Meshell Ndegeocello Picks...ince Tunes
by Page Two Team for the LA Weekly on Thursday, March 3, 2011

Seeing a performance by soulful force of nature Meshell Ndegeocello is always a treat, but this next week's show at Largo has a bonus incentive. Billed as "Gett Off: Meshell Ndegeocello Covers Prince," the program will include the bassist's unique take on the Purple One's catalog, accompanied by Chris Bruce on guitar, Deantoni Parks on drums and Keefus Ciancia on keys.

We asked Meshell for her Top Five Prince Tunes, and she got back to us without hesitation with some deep cuts from the very early years.

"These are my favorites," she explains, "but not exactly representative of what I'm playing. For the shows, I go both ways — obscure and beloved."

Yes, casual fans, Meshell is not gonna leave you without "Little Red Corvette," "Lady Cab Driver" and "Pop Life." But these are the Prince tunes closest to her fiery heart:

• "Annie Christian" (Controversy, 1981): "It's a political yet enchantingly post-punk tune. It shows why and how he was such an innovator."

• "Something in the Water (D...t Compute)" (1999, 1982): " 'Must be something in the water you drink.' I love this song. I don't have any critical thinking on it, it just makes me hot."

• "All the Critics Love U in New York" (1999, 1982): "Great bass line and just an interesting groove. Basically, I love when he is slanted, angry. His cultural critiques were so sharp then."

• "Gotta Broken Heart Again" (Dirty Mind, 1980): "It's simply beautiful. I remember in my youth it gave words to my own inner dialogue. His music saved me many a time."

• "I'm Yours" (For You, 1978): "Oh, my God! It has a bass solo, and he played all the instruments. What more do you want?"

("Gett Off: Meshell Ndegeocello Covers Prince," Thursday, March 10, Largo at the Coronet)

[Edited 3/3/11 14:36pm]

Funny that she didn't mention 'Emale'...

It'll be a nice gig to see/hear. I hope it'll be bootlegged.

The saddest part of this is that maybe now we'll have to shift to other artists which bother to play interesting Prince tracks, which he no longer does...

would love to hear her play something from 2004 onwards.

Pretty cool list.

Very nice choises, except for Annie Christian.

glad to see Anne Christian get some love. That's my ish, wish she would've cited it as the electro pioneer it was.

I'm not gonna lie, I started grinning like a moron when I saw "Something in the Water" on there.

That's my all-time favorite Prince song.

I heard her do Dirty Mind at the Highline in NYC last year! Very funky cover. I hope this show gets recorded and circulated.

She probably kills the bass on a song like "Pop Life", that sounds like a great show coming up.

Annie is not my personal favorite, but I love the list. I'd love to see this show.

Being how much she has worked with W&L, suprised not to see any of their "songs" with Prince to be here.

HonestMan13 said:

I'm going to see Meshell in Oakland this Friday...super excited as I have been a fan of hers as well as Prince's for a long time. Iz gonna be a sessssssy show!!

datdude said:

glad to see Anne Christian get some love. That's my ish, wish she would've cited it as the electro pioneer it was.

Me too. I've always loved that song!

We have similar taste....Like her choices.......

JCinNYC2003 said:

She probably kills the bass on a song like "Pop Life", that sounds like a great show coming up.

I saw her perform Pop Life, she doesn't play the bass on it

But they kill this. It sounded like her sound but also psychedelic like the album cut, it just had that feel to it. It made me want 2 listen the the original

vitriol said:

Funny that she didn't mention 'Emale'...

? Cause it is kind of average or did she work with him on it or soethiing? I don't get it.

Not my favorite choices (sometimes I have to be in the mood for album tracks like "Something In The Water" or "All The Critics Love You..." (which is just too damn long), but she's just damn cool! I need some of her stuff in my music collection. I always wanted to buy "Cookie".

Interesting that there is nothing selected from the 90s to the present. As a superior musician, she would certainly acknowledge some of his more advanced work in more recent years. Prince is so much more than the 80s. I am inclined to think that she hasnt analyzed his later works like Emancipation, The Rainbow Children, 3121, Musicology, or Lotusflower - all of these have some material that surpasses 1999, COntroversy, and Dirty Mind.