Las Vegas 11 November 2006 (am)

 I have for too long skimmed over the 3121 performances in Las Vegas. It’s not that I don’t like them, it’s just that there is such an array of concerts and styles circulating from this period, that it is hard to know where to begin. It doesn’t help that my catalog system for these shows is in disarray, mostly because some releases throw together a bunch of unconnected shows from this run, leaving my carefully laid dating system in ruins. Anyway, that is neither here nor there, what is important is today I will finally come back to these recordings, and what better place to begin than the first concert of the series. 

There are several bootlegs of this concert in circulation, I have decided to listen to the 4daFunk release, purely because I find myself drawn to the artwork. The Pure Funk release is more complete (it has the entire opening song) but I find I listen to this one much more. As for the concert itself, there are very few surprises to be found, it is a straightforward performance that lives little room for spontaneity or long improvised jams, instead, Prince chooses to romp through his setlist in an uninspiring rush. There are moments I cherish, but overall this is a standard show, and there is little to distinguish it from other shows at the time. 

 

11th November (am) 2006  3121@Rio Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas 

The first minutes of “Spirituality” (Controversy) is missing, and although I have said the setlist is uninspiring, I do find this opening song coming at me in a breathless rush that raises hopes that this may deliver more than I remember. There may not be fire, but there is a spark to this opening number. 

The promise made by “Spirituality” comes good with “Johnny B. Goode”, Prince’s guitar bursting into flame at the appropriate moments, engulfing the recording in a fierce fire that even a jaded guitar guy like myself can appreciate. It isn’t as freewheeling as we hear in after-shows, but it does get my pulse racing, and Prince tears it up. Prince’s final shout of “Thank you, and good night” is entirely appropriate, as it does indeed sound like a final hit-out before the close of a show. 

I like the pop of “Lolita,” but I have found that as time has gone on it has lost its initial charm. The song is still young at this show, but ten years on it has reached middle age, and it has not aged well. It’s not helped by recording dropouts, and as much as I try to find something positive in the song, it does sound like Prince is on autopilot. 

The following “Black Sweat” is also lifeless, something of a surprise for me as this is one song that usually delivers a defibrillator-size jolt to concerts. In this case, it is dead on arrival, and although the recording is very good at this point, the performance remains flat. 

“So many hits, so little time,” sets alarm bells ringing for me and I am rewarded with a standard rendition of “Kiss.” This is Prince by the numbers, there is zero variation or inspiring moments, and the song remains insipid despite my hopes for something, anything, to happen. Still, a great song is a great song, and “Kiss” sounds fine on the recording, I enjoy it much more when I put aside my expectations and just go with the flow. 

“Shhh” has the opening I want, but it isn’t anywhere near as powerful as I would like, and it is not until the music pulls back that I find I can begin to enjoy it. Like the preceding “Kiss,” it is far more enjoyable when I put asides any preconceptions and just enjoy what I am hearing. In this case, it is a cleanly recorded, cleanly played, rendition of a classic from his catalog. I may wish it to be an electrifying and muscular performance, but this is Prince playing it straight and the lean rendition we get is anorexic compared to the original. It is what it is, and in the car or playing in the background, it would be great, but listening close with headphones it makes me wish for some of the other performances I have heard over the years. 

 

“Musicology” suffers further in this flat performance, there is no guitar solo to inject passion or to shock the listener into an emotional response, and its light funk is lost in the easy mix and sound. I can’t quite put my finger on what is missing, but it never quite feels like the party that Prince wants it to be. There is a brief section in the middle where I think I may have misjudged it, but the second half droops again and leaves me feeling deflated. 

I find that “Cream” is an easy listen, but there is nothing there to raise it above anything else heard in the evening. The band sounds much stronger though, and I am beginning to warm to the gig again at this stage. 

The guitar again cuts through this smooth funk, and heralds in the arrival of “U Got The Look.” It is by the numbers, the guitar may kick and start in Prince's hands, but it never breaks free into the rampant guitar storm that I half hope for. The stomp keeps the concert moving, however, and it does lead us tidily into the following moment. 

It is pleasing to hear Prince take his time with “Joy In Repetition.” At first, I feel I am immune to its charms, yet sure enough, I am singing with Prince word for word as the song builds. It is the sort of song and performance that one can easily inhale, and exhale at your leisure. I dwell on the song as long as I can, reveling in its intoxicating and heady sound, and although it isn’t the first performance I would reach for, the song is still strong enough that it works its black magic on me despite its straight performance. 

There is a low-key, percussive opening to “17 Days,” which to my ears doesn’t serve it well. There is a further disappointment when I hear that it isn’t Prince on vocal duties, rather it is the Twinz that warble their way through the song. To add insult to injury, they butcher some of the lyrics, and to be honest I would rather not hear the song at all than hear it like this. “17 Days” in the setlist should have been the highlight, instead it is the nadir. 

 

Things improve considerably with “7.” Prince pushes it out to twelve minutes, and in this time he gives himself space to speak to the crowd, ad-lib lyrics and makes the song a much stronger statement than the previous moments. It’s not a bold statement, but it is music with a stronger backbone, and it finally feels like Prince is connecting with the music and the crowd. That is until the final minutes when he crosses the line into preaching. Several members of the audience can be heard complaining about it, and I am temporarily taken out of the moment by it. 

A rocked-up version “Anotherloverholenyohead,” oh yes, now we’re talking. For the first time, I feel like letting out a whoop as I feel my body moving involuntarily to the music. The Twinz may be a touch too high in the mix for me, but there is plenty of grunt and muscle in Prince's guitar that keeps me firmly focused. The climax comes with the predictable, but worthy, segue into an impassioned “Rock Lobster.” The guitar is enraged as its fury spews forth, a wave of powerful anger that has me forgiving the previous hour. The guitar rages on after the music stops, briefly touching on “The Cross” before the band reengages for one final assault and drive to the finish. 

A change of direction next, but a welcome one, as Prince eases into a groove-laden “If I Was Your Girlfriend” As enjoyable as it is, there is still an undercurrent of funk that is missing. The band plays with precision, but little of the soul I have come to expect, and as much as I find my head bobbing to the song, it is not quite the knockout punch we have come to expect. 

The radio-friendly sheen of “Pink Cashmere” works surprisingly well at this moment, I sit enraptured as Prince works the lyrics and the crowd to his will. On the recording side of things, there is a loud snap that is, well, just too loud. It detracts from Mike Phillips's solo, something that again raises the disappointment feeling within me as I always look forward to his contributions. I never recover from this feeling and even as the song stretches to ten minutes, I can’t recapture that feeling and the warm glow from early on. 

 

I am back on board for a compelling rendition of “Fury.” It comes and goes in a flash, but it does draw a line in the sand. For some reason the guitar-driven songs at this concert seem to have a lot more energy to them than the funk jams, surprising given that Prince is normally so good at presenting both in an enthusiastic and impressive package. The final minute has a real bite to it, and I can only wonder how this concert could have played out if all the songs had been played with such intensity. 

It’s not necessary to have five minutes of audience noise between encores on the bootleg, but  4daFunk has put it there anyway, for the completists I guess. “Purple Rain” is entirely predictable at this point of the concert, and as you might expect it sounds just as it always has since 1984. I could almost sing the guitar solo note for note by now, especially here as Prince adds not one bit of improvisation or unpredictability to his playing. He is going through the motions, and in this case, it sounds as if he is just as tired of the song as some of the hard-core fan community. 

“Let’s Go Crazy” rounds out the concert with an upbeat finish. It’s joyless and rather sums up the evening's performance. It all sounds very nice, but is shallow and leaves me wishing for something more substantial. It is very short and whips the crowd up one last time before Prince calls for their love. 

Ok, so I didn’t love this concert. On the plus side, it did sound good and had a couple of my favorites in the setlist. What was missing was a sense of urgency. The songs meandered, even when they were short, and there was a lack of depth to the performance. I was hoping something of interest would be thrown up in the melee, but it was just a standard run-through of his radio-friendly hits. No doubt I will return to this recording in the future, like I said earlier, it would be OK in the background, or the car, but as for an intensive listening experience, I would happily pass on it. Like Prince says, all that glitters ain’t gold. 

New York 17 June 2006 (am)

 I have always had an affection for the cover of this 4DF/Akashic bootleg. I was immediately taken by it when I saw the artwork, the butter theme worked throughout the packaging makes for a cohesive package that matches the name of the venue – Butter, New York. A sampling of the recording within suggests that it doesn’t match the artwork in professional sheen, but that matters little as the performance it captures is stupendous. This is Prince in 2006 unleashing his entire arsenal across a sprawling almost-three hour set, an array of guests including Sheila E, Questlove, Tamar, and an exotic mix of cover versions and more familiar tunes from Prince’s considerable catalog. It all makes for a heady mix which even the subpar audience recording (admittedly recorded under testing conditions) can’t detract from. I have not heard this for some time, and I must admit after reacquainting myself with the setlist I find myself quietly looking forward to hearing it again. 

17th June 2006 (a.m.), Butter, New York 

A wall-shaking, floor-quaking, bass-driven instrumental “Peach” doesn’t so much open the door on this performance as it blows it off its hinges in a supernova of an opening. This is “Peach” pumped full of steroids and given an extra dose of funk from the band, the horns and bass pulling it down from its rock n roll perch and into the sweat and groove of the dance floor. The “it ain’t over chant” carries the momentum, anything thought that this is a band playing to an audience disappears as the structure of a concert dissolves into a communal experience and performance. This isn’t a gig, this is a party. Prince’s guitar does appear through the cracks of this funk groove, not rocking but instead swept along with the jam, the groove remaining unflinching in the face of all that is thrown into it. Prince’s guitar continues to bash at the walls of the song, eleven minutes isn’t long enough to contain its internal fury, and as the song progresses its molten sound pours through the cracks. 

Prince was never one to be boxed by a single sound, or idea, nor was he one to be defined by a single genre, so it comes as no surprise to my seasoned ears to hear him going in a completely different direction for his next song “Te Amo Corazón.” The song highlights the horn section, perhaps even more so as the bootleg does no favors to Prince’s vocals. The horns are transportive in their tone, and we drift far from the sound of the nightclub as they play. Prince’s lightness on guitar matches them for exotic tone, but as always it comes back to the quality of the recording which in this case steals the heart of the song – Prince’s delicate vocal arrangement. 

 

As “Forever In My Life” plays, one can already feel “Everyday People” gently rolling underneath, just waiting for its moment to surface late in the song. Prince wore his influences openly as his career progressed, exposing his heroes openly in covering their music. It’s no surprise to hear “Everyday People” in the setlist, although it is a surprise that Larry doesn’t appear to play with him, as he was so often wont to do. Prince’s performance doesn’t provide an edge or insight to the song, it is played with love rather than a chance to stretch out into new territories. 

Emerging out of the swamp with a slow burn and glowing eyes comes the primordial “The Ride.” Lean and slow-driven, it is the keyboard that leads it through the performance, the music only parting for the horns to add some brightness to what is otherwise and smoky and slow sound. “The Ride” was made for a slow marinade like this, and nothing is rushed as the groove lumbers into view. It is served remarkably well by the bootleg, with very little vocals the music comes to the fore, the groove trapped in amber, still very much alive as we listen thirteen years later. Prince’s guitar rises later in the piece, holding the groove underwater as he drowns it in an intense guitar-soaked fury. The is no anger in his playing, just coldblooded precision that is its own energy. 

This is of course at the height of the Támar Davis era, so it is only natural that she appears on the bootleg for the next few songs, beginning with Aretha Frankin’s “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You).” It is a song that we should appreciate more these days with the passing of the Queen Of Soul, and this version here marks just how great the gulf was between Aretha and everyone else. Támar hits all her spots, but she is no match for the raw power of the original, and listening to this performance has me further mourning the death of Aretha. 

I had been listening to “Love Changes” for years before I realized it was by Mother’s Finest. With Támar at the helm, the easy movement of the opening verse opens up to an expansive chorus where the soul of the song and revealed, allowing Prince to provide a celebratory guitar solo that touches the soul without setting fire to it. Yes, I do love this song, and for good reason, it has a natural ease to it, it seems to flow effortlessly from the hands of the musicians, and Prince gives it just enough of his rough guitar bluster to lift it from pop/rock to rock/pop. 

 

There is an unhurried opening to “Come Together” and “The Chain,” an opening that manages to straddle both songs without decisively coming down one way or another. Prince puts an abrupt end to any doubt that lingers in my mind with his lowkey, almost casual delivery, of the lyrics for “the Chain.” The song crawls on its belly, barely raising a pulse until Prince pulls the chorus into the light and the song truly reveals itself. It is a curious choice for a cover version, and as far as I am aware this is the only time Prince played it. It is hard to reconcile it with my thoughts of what a song Prince covers should sound like, but Prince is always Prince, and his final guitar break before the segue into “Come Together” sees him digging deep into his toolbox to produce a solo worthy of his talent, the guitar shuddering and whinnying in his hands. “Come Together” undoes most of this pressure that had been building, the sing-a-long releasing the pent-up tension in the room with a rush that opens the door for another solo by Prince, a solo that crackles and sizzles beneath the noise of the recording. 

With Támar again on the microphone for “When A Man Loves A Woman” the concert takes another turn through this musical labyrinth, the soul of the band given a chance to leech out and soak the recording in its warm organic feel. The feel is right, but to my ears, there is no real heart to it, and I find myself listening to the band far more than Támar. It is a pleasant diversion that leaves me wishing there was more invested in it, along with the wish that there had have had more songs like this in the set. Yes, I’m conflicted, but only because this is the music that plucks the strings of my heart and I would like to indulge myself for a while. 

“Redhead Stepchild” is sung by Támar, but there is no doubt who it belongs to as Prince razes all before him with a searing guitar riff from the start. Sounding like a long-forgotten Mother’s Finest outtake, Prince and Támar tear the song up on stage just hours after performing it on Good Morning America. Prince’s guitar work is the engine that powers the song, Támar merely a hood ornament as the NPG drives behind Prince, the band adding muscle to Prince’s rock n roll fury. The sound deteriorates on the recording later in the song, but the song has already rewarded those that took the ride. 

 

Prince played “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” consistently from 1992 to 2015, and as such this song is just as familiar in setlists as “Purple Rain” is in main concerts. With that in mind, there is nothing new in this rendition, and the move into “Play That Funky Music (White Boy)” threatens to turn the song into a stale rehash of all we have heard before. The call for a guitar solo, and subsequent six-stringed response from Prince, promises to bloom into something new, but sadly it’s all smoke and mirrors, and Prince’s solo blows away in the breeze as fast as it arrives. 

I like that “Partyman” comes to us at a slightly slower pace, the music still retaining its funk, but now given more time to brew as Prince and the band dwell on the sprightly horns, and the rubbery bass that stretches back and forth underneath. The song is retooled for this show – the vocals barely exist as the horns carry the weight and expectation, along with a heavy dose of funk, for most of the song. Prince’s largest contribution probably comes at the end with his hoarse cry of “Las Vegas!” 

“Partyman” feels like a throwaway as a heavyweight “3121” casts its considerable shadow across the recording, a crushing version rolling out across the sonic vista banishing the brightness of the horns from the previous song with its dark and suffocating groove. The recording bends under the weight of this behemoth performance, the crackles and limitations of the recording put to the test as the song unfurls its heavy funk. The horns are still present, now with a somber tone that is befitting of this serious and solemn funk and they can be heard early before Prince reveals himself with a flash of guitar work emerging from the bleakness. It is a powerhouse performance of a slab of granite-like funk, leaving me wondering as it stretches across twelve minutes, why wasn’t this played more often? It was played in 2006,2007 and 2009 and then disappeared. With Prince welding a substantial guitar solo to the second half of the song, there is something for the rockers as well as the funkers, the song sprawling in length yet remaining tightly focused throughout. Prince’s final “You can go if you want to, but you can never leave,” sounds far more like a promise than a threat. 

 

Oh, and Prince can do pop, as his following “Lolita” clearly demonstrates. Ignore the lyrics and enjoy the pureness of the melody and beat, the music remains uplifting even as the lyrics feel inappropriate, especially in this day and age. As the song plays we are a million miles away from the previous “3121,” the concert opening a trapdoor on us as we slide into a brighter world. 

The genre-jumping continues apace, “Satisfied” ticking the appropriate ballad box. It flashes by in an instant in comparison to a lot of the other jams on this recording, its slickness almost it's undoing as it glides by. Prince and the horns do conjure up the required magic, and, unfortunately, this isn’t a better recording as this remains a little too rough to do justice to the craft that is being displayed on stage. 

I want to write about “Black Sweat” but the recording becomes challenging at this stage, it remains audible but less balanced, and it is a high hat that dominates in my ears early while in the sonic distance I can hear the familiar electronic strains of “Black Sweat.” We remain a distant lover as Prince and the band continues to play in a different dimension from the recording, and I feel the first flush of disappointment in the recording at this point. There are moments when the song becomes stronger than the mix, but it only adds to my feelings of frustration. The best moments come with the chorus, the rest I will have to take a pass on. 

The biggest hit to appear in the setlist is “Kiss,” but Prince shows no reverence towards it as he gives us a heavily abridged edition that is enough to remind us that it exists before he puts it back in its box. The crowd enjoys it well enough, but one gets the feeling that Prince would rather play something more substantial. 

The substantial song would be the following “Joy In Repetition,” and paired with “All I Want Is You” it dominates the next block of music with its smoky and otherworldly sound. Támar is back to help with vocal duties, and coupled with a melancholic horn line, she delivers a sultry rendition of “All I Want Is You” over the “Joy In Repetition Music,” demonstrating the flexibility of the song as Prince reshapes it around her. There is an audible gasp as Prince comes to the microphone for the song proper, and he doesn’t fail to deliver, the story unfolding from his lips, drawing us all into his world as he spins his magic. Like a wizard, one can almost hear the mists enveloping him as he pulls his guitar out to cast one last spell before vanishing into the ether. The guitar break sums up all that has come before, and one final flurry of notes signals the end of the song. 

 

An unburnished and jagged-edged “Anotherloverholenyohead” punches holes in the poor recording, bursting out in places with its raw knuckled sound. Prince’s guitar snakes and snarls through the song, bringing the recording to life with its insistent and undeniable fury rising out of the crackling tape. The final “Rock Lobster” coda sets my inner teenager aflame with its cool rage, and it feels like the only way Prince could end this song. 

“If I Was Your Girlfriend” doesn’t have the same power to overwhelm the dusty quality of the recording, and although I can hear everything, the sound comes muddled, sometimes the bass has my ear, while at other times it is Prince who is at the forefront of the mix. There are moments where things settle and the song wins my heart, but for the most part, the recording holds us all hostage to its inadequacies. 

A staccato piano riff opens the door on the final song of the evening as Prince pulls several strands together in a final mashup of “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me/Be Happy.” Tamar delivers “Be Happy” in a smooth style that, although satisfying, does little to lay the ghosts of the recording to rest. In a mid-tempo jam, there is plenty of time for the band to contribute, and with Questlove on the drums, there is an extra element of interest in the performance. I can’t see Questlove playing, but in my minds-eye, I can see his happy grin as the drums play with joyous freedom throughout his allotted solo. Some lyrical bass has me smiling too, as the band brings the song to a slow boil. This is the type of jam that we would never hear on the record, it only exists in the magic of shows such as this, and one can feel elemental forces combining as Prince builds the performance into a life-affirming celebration. Hopping and bopping, funking and freaking, this is Prince doing everything he does in one twenty-minute all-encompassing blizzard of a performance. The show to this point has been stupendous, and Prince doesn’t ease off the accelerator at all as this song keeps the party and groove rolling right until the final raining cymbal washes across the recording. 

 

There is an uneasy balance to this recording. The marathon concert and otherworldly performance are tempered by the less-than-stellar recording. The taper has done a fine job under difficult circumstances, and I applaud them for that, as we would all be all the poorer if this recording didn’t exist. This is one of the great Prince concerts, and, surprisingly, people don’t speak of it more often. Playing with renewed vigor after his resurgence in the previous two years, Prince is staking his place among the greats with this concert that spans not only three hours, but a lifetime of live performances. People may be wary of the quality of the recording, but that is all but forgotten as the music and show obliterate all other thoughts – it is not a perfect bootleg, but it comes close to being a perfect show. 

Auburn Hills 31 July 2004

 Detroit – yes. Pro-shot – yes. Complete show – unfortunately not. But the forty minutes of circulating footage of Detroit in 2004 contains the essence of the concert as it cherry-picks the songs that create the biggest splash. Even at forty minutes, it is still essential to view as Prince and his band play to some of Prince’s greatest strengths with a party song, a ballad, some scorching guitar work, and then at the heart of the show, Prince at his purest with just him and his songs as he highlights that more than anything else he was one of the greatest songwriters. It’s a heady mix, and I look forward to watching this again just as much as any live show I have listened to in the last year. 

July 31st, 2004,  The Palace of Auburn Hills,  Auburn Hills, Michigan 

The concert is about history, both Prince’s history and the history of music itself (and subsequently his place in that history). This is made clear from the first minute as Prince opens with “Musicology,” a song that not only name-checks the musical past, but draws directly from it with its sound, and I might add with some of the personnel Prince has on board, especially if we consider Maceo Parker and Greg Boyer in the band. There is a further nod to Prince’s own past with his suit, a subtle acknowledgment of his purple era. “Musicology” comes as a parade celebrating all of this, each band member a float that pays homage to the past, both musically and with an underlying sense of Americana. Prince leads this parade, feeling the music as much as he is singing it, his body flowing with the rhythm, a performance that touches all the senses. Next to go by is Greg Boyer, his horn bringing the sound of classic R n B to the fore, a distinctive Americana sound hard-coded into his style. John Blackwell storms by, arms flailing, the percussion propelling the song forward to Rhonda, who along with Mike Scott brings the funk back, blanketing the song with a familiar funk and roll, before we rock back into the finish with the song itself as it draws a straight line back through the last sixty years of American music. 

 

Prince puts all his cards on the table from the start for “Shhh,” face-up, all aces. The rest of the band can’t match him, and the rolling drums of John Blackwell see the chips and cards go flying as the battle for the soul of the song commences. It is short-lived, Prince’s opening guitar note arching through the air, a knife-like flash, before he plunges it deep into the heart of the song, skewering the song to an emotional core that had only previously been hinted at in the opening verses. No matter how you come by this, old fan looking back, new fan discovering, a rocker here for the axe, or a player for the seduction, the guitar break remains the impenetrable, immovable, cold steel that is the very essence of the mood Prince seeks to create. Even as Prince smothers the song in a vocal delivery that matches the blue lighting, it is this guitar that demands you take notice as it ventures into sonic territory that no words could ever hope to penetrate. The final death rattle that unfurls from Prince’s fingers underlines all that has come before and is the only possible ending to such a song. 

 

“D.M.S.R” is a wild ride, even by Prince standards, and is as funky as the previous “Shhh” was deep. Prince uncages the inner beast that lay dormant on the album recording, and here it is unleashed in all its glory. On the record “D.M.S.R’ is as smooth as the fur of a lap dog, here it is a wild beast in the way it fiercely grabs the listener, forcing them to move in one way or another lest they be eaten alive by the groove that obliterates all in its path. The song briefly becomes circus-like with Prince’s clowning and diversion into Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love,” before Prince flips it into a celebration of his band, a celebration that one must stand for as Maceo and the band play not just to the heart, but to the feet. It is the final minute where Prince well and truly smashes through the artificial construct of the album cut as he drags the carcass of the song through the wall that separates audience and performer, bringing himself, band, and audience together to “dip down!”  in a moment that embodies the live concert experience where audience and performer become one in the celebration of music. If there was ever a moment where a bootleg captures the live experience, this is it as it comes barreling out of the speakers and into the room. 

 

The bootleg cuts to later in the show and Prince’s acoustic set, with another song that harks back to his eighties heyday, yet given new life in this acoustic setting. “17 Days” still has its interminably downbeat feel, even as the acoustic guitar brings a light drizzle to the song rather than the sweeping sound of the bass that normally flows under the lyrics. It’s all too brief, but yet another nod to the older fans in the audience, and those that lived through, and experienced, the Purple Rain era. The fact that we can hear these people singing along suggests that a lot of this Detroit crowd has stayed with him in the intervening twenty years, and this is their moment to once again feel the hurt and confusion of the teenage years as Prince leads them through his purple melancholia. 

We go even further back for “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute).” the angst is replaced by the rhythm of the guitar, and if I could have a choice, I would choose the angst any day. The guitar is crisp, but it leaves the song far behind as it corkscrews off in a new direction. 

 

There is a lack of venom in “Prince and The Band,” the music oddly at odds with the vocal delivery. The real poison is carried in the lyrics Prince is singing, one of the most honest songs Prince has ever composed, each word carrying his struggle of the previous ten years against record labels. I like the idea of the song far more than the performance, I find myself enjoying the lyrics and ignoring the music as Prince ensures the crowd is by his side in his ongoing crusade against the record companies. Overall though, the song remains flaccid, a word I never thought I would use for the highly sexualized Prince. 

 

There is no surprise at all to see that this bootleg ends with the obligatory performance of “Purple Rain.” Nothing is driving the song, it moves with its own weight and momentum, Prince is merely a spectator for most of it as the music channels effortlessly through him. It sounds tired, the most important parts of the show have already been heard, and felt, and this is merely here because it is expected. Prince doesn’t even trust himself for the final guitar break, as he is assisted by an intrusive horn section that brings a Las Vegas sound to what should be the most earthy and powerful of Prince’s songs. The early songs in the set carried the weight and sheer force of Prince’s abilities, and emotional impact, a sense of the here and now, that just isn’t present for “Purple Rain.” It should be one of the most important songs of the set, the song that opened all the doors for Prince, but instead, it plays as a pretty bookend, not even matching the power and message of the opening “Musicology.” 

 

A short bootleg, to be sure, but a very good one. Don’t be put off by my final thoughts on “Purple Rain,” the overall performance is again as smooth as anything else Prince has done, and it all looks superb in its professional shot glory. These are the key songs of the performance, although I must admit without the full show some of Prince’s message (real music by real musicians) is lost, as is his homage to the past as he seeks to cement his place as an icon. Widely circulating, and well known, it is no surprise to see how popular this particular bootleg is, as it is a nice companion piece to the full Los Angeles show from earlier in the tour that is currently available. If you haven’t seen this for a while it’s well worth a second look, but be warned, it may well lead to listening to a lot more from the Musicology tour. 

Toronto 28 July 2004

 The Musicology tour was a success on every level. A huge tour that delivered quality performance night after night for seven months, it saw Prince return to his rightful place at the top of the musical mountain. Almost every show is worth hearing, which makes choosing one to listen to very easy, or difficult depending on your point of view. Any concert could be chosen at random and provide a fine listening experience. 

In the last five years, I don’t think I’ve listened to a single show from Canada. So with that in mind, I have not chosen a show at random, rather I have pulled out this lively show from Toronto for a listen. 

July 28th, 2004, Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada 

Written large across the tour is the name Musicology. The album name, tour name, and opening song title, also contain Prince’s philosophy for the concerts – real music by real musicians. In this case, it is a bright performance of the song itself that opens the show. With its sleek horn sound, Prince straddles eras. The song reeks of 1970’s excess, yet Prince and the band keep it neatly trimmed, the musicians given time to play without becoming indulgent. Of note is John Blackwell on drums, and the swing of the horn section. Both hold the song together and give the song its signature sound of driving funk. 

 

“Let’s Go Crazy” also nods back to a previous era, an era that Prince himself shaped and dominated. It can sometimes sound stale, but here again, the band plays with a sharpness that keeps it well-defined and fresh. I’m not always a fan of the call and response, but in this case, it works well enough. It is Candy that is my highlight with her midsong punchy solo. Prince’s guitar can’t match it for excitement, and even as his final notes blaze I am left with the thought of Candy. 

The concert continues with this brisk pace set by the first few songs. “I Would Die 4 U” feels faster than I remember, but it serves the concert well. It blazes across the performance, a musical comet that burns itself out within a couple of minutes. I barely have time to enjoy it, but enjoy it I do. 

With the appearance of “When Doves Cry” it is apparent the concert is front-loaded with Purple Rain songs. It is far from the drawn-out versions we heard twenty years ago, Prince ticking off the key spots as the song becomes a flickering memory rather than a wallow in nostalgia. 

“Baby, I’m A Star” rounds out this Purple Rain celebration. The song is a fine match for the band, the horns are given another chance to shine with their busy drive and energy. They become more prominent as the song snowballs into the first real jam of the night. There is a piano solo that must be heard in the mix before the horns raise their heads from the background to remind us of the hook, but asides from that it is a free-form workout. Do I like it? You bet! 

Prince draws the musical curtains on the party, and the warm sweat of “Shhh” rises from the soundscape. It is given the time and respect to marinate in its juices, and like “Baby I’m A Star it delivers on many levels. Prince’s sultry tones draw me in, but it is his guitar work that slaps me down. Again and again, he reminds us what a master he is, not just of his instrument and songwriting, but of his ability to create atmosphere and mood. There is no slow build to his solo, he cuts quickly to his work. The guitar adds steel to the song in an instant and burns brightly for the final minutes as Prince draws a sharp line under his lyrics letting his guitar say all he needs. I have written about many great performances of “Shhh,” rest assured this is another. 

As much as I like Maceo Parker, I have heard “Pass The Peas’ enough at Prince concerts to last me a lifetime. It comes from the same place as “Musicology” and “Baby, I’m A Star,” – a chance for the band to indulge in some freewheeling music. However there is not enough of Prince himself in the DNA of the song, asides from his constant encouragement of the band, and as much as I enjoy each band member’s contribution I fail to connect with what the song’s true heart is. Interestingly, the final minutes of the song is a carbon copy of what appears in the performance of “D.M.S.R” a few days later in Detroit, this seemingly something Prince could cut and paste into the show as is his will. 

 

The concert comes into sharp focus again as a gleaming “I Feel 4 U” lightens the show. It is a song that lifts the soul, although I can never quite put my finger on why. The lyrics and music are instantly recognizable, and I contribute with both my singing and humming. It may appear lightweight in the setlist, but it brings another valuable pop song from the past into the fold. 

Prince pivots from this pop into the world of clinical funk with “Controversy.” “Clap your hands and stomp your feet” doesn’t move me, but Candy knocks me sideways with her forceful contribution. The saxophone and guitar are the two main pillars of the song. Each brings a huge dose of funk to the song. “I am being well-schooled” passes through my mind and Prince confirms it with his “schools still in” and another fiery contribution from Maceo, ably assisted by Greg Boyer on trombone. An exciting and breathless moment, Prince refuses to let it lie, and the transition to “Housequake” with some quicksilver guitar work managers to both encapsulate and top all that has come before. 

The first time I heard the interlude, with its segment of Purple Rain’s ‘backward crying’ was interesting, but fifteen years later I can live without it. Likewise, as much as I like the song “Georgia On My Mind,” it’s not what I came to a Prince concert for, and my interest wains while Prince isn’t on stage. 

I am much more invested in the slow-burning and audience-infused “Little Red Corvette.” Prince alone with his acoustic guitar sketch out the integrity of the song. With no gimmicks, the music becomes the sole focus, and it is obvious the crowd is on-board from the first minute. The song is best taken as a whole as the guitar and vocals intertwine, each adding different inflections and nuances to the story Prince is telling. Not all songs work when stripped back like this, but “Little Red Corvette” certainly does, and it loses none of its luster in this intimate setting. 

The surprise package of the acoustic set is “Peach.” Not for its inclusion, but for how well it works. Previously it was all fire and brimstone as Prince unleashed his guitar histrionics. In its acoustic form, it is an endearing moment as the audience has a chance to sing along. Prince reveals some delicate guitar work that suggests that I have long underestimated what lay at the core of the song. It threatens to outstay its welcome, but Prince pulls the plug on it at just the right moment. 

The Purple Rain era has already made quite an appearance at this show, but Prince delights with the period B-side “17 Days.” A slab of cold funk on record, again with only Prince and his guitar it becomes all the more heartfelt and delicate. With Prince’s guitar bringing some warmth, the pain becomes lukewarm, yet remains from the original. 

I would have liked to indulge more in “Sometimes It Snows In April” but Prince doesn’t dwell on the moment and the song clocks in at just under a minute. A mere taster, it does leave one wishing Prince could have given us just a little more. 

“Alphabet Street,” promises more than it delivers. I expect energy levels to go up, but it remains stubbornly subdued throughout. That’s not to say it’s bad in any way, but merely disappointing. Prince is never loud enough, nor is his guitar or the crowd. “Peach” worked, while “Alphabet St” doesn’t, a complete surprise to me. 

One thing I always liked about the Musicology tour was the regular appearance of “Prince And The Band.” With his biting lyrics and sharp guitar sound Prince delivers another cutting rendition. The crowd responds positively to the line about Warners, no doubt to Prince’s great pleasure. The thought of Prince playing a song called “Prince and the Band” solo also brings further humor to the moment. 

Prince takes this humor and runs with it through “Cream.” He gives plenty of time to joking and teasing the audience, momentarily threatening to derail the song. However he returns to the music, and the guitar work in the first minutes is fast and furious. Every note shines and sparkles, and I find myself listening to it several times before moving on. 

The song that stands above all in this acoustic set is “Raspberry Beret.” The familiarity and ease of the lyrics mark it as an easy singalong from the start. Prince knows this and gives the audience the holes they need to inject themselves. It was never going to be the most demanding of songs, there is no challenge in the music or lyrics, and it is the warmest and most communal experience of the evening. 

 

“7” serves as the bridge back to a full band performance. Once again Prince carries the audience with him, their voices adding to the fullness of the chorus. It is a brief performance and merely perfunctory to bring the band back on stage. 

A rather odd “Sign O The Times” follows. I am not familiar enough with the Musicology tour to know if it is a fair reflection of its form at the time. It feels skittish, and never settles on the hard groove that I desire. Even Prince’s guitar fails to bring a sense of stability to the tail of the song, and by the end, I still don’t have a handle on the overall feel. 

“Whole Lotta Love” often ripped through the heart of the One Night Alone tour, but by Musicology it has been tamed. Although Prince indulges in plenty of guitar work over its eleven-minute span, it never feels as threatening or heavy as it did a few years previous. There is no sense of danger, Prince’s guitar raging only against itself. I appreciate its appearance in the setlist and lose myself in the guitar work, but the concert would do just fine without it. 

We return to the more fertile ground with “Let’s Work.” The funky seeds sown by Prince in the earlier 1980’s come to full bloom here with the horn section filling out what Prince could only hint at back then. They take the heavy lifting off the bass and propel the groove with their bright sheen. It’s far from the eighties sound of Prince but has the same hypnotic effect as the band all hit the groove. 

The band remains in lockstep for the following groove of “U Got The Look.” It all happens at the bottom end, Prince’s guitar a shrill interloper on what is otherwise a deep groove. The is no true resolution to the song, it remains undercooked as Prince moves quickly on to his next number. 

 

We return to Musicology and its themes with a stomping “Life O’ The Party.” There is a sense that Prince is book-ending the concert with this song, and it is a nice companion to the opening “Musicology”. With its organic sound and the horns at the fore, it brings a fresh blast as we head towards the end of the concert. Prince’s thanking of the crowd suggests that this can’t be too far away, although there are still a couple of treats to come. 

“Soulman” could well be a description of Prince as well as a song title. It is a fitting cover, but I would have preferred for Prince to sing it rather than Chance Howard. One can’t deny how uplifting it sounds, and Prince takes control for a timely “Kiss” to further lift my spirits. “Kiss” molds itself well to the Musicology sound, and it fits seamlessly with the surrounding material. Updated for the 2004 tour and sound, it reveals itself to be timeless. 

“Take Me With U’ continues this uplifting stomp, and marches onward without ever becoming pounding or tiresome. The Purple Rain album gets plenty of airtime at this concert, and this is another example of an older song being revamped for Prince’s current sound. It is just as successful as the previous cases, and Prince gives way to Maceo Parker, Greg Boyer, and Candy Dulfer to round out the song with their brassy sound and attitude. 

I had forgotten just what a gem “Call My Name’ was until I heard it again here. It won a Grammy award for best male R&B vocal performance and one can hear why as Prince loads the vocals with a lush, sensuous delivery. It never drips into syrupy or overworked, remaining aloof in its dedication to its theme. Of all the Musicology material presented at this concert, this is the standout and one only wishes it could have been longer. 

 

“Purple Rain” closes the concert and it is pleasing to see it bring the evening to a climax. It has previously been slotted into different places throughout the setlists over the years, sometimes shortened and abridged, and I am overjoyed to see a full-length version closing the concert. The lyrics and delivery don’t quite hit the emotional highs they use to, but as Prince’s guitar snorts and grunts at the start of his solo all thought of that is put aside. For the next few minutes, his instrument conveys all that needs to be said as it touches on an array of emotions, including nostalgia, with its far-reaching range and depth. I admit, that I am sometimes overly effusive in my praise of Prince’s ability on the guitar, but it cannot be understated – he is one of the best. As the final notes fade there is nothing more to be said, it has been a spectacular end to a spectacular show. 

This is not one of the more known Musicology concerts, yet it is just as good as anything else heard on tour. This speaks to the quality of the tour itself. The tour was long, but Prince and his band gave us memorable shows night after night. With twenty-five years of experience behind him, Prince put together a setlist that dips into his history without dwelling on it and gives us something both current and pleasingly familiar. Any show of the tour could be listened to with confidence, and I found this one from Canada to be a real treat. After listening to this I will certainly be coming back to the Musicology tour with a renewed interest and vitality. 

Paisley Park 19 June 2004 (am)

 I have mixed feelings about this third and final concert from Paisley Park. I have enjoyed all three immensely, and this third show is another stunning performance. I think perhaps show two eclipses it for unbridled joy and pure musical muscle, but there isn’t much that separates them. I think the best solution would be to load all three together in a playlist, lest anything is missed, and turn up the volume. As a triumvirate they are unparalleled, I am struggling to think of a better group of concerts than this, and they gain strength together as each has nuances unheard in the other shows. This third concert also has a decent audience recording, perhaps not quite as good as previously heard, but certainly very listenable and clear.  

19th June 2004(am) Paisley Park 

Prince sets out his stall early with a rendition of “Call My Name” that curls around the listener and suffocates one into Prince’s world. It’s a glorious death as Prince chokes us with his glistening vocal performance, each line hanging as he imbues it with heart and soul giving it a weight that belies its easy delivery. Candy Dulfer draws her saxophone solo from the same place, the song filling the room and the recording from end to end with an inescapable softness, a gentle surrender of the senses to Prince’s sweet poison. 

“Joy In Repetition,” stalks slowly onto the scene, Prince revealing the story slowly, flashes and pieces revealed, and concealed, as he tears slowly at the edges of the fabric of this internal world. The drama is finally brought into the light with the lyrics settling and becoming focused, the room becoming the story as Prince sketches out all the poets and part-time singers. The song stays low and to form, the smoke of the music clearing for a part-time singer to come to the mic, Prince giving way for the audience. It is a brave move, the song let loose in the hands of the crowd, losing some of its tension as this unknown singer lets the drama drain away. Prince does regain control in time to right the ship, the song sailing through to the end on an even keel, the band almost secondary as the music moves in its gentle way. The guitar is obvious in its absence early on, but all is forgiven as Prince surrenders the moment to Maceo Parker and his horn, giving the song new life, and adding to its sense of moment and story of darkened, smoke-filled clubs. There is time for Prince to return with his trademark guitar bluster and burn, the song set a fire in the final minute as Prince razes all before him with one final and emphatic full stop.  

 

The pairing of “Girls And Boys” and “Mustang Sally” is interesting, especially as Prince’s song becomes a soundalike tribute. The band picks up the groove early, and they never let it go as it pushes and pulls beneath Prince’s vocals. It is the lyrics that get the attention, but it is this constant drive and boogie of the groove that propels the song, giving Prince a bedrock to build upon. It is Greg who is first unleashed with his trombone, pulling a classic soul sound down to the groove, welding the past and present together in one foot-stomping solo. The stage is set for Maceo, and he is the physical embodiment of the two eras Prince is bringing together, his contribution is more than just his name however though and he blows up a storm for the next few minutes. When Prince calls “I love you, baby,” it is hard to know if he is singing the song or shouting out his joy in the music.   

This soul revue continues with Chance Howard taking vocal duties for “Knock On Wood.” It has the same groove and sound as the previous song, but at merely five minutes it is considerably shorter. Although it’s not rushed, at points it does feel like it’s going all too quick, this time the band has no time to build the song, instead they tear through the heart of it, they have the essence of it but very little time to convey this to us, leaving the song enjoyable but hollow. 

There is a welcome return of the guitar as Prince again takes center stage for a blistering rendition of Tower Of Power’s “What Is Hip?” It is Mike Scott who gives us the punchy guitar lines, his contribution the final eruption on top of an ever-building bass line. This is a complete band performance, the organ solo by Renato Neto demanding just as much attention as he demonstrates his considerable skill. Prince's final comment confirmed my thoughts -“tighter than a mosquito’s behind”  

 

We reach the eye of the storm with a twenty-minute performance of “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute),” the fire of the earlier songs is replaced by a purposeful cold intensity that takes the bare bones of the song and fleshes them out into a Frankenstein monster of a funk jam. With a five-minute intro of funk guitar and slow-building bass and drums, the song generates its own power that will carry us through a variety of funk songs and musical history presented with Prince’s unique interminable grooves. The original song is present by name only as Prince touches the lyrics but keeps the groove in another realm as the horns and band keep us swiftly moving. Mike Phillips raises the stakes with a solo that rises out of the stage and finishes in the heavens, the song lifted by his presence and Prince-inspired to take on a range of calls and responses that is primeval in delivery and emotion. It is a performance that comes from the gut, and that’s where I feel it as John Blackwell keeps with the theme and serves up and propulsion-filled solo that maintains the momentum. I am not normally one for drum solos, but this one is brisk and keeps the concert thrusting forward into the future. The music suddenly fulls back, leaving Renato Neto exposed for the final minutes, his contribution an icing on an already sizable cake. 

There is another surprise lurking in the setlist, Prince’s only performance of Beyonce’s “Speechless” It is a faithful rendition, glassy smooth in its delivery, although Prince foregoes the lyrics, leaving it as an instrumental, the band and the music enough to carry the emotional heart of the song. It is a stunning performance, a thoughtful moment that lingers long after the music has drifted away, the music resonating in its intoxicating spell.  

One of Maceo’s own songs makes it into the set with “Shake Everything You Got.” It opens the door to another funk workout, it’s sprawling twenty minutes containing an array of riffs and horn solos that continue to evolve the music to their own ends. They spin the music to dizzying heights, a cacophony of brass that finally gives way to some electric piano that pulls the music back to something I can keep up with. With the guitar finally appearing in the final few minutes the song flattens and takes on a new shape, the frenzy of the horns early on tempered and tamed by the appearance of this measured guitar break.  

 

The music takes a soft transition into “Superstition,” but the bootleg and concert take a sharp upturn as vocals appear. The recording is clear throughout, and these last two songs give a good test drive, the recording never wavering under wave after wave of high horns and deep bass.  As a bootleg, it is very strong, and it is more than a match for the concert it captures.  

I am temporarily excited by the appearance of the “777-9311,” but as is so often the case it is merely an introduction to disappointment, the opening bass salvo giving way to nothing and a brisk transition into the next song. In this case, it is complemented by some fast horn work, but I am happy enough as “Skin Tight” takes the bass and twists it into its own classic sound, the song landing a heavy blow with its weighty funk. The bass remains king throughout, and no amount of horn from Maceo can detract from its infectious groove.  

“No Diggity” reveals itself slowly, at first peering from behind the familiar riff of “P. Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up),” before Chance Howard drools the opening lines, the song carrying a sense of its musical history with years of funk and soul built into the DNA of the song and revealing themselves as dark gems throughout. The song is another strong moment, Candy Dulfer is given a chance to contribute with a solo that briefly flashes brightly in the otherwise dark heart of the song. 

 

Prince’s vocal bark is a sledgehammer striking blow after blow at the start of “The Jam” It’s a violent opening to a song that otherwise is inoffensive in its familiarity and place in the setlist. There are better long jams at this concert, and this one fails to top what has come before, it is almost filler coming as it is near the end of the concert. I can’t deny, that I do enjoy Larry and what he brings to it, but there is nothing here that we haven’t heard before on better and brighter nights. 

With the piano leading the way, “Purple Rain” delights with its horn-infused opening. The song stays in this unique fashion, the piano rising and falling, swirling and sweeping across land cleared by the horn, Prince only coming to the microphone long after the piano has left an indelible mark. There is no guitar in the song at all, the music drifting back and forth without the guitar to pull it all together in a satisfying knot of emotion that I have become so used to. I can’t quite connect to it in the way I want, it is just too slight in this form, but I do love and admire it for its uniqueness.  

There is a further treat with “Adore” appearing out of the mists, Prince’s vocals beaming down like heavenly angels providing a mood that the vocals can barely capture. It is just as youthful as it first sounded in 1987, I may have aged since, but the song hasn’t in the slightest and it still elicits the same emotions in me as it did when I was fifteen years old. For the next few minutes, I am lost in the music as Prince takes me on a nostalgic ride back to my youth. Candy’s solo snaps me back to the here and now, her horn a little too shrill for my tastes and breaking the spell. However, this is a sublime way to finish the set and delivers more than I could have ever asked for with its performance and nostalgic value.  

Still basking in the afterglow of this performance, I am convinced that this is my favorite of the three nights. Who knows how I might feel in an hour, but right now this concert and bootleg have stolen my heart. With a stunning recording to match the superlative performance, this is one bootleg that is worthy of praise, the unique renditions of some familiar songs making it all the more worthy. I still think all three of these after-shows should be heard together, they fit together as a well-rounded package, and on any given day any one of them could be considered a favorite. 2004 is often skimmed over, but these recordings stand shoulder to shoulder with any of the popular bootlegs of the 1980s and are worthy of their place in the catalog.  

Paisley Park 18 June 2004 (am)

 This week I continue listening to the trio of after-shows Prince played at Paisley Park as his Musicology tour rolled into town. Each show is unique, and as much as I enjoyed the first of the three last week, this week’s show ups the stakes and looks even better. The setlist is shorter, but the songs played are stretched out further than in the previous show, giving the band more time to embed themselves deeply in the music they are creating. The sound is sophisticated with the maturity of the band shining through, and once again we are faced with a sublime audience recording, all the better for catching the nuances of the performance. 

18th June 2004(am) Paisley Park 

The jazz influence is heavy from the first moments, and the intricate piano flourishes that Chance Howard provides “Footprints” sparkle and burst out of the recording. I had expected more horn work, but the keyboard remains at the heroic center of the song, giving the performance a jazzy, lilting feel that lingers throughout the entire twelve minutes of “Footprints.” 

The previous show saw “Dear Mr. Man” appear late in the setlist, this time around it is in the front seat and driving the concert from the beginning. It picks up the jazz strands of the previous song and twists them up with some funk squelch, giving the song a two-pronged attack that feels good on many levels. The lyrics remain key to the song, despite the music competing for attention, and one can feel Prince’s message as much as hear it as he sings his lyrics. It’s early to the concert to lavish praise, but this song stands out as a highlight from its first note to its last. 

 

“I Know You Got Soul,” is a staple of shows such as this, and here it takes the stage and doesn’t let go for twenty minutes as Prince and the band wrings every ounce of soul they can from it. From the elongated introduction that takes the groove and loops it to heavenly levels, to Mike Scott’s effortless guitar grease, the song continues to snake through the recording, keeping the concert moving beneath Prince’s command. The horns add further impetus to the music, but it is an easy drive with Prince staying on top of the music throughout with his relaxed command of the stage. The song continues as a simmer, never reaching boiling point but continuing to cook as the horns add a heat that hits the feet as much as the head. 

With a laugh “Skin Tight” begins, continuing with Prince’s rummage through the funk and soul of the 1970s. Surprisingly he doesn’t take the vocal duties, instead, letting the band carry the load as he embeds himself deeper in their midst. The song blooms and grows in ways not heard elsewhere, the raw funk supplemented by a colorful arrange of horn work, and some Mike Phillips vocoder, something that always makes me smile. The overall feel is one of looseness, and a band having fun on stage, a feeling that translates nicely to the recording. 

There is a lack of intensity to “D.M.S.R,” the song slowly appears from the previous song and remains formless for the first minute until the drum and bass finally take control and shape it into the song we are familiar with. The horns and bass are the twin towers that stand at the center of the song, although Prince’s constant call for the drums suggests he thinks otherwise. As always Mike Scott brings the chicken grease and combined with the horns gives the song a brightness that belies the otherwise heavy bass and drum sound. A reappearance of the vocoder is welcome, although it is given quite a while and has me laughing with crazy delight. It’s all capped off by some Maceo Parker playing that is to be treasured, his horn finding new ways to define the music and add his own distinctive funk style to the moment. 

 

“House Party” is another song that reappears from the previous night, Maceo staying the center of attention as again he attends to vocal duties. The song is a slow burn, Prince calling dancers to stage long before Maceo takes to the microphone, the music steadily building on the back of the groove. There is a sense of release as Maceo sings, the true nature of the song revealed as the band live the lyrics, their own house party swirling around them as they play. 

There is a stark boldness to “Sexy Dancer,” the song looking us straight in the eye as the band gives it a fierce backbone and inner intensity. This is no mere disco groove, this is a song that has matured over the years, a song that now has a hardness to it that no longer asks you to dance, but rather insists you dance. Listening carefully, there is some tasty piano work that starts deep in the song before burrowing its way to the surface, exposed to the light for all to appreciate the light joy it plays with. It counters the raw groove, and Mike Phillips's contribution with the saxophone a minute later comes from the other end of the scale, raining down from the sky upon the song, his horn as forceful as the groove of the bass and drums. It makes for a lively mix, the song demanding attention throughout as each player brings something different to the mix, never quite settling on a single sound. 

It is a groove that serves as the introduction for the next song, the horns refrain rising “Mustang Sally” out of music. It is a Trojan horse, a burst of guitar that could only come from Prince hinting that we might be in for something else entirely. As the groove of “Prince And The Band” continues, the guitar rises in intensity, Prince devoting more and more attention to his instrument until it eventually steams into “Peach” It is hard for me to dissociate the song from Mayte and her hot pants, but Prince plays with a steady and controlled intensity that has me forgetting my teenage infatuation and instead fully focusing on the guitar energy at hand as he runs up and down his fretboard. The guitar eventually gives way to Prince singing “Prince And The Band,” a moment that can’t compare to what we have just heard from his guitar work. One final flurry restores the balance as the song ends on a high, leaving me very happy indeed. 

 

The dark elegance of “Beautiful Strange,” floors me, especially as the recording captures its slow-moving melancholy while it drifts across the stage. The architectural weight of the introduction collapses beneath the pressure of the bass and guitar, the strange yet beautiful opening minutes disappearing beneath waves of electric rubble. Prince’s forlorn guitar howl emerges from this debris, it’s wail is a beacon amidst the dense bass growl, giving us a sense of something to hold onto. The song continues in this fashion, the sea of noise swamping the recording, while Prince’s guitar continues to float over top with its own agenda, at once competing with the rest of the band and yet at the same time complementing it. It is the keyboard that lays the song to rest, Prince’s guitar staying silent as the keyboard squeaks and shrieks its own unknown message out into the darkness, once again shrouding the song in mystery as it comes to an end. 

I enjoyed the previous show immensely, and I am only too happy to say this one tops it. With the shorter setlist, the songs speak for themselves, and have plenty of time to stand on their own feet, their true personalities revealed as they play. “Dear Mr. Man,” and “Beautiful Strange,” are the obvious highlights, each bringing a sense of integrity to a concert that is otherwise drenched in fun. With a quality audience recording, I can easily recommend anyone who has grown tired of the Musicology tour and wants to hear something more demanding from the same period, a concert that retains the key elements of the era, but with an added dash of intensity and solemnity. 

Paisley Park 17 June 2004 (am)

 Prince toured extensively on the back of Musicology through 2004, his live show reaching thousands of fans over the summer months. The tight shows didn’t give a lot of scope for pushing the boundaries, or springing surprises and the handful of after-shows from the tour are where Prince and the band display their wares and deep love of all styles of music. Over the next few weeks, I will be listening to the three Paisley Park concerts of 2004, each after the main show at the Xcel Energy Centre, St Paul. These are playful performances that contain a lot of spirit, and I find them all easy and fun to listen to, a positive review before we even start. 

17th June 2004(am) Paisley Park 

The first song of the performance sees Prince join the band Conversation Piece as a guitar player as they stomp through “No Diggity” and “Knee Deep.” Initially, I don’t hear Prince in “No Diggity,” it is the rhythm explosion at the end of each line that captures my attention, but midway through the song Prince’s guitar tone emerges as a smoky curl before storming the scene with its distinctive and commanding sound. There is some pushback from the horns later in the song which evens the balance, and they remain in firm focus for the following “Knee Deep.” The guttural sound of Prince's guitar buries itself in the heavy bass, leaving plenty of room for the horns to ply their trade. As a fan of both songs, I am fully on board, and the sound quality of this audience recording delivers the full sonic range, bringing an irrepressible smile to my face. There is the briefest of battles between the horns and the guitar, but Prince settles the argument with some light-fingered guitar work that should please most fans. 

All this is merely a warm-up for a version of “The Ride” that covers everything touched on so far and amplifies it to eleven. Its slow-cooked smokey sound is supplemented by a thick sauce of hornwork and crackling guitar fuzz that sharpens to a point by the minute, skewering the fat lazy sound that it otherwise has. The lyrics are almost forgotten, we are well adrift through the song before Prince takes the mic, not so much singing, but rather riffing easily on a couple of key lines that add to the atmosphere of the song. He doesn’t linger long on them, his guitar doing all the talking he needs as he lets it take flight for the final minutes of the song. 

 

It is the guitar that opens up the riff on “Miss You,” the instrument almost choking on the lyrical line. Prince’s vocal delivery comes from the same place, a primeval and raw sound that speaks to the sordid nature of the song. Mike Phillips is a revelation on this song, his horn casting a new light on it, lifting it from Mick Jagger’s grubby hands and into something even funkier. Prince brings his axe to bear upon the song one last time, torching it black and leaving it in the hands of the audience for a final singalong. 

I must admit, I didn’t know “A Real Mutha For Ya,” until I heard it here, and I certainly will make a point of digging out the original for a listen after hearing it. With Mike Scott on lead vocals, there isn’t a lot of Prince to be heard, at this point, it is hard to distinguish what instrument he is on, but it doesn’t matter as this is one song that belongs to the horn section, and the soft funk touch that the band brings to it. 

I am on safer ground with “I Know You Got Soul,” a song I am familiar with from other after-shows of the last twenty years. This version doesn’t swing as much as others I have heard, and is rather robotic in its delivery, stutter-stepping off the bass, before exploding out through the keyboards and horn section. The horns push far in their drive for new sounds, and the carcass of the song is left far behind as the horns ride the rhythm far out beyond the edge of familiarity and deep into their sound. “It Takes Two” appears briefly, but it is the horns that continue their quest beyond lyrics that hold sway, any sense of song lost in a jam that threatens to swallow the room. 

 

This sense of freedom continues through the following jam that follows, the bass taking center stage for a jagged and raw-edged jump into “(Theme Song From) Which Way Is Up.” The band plunge through the hole created by the bass, the horns scratching the sides of the song as we continue the long descent through the heart of the music. With only the horns and flashes of guitar brilliance from Prince to guide us, it is an immersive experience, and I am surprised to see that barely five minutes have passed as we emerge from the other side of the song. 

I remain disorientated by the kinetic opening to “Housequake,” the drum never quite settling into its regular pattern as we skim quickly over the surface of possible music. The vocals suggest we have arrived at the song properly, but there is little time to settle and gather my thoughts as the horns take over and the music changes gears again. 

There is no surprise to see the song appearing from the dark as “All The Critics Love U In Minneapolis,” the music driving and insistent as it comes into focus. It is of its era, and I have plenty of renditions like this from 2002 to 2004. The driving beat a bed for the horns section to perform across before the rest of the band add their own adornments to the song. As colorful as these adornments are, the rhythm section will always be paramount, and again we are served a tight groove that remains steady throughout the duration, making for a focused and driving version that we have become well acquainted with. 

 

Prince continues to mine the old school, with his take on Fred Wesley’s “House Party” giving plenty of time for the horn section to again burn bright. It is the trombone that blows the loudest, and Greg Boyer grabs all the headlines while Maceo takes on the vocal duties. While it’s not the most essential part of the show, it remains buoyant and keeps the party theme of the evening rolling. 

Prince’s opening lines from “Prince And The Band” have me briefly entertaining thoughts of a full version, but the ever-swelling waves of horn banish that thought as the tempo increases and the band threatens another jam. The return to the lyrics of “Prince And The Band” are welcome as Prince steers the ship back to where we started. The chop of the rhythm section opens up the song to a further segue, and before I know it Prince is singing “Illusion, Come, Pimp & Circumstance” It’s all part of an ever-evolving jam, the lyrics put to one side as first the horns, and then the piano rise in prominence, each briefly sparkling before the rhythm pushes us onto the next movement. 

We have a fresh start for “Glide,” a song that seems merely to serve the purpose of getting people up and dancing if Prince’s comments are anything to go by. It sounds good to my ears, the clean audience recording giving me a clear insight into what it must have been like inside the building at that time. The song never once rests through its entirety, and I am kept constantly moving through its groove and energy. The drum break mid-song could derail it, but it is kept light and maintains the groove as we rock and roll around the kit. John Blackwell doesn’t play heavy-handed during the break, and this is a fine example of his style and sees the song winding to a natural conclusion, the groove still rolling easily across the dance floor. 

 

“Brick House” isn’t as tightly focused as I have heard elsewhere, the introduction failing to grab me by my lapels and shaking me, but the trombone makes amends with its fat sound soaking the recording. Mike Scott brings his sound to the recording, an extra layer of funk added with his undulating guitar sound. It may not be the “Brick House” I want, but it is the “Brick House” that I deserve, Prince making the point emphatically with a stellar burst of guitar that flashes across the recording, brightening it for a minute in its brilliance. 

“Dear Mr. Man” grabs me in a headlock, holding me there and forcing me to appreciate its understated sonic joy. The bass and guitar operate on different parts of the spectrum, but in my headphones they create a fearful symbiosis, filling my head with dreams and nightmares that I never want to wake from. The music created has one imaging of galaxies unexplored, galaxies that only exist in the music and one's own mind, an undeniably powerful spell cast by the musicians onstage. 

The concert ends on a curious note, Prince harking back to his tour a couple of years previous with a surprising instrumental version of “The Rainbow Children.” It drips in maturity, and without lyrics, one can fully appreciate the pure musicality that exists behind the veil of religious text. The horn section grabs this final opportunity to strut their stuff in both hands, but it is John Blackwell who has the final say in the evening with one last rip around the drum kit that sends us out into the night. 

The is an excellent audience recording, and the show itself delivers much more than I expected. I saw the setlist full of covers and expected a quiet run through some of Prince’s favorite songs. However, the playing throughout was brilliant and I found myself enjoying this beyond all expectations. Prince has a finely balanced setlist and a band that can deliver all he needs. When matched with a quality recording like this, it is a match made in heaven and I can’t wait until next week and a chance to hear the second concert in this run.