Friday, April 15, 2016

Prince "Piano & A Microphone" (and about 37 amplifiers) Tour

Raise your hand if you thought that someday--SOMEDAY--you were going to party like it was 1999.  Be honest!

Now, keep your hand in the air if you NEVER imagined Prince would have fallen off the radar for decades (at least in terms of general popularity) and yet ... when he does go on tour decades later tickets are scorching hot, and you consider yourself lucky to pay hundreds of dollars per ticket (not scalped, I had multiple browser windows open to order as soon as tickets became available!).

Okay, my hand was in the air the whole time.  What about yours?

By the way, prior to the concert I played some Prince songs for my daughters.  They just looked at me like I was crazy.  Typical 80's stuff, they said.  As if they know what even means.  :)   I told them that they needed to check out Purple Rain, the movie, to understand Prince--except maybe they're not old enough yet!  Here's a documentary that helps explain it (same link as what I posted yesterday).
Prince In The 1980's - Full Movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRNYiFxR2Ps

So the concert was last night.  Originally scheduled for a week ago, April 7, it was delayed because Prince was sick.  So it was rescheduled for a week later.  How was it?  Honestly, it was a bit of a letdown.  First a couple links with reviews.

From Funkatopia:
"Review: Prince, Piano & A Microphone – Atlanta"
http://funkatopia.com/funk-concert-reviews/review-prince-piano-a-microphone-atlanta/

From the Atlanta Journal Constitution, or the AJC as they seem to prefer now:
http://buzz.blog.ajc.com/2016/04/15/the-photos-people-managed-to-take-at-the-prince-concert-in-atlanta/
http://music.blog.ajc.com/2016/04/14/concert-review-prince-enchants-at-intimate-fox-theatre-show/

My take?  First of all, the 7p show that I went to was only 1 hour, 15 minutes (yes, I timed it).  1:20, as mentioned in both reviews above, is being generous.


I thought that the sound was horrible, as bad as any concert I've ever been to.  My post title tells the story.  It didn't come across at intimate at all the way the piano was over-amplified.  The bass portion of the keyboard was horrifically distorted, and drowned out Prince's voice, which was in great form by the way.

I particularly liked "Nothing Compares 2 U" and "I Feel 4 U."  Not a surprise given my post yesterday, I suppose.  "I Would Die 4 U" was a lot of fun, too.

The show ended unexpectedly early, and the Fox Theatre didn't seem to realize he was done at first.  Lights stayed dim for a while fans chanted for another encore.  "Purple Rain" was a common chant.  But after a while the lights came up abruptly and fans were asked to exit.  Very awkward, amateurish really.

Lesson learned: Don't go to the early show.  You won't get the full experience.


I looked around to find a Prince song to link to here.  Very few results.  Okay, so Prince doesn't seem to allow his videos on YouTube.  But he did do a Super Bowl halftime show a few years back.  And the NFL posted it, so I'll go with that video here.  I don't usually think much of such shows, but I thought Prince did a really good job, even though it was in the rain.

Prince Performs “Purple Rain” During Downpour | Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show | NFL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NN3gsSf-Ys

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Song of the Day: Prince (and Sinead O'Connor) - Nothing Compares To You

In preparation for Prince's concert tonight in Atlanta I was watching a documentary him, and they mentioned how he was a very good songwriter.  Interestingly, they said that he seemed to do better writing for women!

"Prince In The 1980's - Full Movie"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRNYiFxR2Ps

Listen at 56:09, to see how he wrote "Manic Monday" for The Bangles.

Then listen at 57:40 for this:
"Isn't it interesting that Prince wrote so well for women.  His big hit covers are by women.  His range and his attitude suited the female voice."

Why do I find this interesting?  Because I seem to prefer female singers to male singers ... yet I love Prince.  Maybe that's the reason!

The documentary made another good point at 58:22.  "Sometimes he did not do the best versions of his songs."  They were talking about this song in particular:
"prince & candy dufler nothing compares 2 u"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHV-rd4Ey0o

You probably remember this version, which is simply fabulous:
"Sinead o' Connor - Nothing Compares to You (Best Quality)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB1TKw8_b1s

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Song of the Day: Santigold - Chasing Shadows

I love the vibe of this song.  It captures a certain discomfort, dissatisfaction.  With life, with love, with anything really.  Whatever ... it touches me.  See if you don't relate to it, too.

Santigold - Chasing Shadows [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8xS1FqQzjQ

But even as I love the vibe ... I'm not quite sure what it means.  So I did a little search.  From JonAli:
http://jonalisblog.com/2016/01/19/santigold-embraces-her-conflicted-reality-on-chasing-shadows/
“‘Chasing Shadows‘ is about the conflicted reality of an artist’s life. Caught in the web we spin around ourselves, a mixture of hubris and the guise of perfection, we fear being swallowed up by our own ambition,” Santigold said in a statement. “Never in the moment, as quickly as we reach our goals, our gaze shifts to those still looming in the distance. We judge ourselves harshly for not being further on the path and revel in the anxiety of racing the rate of consumption. The lyrics weigh the value of going against the current to maintain artistic integrity, and the feelings of isolation and vacancy bred by a persona that is always ‘on’ and ready for show.”
Same quote, with more discussion about the video, from Music Times:
http://www.musictimes.com/articles/61975/20160116/santigolds-chasing-shadows-best-pop-song-2016.htm
"Chasing Shadows" is by far the most radio friendly of the three songs but it's also just a masterfully crafted pop song intermixing some simple piano and drum beats with her reggae style singing and rapping.

The video, produced by Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij and directed by Elliot Lester, is equally devastating as she sings around her home spending the holiday alone in front of the TV screen and playing tea party with herself.

Some lyrics from the song:
Here is the glow
Chasing the goal
I'm trouble, you know
You find us where we fall
We're chasing shadows

Sad, in a way, right?


It kind of reminds me of my Jackson Browne "Pretender" post, in which I quoted Browne as saying:
"Someone asked me what, you know, who The Pretender is.  And I, it's, it's um, it's always been my pleasure to avoid answering that question.  But uh ... Because it's not me exactly.  Although sometimes people applaud for me at that moment in the song as if I am.  But in truth there is some of The Pretender in me.  But it's anybody that's sort of lost site of some of their dreams and is trying to make, sort of going through the motions, trying to make a stab at a certain way of life that he sees other people succeeding at.  So, maybe it's a lot of people of a certain generation who sort of embraced a material lifestyle in place of dreams that they had, that sort of disintegrated at some point."
The Santigold song is much different than Browne's, yet to me they are capturing the same vibe.  Struggling and striving, doing what you think is the right thing, and then finding you're not closer to where you really want to be.  Agree or disagree?




Lyrics from MetroLyrics:
http://www.metrolyrics.com/chasing-shadows-lyrics-santigold.html

Chasing Shadows Lyrics
from 99 Cents

Being dizzy, fell in love,
I'm getting through the day
I'm thinking 'bout everything I've said,
Now that you got the best of me
One thing about time it waits for nobody,
You told me, isn't that what they say
Been banged against it and you know where
Just raised ain't got nothin' to say to nobody
Little lady better get in line,
I'm talking this to myself
Better getting on down with the program,
Sell your life all over
Broke dream in the sun
If you fall like tom petty waiting on his rodeo, to all
I'm breaking my rules, do it my way,
On this just like a beast

Here is the glow
Chasing the goal
I'm trouble, you know
You find us where we fall
We're chasing shadows
Here is the glow
Chasing the goal
I'm trouble, you know
You find us where we fall
We're chasing shadows

Always knew I'd be international, no fear of flyin'
Limits is been keepin' apart, just when I'm on an island
Watching through our window, the flashing light on the bed
Neon sign goes red
You are here until, well
At least someone knows where I am

Maybe I won't get it wrong, no baby for myself
Only years ? still I'm old, I'm living on the shelf
I will follow things in the long way if my standards hold me up
Why they eatin' they idols up?
Now, why they eatin' they idols up? dammit
I give my heart away so that they remember me
I leave em alone in time they'll wanna smother what I say
Around another year I wonder did I go some place
I'ma button this one down, this one right here won't walk away

Here is the glow
Chasing the goal
I'm trouble, you know
You find us where we fall
We're chasing shadows
Here is the glow
Chasing the goal
I'm trouble, you know
You find us where we fall
We're chasing shadows

Always knew I'd be international, no fear of flyin'
Limits is been keepin' apart, just when I'm on an island
Watching through our window, the flashing light on the bed
Neon sign goes red
You are here until, well, at least someone knows where I am
You are here until, well, at least someone knows where I am