Author | Message |
If Prince and Bruce Springsteen traded places live I can't wait for all the hate I'm gonna get off this post. If this post was how these two stars performed from 1984 and on, Prince would have exceeded expectations, and Bruce would be respected, but often lauged at.
In my alternate universe, this is how a 2011 Prince concert would be...around 3.5 hours, and only Prince on lead vocals. The band would be a combination of the SOTT band and Revolution, and only full length songs would be performed:
Let's Go Crazy When Doves Cry Sign "O" The Times Play In The Sunshine Housequake The Ballad of Dorothy Parker Forever In My Life Strange Relationship Kiss I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man Empty Room Old Friends 4 Sale(Original) In A Large Room With No Light Future Soul Song I Would Die 4 U Eye No Alphabet St I Wish U Heaven (Break) Rock Hard In A Funky Place Witness 4 The Prosecution Darling Nikki Computer Blue Dreamer I Like It There Enorphinmachine (Break) Annie Christian Dirty Mind Private Joy A Million Days Call My Name Reflection (Encore) Controversy Let's Work Delirious The Most Beautiful Girl In The World Purple Rain Anna Stesia
And the Bruce Springsteen show would not have a single E Street Band member. The lead guitarist would be some chick he met a truck stop who learned to play chords 2 days before the tour started:
Born In The USA Badlands Born To Run(lead vocals by some female background singer) Sampler Medley: Dancing In The Dark, The River, Wreck on The Highway, Streets of Philadelphia Hungry Heart(only first verse) Hound Dog(Elvis cover..first verse sung, then a long instrumental) Thunder Road The Ghost of Tom Joad Human Touch(half of lyrics sung) Put Your Hands Up Chant(the background girls chant this while Bruce is backstage telling some reporter that there will be no new album, as internet piracy as the given reason.) Bruce comes back, and says "I've got too many hits" and then starts the Put your hands up chant. Pink Cadillac(first verse sung, then Put Your Hands Up Chant) Darlington County featuring Vanilla Ice & Tony M rapping Rosalita Radio Nowhere Play That Funky Music Everyday People(Somebody got to sing this song) Put Your Hands Up Chant mixed with "Bruce And The Band." Darkness On The Edge of Town(Lead vocals: Larry Graham)
I know if the above Prince concert took place, the Prince fans would so sad that he actually sang all of his songs in full. They would be so sad there was no sampler set, and they would miss the Put Your Hands Up Chant. They would all become Bruce Springsteen fans.
Disclaimer: Despite having a lot of Bruce Springsteen knowledge, I don't like him as much anymore. The only time I saw him live, it was 4 hours, and he did leave off a few hits, and did play a lot of unreleased songs that I had heard, but wasn't crazy about.
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I would crapmypants for a Prince setlist like that. As for Bruce, Dancing in the dark, Glory days born to run would be nice;. Prince did an interview with a woman at Record World. They talked about whatever, then he asked her: "Does your pubic hair go up to your navel?" At that moment, we thought maybe we shouldn't encourage him to do interviews. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Dang. I was hoping the first reply would be somebody telling me how I need to learn that the sampler set is better than a full length song, or how having Shelby or Liv or whoever sing is better than Prince singing...etc. But no, somebody gives a rational response. Sad that Springsteen at 63 gives more full length songs than Prince at any age. Yeah, I know, Prince has had a few really long shows every so often, but Bruce brings it every night. Too bad Bruce brings weaker material. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
but most of all to you:
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
not even really sure what this thread means but i would love to see a Prince/Bruce song exchange programme. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Bruce and The Band | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Too funny!
Unfortunately the humour is based on fact - Prince is turning into a clean-living George Clinton, more bandleader than solo artist.
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Let me get this straight: Whenever I write a thoughtful post, hoping someone will see my points...(I Love Prince, but am afraid he's going through the motions live), I get hate mail, get told that I am stupid, and I should drop dead.
But now, I write a funny post, and I even preface it with asking for hate responses, and only the normal intelligent fans respond.
Damb!!! I never get what I want. I get the haters when I want to be taken seriously, and I get the right people when I want the haters!
I have to admit that "Bruce And The Band," made me laugh out loud myslef. As weak as some Bruce songs are, he gets the most out of his limited talent, and limited voice. Prince could be respected like the Beatles in the studio if he took more time between projects, and he could deserve his overblown live reputation if he was more like U2 and Springsteen.
I will still take a weak Prince show over the best Springsteen show though. So those stupid fans telling me not to go to the concert is not an option. Prince still has moments of brilliance. If I have to sit through 90 "Put Your Hands Up" chants, that's just life as a Prince fan.
My set list is amazing, and I wanted to get working on another idea I've had since the 2002 Celebration: That Prince could do 7 shows in each city on a 10 city tour of the biggest markets in the US, and play 7 mostly different sets, spanning his entire career.
Welcome 2 America appears to be that on paper, but too many of the songs are generic versions, and lack the spirit and passion he had on the ONA and even to some extent, Musicology. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I guess since I'm full of myself, I have to pat myself on the back for this
And the Bruce Springsteen show would not have a single E Street Band member. The lead guitarist would be some chick he met a truck stop who learned to play chords 2 days before the tour started.
(Andy Aloe are you listening?) | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Thanks for a laugh - too funny.
But I still disagree with your original post, how bad Prince gigs are nowadays and how great they were at the past.
For instance, if I compare his latest Helsinki concert and ACTII gig in Stockholm (-93), Helsinki was superiour, because a) it was 100 minutes longer! b) there were only full songs! c) Prince was in better mood! d) audience loved him - that wasn't the case in Stockholm. Though, his Lovesexy show was the best gig I've ever witnessed.
So, he wasn't ALWAYS great at the past, either........ and yes, he have played the snippets of his songs as long I can remember. You have to understand, he can't play half of the set unreleased songs for people, who don't know all of his bootlegs like we do. Not even, I would personally like to hear them.
Besides, this all is not that serious. He's an entertainer after all... "Hypocrisy is the act of pretending to have morals or virtues that one does not truly possess or practice." | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Him thinking he's an entertainer first is part of the problem. He's a serious musician first, and should focus on that. Can you imagine if Miles Davis was alive..if he would stop playing and just chant "Put Your Hands Up?" No.
The Parade and Lovesexy tours were the first ones with too many medleys, but the level of musicianship and quality of the performance made up for it. Back then Springsteen was playing 3-4 hours per night with only full length songs. U2 doesn't play more than 2 hours that often, but they bring 22-26 full songs each night. Bono doesn't talk about how pretty his hair is, etc.. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Well thank you. I really want to give stand up comedy a go, but unless I can find a crowd that has been to 45 Prince concerts, and has 450 or so bootlegs, I likely would fail. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Gee Thanks! I appreciate a thread where I'm begging for haters, and instead bring out some appreciation!
If Prince would've just taken care of business in the first place, he would be where I wish he could be, but he's content with what he is. As I've said a billion times before...letting Tony M on his albums and two tours was enough to know that something was wrong with his head. Not that my life has been any different. I've probably dated women that would make Tony M seem like a great decision! | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Stillwaiting your thread made my day,very funny but please check your facts about Bruce Springsteen Bruce is an Amazing singer ,he sings with power and he can belt high notes,Bruce is also a great guitar player with a very distinctive guitar sound.
He is also a decent piano player but he is great lyricist, much better and introspective,better then Prince.He composed many hits for other artists also .Pointer Sisters-Fire,Donna Summer Protection,Patty Smith =-Because the Night... so i would never say Bruce have a limited talent,no fucking way. anyway i base what i say on facts. look at this amazing performances by Bruce Because the Night live: http://www.youtube.com/wa...oU6AFe_Ba8
Streets of Fire: http://www.youtube.com/wa...EHG3PuXpF0
Prove it All Night: http://www.youtube.com/wa...GMPNGCrn5A
Cover Me: http://www.youtube.com/wa...etZWo0gZrc
Please watch those performances and you'll see that Bruce is amazing singer and great guitar player and great performer. No limited talent there
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm well aware of Bruce's talent. If you look at the setlist I made for my joke, I included a few lesser known songs, and some recent ones. Not that I think Bruce is weak. I just think that Prince is above everybody. I also think Prince is so far above everyone else, that it is frustrating for someone as talented to have so little passion sometimes. Bruce's playing is good, but Prince is a world class musician on 3 instruments, and it could be argued 4. Songs like "Reason To Believe," "Johnny 99," "Waitin' On A Sunny Day," and any number of songs off of "The River," show his depth as a songwriter. Lyrically, he's a great storyteller, and he's managed to have a sound that was often imitated but hardly ever matched in his genre.
Bruce also cares about his fans way more than Prince. The "Tracks" Boxset is full of songs that his fans wanted released, and he released them. It's just that I think his outtakes are outtakes for a reason: They just don't measure up to the released work. Prince has over 300 unreleased songs that are as good or better than the released work, but he refuses to release them. Crystal Ball was a joke compared to Tracks. I just think Prince is on an entirely different level.
Bruce plays a lot of "Bar Band" type songs that are fun, but not musically challenging like Prince's best work. Bruce plays every concert with passion, and rarely ever plays less than 2 hours and 45 minutes. The show I saw was around 4 hours. Bruce has unrivaled passion every single time he gets on stage. Prince goes through the motions, and like I joked, he says "Put Your Hands Up" more than any rapper I've seen.
Bruce would never have been able to write anything like Sign O The Times or Lovesexy. He just doesn't have that in him. I know I sounded harsh when calling him a lesser talent, but I think The Beatles and U2 are lesser talents compared to him. U2 also play each show with passion, and never appear to be going through the motions. U2 or Bruce would never have people like Tony M, Andy Aloe and Kirk Johnson in the band. U2 or Bruce would also not have background singers taking lead vocals on so many songs. And U2 or Bruce would also never play a show with 10 or more cover songs, save for Bruce's Pete Seeger tribute album, which was a personal thing, and not an excuse to ignore his own catalog. Prince keeps songs like Computer Blue and Witness away from his shows for no good reason. Bruce plays his best material for the most part, although he sometimes does play a few too many obscure songs, but his fans love him for that. The setlist I made for Prince in my fantasy is based on some actual Bruce concerts with me actually converting the setlist to show how epic Prince could be live.
Instead, we have Prince fanatics on here who will tell you how epic Prince is live due to his brilliant "Sampler" set where he looks like a Karaoke singer in some lame bar.
In conclusion, I am a Bruce fan, but the musician in me sees Prince as the master with only Part Time Passion, and Bruce as the Very Good sometimes great Musician with Awesome Passion and Heart. That's one thing Prince could learn from Bruce if he wasn't too busy trying to figure out how to make a ton of money, and then not pay a bill, so he can get sued again.
The sad thing is that Prince could've made a ton of money by playing shows he is capable of playing, and then releasing them on DVD. Sad, but life as a Prince fan is so frustrating, but I wouldn't quit being a fan. So to all those who tell me to quit being a fan if I'm not happy, I say F OFF. I can be a fan and not kiss his ass all the time. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
E St. from time to time had a horn section, a violinist, keyboardist, pianist, 2 lead guitarists (3 counting Bruce) and sax player. I think Prince's songs would be served well, but have a different sound to them.
Prince and Bruce's interaction with the audience have some similiarties, some differences, but you know how Bruce will talk for 10 minutes before going into a song, they've always said those 4 hour concerts were 1 hour of him talking.
| |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |
I have seen enough Bruce DVD proof that despite talking more than Prince, he and his band play a lot longer on average. Prince can play a 4 hour show, but will play a 75 minute show. Bruce always plays 3 hours. Prince can also take away tons of time by having Shelby sing a bunch of songs, and then there can be jams where Prince and Shelby are shouting "Put Your Hands Up" a billion f**king times. I'd rather hear Bruce talk about having arthritis than hear that stupid chant. | |
- E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator |