Montreux 2013

 “I’m back, and I’m harder than a heart attack” 

It’s been six weeks since I last updated the blog, but I’m pleased to say I’m back and happy to be doing what I love most; listening to bootlegs and writing about them. Sorry for the extended break, I was exhausted and gave myself a couple of weeks to catch up, which became a couple of weeks more as my oncoming wedding loomed into view. The wedding is still a couple of weeks away, but I’m on top of it all now and looking forward to listening to Prince. 

 

I have covered the 2013 Montreux shows previously, but in light of the now circulating video, I feel there is a need to revisit them. The video of the shows highlights different aspects of the performance, and for me feels completely different from the audio recordings of the concerts. I enjoyed both immensely, the video of the first two shows greatly elevates them in my opinion. I’m not going to go too in-depth about the shows, I feel I have already covered them adequately, I will instead touch on the key songs and moments in the shows that I feel are worth looking at closer. 

Montreaux Jazz Festival 2013 

1. Count Basie Vs Jimi Hendrix 

These shows highlight two different sides of Prince; Prince the band leader and Prince the guitar God. The first two performances see Prince fronting a large band, a band he leads and guides through the show with ease, while the third night sees Prince strap on the guitar and deliver a night of fierce guitar performances that sees him alone in the eye of the storm. That one man could do both is amazing, and that he does both to such a high level is simply incredible. 

 

The first two nights are full band performances, the stage crowded and cluttered with singers, dancers, a full horn section, and the core band. “Days Of Wild” at both shows is the song that shows the band and Prince at their full potential as they bulldoze through the song. It has the feel of a circus maximus, everything and anything goes and the stage is awash in a confusion of bodies and sounds. On first viewing, it is a busy scene, with the band and Prince creating a sound jungle, the music dense and tangled. Subsequent viewings show Prince to be a man in total control. There may be twenty people on stage, but all of them have their eyes on Prince as he controls them with a glance or simple hand gesture. It speaks not just of Prince’s control and understanding of the band and the total sound but of also the band themselves and their level of professionalism as they hang on Prince's every move. Every eye on stage is following Prince as he commands not just the core band but also the extended horn section in a masterclass of band leading. 

 

The third night has Prince stepping back from the large band and taking the spotlight on himself as he unleashes the full force of the guitar upon the audience. Again he is the center of things, although this time attention is firmly focused on him and his guitar wail. Forget the leaden opening of “Let’s Go Crazy,” it’s the following “Endorphinmachin” that contains the real highlights, as Prince sets the stage ablaze with screaming guitar. With its lively energy, it is a celebration of music and guitar heroics. Prince takes multiple solos, each one taking Jimi Hendrix as a starting point before stretching across all genres and decades in search of the right sound. There is plenty of good old-fashioned seventies rock in the mix, and Prince is playing tribute to the past while searching out new sounds with his axe. This guy was leading a horn section the night before, now he’s laying waste to the arena with his guitar playing alone. Untouchable, we shall not see his like again. 

 

2. I’m with the Band 

Prince may be the leader of the band, but he also is part of the band. He may dominate the spotlight, but there are moments when he steps back into the shadows and plays well within the Band. This is never more apparent than in the performance of “She’s Always In My Hair” on the third night. Yes, he’s in front, and delivering plenty of sparks early on, but this is offset by the guitar solo that Donna provides (while leaning in the crowd). A moment that could have been easily taken by Prince, he instead adds to the performance with another color added to the palette by Donna. During this song Prince is seemingly all things to all people, starting as a rocker, before subverting the sound and becoming a soulman for the latter part of the song. 

 

This again sees another band member take their moment,  as Prince plays the breakdown he is seized by the music, and the moment, and pauses to let Ida play. It’s worth it too, as she provides some funky bass that fizzles and pops with energy, taking on a life of its own. These are only two moments, but they highlight how important it was for Prince to be part of a band. And it was an opportunity for 3rdeyegirl to have an identity of their own. Of the Prince songs they played, “She’s Always In My Hair” was the one they took and made their own. With an emotive performance, this moment is a great record of them as a band and serves as a fine way to remember the times they played together. 

 

3. The man is music itself 

The final moment that struck me most is the encore of the third night. Beginning with “When Doves Cry,” Prince plays a sampler set with the band backing him, the horns, and the extended band joining him on stage. This brings all the previous strands I have written about into a single performance in which Prince’s true character is revealed. He may be a star, a performer, or a band leader, but at the heart of it all, he is just a man who loves playing music. Everything else is irrelevant, and that is never more apparent than this final encore. Darkening the stage for “When Doves Cry,” Prince makes the music the most important aspect and deflects attention from himself. This is heightened further as the encore progresses, first members of the audience come on stage to dance, then the extended band, until Prince can be barely seen at all. He sits at his keyboard, cocooned by the band and equipment. Head lowered over the keyboard, the performance is secondary to the music, he is in the moment and nothing else matters but the groove and the music. 

  

As “A Love Bizarre” plays he is a man who looks content and happy, one feels that if the crowd and arena suddenly disappeared he would still be perfectly happy playing this groove to himself. Love brings the band closer to him, and surrounded by the horn section Prince is at the center of a small, intimate gang. Prince is buried by the crowd as Larry takes on a bass solo that is so funky Ida looks as if she might burst into tears. 

 

Equally funky is the horn solo provided by Sylvester Onyejiaka, as Prince holds the microphone for him he plays up a firestorm of a solo that comes dangerously close to making the room spontaneously combust.  “Housequake” has Prince again riding the band, the horn section out front while Prince pulls the strings from behind. There is a moment for Hannah to shine before Prince calls for Ida to commit. There is the final hit out for the band and the show ends in the best way possible with a solo from Donna and Ida before Prince brings the show to a close. 

 

These three shows are really what Prince is all about; funk, rock, the band, leadership, and music. Above all music. He has played larger arenas, and bigger concerts with more spectacle, but this show boils it down to his essence. Prince was music. Music was the reason he existed, he lived music, he breathed music, he sweated music. These concerts have something for everyone as Prince gives all of himself in these performances, these were the moments that impacted me, but I am sure there are many other moments in the concerts that others related to.  A superb bootleg, it was worth the wait. 

Montreux 15 July 2013

 Today I am listening to the third and final show of the Montreux 2013 series. This one differs from the two I have previously written about, as the first part of the show is rock-based, with Prince playing with his band 3rdeyegirl. The horns and NPG do join later in the show, but the evening is dominated by Prince and his guitar. I am not convinced that this is the best of the three nights, although the consensus is otherwise. But I am very happy that on this recording Prince is playing an instrument again, rather than limiting himself to singing only as per the previous nights. Ok, Prince, put away the horns and pick up your guitar, we are about to go in! 

15 July 2013, Montreux 

The show seems to start much faster than the previous nights. Sure, there is the sound of thunder as expected, but it is not drawn out, and Prince quickly cuts through it with “Say hello to Hannah on the drums.” I am not sure if it’s the recording itself or my setup here, but already it is sounding much heavier than previous nights. The thunder has a deep crashing sound to it. 

Prince introduces the band briefly “Say what’s up to Ida on the bass, Donna on guitar, my name is Prince” before hitting us with the slowed-down riff of “Let's Go Crazy.” It’s a simple, yet effective opening. “Let's Go Crazy” is played slow, and heavy. My opinion on it is somewhat divided. Sometimes I enjoy this arrangement, and sometimes I feel it sounds leaden and dull. On this recording, it is good but not great. I wasn’t feeling it at the start, but there is more energy near the end, and the audience’s response does add a little flavor. Ida plays a distorted solo, which doesn’t quite flow, but I still enjoy it. Prince ends the song with his well-known solo, and things are just about to get cooking. 

Whatever ambivalent feelings I might have had about “Let's Go Crazy” are all but forgotten as the opening riff of “Endorphinmachine” is played. I don’t know what it is about this song, but it is one that I love to hear live. The band races through it pretty fast, faster than I have heard before. Prince sings quickly to keep up and does a good job of it. With a quick “watch me” he starts a couple of knock-out solos. Much as we heard back in the slave days, it gets my pulse racing. Prince interjects the solos with “Do you like rock n roll? Me too, one difference though, I like rock n roll funky” before lurching into another guitar break. I don’t always like Prince’s modern guitar playing, but here it is sounding pretty sweet. A little bit fast, a little bit high, it is ear candy. 

There is no let-up as they run headlong into “Screwdriver.” A more recent song, it seems to make much more sense hearing it in a live setting. Again it’s faster than on record, but it’s all very tight. This is the song I associate most with 3rdeyegirl, and they own this on the recording. Donna's solo isn’t flashy but still good before Prince takes a short solo and stretches it more. It’s all very short, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. 

We go back to Prince’s history next as the familiar riff of “She’s Always In My Hair” begins. I have written before that this is a key Prince song for me, so I am pleased to see it on the setlist. It doesn’t start too well, the first part of the song sounds labored and heavy. It’s frustrating, because I have heard this band play it much better, but the first couple of minutes on this recording are fairly lifeless. However, Prince and the band pick it up, and just after the music quickens and Prince yells “let’s go” everyone seems to find their groove and the song just sings. Prince plays an excellent solo, one of the better ones I have heard on this song recently, and the breakdown engages not only the band but the crowd also. The band extends this portion of this song right out, and Prince gets the crowd clapping on the offbeat and engaging in some call and response. Donna stops playing and we get a moment to enjoy just Ida’s bass. It’s an excellent groove and soon we are back to singing with the crowd, and Prince serves up some great shrieks. The song closes at about the 9-minute mark and I have the eat my words from the first portion of the song. 

“The Love We Make” is a forgotten gem from the Emancipation set. I couldn’t imagine it played by Prince and the band in this configuration, but it’s a brilliant match, and Donna in particular sounds very good and confident on it. Prince plays the keyboard on this one, but Donna stands out with her guitar playing. Sure, the song is written with these breaks in it, but it gives her a well-deserved chance to show some more of her playing, and it’s more nuanced than I have heard before, full credit to her. The song draws to a close with some classy vocal stylings from Prince. This song is surrounded by some outstanding stuff, but it more than measures up, and offers some nice variation from the overworked heavier rock songs. 

“I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man” also gets the slowed downed guitar-heavy treatment. There is some menace in the guitar playing early on and it does have an edge to it. Prince singings mournfully, but the guitars and more threatening than mournful. As you might expect the guitar breaks are excellent, but not practically memorable. I do enjoy the song, but I think they could have done more with it, especially if they had gone down the same path as “She Always in My Hair” with it. 

The tempo is upped with “Guitar.” A fairly simple song, it sounds like the sort of thing Prince could knock out in his sleep. But it’s a lot of fun live, and again it gives Donna and Prince a chance to show off their skills on the fretboard. I prefer Prince’s guitar playing when it's part of the story, or expressing emotion. In “Guitar” it only sounds like people playing for the sake of playing. But the whole thing is played joyously, and it’s pretty hard to criticize it for that. 

The girls display their classic rock roots with “Plectrumelectrum.” It does sound derivative of the rock music I grew up listening to on the radio, and this wouldn’t be the first song I would choose if I wanted to hear that sound. But I can’t fault the playing, and the gig doesn’t lose any momentum from its inclusion. I do enjoy it, but to be honest, it is my least favorite part of this recording. 

“Fixurlifeup” taps the same vein, but Prince’s voice adds a whole other dimension to it. The last couple of songs seemed to miss passion or feeling, but that changes here. Prince sings energetically and the band feeds off this. I could write more about it, but it does only last a couple of minutes. Still, it does get us back on track. 

I would have guessed that “Bambi” would be played sometime tonight, and it does finally make its appearance here. The bass is prominent and moves the song along well. I was wondering how Prince’s guitar playing would be on this one, it has been uneven on this recording so far, but I needn’t have worried, his breaks on this song are at his usual high standards. There is a nice little breakdown mid-song and some very crisp guitar playing. I hadn’t heard it like this before, and it added a new dimension to the song. 

I didn’t expect to hear “Sometimes It Snows In April,” I didn’t read the setlist before I listened to this gig, but it is a well-placed change in pace. It’s a different sound than I am used to it, the drum is quite loud, and it has a more conventional sound. But Prince’s voice rarely lets him down, and it more than carries the song. I can tune out the drum and just concentrate on his vocals, but I did find it distracting. Donna plays a solo on it, and it catches me off guard, not by its appearance, but by the quality of it. Again it adds another dimension, and the whole song is a surprise. It’s not what I would predict and I love it even more for that. 

I had heard “The Max” a few times recently so I wasn’t as surprised to hear it here, but again it was a very welcome addition to the recording. It’s missing something, it doesn’t have the jump that it did back in the day, but it gets much better when Prince is on the keyboard. I am listening to it trying to work out what’s missing, I think maybe the rhythm section is missing the bounce and pop. But that is in no way a criticism of the song itself, I am very pleased to have it here, and it is one I would like to hear more of. I especially like Prince on the keyboard, I could have done with hearing more of that. 

“Cause And Effect” has a rocking guitar introduction, but I find the rest of the song somewhat disappointing. A lot of the new songs sound great, that is until they are played next to some of his back catalog classics. I like “Cause and Effect,” and the recording of this night is fresh and energetic, but by the end, I find myself tired of it. This one has nothing to do with Prince, just my tired jaded view. Still, it sounds good and fits well with the night overall. 

There is a brief break after this and some declarations of love from the crowd as the band do some tuning. Then another great surprise on the recording “When We Are Dancing Close And Slow.” It's moments like this that make being a Prince fan so great, he could play anything at any time, and usually does! It has popped up a few times on the Live Out Loud tour, but that doesn’t diminish its appearance on this recording for me. It’s played delicate and sweet, and although I don’t have the words to adequately describe it, I will say that it is the highlight of the gig for me. I must make special mention of the heavenly guitar break in it, it’s so lovely I feel myself melting as I listen to it. 

To be honest, I gave an inward groan when I heard the beginning of “Play That Funky Music (White Boy).” Prince has any number of his own funk classics he could play, and it’s beyond me why he would choose to so frequently cover this song. There is a couple of enjoyable guitar breaks on this performance, so I do soften my stance on it a little, but I still can’t quite excuse it. I want to skip this one, but I persevere, just in case something special happens. It doesn’t. 

“Dreamer” perks my ears back up. It’s noisy but gets me interested again. There is plenty of Princes singing, so despite the guitars putting up a hell of a racket they never completely dominate. The solos, although good, are not spectacular- at least not to my ears. If anything, it sounds like the song is overplayed, and there is not quite enough room for anyone to shine. It’s almost too heavy for itself. 

The next song is another highlight for me. The light and ethereal introduction of “Breakdown” hits all the emotional hotspots for me. Prince’s voice sounds suitably weary to me, and it’s well-matched with the lyrical content. And when I hear this I can’t help thinking of The Great Gatsby. I often think of Prince’s life in terms of this book, and I would love to see him cast in the role of Jay Gatsby in a film adaptation. But I digress, the song is emotional and Prince certainly sounds sincere as he sings it. There are very few songs of recent times that I feel I connect with, but this is certainly one of them. It’s an excellent recording of a fine song. 

I almost choked on my tongue when I heard the buzzed-out guitar intro of “Doves Cry,” until I caught myself and realized it was another sampler set. The opening keyboard riffs play over and over as Prince calls for lights off (as is his way) and for people to start dancing. He plays with it a little as he sings, dropping out here and there for the crowd to sing. They oblige, and all in all, it sounds alright, apart from finishing up after the first chorus to drop into the next song. 

“Nasty Girl” is played as an instrumental. It’s barely half a minute, but it’s just a taste of what’s to come. 

“Alphabet St” fares a little better, and doesn’t even get 20 seconds, before we move on to something much better. 

The bass and drum of “Sign Of The Times” carry us along for a good while, before Prince starts the verses. Now the full NPG band is back on board and it gives the crowd plenty of time to sing. When Prince does sing he lacks the intensity that the song's subject matter demands, but it’s still a pleasure to hear it live. It has a sax solo midsong, which adds to it, and is most welcome. I enjoy the variation and it’s followed up with a brief and unusual guitar break. Again, it gets me interested in an older song that I have played to death. Prince sings most of the verses and chorus, and then there is another sax break. WOW, I was pleased to hear this one, and even more so with the saxophone on it. This will be one I will come back to. 

Off the same album, “Hot Thing” also gets an outing at this gig. It’s another interesting version, with a sampling moment when Prince sings a couple of lines of Ton Locs “Wild Thing” before a trombone solo. Seriously, I couldn’t make this up, it sounds fantastic, and soon returns to the main keyboard refrain. Prince also throws in a lyric change, substituting “Hot Thing’ for ‘Montreux” in the last verse. Sure, he’s playing to the crowd, but it’s a nice touch. 

“Love Bizarre” is a head bobber right from the gate. The bass is nice and rubbery, and Prince plays with the melody a little as he sings his verses. He sings much louder and stronger than normal and pushes the lines out. There is plenty of time for some nice long horn breaks, the first sax break is my favorite of them all, but all of them add flavor and color. There’s not much singing after the first verse, it’s all the extended horn section, and after waiting all gig for their moment, they take advantage. 

The next song is “Love,” add it to the list of songs that I didn’t expect to hear at this gig. It’s not so much a song, more a long groove, and a chance for the bass to get some shine. I like it, but it may not be to everyone’s taste. Again the horns play a couple of tasty solos over the second half of it. The song is all about the bass, and Larry Graham in particular can be heard all over this. There is no denying that when it comes to the bass, he is the MAN. 

The sampler shuffles and skips for half a minute before Prince finally unleashes “Housequake.” It’s not as bad as I have heard on other sampler sets, having the band backing it makes it much stronger and funkier than the original. That aside, it does mix it up a lot. There are a couple of lead breaks, and Prince doesn’t do much singing after the first couple of minutes. He calls Donna to play a solo, and she plays an interesting solo that contrasts nicely against the funky beat. Even Prince acknowledges that she feels sharp tonight. Then it's Ida's turn and she too engages in a nice solo on her bass. It’s not fantastic, but it’s good to see her take her time and show us what she can do. It all ends in typical Prince fashion with an “on the one” call. 

A few people had commented to me before I heard this, that this was the best of the three nights at Montreux. Listening to the show, I can’t agree. The novelty value of 3rdeyegirl raised a lot of expectations, and it was the first chance Europe had to see the band in this configuration. But asides from that, I don’t think it stacks up musically with the previous nights. Yes, there were some real high points here, and things I love, but also several flat parts, and things I can’t overlook. Overall the highs outweigh the lows, and I certainly enjoyed the latter part of the show. A nice recording, it’s a fine addition to the collection, but I wouldn’t believe all the hype about this one. 

Montreux 14 July 2013

 It’s taken me longer to get to the second night of Montreux 2013 than I anticipated. I was enjoying the first night too much, and although the setlist of the second night was different, I found the sound and quality of the show to be very similar. Normally that’s not a bad thing, but in this case, I just couldn’t find a reason to play it more. But today I have bitten the bullet and sat down to give it a proper listen and write about it. 

14th July 2013, Montreux 

The show begins as the previous night with the now-familiar sound of thunder and rain. I don’t feel the excitement as much as in the first recording, I guess because I have already heard it too much. I just want to skip past the prelude and enjoy the concert itself. The crowd gives a cheer but soon settles into silence waiting for the show to begin proper. 

The first night had started with a surprising “Strays Of The World,” and there is another treat to open this night too, as the first song up is Act Of God. It’s a nice song for the horns to play, and it has a clean yet strong sound to it. I find the horns a little too brassy, but I like the song. It’s got a nice steady flow to it, and Prince and his singers sound very good together. Prince’s voice isn’t overly strong, which is a shame, but it is only the first song. Like the previous night, Prince calls on Marcus early for a solo, and it’s probably the most enjoyable part of the song. 

Again, harking back to the previous night, the song flows into the next one, “What Have You Done” for me lately. The girl singers sound much better than Prince, he seems to be a little lost in all the horns and voices. There isn’t long to digest the song before it moves quickly into “Northside.” 

I would like to write a lot about “Northside,” but it barely lasts a minute before the segue into the next song. 

Although I would never call myself a fan of these medleys, I do accept that they are part of any Prince show nowadays, and a realistic way for Prince to cover a lot of material very quickly. The medley here isn’t musically bad, it just feels like it’s too soon in the show for it. To have a barrage of songs coming at us straight out of the gate doesn’t give me a chance to enjoy or digest the music. I do like everything played here, but I feel like I am nibbling many dishes at a feast, rather than sitting down and getting into it. 

 

“Which Way Is Up” is a song that I dig. The horns and the girl’s voices do a great job of it, and for the first time in the recording, I feel myself engaging a little more with the music. It’s only a couple of minutes, but it’s more than what we have had so far. The band is playing very well but comes across as being a little too polished, and the music lacks some feeling to it. 

The medley takes on “Partyman” next, and the gig feels like it's beginning to build up more and more. The song sounds good, but if I compare it to the original I do find it lacking in something. I can’t quite put my finger on it, maybe there is a little too much, or perhaps the horns are running away with it, they certainly do seem to be playing all over it. It's fun but unfocused. I find myself wishing Prince would sing more of the song, rather than standing back and letting the horns play over it. 

We are back in nostalgic territory next as the band slips easily into “Take Me With U.” Never a favorite of mine, I find that I am enjoying it more and more as I listen to these recordings. This gig is par for the course, Prince sings well with the girls, and I can hear some nice guitar playing underneath. It’s a nice pop sound, and the simplicity of a pop song sounds quite joyous compared to the overworked songs we are hearing more of nowadays, 

Keeping with the pop motif, “Raspberry Beret” follows straight after. The pop of it sounds fresh, and Prince does play around on it, changing a line, and singing some others slightly differently. For a song that has been so overplayed I am surprised that this is an early highlight for me. It’s never been one of his longer songs, but here the two minutes it gets barely do it justice. Still, I rate it as a good moment. 

“Cool” gets a very cool introduction, and Prince acknowledges that it was popularized by The Time. The women singers carry most of the load on this one, with Prince providing a few shouts here and there. He is much more to the forefront when the verses start properly. I can’t help but sing along with this one, it’s so catchy. I love the groove underneath and Prince’s vocals are very funny. It’s played very much as we heard on the welcome 2 America tour, and I guess the performance is pretty much the same. I feel I must be completely honest at this point, when this was playing I found myself dancing, singing, and clapping my hands, so I had to go back and listen again to write this. It’s very enjoyable indeed. There is even a nice horn flourish to end it all before there is finally a proper break between songs. 

“Let’s Work” sounds different from what I have ever heard before. Like all the songs from this gig, it is soaked in horns at the beginning. It sounds smooth, and Prince makes space for some funky guitar to be heard. But to my ears, something is missing. It doesn’t seem to have that funky bass, it’s more smooth than nasty. And even the funk guitar is missing the rhythm that gets me moving. It’s played as a long groove, with plenty of dancing, but it is unrecognizable from the sweaty funky song of the eighties. 

The next song is “U Got The Look,” but it sounds like a pale imitation of the song I know from the eighties. Everything strong about it is gone, and even the horns playing on it can’t seem to inject any energy into it. It’s insipid and seems to drag on lifelessly. I don’t want to be a negative voice for a quality soundboard recording like this, but this song is a low point. I don’t need to hear a full-on rock version, but it does need to have some sort of backbone to it. 

 

“Shades of Umber” has me back on board. The horns sound very soothing and soulful on it, and it easily trumps anything else we have previously heard on this recording. I can’t quite define the sound, it’s a smooth yet up-tempo instrumental, and there are some wonderful horn solos throughout. I do know that Prince didn’t play an instrument this night, so what I am listening to here has no Prince input at all, which makes it weird for me now as I type “this is the best song of the recording” There is an excellent point mid-song when it slows down, and the guitar has a chance to solo. Nothing too full on or overwrought, the phrase “it’s all done in the best possible taste” springs to mind. The song ends with plenty of cheers from the crowd and I want to cheer too. 

I love the deep groove of “Days Of Wild,” but here some of that feels slightly undone by the brassy horns. That is by no means a slight on the song, as always I find myself bobbing alone immediately. I love the guitar line I can hear in the left speaker, and I don’t need the band to tell me to “Get freaky, let your head bob” – that’s the default position for me when I listen to this song. I find the songs they throw in the mix with this to be better than ever, “Big Fun,” “Ain’t Nobody,” and the best of them all, “Don’t Stop the Music.” The song started well, but it just gets better and better, especially as it breaks into a brilliant sax solo. I haven’t heard a solo that made me this excited for a while. It’s nothing spectacular, but it hits my groove button. The song ends with a couple of strong horn rounds, which is only fitting. I thought the start of this one was average, but by the end, they had blown the doors off -it’s great. 

“Nothing Compares To U” gets a lovely little piano intro before Prince and the band come in. I was going to say I would prefer a stripped-down version, but the band pitched it just right, and I find myself eating my words. Although not as vocally strong as I have otherwise heard, it’s still a top performance. For all her detractors, Shelby is a very talented singer, and she sounds great here. Not classically strong, but her voice is beautiful and she more than does it justice. Cassandra has a small keyboard solo, it is not as delicate as I expected, and for a moment I feel thrown off, but it is good, and the band does pull us back into the song well. The crowd does get to sing before the song ends with a nice saxophone break. 

I completely misread this recording. I was expecting a polished but boring sound-a-like of the previous night, but already I have heard many things that stand out and are more than enjoyable. I love surprises like this. 

Prince calls to take us back and then calls for “Mutiny.” Like the previous night, it’s played interspliced with “Ice Cream Castles.” This was my song back in the day, but I just can’t buy into the new version. It’s too much Vegas show tune for me, and the deep dirty groove seems to be replaced by something a lot less fun. The horns dominate here, but there is some good guitar that can be heard underneath it all. I do enjoy it much more once the sax has a solo, and the band starts their various chants. By the end, the band has once again broken me down and I am smiling and bobbing along. 

I have been looking forward to the next song ever since I read the setlist, “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)” is a song that will always mean something to me, and I look forward to every version out there. This recording more than delivers, Prince singing against Cassandra's keys. His singing is just beautiful, although not as weak and vulnerable as I am used to, it is still very good. I can’t complain about a lack of emotion when something sounds as good as this. In a recording full of high points, this is yet another. 

“Big City” follows next, adding to the rarities and oddities heard at these shows. “Big City” is a top-notch song, and I feel it deserves a proper release. It’s got a light and groovy sound to it, and although the horns are strong on it they never dominate, it's Prince's vocals that drive this one along and that’s a definite plus. I love hearing songs like this, it’s played so well they could just put this live version out and that would be fine by me. The second half does break down into somewhat of a horn fest, but that’s fine, there’s still enough there to hold my interest. But when the horns come back to the main refrain and Prince sings again I immediately feel it again. This song needs to be played more. 

In a similar vein, “Superconductor” is played next. It’s the same sort of vibe to it as “Big City,” sort of fun and moves along nicely. It’s unfortunate that it’s truncated here and ends just after a minute. Still, you can’t have everything I guess. 

Prince takes us right back with a full version of “1999” next. This sounds great with the full horn treatment. Normally I wouldn’t say that, but listening to it this time I am feeling it. The pounding beat is there as it should be, and that’s all I need. The whole song is just an excuse to get the crowd singing along, and the verses are quickly dispensed with to get the crowd chanting. It doesn’t quite sound like a party, but it does sound fun. 

Just like the previous night “Musicology” is brought out again. It’s not as strong as the day before, but Prince’s voice seems to be better- much more into it. I rarely listen to “Musicology” on the album, but it is tailor-made for gigs like this, and it stands up very well. The band gets plenty of shout-outs, but nobody has a chance to shine, except Shelby who sings a couple of verses of “Mama Feelgood.” Again I will go on record as saying, I’m no fan of Shelby’s shouting, but I am a fan of her singing. Marcus Anderson does play yet another short and sweet sax solo, and it only makes me wish that this band had more of an opportunity to stretch out. 

The last song of the evening is “Partyup.” It’s not exactly the “Partyup” you remember and love, more a bastard child, and an excuse to let loose and jam a bit. Over a long extended beat, Prince encourages the crowd to chant “party up, got to party up” He keeps it rolling like this for a few minutes before he finally brings the band in. It takes a full four minutes before the band finally enters, but it’s not as boring as you might think. When the band does enter it’s not as the song you may expect, and there is no singing except Prince and the band chanting with the crowd. As I find myself saying on many of these recordings, it’s not bad, but it is something that you have to be there for. There is a couple of horn solos in the song, but they are very short and not particularly noteworthy. Well, that’s what I thought on the first listen, but with subsequent listens I have found them more and more enjoyable. 

I can’t help but compare this show to the previous night at Montreux. Looking at the setlists and the overshow I fully expected not to enjoy this one as much. But, as always, I have found myself going in with low expectations and then finding myself eating my words as the show more than delivers. Despite having a similar sound to the previous night, this recording has a personality of its own. I think the first night edges it, but there were more than enough great moments in this one to make it well worth listening to. A very enjoyable treat indeed. 

Montreux 13 July 2013

 Looking at Montreux 2013 the setlist is everything I could want. There are plenty of oddities and rarities, and songs that I just flat out love. There are three nights to the Montreux shows, I will cover all of them, one at a time. There is almost too much to digest! First up, let’s take a listen to the first night. 

13 July 2013, Montreux 

The show opens with the sound of storms and thunder played over the P.A. Typically, thunder seems to be a recurring theme throughout Prince’s career. The recording is great, and the sound of the crowd chanting and cheering sounds crisp without overbearing the recording. This is a soundboard recording I should add, and right from the start, it sounds great. 

“Strays Of The World” begins the show, and it gives us a good chance for us to listen to the backup singers. I am enjoying it already, the band sounds nice and full, it is the full NPG with horns, and there is some very nice organ playing which gives it a round sound, before some sharp crisp guitar playing. Nothing too fancy, no flurry of notes, nice and gentle. I am surprised how much I enjoy it, normally I am not one for syrupy songs like this, but it draws me in nicely. I especially enjoy the horn flourish that ends the song. 

The tempo and show start with the next song as they play “Days Of Wild.” Prince’s voice is strong and has an excellent slight echo on it. This will be forever a head-bobbing song for me, and I just can’t help myself as the song goes on. Prince mixes things up a little when he says “Oh, by the way, Donna plays guitar” and she plays a very un-Donna type solo. The song sounds a little smoother than I like, it’s missing the fire in it, but it sounds great all the same. This gets better as it progresses and Prince sounds in fine form. There is some excellent horn playing near the end, and this is the part of the song I enjoy the most at this gig. The song ends at about the six-minute mark, and I only wish it could have gone on for 10 or 12. All in all, excellent. 

 

“Big City” was unfamiliar to me. I do enjoy it, it’s got a modern smooth feel to me, but it’s not very memorable to my ears. I do enjoy the extended horn section, it adds a new dimension to the Prince sound. I wouldn’t want him to go this path too often, but here I do enjoy it. The only thing I remember about the song when it finishes is how great all those horns sounded. 

The horns lead us nicely into “Super Conductor.” It’s much more upbeat, and although my head isn’t nodding, my feet are tapping. Prince has a chance to engage with the audience and leads a quick call and response before the horns start to work on 1999. 

The horns are very present in “1999”, but the keyboards hold their own against them. The horns do add a nice flourish here and there though. Prince singing on this is very good, the best I have heard him sing on “1999” for a long time. He sounds engaged with it, rather than running over it on autopilot. There is a great thumping beat as we enter the “Parrtttyyy” section, and the crowd gets on board nicely. I am really happy to hear that the funky guitar has not been forgotten and it does get a brief break near the end of the song before the horn section takes us out. 

“Mutiny” is nicely mixed up with “Ice Cream Castles.” It confuses my ears and brain a little, but if I was hearing it fresh it would be fine. Princes’ singing is strong and passionate, but to me, the band sounds a little too sterile, just a fraction too note-perfect. It sounds like a criticism, but I dig this one. There are some cool lyric changes, again I wouldn’t normally condone such a thing, but it’s just too enjoyable. The horns close it out again, to quite a cheer from the crowd and me too. I am a fan of this one. 

There is a brief pause as Prince speaks, and what follows next is a highlight for me, “Old Friends 4 Sale.” True, it’s the modern version with the lyrics changed, but that doesn’t for a minute diminish the music. The horns threaten to take over, but they hold back just enough. Prince’s voice is the best thing in this song, such a melody. This has been a long-time favorite of mine, and I am just so happy to hear it live. It’s only two and a half minutes, but it’s an early highlight. 

“People Pleaser” is one of those songs that I would like to hear more of. It’s very well suited for this gig, and once again the horns drive it along. It would have been good to hear a long jammed-out version, but the song quickly segues into “Ain’t Gonna  Miss U When U’re Gone.” Even this is very abridged, and comes and goes very quickly. It sounds fun but much too short. 

I never expected to hear “F.U.N.K.”! If I hadn’t read the setlist first I would have fallen off my chair when this started. It sounds good, not as angry as it could have been. But again, the quality of this recording is so good that everything sounds great. Cassandra plays a very cool keyboard solo, unlike anything else I could compare it to. Very quirky and cool. 

Again, “Dark” is another song that I would have never guessed. I listened to versions of this from the nineties the other week, and it sounds just as good here, if not better. Prince sings it very clean and the horns add some nice color to it. To be honest, this is a highlight to me, it is very fresh sounding. I could listen to its easy groove all day, and Prince’s voice is heavenly. It’s smooth when it needs to be, and passionate when it needs to be. There is some nice saxophone here, and the backing singers are right on point. There is a great funny moment that made me laugh when Prince lets out a squeal and then says “I almost got myself pregnant then!” This is a top performance all around. 

“Something In the Water (Does Not Compute)” is a favorite to most people, myself included. Their arrangement here is sparse, just Prince and a piano, and I think that’s how I like it the most. We have had a heavier full-on version recently with 3rdeyegirl, but for me, the song played with just Prince vocals and the piano is what it is all about. Cassandra adds some extra flourishes to it on the piano, and it’s another highlight in a show full of highlights. It’s got a great ‘late night’ sound to it, and it's something I will be listening to much more in the future. 

“Courting Time” gives Prince a break, and the horns get a moment to take over. It’s very good, and I can’t fault it, but really I’m just here for Prince, and in that aspect, it is sadly lacking. 

The setlist has another surprise with “Xpectation.” It’s an opportunity for some of the band to get heard, and there is a fine little keyboard solo, as well as a decent guitar break. Nothing earth-shattering, but all fine and enjoyable. The bass break is a bit faster and more my thing, and it gets me nodding again. It gets better when Prince starts the crowd chanting, and the band starts cooking. It’s only for a couple of minutes like this, but it nicely leads us into “Get On The Boat.” 

“Get On The Boat” is not often listened to by me. So listening to it here is like listening to a new song for me. It’s better than I remember, and things start swinging again. I am happier when I hear Prince say “Can we jam a little bit” and there is some fast piano playing. The song then gets played out nice and long, with plenty of keys, horns, and even a flute. Well, who knew I liked horns so much? Certainly not me until I found myself bobbing along and loving this. With the overall sound of the keys, horns, and percussion, it’s almost a Latin feel. You can add it to my list of favorites from this recording. 

“School Boy Crush” was unknown to me. A cover of a song by The Average White band, it is another chance for Prince to play with the expanded NPG and his enlarged horn section. (See what I did there?) The song has a nice groove and there is some cool guitar just looping along underneath all the horns. It is very horn dominated, but I am rapidly growing to love the full horn sound. 

Next is another cover – “We’re A Winner.” Normally I would bemoan all these covers and the lack of Prince’s own material, but the truth is that this is a great addition to the setlist. I am just getting very excited about it, and how great it sounds when the band quickly changes and begins “I Never Loved A Man.” A real shame, I very much enjoyed the brief part they played. 

 

“I Never Loved A Man” is played even shorter, just a verse before it all changes again. I find it frustrating as both these songs promised so much. 

“Satisfied” follows these short medleys and gets a much more full treatment. I heard this song a few times during his 21 nights concerts, but here it sounds even better. His singing is faultless and the backing vocals are very strong and add fullness to it. Prince doesn’t add too much to the song, but it is a very strong version, and it fits well in the setlist. 

Prince gets the crowd clapping along for “I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing.” It’s only short and played as part of the general medley. There is a deviation in Prince's “I got too many hits” when he tells the crowd “I’ve got too many hits, I play mine and everyone else’s”. The music sounds great, but there isn’t much singing, again it’s the horns that push it along. 

We are back in more familiar Prince territory with the kicking beat of “Housequake.” Prince sounds like he is having fun, and the song sounds the freshest I have heard for ages. Again I am bitterly disappointed when it ends after the second verse. Oh, Prince, it could have been so much more this night! 

The next song is “The Jam,” and finally, the band gets to jam like I have been waiting for. It’s a classic jam song, with every band member getting name-checked and a chance to do their thing. I am particularly impressed by Donna, who is very restrained and plays a very cool line. The whole jam is pretty smooth, and it’s just what I expect them to play at Montreux. 

“The Bird” isn’t as wild as I would like. This time the smoothness of the band counts against them. The sound is good, but it’s slightly lacking the deep funky groove. The horns are an interesting addition, but I am not a fan of them on this one. I cringe when Prince says “we getting funky” – a sure sign that it ain’t that funky. 

The song ends, and I realize that the last 7 or 8 songs have all been played as a continuous medley. Not too bad at all, sure it had highs and lows, but overall it was very well done, and it certainly demonstrated all the strengths of the band. 

Of course, this band is custom-made for a song like “Musicology.” They play it very well, but by this point, I am finding that the setlist is lacking a little variety. This is a similar song to what we have been listening to for the last half hour. I don’t want to criticize the song, but I am feeling a little jaded when it plays. As the only Shelby J fan in the world, I do enjoy her vocals on this, but for me, this song is a bridge too far. 

All is forgiven when the band plays “Extralovable.” This is one of those songs that I just can’t get enough of. The big band treatment isn’t exactly what I would choose to listen to, but I still love that main riff. It’s a head bobber from the start, and this is the song on the recording where I just want to close my eyes and enjoy it to the max. Just a shame I can’t type with my eyes closed. I was a little concerned that Prince may play a shortened version of this, but it does get its full moment. The horns are all over it, sounds good, but I could have done with a little more keyboard in there. But that’s just personal preference, really this sounds great. There is some heavy deep sound near the end of it, and it hits a deep groove with some nice simple clean guitar. It ends with a couple of horn squeals, and it leaves me wanting so much more. 

“Purple Rain” finds Prince singing in a way I have not heard before. He sings the same lyrics, but differently from what I have previously heard. Normally I cringe when I have to write about “Purple Rain,” it’s featured on so many recordings, and there is only so much you can say about it, but this version gives us something different again. His vocal stylings are very interesting and he does give a touching monologue about Claude Nobs. This is the first version of “Purple Rain” that I have heard in years that I didn’t want to skip. You might think I would miss the guitar solo, but I barely noticed it wasn’t there. It was an emotional and fitting way to end an excellent show. 

This recording was full of surprises. The setlist was great, but I was surprised that the songs I enjoyed most weren’t the ones I expected at all. There were several highlights, from the type of band that I don’t normally enjoy. And the sincere and sweet Purple Rain at the end was a real surprise and treat. This looked good on paper, but in reality, it was even better than I imagined. 

Minneapolis 18 January 2013 (show 2)

 It’s taken me a long time to reach this final show in the Dakota series, much longer than I originally planned. I got sidetracked a couple of times by the piano and microphone shows, but today I finally get to the final show. Another one billed as a surprise, it again features 3rdeyegirl. It’s very similar to the first show of the evening, and I don’t expect too many surprises at all. Although similar I will give it a listen, I haven’t listened to any Prince this week and it sure beats watching “The Bachelor” with my partner! 

18th January 2013 (show 2)  Dakota Jazz Club Minneapolis 

It’s raining, I haven’t had a great day at work, but all that is forgotten, and I feel much better as the recording starts with Oasis's “Champagne Supernova” played over the PA, now there’s a band I would never associate with Prince. The scene is set as Prince adjusts his guitar, asking for it to be turned up several times before the band kick into “Endorphinmachine.” I feel energized just hearing it, although it’s not the greatest version out there it still gets the pulse racing with that crunching guitar. Prince’s vocals are not forward enough to my ears, luckily it’s all about the guitar for this one and he certainly gives us plenty of that- especially in the latter part of the song where he unleashes. 

The same as the first show we next get “Screwdriver” in the mix. It debuted at the earlier show, here it gets a second outing.  Of the two I prefer this one, the band is tighter and I can hear the bass much better. Just like “Endorphinmachine,” it’s as the song progresses that we get much more guitar fireworks. As I mentioned in the early show, it has a lot of life to it, and rumbles along at a great rate and bounces out of the speakers at me. The crowd interaction near the end is also a lot of fun, even with Prince’s ramblings. The song leaves me on a high, and I am surprised to find myself enjoying a relatively new song so much. 

I am very pleased to hear “Beautiful Strange” gets another outing after the early show. I thought it was the best part of the early show, and I am delighted to find that this time it’s even better. Prince’s vocals are fantastic, I was going to mention that I can hear people talking during the recording, but Prince silences them when he tells those talking to be quiet and the music and singing intensify. Fantastic stuff, I never want the song to end. Unfortunately, I can still hear the audience chat during the song, and that detracts greatly from the moment. Asides from that, it’s a total knockout. 

The audience talk and chat is still quite prominent as “Purple Rain” begins. It starts with a bare piano before the guitar quietly begins to play. I would normally be raving about this type of thing, but sadly I am constantly distracted by the audience's conversation. The long intro is beautiful, if I could just block out that inane chatter I would be a happy man. It’s almost five minutes before Prince sings, and it’s at this point I finally enjoy it more as he drowns out the chatter, for a short time at least. The guitar break has a high tone to it and lacks some of the depth and power that I expect, the one good thing is it is nice and loud. 

With plenty of howling guitar as an intro, it is fitting that the next song is “Guitar” itself. The recording for these louder rock songs is much better, and although I may not like the songs as much, they sound better. I thought “Guitar” might have been squeezed much more, Prince plays plenty of guitar and I was expecting it to go much longer than what we get. I can’t complain at all, the guitar is the hero, and just like the first couple of songs, it’s just the tonic I need this evening. 

Things stay on track with “I Like It There,” and the band sounds nicely in their groove by now. In this case, they do play the heck out of, and there is plenty of enjoyment for the audience to have as well. Prince’s guitar has a great howl to it, like wind on a stormy night. I like it as the band breaks it down and there is plenty of space for some rhythm guitar and singing along with the crowd. Inoffensive, and easy to listen to, it has a great live vibe to it. 

As the opening riff of “She’s Always In My Hair” begins I have an involuntary surge of excitement. That guitar line is like a drug to me, and I can feel a physical reaction as it begins. Prince sounds good and drops to a lower register a couple of lines in the song which sounds cool. As always it’s the second part of the song where it begins to fly and the soaring guitars have me giddy like a teenager. Don’t be fooled, this isn’t one of the great performances, it’s just a song that I get a lot of enjoyment out of today. The bass especially hits me and I wish I could turn it up to eleven. There is an unexpected appearance of Liv Warfield, and she contributes something a bit different with her addition, and I am pleased to hear her. Equally the call and response work surprisingly well, and upon reconsideration, I think will be a recording I will come back to especially as it stretches out to the 13-minute mark. 

Prince closed the early show with “Dreamer,” this time it shows up in the middle of the set. As much as I want to like it, it is a come-down after “She’s Always In My Hair.” I feel it much more as it takes an upswing mid-song, and Liv comes on board again. It lightens it, and I have a bounce in my step as I listen along. There’s a shot of funk in it, and the show sounds quite lively at this point. It does end with a scorching guitar from Prince and at this point I am well and truly sold on it. 

The audience chat is again heard as the gentle “Liathach” is heard. This is one song that I have grown to love, and it’s an absolute pleasure to listen to it here. Slow building to the guitar crunch, I am slowly drawn in before that guitar hits me. Most of the song I sit swaying from side to side, I don’t care what anyone thinks, I am completely lost in the song. 

The spell is broken as “Bambi” roars into life next. Prince introduces it with “We’d like to do another ballad right here” -always good for a laugh is our Prince.  How good is the bass? -it’s very good! If there was ever a song for this band, this would be it. It’s loud when it needs to be, sharp when it needs to be, and all in all, it’s a good time. There comes that moment when Prince just leans back and plays and it’s so natural and pure sounding, well that is the moment I live for. And then to top it all off, there’s a drum solo that I like. 

“Check The Record” is short and doesn’t stand out from anything else in the evening. It's fairly generic sounding, and I find it to be a space filler until the next song begins. 

“Cause And Effect” is a fun-filled crowd-pleasing song. When I reflect on it I don’t find much, but sitting back and taking it in, it’s a good old time. Prince’s vocals are easy to listen to, and there is plenty of guitar action for those who like that sort of thing, and it’s never over the top.  It could never be considered a classic, although it has its charms. There is a looseness and feeling that the show is coming to an end as Prince and the band mellows into a groove that drifts along. 

The best is saved for last as Prince and the band plays a version of “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man” that floors me. The smoky, bluesy, dark version here is a show stopper. Prince’s vocals are heavy sounding, but in my opinion, it’s the guitar tone that captures the emotion and mood of the song. Sure, the vocals are good, but my word, it’s that guitar that steals the show, especially as the vocals drop out and it begins to howl. The next few minutes are raw emotional guitar, and even if the recording isn’t great I still love every moment of it. The call and response are great, as is the spoken word by Prince to the crowd. It’s a real rock and roll moment that connects with me, even if it is too short. The song suddenly stops at this point, just as I was hungry for much more. 

With that, the show is finished and I am left to reflect on not just this show, but this series of shows. I want to say this show was the pick of them, but honestly, I am someone who is always of the time, and whatever I am listening to or doing is “the best”. This show certainly had some high points, and when I break it down, this was the one where I enjoyed more songs, so on a pure number games, yes, it is the best. This series of six shows promised a lot, and yet by the end of it, I felt like they had never quite reached the heights I had hoped. What I did like was that they showcased different aspects of Prince's musical persona and at different times I was heavily into each recording. However, they were inconsistent and ultimately unsatisfying. That said, I will always give credit to something different and challenging and from that point of view, these shows gave me a variety of experiences that were fun to listen to. I think in the future I will come back to these again, but to nibble at rather than consume whole. 

Minneapolis 18 January 2013 (show 1)

 I must admit, I had been going through the motions when it came to writing this blog recently, but after seeing Prince live last week I feel completely reinvigorated, and a lot more passionate about what I am listening to. Prince, if there was ever a good reason for touring this is it, it keeps people passionate about your music and reminds us that music is a connection between performer and audience. Nothing can beat a live show, and the reason we collect bootlegs is often as a reminder of a great show or performance we have seen. I have been too long just listening to these shows, so last week was a timely reminder of why I am such a fan. 

This week I continue with my rumble through the series of Dakota recordings. They have been interesting, yet uneven, so far. This week I will be listening to the early show of the final night, a night that was billed as a surprise. It is of course 3rdEyeGirl, not so much of a surprise now although at the time it did cause a stir. I have listened to a lot of Prince and the piano recently, so a good rock-out is just what I need. 

18th January 2013 (show 1)  Dakota Jazz Club Minneapolis 

Things get off to a great start with “Endorphinmachine,” and although the recording sounds tame I am still enthralled by the performance. Plenty of rock sound, it’s full of infectious energy that has been missing from the previous shows. Prince throws the lyrics out at a fantastic rate, and I can already tell that this is going to be one energetic show. As the guitars howl and intertwine I am already in rockers' heaven. 

The recording next features the debut performance of “Screwdriver,” and I always like to hear debuts like this. It’s in keeping with the opening song, that is it’s full of energy and Prince sounds in fine form. I wish I could see his face, he sounds like he is having fun, and this shows through with his guitar playing which has a life of its own. It's a very lively performance, and this comes across well in the recording. 

I try to be all mature and cool, but every time I hear “When You Were Mine,” I immediately revert to being a wide-eyed teenager. There is some sort of magic in the song because Prince always sounds younger too as he sings it. The pop of the drums, the sound of the guitar, it all sounds so youthful and optimistic. Always glad to hear this in the setlist, it keeps with the positive vibe of the show so far. 

Staying true to form next we have “Guitar” which is the perfect fit for this setlist, and indeed this band. I do like the energy, and the solos, even if the main riff isn’t my cup of tea. A great plus on this is hearing Donna play. Having been in the band for barely a month at this stage, it is great to hear her play with brash confidence. I also like that Prince has the confidence in her to play like this, he steps back and lets her go, and that’s to his credit. Like I often say, Prince is great at being in a band. 

This setlist almost writes itself, and I am not the least bit surprised as “I Like It There” starts with a nice crunch in my ears. I have been concentrating on the guitar the last few songs, so it is great that I am reminded here that it's a band playing, and the drums have a good crash to them, even if I have to turn it right up to get their full effect. Prince’s voice is just as strong as his guitar playing, and they compliment each other well as the song progresses. 

What can I say about “She’s Always In My Hair” that I haven’t said a hundred times before? Oh, that bass, even before the guitar starts, I am feeling it and when that riff sounds I am in heaven. I have been impressed in the last few years about how well 3rdEyeGirl play this song, they do own it and it plays to their strengths. Donna plays a solo which sounds like she looks, all tough and angular and I feel myself change as I listen to it. The breakdown is always the part I anticipate the most and it never disappoints as Prince sings “Don’t stop the groove” The emotional guitar playing in the last minute carries me out on a high, I had forgotten just how good this sounds live. 

Another debut follows with a cover of “Liathach,” an aching instrumental that hints at something I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s so full of memory and nostalgia and yet I can’t pin it down. The song slowly raises my spirits and the guitar breaks come from a completely different place to the piano, and yet together they work off each other so well and give the sense of flying. I would love to hear this one so much more, I guess I will have to give this some more love in the future. 

Whoa, I get a shock as “Bambi” bursts from the speakers, and suddenly the stakes have been raised. The band plays as a tight unit, the song sounding tight and muscular. The song gets the full treatment, the guitars working themselves into a frenzy that whips me along with them. There is a nice natural moment as the song eases and Prince has the crowd sing “All your lovers” with him. It grounds the song after the howling attack earlier and gives it that human touch. It lasts a good few minutes, before the return of the guitars and a furious finish that belies the age of the song. 

Any song that starts with a “one, two” count in is OK by me. “Check The Record” might not be familiar to many people, and that’s understandable as this is the only live performance of the unreleased song. After a good start, it quickly loses momentum and I begin to lose interest in the bass solo, and that’s not something I normally do. The song is similar in tone to a lot of other songs of this period, but it doesn’t have a distinctive shape and sound to it, and I guess that is why it remains unreleased. Still, I am happy to hear it in this forum, I always welcome new or rare music. 

This is a night for debuts, and the next song to get an airing is “Cause And Effect.” A staple of the Live Out Loud tour, this performance still has a freshness to it that I enjoy. The song isn’t strong in any way, but it is perfectly enjoyable in its own way. I find myself smiling as I listen, asides from that it glides by and I find in a few minutes I have forgotten most of it. There is a nice moment as Prince has the crowd singing for a few minutes before closing the song with an instrumental. I feel I am there as the crowd sing, and it’s a reminder that the audience is an active participant at most Prince shows. 

The opening of “Beautiful Strange” is one of those moments where I can feel goose bumps as song as the low-key groove begins. The late-night smokey sound resonates with me, times I have spent in darkened rooms listening to and feeling things that this song so beautifully encapsulates. I feel this song as much as I hear it, and Prince's vocals and music roll together and swirl around stirring up a mixture of emotions. It’s a show stopper in my book, and easily eclipses everything else we have heard this evening. 

I am totally surprised when I next hear “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore.” Sure, I had seen it on the setlist, but I thought it must have been some sort of mistake. It works well, and lightens the tone after the previous “Beautiful Strange.” Prince is in a tongue-in-cheek mood, teasing the crowd a couple of times as the song swings in and out. In such a small venue it must have been a great moment, and the recording captures the joy and cheers of the crowd as they lap it up. 

“Purple Rain” has a raw sound to it that I just adore. The guitar buzzes and squeaks as it plays the intro, and the piano has a loud sharpness to it that makes you feel like you are right there. Prince’s vocals are solid as a rock, totally dependable and there are no surprises at all as he sings. It’s the rest of the band that I delight in listening to, and what I enjoy most is that they give “Purple Rain” a smaller sound, its not epic and grandiose sounding, rather it sounds like what it is, a small band playing it in a small venue. Just fantastic, Prince lets the song breathe and there is a long instrumental section that ebbs and flows, sometimes the soft guitar carrying it, sometimes the piano. Prince gentle encourages the audience to sing as the song continues on this gentle path, and this may be the best rendition I have heard of Purple Rain in a long time. 

The spell is broken as the next song begins. I don’t recognize “Elephant And Flowers” immediately, it’s looser sounding than I remember. I would normally love to hear something like this on a bootleg, but straight after that divine-sounding “Purple Rain” I find it jarring and I have to concentrate hard to stop myself from skipping back to the previous song. On the plus side, Prince is his usual humorous self as the song finishes, asking the crowd to “tell all your friends about us, so we can get another job” 

We close with another full rock song as the band gets their teeth stuck into “Dreamer.” Donna gets one last chance to rock out, and after a quiet start, she is eventually head. Again I am not a big fan of this particular performance, the band sounds like they peaked earlier in the show, and this doesn’t match some of the earlier highs they hit. Despite that, it’s still a rousing finish and does leave me feeling very happy. 

This show is much more focused and tighter than the previous shows in this Dakota series. What I found particularly interesting is this band played some great versions of Prince's earlier material, but couldn’t get the new songs to sing in the same way. I must say, I thought the performance of “Beautiful Strange” and Purple Rain was outstanding, and this show was well worth hearing for those two alone. They didn’t sell me the whole show, but 75% of it I found to be very good, and that’s good enough for it to be a worthy inclusion in my collection. 

Thanks for taking the time to read, it always looks like a lot of words, but the couple of hours I spend listening to each show seems to fly by very quickly and leaves me looking forward to the next week. 

Minneapolis 17 January 2013 (show 2)

 These Dakota Jazz Club recordings are proving to be an interesting diversion. They are not easily categorized with his other main shows, nor do they seem to fit with the after-show mentality. They are something of an ugly duckling, not easily categorized, and I can understand why Prince simply called them an open rehearsal. The previous three shows, although very good, have failed to ignite any true excitement within me. The band is serviceable and plays well without pushing me into any real emotion. Today I take a listen to the fourth show, a late show in the ‘Jam’ section. It is shorter than last week, and looking at the tracks I see a couple of things that I would like to hear. There are also some similarities, so please bear with me if I cover some of the same territory as last week. 

17th January 2013 (show 2)  Dakota Jazz Club Minneapolis 

One thing about these Dakota shows is that they all have a very interesting opening. This time we have the horn section playing the “Days Of Wild” riff, and it’s every bit as interesting as you might imagine. I enjoy the brightness of it, and the bass line that is next heard is truly awesome. It’s very well recorded and has a deep pop and groove to it that I can almost feel the vibrations of. The song is a different variation, being instrumental throughout, with Prince speaking to the audience instead of singing. The horns battle it out with the synth and bass, both have their moments and are nicely in front of the sound. 

I am surprised to see four minutes have already passed as the band slide into “Ain’t Nobody.” That heavy groove stays with us as the ladies sing, and the ante is upped as Marcus plays a sax solo that is skittery and quick. I realize that the song hasn’t really changed at all, and they are just jamming on “Days Of Wild.” 

 

As with the first show, the drummer gets plenty of love and an early solo. It’s not spectacular, instead, it’s low-key and keeps with the low-end feel of the song. Prince asks the crowd what they think as the groove of “Days Of Wild” returns. The trumpet solo is a throwback to the first evening's show, and he gets plenty of time to do his thing here in this song. I do like the jam, but for me, something is missing, again I think it’s lacking in a dirty funk feel. At times they sound like they are impersonating a funk band rather than being a proper funk band themselves. Prince does sing a couple of verses but even the main refrain lacks conviction. Usually, I find myself chanting along at home, however this time I am not. 

The band sticks with the groove as they twist “Wild And Loose” out of it. Seeing this on the set list had me raising my eyebrows, it turns out to be different from how I expected. It’s great to hear Prince singing the lyrics, even if the music isn’t true to the original. I give it a solid thumbs up for novelty value. 

The “Days Of Wild” groove goes on for days (as Prince would say) and I get a lot of enjoyment out of hearing the band jam it and throwing various songs into the mix. The horns are right at the center of the whole song, so it’s only fitting that it’s those horns that carry the last few minutes. I am not normally a horn guy, so it’s high praise from me here when I say how much I liked them. The sax solo that finishes the song goes in a completely different way, and I like that it’s not tied into all that has come before it. 

Something very different and interesting next as the band performs a one-off titled “Chapter & Verse.” It was created on the spot as a one-off, and it does have a feeling of everything being layered on top as we go. The walking bass has a classic feel to it and is a good base for the other sounds laid over the top of it- which I guess is the whole purpose of a bass. It’s a smooth easy groove and is easy on the ear without ever being challenging. Prince’s lyrics are left field and do raise a smile here and there. Prince unleashes the guitar later in the song, the first time it’s heard this evening, and that gets my pulse racing. The horn solo after also keeps the flow going and as Prince calls ‘blow’ I am well and truly hooked. 

Things slow, and the long jams end as Liv, Shelby, and Elisa guide us through a soft rendition of Lost & Found. It is delicate sounding and the music is very soft, almost as an afterthought as the three ladies do what they do best. It’s a nice breather, and I can feel myself relaxing as they sing. It sounds short after the previous songs, but its inclusion is timely. 

Prince is back on the mic next as “Nothing Compares 2 U” begins. As always Shelby J accompanies him wonderfully, and the only downside to the performance is I have heard them sing together like this so many times that he doesn’t have that special feel anymore. As the song heats up I do begin to feel it more, and the song still holds its own after all these years. The sax solo by Marcus increases the drama of it and is a fine addition. 

 

I enjoyed hearing “Act Of God” at the earlier show, and here I find it equally good. For the next few songs, this show closely follows the early show with the same sequence. “Act Of God” sounds great with the horns in full effect early on, and then gets better and better as Prince sings. I prefer this version to the earlier show, there is more Prince, and the band sounds a lot tighter. Prince even gives a couple of gravelly howls, something I always like for its animalistic feel. 

“What Have You Done For Me Lately” works well over the groove, unfortunately as with the previous show I find it does nothing for me. The bits that I do like are the piano that comes in and out, it’s free sounding and marks it as something different. 

There is no let-up as “Northside” is sung. The groove doesn’t change in the slightest, Prince and the band just spit the lyrics over the same groove. It’s only half a minute, and then the groove does change into what comes next. 

It is “(Theme Song From) Which Way Is Up” that follows, exactly as in the early show. I like it, but with having heard the early show the element of surprises and excitement is gone. There is not enough in the song itself for me to grab onto and it passes by quickly. Even having “Dancing Machine” thrown into the mix doesn’t generate any response from me. (Am I too jaded?) 

The “Partyman” horn riff begins, and I hope for something substantial. It is fun sounding, I can hear the audience cheer in places which reminds me that this is a live show. The song is short, and a great crowd pleaser. “It's Alright” slots easily into the mix, and Prince keeps up the lead line as the song plays. It plays round and round for some time with the horn refrain and the chorus, before Prince breaks it into a bass groove. The band gets very loose by now, and I become much more interested as Prince calls changes and the band plays to his commands. As the song pulls back we get some more horns playing around on “When The Saints Go Marching In,” and they play in this style for the rest of the song, much to my great enjoyment. I think Prince sums it best when he says “It ain’t always what you want, but sometimes it’s what you need” a point emphasized when he finishes playing the Beverly Hillbillies riff. 

 

We end the show with the classic funk of “Controversy.” It gets a long intro which I enjoy immensely. What lets it down is the recording seems to suffer at this point and Prince doesn’t sound as strong and full as earlier. There are some very tasty guitar licks mid-song, quick funky sounding runs that work for me. The guitar is highlighted as the band pulls back, and Prince plays that scratch guitar that I have loved since day one. It’s a great way to finish the show, and even though some parts I have found uneven, all is forgiven in these final minutes. 

As with the other shows so far, this one is enjoyable despite being uneven. I like the songs, and the band plays well, my problem is that the band doesn’t play like a Prince band. That hard funk sound is lacking, even though I know he has some very talented musicians in there. I know the outcome, this band won’t go much further with him, and this show and sound is a stopgap measure. When this show got funky it was great, there just wasn’t enough of those moments for me. Another one to file under “Interesting, but not great”