It was such a great concert. Hope you all reconsider.

Because:

1. We've all been to concerts a thousand times better.
2. Because most fans don't care to hear lyrics of our favorite tracks re-written based on religious beliefs.
3. If we want to see awesome concert footage, we'll watch SOTT or Purple Rain.
4. Way too much Larry Graham.

5. Way too much Lenny Kravitz.

6. Way, way, way too much looking like the long lost member of Kris Kross.

7. Kirk Johnson on drums.

That's just from memory -- having only watched the DVD once. I'm sure there are many other reasons, such as possible medleys.

How much better would it have been if he simply released Small Club on DVD?

That was the problem with Prince. He loved releasing stuff that promoted lesser artists -- rather than the great shows where he truly shined. With any luck, the estate will handle things much differently.

I just watched it the other day and boy does the middle of the concert drag. Also Live At The Aladdin Las Vegas blows it away in every way.

Lyric changes

Audience who sometimes looks like they'd rather be doing anything else

Half empty audience

Too much Larry Graham

Some songs went on too long

He's preaching and pontificating

Disjointed pace overall

Looks like it was shot on a shiny new 4-head VCR.

TrivialPursuit said:

Looks like it was shot on a shiny new 4-head VCR.

HEY! I had one of those. Was talked into paying over $400 around 1990 for the new one that had hifi stereo after the sales clerk demoed the spent shells landing on the ground in "Silverado."

Not too long after, my boss gave me the still sealed promotional VHS copy of "Graffiti Bridge." Was so excited to end my shift and go home and watch it. Pretty much the same way I felt while/after watching the Rave DVD though. Ugh.

I guess I'm only a fan of Prince the musician (on-stage). Not Prince the medleyer (yeah, I know that's not a word). Not Prince the preacher. Not the "I-need-a-rapper-and-a-dancer-on-stage-to-be-relevant" Prince. Not the "Hey, check out Carmen Electra" Prince.

I like the Rave DVD. I always skip the guest performances though.

But I like the performances of TGRES, Baby Knows and The Christ (so what if there's a lyric change, get over it). And Prince looks like he's having a great time.

And it's probably my favourite live performance of Nothing Compares 2 U.

[Edited 6/22/16 0:43am]

I've never heard anyone say they don't like it.

.

darkroman said:

I've never heard anyone say they don't like it.

.

This thread is around 7 hours old. No one has stood up for it

I don't think it's that bad, it's just that it was frustrating that so few Prince live performances are/were available in digital format.

I mean, for years it was difficult to get SOTT on a digital format, at least here in the UK. I'm talking around the time that Rave came out. For many years, all you'd find in stores would be Rave or Aladdin. There was no digital release of PR Live, Lovesexy Live, or SOTT available in stores.

Rave 2000 is OK, it has it's moments. But it obviously doesn't compare to things like Lovesexy Live. So it was frustrating that this was so widely available and other things weren't available at all.

I like about half of it but I did always wonder what was up with the crowd? It would seem that a New Years Party by Prince would be a HUGE thing, maybe he is more popular now than back then...or maybe no alcohol was a factor (if it was banned)

I watched it recently and I never realised there was such hate for it.
Yes, he was much better live when I saw him; yes, SOTT is better (But other than stop making sense, I can't think of another concert video that can even compare!); yes, the audience are pretty awful, but for me, it is such a fun album.
I enjoyed Larry Graham in it playing Sly and the Family Stone AND Lenny Kravitz. Prince rocks on all the songs on this album and I think it is a real treat of a DVD since we have over 2 hours of live music here where you can put it in the background when people are over or focus on the performance and it works for either.
I don't see how you can complain when to me, it is just what it is: A full concert party DVD to enjoy, not to outdo SOTT.

suomynona said:

Because:

1. We've all been to concerts a thousand times better.
2. Because most fans don't care to hear lyrics of our favorite tracks re-written based on religious beliefs.
3. If we want to see awesome concert footage, we'll watch SOTT or Purple Rain.
4. Way too much Larry Graham.

5. Way too much Lenny Kravitz.

6. Way, way, way too much looking like the long lost member of Kris Kross.

7. Kirk Johnson on drums.

That's just from memory -- having only watched the DVD once. I'm sure there are many other reasons, such as possible medleys.

How much better would it have been if he simply released Small Club on DVD?

That was the problem with Prince. He loved releasing stuff that promoted lesser artists -- rather than the great shows where he truly shined. With any luck, the estate will handle things much differently.

TrivialPursuit said:

Lyric changes

Audience who sometimes looks like they'd rather be doing anything else

Half empty audience

Too much Larry Graham

Some songs went on too long

He's preaching and pontificating

Disjointed pace overall

Looks like it was shot on a shiny new 4-head VCR.

TrivialPursuit said:

Audience who sometimes looks like they'd rather be doing anything else

.

Most of the audience were VIPs who were ushered in first while fans were waiting outsite in freezing temperatures.

BartVanHemelen said:

BartVanHemelen said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Audience who sometimes looks like they'd rather be doing anything else

.

Most of the audience were VIPs who were ushered in first while fans were waiting outsite in freezing temperatures.

This used to really piss me off when he used to let this happen, and he must've known about it.

suomynona said:

darkroman said:

I've never heard anyone say they don't like it.

.

This thread is around 7 hours old. No one has stood up for it

Love it. The editing is too fast and choppy but I think it's a great show.

suomynona said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Looks like it was shot on a shiny new 4-head VCR.

HEY! I had one of those. Was talked into paying over $400 around 1990 for the new one that had hifi stereo after the sales clerk demoed the spent shells landing on the ground in "Silverado."

Not too long after, my boss gave me the still sealed promotional VHS copy of "Graffiti Bridge." Was so excited to end my shift and go home and watch it. Pretty much the same way I felt while/after watching the Rave DVD though. Ugh.

I guess I'm only a fan of Prince the musician (on-stage). Not Prince the medleyer (yeah, I know that's not a word). Not Prince the preacher. Not the "I-need-a-rapper-and-a-dancer-on-stage-to-be-relevant" Prince. Not the "Hey, check out Carmen Electra" Prince.

.

i am HOWLING.

After all the hype and heralding of "Emancipation" as the album he was born to make, 3 CD's, 36 songs etc..., I was sorely let down with the album. It was my first out and out bummer as a Prince fan since becoming a fan in '82. However, there were still enough solid tracks to salvage the whole project. Then the mediocrity (IMO) continued..the JOTY and NPS tours were good..but only good, the NPS and Rave albums were meh and then....the Rave 2000 concert. Just misguided for all the reasons previously mentioned. The worst version of Prince: Preachy, cocky, medley-ing, pretentious (him and annoying Larry taunting the crowd for "thinking it's 1984" only minutes after he opens the show with a trio of songs from the mid-80's; that silly slow motion crowd surf to the piano). And then..what should have been the highlight of the show: The "last" performance of 1999. Completely botched: Silly drawn-out beginning to incite a crowd that, as has been mentioned here, could really care less. Terrible arrangement. Atomized version of the song itself, lyrics. Needless cameos by co-hosts of "The View" And you only get to see all this through the most needlessly rampant quick cuts that threaten to provoke seizure. Awful. Luckily, again for me at least, this was the nadir.

I enjoyed most of the live performance. The whole of it was mighty contrived, music video-ish. It really in no way had the vibe of a real concert. However, I HATE the super-slo-mo time-lapse moments. Just one of those is way too many. I believe the same technique was used on the Santana Superstition DVD. Cringe.

BartVanHemelen said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Audience who sometimes looks like they'd rather be doing anything else

.

Most of the audience were VIPs who were ushered in first while fans were waiting outsite in freezing temperatures.

There were also reports of long waits between sets, and since it was filmed over two days, the audience changes, as does their energy.

pdiddy2011 said:

I enjoyed most of the live performance. The whole of it was mighty contrived, music video-ish. It really in no way had the vibe of a real concert. However, I HATE the super-slo-mo time-lapse moments. Just one of those is way too many. I believe the same technique was used on the Santana Superstition DVD. Cringe.

I remember that being a huge bone of contention once it came out 5 or 6 months later. They usually didn't make sense, nor did they highlight anything interesting.

The whole thing looked like a Bud Light backyard concert party that someone in Des Moines won by calling into a radio station.

pdiddy2011 said:

I enjoyed most of the live performance. The whole of it was mighty contrived, music video-ish. It really in no way had the vibe of a real concert. However, I HATE the super-slo-mo time-lapse moments. Just one of those is way too many. I believe the same technique was used on the Santana Superstition DVD. Cringe.

Yeah, that slo-mo crap was ridiculous. The slo-mo made it impossible to show to friends.

"This thread is cracking me up"....Me too. In the "purple and black" days of the org, many were raving (no pun intended) about how great and fantastic "Rave" was. Sixteen years later it's looked upon not so highly... My favorite part of "Rave" wasn't even anything in the show...It was the TV promo where he asked if "you were doing anything on New Year's Eve?"..and then wailed on the guitar over a quick sample of "1999".

Militant said:

I don't think it's that bad, it's just that it was frustrating that so few Prince live performances are/were available in digital format.

I mean, for years it was difficult to get SOTT on a digital format, at least here in the UK. I'm talking around the time that Rave came out. For many years, all you'd find in stores would be Rave or Aladdin. There was no digital release of PR Live, Lovesexy Live, or SOTT available in stores.

Rave 2000 is OK, it has it's moments. But it obviously doesn't compare to things like Lovesexy Live. So it was frustrating that this was so widely available and other things weren't available at all.

Exactly. We get Rave and Aladdin here in the states -- but we never got Lovesexy Live in NTSC format. Just made no sense whatsoever.

lynx said:

I like about half of it but I did always wonder what was up with the crowd? It would seem that a New Years Party by Prince would be a HUGE thing, maybe he is more popular now than back then...or maybe no alcohol was a factor (if it was banned)

It wasn't shot on New Years Eve, that's why.

https://www.princevault.c..._Year_2000

KingSausage said:

I remember a buddy of mine (who I was supposed to go with to both nights' tapings) bragging about how he can be seen several times throughout the video. I was like, dude, that's embarrassing. This video SUCKS. You should not want to be seen encouraging Prince to be lame.

Don't tell me he was that douchy guy right up front with a fedora, a goofy grin on his face, and a drum stick beating on the barrier.

chaos96 said:

After all the hype and heralding of "Emancipation" as the album he was born to make, 3 CD's, 36 songs etc..., I was sorely let down with the album. It was my first out and out bummer as a Prince fan since becoming a fan in '82. However, there were still enough solid tracks to salvage the whole project. Then the mediocrity (IMO) continued..the JOTY and NPS tours were good..but only good, the NPS and Rave albums were meh and then....the Rave 2000 concert. Just misguided for all the reasons previously mentioned. The worst version of Prince: Preachy, cocky, medley-ing, pretentious (him and annoying Larry taunting the crowd for "thinking it's 1984" only minutes after he opens the show with a trio of songs from the mid-80's; that silly slow motion crowd surf to the piano). And then..what should have been the highlight of the show: The "last" performance of 1999. Completely botched: Silly drawn-out beginning to incite a crowd that, as has been mentioned here, could really care less. Terrible arrangement. Atomized version of the song itself, lyrics. Needless cameos by co-hosts of "The View" And you only get to see all this through the most needlessly rampant quick cuts that threaten to provoke seizure. Awful. Luckily, again for me at least, this was the nadir.