We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Prince!
Today we put the spotlight on one of the greats, Prince. Here is his pro shot, soundboard audio show from The Aladdin in Las Vegas in 2002. Enjoy:
We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Prince!
Occasionally for our Full Show Friday series RtBE decides to dedicate the month to certain topics like showcasing random years, say 1979, or unique live venues, like CBGB's. Sometimes we combine both like Bonnaroo 2014. This month we are focusing on live shows from the historic NYC Venue Webster Hall aka The Ritz. Enjoy!
RtBE have enjoyedmanyaconcert at the famed Webster Hall or as it was known in the 80's, The Ritz and a few weeks ago the club played host to it's last show for sometime as it will be undergoing a long renovation. To celebrate the illustrious venue we will be dedicating September's Full Show Friday's to the club, highlighting some amazing performances.
We kick it off with The Purple One from 1981. Prince killing it at The Ritz with his funky amalgamation of rock, soul, R&B to go along with pure sexuality. The sound is crystal clear and while the video isn't perfect it is steady and watchable, full setlist is below. Enjoy!
Setlist:
Do It All Night
Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?
Gotta Broken Heart Again
Broken
When You Were Mine
Gotta Stop (Messin' About)
Sexy Dancer
Sister
I Wanna Be Your Lover
Head
Still Waiting
Partyup
Uptown
Crazy You
Dirty Mind
It is of one of Prince's new albums, his solo release, Art Official Age. This one was tough because there is obviously a lot going into the disk and a lot behind it given Prince's long and varied career.
The disk itself is full of varied tunes too...and judging by the comments already filling up the bottom of the page it seems people aren't really reading or hearing what I am putting down. This album isn't bad by any stretch, he has had his fair share of bad ones over the last say 20 years (almost all of them), but when he comes so close to pulling off a major statement and it doesn't come together I think it should be noted.
Anyway, I said a lot about the disk in the official review, but I am happy to talk more about it, feel free to give your thoughts in the comments below, but before that support the artist here, grab the album here and peep some video below:
It is of the semi-super-folk group Fistful Of Mercy's first release titled, As I Call You Down.
I say Fistful Of Mercy are "semi super", because having one nationally known and loved artist (Ben Harper) the son of one the most famous pop musicians of all time (Dhani Harrison) and another more artsy artist (Joseph Arthur) doesn't really make you full on SUPER in my book of poems.
Harper has natural charm (could have something to do with looking like Lopez), but musically I never really thought he rose much above Jack Johnson, who I find bland as all fuck. Arthur's solo outings are intriguing but that intrigue and looping guitar style is pretty much absent on this record. Dhani hasn't done much, since a wicked tribute concert for his late great father George, but he is the one here that I am listening out for in the future.
I think it is because the two songs which jumped out at me seemed to be the ones he led, "Fathers Son" and "Things Go Round". I could be wrong, perhaps it is a total group 3-way (EwwGross!), but those 2 sound different then the rest of the album. There's no doubt the cats can beautifully sing their faces off...but the songs don't say jack shit and the choruses seem to go on forever's and ever's.
In the end the album fell into a beach bum vibe that lacked energy...maybe if I was sitting in Whalers staring out into the Pacific I might have thought differently about it....but probably not. Some vid's for you to judge...
Live in the Studio:
Live with some guy named Eddie:
And just because the Prince solo rips so much ass, here was the first time I became aware of Dhani Harrison:
Jesus the Purple One gives me goosebumps each time I see that performance....
