I was just watching the Baby I'm A Star footage from the latest show, and it occured to me that it was slightly 'tacky' - somehow it felt like a bit of a naff thing to do, perform your old hits with this new band.

Sure he's always done it, I've been there, many times - but as I watched the clip, I just thought it was a bit tacky - you know like when Larry Graham performs the Sly hits.

Maybe it's that drum sample sound that sounds a bit odd to me live, but with all those great players on stage who can do the more musically interesting "jazz" stuff of Xpectation and TRC - it seems a bit of a sell-out to be having them do Baby I'm A Star.

Hmmm

It's not tacky at all IMO. These songs belong to Prince. He can play them whenever he chooses and with whomever he chooses.

it's not tacky per se, but it does seem pretty off...

First time i've looked at him and remotely thought "has-been". I hope i'm wrong but he really looked like an impersonator.Very depressing.I feel for him though, he can't please everyone.

The hits are gone, keep moving on Prince.
[This message was edited Tue Oct 21 12:11:32 PDT 2003 by Marrk]

Romance1600 said:

I TOTALLY AGREE!!! It would have been classy AND proper to retire old songs with the band that helped make them. A Revolution reunion has been talked about in the past and many people have been anticipating one, myself included. This was/is the perfect opportunity. Yeah, he's a better musician now but I'm sure Wendy, Lisa, Bobby, Matt, and Brown are better musicians as well.
[This message was edited Tue Oct 21 12:37:30 PDT 2003 by marcdeondotcom]

kisscamille said:

Of course.

But what Mark said above, that's how I felt when I saw the clip.

I saw the clip as well...it almost looked like he was uncomfortable. Thinking maybe, "Should I dance around a bit or just clap my hands?"

he just cant win can he ?

he plays the hits = gets slaughtered

he doesn't play the hits = gets slaughtered

he should reform the revoution !

he should stick 2 his new band !

he shouldn;t release chocolate invasion !

he should release chocolate invasion , as individual albums !

he shouldn't release chocolate invasion, as npgmc fans already have most of it !

what chance does he have 2 pls peeps , no f**kin chance !!!

It's funny how we all see things differently. I have NEVER in my life thought that Prince looked uncomfortable on stage. Granted, I have only seen him live 4 times, but I've seen numerous tv shows, concert footage etc. and IMO he always looks right at home. Being a fan for over 20 years, I personally don't want to see him do a show of his old hits, I would much rather see him do new music, but I still believe he should play whatever he wants and if that includes purple rain, let's go crazy even 1999, so be it. As far as a being a "has been",that's just plain silly. He's a pure musical genius and doesn't need a hit song on the radio.

danielboon said:

relax, davey crockett!

nobody said we weren't pleased.

hell, we weren't even there! some of us are just saying that it looks a bit forced.

kisscamille said:

a question: have you seen the clip? if so, what did you think?

i agree that prince is a musical genius...maybe he was just off for 5 minutes.

kisscamille said:

Indeed he does... But it still sounds like shit...
Man I cringed when I heard "When Doves Cry" on the Sign "O' The Times Tour or Lovesexy Tour cos it just doesn't work...
The same is with this band, playing "The Hits" with this band just does not work, it's like listening to some high school band doing some Prince covers... Lame...
Ah well just a couple of weeks and I can judge it fairly, I'm just not holding my breath for, yet another, greatest hits tour...
He's had time enough to record at least 3 albums full of new material with this current band and tour with it, but, of course, instead we get yet another "retiring the old hits tour"...

Neversin.

Where can these clips be viewed?

summerdawn said:

Yes, I saw the clip. The sound quality was not so great, but other than that, I didn't think anything negative about it.

Moonbeam said:

go to the concerts section and look for "on line clip..."

Marrk said:

Exactly what I thought. Exactly.

kisscamille said:

ditto

kisscamille said:

Thanks!

I've watched the clip 5 times now and I don't see one thing tacky about it. Prince is Prince doing what he's always done. I just have to say that after 20 years I am so glad I'm still enjoying his music and I don't feel the need to trash almost everything he does. His music and performances will always be special to me.

Look back to last years gigs.Did the hits he done then sound tacky and odd with pretty much the same band as now?

The answer as anybody who attended those gigs or has heard them will no doubt agree NO WAY!!

An amazing version of Take me with u (instead of that medley thing we were subjected to for way too long)

Rasberry beret (that tour was the only time I can recall him doing the whole song)

I wanna be your lover etc etc etc..

The point I am trying to make is that they're his songs and he can always kick ass with them when he really wants to. You can't really judge him on a 2 minute clip.

And lets not forget that he hasn't played in Oz for long time.

Give them the hits P and kick there ass!!

If this tour does come our way I'm sure the setlist will see a dramatic change for Europe and US. Even if he is planning on retiring those songs ( de ja vu).

superfunki said:

I totally agree with you!

superfunki said:

Yes... He did do some cool rearrangements of some songs and that was interesting, but hearing stuff like "Take Me With U", "When U Were Mine" or even "Strange Relationship" played by this band was pretty aweful and cringeworthy...

Neversin.

i don't think it looks tacky...just lacking in emotion. perhaps that is why he is retiring the songs. now, honestly, its hard to come to any conclusions from just one short clip. if the whole show is just a run through of his past, and if he's only interested in this for closure (and the bills), its good that he's retiring them.

i think he can perform whatever he wants, with whomever he wants. as long as he wants. that is they key. if he is performing for us rather than for himself it will alwaysshow in the performance. prince has always been at his best when he's got something to prove or something to say. when he's cocky and arrogant. hits are not any of the above.

ciao greatest hits!

Neversin said:

How could you say that strange relationship with that band was awful and cringeworthy?
That was some real funky shit.

I thought the clip was exciting, actually. He was MOVING. I dunno. Diff'rent strokes.

summerdawn said:

the clip looked real ropey, i'll give u that,bad choice of song me think's , p + baby im a star = the splits , he mayb 2 old 4 that shit now , so retire baby i'm a star ! the hits that were played on last years tour in europe were fine with the new band !

just a bad choice of song 4 a middle aged gentleman ???

i was just pointing out earlier that he cant pls everyone !

summerdawn pull yo head out yo asss baby !!!

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

If his heart isn't in it, he shouldn't be shortchanging people.He's not being true to himself or his fans down under.

Having said that, the clip quality is shite.Maybe you had to be there?

superfunki said:

I have to say, I really enjoyed the last tour, it really turned me onto TRC, up until which I hadn't really liked it much.

I took my partner who wasn't really a Prince fan and this was his first Prince show, so I was a bit reticent to show my enthusiasm so overtly since he can be quite reserved - but I remember when Strange Relationship began I jumped up out of my seat, almost as a reflex action, and began to dance, and I hadn't even worked out what song it was yet, I just knew it was a classic.

If he does come this way playing this set list, I think casual listeners like my partner will really love, I remember he wasn't that bothered about the last tour, he'd heard Prince was an amazing show, and he knew the songs he knew - the hits - I guess the this is a show for the casual listners and the general music buying public - The fans, we've had our shows in the past, and the aftershows are kinda for us, and we'll have tours again where he plays new material.

I think hes been "told" to tour the hits. Universal??? in return for a new album?? One wonders...

Dan said:

Interesting.

Why don't we hear something about this from official sources.

I mean if he's signed a new deal, all I've heard is rumour, speculation and posts here - nothing official.

Prince really does do stuff muddled-up.