Prince and the New Power Generation – Prince / NY, USA 2004 (2 days)

If you were asked to name one of Prince’s most legendary performances, many would likely choose “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, Prince and his band actually held an after-show. This recording captures their live performance at Club Black in New York on the morning of March 16, 2004, in superb audience recording quality. Wayne Shorter’s performance of “Footprints” feels like an after-show, but it actually offers a glimpse into what the Musicology Tour would become. The delayed and drawn-out introduction of “Musicology” features a significantly different arrangement from later tours, particularly Mike Scott’s guitar playing. Maceo Parker is also present, and the scene where he urges the audience not to stop Maceo, and the audience complies, is incredibly exciting. Mike Phillips is also there, and his solo is fantastic. “D.M.S.R.” has a more jam-like feel than later tour versions. They also include a cover of Outkast’s “I Like The Way You Move,” which is its first public performance. Then Prince’s voice takes on a Morris Day-esque tone, and he plays “Tricky”! It’s blended into the jam, but it’s incredibly funky, and it’s the only performance of this song. From there, it flows into the slow groove of “Thank U 4 Talkin’ 2 Me Africa,” and then into “House Party,” where Prince sings with Chance Howard. This kind of development is naturally not seen on tour and feels like an after-show performance. “Controversy” features thrilling guitar cutting in the latter half, and the funky interplay with Maceo and others is fantastic. The transition from Renato’s beautiful piano to “The Beautiful Ones” is incredibly exciting. The audience spontaneously starts singing along, but then Mike’s saxophone solo comes in. Then Renato’s piano returns, and after a long five-minute intro, Prince finally begins to sing. His vocals are very gentle, but as expected, Prince lets out a magnificent scream towards the end. He’s absolutely serious. No one would be offended if you called this the best performance. And then it’s on to “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Candy Dulfer’s saxophone solo is brilliant. Then there’s “Insatiable,” with a slightly unconventional piano fingering in the intro. But Prince sings it well, and then he gives the first performance of “Call My Name” backing “Insatiable.” It’s not a proper “Call My Name,” but it’s a fantastic development and absolutely thrilling. Then, in “The Question of U,” there’s a rare jazzy performance of the unreleased track “12:01” sung by Prince, leading into “The One” and “Fallin’.” Candy Dulfer sings on “Fallin’.” Perhaps he intended to tour in this format. The rest of the album covers the 2003 tour in Hong Kong, Australia, and Hawaii, with Prince singing a bit of Sean Paul’s “Gimme the Light,” but this is his only performance of that song. Also, “Take Me With U” and “The Everlasting Now” are cut. Therefore, the last performance of “The Everlasting Now” is from the Fillmore concert on February 16th. And Prince’s performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is also recorded on soundboard. The video of Alicia Keys’s talk at this time would later be shown at the beginning of the Musicology Tour. Thus, this live performance was the final adjustment for the Musicology Tour, and it contains developments that can only be heard here, making it a very important and highly enjoyable title. Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony Aftershow Club Black, New York 16th March 2004 (am) Disc 1 1. Footprints 2. Musicology 3. Tighten Up 4. Shhh 5. D.M.S.R. 6. The Way You Move 7. Tricky 8. Thank You For Talkin’ To Me Africa 9. House Party 10. A Love Bizarre (intro) 11. The Glamorous Life (intro) 12. I Feel For You 13. Controversy 14. Renato Interlude 15. The Beautiful Ones 16. Nothing Compares 2 U Disc 2 1. Insatiable 2. Call My Name 3. Sign O’ The Times 4. The Question Of U 5. 12:01 6. The One 7. Fallin’ 8. Let’s Work 9. U Got The Look 10. Life ‘O’ The Party 11. Gimme The Light 12. Uptown Up 13. Soul Man 14. Kiss Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame : 15th March 2004 (Soundboard Recording / Broadcast) 15. A Love Bizarre (intro) 16. The Glamorous Life (intro) 17. I Feel For You 18. Let’s Go Crazy 19. Sign O’ The Times 20. Soul Man 21. Kiss 22. While My Guitar Gently Weeps