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WHEN his guitar play was the best Emotionally/Technically? for me..
SOTT was the time when his guitar play was the best TECHNICALLY and Lovesexy Era was the best for me Emotionally.. what do u think? [Edited 5/21/09 0:07am] Sometimes It Snows in April... | |
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Technically during the NUDE TOUR and NOW.
Emotionally LOVESEXY by far  | |
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great thread. I can't comment on 'technically' , I'm sure the musiciam orgers will do that, but for me emotionally I would have said duringLovesexy...The Cross floors me and holds me emotionally every time.
However, I have to say that Prince's guitar playing hasn't peaked yet to my ears. He seems to be developing and using different playing styles even now. Lotusflow3er/ Colonized mind amongst others hold me emotionally. The Shhh performance recently put up on P's site has to be 'up there' for me.  | |
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80spfantwp said: He seems to be developing and using different playing styles even now. Lotusflow3er/ Colonized mind amongst others hold me emotionally. The Shhh performance recently put up on P's site has to be 'up there' for me.
i agree... Sometimes It Snows in April... | |
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Technically is right now. Hands down. This is not debatable. It's fact. Emotionally ? That's a weird question . When you play any musical instrument you are expressing emotion . Prince has always been able to do that better than most. Very few guitarists know how to hold a note quite like Prince. If you meant 'inspired' , I would have to say that Prince's most inspired playing took place in the mid 90's when he was fueled by the anger he had at Warner's. |
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Being a musician myself i can say it does have strongly to do with opinion and taste. Even when it comes to technicality. I mentioned the nude tour because he seemed to be very focused with the guitar. When he performed songs like Bambi you could really see how very talented and versatile he is on the guitar (from funk to raw rock.) I also mentioned now because today prince is at his best ever and has learnt a lot. He seems to have lots of influences from many great guitarists on the instrument now. I find he has everything from Al Di Meola, George Benson, Steve Vai, Hendrix Santana and even a touch of SRV in his clean sound (Like in the Dreamer intro) and he is playing cleaner, better and faster than ever. He has overcome the wall that limits one on the instrument and his possibilities now are much more unlimited to what he wants to do. This is something every musician must over come and it takes years and years of hard work but once you overcome it you have the reward of being able to do almost anything you please and as you mentioned his recent Shh performance from Coachella. That was a fantastic performance and one of his best ever. It makes it even more extreme knowing that he is a multi instrumentalist that masters so many instruments so well.
Now i say Lovesexy for his emotion(but keep in mind when ever you or he plays its emotion/Lets take it as him showing the most emotion while playing) because you could really see every time he hit a note he did it with pure passion and emotion and that you could hear through the guitar and by his looks when he played. He let the guitar do the singing
LV2 [Edited 5/21/09 0:29am] | |
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heebong said: for me..
SOTT was the time when his guitar play was the best TECHNICALLY and Lovesexy Era was the best for me Emotionally.. what do u think? [Edited 5/21/09 0:07am] Always man, always. Coming from a guitar player. Always. | |
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heebong said: for me..
SOTT was the time when his guitar play was the best TECHNICALLY and Lovesexy Era was the best for me Emotionally.. what do u think? [Edited 5/21/09 0:07am] I think the Undertaker shows his skills best, although Lotusflow3r comes very close, emotionally i think the post-SOTT/Lovesexy era showed his emotional depth, also in his guitar playing; think just my imagination at small club....  | |
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101 said: heebong said: for me..
SOTT was the time when his guitar play was the best TECHNICALLY and Lovesexy Era was the best for me Emotionally.. what do u think? [Edited 5/21/09 0:07am] I think the Undertaker shows his skills best, although Lotusflow3r comes very close, emotionally i think the post-SOTT/Lovesexy era showed his emotional depth, also in his guitar playing; think just my imagination at small club.... Yeah but we need to keep in mind Technicality. His undertaker sound was very dirty and unpolished. Some will like that but a lot was very unclear and on songs like Bambi he just had a lot of effects that made lots of noise making it sound very special when in fact it was not that great IMHO | |
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Lovesymbol2 said: Being a musician myself i can say it does have strongly to do with opinion and taste. Even when it comes to technicality. I mentioned the nude tour because he seemed to be very focused with the guitar. When he performed songs like Bambi you could really see how very talented and versatile he is on the guitar (from funk to raw rock.) I also mentioned now because today prince is at his best ever and has learnt a lot. He seems to have lots of influences from many great guitarists on the instrument now. I find he has everything from Al Di Meola, George Benson, Steve Vai, Hendrix Santana and even a touch of SRV in his clean sound (Like in the Dreamer intro) and he is playing cleaner, better and faster than ever. He has overcome the wall that limits one on the instrument and his possibilities now are much more unlimited to what he wants to do. This is something every musician must over come and it takes years and years of hard work but once you overcome it you have the reward of being able to do almost anything you please
and as you mentioned his recent Shh performance from Coachella. That was a fantastic performance and one of his best ever. It makes it even more extreme knowing that he is a multi instrumentalist that masters so many instruments so well.
Now i say Lovesexy for his emotion(but keep in mind when ever you or he plays its emotion/Lets take it as him showing the most emotion while playing) because you could really see every time he hit a note he did it with pure passion and emotion and that you could hear through the guitar and by his looks when he played. He let the guitar do the singing
LV2 [Edited 5/21/09 0:29am] He certainly masters the Hendrix, Santana idiom, but George Benson? Benson at his best is a jazz great. Where do you find examples of Prince reaching this level? Prince's playing can be jazzy, but do you really think he masters the jazz vocabulary? For a great video of Benson and Santana playing together, have a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/wa...JzqOi2Abjc Great emotion by both, but very different styles of playing. | |
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when he played the leno shows and ellen recently and he was pulling them faces whilst playing the guitar as he normally does, the emotion didnt look real 2 me
he was trying 2 look like he was really getting in2 it, but it didnt look convincing, 2 me anyway..... | |
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emotionally: TGE / Gold era
technically: the more recent years / currently stylistically: Dirty Mind / Controversy / 1999 -era | |
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tafnap said: when he played the leno shows and ellen recently and he was pulling them faces whilst playing the guitar as he normally does, the emotion didnt look real 2 me
he was trying 2 look like he was really getting in2 it, but it didnt look convincing, 2 me anyway..... You might be right but this could be explained by it being in a relatively unatmospheric TV studio. Give him a live audience of a few thousand and I betyou he bounces/feeds off the crowd a lot more and so gives more. Maybe... Just somewhere in the middle,
Not too good and not too bad. |
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Yeah. The faces on the Ellen -performance seemed a bit forced. Nice performance nevertheless, even if he didn't really deliver his best on the guitar. | |
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Difficult to say. Listening to Lovesexy right now... there's some great guitar in that...
The things that impress me the most aren't the guitar solos (although those are great too)... For example, the clean guitar in I wish U Heaven, really sounds sweet. | |
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chrisslope9 said: Technically is right now. Hands down. This is not debatable. It's fact. Emotionally ? That's a weird question . When you play any musical instrument you are expressing emotion . Prince has always been able to do that better than most. Very few guitarists know how to hold a note quite like Prince. If you meant 'inspired' , I would have to say that Prince's most inspired playing took place in the mid 90's when he was fueled by the anger he had at Warner's.
Great thread! This right here is dead on. "He's a musician's musician..." |
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Emotionally: Joy In Repitition-ONA aftershow
Just My Imagination-'88 aftershow Purple Rain-'85 Syracuse(the rhythm guitar intro he did before he switched to the cloud was awesome.) Emotionally/Technically:  Hate U - The Gold Experience.
hearing that song i'm like this:   | |
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marxisreal said: Lovesymbol2 said: Being a musician myself i can say it does have strongly to do with opinion and taste. Even when it comes to technicality. I mentioned the nude tour because he seemed to be very focused with the guitar. When he performed songs like Bambi you could really see how very talented and versatile he is on the guitar (from funk to raw rock.) I also mentioned now because today prince is at his best ever and has learnt a lot. He seems to have lots of influences from many great guitarists on the instrument now. I find he has everything from Al Di Meola, George Benson, Steve Vai, Hendrix Santana and even a touch of SRV in his clean sound (Like in the Dreamer intro) and he is playing cleaner, better and faster than ever. He has overcome the wall that limits one on the instrument and his possibilities now are much more unlimited to what he wants to do. This is something every musician must over come and it takes years and years of hard work but once you overcome it you have the reward of being able to do almost anything you please
and as you mentioned his recent Shh performance from Coachella. That was a fantastic performance and one of his best ever. It makes it even more extreme knowing that he is a multi instrumentalist that masters so many instruments so well.
Now i say Lovesexy for his emotion(but keep in mind when ever you or he plays its emotion/Lets take it as him showing the most emotion while playing) because you could really see every time he hit a note he did it with pure passion and emotion and that you could hear through the guitar and by his looks when he played. He let the guitar do the singing
LV2 [Edited 5/21/09 0:29am] He certainly masters the Hendrix, Santana idiom, but George Benson? Benson at his best is a jazz great. Where do you find examples of Prince reaching this level? Prince's playing can be jazzy, but do you really think he masters the jazz vocabulary? For a great video of Benson and Santana playing together, have a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/wa...JzqOi2Abjc Great emotion by both, but very different styles of playing. Yeah saw that video, great one Any how, i said george benson (not because he uses his hollow body signature) But i did mention him because if you look at songs like strollin/U want me live at the aladdin las vegas you can pick out some george benson influenced sound with the jazzy ballad tone. Quick mellow licks. Prince is a much too underrated jazz guitarist. Thats because he has done few jazz guitar things. If you listen closely to the few he has done though you will be very surprised
P.s i never said it was as good as george bensons playing in terms of jazz but in his jazz i hear this influence and your talking to a Benson fanatic here
[Edited 5/21/09 8:10am] [Edited 5/21/09 8:15am] | |
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The Lovesexy Era.
In the 90's he spent too much time with the Zoom stuff and the harmonizers and nowadays he needs to leave the whammy bar alone. "The first time I saw the cover of Dirty Mind in the early 80s I thought, 'Is this some drag queen ripping on Freddie Prinze?'" - Some guy on The Gear Page | |
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LoveSexy tour - Europe - "Purple Rain"
Can someone say chills?! That's when I fell in love with the song "Purple Rain"  I swear the words "HATER" is wayyy over-rated...smh | |
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I would the learned muso's here to comment on their opinion on P's guitar playing on the scandalous sex suite. I love it- very 'raw' emotion. sounds like he's expressing his sexuality thru the instrument... | |
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Lovesymbol2 said: marxisreal said: He certainly masters the Hendrix, Santana idiom, but George Benson? Benson at his best is a jazz great. Where do you find examples of Prince reaching this level? Prince's playing can be jazzy, but do you really think he masters the jazz vocabulary? For a great video of Benson and Santana playing together, have a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/wa...JzqOi2Abjc Great emotion by both, but very different styles of playing. Yeah saw that video, great one Any how, i said george benson (not because he uses his hollow body signature) But i did mention him because if you look at songs like strollin/U want me live at the aladdin las vegas you can pick out some george benson influenced sound with the jazzy ballad tone. Quick mellow licks. Prince is a much too underrated jazz guitarist. Thats because he has done few jazz guitar things. If you listen closely to the few he has done though you will be very surprised
P.s i never said it was as good as george bensons playing in terms of jazz but in his jazz i hear this influence and your talking to a Benson fanatic here
[Edited 5/21/09 8:10am] [Edited 5/21/09 8:15am] Yes, some solos Prince does on the Aladdin video seem influenced by George Benson and sound jazzy. It's been a while since I saw this DVD, but when I first heard these solos they struck me more as being "composed solos" than as real jazz improvisation. Wow, you think Prince is underrated as a "jazz guitarist"? Now I think, not claiming to be a jazz specialist at all, that Prince can compose in his head lines and solos which sound like jazz, but I don't think I've ever seen him improvise, spontaneously, on jazz changes. Maybe if he studied that "language" he could, but to claim he can be a "jazz guitarist" seems, in my opinion, to be quite an ambitious statement. The best counterexample to show he can play jazz would be the Madhouse albums, but it seems he recorded almost all of the tracks himself, at least for the first album, and let Eric Leeds play the saxophone solos. So even there it's difficult to say what was just composed and what really is improvisation. Maybe people who are more knowledgeable about jazz than I am can throw some light on this, especially Prince's piano playing on that first Madhouse album. Sometimes Prince's solo on Blues in C (Lovesexy Tour) is claimed to be proof of his ability to play jazz, but those quick lines sound more like arbitrary chromatic lines to me, than Prince consciously playing jazz scales on those chords. I also once saw a clip of a rehearsal during the Musicology tour where the band is playing a jazzy piece, and Candy Dulfer very convincingly plays some jazz lines (her father was a well known Dutch jazz saxophone player), while Prince's solo afterwards by contrast sounds quite stale and uninspired, and he remains within the boundaries of his more pentatonic and blues style of playing, as if he was in foreign musical territory. | |
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marxisreal said: Lovesymbol2 said: Yeah saw that video, great one Any how, i said george benson (not because he uses his hollow body signature) But i did mention him because if you look at songs like strollin/U want me live at the aladdin las vegas you can pick out some george benson influenced sound with the jazzy ballad tone. Quick mellow licks. Prince is a much too underrated jazz guitarist. Thats because he has done few jazz guitar things. If you listen closely to the few he has done though you will be very surprised
P.s i never said it was as good as george bensons playing in terms of jazz but in his jazz i hear this influence and your talking to a Benson fanatic here
[Edited 5/21/09 8:10am] [Edited 5/21/09 8:15am] Yes, some solos Prince does on the Aladdin video seem influenced by George Benson and sound jazzy. It's been a while since I saw this DVD, but when I first heard these solos they struck me more as being "composed solos" than as real jazz improvisation. Wow, you think Prince is underrated as a "jazz guitarist"? Now I think, not claiming to be a jazz specialist at all, that Prince can compose in his head lines and solos which sound like jazz, but I don't think I've ever seen him improvise, spontaneously, on jazz changes. Maybe if he studied that "language" he could, but to claim he can be a "jazz guitarist" seems, in my opinion, to be quite an ambitious statement. The best counterexample to show he can play jazz would be the Madhouse albums, but it seems he recorded almost all of the tracks himself, at least for the first album, and let Eric Leeds play the saxophone solos. So even there it's difficult to say what was just composed and what really is improvisation. Maybe people who are more knowledgeable about jazz than I am can throw some light on this, especially Prince's piano playing on that first Madhouse album. Sometimes Prince's solo on Blues in C (Lovesexy Tour) is claimed to be proof of his ability to play jazz, but those quick lines sound more like arbitrary chromatic lines to me, than Prince consciously playing jazz scales on those chords. I also once saw a clip of a rehearsal during the Musicology tour where the band is playing a jazzy piece, and Candy Dulfer very convincingly plays some jazz lines (her father was a well known Dutch jazz saxophone player), while Prince's solo afterwards by contrast sounds quite stale and uninspired, and he remains within the boundaries of his more pentatonic and blues style of playing, as if he was in foreign musical territory. Haha no another benson or Scofield i doubt. He is not that jazz improv master but he can play some nice licks if asked to im sure Though you are right prince has his focus on his bluesy rock pentatonic style. He is more of a santana or hendrix than a benson and i absolutely know what you mean with a little out of place or foreign musical territory that is sooo very common if you hear and look closely. As long as we enjoy it no? Guitarists will notice this. The general audience wont its a thing of perspective.
Me being very very jazz focused, or so i like to consider myself i can really pick out the jazzy tones of prince in his music and you would be surprised how often it jumps up in songs(at least for me). Yes madhouse is an example for his more jazzy tone but it goes more in direction to a fusion and quicker than you would usually expect for a jazz sound. I like to consider it a mix between meola and benson when he plays his fusion jazzy pieces(i do find it very hard to actually really say what it is when prince plays his jazzy pieces because it is in fact his own sound that he developed over time and is hard to actually compare. Always has some blues in him and his classic rock. Back 2 the Lotus... is a good example of an al di meola sound at around 2:05 you can really hear it. Love 4 1 another! [Edited 5/21/09 16:04pm] | |
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CerpinTaxt said: heebong said: for me..
SOTT was the time when his guitar play was the best TECHNICALLY and Lovesexy Era was the best for me Emotionally.. what do u think? [Edited 5/21/09 0:07am] Always man, always. Coming from a guitar player. Always. 100% agree, ALWAYS. | |
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8-)technically I can't really say maybe the lovesexy era. But emotionally the solo on I Hate U is everything you could ask for emotionally on any instrument . Peace Carmy | |
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SequentusBeta said: Emotionally: Joy In Repitition-ONA aftershow
Just My Imagination-'88 aftershow Purple Rain-'85 Syracuse(the rhythm guitar intro he did before he switched to the cloud was awesome.) Emotionally/Technically: Hate U - The Gold Experience.
hearing that song i'm like this: Cool avatar! I wore out No Need for Alarm back in the early 90's. Del has always been a favorite MC of mine too. I also agree with "I hate U". Eventhough the guitar solo is rather short, it floors me everytime I hear it. It takes that song [in the voice of the guy from Mad TV] to a Whole Nother Level. It conveyed frustration, love and hate all at once. | |
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Lovesymbol2 said: marxisreal said: Yes, some solos Prince does on the Aladdin video seem influenced by George Benson and sound jazzy. It's been a while since I saw this DVD, but when I first heard these solos they struck me more as being "composed solos" than as real jazz improvisation. Wow, you think Prince is underrated as a "jazz guitarist"? Now I think, not claiming to be a jazz specialist at all, that Prince can compose in his head lines and solos which sound like jazz, but I don't think I've ever seen him improvise, spontaneously, on jazz changes. Maybe if he studied that "language" he could, but to claim he can be a "jazz guitarist" seems, in my opinion, to be quite an ambitious statement. The best counterexample to show he can play jazz would be the Madhouse albums, but it seems he recorded almost all of the tracks himself, at least for the first album, and let Eric Leeds play the saxophone solos. So even there it's difficult to say what was just composed and what really is improvisation. Maybe people who are more knowledgeable about jazz than I am can throw some light on this, especially Prince's piano playing on that first Madhouse album. Sometimes Prince's solo on Blues in C (Lovesexy Tour) is claimed to be proof of his ability to play jazz, but those quick lines sound more like arbitrary chromatic lines to me, than Prince consciously playing jazz scales on those chords. I also once saw a clip of a rehearsal during the Musicology tour where the band is playing a jazzy piece, and Candy Dulfer very convincingly plays some jazz lines (her father was a well known Dutch jazz saxophone player), while Prince's solo afterwards by contrast sounds quite stale and uninspired, and he remains within the boundaries of his more pentatonic and blues style of playing, as if he was in foreign musical territory. Haha no another benson or Scofield i doubt. He is not that jazz improv master but he can play some nice licks if asked to im sure Though you are right prince has his focus on his bluesy rock pentatonic style. He is more of a santana or hendrix than a benson and i absolutely know what you mean with a little out of place or foreign musical territory that is sooo very common if you hear and look closely. As long as we enjoy it no? Guitarists will notice this. The general audience wont its a thing of perspective.
Me being very very jazz focused, or so i like to consider myself i can really pick out the jazzy tones of prince in his music and you would be surprised how often it jumps up in songs(at least for me). Yes madhouse is an example for his more jazzy tone but it goes more in direction to a fusion and quicker than you would usually expect for a jazz sound. I like to consider it a mix between meola and benson when he plays his fusion jazzy pieces(i do find it very hard to actually really say what it is when prince plays his jazzy pieces because it is in fact his own sound that he developed over time and is hard to actually compare. Always has some blues in him and his classic rock. Back 2 the Lotus... is a good example of an al di meola sound at around 2:05 you can really hear it. Love 4 1 another! [Edited 5/21/09 16:04pm] I've always been a fan of jazz but I'm far from an expert. To my understanding, the very definition of jazz is that it's built on improvisation, right? So what do you call a piece of music that's written but sounds like jazz? I ask this because I've considered certain Prince songs, such as "She Spoke 2 Me" and "When the Lights Go Down" to be jazz. But if they aren't, then what are they? Also, the subtle guitar lines played throughout Joy in Repetition (which has a jazz feel) and the solo in that song show both great technical and emotional playing. | |
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it seems that most think Lovesexy era was the time when his guitar play was very emotional... Sometimes It Snows in April... | |
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xpertluva said: Lovesymbol2 said: Haha no another benson or Scofield i doubt. He is not that jazz improv master but he can play some nice licks if asked to im sure Though you are right prince has his focus on his bluesy rock pentatonic style. He is more of a santana or hendrix than a benson and i absolutely know what you mean with a little out of place or foreign musical territory that is sooo very common if you hear and look closely. As long as we enjoy it no? Guitarists will notice this. The general audience wont its a thing of perspective.
Me being very very jazz focused, or so i like to consider myself i can really pick out the jazzy tones of prince in his music and you would be surprised how often it jumps up in songs(at least for me). Yes madhouse is an example for his more jazzy tone but it goes more in direction to a fusion and quicker than you would usually expect for a jazz sound. I like to consider it a mix between meola and benson when he plays his fusion jazzy pieces(i do find it very hard to actually really say what it is when prince plays his jazzy pieces because it is in fact his own sound that he developed over time and is hard to actually compare. Always has some blues in him and his classic rock. Back 2 the Lotus... is a good example of an al di meola sound at around 2:05 you can really hear it. Love 4 1 another! [Edited 5/21/09 16:04pm] I've always been a fan of jazz but I'm far from an expert. To my understanding, the very definition of jazz is that it's built on improvisation, right? So what do you call a piece of music that's written but sounds like jazz? I ask this because I've considered certain Prince songs, such as "She Spoke 2 Me" and "When the Lights Go Down" to be jazz. But if they aren't, then what are they? Also, the subtle guitar lines played throughout Joy in Repetition (which has a jazz feel) and the solo in that song show both great technical and emotional playing. Yes the idea of jazz is based on improvisation. This does not mean though that a piece wont be planned ahead and recorded. George benson does not just play some improvisation when he records a song like Affirmation. He does write down a lot and makes sure he plays a certain scale in a certain way. To master jazz though especially live you do need to know how to improvise. So songs like She Spoke 2 Me and When the Lights Go Down can absolutely be considered jazz songs. They have a jazz feel to them. The drums, percussion, piano and guitar all build up a song together that create a jazz piece. So when you talk about a studio version of a jazz piece it does not have to be improvised. What makes a great jazz musician though is to be able to play a great improv and fit into the song and also stand out when requested at any given time The track "Rainbow Children" is also an example of a strong jazz feel with those swinging drums and piano. Just that he plays part jazz guitar in here and also a part that is more distorted and a little more in the direction of blues. So all in all a piece like When the Lights Go Down can absolutely be considered a jazz piece and does not have to be improvised
Consider it this way. Being able to improvise in jazz greatly helps you to record a great piece due to having such a good understanding of soloing and of your guitar your able to write great licks and general pieces. [Edited 5/22/09 1:28am] | |
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Often Prince fans say, you've got to watch Prince live to know what he can do on guitar... I don't agree. I think the really great stuff is on record... his rhythm playing... the fills in the songs... the solos are the least interesting part of Prince's playing imo, although that is great too...
For example, listening to his playing on Lovesexy (the song)... it's just really great what he does with the guitar to keep the groove going... | |
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