Prince February 10th, 2007 (am) Las Vegas, NV @ 3121 Jazz Cuisine @ Rio - aftershow unknown audience > "Victory" silver bootleg CD > flac > CDR Disc 1: 1. MIKE PHILLIPS INTRO 2. NPG JAZZ JAM 3. CHERISH THE DAY 4. SUGA MAMA 5. STRATUS 6. WASTED KISSES 7. BABY LOVE 8. SWEET THING Disc 2: 1. PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC - THANK YOU 2. BRICK HOUSE - SKIN TIGHT 3. LOVE ROLLERCOASTER 4. ALL THE CRITICS LOVE U IN LAS VEGAS 5. 3121 (HOUSESTYLE) 6. OYE COMO VA 7. AFRO BLUE 8. GET ON THE BOAT --------- The Family (3rd show ever) February 10th, 2007 Los Angeles, CA @ The Key Club - The Roots 4th Annual Pre-Grammy Jam Session Neumann km 140's > lunatec v-3> tascam dap-1 > flac > CDR 9. Intro 10. River Run Dry 11. The Screams Of Passion 12. Nothing Compares 2 U 13. High Fashion 14. Mutiny COMMENT Prince's first aftershow following his appearance at the Super Bowl the previous Sunday, this is also the first 3121 aftershow to be released. Firstly, let's deal with the quality of the recording. Anyone who attended the 3121 Jazz Cuisine will know that Prince is constantly within 15 feet of you all night - and if Prince is there, his security is there. That alone would make me very appreciative that anything was recorded - the fact the quality of this is so good just makes it all the more special. The show (and in particular Prince) is to the fore, and there are really no problems with any obtrusive audience level - surprising considering the small space this was recorded. There are a few small issues with some light crackling towards the high end during a couple of the tracks, but this is minimum. Add to this the person recording appears to conceal/move their recording equipment on a few occasions which leads to a slight change in the quality, but as with everything else, this is minimal and I mention it purely for criticisms sake. I'm having a little trouble grading this as an EX- recording due to the above issues, so I'll sit on the fence and rate it VG+/EX-, but it is of a high quality. No question that this is very tasty, very sexy, and very enjoyable. Beginning with Mike Phillips giving his short introductory speech the band then move into a lengthy 12 minute jazzy instrumental which is heavy on the horns, however special mention goes to Renato for some (quite frankly scarily impressive) keyboard solo'ing towards the end. Shelby is on the mic for the next two tracks beginning with a cover of Sade's 'Cherish The Day' - however Prince is audible throughout the remainder of the aftershow both playing some mean guitar and joining in the vocals where necessary (along with the usual band instructions). The 3121 aftershow favourite of 'Stratus' follows next and is one of the (many) highlights of the show with Prince's inspired guitar playing deserving mention, and equal credit going to Cora for a John Blackwell-esque drum solo mid-way. Her solo is so impressive the crowd show their gratitude by applauding and shouting, which has Prince responding with a tongue-in-cheek, "Cora, your doing great, your gonna be a star". One of the finest moments follows with an extraordinarily rare performance of the Newpower Soul 'Wasted Kisses'. Lasting 3:30 it's mainly instrumental however it does have Prince leading the crowd through the chorus - to varying degrees of success, perhaps explaining why it is stopped abruptly. Shelby is back on the mic for another couple of tracks ('Baby Love' and Chaka's 'Sweet Thing') before Prince really takes over in ernest. The opening 20 minutes of Disc 2 are Prince at his finest and I defy anyone to listen to this version of 'Play That Funky Music' and not nod their head to the funk - it's addictive. The next few tracks are snippets and segue into each other without catching breath, and Prince adds vocals to both 'Brick House' and 'Skin Tight' before finishing this (all too brief) portion of the show off with 'Love Rollercoaster'. Unusually for an aftershow, 'All The Critics Love U In Las Vegas' follows and flows seamlessly into various chants and call-and-responses from '3121' before reverting back to 'All The Critics Love U In Las Vegas' to finish. Sheila E joins the band and showcases for both 'Oye Como Va' and 'Afro Blue' before the show is brought to a close with an extended jam on 'Get On The Boat' featuring Prince, the band, Shelby and Sheila E - a real treat. As good as Disc 1 is (and both 'Stratus' and 'Wasted Kisses' make it great), Disc 2 is phenomenal and Prince's guitar flourishes, solo's and rhythm licks are as impressive as I have heard in a long, long time. Reports from the aftershows tell of legendary performances, and whilst listening to this is a sheer joy from start to finish, anyone witnessing this show in person won't forget it anytime soon. Quite simply, a stunning performance from a man still riding high after the Super Bowl. Victorious indeed.