Prince & NPG / If U Want Me 2 Jam (2CDR)

Disc 1
Thank You
Days Of Wild
Push It Up/Jam Of The Year
Jam Of The Year
Talkin' Loud And Sayin' Nothing
Let's Work
Delirious
Purple Rain
Water

Disc 2
The Jam
In Time
If You Want Me To Stay
The Good Life/Typhoon
Face Down
Freak On This Side
Come On
I Like Funky Music

Live at Paisley Park, Minneapolis, March 28, 1998

This complete, high-quality audience recording captures a gig at Paisley Park on March 28, 1998, prior to the start of the much-talked-about New Power Soul Tour, featuring Larry Graham and Shaka Khan. Recordings at Paisley Park were rigorously regulated, making it virtually impossible to record at the time, so it's nothing short of miraculous that this recording survives. Starting with a loose "Thank You" and flowing into "Days of Wild," the jam lasts just under 20 minutes, then playing what seems to be developing new phrases for "Push It Up," then songs from the Jam of the Year tour, and even Purple Rain. Then there's the ultra-rare cover of "Water" by Graham Central Station. While this is a frequently performed GCS and Sly song, the rendition of this song is mind-blowing. It's a super-cool, funky tune with a heavy bass, catchy horns, vocals, and even a vocoder. And then there's another ultra-rare track, Sly's "In Time"! This performance can only be heard at a gig held at Paisley Park on August 26, 1995, and even here, a jazzy arrangement with a sleek piano arrangement is used. Prince struggles to get into the vocals, and the intro is drawn out, prolonging the intro as he goes. Once he does, the whole band comes together and unleashes a funky, agonizing performance. This is the best performance of "In Time" that Prince and his band have completed. Maintaining the elegance of the piano, they also offer a jazzy version of "If You Want Me To Stay," and a similarly jazzy version of "The Good Life" that could only be played so loosely at Paisley Park. After a lengthy seven-minute run of "Face Down," another seven minutes of "Freak On This Side" and "Come On" are also excellent, but "I Like Funky Music" is played for just under 10 minutes, not as a chant but as a cool jam with the song.