Prince and The Revolution: Live (2022 Remaster)

Listening to this *Purple Rain*-era live show from Syracuse in 1985, you’re reminded how introverted Prince was. Does he dazzle? Yes. Does he dance? Yes—and shred, and sweat, and offer you his most carnal love. But he also creates a sense of interiority that, if not at odds with how physical the music is, at least feels remarkable when you remember there were 50,000 people there with him. God and Satan (“Let’s Go Crazy”), Mom and Dad (“When Doves Cry”), U and Me (“Let’s Pretend We’re Married”): He sees the lines and he blurs them. The funniest banter comes on “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore” when he asks, “Does your man have an ass like mine?” But the one that gets under your skin is on “God” because when he says, “I know you better than you think I do,” he says it like he might.

Remastered, rescanned, and color corrected after years languishing in Paisley Park’s vault, the 1985 concert film and its soundtrack receive the deluxe reissue treatment they’ve long deserved.

In 1985, when this album was recorded in Syracuse, New York, Prince Rogers Nelson was at the very height of his fame and creativity.