26

Birthday Concert & Rehearsal

First Avenue, Minneapolis

7th June 1984

2 CDR

Label: 4DaFunk

Cat No: #4DF 076-077

Running Time: 75:44 / 76:35

Source: Audience Recording

Quality: EX- / EX

Released: December 2009

*Review*

Damn, we really are being spoiled this month and this release is no exception. It’s hard to be constructive when trying to find fault in a release, all in some vain bid to sound neutral or unbiased and I admit that I’m having a hard time doing so with this beauty. This, 4DF’s latest, is simply stunning and I don’t use that word lightly. What we have here is the infamous birthday concert from 1984 which has been around for some time now, featuring on many bootlegs in the past and I’ve no doubt a lot of you will be all too familiar with it. So if you’re wondering what’s so special about this version then just take a listen and you’ll soon see. The audio quality presented here is without a doubt the best I’ve heard so far of this recording and blows all other versions out of the water. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not talking soundboard here but there’s no doubting this is clear, crisp, clean and loud. 4DF boast in their liner notes that you won’t find a better quality recording and I can’t disagree with them. For a 25 year old tape to sound this good really is something to shout about.

Anyway, enough fawning and drooling, if you’re not familiar with the content here then you should be ashamed of yourself. Where have you been?! Seriously though, it’s an absolutely top-notch performance. Prince is on fine form and the Revolution have rarely sounded as tight or funky. Erotic City is as good a version as you’re likely to ever here and let’s not forget (how could we?) Roadhouse Garden and Our Destiny, which get their one and only live airing. Something very special indeed.

Disc 2 covers the rehearsal for the very same birthday show, recorded the proceeding month and, again, this has been around for some time with 4DF freely admitting to sourcing this version from Sabotage’s Purple Rush series. However, they’ve spruced it up somewhat giving a much clearer edge to it and with a fair bit of noise reduction going on. On top of that they have also correctly pitched the recording so now it plays as it should. That said, the recording is a little uneven in places(where the sound quality is concerned) and there are some fluctuations here and there but it’s not a huge problem and doesn’t detract too much from any overall enjoyment. It’s a nice little rehearsal but there’s no real surprises, encompassing the majority of what was performed on the night. However, if you enjoy this type of thing it’s kinda fun to listen to, especially if you follow it straight up with the main performance as I find it allows you to view some of the renditions a little differently than you may have previously.

It’s a great feeling that after all this time we can still be surprised by getting something fresh and new to listen to and I’ve no doubt this tradition will continue. Hunt this down get yourself a real gem of a release for your collection.

Disc 1

1. 17 Days 2. Our Destiny 3. Roadhouse Garden 4. Interlude 5. All Day, All Night 6. Free 7. Noon Rendezvous

8. Erotic City 9. Something In The Water (Does Not Compute) 10. When Doves Cry 11. Happy Birthday 12. Irresistible Bitch 13. Possessed

Disc 2

Rehearsal for First Avenue Birthday Concert : May / June 1984

1. 17 Days 2. When We're Dancing Close And Slow 3. Free 4. Erotic City #1 5. Erotic City #2 6. Irresistible Bitch #1 7. Irresistible Bitch #2 (Instrumental) 8. Irresistible Bitch #3 9. When Doves Cry 10. Possessed #1 11. Possessed #2 12. All Day, All Night 13. Something In The Water (Does Not Compute)