Prince – The 25 best live bootlegs!

Prince – Le Bataclan – Bootleg

Edward’s top 25 Prince live bootlegs

1. Trojan Horse, The Hague (Aug 18, 1988)
   Do we really need any explanation here? Alright, one more time: religiously quoted by fans and fanatics alike as the greatest nightly show Prince ever played. So, why is that? This show has everything in the can: funk (Housequake, D.M.S.R.), ballad-gospel style (I’ll Take You There), rock (Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic) …. you name it. Absolute highlights: the unknown People Without, with a touch of drama at the beginning. The magical Just My Imagination, phenomenal guitar work. Insane vocals by Boni Boyer on Down Home Blues, Kansas City, Cold Sweat and Still Would Stand All Time (which would only surface 2 years later on Graffiti Bridge). And to top it all off: a prehistoric yet the best version ever of Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic especially with that absolute genius Hendrix-esque climax. And then, after this unforgettable experience of two hours, Prince is exhausted. This show is so unbelievable relaxed and without a vibe like ‘oh-damn-having-to-do-another-aftershow’, it all goes down like a sweet cake …. probably because your mouth is so wide open from the sheer amazement you’re experiencing. The real fun part of these adventures until the early morning hours -in comparison to the regular concerts-: there is no frills here, no upschmuck. And a minimum of hits played to please the average concert visitor. Just tracks played at random or surprisingly inspirational covers here. Side note: all release of this particular boot are just fine, but still having a strong preference for the Sabotage remaster called Trojan Horse, as this one has the least amount of hiss in the background and the most beautiful design on the artwork.
2. Sign O’ The Times, the movie (Nov 1987)
   After disappointing record sales on Sign O’ The Times in the USA, Prince felt no need to do an American leg of the tour. Yet his star was rising to unprecedented heights in Europe. So, what does one do? You make a concert movie! Quite easy to produce, but what a product! A real classic. Cannot be absent in any list, in my opinion. Filmed during the concerts Rotterdam and Antwerp (!), and naturally substantially tweaked @ Paisley Park, though not spoiling the sheer fun. Phenomenal versions on the überfunky Hot Thing and Forever In My Life in particular, together representing 20 minutes like Prince never sounded before. Seriously, if you don’t have this one ….. just saying: major flaw.
3. The Rainmaker / The Avenue (MPLS, Aug 1983)
   History in the making, and therefor essential. The first ever live takes on Let’s Go Crazy, Computer Blue and the basis for Baby I’m A Star and Purple Rain, last mentioned here in its original uncut eclectic 13 minute version, the very original version for the soon to be released album, with extra (later deleted) verse. An emotional Electric Intercourse, only played during this show. And the not often played Automatic while on the 1999 Tour ….. simply a formidable set.
4. Ultimate Live Experience, Brabanthallen/NL (25th of March 1995)
   My favorite tour of all times. Prince was angry (@ WB) and it showed. Absolute no old Prince trax, only mere new material of the Gold era. His displeasure was not only showcased while ‘Slave’ written on his cheek, also the fierce guitar work was blissful: Endorphinmachine, The Jam, The Ride, Peach ….. what a delicious concert. Nice memories! Friday, the 24th of March I was already on my way to Den Bosch, a quick check-in at the hotel and off to the Brabanthallen where Prince is playing the first concert (and having no ticket for that one). But one could hear it well, just standing outside. But then ….. the doors opened at the sideway, visitors leaving angry …. at first, I didn’t understand. What’s happening here? Upon inquiry, it became obvious that they were leaving as Prince was not playing the familiar hits …… eeeh, yeah duuuuh! But for every concertgoer that left, one was admitted entrance for free. But I didn’t want to spoil my pleasures of the following day with a concert that I had already seen. Besides, I have the conviction that I only want to visit one concert every tour, otherwise it wouldn’t be special to me anymore. That said, one could hear it very well outside as the doors stayed open the whole time after that. With a small group, we had decided we would await for Prince and Mayte to come outside, behind the venue, where the limousine was at the ready. After the final track Gold, they came outside very quickly, where a handful of fans were waving at them. He gently waved back at us …… So, the next day getting up before the dawn and arriving at the venue at about 6:30h. Some fanatics were still there from the night before. Oh well, as long as I am in the front-box near the stage, I am OK. And it worked! Conveniently standing in the back of the box, while nearly everybody is trying to urge themselves for a spot near the front of the stage and getting crushed, I had several feet of space in front of me. OK ….. let the games begin (see, also number 10, containing part 2 of this story).
5. From Dusk Till Dawn, Montreux (July 2009)
   Insane versions of Little Red Corvette, Stratus, Spanish Castle Magic, In A Large Room With No Light, She Spoke To Me, Empty Room. Mighty beautiful styled show. The magnificent designed 3-CD set of EYE Records, including purple inner sleeves, is an absolute must for any eye. In addition, available on DVD, as well.
6. He’s Got The Look, aftershow Paris (June 1987)
   Should this one be at an even higher spot, you ask yourself? A frenzied ecstatic show, this one. Already quite the credit, if one dares to include a Jimi Hendrix track (Red House) in one’s set. It shows courage. Looking further into the show, it contains improvised bits ‘n pieces of less familiar trax on Prince and Madhouse, which is excelling at (this boot mentioned) Charlie Parker and Wasn’t My Faith. Also available as Peach & Black with extra one-off show @ Rupert’s/MPLS (Sept 5, 1987).
7. Fine Line Jazz Café, one-off show (Dec 5, 1987)
   Picture this: Prince just decided to cancel the infamous Black Album, with CD’s already pressed in the USA (though only present in the corridors of Warners) and half a million (!) LP’s at Alsdorf/Germany, all ready to be shipped to record stores. And then this decision! Followed by this show the very next day ….. I mean, just mind boggling ….. astonishing awesome, to say the least. For that reason only, this show is already magnificent, leaning entirely on jazz. With Dr Fink, Eric Leeds and Sheila E. Very rare show, as it deviates so wonderfully, even from the standard aftershow. With tracks like -there he is again- Villanova Junction (Jimi Hendrix) and Freddy Freeloader (Miles Davis, A Kind Of Blue 1959).
8. Valentine show (Feb 1994)/Beautiful Experience
   Its title R U Xperienced? says it all. Again, Hendrix. Could it serve as an inspiration? U better believe it! Another delightful show with a leading roll for the guitar. With the Warners disagreement in full swing, resulting in new material only. No acid colored rain or doves crying, only mere Now, Days Of Wild, The Ride, Interactive, The Jam, Shhh, a playful improv on Peak The Technique (Eric B & Rakim). Deliciously fierce!
9. Jack U Off / Controversy tour (New Orleans, Feb 1982)
   One of the first boots, available at WOM in Berlin in 1990. And even on marvelous colored vinyl. What a show! Sentiments running through my veins. Unfathomable and limitless interpretations of Head and Dirty Mind. Take the bite!
10. Paradiso 1995 NL (26 March 1995)
    The second show @ Paradiso which I thought to be better than the first. Certainly more entertaining. With a leading role for Peach, I just like this song when played live. The night before was resting on somewhat more funk while at this second night, the guitar was pulled again. Amazing versions of The Jam, Zannalee, The Undertaker, Endorphinmachine and Peach naturally.
    (part 2 Brabanthallen/Paradiso): during the day, waiting for the concert, we already heard that Prince was gonna show up @ Paradiso that night. One motherfucker was already in the possession of a mobile with which she could warn her mother who was able to arrange a ticket for her. Lucky devil. Tickets were doing 700 dutch guilders (more than 17 times its original pricetag!). Girl 6 in question didn’t know where the Paradiso venue was at, so as a good citizen of Amsterdam stupido Eddy offered to bring here about ….. soaking up the atmosphere, I thought optimistically. Not a great idea though, when you can’t get in. The next day, local TV station AT5 mentioned: apparently Prince likes the Paradiso, because he is playing again tonight. What?! (mind you, we are still in the internet free days here). So, getting dressed and run like hell. And what happens? Somehow, there’s always some kind of magic spell surrounding Prince ….. it always plays out fine somehow in the end. Tickets were, again, doing regal prices. But this time, I encountered a buddy from the UK. His girlfriend had become ill and stayed at the hotel. So, he had one ticket left! Oh yes! And thus, I went in for -indeed- 40 guilders. The way it should be…..
11. Purple Rain tour, Syracuse (March 1985)
    My very first introduction with Prince live. There Eddy was, in the middle of the night at 03:00 …… waiting for New York, @ 21:00 hours. I had to see this live, no not taping, just live! Word had just got out that he wasn’t coming to Europe with this tour. Besides, the new record was all ready and coming to the shops a week later: Around The World In A Day. Part of the phenomenal Temptation of that album was already played during this very show. Yammie! marvelous tour @ which all tracks of the Purple Rain LP were played. Plus a sensual Do Me, Baby and the sexual tinted How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore? Take notice btw of the already present dichotomy here, later used again in the Lovesexy shows; he is talking to God halfway into the spectacle: OK, I’ll be good ….. but (in this tour) carries on playing the rude boy with Darling Nikki and the ego-trotting Baby I’m A Star. While during Lovesexy it’s more evident: first the evil & sexual, then the good & the sacred. If I can name a disadvantage of Syracuse: It’s a pretty styled show, I think it lacks a bit more raunchiness. And yet, just as well I was watching my eyeballs out for an hour and a half. It ends with over 30 minutes of highlights: Baby I’m A Star (11 minutes) and a whopping 20 minutes of the Purple Rain apotheosis.
12. Night Before The Reign, birthday show 1984
    The prequel to Syracuse? Not quite. With wonderfully spunky versions of extremely unusual trax: 17 Days, Irresistible Bitch, All Day All Night, Noon Rendezvous, Possessed, even Something In he Water (Does Not Compute) is a remarkable version. And then as an extra treat the unknown and otherwise never used Roadhouse Garden & Our Destiny. Great show, beautifully designed bootleg from EYE with the complete show of 85 minutes.
13. Dirty Mind Paris (June 1981)
    The only one of the 3 shows of this tour in Europe that has also been recorded (audio and image!), so for a historical reason mentioned here. After all: Every Fairytale Has A Beginning. The entire LP is played, the B-side Gotta Stop (Messin’ About) and the as yet unknown Jack U Off which only appeared on the Controversy LP six months later. A blowjob of no less than 14 minutes (Head) and immediately after, another 9 minutes of Still Waiting (on what?!). The climax accumulates in a still considerably lesbian Bambi. Sex from the beginning till the end. Ergo: Lust U Always.
14. Melkweg, Amsterdam/NL (juli 2011)
    2x most delicious shows with no known showstoppers, just the whole horizon, the whole pallet of flavors, this time with a lot of adventure. What’s My Name, Calhoun Square, Love Is A Losing Game, What The World Needs Now Is Love, Dreamer, Crimson And Clover, Beautiful Strange, Chocolate, Flashlight and an especially easy digestible I Like It There. Though hard to swallow: the sometimes endless shouting of Shelby. Shut up already, damn!
15. Rock Over Germany/Lüneburg (Sept 1993)
    What a wonderful tour. The show @ the Brabanthallen (Peach, Act 2) could also have been a possibility here. But he is clearly doing his better best with the world listening in for Lüneburg, as the concert was broadcasted live on radio. The Act 1 (tour USA) focused on the Symbol album from 1992 ….. terrible! With one of the worst trax Prince ever entrusted on record: Blue Light. What a horror. Fortunately Act 2 (Europe) was a greatest hits tour, so all the classics are served: 1999, When Doves Cry, Purple Rain, Let’s Go Crazy, Kiss, Girls & Boys, Sign O’ The Times, Diamonds And Pearls, Sexy MF. Shortly after, he would make a major change, turning himself into an unpronounceable symbol. No more old hits. So enjoy it once more! Great ending in this show with America – Gett Off – The Pope – and yes, another unparalleled Peach.
16. Stripped Down, La Coruna/Spain (July 1990)
    Live broadcasted on the telly in the summer of 1990. Our Partyman at the top of his game (unfortunately without Candy)! Including a very terrific version of The Question Of U. And also played live: The Future, Electric Man ….. scandalously delicious!
17. Bataclan 1994 (May 1994)
    A delicious bootleg with -again- only new material after the name change. Among others, the live premiere of the song Gold. Excellent versions of The Ride, The Jam, Dark, Race, Now, Interactive and even the then unknown Solo (!). He ends again with a grandiose ….. Peach. For dessert, Endorphinmachine from the performance at Canal + is also present on this set. The boot is also in this list because of the attractive cover: a beautifully colored Prince à la Hendrix that adorns the front. A lovely total package, just the way like it. I’ve always been very sensitive to well designed packages.
18. R U Gonna Go My Way? Tivoli/Utrecht/NL (Dec 1998)
    Strange days indeed. In the context of nice anecdotes ….. the 23rd. of December 1998 …. 6:30 in the morning at the Oranjehal in Utrecht, we were nrs. 3 and 4 to arrive, according to the sequence numbers that were distributed to the first 1.000 visitors. So, that meant a guaranteed spot in the front of the box near the stage. It was freezing winter so by the time the doors opened (@ 6 p.m.) we now had purple legs. No longer remembering what happened exactly, but a really good place close to the stage? Nope. The concert was not one would pronounce: unforgettable. Although The Christ (new version The Cross) was certainly impressive. Larry Graham stole the show again, not at all to my interest, always the same trick, plucking his bass, yes we know it already. And the sound wasn’t too good either. Alas, it was just not my day, I guess. All this led to the legendary statement: well, what am I worried about? The bootleg sounds better anyway! ……. we thought to be smart, leaving a little earlier so that we would arrive @ Tivoli on time. Because the aftershow would be at that location, we had already heard during the day. Because of this, we missed out on the finale with Kravitz ….. …… once we arrived on the canals, we no longer knew where we were exactly, so we hailed the first taxi near us. We settled very comfortably in the back seat. Where to? said the taxi driver, relieved and cheerful, probably his first ride that evening. We said: quickly, to Tivoli. Yes, he says, you mean: there? Pointing at a little over 200 meters away. Oh …. OK, thank you so much ….. so, out on the other side of the taxi. Duuuuuh!! Waiting at the immensely long line outside on the canal, Prince suddenly appeared in a living room above the Tivoli for a little dance, a very special moment: Prince in a canal house in Utrecht. And God, were we tired ….. so doubting ….. can we still make it? ….. almost running away ….. no, back again …… and (without exaggeration) we were among the last 10 visitors that went inside, locking the door behind us. The entrance fee was then 70 guilders (after all, it was 1998, there was no € yet). At the aftershow we were, oddly enough, almost at the front, despite the fact we came in last. With greats by the likes of Lenny Kravitz, Candy and Hans Dulfer, Larry Graham and the master himself in a beautiful purple 70’s trenchcoat, I still remember. I guess, to please Kravitz, no doubt. An amazing and relaxed show followed, with trax being played such as Superstition, The Undertaker, Chameleon, Mad and Kravitz’ Are You Gonna Go My Way? Towards the end when Gett Off started, about 5 o’clock in the morning, I think I was sleeping against the wall. I was really exhausted. However, a final characteristic event would take place (yes, indeed …. we really heard it!) ….. Prince was playing the last track 2001 Also Sprach Zarathustra (van A Space Odyssey) and spoke the illustrious words: Osama Bin Laden getting ready to bomb ….. better watch out USA ….. 2001. We’re talking Christmas 1998 here ….. no 9/11 had happened yet! That was only 3 years later. Naturally fueling wild speculations after September 11: did Prince already know about it? Did Prince have connections with Osama? Yeah right! Whateva ……
19. It Ain’t Over, USA 2002
    WTF?! es, this CD deserves a place in everyone’s top 25. Only available thru the One Night Alone live box set. Powerful jazzy & funky aftershow, recorded during the ONA tour in the USA at the beginning of 2002. Very idiosyncratic versions of Dorothy Parker, Girls & Boys and (eeeeh, can I still mention this track?) Peach. And please, just do not forget about the crazy version of Joy In Repetition here! Amazing guitar work! Really a classic, this CD.
    Side-note: technically speaking, no bootleg, as it was officially released by Prince.
20. Glam Slam West 1994, version North to South, EYE Records with dvd (June 1994)
    One more time, because, as already mentioned, this period deserves a few places in the top 25. Great show with purely new material. The Ride, The Jam, Shhh and finally even Dolphin here ….. a joy to listen to. And wow, this package! The DVD is phenomenal since it contains even more thrills than the CD. The images also include Come, Space, Interactive, Acknowledge Me and Loose! voorbij. Sweet cake material.
21. Manic Monday – Parade Tour/Rotterdam/NL (Aug 1986)
    Although, unfortunately I never got to see it live: great tour, tight band. This particular evening, the setting is @ Rotterdam. Prince is even playing Manic Monday, hence the title of this boot, which at the time only appeared in a limited edition of 500. Great elongated versions of America and Purple Rain. Then why on #21 and not any higher? In 1986, my Prince fandom was in quite a dip, was not too crazy about Parade. The bald arrangements, I wasn’t sure how to digest it all. Predecessor Around The World In A Day: fantastico. Mountains: deliciously! Parade: mwoah. …. and so I didn’t worry too much when it was mentioned that Prince was coming over for concerts. It took a long time before I started to appreciate the album, a very long time. It was Girls & Boys, I think, years later when I finally saw that ‘worthless’ movie Under The Cherry Moon on TV, oeh, that was funky and fun … and gradually started listening to the rest of the LP. Still not my favorite, but this boot has had a lot of good influence. In 2016, a beautiful remaster was released, with better sound, only available in Japan.
22. Atlanta 2016, a microphone and a piano (14th of April 2016)
    This list surely is in need of some sentiment. Ergo, the very last concert Prince ever played on this earth on April 14, 2016, exactly one week before his unfortunate passing. Beautiful and modest concerts (2 pieces!) with only the piano and a voice. Beautiful & moody interpretations of Joy In Repetition, Muse 2 The Pharoah, Elephants And Flowers, Girl, and symbolically ending with his biggest hit ever Purple Rain, the last song he ever played live. Ironically, he also played Heroes / Bowie that night, who died just 3 months before. This release of EYE had to be included in the list, not only because of the sad sentiment attached to it, but certainly also because of the beautiful design of the CD package in a worldwide numbered limited edition of only 700 copies: gold discs, and gold reflective letters on the CD booklet. Full circle: GOLD indeed!
23. Paradiso/NL (Aug 2013)
    First, some striking facts, just like #22 with 2 shows the same evening. Prince is coming to Europe for a number of exclusive performances and will visit very few countries only; The Netherlands is one of the lucky ones, performing unexpectedly with his new band 3rd Eye Girl. Tickets were on sale just 2 days before and of course, as usual, a sell out within 10 minutes. The shows heavily rely on solid rock …. and therefore played extremely inspiring. The sound that day was ear-damaging, Deep Purple would have been proud of Prince, I expect. Electrifying versions of Let’s Go Crazy, Endorphinmachine, Screwdriver, Plectrumelectrum, Fixurlifeup, Bambi, Stratus, The Love We Make….. really awesome. Unfortunately, a bootleg of Paradiso 2013 was never released, but luckily there is a recording: in a nice 4-cd package, with the 2 complete shows and accompanying photos of the evening. Of course, I wouldn’t want to deprive you of a nice storytelling of the evening itself: during a long wait in line outside for the first concert (beginning at 7:30 PM), which reached as far as the gate to the Vondelpark (!), we had plenty of time to contemplate what would be an ideal place, which we would all be satisfied with. Some people want to be at the front of the stage, others think a spot on the balcony above is just fine. Considering our average age and the energy level present that day (or lack thereof) we went for the balcony upstairs @ Paradiso, just about in the middle. Left or right? A perfect place, in my opinion: having a nice overview from everybody below and you get all the dynamics in the room as well. Sound-wise it is also great: you are not directly in front of a box, so the sounds are coming to you more subtly, nice and easy. Anyway, this is the spot, that’s what we go for. We were among the first 100 people who are allowed to enter; the usual suspects are in this group, the superfans, and they usually go for a spot near the stage, as close as possible, just not my cup of tea. So upon entering, immediately running up the stairs on the left and woppa, passing the swinging doors, towards the first row of seats in the middle. Are we all seated? YES! Everyone is happy. There’s still quite a long evening and night ahead of us, as a second show was to follow. After a first fantastic rock show, everyone had to go outside again, yes … even those who had a ticket for the second show. Once outside, I was really shocked: in my opinion, the queue was even longer than the first. So, immediately I thought: OK bye, I’m not heading for the end of the queue. Happiness, however, was just around the corner: somewhere in line, there were acquaintances and yes, how did you guess? Within the first 150, again! Under the guise of: hey, you here too ?! (as if we didn’t know that) ….. of course we joined in line, duuuh! But still, we courteously asked a couple of people behind us if they didn’t mind. Fortunately, not a typical Dutch response, they were just fine with it. YES! When opportunity knocks, after all, nobody says no, right? So again, within the first group that could run inside. OK, same place, same boogie? Yes! And what do you think? We were in exactly the same place as the first show. Hahaha. Act 2 again started with the announcement by Hannah from the backing band that there was an absolute ban on photography tonight: Enjoy the music, was the credo, not Facebook. It became clear afterwards, the strict enforcement was insisted on by Prince’s personal copyright mania. At both sides of the stage, two security guards were constantly checking the room. In the afternoon, posters were hung everywhere to take notice of the recording ban. Afterwards, De Volkskrant devoted an article on it: at least five visitors were relentlessly removed when taking a snapshot. At exiting, their mobiles were confiscated and all pics had to be removed, they were not allowed to leave any sooner. As a core Prince fanatic, I really didn’t mind at all …. a concert without spectators who constantly wave their phone about, annoyingly filming everything, is just fine actually. The opposite being terribly disturbing during the performances in Melkweg two years earlier. Anyway ……. back to the second show: unlike the first show, it wasn’t immediately rock from the get-go, at first a more quiet beginning. But pretty soon after that, it was rock again. All of this was slowly built up to a climax, typical goose bumps, with a screaming Prince shrieking at times, a voice that went straight through one’s backbone. And new versions of old trax proving one thing: some songs get a wonderful second life when they are brought live. As an example, the second show ended what the first started with: an outright roaring sensation through the newly invented Let’s Go Crazy Reloaded.
24. Emporium (London, 23 March 1995)
    Having one holy intention: The Undertaker CD also had to be included in this list. But, it’s a rehearsal and only semi-live. So what do you do? You choose an aftershow, this one, at which he’s playing The Undertaker in its entirety. The Undertaker: another defunct project before it was in stores (this time with the Guitar Magazine, in late 1994); and here too real CDs are pressed (and leaked, of course). When Warners vetoed the CD, the word “slave” appeared on his cheek soon thereafter at every show. Tracklisting of the CD: The Ride, Poorgoo, Honky Tonk Women, Bambi, Zannalee and The Undertaker ….. it is a delight to listen to. Yammie! And therefore in this list. The Emporium is wonderful anyway: a bluesy show with unusual trax like Asswoop, 17, even Days Of Wild (a whopping 16 minutes) and Sexy MF in a blues jacket, with P Control and Funky Design finishing off the set. Enthusiastic audience but fortunately not as obnoxious (lovely word) as the average show in the USA. And again a remarkable anecdote to conclude with: until last week I didn’t have this CD (!). The one from the day before, also in Emporium / London, but not this one. I don’t know why in God’s name, probably because I already had so many from this tour: Paradiso, The Pod, The Astoria. However, when I looked at a fairly complete bootlist on the web, I suddenly noticed the tracklisting of this show with the complete Undertaker being present. And lucky me: a good friend of mine owns every show from Prince digitally, so one WhatsApp was enough and 10 minutes later I was already listening to this aftershow. Hence the late addition to include this one in the list, at the expense of Bridge Over Cool Water (20ten tour).
25. Downtown Danceteria/MPLS First Avenue (8th of March 1982)
    Special collectors edition in a beautiful purple digipack, CD: 89 min. Just delicious, this kind of releases. And one of the first, if not THE first one-off show of its kind. Miraculously raw versions of Bambi, All The Critics Love U In New York (not released at that time yet! The 1999 album was released at the end of October 1982), Still Waiting, Head, Sexuality. The Time also came to play a tune on Dance To The Beat and The Stick. Wonderfully boisterous raw show, though sometimes a bit messy. Hence the closing of the gate, as they say. Also available on Second Coming / EYE.

Epilogue

It was super fun, compiling this list; quite difficult, not so much the top 10, but rather what came after that. Why is number 12 better than number 19? I don’t even know for sure yet, but you have to make a decision. Also, it was somewhat therapeutic: putting the adventures and sentiments surrounding Prince in writing: the purchased CD’s over the past 30 years, the concerts, the aftershows …..

And yes …. I already know: I’m going to get brutally slaughtered ….. no Lovesexy?! No Dortmund (Sept 1988) …. WTF? No indeed, unfortunately. Agree: a nice tour. And although my first encounter with Prince live in person: it is simply too much for me to process, and having the same opinion about the album itself. Specifically the concert: it’s all going too fast for me, songs are too short and the dichotomy evil & good …. I don’t believe it. Sorry, can’t help it. Certainly not after the just discarded though phenomenal black LP.

Bridge Over Cool Water, Noorwegen Oct 2010: this show simply starts phenomenally with a screaming guitar in The Love We Make, one of my favorites from the Prince live oeuvre. A wonderfully majestic song. So, there actually is still something beautiful on Emancipation, but that aside….. Furthermore, not that a remarkable show, hence unfortunately dropped from the list by the surprise find of Emporium last week. Fortunately with a wonderful Mountains and Forever In My Life. And a funky approach on Cool (The Time). Everything presented in a nice, smooth and seasoned mode. Con: as mentioned earlier (see Melkweg) I don’t like Shelby’s vocals. Too much: c’mon c’mon and other useless shoutouts. From 1998 on, Prince spotlighted his guests too much anyway: Larry Graham etc. Previously that was limited to just 1 track (Rosie Gaines, Sheila E), but for example during the 20ten tour, Shelby B, she owns a third of the show. I’ve had it already.

Other bubbling unders: 4 Those On U On Valium (March 1987) / Opus 2007 / Musicology 2004 LA Theatre / LA61 Welcome 2 America ……

Looking at the list, you will notice: only 7 regular shows / tours and for the rest (18x) all one-offs / aftershows.

translated by Edward