it's Newbie Friday on the org!

as for the cd...no comment.

I suppose it's a rather good set but there were a lot of downsides to it
as well.

First up, it is not a complete concert. It's all cut up which is a shame.

Second it doesn't sound live enough. I can barely hear the audience on
the albums.

Beyond that, it's cool enough.

Yet, for some reason I have listened to it maybe 4 or 5 times since I
got it when it was first released.

I don't know, I just can't get into it.

The aftershow disc shows signs of greatness but they're snowed under
by the big steaming pile of filler of the guest performances.

All in all, I guess you'll not regret buying it but I hope you'll get
more enjoyment out of it than I did.

If you really are a newbie and you haven't got his 2001 album
called "The Rainbow Children" yet than I suggest you'd buy that
one first.

It's one of the best albums he ever released.

IstenSzek said:

I co-sign Isten's assessment.

But I've definitely been spoiled with bootlegged recordings of amazing concerts. Compared with the incredibly fantastic live recordings I've heard, ONA pales. It may sound different to someone without anything to compare it to.

FunkMistress said:

Yeah, like someone who hasn't had the advantage
of two functioning ears

IstenSzek said:

Damn.

ok... here I go...

I say: Get it!
One, Two, Three cd's of Prince, LIVE!
with THIS band, playing long songs, jazzy material,
some classic Prince songs, a full piano medley,
a whole disc of aftershow recordings!.....

All recorded on the 2002 ONA tour which also
features great live versions of some of the best
songs from The Rainbow Children.
I know ppl feel different ways about this album
and the music Prince was doing at this time, but
for me his focus on musicianship and the tightness
of the band make for awesome listening
a must buy for enjoying more of Prince's musical dynamics!
get it get it get it get it get it get it!!!


...just my opinion though

chewymusic said:

100% agree!

Think wisely before your purchase as well - this is a 3CD set, so buy it second hand. If you don't like it, you won't have lost much money or you can recoup your outlay by selling it on.


PorterUk.

Rich319 said:

Do you know what bootlegs are? There are at least eight from the ONA tour which wipe the floor with the official release. The third aftershow disc is very good though.

Its a decent set. The medley of balads on the 2nd disc as well as the Aftershow are fantastic. The preachier parts of the set make make me cringe, so it's not an album I can listen to all the way through and enjoy.

There is definitely something kind of dull about it to me. But it really all depends on how much you like his "jazz" phase.

Contrary to the previous posts i don't like the medleys at all

There is no live vibe whatsoever with this CD set.

It's like a collection of sub-standard re-recordings with a quiet crowd noise dubbed on in the background.

The third CD is what makes it, but even then, there are an infinite number of superior bootlegs available.

ONA Live was a great opportunity missed. And it shows just how out of touch Prince is with what his audience wants.

I echo much of what is being said here... After hearing numerous ONA shows from "unofficial sources", I thought 'There's no way he can mess this up." I remember driving an hour to reach a store that got it a week early, putting it in the car player and saying..."Dang!"

Sickly sterile, with no warmth, and some positively terrible version choices. It was bad enough he chopped up shows, but the stuff that he actually chose leaves you scratching your head: Shortened version of Everlasting Now, poor piano medley (his voice on I Wanna Be is distractiongly scratchy), HCUDCMA is ruined by his patronizing exchange with a fan, the guitar, solo in When You Were Mine could be his worst on an offical release.

Given that, I'd say "Get it" He's Prince, he rocks...





P.S. ONA Chicago or Buffalo are dizzingly good!

IstenSzek said:

who would u rather ear a lot of babbling fans or prince.the audience always spoils live recording so whats the use of worrying about the people u dont see on the cover?
[Edited 10/15/04 18:45pm]

i've been really into this recording these last few weeks! my favorite track right now is 1+1+1 is 3. it's so funky it had me smiling all the way to the city this morning. and it always cracks me up to hear him say "i'm talking about THEOCRATIC ORDER are you WITH ME TONIGHT??" hearing these tracks live made me reconsider "the rainbow children" and now it's one of my favorite prince albums.

ONA is quickly becoming my favourite tour, and as a document of it this is a mixed bag. As was mentioned before this CD and the DVD that was later released were badly missed opportunities. The problem however was the sheer diversity of the set lists and versions of songs played on the tour (both US & Europe & japan) will have caused a selection headache for prince. hes mentioned before how he hates live albums because they become the "definitive" statement to a performers live work, and an album could never scratch the surface of the Prince Live Experience, so i think this album was always destined to disappoint a large selectiobn of core prince fans who'd heard all the bootlegs.

However on its own merits, apart from the lack of audience noise and the odd dodgy song selection, it really is a nice album to put on. To have this show in soundboard quality was what excited me so much and certain songs Ive played again and again (When U were Mine, Rainbow Children). My one complaint was that he removed all covers such as A Case Of U, Pass The Peas, Love Rollercoaster and Whole Lotta Love. To me these songs were highlights of the show, and to remove them so he'd not have to pay any royalties was a real shame, and quite cold of prince I thought.

As a prince collector the CDs are a must, as a fan, I dont think theyll disappoint, but if your simply a casual fan I do think youd be better investing your money in something like the rainbow Children as mentioned before.

If you are into Prince besides the hits, then of course u should get it. The above criticisms are all founded on truth but despite not being perfect it still has several great moments and lots of good ones. Personally though I much prefer the DVD

When i rated songs 4m this album i discovered it has got quite a lot 5 stars on it:

Joy in Repitition
Alphabet st/ Peach
Girls and Boys
Nothing Compares 2 U
Extraordinary
Cool on the other side of the pillow

all in all i listened to it more then any other prince album from this century...

why can't I get into the aftershow disc on this set? It sounds like some generic kmart prince aftershow with no edge to it...

Rich319 said:

- Some parts of it are disappointing, but of course it´s worth it. The ´Joy in Repetition´ version is worth the CD alone.

101 said:

- You forgot the TRC track...

Also if you're interested there is a thread on this topic from about a month ago called ONA to buy or not to buy (or something like that...) - I don't know how to insert the link... sorry