Paisley Park January 2016 (show 1)

 When I first heard that Prince was going to do these shows I thought to myself “oh, that’s an interesting concept, it would be interesting to hear”. I enjoy his piano sections in concerts and thought an evening of his piano playing and singing would be something worth hearing. Then after the show reports started coming thick and fast about had brilliant it had been, and how intimate and personal. When I read about Prince speaking of his father and running through his history of song on the piano it went from an interesting idea to something I must hear. With a recording surfacing in the last few days, my prayers have been answered. I am unsure if I should be blogging about such an important show after only listening once. I have blogged other shows on a single listen, but never one that carries the hype of this one. I have decided to write about it on my second listen, as I don’t have any history attached to it yet, and I am writing on what I hear. I am sure that in the future I will digest this more fully, but right now I can’t wait to give it a listen. 

21st January 2016 (show 1) Paisley Park 

A cheer, the sound of a piano, and another cheer open the show. The recording is clear, and already I am feeling good about this show. Over some piano sounds Prince sings in an echo, it sounds ethereal, but with the echo, it is hard to make out what he is saying. The crowd is amazingly quiet, they do cheer, but while Prince sings there is absolute silence. There is a respectful and somewhat anticipatory hush. “I wish I could play piano,” says Prince and he whispers about being three years old. “Maybe I will just watch TV instead” draws a loud cheer from the crowd before Prince talks about his father and not being allowed to touch the piano. It’s an insight into his childhood, I have heard Prince speak of his youth before, but not in a direct manner like this and tied to his music. He then talks of being seven years old and addresses the legend of the first song he learned with a funky-sounding rendition of The Batman TV theme. It’s glorious to hear, he bangs it out before picking it apart later in the piece. This is something I have always dreamed of hearing, and these few minutes are a brilliant opening to the show. It’s intimate and crowd-pleasing and sets the scene for the rest of the show. In the second half of the song Prince plays with a jazzier feel, he keeps it short but it shows his development. 

 

The singing comes next with a short and sweet “I Second That Emotion” and “Who’s Loving You.” Together they are both less than a minute and give Prince a chance to warm up his vocal cords. He holds the notes, quivers, and inflects, and gives us a brief glimpse of some of the vocals that have always served him so well. The songs are nice, and I know it’s about to get even better. 

And even better it does get as Prince says “I need to write some songs” before singing “Baby” from his first album. This is another WOW moment for me, Prince playing it live for the first time, and he delivers in the best way possible. The lyrics are vulnerable and youthful, I feel like a teenager again as I hear him sing. The song is beautiful and after hearing it in this setting I will be going back to the For You album to hear it a few more times. Prince lets the piano do the talking for the last part of the song and it ends on a high. 

“I Wanna Be Your Lover” I have heard plenty of times on the piano, so I am not expecting any surprises. Prince does take the time to get the crowd clapping along, I think they probably would have anyway. The song sparkles and shines as always, I have always found the piano to be uplifting, and here is no different. Prince and the audience trade lines for the chorus but the best is yet to come. The coda is played by Prince on the piano, and he generates a great-sounding rhythm while picking out the melody. It’s quite a noise he manages to generate from the piano and I am cheering at the end. 

The first 15 minutes of this show have been phenomenal, and it doesn’t let up as Prince next plays “Dirty Mind.” I always associate “Dirty Mind” with the heavy pulsating keyboard, in this case, the piano is lighter and it gives the song a different and more colorful feel. “Dirty Mind” is one of the songs I play most, and I enjoy the different feel this version has. It still has a lot of energy and isn’t as muscular, I am sure I will be revisiting this one also. 

I would have thought that “Do Me, Baby” was tailor-made for a show like this. Indeed it’s a great rendition that highlights Prince's vocals, and of course, his piano playing. It loses none of its power in this situation, the song to me has always been about Prince’s voice and the piano and in this arrangement, there is nothing else to distract me from those key elements. Over those wonderful chords, Prince delivers some soft-spoken word that is very much toned down from what he would have sung in his younger years. It is still on the same topic, just not so direct. 

In recent years we have heard a lot of “Something In The Water (Does Not Compute),” so it’s no great surprise to hear it here. Again I am struck by how quiet the audience is through the song, and it gives it that lonely sound that initially drew me to it all those years ago. Prince pulls the song back and quietens it, it’s not so angry sounding as the last couple of years, and for me, this gives it new life. I do enjoy his piano flourishes as well as his vocal performance, if I hadn’t heard it so much of late I would rate it more highly. 

“Free” is lighter sounding after the last two songs, I think maybe because it’s another song I have already heard a lot in this form. The real surprise comes as he interrupts the song to offer his thoughts on David Bowie. I hadn’t expected him to acknowledge his passing, but as I am a huge Bowie fan I was glad to hear Prince speak of his kindness. As a little aside here, I have always thought a dream collaboration would have been between 1999 Prince and Let’s Dance David Bowie. Prince and his creative use of synthesizers on the 1999 album remind me of Bowie and his Low album, while Bowie working on Let’s Dance with Nile Rodgers would have had the funk to work with Prince. Of course, Prince is not one for collaboration, so it’s always been just a fantasy. 

The next moment that leaves me floored is the cover of “A Case Of U.” The lyrics to this song mean a great deal to me, and to hear Prince sing it is amazing. I forget the piano and listen to just his exquisite vocals. The song is beautifully balanced between vocals and piano, with Prince playing piano break before returning to the lyrics later in the song. No words can properly describe how good this song sounds to me, it might just be the highlight of the recording. 

I have heard “(Sometimes I Feel Like A) Motherless Child” from Prince before, but never like this. Prince plays low and slow, using the space between the notes. His vocals aren’t too strong, he sings and plays as one, and neither the piano nor vocals take precedence. As the crowd snaps their fingers the music quietens before fading to nothing. It’s another lovely performance of a great song. 

I have been enjoying the show so much that I haven’t been thinking about what might be coming next, which is usually a good sign that I am in the moment. “The Beautiful Ones” I should have expected, and Prince plays it just as you might expect. With only the piano the song is delivered with just the essentials, and I like that he doesn’t push his vocals too hard on it. I listen carefully and soak up every note and word, and even a nice vocal adlib that he throws in. He doesn’t attempt the shrieks and screams near the end, and I think it’s great that he feels that he doesn’t need them to deliver the song. There are plenty of cheers at the end of what is a crowd favorite. 

“U’re Gonna C Me” is a nice break from the more well-known songs we have heard so far. It lacks the intensity and serves as a good break mid-show to catch our breath. Prince’s playing is light and his vocals are nice, asides from that I don’t get too much more out of it. 

The segue into “How Come You Don’t Call Me” is clever, and I think Prince does the right thing as he chooses not to play the song in full. He gives us the opening on the piano before stopping and taking in a completely different direction. We have all heard this plenty of times on the piano, and playing it again doesn’t add anything new or unique to the show. 

My heart almost stops as he plays “Condition Of The Heart.” I know I am not alone in my love for this song. Prince plays it better than I could have ever imagined, his vocals are brilliant, sometimes quietening to a whisper, and he rounds the song off with some runs on the piano that leave an impression on me, I will be hearing this song in my head as I fall asleep tonight. 

I had forgotten about “Venus De Milo,” of course he would play it on a show like this. I sometimes think of Prince as being a Jay Gatsby-type figure, in his expensive house and clothes sitting alone playing this song to himself. They say familiarity breeds contempt, but not so with this song. I know it so well, yet every time I hear it it’s as if it’s the first time. A heavenly song and the performance of it at this show is note-perfect. 

Another personal moment from Prince next as he speaks of Wendy and Lisa and the first time they met. He talks as he plays “Raspberry Beret” underneath before he changes tack and becomes thoughtful and does his best to imitate Lisa’s playing. It’s a thoughtful moment and adds to the intimacy of the gig. Raspberry Beret returns proper, but he doesn’t belt it out as is sometimes heard, instead, we get a laidback-sounding rendition with minimal fanfare. The crowd is subdued and only comes on board with some prodding by Prince. 

The loudest cheer of the show is when Prince next plays “Paisley Park.” It’s a rare treat to hear it live, and I have never heard a piano rendition, so there are smiles all around at my place as this comes out of the speakers. There is a lot of rhythm coming from Prince’s piano, and this drives the song along as the crowd claps. It’s hard not to move my head as he plays, and I may be guilty of singing along loudly. What an excellent surprise, it had a great groove to it. 

Surrounded by so many other stripped-back songs “Sometimes It Snows In April” doesn’t carry the same weight. The piano is good, but it’s the vocals that I like the most. Prince’s performance is very mature, he doesn’t do too much with the vocals, just gives it to us nice and straight. In the beginning, it sounded like the other piano ballads in the set, but I was won over by the end, and happily clap along with the crowd on the recording. 

Prince begins “The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker,” then kills me as he stops and teases us with “You don’t know that song” before picking up with “Eye Love You, But I Don’t Trust U Anymore.” This is another song that means a great deal to me, and I am sure that if it had been on a better album it would reach a much wider audience. The song isn’t too long, or overworked, and I am very happy with what I have heard when Prince brings it to an end. It’s a classy rendition of a beautiful song. 

“The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker” does get played next, and it’s worth the tease. The only thing missing for me is the downbeat muteness that I associate with it. It’s not too much of a problem, this is another excellent addition to the setlist, and Prince calls out for appreciation for Joni Mitchell mid-song which is a nice touch. I do like the rhythm he produces with the piano, and this show has been an eye opener for me in that respect. 

The cover of Ray Charles’s “Unchain My Heart” is entirely appropriate in this circumstance. I know he has covered it before, but I don’t recall hearing it. It’s a great cover and as is usually the way, my only complaint is that it is too short. 

I was never a fan of “Baltimore” until I heard it here. It seems to take on a more serious tone solo on the piano. Prince does address the crowd, so the song only gets just over a minute. It’s a shame that he plays an abridged version, this one could have been much more if he had played it longer. 

We get another song from modern times next as he plays “Rocknroll Loveaffair.” I prefer this version to what was released. It’s got an easy groove in the rhythm Prince plays and has a swing to it. I like that it hasn’t had the life squeezed out of it by production or a full band, what we have instead is the heart and soul of the song. It has a freshness to it and like many other songs on this recording, I will be revisiting it a few more times. 

I guess “Starfish and Coffee” would be obligatory for a show such as this, so there’s no great surprise as I hear it next. The song is kept short, almost as if Prince knows there is nothing new here for us. It’s just right, enough for me to start to enjoy, but then stopping before it reached the point where I think I’ve heard it too many times before. 

I could have guessed at “Starfish and Coffee,” but I could not have predicted the next song would be “The Breakdown.” I am dumbstruck as it begins, this song for me was the highlight of Art Official Age, and to hear it on this recording is a real treat. Prince sings it extraordinary well and injects extra emotion with a couple of well-placed shrieks near the end. For most of the song I can only sit and listen, it is that good. 

There is one more surprise and the whoops of the crowd echo my own as Prince plays the opening notes of “Anna Stesia.” His playing for the song is powerful and I am amazed to hear this song again, especially in this setting. Like so many other songs played tonight I can only sit and wonder at the beauty of it all. The song gets softer as Prince sings quietly and it’s an entirely appropriate way to close the show. Prince singing ‘God is love” softly as the song draws to a close is almost a spiritual experience. 

I have two thoughts as the recording comes to an end. Firstly, musically and performance wise this is one of the best. The setlist is great, the arrangements are beautiful and Prince is note-perfect. Combine that with the personal spin Prince puts on it with his talk and this show is close to perfect. To hear Prince speak intimately and personally as he plays was a real treat, and that alone makes this recording extra special. And that brings me to my second thought about the show. When it finished I felt almost embarrassed and guilty I had heard it. The show was something personal and played for the people in that room at that time. I don’t know why, it’s never something I have felt before, but on this one occasion I felt pangs of guilt that I have heard this show. It’s an absolutely beautiful show, and now firmly a favorite, so I am very grateful indeed that we are lucky enough to hear it. All the same, I can’t help but think how much more this show would be if it hadn’t been recorded, it would have taken on mythical status. 

Baltimore 10 May 2015

 Prince followed up his Dance Rally 4 Peace concert at Paisley Park with a much larger concert in Baltimore a week later. The first hour of this concert was live-streamed, making for a nice bootleg, and the Confusion/Akashic release rounds out the concert with an audience recording. The concert is much longer than the Paisley Park show and features Prince’s new song at the time, “Baltimore”, which was recorded only 10 days previously. This concert is a great example of Prince's altruism and the concert itself looks like a great bootleg. Anyone familiar with the design work of The Rev would recognize the cover as his style, and that is usually a good indication of the quality of the show within. 

10th May 2015, Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore 

It is not Prince that is first heard, rather Hannah introduces the concert with a brief speech welcoming the crowd. As someone who only listens exclusively to bootlegs, I had to smile as she asked the audience to not use recording devices and to turn their phones off. The band doesn’t start immediately, there is first the small matter of the DAT intro. The intro of “1999” is no surprise, but what captures my attention, and I hope others that listen, is the “Million Dollar Show” chorus. It is far from classic Prince but it does provide a hyped-up intro to the concert and the lyrics do lay out what Prince is trying to achieve. 

“Let's Go Crazy” comes with a crushing weight that almost sinks it. You can indeed have too much of a good thing and in this case, the ponderous guitar lines fail to elevate the song to anything. The band shadowbox with it, and while it looks threatening enough the truth is it is just a pale imitation of its former self. Maybe it would help if the band turned it up to eleven. 

Sonically “Take Me With U” is miles above “Let’s Go Crazy” and some levity is added to the gig after the sober opening. There is some backbone added to the song as Prince’s guitar snorts and snarls underneath the lighter keyboard riff. “Raspberry Beret” offers no surprises as it comes hard on its heels, it has the same pop tone and now I have heard this pairing enough that I have overcome my snobbishness with this predictable pair. Crowd-pleasing and fun, it is what it is, there will be other occasions later in this show for bootleg purists to celebrate. 

The first of those moments comes with Prince’s song of the moment “Baltimore”. It presents an interesting dichotomy, Prince presenting a protest song in the Trojan horse of a pop song. It creates a tension within me that I never resolve, I love the pop song and I equally love the lyrics. But when I put the two together it leaves me uneasy, both are diluted by being paired with the other and the song loses its power. In this performance Prince leans on the message, taking time to address the crowd with his plea for peace. It swings back to the message of the lyrics and this marks it out from the album version. A rarely played song, this is the main attraction of the bootleg for collectors. 

There are whoops of delight from the crowd for “U Got The Look”, but that energy and excitement don’t carry across the recording. Prince and the band tick all the boxes, the song is tight but lacks the element of danger that makes live performances so electrifying. I hate to say it, but I am almost glad as it quickly passes for I know what's coming next. 

What comes next is a suite of songs that harks back to Prince’s setlists of the early 2000s. The plaintive guitar cries out the introduction of “The Question Of U” before Prince settles on “The One”. It is a masterful performance that could have been lifted straight from the ONA tour, Prince’s vocals and guitar painting a mournful wash of sound to carry the heart-rending lyrics. Prince builds the intensity with his guitar, drawing more and more emotion from his instrument in a titanic solo that screams and weeps in equal measure. Muddy Water’s “Electric Man” lyrics make an appearance, drawing calls from the crowd of “plug me in!” that bring the recording alive. Prince's guitar meanders at this point before Prince points it in a new direction and plays out the song with waves of heartbreak coming from his axe. Along with “Baltimore”, this stands as the best moment on the bootleg. 

Prince has the audacity to follow this with a sprightly “Controversy” that replaces emotion with fun. The horns add plenty of sass, and the song skips easily along until it becomes bogged down in Prince’s chants. I forgive this though as Marcus amply compensates with a horn solo that flies far above all else that is heard in the song. 

Equally horny is “1999”. It is almost Vegas-like, the original synth stabs buried under the incessant horns. It’s too polished for my tastes, the charm of the album version is lost with the larger band and added pieces. 

“Little Red Corvette” is from the same era and also gets a modern update. In this case, it works much better as Prince takes it from its mournful opening to a breezy chorus before again lowering the tone with his guitar cry. It’s not as thrilling as the first time I heard this arrangement, but it still stands up to repeated listens. 

Prince heads for the heart again with “Nothing Compares 2 U”. It gets a thumbs up from me, the keyboards sounding “Strawberry Fields-like” as they sway in the wind behind Prince’s vocals. The song stands on firmer ground as the full band joins, yet is still Prince’s vocals that stand out front. The music is delicate until Donna unleashes a forceful solo that emphasizes the lyrics. It’s an interesting development and keeps me interested in a song that I have become overly familiar with over the years. 

The sampler set begins with a version of “When Doves Cry” that runs for a couple of minutes. It’s long enough for the crowd to be drawn into singing it, and although not as captivating as it was in the 80s’, it is still an important part of the setlist. 

The set accelerates as “Nasty Girl” teases before “Sign O’ The Times” takes center stage. This seems like a song tailor-made for a show such as this, yet Prince doesn’t take too long to dwell on the message of the song, instead letting the crowd chant before he runs through a couple of verses. 

A lot of songs come in pairs throughout this concert. “1999” and “Little Red Corvette” came as a one-two punch from the 1999 album, and now Prince repeats the trick with “Sign O’Times” and “Hot Thing” coming together from the Sign O’ The Times album. “Hot Thing” is particularly rewarding, Prince adds plenty to the mix and a scratchy, itchy, keyboard break gives it just enough grit to gain traction with even the most jaded listener. 

The bootleg changes at this point as we switch from the soundboard recording to an audience recording. It is not too much of a jump, the audience recording has Prince’s vocals sounding slightly far, but the music is well recorded with more bass present. “I Would Die 4 U” is the first song heard like this, and it is a bright start with the keyboard riff and drum shimmer sounding close to the recorded version. 

 

“I wanna play some more but I run out hits” has Prince playing with the crowd before Doug E. Fresh joins him for a run-through of “Kiss”. I don’t have an opinion on Doug E. Fresh, although I would rather have heard a version of “Kiss” without him. He raps his way over the guitar and keyboard hook, without the Prince's normal vocals it becomes something different, and less enjoyable. That changes as Prince comes to the mic mid-song, unfortunately by this time I have already run out of patience and am thinking of the next song. 

Prince plays instrumental snippets of a few of his songs (“Darling Nikki”, “Pop Life”, “If I Was Your Girlfriend”) before he settles on the enduring “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore”. This song has a remarkable shelf life and is one of the few songs that have traveled with Prince for the bulk of his career.  From its first appearances in the early 80s’ through to his final Piano and Microphone shows of 2016, “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore” has appeared on several tours and shows. This version here doesn’t add anything new to that catalog of great recordings but it is comforting to see a familiar friend in the setlist. 

Comfort is the name of the game for the next couple of songs as Prince cuts to his work in the piano set with firstly “Diamonds And Pearls” and then “The Beautiful Ones”. “Diamonds and Pearls” is little more than a ramp-up to “The Beautiful Ones” which still stands as one of his greatest ballads. It is much loved by the audience, they are audibly singing with Prince, adding to the intimate feel of the song rather than detracting from it. 

The following “Do Me, Baby” outdoes it as far as raw emotion and participation. It catches me just right, and I feel my heartstrings being pulled as Prince plays and sings. On the foundation of the audience's vocals, Prince pulls the song higher and higher, eventually climaxing in a couple of screams before the piano trickles away the final emotions. 

There is plenty of time to digest “Forever In My Life”. It has a deliciously long instrumental opening that ushers in the singing of “When Will We B Paid?”. It should be a ‘moment’, but it doesn’t live up to expectations. The audience does chant, but the main vocals aren’t as forceful as I would have liked, the emotion of the song replaced with a cheap call and response. The song doesn’t have enough time to appear through the mist and Prince rushes to an unsatisfying sing-a-long. 

There is a cameo appearance of “Alphabet St.” before Judith Hill provides a rendition of her song “As Trains Go By”. It sounds timeless, yet undemanding, with the horns and band providing the main impetus. It swings easily enough, but my feeling is it isn’t really going for, instead revolving in circles around the horn lines. 

It is Estelle that sings the first verse of “Purple Rain’ and although she sings beautifully, the song sounds mechanical and distant. That changes as Prince comes on board, the song lifting immensely on the back of his vocals. I’m a little jaded when it comes to “Purple Rain”, yet I do appreciate what it brings to the concert, and as a student of classic rock, I always appreciate the guitar break that punctuates the song. In this case, it is cut short to make way for a Prince speech, but the sentiment he expresses is spot on and the song serves his message well. The final “ooohhh ooohh ooohhh” is worth the wait and the release of emotion and tension is palpable. 

  

The bass line of “Cool” is excellent, although sadly a little lacking on the recording. Plenty is going on through the song, especially as they begin to sing “Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough”, but the bootleg doesn’t do it justice, it is very two-dimensional sounding and it is down to my imagination to round out the sound and bring the bass further forward. This is a good performance in search of a good recording to match it. 

Hopes are high as the bass jam begins, although I am soon disappointed by the thin recording that leaves Prince’s bass sounding like a rubber band. It is short-lived, “Mountains” coming quickly after with the recording still sounding two-dimensional. “Mountains” is another song that has plenty of layers to unpick, although there is very little to be unpicked here as this is a beige version of a song that should be technicolor. 

All my thoughts in regard to the quality of the recording are put to one side as Prince and the band tear through an incendiary “The Dance Electric”. The band is cold killers throughout as they play without mercy, the fire of Prince’s guitar empathizing the point as he plays a murderous solo. There is no escape as they nail the groove to the floor, giving Prince the freedom to play with furious anger. This is a great way to finish the show, there is no place to go from here and it is only fitting that it is the final song of the night. 

Although it couldn’t be considered a classic bootleg, I still found this concert enjoyable enough. The highlight for me was the performance of “Baltimore”, a light pop song that carries a heavier message. Understandably, the first half of the show was much more enjoyable, purely down to be a soundboard recording, but the second half of the recording was serviceable and didn’t detract too much from the enjoyment. It is a fairly typical 3rdeyegirl set, but they do what they do well and the bootleg is lively. Combined with the message that Prince is getting across, this bootleg nicely captures Prince’s position in 2015 both musically and politically. 

Paisley Park 3 May 2015 (am)

 Since Prince passed away many people have come forward with examples of his secret philanthropy. He was active for a long time behind the scenes giving to various causes and helping those in need. Not all his philanthropy was secret though, and there are examples where he quite publicly put his name and efforts behind a cause. His Baltimore concert for Freddie Gray is a fine example of Prince giving to the community. He was always socially conscious and in the case of Freddie Gray, Prince put all his efforts into creating a dialogue and understanding. We have the Baltimore charity show, the song “Baltimore” and closer to home Prince had his ‘dance rally 4 peace’ – where attendees were asked to wear something gray. I plan on writing about the Baltimore concert soon, but first I want to start with this ‘dance rally 4 peace’. Although it was available as a stream on the Prince3EG SoundCloud, I still consider it a bootleg. A few bootleg labels have put it out, and if they consider it fair game then so do I. The set that Prince plays is only short, even more so on the edited version that was put online. It is still a great listen, and the shorter concert makes Prince’s message more to the point. This is no sprawling concert, it is short and sweet with the main emphasis on the message. 

 

3rd May 2015 (a.m.) Paisley Park 

The title “Chaos And Disorder” gives some sense to the feeling in the streets, but the performance itself is anything but, it is orderly and highly polished. With the swish of the guitars sweeping back and forth behind him, Prince is stillness at the center that draws all the attention. The guitars bay to be let loose, but the band keeps it all on a tight leash, making for a performance that has its own tension within the song. That tension is released as Prince finally gives in to his rock impulses and plays an ascending solo that hints at anger without ever becoming a pure rage. 

It is a Hendrixesque “Dreamer” that brings further poignancy to the rally. The lyrics lay out Prince's message early on before the whine of his guitar brings anguish and pain to the music. Prince starts with a few deft touches, then adds flesh to the music as he builds upon his foundation. The music folds back under him later, and the second part of the song becomes a mood piece with keyboards replacing the angry howl of the guitar with their soft weeping. It is not as cohesive as one might expect and the song does lose its impact as it becomes inconstant. As much as I like the music, it was a better moment and suited the concert theme when it came as an angry punch in the opening minutes. 

 

The sharpness returns to the show with a blazing version of “Guitar”. It is light, yet the guitar attack brings a sense of urgency to the concert. Donna matches Prince for guitar heroics, her guitar coming as a stronger voice as the song progresses. It becomes a twin guitar attack in the final minute, the best moment of the song as they cross swords and trade riffs. 

Donna is equally to the fore with “Plectrumelectrum”. It has all the ingredients for a song I might like, but I have never been able to warm to it. This version is an exception as it has a sternness about it that I haven’t heard before. While the main riff spins and revolves without going anywhere, it is the guitar breaks that see the song move across the rock landscape with enough heaviness to keep most guitar aficionados satisfied. 

For me, the highlight of this short set comes with “The Whole Of The Moon”. It may not be the version you remember from The Waterboys, but it is just as exhilarating as Prince bends the song to his style and strengths. Songwriter Mike Scott has explicitly said that the song was not written about Prince, but the rumor persists with the lyrics sketching out a figure who could well be Prince. Lyrics such as “I pictured a rainbow, you held it in your hands, I had flashes, but you saw the plan, I wandered out in the world for years, while you just stayed in your room, I saw the crescent, you saw the whole of the moon”, speak of a Prince type figure, someone who operates in another time in place, dedicated to his own private world. Prince takes these lyrics and adds to the myth by neatly reversing the subject, the I of the song becoming the you and vice versa. Thus the opening couplet becomes “You pictured a rainbow, I held it in your hands, you had flashes, but I saw the plan”. It makes him the subject of the song in an instant, and although it may be viewed as egotistical, it certainly personalizes the song. What brings the song into Prince's stable though isn’t the lyrics, it’s the wonderful popping and snapping bass that he furnishes the song with. Prince can be heard playing bass on plenty of bootlegs, but trust me, this is one of the best. It is the driving force of the song as it shakes beneath the music, an earthquake shake that forces you out of your comfort zone as it pops and cracks, the bass rising out of the bottom of the song as cracks across the soundscape. The song title may belong to The Waterboys, but the bass and shake are pure Prince, reminiscent of “Days Of Wild” at its funkiest. 

The bootleg ends at this point as Prince thanks the crowd and the DJ takes over. Although short, this bootleg is just as good as any two or three-hour show that Prince has played. It is a rock show, but the final bass playing by Prince provides more than enough funk for those that like it like that. This is one bootleg that I can see myself coming back to again and again, often shows are too long for me to enjoy in a single sitting, whereas this bootleg could neatly cover a car ride. The show is perfectly paced, it's professionally recorded, and the music is sensational, what's not to like about it? The only negative would be when we consider that it is edited down, missing about 10 minutes worth. “Crimson and Clover” is missing and “The Whole Of The Moon” is edited, but what we are left with is extremely satisfying. This might just be the perfect show to convert your non-Prince fans with. 

Detroit 9 April 2015

 It’s been quite a journey over the past couple of months as we trawl through the bootlegs originating from Prince’s Detroit shows, but today we reach the end of that journey with his Fox Theatre concert of 2015. There is some sadness to this post, in the last few weeks we have covered the full gamut of Prince’s career, the highs, the lows, and all the in-betweens, but today’s concert is his last from Detroit, and sadly just a year before his passing. Prince may be gone, but what remains is a testament to his unwavering dedication to live music, and ever-expanding musical horizons, both for himself and his audience. I will treat today’s listening experience as a celebration of Prince’s life, and the hours of pleasure I have gained from his music. 

9th April 2015, Fox Theatre, Detroit 

Hello 3rdeyegirl, it’s been too long. This blog started when 3rdeyegirl were at their peak, and as much as I always enjoyed the shows at the time, I have been rare to revisit them since. It is with fresh ears that I listen to the introduction music “Million $ Show,” here sounds far more like a manifesto for the next two hours than I had previously realized. The lyric ” Welcome to the million $ show, this is something that you never seen before, welcome to the million $ show, this the kind music make you lose control” jumps out to me as a statement of intent. I was thinking as I started this, that it had been a while since Prince had last played Detroit, and this is confirmed by his statement that it had been eleven years. “Let’s Go Crazy,” begins the onslaught of music, the rhythm section heavy and lumbering, yet the guitar packed with a crunch and thrilling excitement that this is something new for Prince. The solo feels embedded deep in the bedrock of the song, this is no solo that disappears off into oblivion, instead, it remains a servant of the heavy riff, pushing at the edges of the music without breaking through the constraints of the sound.  It comes as a heavy blow, a strong body shot that hits you in the gut rather than snapping your head back. 

From the same era, “Take Me With U,” excites both in its familiar uplifting refrain and in the way the band lifts it far beyond the heavy grind of the previous song. It is at this point that I remember that it is a soundboard recording, thus every nuance and inflection Prince adorns the song with can be heard. In particular, the vocals of Liv Warfield bring a further lightness that was nowhere to be seen in the opening minutes.  It’s not a particularly important part of the concert, but it does play to the more nostalgic of those in the audience. 

There springs forth a new sound in “Raspberry Beret,” an almost child-like sounding keyboard that at moments sounds like a kid's toy. This only heightens the feeling of youthfulness in the music, and although I find myself distracted by it, it is an essential part of the mood and spirit that Prince is evoking onstage. 

A guitar playing a funk riff underpins “U Got The Look,” and although I spent a long time listening to it, I can’t quite pinpoint where I have heard it before. It matters little, but it does add some slip and glide to the song, even as Prince does his best to weigh it down with his guitar work. The song has its own energy, it lifts off without Prince’s help, and his guitar merely colors it rather than controls it. In a longer rendition, Prince may have had more time to readdress this balance, but I like it for what it is, a refreshed and revamped version of a song that had become stale. 

It is 10 years on since the Musicology tour, and the song itself takes on a different feel with this pared-down band. With the NPG horns supplementing 3rdeyegirl it does have the full sound of the 2004 tour, yet at the same time, it feels sharper, less flabby, and far more precise than previously. It is no longer an extended showcase for real music played by real musicians, rather it touches on the feeling of an aftershow as Saeeda Wright takes the band through “Mama Feelgood,” before a quick sax solo again gives it an aftershow feel. 

The sampler set falls early in the overall setlist, it feels rushed to me, as if Prince wants to display all his gifts as early as possible. I have no problem with the music however, “When Doves Cry,” comes as a plaintive cry in the dark, a cry that is picked up by the crowd, bringing the song full circle as they take it from its barren and lonely sound to a communal experience for the singalong chorus. This is further heightened with the briefest call and response that ends the song, both Prince and the audience reliving a younger version of themselves. 

Contrasts and tensions build “Sign O The Times,” into something that threatens and comforts in equal measure. There is vitriol in the underlying guitar work, but Prince’s vocals have a warmth and looseness to them, he even ad-libs a line about “This ain’t September, it’s June.” This casualness does nothing to undermine the seriousness of the songs, and despite the light touches, it remains a dark warning from the front page of the newspapers. 

With its alien synth sound, “Hot Thing” beams in with its intergalactic funk leading us willingly back to the dance floor. Lyrically it is no match for the preceding “Sign O The Times,” but it wears its own funk credentials with pride, and the next few minutes leave us marinating in the funk of 1987. 

“Nasty Girl” is barely worth mentioning, 2015 Prince was never going to pull those lyrics out, despite his willingness to indulge us with an instrumental that barely makes it to the minute mark. He is far more indulgent when it comes to “Housequake.” It is not as demanding as we heard in the 1980s, it asks no questions that we don’t have the answer to, but it is a sweet indulgence. I miss the days of Eric Leeds as the horns come to the party, but in compensation, we have the most delicate of guitar solo’s from Donna that tip-toes across the end of the song, lifting it gently from the heavy funk and briefly showing us the stars before she lowers it back to the rhythm section. 

There is a flatness to “I Would Die 4 U,” a lack of energy, that surprises me. This is one song that finds a way to sparkle even in the most dreary of circumstances, but here it remains firmly 2-dimensional and stuck to the page. Perhaps Prince senses this, and after a minute he quickly calls for the segue into “Cool.” It is the horns that both lead the music, and drive it forward, their rich sound not just supplementing the synth, but in places supplanting it. Normal service resumes as the vocal trio of Liv, Saeeda, and Ashley pick up the song and bend it to their style. There is never any doubt though, that this is Prince’s song, and as he throws down his boastful lyrics there is no mistaking this is a song that he may well have written about himself. 

The funk that lies in Prince’s guitar stings is revealed in the opening of “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” as he gives a brief masterclass in the sound of the funk guitar. The rest of the song doesn’t live up to this opening promise, the band is too smooth, too polished, to stink up the funk sound, but they are more than capable of keeping up with Prince and his musical whims. As he leads them down a rabbit hole of funk, they gladly follow him, disappearing into the swirl of “Play That Funky Music” Any thoughts of the band vanish as Prince’s guitar stands proud at the heart of the song, a raised fist in the face of the previously sedate sound. It brings danger to the moment, there is no sign of a riot, but it does suggest an undertone of aggression that I wouldn’t normally associate with the song. 

“Controversy” isn’t just revamped, it is completely overhauled to reveal the massive groove engine that lies beneath its sleek exterior.  Through the first few gears, it remains as expected, but by the time the horns arrive we are into overdrive and the horns punch it forward with an exhilarating rush of acceleration and sense of purpose. 30 years on, and “Controversy” still delivers. 

Prince stays in the past with a plodding version of “1999.” I applaud it for being a full version, and an arrangement that remains loyal to the album, but it fails to spark anything inside of me, and indeed sounds rather lifeless itself. I wait hopefully for something, anything, to happen, but it remains willfully low-key and flat. 

We are reconnected for “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore,” as Prince pulls me close with his lyrics and piano playing, a piano that sounds just as emotionally invested, and playful, as his vocal delivery. It is more delicate than heard on other tours, there are tours where he bangs it out with a great swing, pivoting on the rhythm in his hands, but in this case, it remains a delicate operation, Prince delicately picking the notes purposefully and letting them carry the weight of the song. An old favorite, this rendition reminds me why I keep going back to the older material. 

“Little Red Corvette” has a smooth pop sheen that seems more in tune with modern radio, and one could easily see this arrangement appearing on modern playlists. It is a mature rendition, befitting a man in his fifties, and the raw emotional edge that the original had is burnished to a fine, almost too delicate, point. It is the final minutes where Prince has to inject the emotion into the song, breaking it down to speak directly to the crowd before the emotive sing-a-long gives the song to the audience, their singing washing back and forth across the bootleg, bringing the concert right into the room. 

The most striking thing about “Nothing Compares 2 U” is the opening keyboard which sounds as if it could well have been lifted from the Beatles during their late 60s heyday. It pulls me out of the concert temporarily and leaves me floating with a whiff of nostalgia, heartbreak, and loss. Prince builds on these feelings with his lyrics, especially as he injects himself right into the story with his line “Where did Prince go wrong” It is lacking the female counterpoint that has been previously present in all of Prince’s previous performances, but Prince carries the song himself, and there is a female influence with Cassandra O’Neal’s keyboard solo that spins the song further into psychedelic landscapes. 

“Kiss” is lightweight in comparison to these two songs, and as good as it is, there is no doubt in my mind that it suffers for its position in the setlist. 

Contemporary might be the first word that springs to mind for “Clouds,” and after a string of Prince’s older tunes, it is refreshing to be again thrust into the present. The concert may have firmly rocked for the first half hour, but we are far from that with “Clouds” and the concert feels a lot fresher for it. 

A medley dominates the next ten minutes, and Prince lets Liz, Saeeda, and Ashley loose on a string of songs from the musical past, demonstrating his sense of place in the music continuum and a willingness to educate the audience.  He is open to sharing the spotlight with the other players on stage, and Liz, Saeeda, and Ashley all take their turns to keep this medley flowing. “Yes We Can Can,” “Thankful N’ Thoughtful,” “You’re The One,” and “Green Garden” all make an appearance, causing me to go back myself and search out the originals, thus stretching my own musical knowledge further than expected. “Green Garden” is the emphatic exclamation mark that finishes this medley, Judith Hill stirring the music into a different flavor with her fully bodied vocal performance, a vocal perfection that would be called barn-burning, if not for the final blazing guitar break by Prince that burns the song to the ground, leaving us standing in the smoldering remains as the vocals return to cool the heat and close out the song. 

3rdeyegirl emerges from the ashes for “She’s Always In My Hair.” The song plugs into something raw and real and is one of the few genuine moments of the recording that stirs the heart. Donna’s guitar break opens the door on the heart of the song, and it is Prince who plummets to the core of emotion, his guitar solo fluttering ribbons of euphoria behind him as he plunges deeper into the raw nerved center. His axe carves out great swathes of emotion, each too big to digest fully in one listening, his playing conveying the intensity of emotional landscapes he is walking through, thoughtfully plucking notes from the air late in the song as less and less becomes more and more. 

There is a thoughtful opening to “Purple Rain” as Prince treads his way slowly into the song from “She’s Always In My Hair.” It is only a short opening, but long enough to let the dust settle from the previous song. “Purple Rain” makes its entrance with a familiarity that undoes some of the emotional depths I wish to draw from it, but it retains enough of its former grandeur for me to lose myself in the next few minutes. The band strolls easily through the opening verses and chorus, and it is at the guitar solo where we are suddenly confronted by the reality of the song, it is merely a vehicle to carry the most epic of Prince guitar solos, everything building to this point where he releases all that the Purple Rain era and experiences promised, here it is made real as his guitar builds a wall of wailing, howling, shuddering, emotion turned into music, and then it reaches the point where Prince is not longer channeling music, but instead channels everything else that music carries to us- joy, loss, sadness, heartbreak and hope, all of it wrapped up in a three-minute solo that no matter how often I hear it still shakes me to the core. 

From such epic heights, we are brought firmly into the here and now, and back inside the four walls, for a party-starting version of “Act Of God.” Sure, the lyrics speak of some serious matters, but the music is instantly playful, and it’s hard not to feel my feet moving as I listen. With its infectious rhythm, it gets things moving, and we have a delightful few minutes of keyboard work that gives way to Marcus and his horn, which for me is the real heart of the song and the highlight of the next few minutes. 

This is swing and funk is maintained and the band effortlessly glides into “What Have You Done For Me Lately,” a song that belongs to the band for the next few minutes as they dust it off,  infuse it with some energy, and send it spinning out into the crowd. There is no drama at all, it's all groove, and music that one can’t help but smile with. The medley continues through  “Northside,” “Theme From Which Way Is Up,” “Partyman,” and “Dancing Machine.” Some squelching bass underpins all of it, and with the horns adding flurries of brass over top, it becomes a storming performance, Liv and Shelby guiding us through this blizzard of a performance. There is the feeling that we are avalanching towards the end of the show, all tumbling and upside down, and downside up, as we rush through these songs, one last chance for the band to demonstrate their skills before we emerge from the other side and into the bright light of another sampler set. 

With only the piano for accompaniment, Prince gives us a taste of “Diamonds And Pearls.” It is merely an entree to a piano set that will soon enough give way to the sampler set. “The Beautiful Ones” pick up where “Diamonds and Pearls” left off, the piano flourishes thrilling it their briefness and suggestion of a colorful performance to suit, and it is a disappointment to hear “Darling Nikki” cut it short as it opens a second sampler set. 

“Darling Nikki” teases the audience beyond comprehension, and “If I Was Your Girlfriend” has the same effect on me here at home. Neither goes anywhere beyond an opening tease, and it is a reverb infused “Forever In My Life” that gets a much longer play. And by much longer, I mean a verse and chorus. It’s not much, but I’ll take it at this time. 

These teases continue, “Alphabet St” giving no time to ripen, it is criminally cut short before it comes to fruition and the following “The Most Beautiful Girl In The World” fares even worse, as Prince makes it clear in his speaking, he is just staking out his territory as far as hits go. 

“A Love Bizarre” signals that perhaps Prince will give a complete performance, but that too quickly morphs into “The X’s Face” and “U Know,” both so short that there is barely enough time to register them before Prince moves to the next song. 

There is some hope for me with “Pop Life,” I enjoy the verse that Prince delivers, and at least I get to sing along with the chorus before he switches to bass for “777-9311.” I don’t enjoy the sampler aspect, but Prince’s bass makes it all worthwhile, bringing a hardness to the sound, and grounding it firmly in the category of real music by real musicians. A better mix, with the bass turned right up, would have been heart-stopping, but even as it is I am thrilled with its inclusion. 

Although from another era, “The Love We Make,” feels like the right way, the only way, to end this gig. Prince’s lyrics strip back all the glamour and glitz, revealing another spiritual message that speaks to everyone, a message of hope, positivity, and universal love that he has sung about so often. The song stands alone at the end of this show, the band paying homage at its feet with a rendition that cuts to the core of the song and makes it resonate in a way that is seldom heard elsewhere in this show. Donna’s final guitar break reaches for the heavens, the sound of righteous joy and a spiritual fulfillment found through the pureness of the music itself. It's a quiet ending to a concert that started with a whirlwind of rock n roll, but it leaves me with a feeling of satisfaction and a well-rounded experience. 

This show is a balancing act between the rock of 3rdeyegirl and the funk of the NPG horns. Prince treads a fine line, and with a soundboard bootleg to match the concert, it is more apparent than ever just how good he was at taking disparate styles and blending them in a concert that retains balance. Some of the sampler moments were overworked, but this is tempered by the emotional highs that are achieved on several songs, and to be fair, if the concert was all emotional highs I would be exhausted by the end of it. One of the most well-known of Prince’s bootlegs in the last five years, one can appreciate why this is held in high regard. It never threatens his 1980s work, but it does play with a maturity that as an adult I can clutch onto in turbulent times. Like warm comfort food, this bootleg always makes me feel good, and I guess there can be no better recommendation than that. 

London 2 February 2015

This week's recording -I am going to take a gamble with this one. Today's recording is not a favorite, much-loved recording, but instead a recent one that I have never heard before. Today I will be taking a listen to Prince playing at Koko London from last week. Before I have even heard a note, I already have mixed feelings about this one. At first glance, there are a couple of positives and also a couple of negatives. Firstly the negatives – it is an audience recording, and a greatest hit show to boot. I am not a great fan of either. On the plus side – it is a smaller venue, and also a recent show, so it will be something new to my ears and I won’t have any preconceptions about it. The other thing about it which is making me curious is the songs from Art Official Age and Plectrumelectrum. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue as they say. So, let's drop the needle and see what we got

February 2nd, 2015 Koko London

 

As the recording begins you can hear the anticipation as the audience awaits the music to start. The opening chords of “Purple Rain” is greeted with plenty of cheers and squeals as you might expect. The recording is not too bad- I can hear everything I need to hear. The crowd is all onboard right from the start and you can hear them singing along, line for line. Prince himself sounds fairly relaxed, there is no intensity to his singing, and the whole vibe comes across as casual and happy. His guitar sound early on sounds like this may be a pretty rocking gig. It was just after I thought this that I can hear some audience members talking, which instantly takes me out of the song. Soon enough Prince and the band get a little louder and rawer and I am happy again. Throughout I can hear his guitar sound nice and deep and I hold my breath as I wait for the solo. And, it’s a good one! All the usual elements are there, as well as some nice deviations by Prince. Nothing too off the chart, but it does have a good rocking sound to it. The crowd is well in the mood for “ahhh, ahhh, ahhh” but Prince closes them down soon enough. The reprise is short, there is a minute of crowd singing before Prince brings it to an end with his guitar. We are off to a good start.

Prince tells the crowd that they are going to play 14 hits in a row and the band starts the grind of the modern take of “Let’s Go Crazy.” I am not always the greatest fan of this one, but I haven’t listened to any 3rdeyegirl recordings for a while, and it’s not the chore that I sometimes find it is. It sounds like it's going across well tonight, and I enjoy the guitar divergence midsong. It adds a little lightness to a song that sometimes sounds bogged down in its modern incarnation. The band sounds tighter than some of the other shows I have listened to, and looking at it I guess they have been together quite a while now. They have certainly lasted longer than I expected, and full credit to them. My only quibble would be that perhaps the song lasts a minute longer than my attention span does, but as always that’s my problem rather than a recording problem.

“Take Me With U” takes me by surprise with its nice fresh sound. There is a nice guitar sound at the beginning that is playing what was originally a keyboard on record. It’s only a small thing, but it has me listening right from the start. The song is nicely balanced, and although the guitar leads it, it still feels light and has a pop shine to it. Liv’s singing is very good, and it’s nice to hear her adding to the fullness of the song. I should have tired of this song years ago, but today it’s still getting me moving in my chair.

And joy of joys, the next song isn’t “Raspberry Beret!” Instead, we are treated to a solid performance of “U Got The Look.” Sure, I have been critical of this in recent blog posts, but again on the recording, it’s a nice crisp performance. Both the guitars have a clean but heavy sound, and I can clearly hear what they are playing. It’s a change from some other performances where the guitar is lost in muddy sound or distortion. Liv can once again be heard doing her thing, and I admire her voice for standing up against all the guitar sound. For a minute I thought it was going to degenerate into a guitarfest, but the band quickly moves into “Funknroll,” much to the delight of the crowd I might add.

 

It’s very cool, and as usual, I like the live performance of it much more than the album recording. The band owns this one and it’s very obvious that this is one song that they all buy into, and belong on. The breakdown and Prince's guitar sounds like a lot of fun and gets plenty of shouts from the crowd. It sounds very much like a good time, and I can only imagine what it would have been like to be there. I think cool is the word that suits this song tonight, and Prince plays us out with some more cool guitar playing.

I have tried to avoid using the word funky too much when writing this blog, but I can’t help but use it at the beginning of “Controversy.” 3rdEyeGirl strikes me as being a very unfunky band, the opening guitar rhythm is right on the money. They don’t let up as the song kicks off properly, and this stripped-down band takes me right back to the original sound in the eighties. I have to be honest, I was even clapping in the air at one point. The crowd is feeling funky too, with a chant of “Ow wee ow” starting mid-song. Prince comments “I see you all come to jam tonight” before singing controversy. There is then some very fun call and response between Prince and the audience, they can’t quite match his squeals and sounds, but they more than makeup for it with volume when he says “now somebody scream!” The song ends, and I find myself thinking this was the best version of this song I have heard for ages.

The timeless intro of “1999” moves us right along, and I can feel the smallness of the venue and the vibe of the band. It’s very heavy on bass, with everything else floating along over the top. Prince sounds like he is having as much fun as the crowd and I marvel at his ability to play at such a level still after all these years. An average gig by Prince is still better than 90% of everyone else’s, and this gig is far from average. They more than do the song justice, and like all the best versions I can hear plenty of Prince's guitar in the mix.

Staying with the 1999 album, the next song up is “Little Red Corvette.” It’s played in his modern ‘slow down style’ but it is not as drawn out and emotional at the start as other times I have heard. It’s slightly let down by crowd noise in places, and although Prince's voice isn’t always clear, his guitar certainly is. After 30 years I still feel a rush as he plays the guitar solo, before pulling it back and taking it down a notch to his slow hand guitar, and eventual “slow down” refrain. There is a lovely moment before his slow-down lines, where he emotionally sings “I know what I want, I want you” The crowd gently sings “slow down” in the background while Prince delivers his lines. For me, it was a surprising highlight, and I find myself totally in the moment. Mindfulness with Prince, who would have thought. The song continues to offer surprises as it ends with Prince and the women of the audience singing “oohhh oohh ”

 

It gets even better when Prince sings “Nothing Compares 2 U” over a bare keyboard. In my mind, this is the way it should always sound. The band joins after the first verse, but the song still holds its emotion, and Prince ups his delivery when the drums and bass enter. I have to say, I was a little worried when he says “on the guitar, Donna”, but her solo is pitched just right, and is kept nice and short. Prince comes back with plenty more character in his voice, and the crowd carries us home. It’s short, but all done in the best possible taste, and like all good things leaves me wanting more.

I love this version of “Kiss.” Anyone who has read any of these blog posts knows that this is quite a statement from me, I am what they call “a hater” when it comes to this song. But here on this recording, I find it very appealing. It has some interesting keyboard running through it and is seriously lacking its distinctive guitar signature. Although not a fan of the song, I have always liked its guitar sound, so for him to drop it out, and I find I like it, even more, I am very surprised. That same guitar sound returns in the second half of the song, and it’s nice and strong. I could just listen to that rhythm all day. If you want to hear a different take on a classic, I recommend you bend your ear to this. The band jam on it a little later in the song, and it's all good to me.

I am not very familiar with Paloma Faith, but Prince's cover of her song “Only Love Can Hurt Like This” is just divine, and Liv gets a chance to do what she does best on it too. Gentle at the start with some beautiful singing during the verses, the chorus skyrockets when Liv gets her lungs right behind it. As an unfamiliar song to me, this will certainly be one that I will be revisiting. There is some very decent lead guitar in the latter part of the song, but it’s Liv that holds it all down, and the second half is very much her voice versus the power of Prince’s guitar. Princes guitar wins out, but I am never going to complain about that. I would like to hear a better recording of this one, and maybe a better mix from the desk, but it is a cover with potential and I’d like to hear more of it.

 

Prince then asks for the lights to be turned off with the comment “it’s not a country and western show” and that brings a smile to my face. That smile gets even bigger when I hear the opening of “When Doves Cry.” Although not a pristine recording, it’s good enough when the music is this good. After a few bars, the music stops and leaves the crowd singing. Yes, it is the dreaded sampler set. But tonight Prince plays this one pretty straight and I am pleasantly surprised as we get four minutes of the song played in the form I know and love. There is some interaction between Prince and the crowd, with a few “owww owwws” from both.

I wait with bated breath as “Sign O The Times” begins. Will this be cut short, or will I get a good chunk of the song? Thankfully it’s the latter, and there’s also some meaty guitar work in there for me to enjoy. It’s not particularly sharp, but it is suitable grime and has a heaviness to it. Once again the crowd is in good voice, and Hannah on the drums gets a good workout near the end of the song. On a better quality recording, this would be a standout.

“Hot Thing” gets the familiar sampler set treatment, as Prince teases us at the start, before delivering the song proper. It’s got a nice groove to it, but the beat is slightly weaker. Prince pushes it out forcefully in compensation, and both I and the audience enjoy it. I am happy to see this one get a real play rather than a sampler tease, and by the end, I wish it was longer.

One of my all-time favorites is next with the big sound of “A Love Bizarre.” I would just seconds from leaping to my feet and dancing, but instead, I am bitterly disappointed when it ends after just 40 seconds of the intro. Such a lost opportunity, I think it would have gone down a storm.

The sampler tease continues as the music of “Darling Nikki” is played next. There is no way in the world he was ever going to sing it, and as we all expect it ends after 30 seconds.

“Pop Life” has me back on board, although it’s played very short at least we get a verse and a chorus. A classic pop song, it’s impossible to hear this without feeling some sort of joy. I find myself singing along loudly with it, and I am sure my neighbors are thankful when it quickly ends.

“I Would Die 4 U” sounds upbeat and fits with this ‘pop’ section of the gig. I would have loved to hear a little more of it, but Prince ends it after the first chorus with a simple “Thank you so much, good night”

It is of course another tease, and immediately the beat of “Forever In My Life” begins. This is no tease, and Prince takes his time with the intro, before singing the words we all know so well. I mouth the words rather than sing along, I don’t want to miss a note of this. Prince sounds great and I find myself inwardly moaning again that this isn’t a soundboard recording. The arrangement played here somewhat resembles the one that appears in Sign O The Times movie, and there is plenty of time for the crowd to sing along with “alright, alright”. The only thing missing is Boni Boyer singing the house down, but we are nicely compensated by Prince providing some bass lines. A very electric sound cuts through the vibe as we near the end, but the mood is restored by some great singing by Prince, and the audience doing their best to emulate him.

I’m not sure this is the band for “Housequake,” but in the sampler set, they seem to get away with it. My ears aren’t sharp enough to tell you who is playing what, but it all comes together alright. Not the funkiest version in the world, but the sampler provides the kicking beat while Prince keeps the energy levels high. Ida gets a moment on her bass, and this is probably the high point of the song for me. Donna also plays a brief solo, but I find it takes me out of the song, and I am pleased they don’t play on it too much longer. They hold it together long enough to get through it, but I fear it may unravel after another minute.

Oh WOW, was my first thought as they begin “U Know.” It sounds like it is going to be fantastic, but Prince says “You’ll can't have that” and I know we aren’t going to get too much more. Sure enough, it ends before it even starts. There are a few boos to be heard from the crowd, and I can fully understand their feelings… I am quietly booing here at home. You can’t always get what you want.

I feel similarly cheated when he plays only the intro to “Gold Standard.” It’s good to see he isn’t biased, both old and new songs get the short shrift, but I would have liked to have seen a little more faith in the newer songs, especially the ones that get an obvious reaction from the crowd.

“If I Was Your Girlfriend” gets the same shabby treatment, it’s barely worth mentioning here for the time we hear it. I barely register it before it ends.

Normal service resumes with a loud, slightly heavy rendition of “Guitar.” Prince’s voice on the recording comes across as a little muffled, but the guitar is the real star of this one. It sounds great not only during the verses but also when the solos start. Of course, this suits Donna very well, and her solo is on point throughout. I am even happier when Prince adds his guitar to the mix later in the song. At this stage, I find the recording slightly uneven, but there is not a huge dip in quality. Once again Prince wishes the crowd “Good night” before bringing us right into “Plectrumelectrum.”

I like the song well enough, but it just sounds a touch labored here. It has plenty of rock flourishes, but they do sound heavy-handed to my ears. Of course, I am listening too carefully to it, and I find that once I close my eyes and go with the sound it’s much more enjoyable. To me, it sounds like a good rehearsal song rather than a song that got a proper release. I have no real problem with the song, but it does outstay its welcome by a minute or two.

Prince begins again by saying “I would like to dedicate this to a friend of mine”. There is a brief moment while he gets the stage sound right, before a gentle intro to “Breakdown.” My favorite song on the Art Official Age Album, when I saw this on the setlist I was immediately very excited to hear it. I was not disappointed in the slightest. Sure, the recording isn’t the greatest, but I can still hear that Prince's voice is note-perfect. The song sounds a little lighter in the live setting, it seems to be lacking some gravitas, but I can’t quite pinpoint what it is that’s missing. Maybe it’s the fact that I can hear the audience talking during several segments of the song. But there is enough there for me to love every moment, and when the guitar enters it adds just a shade more emotion. Very good song, and on a better recording it would have been excellent.

It’s followed up by a fantastic intro to “What's My Name.” I love that this is getting an airing. There are better renditions of this song out there, I enjoy hearing this one but it's not top shelf. A lot of the crowd sounds somewhat disinterested, and again it does affect the quality of the recording and listening experience. All the pieces are there, but it’s not as strong as I would like. This song could be much more muscular and beefed up, it’s a shame it’s not at its full potential here. Things get better when the guitars are in full flight, buts it is not quite there.

“Stratus” is sometimes great, and sometimes not so great. I know its purpose is to show off the different band members' talents, but sometimes I just don’t feel it. This is one of those occasions. Donna’s first solo is nice enough (the fact I used the word nice rather than something else should tell you enough) but by midway through the keys, I find I am beginning to tune out. Things are better in the second half, a little more heavy sounding and some good bass and drum. And surprisingly, to my mind, it’s enough to save the song. By the time it finishes I am pretty happy with what I have heard.

The opening chords of “Sometimes It Snows In April” fill me with joy, and as Prince sings the opening lines I am off to my happy place. But sadly he ends it after the first couple of lines, and the guitars jump in with “Dreamer.”

This band is well suited to “Dreamer,” and even though I was disappointed about “Sometime It Snows In April,” I am very happy with “Dreamer” and its performance here. The guitar playing is less pedestrian and the band sounds like they are energized once again. The song is saturated in guitar solos and all of them are sounding good. After the solos ease back, there is some nice heavy guitar work that sounds good, before Prince sings the title a few more times. The song ends just after this, and despite clocking in at almost seven minutes it still feels like a shorter song, the energy kept me in it throughout.

“Let's Work” caught me off guard, with its heavy intro. I am much more comfortable once its classic groove takes up the song proper. Late into the show now, yet Prince's voice still sounds fresh and he does a nice impersonation of his younger self. The bass playing on this is excellent, and I find myself grooving along to it nicely. I didn’t expect this band to play it so well, but it is very good.

I am further surprised when 3rdeyegirl take on “Cool,” and they make a good job of it. Liv takes on a lot of the load here, especially when she first starts to sing “Don’t Stop Until You Get Enough.” It does sound a lot like other renditions we have heard in the last few years, but that’s not a complaint at all. The first half of the song is all Liv singing “Don’t Stop Until You Get Enough,” before Prince sings “Cool” proper in the second part of the song. This is very much a crowd-pleasing song, and there sounds like a lot of fun is being had when Prince gets them singing. There is a couple of cool moments when Prince gets the crowd to soul clap and I am instantly transported to his 1980s heyday. The song ends with the classic Prince “Las Vegasss!”

So all in all a very fun gig. The setlist and performance are good without being great. The recording is as one would expect for an audience recording, it is fine- it’s far from being terrible, but there were moments when I found myself wishing for a soundboard. This is not an essential must-listen, but if you have access to it then it’s a fun couple of hours.

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.