Simple: which do you prefer?

Both wonderful musicians, but I'm coming down in the Eric camp for two reasons

1. He was there from the start... aesthetics and all that

2. Routinely, live, he played a 'lower range' saxophone - baritone? and Maceo's is always higher - tenor? (I truly have no idea)... and the higher register of Maceo's sax makes the songs sound weaker (IMHO) - case in point - just watched Calhoun Sq Luxembourg (marvellous) - Maceo appears and suddenly the song sounds reedy and loses its gutteral appeal... I can only suppose, but had Eric appeared, the sound would have been lower and the gutsier feel required for this song to sound like itself would have been retained.

(just a note - I love Prince with guitars flanking him either side on stage, but what is Andy Allo actually up to?)

So, there's the Q - Macoe or Eric and ... why... oooooooooooooh, just thought of another reason for Eric - Matt Blistan.....

There you go.

Eric plays tenor and Maceo plays alto.

Eric plays the most soulful funk I have ever heard, bar none.

Maceo makes my ears hurt. Yes, I know he's a legend, but I played saxophone for years (even majored in it for a while in college) and Maceo's tone is so damn bright it makes me cringe...whereas Eric has that dark, growling tone that I can never get enough of.

The only thing worse than Maceo wailing away on a Prince record is Najee. Ugh.

Thanks for the alto/tenor thang...

Couldn't agree more about Eris bringing that 'darker' sound to Prince's work... simply sounds more appropriate.

Najee? oh lord... I thought I'd got rid of that name for good..... although... Rainbow Children? Some of the stuff on there is very good indeed.

I like them both prefer Eric's sound. Maceo did kill it at the Tacoma show and it was awesome.

It's night and day. Eric's great at what he does but Maceo's a fucking legend lol

Macoe is a legend, but Eric complimented Prince's sound more authentically... to my ears... AND actually had some sort of compositional life with Prince... unlike Maceo.

i mean 'complement'..... obv......... arrrgh I'm such a knot gud spelleriser at tymes!

I like both

I have been madly in love with Maceo's sax ever since I heard his "Soul of a Black Man"

with James Brown. Also loved his playing on the Purple House Paisley Park

performance. He plays the very long notes that I really love so much. Maceo is

much loved in Europe as well.

This is almost like comparing a guitar to a bass. They are essentially 2 different instruments that cover different octaves and have different purpose in musical composition. To compare the two is like saying a Bootsy bass solo is better than a Santana guitar solo because the sound has a lower register. If you say Eric was there from the start, then that means Maceo was pre-existent. Remember, Prince used to listen to Maceo records growing up. Maceo's pedigree has left it's DNA all over the musical landscape. And he has been doing it since the 1960's. That is 5 decades of pure musical madness. They put his NAME ON RECORD as part of the song. Prince and James Brown, (as well as Full Force) called forth Maceo to "Blow". He is the modern music equivalent of the operatic "Fat Lady", it ain't over until Maceo has had his turn.

Maceo

no i haven't heard Eric play

yes I don't know why I am even answering this...

babyjubilation said:

Maceo

no i haven't heard Eric play

yes I don't know why I am even answering this...

You mean you haven't heard Eric play in a live performance (one that you've personally attended), or you haven't heard him play with Prince??

And to answer the OP, Eric by a fuckin' MILE!! The artists previously mentioned that call out Maceo to "blow his horn" because they're just imitating JB, that's all. Maceo's a legend, no doubt, but Eric's horn sounds sweeter, esp with Prince's music.

alexnvrmnd777 said:

And to answer the OP, Eric by a fuckin' MILE!! The artists previously mentioned that call out Maceo to "blow his horn" because they're just imitating JB, that's all.

Eric is "a fuckinl mile better than Maceo? Really? And just why is it that they are imitating JB?

I love Maceo, just not in Prince's band. He is completely out of place. Andy Allo is a close second, and the background singers, who were cool in the BACKGROUND, but for some reason are dancing at the front of the stage are third. Eric Leeds is the legend, in terms of Prince music. He's on all the Prince records that matter, in terms of saxophone. Maceo can't touch him. But to Prince, if you aren't a black JW then you are suspect.

[Edited 12/26/11 10:30am]

I love'm both, but I gotta have to say Eric! Maceo is a LEGEND, but doesn't compliment Prince as well as Eric. Eric is probably the one that written most after Prince on Prince material, and had alot to do with making songs like Housequake sound as good as they did, and especially the live versions between 87-89. His contribution to The Family, Madhouse and The Black Album really did those albums worth a listen.

Not saying those albums were bad without him, but he really put a nice touch to it.

kewlschool said:

I like them both prefer Eric's sound. Maceo did kill it at the Tacoma show and it was awesome.

Yes He did!!!!!!

theblueangel said:

Eric plays tenor and Maceo plays alto.

Maceo used to play tenor in his early days with James Brown. Interesting that he's almost exclusively become an alto player now.

I love them both, but I'd have to go with Eric. His lines are just more melodically interesting to me. He exploits all 12 notes in the octave. Maceo is straight out pentatonic funk most of the time, which is awesome, but I prefer the more intricate jazz lines Eric brought.

I prefer Eric's sound better. Doesn't mean one or the other is a better player.

funkyrake said:

I'm quite surprised this thread has got the responses it has! I though I was the only one!

I'm still very much in the Eric camp... Eddie M had that Maceo alto sound early in Prince's career, as soon as Eric appears on stage the sound simpky becomes more complex - if that's not entirely oxymoronic.

Mr. Eric Leeds!!!

Maceo's playing style only fits to certain Prince songs, IMHO.

I would even dare to say that Candy Dulfer fits better to Prince's stuff.

Prost!

Maceo is a good blower, but it's Eric all the way for me.

Th edifference is of course that when Eric met Prince both men were young and could influence each other. Nowadays, we"re talking about older men who both have developped a style of their own. So there's no way Maceo will play the same role in Prince's music the way Eric did. Maceo is always Maceo whether he plays with JB or Bootsy or George Clinton or Prince. And I love seeing those two funk legends together!

Maceo complimented JB's sound, whereas Eric was a symbol of a stylistic change in Prince's music (for the worst in my opinion, Prince with synth is what I crave).

I don't care for Maceo's contributions to Prince's music, really.

Maceo crushes Eric in my EXTREMELY FUNKY, CURRENTLY LISTENING TO THE JB'S, OPINION!

minneapolisFunq said:

eric leeds!