rogifan said:

206Michelle said:

Post 4/21, It's really not that hard to find videos of his live performances. Even while he was alive, there were a few videos or clips of his live performances out there, e.g. the Super Bowl performance, award shows, and the RRHOF performance.

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Another point to consider is that the radio/single versions of some of his signature songs omit or significantly reduce the guitar solos. When I was in high school, and would hear WDC on the radio, the radio version contains almost none of the guitar solo. LGC contains a little bit of the solo, but not the whole thing. PR the radio single doesn't have the whole guitar solo. Finally, a lot of his best guitar solos come from songs that weren't single or were singles that had only minor chart success, e.g. I'm Yours, Anna Stesia, The Morning Papers.

This is true. But not enough is out there. Or it’s out there and then Web Sheriff or NPG get it taken down. 2nd night of 2011 North Sea Jazz Festival has some amazing guitar work but good luck finding it online.

I know, right? Night 2 of 2011 NSJ is amazing. That performance of "The Love We Make" is my favourite live performance of his, ever. He absolutley slays the guitar.

rogifan said:

http://www.guitarworld.co...acks/29219 15. “Dreamer” 14. “The Ride” 13. “The Morning Papers 12. “Joy in Repetition” 11. “Electric Chair” 10. "U Got the Look" 9. "Alexa de Paris" 8. “She’s Always in My Hair” 7. “Purple Rain” 6. “When Doves Cry” 5. “Computer Blue” 4. “Let’s Go Crazy” 3. “Lady Cab Driver” 2. “Bambi” 1. “I’m Yours” Anything you’d add or take off this list? Any one you’d re-order? I’d probably add Colonized Mind, Shhh!, I Like It There and Alphabet Street. Maybe When You Were Mine, Fury, Peach and Guitar too. If you can find it check out the 2013 Dakota Jazz show with 3EG. They do a killer version of When You Were Mine and Guitar. Prince’s solo on Guitar kicks major ass. I’d definitely move Dreamer up higher on the list. And I’d probably put Let’s Go Crazy at #1. Yes I’m sure some people are sick of that song and no it’s not the heaviest rock song he recorded but the guitar solo at the end is pure bliss and on a song that topped the Billboard charts no less. Also I think the version he did with 3EG shows what an awesome rock song this is (check out the video from Manchester).

The question I have - and I don't whether many would consider this a fair question - is: why did Prince hardly replicate the intensity and rawness of his live playing on his recorded material?

SimonCharles said:

rogifan said:

http://www.guitarworld.co...acks/29219 15. “Dreamer” 14. “The Ride” 13. “The Morning Papers 12. “Joy in Repetition” 11. “Electric Chair” 10. "U Got the Look" 9. "Alexa de Paris" 8. “She’s Always in My Hair” 7. “Purple Rain” 6. “When Doves Cry” 5. “Computer Blue” 4. “Let’s Go Crazy” 3. “Lady Cab Driver” 2. “Bambi” 1. “I’m Yours” Anything you’d add or take off this list? Any one you’d re-order? I’d probably add Colonized Mind, Shhh!, I Like It There and Alphabet Street. Maybe When You Were Mine, Fury, Peach and Guitar too. If you can find it check out the 2013 Dakota Jazz show with 3EG. They do a killer version of When You Were Mine and Guitar. Prince’s solo on Guitar kicks major ass. I’d definitely move Dreamer up higher on the list. And I’d probably put Let’s Go Crazy at #1. Yes I’m sure some people are sick of that song and no it’s not the heaviest rock song he recorded but the guitar solo at the end is pure bliss and on a song that topped the Billboard charts no less. Also I think the version he did with 3EG shows what an awesome rock song this is (check out the video from Manchester).

The question I have - and I don't whether many would consider this a fair question - is: why did Prince hardly replicate the intensity and rawness of his live playing on his recorded material?

It's a GREAT question!

SimonCharles said:

rogifan said:

http://www.guitarworld.co...acks/29219 15. “Dreamer” 14. “The Ride” 13. “The Morning Papers 12. “Joy in Repetition” 11. “Electric Chair” 10. "U Got the Look" 9. "Alexa de Paris" 8. “She’s Always in My Hair” 7. “Purple Rain” 6. “When Doves Cry” 5. “Computer Blue” 4. “Let’s Go Crazy” 3. “Lady Cab Driver” 2. “Bambi” 1. “I’m Yours” Anything you’d add or take off this list? Any one you’d re-order? I’d probably add Colonized Mind, Shhh!, I Like It There and Alphabet Street. Maybe When You Were Mine, Fury, Peach and Guitar too. If you can find it check out the 2013 Dakota Jazz show with 3EG. They do a killer version of When You Were Mine and Guitar. Prince’s solo on Guitar kicks major ass. I’d definitely move Dreamer up higher on the list. And I’d probably put Let’s Go Crazy at #1. Yes I’m sure some people are sick of that song and no it’s not the heaviest rock song he recorded but the guitar solo at the end is pure bliss and on a song that topped the Billboard charts no less. Also I think the version he did with 3EG shows what an awesome rock song this is (check out the video from Manchester).

The question I have - and I don't whether many would consider this a fair question - is: why did Prince hardly replicate the intensity and rawness of his live playing on his recorded material?

Im of the opinion Prince liked to show off his guitar chops meaning for him to slay it he needed an audience. When in the studio he was more about how the guitar fit into the song and how it molded itself within the song. In the studio he rarely let any instrument take the centre stage and go nuts. The song as a whole was the most important thing. When instruments had a solo spot in the studio, it was because it was essential to the "story" of the song. On stage he could show off his chops and get the audience worked up with extended solos which he clearly loved doing. Just my opinion.

Rebeljuice said:

SimonCharles said:

The question I have - and I don't whether many would consider this a fair question - is: why did Prince hardly replicate the intensity and rawness of his live playing on his recorded material?

Im of the opinion Prince liked to show off his guitar chops meaning for him to slay it he needed an audience. When in the studio he was more about how the guitar fit into the song and how it molded itself within the song. In the studio he rarely let any instrument take the centre stage and go nuts. The song as a whole was the most important thing. When instruments had a solo spot in the studio, it was because it was essential to the "story" of the song. On stage he could show off his chops and get the audience worked up with extended solos which he clearly loved doing. Just my opinion.

Well put. You may be on to something there. I wouldn't know about the need to have an audience but I take your point about Prince using instruments to fit the song. There are instances, like Annie Christian for example, where there is a furious guitar solo going on for most of the song but it is so buried in the mix it takes a lot of listening for. It fits. But even songs that have extended guitar solos tend to have aspects of over-production or ... for want of a better phrase ... a lack of intensity or, again for want of a better phrase, authenticity about them. I'm thinking about songs like Family Name or Zannalee - especially when you consider the manner of its playing on The Undertaker.

I don't know...I'm going to use the name Jack White, and in this instance I'm thinking of the song he did with Wanda Jackson "Thunder on the Mountain". It probably isn't even the best example but, it demonstrates the point I think I'm trying to make. Perhaps it was all about the mix, perhaps it was all about the song, but I do sometimes feel a little short changed by the Prince I hear on record as opposed to the Prince I used to see in concert.

THAT SAID - of course then there is the perfection of something like Alexa de Paris...I don't know. It's just another of those imponderables, now.

[Edited 7/21/17 4:46am]

RJOrion said:

@SimonCharles... good call on the great "Annie Christian"...the guitar soloing on that record DOES get easily overlooked... almost lost underneath the Gothic chanting/rapping and swirling synth lines, and frenetic drum programming and handclaps...

And that dirty-sounding live version from 1981... He kills it, that's pure electro-punk.

Rebeljuice said:

SimonCharles said:

The question I have - and I don't whether many would consider this a fair question - is: why did Prince hardly replicate the intensity and rawness of his live playing on his recorded material?

Im of the opinion Prince liked to show off his guitar chops meaning for him to slay it he needed an audience. When in the studio he was more about how the guitar fit into the song and how it molded itself within the song. In the studio he rarely let any instrument take the centre stage and go nuts. The song as a whole was the most important thing. When instruments had a solo spot in the studio, it was because it was essential to the "story" of the song. On stage he could show off his chops and get the audience worked up with extended solos which he clearly loved doing. Just my opinion.

Rebeljuice, I totally agree with you. He loved to show off his guitar-playing prowess! I love when he says "Can I play my guitar?" It's a rhetorical question because he KNOWS that the audience is going to say "Yes."

rogifan said:

The extended Little Red Corvette outro

Endorphinmachine

Shhh!

[live] live Anotherloverholenyohead

[live] Peach

[live] U Got the Look

not sure if it's Prince, but the 4/14/2011 performance of "A Love Bizarre" has one of the wildest solos I've heard.