Can anyone recommend the best quality Pro Shot DVD boots available for each year ?

I've always sworn by 8-3-83 and 1987's SOTT Preview show, and would recommend them every year. I've heard there is a great version of the old Lovesexy Dortmund show by Fullasoul, but the powers that be have never offered me one, so I doubt I will ever see it to see if it beats my old 1990 VHS version of the show.

1981-Paris and New York show...can't remember which is better, but same shows as the old City Lights boots...video quality off here and there, but for old footage, you can't expect too much....I've heard the Washington DC Controversy show from the same year is great, but never got to see that one as well.

1982-don't really know of anything from this year

1983-First Avenue...one of the Greatest Bootleg videos ever...yes a few minor glitches here and there...Great Show that likely needs little mention here...I have heard there is a version called "The Makings of the Rain," that is supposed to be better than the copy I have from Ladybird.

1984-Garage Rehersal for 26th Birthday Show....not a lot of great closeups, but another legendary video that leaked...lots of great unreleased material played.

1985-Atlanta (January)...a great show, same as the City Lights boots...although the bootleg of the Syracuse show(direct rip from the official Laser Disc) is a better show...but really technically more of a pirate than a bootleg.

1986-Stockholm...I love this show, again another City Lights classic. The Detroit Birthday show is special, but all the editing ruins some of the luster of that for me, so I prefer the Stockholm show, which again...there is some super great version of it, but I've never been blessed with it...but would say Stockholm is the show to get....but I have heard there is a First Avenue show that could be better...but it wasn't shared with me as well.

1987-such a great year for Prince...Now that the SOTT film has been out on DVD for a few years in a super Canadian Release...the best boot has to be "4 Those of U on Valium." I think it was the last time an Album was previewed in this form. The New Year's eve show with Miles Davis may be the most wanted for historical purposes, but the March "Valium" show was the first peek at his new, and in my opinion, best band.

1988-Dortmund...legendary show, and the first tour of his career where he put a major focus on medleys and shortened songs....more so than on the Parade Tour. As much as I hate medleys, this was the only tour it really worked, as the band tore threw these songs going back and forth between songs with ease. As noted above, the Fullasoul show is supposed to be the best version. I bought a pressed release made by a company that usually sticks to U2 boots, and got burned by a really poor quality pressed release...Apocalypse Sound...avoid it at all costs. Someday I will be lucky enough to see the Fullasoul release, I assume.

1989-don't really know of anything from this year

1990-Tokyo...decent show...not much of a fan of the Nude Tour, but it is better than the following tours with Tony M and Doug E Fresh taking valuable stage time.

1991 to 1993...nobody has shared any of these with me yet.

1994-Glam Slam Miami.... or "The Beautiful Experience," from Minneapolis...great time period, but I felt Prince did not get the talent out of a super band that he could've. Like his recent shows, way too many remakes and shortened songs without full lyrics. I like that Purple Rain was in retirement...but as far as this show goes...it is a flawed Satellite broadcast but a very enjoyable show..

1995-Brussels-another remake filled show, but a stunning version of "People Get Ready," starts off a great show.

1996-2001....most of Prince's shows from these years were filled with medleys, poorly shortened songs, and Prince actually avoiding singing at times...There was the brilliant moment thrown in here and there, but unless you love Larry Graham singing Sly Stone songs more than singing Larry Graham songs.... or have some odd fetish for Doug E Fresh...forget this period.

2002-Great Year, Great Tour...but have no DVD boots for it yet. The Cd boots I have show Prince back on earth with a real band playing his new music in full, and staying somewhat close to the original versions.

2004-Musicology LA...billed as the opening night of the tour, but was really 2nd or third show...I think Phoenix and Nevada may have been first, but you can find that on other pages...or Bart Van Halen will correct me in a response, as this post is probably full of little minor errors that will bother him. Very nice Greatest Hits show...in fact..the best Hits Tour he has ever done. For the first time since I can remember...Baby I'm a star doesn't sound like him going through the motions. Let's Go Crazy was still awful with all the saxaphone parts, and he really just shouted Go Go Go without really singing the actual lyrics..a mess...but the return of Controversy, The Question of U, and Shhhhhh was worth the torture of Musicology and Let's Go Crazy...funny after the great 2002 tour, he rarely would ever play new songs...either focusing on his hits, or an endless supply of remakes like he was going to get in a music fight with Rod Stewart for most lame remakes you can fit in one show.

2005-2009...probably the TV appearences DVD is the best choice for these years...the Saturday Night Live performance of "Fury" is as good as it gets for later day Prince. Of course, has treated this song like some sort of awful disease. There was actually a buzz on the internet about how great this performance was...and then he goes out and performs "Get on the Boat," like it is his signature song, maybe playing "Fury" once or twice again...ever. Weak Prince...

2010...just got a pressed release..."Sexy Fado," from the Portugal show...have not seen the whole thing yet, but it looks fantastic for being a hodge podge of You Tube Cell Phone video with a sourced audience recording as the sound. There seem to be tons of Dvd of the 20Ten tour where you will not hear much from 20Ten...another hits tour...very good, but not on the level of Musicology...though rumor has it that the MSG shows in New York were better than the summer European Tour.

Last Note...sorry that I am bitching about not getting all the great boots I mentioned. I did find it funny that on the wonderful data bank site that the reviewer always slammed pressed releases. He would say.."Why pay for what is there for free?" However he got his collection in the billions...I'll never know, but there are not people knocking down my door offering anything...and my computer is not powerful enough to download video of quality worth having...so until somebody does stop by and help me, I will continue to give the bootleggers my money.

stillwaiting said:

I've always sworn by 8-3-83 and 1987's SOTT Preview show, and would recommend them every year. I've heard there is a great version of the old Lovesexy Dortmund show by Fullasoul, but the powers that be have never offered me one, so I doubt I will ever see it to see if it beats my old 1990 VHS version of the show.

[snip]

Last Note...sorry that I am bitching about not getting all the great boots I mentioned. I did find it funny that on the wonderful data bank site that the reviewer always slammed pressed releases. He would say.."Why pay for what is there for free?" However he got his collection in the billions...I'll never know, but there are not people knocking down my door offering anything...and my computer is not powerful enough to download video of quality worth having...so until somebody does stop by and help me, I will continue to give the bootleggers my money.

help? offered? if you want it, go find it and get it yourself like the rest of us.

stillwaiting said:

1982-don't really know of anything from this year

1999 tour at the Summit in Houston, TX 12/29/82 with the Time as the opening act. Pro shot, multi-angles, soundboard audio, and a kick ass show! It ends prematurely with "Automatic" and more than likely he performed 2-3 more songs.

stillwaiting said:

I did find it funny that on the wonderful data bank site that the reviewer always slammed pressed releases.

No he didn't.

Stop making stuff up.

thank you for posting. looks like i have most of those. i gotta try to check out the 1984 26th bday garage rehearsal if i can find it......

Tks every1.

There are a few I need to pick up on these lists.

errant said:

stillwaiting said:

I've always sworn by 8-3-83 and 1987's SOTT Preview show, and would recommend them every year. I've heard there is a great version of the old Lovesexy Dortmund show by Fullasoul, but the powers that be have never offered me one, so I doubt I will ever see it to see if it beats my old 1990 VHS version of the show.

[snip]

Last Note...sorry that I am bitching about not getting all the great boots I mentioned. I did find it funny that on the wonderful data bank site that the reviewer always slammed pressed releases. He would say.."Why pay for what is there for free?" However he got his collection in the billions...I'll never know, but there are not people knocking down my door offering anything...and my computer is not powerful enough to download video of quality worth having...so until somebody does stop by and help me, I will continue to give the bootleggers my money.

help? offered? if you want it, go find it and get it yourself like the rest of us.

I've probably given away copies of over 500 Prince bootlegs (not different ones, but made 500 copies) for free, including spending time copying tapes and vinyl old school before cd burners. Nearly everyone I traded with didn't have anything I didn't have, but I glady gave away stuff I spent thousands on. Since I hate the quality of downloaded music, I want physical cds and dvds, and yes it is true, nobody offered me anything...I buy the pressed releases. And I'm not really bitching...there is this deep inner circle of fans with every single note Prince ever played who won't share. As a U2 fanatic as well, I've found a few more U2 fans willing to mail out cd and dvd for free...but I like Prince so much more!

Where I was bitching was when the Data Bank guy made it sound like I'm stupid for buying them.

It's not like the Data Bank guy ever got on the phone asking me if I wanted the Fullasoul Lovesexy. Despite that bitching, that guy's website was very helpful in lowering the amount of

crap releases I bought. And his site is missed. TheDigitalGarden and Guide2Prince are very nice and I'm happy they are there...but databank was the best.

[Edited 1/27/11 16:49pm]

^^ Can you expain why you "hate the quality of downloaded music?"

I find that comment intriguing.

[Edited 1/27/11 16:11pm]

.......

[Edited 1/27/11 19:32pm]

stillwaiting said:

I've always sworn by 8-3-83 and 1987's SOTT Preview show, and would recommend them every year. I've heard there is a great version of the old Lovesexy Dortmund show by Fullasoul, but the powers that be have never offered me one, so I doubt I will ever see it to see if it beats my old 1990 VHS version of the show.

Seriously good advice here. I would say this post should be called "Live DVD Collecting 101."

IMHO, if you have these titles on video, plus the official stuff, you've got a good picture of his live shows. The audience-shot stuff is good as a complement to these, if there's something special about a particular show or if there's no pro-shot stuff available.

It's interesting to think, somewhere in Chanhassen, Minnesota, videotapes upon videotapes of live shows shot by Prince are sitting there degrading and collecting dust.

Again, thanks for the list.

Chas

stillwaiting said:

errant said:

help? offered? if you want it, go find it and get it yourself like the rest of us.

I've probably given away copies of over 500 Prince bootlegs for free, including spending time copying tapes old school before cd burners. Nearly everyone I traded with didn't have anything

I didn't have, but I glady gave away stuff I spent thousands on. Since I hate the quality of downloaded music, I want physical cds and dvds, and yes it is true, nobody offered me anything...I buy the pressed releases. And I'm not really bitching...there is this deep inner circle of fans with every single note Prince ever played who won't share. As a U2 fanatic as well, I've found a few more U2 fans willing to mail out cd and dvd for free...but I like Prince so much more!

Where I was bitching was when the Data Bank guy made it sound like I'm stupid for buying them.

It's not like the Data Bank guy ever got on the phone asking me if I wanted the Fullasoul Lovesexy. Despite that bitching, that guy's website was very helpful in lowering the amount of

crap releases I bought.

from what I've seen, the bootleg reviewers only dislike pressed releases for sale when they are sourced from the version that the online community put out for free.

as for the quality of downloaded music, most of it is available in FLAC, which is a lossless format.

and kudos to you for sharing what you have with others. however, almost everything that is available is online. you just have to know where to look. or ask. there's not much point in people sending you something when you can go to the same download link they went to when they got it.

I'll add in my favourites over the years and why...

1981 - Paris 1981 (Habibi) - his voice not as trained as it is now (When U Were Mine sounding extremely raw in comparison to now) and you can tell the band are having a ball - jumping round the stage and generally having a good time. Don't watch this much but when I do it always brings a smile to my face!

1982 - None owned

1983 - The Makings of Rain (Fullasoul/Superball)- just brilliant - words fail me...

1984 - Roadhouse Destiny (Eye Records) - where else are you gonna see "All Day, All Night" in glowing green?!?! A very interesting and pretty loose rehearsal. This DVD also has the truly awful (but awfully good!) Apollonia 6 short film "Happy Birthday, Mr Christian" - which has to be seen to be belived. Campness of the highest order!

1985 - Syracuse & The World (Fullasoul) - A lesson in remastering; truly enhancing a fantastic performance. Rather special..

1986 - Cobo Arena 86 (GSH) - This has history with me. At the time, I recorded it off TV to VHS and played it over and over again. Then - disaster! I left the tape in the video recorder and my stepdad recorded over it. Aaaahhhhh!!!! Ever since, I remembered to take the tab

off, to ensure whatever I recorded stayed recorded! So to have this recording once more just makes it that bit more special. An absolutely fantastic show in one of Prince's peaks over the years.

1987 - New Year's Eve 1987 (Habibi) / 4 Those Of U On Valium (Digital Cruciality Productions) - The former for the "Matthew, come get your rope....modern technology" and then Prince forgetting the words to Auld Lang Syne .. "I got that part!" and then finally getting those balloons

down. Classic! However, I can't not include 4TOUOV - it's just too good not to put in this list.

1988 - Livesexy Uncut (Fullasoul/Superball) - the best concert Prince has ever done - slightly tweaked from how you might remember seeing it first time around. Pulled this out to view again and found that my copy is corrupted, so have had to re-source. A little tip for anybody burning DVDs - don't bother with labels - after time the glue can eat into the DVD. Heard about this issue long after I had burnt this and discovering now how true it is

1989 - Hmmm... nothing from this year either (also a light year for audio with the tail end of the Lovesexy Tour).

1990 - Heerenveen 90 (Fullasoul & Camille) / The Nude Tour Premiere EP (Mighty Miekie) - The first is a complete show and is my favourite DVD of the tour. However, I can't ignore the latter. Coming out in 2008, 18 years after the concert; this is a short, but oh-so-sweet little DVD in superb quality.

1991 - Rock In Rio (complete version) (Fan Release) - only really have this from 1991 (I'm not counting Aresenio Hall Show) - it's OK, I guess. Not one I watch very often.

1992 - Cologne 1992 (Maj) - not a bad show this one. Anything with Prince & Rosie Gaines together can never do wrong in my book.

1993 - Acting Up In New York : 1st Night (Fan Release) - Prince seems very much on form here. A great show and if I want to dig out something from this year, this is invariably first on the list.

1994 - The Beautiful Experience (Fullasoul) / Boogie 2Nite (Enhanced) (Superball) The former is one of my favourite Prince DVDs - I even like the Nona Gaye bits (which I know a lot of peope hate!) . And the latter has Superball showing Ladybird how to really do it!

1995 - London 21.03.1995 (Fan Release) - A great memento of a great tour and I absolutely love this era of Prince's music. A great setlist from start to finish...

1996 - Emancipation Day (Digital Funk Bitch) - Prince's freedom from Warner Bros was celebrated here. Weirdly, I find this a weaker time for Prince's music. Whilst he was fighting with Warner Bros. it seemed to give him a drive that was reflected in his music. For a while after his breakout, he seemed a little off track.

1997 - Philly 1997 (Fan Release) - A decent Jam of the Year here. Again, weaker (IMHO) than previous tours but quite watchable.

1998 - Beautiful Strange (Brave) - More for the interview than the performance. Although I'm not one of these Doug E Fresh haters (Oh My God! album gets regular play in my house) I find it odd that what is effectively a promotional concert is so Prince light. This was a chance for Prince to really show what he can do an is an opportunity missed.

1999 - El Septimo de Caballeria (Superball) - Now this is a bit more like it. A great little concert and an absolutely stunning performance of "Motherless Child" which stays long in the memory. This is Prince getting back on form.

2000 - Philadelphia 2000 (Fan Release) - And so the Hits tours begin. Crammed full of what the audience want to hear from start to finish. A good interim tour and not a bad DVD at all.

2001 - Prince: A Celebration (Digital Funk Bitch) - Very rare for a soundcheck to be captured and its enjoyable to see Prince performing without the mass audience that he plays to. Already had the NPGMC extras but I still enjoy this DVD when I just want a quick watch.

2002 - Hollywood & Highland (Tweak The Technique) - How I wish there was a DVD of his London performance. One of my favourite ever Prince concerts was at the Apollo. Anyway, this is a damn fine substitute. Whilst it is incomplete, it's still an excellent recording and this was Prince with a great band, pumping out music for his real fans; less concentration on "hits" and more on "real music". Fantastic!

2003 - 2KTV - Volume 1 (Brave) - Just for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame alone. Wow! Prince blows everyone else off the stage with blistering guitar work. Whilst many say that he shouldn't have taken such a focal point, I say, go for it! I love this era too and as none of these TV performances were shown in the UK, this was a great watch for me. It's fantastic how the internet age has allowed for global audiences to see TV captures that we would normally only hear about.

2004 - Opening Night (Phoenix) - To my knowledge the only DVD Phoenix have released, but then again, how could you better this? A stunning show with Prince really on form and playing with the audience throughout the show. This is one DVD (well 2, as it's a double) that I can watch again and again and again.

2005 - No bootlegs circulating.

2006 - Beautiful, Loved & Bootlegged (Smoke Boy) - whilst primarily a Tamar show, Prince's contribution is seen and felt all the way through. His guitar work is superb, none more so than on Red Headed Stepchild. I'm also not one of the Tamar haters; shame that Prince neglected her in the end (although they seem to have made up in more recent times) - I'm sure that with the right backing, she could have been a big deal.

2007 - Monarchy In The UK (Millennium Shoplifter / Bada Bling) - Ok, so the DVDs from this tour aren't the clearest and easiest to watch. But, this was a damn good tour and certainly spoilt us Brits! I actually prefer listening to the CDs rather than watch the DVDs from this period.

2008 - Prince & Friends - The Purple Storm (NPR) - Just for the Coachella performance alone. "Creep" has to be one of the best covers he has done in years - making the song his own and not just playing note-for-note. Would love to have been at that show. The rest of the DVD is a mixture of associated artists, which is pretty interesting to see.

2009 - I got nothing here..!

2010 - Party In The Forest With Prince (NPR) - This is a real SOTT - digital recordings brought together to capture a great show in Berlin. Love the reinterpretation of Little Red Corvette and Prince is again in good mood; playing with the audience once more.

2011 - Bring them on!!!

there is also a recording of Antwerp 20Ten floating around. It's not exactly pro-shot but it is an EXTREMELY good compilation of fan made cell-phone recordings, synched to the best available audio-recording. Brilliant stuff, Extremely long concert with a lot of rarities being played (Dreamer, the Love We Make, brilliant intro to controversy and a really excting bass-battle between Prince and Ida (the latter the winner IMHO))

Basically all the fall-shows are available as dvd's; there's also a compilation DVD with the highlights of the 20Ten tour going around apparently.....