OldFriends4Sale said:

alright u want 2 go there? okay ...planet earth vs lotusflow3r (hmmmm sonny t and michael b tracks kick ass)

brit awards (te amo and fury were cool the rest :sleep:) vs snl version of fury ..nuff said

minneapolis 7-7-7 wake up when that concert is over will ya? vs the conga room ..oh YEAH U DID WAKE ME UP!!


bottom line is, wendy and lisa r OVERATED but if ur in2 NOSTALGIA of past glory then this is ur cup of tea then. not mine..bring me the FUNK ..bring me the ROCK ..bring me the SOUL of NEW POWER ..bring me the JAZZ ..

every band that prince has had since the break up of the revolution has been better in every way ..

thebanishedone said:

... a tour would make some $ for them and I would not "mind" buying an album with collaborations from the original Revolution.

I don't even care who is playing, I just wanna go to the dang show! Damn!

L4OATheOriginal said:

I knew there was a reason I'm starting to dig that album.

L4OATheOriginal said:

The trouble with this comparison (as I see it) is that the W&L examples have them 'fitting in' with P's current bands (or recordings). The Conga room thing is 'that band' being 'that band'. I can't pass any judgement on their relative merits as I haven't heard all the shows mentioned.

And I suspect a live revolution reunion might be a tad disappointing. An album might be good though, I think W&L would raise his studio game.

I understand why peole yearn for this as Parade and none released material are not only great but also sophisticated. However I always feel there is something inherently weak about the revolution, particularly live. There is just something so drippy about them. Also does anyone else feel that even though it was "Prince and the revolution" that on a performance level thay actually look more subserviant than Princes ongoing musical troupes that have joined him over the years. Prince visually was more of a solo artist when he was actually in a full on a group

jcurley said:

I dunno, they're pretty amazing on the Parade/Hit'n'run shows...

Performance-wise I think they stood out somehow, even non-prince fans probably have am idea of who Wendy and Lisa are. The newer bands maybe take more solos/improvise more but I'm only ever looking at Prince (and perhaps the dancers). Unless it's a 'saxophone interlude'. In which case I'm probably looking at my watch.

I sort of see what you mean about the live sound (although I'm a mite too young to have seen them so I'm only going on what I've heard/seen recorded, and given that recording technology from 20-odd years ago isn't as flattering as what we have now, so I'm prepared to be a bit forgiving) and his more recent bands do appear, technically speaking, far more accomplished. Unfortunately they feel the need to prove this by inflicting inordinately long jazz solos onto innocent pop songs.

But I still think a live reunion would be underwhelming...too much time gone now. They've all drifted this way and that and the hype would be smothering.
[Edited 9/2/09 4:28am]

L4OATheOriginal said:

Preach on.




Preach on.










Preach on.

jcurley said:

musical technology in 1984 was different than in 1994 or 2004

so sounds are going to be very much different, and Prince's musical style was much different. Most of the live music in the 80's sounded like the albums. Listen to the SOTT & LOvesexy shows, the music was much less then lives shows in the 90's or 2000,

Technology

L4OATheOriginal said:

I wasn't going there, I was saying, how can you compare a album where people sent musical parts by mail to a live show, You can't.
I'm not comparing those 2 albums: I love Lotusflow3r over Planet Earth, I love it over Musicology & 3121 as well

My favorites of the 2000's are Rainbow Children Lotusflower because in my opinion it sounds like Prince music, as well as it has a cohesive flow to it, not Prince trying to play every genre of music on 1 album LotusFlower more particular than MinnSOund because it seems to have a themed concept

Planet Earth Wendy &/or Lisa may have added some pieces, but they didn't 'play on the album' same with Sheila E

Again, I've heard shows he's done recently that blew out shows he did in the 90's

I've heard shows from 1982 1983 1984 that blow away stuff he's done in 2007 - 2009

My favotite shows will always be the ones where he plays Prince music, not those Blues Soul and Chicken review shows where Shelby covers someone else and you think you've been transported to a Suger Shack jam

simonthetimes said:

You're not 2 young to have knowledge, and you do

You hit the nail on the head, technology from 74 is not as good as 84, 84 isn't as good as 94 and so on

I don't see how people jump to compare bands live sound from different eras without considering musical technology,

My brother has worked in that area since the 80's and just see what he does I know how far technology has come: wired mics vs cordless mics, wire instruments vs cordless, sound board, drum equipment, speakers etc etc

And I agree, something that made the 1978-1988 bands more spectacular was their rendition of the recorded songs,
Prince music now trying to showcase how good someone can play an instrument with long solos and show off jams that just don't do it for me. I want to hear Prince music

simonthetimes said:

I agree, because most of the recent albums is Prince and someone here and there adding a sample sound or instrument vs a band that rehearsed together

Wendy Lisa & Sheila worked really well with the band during the Brit Show and the Minneapolis triple shows 7.7.07

I just think the bands(protege as well as Prince's bands) had a more visual and Prince connected presence that makes them more interesting than band that followed post Batman
I would love a Prince with the Revolution members on different kinds of sets

like Eric Leeds Sheila E & Jill Jones included
a show featuring:

Sometimes It Snows In April
How Come U Don't Call Me
Condition of the Heart (a full rendition)
God the dance electric
I Wonder U
Splash
Reflections
Tangerine
Power Fantastic


Anotherloverholenyourhead
America
Guitar
Alexis de Paris (I heard a rehearsal of this that competed with the album cut)
God the love theme
I Wish U Heaven
the Lotus
Computer Blue
Dance Electric

Let's Work
Dance 4 Me
Sexuality
Roadhouse Garden
Mountains
Uptown
Girls & Boys
Space
U're Gonna C Me

OldFriends4Sale said:

Ta very much, although I should clarify - I meant I was too young to have seen the Revolution. Sadly I'm still quite old...*sigh*

On a side note (sort of), when he was at the o2 he made a lot of fuss about 'real musicians' and their superiority to backing tapes and samples etc(or at least he did in the early shows...then he started doing that segment where he sang over all the...samples).
Now, as a rule, I'd be inclined to agree. The idea of backing tracks and such doesn't appeal in principal. But I actually think those shows felt less spontaneous than yr average '86 show. The Revolution shows sound like things *could* go wrong, there's an element of danger to them. They actually sound more live. (That said I can see that the anti-Revolution camp might consider the programmed drums etc, a drawback, and I can understand that opinion)
The musicians of recent years are almost too good. You forget they're there. The O2 gigs I saw were still great shows and all, but when he introduced the band I'd forgotten their names before the next song started.

(Of course, memorable doesn't always mean good. Had I seen an early 90's show I'm sure I'd have remembered Tony M's name. No matter how hard I tried to forget.)

Oh and I'd love to see him bring Jill Jones back.

simonthetimes said:

I agree, at times it didn't feel as spontaneous, but having heard the pre-Revolutions band as well as the SOTT/Lovesexy band

then you would have 1st Avenue show like his birthday ones or the ones where he just decided to drop in to do a show as well as the Parade/SOTT/Lovesexy aftershows that were very sponteneous, and raw, but overall I believe the concerts were very rehearsed to the point, but his concerts were like that even after the 80s, but that was how Prince wanted it, not the band.

Prince's whole thing is visual, and there was something about the band, the Time, Vanity 6, the Family, Sheila E Jill that you just got pulled in, everyone was interesting, like a character
[Edited 9/2/09 7:20am]

I've avoided this thread like the plague and I still haven't read anything other than the first post but I will say this, I think that if Prince were to reunite with the Revolution, it would be a disaster. I think everyone has changed too much for it to be anything like it was in 1985. This is a case of something looking good on paper but in reality, it's not all that great. Just look at some of the songs that W&L worked on with Planet Earth. I will also say it would be nice to see Prince play with the band one more time as a whole for a one-off concert but a whole album? I wouldn't be hopeful, but then again, this is Prince. When I thought something of his was going to suck, more often then not, he made me do a 180 and I loved it. If this reunion ever happens, I hope I do a 180 with this.
[Edited 9/2/09 7:25am]

ernestsewell said:

Do you have personal knowledge of this? Were you with Wendy and Lisa at the time this happened?

OldFriends4Sale said:

I can see that-stage freedom etc. however what i meant was the interaction. I saw prince at Wembley Arena in 1986 and his only real interaction was with Wendy. What I am saying is that the revolution come across as just leaden-not just musically but as a presence, they are just too stiff

in one word : disasterous

jcurley said:

Well the band increased in size because Prince wanted to use the Family members, so that was last minute, which changed the dynamic of the band, then the addition of the 3 dancers(Prince did interact with them a lot), He put Brown Mark in the back behind the dancers, Susannah on mic with Wendy, Mico somewhere in the back, Atlanta Bliss & Eric Leeds

the dynamic changed, so yeah stiff could be the word, there was a lot going on, a very drastic change in style and music from 1999/Purple Rain to Parade
even Prince was changing according to his new exposure and fame, he hardly played the guitar, the band seemed to turn into a James Brown soul review

But I also saw many other shows where the band was seriously loose:America live performance (but that also wasn't the Revolution/Family band) that concert was loose featuring songs from ATWIAD, the Love Bizarre live video performance (Sheila E band/Revolution) the band was seriously loose and interactive. But those 2 band were used to each other as well, also having performed and jammed together on the Purple Rain tour

WetDream said:

ALONE Prince would have been cool, but would not be as large as he got ALONE

OldFriends4Sale said:

i'll agree that technology and the musical style plays a huge part of all this. but it also has 2 do with the musicians he employed. sott the album is banging, but the band just PUSHED it more imo and gave it the UMPFH live.

OldFriends4Sale said:

u'll get no arguments from on how lame his shows had gotten since the ONA tour eneded. just recently with the shows he's done this year have kicked my ass and i seriously hope he keeps in this vein. but i do like shelby tho

L4OATheOriginal said:

I'm with U, I think the bands were too big, way too much brass show
He's sized it down and I think it no longer creates visual noise, just too much

I must say I did like the twinz sometime, Shelby to me is just too loud, give me Jill

L4OATheOriginal said:

True,
I was in limbo with SOTT the album because I didn't know of a band yet, until I read an Interview mag review of the show in Europe

I was excited about Sheila E, Dr Fink, Eric & Atlanta, never heard of Boni or Levi, cool with Mico, perked about Cat especially since I put 2 + 2= woman on SOTT single sleave

I don't think Boni had the musical prowess Lisa had, Levi had no presence to me, I would have wished BrownMark stayed(especially after seeing videos and music from his first release) I still could have been cool with Bobby on drums with Sheila on percussion and drums sometimes, I just love her upfront with Prince as well as we missed out on what the Sheila E album would have done(a protege pulled) 2 guitarist Mico & Wendy would have been cool too

4 me the stage set up was killer, that really did something for the music and I loved the look they had

OldFriends4Sale said:

i would say boni was there 4 vocals more than keyboards adding a gospel feel. i knew of levi cause of Romance 1600 live and his bass playing was very cool 2 me. and displayed his chops very well during now's the time and being a part of madhouse as well

ur just a revolution head

L4OATheOriginal said:

U got me, I don't plead the 5th

I just love the whole time with Prince revolved around his band and proteges, the vision, the place it created

I think it would have been cool for Prince 2 have the Revolution as a main band even more so his recording band studio band and then get a second band from the Minneapolis scene

I love the way Sheila & her band would mesh with Prince and the revolution and it just seemed like there was so much happening... I think that's why I kinda got excited when I heard the term protege used with Bria, I was hoping Prince would do more with her(musically that is)

hmmm aybe more grammy wins instead of nominations
mutliplatinum albums

L4OATheOriginal said:

With multiple casualties.