I know this is a bit "behind the times" with Musicology front and center at the moment, but I just stumbled upon this short essay about Prince's performance on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"...so thought I'd bring it here. I don't remember seeing this posted back in March, so hopefully I'm not repeating something already (yeah, I know..."use the search function"...lol)


"'Wow.' I'm still in awe after the Sunday night airing of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony that welcomed Prince, George Harrison, Jackson Browne, Traffic, ZZ-Top, Bob Seager, and The Dells into the class of 2004. 'Wow,' is still all I can say after Prince stepped to center stage at the show's end, making television seem to matter again.

Those of us born after artists like Elvis and The Beatles debuted on national TV in the 1950's and 60's can only wonder what it felt like to see history being made. To watch such shifts in culture, history and time resonate through a Rickenbacker guitar, a shake of a shag haircut, or the Little Richard-like whale of "the four lads from Liverpool." But seeing this former remnant from the 1980's play his trademark Fender guitar on TV again has to be the best thing our time has to offer that can even compare.

On Sunday, Prince Rogers Nelson gave television back the importance it has long lost in a haze of idiotic reality shows, glorified mobsters, and unnecessary jaw-dropping over Janet Jackson showing her natural anatomy. What's worse: "The Soprano's," whose recent add shows dead bodies washed on a shore or a glimpse of the beauty of the female figure that would make the English yawn. (Thanks for the insight, Ted Wisniewski).

As the show came to a close, Tom Petty, flanked by fellow former Traveling Wilbury, Jeff Lynn and George Harrison's son, Dhani, on acoustic guitar, stepped forward to sing one of Harrison's best songs, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Immediately, Petty sounded solid on lead vocal, the band extremely tight with Lynn, Petty and others on guitar and Steve Winwood of Traffic rounding out the sound on keyboard. But what awaited from stage left was the most powerful piece of guitar playing on television in a long time.

Wearing a red felt derby hat, black pin-striped suit with a high collar, and a red shirt, Prince looked more like a superhero than a rock star. This wasn't the first time Prince looked to be out of the pages of a comic book. In his 1984 film, "Purple Rain," he zoomed around on a motorcycle, looking like a cross between The Joker and Zorro. But back to the music...

For most of the song, Prince played along but was not shown much on camera until the end. As the song reached its lyrical peak, Dhani Harrison, looking uncannily like his late dad, nodded to our mad-hatted wonder with a smile that let the audience know we were in for something unique: powerful and unique.

The song is a slow groove that personifies the author's guitar as a means through which to express his concern with the state of the world. Written while Harrison and The Beatles were close to ending their reign as the best band ever, its the best result of mixing the Beatles fantastic sound with blues and rock influence. Three quarters through the song, and after an unkown guitarist took his turn at a solo, Prince literally stepped in from out of the shadows and ripped into a solo of his own. Not too short, but not nearly long enough to make the viewer look for the time, his wood-tone Fender electric whaled, screeched, purred, boomed, showing the magic of communication without words. Relying only on sound, Prince showed what a human being can acheive when all inhibitions, self-conscious and narcissistic thoughts are tossed asside and the spirit takes over. Prince himself, a newly converted Jehova Witness, would probably credit his believed God, "Jehovah," for such a mesmerizing display as he did during his acceptance speech. But whatever god you believe in, a person is at their best when they tap into their true self, letting their spirit breathe, and making the most of the talent and ability that lays within all of us.

Jimi Hendricks started his career as Little Richard's guitar player; Little Richard, who still whines about not being credited as the "true" king of rock and roll, definitely inspired The Beatles and all rockers who followed, along with Elvis; The Beatles later made such an impression on Hendricks that Jimi opened a concert with his version of their inovative song, "Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band," only having learned it that day, the same day the album had just been released. Last Sunday, the family tree of rock royalty came full circle with Prince and his guitar. (Unfortunately), "The King is Dead; long live the Prince." "

http://www.joeyfiggiani.net/id11.html

"A person is at their best when they tap into their true self, letting their spirit breathe, and making the most of the talent and ability that lays within all of us".






That was a wonderful read. Thankyou Byron.

Sly said:

Word up! We needed this review around that time. I just watched it again yesterday, best I've ever seen. It's right up there with Hendrix playing The Star Spangled Banner, IMHO. Excellence!

Thanks, Byron

I've yet to see this performance but I've heard so much about it...

Anyone have any (working) links to view it online, or know where I could download it?

I'd be eternally gratefull.

Byron said:

I don't mean to nitpick (really, I don't ), but McCartney has said that Jimi covered the song live 3 days after the album's release, not on the same day of its release.


Nice thread, Byron. Prince certainly livened an otherwise staid show up that night.

Byron said:

In PR he looked more like Zorro 2 me..don't see much of The Joker until "Partyman" & it's true Prince wuz on there a few minutes earlia when they announced him 2 be on there & they didn't have the camera on him I ayn like that eitha(I WANTED 2 SEE PRINCE ). But he stole da show when the song reached it's peak. Yep & I have only da ending guitar solo clip I'd like some the clips when he 1st came on. Loved how he did the SOTT it wuz hot.