jaawwnn said:

Could the original poster point us to a specific song that they say was played well before 3EG and played badly by 3EG?

Donna's guitar playing was a specific kind of pentatonic rock guitarring alright, it wasn't Eddie Hazel stuff but neither was it meant to be. Did Prince ever state they were supposed to be Funkadelic meets Black Sabbath or did people just take that from "black man on guitar plays a riff lifted from Iron Man"?

[Edited 12/11/16 11:43am]

Well to my ears it sounds like Funkadelic meets Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin.

Could the original poster point us to a specific song that they say was played well before 3EG and played badly by 3EG?

yes i can

Shes Always In My Hair

while i think that arrangement for the song is the strongest ever with 3rd Eye band

i think that guitar solos are nowhere close to the versions Prince did b4.liste to celebration

2002 guitar solo than listen to recent solos.

Something In The Water

this video of the song from Manchester

is a mess when it comes to that guitar solo.

The Ride

While it has its moments on Manchester

video take a listen to the undertaker and sacrifice of victor versions.

I CouldNever Take The Place

where is Princes solo >>>

Bambi

while Prince always try to shine on this one check Undertaker,Celebration 2002 and 2011 holand aftershow versions

Im not saying that Prince played bad guitar at the end of his life.im just saying that his playing become unispired rudamentary and very basic compared to just few years earlier.

he was opting for easy solutions on guitar instead of searching like he did in the past.

thebanishedone said:

Well to my ears it sounds like Funkadelic meets Black Sabbath or Led Zeppelin.

Could the original poster point us to a specific song that they say was played well before 3EG and played badly by 3EG?

yes i can

Shes Always In My Hair

while i think that arrangement for the song is the strongest ever with 3rd Eye band

i think that guitar solos are nowhere close to the versions Prince did b4.liste to celebration

2002 guitar solo than listen to recent solos.

Something In The Water

this video of the song from Manchester

is a mess when it comes to that guitar solo.

The Ride

While it has its moments on Manchester

video take a listen to the undertaker and sacrifice of victor versions.

I CouldNever Take The Place

where is Princes solo >>>

Bambi

while Prince always try to shine on this one check Undertaker,Celebration 2002 and 2011 holand aftershow versions

Im not saying that Prince played bad guitar at the end of his life.im just saying that his playing become unispired rudamentary and very basic compared to just few years earlier.

he was opting for easy solutions on guitar instead of searching like he did in the past.

You've got a point with the official version of SAIMH Denmark. It sounds like Donna drops a note at the beginning, but for the most past her guitar solo is inaudible. Then the camera moves over to the other side of the stage and you can hear her.

The rest - Something in the water etc - You're out of your mind. Prince was playing more guitar than he had in years, soloing on almost every song.

I'll have to go listen and compare. I know people have complained about Prince post-whammy bar vs. pre-whammy bar in the past, which entered use about 1995, no?

The 3EG show I attended was probably the best show i've ever been to but that doesn't mean that they couldn't have improved, im sure Prince would say the same.

If I may take a second here, I'd like to defend thebanishedone.

Ever since he first started posting here many years ago, he has always posted about Prince's guitar playing and analyzed which eras of Prince's guitar playing he digs and which eras he doesn't. I don't think people should be getting defensive or taking this as him "bashing" Prince. He's a true fan and analyzing Prince's guitar skills is how he expresses his fandom.

You don't have to agree with him, but I find that this thread's tone is very mean-spirited towards him when all he did was post his opinion.

As for the topic at hand- At the time, I was really hoping for him to ditch the Hohner and go back to the Strats (he hadn't been playing them for a few years) or bring a more sturdy guitar, something like a Gibson. When I heard about him entering a new rock phase I was very excited.

But for some reason, Prince's guitar playing in this era doesn't speak to me like it used to in 2006 - 2011. Maybe I'm the one who changed, but it feels a little less interesting and melodically inspired. I dig some of the arrangements and setlist choices, but never got into his solos from around this time (though I didn't really listen to too many boots.)

Then in 2014 he started playing Hit-driven, funk-song-filled shows with the 3rd Eye Girls. At that point, the band's weaknesses became apparent and Prince's guitar playing was okay but unremarkable. In the end, it seemed as if he had moved on from the 3rd Eye Girl project but kept the band around in some misplaced sense of obligation. My opinion, not trying to bash anybody.

I was very glad when he entered the Piano & Microphone era. One thing's for sure... those shows did not disappoint and they helped me remember what a genius he was and how he had hidden his piano playing skills in concert for a long time.

Gohi said:

If I may take a second here, I'd like to defend thebanishedone.

Ever since he first started posting here many years ago, he has always posted about Prince's guitar playing and analyzed which eras of Prince's guitar playing he digs and which eras he doesn't. I don't think people should be getting defensive or taking this as him "bashing" Prince. He's a true fan and analyzing Prince's guitar skills is how he expresses his fandom.

You don't have to agree with him, but I find that this thread's tone is very mean-spirited towards him when all he did was post his opinion.

As for the topic at hand- At the time, I was really hoping for him to ditch the Hohner and go back to the Strats (he hadn't been playing them for a few years) or bring a more sturdy guitar, something like a Gibson. When I heard about him entering a new rock phase I was very excited.

But for some reason, Prince's guitar playing in this era doesn't speak to me like it used to in 2006 - 2011. Maybe I'm the one who changed, but it feels a little less interesting and melodically inspired. I dig some of the arrangements and setlist choices, but never got into his solos from around this time (though I didn't really listen to too many boots.)

Then in 2014 he started playing Hit-driven, funk-song-filled shows with the 3rd Eye Girls. At that point, the band's weaknesses became apparent and Prince's guitar playing was okay but unremarkable. In the end, it seemed as if he had moved on from the 3rd Eye Girl project but kept the band around in some misplaced sense of obligation. My opinion, not trying to bash anybody.

I was very glad when he entered the Piano & Microphone era. One thing's for sure... those shows did not disappoint and they helped me remember what a genius he was and how he had hidden his piano playing skills in concert for a long time.

I can dig it.

I play as well and I think he was playing what was called for with the caliber of musicians in 3EG.

I like to think he was just having fun with the music, which to me is what its all about.

Gohi said:

If I may take a second here, I'd like to defend thebanishedone.

Ever since he first started posting here many years ago, he has always posted about Prince's guitar playing and analyzed which eras of Prince's guitar playing he digs and which eras he doesn't. I don't think people should be getting defensive or taking this as him "bashing" Prince. He's a true fan and analyzing Prince's guitar skills is how he expresses his fandom.

You don't have to agree with him, but I find that this thread's tone is very mean-spirited towards him when all he did was post his opinion.

As for the topic at hand- At the time, I was really hoping for him to ditch the Hohner and go back to the Strats (he hadn't been playing them for a few years) or bring a more sturdy guitar, something like a Gibson. When I heard about him entering a new rock phase I was very excited.

But for some reason, Prince's guitar playing in this era doesn't speak to me like it used to in 2006 - 2011. Maybe I'm the one who changed, but it feels a little less interesting and melodically inspired. I dig some of the arrangements and setlist choices, but never got into his solos from around this time (though I didn't really listen to too many boots.)

Then in 2014 he started playing Hit-driven, funk-song-filled shows with the 3rd Eye Girls. At that point, the band's weaknesses became apparent and Prince's guitar playing was okay but unremarkable. In the end, it seemed as if he had moved on from the 3rd Eye Girl project but kept the band around in some misplaced sense of obligation. My opinion, not trying to bash anybody.

I was very glad when he entered the Piano & Microphone era. One thing's for sure... those shows did not disappoint and they helped me remember what a genius he was and how he had hidden his piano playing skills in concert for a long time.

thank u Gohi

Kara said:

Somebody already posted the video but I LOVED their version of Something In The Water from Manchester! I loved 3EG era and I loved the guitar playing

rogifan said:

Kara said:

What everybody else said. The 3rdEyeGirl era was among my favorites because of Prince's guitar-playing.

Is it weird for me to like both Prince the rocker and Prince with the 11 piece NPG Hornz section? I have Montreux 2013 audio and I love all three nights equally.

HELLS NAW!!!

What is fantastic about Prince is that he could do the hardest guitar-driven rock, segue to a soft, mellow slow jam, move fluidly to a face-twisting funk jam, and then bring out god knows how many horns for an all out aural assault.

THis is why Prince at Montreaux was always so fucking great. It gave him time to play some of everything and he did that with abandon.

Noodled24 said:

MattyJam said:

Donna Grantis was well below par, but I'm guessing that's kind of the point. Prince is hardly going to invite some guitar virtuoso like Buckethead to join his band and show him up, so he hires somebody who is just about competant enough to sound half decent, to make Prince look even better.

Harsh but true.

[Edited 12/11/16 3:07am]

Prince, the man who prides himself on having "the best band in the world", suddenly thought "hmm I better hire a 'just competant' guitar player otherwise they'll outshine me? There is no reason for that given the guitarists he's had in the past.

Donna is a solid guitarist. In some shows it sounds like her guitar is turned down too low. When I saw them in the UK she was on fire, playing her solos with her guitar behind her head. The only bad thing that could be said about Donna is that she isn't Prince.

The thing that bugs me about these kind of threads is that you can search youtube for any member of 3EG and find videos of them playing... Anyone got a video to back up this theory?

In fairness, the official live version of "Always in my hair" - you can barely hear her guitar, but during something in the water it's another story.

[Edited 12/11/16 12:32pm]

i agree, i thought the band was pretty darned good.

rogifan said:

Kara said:

What everybody else said. The 3rdEyeGirl era was among my favorites because of Prince's guitar-playing.

Is it weird for me to like both Prince the rocker and Prince with the 11 piece NPG Hornz section? I have Montreux 2013 audio and I love all three nights equally.

Is it weird for a person to like rock and soul music?

No, not at all.

rogifan said:

Kara said:

What everybody else said. The 3rdEyeGirl era was among my favorites because of Prince's guitar-playing.

Is it weird for me to like both Prince the rocker and Prince with the 11 piece NPG Hornz section? I have Montreux 2013 audio and I love all three nights equally.

Nope, not wierd. I love rock Prince, but love full band Prince too. The only thing I really dislike about NPG Prince is when the backing singers take over.

TheEnglishGent said:

rogifan said:

TheEnglishGent said:

Nope, not wierd. I love rock Prince, but love full band Prince too. The only thing I really dislike about NPG Prince is when the backing singers take over.

I gotta say though Shelby can sing her ass off. When she's actually singing and not just "clap yo hands stomp yo feet" cheerleading she's was very good. At the Dakota Jazz shows in 2013 she sang Brown Skin and absolutely killed it.

Oh don't get me wrong, she can certainly sing, not gonna argue with that.

mothyham said:

It was always my dream to see Prince in a no-frills hardrock line-up, Power Trio style.

Unfortunately I didn't manage to get tickets to the Paradiso shows (2013). By the time 3EG reached Belgium they already had Cassandra on board, which took the rawness off.

mothyham said:

I can dig it.

I play as well and I think he was playing what was called for with the caliber of musicians in 3EG.

I like to think he was just having fun with the music, which to me is what its all about.

I'm not sure what that means. Or why there is a tendancy to assume 3EG are somehow a lesser band. Each memeber has acolades of their own under their belt. Way more than the Revolution did when he hired them.

He was playing more straight rock and blues... If you want to be pedantic about it then yes, you'll probably find "better" versions of many a song. But with Prince you can ALWAYS find better versions. Personally I was just happy to see the back of the vegas-lounge arrangements, which in turn ment (generally) less dropped lyrics and ad-libs. It was tight.

Gohi said:

If I may take a second here, I'd like to defend thebanishedone.

Ever since he first started posting here many years ago, he has always posted about Prince's guitar playing and analyzed which eras of Prince's guitar playing he digs and which eras he doesn't. I don't think people should be getting defensive or taking this as him "bashing" Prince. He's a true fan and analyzing Prince's guitar skills is how he expresses his fandom.

You don't have to agree with him, but I find that this thread's tone is very mean-spirited towards him when all he did was post his opinion.

As for the topic at hand- At the time, I was really hoping for him to ditch the Hohner and go back to the Strats (he hadn't been playing them for a few years) or bring a more sturdy guitar, something like a Gibson. When I heard about him entering a new rock phase I was very excited.

But for some reason, Prince's guitar playing in this era doesn't speak to me like it used to in 2006 - 2011. Maybe I'm the one who changed, but it feels a little less interesting and melodically inspired. I dig some of the arrangements and setlist choices, but never got into his solos from around this time (though I didn't really listen to too many boots.)

Then in 2014 he started playing Hit-driven, funk-song-filled shows with the 3rd Eye Girls. At that point, the band's weaknesses became apparent and Prince's guitar playing was okay but unremarkable. In the end, it seemed as if he had moved on from the 3rd Eye Girl project but kept the band around in some misplaced sense of obligation. My opinion, not trying to bash anybody.

I was very glad when he entered the Piano & Microphone era. One thing's for sure... those shows did not disappoint and they helped me remember what a genius he was and how he had hidden his piano playing skills in concert for a long time.

I must say I was disappointed when he returned to the UK in 2014 for the Hit N Run Pt II and he's added hits to the beginning of the sets that didn'tseem to have much thought put into their arrangements. The early 2014 shows were raw and electric. Of course, much from those sets still got played in Pt II, but the whole vibe of a show is different when you've opened with fairly standard versions of Take Me With U/Raspberry Beret/U Got The Look (notwithstanding LGC opening most shows still).

Noodled24 said:

mothyham said:

I can dig it.

I play as well and I think he was playing what was called for with the caliber of musicians in 3EG.

I like to think he was just having fun with the music, which to me is what its all about.

I'm not sure what that means. Or why there is a tendancy to assume 3EG are somehow a lesser band. Each memeber has acolades of their own under their belt. Way more than the Revolution did when he hired them.

He was playing more straight rock and blues... If you want to be pedantic about it then yes, you'll probably find "better" versions of many a song. But with Prince you can ALWAYS find better versions. Personally I was just happy to see the back of the vegas-lounge arrangements, which in turn ment (generally) less dropped lyrics and ad-libs. It was tight.

they were fine, the people here have always been picky. One thing I found interesting was how Prince said he "didn't have time for old people" which I assume meant people his age. I could understand what he meant, older people often let a lot of things sink in, laziness, complacency,bitterness. One thing I've noticed around many of the older people I've been around is how beat down and without hope many of them are, not only that, they are rigid in their thinking so any suggestions are ignored. I could see a guy like Prince not wanting to be around it, I've known lots of people who like to be around young people (I do too) just to pick up some of that youthful attitude. Some people abuse it, I made sure not to.

^ In fairness the second leg was mainly arenas, as opposed to the smaller venues in the first.

Kara said:

Noodled24 said:

^ In fairness the second leg was mainly arenas, as opposed to the smaller venues in the first.

Yes, I understand he was playing to a different crowd. Although the shows at the Roundhouse also had a similar opening. Still great shows. I'd just seen some of those songs many, many times while the new versions of LGC, Something in the Water, She's Always in my Hair, The Max, ICNTTPOYM, Dreamer, Endorphinmachine etc were what I really wanted to see

Noodled24 said:

berlinas2k said:

Take a listen to Bambi Monterux night 3. worst guitar solo ever on that song and he was always playing greatr on that song

thebanishedone said: