In this release members of NPGMusicClub get best seats in the house, attend sound checks & often Prince would mingle with the fans and discuss how they feel about the current status of the music industry etc.
Other saxophonists who played with the band on selected dates were Najee, Candy Dulfer, and Eric Leeds. A great celebration by Prince for being free from Warner Brothers' contract with this release titled 'One Nite Alone.Live'. Funk musician Greg Boyer (and often his partner Maceo Parker) joined the horn section. Kip Blackshire and Morris Hayes left the band and were replaced by Renato Neto on keyboard. Also, during soundchecks, Prince was outspoken with his fans about his issues involving ownership of media outlets, the music industry, consolidation of record companies and radio stations, and people's criticism of his decision to become a Jehovah's Witness. Unlike any other previous tours, Prince's onstage banter was humorous, challenging, and even condescending. "Family Name" was a song about Black Americans' original surnames from Africa taken away from them by white slavemasters that gave them demeaning surnames and contrasts those last names with Jewish last names that have more positive connotations.
"Avalanche" was a blues lament about effects of slavery of Black people and Prince called out Abraham Lincoln by name for the disingenuous reasons why Lincoln abolished slavery. ĭuring this tour, Prince introduced controversial subject matters like race relations.
Prince played many aftershow concerts and, via his NPG Music Club, fans could attend band soundchecks and ask Prince questions ranging from his music to spirituality. Prince wore suits rather than his trademark unique outfits. Most of the music played was centered on the then new album The Rainbow Children. Prince designed the tour to put the emphasis on music no dancers, pyrotechnics, huge stage props, or other gimmicks. After Kip Blackshire and Morris Hayes, Prince hired keyboardist Renato Neto, alto saxophonist Maceo Parker, drummer John Blackwell, trombonist Greg Boyer, and longtime bassist for Prince, Rhonda Smith. he's done live or in the studio, and I'd love to hear classic songs like that done raw like ONA.In January 2002, Prince began putting together a new incarnation of The New Power Generation. I've heard accoustic versions of KISS, etc. Oddly, my favorite songs on the album are Pearls before the swine, sung in his regular voice, and A Case of U, the Joni Mitchell remake. The songs sound quickly written and a bit unfinished, and there's just way too much falsetto for me to get into it. It's the auditory/vocal comparison of a painter doodling sketches to me. i think it's a chore to listen to, but i'd rather have albums like this than albums like 'planet earth' any day.Īlthough i don't hate the album, I just don't listen to it. i think the sparseness of the album is really refreshing from him, and i think the lyrics are at least very interesting and ponderous. My biggest problem with the ONA piano cd is that it's prince's least melodic songwriting ever. Prince is capable of better as is seen throughout his career.
Although One Nite Alone is an exceptional song Most of the rest of it is contrived though. That was the original experiment and I feel this one tanks in comparison.