Here's a review of the Denver concert from the Denver Rocky Mountains News newspaper.



A royal show from Prince (April 25, 2001)

By Mark Brown, News Popular Music Critic



"Call the baby sitter," Prince advised the crowd Tuesday night. "We're going to be here a while."



It was an offhand remark, probably one he makes in every town, but it's telling about where Prince is today. His audience has grown up along with him, and plenty of baby sitters did rake in some money as the show ran late.



But it also showed a generous appreciation for his crowd, a nod to those who've stuck with him as his career took decidedly noncommercial twists.



A Prince concert can be an indulgent mess at times, and it can be skimpy on the hits. At Magness Arena, he struck a perfect balance, mixing in huge hits (Little Red Corvette, I Wanna Be Your Lover) along with his best songs (Housequake, I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man) and jams and rare material (the Internet-only new single The Work).



Kicking off with Controversy and never looking back, Prince was by turns relaxed, enthused and fiery.



Backed by a stripped-down (by his standards) six-piece band, Prince couldn't re-create every nuance of his studio works, but made up for it with a grit and edge that's been lacking in some of his work of late. Adding sometimes-sideman Maceo Parker on the sax put more soul into the show than he's had in years.



Cream came off much better live than in its sterile studio version, and a dirty guitar solo dropped in the middle sure didn't hurt. Stellar guitar work also made his new (if truncated) version of I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man a stunning highlight.



Perhaps the appreciation for the crowd comes from the fact that his relationship is just with them now. He doesn't work for major labels anymore, selling his music directly to his fans.



"I'm not with a record company anymore," he said to cheers from the crowd. "If you don't have a computer, get one. Download some funk."



Perhaps the most touching moment, though, was a non-scripted one when he invited some women onstage to dance during Housequake and pointedly included a little girl who could be no more than 7. At the song's conclusion, he tenderly carried her back to her parents' arms. It's a moment that couldn't have happened on his more-lascivious early tours or in the choreographed perfection of, say, the Lovesexy tour. The Prince the sold-out crowd saw Tuesday night is one far more in touch with his music and his humanity than in the past -- and far less a royal pain.



Contact Mark Brown at (303) 892-2674 or

brownm@RockyMountainNews.com.



http://www.insidedenver.c...69,00.html