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Reply #30 posted 06/21/16 9:56am

OperatingTheta
n

One of the greatest live performers and you are 'disappointed'?

Okay.
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Reply #31 posted 06/21/16 10:03am

mimi1956

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CNickyD said:

I LOVE watching him perform, but I really hate the way he changes up his music, until sometimes tracks are practically unrecognizable. I realize most artists do this to some extent, but Prince takes rearranging to another level. I can never sing along with the song, which it what disappoints me so much... Alas, I'll take whatever I can get at this point. But still!

Well I guess you won't have to worry about that any more.... sad

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Reply #32 posted 06/21/16 10:14am

Genesia

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mimi1956 said:

CNickyD said:

I LOVE watching him perform, but I really hate the way he changes up his music, until sometimes tracks are practically unrecognizable. I realize most artists do this to some extent, but Prince takes rearranging to another level. I can never sing along with the song, which it what disappoints me so much... Alas, I'll take whatever I can get at this point. But still!

Well I guess you won't have to worry about that any more.... sad


Right? neutral

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #33 posted 06/21/16 10:16am

purpledoda

I love his live performances yes

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Reply #34 posted 06/21/16 10:22am

CNickyD

OP here: I've never debated that he put on a fantastic live show. It was a pure spectacle to watch. I just want the songs to be closer to their original! I've seen Earth, Wind & Fire perform (the greatest band EVER) and didn't get that sense from them.

.

(Edited for typos)

[Edited 6/21/16 10:23am]

No-one else could understand you, you're too complex. They say nothing's perfect, but they don't know you...
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Reply #35 posted 06/21/16 10:25am

CNickyD

TrevorAyer said:

I agree ... The medley obsession is really vegas cheesy and kills any momentum a song has ... Unfortunately his extended live versions are just as bad ... He is was more inclined to play one verse and jam on a one chord boring chant than he was to give us 3 verses a bridge and 3 choruses we can enjoy ... To the average ear this may seem impressive but to me it seems lazy and uninspired ... I was happy on the celebration tour when he played full songs but it has been rare that we get more than 10 full songs and its usually the crap like chapter and verse that he plays in full instead of the good songs ... I mean .. I enjoy "the one" but a full version of the question of u would be very satisfying .. I blame his lack of qualified musicians to work with ... He got no pushback on his cheesy medley vegas dreams

yeahthat This guy understands where I'm coming from.

No-one else could understand you, you're too complex. They say nothing's perfect, but they don't know you...
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Reply #36 posted 06/21/16 10:30am

coldasice

That is stupid...no offense. Lol
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Reply #37 posted 06/21/16 10:54am

leslievette

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I totally get what you're saying OP. I can agree to a certain extent. There are some songs that I absolutely adore, and when he'd only sing a line of it I'd be disappointed with the whole arrangement. Nothing wrong with wanting to hear what you know and love the way it is. However, there are also songs that I love and then I heard a live version and was absolutely floored. She's Always in My Hair does that for me, I prefer his live versions 99% of the time. All a matter of opinion. Everyone has their preferences smile

From now on, 4 U I shall be wild 💜
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Reply #38 posted 06/21/16 10:57am

AnnaStesia10

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Wow on this post topic. To each is own I guess. But for me, I love Prince's live performances and I feel a lot of times he sounded better live. And there a ton of songs where I loved the arrangement and difference in the song, where I think he improved upon it. He was so electrifying live it was insane! I am so going to miss his live performances, at least we have alot to view at our leisure. Anyway, I just wanted to say I love his changing the songs live at times. The soul of the song was always there just improved upon.
"A strong spirit transcends rules." - Prince
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Reply #39 posted 06/21/16 11:08am

NorthC

CNickyD said:

OP here: I've never debated that he put on a fantastic live show. It was a pure spectacle to watch. I just want the songs to be closer to their original! I've seen Earth, Wind & Fire perform (the greatest band EVER) and didn't get that sense from them.


.


(Edited for typos)

[Edited 6/21/16 10:23am]


That's why you can see EWF once and be done with it, but you could go and see Prince dozens of times and it was a surprise (almost) every time. But Trevor does have a point: those greatest hits medleys were becoming a little boring. But then he did the piano tour. The guy never stood still. Isn't that why we love him?
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Reply #40 posted 06/21/16 11:14am

AnnaStesia10

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NorthC said:

CNickyD said:

OP here: I've never debated that he put on a fantastic live show. It was a pure spectacle to watch. I just want the songs to be closer to their original! I've seen Earth, Wind & Fire perform (the greatest band EVER) and didn't get that sense from them.


.


(Edited for typos)

[Edited 6/21/16 10:23am]


That's why you can see EWF once and be done with it, but you could go and see Prince dozens of times and it was a surprise (almost) every time. But Trevor does have a point: those greatest hits medleys were becoming a little boring. But then he did the piano tour. The guy never stood still. Isn't that why we love him?


I sometimes feel he performed this greatest hits medley's to get those popular hit performances kinda outta the way and for the benefit of the fans that were into the Prince that was on the charts.
"A strong spirit transcends rules." - Prince
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Reply #41 posted 06/21/16 11:59am

Ahsister

I felt honored just to be in the same room with him when I saw him in concert, just to be breathing air that might've come from him, and as far a his live shows disappointing, c'mon now.

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Reply #42 posted 06/21/16 12:08pm

PeteSilas

it looks to me like he got less overbearing as time went on so the musicians he had backing him pretty much came up with their own versions of the arrangements. In the early 1999/Purple Rain days it was still pretty close to the album version with one exception, Dez Dickerson I think, or maybe it was Jimmy Jam said that prince was always telling them "it's got to be better live than on record" and so it usually was a little different. the time took this lesson to heart and routinely spanked Prince and band on the 1999 tour. But Prince typically made changes too, why? Probably because he kept getting ideas for the songs. As a songwriter, I often get all kinds of ideas for a song after i finish it. it's kind of frustrating but if it makes the song better you do it anyway.

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Reply #43 posted 06/21/16 12:12pm

Genesia

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Ahsister said:

I felt honored just to be in the same room with him when I saw him in concert, just to be breathing air that might've come from him, and as far a his live shows disappointing, c'mon now.


Ya know? He could have played Purple Rain on a polka dot kazoo and I would have been just fine with it. lol

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #44 posted 06/21/16 12:14pm

1Sasha

PeteSilas said:

it looks to me like he got less overbearing as time went on so the musicians he had backing him pretty much came up with their own versions of the arrangements. In the early 1999/Purple Rain days it was still pretty close to the album version with one exception, Dez Dickerson I think, or maybe it was Jimmy Jam said that prince was always telling them "it's got to be better live than on record" and so it usually was a little different. the time took this lesson to heart and routinely spanked Prince and band on the 1999 tour. But Prince typically made changes too, why? Probably because he kept getting ideas for the songs. As a songwriter, I often get all kinds of ideas for a song after i finish it. it's kind of frustrating but if it makes the song better you do it anyway.

I only ever saw him live once, at Mohegan Sun in 2013. It was the third night, which the reviewers called the least favorable of the three shows. I loved seeing him - finally! - but the show wasn't that good IMO. A lot of other singers and artists. Yes, I had heard it was going to be a house party format, but I wanted something similar to his shows of the early 2000s. In fact, I deleted the videos of him (yes, taken against the rules - an usher made me stop) because there just wasn't that much there.

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Reply #45 posted 06/21/16 12:15pm

lakerlaker52

I always liked when Prince would take on the challenge to change up some of his songs. Like Bob Dylan, that means songs can be drastically changed which leads to some failures. Generally, I thought he was brilliant at reimagining his tracks live and many of the quintessential versions of his songs are the live ones.

Handful of tracks never sounded nearly as good as their classic studio versions – "When Doves Cry," "Raspberry Beret," and especially "Kiss" all come to mind.

On the other hand, sounds like "Fury," "Bambi," "Peach," "Sign O the Times," " it's Gone Be A Beautiful Night," all had much more energy and worked better live in my opinion.

I liked how he reimagined the melody of "When You Were Mine" from 1983 to 1988.

"Let's Go Crazy" reloaded was great.

I also usually liked his creative mixing up songs together in his medleys – yeah, I'm that guy!
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Reply #46 posted 06/21/16 12:17pm

NorthC

Here's what The Artist himself had to say about it in Mojo Feb. 1997: "It's just that sometimes I get a better idea for a song, but it's already recorded. Live versions can be radically different from the original version."
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Reply #47 posted 06/21/16 12:18pm

Ahsister

Genesia said:

Ahsister said:

I felt honored just to be in the same room with him when I saw him in concert, just to be breathing air that might've come from him, and as far a his live shows disappointing, c'mon now.


Ya know? He could have played Purple Rain on a polka dot kazoo and I would have been just fine with it. lol

Love that biggrin

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Reply #48 posted 06/21/16 12:25pm

PeteSilas

the version of "gotta broken heart again" on the ona dvd is vastly superior to the recorded, not only because of one of his greatest vocal performance but also the revamped, jazz/vegas arrangement. in fact, i never really even liked the song before that.

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Reply #49 posted 06/21/16 12:26pm

Genesia

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PeteSilas said:

the version of "gotta broken heart again" on the ona dvd is vastly superior to the recorded, not only because of one of his greatest vocal performance but also the revamped, jazz/vegas arrangement. in fact, i never really even liked the song before that.


You know what was even better? The version of Gotta Broken Heart Again that he did at the Rio in 2007. Man, was that silky and sad.

We don’t mourn artists because we knew them. We mourn them because they helped us know ourselves.
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Reply #50 posted 06/21/16 12:38pm

PeteSilas

i'll check it out. and also, a few of his biggest hits are production marvels that do not translate to live performance. He said as much when he said he didn't play when doves cry live because it had "too much space" and Kiss too, sparse arrangements may be great on record and sound think in person. I played when doves cry at a piano bar I worked at, after i was done, the audience was stone quiet. I got off stage and the boss said "never play that one again". but ya know, I think they may have been impressed in a way that they were stunned (or so I like to think).

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Reply #51 posted 06/21/16 12:50pm

kewlschool

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Prince's live version of ILYBIDTYA (from the "Rave" album) is far better done in Montreux 2009 concert than the CD version.

99.9% of everything I say is strictly for my own entertainment
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Reply #52 posted 06/21/16 1:00pm

KlyphIsBackAga
in

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My opinion? Prince live BEFORE Musicology tour? AWESOME. Prince live AFTER Musicology tour? Mediocre. Sampler sets, "one verse then play guitar" arrangements, too many background singers, too many horn parts.... I could go on. Not to mention pretty much every tour since Musicology (with the exception of the 3rd Eye Girl ones) seemed to be just an extension of that one. Prince tours previously seemed to have their own identity.
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Reply #53 posted 06/21/16 1:11pm

kewlschool

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KlyphIsBackAgain said:

My opinion? Prince live BEFORE Musicology tour? AWESOME. Prince live AFTER Musicology tour? Mediocre. Sampler sets, "one verse then play guitar" arrangements, too many background singers, too many horn parts.... I could go on. Not to mention pretty much every tour since Musicology (with the exception of the 3rd Eye Girl ones) seemed to be just an extension of that one. Prince tours previously seemed to have their own identity.

Did you see the Live Out Loud Tour? Barely any "hits" were sang. Obscure and non-single songs sung. That was an awesome tour.

Even the W2A tour had different versions and I would say the alternate show on that tour was a good show. The 20 minute Musicology performance was great.

99.9% of everything I say is strictly for my own entertainment
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Reply #54 posted 06/21/16 1:21pm

KlyphIsBackAga
in

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kewlschool said:



KlyphIsBackAgain said:


My opinion? Prince live BEFORE Musicology tour? AWESOME. Prince live AFTER Musicology tour? Mediocre. Sampler sets, "one verse then play guitar" arrangements, too many background singers, too many horn parts.... I could go on. Not to mention pretty much every tour since Musicology (with the exception of the 3rd Eye Girl ones) seemed to be just an extension of that one. Prince tours previously seemed to have their own identity.

Did you see the Live Out Loud Tour? Barely any "hits" were sang. Obscure and non-single songs sung. That was an awesome tour.



Even the W2A tour had different versions and I would say the alternate show on that tour was a good show. The 20 minute Musicology performance was great.




The LOL tour was 3rd Eye Girl (hence my exception in my original post). The W2A may have had some different songs but it still felt like the same tour he had been doing since Musicology.
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Reply #55 posted 06/21/16 1:30pm

PeteSilas

KlyphIsBackAgain said:

My opinion? Prince live BEFORE Musicology tour? AWESOME. Prince live AFTER Musicology tour? Mediocre. Sampler sets, "one verse then play guitar" arrangements, too many background singers, too many horn parts.... I could go on. Not to mention pretty much every tour since Musicology (with the exception of the 3rd Eye Girl ones) seemed to be just an extension of that one. Prince tours previously seemed to have their own identity.

montreaux? the great performance on the naacp show? I thought he was hitting a peak as a live musician at that time. His guitar solo during that salsa number was something he never did live before and he did it like he'd been doing it all his life. Because of the blackout, i haven't been able to see everything he's done live so you firsthand people have a leg up on me but Little Red Corvette, the versions I heard seemed to be better and better live. Even third eye girl's guitarist seemed to nail that solo better than anyone did before (including Prince) I gotta say, I have my own opinions.

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Reply #56 posted 06/21/16 1:48pm

KlyphIsBackAga
in

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PeteSilas said:



KlyphIsBackAgain said:


My opinion? Prince live BEFORE Musicology tour? AWESOME. Prince live AFTER Musicology tour? Mediocre. Sampler sets, "one verse then play guitar" arrangements, too many background singers, too many horn parts.... I could go on. Not to mention pretty much every tour since Musicology (with the exception of the 3rd Eye Girl ones) seemed to be just an extension of that one. Prince tours previously seemed to have their own identity.

montreaux? the great performance on the naacp show? I thought he was hitting a peak as a live musician at that time. His guitar solo during that salsa number was something he never did live before and he did it like he'd been doing it all his life. Because of the blackout, i haven't been able to see everything he's done live so you firsthand people have a leg up on me but Little Red Corvette, the versions I heard seemed to be better and better live. Even third eye girl's guitarist seemed to nail that solo better than anyone did before (including Prince) I gotta say, I have my own opinions.



Of course there have been moments since Musicology that I thought were really good musicianship wise. But overall I've found his live performances since then to be mediocre, fairly uninspired, similar and by the numbers. Yeah, he may have grown as a live musician, being able to play certain things he hadnt before, but it's not just what you can play for me..... It's the feeling, it's the spirit, it's the freshness.... and it just seemed pretty stale to me in general.
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Reply #57 posted 06/21/16 2:10pm

214

CNickyD said:

I LOVE watching him perform, but I really hate the way he changes up his music, until sometimes tracks are practically unrecognizable. I realize most artists do this to some extent, but Prince takes rearranging to another level. I can never sing along with the song, which it what disappoints me so much... Alas, I'll take whatever I can get at this point. But still!

I'm with you completely, he is grerat live, it's great he makes changes live but sometimes the changes go so far it's hard to identify which song he's singing, the same happens with Bob Dylan, i just don't like it.

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Reply #58 posted 06/21/16 2:19pm

kewlschool

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KlyphIsBackAgain said:

PeteSilas said:

montreaux? the great performance on the naacp show? I thought he was hitting a peak as a live musician at that time. His guitar solo during that salsa number was something he never did live before and he did it like he'd been doing it all his life. Because of the blackout, i haven't been able to see everything he's done live so you firsthand people have a leg up on me but Little Red Corvette, the versions I heard seemed to be better and better live. Even third eye girl's guitarist seemed to nail that solo better than anyone did before (including Prince) I gotta say, I have my own opinions.

Of course there have been moments since Musicology that I thought were really good musicianship wise. But overall I've found his live performances since then to be mediocre, fairly uninspired, similar and by the numbers. Yeah, he may have grown as a live musician, being able to play certain things he hadnt before, but it's not just what you can play for me..... It's the feeling, it's the spirit, it's the freshness.... and it just seemed pretty stale to me in general.

I understand your stale concept. For me it was the Raspberry Beret/Take me with U medley.

99.9% of everything I say is strictly for my own entertainment
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Reply #59 posted 06/21/16 2:24pm

Astasheiks

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mimi1956 said:

CNickyD said:

I LOVE watching him perform, but I really hate the way he changes up his music, until sometimes tracks are practically unrecognizable. I realize most artists do this to some extent, but Prince takes rearranging to another level. I can never sing along with the song, which it what disappoints me so much... Alas, I'll take whatever I can get at this point. But still!

Well I guess you won't have to worry about that any more.... sad

heehee No Joke! And especially to the bolded... You sound like this was done on a large majority of songs. If he did rearrange to the concerts I saw him do I was able to still able to recognize them. Are sure these wasn't some songs you didn't even know? The Purple Catalogue is quite large. lol

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