It starts out with a smooth, soft, sensual R&B/Soul groove. You see Eric Leeds first, then Rhonda, Prince, Renato and John. The light is dim, as they play in the center of a New York, Dancehall, studio apartment type room, with glossy wooden floors. All members playing with their eyes closed as if the music is speaking to them from the inside. They take us on a journey. A nice, quiet place, where you imagine the one closest to you, and you picture yourself being the happiest you've ever been. Each musician adds another detail to your fantasy, as they contribute to this soft, soul ballad...

A pause, all of a sudden...

We see just prince with his guitar walking down the busy sidewalks of New York City, plucking away. SUV's, Taxi's, and family sudans fly by. One by one we see the rest of the band join behind Prince. All dressed in pimped out, pin stripe suits, walking with a old gangster type swagger, bumping people out of the way, as if they're determined to get somewhere and fast!.

They step down into the subway, they sift through the density of New York's underground. Finally they reach a subway car. Nato takes a seat and kicks out a wicked piano solo as if he's claiming the car NPG territory. Right behind him, Eric Leeds sits next to a old bag lady and lets loose silky smooth solo. Across the car sits Prince whom smiles in admiration of his partners improvisation, as he accompanies him.

The music drops and it's just Prince with his 60's/70's (Shaft- Isaac Hayes) guitar riff. Rhonda leaning up against the pole in the car, violently thumbing away at her electric bass, follwed by John whaling away at anything in his environment that resembles; a cymbal, snare, and bass drum. The subway car continues to speed by, as The NPG plays on, and we watch flashing lights and a assortment of colors from the graffitti on the wall. Then we see Renato, who isn't sitting far from Prince, add a little black and white to the groove. Right at the end of Nato's solo, the music comes to a pause, and we only hear and see Eric Leeds with Prince and John playing in the background. As the rest of the band joins again.

The NPG at their stop, playing in the subway, with a cup with coins and a few bills in it, directly in front of them with 'Love4OneAnother' written on it. They draw a crowd, Rhonda to the left on bass, John in back, Nato, Eric in front and Prince standing on top of a amp with his guitar, swaying left and right to the groove. Eric spits another wicked solo, with the band vigorously backing him. Then all of a sudden, the sax solo is concluded and a powerful outburst of emotion approaches. (08:33) The groove is changed into a series of moving chord progressions. With an extremely bright flash, we're back in the old dance/hall studio, except it's darker this time. The only light is supplied by the moon and a purple spotlight far in the back of the room. Renato and Rhonda set a very creepy/horror type sound. Prince's guitar solo blasts through like a beem of light in a graveyard. John attacks his cymbals...

The groove slows, ritards, quiets. Leeds talks through his Tenor as if he's crying. A series of fluctuations from light to dark carries us to the end of the song. Finally only the bass and keys are all we hear. The band plays to the end of the song, and when it's over, they appear to be exhausted, as if each had just made love all night. We view the band as a whole drop their arms, and let their instruments rest on their stands. A bright flash of light brings us to 14:00...

And that's what I hear and visualize, when I listen to West...

Thanks for watching and listenin'

Blue Prince

Very cool discription -- I dig this track, too. Reminds me a bit of "Last December" -- the guitar part at the beginning, then the music changing numerous times throughout. For primarily a club-centric release, NEWS is a great disc.

Doozer said:

Thanks, I dig the entire disc as well. Thus far, when I listen to West, I always visualize, this video in my head.

Cool, I realy like the way you discribed west !!

Blue Prince, you're writing some great threads on N.E.W.S. These are the kinds of positive things I like to hear in discussions, discussing what's most important of all, the music. Thanks

sabaisabai said:

precisely, well said

but just wait until the usual suspects come along and start dissing us just because we happen to enjoy this particular album

I've got to say, at the moment the song I listen to the most (and quite often) is South.
There are so many things in there, that song rocks.
I dig the bass, the drums, the keyboards, the guitar!

That's the song I listen the most , I really dig all the guitar parts and the intro reminds me a bit of the intro of "a case of u" live in 83 at the 1st avenue .

South and West are my favs off the disc.

I wish he had used a real sitar in east. . .sometimes I get a little annoyed with synth/digital sounds. . .

And I wish he'd let Rhonda get a little more time on the solos!

BTW, why does it say she plays "acoustic bass" when both her instruments are electric? (I think she mentioned that it's an acoustic instrument, too)

And--I know I should know the answer to this, but what's a Fender Rhodes? Guitar or keyboard?
[This message was edited Tue Jul 8 8:34:16 PDT 2003 by NuPwr319]

Fender Rhodes is a keyboard, or rather an electric piano, I think.

sabaisabai said:

Thanx Sabai x2



Blue