I definitely feel that Prince is better live than on CD.

When 'The Rainbow Children' was released I didn't like it. I tried listening to the album a few times but I just wasn't feeling it. Then when Prince was coming to play live near me, on the European leg of the 'One Nite Alone' tour, I decided to buy a couple of bootlegs of the gigs he had played on the US leg of the show and all of a sudden the songs that I had thought of as boring on CD came alive and blew me away.

I now regularly listen to live shows from the 'One Nite Alone' tour but never listen to 'The Rainbow Children'.

Marco81 said:

Is there any kind of control on how many useless negative threads need to be open daily just for the sake of complaining? Can we just have a sticky "prince is over and done" thread so that all moaners can enjoy their time together and have a big party?

I don't think the original poster is being negative. I think they are expressing the valid view that Prince is even better live than he is on CD. There are plenty of live performances of Prince songs that are far superior than their studio versions.

Sorry, I replied to the wrong thread...

dmcl1971 said:

Marco81 said:

I don't see this as a negative thread either. I have always thought Prince live was better than on studio versions, in most cases. It's more funkier, better guitar solos, and just better more raw. When he used to play the new material live on past tours, I'd always get into the studio track more too.

[Edited 3/8/14 14:03pm]

strawberrybubblegum said:

That's what I personally feel. I am talking post Rainbow Children on album. He hasn't put anything out that makes me think wow .. But every time I see him live i think I mean there have been some snippets of tracks here and there but nothing has blown my socks off. Am i alone? I used to come and read here a lot and last time I had an account was when he did 21 nights. Now I worry I will go back to the desert and have to listen to mediocre tracks that make me wonder is he still my man.. Until he plays live again!

I agree wholeheartedly. The best albums in the 21st Century has released has been "The Rainbow Children" and "Lotus Flower". I love those albums because he put aside the drum machines and synths long enough to record songs using live instrumentation and most of the music was played in real time. I always felt he never made enough use of his great touring bands for records. This 22 piece band sounds great live and but the real challenge for Prince is incorporating their talents to record big music for an album project.

There have been a couple songs it took me a minute to recognise (different instruments or what have you) and LOVED live that I didn't pay as much attention to before. Let's Work is one of the songs he does live that I like better than on the record (although I really like the recorded version, too.)

Lordy said:

But the opposite is sometimes true. "Alphabet Street" and "3121" always sound better on record/CD than live.

I think "Take Me With You" does, too.

Playing songs live is different for any artist. You have the ambience of the room, the crowd, the energy, the loud instruments... Some artists are great live and some are awful. Prince is, IMO, great live and his live arrangements of songs tend to be different than on the albums. I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever heard Prince having an "off" night on any of the live material I have of him.

IMO all of Prince's songs were better live at one time....now not so much

He lost his enthusiasm for the studio, but he clearly still gets a kick out of playing live.

2020 said:

IMO all of Prince's songs were better live at one time....now not so much

.

Do you contribute your opinion to a lack of skill or the new arrangements (like Lets Go Crazy)?

.

[Edited 3/26/14 18:16pm]

on all counts...

'dre

Some songs yes. As of lately that seems to be the direction we are heading.

Marco81 said:

Is there any kind of control on how many useless negative threads need to be open daily just for the sake of complaining? Can we just have a sticky "prince is over and done" thread so that all moaners can enjoy their time together and have a big party?

good one...a negative nelly sticky...

strawberrybubblegum said:

That's what I personally feel. I am talking post Rainbow Children on album. He hasn't put anything out that makes me think wow .. But every time I see him live i think I mean there have been some snippets of tracks here and there but nothing has blown my socks off. Am i alone? I used to come and read here a lot and last time I had an account was when he did 21 nights. Now I worry I will go back to the desert and have to listen to mediocre tracks that make me wonder is he still my man.. Until he plays live again!

No ur not alone, I feel exactly the same. Thats why I wish (and i've said it many times b4) that Prince should only release live albums with newer material. His studio material just ain't that good anymore

[Edited 3/27/14 6:45am]

Bambi82 said:

2020 said:

IMO all of Prince's songs were better live at one time....now not so much

.

Do you contribute your opinion to a lack of skill or the new arrangements (like Lets Go Crazy)?

.

[Edited 3/26/14 18:16pm]

P is still the best live performer of our time IMO and still has plenty of skill but not always amazes me when he plays live like he used to. He still has many moments of awesomeness but not a huge fan of the new arrangements and even the FunkNRoll was not as awesome as it could have been

2020 said:

Bambi82 said:

.

Do you contribute your opinion to a lack of skill or the new arrangements (like Lets Go Crazy)?

.

[Edited 3/26/14 18:16pm]

P is still the best live performer of our time IMO and still has plenty of skill but not always amazes me when he plays live like he used to. He still has many moments of awesomeness but not a huge fan of the new arrangements and even the FunkNRoll was not as awesome as it could have been

.

It took a while for me to love LGC Reloaded but now I think I like more than the original. I didn't like what he was doing with the "I only want to see you bathing in the Purple Rain" line in PR there for a while but I think he's quit that now. IDK, I think I just look at it as him trying to keep it exciting. Can you imagine playing the same songs for three decades? I can't. I would have to switch it up from time to time.

Bambi82 said:

2020 said:

P is still the best live performer of our time IMO and still has plenty of skill but not always amazes me when he plays live like he used to. He still has many moments of awesomeness but not a huge fan of the new arrangements and even the FunkNRoll was not as awesome as it could have been

.

It took a while for me to love LGC Reloaded but now I think I like more than the original. I didn't like what he was doing with the "I only want to see you bathing in the Purple Rain" line in PR there for a while but I think he's quit that now. IDK, I think I just look at it as him trying to keep it exciting. Can you imagine playing the same songs for three decades? I can't. I would have to switch it up from time to time.

I'm glad you like the reloaded LGC because I find it bland (It lacks the energy drive the song needs). Where as the "reloaded" (slow down) version of Little Red Corvette is awesome just like the orignal is awesome. (Sorry I busted in on your conversation )