O.K. , yes i accept LG has been a positive influence and apparently a good friend to our man, LG is without question a ledgend BUT come on, it's been 11 years and counting with the same set list over and over and over!. Hell i'd prefer to listen to tracks from the collaboration GS2000 album [If that's what it was called].
Hell even LG must be bored of playing these now!. Then again it's a sure fire way of reducing bootleg sales. Maybe it's part of Princes plan, keep LG , make him play and reduce the boots!.

Those are the ONLY songs lG knows.

Graycap23 said:

so cold...but true. every boot has the same set list...my ipod has the same song set list from different boots ...

Not good.

i cheered with everyone else when Larry and his band opened for prince back in 1998. i danced my ass off to 'thank you for lettin me be myself' and 'everyday people' when i first heard larry play them. (mind you, these songs were classics from my childhood, when they first came out back in the 1970s).

and then, as the years passed, one after another (1998 until now) i have watched first with amazement, then wonder, then disbelief, and nowadays sheer outraged amusement as larry proceeded to play those very same songs, again and again, every time he took the stage

and he's still doing it today! i have NO idea what he's doing with that. none.




.
[Edited 5/3/07 10:24am]

XxAxX said:

This is so crazy to me. Certainly P knows Larry can't keep playing those same 2 songs forever.
[Edited 5/3/07 10:40am]

Jamzone333 said:

thing is he totally kills the bass, i would be happy him joining in a 'normal' Prince set and just let him do his own thing. Old dogs , new tricks I guess.

adorable2 said:

i KNOW!!!!! wouldn't you think at least prince would insist they change it up a little bit, once in a while? but NOOOOO..... check out the reviews of the Vegas sets. he's still playing them now.

i can't help wondering if larry has simply stopped making new music? stopped learning new songs? is he okay?? i really do not understand.

What about the "respect those that came before us" angle?

I'm just throwing that out there. IMHO, it's part of what Prince has been "preaching" to us for awhile now.

Real music by real musician...Here's Larry Graham...

Nothinbutjoy said:

I sort of agree, Larry G. is a true legendary musician. I would still have to argue, I think people here have a good point. Change is good. In Prince world change happens often. Larry G. has been at a stand still for years. Creatively speaking, no new music and he plays the same songs. I always thought it would someday be special if Sly and Larry got back together, then again Larry plays those songs to death.

In some ways thats a problem at this point with umm..Mr.P. Would people care more about a revolution reunion if he didn't play that music from that era year after year?

Larry G. may have brought all kinds of happiness into P's life. Which in a way don't make no sense because the right girl would do that. As for what Larry brought to the NPG? Heck, I don't know if I can name much of anything that I would say Larry G. brought beyond his influences to the NPG music. I just don't care if he is or isn't on bass. I would have to say, I preffer him not to be because Prince starts covering Larry's music!

I think Larry belongs with Sly and the Family. I think I would feel the same way if Prince was mentored by George Clinton, or James Brown. They are legends but have a place, need!

realm said:

I guess what I meant by throwing that out there is that this is what Prince is "preaching" right now.

What I mean by that is, first the message was "Party, Uptown, Sex is Spiritual". Then the message was "I was screwed by Warner Brothers. I want my masters back." Now the message is "Real music by real musicians."

When he gets this particular message out of his system the set will change.

Nothinbutjoy said:

i hear you. and i think it's quite ironic that prince would preach 'real music by real musicians' because larry graham's continual, unending, ceaseless rendition of the same songs is not reflective of real musicianship, imo

Prince experimenting with sound is the bomb. Prince trying to create a hit album is #3 to that. No one really can come close to his ability. Prince experimenting with sound and creating hits, Now thats the bomb!!!

During 3121 he talked about ditching the hits. I would have to ask, "for what?" I'm always for new material. But real good experimental sounding stuff would be cool. But if he releases N.P.G. version 5.5 FUNKY Larry G. Style New Power Generation real music for real musicians music. I think I would rather have the hits because some of them were real experimental with the sound.

What I'm saying is I think he isn't using his ability to the max. This guy should be pulling trains, but sometimes follows them. He may feel like he's gone full circle..and no doubt he can do what he wishes. But with his ability and creativity, we know he could create something out of this world and have it being a hit. And Hit meaning not a bad thing = sounding like everyone else. Hit and sounding like no one else..thats Prince music.

At one time he created different sounding music and that was him being different. Now its letting Paisley Park fall to the ground and getting heavily into religion. Yep, real same music by same musicians. Larry G must move on! Honestly, if he is gonna just let Paisley fall to shit he may as well sell the place to the industry!

my thing is Larry G has some great songs of his own to play, just check out the few best of cds that are out there, he shouldnt have to rely on the same Sly Stone songs, I mean he made "my radio sounds good 2 me" why cant they add that or "hair" to the set?

XxAxX said:

I'm hipped! This is so sad, if I could play like Larry I would take the opportunity to at least create new music. Prince is constantly creating new music. Shoot, I would think that as a musician, he should feel some obligation to at least try to come up with new songs for his own group since Prince has given him a platform.

carlcranshaw said:

He serves his purpose, that's what it comes down to. Carry on, bitch and moan squad.

who knows could b today , morrow, next month, next year , get it done already!

origmnd said:

The purpose he serves is??

Nothinbutjoy said:

Fullfilling the need Prince has to psychicly suck from people?

origmnd said:

Pulling out the origmnd translation dictionary.

carlcranshaw said:

for a while i was really sick of hearing those songs and then, like it went full circle or something, i've come back round to liking those songs again, simply for what they represent.

i feel bad talking about larry this way. i want to add that he is a truly nice guy, i've met him and he radiates kindness and warmth. he seems sincere and down to earth so i can understand why prince would like having him to work with and learn from. plus, he is funkier than that on the bass

origmnd said:

I aint complaining, I love Larry G that is why I want more of his songs

doegx said:

I think that Prince and LG will create a new live set when they feel like it. It's really sad to see people waste so much time trying to tell P & LG how they should play, what they should play etc., etc. I'd enjoy seeing these two anyday!

doegx said:

Thank you, nuff said!

XxAxX said:

I haven't met Larry, but it's obvious that he and Prince have a true friendship.

In the end, when it comes down to one point, I hope and want Prince to have joy and happiness in his life and just do what he wants.

That said, letting go of some of the material that keeps making its way into the current live set and moving on to new and/or different material would be a breath of fresh air.

realm said:

These words make me physically ill...

Nothinbutjoy said:

vampiraclly speaking, of course

Nothinbutjoy said:

wouldn't that be nice? i would LOVE to hear larry's newer, more recent stuff. he tears it up on the bass