October 3rd 2003 Friday Review of The Guardian newspaper UK
*** out of ***

According to the introductory spiel, this 2002 gig was a private party gatecrashed by a few thousand fans. Decide for yourself if that sounds plausible, but there's no denying that the concert has a friendly, intimate feel. Prince's band are as razor sharp as his suit, as they weld decades of music history into an efficient, stylised performance.
There are James Brown yelps, Sly Stone drum-breaks and Parliament-style guitar solos. Yet the groove frequently acquires a jazzy smoothness more reminiscent of Weather Report or even Steely Dan.
The disc features a previously unreleased track, U Want Me, along with a version of Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love. Prince may now be more entertainer than innovator but no one could claim that he has forgotten how to be funky.
-James Griffiths

It was *** out of ***

Just to be accurate!

3 stars out of five...???!!!

Makes a change that the quality of picture was not mentioned...

'Spending your life critisizing another mans work, is such a waste'.

Rock on...

entertainer rather than innovater? has this guy even listened 2 TRC or NEWS?

tez said:

nice review man

This was a damn good concert,but a few more gems as song selections would have made it even better.why not she loves me4me?why not style or muse or some other song with a serious groove, we did not need 2 c take me wit u.waste of space.hell he could have played space.whatever, it seems his song selection is whats cutting him down mainstream 2me.more people would dig him if he got more air play, but he makes selections like take me wit u,got a broken heart,{damn near 8yrs old]and a half ass version of money dont matter and has the audacity 2 list it as a song on the dvd.
prince is a trip,but he could use someone in the band 2 add some song selections 4 him.still my man,he just picks bad songs to release as singles and put on disk.

getwild007 said:

My thoughts exactly!!! Other than that, good review. Thanks for posting...

bohemia said:

As much as I love both albums, they are not really groundbreaking or innovative. It's high quality music, but it brings nothing that hasn't been done before. So I have to agree with this reviewer...

Is anyOne else who can play Jazz and be so funky???!?!
enlighten me...

that was a great tour...I wish he played those shows here in Oz.

I have never seen Prince play like that b4, so I'd have 2 say;
It IS ground breaking.

and no one else could do it like that!

getwild007 said:

- wow...there is NOTHING innovative about none of these albums. I like them a lot, but it´s not innovation.

I agree with the reviewer the concerts were great the one i saw at the Hammersmith Apollo was fabulous. But on watching the video it is entertainment and really shows little new that he hasnt done before. Not a knock just a fact.

His new albums are good but won't set the jazz world alight.

Perhaps his new thing is in the cabaret cicuit! Nothing wrong in that.

Or he should produce other artists his use of sound is really superb.

I think having the "Hit & Run" tour on DVD would have been more entertaining. I also think it would have had a broader appeal in terms of sales.