Minneapolis 17 January 2013 (show 1)

 The second of Prince's three nights at the Dakota Jazz Club was advertised as “Jam” and it is completely different from the previous “Jazz“. The set list is heavy on funk, and this is a larger band giving it a fuller sound. Prince was the guy who introduced me to funk, and I hope from this set list that he will give me plenty of it. 

17th January 2013 (show 1)  Dakota Jazz Club Minneapolis 

The show gets off to a great start, it has a fantastic deep sound to the recording, and Prince’s first words are “Dancing is allowed”. “Act Of God” is the first song, and it sounds very strong in this smaller setting.  Prince’s vocals are deep and full, and the recording captures them excellently. The solo by Marcus Anderson gets my attention, and it sounds especially good over the thick bass. This isn’t classic Prince, but the band put up a fine show, and they have their unique funky sound. I like that after the first verse it does indeed become just an up-tempo jam with lots of horns. The bass and groove sound good in my headphones, and the song continues to jam with Prince singing again and having the crowd clap along with him before settling on a long groove. There are a lot of little moments to enjoy and I listen carefully to hear all of them. 

The intro to the next song is equally cool, with Prince asking for the kick drum then commanding “a little quicker, a little quicker” until he has it right and can overlay some funky guitar. The girls start singing “What Have You Done For Me Lately.” It’s not as tight as I would like, and I don’t get into it. They sing well of course, but there isn’t any intensity in the performance, at least to my ears. It’s a let-down after the first song, although I regain some interest as the keyboard plays a solo that gets the crowd clapping along. It gets stronger, the next keyboard solo is even sharper and very much the type of thing I like to hear. I wasn’t too happy with it earlier on, but once the girls stop singing and the band takes over and jams it heats up. 

 

“Northside” gets thrown into the mix and the jam becomes a Prince-led medley. The music is great, although the singing doesn’t do anything for me. It’s the music that I am listening for most at this stage, and Northside only gets a minute or so before we quickly move on. 

The segue into “(The Theme from) Which Way Is Up” is nice, and I am beginning to warm to Shelby J again. As much as I like her, it always takes me a couple of minutes to adjust to her style. She is a dynamic performer and hearing only her does detract from the stage presence which I know she has. The song quietens as some nice bass work appears, much to the delight of the crowd who whoop in appreciation. I must say I am a very happy man listening to this, a nice recording of a fun solo. 

As is the way of Prince with this, “Dancing Machine” merges seamlessly in. It has a certain novelty value with Prince singing a Jackson 5 song, asides from that it isn’t long enough for me to have a strong feeling for it. 

“Partyman” has had a few different incarnations over the years and this one, although not true to the original, is pretty cool. The horn refrain sounds good with this band, and Prince plays on that, having them repeat the main riff several times as the song segues into the “It’s Alright.” There isn’t too much difference as the horns play something pretty close to “Partyman” throughout. The horns take a back seat as we get some more keyboards, before returning for the big finish. 

After a frenetic last few minutes, “We’re A Winner” is a nice comedown. It has a warm, round sound and is almost like comfort food. Shelby sounds good and is nicely retrained. It’s somewhat of a shame that it is short, it had a gentle feel to it that I could easily listen to for much longer. 

Shelby stays on lead vocals with a brief rendition of “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Loved You)” It is again very short, only the verse and chorus, and I think that is to its favor. I enjoyed what I heard, but it’s always best to leave us wanting more. 

The horns lead us finally into something a little more substantial, and considerably more Prince-like when they begin to play “Satisfied.” After the initial sax, we get a piano break, and when Prince begins to sing it’s well worth the wait. His vocal performance is top shelf, and his inflections as he sings make me feel as if I am right there with him. He is nice and loud in my ears, and the whole show is recorded very well, I can hear everything clearly and loud, and there is a nice fat bass sound at the bottom. 

We get back to the upbeat sound with “I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (I’ll Get It Myself)” and this is a song that seems to have popped up a lot on bootlegs I have listened to recently. The band isn’t overly tight, and lacks the hard funky groove which I normally enjoy so much. Their playing is very good, just not as funky as I like. Prince’s vocal performance is again the highlight, as well as being the funkiest part of the song. 

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I like that “Housequake” has a nice long intro, with plenty of interaction between Prince and the audience. The beat isn’t as prominent, which is to the detriment of the song, I can hear the drum, but not the beat that intertwines with the bass. The song quickly becomes a jam, and at this stage, I am mostly digging the spacey-sounding keyboards. There is no singing, and that suits me just fine as the groove continues.  Prince calls for just the beat, and finally, I can hear that kicking beat that underpins it all. The horns dominate late in the song, and to be honest I am in love with this arrangement. It’s free sounding, and I forget that the beat isn’t what I am used to. 

Brownskin I haven’t listened to for a while, and I immediately have a warm feeling as it begins to play. Shelby sounds mellow and sings in a relaxed tone that is silky to listen to. The song builds well, and the release of the saxophone solo is a nice moment. The overall feel of the song is a hot sweaty day, and Shelby deserves credit for making the song sound as great as it is. 

With just Cassandra for accompaniment on the keys Prince next plays what I consider to be the highlight of the show, “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute).” The barren sound and Prince's vocals set the tone, and yet it swings a little as Prince sings the chorus. The piano plays a break, and it is a thing of beauty, to hear just the piano is wonderful. Prince plays the character in the song well, as his vocals come in and out full of emotion. The song ends on an absolute high with Prince singing the final note as the piano finishes. 

“Lost & Found” starts in a similar vein, with the piano playing softly as Shelby, Liv, and Elisa sing. It’s a diversion, but a very nice one. There’s not one thing that I could highlight in this song, the girls singing together was seamless and something I could listen to all night and all day. 

It’s time for another long jam, and this time it’s “Let’s Work” that gets the full treatment. The bass plays us in as there are some very groovy keyboards played over the top. I find this to be much more interesting, and my interest is piqued further as the horns begin to play. Still no vocals, just the groove, and funky horns. Prince finally sings after three minutes, but he isn’t needed as this song is already well and truly sounding funky. I think he knows it too, as from here on in it’s all about the horns, and they deliver right through until the end. 

“One more, one more?” gets a rousing cheer from the crowd as a beat begins and Prince gets the sound just right. “Cool” takes a couple of minutes to start properly, and this is mostly due to Prince getting the sound adjusted right. The keyboard hook still plays though, and the girls start singing “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” which doesn’t always work for me, but does on this occasion. Immediately after their singing, the jam starts with some more quirky keyboard which I seem to enjoy far too much. The song “Cool” reappears suddenly as Prince begins to sing, and the last half of the song is “Cool” sung straight. All these years, it’s still a great party song and a fantastic way to round off the show. The crowd is well and truly involved with lots of clapping and cheers and the song comes to a crescendo with overlaying keyboards playing, before the “Las Vegas” is called and the recording ends. 

I was hoping for a funky gig, and although it wasn’t quite what I expected this one was good. It was well titled, and there were plenty of jams, but what surprised me most was how much fun it sounded. There were only 260 people and they partied more like 500. There was a prevailing sense of joy and the music was uplifting throughout the whole show. The Dakota shows give us plenty to listen to, this one is the current favorite with three more left to go. 

Minneapolis 16 January 2013 (show 2)

 Last week I wrote about the jazz show played at the Dakota Jazz Club. It was a nice little show, and this week I thought it only fair that I listen to the second show played that night at the same venue. I was apprehensive when I read the set list and saw it looked very similar, however upon giving it a preliminary listen I found that I prefer this second show and it wasn’t as similar as I had anticipated. This second show has a lot of great stuff going for it, and I can’t wait to give it another listen right now. 

16th January 2013 (show 2) Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis 

The first thing I hear is the DJ playing “Atomic Dog” which slowly fades down as the drums begin. As per the previous show the gig opens with the drums, and this time it’s a very cool-sounding rhythm right from the go, and we very quickly get the first appearance of the horns. I thought the horns were great in the previous show, here they are even better, immediately all playing and intertwining together fantastically. After that initial burst of enthusiasm (I never knew I could be so excited about horns) things settle into a groove with a rhythmic keyboard playing as the horns come and go. I am underselling it here, but trust me – it’s all excellent. Normally I take a while to warm up to shows like this, in this case, I am on board from the get-go. 

 

The opening few songs are the same as the earlier show, so next comes “Xpectation.” The horns get a chance to play alone and they all sound unique and interesting. After the open flourish of a few minutes things settle down and we are carried by an easy groove over which Prince plays some guitar. I like the sound and Prince keeps it brief as the band plays on and the drummer takes a solo. I am impressed so far by how close-knit the band sound, and how Prince can play close in the band rather than over it. He is very good at being part of the band and playing with no ego. The music comes to me easily, and I find I am flowing with it and just taking it all in. 

“Muse 2 The Pharaoh” sounds very good, I am very happy with the sound quality of this audience recording, it’s very good indeed. What I like most about “Muse 2 The Pharaoh” is the keyboards, it’s instrumental with some piano work happening that is very easy on the ear. After the previous horn-heavy tracks it’s an interesting change, and some interesting keyboard sounds are coming at me as it plays. It seems to stop suddenly, and even though it had been played for some time I am still hungry to hear more. 

I enjoyed “Stratus” despite myself last time, and here I am ready for it and I do like it a lot. Prince’s guitar is low in the mix at the beginning, but it gets louder in the second break. He draws the notes out of it for a while, before he plays more quickly, and I like that contrast in his sound. Prince isn’t the only one to solo, and the bass guitar gets a bit of shine next as the song continues. The whole band gets a chance to solo, starting with Prince on the keyboards followed by a sax solo, and another bass solo before we finish with a drum solo. This is a Prince blog so you would expect me to enjoy Prince's solo the most, but the solo I find I get the most out of is Marcus Anderson’s sax solo. It buzzes like a bee with a flurry of notes in the middle and runs up and down leaving me nodding in appreciation. In fact by the time the song winds down I am well and truly satisfied with everything I have heard and am very impressed with this band and this show. 

Things take an unexpected turn as Prince plays the opening notes from “When You Were Mine,” but it’s just a crowd-pleasing tease before the show returns to its jazz sound. 

The long instrumental jam that comes next is interesting with the shiny guitar sound playing over a keyboard groove. It’s not brash, instead sounding light and summery. The guitar then gives way to the keyboard that keeps this feeling going, and I am thinking to myself that I should be sitting in the sun drinking a glass of wine as I listen to this, it would be a perfect match. The guitar sounds stronger later in the song, not louder, but it is more prominent. 

 

“We’re A Winner” follows, with the horns again to the center. They do sound good and fresh, and the song sounds lively with their playing. They only play a minute or so before the segue into “I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Loved You).” The horns pull back as one takes the lead, but they all pull together tightly as the song again closes after a minute and moves on to the next selection, which is Prince’s “Satisfied.” Keeping in the tone of the evening Prince doesn’t sing, instead, a guitar plays the main melody, and I have to say it sounds fantastic. It’s a cool take on a song that I am not always so fond of. I could happily listen to this version over and over, and I like the lightness of the guitar and the sound of the horns as they come in on the chorus. It’s an excellent addition to the set list and I get a buzz hearing it in this form. 

I have heard Prince cover “I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door, I’ll Get It Myself)” before, most notable at Bataclan 2002, and I think this performance pips that. The opening horn salvo nails it, and even though it's not a deep groove underneath it’s still tight. For the first and only time of the night, Prince sings, choosing to sing the chorus a couple of times in an attempt to encourage the audience to sing along. He steps back and instead opts for the guitar and we get an impressive guitar break which is the best of the evening. 

The show ends as it began, with the horns playing over the top of a simple repetitive rhythm. I find that although there is not much Prince in there that it is still immensely enjoyable, the horns have been outstanding all show and they are definitively finishing on a high with this one. There is also a funky little guitar in there too, and you all know how much I love that. The song ends rather suddenly and I find myself at the end of the show. 

As far as Prince goes, this show was low-key. He didn’t sing at all, and most of the work was done by the horns. Yet, I still found it to be the type of show that I will come back to and listen to repeatedly. I like that it has a different sound to a lot of his other shows, and it’s a showcase for this particular band. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I highly recommend this show. 

Minneapolis 16 January 2013 (show 1)

 I have been planning to write about the 2013 Dakota Jazz club shows for quite some time now, especially the jazz shows Prince played there. After rocking out for the last few weeks it will be a great change of pace and a little more interesting. I have a surprising amount of jazz albums at home, although jazz music is something I rarely talk about with other people or indeed write about. I hope I can find the words and vocab to do this show justice, I can write about a guitar solo in twenty different ways, but I might struggle to express what I am hearing on a more jazz-infused recording. The recordings from the Dakota Jazz club over three nights offer up Prince's whole oeuvre- starting with a jazz night followed by a funk night and a rock night, Prince gives us plenty of everything. I will in time listen to the other nights, but right now I am hungry to hear this first show. People often speak of Prince's jazz leanings and he has many jazz-infused songs, although it’s rare to have a whole show dedicated to just this one genre. For that reason, I think it's well worth a closer listen. 

16 January 2013 (show 1), Dakota Jazz Club 

Although there is plenty of audience talk at the beginning of the recording it doesn’t matter too much as the show opens with a thumping drum solo by Ronald Bruner Jr. I aren’t normally one for drum solos, but this one captures my attention however as it’s very crisp and loud. I soon forget that this is an audience recording as the drummer shimmers and pops over all other noise. Heavy on rolls and cymbals I find it to be less straightforward than other solos I have heard, and from my point of view, it is immensely enjoyable and starts the show with a bang.  

 

It becomes a Prince show soon after as Prince calls “one, two” and I realize the reason the drum solo was so loud isn’t because of the playing, but rather due to the fact I had the volume turned up too loud. I pull it back to a more pleasant level in time to catch a keyboard break that hops and bops along over the top of some very cool bass. It’s all rather jazzy sounding, and I notice that it is “Xpectation” I listening to, a song I would claim I am familiar with even though I didn’t recognize it here. The song drifts in and out and flows well with the band all being heard and I can hear Prince offering soft direction although I can’t catch exactly what he is saying. The horns are also on board at this stage and they lift the sound a lot, but they do seem to fade into the background on the recording and I am not sure why I can’t hear them well, although they are playing strongly. I prefer the second half of the song when the piano comes much more to the fore, it has a wonderful melancholy sound to it and I could happily listen to this playing all day long. The whole song quietens in the second half and this I like as I can concentrate and enjoy the instruments and players.  Things pick up again as the last few minutes of the song play, especially with the horns getting plenty of shine. After this first song, there is absolutely no doubt about what we can expect from this show. 

The Rainbow Children is perhaps the most divisive album Prince has released, and I have generally found that most fans fall into two camps, those that love it, and those that hate it -for this album there seems to be no middle ground. For the record, I am a big fan of The Rainbow Children, and when I hear the instrumental of “Muse To The Pharaoh” played here, I am in heaven. This is exactly what I like to hear, and I appreciate every note of it. It is instrumental as well as stretching for ten minutes, and it makes me realize how much I have grown with Prince as he has grown as an artist. I started listening to his three-minute pop songs when I was a teenager, and as he has stretched out and challenged himself he has also challenged me and I have grown with him. Prince has greatly broadened my music horizons and as I soak up this song I find it hard to imagine the teenage me listening to this.  It is superb, the changes softly moving us through the song, and the keyboard holding my attention throughout. I was drooling at the Power Trio gig last week, this one is completely different but has me feeling the same way.  

“Stratus” I have heard plenty of times at various shows. I wonder if this one will offer anything new, and I am slightly discouraged as it begins the same as I have heard before. I wait patiently to see what will develop. I do like the guitar without ever falling in love with the sound of it, yet I am still waiting to see if this band will twist anything new out of it. Things look up for me as the keyboard plays and I am lifted above the song for a time. It gets better yet with the bass solo, and by now I am beginning to get right into the song. The bass is the high point of the song, and as it closes I realize that my fears were unfounded, this was a great version. 

 

The bass is the thing that kicks off the next song for me too, as some quick playing leads us into an instrumental jam. There is a horn solo that gets the crowd excited too, and I am feeling them as they clap along, even here at home I am swept up by it. The keyboard break has a great tone to it and is reminiscent of the sound of The Commodores “Machine Gun.” My only wish is that there could have been more of it. There is also some back and forth between the horns and the bass which I find myself grooving along to. Things take a downturn in tempo and mood, yet the quality of music is still outstanding, and even as it slows I find myself listening carefully. I can easily say that these 15 minutes are the best part of the show for me. 

The piano solo from Cassandra O’Neal brings us quietly back to earth. It’s a gentle sort of piano break as if one was eavesdropping on someone playing in another room. Overall I like it, although I must admit there were a couple of passages I wasn’t overly fussed with. It does have an intimate sound to it, which I guess is only to be expected in a venue that holds 260 people. 

There is an abrupt change at this point as the music of “Sign Of The Times” sounds, and it becomes apparent that Prince is playing on the sampler. It still stays instrumental, as has everything else this evening, and the loop plays some cool keyboards, which is the most interesting part of the song. The more I listen to it the more I like it and even though the song is only three minutes, most of it I am listening to that keyboard sound. 

We move without pause onto the opening loop of “Alphabet St.” I don’t find the loop particularly appealing but some bass work and keyboards are playing which I get a lot of satisfaction out of. They do play off the sampler, and it becomes a much more instrument at this point. Normally I wouldn’t have much time for the sampler and “Alphabet St,” but to their credit, this is one of the more interesting renditions I have heard. 

 

“When Stars Collide” is begun by the bass, before the horns brighten it up with their refrain. For this band, the song seems to work well, and I find that I easily enjoy it without having to concentrate too hard. It’s an up-sounding instrumental, and I do like the horns every time I hear them. This feeling is reinforced with a perky-sounding solo that has me smiling and nodding along.  

The last song of the evening is another instrumental jam. There is some choppy guitar that has a clean sound and some more horns that I am falling more and more in love with. The horns are great, and something of a Trojan horse as a heavy guitar solo briefly appears. I expect this to go for some time, but the guitar slips quietly back into the mix and lets the horns do what they do best – that is to make me happy! I am on a high as the band pulls right back and it’s the horns that play us out for the last couple of minutes.  

This show was different from anything else I have written about in that not once did Prince sing. Maybe twenty years ago this would have been a problem for me, but not now. I enjoyed it just as much as any other recording, I don’t need to hear Prince's voice for me to enjoy it, I just need good quality music and that is something this show had plenty of. It wasn’t as jazz-sounding as I expected, although I was impressed that Prince had the ability and courage to play a show like this. Prince is definitely on a journey, and I am glad he is taking me with him. 

Chicago 26 September 2012 (am)

 The main show from 25th September 2012 in Chicago was entirely enjoyable, and the aftershow from the early morning of the 26th looks every bit its match. With an eclectic setlist and a band primed for the funk, this show rides easy on the back of the previous performance and offers the bootleg collector and unique companion piece to the main concert. I have listened to it several times over the previous few days, and it is a concert that offers plenty of surprises and rewards to the listener. 

26th (am) September 2012, House Of Blues, Chicago 

I was not familiar with “Shop Talk” by Cold Blood, and I can’t say if what Prince plays here is true to the original or not. What I do know is it twists and turns down several funky avenues as the horn section gets an early workout. It is a bright start to the concert, with a high energy level and a quality audience recording, that although it contains crowd noise still captures the music and the euphoric feeling of the event. 

The easy seventies funk continues to bubble and simmer with Shelby leading us through  a rendition of “It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me.”  Shelby’s vocals are a fine match for the music and the song works as a mash-up with “Be Happy” Again the horns remain prominent, giving the song an extra spark and providing a foil to the all-conquering vocals of Shelby J. I would be quite happy with the song as it is in this state, but Prince's muscular guitar appears later in the mix and claims the song back in his name, even if Shelby was the real star of the performance. 

 

The horns take a back seat as it is the synth that colors the following “Outstanding” They flow thickly across the song, allowing little room for the rest of the band to make an impression. This changes with a Shelby-led chant and a surprisingly nuanced vocal performance that culminates in a feel-good chorus and sing-along. I can help but feel uplifted by it, even with little Prince the song still shines from within with its sunny feel. This ends as the dark clouds of a John Blackwell drum solo gather, and he unleashes a thunderstorm of a drum break to round out a song that has touched me in unexpected ways. 

“Jam Of The Year” is unexpected, yet warped to fit easily with the sound of the setlist thus far. With its synth lead line bleeding into the creamy horn section, the song is updated and Princes rides it out as he takes his turn to whip the crowd up into a chant. It is lighter than expected, and carries a lot more soul than heard on record, making for a pleasant and surprising experience, 

The same spirit is present for the short medley of “$” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” and “Song Of The Heart.” However, it doesn’t burn as brightly as the preceding number and despite its easy feel, it is an unchallenging and slightly boring listen. 

“Days Of Wild” comes from the complete opposite end of the spectrum and challengers from the first moments as Prince spits and growls the beat into the microphone. From here the song pummels the listener across thirteen intense minutes as Prince and the NPG capture the spirit and aggressive funk sound of Prince in the 1990s.  The song isn’t as thick as back then, but the intent is there, although balanced with a lighter touch that sees less doing more. It is all well presented on a recording that captures every level of the performance, the spiderweb of sound lay bare across the bootleg. 

 

“Mountains” starts with an unhurried climb to the top, it is a couple of minutes before the horns add any color to the ever-increasing rhythmic spirals. It is the women’s vocals that stay strong out front, Prince merely providing context during the chorus. The latter half of the song is an unfocused and easy jam, Prince's guitar the train tracks that the rest of the music skitters and slides across. 

There is an air of predictability about “Everyday People,” that prejudices my listening experience from the start. The phrase “familiarity breeds contempt” becomes a truism as I mentally play the song in my head absentmindedly as I listen. A song that I have heard often, hearing it at this time makes me crave the original as Prince and the band fail to give me anything I haven’t heard before. 

I embrace the recording once again for an electrifying “The Dance Electric.” It’s not as incendiary as I have heard elsewhere, but it still smolders and burns with its unique intensity that makes the previous songs sound flaccid and weak in comparison. Prince’s guitar emphasizes this intensity, with its smokey sound turning into a blaze in the hands of Prince, the song inflamed as Prince brings it to a climax. 

Prince slips into the background as Shelby once again tears up “Brown Skin” Ably assisted by the horn section, she showers the audience with her sound and sense of drama and intensity. It’s not Prince, but it is a classy performance that matches other renditions of the song I have heard on boots. 

Prince is again heard for “Stratus,” – an instrumental, his influence can be heard across the range of instruments. It is the bass where he makes the greatest impression, popping and thumping his way through the heart of the song with an innate sense of funk and drawing a melodramatic quality out of the music. It feels much shorter than the ten minutes it is, perhaps attributable to the evolving sound that keeps the listener discovering new musical territories. 

 

The last song of the concert is “Get On The Boat.” After some of the longer jams of the evening, it is a much punchier and more focused performance, but even at five minutes, there is still time for the band to push at the edges and draw something extra from the song. Although pitched at the dance floor, it doesn’t quite get us there, the band is caught up in their private adventures and leaving the song just short of the required funk. It is an uplifting end to the performance, however, and does end the concert with some pizzazz. 

This is an interesting bootleg presenting a more modern after-show from later in Prince’s career. It may not have the mystic and sense of wonder as his after-shows of the 1980s, but it does contain the key elements to a great after-show and presents some quality material matched with a confident band. The setlist is what attracts me, there are some unusual song choices there (along with a few familiar faces) and this keeps me listening from start to finish. There is little to fault here, any reservations about this bootleg come from my idiosyncrasies rather than the music itself. Check it out. 

Chicago 25 September 2012

 Today I continue my journey by looking at main shows and after shows from the same night. This week I am taking in a 2012 concert from Chicago, with the aftershow to follow next week. This is part of a string of shows Prince played in Chicago at this time, playing three main shows and two after shows. The concert I will be listening to is the performance from the United Centre on the 25th of September, followed by an aftershow at House Of Blues in the early morning of the 26th. The main show offers no surprises, it is a standard set of the time, while the aftershow provides the usual mix of covers and jams. Across the two there seems little here to differentiate these performances from any other, but as I have found time and time again, listening to the recording can reveal much more than we see on the surface. 

25th September 2012. United Centre, Chicago 

The drawn-out introduction of “Let’s Go Crazy” is the first point of interest in the recording. The curtain of synth that heralds the oncoming spectacle lingers far beyond what we normally hear, with the only other input coming from the first sparks of excitement generated by Prince’s guitar. When the song does kick into gear it becomes less compelling, the vocals impulsive, but unmatched by the music, Prince’s call of “turn me up” is unanswered, and the guitar sound remains neutered for the end of the song. 

It is the keyboard stabs that provide the driving energy to “Delirious,” the concert propelled forward on the back of the contagious energy. It is an unbridled performance that better starts the show, Morris Hayes adding some depth to the pop, his keyboard adding a richness to the otherwise sharp sound. 

 

The final coda of “Let’s Go Crazy” leaves me with mixed feelings. The “on no, let’s go” chant adds nothing to the bootleg, but the more guttural sound of Prince’s guitar hits at something far more substantial, the song ending in an equilibrium. 

“1999” is a feel-good song, and it has the desired effect as I feel good throughout. The crowd is vocal throughout the song, as one they cheer and sing, and even though this is an audience recording, it puts the band first and foremost, the audience noise merely adding color to the recording. 

Prince chooses just the right moment to insert “Shhh” into the setlist, the pop and sparkle from the opening songs giving way to a more serious and mature sound. It comes as no surprise to see it appear at this point of the concert, looking back at many of these recordings as we see it popping up at about this time. It is one of the more weighty moments of the concert and sees Prince striking a powerful blow early in the show, a heavy-weight punch reminding us that we are listening to one of music’s great heavy weights. 

Prince takes us back to the 1980s for “Let’s Work.” As much as I like the song and the performance, it is lacking in the strong bass sound as it should, despite Prince’s call for “more bass.” It is an average moment of the recording and gets a pass based purely on its nostalgic value. 

“U Got The Look” is equally lackluster, this time it is Prince’s guitar that remains too far in the background. I do find myself singing along, but this isn’t the song that would make me recommend the bootleg. Prince’s final guitar stanza is louder but contains very little fire and fury, all flash and no show. 

 

The first moments of “Sometimes It Snows In April” are stunning, but the moment is lost as audience chatter takes over and drops me out of the moment. The song itself has its understated elegance, but with audience chat constantly breaking the mood it amounts to little. 

This flat spot of the concert is rounded out by the appearance of Andy Allo and “People Pleaser.” A good song, and fine performance, it fails to fire with the audience, and even on the recording, it sounds flat and hard work. The crowd remains unmoved and this leadens the mood of the recording. Coupled with the previous few songs this part of the show drags, despite the best efforts of Prince and the band. 

The ship is righted with a quickfire performance of “She’s Always In My Hair.” Although only two minutes in length, Prince regains the enthusiasm of the audience, and many can be heard murmuring appreciation as the open riff cries out. Prince keeps the performance neatly manicured, the guitar solo being both the high point and the closing salvo of the number. 

We stay with the aggressive guitar tones for  “Dreamer,” a song that is steeped in steely lyrics and guitar venom to match.  His speech mid-song still rings every bit as true today and backs up the lyrics he is singing. I am not normally one for mid-song speeches, but in this case, it works and the guitar break that follows matches his words for feeling and as a statement. 

 

It’s hard for me to be objective about the blues version of  “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man,” I love it without reservation. This version is just as smoldering and made all the more affecting by the audience singing at Prince’s prompting. The guitar break has the guitar weeping in the hands of Prince, the emotion and feeling of earlier in the song made all the more real as Prince turns it into a tormented cry. Prince's final talk to the crowd does detract from the previously scaled heights, but the song stills stand monumentally above the surrounding tracklist. 

Andy Allo returns for “Take Me With U,” a song that seems to go over extremely well with the audience. Andy adds brightness, and with its generally upbeat sound, the concert turns purely pop for a few minutes. The best part though perhaps lies in the final minute as Prince turns this pop sound darker with an ominous piece of guitar work that brings the song to a definitive full stop. 

Hearing “Raspberry Beret” straight after is no surprise, although it is refreshing in this case not to have it segued from “Take Me With U.” It appears as a separate entity, and I find it all the better for it. It is short (especially in comparison to “Take Me With U” which stretched to five minutes) but its inclusion is welcomed and appreciated. 

Prince rounds out this trifecta of pop hits with a sedate rendition of “Cream.” The only spikiness, or indeed interest, comes from the sharpness the horns bring, otherwise, it is business as usual with a smooth rendition. 

It’s hard to tell where “Cool” ends and “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough” starts and Prince intertwines the two with finesse, making them both sound like one long continuous jam. It is a celebratory moment, and even listening at home one can hear home much of a party is ignited in the arena by this performance. These types of songs don’t always work on bootlegs, but in this case, it carries across well on the recording, making for another eminently enjoyable moment. 

“Nothing Compares 2 U” is a showstopper. The appearance of Jennifer Hudson is a masterstroke, her vocals bringing a sense of shock and awe to the performance. It is almost a spiritual moment, and this is heightened by the solo provided by Morris Hayes on Princes’s command to “bring em to church”. The keyboard maestro obliges with a solo that has me both fearing God and bathed in his light. In a show that is three hours long, this is a song that passes us by in a flash, leaving me wishing that it could go on for longer. 

 

There is an air of predictability about “Purple Rain” and the first few minutes live up to that feeling as the song goes steadily through its paces. This changes with the arrival of Prince’s guitar break, as he once again lifts the song from another 1980s power ballad into something otherworldly. The first howl of guitar inflames the recording, and from here on in it's an emotive and riveting experience. As the final strains fade, I feel well satisfied, but the concert is far from over yet. 

There is very little time to reflect on the previous “Purple Rain,” as the bootleg takes us directly to the first encore of “Controversy.” It is an electrifying performance from the outset, with the insistent keyboard riff creating a tension that can only be released by the scratch guitar sound of Prince. The main riff itself is powerfully intoxicating, and even though the song is 30 years old at the time of this recording, it remains just as compelling as ever. The “Housquake” chanting is unnecessary, “Controversy” itself contains funk for days, and the chant only undoes some of its power. 

The recording sees a pause in the action before we return to a free-flowing and lucid “How Come You Don’t Call Me.” After the previous fireworks, its stripped-back sound is welcome. Prince hovers and lingers over the lyrics, drawing as much as he can from its bare bones and imbuing it with a sense of emotion that belies its bare form. 

 

The sampler set remains what has always been, a tease that demonstrates the vastness of Prince’s hit collection. “When Doves Cry” deserves far more than what we get here, but what can Prince do with a catalog such as his. “Nasty Girl” probably gets what it’s worth in this case, a mere taster and reminder of where he has been. The most interesting part of its 20 seconds is Prince calling to John to get ready for “Kiss”, a pointer to where the full band will rejoin at a later stage. 

“Sign O The Times” sounds the same on the sampler as it does on record, and so too does “Hot Thing.” Their electronic leanings are served well by the sampler and little is lost by not having a band performance. 

“Forever In My Life” promises more, and there is just enough time for us to appreciate its sentiment before the arrival of a song from the opposite end of the lust/love spectrum – “Darling Nikki.” No words are required, the riff enough to conjure the song to the front of the mind. 

“Mr. Goodnight” is short and sweet, both in sound and sentiment, and the following “I Would Die 4 U” swallows it up in sound and energy. 

John and the band add their weight to “Kiss.” The song doesn’t seem to have its usual propulsion, although it’s hard to discern why this might be. The finest part of the song is the final moments as Prince dances to the barest of beats, although we are robbed of seeing this on the audio recording. 

There follows a monstrous performance of “Little Red Corvette,” a song that Prince pulls and pushes in several directions over the next ten minutes. From the long drawn-out intro, through the pop of the original, to the final mournful moments, Prince plays with the song like putty in his hands. The crowd are willing accomplices and follow Prince with his whims, always on hand to provide whatever vocals and moods that Prince requires. At ten minutes, it is a shade too long, and it does languish towards the end. For all this though, it is a great performance and one of the more memorable moments in the recording. 

The end of the show is an unstoppable jam building the groove set down by “Act Of God.” The song sounds fresh in this setting and is a natural bed for the other songs to lie in. “What Have You Done For Me Lately” is a natural fit, and the song squelches easily across the two. It takes a drum break to switch us up into “(Theme Song From) Which Way Is Up,” a song that gives Shelby to shine brightly as the end of the concert looms large. It is only fitting that “Partyman” is the last song of this jam, Prince is the party-man personified as he and his music turn a mere concert into a communal party.  It is traditional for Prince concerts to end with a party, and this one is no different as Prince raises the energy levels one last time before the finale. 

At three hours long, this show had a bit of everything, although to be honest, three hours was a little too long, and there was a moment mid-setlist where it did drag and the audience wasn’t quite as engaged as they could have been. If the test of a good bootleg is “Would I listen to it again,” then in that case this certainly passes. Without being stunning, it nevertheless covers all the bases with a steady audience recording. The setlist managed to touch every part of Prince’s back catalog, and I look forward to listening to the aftershow from the same night and seeing how it compares. 

Melbourne 29 May 2012 (am)

 This week I will be posting about two shows as both are short, yet they are interesting for several reasons. Firstly, the legendary Bennetts Lane impromptu performance. Anyone who has spent time on the internet reading about Prince will be familiar with this concert; Prince made an appearance at Bennetts Lane Jazz Club early morning of 29th May 2012. The show was only announced very late, and Prince and the band played to a crowd of about seventy people. In almost darkness, Prince played for close to three hours, with a setlist that is chock full of goodies. From all accounts, this was a humdinger of a show, and it made all the mythical by the fact we don’t have a complete recording of it. We are spoilt nowadays by the scope and quality of recordings available for most shows, and this bootleg harks back to earlier days when shows were only partly available, or not available at all. The recording appears on an Eye Records release and covers a half-hour period early in the concert. We don’t get the gems promised by the setlist, but it is a taste of the flavor of the evening and I have to say it well and truly whets my appetite for more. I thoroughly recommend taking time to go online and read about this concert from those who were there, there is so much more to this performance than what is heard on the recording. 

 29th May 2012(am) Bennetts Lane, Melbourne 

I am salivating from the first moments as John drums up a funky brew with Erykah Badu’s “On & On.” There is the wow factor from the very first seconds, John’s percussive sound setting a vibe that the small audience responds to with shouts of encouragement. The recording picks it up well, the band is clearly heard, and although the audience calls out they aren’t right in the microphone and sound almost as if they have been added in for atmosphere. Prince introduces himself with his first tentative notes stretching into the darkness before the guitar takes an authoritative tone and lights the room in its luminescence. 

I have heard “Stratus” many times over the years and wasn’t expecting much from this performance. Instead, the band floors me with a well-rounded and satisfying performance. I think it is partly down to the recording, it is steady in its sound and seems to have the mix in balance. Part of me wants Prince’s guitar to sound louder, but sitting lower in the mix works well for the song overall and I have no complaints. The band idles loudly behind Prince's guitar sound, waiting for the clutch to be dropped and the concert to accelerate into the next few songs. It is John Blackwell who puts the pedal to the metal with a drum break that carries power, speed, and finesse in a combination that drives the show forward. 

There is a break in the recording next, “Stratus” fades out at the end before “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)” fades in, delivering us late into the song. We only get the last few calls and responses of “must be something in the water you drink” before the song fizzles out.

 

It’s not all that bad though as the following song is  “Strange Relationship.” The bass may not be particularly prominent on the recording, but there is plenty of funk dripping from the keyboards and Prince’s vocals. However, things flip when Cassandra plays her solo, the piano is barely audible and the bass suddenly becomes the backbone of the song. It is a very loose performance, one that I feel as much as I hear, and it’s about this point that I decide I would gladly sell my right arm for a soundboard recording of this entire gig. 

Even “I Like Funky Music” sounds better in this context. A song I could happily pass on, here it becomes part of the “Strange Relationship” jam, and rather than drag it down it adds to it with the audience becoming involved with the chants. I must praise the keyboards again at this point as they continue to solo and delight me with their sprinklings of stardust. 

This funk jam continues to evolve, and “Up For The Downstroke” reminds me of how much this white boy has learned about the history of funk from Prince. My first introduction to Parliament/Funkadelic/George Clinton was from hearing performances like this and then going back to find the original artists. This performance is worthy of those predecessors as the song swells and bloats, Prince and the band playing the audience as much as they are playing the music. It remains a beautifully unfocused, all-encompassing jam that is further enhanced by cameos from “Fantastic Voyage” and “Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)” it is not an intense jam that fills the recording, but it is one of the most enjoyable I have heard for a long time, and again I am quite ready to sell my body parts for more of the same. Oh to be there! 

I am seriously overwhelmed as the jam continues to creep across the land, this time swallowing up Mary J Blige’s “Be Happy” and consuming it into the body of the music. I regret that I am sitting at the computer at this stage, such is the urge just to get up and let my body move to the music. In my book, there is no higher recommendation. I am an old jaded fan who spends too much time listening to bootlegs, but performances like this are what I live for. 

A brief “Don’t Stop Until You Get Enough rounds off this jam before the recording ends with a final hit out from John Blackwell. At this point, the recording is raggedy sounding, with John’s drums distorting. In some ways, it is probably just as well it finishes here, lest my previous buzz from the funk jam is shattered by this less-than-stellar sound. Nothing against John himself, it is purely the recording that is sounding rough at this stage. 

There is no mistaking, this is a great show and one that I want to hear a lot more of. A sparkling setlist is matched with a classy performance and throw in the vibe of the room and this makes for one heck of a show. It is all the more disappointing then that we can only enjoy a half hour of the performance, with another two and half hours missing I can only imagine how good the rest of it is. Again, I strongly recommend researching more about this gig, with first eye accounts, the music takes on a whole new dimension. I am grateful for what we do have here, but I want so much more. This recording creates a thirst that I know will never be quenched, no matter how much I hope and pray. Worth hearing, just try not to think about what we are missing. 

Brisbane 27 May 2012 (am)

 “The greatest show I ever saw”

Not my words, but the words of the guys over at the Peach And Black Podcast (although I must admit, I have uttered these words several times over the years). The show in question is the after jam from 27th May 2012(am), just over a week since the last aftershow from Brisbane on the 19th. I have a lot of time and respect for the Peach and Black podcast, and although they were addressing the show rather than the bootleg of the show, it was enough for me to rummage in the collection to find it. A great show does not guarantee a great bootleg, but those words “the greatest I ever saw” keep rolling around my head, and I hope the recording captures something of the magic of that live performance. Even though Prince is not present throughout the whole show, the setlist is certainly appetizing, and the guest appearance of Andy McKee suggests that we may hear some different arrangements at his concert. There is only one way to find out if this performance lives up to expectations, so let’s jump right in with Shelby and a performance of The Gap band’s “Outstanding” 

27 May 2012 (a.m.) Eatons Hill Hotel & Function Centre – Grand Ballroom, Brisbane 

The word outstanding haunts me as the N.P.G. and Shelby play what turns out to be an outstanding cover of “Outstanding.” The bootleg is well balanced, as is Shelby and the band, the song playing to my sense of nostalgia while drawing the spirit of a party out of the audience. A warmth envelops the recording, and although I have sometimes dismissed shows from 2012 as being soulless, this one is anything but as Shelby and the N.P.G. create a safe space, the bootleg sounding as intimate as someone’s living room, a casual sense of ease and soul that will pervade the rest of the recording. 

The concert steps up a cog with “We Party Hearty,” a song that eases us from the opening “Outstanding” into a more uptempo jam, a song that sets the standard for the rest of the evening both by name and nature as the band come to the fore with a variety of sounds that are aimed squarely at the dance floor. For the first time, we hear the horn section, giving the recording added impetus and raising it above the heavier bass and keyboard that otherwise keep the music flowing. There is still no Prince on stage, but the band is stamped with his trademark sound, and this part of the concert is just as enjoyable as what will come later. 

Built on the stepping stones of some heavy organ riffs, “You Got The Love” sees Shelby and the band add substantial and forceful power to the recording. There is some rock guitar appearing through the cracks in the bassline, a new dynamic we have not previously heard at the show. Normally this would appeal to me, but in contrast to the soulful sounds of the first songs, it feels light and throwaway. The guitar eventually twists itself up into Shelby’s vocals and the bass, making for a noisy center of the song that doesn’t quite hit the right spot for me. 

Although “(Theme Song From) Which Way Is Up?” was only played occasionally at shows, it seems to have appeared often in the shows I have recently listened to. Shelby is enthusiastic by nature, and the song plays to her natural ebullient self, the driving beat and groove matched by her tempestuous vocal delivery. It is punchy and sharp, the snappy keyboards rounding out the chorus beneath Shelby’s more obvious hook. The vocabulary of the second section of the song is steeped in the keyboard and its tight partnership with the bass, both stealing each other’s rhythms and influences as two of the unsung heroes of the band come forward. There is the feeling that the show is beginning to reach a point where it might truly breakout into what it has threatened to become for the first half, and after this song, it can no longer be contained by the stage itself, and the real spirit of the show is released into the atmosphere with Prince coxing “Mutiny” from the band. 

It is at once familiar, and yet at the same time brand new as the band put a spin on it, the groove coming slower, demanding that you pay attention as much as dance to it. It is a Frankenstein version, “Ice Cream Castles” coming strongly over the top as Prince flits between the two. It is a classy performance, and just the sort of twisted version I would normally be attracted to, unfortunately in this case I don’t feel it as much as the band on stage, and for me, the untouchable highlight is the organic organ solo that pulls the song back to earth after it’s previous alien and cold sound. The rolling groove remains the bedrock it is all built upon, and no matter how Prince stretches and toys with the song, it always snaps back to shape on the back of this groove. 

The first real treasure of the recording comes with Andy McKee’s appearance and a pared-back rendition of “Africa.” It is a song that is instantly recognizable, and this arrangement with just Andy and Elisa Fiorillo highlights the songwriting craftsmanship that shaped the song, even in this form it is catchy and has me easily singing along. There is no Prince here, but it is another dip into the nostalgic past, the mists swirling around the recording as we venture back to my teenage years. 

 

I don’t have the same warm feelings for “Emotion,” the performance sounds warm enough, but the overall effect leaves me cold. I do enjoy the sound of the three female voices coming together, and Andy McKee has a light touch of sound behind them, but it is not a song I have heard often, and I am impatient to move forward through the recording. 

I am suddenly fifteen again as the song of “More Than Words” laps against my ears. The crowd can’t help but join in, as do I at home, the distance of time shrinks as the song rises out from a modern context played by this modern band. The vocals are again gentle, I am caressed by the sound rather than battered by it, and although I am a punk rocker at heart, this song captures my imagination and I am transported away as it plays. 

“Paisley Park” is drawn gradually from the audience’s hand clapping, the song slow to reveal its true self in public, before Andy McKee’s guitar sketches it into shape and makes the moment real. The song remains untouched by the band, asides from a beating heart of a drum beat, and it strolls softly across the sonic territory it inhibits, remaining an elusive dream that is always one step ahead. It is undoubtedly the highlight of the show, and although we will have stronger songs later on the bootleg, none can touch “Paisley Park” for raw beauty. It is the very heart of the show itself, a whimsy rendition that captures the spirit of the song in its organic sound. 

The sonic tease that opens “The Bird” stretches on for minutes, the song constantly threatening to burst into life behind the ever-building keyboard riff, yet it remains firmly under the strong will of Prince’s hand. The first cracks appear with the horn’s building before Prince unleashes the band for a full-blooded rendition that goes across a storm with the audience. The recording remains unblemished, but to my ears, this part of the concert doesn’t sound quite as good as the previous few songs. Prince does call for sound adjustment on stage, but this in no way has anything to do with the recording which suddenly becomes a whole lot stronger on the back of a precision strike of a guitar solo, not a single note wasted in an efficient and timely break. 

We have a call for “guitar up in the house” at the beginning of “Jungle Love” that immediately raises unrealistic expectations for what will follow. I was hoping for a storm of guitar, but what we have instead is a paint-by-numbers run-through of the song, and as much as I want to project my sense of occasion and thrill upon it, in truth it doesn’t deliver much beyond its reach. There is the requisite guitar solo, and as good as it sounds, it is not one for the ages, Prince keeps everything neatly trimmed as he rushes to the audience participation led by Shelby. A lot of fun to be there, the bootleg was not quite as fun as the music chops and cuts beneath the audience chants. 

 

We stay firmly entrenched in this era as the band eases the sound into a wider vista, and a sharp take on “The Glamorous Life.” The bootleg is a little uneven at this point, and as much as I want to love it, I merely like it. John Blackwell on the drums adds some excitement late in the piece, but not enough to overturn my earlier verdict. 

Things become far more serious as Prince and the band turns their hand to a brooding “Stratus.” It straddles two worlds, the guitar wiry and sharp, while the galloping bassline funks and rolls beneath. It is a beguiling performance, the previous songs appearing almost throw-away in comparison to this far more studious and unhurried piece. The guitar and keyboard together provide expressive melancholia that seeps through the music at every turn, the sound of the song far more important than any lyrical riff or idea. It is a predictable arsenal, “Stratus” has been heard numerous times through the years, but at this moment it is just the right song for the performance and reinvigorates my interest in the show. 

“Stratus” is the Trojan horse that sneaks “All Shook Up” into the show, the music remaining with its dark atmosphere while Prince reaches to Elvis’s infectious lyrics to offset this impenetrable sound. There is unease as the two worlds rub against each other, friction that sparks but never bursts into flame, the music pulling the lyrics down to its own shuffling uncompromising vision. 

I admire the grandiose intentions of “Insatiable,” intentions that remain unfulfilled as Prince’s vocals remain one step detached and just beyond any true sense of soulfulness. It’s a close enough facsimile, and I am satisfied with the performance, although again the bootleg doesn’t quite reach the level of greatness that I crave. 

A plush “Scandalous” has me one step closer to heaven, Prince pulling his submerged incantation from deep within the song, each breath, and word crafting an atmosphere and drawing the crowd further into his ever-expanding web of seduction. The electric fury of earlier in the evening is now replaced by a soundscape drawn from velvet and silk. I can feel the greatness of the performance crawling out of the speakers, and for a few minutes, I am inclined to agree with the assessment of the Peach and Black crew. 

It is the twinkle of the piano that lights the path into an emotionally crushing “Adore.” Following “Scandalous,” it comes as a heavy one-two punch, “Adore” as emotional and loving as “Scandalous’ was sexy and seducing. It is wholly immersive, I can feel the recording swallowing me as I am again buried deep in Prince’s world for this performance of a song that I shall never tire of hearing. There is a gentle ache to Prince’s lyrics, and with the backing vocals playing as a heavenly choir, the song has a sense of purpose, Prince is pitching it squarely at the heart of the audience, and I can attest from the recording, he is squarely hitting the mark. 

 

With an upbeat spray of color, “Jam Of The Year” springboards us into the final section of the show. It sounds shallow and thinner than it did back in its prime during the 90s, but it retains its fun and Prince’s sense of music being a party. It suffers in comparison to the previous few songs, but it sets the scene for Prince's final few songs, as always intending to raise the party. 

“$” was only played during 2012, and here it is presented only in the briefest of introductions to a medley that also includes “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” and “The Song Of The Heart.” I heard “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” on a golden oldies radio station today, and it was a lot more fun that the insipid version that gets tossed into this medley. Rounding out this flash-in-the-pan threesome is “The Song Of The Heart,” it brings it to a close, but it does nothing in terms of adding to the performance or the music. 

Unfortunately, the circulating recording is missing the final pièce de résistance “Days Of Wild,” no doubt the show-stopping highlight as it always is. It is paired with “Wild And Loose,” which makes me only want to hear it more, one can only imagine what a wild end to the show this would be. 

This bootleg is not the greatest ever, but there is evidence here that this is a great show, and for all that saw it I am sure it was the greatest. It is a reminder that as much as we enjoy these bootlegs, they will always remain a poor cousin to seeing a live performance, and no matter what quality we have them in they will never live up to that experience. As a bootleg, it is very good and has some spectacular moments. It also has a couple of flat points, but overall it is a timely reminder that these shows from the 2000s are in some ways just as good as the after shows of the ’80s, time has jaded us to just how special and amazing these shows are no matter what era they are. Of course, I recommend this recording, and for those that were there, I am sure this is a fine reminder of a great show. Peach and Black have their memories of the show, but for the rest of us, this is the closest we will get. It points to greatness, but that is a peak that can never be conquered by a mere bootleg.