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Pop Musings
It's 2 bad 4 people wanting Prince hits
Thursday, March 7, 2002
Gary Budzak
Of The Dispatch Staff

File photo
Prince's show Tuesday lacked his hits, and his message was garbled.


On Tuesday, 2,800 people spent "One Nite Alone With Prince'' in a sold-out Ohio Theatre.

Chances are they left either satisfied or wanting more.

While the 2 1/2 -hour performance was by turns intensely soulful, bluesy, jazzy and rocking, something was missing -- the hits.

The show didn't flow smoothly, and the message was sometimes baffling. The third stop in a 29-date national spring tour served to emphasize the indulgences and eccentricities that marginalize Prince in the music industry.

People were still arriving when saxophonist Maceo Parker strode down the aisle at 8:20 p.m. to open the evening with the title track to The Rainbow Children, Prince's latest album.

Prince, elfin-looking in all white (turtleneck shirt, pants and boots), assumed the deep, modulated voice of the album's narrator, as he played one of several guitars. All told, the artist and his band played at least half of the brilliant and deeply spiritual concept album.

"Question: Is it better to be a leader or a follower?'' Prince asked early on. A lucky few in the audience who answered correctly -- a follower -- were allowed to follow the musicians onstage to dance up a storm.

As a bandleader, Prince was fun to watch. He might request a "C minor groove,'' and then follow along on keyboards or guitar, obviously enjoying the instrumental jams and solos. He and Parker were joined by trombonist Greg Boyer, drummer John Blackwell and bassist Rhonda Smith plus a keyboard player.

Prince sang many songs by other people. After playing the guitar riff from Love Rollercoaster and hearing the audience roar, the 43-year-old Minnesotan said teasingly, "You all are showing your age!'' and then sang a verse. Then there was Sly & the Family Stone's Sing a Simple Song, with Prince, Smith and the horn section on vocals. Another surprise was Joni Mitchell's A Case of You.

Many of the falsetto-laden ballads, including Adore, were saved for the encore.

Unfortunately, the selections jumped around -- covers, jams, Rainbow Children tunes and solos. The forays ate up time and took the wind out of a hot opening.

More important, the sprawling song selection came at the expense of the man's hits.

He did perform Raspberry Beret, Take Me With U and When You Were Mine, but folks hoping to hear Purple Rain or Let's Go Crazy (among the shouted requests) went home unfulfilled.

It goes back to the artist's query -- leader or follower? Certainly, Prince is a leader musically, so why not perform at least some of the tunes that made him that?

"If I get deep, you better get your scuba gear,'' he said at one point. Although this isn't the place to analyze his beliefs, expressing them didn't improve the concert. Perhaps it is best to focus on Prince's main message, which closed the evening: "Learn to love God, and learn to love one another.''

The show was good, but it could have been so much better.

Copyright © 2002, The Columbus Dispatch

xst again

"More important, the sprawling song selection came at the expense of the man's hits."

Well, considering Prince hasn't had a "hit" in about 7 years or more, I'm damn glad it did...

It's statements like this one, meant to sum up an entire concert, that make the writers at the Columbus Dispatch an embarressment to this city.

funny, if he did a show of "hits" ppl would bitch,
& if he does a show of jazz & jamming ppl bitch.
wtf?
poor guy can never make every1 happy.

zrzrzrzr said:

hey, you can't send a fan to review a show, all objectivity goes out the window. TRC has no radio airplay, and the shows are being promoted on Top 40 radio stations that don't play any Prince music past D&P (if they go that far at all), what do you expect? i'd bet a full 1/3 of the crowd doesn't even know TRC exists. the general public is hearing about the show, buying tickets, and getting blindsided by the message from the stage, which could be construed as the bully pulpit. had the (small and nondescript) newspaper ads warned people about this not being a "hits" tour, we wouldn't be hearing people complaining about others complaining about the lack of hits. fortunately i've been doing my homework, watching this tour unfold, these reports do nothing but reinforce my decision not to attend a show. have fun, y'all...

It's almost seems like these critics are disappointed that Prince hasn't become the embarrassment that Michael Jackson has become.
Prince is performing a brilliant, thought-provoking, fun, relaxed show and if it was Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan, the critics would be praising it to the heavens.
Prince, once again, has proven that he is so far above what the music industry has been giving us that the critics just aren't able to accept it. They must think all Prince fans are idiots, incapable of proces sing new thoughts or ideas.
And it sounds like the response of the fans attending the shows is far different from some of the music critics reviewing the shows. I guess after reviewing endless Britney, N'Sync and other crappy pop shows, Prince is definitely a kick in the head.

Your review was good, but it could have been so much better.

All you had to do was stick to giving your opinion -- good or bad -- of the actual concert you witnessed, not the one you want or you think the audience wants. That’s what striving for objectivity is all about.

If this concert is being advertised on Top 40 radio and in the newspaper with no mention of it not being about hits; then I agree, this is pretty poor move on the part of Prince and his camp. They did not, however, hide this fact in the press release.

If I'm thinking about putting $200 down on a couple of tickets to a concert, I’m not going to rely solely on commercials to tell me whether or not I should attend. I'm going to do a little research first.

There are a couple of press releases out there that are easy to find that give a pretty good indication that this show is not about the “hits”. And if you don't have access to the Internet you can always ask Ticketmaster, as they most certainly have a copy of at least one of them in their possession.

And, of course, after the first concert, there is no longer any doubt what the concert is about, now is there? But I guarantee there will be people at the yet-to-be-sold concerts that will be angered that he isn’t playing the hits.

A few years ago Chaka Khan toured with a jazz-only show. It was clearly advertised as a jazz-only show. But, nevertheless, Chaka had to put up with morons booing, screaming for "I Feel For You" and "I'm Every Woman", and leaving pissed and asking for their money back at almost every concert.

Never underestimate the depths of human stupidity.
[This message was edited Fri Mar 8 0:05:46 PST 2002 by Novy]
[This message was edited Fri Mar 8 0:08:54 PST 2002 by Novy]

feel4u2k2 said:

I totally agree, I was at this show, it was fantastic!!!!!Prince has so so so many JEALOUS people surrounding him. As for the people "dissapointed", at the show, i have this,GET OVER IT!!!!! TRUE FANS would never have dished up such BULLSHIT!! Can i play my guitar?Yes you can baby!!!!!

This reviewer is why people have a "cowtown" image of Columbus. He needs to get out of hte 80s and get a clue!

why do these critics spend so much time on what prince should have done rather , thanjudging what he did. why not just take what he gives u 4 what its worth.,the man is tired of playing the same shit 4 20 years guys. he wants 2 grow and experiment. im glad he follows his instincts rather than listening 2 the whinning crtics wanting 2 hear purple rain 4 the 100th time.lets c what else is up his sleeves.remember this is a rock and roll mozart let him create.

You just can't please all the people all the time. I love the hits, but at the same time I don't want Prince to go the way of these 80's pop shows that seem to be springing up recently, faded popstars living in the fame of the past. Though I think he would do better to throw in a couple of the very biggest famous hits, or have a first half 'hits' show, and a second half 'new' show, then fans could just leave halfway if that's all they want!

On the one hand, I like that Prince is talking to fans at soundchecks and seeing what they want, I'd certainly love to have a chat, on the other, I think catering to people is dangerous, better to satisfy yourself and if it's good people will follow eventually.

Message to the Columbus Dispatch:
Try sending someone who actually understand music to review the next concert in your town. Not some college intern that probably just read a quick press release of the concert before attending.

And I often agree with critism against Prince, especially if it has merit and/or is from someone who knows their stuff, but this guy....gawd...it's embarassing for the newspaper with the way he pieced this review together.

Lame. Glad I don't have to read this rag everyday.

From now on I am no longer reading any reviews! They either make me very angry or very jealous! Enuff! I will decide for myself when I see him.

Who's going to the NYC show? I think I"m road trippin it...I'm not waiting around for a Boston date.

ketchup-headed columnists....

feel4u2k2 said:

Very well said...I sincerely doubt that any of these critics would have bothered to say that a Dylan concert is disappointing because "Like A Rolling Stone" or "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" didn't get played...

Most critics DO get Prince, though...and aren't very bothered by the lack of "hits" on this tour...but you will run into the occasional critic who can't see Prince beyond the top 10 singles he's had...to them he's a "pop star" first and foremost, and as such is expected to play pop songs and singles that everyone knows and loves already...I'm glad Prince said "fuck it" to the hits and is doing a tour like this one..hopefully the next time he tours the "where's the hits" mentality will have lessened, and be replaced with one that will say "another far-ranging and experimental tour from Prince".

I hear he's standing on his music instead of piano's which is what any body as talented as he should do. some critics need 2 read the world of Duke Ellington as he explains how important it is 4 a musician 2 experiment and play what he feels rather than subcumb 2 the demands of fans and critics. one has 2 grow if he wants 2 stay at the top of his or her game. without experimentation u cant u will only sound like your former self or others on the radio. thank god prince loves 2 take chances i hate when he tries 2 please everyone with that everday pop he can write in his sleep. bring on the experiments such as trc.what a well put 2gether piece of album. ready 4 another one.

This guy is the biggest dumbshit. I cannot this asshole still has a job. Every review that I have read from him is complete crap and so far off base it is not even funny. His review for the Prince Concert is a prime example of his ineptness and stupidity.