rdhull said:

TheFreakerFantastic said:

^ I would put ONA as one of my least favourite eras....I couldn't bear Prince in suits, made him look like a boring business man or a JW preacher. I much prefer the way he is back to his exquisite and colourful outfits now!

I feel opposite as you did. By 2001-2002, it was time to put away the crazy Elton style drag and look decent. Remember right before he had that Rave blue rubber suit and pig tails as his era-look. Gawd, his clothing throughtout the years has been a detriment to his music/musicianship.

That ONA he and the band were dap!

So agre with you on this

I loved ONA look and musicianship

First time I saw Prince was with The Revolution for Parade so would have to say this was 'best' for nostalgias sake

'Best' presented all round visually/ musically/ conceptually would be a straight tie between SOTT and Lovesexy - but actually attended a Lovesexxy show so it wins for that

It's so hard to choose one era - so many great tours

Funklov said:

is it too easy to vote Purple Rain? no other tour can top the event that these concerts were when they happened. Lovesexy was great of course but it was not near the event that PR was. in fact Lovesexy tour was a failure financially

Agreed!

2003 musicology, it was laid back, sophisticated, funky, jazzy quitet, not wild and over the top. but then again, have you seen How come you don't call me in Brissy this year? too damn sexy. the suits make me cringe however, i can't expect him to wear underwear on stage again.

Glad somebody else said One Nite Alone... it was my favorite tour as well. I liked the band, the setlists, that Prince played instruments (IIRC, he didn't play much on Parade tour and others), and that he dressed and acted like a person.

CrabalockerFishwife said:

Glad somebody else said One Nite Alone... it was my favorite tour as well. I liked the band, the setlists, that Prince played instruments (IIRC, he didn't play much on Parade tour and others), and that he dressed and acted like a person.

Right. He didn't play a lick of guitar on the Parade tour. And I don't want to see P if he's not playing guitar. On the ONA tour, he shredded.

gemari77 said:

FunkDr said:

LOVESEXY is the 1, 'til my day is done !!

the greatest tour by anyone, ever...PERIOD !

Sign o The Times amazing too though !

Agreed!! I mentioned in another thread that I'm stuck in this phase--listening to the rehearsals and shows from this period has me enthralled. Amazing stuff!!

VERY educational too, if you're a musician.

agreed..

lovesexy was incredible.

way ahead of its time...

madonna basically copied it on blonde ambition (non stop medleys telling a story of sin and salvation, fucking on the bed, etc) and gets a lot of credit for this new kind of concert experience.

this concert was unbelievable.. i still remember it ... oct 2 1988 MSG...

best concert ever.

itsjustaroundthecorner said:

gemari77 said:

Agreed!! I mentioned in another thread that I'm stuck in this phase--listening to the rehearsals and shows from this period has me enthralled. Amazing stuff!!

VERY educational too, if you're a musician.

agreed..

lovesexy was incredible.

way ahead of its time...

madonna basically copied it on blonde ambition (non stop medleys telling a story of sin and salvation, fucking on the bed, etc) and gets a lot of credit for this new kind of concert experience.

this concert was unbelievable.. i still remember it ... oct 2 1988 MSG...

best concert ever.

Maybe that's why Madonna went to see Prince in NY in 2011. To get "new" ideas for her new tour.

LOVESEXY hands down

so so so far ahead of its time and the breadth and vision was and still is ASTOUNDING

followed by SOTT and ONA

From musicology onwards he went a wee bit commercial again but what the heck!

I've only seen him live twice, but based on footage, bootleg recordings, setlists and band it's probably a tie between:

The Interactive Tour/Ultimate Live Experience Tour (basically the 1994-1995 era)

and the One Nite Alone Tour.

Those must have been great to witness!

Prince - Have never seen

Dirty Mind - Havent seen enough to comment but the little that Ive seen is materbatable!

Controversy - Prince's 1st big production show but still with the rawness of DMind. You couldnt ask for more. FAVOURITE

1999 - A touched up Controversy show. Is that even possible!?

PR - The Revolution at its tightest. So much energy and hits. Another Fav

Parade - Havent seen too many of these, but from what Ive seen, they were funky as!

SOTT - Awesome, but too much jazz and horns for my liking

Lovesexy - Fun. But as Dew said "too many medleys and too over choreographed"

Nude - The beggining of samples and Tony M. Although Question of U is farken amazing in this.

D&P - Worst ever. Over sampled, choreographed, rapping and NPG

Act I & II - As Above

Interactive - Stripped down version of above with better songs

Love 4 One Another onwards is all an NPG blur with slight variations.

Current Aust tour - As above, but with no Larry G and horns section.

From what i have seen, Welcome 2 Australia, but people say the quality is uneven and he is hardly in his prime anymore.

From what I have read probably Sign o the Times or the Parade Hit and Run Tour. Its seems in those hsows he was playing his best music when it was current and he had awesome backing groups. Also a lot of the photos in the Parade era he's leaping about, playing amazing solos and wearing eye catching zoot suits. In the Sign tour more a band thing.

After these two I would go next for the Triple Threat Tour as Prince was still very hungry here and him and the Revolution would have been playing their asses off after the Time's very polished show.

Then maybe Lovesexy, because of the contrasting parts and just to see him perform Anna Stesia live and again with Cat running around and Sheila E on the skins.

Finally I think Dirty Mind and Controversy tours would have been great (Maybe less polished), but he would have been hungry and raw and there would have been a lot of the guiatr humping and strip tease type schtick that would have been amusing, plus with all the raw punk funk.

skywalker said:

Musicology.

Was gonna chime in with this one. Saw it twice and the band was just tight as hell. It really showcased everything Prince can do musically. Lots of guitar, just enough slow stuff, funk, rock, etc. The acoustic set alone was worth the price of the ticket. I know a lot of people who saw him for the first time on that tour and they all said the acoustic set blew them away.

herb4 said:

skywalker said:

Musicology.

Was gonna chime in with this one. Saw it twice and the band was just tight as hell. It really showcased everything Prince can do musically. Lots of guitar, just enough slow stuff, funk, rock, etc. The acoustic set alone was worth the price of the ticket. I know a lot of people who saw him for the first time on that tour and they all said the acoustic set blew them away.

agreed.. the acoustic part was astonishing.

the whole place singing LRC.........

sometimes it snows......too damn good.

i wish he would do when doves cry acoustic... give some new life to it....

(kind of like how barenaked ladies did it)

motherfunka said:

Dren5 said:

I'll probably get slaughtered for this, but I've always thought the Lovesexy and SOTT tours looked really corny and cheesy - barring the video for "Glam Slam".

I always just really really liked the kinda stripped down, elegant quality of the Nude Tour. Plus he gave some of his best performances during that one "She's Always in My Hair", and "Question of U". I remember the first time I saw video footage of those I kinda sat there like : . If I could time travel as an adult back to any era to see a show, it'd be that one - barring everything, including the Purple Rain era...

The "Parade" phase though...that might come a very close second.

He didn't do She's Always In My Hair on the Nude Tour.

Doubt it.

I saw footage of the Nude Tour from some kind of MTV special on YouTube, years ago, and that was one of the songs they showed him performing.

Dren5 said:

motherfunka said:

He didn't do She's Always In My Hair on the Nude Tour.

Doubt it.

I saw footage of the Nude Tour from some kind of MTV special on YouTube, years ago, and that was one of the songs they showed him performing.

The first time She's Always In My Hair was performed live was at Glam Slam Feb 18, 1993. I was there. The footage that you mentioned was from the Act II tour.

From the tours I´ve attended;

ActII was a great show with a lot of B-sides I never heard live be4,

so this was a great concert 4me!! A greatest hits show.

Nude was my first prince concert, only a few metres from the stage I really enjoyed the

music, stripped down show with good setlist!(The future and Question of U performed live, he never played them live again) A bit short, only 1,5 hour, with bis songs2 hour show.

TGE was a no-hit tour but the funk was good...looking back a weird tour 4 a mega star.

NPS tour not bad, not great...a good piano medley, some hits...don´t remember that much

D&P gets a lot of hate here but it was a decent show...it was the MC Hammer era and this was what was popular at the time. Hate it or love it but this was a very pro-show!!

2010 summer tour was really great. A nice welcome back 2 Europe, hits 4 the first time since years

so it really didn´t bother me he played his old hits. Also a hot summer day that evening in Belgium with heavy rain during Purple Rain...pure magic!!! The end songs were not a good choice,should have ended with some real classix. The concerts he did later that year were even better..it seemed.

Best is ACTII and 2010!!!

Footage I´ve seen;

Livesexy is my fav, listened 2 the tape of the broadcast during the 80´s even more than his regular albums. Love the power of the music, heavy beats and grooves....great Prince!!! Especially the second part;

I know, Glams Slam, Lovesexy, I wish U heaven, The Cross and the hits medley(1999,Let´s gogogo...)best live performances ever 4 real Prince fans!!

Musicology wished I couild have seen this live in the US. Best performance since the early 90´s:

DMSR and the acoutic guitar medley..brilliant!!

Paisley4u said:

(The future and Question of U performed live, he never played them live again)

He plays "? Of U" regularly, usually in a medley/mash-up.

My top 6 fav tours

1999

Controversy

Musicology

Nude

Diamonds and Pearls

Purple Rain

The Purple Rain is my absolute favorite!