Prince’s One Nite Alone… Live Box Set, Reviewed

I seriously enjoyed enjoyed his 27th album when I bought the bo set back in 2002. The set I bought had an album by a woman singer he admired (but whose name I can’t remember, as well a triple live album, and a piano only fifth. The piano only one was a true snoozer that doesn’t survive listening to, and I am beginning g to wonder if the woman album is a figment of my imagination because I can’t find a mention of it anywhere, Also, half way through my reviewing the live triple, Tidal had it removed from their streaming service, and while I listened it through maybe twice, I didn’t get the opportunity to listen as thoroughly I might have liked. usually, five , six, a day nonstop, is typical for me. here, I didn’t get the opportunity. I went to pony up the dough and buy it on iTunes but it isn’t there. I could have bought the CD on Amazon… for $350.

So, unfortunately, I don’t have it the music at my fingertips, and Prince now has what he may have always wanted, only himself and three buddies can hear it, and not even himself anymore.

So, based upon my memory, the triple has two ok nothing special albums, a boring solo album, and a terrific one in the middle. But at its worse, it isn’t terrible, The eleven minute “The Rainbow Child” opener, is a funky jazz workout that cuts the album version to shreds, and a late “When U Were Mine” was one of the best versions of the song I’ve ever heard not sung by Cyndi Lauper. the second CD (aka “The main Course” is the blueprint for every show he’d do from then to his death: a pass at major songs starting early with “Take Me With U” all the way to a late “Sometimes It Snows In April”, with major songs like “raspberry beret” in the  middle, call it the Warner comes to NPG experience, also call it a fine sop to the middle, and a fine interpretation of what Prince brought to the live show. The third album is heavy on the extended jams. One Nite Alone…, the solo live that came along with the package, is a dozy affair though the cover of Joni Mitchell’s “A case Of You” is worth checking out.

Put them together and what you have is not quite a commercial run at the charts and more an attempt to wake people even more to the slive performances being where its at really, fr prince, as that creative force. A very good, though never quite great, album, that works with  his skills.

Grade: B