I always check out the Prince.org site for my fix on what the purple fam is thinking and saying but rarely do I feel the need to start my own post. But I can't take then constant negativity and or focusing on what Prince could have done better or didn't do well. Who here hasn't had a period in thier own lives where they hit a low point? We all have and I would find it odd for those who focus on it.

I agree with the posters who feel that Prince's artistry is something to cherish and behold and just appreciate. Even with some blemishes and maybe mishaps. But it's weird to me to focus on what some perceive at mistakes. His 40+ career was just astounding to me.

His range was boundless. Each album sounded so different, as if its was new artist each time an album was released. The style of music for each album also changed so much and he evolved as an artist that one could really just sit back and just admire his work in and of itself.

I think it's safe to say that Prince is the most well rounded musician in popular music's history. No other single individual had the mastery of intruments. As Dave Grohl just pointed out he's just the best at everything: from bass to lead guitar to being a lead singer. Could anyone here say he wasn't a great dancer and entertainer? Of course he was. His concerts were electrifying. He was so generous with his music having helped so many others in the music business.

But on to my Prince high point. My favorite moment was during the Musicology tour 2004. During the acoustic set I belive at the LA Staples concert. When he is playing by himself on the swivel chair and the crowd cheers just overwhelm Prince. He has to stop and just take it in. You can tell it means a lot to him. That at that point in his life he was on his own and that he was just appreciated in the way that he was. For me the cheers of the crowd broke through his hard exterior of just being cool all the time. He really smiled and I could tell it just touched his heart. For me that was a Prince high point.

What's YOUR Prince high point?

Piano & Mic is my highpoint. Next would be TRC era culminating with Celebration 2002 then would be the Gold Experience Era. 1987 is the highpoint of the 80's.

From 1999 to Sign o the Times. The music was so exciting and fresh. NO ONE sounded like him and he just got better and better...The side projects, the image, the sound. I honestly can't say one album or one concert was THE high point as the whole era was amazing.

My friends rib me that the first time I heard 1999, I didn't like it...so I'll go for the moment the scales fell from my eyes: 1986 - Anotherloverholenyohead. Simply magnificent...and then Parade and, IMHO, arguably the finest 1:40 Prince and the Revolution ever put down on tape - I Wonder U. In a mountain range of highs, these two still take me higher.

Poplife88 said:

From 1999 to Sign o the Times. The music was so exciting and fresh. NO ONE sounded like him and he just got better and better...The side projects, the image, the sound. I honestly can't say one album or one concert was THE high point as the whole era was amazing.

I suppose I'll go for my high with a side of highs, then...all those side-projects...oh yes.

His guitar on Joy in Repetition and The Scandalous Sex Suite. Come/Space. 2003: NEWS, Xpectation, C-Note.

SimonCharles said:

My friends rib me that the first time I heard 1999, I didn't like it...so I'll go for the moment the scales fell from my eyes: 1986 - Anotherloverholenyohead. Simply magnificent...and then Parade and, IMHO, arguably the finest 1:40 Prince and the Revolution ever put down on tape - I Wonder U. In a mountain range of highs, these two still take me higher.

-

Agreed 100%. And I have to "wonder" if there is an extended version in the vault.

TheBoneRanger said:

SimonCharles said:

My friends rib me that the first time I heard 1999, I didn't like it...so I'll go for the moment the scales fell from my eyes: 1986 - Anotherloverholenyohead. Simply magnificent...and then Parade and, IMHO, arguably the finest 1:40 Prince and the Revolution ever put down on tape - I Wonder U. In a mountain range of highs, these two still take me higher.

-

Agreed 100%. And I have to "wonder" if there is an extended version in the vault.

There is...head on over The Revolution's facebook feed and you can hear some of it being played live on their most recent clip.

[Edited 4/16/20 11:41am]

So many! But I'll go with the first.

I was a casual fan as a child. I liked the singles. I appreciated him. But I always preferred MJ. Then sometime in 1987, I started paying more attention. My best friend's brother played me Housequake, which floored me. I saw the SOTT concert video. I started using the RCA Music Club (8 tapes for a penny) to go back into his catalog, discovering the the things I'd missed. My fandom was reaching a fever pitch, and then...LOVESEXY!

I was reading the reviews. Learning about the secret Black Album. I bought the Alphabet St. cassingle with my allowance and became completely obsessed.

By the time LOVESEXY was released, 12 year old me was ready to be blown away. And I was. I played that cassette on a nonstop loop that year, telling anyone who would listen how incredible it was.

My mother waited in line to buy tickets to his homecoming gig at the Met Center that September, my first Prince concert, and she was kind enough to accompany me there and watch me properly geek out.

"Snare drum pounds on the 2 and 4" were the first words I ever heard Prince say, live in person. I was a full Prince nerd by that point and knew full well that line was from "Escape," a current favorite b-side. It was absolute euphoria hearing all of my favorites, especially, "Eye No," my top, top track at the time. The concert left me utterly speechless, and even more obsessed. And I was sure Sheila winked at me during Erotic City.

We were SO lucky to have him!

[Edited 4/16/20 11:51am]

On November 3, 1988, Prince performed Anna Stesia to a half crowd at Mcnichols arena in Denver CO. Nothing has ever topped the moment his piano started to rise up when he sang about being closer to God. And the blistering guitar solo that followed!

My life has never been the same since! That will always be my Prince high point!!!

Definitely The Rainbow Children. When I first heard it in 2001, I gave it maybe 2 listens, then shelved it for the reason a lot of people still don't like it. Too preachy. I didn't listen to it again until after he died and was able to look past that stuff and just enjoy the craftmanship. I've since revised my answer when people ask me what his greatest achievement. I no longer believe it's SOTT.

Runner up: a Paisley Park show in 1995 when he did the entire set as Tora Tora and most of the tracks were from Exodus.

Runner-runner up: The January 2016 first Piano and a Microphone (7pm) show. So intimate and self-reflective of him. I know for a fact they recorded this with multiple cameras, and I pray they release it. I was able to get my hands on the audio, but the show was great and I'd love to have it.

[Edited 4/16/20 14:20pm]

This might be a strange answer but...Deliverance, and the man opera. Hearing him without his own final production say and material from an era I didn't hold up as his best.... there was something so triumphant and souful that trascended a lot.

So many more obvious answers swirling through my head too though.

vinaysfunk said:

For me the cheers of the crowd broke through his hard exterior of just being cool all the time. He really smiled and I could tell it just touched his heart.

It might also be that that moment was the real deal.... because what you're describing was also a hallmark of Prince's show when you think about it. Like Bono picking someone out of the crowd to slow dance with, it was staged. It's even in Purple Rain. Suddenly the cool hard working performer is overcome and breaks into a genuine smile, or gives a teasing smile and some side eye while interacting with the crowd. It was a signature and maybe it helped to make audiences feel connected with him and a little small thing that makes his lives shows resonate.

[Edited 4/16/20 15:00pm]

vinaysfunk said:

I always check out the Prince.org site for my fix on what the purple fam is thinking and saying but rarely do I feel the need to start my own post. But I can't take then constant negativity and or focusing on what Prince could have done better or didn't do well. Who here hasn't had a period in thier own lives where they hit a low point? We all have and I would find it odd for those who focus on it.

I agree with the posters who feel that Prince's artistry is something to cherish and behold and just appreciate. Even with some blemishes and maybe mishaps. But it's weird to me to focus on what some perceive at mistakes. His 40+ career was just astounding to me.

His range was boundless. Each album sounded so different, as if its was new artist each time an album was released. The style of music for each album also changed so much and he evolved as an artist that one could really just sit back and just admire his work in and of itself.

I think it's safe to say that Prince is the most well rounded musician in popular music's history. No other single individual had the mastery of intruments. As Dave Grohl just pointed out he's just the best at everything: from bass to lead guitar to being a lead singer. Could anyone here say he wasn't a great dancer and entertainer? Of course he was. His concerts were electrifying. He was so generous with his music having helped so many others in the music business.

But on to my Prince high point. My favorite moment was during the Musicology tour 2004. During the acoustic set I belive at the LA Staples concert. When he is playing by himself on the swivel chair and the crowd cheers just overwhelm Prince. He has to stop and just take it in. You can tell it means a lot to him. That at that point in his life he was on his own and that he was just appreciated in the way that he was. For me the cheers of the crowd broke through his hard exterior of just being cool all the time. He really smiled and I could tell it just touched his heart. For me that was a Prince high point.

What's YOUR Prince high point?

The first night in Seattle for this tour. When he walked on stage for the first time and the crowd jumped to it's feet and cheered like I had never heard before. It went on for about 5 minutes. At first Prince seemed embarrassed after two minutes but then, like you say, he dropped the shell of 'Prince' and softened and just stood there basking in our love for him and the crowd went wild. It was the most magical moment I've had at a Prince concert. Just being there in that crowd, feeling the massive amount of love for him and him feeling (I think anyway) vindicated and acknowledged was so cool. I will never forget that moment in time.

SchlomoThaHomo said:

Wolfie87 said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

So many! But I'll go with the first.

I was a casual fan as a child. I liked the singles. I appreciated him. But I always preferred MJ. Then sometime in 1987, I started paying more attention. My best friend's brother played me Housequake, which floored me. I saw the SOTT concert video. I started using the RCA Music Club (8 tapes for a penny) to go back into his catalog, discovering the the things I'd missed. My fandom was reaching a fever pitch, and then...LOVESEXY!

I was reading the reviews. Learning about the secret Black Album. I bought the Alphabet St. cassingle with my allowance and became completely obsessed.

By the time LOVESEXY was released, 12 year old me was ready to be blown away. And I was. I played that cassette on a nonstop loop that year, telling anyone who would listen how incredible it was.

My mother waited in line to buy tickets to his homecoming gig at the Met Center that September, my first Prince concert, and she was kind enough to accompany me there and watch me properly geek out.

"Snare drum pounds on the 2 and 4" were the first words I ever heard Prince say, live in person. I was a full Prince nerd by that point and knew full well that line was from "Escape," a current favorite b-side. It was absolute euphoria hearing all of my favorites, especially, "Eye No," my top, top track at the time. The concert left me utterly speechless, and even more obsessed. And I was sure Sheila winked at me during Erotic City.

We were SO lucky to have him!

[Edited 4/16/20 11:51am]

So sweet of your mother. What did she think of the concert? Maybe she was in awe like you?

She was impressed, but I think she was definitely a little confused during some parts.

7th row, Prince birthday concert in Detroit 1986 and also Prince show at the Fox in Detroit in 1993. Those probably aren't Prince career high points, but high points for me.

SimonCharles said:

My friends rib me that the first time I heard 1999, I didn't like it...so I'll go for the moment the scales fell from my eyes: 1986 - Anotherloverholenyohead. Simply magnificent...and then Parade and, IMHO, arguably the finest 1:40 Prince and the Revolution ever put down on tape - I Wonder U. In a mountain range of highs, these two still take me higher.

I'm right there with you. I didn't like 1999 at all. I discovered Prince when I went to the movies. It was a small, 2 theater cinema and the movie we went to see actually wasn't showing. Purple Rain was in the other theater and I didn't want to see it because I didn't like that "group Prince". My friend told me he was just Prince and convinced me to go see it. I fell in lust and went back the next night to see it again.

And, I still don't like 1999...

If I had to pick one moment, it would be Celebration 2002. A very close second would be the 1/21/16 Gala.

Yes, I am glad you are focusing on the high points. Like others have said, there have been so many high points. One unexpected high point was falling in love with the Parade album the first week of it's release. I rushed to the record store on the first day it was released like I did for all the Prince releases. All I heard beforehand was Kiss, which I liked but in no way prepared me for have brilliant and utterly different the Parade album is from any other album I had ever heard. I played it constantly the first week, falling in love with more each time I heard it. I had already known that Prince was the best, but Parade confirmed that he was some type of musical genius.

My personal high point would be the first time I listened Adore by chance, I thought it was beautiful, still do. I had no idea about what year or album that song came from, I thought it was a song recently released at that time; I'm talkin about 2008 or 2009. Call My Name the first tme I saw the video and listened to that song is not that far, though.

iamafan said:

SimonCharles said:

My friends rib me that the first time I heard 1999, I didn't like it...so I'll go for the moment the scales fell from my eyes: 1986 - Anotherloverholenyohead. Simply magnificent...and then Parade and, IMHO, arguably the finest 1:40 Prince and the Revolution ever put down on tape - I Wonder U. In a mountain range of highs, these two still take me higher.

I'm right there with you. I didn't like 1999 at all. I discovered Prince when I went to the movies. It was a small, 2 theater cinema and the movie we went to see actually wasn't showing. Purple Rain was in the other theater and I didn't want to see it because I didn't like that "group Prince". My friend told me he was just Prince and convinced me to go see it. I fell in lust and went back the next night to see it again.

And, I still don't like 1999...

Blasphemy, but the first time I listened to that album, I didn't like it neither, it sounded like it were from the outer space. It took some time to get to love it.

My high point was seeing the Lovesexy tour in Oakland on November 11,1988.That is still the BEST concert that I have ever seen.I'll never forget that night.

My most intense period as a fan was the to Gold period, that's not my high point musically but I have a lot of great memories of becoming good friends with other fans during this period, seeing shows, collecting etc.