pureTsexy said:

I was absolutely amazed at how much better the Welcome 2 America concert was earlier this year, than The Musicology concert in 2004. It's as if he had this sudden burst of energy. The sound was better, the music was better, the dancing was definitely better, the lights, stage... everything. Anyone else that experienced both these tours have an opinion?

i have been to niether, but have seen many. i would have to say W2A,(welcome 2 america,canada,austria,europe,etc..) Musicology was a great tour no doubt, i would maybe even say the music was better during the musicology tour. but as far as the show as a whole, deff. W2A.

I saw the Musicology tour when it went throough Pittsburgh, PA and Columbus, OH. I saw the Welcome tour in New Jersey on Dec 17th. The musical selection for the Welcome 2 America tour was shorter than for the Musicology concerts that I witnessed. I was impressed during the Welcome tour because it was the first time that I saw Sheila E. in concert and it was the first concert that my son who turned 17 the previous day got to experience. That being said during the Musicology concert in Columbus, OH, I was front row and was able to speak with John Blackwell during the slow part of the concert and Prince gave me a high five after he came off stage performing his last song.

http://www.princevault.co...pril,_2004

http://www.princevault.co...pril,_2004

http://www.princevault.co...mber,_2010

Can't believe anybody would choose the Welcome 2 Shelby Shouting Put Your Hands Up 200 Times a Night Tour over the Musicology tour. Sure, he gave LA and a few other cities 3 hour shows, but he has done multiple shows that clock in between an hour and 30 minutes to an hour and 50 minutes. If you count all the cover songs, and all the ridiculous Shelby crowd hype, you barely get Prince actually singing for more than an hour. Also, he hardly ever sings during Kiss...he just holds the mic for the crowd to sing. Most Musicology shows were over 2 hours, and most shows featured Prince singing full length songs without the background singers taking over. Other than Soul Man and the occasional cover, Musicology was a solid Prince show. Nobody was shouting crowd hype to the level of Self-Parody. The best parts of Welcome 2 Shelby were songs like Shh that were rehashes of the Musicology tour anyway. Welcome 2 was better than the 1997-2001 shows, but that ain't sayin' much.

Not really a contest, Musicology wins by a mile.

The sampler set of W2A tour is Prince Karaoke verses Prince acoustic set during Musicology wins just because it's live music.

Musicology was more Prince centered. W2A included more background/group singing, which took shine away from Prince.

W2A was shiny and flashy more so than Musicology but which sold more tickets on tour?? Ahem, Musicology.

Don't get me wrong I enjoyed W2A.

"Welcome 2 America". Why no play 'America' on this tour? This tour very good! Yis yis.

My sense is that Musicology was more consistent. W2A varied among really good and terribly mediocre shows. I saw an Oakland show that significantly better than Musicology for the die-hard fan, the show with The Santana Medley (and, uh, Santana himself as well). Even having a great time at the Musicology show in 2nd row seats, I'd have to admit that a Santana Medley and Babmi show would have been better. I also saw a San Jose W2A show that was the least inspired Prince show I've ever seen -- not bad exactly, but not a good show for Prince. Musicology seems to me, night after night, to have been better than the San Jose show, but never as good as the Oakland show. I don't say that because I have heard a majority of bootlegs, just from reading reactions and seeing that the setlist was very stable (with only the Zep cover rotated in...instead of Shhh? maybe?)

Musicology is the only Prince tour I've seen so for me it is the best

Musicology was a humble Prince compared to the Welcome 2 shows which features a far more eccentric Prince. I prefer the hits arrangements more in the Welcome 2 shows. Replaced horns with synths which do the hits justice. The live arrangements are as close to the original releases as I've ever heard them.

dm3857 said:

pureTsexy said:

I was absolutely amazed at how much better the Welcome 2 America concert was earlier this year, than The Musicology concert in 2004. It's as if he had this sudden burst of energy. The sound was better, the music was better, the dancing was definitely better, the lights, stage... everything. Anyone else that experienced both these tours have an opinion?

i have been to niether, but have seen many. i would have to say W2A,(welcome 2 america,canada,austria,europe,etc..) Musicology was a great tour no doubt, i would maybe even say the music was better during the musicology tour. but as far as the show as a whole, deff. W2A.

You have been to neither but you feel capable of judging the quality of both? Interesting.

LittlePurpleYoda said:

dm3857 said:

i have been to niether, but have seen many. i would have to say W2A,(welcome 2 america,canada,austria,europe,etc..) Musicology was a great tour no doubt, i would maybe even say the music was better during the musicology tour. but as far as the show as a whole, deff. W2A.

You have been to neither but you feel capable of judging the quality of both? Interesting.

i watched Many musicology shows and Many Welcome 2 shows.. therefor i have seen both tours, just never attended, to young around musicology era and the Welcome 2 shows never came close enough in the states.. like i said before, as far as the music goes.. Musicology wins hands down.. the acoustic set is beautiful, the band is great, everything is just absolutley amazing.. But as far as excitment and prince danceing being entergetic and as a performer.. i would say Welcome 2 America...

ive never been to a superbowl.. only watched them on television.. so i guess im not capable of talking about the quality of the game.. give me a break.

kewlschool said:

Not really a contest, Musicology wins by a mile.

The sampler set of W2A tour is Prince Karaoke verses Prince acoustic set during Musicology wins just because it's live music.

Musicology was more Prince centered. W2A included more background/group singing, which took shine away from Prince.

W2A was shiny and flashy more so than Musicology but which sold more tickets on tour?? Ahem, Musicology.

Don't get me wrong I enjoyed W2A.

I vote for Musicology.

You know what? The Musicology tour was "GREAT!"

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Musicology and W2 are both great for different reasons.

Pros of Musicology -

1. Horns were awesome.

2. A lot more of Prince on vocals.

3. The acoustic set was unbelievable.

4. By the end of the tour, it was a tight machine.

Cons of Musicology -

1. It was basically the same set every night, which after a while gets pretty boring (for a Prince show). I guess I, as a fan am so used to him switching it up every night.

2. Only one encore with 1 to 3 songs.

Pros of W2

1. If your lucky, you can catch a 4 hour show, not like Musicology, where you knew you weren't going to receive that privilege.

2. Like someone said, the hit arrangements are a lot truer to the originals.

3. Prince plays the hits in full (i.e. Kiss, The Beautiful Ones, Nothing Compares 2 U, Adore, Little Red Corvette), unlike the Musicology tour where most of them were truncated. Even the Sampler Set sometimes included a full band and he played When Doves Cry and Sign in almost complete form, and jams for 5 minutes or more on Hot Thing.

4. The lighting on W2 is beautiful and a lot more intriguing and entertaining than on Musicology.

5. Most songs he did on the acoustic set are performed with a full band on W2 (i.e. Cream, Little Red Corvette, Peach, Adore, Alphabet St., I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man, Sometimes It Snows In April, etc.)

6. You're likely to hear a lot more rarities on W2 than on Musicology (i.e. Bambi, Something In The Water (Does Not Compute), Joy In Repetition, The Dance Electric, 17 Days, etc.)

7. A lot more impromptu jamming on W2, which sometimes can turn into stuff of genius, on Prince's part.

Cons of W2

1. Too much backup vocals, including Shelby J.

2. Way too many covers.

3. Some shows can be mediocre, while others fantastic which is not so fun.

4. The Sampler Set is not worth anything on most shows.

5. Prince is a lot more self-indulgent on this tour.

pureTsexy said:

Hmm.. seems like different experiences for the same tours. I have to say, the Welcome 2 concert I saw, was hands down, the greatest concert ever. My wife, who wasn't really a Prince fan, was awe struck! She became a fan that night. A friend of mine also went to see him, just so he could say he saw prince live.He even said it was the greatest concert he's ever seen. Shelby is quite annoying, but to me, Prince was more himself than he was during musicology. He rocked hard! Danced like the prince of old(minus the piano leaps and splits) and was as flamboyant and funky as ever! Musicology, he was too stiff, too calm, and didn't really let loose.

Damn I just wanted to read the comments not make one. I DISAGREE with you about Prince being too stiff, calm, and didn't let losse on the Musicology tour. That first night at the LA Staple center, he kinda was because it was his first night, but the rest of the tour when that tour got off to an excellent start and Prince seen it was gonna be a succssful tour, he was burst of energy, confidence, he came out of his shell during the acoustic sets and he definitely let loose.