Renato, and which is Prince. Perhaps I should have written about a DVD of this tour. The song changes direction again near the end with the electric guitar coming back. At 15 minutes it’s a great long introduction to the show. 

 

“Muse 2 The Pharaoh” is more laid back and feels like a ray of sunshine after some of the darker grooves of Rainbow Children. It’s good to hear Prince singing once again in his natural singing voice, and I find myself nodding my head along easily with the clapping of the crowd. Even the darker keyboard grooves don’t feel as dark as on the album, surprisingly this is one song that isn’t darker and heavier in concert. Prince’s message is preachy, but often I forget to listen to what he is singing, and I just follow the music. His message is very important to him, these two songs are first up and right in your face, but I don’t think the message derails the show at all. 

His comments about real music by real musicians lead us directly into “Pop Life.” I hadn’t expected this song to pop up on this tour, but like many other forgotten gems he played it regularly on this tour, and he does make it fit with his sound at that time, the keyboard solo by Renato Neto in particular is a nice bridge between his past and present sound, and listening to it I realize that it’s not anything new, I am just hearing it in a different context. The pop aspect of Pop Life is there, but the jazzy side of it also feels a little stronger in this setting. Just as I was thinking about that, Prince makes it far more explicit when he says “Life it ain’t too funky, unless it’s got that Jazz” and Candy Duffer takes a moment to play. Again it’s not too much of a stretch for the song, and it has a nice upbeat jazz ending, and Prince even throws in a little scream. 

 

Prince declares pop music is dead then the music of “Xenophobia” begins. The crowd is subdued as Prince asks them “who came to get their Purple Rain on? You at the wrong party” The horns enter and play with the heavier sounding groove before Greg Bower gets a moment to play, and although I think trombones are desperately uncool, I do enjoy it, especially when Prince gets the crowd to yell encouragement to him. John Blackwell also gets a moment to solo, and I can hear how well he is playing, but the recording doesn’t pick it up as well as I would have liked. I should imagine that it would be pretty bone-shaking if I was there, but the recording doesn’t have depth or heaviness to it. Prince prefaces his “Is it better to give or receive” speech with “who speaks English?” A wise move to check first I should think. The spoken section of the song is still enjoyable, even though I have heard it plenty of times. It never becomes grating and I like his casual interaction with the audience. Things heat up after the chat, with some guitar playing that becomes faster and more aggressive before a big drum roll takes us back into the lead line. As the song ends there is some more of Prince talking, and there is a nice moment when he asks “did you miss me?” After the applause, he quietly says “I missed you too” as the music of “Money Doesn’t Matter 2 Night” begins. 

 

I am no fan of the Diamonds and Pearls album, but I love “Money Doesn’t Matter 2 Night.” One of Prince's political songs, it manages to strike a good balance between music and lyrics. The recording isn’t brilliant, but it is good enough and I listen to it carefully. Candy Duffer gets the sax solo, and she plays it well, but always sounds slightly restrained. This band is a good match for the song, and it plays to their smooth jazz sound. And I am just pleased to hear it in the set list, it’s very much a song that needs to be played more often. The sax gets better and better through the song, and near the end, it holds a nice steady long note which brings us to an end. A great song and this is a very good version. 

 

I was listening to “A Case Of U” last week from the 1983 First Ave show, and now 20 years after that I am hearing it again. This one is different in that it’s not Prince and his guitar, its Prince and his piano. The lyrics are however just as beautiful as ever. Some of the emotion is gone in the performance, but that has been replaced with a very professional smoothness. The rest of the band play quietly behind Prince, but they are loud enough that the lyrics are no longer front and centre. The piano playing does carry more emotion so it is somewhat of a trade-off. I am not convinced that this is a better version, but I can’t deny that it does have a charm to it. It does lose me near the end with the final coda and some quirky sounds. It sabotages the emotion and goodwill that the song had earlier built up. 

Another long funk jam next with “The Work (Part 1).” It has a much more standard sort of sound to it, and to my ears sounds a lot like we hear on Musicology. It's led by Prince and the horns, and for me, it picks up when Eric Leeds begins to solo. He doesn’t play too wild or loose, but his playing is unexpected and goes in directions I can’t predict. I was going to dismiss this song as not much but a couple of minutes of Eric playing make it all worthwhile. The song drops back a notch as Prince engages the crowd and gets a couple on stage for a dance contest. As I said earlier I do enjoy that he is casual and relaxed with his interactions with the crowd, but it doesn’t always make for great listening here at home. There was a moment that made me smile when Prince tells his audience to get on the two and four, and they go on the one and three. The rest of the audience becomes involved when Prince gets them to sing “Got a lot of work to do”  There is more chat with the crowd as Prince chastises one of them for celebrating their birthday, I feel it’s a little unfair in a public situation, but it is what it is. All in all, it’s a fun song, and nice to see Prince at home on stage. 

 

“Extraordinary” is ordinary. It’s nice-sounding, but to be honest it is a Prince ballad by numbers. I like the horn lines in it, and the piano playing is good, but vocally I feel like I have heard it all before. Candy saves the day for me, with some sweet sax that takes the song up a gear. She plays for a couple of minutes before an appreciative cheer from the audience. There is then a piano solo that doesn’t reach the same heights as Candy’s playing. When we return to Prince singing he seems to have found another gear, and I enjoy him singing out far more than I did at the start of the song. 

I am far more into “Mellow” as he plays it. It engages me right from the start and holds me all the way through. I can’t remember the last time I heard this, but I think it’s something I should play more often. The band plays smoothly along, with an edge added by the bass and keys. Prince sings around it a lot, and I also find myself drifting back, again and again, to listen to the flute. Prince’s voice is alluring and I listen to him carefully even though I don’t know what he is singing about. The best part of the song is when he sings alone, and it’s a vocal highlight. A great moment in the show. 

I expected “1+1+1=3” to be an extended jam, but I didn’t expect it to be quite as good, and as long as what we have here. Clocking in at over 20 minutes it has plenty of twists and turns. There are some great moments, and also some less-than-great moments. I like the main groove of the song, and the guitar line playing under it all. It's highlighted for half a minute when the band stops and leaves the guitar playing alone before the kick drum comes back in and the song continues. Prince does sing several lines of “Housequake,” but I am never a fan of when he sings it over other songs. There is a funky moment as the crowd starts chanting “we want the funk”. The band briefly stops as the chant continues, before the pounding beat of John Blackwell brings the song back. With some more guitar, the band very briefly plays “Love Rollercoaster,” another cover I don’t have much time for, but here it is very short with no singing and much funkier for it. Later the funk guitar becomes less prevalent and a heavier groove comes from the band as Prince begins to play more lead guitar. There is a further highlight after this with some fantastic horn playing. The song then becomes just a great groove and the band stays on it. The whole thing then lurches into a deep wonderful-sounding Berlin jam. The song ends with Prince spelling out Berlin a couple of times over an ominous piano riff. What an amazing jam, and one I won’t tire of for some time. 

 

“The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” brings things down again. Without the full-on audio assault, the recording sounds thin on this one. “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” is another song that fits in well with this band and its jazz sensibilities. It stretched out more than on the album, and after a nice piano interlude, Eric Leeds gets some time to solo before Renato comes back with another piano break. It’s inoffensive, but I never get the feeling that it’s anything more. I was hoping the band would go even further with it, but they play it relatively safe. There is a big finish with John Blackwell on the drums before a final fade, and by the end, I am thinking this is a wasted opportunity for this band to do what they do best. Of course, the recording doesn’t do it any favors so perhaps I am being overly harsh. 

I perk up when “Strollin’” begins. The evening is changing its feel as it progresses. There is a lead guitar break early on that I enjoy, and then the rest of the song is reasonably predictable. The piano break is however a nice touch, and something I hadn’t heard before. There is a sax solo that follows it, adding more color even if I don’t like it too much. I have heard much better versions of Strollin on earlier tours, and this one doesn’t compare to them. It’s nice to see it in the setlist, a shame it’s not what I expected. 

 

“Gotta Broken Heart Again” gets off to a slow start, then draws me in once Prince begins to sing. He’s on form here, his vocals are smooth and velvety until he eases back and Eric Leeds plays a gentle floating solo. Although I would say the recording is good, it is unbalanced, and that is quite apparent here as every time the drum plays it swamps all the other instruments. The best part of the song is when it is just Prince and his piano. 

Prince next does his spoken-word piece about his strange relationship with radio (I think you know where this is heading). He only speaks a few lines before the band kick into “Strange Relationship,” and I am very happy as this is one song that always sounds great live. It’s played with great gusto on this recording, and the bass and keyboards in particular are to the fore. Prince seems to derive a lot of energy from the song, and he sings with great enthusiasm. Rhonda gets her moment in the spotlight with the bass groove to end the song, and even though it sounds good, I know that live it would have been even better. I loved hearing it here, I just wish this was a soundboard. It could have gone for longer too, Prince keeps it on a tight leash here before the next song begins. 

 

Things take a guitar turn as Prince calls “Turn me up Scotty, crank this up” as his guitar intro to “When You Were Mine” begins. This song has never dated to my ears, it still has a freshness to it that is hard to ignore. Prince gives it a standard run-through, and his guitar does sound nice and crisp all the way through. His vocals aren’t as full-on as I have heard on other recordings but his guitar is what I am listening to on this one. He does play a brief solo as the song reaches the end, but it's down in the mix, and I have to listen carefully to get maximum enjoyment from it. 

The guitar is turned up to 11 for the next song as Prince rips into “Whole Lotta Love.” The opening riff is iconic and Prince more than does it justice. His falsetto is a surprisingly good suit for the song, and he unleashes some screams and yells that Robert Plant would be proud of. This performance isn’t about the song though, it’s about Prince and his guitar playing ability.  The first couple of minutes is just the entree before Prince turns his guitar up and begins to go wild. This is the solo I have been waiting for, it’s completely unhinged and wild sounding. At two minutes long it sounds much longer as a lot is going on in there, it is like being in a storm. Near the end of his solo, there is a frenzied yell from someone in the crowd who is enjoying it as much as I am. Prince himself ends the solo with a scream, before returning to singing the verses. Princes singing over the breakdown is almost as good as the solo, and a great way to segue into the next song. 

 

The next song is “Family Name,” and the transition from “Whole Lotta Love” is dark and brooding as Prince gives a spoken intro about being disconnected from his past. The music does brighten as the band and horns play more, but sadly the song is dragged down by the lyrics. However, I do manage to ignore them long enough to enjoy the music and the band. The bass-heavy finish is overworked, and my overall feeling by the end is “I’m pleased that’s over” 

“Take Me With U” is far more easygoing, and much more familiar for the crowd, I can easily hear them singing during the song. There is a little distortion on the recording, but it’s only a few seconds worth. In all fairness, I have probably heard this too many times over the years, and I am by now somewhat jaded. It is however very enjoyable, including the inevitable segue into “Raspberry Beret.” 

 

Over the opening chords, Prince again speaks to the crowd, telling them “Music is art, for it to remain that way it must ask hard questions, and that’s what we’re trying to do tonight”. It has me scratching my head, several times he has talked about asking hard questions, buts it’s hard to know what those questions are. “Raspberry Beret” is a feel-good sing-along song for the crowd, they have plenty of chances to sing through the song, and Prince does call for the house lights to be turned on, adding further to the casual atmosphere. The song ends with the crowd singing one final line, and without pause, Prince calls the next song. 

“The Everlasting Now” follows, and once again the horns are to the front. Although I am not a great fan of “The Everlasting Now,” I do find myself dancing and singing along with it. I become even more animated when Prince plays his “Santana medley” midsong. It’s only for a couple of minutes, and a great couple of minutes they are. Not only Prince and his guitar, but there is also plenty of horns and keyboards thrown into the mix as well. Prince thanks the crowd as the band plays its way back into the Everlasting now. The latter part of the song is more jam-like, and Eric Leeds has another solo. His is the last moment in the song, as he closes his solo, Prince calls “thank you and good night” 

 

Prince resumes with only a piano for company, and begins the next part of the set with an appropriate rendition of “One Night Alone.” It’s not a song I am overly familiar with, and I find myself enjoying it on this recording. The lyrics are a nice fit for the beginning of the piano set and as Prince sings “are you ready for one night alone, with me” he segues easily into “Adore.” 

For some reason, I don’t immediately recognize it, and I am kicking myself once I pick up the lyrics. “Adore” has been overplayed in my house for years, yet it is still a song that I come back to. It was such a big part of my teenage years, and I still appreciate the sentiment and feeling in it, as well as the dash of humor. I find this version a little slight, it is gentle on the piano, and Prince doesn’t push the vocals too hard. The recording is nice and clean without all the band, and the piano set is the cleanest part of the recording. Prince plays a truncated version, there is a section where he scats – skipping some verses before he brings it gently to a close with a piano flourish and a final refrain. 

 

“The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” gets quite a cheer from the crowd, and I am sure more than a few of them are disappointed when Prince sings the opening line before moving on. 

“Condition Of The Heart” really gets my pulse racing. Another long-time favorite, I am overjoyed to hear it here. Someone in the audience agrees with me, and there is an audible “Yeah!” from the crowd. He doesn’t play a full version, electing to instead sing the first verse, and then play piano for a minute or so. I can’t complain too much about it, I love what we have here, and it takes me right back. 

I could have predicted that “Diamonds and Pearls” would appear in the piano set, I just didn’t expect it to be quite as short as it is. As is his way, it only gets a brief play, it’s very nice but frustratingly short. 

For me, things get back on track with a full rendition of “The Beautiful Ones.” The band is back behind him as he plays, and it’s a shame that the recording loses Prince a shade behind the drums. I enjoy the piano and especially the singing, it’s disappointing that the drum beat comes across as just too loud in places. The horns play great, especially as a counterpoint against Prince's vocals in the latter part of the song. Prince’s vocals sound a little tired near the end of the song, then again maybe I am being too harsh on one of my favorite songs. 

 

The crowd gives an appreciative cheer to “Nothing Compares 2 U,” and then goes on to trade lines with Prince throughout the song. After the first verse/chorus Candy Dulfer comes to the fore with an exquisite sax solo, before Prince comes back for the next verse. The audience is well warmed up by this stage, and singing in a strong voice as the song comes to the end. A nice concert moment and one captured well on the recording. 

I was excited when I heard “Condition Of The Heart,” but I am even more so when I hear the beginning of “The Ladder” from the same album. This takes on more importance here, as mid-song Prince delivers a monologue that comes back to some of the themes he has already commented on earlier in the evening. The early part of the song is very faithful to what is heard on the album, then with a call of “break it down NPG” Prince begins his speech. He speaks of the troubles worldwide (pre 9/11) He urges the crowd to stop looking at the differences between people and concentrate on the similarities. He talks for some time, before ending with “Naw, I didn’t come to preach, but I gotta get that out” and then gets the crowd on board for a singalong of the chorus. It’s very uplifting, and with Eric Leeds again playing it’s a classic concert moment. 

I was thinking it would be a fantastic way to close the show, and then Prince goes on to play “Starfish And Coffee.” Although very short, it’s a very sweet song and again showcases another one of Prince's famous piano songs. 

 

“Sometimes It Snows In April” follows, and I am loving how many of these old songs Prince is pulling out. He doesn’t overplay it, with just him and the piano with the merest sound of the band behind him. His voice is as smooth as you could expect, and I just close my eyes and enjoy the moment. I am surprised that the crowd doesn’t try to sing along with the final few lines, they are respectfully silent to the end. Prince finishes the song to a round of applause, before beginning to play more on the piano. 

He begins by telling the crowd “I always say I ain’t gonna play this song, and I always end up playing it anyway. I’m just trying to move on with my life” He then speaks for another couple of lines, before playing the opening chords of “Purple Rain” on the piano. There is a quiet cheer from the crowd and then the band comes in. Although not a great version, it is still very enjoyable. As the crowd sings the chorus you can hear him beginning to work the guitar, and it’s far more audible as the second verse begins. Then with a simple “good night” he begins to solo. As much as I sometimes tire of Purple Rain, I always find something to enjoy in the solo. This one proves true to form, it manages to be as I expect, but still with a twist or turn for me to latch onto. Prince rallies the crowd with a final speech before they sing in one voice “ooohh, ooohh, ooohh” The song and the show end with Prince intoning “peace and be wild” before the final sounds of the keys and the strings à la the album recording. 

I knew there was a good reason I remembered this one – it was a long long show. Covering almost 3 CDs, it was worth the time invested in it to take a listen, my only recommendation would be don’t try and blog about it. The show was a good representation of the ONA tour, and I got a lot of enjoyment out of listening to some of the songs thrown into the setlist. This configuration of the NPG was very versatile and worked well with some of his more jazz-infused songs heard here and for that I applaud them. Even though it was a good recording rather than great, it never overly detracted from my enjoyment. It was worth every minute.