Dig if you will a picture....

Of a deluxe edition four or five NPG power trio box set with P, Sonny T, Michael B (and sometime Tommy Barbarella)

The edition is beautiful, it comes with a full glossy recollection form the band about their memories of this era, going track by track deep.

The prize is two albums of unreleased NPG trio studio work. The third album is the undertaker, with a paper cut raw empty room added. One album is a compilation of the live performances from this era. The fifth album is purely instrumental, with the Kid and the band being in rare form.

This would need to feature Prince's cover of Angie (check my recent post for context), I need this song.

The set comes with a poster, NPG power trio picks, a vial of Gold Experience glitter with a Prince Symbol on the lid (I am guilty of liking a lot of chintzy shit, but you know whatever floats my boat)

BUT we don't have the demand for stuff like this. This would be like Prince's - Band of Gypsys, his live at the FIlmore or even the Blues album to put a Jimi Hendrix equivalent (tell me Prince wasn't toying with this vibe?) He loved the muscularity (and flexibility) of this band. I blame NON-PRINCE FANS, or CASUAL FANS, those tourists with "89 flowers on their backs" those co-inventors of the "acu-jack" who worked out Prince could play guitar after the RRHOF show.

Much like a coven of vampires we need to convert these mofos so we can get the box sets we want, and deserve.

Thank you for your time, this has been a public service announcement from......

Why?? We have all their recordings more or less anyway. On good bootlegs too.

So why are we asking for stuff we already have when we know there's so much we don't have?

You guys don't make sense half the time.

Oh wait .... why don't we ask for some of the tracks Sheila E did with Prince and they never released but which we already have on bootleg? Yeah let's ask for something we have because that would be cool with a few extra glossy pictures ... which I am SURE they would find on the Internet - which means we have them and go to FedEx and get them printed in glossy format .... in CD case size ....

OperatingThetan said:

Sign me up too. Potentially we may be able to crowd fund for something like this? If enough of us agree and present the proposal to the Estate.

Yes. Prince has our respect, but I would like his musicianship being appreciated the same way that Hendrix's is, and this box set would be a tribute to this attitude, and though Prince may have boxed the cover art and had some head scratching includes, I think this is totally something he would have been down for. He never stopped loving that core group (and yes maybe Hayes should be in place of Tommy B as the additional keys on the album)

Of course popularly Hendrix was ground zero for 60's rock, and Prince may never get that respect by the general population (and I love me some Hendrix make no mistake), but both these guys put food on the table.

I think Hendrix would have dug the hell out of what Prince did, and at least outwardly Hendrix seemed modest and deferred to the talents of people that he respected (Cream era Clapton, Townsend). And for somebody that so openly loved treasured and incorporated blues, I am sure Hendrix would be cool with what he had passed down to his artistic godson Prince.

TAKE_MY_MONEY>NOW!

robertgeorge said:

BUT we don't have the demand for stuff like this. This would be like Prince's - Band of Gypsys, his live at the FIlmore or even the Blues album to put a Jimi Hendrix equivalent (tell me Prince wasn't toying with this vibe?) He loved the muscularity (and flexibility) of this band. I blame NON-PRINCE FANS, or CASUAL FANS, those tourists with "89 flowers on their backs" those co-inventors of the "acu-jack" who worked out Prince could play guitar after the RRHOF show.

Every single person that I made listen to the Undertaker album was absolutely blown away and asked me why Prince never released gems like that. And I´m not even talking about casual fans but people who usually never listen to Prince at all.

I think an NPG power trio album would probably not sell huge amounts but it would definitely be loved by critics, fans and casual fans.

This sounds like a wonderful idea and I loved the Undertaker. I myself was blown away with how flawless P sounded playing the blues. Makes me want to hear more. I am constantly in awe of his talents, there is just so much depth that not everyone gets to hear. Hopefully the estate can get word of this, wishful thinking, I know, and get it out there in the not too distant future.

[Edited 4/27/18 16:57pm]

This would be brilliant. I've always hoped that there's lots of The Undertaker style sets in the vault with NPG Power Trio. Ideally, I would like them to release a series of them as albums.


Alternatively, The Undertaker would make a great Record Store Day release. I can imagine the vinyl sleeve. Some raw looking B&W photography (a la the Come album, or The Undertaker video). The War would make a great Record Store Day release too.

I´d love to hear the rock version of Space that Michael Bland once mentioned here on the org. That´s one of my favorite 90s songs by Prince and I´m really curious about it. Should´ve been on the Space maxi single.

KoolEaze said:

robertgeorge said:

BUT we don't have the demand for stuff like this. This would be like Prince's - Band of Gypsys, his live at the FIlmore or even the Blues album to put a Jimi Hendrix equivalent (tell me Prince wasn't toying with this vibe?) He loved the muscularity (and flexibility) of this band. I blame NON-PRINCE FANS, or CASUAL FANS, those tourists with "89 flowers on their backs" those co-inventors of the "acu-jack" who worked out Prince could play guitar after the RRHOF show.

Every single person that I made listen to the Undertaker album was absolutely blown away and asked me why Prince never released gems like that. And I´m not even talking about casual fans but people who usually never listen to Prince at all.

I think an NPG power trio album would probably not sell huge amounts but it would definitely be loved by critics, fans and casual fans.

I am spechless that the Undertaker had that impact, I think it is a work that speaks deeply of his talents.

Also to Missmusicluver 72, Prince had so much of the blues. The blues has always appealed to me, though it is not what I listen to the most (Thanks to the Blues Brothers movie which was basically a blues soul jazz starter kit. Prince had access to those reservoirs of sorrow and passion that is the blues.

When Prince screamed in Darling Nikki, the Beautiful Ones, that was Blues and of course soul.

Not pastiche and esratz adoption.

And my favorite example of the Blues in Princes music and deeply disturbing (and Francis Lesque)

, in Papa when the father went outside and pointed a shotgun in the sky (blaming God, a loss of all faith) He said how come I don't love my woman, then took aim and died" That is some heavy shit, and the way Prince delivers it is blues. The whole song is blues, a father feeling pressure, having woman troubles (and to reitirate) it is very Purple Rain. Then he ends up with the bitter sweet major chord "If you love somebody your life wont be in vain (irony Purple rain film again) and the final denouement "Don't abuse children or they turn out like me".

The NPG power trio brought it on Papa, it to me it is a very simple groove, that could almost be delta, John Lee Hooker or lightnin hopkins filtered through a very singular Prince lense. Prince wasa bluesman like Hendrix was.

YES! We need to hear more of The Underaker sessions! It would be nice to hear Peach in this way to. I love the 90s rock side of Prince!

RobertGeorge? Count me in brother! Poor Goo and all the rest! I'd easily buy that shit! PrinceEstate, are you listening?

Scorching guitar...we need a new breed. Leaders stand up, organize!

Heck! Switch out the glitter for a Prince fragrance, like Lavender or some incense and you got me!

I would buy it in a heart beat. I think it is the only time where Prince has completely commited to a rock/blues sound without interference. He has tried a few times with C&D, Lotus and 3EG but couldn't help himself and had to "sugar" up those albums with tracks that were completely out of place on a rock album (Dig U Better Dead, Love Like Jazz, TicTacToe etc etc). I would prefer it if there wasn't a keyboard or horn in sight and it really was just a trio of drums, bass and guitar.

KoolEaze said:

I've turned more old-school music fans that were turned off by Prince's persona on to his music with The Undertaker than with any other recording. It always impresses classic rock and blues fans from the Baby Boomer generation.

djThunderfunk said:

I've turned more old-school music fans that were turned off by Prince's persona on to his music with The Undertaker than with any other recording. It always impresses classic rock and blues fans from the Baby Boomer generation.

Right ?

Most oldschool music fans just LOVE that Undertaker session.

There must be tons of similar footage.....like the 3121 sessions with Michael B. and Sonny, or the Gold Experience era rehearsals, etc.

Would love to see or hear them one day.

dont forget to include that hendrix cover album...where habibi was taken

luvsexy4all said:

dont forget to include that hendrix cover album...where habibi was taken

That's cool, my favorite cover is Hendrix is Villanova Junction (sometimes associated with a similar sounding Steve Vai) track.

He had to have performed that with that band at one stage.