Prince, as guitar God!

The water cooler talk following the Super Bowl was that Prince's performance was the best thing about the show. he stuck to the hits and might even have made yourself relevant again. One thing’s for certain, if you didn’t know it before, you now know that he is one of the most under-rated guitarists of all time.

In the early 80’s, while going to NYU I tripped over prince while on a walk through Washington Square Park. One afternoon I watched while a roller skater danced to the song “Controversy” over and over again. The sound was so fresh to me. Like nothing I had ever heard before growing up in North Toronto. Coincidentally a few hours later I was in my friend Lori’s dorm room and saw that she had a Controversy poster on the wall. She played the album for me in its entirety and I was hooked.

Through most of the 80’s I was a Prince devotee. His song writing was always special and seemed spontaneous. His concerts were always part carnival (remember him coming out on top of the convertible on the LoveSexy Tour) and part revival (any time he played “Purple Rain”). The movie Purple Rain was a compelling peek at what his life might have sort of been like before hitting it big while the relative flop of Under A Cherry Moon still provided a number of comic gems (“It’s a recow stow!” “Versace or Basuchi, I just don’t know what to wear!”).

By the early 90’s though, his music seemed to become more self-conscious. I’m sure that he was still pushing himself artistically but it wasn’t connecting anymore. I came to work at Warner in 1992 and was thrilled to be working Prince records, but after Gold the whole thing seemed to flicker out.

Through it all though there was one thing you could never come away without be in total all. The guy could play a mother fu—er of a guitar. His slight demeanor and outlandish style had him pegged by macho f—ks as a f-g. But what he really was exhibiting was the strutting cock style that James Brown had delivered in the 60’s. If these morons had closed their eyes and just listened to him play, they would have rushed to the alter. Now, after his performance at the Super Bowl, they know what they’ve missed.

A couple of years ago, when George Harrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Prince joined Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and George’s son on stage for a beautiful rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Watch and listen to an incredible blues guitarist that you probably never know existed.

http://www.warnerreprise.com/asx/tompetty_ghigentlyweeps_300-v.asx