Vienna 7 June 2014

 It feels like a long time since I started listening to the concerts that Prince played in Austria. After a diversion through the latest EYE releases, today I finally come back to the final Austria concert featuring 3rdeyegirl. 

I have had a lot of interesting feedback from fans who were at last week's 2010 concert in Vienna, a rash of fans declaring vehemently that it was the best concert they ever went to. And not just casual-type fans either, some of these people have seen 50+ concerts, making me wonder if Prince really did play the best concerts in Austria. The concert from 2010 sounded good, but not great as those attending tell me, which serves as a reminder that these bootlegs only give us half the story, and there is no replacing the experience of actually being at the concert. 

Today’s show from Vienna is the last concert of the European leg of the 2014 Hit n Run tour. I have previously written about a lot of these 3rdeyegirl concerts before, at the time there was quite a buzz about Prince playing in this smaller format, although looking back three years later some of this luster has worn off. The concept was initially thrilling, but not strong enough to carry a whole tour. 3rdeyegirl was great for the rock side of Prince’s Gemini personality, but of course, Prince wanted to push a range of genres across his concerts. The outcome of this was naturally enough an elongated sampler set, additional musicians brought into the fold, a longer piano set, and new arrangements of some songs to fit in with 3rdeyegirl’s style. None of these are negative, but it does make for an uneven and bumpy ride through the gig. To my ears there is an odd inconsistency and the concerts never quite settle into a groove – Prince is always changing things up as the concert evolves. Still, it does keep people like me guessing and interested in these shows, something that can’t be dismissed. 

7th June 2014, Vienna, Austria  

There is no explosive opening to the concert and bootleg. Skipping Hannah’s spoken introduction and a couple of songs over the P.A. the first song performed is a limp “Let’s Go Crazy.” While I admire the intent in the rearrangement of the song, with its low and slow riff, it does take away all that is good and great. The strength of the original “Let’s Go Crazy” is its combination of rock and pure pop, giving it an uplifting joy and energy. This arrangement strips out all the pop, and most of the joy, leaving it as a soulless plod. Prince does this with other songs too, usually to fit in with whatever mood he is creating at a concert (“1999” and “Kiss” are two that immediately spring to mind), but in the new arrangement of these songs who loses what it is that makes them what they are, the alchemy is undone and these once golden pop moments become leaden and dull. “Let’s Go Crazy” isn’t bad, but it’s certainly a far cry from what it once was, and I could happily skip over this arrangement. 

 

The appearance of “Take Me With U” lights up the concert, even if the sound on the bootleg is rather one-dimensional.  The recording has very little depth to it, and even though I can hear the music fine, it doesn’t jump off the page. Along with its sister “Raspberry Beret,” this is where Prince’s pop side comes to the fore, something people may not expect when they first see 3rdeyegirl take the stage. With Cassandra and Josh adding their keyboard talents to the core of 3rdeyegirl, the band is well-rounded and better equipped to tackle some of these gems from the back-catalog. 

“U Got The Look” is paper thin and a real disappointment. It is the weak man of this concert, and describing it as thin and sickly would be an understatement. Prince’s guitar break normally reinvigorates even the illest of patients, in this case, it is the death rattle that puts both the song and me out of our misery. 

In contrast, “Cool” is the best performance so far heard on the recording. The recording is clear, but still not strong, and it does just enough to catch Prince and the band finally giving us a song I can connect to. It is the keyboards that are the pulse that keeps this song moving, and for several minutes the rest of the concert disappears under this wave of keyboard swells and Prince’s cool. 

I have previously been dismissive of the sampler set, but I must admit it has grown on me over the years. It is a nostalgic romp through some of Prince’s beloved 80’s material, a treat for those that have been with him through his musical journey. “Dove’s Cry” is the gold standard when it comes to his 1980s output, and he matches it in this case with yet another funky version of “Sign O The Times” I can tell you both are great., and that’s not 1980’s me speaking, that is me in the here and now 2017 asserting that they sound just as good here as they did thirty years (how it hurts to realize that) ago. 

“Hot Thing” is notable for the eclectic keyboard solo that Cassandra delivers, its quirkiness elevating the song and bringing something fresh to the table. The song doesn’t reach any great heights asides from this, but I do recommend giving her solo a second listen. 

I did yawn through the opening minutes of “Alphabet St,” but like the previous song, one of the band members comes to the fore with something interesting. In this case, it is Ida Nielsen with some sharp bass work that has me leaning forward to try and catch every note. She is one sharp player and I only wish there was more here for me to enjoy. 

This sampler set closes out with “Forever In My Life,” the bass again being the most interesting aspect. It may start slow, but the final minutes are intoxicating as the bass comes from a variety of angles both providing something unexpected and joyful. 

There is a full band rendition of “Controversy,” a song that hits the reset button on the concert as suddenly both the music and crowd come alive. There is finally some muscle to the music, and the concert rises in my estimation from this point onwards. Maybe it is because I have listened to so many earlier bootlegs recently, but “Controversy” does bring out the best of this recording, and it towers above the earlier tepid material. 

Earlier I wrote that sometimes the soul of “1999” is sacrificed for the greater good of the concert, I am pleased to say that in this case, that doesn’t happen. It is the full version, with all the correct sounds in the correct places, and the magic from 35 years ago is still in the air as Prince plays. 

 

Prince sticks with the 1999 album for an electrifying performance of “Little Red Corvette” It has a rather conventional opening, but there is an appearance of the “slow down” refrain midsong that is captivating and goes for some time, enticing the listener with its warmth while retaining a sense of regret. The song disappears and leaves Prince and the crowd singing, a poignant moment that hangs a veil of sadness across the show. 

“Nothing Compares 2 U” stays with this sense of regret and loss but doesn’t quite scale the same heights as the previous few minutes. Again, Prince has the crowd singing with him, but it doesn’t generate the same heat as the previous number. I find redemption in Cassandra's solo, and I am again surprised at just how much of herself she injects into the performance, all for the better of course. 

The is an extra kick in the bass of “Kiss” that has me listening carefully. It is another different take on this well-worn classic, and although it doesn’t sparkle like the original it still has its attention-grabbing way. Laid back, with only the merest sprinklings of guitar from Prince, it is a deeper and darker listen. It has me eating my words from earlier, with its own soul it is a nice rework of a song that has had more different live arrangements than any other. The climax is the extended coda when the funk guitar appears, reminding us of the original sound on record. 

There was the sampler set earlier, and at this stage of the concert Prince again takes a seat with the piano set. No surprise to hear “Diamonds And Pearls” first, the audience lapping it up and offering up their backing vocals early. The segue into “The Beautiful Ones” is also equally predictable, and although Prince sounds heavenly on vocals, the song itself suffers for being part of this set. Abridged, it is stripped of the climatic nature of the original, and there is no payoff for the pretty opening verses. The song rises, but never boils over, even with Prince’s final yelps there is a sense he is holding back. 

I sit transfixed as Prince plays “Empty Room.” It’s a delicate trap, Prince drawing me in with his floating keyboard riffs, before Donna smites all with her axe. The guitar playing is sublime, playing with intensity without overwhelming at any stage, Donna strikes her blows with maximum impact without overexerting the guitar. If there was a song on this recording that needed to be turned up to eleven, this would be it. 

Guitars stay at the front of my thoughts, and Prince’s, with an energetic performance of “Guitar.” Although lightweight in its subject matter, and carrying no emotional baggage, it is still a worthy listen. It can’t match any of the previous songs on any level but keeps things moving and brings 3rdeyegirl to the fore as we move into the rock-orientated section of the concert. 

The energy levels drop for “Plectrumelectrum,” although there is the feeling that Prince is merely using this as a warm-up for the next few songs. There is plenty of guitars, but no heroics, and my overall feeling is that it is a couple of minutes too long. 

I was no great fan of Prince’s cover of “Crimson And Clover” when he first started playing it (although I do have the Tommy James and the Shondells version on 45, somewhere). However, his take on it has grown on me the last couple of years, and the version heard on this bootleg is a fair representation of what his arrangement sounds like. The “Wild Thing” chorus works well, and the final cascade of the guitar is undemanding yet has plenty of fireworks for guitar aficionados. 

Things have been building up to these next two songs, and Prince and the band deliver first up with yet another great rendition of “She’s Always In My Hair.” The recording is nowhere near as good as the performance itself, the two dimension sound of the recording sapping a lot of the intensity from the song. The music sounds intoxicating, but I feel like I am watching from a distance with the flat sound of the recording rendering Prince a paper doll. Still, the song is what is important, and it is another chance for 3rdeyegirl to rise up and make it their own. 

 

“Purple Rain” is alluring from the outset, the first guitar runs glistening in a newness that I haven’t heard before. It meanders for a moment, before setting off in a new direction, the introduction briefly covering new ground before Prince brings it back with his first line. I am almost disappointed, but Prince is too good to give us just another version going through the motions, he injects what he needs to into the performance and the crowd responds as they always do. It is not one for the ages, but it does maintain Prince’s high standards, and again the only disappointment is the flatness of the recording. 

After the highs of these two rock songs, “Play That Funky Music” as the first encore is a come done. It has never been one of my favorite songs, and the blandness of the recording certainly does it no favors here. On a positive note, Cassandra provides yet another excellent solo, and there is just enough slippery guitar to bring a smile to my face. 

I am far more enthused for “Screwdriver.” It has kinetic energy about it and Prince sounds far more youthful than he really is. It doesn’t stand on the same pedestal as Prince’s classic hits, but it is a modern song that fits well into these setlists. 

From the same place comes “Funknroll.” It doesn’t do it as well as the previous “Screwdriver,” there is a sense of purpose missing, and the song feels like it is by the numbers in places. An uneven performance that perhaps would have been saved by a better recording. 

The bass and drum of “Housequake” are strong, and wash away any recording limitations. It has a lot more backbone than “Funknroll,” something that is highlighted further as the song progresses, especially as Prince pulls it back to “listen to the drums.” With the bass rooting the song in funky soil, the music blooms and grows into a sprawling vine of sounds and rhythms. This is easily the best part of the last thirty minutes and something of a surprise with 3rdeyegirl. 

 

There are further surprises with a strong electric version of “Sometimes It Snows In April.” It may not be to everyone’s taste, there is very little that is delicate about it, and it is in stark contrast to the original. It still has a softness to it, but it is more fleshed out and certainly a lot louder. I still rate it, especially the guitar break which shines new light on a song that is often constrained by its own history. 

“Bambi” is far closer to what we expect from 3rdeyegirl, and the version heard here comes as a hammer blow placed as it is near the end of the concert. With guitars fighting over each other to be heard, it is a gleeful romp that at times descends into a cacophony of guitar white noise. I revel in its sound, and although I know it is old and almost a parody of itself I still find it excites me. 

“Stratus” twists and turns through an array of eclectic movements, all of them highlighting the band's collective talent pool, and Prince’s prowess as a bandleader. The guitar break may grab all the headlines, but there is much more to this performance that that one lightning bolt moment. It is a chance to sit back and reflect on the abilities of this band, a band that is sometimes underrated while a closer listen reveals they do what they do very well. 

I haven’t done enough research to tell you how often “What’s My Name” was played on this tour, but I do know that it sounds fresh whenever I hear it and comes as one final surprise at the end of the concert. It still has a lingering sense of anger about it and retains the sense of outrage first heard in the original. Twenty years on it still sounds biting, and Prince spits his lyrics with plenty of venom. There is still a fire burning within him, and it may have taken two and a half hours, but here it is in full effect, the concert ending on a note of real intensity. 

The recording finishes with the “Funknroll” remix playing over the P.A. Good for the completists, but I don’t really need to hear it, the previous “What’s My Name” the blazing finish that raises everything to the ground, there is nothing more to hear after such a rendition. 

I would like this concert a whole lot more if the recording wasn’t so flat. Looking past that though, I can see that this is a great way to finish the Hit N Run II tour of Europe, and it neatly encapsulates all the shows that have come previously, while highlighting the continuing evolution of 3rdeyegirl as they adapt to new styles and songs. Normally I wouldn’t give my time to a recording of this type, especially as there are so many good recordings of these later tours available, but as the fans say, Prince always put on a good show in Austria. A hidden gem, I might just play this a few more times before I put it back into storage. 

A wordy entry, congratulations if you made it this far.

Birmingham 15 May 2014

 Last week we went way back to 1981, this week something a little more recent- a 3rdeyegirl gig. I know what you are thinking, oh no another rock guitar-based gig. It’s not on purpose, I promise! Next week I will make it up to you with a funk gig. To be honest I randomly choose this one as it was on top of my pile of recently listened-to gigs. Next week something to make you move, this week… 

 May 15th, 2014, 3rdeyegirl, Birmingham 

First of all, I would like to thank and give praise to all tapers of gigs. Without your efforts and generosity, we would never have access to gigs like this. In this case, I would like to thank Spangleman who taped this one. Thanks. 

Again, another audience recording. But things have changed in recent years, with more sophisticated equipment and more thought put into the set up there are some really good audience recordings floating around. Although still not perfect by any means, they are still a vast improvement from what used to be. 

This recording is pretty good, the band and Prince are clear though out, and there is no talking through the gig, which sometimes surfaces on recordings like this. There is one recording in particular, and I can’t quite remember what one it is, where through one song members of the audience can be heard talking about skiing. I can’t remember the song, but the chat is very distracting. Thankfully there is nothing like that in this recording. 

 

The gig opens with “Funknroll.” It’s an interesting choice to open with, not being well known at the time. Although the song itself is good enough, it doesn’t quite have that show-opening feel to it. It doesn’t have that energy or surprise of a good opener. 3rdeyegirl is known for being a very rock-orientated unit, but in this case, they barely rock at all. Nothing wrong with the playing, but the song doesn’t seem to go anywhere. 

From there they kick into “Take Me With U.” The crowd seems more receptive, something well known to the general public and casual fans. But still, it seems here to miss the pop and snap of the album version. Everything feels a little damp and slow. Prince throws in a couple of his catchphrases “I wish someone would sing” and “Put the house lights up”, but he’s just going through the motions at this point. So far it's ‘Prince by numbers’ Being a guitar-based rock outfit I would have loved to hear them give this song the long guitar-heavy Purple rain video version, with Prince's extended guitar solo, but they play well within themselves and play it safe. It could have been so much more. 

As is his way for the last 10 years he segues straight into “Raspberry Beret.” No surprise there! It’s predictable, but it raises a cheer from the crowd. The version here is played very straight, and it’s a little boring. But maybe I am just biased; to be honest I have never heard a live version of this that I like. 

“U Got The Look” fails to take off too, it’s surprisingly un-rocky apart from a couple of chunky guitar bursts. Maybe it’s the recording, or maybe the band. But the guitar sound isn’t there like I expected it to be. I like what Prince has done with a lot of his songs recently, in his reinterpreting them live, but I feel the concept could have been pushed further. With this band, he could have turned this song into something else. Or maybe I am too predictable with my Rock band = Rock songs. 

The following song is “Musicology,” and although I am a fan of the song, in this case, I found it a little uneven; it is up and down throughout. Maybe it’s missing the full band, but I feel it’s never really getting into the groove. Overall, the first half a dozen songs seem insipid, it’s a slow start to the gig. There is some nice light guitar playing by Prince near the end of the song, reminiscent of the soft solo he plays on the Hohner at the start of Purple Rain Syracuse 1985. I like this guitar sound and playing, I would buy albums worth of it if I could. 

“Kiss” is very different. The familiar jangle guitar is absent, it’s heavy on bass and synth. It's the singing that carries it. It’s an odd little version, and I can’t decide if I like it or not. This one will take multiple listens. Prince throws in his line “Desperate housewives” but that’s starting to get a little tired now. Prince – you need to watch some more recent TV. The song ends as a good sing-a-long for the crowd, so I guess it serves its purpose. 

I wonder how many of the crowd recognize “Empty Room.” The crowd is very quiet as it begins, and I am not sure if they are being respectful, or they just don’t know it. The drumming pulls me in, and when Prince sings it sounds like he is beginning to engage. Finally, it feels like he is putting more of himself into this gig. This song has grown on me recently and I enjoyed this version. Prince’s vocals sound stronger and near the end, he unleashes a couple of decent shrieks and guitar work. The gig has finally started! 

I used to like “Let’s Go Crazy(Reloaded)” but I feel a bit over it now. Often it is a little pedestrian for my taste. Tonight it sounds good, I think it would have been better if I was there (I could say that for every song!) To be there with the guitar and bass rumbling through you would be a much more visceral experience. The strong electric sound of the guitar at three minutes thirty caught my attention. Sounded very electric and buzzy. 

Prince finishes the song by announcing “soundcheck is over”, and I couldn’t agree more. From here on in, we are into it! 

 

After a very brief guitar interlude, the band kicks into “She’s Always In My Hair.” For me, this song has always sounded better live. It’s not so crisp and sharp as it sounds on the record, and to my ears, it’s more emotional in the live form like this. I can’t help but think of the Digital Underground “Sex Packets” as Prince plays the main riff. To my mind, this is the best sample ever used by a hip-hop group, and even now I can’t dissociate the two songs from each other. The band plays a nice heavy version of “She’s Always In My Hair”, Prince’s solo is a good rock solo, and the band is finally playing a song that suits their sound and style. Just as Prince sounds like this solo is going to spin right out, he pulls it back into the song and gives it that great Prince sound. 

The breakdown of the song is a highlight, the twinkling guitar reminiscent of some of my favorite rock songs over the years. Prince sings his lines “Maybe I’ll marry her, maybe I won’t” with such passion. He still feels this song, and I can’t help but have the same feeling. It just grabs me. I can feel it. It’s during this part of the song that the limitations of the audience recording can be heard. It’s not as good as earlier songs. The crowd is behind Prince as he finishes with call and response and another guitar solo. 

I can’t help but wonder what casual fans make of this song? Do they know it’s a B-side? Do they walk out of the gig hoping it’s a new song that will be on the next album? One hopes they dig back into the catalog and dig it out. I was once at a Smashing Pumpkins gig, and they did a cover of Girls Aloud “Call the shots” and for days after the gig I was wondering about the song, and where it came from. I am sure more than a few casual fans were wondering the same about “She’s Always In My Hair.” 

At a gig where guitars are to the fore, it’s only natural that the next song is in fact “Guitar.” I see a theme emerging here! “Guitar” is played with a lot of energy and sounds great. There’s not much to it as a song, but it comes across as great live. This is what “Take Me With U” should have been played like, all energy and enthusiasm. Donna’s playing is freer and less heavy, and it sounds better for it. 

“Plectrum Electrum” is not so fluid. It sounds like a song of two halves. It’s quite good, played with no vocals, and the first half is better than the second half. The first half is more song and structure, while the second half becomes a whining guitar. 

“Fixurlifeup” sounds better than on record. It’s short and sweet. It almost passes before I register it. A nice song, I would have liked to hear more of it. 

The upbeat guitar songs end when Prince brings it all down with “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute).” I will be honest here, I am very biased. This is one of my favorite songs, I have always had a real soft spot for it. It opens just Prince and the piano, and it sounds just great. This is how I like to hear it played. The guitar and slow drums kick in and the song changes gear a little. It has a great melancholy sound that suits the theme of the song so well, and I can’t help but just wallow in it all. The guitar line is so simple and repetitive, it has a great hypnotic quality to it. Prince gives a few good shrieks and howls and plays a nice three-four-minute solo to finish the song. The guitar has the classic Prince tone to it, and it closes out the song perfectly. 

 

Another song that sounds better here than the studio recording is “Pretzelbodylogic.” Although I am not a fan of the song itself, so that’s not really adding much to it. Lots of these recent songs live are a slow heavy riffs and a couple of solos. I am not such a fan of this one, there doesn’t seem to be much variety or texture. It’s missing something playful, or something deeper. Either direction would be better than the middle of the road. 

“Stratus” I have heard plenty over the last years, mostly at after-shows. By now there is almost too much guitar at the gig, it's lacking variety. 3rdeyegirl is good, but they need more color and variation. 

“What’s My Name” is another song from the past which seems well suited for this band. I enjoyed it here, I would like to hear it played more often. I think he could ratchet it right up and make it much more intense if he wanted. 

There is a respite from all the guitar heroics when Prince begins the piano set. The first song he plays is “How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore.” It still sounds fresh after all these years. The song stands on its own and shines. It still sounds as good as the day I first heard it. 

After the opening song in the piano set, I had high hopes, but Prince quickly turns it into a disappointing medley. “Diamonds and Pearls” gets 40 seconds (more than enough in my book) and then “The Beautiful Ones” managers to stretch out to a minute and a half. It’s very soft with his piano and voice very low, but it’s far too short and left me hungry for more. 

“Electric Intercourse” gets longer, which is a good thing, but it lacks the emotion and power of the earlier performances over the years. One gets the feeling that Prince is just tinkling the keys and playing what comes to him. 

The electric introduction to “Controversy” grabs my attention -I love the beginning of this version. The band is back on board now. Unfortunately, it lacks the electro-funk feel of the original for the rest of the song that I love so much. It's seven minutes, but after the first couple of minutes, I am over it and have a longing to hear the original. It outstays its welcome and is one of the few songs where I wish it was a shorter version. 

There is redemption with “1999.” It’s not too bad at all, more like the original. The mood lightens up and it’s something fun that the crowd can enjoy. I hadn’t heard it for a while, so it was a nice surprise. 

True to form “Little Red Corvette” is played in the slow mournful version that we have heard a lot of in the last 5 years. When he first unveiled this version I was an instant fan, although I have tired of it in the last couple of years. The novelty had worn off for me, but this performance got me back on board. I liked this performance and I completely changed my mind. The sing-a-long section sounded great. It was a great way to close the main set. 

Next is the sampler set. Ugh, do I have to listen to it? As you can tell I am not a fan of this. Every song is just a tease and makes me frustrated I can’t hear more. It’s like handing a TV remote to someone who skims through the channels. So infuriating!

The sampler starts not so bad with “When Doves Cry.” This elicits a loud cheer of recognition from the crowd. Unfortunately, we only get two short verses before he skips to the next song. I am thankful we got that much, but I would trade the whole sampler set just to hear a full version of one or two of these songs. This ends just as it's getting good. 

“Sign Of The Times” survives for one minute and two verses before it gets the chop. The whole sampler set is an exercise in frustration, I am trying not to rant, but it’s a waste. 

At 10 seconds is it even worth sampling “Alphabet St?” Grrrrr! 

“Forever in My Life” suffers from sound issues. There were sound problems throughout the gig, but only a few times in the recording is it apparent. During this song, we can hear the distortion and I can only guess how it was there throughout the gig. The song itself is good, and he gets through it, but I long to one day hear the long version as played at the Trojan Horse gig. We all need a dream to cling to. 

Although it’s only 2 minutes, “Hot Thing” sounds good. I particularly like the lyric change “Hot thing, barely 25, hot thing looking to come alive.” He has raised his standards! There is a nice moment halfway through when he thanks the crowd for putting their phones away, he loves it when he can see their faces. It’s a nice sentiment. There is a fair amount of distortion here, not sure if it is the recording or the venue sound. I am guessing it’s the venue’s problem. 

A very stop/start beginning to “Housequake,” and it suits the song. When he finally settles on the steady beat Prince sings in his classic funk voice, I can almost picture him pulling his funk face. Unfortunately, the song is again in a truncated form and it stops much too soon for my liking. I could have danced to this for much longer- two minutes is just not enough. 

The next few songs are just tasters and tease, “Nasty Girl” gets barely 20 seconds, and “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” gets one line. 

“Pop Life” fares a little better, we hear one full minute, enough time for one verse and one chorus. A disappointment for one of my favorite songs. 

“I Would Die 4 U” finishes the set with one minute before Prince closes it with “Thank you all so much” 

 

I am much relieved when he plays “Purple Rain” as a full song with the band. Although it’s very much overplayed (I think I have more than 200 versions of this song) it’s still good to hear it played in full here. Prince opens it with a longer intro as he speaks to the crowd and thanks them. I have heard many versions where he sings the first verse, a chorus, and then skips to the guitar solo. Thankfully he doesn’t do that here, he plays it straight, and surprisingly it feels fresh because of that. It lasts the whole 9 minutes before he fades it down, and after the sampler set, it feels much longer. Not that I am complaining at all. 

If the gig had ended here I would have been well satisfied. But there is an encore of “Play That Funky Music” that I could do without. I am not sure why Prince is so enamored with this song, but for me, it appears in his setlists far too often. For me, this is the one track of the evening that I would skip over in an instant.

The gig has plenty of good things going for it, and despite my criticism, I enjoyed the bulk of it. For every negative there was a positive, so all in all it balanced out. It was worth it just for “Something In The Water,” and “She’s Always In My Hair.” I feel the sampler set and some of the more mediocre songs let it down, but as most fans know, that is par for the course. It will never be the first recording I reach for when I want to hear something but on the right day, it is a fair record of where Prince is at right now. 

Next time we are going to look at something funkier. I am not sure what it will be yet, but I did see a tape kicking around the other day with “Chicken Grease” written on it, so that might be the one if I can find some sort of machine to play it! 

Paisley Park 6 April 2014 (am)

 Today’s recording is short, less than half an hour, but I thought I would take a listen as it shows a different side of Prince. It is the second of Paisley Parks after dark events where Prince makes a surprise appearance but only plays thirty minutes as he experiences guitar problems. And this is what I want to hear. I have hundreds, no, make that thousands, of Prince recordings where everything goes well and sounds amazing. What interests me about this performance is the sound problems he has with the guitar and the way he curtails the performance because of this. We all have bad days in the office, and there is a part of me that wants to experience what it sounds like when Prince has one of these days. The accompanying notes say that one can hear when Prince unplugs his guitar from the board as the sound gets worse, I have listened but my rapidly fading hearing isn’t good enough to hear him unplug, but one can hear the problems he is having on some levels. It’s an unusual choice for me to listen to, but I want a well-rounded bootleg experience and take both the bad and the good together. 

 

6th April 2014 (am), Paisley Park 

I immediately regret that this recording is so short, the opening burst of the guitar is incisive and inspiring, and I am instantly caught up in the excitement of hearing “I’m Yours” from Prince’s debut album. It is fresh out the box and if I wasn’t a fan I would have said it was something far younger than 30 years. The song wears barely a wrinkle on its face as Prince reveals it to the Paisley Park crowd, its simple beauty forever timeless. 

In comparison “Bambi” is an ex-girlfriend, and despite Prince retaining the same guitar tone as the previous song, it fails to get a second look from me. It is the typical 3rdeyegirl treatment of the song, and although I rejoiced in its rock sound at the time, three years later I find I have quickly tired of it. Everything is in its place, and there are very few secrets or surprises to be heard here. 

I do like Prince's spoken intro to “Peach,” and it threatens to be a devastating performance. However, this is where his problems start and the song is quickly aborted. The next few minutes though highlight what a consummate professional Prince is, and after apparently fixing whatever is wrong, the band picks up right where they left off in the song. Prince may be having trouble with his sound, but the song erupts in the next few minutes, Prince's vocals just as raw and loud as the guitar licks he plays. The audience recording sounds great, there is zero audience noise and the next few minutes are pure guitar heaven as Prince blazes across the recording. 

 

The bright pop-rock of “So Far, So Pleased” is subverted by the weight of 3rdeyegirl. The verses retain their pop sheen, but the chorus is where the real action is with plenty of grit added by the band. It’s easy on the ear while retaining enough for those that want a further challenge, and the change to a funk jam midsong is surprising given the rock credentials of the band. The jam is initially slow-moving, it isn’t until Prince brings his lead guitar into the mix does it begin to come into focus, slowly circling Prince at the center of this almost silent storm. The music unwinds from this point though as Prince foregoes the guitar and the song continues in the most subtle of jams. This time I do hear the point where Prince unplugs the guitar as the band carries on their simple groove for another five minutes. It picks up again as Prince takes the drum kit for a final flourish, but I can’t say it’s particularly impressive, asides from demonstrating that he can play any position, a point he ably demonstrates by taking the bass next for something that I do like a whole lot more. This final jam runs for fifteen minutes, but truth be told there isn’t much in it, even with Prince's various musical contributions, and there is almost a sense of relief when it comes to an end. 

I can’t say I was surprised by anything I heard on the recording, the notes did say it was plagued by sound problems and Prince cuts it short. However, I thought the opening two songs were great, and even near the end when Prince became overwhelmed by sound issues, the music still sounded sharp and the band well invested. The final jam did meander, but all credit to Prince he did try and make something out of nothing with his drum break and bass playing adding an element of interest to an otherwise dull moment on the recording. Even as the show wound down, Prince retained his professionalism and what we do hear on the recording is very good by anyone’s standings. This is a recording that I will probably never come back to, but I will keep in my mind how good those opening songs were, and what a craftsman Prince was when it came to live performance. I couldn’t say I recommend this one, but as someone who has to hear everything, it’s pretty cool. 

Manchester 22 February 2014

 “Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr. Epstein.” 

-Dick Rowe of Decca rejecting the Beatles in 1962 

Dick Rowe was wrong. He was wrong in 1962 when he turned down the Beatles, and he was still wrong in 2013 when Prince put together his own guitar group, the all-women 3rdEyeGirl. 2013 saw Prince put his years of ever-increasing bands behind him as he stripped back to just a gritty guitar sound, the sound that many fans had longed for. After electrifying US audience’s through 2013, 3rdEyeGirl took their rock’n’roll circus to the UK and Europe for the first couple of months of 2014. With the guitar to the fore, Prince and his guitar group were far from the way out. If 1964 was firmly stamped by the guitar group sound of the Beatles, then 2014 is just as firmly stamped with the guitar group sound of Prince and 3rdEyeGirl. 

22nd February 2014, Manchester Academy. 

“The Unexpected” is indeed unexpected as it gets played through the P.A. It is somewhat of a disservice to the song, as Prince’s version plays strongly one gets the impression that a live performance of it would have gone down well with the audience. However, we are rewarded for our patience with a forceful rendition of “Let’s Go Crazy.” Time has been kind to this slow downed version, while I wasn’t totally won over by it in the past now I find I am far more patient with it and I have a new appreciation for its steady and surefooted sound. What it lacks in flair it makes up for with its purposeful and studious guitar sound. It may not be as carefree and dashing as in the past, but now it takes the sound of the guitar, slows it down, turns it up, and drives that sound right through your heart. It is a dagger I would gladly die on, and I am immediately pleased with the drive and intent of this ‘guitar group’ 

 

“Guitar” by name and guitar by nature, the following song seems perfectly built for this band. The band hones in on what is important and all else is dispensed with as Prince and his guitar blow the song to a series of blazing fragments. Each burns brightly, before quickly fading from memory, but the overall impression is one of never-ending starbursts emanating from the band onstage. 

The concert takes a gear change as Prince and the band turn their attention to “Plectrum Electrum” It’s a change down as the wild gusts of guitar from “Guitar” becomes a sea breeze of fretwork from Prince and Donna for “Plectrum Electrum.” Prince’s query of “what is Plectrum Electrum” remains unanswered, but I know I like it for its sense of cool after the flash of “Guitar”. 

From the same album comes “Fixurlifeup,” another song that has aged well. It remains an unchallenging moment, but it doesn’t dwell on its lack of intellectualism, instead aiming for the gut in a couple of minutes that are about feel as much as the song itself. 

 

The undisputed highlight of this first part of the show is undoubtedly “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)”, a song that carries its emotional baggage well in the decades since it was first written. In this context, Prince lifts it from the cold electronic page upon which it was originally written and casts it in a new light with an organic sound built upon a spidery guitar line and an impassioned vocal. Each vocal line comes as a punch from the emotionally hurt character Prince inhibits throughout the song, the audience responding with their own plea before Prince scoops up all the hurt and pain with an all-encompassing guitar solo that compresses the emotion into a hard diamond sound the resonates through the recording before crushing my heart with it’s enveloping steel. 

To have another song in a similar vein would be all too much, and Prince pulls back the intensity with a delicate “When We’re Dancing Close And Slow.” It gives the concert space, and while it’s quickly forgotten, I do appreciate the sense of clarity it brings to the show. 

While not every song is a perfect fit for this guitar group, “She’s Always In My Hair” fits the bill and gives the entire band a chance to shine. Donna is first to impress with her guitar bravado before the song collapses around Prince’s own chain-driven guitar sound. At moments the song resembles a war zone as Prince’s guitar stands proud amidst the rubble, all other instruments cast into the shadows by the blinding light of his performance. As he continues to blaze, the other sounds seek shelter, the bass taking refuge under the drumbeat while the guitar continues its blind rage. It is a different intensity from “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)”, far rawer as Prince turns his guitar into a weapon rather than an expression of pain. There is a relief at the breakdown, and a chance for the rest of the band to rebuild the sound. While Prince sings back and forth, Josh emerges with a soothing keyboard line. It is a line that offers a platform for the audience to be heard again and their vocals lift us from the war zone and into the cool meadows of the following song. 

“Funknroll” prepares the audience for what is next with its funk groove rolling through the concert. The guitar group concept is temporarily retired as the band becomes more groovecentric and the guitar sinks back into the general sound of the concert. 

From the darkness comes the “Sign O The Times” loop, and the concert changes its appearance again, shedding its guitar fury for a well-rounded sound, while not letting up on the intensity. The guitar hasn’t entirely vanished, and several times through the song it raises its head snake-like, hissing its venomous sound. It doesn’t quite make for a cohesive sound, and one wishes that Prince would jump one way or another rather than leaving it with this double-headed sound. 

The tease of “Nasty Girl” flares briefly, before burning into a smoldering “Hot Thing” It has a quiet intensity, but never flames into much more, the funk embers keeping the song true to its Sign O The Times roots. 

From the same album, “Forever In My Life” harks back to that bygone era as Prince indulges the nostalgia in the audience. The opening minutes are lifted from that time, but the joy arrives in the bass work of Prince that adorns the second half of the song. He had flirted with this several times in later years, and this version is true to form as Prince plucks and funks the song, weaving a new sound from something that is otherwise all too familiar. The final electric buzz is far from the acoustic roots of the song, and the crowd responds well to this new challenge. 

 

The icing on the cake of this trio of Sign O The Times songs is Prince’s barn-burning, bluesy version of “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man” Stripped of all its flash, the song wallows in the true despair of the lyrics. With Prince’s guitar turning the air blue in its mournful cry the song becomes the story it is sketching out, no future to be heard in the music as Prince pulls the curtain down on any sort of hope. When he says “I could never take the place of your man” his guitar whirls into a gale that blows away any sense of celebration, the music pulling the song ever downwards with its hopeless sound and empty cry. 

A psychedelic dipped “Crimson And Clover” brings color and balance as it emerges from the shadow of the previous song. A loud audience response gives the song more credit than it deserves, for all its guitar finery it is still riding on the coattails of “I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man.” It continues to grow in stature on the back of Prince’s guitar sketchbook, and one can’t help but like it for the joy it brings to the audience. 

That joy bursts out of the speakers with the opening riff of “When Doves Cry,” the song sounding far more youthful than its thirty years at the time. That is in no small part to the energy that the crowd injects into it, their singing lifting away any familiarity and contempt that Prince might have towards it. The clouds part, a light emerging through the song as Prince takes to his work, pushing the crowd ever higher, before releasing them for a downhill run through “Alphabet St.” 

There isn’t much sizzle to “Alphabet St” and it relies on the good nature of the audience to carry the moment. Prince referencing Manchester brings a wild cheer, and this is the most enjoyable part of a song that is otherwise strangely flat. 

 

“777-9311” brings the sizzle I had been craving. With its propulsive and hopping drum beat, Prince matches it with his snappy basswork. A heavenly concoction, it holds my ear for the all-too-short minutes it plays. 

From a similar cloth comes “Housequake,” although it can’t better what we have just heard. It has a shallow sound that is made all the starker by the intensity of the first half of the concert, and overall it lacks depth. On the plus side, it does have some notable stick work from Hannah later in the song, and a lightning bolt solo from Donna that briefly brings the guitar back into the show with murderous intent. 

My heart sings upon hearing “I Would Die 4 U.” I am temporarily fifteen years old again as I hear it – such is the power of music, especially Prince’s music. As a musical time machine it can’t be matched, but in the context of the concert, it is a lighter moment. It can’t be compared to some of the other epic songs in the setlist and as such is soon forgotten, especially as “If I Was Your Girlfriend” comes quickly nipping at its heels. 

Buttressing these two songs is the monumental “Purple Rain,” a song that has always taken on an epic mantel since it was first heard in 1983. Prince drizzles the lyrics and surprisingly, given the guitar nature of the band, there is no downpour of guitar, the audience instead providing their own climax on the back of their soulful singing under the direction of Prince. 

The guitar is back at full force for “Screwdriver,” a song that I liked at the time and has only gone up in my estimation since that time. With furious intent the band tears through the song, the wistful ending of “Purple Rain” blown away by this onstage storm of electrified guitar wash and crashing cymbals. There’s not much to cling onto, the wild performance tearing up all that came before, leaving it tattered and torn in the face of this guitar frenzy. 

 

“Chaos And Disorder” is a welcome addition to the setlist. Saturated in a buzzing and angry guitar it fits the bill for the evening and is a lively contribution to the concert. Prince and the band cast it all to the wind in the final minutes, the song set free from all constraints and lifted on the gusts of Prince’s guitar. 

The concert takes another sharp turn with the piano firmly anchoring the next section of the show. Under these circumstances “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?” is entirely predictable. It is the most well-rounded of these piano songs, and although not the highlight of the piano set, sets the template for the following minutes. 

“Starfish And Coffee,” is light enough to be forgettable, as is “Diamonds And Pearls.” It is “The Beautiful Ones” that brings seriousness to the occasion, and its lingering sense of loss resonates just as much in 2014 as it did in 1984. There is a stillness to the performance that centers it and holds the music firmly to the front of your mind. Nothing else exists as Prince plays his much-loved ballad, in the end, this is what it is all about, a man and his music. 

“Under The Cherry Moon” conjures up images of the era from which it was conceived, but it is “Sometimes It Snows In April” that is more affecting. It draws not just from the era, but from the history and life story of Prince, and hearing it one can’t help but reflect on the passing of Prince. Hearing it pulls me out of the concert, but it is a beautiful rendition that stands alone from its own history. 

The final throwback comes with “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Building from a quiet piano, the guitar is reintroduced with a punchy solo that reminds us what this band is about, before retreating into the cover of the band. 

Cue chanting, and a shaking version of “The Max” that jumps and rattles the concert. With its keyboard riff as a foundation, Donna’s guitar slides back and forth across the top – before Prince takes all the headlines with a flurry of piano leaping from the mix mid-song. He continues to command the song from his piano, and as much as the audience chants and Donna’s guitar wails, it is his sound that remains at the center of all things. 

There is another flat spot at the concert as Prince plays some crowd-pleasers that don’t quite stand up to the surrounding material. “Play That Funky Music,” delights in its snarling guitar solo, but otherwise is toothless. “Take Me With U” and its soulmate “Raspberry Beret” bask in the warmth of their familiarity, the audience giving them more credit than perhaps they deserve. Their sunshine pop is overwhelmed by the dense surrounding material, leaving them in shadow for this concert. 

“Cool” will always be cool, no matter the band, no matter the place. It’s not as airy as the concerts in the years before 2014, but with Prince on the microphone the vibe is right and the song drips with coolness throughout. A surprising choice for this band, they pull it off well. 

There is a lot of hustle and bustle with “Endorphinmachine,” but in the end, it only rages against itself. It is not as incisive as early versions I have heard, and as much as I enjoy it I know it has been better. I take a big breath, and turn it up a couple of notches, it does blow out the cobwebs and gives another burst of energy to this concert. 

From “Endorphinmachine” onward the concert goes into guitar-driven overdrive. “Bambi” matches “Endorphinmachine” for ragged energy, and while it doesn’t quite have the same finesse it does come with a bucket load of more intensity. It comes as a short sharp punch to the face, a punch I’d gladly take backed with Prince’s guitar fury. 

The concert settles, but is no less guitar-focused with “Colonized Mind.” From its gentle roots, it branches out into guitar-fueled vines – the importance of the lyrics lost in the tangle of guitar that Prince unleashes. It’s built on thoughtful guitar, there is no frenzy to Prince’s playing, and although there are a lot of guitars to cut through, all of it feels essential. 

The last song of the night is “Cause And Effect” It doesn’t reach the highs of earlier in the show but is good enough to close out the concert with a feeling of elation and togetherness. The band is still tight, and Prince’s guitar as rock-solid as ever, but it isn’t anything we haven’t already heard at the concert and as such is redundant. 

Mr. Dick Rowe may have thought that guitar groups are on the way out, but this guitar group just played forty-two (count ’em, forty-two) songs in what can only be described as a guitar extravaganza. Prince is well known for his guitar mastery, but it was rare in his years to see it celebrated in such a way as it was during the 3rdEyeGirl era. Concerts like this are a glorious celebration of six-string excellence, and in a smaller group, Prince has never shined as bright, nor has his instrument sounded as loud. There are many Princes’; funky Prince, pop Prince, ballad Prince, but is pure rock Prince and the guitar has never sounded as good as it does in his hands and surrounded by this mere ‘guitar group.’ I’m sorry Dick Rowe, guitar groups are here to stay. 

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.