I've heard about seven of them by now and they just don't grab me. I don't know if it is the song selection or Prince's energy level or the arrangments or what...they just sound sort of "flat".

I still love listening to a lot of his older live stuff, so it's not like I lost my appreciation for his music. I'm sure the Vegas gigs were fun to watch in person (which is the main point of a concert), but they aren't satisfying otherwise.
[Edited 6/3/07 2:34am]

'flat' like in 'coverband'?
Like there's something missing?

FunkiestOne said:

Hearing about it and being there for the experience is no comparison. It's hard to really relay the excitement, electricity, and emotion that went into the one performance I saw. I am going to his show at the Target Center too just for the contrast, but I'm sure that it won't touch my Vegas experience...

udo said:

yeah, sort of...I don't know if it is Prince's performance or his band sucks or maybe he hasn't bothered arranging the songs well or what. The shows just seem kind of sloppy and don't have much energy.

Maybe they are supposed to be more laid back...it will be interesting to see what kind of set he does for his London gigs.
[Edited 6/3/07 6:20am]

your not alone. I haven't been feeling this latest incarnation for quite awhile although i did just listen to a 3121 aftershow in vegas, the one right after the super bowl gig & it renewd my faith a little.

I'm really surprised by the amount of samples in those performances. I mean the intro to 7 is bad enough...i wonder what they band does while that long-ass sample plays? Do they just sit there and look around till it's done?

How many of you who are complaining actually went to Vegas and saw the shows or aftershows live? How can you judge a live show based on a recording of it?

I don't think a bootleg recording will ever capture the feeling of a live performance. I have been to many Prince concerts and I rarely listen to live recordings, because it's never the same as being there. Also, the 3121 shows weren't about big, overly produced performances. They were jammin, it was a party. It wasn't an arena tour. That's what Musicology was. These were more like the ONA shows.


Also, the band is tight. I really don't get why some of you rag on this lineup. They are all talented musicians. Josh and Cora hold down the rhythm sections during the jazz numbers and allow everyone else to just fly.

bellanoche said:

I completely agree with you bellanoche. 3121 was an off the chain, personal, intimate experiences that I'll never forget. I went to 5 Musicology shows and as great as they were, they all pale in comparison to being up close and personal with Prince and his tight ass band.

Someone on another thread said something about this band not being up to snuff and not used to touring which I don't understand at all because ALL of the band except for Cora, Josh, and Mr. Hayes, were on the Musicology tour and Mr. Hayes was with Prince for many years. I don't know Josh and Cora's backgrounds but I'm sure they didn't just fall off a turnip truck. Cora is a bad (as in good) drummer and Josh is funky as hell. . . I just don't see Prince keeping any subpar musicians that don't meet his high standards for as long as these musicians have been around. I don't get the criticism, but whatever. . .
[Edited 6/3/07 12:53pm]

Perhaps you just got really bad bootlegs. The live version of Satisfied that was streaming on his website weeks ago was hot! and I agree, being there three times ain't nothing like being there in person. I really miss the Vegas experience, it was so much fun.

wonder505 said:

I hear you both SNDLS and Wonder505. I went to two concerts and two aftershows and in my 14 years of going to Prince concerts, nothing compared to the Vegas experience!!

Btw, Cora is very experienced. She is no slouch like people make her out to be, she placed first out of 5,000 drummers in the 2003 Guitar Center drum-off competition. She's also performed and toured with some great acts including, one of my favs, Mandrill as well as talented artists like Najee, Foley, Lalah Hathaway and Norman Brown. These people all play real music that requires a good drummer. Not to mention she is a sweetheart. She sat down at our table after one of the aftershows and we talked a long time about music. She's super cool. So is her husband Josh, who has great tone on that bass. So haters really need to cease and dismiss with the negativity.

bellanoche said:

I wasn't feeling the song 3121 UNTIL I saw it live in Vegas. It was soooo funky and moody and always set the tone perfectly for the party that was about to bust out in the club. Now, I can't listen to that song without nodding my head and reflecting on my 8 shows and 5 aftershows up in that joint. Each visit was unique and totally different than the last and are now my top favorite Prince concert experience, completely unforgettable and irreplaceable. You can't capture that feeling/emotion on an audio recording.

Cora, and all the band members, were ALWAYS quite gracious, open, and accessible when it came to chatting with the fans. Even if they were just walking through the casino and weren't working. She is a sweetheart but more importantly a supremely talented drummer or else she wouldn't be backing Prince providing the musical heartbeat to his performances.

FWIW: I did not mean to say they are bad musicians.
And I think that what I heard from the Vegas shows was quite well recorded in most instances.
It is just that the arrangements etc sometimes have this `coverband` feel.
I do agree that being there makes for a different situation but comparing stuff that you did not attend is a fair case I guess.

FunkiestOne said:

He's a Lounge act just like elvis at the end of his career what you expect

i liked the version of "musicology" i heard from the vegas shows...i wish he had done it that way on the musicology tour.

i was put off by the set lists in general, though...my plan was to check out what he was playing and if i liked what i was seeing, maybe i'd go check it out.

i never went.

i think the lukewarm set lists, the sketchy aftershow setting, and the proliferation of showtime given to shelby, all contributed to a show i could easily do without. if other people liked all that mess, great.

bellanoche said:

Because it's music that can be recorded...and a lot of Prince's concerts and aftershows from the past just kick ass when you listen to a recording of them. The Vegas shows pale in comparison to those gigs..that's what I was obviously saying.

Obviously, the "show" is going to be better when you are there to see it but that doesn't change the quality of the music.

bellanoche said:

I also agree with you and SCNDLS (hey girl!). I'm still smelling, living and feeling my 3121 exeperience(S) from over 2 months ago. I wouldn't change a thing! See you in LA...let's hope

FunkiestOne said:

That's a matter of opinion. I don't like the live concert recordings. I rarely listen to them. The only ones I sometimes listen to are ones that have been remastered and officially released, because they sound less like a "live" show.

But again, did you go to 3121?

Anxiety said:

is that the one where he breaks it down with the horz section. that was hot!