First Avenue 8.14.1984 1CD

4DaFunk Catalog # 4DF 089 Release Year  2011 1CD Length N/A Date/Venue First Avenue, Minneapolis 14th August 1984 Source Audience Recording Quality VG+

Rating 4.25/5.0

Track Listing
 First Avenue, Minneapolis 14th August 1984
1. Controversy 2. Let's Go Crazy 3. Delerious 4. 1999 5. Little Red Corvette 6. Computer Blue 7. Darling Nikki 8. The Beautiful Ones 9. When Doves Cry 10. Baby, I'm A Star 11. Purple Rain

Comments
Deane's Comments (rates this release 4.25/5.0)
Nice little surprise from 4DF this month. Taken from a lower-gen tape we can now at least enjoy this show in better quality than we've had before (namely the rather poor, previous fan release and the reason why this show get's largely forgotten, despite being around for some time).

It's not perfect and parts of the show were missing which meant 4DF had to edit in sections using the older recording. And despite this being rather noticable 4DF's usual, solid editing work at least means it's a flawless mix. It's easy to forget the significance of shows like this. Serving as a forerunner of what was to become the Purple Rain Tour, it showcases a band on the up, getting tighter and more proficient with each perfomance. It buzzes with energy, as one would expect from a First Avenue appearance, and serves as an important turning point in Prince's career. Everything was about to go stellar soon after and the feeling you get from listening to this recording, knowing you're privvy to something quite special, really adds to its enjoyment.

So yes, it's not perfect (it's a 27 year old recording) but upgrades are always welcome and if it allows you to take away a better experience of this show, then I'm all for that and I don't think anyone can really argue with that. Enjoy.

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