Coachella Festival 26 April 2008

 This week’s gig is interesting to me for several reasons. Playing a festival is different from a private show and the setlist reflects this. It is aimed at the masses, and the show begins with Morris Day, Jerome, and Sheila E joining the band for a few songs of their own. This gives the concert the feel of a revue, and I do like that aspect of it. Prince also throws in a couple of covers, the most talked-about of which is a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.” The hits he plays are predictable enough, and the inclusion of “Shhh” and Anotherloverholenyohead more than satisfies me. 

Coachella Festival, 26 April 2008 

“The Bird” is a great choice to open the show with. With the pounding beat, the crowd is soon clapping along. Before the song starts properly Prince takes his time to address the audience. Then with a horn blast, “The Bird” begins with the singing of Morris. The recording is an audience recording, it’s not perfect, but it is perfectly listenable. Morris sounds a lot older and he seems to have a deeper more serious timbre to his voice. The song is energetic, but the youthful enthusiasm has gone from Morris’s voice. There isn’t too much singing through the song, the latter part of mostly horns and keys before Prince comes back to the microphone and the music moves into “Jungle Love.” 

 

Morris sounds much better on “Jungle Love,” and I enjoy it more than “The Bird.” That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy “The Bird,” but this one is better. The elastic bass has a good deep sound to it which the recording has picked up well. The guitar solo from Prince transports me right back, and I find myself heavy on nostalgia despite myself. There is some chat and interplay between Morris and Jerome, and I can only imagine what is happening on the stage. The “Oh we oh we oh” part isn’t as strong as it could have been, but this is quickly forgotten as Prince enters again on the guitar and I reach to turn up the volume. The crowd does whoop when he finishes but not as loudly as I do here at home. 

“la la la la la la” sings Sheila E as the music of “Glamorous Life” begins. It’s not crisp sounding, but I can hear the percussion thrown into the mix. This one would have sounded great on the day, but for me, some sound is lost in the recording. Shelia makes amends by giving a nice vocal performance and I listen carefully to her as the song progresses. The horn runs sound strong against the percussion and it gives the song a fantastic summer sound. Sheila delivers a drum solo, and I love it. It’s very percussive, maybe a percussion solo would have been a more accurate description. I enjoy it much more than her drum solos of the eighties and it’s only an indicator of what’s coming next. 

 

And what is coming next is some crisp rhythm guitar, then an up-tempo percussion sound and Prince plays some heavily Santana-infused guitar. And I aren’t too surprised when I read that it is a medley of Santana songs. Prince has said that he is influenced by his guitar playing by Santana and on this track, he gets to indulge himself. It’s not all about Prince and his guitar through, there is plenty of drums from both Shelia and Cora, as well as Renato Neto contributing an up-tempo keyboard run that I find myself nodding along to and enjoying. This is what I love to hear, and this for me is easily the best track on the whole recording. The song never stops moving and changing, and everyone is playing so well, that there is plenty to pick apart and listen to. But as always it's Prince's guitar that I come back to, and his playing is electrifying in both delivery and nature. These four songs have been a great way to kick off the show before we pull back into a more traditional greatest hits show. 

 

The slowed-down “Don’t worry I won’t hurt you” signals the beginning of “1999” and the more conventional beginning of the show. This time the horns work on the track, and Prince gives the song more room to breathe and enjoy, rather than the rush to the “party” outro we sometimes get. For the first time in the recording, we hear Shelby J and Liv Warfield. Neither contributes greatly to the track, but they both have their distinctive voices and I recognize them in an instant. With the larger band and the horns, the song drifts from its “1999” electro-funk sound a little, especially near the end, but I can hear Prince’s guitar nice and clear in the mix, and this ties it all back to where it began. 

“I Feel For You” is sung by the girls, I like it but I feel it needs less, not more. The song sounded better in the nice clean 1980s sound. The horns are bright, but a shade too brassy for my tastes, and then the girls sing it together, giving it a much fuller sound. It’s kept short and Prince tells the crowd “we gotta go back” and the pulsating “Controversy” begins. 

Again the girls sing with Prince and it’s far from the stripped-back electro sound of the 1980s. Princes scratch guitar is there, but it is backed by the horn sound and the extra voices. For all that though, I do enjoy it a lot, especially we Prince does his “people call me rude” section midsong. Of course, it is with the “clap your, stomp your feet” chant, but today I give it a pass, I find my head is nodding throughout the entire song and the horns sound good before the guitar takes over for another electrifying solo. Prince is hot at this time, and the playing sounds effortless. Naturally enough Prince asks “who knows about the Quake” which leads to more jumping up and down before the song winds down in a series of “oooohhhhss” It’s very good, but not quite great. 

 

Prince pulls at our heartstrings with the keyboard swell intro of “Little Red Corvette.” The synth swells for a few minutes, while a gentle piano plays. It’s my favorite part of the song, Prince doesn’t let it last too long, he starts singing soon enough, but it’s great while it lasts. The crowd immediately appreciates his singing, there is a large cheer as he begins. He does refrain too much from singing in the song, he lets the crowd sing a lot, and in places just stands back as the hand clapping continues. When he does play guitar it is very strong sounding indeed. It’s almost too much for such a layered song, but I forget this complaint as he begins to play. Let the guitar dominate I say, especially when it sounds as powerful as this. There are moments when it conjures up the sound of a mid-70s Funkadelic song, the way he plays it here I could easily hear such a sound on the “Standing On The verge Of Getting It On” album. The guitar has the best sound in the song, everything else sounds weak in comparison and this is highlighted when Prince sings again after the solo. He sounds far away and pales next to the strength of the guitar sound. 

When “Musicology” follows it is a complete change from what we have just heard. It’s all horns and the calls of Shelby. The party feel returns to the show, and there is a lot of interaction between Prince and the audience. Some of it works on the recording, I like it when the band pulls back and the song moves along to the clap of the crowd. And I always like it when Prince interjects “Prince And The Band.” This one isn’t amazing, never the less I am smiling throughout. I prefer it to the rest of “Musicology” and I am a tad disappointed as it winds down to an end. 

 

“Cream” benefits from the horns and the muscular guitar. The song has an extra push to it, and it sounds like an older brother of the original album cut. Prince too sounds more powerful here, he is giving more to the crowd and that is coming out in the recording. His guitar break is a little disjointed, and the tone is slightly weird, both compared to the original and in the context of the rest of the show. The horns come back and give it a little more up near the end, and the second guitar break from Prince is much cleaner sounding and more enjoyable. The song finishes on a high as we segue into U Got The Look. 

Prince’s guitar is sounding much better as he plays “U Got The Look,” the strong clear tone has returned and it propels the song along well. And despite the guitar having a stronger sound, the solos aren’t too overwhelming as I feared they may be, all in all, everything is very well balanced- something that doesn’t always happen with this song. I have heard this song a lot, but this one doesn’t outstay its welcome. 

“Shhh” sounds awesome right from the start. The guitar and drum rolls that open it are very loud and full sounding, and it’s got a powerful feel about it that takes me right back to that era. Prince’s voice isn’t too focused, he sounds a little casual in his delivery. It does retain a smoky late-night feel and has just a touch of grime on it. After the first verse, it does become a showcase for Prince's guitar playing. As with every song on this recording, it is great, and despite the quality of the recording, the guitar playing is shining through in every song. CC Dunham on the drums does a fine job, she is no Michael B, but she is strong. Prince’s long howling notes on the guitar have me feeling the song, and I feel the passion that first made me a fan all those years ago. The song ends, and I have the urge to immediately go back and play it again. And again. And again. 

 

The rock sound is once again at the fore when “Anotherloverholenyohead” plays. There is plenty of guitars, and it’s loud and works well in tandem with the heavy bass and drum. This is a cracking version of the classic. I normally love the original sound of it, but in this setlist, the heavy rock sound works very well. There is the Rock Lobster interlude, which is just an excuse for Prince to let loose on the guitar for a while. Whereas in Shhh he was playing within the song and fleshing out the emotion, here he is playing for the hell of it, and sounding great along the way. I preferred the style of the previous song, but I still enjoyed this immensely. 

Next is the surprise (at the time) in the recording- a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.” Prince doesn’t do vulnerable, he is either ‘Cocky’ or ‘Victim of love’ and here he comes off a little disingenuous playing the part of the loser. His vocals don’t capture the emotion of the original, and although I admire him for doing a cover of this, I can’t quite buy into it. But all is forgiven when he reaches a more frantic tone in his voice, and we get some guitar noise from him. It’s hard to take him seriously as he sings “I’m a creep, I’m a weirdo” but he knows how to let the music speak for him, and the guitar says more than his vocals. The most enjoyable and emotional parts of the song are when there is just the music and his guitar playing. Normally I like a good balance of guitar tracks and funk tracks throughout a show, but this one is very guitar-focused, and I am surprised at just how much I am enjoying it. The latter part of the song is all guitar, and it’s far removed from the Radiohead original. It’s a cover version I could never have guessed at, and worth hearing just for novelty value if nothing else. 

“Angel” is a cover of a Sarah McLachlan song, and Prince is conspicuous in his absence from the song. He may well be on stage, but on the recording, all I can hear is Shelby J on the lead vocals, ably supported by the NPG. There is no doubt that Shelby can sing, and sing well, but this song is well within her range and it doesn’t do too much that excites me. Renato Neto provides a piano break, but it’s hardly pulse-raising. The latter portion of the song is where the girls showcase their singing, they are all of fine voice, but it’s Prince that I want to hear. 

 

I am relieved when Prince comes to the microphone to introduce the next song, “7.” I don’t listen to “7” very often, but I always enjoy live performances of it. This one is par for the course, but the standout for me is when he talks to the audience about togetherness and ushering in a new golden age and then gets them chanting “war, no more.” Sure it’s simplistic, but it works. 

The song moves very naturally into a cover of the Beatle's “Come Together.” I shouldn’t be too surprised, I have heard it a few times like this before. The girls are the dominant force in the song, and Prince is a passenger, only talking to the crowd between verses, before once again giving us a very solid guitar solo. He draws it out for a bit, before indulging in a bit of ‘stage craft’. He gets the audience to clap their hands “there ain’t no wrong way” then has them sing-along “come together, yeah”. It sounds simple, but it works for the crowd, and they are behind him all the way. The band pulls out, leaving the crowd clapping and chanting “come together, yeah”. Easy as that, that is how you work a crowd. The song gets the full treatment, the band comes back in, and there is another guitar break and a finale to bring the show to a close. 

It’s no surprise at all to hear “Purple Rain” as the encore. There is very little in the way of intro, after the first few chords have sounded Prince begins to sing immediately. This is a fairly standard rendition of the beloved song, Prince doesn’t inject too much emotional emphasis in it, and the only feature about it that I find interesting is the guitar break later in the song. The audience does jump on board early with a steady hand clap but it’s the guitar break where I finally sit up and engage with the song. The first half of the break is as I have heard often enough before, but after the “One, two, three” reprise it becomes more loose and enjoyable to my ears. He doesn’t overplay it, and it is pulled in soon enough to bring the song to an end. 

Prince addresses the audience again “They tell me I gotta go, but we can’t leave” I wonder what could follow, but it’s soon revealed as I hear the keyboard swell of “Let’s Go Crazy” begin. It is as you might expect from this band, there are a lot of horns in it, and plenty of swing. Prince’s guitar playing hits the groove early on, and he stays there. There is more singing and chanting from the crowd, interspersed with rowdy guitar breaks from Prince. I was expecting this to go on for some time, so I am very surprised when Prince brings it to a close with his trademark guitar howl, and I sit back, equally surprised at how much I enjoyed it all. 

I must admit, although this one piqued my interest, I didn’t have high hopes for what I perceived to be a greatest hits package. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this recording, I listened to it four or five times over a couple of days. The recording isn’t fantastic, and the show didn’t always hold my interest, but what I did like, I liked immensely. This isn’t a classic vocal performance, but that’s not important when the guitar playing is as good as it is here. The Santana medley was worth listening to alone. All in all, a lot of fun to listen to here on a cold winter night. 

London 22 September 2007 (am)

 Last week I took in an aftershow that opened with the vocal talents of Bono singing The Cross as the opening song. That set me to think about similar shows where guest vocalists make an appearance. I have already covered the 1988 aftershow with Taylor Dayne, and this week I will take a listen to a 2007 aftershow that begins with Amy Winehouse. In the last few months I have caught the very highly recommended documentary about her life, and I can see what an outstanding talent she was. At the time I followed her through the tabloids, but there was much more to her, and she was purely about the music, as well as a wonderful performer. With nothing but respect for her, I can’t wait to listen to this show and reflect on the talent that was Amy Winehouse. 

22 September 2007 The Indigo O2, London 

I was anticipating hearing Amy sing right from the start, instead, the show opens with a lovely-sounding instrumental, with a piano and keyboards to the fore. It’s a suitable opening as the band feels their way in and gets the levels right. Near the end you can hear Prince testing the mics “one, two, one, two” – it is very much an instrumental sound check. 

Some soft guitar near the finish leads us ever so gently into “Love Is A Losing Game.” The piano and guitar interplay is spellbinding and as Amy begins to sing she gets an appreciative cheer from the crowd. For all her troubled life, here she is angelic, her voice is simply beautiful, and as Prince begins to play lead guitar it lifts it to another level. I have seen grainy YouTube footage of this performance, but just listening to it is even better, I can concentrate and wallow in Amy’s every word.  Prince does his best to match her feeling with his guitar playing, and as wonderful as it is I still can’t get past Amy’s voice, it’s unique and something wonderful. Normally I listen to whole shows rather than individual songs, in this case, I would make an exception and would happily pluck this song for any playlist. As the song finishes Prince says “I got tears” and I know exactly what he means. 

“7” has a raw sound and the guitar is heavier which I dig. Prince plays while the crowd sings for him, and it’s a sound I find most enjoyable. Prince does his vocal duties as the song goes on, and he too is in fine voice this evening, and he needs to be after Amy’s performance.  Already this is proving to be an excellent show, and I see there are plenty more good things to come. 

That raw sound persists into the next song which is a pumped-up version of “Come Together.” “Come Together” popped up regularly over the 21 nights, this one is much better than any of the others I have heard from the main shows. Prince plays some fiery guitar mid-song which has me gasping for air, it’s head-spinning stuff and we are only three songs into the show. The song is well and truly ‘Princeified’ as they stretch it out to nearly ten minutes with plenty of cool interplay between the instruments. 

 

Next Prince gives us a much-loved cover of “Honky Tonk Woman.” The guitar riff sounds full in the venue, and the band sounds great on the groove. Shelby takes lead vocals, which may not be to everyone’s taste, but truth be told she sounds great. She belts it out with great gusto, while Prince and the band rock on behind her, and they sound well in the groove, the highlight for me being when Morris Hayes bangs out a solo on the keys. I am sure by now you are well aware of how much I love the sound of him on the keys, he always delivers. 

I am not sure about “Rock Steady.” It seems to have the “Whole Lotta Love” bassline, and although it gives it an ominous sound, I don’t think the bassline works very well when the singing starts. The rest of the band though sounded hot, and all of them were right on the money. The keyboard swells, the guitar chimes, and there are just enough horns to liven it. Beverly Knight is on vocal duties and as good as she sounds, for me, it’s the horns that steal the show. 

Prince's guitar riff opens “Whole Lotta Love” next, and there is an initial rush of excitement in me although I have heard it many times before. I do quite like this rendition, it’s an instrumental, and as you might expect there is plenty of Prince howling away on the guitar. I like my funk just as much as anyone, but I am in awe as Prince rocks out on the guitar, it’s a face-melting solo that has me flying. 

“Shhh” gets off to a heavy start, there is still guitar pyrotechnics from Prince as it begins. It drops back as Prince sings, and I find I am lost in the music. Although I have heard this countless times, it’s still one of those songs that hits me every single time. Prince is quiet/loud, rough/smooth, emotional and passionate, all those things which I love about his live performances the most. The vocals are oh-so-good, but then that guitar playing comes in and I wonder how it could ever get any better. 

 

All this guitar and rock malarkey is put to one side as we hit a strong groove in “All The Critics Love U In London.” The band goes to town on this one, and there is plenty to dance to before any sort of vocals begin. Keyboards, horns, guitar, all of them lock in and play on the groove for what seems the longest time. And even then it’s not long enough for me, I could nod along to this all night long. Once again I find the horns practically alluring, they do add so much to his sound when they have to. The horns maintain their dominance right through the song, the whole seventeen minutes, and never once do I tire of them. 

We get more funk next as the pounding of the bass drum leads us into “Sexy Dancer – Le Freak.” I am a fan of both songs, so this plays to my tastes. Shelby is back out front, she does a well enough job but in this case, I would have preferred to hear Prince. It’s a party song, so there is some element of Shelby extolling the crowd to get up and party.  I get a lot more enjoyment and satisfaction as she steps back and we once again get a funky trombone solo.  It’s this solo that carries us through to the end before the bass of “Chelsea Rodgers” starts. 

I am a fan of “Chelsea Rodgers,” it’s an easy listen, and the bass has a good pop to it. Shelby sings it and injects plenty of energy. The trombone can be heard in the background, adding a nice fat sound to it. Prince accompanies Shelby later, and this sounds very cool to my ears, my only wish is that I could hear him better. This song sounds like it was it would have been a lot of fun to be there, you can hear the crowd dancing and moving along to the song. It’s not quite so much fun here at home, but it is a good listen. 

“Misty Blue” has a great horn intro that sounds very inviting. Shelby is singing again, and this is the Shelby I like, laid back and singing rather than hyping the crowd. She does a good job on the song, but for me, it’s not Prince, and I find I am waiting patiently for it to end so we can get to the main attraction. On another show, or another recording I would find this to be great, but right now this isn’t what I want to hear. 

It was Mr. Chris of The Soul Brother Show that introduced me to Mother’s Finest and it’s only recently that I realized that is where this next song comes from. “Baby Love” has its moments here, although it’s not a patch on the original. The band sounds great when they rock on, and Shelby sings loud and passionately, so I can’t quite figure out why it’s not as good as it appears on paper. For all that, it is very good and does raise the level again after the previous couple of songs. I think having Prince solo on the guitar certainly helps in this respect. 

 

A couple of excerpts follow, firstly a few seconds of “Love Changes,” then some funky guitar riffing on Kiss. Then we are back in business proper as Prince tears into “Alphabet St.” It’s one of those times where I can’t help but love it. Firstly, Prince stops and lets Josh play that bassline, and it sounds fantastic. Then the band rejoins and things begin to pop and swing. Maceo joins the fray and puts his trademark sound all over it, upping the funk levels considerably. In fact, to my ears, Maceo pretty much owns the song, even when Prince is grooving on the guitar it’s still Maceo’s sound that I am listening to in the background. 

The horns remain the center of attention well into the next song which is “Get On The Boat.” It becomes a party jam with the horns providing the lead riff that everyone else plays off. Prince does break it down for chanting and singing and it’s obvious that he is getting into party mode at this stage. Renato adds some delicate funky notes while Prince sings with the crowd. The chanting does wear out after a minute, and the band returns with a sound that takes a different twist, it seems to have more of a flourish to it. 

I am less than impressed as I hear them begin to play “Love Rollercoaster” next, however, it is kept mercifully short and they quickly segue into another song I dislike, “Play That Funky Music.” I am pleasantly surprised though, there is very little singing and it quickly becomes an exercise in Prince’s guitar playing. He plays lead and without ever getting overly heavy he plays some very fast and sharp runs. If it was always like this, I would much prefer it. 

Prince next takes his time to address the audience, telling them to look after Amy Winehouse, before telling them it was time to mellow out before taking public transport home. He then proceeds to hit us with a rocking version of “Anotherloverholenyohead.” The singing is great, as is the band, but once again it’s the guitar break that seals the deal for me. Prince was very fond of playing this rocked-out version at the time, and I must say it is something I take a great deal of joy from. I also like the Rock Lobster coda he throws in, something I grew up listening to a lot. 

We stay with this rock sound, although Prince slows it down for a smoking rendition of “Villanova Junction.” As the sounds of Morris Hayes simmer underneath, Prince lays on the guitar sound. Like so many other songs, I could listen to this one all night long and I would never tire of it, so I am somewhat disappointed as it draws to a close after a few minutes, if it had been twice as long I would be a very happy man. 

Guitar strapped on, we steam into “Peach” next. It offers nothing new at all but is infused with infectious energy. I should be sick of it by now, yet tonight I find I enjoy it just as much as anything else, and it’s easy to imagine Prince playing this with a big sloppy grin on his face. 

 

“Stratus” seems to usually arrive earlier in these shows, tonight we get it towards the end. Tonight it’s Renato’s playing that I enjoy the most, he solos for the first half of the song, and he seems to capture the mood of the piece just right. The second half is a contrast with Prince’s guitar doing all the talking. He has the same spirit as Renato but injects it with a lot more passion and fire. The two complement each other very well, and for me, it shows the strength of the band. 

The steady sound of “The Question Of U” sounds, and after the sombre guitar opening, Mike Phillips plays some soulful saxophone that sets the tone for what comes next. Prince quietens the crowd, having them snap their fingers, and I can hear the emotion fill the gaps. “The One” follows, and as always I sit open-mouthed and listen to it. It’s a fantastic song, and it deserves much more attention than it gets. Prince's singing is the only thing that matters throughout the song, and he does some great screams that convey the emotion of the song. Maceo plays after Prince has sung, he is good, but for me, the best part of the song has already been. Likewise, Renato’s playing is fine, without ever coming near what the earlier part of the song was like. Things get back on track as Prince's guitar plays “The Question Of U” refrain to bring the song to a close. 

It’s a very funky bass run that signals the beginning of “What Have You Done For Me Lately.” It’s shaping up to be particularly funky as Prince talks to the crowd and stretches the intro out with some more guitar. It’s got a lively sound as the girls begin to sing, and it gets better as the horns join the fray. It easily grooves into “Partyman,” and it’s at this stage I feel we are into the medley that will carry us to the finish. 

The crowd mostly sings “Partyman” while the horns provide the main riff. It’s upbeat and fun, although it doesn’t have any shape to it, and for me, it swirls around a lot without ever going anywhere. Maceo is the best part of the whole thing, his playing is exciting and energetic, and listening to this makes me want to dig more into his catalogue. 

“It’s Alright” is the final song of the evening, although to be honest by this point I am tired of this party medley to finish, I much preferred the heavier emotional songs earlier in the night. It is an upbeat way to finish the show though, and I can hear plenty of whops and cheers as the song and the show come to a finish. 

This show has proved to be a mixed bag. The first few songs were top-notch, I can’t fault them in any way and if the whole show had been at this standard we would have something special on our hands. The show is overly long, and there is a little too much Shelby J and filler.  However, the highs were superb, and I would happily listen to them any day. This is a show where I will cherry-pick the best songs for playlists.  The highlight for me was the appearance of Amy Winehouse, and listening to her sing with Prince only served to remind me of what a huge loss she was. When I remember her I shall remember her like this, in her element singing her wonderful songs. 

London 12 September 2007

 I liked the 21 nights in London shows. They were aimed at the masses, yet the set lists varied every night, and there was just enough there for more serious fans. This show from the 12th of September 2007 is a favorite of mine. Again, it was a show I was lucky enough to attend, but after repeating listening on CD, and watching the DVD I find that it’s not just the thrill of being there, this is a very good show and worthy of repeated listening. As with the previous recording from the 21 nights that I covered, I apologize in advance if I stray from purely the recording onto some more personal observations. For me, this is a total package. 

12 September 2007, O2 Arena, London 

The hall of fame opening gets tiresome if you trawl your way through all the recordings from this run of concerts, but on the DVD I am watching I find it’s a nice inclusion. The familiar talking heads gushing about the genius of Prince is quite touching, and I find I enjoy it more now than I did at the time. I don’t have the urge to skip it, and it’s a fitting introduction to the show. 

 

Opening the show is “1999.” It’s played exactly as is on the album, with the robotic voice beginning. It’s a fine choice to open with, and serves as a good ‘on your feet’ type number. Prices vocals sound thin on the recording, whereas Shelby J sounds big and bold. My ears do adjust to the sound, and it’s not too bad. This is not a soundboard recording, but for an audience recording, it’s not too bad at all. The keyboards do carry the bulk of the song, I certainly hear them a lot better than any other instrument on stage. I love the sound of Prince's funky guitar, but it isn’t heard much here at all, just a little near the end of the song as the band quiets down as Prince sings “Mommy, why does everybody have a bomb” The song ends with Prince calling “London, I am here, where are you” 

There is plenty of nostalgia early on, the very next song is “I Feel For You.” It has plenty of pop and sparkle, even after all these years. I hear much more Shelby on it than Prince, but she does a good job, and she doesn’t take over the song, Prince is much more in the mix as the song progresses. The horn section gives it a brassy sound, as you might expect from a horn section. 

Things move along at a fair clip as we segue into “Controversy.” I enjoy the electric sound of it on record, but this performance has lots of horns and backing singers which fill it out much more than the song I love from the early eighties. It’s very much played for audience participation, and Prince gets the crowd singing along early. This continues to the “People call me rude” sections he has them sing the lines back to him before the ‘Clap your hands, stomp your feet” becomes the chant from him and Shelby. The horns get a nice break, and then this is further emphasized when just the drum plays while they jam some more. I am not a big fan of it, but next Prince calls for Maceo to solo, and this blows the doors off it. He sounds awesome, and I have a whole new appreciation for horns. I can see why the man is a living legend. Maceo plays for a good minute, and he is going to town on it. Prince changes tack shortly after by asking the crowd if they know about the Quake, before encouraging them to jump up and down. As always, I am not a fan of this. It would be fine if you were at the show, but on the recording, it leaves me feeling shortchanged. Luckily he only does it briefly before closing the song out. 

 

A bit of blues next as Prince and Renato Neto start a smoky rendition of “Satisfied.” It feels like quite a jump after the last few numbers, but it's par for the course at a Prince concert. Prince plays up the song as much as he can, and you can hear the audience reacting to him as the song progress. With just him and the organ, it’s the lyrics that matter most, and the crowd is hanging on his every line. Mike Phillips breaks up the proceedings with a sharp-sounding sax solo. It’s not my cup of tea, but I do like it when Prince ends the solo with a few screams of his own. There is plenty of humor in the performance when Prince runs through ‘the rules’ He begins with “Can I talk to just the ladies” which immediately brings forth plenty of screams and whoops from the crowd. He then runs through the rules, such as “learn to work the toilet seat, if it’s up, put it down” He half sings, half speaks, and as he runs through his lines I can’t help but laugh out loud. It’s all funny because it’s true. He ends it with one more “satisfieddddddd” and the steady beat of “Cream” begins. 

It doesn’t sound great on this recording, the beat is too insistent, and I find it’s all I concentrate on. The band plays well, and Prince sings well, but the mix has me scratching my head. Prince saves the song somewhat with his brief but worthwhile guitar solo. For a few moments I stop concentrating on that beat, and I enjoy the song. The last couple of minutes of the song are decent, and I am happy as it transitions to “U Got The Look.” 

“U Got The Look” isn’t too guitar-heavy. With only Prince on guitar, there is a little more space, and I enjoy the drumming much more. Prince keeps a good rhythm line going on his guitar and it’s not too loud or distortive, but it does have a nice little buzz to it. His solo is reined in, and surprisingly I enjoy it just as much as this. He plays sharp but not too extravagantly. 

“Musicology” is neither here nor there. It’s not good enough for me to enjoy it, yet there’s nothing bad about it. The song moves along, but it never moves me. I do like it as Prince moves around the band for each of them to play. The drums and trombone In particular I enjoy the most. Things take a very interesting turn as Prince injects “Prince And The Band” into the song. It takes my brain a few seconds to register what I am hearing, but yes, Prince And The Band is a nice fit for it musically. “Ohh Funky London” is the next chant we hear. But after listening to quite a few of these concerts, it’s something I could happily pass on. The crowd sounds like they are enjoying it, and it certainly achieves its goal of getting the audience involved. Greg Boyer ends the song with a funky few seconds of the trombone. A song of ups and downs, the jury is still out on this one. 

Next is the highlight of the show for me, the Prince piano set.  Prince prefaces it by telling us what a beautiful thing music is, and how a little music can make everything all right. The first song in this piano set is “Little Red Corvette.” “Little Red Corvette” has taken on many guises over the years, but I always enjoy a piano rendition. The crowd enjoys it too, and they sing along. Prince’s vocals don’t sound 100% focused on the music, but his piano playing is delicate and sweet. He toys with the audience a little before the song ends with a cheer. 

I am not a great fan of “I Would Die 4 U,” but the piano arrangement played here is my favorite version of all time. I love this part of the recording. Prince starts singing and playing quietly and softly singing but after the first verse he starts playing the keys harder and harder, his head starts bobbing and the song becomes much stronger. His vocals take on that impassioned sound (real or faked) and it’s got an emotional feel to it. It’s a shame it’s only a minute, but it’s a great part of the show for me. 

 

“How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore” has long been a stalwart of the piano set, and here is no different. I still enjoy it, but it’s no different from any other version I have heard. The quiet bits are quiet, and the loud whiny bits are still loud and whiny. Everything is as it should be. I am impressed that he doesn’t shorten it here at all, and he plays it right through to the fade-out of “Why don’t you call me sometime…” 

Another great song follows with “Something In The Water.” For me, there is plenty of emotion in the song as Prince plays it alone at the piano. The stripped-back sound leaves just Prince’s voice to listen to, as there is very little happening at the piano. His vocals don’t have the cold empty sound of the 1999 recording, they are richer as he plays with the arrangement. It’s not outstanding, but it is very good. 

There is a real 1999 flavor as he follows this with “Delirious.” I dislike this song, but I find that in the piano set that it is very fun and enjoyable. If it was like this more often I could warm to it. Its rockabilly sound comes through well on the piano, and you get the sense that it was written in this way. 

Another 1999 treat next as Prince plays “Free.” Not one of the stronger tracks on 1999, it gets much more of my attention on this recording as it’s played surrounded by other piano tunes rather than surrounded by the cold electro-funk of the 1999 album. Prince plays it delicately and it lacks some of the cheesiness of the recording. This is a great piano set, and it’s a pleasure to hear so many songs from 1999 get an airing. 

 

Darkness, then the sound of the introduction of “If I Was Your Girlfriend” – ‘look at the bargains over here ladies.” I become excited at the prospect of hearing “If I Was Your Girlfriend,” but it quickly changes to the chant of we will rock you. This flows nicely into an up-tempo bright brassy sounding “Let's Go Crazy.” I am not crazy about the song, but it does fill me with the hope that we might hear the set similar to the super bowl set. The horns keep it moving brightly along, and with the keyboards, it has a very full sound. Prince does play his breaks, but they are somewhat overshadowed by the band, and this is further heightened when he does some call and response with the crowd which seems to take more attention away from his playing. 

There is the fanfare of “1999” and Prince keeps the party going with “Baby I’m a Star.” We are getting the super bowl set, and I’m pretty damn happy about that. “Baby I’m a Star” is just a transition song, and we are very quickly into the next song. 

 

“Proud Mary” is up-tempo and mostly horns. As with “Baby I’m a Star” it is very short, no more than a verse and chorus before the music turns around and we get something darker and slower. 

Prince begins “All Along The Watchtower” with a nice guitar break. I say nice, but I mean great. He plays much longer than he does at the super bowl show, his guitar playing goes for perhaps a minute before he sings. He makes the guitar moan and whine, and it’s a more expressive solo. There’s nothing fast in it, just song clean drawn-out notes. Already it’s on my highlights reel of this show. I am so used to hearing the soundboard quality of the super bowl show that at first, I find Prince’s vocals a touch off here. But that’s the recording, rather than Prince himself. He sings the first verse before the music takes an upswing and the next highlight strikes us. 

“The Best Of You” sounds just as good at this show as it did at the super bowl gig. Sure there isn’t the added intensity of the falling rain, but Prince has his funk face on as he contorts himself with the guitar sound. I would have liked to hear the guitar clearer, it’s mixed in with the rest of the band, but the song does sound good, and it’s worth it just for the showmanship. 

 

“Take Me With U” follows on, and it feels light and breezy after the heavy guitar tones of “All Along the Watchtower,” and “The Best Of You.” It’s not quite as poppy as it sometimes sounds, there is too much in the sound, but the crowd is enjoying it, I can see plenty of hand waving on the DVD. Prince’s vocals are a little ragged, which is unusual, normally his vocals are crisp and clear. 

The opening strum of “Guitar” keeps the tempo and vibe up. Prince sings, but I’m not interested at this stage, I want to hear what he can do with his guitar. Like the previous song, his vocals still sound rough so it is a relief when he stops singing and moves into Guitar God mode. His guitar breaks aren’t on the great level, but they are lots of fun, and a good listen. The advantage of the DVD is I can see how much he turns it on for the crowd and it’s about the show as much as the playing itself. And on a personal note, when I was at this show there was a guy in front of me with his young daughter, and as he came to our side of the stage he saw her and gave the biggest nod and wink before pulling out another face-driven solo. The song finishes with Prince standing still and delivering one final guitar break. 

The songs from “Let's Go Crazy” to “Guitar” had been played without break, so it’s somewhat of a relief when Prince pauses to address the crowd. He breaks things up with his patter “what can I play next, I got too many hits” The opening strum of “Kiss” ends this moment and he gives us a very smooth rendition of “Kiss.” The first part of the song I don’t find very interesting, but I do like it much more when he picks up his guitar for a funky rhythmic break. He changes the “You don’t have to watch’ line to “Big Brother” thus firmly dating this as a mid-2000s performance. 

 

“Purple Rain” is one of the weaker songs on this recording. The mix seems to be all out, it opens with the keyboards, but they feel out of balance, and things don’t improve when Prince sings. For most of the song, it sounds to me like Prince's voice is overtaken by the keyboard.  It doesn’t have the clean sound I associate with it, the sound where I can hear every instrument playing together, instead it sounds like they are thrown up against each other and it’s a battle to who will be loudest. I cross my fingers that it will improve when Prince starts his guitar break. It does improve, Prince’s guitar is much louder and cuts across everything else. And what I like is that he is playing it on the Horner, which to my mind is the way it should be played, as that is how it was originally recorded. Prince keeps the guitar break modest, and the crowd is soon singing their “oowww owww ooooswws”. All in all the song is kept very short and tidy. 

There is now a break before the band return for the first encore. The encore begins with the song “Chelsea Rodgers” which sounds like a classic pop song here. It begins with some nice bass and threatens to be funky, but when the band joins it becomes very pop. I do like the song, and this is a good performance of it. Prince's vocals aren’t heard very well, I can hear Shelby J better than him. The horn lines aren’t as intrusive as I expect, they lack sharpness, but they do have a break which gives them a chance to be heard. Maceo gets another break later in the song as does Greg Boyer on trombone, and both of them sound great to my ears. 

Prince calls for the lights to be turned off, and we hear the synthesizer sound of “Sexy Dancer.” The music is “Sexy Dancer,” but it's “Le Freak” that Shelby and the band sing over it. Prince himself doesn’t sing, but he does provide the rhythm guitar underneath. There’s not enough Prince in the song for my liking, it’s all Shelby and the horns, with Prince calling the shots. Renato does play a solo on the keyboards, it's note-perfect but fails to move me. Things improve immensely when Prince plays, we have a minute of funky rhythm guitar before the band moves back in. The song finishes with Prince's rhythm guitar and the band. 

 

“Play That Funky Music” finishes before it begins. The rhythm guitar kicks off nicely, but after the band joins in Prince ends it after only a few lines. It’s not a must-listen-to me, so I am not too upset by it at all. 

Shelby J comes to the spotlight again as she leads the band through “Crazy.” I like her vocals a lot, and she does a fine job singing this. As much as I enjoy it, once again there is very little Prince in it, so I find my attention waning. I love the vocoder sound playing in the background, and this is one part of the song I listen to the most. Shelby then proceeds to sing “I Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” but here I feel she overdoes it, and it’s not as good as the original. With a final shout-out to Shelby from Prince the song ends. 

Prince then comes back on to the microphone for “Nothing Compares 2 U.” It’s very much Prince’s song, but he only sings every second line here, preferring to let the crowd do the rest. It’s great for the crowd, but a frustrating listen here at home. Mike Phillips improves things no end with a fantastically enthusiastic sax solo. He gives it all he’s got, and it’s the best part of the song in my eyes. Prince then sings one more chorus with the crowd before the song ends. This song could have been so much more, but it feels like they skimmed over it a bit, the only thing that stood out was that great sax solo. 

The main show proper ends at this stage, but Prince does return for another encore with a sampler set. As you well know it’s going to be a lot of teases and short snippets, but we will give it a listen anyway. 

The first song to get an airing is “Sign O The Times.” Prince doesn’t mess around too long at the start and surprisingly sings the whole first verse before we jump right into “Pop Life.” 

“Pop Life” is another surprise, he doesn’t tease it at all and sings the entire verse and a chorus. Being the sampler, the music sounds exactly as on record. Prince sings from his stool, and freed from any instrument engages the audience with lots of eye contact and waving. 

“Mountains” is another pleasant surprise to my ears. Unfortunately, this time it is a tease, before just a few moments of “Irresistible Bitch” is played. 

“When Doves Cry” fairs a little better, Prince does sing the first verse and a chorus. As always I am hungry for more, but Prince moves on. 

The opening of “Erotic City” has me disappointed, as I know there was no way he was going to play it. Sure enough, after a few bars, he moves into something more suitable to his current convictions. 

“Alphabet St” has the crowd dancing. Once again there isn’t too much I can say about it, as it too only has the opening verse. It is good while it's there, but it's barely there at all. 

Prince takes the cheers of the crowd, before telling them “I gotta do this for me” and the funky shuffle of “D.M.S.R.” begins. Another 1999 song, it has me overjoyed. As is the way of the sampler set, I get my hopes up, and then it fades away. I am just thankful we get the first verse as we do. 

“Raspberry Beret” probably gets the best of the sampler set. Prince has the beat playing on the sampler but then plays piano live over the top of it, which gives it a nice simple feel. He trades lines with the crowd, for the first verse, and then finishes the chorus, and the song with the audience singing “I love her” and him replying “I love you too” There's nothing great musically here, but it is a nice way to finish the show with the audience. The recording and the concert end at this point, with no bombastic finish, just this easy sentiment. 

Asides from the sampler set, I thought this show was great. It can be broken down section by section, he started with a block of hits, then a nice piano set, the Superbowl set, a block of guitar-heavy songs, a dancey/party encore, and then the sampler set. Purple Rain was a disappointment as was the sampler, but everything else was about as much as I could ask for, especially hearing so much off the 1999 album. If I was choosing a good main show to listen to, I would choose this one. The fact that I was there is just the icing on the cake. 

London 29 August 2007 (am)

 Prince has flirted with playing in a trio several times over the years, especially after the positive fan response to the Undertaker project with Michael B and Sonny T. With Sonny T and Michael B it was very much a power trio, today’s show with Josh and Cora doesn’t exude the same power, yet I think we can still safely describe it as a power trio.  I remember at the time of this show, an after-show during his 21-night run in London in 2007, there was a lot of comment online about it, and many people had been wanting to see a show like this for several years. The concept is certainly mouth-watering, and what I want to know is does the show, and this recording, live up to the expectation. There is only one way to find out, I will press play on it now. 

29th August (am) 2007, Indigo O2   London 

The recording eases us into it nicely with some audience noise before the trio of Prince, Cora, and Josh start a slow groove. I enjoy it right from the start with Prince’s guitar having a nice raw organic sound. It’s not at all loud, it’s very laid back and the groove moves along gently. Having only three instruments playing “Thank You For Talkin To Me Africa” means that the sound isn’t at all crowded and Prince's guitar playing is very clear in the mix. There is some strumming before later he switches up into a couple of cool-sounding lead breaks. Each gets a hearty cheer from the crowd, and a thumbs up from me here at home. As an instrumental, it serves as a good introduction to the show. 

 

“Anotherloverholenyohead” actually works very well in this context. It rocks out well, and the crowd is feeling it with plenty of singing. I get a buzz out of hearing Prince's vocals and guitar playing in this setting and the song sounds fierce in its stripped-back form. It’s not well served by the recording, I can hear it fine and clear, but it doesn’t have the jump and pop I want to hear, it is missing some crispness in the recording. The segue into “Rock Lobster” is familiar to me and doesn’t come as any real surprise. It allows Prince to crank up the intensity of his guitar playing and the break comes as a flurry of playing. I thought the whole song would be like this, but he pulls back in the last couple of minutes as Cora plays a drum break which is warmly received by the crowd. 

I often associate “Calhoun Square” with the Michael B and Sonny T era, so I feel it’s a good fit here as soon as it begins. Initially, the music sits in the background as Prince opens the singing, but soon enough his guitar is turned up and we get another round of guitar work. It must be good because I find myself turning it up louder as the song progresses. The crowd is heard through the song chanting and cheering, and I know I am not alone in my enjoyment of this performance. Prince’s guitar playing becomes fierier in the last minutes of the song, at this point I find I am doing little else but listening to him playing. 

“Chaos and Disorder” are perfect for this trio and they become faster and tighter as they go. The drums aren’t as pounding and strong as you would get with a Michael B, and without that strength, I find the song lacks some punch. Cora plays well enough, but she doesn’t have the power of Michael B. I can’t fault the enthusiasm of the trio, and Prince's guitar is the main attraction and what holds it all together, as well as holding my attention. 

I enjoy “I Like It There” which follows, but again it doesn’t have the power of the drums. There is plenty of noise on the cymbals and Prince sings more passionately which fills out the sound. The guitar is sounding very crisp and clean and I find I am enjoying the show much more than I anticipated. Their trio isn’t a ‘power trio’ in the powerful sense, but they are nice and tight and do generate a good sound together. The song works best in the last minutes when Prince lets the guitar do all the work, and I think this is what most people want out of the show. 

 

There is a long introduction next, with plenty of guitar grooves and some lead before Prince begins to sing. I can’t work out what it is, and it’s only once he begins singing that it becomes apparent that it is “All Shook Up.” I have heard this song plenty of times from Prince, but never like this before and I am surprised at how well it works for this trio. Prince sings over some choppy guitar, and during the chorus plays some lead that has a similar tone to the two previous songs. It’s far removed from the original and it is more band centered rather than focused on the singer. There is some more soloing from Prince, it’s cleaner sounding than the previous solos, and he is sounding tighter and focused, rather than fiery and passionate. 

“Empty Room” is phenomenal, for me, it’s the best part of the gig. Sure, Prince's vocals aren’t recorded as well as some of the earlier songs, but the guitar is the thing, and here is powerful and passionate sounding. The crowd goes silent during this performance, and I honestly think some of them are awestruck. It feels a lot louder than the other songs, and I think it’s mostly because I am listening so closely. Prince gets an interesting sounding tone on his guitar that shimmers, I am not a great fan of it, but when his stronger tone returns I am very happy. The song dies with a whimper, which is surprising given how strong it was early on, but that’s OK, for me it’s the pick of the show. 

I can’t get used to “Spirituality,” I still want to call it “Sexuality,” as that is what it always will be to me. If “Empty Room” was the highlight for me, then this would be a very close second. The drums don’t sound strong, it’s the guitar that drives this alone, Prince plays all sorts of fills compensating for the lack of keyboards that normally fill the sound. His guitar has a slightly jagged raw edge, just enough to make this a gritty must-listen. I don’t get behind the lyric change, the rest of the song though is outstanding, and my only complaint is that it’s only a couple of minutes before he moves smoothly into the next song, I would have died to hear him play this one much longer. 

“Johnny B Goode” is predictable and although the guitar sounds good and the mood is high, it leaves me disappointed. There isn’t much to it, a couple of verses and then some frantic guitar work by Prince. It’s not at all bad, it’s just lacking soul, and I am more than happy with the couple of minutes we get. 

 

I was surprised to see “Elephants And Flowers” in the set, and I praise it for its novelty value. It’s less flowery than the album cut (excuse the pun) and much more straightforward sounding. It’s another chance for Prince to play some lead guitar, which he injects a lot of spirit into. The song moves by quickly, I think after the verses and chorus Prince's guitar changes time and space in the universe because it seems like only a minute long when in reality it is a good five minutes. 

“When Will We B Paid” is another outstanding performance. Opening with a couple of minutes of gentle lead guitar, this is the type of Prince playing that I love to hear. Nothing too fierce, just some beautiful runs on his guitar and plenty of soul. It has a timeless quality to it, and I like that the recording gets the vocals nice and clear so we get the lyrics and their meaning. The guitar solo after the verses stays in this gentle way and keeps within the tone of the song. I would be quite happy if it stayed this way, however, it picks up considerably near the end, and to my surprise, I like it just as much as the rest of the song. This was another highlight of the show for me, there is much more to this show than I initially thought. 

There’s the whine of the guitar that leads into the next song, and I am happy when I hear I heavy riff begin. Shelby is onboard here to sing “Baby Love,” and she does a great job, she sings full-voiced over Prince's guitar riff, and the song has a great push to it. It’s much more out front and in my face, and I like it all the more for it. Unfortunately about halfway through Shelby begins her “Put your hands up, put your hands up” chants which throws me momentarily, although it’s only for a minute and the song is soon enough back on track. There is some juicy-sounding guitar work from Prince after Shelby steps back and the song gets a whole lot better from here on. Prince’s guitar sounds great to my ears, and when Shelby starts to sing again she is very strong and machine guns the final chorus in brilliant style. 

“Alphabet St” gets a verse, then a fast guitar solo that kicks it off. The lightness returns for another verse before Prince takes us deep into his guitar solo again. He repeats this, the light verse and then hammering guitar break, and although a little jarring at first, there is no denying that it all sounds so good. I preferred the guitar breaks to the singing, the singing was filler compared to the killer guitar licks he had. 

The final song of the show and the recording is rather fittingly “Guitar.” This song neatly encapsulates everything I like and dislike about the show. The singing is light and throw-away, while the guitar breaks are excellent and the main reason to be here. The drums lack any real presence and everything defers to Prince and his guitar sound. I am happy with that, as I like Prince and his guitar, but I wonder how much better this could have sounded with other players. The best moments are when Prince shreds his guitar and fills the recording with his guitar sound. He plays quick and the song speeds by at a very fast rate, and before I know it the song is over. 

I found this recording to be very good, but in the back of my mind is the thought that it could have been a lot better too. The performance was good, and the guitar breaks were great, what was missing was that little extra to give it more power. My first thought would be a different drummer, somebody who could bash the drums and create a big sound for Prince to play against. Asides from that quibble I found that the recording was immensely enjoyable, and the fact that it was only an hour worked in its favor, much more and there would have been the feeling of repetition and sameness. I can understand why people like to see Prince play in a stripped-back band like this, hopefully, it’s something he will dabble with again in the future. 

London 2 August 2007 (am)

 2007 was quite a year for Prince. A variety of showcases around the world saw Prince concentrating his efforts and delivering memorable runs wherever he went. The year started with his Las Vegas residency, then his three Minneapolis shows in a day, a couple of nights at Montreux, and finally his 21 nights in London. I have previously cherry-picked concerts from throughout the year, but I feel that his after-shows during his London deserve a closer listen. The guest appearance of Amy Winehouse at one show grabs headlines, as does the power trio concert, but there is much more to indulge ourselves in over the weeks. With that in mind, this week I want to dive a little deeper into his first aftershow at the indigo, a show that ties back to his Las Vegas residency, yet sketches out the sonic territory he will cover in the following days and nights. 

2 August 2007 (a.m.) 3121 at The IndigO2 

Many of the songs of the night are already familiar to us from the shows earlier in the year, and the cover of “Can I Kick It” would be recognizable to most who have already heard the Las Vegas concerts. The rendition performed here is slinky and slippery, the rap secondary to the chant of the crowd and the rhythmic pulsation of the band. Greg Boyer adds a spray of color with his trombone, the music cracking and splintering in two beneath the weight of his purposeful playing. The rhythm remains, but now the horns flood the recording, my mind, and ears torn between the robust low end of the rhythm section and the vivid brightness of the horns. A sudden attack from the keyboards temporarily floors me in its ribboned cohesiveness before I am thrust into the future by the vocoder, an instrument that straddles the past from which it came and the future into which it stretches. It is an urgent opening number, a jam that plucks each instrument from the lineup with adventure while remaining faithful to the groove and its steadfast march forward. A scurrying horn and keyboard flurry finish the song in the only way possible, a breathless finish to a song that promised little but delivered beyond expectation. 

The band introductions are quickly dispensed with, Maceo Parker and Candy Dulfer pencil out their own version of “Addictive Love.” It remains a rough sketch, with both players coming in and out of the mix while the song remains elusive. It quickly runs out of steam, much to my disappointment, and the band picks up a new thread. 

The music soon pivots back to Maceo Parker, his own “Shake Everything You’ve Got” emerging from the light mists of drum and bass. The song spirals and delights, Maceo and Candy casually lifting the show ever higher on the backs of their talents. Prince has yet to make an appearance, yet the concert demands attention to the quality of musicians and music. Even without Prince on stage, this band generates a heat by which I warm my weary soul. 

 

In a similar vein “Footprints” covers the same sonic territory, and is another song we heard earlier in the year. It is faithful to the rendition heard at Las Vegas concerts, and gives us more time to marinate in the cool sound of Maceo and Candy. There is a gentle timelessness to the piece, and if I heard this in the wild I would be hard placed to pick what year it is from. It continues to flow with tranquil ease, enveloping the room in an all-consuming Jazz sound that harks back to the very best of the One Night Alone era. Prince introduces himself to the stage on the back of some incisive guitar work that cuts through the introspection of the earlier music, bringing the attention firmly to the stage as his instrument demands the limelight. 

“Stratus” brings the concert into focus after the fuzzy-edged jazz heard earlier, Prince’s guitar work bringing a sharp edge to the music, a grunt and sweat that eclipses the delicacy of the previous horn work. His guitar spins steel cobwebs across the song, fine yet sharp to the ear, and all ensnaring. I had previously grown tired of “Stratus” but I am reinvigorated by this version. Mike Phillips and his vocoder bring a lot of fun to the otherwise monumental sound, and as a package it works well, Prince’s heavy hand balanced by Mike and his instrument. 

 

The big guitar sheen remains and drives through the heart of “Anotherloverholenyohead” It is a muscular version, Prince ripping through the opening gear changes with authority before setting course for a powerful instrumental version. With the lyrics shed, Prince is free to let the guitar express the lyrical content, and although wordless it plays with an emotionally crushing ache that evaporates any need for lyrics. Its plaintive ache is there for all to hear, and right now this is one of the best versions I have heard. The funk is temporarily put to one side as Prince lets the guitar bare its teeth and savage the song before the audience in a brutal version of the twenty-year-old song. 

The carcass of “Anotherloverholenyohead” is left behind and the band easily slides into a gentle “Mind In 7.” It is light and skittery in the face of the previous rock assault, and the concert breathes anew with its appearance. Lead by the horns and keyboards, it plays over an undemanding beat that feels like a cool balm after the fire of Prince’s guitar in the previous song. It becomes an undemanding stroll, the horns all contributing, keeping the song moving while never requiring us to stop and dig deeper. It is all surface, not a slight in this case, but a song that shows us it’s all in one glance. 

 

“Pass The Peas” suffers from overexposure, although one cannot help but be drawn in by Maceo’s enthusiastic rendition. The song continues to tremble throughout, threatening to become something grand, but instead, it remains a loyal friend rather than a fiery lover. That is until Prince bestows upon it a tempestuous guitar solo that undoes its locks, the true nature of the song revealed as Prince’s guitar unshackles its inner petulance. 

There comes a seismic shift with an uptempo “3121” rattling into view. Like all great earthquakes it didn’t just happen, the increased pressure leading to this moment had been building ever since Prince appeared on stage. It remains coy in the first minutes, couched in a sheen of the horns before the vocoder draws the tectonic tensions to the surface. I am normally distracted by the mention of “chocolate handles,” but in this rendition, Prince’s vocal tones say more than his words, and I am enthralled by his performance. I’m not quite as enthralled by the “funky London” chants. It is unswerving in its heavy groove, and while not the best version I have heard it is always a live favorite. 

“Down By The Riverside” is a weak ending to what has been a splendid concert. Fittingly the horns have the last song, but this isn’t anywhere near as good as the songs they had in the first half of the concert, and while I admire their skill I just don’t feel it like I did earlier. “3121” might have been a better option to finish the concert, but one can’t complain after an hour and a half of top-notch musicianship and songcraft. As the swing of “Down By The Riverside” fades I am left to reflect on an electrifying opening to the 21 nights' after-shows. 

This concert leaves me with one overwhelming feeling. That feeling is anger – anger directed at me. I went to the opening concert of the O2 run but elected not to go to the aftershow (some feeble excuse about work in the morning). It was a mistake, a mistake I’ll have to live with. This show, while rooted in the earlier Las Vegas concerts, is a fine balance between the talents of the band, and the burning supernova that is Prince. Even when Prince isn’t present, this band is strong enough to hold my attention through unfamiliar material. With the appearance of Prince the concert changes and he draws all the light from the room with every note he plays. 2007 is a rich year for Prince fans and sometimes shows like this can be overlooked in the wealth of other material. However, even in brief appearances, Prince gives enough to feed the most hungry of fans, and this is certainly a tasty appetizer for the rest of his London concerts. 

London 1 August 2007

 Today’s entry is going to be a little different from anything else I have written. I have written about some great recordings previously, and some significant gigs in the world of Prince, but this one is special to me for another reason. Today I will be writing about the first night of the 21 nights at the O2 London. Not only is it the first night of that series of concerts, but it is also the first time that I ever saw Prince playing live. For me, it is impossible to detach the recording from being at the event itself. I normally try to be fairly objective in my writing, but today any semblance of objectivity will go out the window. A lot of my memories and feelings are tied into this recording, I can’t listen to it without all these coming to the surface. So with that in mind, let’s take a listen- the CD is in the player, my cup of tea beside me, but in my mind, I am coming up the escalator at North Greenwich station, and the excitement in the air is electric. 

1 August 2007 O2 London 

Opening the show is a video of the UK Hall of fame introduction. Prince is marketing himself as an Icon/legacy act at this stage, and the video serves as a useful reminder to the fans there that he has had an outstanding career. I find it a little ho-hum, but it very much sets the scene for what comes next and gets the excitement levels rising in the crowd. 

 

I am not convinced that “Purple Rain” is a great song to open a show with. Although, once again, I have to concede I do understand exactly why it is here at the beginning of the show. Prince is making a statement, opening his 21-night stand with the song that is most closely associated with him, and from the most stellar part of his career. On a personal note- this is not one of my favorite Prince songs, it has been played at 100’s of concerts over the years, and has long since lost its sparkle for me. But, this was my first time to see Prince after being a fan for 25 years, and as he rose out of the dry ice, singing his signature song, I have to say it was pretty emotional. There may well have been a tear in my eye (I am sure it was just from the dry ice). On listening to the recording now I find that away from the hype and excitement, it is a good rendition of the song. Instead of the hanging guitar chords at the beginning, we get a nice little piano intro. It’s not drawn out at all, and Prince starts singing without too much intro. The drum beat isn’t as strong as it used to be, and the music sounds very much in the background, this is all about Prince’s vocal delivery, and it is nice and strong right from the start. To his credit, he does play a full version, every verse is there as it should be. I am always pleased when it gets the full treatment, and the crowd is in fine voice for every chorus. The guitar solo has a fine sound to it, it’s not muscular as it sometimes sounds on the symbol guitar. There is nothing extra or unheard of in the guitar break, but it is very decent sounding. It is a little strange to hear the crowd singing “oww, owww, owww” and knowing that this is still the first song, and we have a long way to go yet. I found it enjoyable, but perhaps a much better measure would be what a more casual fan thought of it- immediately after the song finished my friend, who had rather reluctantly come along to the gig, turned to me with a massive grin on his face and said: “That was brilliant- I got my money worth right there with that song”. 

 

“Girls and Boys” ups the tempo, and for me the gig begins now. Although the recording isn’t soundboard, it still is good, and “Girls and Boys” sounds great. Prince has a great funky-sounding vocal delivery and the keyboards and horns propel it along in a non-stop fashion. This is the funky Prince I enjoy most, and it is an early highlight. The best part of it is when Maceo takes over and delivers a killer solo. It just takes off and has a life of its own. There is also a trombone solo, which although not as good as Maceo's solo is still a different addition that I enjoy. Prince does break down the song at one stage for some audience singing of Dance, Music, Sex, Romance- it does break the momentum, but things ramp again with some more great horns and singing straight after. This song has lost nothing of its funk after all these years. It finishes with Prince yelling “Somebody scream!” It’s an excellent start to show after the slow start. 

The third song in and things pull back with a smoky version of “Satisfied.” It’s quite a change after the stomping “Girl and Boys,” but as Prince says- he’s got two sides and they’re both friends. There are plenty of roars from the crowd as Prince performs this one in typical seduction mode. It sounds like the ladies in the crowd are hanging on every word as there are screams and yells after almost every suggestive line. Maceo gets a nice lead break, and he shows another side of his playing- completely different from the previous song. He is a master, and I love listening to this one too. Maceo finishes up and we return to the seductive sounds of Prince. It sounds like he could deliver this easily all night, but he winds it up after just another minute. 

Normally I would readily dismiss “Cream,” but this one is more up-tempo, and the drums and horns are more to the fore. It strengthens the song a lot, and I find I enjoy it much more than I have in years. Prince reminds the audience midsong that he wrote this one looking in the mirror, and the crowd gives an approving cheer. The guitar break is worth mentioning, the sound is not as weak and thin as the album version, and although it’s very short, it is an improvement in my opinion. I also find the horns add a lot to it, they aren’t playing anything extra, but they do fatten out the sound. 

We segue easily into a rock number next as “U Got The Look” gets an outing. With only Prince playing guitar it’s less rocky than usual, but he makes it for it with some extra oomph in his vocals and the drummer does give it plenty too. His lead break is good but does sit low in the mix. We can perhaps blame limitations in the recording for this, but his guitar sound does sound a little lost amongst the other instruments. It’s a shame, as I have often felt that this song hinges on the sound of his guitar breaks in it, and here it comes across as much lighter. 

I don’t think I have ever heard a version of “Shhh” that I didn’t like. This one is no exception. Again I am somewhat limited by the quality of the recording, but Prince sounds just as good as ever. This song dates from my favorite era of Prince, and I only wish that more songs from this period were played live now. Of course, he delivers the verses with plenty of passion, but it's the guitar playing where the emotion comes through in this song. His guitar says what his voice can’t, and sitting here today listening to it I find it brings all sorts of emotions out of me. A fine performance of one of his greatest songs, this one is only let down by it being an audience recording. The song ends with half a minute of furious guitar work, and I am already reaching for the repeat button. 

 

“Musicology” sounds like a song that was purpose-written for shows like this. A throwback nostalgic song in both sound and lyrical content, it’s very much tailored for audiences like this, as well as serving as an introduction to the band. It’s a party song, and you can hear the audience responding to it, it very much lightens the mood. Again, Maceo is very much a highlight in this for me, his playing is exceptional. The other band members all play well too, no slight against any of them, but Maceo is the one I enjoy most. There is some chanting of ‘Funky London’ and the audience does seem to get behind this a lot. It does perhaps go on a little long for my liking, but I always prefer that rather than having songs cut short. 

Prince takes the time to talk to the crowd between songs at this point. It’s a nice couple of minutes, he asks about his stage, and how’s the band, and then mentions his excitement about playing in London again. 

The up-tempo beat of “I Feel For You” has me back on board. Prince doesn’t have to try too hard with this one, it has a nice inner energy to it, and pushes all the nostalgia buttons to me. This isn’t the greatest version I have heard, Shelby (love her) is just a little too strong on it, and although she doesn’t drown out Prince, I hear her voice more than his. If anything, it feels like there is a little too much on this one. It doesn’t have the cleanness that I like about it. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s not as great as it could have been. 

Staying in the era, Prince calls for “Controversy” next. It’s got that great pounding beat, and what I like most about it, is the beat doesn’t overwhelm everything, as per other recent versions I have heard. The bass is nice and prominent, and it’s a great throwback to his early years. The horns are another nice touch and give it some color. The only problem I have with it is when Prince calls for people to jump up before the main groove. It seems to derail the song somewhat. But more than making up for that is another appearance of Maceo. His sax is sharp sounding against the neat, and it works very well. Later in the song, the rest of the horn section joins for a horn break, but it doesn’t seem to work quite as well. But I do like that they played around with it. And there is a nice break when just the trombone plays that I enjoy. 

 

Things slow down as Prince leaves the stage and Renato Neto and Mike Phillips play an instrumental “What A Wonderful World.” I have been effusive in my praise of the horns so far on this recording, but here is a bridge too far for me. With Prince not on the song at all, I find my attention quickly waning. Although it all sounds pretty, I find this one bland and am bored with it before we even get halfway. 

“Somewhere Here On Earth,” although sounding good, barely gets my pulse going again. I am not going to dismiss it though, Prince's vocal delivery on it is excellent. I would like to hear more ballads in this vein as he ages. It’s got an easy listening sound to it, with a nice gentle horn playing in the background. Prince has a nice croon in his delivery and I could well imagine him singing like this in a piano bar well into old age. And that is the reason I don’t like it. The quality is excellent, there is no denying that, but it’s too safe, too middle of the road for my tastes. It’s a nice deviation in the gig, but in the end, I find it to be a side dish, rather than the main course. 

“Lolita” has questionable lyrics, but an upbeat pop sound. I have seen a variety of opinions on this song, it’s very much a song you either love or hate. I enjoyed it on record, but here it doesn’t match that. Prince’s vocals are easily heard, but not easily understood. I can’t make out the words, and this time I’m not sure I can blame the recording. The O2 does have some sound issues, and I am putting it down to this. The song is OK, but it does finish before I can form a strong opinion one way or another. 

Prince then engages the audience with “I got more hits than Madonna got kids” I have heard it plenty since then, but at the time it was still quaint and funny. I am expecting him to then play one of these hits he is alluding to, but instead, we get a reprise of the last chorus of Lolita. 

 

We are back on track when the steamy groove of “Black Sweat” begins. It doesn’t have the dark sound of the album, but it still sounds good to my ears. It could have been much funkier and heavier, but the crowd seems pretty happy with this arrangement, and so am I. The only things that count against it are Prince shouting “I got too many hits” midsong and the fact that it barely reaches the three-minute mark before it ends. After the last few songs dragging us down, it would have been good to hear this one worked up more and injecting a bit more funk into the evening. 

There is another interlude as Prince name-checks possible songs he play next. This elicits a predictable response from the audience before the strum of “Kiss” brings us to the next song. Prince gives the audience a few chances to sing along with this one, and they respond with a loud call. The best part of the song is very much the guitar solo, his guitar has a nice tone to it, and as I say so many times, it sounds great. Prince does have another couple of crowd-pleasing moments- the lyric change “You don’t have to watch desperate housewives, or big brother” and then lets the audience finish out the song singing themselves. It’s very very short, but it is crowd-pleasing. 

There is some more of Prince name-checking possible songs he could do next before he decides to go old school with “If I Was Your Girlfriend.” Again, to leave the recording for a moment, this was the point at the gig where ‘I lost my stuff’ so to speak. This song is a top 5 favorite for me, and to hear it live was sensational. And today as I listen back to it, I realize it’s not a great version, but every gig will be someone’s once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Prince, and sometimes the quality of the song doesn’t matter, the fact it’s played is enough. Back to the recording itself, it’s a light version of the song that is played. It’s very much played as an upbeat party-type song. There are calls from Prince for the crowd to wave their arms side to side, and Prince addresses the audience informally several times, which takes me out of the song. There is a very nice deep organ groove under it, and that is what makes the song for me on this one. Prince asks the crowd if they are having a good time, and he gets a rousing cheer in response. 

The song segues easily into “Pink Cashmere.” I often overlook “Pink Cashmere,” but it is a very good song. It got a little lost in everything else that was happening in Prince world at the time it came out, which is a shame, as it has the sound of a hit to my ears. The rendition here is smooth enough, and Mike Phillips plays an upbeat Sax solo on it, which does lift it a lot. As he finishes Prince says “Careful Mike, you might get someone pregnant” His easy humor always makes me smile, and it’s a fitting comment for a nice solo. There is some nice Prince talk near the end of the song, and surprisingly it’s not corny at all. I would have enjoyed it much more if he hadn’t then started singing “Oh funky London” again. Mercifully it’s only for a couple of bars before the band jumps back in and brings the song to a close. 

I hadn’t expected to hear “7” next. It’s played very straight and doesn’t seem to deviate at all from the original recording. At this point I am reminded of why I dislike audience recording, there is a loud hand clap on the recording, and for the duration of the song, I find it hard to listen beyond this. The song is played well, but as I said before there’s not too much about it that stands out. 

The band then moves directly on to the next song, “Come Together.” There was a time when I would have loved to hear a cover such as this, but in this case, it was mostly disappointing. It’s played with the UK audience in mind, but it’s mostly Shelby that I can hear. In the first half of the song I mostly concentrate on her voice, and the annoying audience hand clap. The second part of the song through picks up immensely and Prince plays the best guitar solo of the night. It’s a shame the whole song wasn’t as good as that solo, but at least the solo does redeem the rest of the song. The song finishes, predictably enough with the audience clapping and singing “Come together” 

Every week I write that I don’t like “Take Me with U,” but that whatever particular version I am listening to at the time is great. Maybe I should just face facts, and admit that I probably do love this song. The drums aren’t the strongest on this, but the keyboards are sounding very bold. They have a nice full sound to them, especially during the chorus. Prince’s voice has a slight echo to it, and that is not due to any of his doing, it’s the sound in the venue that is at fault. The song gets the energy levels back up and this continues as the next song starts quickly after. 

“Guitar” is one of those songs that always sounds ‘up’. It’s hard to imagine Prince playing this without a big smile on his face. The sound isn’t great during the song, his first break does sound a bit muddy and lost, but the second break is much more clear and crisp. I always think of this as being a very short and sweet song, but it does seem to go on for a while here, there are more verses than I remember! But the playing on it is good, and I always enjoy anything that showcases Prince's guitar playing. The end of the song is when he goes deep into it, and there are some nice moments during his playing. 

Another 360 next as Prince puts down his guitar to sing a beautiful rendition of “Planet Earth.” Yes, it’s beautiful, but it fails to engage me emotionally. I think this song could sound better and he could do more with it. This sounds good to me, but I just can’t connect to it. There is almost too much band in it, and I do wonder if it would be better served with a stripped-back arrangement. I should point out that the song does also suffer from being a less-than-ideal recording. Listening to this I am reminded of my teachers' comments at school “Shows potential, could do better” 

A longer break ensues before we get an encore. Shelby J leads the band through a fairly robust version of Gnarls Barkly’s “Crazy.” It’s redundant and doesn’t add anything to show, asides from giving Prince a break and showing off Shelby’s vocals. There is no denying she’s got talent, but like many people, I do tire of her extolling the crowd to ‘Put your hands up. I do like the funky break when they start to sing “One Nation Under a Groove” and I would have preferred to hear a full-blown cover of that rather than “Crazy.” It is however of its time and place, and in 2007 that was THE song, so there is no doubt that the audience at the time enjoyed it. 

Prince is back in form with a fantastic “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Asides from letting the audience sing a line here and there, it is great to hear him perform on this. Like a lot of songs on this recording, it does have its positives and negatives. He does only sing the first verse, but then he hands it over to Mike Phillips who plays a very decent sax break. Prince returns after the sax break and sounds much more impassioned. If anything he sounds too passionate, and the song loses some of its emotional clout. The audience is left to sing the last few lines before it fades out. 

“Dearly beloved” followed by a long pause and organ into leaves me hanging for what seems an age. After a long tease, Prince eventually follows up with “we are gathered here today, to get through this thing called life” and “Let's Go Crazy” follows proper. There isn’t much left of the song, Prince skips all the verses and plays the first guitar break straight off, before encouraging the crowd with “let's go crazy, go go go”. There is another brief guitar break and some more singing along with the audience. As I said before there are no verses and no choruses sung, it’s all guitar and sing-along. It ends, predictable enough, after a couple of minutes with Prince’s guitar howling ending. “Thank you and good night” ends the main part of the show. 

Pausing for a minute, I would like to explain what happened next at the show. All the house lights came up, there was a minute or two of cheering, a few technicians appeared on stage and the crowd began streaming out of the exits. Not being in any hurry to leave, me and my friend stood for a few minutes discussing what a great time we had, and comparing highlights. After a couple more minutes there was a shout and Prince came running across the floor of the arena and hauled himself back on stage, sending the technicians diving to get out of the way. Immediately there was a rush as people clambered to get as close to the stage as possible, and people came running back into the arena. Prince picked up his guitar and began to play solo (it should be noted, that this was the best moment of my life). The lights dim and the show resumes. And on that note, we return to the recording. 

With just his Horner guitar for accompaniment Prince now plays a solo version of “Little Red Corvette.” In a mark of just how great this song is, it more than stands up in just this simple arrangement. The lyrics and basic melody are all that are required for this one. It seems to gain something more from its simplicity. Although he doesn’t play the whole song, these couple of minutes are more than enough, and this song stands out as a highlight of the recording. 

Prince then calls for all the lights to be turned up and again with just him and his guitar he plays a very simple, yet beautiful version of “Raspberry Beret.” Having been there, I would have to say it was amazing how he made a 17000 seat arena feel incredibly intimate. It was more like a campfire sing-along than a rock concert. Prince only sings the first verse and a chorus before letting the crowd sing “I think I love her” and replying with “and I love you too. 

Keeping in character he then plays “Sometimes It Snows In April.” This is one of the better versions I have heard, the audience doesn’t drown it out, and with only Prince, it shows off his playing and vocal skills much better. He isn’t unaccompanied, there is a keyboard playing softly along with him, but it still does have a lovely solo sound to it. I thought it may have had that overplayed sound about it as many of his songs from the 1980s do, but it still sounds like it's fresh and has legs. It’s a great way to finish this mini solo set. 

Next, the band rejoins the stage and after a couple of “Oh funky London” from Prince (enough already) we get a nice brassy rendition of “Get on the Boat.” With all the horns on board, this one jumps. This works much better live than it does on record and it’s a shame that it is cut short in its prime. It sounds great here, and it needed to be played in full. 

Thankfully another one of my favorite songs follows, with “A Love Bizarre.” This recording is finishing on a high, the last few songs are all top-notch. “A Love Bizarre” sounds good, with the girl’s vocals fitting in very well behind Prince, it harks back to the Sheila E days (although I don’t want to be accused of wallowing in nostalgia). The horns again shine out, they go all sorts of places I didn’t expect during their break. Unfortunately, and it is hard to be critical about something so small, Prince does begin to chant “oh funky London” again, and it’s at this point I inwardly groan. But it’s only briefly and does lead us into the next song. 

I didn’t expect to hear the music of “Sexy Dancer” again, but here it is in all its glory. On the downside, the lyrics are dispensed with, and instead, Shelby sings “Le Freak” over the top of it. It’s not such a big deal, they are a good fit and the song is enjoyable enough. There is not enough Prince there for my liking, I can only hear Shelby, and then a brief but enthusiastic sax solo. The song has the vibe of a party or disco, and when Prince is heard again it is to get the crowd chanting “oh funky London”. Insert sad face here. And it is on this note the show ends properly. 

There is plenty of interesting moments in this show. Opening with “Purple Rain,” the mini solo encore, and of course, it is the first of his 21 nights and Prince is trying to make a splash in London. Asides from being there, this show was enjoyable for me to go back and listen to. I was amazed at how many of the moments and songs I had forgotten already (I had no idea he played “Black Sweat,” I don’t remember it at all). A pleasant recording, it was a good listen asides from nostalgia value. 

Montreux 16 July 2007

 Superficially the recording of Prince playing the Montreux Jazz festival in 2007 seems to be something unique, a chance for Prince to display another side of his catalog and his more jazzy orientated oeuvre. However, when we look at the other shows of 2007 we can see that this show is much more of a stepping stone between the two halves of 2007, as Prince comes off his run at Las Vegas and heads to his residence at the O2 for 21 nights. Many of the songs heard at Montreux are familiar to us from his concerts in the previous months, and later in the set Prince moves to a performance that is much more in tune with what is heard during his 21 nights concerts. The real magic with this bootleg is that it is the Montreux Jazz festival, one of the gold standard festivals in the world, and this occasion is matched with a soundboard recording, giving us an intimate ear on a luxurious sounding performance. It’s been a heck of a week, I look forward to losing myself in the music and magic for a couple of hours as I disappear into Prince’s world and the Montreux festival. 

16th July 2007, Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux, Switzerland 

A jazz festival needs horns, and here they are right at the start of Prince’s performance as Greg Boyer, Mike Phillips and Lee Hogans play a bombastic take on “When The Saints Go Marching In,” a song I haven’t always enjoyed in Prince’s live canon, although in this case it is entirely appropriate and provides an enthusiastic start to the concert. 

 

The concert settles and quietens, a sense of intimacy embracing the recording as the “Footsteps” emerges from the speakers. It is thoughtful in its delivery, the band washing it around the auditorium, building power and momentum not just from themselves, but the audience as well as they provide a handclap for the beat. The music comes as waves, washing in and out on the back of some skillful horn work that has me in admiration for the band who seamlessly brings a fresh sound to a style and song that is all too familiar. It is the final appearance of Prince and his bold guitar sound that brings this all to a sharp focus, the music once again accelerating and burning up under the guidance of this master craftsman. 

“The World Is A Ghetto” was covered by Prince only through 2007, and this version is skittery and unsettling, completely suiting the title. It is the keyboards that sketch out the bones of the song, the other instruments secondary to this landscape of unease created. The contribution of Mike Phillips and his vocoder is completely representative of the era, and there is very little surprise registered as he crops up midsong to provide a detached vocal. 

The horns and bass come together in a potent brew for a furious “Mind In 7” that picks up the jazz theme of the evening and pushes it further than anywhere else heard on the recording. This is the pinnacle of this first section of the show, with no vocals, the music itself dominates, as does Prince’s forceful guitar that overwhelms the second part of the song. It is briefly out of balance, but Prince does pull back and the equilibrium is restored with further horn solos. After this, the show will take on a more traditional form with Prince's compositions being the mainstay of the concert, and this song is one last chance to indulge in a less familiar sound. 

 

There is plenty of light and breeze to the impulsive sounding “Down By The Riverside.” I have always heard this as filler in Prince’s main shows, in this context though it takes on a new life, and although lighter in touch than the previous songs it still insists you listen, especially Greg Boyer’s trombone that serves as a call-to-arms midsong. It is not just the horns that catch my ear, Renato Neto once again flashes across the keys, delivering up a solo that, although not memorable, is a lot of fun. 

The first real vocal performance of the evening is a sultry “Satisfied,” even if it is undone initially by the appreciative audience. Prince’s opening “Awww” immediately sets the tenor of the song, he is going to be loud and in your ear throughout. That thought stays with me for the first minute of the song, Prince is considerably louder than the rest of the band, and it’s not until the mix is corrected later in the song that I can properly sit back and indulge in its smoking late-night sound. Prince’s vocals aren’t the standout for me, it is Morris Hayes and his organ that grab all the headlines with his break, his organ adding a sense of depth and sexiness that Prince’s clever lyrics don’t quite capture. Prince is almost too smug and aloof, while Morris Hayes grounds the song and adds the organic feel that it is otherwise lacking. With “Beggin Woman Blues” drawing from the same well, Prince neatly wraps up the song in a satisfying package. 

 

The concert takes wings and flies with a fiery rendition of “Girls And Boys,” the wheeze of the keyboards giving it a sense of urgency and here and now. Prince and Shelby do the stomp, and that is what this song sounds like, a gleeful stomp through a song I thought I knew well. Renato adds a new dimension with his intergalactic keyboard beaming in, updating the song while acknowledging its 1980s roots. 

We stay firmly in the 1980s with an abridged rendition of “Purple Rain,” Prince acknowledging his most famous song without being beholden by it. Prince crams a lot into its six minutes run time, we get all the verses and choruses and a guitar solo that hits all the right spots. It’s not the dragged-out epic we often hear, but it is close enough to appease most fans and its appearance in the show nods to his past without ever detracting from what has come in the half-hour previous. 

“What A Wonderful World” serves the same purpose as “Down By The Riverside,” giving Prince a break from the stage, and as a standard, it is almost invisible to me. I do enjoy parts of it, but it suffers from over-familiarity and without the focus of Prince there is nothing really to hold my attention here. 

 

I am brought back to the concert with “Gotta Broken Heart Again,” Prince still suffering for his art twenty-five years after he wrote the song. It comes as a downbeat lament, Prince’s melancholy long-distance call tortured through the empathetic music and tearful horn solo. It may not be the standout of the evening, but it is a poignant moment that shines brightly in this new context and surroundings. 

With Shelby J at the helm, “Love Is A Losing Game,” takes “Gotta Broken Heart Again” and raises the stakes, the melancholy turned upon itself, the protagonist no longer wallowing in his loss, but now recognizing it for what it is, a game that can never be won. Prince’s guitar adds to this sense of drama and hopelessness, it doesn’t shine out of the darkness, but rather spirals and turns within it, never quite making sense of the loss and heartbreak. It can’t come close to the rendition that Prince plays with Amy Winehouse later in the year, but it is a stepping stone towards that concert and that final heartbreaking duet with Amy before she passed. 

There is recovery and the sweet balm of “Sweet Thing” to lift us from the previous songs, Shelby’s voice singing us out of the gloom on the back of some shining guitar cascading through the song. It is Prince’s final guitar break that tips the song right over the edge, it sings out in hope and positivity, his music lifting us far beyond the reach of Shelby and the lyrics of the song. 

 

Very few surprises lurk in the creases of “Musicology,” it is a song that had been stretched as far as it could go since 2004, and the emergence of different instruments and players throughout the song doesn’t offer the same sense of purpose as it did in 2004. There is no need for Prince’s mantra of “real music by real musicians,” in fact, he doesn’t resort to that here at all, it is all apparent by the quality heard onstage, and indeed on the bootleg. Prince on the bass is what my ears are listening out for here, his moment cool enough, but not as earth-shattering as one would have hoped. There is a sting in the tail, “Prince And The Band” blindsiding me with a sharp ending. 

The snarl of Prince’s guitar buries the funk of “Play That Funky Music,” the groove merely the vehicle for Prince to show off his guitar prowess. It is a venomous solo that vanishes any other thoughts I may have about the song, even the music bowing down before his immense talent and guitar fury. 

With just the beat, Prince builds a quickfire “I Feel For You,” a song that he rips through like a twenty-year-old man with places to go. It’s poppy, bright, and youthful, giving the concert another lift as we head into the final third. 

Following this kick start, the concert is again reinvigorated by a lively “Controversy,” bursting forth into the arena. Its stark funk is sacrificed for an all-inclusive sprawling arrangement, one that is guaranteed to get the party started, as well as providing Shelby plenty of time to extol the crowd to clap their hands and stomp their feet. It’s covering old ground, but I care little as its inner energy energizes me and for a few minutes the worries of the world are forgotten as I clap my hands and stomp my feet here at home. 

 

The cover of “Crazy” is pure 2007, and immediately takes me to that year. Although the song was released in 2006, Prince’s cover came to prominence in concert throughout 2007, and as such, I cannot disassociate the two. Shelby doesn’t quite make the song her own, but she gives it a good shot, and it is more than a karaoke rendition that it may have been in lesser hands. The reappearance of the vocoder for “One Nation Under A Groove” adds to the moment, giving it funk credentials buried deeper in the mix. Another song that is light on Prince, it nonetheless has its moments and deserves its place in the set. 

Prince reclaims the microphone for a “Nothing Compares 2 U,” the partnership with Shelby is still in the making so what we get here is Prince singing alone, while it is Mike Phillips who provides an anguished counterpoint on his saxophone. It’s not the most striking version in his canon, but he hits enough of the emotional marks in the song to make an impact, even if it is not long-lasting. 

“Take Me With U,” starts brightly, but after the first chorus it is abruptly brought to a halt, for reasons unclear, and Prince instead delivers a driving version of “Guitar.” While the opening of the song fails to inspire any sort of strong feeling within me, Prince’s later guitar solo grabs me by the shoulders and gives me a damn good shaking as he delivers fast and furious. It’s great to listen to, but it does lack the heart and soul that so often give Prince’s breaks a killer edge, and as such I must relegate it to an “also-ran” of Prince guitar solos. 

 

A strong bassline dominates “7,” the song out of balance on the bootleg with Prince’s vocals equally loud. However, it is only short and soon enough it segues naturally into “Come Together,” a song we heard plenty of times through 2007. There is the spirit of coming together in the song’s coda as the music disappears and leaves the audience singing the main refrain for the final three minutes. It is perhaps the best way to finish the show and leaves the main part of the concert with the feeling of togetherness that live concerts often give us. 

The sound of the acoustic guitar sets the scene for the final two songs of the night, first “Little Red Corvette” crawls slowly from its garage as Prince delivers a carefully pitched solo version. It isn’t as quite as effective as it was on the Musicology tour, but on this soundboard recording, there is enough nuance and delicacy for me to appreciate not just his songwriting, but also the intricacy of his guitar playing. 

Ending the concert strongly is an equally delicate “Sometimes It Snows In April,” a song that has taken on a deeper meaning since Prince’s passing. Prince’s vocals sit stark at the center of the recording, so clear that I almost feel I could reach out and touch them. The song is temporarily forgotten as I indulge myself in Prince’s vocals, and I can think of no better way to end the concert than this gently crafted moment of emotion. 

Asides from the name “Montreux” being attached, this concert is no different from many of the others we heard in 2007. The key thing that makes this bootleg what it is, is the fact that it is a soundboard. With a more jazz-influenced sound coming to the fore, a soundboard recording is the best way to catch the more intricate and subtle sounds that the band brings to the music. 2007 isn’t the year I go to first when I want to hear a bootleg, but this concert would be one of the first I would choose from that era, based on the quality of the recording and the performance.