I was watching Rob Caggiano play a purple guitar in Anthrax, and I wondered: Did Prince ever play metal? What was the closest he got to the razor's edge? I'm looking for hard guitar- something surprising.

Thanks.

galapogosian said:

I was watching Rob Caggiano play a purple guitar in Anthrax, and I wondered: Did Prince ever play metal? What was the closest he got to the razor's edge? I'm looking for hard guitar- something surprising.

Thanks.

He played "classic rock" and funk rock, but not metal. I think the closest song to metal is the last song on his first album called "I'm yours".

Song Purple Rain actually is a bit metal in more traditional sense. But Prince really didn't need to spend his energy on that atmosphere, riffs, solos etc. he had to much funk & swing in him to do that.

Man, I can't say I like metal all that much. I like Metallica and if Guns N Roses (if they count as metal) but most metal to me sounds like macho male postering, fake gothic ponderings, unoriginal musicianship -- all disguised behind volume.

I like hard rock, alternative rock etc...however.

Indeed!

coldasice said:

His live guitar solos were sometimes on the verge

how about 1/3 of the Chaos and Disorder album?

alandail said:

galapogosian said:

I was watching Rob Caggiano play a purple guitar in Anthrax, and I wondered: Did Prince ever play metal? What was the closest he got to the razor's edge? I'm looking for hard guitar- something surprising.

Thanks.

I'd argue that the closest to "metal" might be the version of Sister from the Lovesexy Tour - I can't think of any other proper examples - possibly the version of Let's Go Crazy from the same tour...other than that it was just rock, really...I think...mother memory may be playing tricks on me, of course. The version of Whole Lotta Love he did at Hammersmith on the One Nite Alone show was quite rocky too, not metally enough, really...again, mother memory messes about with me...I remember being freaked out by the appearance of Whole Lotta Love on the setlist, that's for sure.

The ending guitar solo on Digital Garden sounds close to metal to me

Find a recording of his 8 March 1982 show. The opening Bambi is as close to metal as I've ever heard him. Can't currently find it on youtube, but there are multiple bootlegs with the show on it.

Bambi

I thought that slowed-down version of "Let's Go Crazy" he was doing with 3rdeyegirl leaned toward metal, or at least a heavy blues. YMMV.

"I'm Yours" and "Bambi" are the closest thing to metal he ever did, although that would be metal in the "early heavy metal" sense, preceding 80s metal bands like Metallica. I'd say the intro to "I'm Yours" qualifies as "early heaby metal" easily, but once Prince's soft falsetto vocals kick in, the mood changes quite a bit. "Bambi" is more rooted on funk/rock than metal, but well, so was a lot of stuff considered to be metal at the time.

Maybe the title track from "Chaos & Disorder" and "I Like It There" could be considered to be pretty close to the 90s "alternative metal" type of stuff too (the entire vibe of the Chaos & Disorder album isn't that far removed from what, say, Smashing Pumpkins did at the time).

oh !!!!

rogifan said:

Some sweet guitar here. I’d love more of this stuff to come out. https://m.mixcloud.com/So...shows-sbd/

There's this insane guitar solo on one of the live "Days of Wild" takes.
The one where he seems to be stuck on one note, and he just uses
the semitones above and below the note (which is in my book, your typical "metal" cliché riff).

I think the closest to Metal is "Loose!", even though the riff is made by a keyboard-triggered sample.
The "lack" of melody on the lead vocal, the delivery (one note, yelled) is evocative of the urgency of Metal,
even if the production choices are closer to hardcore techno (which is basically Metal played by synths).

Sonically, I think the harshest guitars sounds you will get from Prince are to be found in the mid-90's.
The whole Power Trio smorgasbord that is 1994's "The Undertaker" is to me the closest he ever got to Metal.

galapogosian said:

I was watching Rob Caggiano play a purple guitar in Anthrax, and I wondered: Did Prince ever play metal? What was the closest he got to the razor's edge? I'm looking for hard guitar- something surprising.

Thanks.

No, he didn't.

Try 9-5 People for something surprising.

His guitar solos.

SimonCharles said:

lakerlaker52 said:

SimonCharles said:

I'd argue that the closest to "metal" might be the version of Sister from the Lovesexy Tour.

That's the first thing I thought of - especially if we're talking about thrash metal. Has all the hallmarks of thrash that bands like Metallica were cranking out during that same year: blistering tempo, chugging 16th-note rhythm guitars, double kick drum, screaming vocals and guitar solos. I love that version because it's such a unique sound for him.

Couldn't agree more.

not sure if it's mentioned here, but wasn't there a long metal guitar solo on one of the NPG CLub Ahdio tracks? I know there is, but can't remember which one. It's a long solo and I assumed it was Prince doing what Prince did; showing that he can pretty much play anything he wants.

Edit: Ahdio 2, starts at approx 43:07

edit: nevermind, it was Jacob Armen, Crazy Fingers

[Edited 9/25/17 22:29pm]

[Edited 9/25/17 22:35pm]

Definitely yes on "Sister" from the Lovesexy tour. Obviously Bambi and Endorphimachine are 2 of his hardest rockers. I have always thought the riff from "Dreamer" was borderline metal. And the 2nd half of "Wall of Berlin" is straighforward hard rock if not pure metal.

[Edited 9/26/17 7:01am]

blizzybiz said:

not sure if it's mentioned here, but wasn't there a long metal guitar solo on one of the NPG CLub Ahdio tracks? I know there is, but can't remember which one. It's a long solo and I assumed it was Prince doing what Prince did; showing that he can pretty much play anything he wants.

Edit: Ahdio 2, starts at approx 43:07

edit: nevermind, it was Jacob Armen, Crazy Fingers

[Edited 9/25/17 22:29pm]

[Edited 9/25/17 22:35pm]

I thought you were talking about the Days of Wild Jam

edit: at the end of Ahdio #1

[Edited 9/26/17 7:16am]

That ending on AINTTURNINAROUND was pretty hard too.

2045RadicalMattZ said:

Closest COMPOSITION i can think of is the great (*though much maligned on ORG) song suite "3 chains O Gold" Chugging power chords, a bit Iommi-ish odd intervals, fantastic drumming by Mr Bland, great solos. ....so. ..to fit the standard. ...imagine Rob Halford singing the "I've got 3 chains of gold" bit....and if that doesn't suit you, imagine James LaBrie? Or has been metal Hetfield (*add "oh yeah" to the song however)

the dive bomb leading into the solo was definitely metal