Prince
When Doves Cry / Beautifully Broken
Dec 16th
It’s been a while since I’ve discovered a gem in my own music library – one that I don’t recall ever hearing. I’ve listened to Gov’t Mule’s 2003 live album (Deepest End: Live in Concert) before, but I don’t remember hearing what I heard tonight: a slow and bluesy “When Doves Cry” sung by Warren Haynes. Prince’s classic tune bookends the tune “Beautifully Broken”. Only the chorus is sung, but the way it weaves its way into the full song makes it one of the best interpretations of a Prince tune I’ve heard.
I’m sure there are a few groups in the jam band scene that have tackled Prince’s music. The only cover that comes to mind is Phish’s take on “Purple Rain”, which always seemed like more of an attempt to be humorous than a respectful and heartfelt interpretation of the work (must be the vacuum cleaner solo).
With an artist like Warren Haynes though, you can bet that he’ll put his heart and soul into any song he performs – and it’s evident here with “When Doves Cry” and “Beautifully Broken”. There’s a passion in the vocals and every pluck of his guitar string. And with a heavy duty powerhouse like Gov’t Mule backing it all up – well – I’m damn sure I’ll have this on regular rotation for some time to come.
Gov’t Mule – When Doves Cry / Beautifully Broken (mp3)
From The Deepest End: Live in Concert
Ick’s Pick: Jesse Johnson’s Verbal Penetration
Dec 3rd
As a Prince-obsessed maniac since the age of Purple Rain, I’ve always been interested in following those he helped spawn back in the day. The Time were obviously the most talented of the bunch, and a sizable contributor to the feel and sound of the band – along with Prince, Morris Day, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – was guitarist Jesse Johnson.
After the success of Ice Cream Castle (which featured “The Bird” and “Jungle Love”, tunes co-written by Jesse), he left the group for a solo deal with A&M Records. His body of work has always ranked up there as my favorite – his first two albums, Jesse Johnson’s Revue and Shockadelica, are classic Minneapolis synth-funk. Also solid were his other two studio efforts: 1988’s Every Shade of Love and 1996’s Bare My Naked Soul.
Except for a 2000 greatest hits collection, Jesse has been quiet all these years… that is, until Verbal Penetration came along. I know, I know, the album title is pretty cringe-worthy at first glance. But after picking it up earlier this week, I’m here to tell you – this is a fantastic collection of neosoul, retro-funk and R&B. It’s 29 tracks spanning two discs, and clocks in at almost two hours, and you quickly succumb to the verbal penetration ride that Jesse wants to take you on.
At the forefront is Jesse’s prolific guitar work. It’s been 13 years since his last studio album, and this album burns with a funky ferocity that feels like Jesse’s been bottling up this energy all these years, and he’s finally been uncorked. Case in point is the instrumental “Merciful” [mp3] – where a smooth, simmering groove sets the backdrop for a jaw-dropping guitar solo that kicks off 25 seconds into the song, and doesn’t let up until the song finishes at almost 5 minutes.
There are so many highlights, and I’m just a few listens in… Check out “Sheila Rae” [mp3], a dose of warm and sunny pop/funk with synth horns and some catchy female backing vocals (which show up a lot on this album).
“1000 Watts of Funky” is old school – you guess it – funk, paying obvious homage to Sly & the Family Stone.
There’s “Ali vs. Frasier”, where Jesse puts on his Wes Montgomery hat and kills with some jazz guitar.
“Letter From a Soldier (Reprise)” and “Love Letters” mashup classic Curtis Mayfield vibes with smooth neosoul grooves.
Even the strange ones are captivating. There’s “Redemption for the Soul, Enlightenment for the Earhole”, a tale set in the far future where music is banned. It is the “Days of the Deafening Quiet”, after the “Great Last War left the Nurennus Realm in control”. It’s narrated by French-Norwegian artist Jezabella Kipp-Messmer, and her accent will confuse, possibly annoy, and probably mesmerize you. What’s truly mesmerizing is the funky sounds backing up the story.
Verbal Penetration is a welcome surprise from a familiar old friend. It sizes up well against Prince’s post-2000 output, and even far exceeds it at points. Jesse’s hiatus hasn’t diminished his talent and potency in any way whatsoever. If you have a little purple in you, do yourself a favor and pick it up.
Buy: Verbal Penetration
Visit: JesseJohnson.com
Video: Prince mini show on French TV
Oct 14th
Let’s face it, it’s been a long time since quality video footage of Prince has been readily available to the internet masses. So it was refreshing earlier today when I came across this cool mini-concert of Prince on a French TV show called Le Grand Journal.
On the set list: “Dance 4 Me”, “No More Candy 4 U”, “1999″, and “Controversy”. The quality of the video is excellent,and Prince, his band, and his dancers appear loose and relaxed…they’ve been over in Paris for a week or two now - I think with more shows to come over there.
This may be one of those here today / gone tomorrow videos, so enjoy while you can…
Prince Performance on Le Grand Journal (French TV)
The Time live in KC
Oct 4th
In the year nineteen eighty-three, Prince’s Triple Threat Tour did hit the road. Vanity 6 opened the evening, with The Time as their backing band behind a curtain. Next up, before Prince took the stage, Morris Day and the boys got their 45 minutes in the spotlight, and they took every advantage, trying their hardest to upstage their boss.
I was a wee 12 year old during this tour, so I didn’t get to witness the competition firsthand. But from all accounts, it made for an amazing tour – Prince touring behind 1999, and the Time, with two solid (Prince-produced) records under their belt, there to try and show him up night after night.
Here’s The Time’s set from a recently unearthed soundboard recording from March 19th, 1983, at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
The Time
Kansas City, MO
March 19, 1983
1. Intro
2. Get It Up
3. 777-9311
4. Girl
5. Wild & Loose
6. Gigolos Get Lonely Too
7. Cool
8. The Walk
9. Outro
Video: We All Wanna Be Prince
Aug 21st
I’ve seen this song all over the place the last few weeks, but I didn’t take the time to listen until tonight, when I noticed the video was out. And let me say, the video is cool and pretty chuckle-worthy at times. They capture the Dirty Mind thru 1999-era Prince – with the Prince dress-up, the ladies, the rampant horniness, and the song itself. Well done, Felix Da Housecat…
It’s Live, It’s Purple: Musicology in Phoenix
Aug 18th
A couple times a year, I slip into my Prince-only phase – three, four, five weeks of obsessive listening. To spur it on this time around, it was the Spin issue commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Purple Rain. The movie and album pulled me into Prince’s purple universe in the latter half of 1984, and I haven’t left since.
What I could use right now is some live Prince – something I haven’t experienced since April 2002, when he was touring behind The Rainbow Children album with his ‘One Night Alone’ shows…
Unfortunately, I missed the Musicology tour. I was moving from Denver back to Phoenix that Spring of ‘04. He stopped in Denver a few weeks after I left, and he played Phoenix a week or two before I got there. Great luck.
I’m still assuming that Prince would want to tour behind his latest albums, Lotusflow3r and MPLSound, but we’re still waiting. Over the last few weeks, he’s played the Montreux Jazz Festival and a fancy-pants show in Monaco. But let’s hope he gets back stateside for some normal gigs for everyman and everywoman. You know, the fans who’ve supported him for decades?
I missed a good show in Phoenix that Spring of ‘04. Hear for yourself…
Musicology Tour
Glendale Arena | Phoenix, AZ
March 31st, 2004
Part 1
1. Intro
2. Musicology
3. Let’s Go Crazy
4. I Would Die 4 U
5. When Doves Cry
6. 1999 – Intro Baby I’m A Star
7. Shhh
8. D.M.S.R Incl. The Way You Move
9. A Love Bizarre – The Glamorous Life – I Feel 4 U
10. Controversy
11. Interlude
12. God
13. The Beautiful Ones
14. Nothing Compares 2 U
15. Insatiable
Part 2
1. Sign ‘O’ The Times
2. The Question Of U – The One – Fallin
3. Let’s Work
4. U Got The Look
5. Hot Pants
6. Soulman
7. Kiss
8. Take Me With U
9. Outro
10. Purple Rain
Bonus Tracks:
San Antonio, TX | SBC Center | June 9th, 2004
11. D.M.S.R.
12. A Love Bizarre
13. I Feel For You
14. Controversy
Amazon Links:
“Somewhere Here on Earth” on Leno
May 29th
Prince stopped by to wish Leno well on his new venture and left it on the stage with a killer version of “Somewhere Here on Earth”. I must reiterate how good it is to see Rhonda, Renato and John Blackwell backing him up. Check the clip before NBC pulls it.
Prince – “Somewhere Here on Earth” (Video)
The Truth About Funk
May 12th
Behind the scenes, I have quite a cool little network of like-minded folks when it comes to the music of Prince. We have a soft spot for that golden era in Prince music – the 80’s – when he was as prolific as ever. We also have fond memories of his side projects and off-shoots from that era – the Time (of course), The Family, Madhouse… So how cool is it to see that some members of these groups – St. Paul Peterson, Jellybean Johnson, Jerry Hubbard, and the great Eric Leeds – have come together to form The Truth.
Their mission? Keep the Minneapolis Sound alive! And throw in some old school funk from the likes of Funkadelic, Cameo, and the Ohio Players while they’re at it. The guys are tight and funky as hell live, very true to the originals, and boy can they play the sheeet out of some Prince jams… “Erotic City”, “DMSR”, and even “America”.
The kicker? A new live album recorded at Minneapolis’s Fine Line that showcases their conglomerate of Prince-inspired talent. Who knows how they feel personally about their old boss, but make no mistake that they’re paying tribute to him, and to an era very important to a lot of us – an era that will never be matched.
This live album comes highly recommended… here’s a taste:
The Truth - High Fashion (mp3)
Visit the band on MySpace.
The Truth is:
- St. Paul Peterson (The Time, The Family) on bass, vocals, guitar and keyboards
- Jellybean Johnson (The Time, The Family) on guitar
- Odell (Mint Condition) on guitar and vocals
- Jerry Hubbard (The Time, Jesse Johnson) on bass, keyboards, guitar and vocals
- Chance Howard (Prince, The Time) on bass guitar, bass synth and vocals
- Kip Blackshire (Prince) on vocals, keyboards and guitar
- Kirk Johnson (Prince) on drums and vocals
- Eric Leeds (Prince) on saxophones, keyboards and vocals
- Donnie Lamarca (Johny Lang, Mick Sterling) on keyboards.
Recommended Interviews: Prince and Wendy & Lisa
May 1st
May I recommend a couple of cool interviews? I may? Awesome.
Check out Tavis Smiley’s rather excellent interview of Prince on his PBS show earlier in the week. It’s the most in-depth TV interview I’ve seen with Prince in – well – ever, I think.
A few notes:
- Tavis is not shy with the compliments – over the top at times. But I can’t blame him. I’d do the same thing if I got a one-on-one with Prince.
- Prince opens up about his father for really the first time. Interesting how many qualities his movie dad shared with his read dad in ‘Purple Rain’.
- Funny part where he talks about the misinterpretation of his lyrics – how a friend of his thought the beginning of “When Doves Cry” went: “Dig if u will the picture, of me, Marvin Gaye and the kids.”
- Prince talks about his respect for Dick Gregory, brings up the chemtrails conspiracy, and how there were “eight presidents before George Washington”. I’ve got some Googlin’ to do.
Tavis Smiley Interviews Prince: Part One | Part Two
After I watched the Tavis interview last night, I stumbled on this interview of Wendy & Lisa by Out magazine. They speak very candidly about their relationship (lovers since 1980), and about Prince – which is rare for anyone who leaves his circle.
A short excerpt:
How conscious was Prince of assembling for the Revolution that racial and sexuality rainbow you described?
Wendy: He was incredibly conscious of it. Look at the way he looked during Dirty Mind and Controversy and 1999. He was so androgynous. He didn’t care if you were [paraphrasing Prince’s “Uptown” lyric] “black, white, straight, gay, Puerto Rican, just a freakin’.” That guy wanted fans. So anyway he could get them — and a more interesting way he could do it — appealed to him. The Sly and the Family Stone mentality, that whole black/white/freaky thing on stage appealed to him.
Lisa: I’ll give you an example. We had a photo shoot for the Purple Rain poster. We were all in our different positions and he at one point walked over to me and Wendy and lifted my arm up and put my hand around Wendy’s waist and said, “There.” And that is the poster. That’s how precise he was about how he wanted the image of the band to be. He wanted it to be way more obvious. We weren’t just the two girls in the band.
Wendy: We were the couple.
Lisa: We were the gay girls in the band. It was very calculated. – Read On -
I had the poster they’re talking about hanging in my room from 1984 to 1988 (when I left for college). Man, some of those Prince, Apollonia and Vanity posters in my room. My folks really must have wondered who was sitting at the dinner table with them sometimes…
Read: Out interview of Wendy & Lisa
Listen: Wendy & Lisa – Niagra Falls (mp3)
Check out:
Ick’s Pick (Week XIII): Prince’s LotusFlow3r Set
Apr 1st
This week, Michael joins me for a joint review of Prince’s new 3-cd set, wherein we discuss 2 out of the 3 cd’s in back and forth rapid-fire style. It’s incredible! Enjoy! – Pete
Michael: I should say at the outset that this is pretty damned critical, and that in reality I’ve had these records on repeat since Sunday…
Pete: Show of hands, who bought the CD set at Target and still hasn’t removed the Bria Valente disk? I guess it’s truly not 1985 anymore, when I would voraciously devour any Prince-related project put out in a store. But it looks like Bria will have to wait. I’ve got two new Prince albums to play with.
By the way, where was Bria during Prince’s big publicity week? Three Leno appearances and three shows in Los Angeles, and not even one appearance? Strange. Beautiful strange.
Pete’s Quick 21st Century Prince Album Review Disclaimer: There is nothing Prince will ever release again that will tap into every fiber of my being like he did with his 80’s output. I – and a lot of others – have a very special relationship with Dirty Mind, Controversy, and Purple Rain; with Around the World in a Day, Parade, Sign ‘o’ the Times, and Lovesexy – and all of the B-sides and outtakes and “related artists” of that era. The guy’s got a huge mountain to climb to ever match those records. It can’t and won’t happen. So having said that:
Here’s a song by song look at the two new albums…
LotusFlow3r
1. “From the Lotus..”
Michael: Prince has been listening to too much Santana.
Pete: I hear ‘Rainbow Children’ Redux in this opener. The jazzy groove sounds like it’s sliding right into P’s 2001 album. “Just like the SUN!…”
2. “Boom”
Michael: Indistinguishable backwards vocals in lieu of a proper chorus, ever so slightly auto-tuned vocals and wah-drenched leads give the record a kick in the pants to start. Dig it.
Pete: Agreed. LOVE the guitar and the voice effects. Prince has been tweaking his voice since what – “Erotic City”? The result is always odd & interesting. I’ll take it. Now we need to grab the vinyl so we can play the chorus backward (I mean forward)…
3. “Crimson and Clover”
Michael: I just jotted down “Meh” in my notes. I preferred when he saved covers for his aftershows (only).
Pete: I like it, BUT – I only compare it to the Tommy James original, which I adore. And when P rewrites the lyrics, it’s distracting (like his cover of Radiohead’s “Creep”). Cool songs to cover, but he’s tweaking classic songs. Sure, he’s “Prince-fying” them, but in then end, I just want to return to the originals.
4. “4Ever”
Michael: It just sounds like it belongs in a Disney movie. The major progression with the big chorus… it just doesn’t do it for me.
Pete: Funny, I thought along the same lines. It sounds sanitized and safe. “I can be your future lover / and you can be my future girl.” Prince singing that? Come on, give me the “International Lover” instead.
5. “Colonized Mind”
Michael: “All Along the Watchtower, Part II”? I realize I’m being overly critical here, but this just reads like a bitter old man bitching about getting duped with a record deal (2nd verse) in the middle of a perfectly honest social commentary.
Pete: Nice vibe, but you’re right, Michael. Who really wants to keep hearing Prince bitch about record deals in 2009, besides Prince? We get it, you were a slave to the industry. Boo record execs!
6. “Feel Good, Feel Better, Feel Wonderful”
Michael: I like this one better live, good song though.
Pete: Not the most memorable of the bunch for me. Emancipation, disc 3. Love the synth though.
7. “Love Like Jazz”
Michael: He’s done jazzed-up funk so much better than this.
Pete: This one grabbed me from the first time I listened to it. I think it had a lot to do with hearing it first while I was driving at night. I love the da-da-da-da da-da-da-da “horn” part that pops up throughout the song. Real horns? Wish I were smart enough to distinguish. Liner notes would’ve been nice. Do I need to pay $77 for those?
8. “77 Beverly Park”
Michael: Three instrumental tracks? Really Prince? It’s not bad, it just reeks of ‘filler’ to me. She’s laughing, right?
Pete: Sorry Michael, I’m fished in on this one. I’m a sucker for his purty instrumentals like “Venus de Milo”, “Alexa de Paris”, and “The Sensual Everafter”. And nope, no April foolin’.
9. “Wall of Berlin”
Michael: I wish I knew who was playing drums on this one. Alas no liner notes to give credit where it’s due.
Pete: How could he fade out in the middle of that drumming madness, right when it’s heating up? This one had me crying for a “Wall of Berlin” extended 12” maxi-single, but P don’t do those no mo’. Good song – a smooth, flowing chorus, funky to rockin’ tempo changes. Cool lyric: “Not one for rituals but one thing I’ve found / everything’s better when u come around”.
10. “$”
Michael: With shades of “Let’s Pretend We’re Married” this is the first track on this record to live up to the hype for me. The guitar tone is dope as hell and the horns coming in to sweeten up the deal make this the standout track for me.
Pete: The money reference had me thinking back to his other “$” song: “Love or $”, the B-side to “Kiss”. I’m not sold on it yet, but this one will be a long term keeper, I can feel it.
11. “Dreamer”
Michael: Obvious Hendrix nod does not do anything but uplift this power-trio banger. I’d love to hear this one segued live out of “Papa”… yeah, I know… I’m dreaming.
Pete: I’m thinking of the same era – “Dreamer” would have fit quite well on P’s Undertaker project, sandwiched between “Poor Goo” and “Honky Tonk Women”. Jimi’s spirit is alive & kickin’ hard.
12. “…Back to the Lotus”
Michael: I never thought I’d say this, but I miss the NPG Operator…
Pete: I like this ending though. Whatever voice alteration gizmo he’s got going here is right up my alley. It’ll take me 120 more listens to figure out what he’s saying. Or should I pay $77? (Hey subscribers, are there lyrics & liner notes in the purple kingdom?)
MPLsound
1. “There’ll Never B (Another Like Me)”
Michael: I’ve been rockin’ this one since it made its appearance on the Lotusflow3r site. Sure, it’s got a bit of New Power Soul in it, but come on… this is so dope!
Pete: Bring in the 80’s drum machine! You have to think Prince had fun on this album, revisiting the technology he used during his most innovative period. Yeah, this tune is fun, harmless funky Prince.
2. “Chocolate Box”
Michael: I don’t even miss him being dirty if he’s gonna bring the funk like this. Q-Tip drops a classic guest verse on this one. More positive use of auto-tune here, I dig when it’s used tastefully. Pop this one on before “Sleep Around” and you’ll get some asses wiggling.
Pete: “Wherethadrums”? Bringing the funk indeed. If any song this decade has begged for old dirty Prince, this is it. This needs some cussin’ up! I mean, heavy breathing Prince with no “come here baby and let me #*@ your $&#… mmmm, yeaahh”?? And yay for Q-Tip.
3. “Dance 4 Me”
Michael: Would not have been out of place on Parade. Dig it so hard!
Pete: If you’re hip to the old school, this one reminds you of Zapp’s “I Can Make You Dance”. This one has 80’s B-side written all over it.
4. “U’re Gonna C Me”
Michael: I’m a sucker for this brand of mid-tempo syrupy goodness (I will readily admit that “Future Baby Mama” was my favorite track from Planet Earth.) I liked the version on One Night Alone, I love this one.
Pete: Classic Prince falsetto lovey dovey time – complete with the “Beautiful Ones”-type drum sounds.
5. “Here”
Michael: Layer upon layer of layer of vocals, springy acoustic guitar, this is straight out of the 80’s purple cookbook.
Pete: Nice. Laid back. A spoken interlude where Prince pleads: “just believe in me and trust this ride”. Whoever you are, Prince wants you there. Stat.
6. “Valentina”
Michael: Funky to a fault. Can you picture a 16 year old Valentina Paloma Pinault listening to this… “Mama, why’s Uncle Prince hitting on you in a tune with my name?” Priceless.
Pete: Yeah, I’m slow. I’ve listened to this tune about a dozen times, and it took me until today (from Michael’s full name drop above & Google) to figure out that this is about Salma Hayek and her daughter Valentina. I’m slow. Very slow. Salma Hayek:”Curvier than a Fender Stratocaster guitar”.
7. “Better with Time”
Michael: Mmm-Hmm. Grown folk’s music!!
Pete: Another one that sounds like an Emancipation outtake. Not an early favorite at all. Whatever happened to the Prince slow jams that were fun as hell to sing along with? “Adore”, “Scandalous”, “Insatiable”, “Do Me, Baby”… how am I supposed to sing along in the shower to this one?
8. “Ol’ Skool Company”
Michael: Dig it… the new MPLSound. Put this one on repeat.
Pete: Enjoyable, but it seems like he’s trying a little hard on this one. He got the point across in the funkier “Musicology”. But it’s cool to hear him name drop Cee-Lo, Maxwell, and Christina Milian.
9. “No More Candy 4 U”
Michael: Would anyone be surprised if he admitted to pulling this one out of the vault circa 1982?
Pete: Nice closer. A quirky dose of pop-funk. But the underlying theme of the song is Prince’s disdain for others, including: *gasp* “all the haters on the internet / nobody’s lookin’ at you / no more candy 4 u / they got your number now fool”.
In Closing
Michael: I certainly have connected with MPLSound more than LotusFlow3r straight off. As with previous multiple disc Prince efforts, this could have been easily edited to a stellar single disc. The guitar heavy LotusFlow3r just seems indulgent when standing on its own. Don’t get me wrong, even a bad Prince record is still a good record, and for all of its faults it has truly redeeming qualities, I just happen to subscribe to the camp that he needs the editorial voice that he’s sorely been lacking in the last decade or so. MPLSound on the other hand is the record that I think most Prince fans have wanted to hear. When “F.U.N.K.” reared its funky head last year it was like a breath of fresh air. This record delivers on the promise of that track (albeit with less piss and vinegar) and a willingness to revisit his past a bit. Overall, I’ve been consistently more pleased with this offering than the last two. Well worth the $11.98!
Pete: I can’t even say I’m leaning more toward one than the other at this point. Like Michael, I’ve spent the entire week keeping them on constant rotation – and I discover new things and enjoy them more each time. I haven’t been able to do that with a Prince album in a while. His last three albums – Musicology, 3121, and Planet Earth –have their good moments, but I never felt like hearing them as a body of work over and over again. MPLsound and Lotusflow3r are both solid bodies of work in their own right. Could Prince have knocked it down to one album? Probably. But he’s one prolific dude in the studio, and he has his vision. This particular vision is packaged in a $11.98 3-cd set sold exclusively at Target.
A solid set overall. Now please Prince – get the show on the road!
BUY the LotusFlow3r set | Visit: LotusFlow3r.com
Video for “Chocolate Box”, feat. Q-Tip:
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