Prince / Brisbane Soundcheck 10-27-03 + Champaign 4-10-04 (3CDR)

Disc 1
Girls & Boys
Outta Space
Billie Jean
The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker
Ooo Baby Baby
Pink Cashmere
When U Were Mine
Party up
Santana Medley/Brick House
Soundcheck Brisbane Australia Oct 27, 2003

Disc 2
RRHOF Video Intro
Musicology
Let's Go Crazy
I Would Die 4 U
When Doves Cry
Baby I'm A Star
Shhh!
D.M.S.R./Crazy In Love/I Like The Way You Move
A Love Bizarre/Glamorous Life/I Feel For You
Controversy/I Like Funky Music Chant
PA Inst.
God Instrumental
Little Red Corvette
12:01
On The Couch
Sometimes It Snows In April I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
Country Instrumental
7

Disc 3
Sign O' the Times
The Question of U/Fallin' /The One
Let's Work
U Got the Look
Life O' the Party
Soul Man
Kiss
Take Me With U
Purple Rain
Live at Champaign, IL, Assembly Hall April 10, 2004

In 2003, Prince toured Hong Kong, Australia, and Hawaii, playing the same setlist that would become the foundation of his Musicology tour. During this tour, he held more after-shows and open rehearsals than he would later on in his Musicology tour, and these trial performances became a part of the tour. The open rehearsal included on this album was a soundcheck in Brisbane, Australia, and most of the songs performed there were never played again, making this rehearsal a testament to the depth of Prince's band. The album begins with Girls & Boys, a solid performance that showcases various bands' improvisations. It then erupts into a jam called Outtta Space, inspired by Prince's chord progressions. And then, "Are they even playing this?" Then comes Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, whose vocals are sung by members of NPG Music Club, even though the band provides solid backing. This is followed by a mellow rendition of The Ballad of Dorothy Parker, the highlight of this rehearsal: a cover of The Miracles' Ooo Baby Baby, debuting here. This is a band performance, significantly different from the later acoustic version. First, Prince's delicate falsetto is beautiful. I'd love to give this to Smokey Robinson. The silky melody then transitions into Pink Cashmere. These three tracks are so comfortable, it feels like you're drinking in a high-end bar. Then, from the guitar riff of When U Were Mine, we get Party Up, and a true funky war breaks out. I can't believe this rarely performed song was played during this rehearsal. It was rumored that Prince avoided playing this song, which was originally written by Morris Day, but he did play it during rehearsals. The interplay with the band is cool.

And this is a complete, unreleased live performance from the Musicology tour, a live performance in Champaign on April 10, 2004, with a realistic audience recording. This live performance features a representative setlist from the early days of the Musicology tour, and the second half of the jam at D.M.S.R. is a smooth performance with little horn involvement. Meanwhile, Controversy includes a chant for "I Like Funky Music." It's fun to compare it with the released live performances from June 1st and 2nd. The acoustic section is excellent, with Little Red Corvette being performed with great emotion. 12:01 and On the Couch are still relatively unknown, and the audience sings along, guessing the lyrics. Prince is in high spirits, playing a little country-inspired guitar riff and then some funky guitar work. The second half of the set also features a few differences, such as Candy Dulfer's beautiful vocals on "Fallin'" and the slightly unusual guitar chops on "Let's Work," making it a fun listen. There's even a hilarious moment on "Life O The Party" when the audience is asked to sing along a little, only to have security called in due to their poor singing. The final track, "Purple Rain," lacks the full horns, but Prince's guitar shines through. This is a unique coupling item, combining a superb soundcheck with the main show.