Prince is also possibly the only person on Earth, who if aliens invaded could claim to be one of them who was simply fashioably early. And yes he is one of the greatest guitar heroes ever, if thou doubtest that, for shame

The best halftime show ever? You can’t be serious. U2 blew Prince out of the water. The Stones were even better than Prince.

the stones sucked. now paul mccartney was awesome!
paul was better than prince

Funny Rolling Stone would call Prince an underrated guitar hero & leave him off their 100 best guitar players a few years back.

Prince is simply the best, I wonder what took the NFL so long…;-)…the stage is awesome and he actually put it on live in the rain…thunder and lightning…soaking wet…

Not a particular Prince fan but that show rocked. Think i might re-evaluate this dude…have you ever tried playin guitar in the rain??

I’m from Ireland and U2 started and stopped being worth listening to with Achtung Baby, even Bono knows that; he called the Joshua Tree “gauche and uncool,” and post Achtung, a deaf man could tell they’d lost it. Prince however cannot be killed by mortal hands

U2 is good, but really…better than Prince? No, no, no. Prince is the closest thing to Jimi in this day and age (guitar-wise), and his halftime show simply destroyed U2, the Stones, and Paul. I mean, I like all those guys–a lot. But their halftime shows were rote and uninspired, which is the opposite of Prince’s effort. All hail the guitar solo!

the man is a GENIUS…period. he’s aged better than some of those other 40-something icons from the midwest like MADONNA and MICHAEL JACKSON…..he’s an inspiring musician, can sing his ass off, he’s got the moves….I was 14 when he became a big superstar and have been a fam throughout all the ‘name’ changes and what-not…I loved it PERIOD.

Best halftime show ever? RS apparently forgot the incredible U2 show in ‘02 that will never be topped.

Seriously?!?!?!?

U2 sucks! Most over-hyped trash ever. Prince is a REAL talent. Great performance. Purple Rain in the rain was awesome!

Prince is definitely the most underated musician i ca think of, i mean the guy plays upwards of 5 instruments and still sings better thatn half of the guys out there.

Yes! Best show ever. I caught some of it when I was buying my Chicken Tenders from McDonalds (so good with the honey mustard). They had a TV on so I watched it for a spell.

My only question was why didn’t he play “Soft and Wet” as it was raining and all…

Someone give ken vail jr a trophy. He’s a lifelong price fan and seems to be on his PERIOD.

Great performane – great set list – FOO’s cover rocked – I couldnt think who’s tune he was covering until my 13 year old daughter told me – only thing that would have topped that would have bee an appearance by Dave Grohl himself – that would have put it over the top. Bears offense should take a hint from Princes gutsy performance in thAt weather.

It’s good to see Prince getting back to the guitar more these days. Super Bowl audience is definitely a rock audience and his set recognized and reflected that.

How can you not play “Dolphin” in Miami?

”Baby I’m a Star” isn’t that random of a selection. I saw his royal badness twice on the Musicology tour (Vegas and San Jose) and he played it both nights. “Best of You” was the real curveball, but of course he pulled it off!

Prince Kicked Ass…I have nothing more to say

I thought that was the best halftime show in a long time. I love Best of You and for him to pull it off like that in the rain. That was cool

Prince rocked out last night…very good performance. Rolling Stones were garbage last year. Velvet Revolver for 08′ Super Bowl halftime show!!

Of course Prince has aged well. Black don’t crack silly.

I can’t remember a better halftime
show, though U2 was real good also.
I agree with the reviewer about
“Watchtower” – Prince was giving
Jimi a run for his money. I’d love
to hear a full version of it ASAP!

Yes, the show was great (because it as all about the music over the spectacle for a change — no doubt dialed back a bit so they wouldn’t destroy the soggy field), particularly the cool cover of “Best of You,” but you absolutely CANNOT say Prince was a great guitar player last night — in at least three different songs (including “Best”), he was noticebaly not playing the same notes that we were hearing. The only time during the entire performance I thought he might really be playing was in “Purple Rain,” when he looked off to the side as if looking at a technician and actually said “Can I play this guitar?” Then he launched into a solo as the sheet came up in front of him. The rest of it, I think he was finger-synching, and not especially well.

Before someone else posts something disparaging about my mother for this blasphemy, allow me to repeat that Prince is normally a great guitarist — but that wasn’t him playing (at least not live) last night.

Get over U2 and all the former half-time flakes. This is the first time the party I was at did not change the station for half time. And for good reason.

Prince’s guitar antics were inspiring. He’s just fretting away, one-handed, while walking around that crazy stage.

Let’s see some washed up rockers outdue his royalty. Good luck topping that!

Rappers, please take note of how to put on a show worth watching…

Sean, the Stones sucked and Paul was awesome? You’ve got to be kidding.
Prince was awesome last night. I thought the big sheet was pretty cool.

He was most definitely playing every note. He strummed once, and then played the fretboard from that one pick. It did look confusing, but if you watch his left hand, you’ll see that he was constantly playing away on the frets.

That was not confusion in his face, but knowledge of the fact that he was making us all jealous of his crazy ability.

CHEERS!

Funny Rolling Stone would call Prince an underrated guitar hero & leave him off their 100 best guitar players a few years back.

Due to his religious beliefs Prince want play any of the “X” lyrical songs of his past,but last night was still perfect.

By the way I agree, why was he left off the 100 Greatest Guitar Players List. Then again Rollingstone did let Panic! At the Disco on the cover.

Come on. What about Aerosmith with Britney and N’Sync a few years back!

I love that he was once so out of the mainstream and now playing a Superbowl half-time show? Amazing and wonderful! Prince has always rocked in my world.

U2 isn’t even in the same ball park as Prince. Prince was amazing on the guitar last night and his setlist commanded the audience. The show was so off the hook and the energy was unbeatable. I find it odd that somebody writing for Rolling Stone would think that “Baby I’m a Star” was a random choice??? Dude, It’s a mega hit. You need to study the back pages of Rolling Stone issues from 1984-85. Purple Rain was on the charts for an unbelievably long stretch. Every song on that record (whether it was a single or not) was a hit. It’s one of those records that rarely comes along. I’m glad it did! Purple Rain in a down pour….classic.

Prince most definatley was playing guitar live – no question. As a guitar player myself I was watching close – couple of times his ‘live’ guitar struck the mic stand by mistake during vocal only sequence – you could hear it begin to feedback- he quickly ‘palmed’ the strings to quiet the pickups – a few of his licks were using playing left hand on fret board only – great guitar sound – very unpolished and raw – what a rock star.

u2 in 2001 was the best ever.

That was awesome. I also like that the behind-the-sheet-solo with his guitar springing from his crotch was probably ten times sexier and more risque than Janet Jackson’s breast, but nobody has said anything about it.

U2 and Prince both pulled off incredible shows……U2 “rote and uninspired” at halftime in 2002? Quit smoking smack. Prince=best solo artist ever. U2=best band ever.

Prince is an amazing guitarist. I’m not sure though, contrary to some of the below comments, that the guitar was live. I’m a guitarist too, and there were several moments where either what I heard did not match at all to what he was playing and two, one moment where the guitar started to play and he wasn’t touching it. Someone here said that the guitar was hitting the mic stand but I don’t think that was the case. Could be wrong. Someone has to review their Tivo. Either way he IS a great guitar player.

You had to be either 80 or have no idea about guitar playing at all to observe that Prince was not playing live (except that song where he was singing a duet at the mic) he ripped it in the rain- Why couldn’t Rex?

I notice he has that head wrap on-you seriously gotta keep that perm tight!

Baby I’m A Star is awesome! Shut up!

just for clarification, the stones don’t suck, there pretty kickass even nowadays, they just did a half ass job with the superbowl. prince isn’t from an era i’m too fond of, but still put on a great show. i would prefer u2 01 or mccartney 04

So… who was that behind the white sheet Jimi Hendrix?

U2 sucks….that being said, I am not a big Prince fan, but I have to say, his performance last night blew them out of the water and anything else the Super Bowl has put out there at halftime.

Prince all the way.

Prince tore that place up. Even the way they had everything mixed was awesome. It was all vocals and guitar. Best 1/2 time show I’ve ever seen.

You must have been drunk. That show was boring as hell.

I was watching the show in the company of my teenage nephews, who have no nostalgic attachment to Prince, and therefore could give an unbiased opinion of the show. We all thought it was terrible. I wanted to blame the rain. But I couldn’t.

Did anyone else catch that pre-show performance with the inflatable gators and salsa dancers? That was the WORST THING EVER!

It was a lackluster superbowl all around.

I thought it was a good show. Prince played some unusual stuff, which made it interesting. Overall, it was a solid performance, and one of the better Super Bowl halftime shows

Sadly,I MISSED the Super Bowl,but i’m sure Prince making it happen counts as best Super Bowl performance # 9,589-just joking! Seriously though that’s history for real-needless to say two proud Black coaches notoriously runnin’ thangs and strategizing on the sidelines-Now that’s what you call a revolution being televized(raises fist in the air)!

Aside from all that,Pam Oliver workin’ it during “Sexy MF” would’ve been a treat(laughs).

For those who think he was not playing his solos live, you know absolutely nothing about Prince and nothing about guitar. I’m a professional guitarist. His solos 100% live and it kicked ass seriously. What a genius !
In fact, it was 100% live apart for th intro “we will rock you”.

Did you notice the satanic symbolism when he played in shadow behind the sheet, with his pointed guitar appearing as a devil’s tail raised erect from his groin?

He had the same pointed tail design feature at the bottom of his “artist known as” symbol, painted on the stage.

Fingersynching? No way. He was live…did you you see him play when they did a trbute for George Harrison? While My Guitar Gently Weeps should have put Prince on the top 100 as a stand alone. As for U2, one of the best catalogs of music – period. Same for McCartney and the Stones. Who would you rather have play, Panic! at the Disco or some other hyped one album wonder?

Prince is Music. Period.

I agree that U2 sucks, just about every song they have are interchangeable and all sound alike. The Prince halftime show was just amazing and his guitar playing is beyond description…should definitely be in the top 100 guitar plays on this planet (dead or alive)

Obviously the GENIUS still has “IT”…”IT” being the ablity to rock a crowd. Musically inclinded he is. Anyways my husband & I was ROCKED of the sofa during half-time. Back in the day we did a sleep out just to get tickets in (Memphis, TN) to see him in action. Was it worth the time $$$$$$ spent…HELL YES

Prince like myself has that slow age gene, often I’m mistaken to be late 20’s or early 30’s not so, I’m 45. He has the complete package, so give him his props.

U2, Paul you’re cool as hell, it just that PRINCE still can own up to the title GENIUS.

Peace Out

i play guitar and Prince was definitely live. Mofo can play!! I gotta give him props for his incredible playing. People don’t always remember Prince can wail on the guitar. And the Foo Fighters cover had my head spinning. Bravo for mixing things up.

Prince ageing better than Madonna or Michael Jackson? As much as I don’t like any of them, they, at least, have had a hit song past the year 1989. Prince is constantly living off his old material..he’s a has-been. By the way, Paul McCartney and U2 were FAR better than Prince.

Madonna and Michael Jackson are both washed up. Madonna’s recent tour completely bombed. Prince is the only 80s star that has lasted.

Prince did an excellent job. It was one of, if not the best halftime performances ever. He truly is an under rated guitarist. I’d say his tied with U2.

Prince was quite good last night. Problem now is who can possibly be as good next year. Realistically, it has to be 1)someone who had mainstream success (to appeal to a broad enough section of the viewers) and 2)doesn’t suck and 3) isn’t a living fossil (Beatles, Stones, Who) or bloated, spent hacks living off former successes (U2, REM).

I cant even think of a recent band that fits that bill or even one from the 80’s.

PRINCE was OK.PUPPY BOWL half-time shoW WAS far better!

Prince definitely brings it live, and his guitar playing was stellar. I was disappointed by his awful cover choices.

I don’t care who does the halftime show, but for once could they just get up play ONE FULL SONG and call it good? Why do they all feel the need to do a pathetic medley of songs? One good song would be much better!

Um, for everyone sitting around musing about how McCartney and U2 rocked harder as halftime performers – you must be missing a chromosome!!!! Prince was awesome yesterday and gave the best halftime performance I’ve ever seen. Period.

ERNY-”Prince ageing better than Madonna or Michael Jackson? As much as I don’t like any of them, they, at least, have had a hit song past the year 1989. Prince is constantly living off his old material..he’s a has-been. By the way, Paul McCartney and U2 were FAR better than Prince”

Umm, Prince’s Musicology album was a hit, as was the tour, and he’d up for several Grammys for his 3121 album. Have you had your head under a rock?

I am baffled that someone said Madonna’s last tour bombed. It raked it $200 million with just a few dates and got rave reviews. She’s in prime form. Prince’s half time show was the best half time I’ve ever seen, but I think Madonna would would be on a heck of a show, if she could be convinced to do something more mainstreamed, and less edgey. A production like Music Inferno from her last tour would fit the bill perfectly.

ok…michael jackson has put out all of 2 lp’s in the past 12 years…prince is prolific, can play many instruments, hasn’t turned into a freak show like michael….no offense, but EVERY artist has those ‘warhorse’ songs they have to play….like cheap trick for example-they still put on great live shows and make great records, but they have to play their ‘hits’ too (dream police, surrender, i want you to want me for example)…..U2 is a great band too. remember all the uproar over the rolling stones playing? i had a guy i worked with who just went ON AND ON about how bad they supposably were at the superbowl….but a lot of people are totally ignorant about music and its’ history….it’s futile arguing about music anyways. it’s all about what moves you….and prince, that little fucker (lol) moves me….just see his performance of ‘FURY’ on ‘SNL’ last season and tell me if he isn’t one of the greatest guitarists on the planet.

“Musicology” only sold because Prince included it with the price of a concert ticket. The album 321 bombed badly. But there’s Prince, as predictable as usual: when all else fails, bring on the predictable song set from Purple Rain, his last hit.

Prince’s soloing was completly derivative of Hendrix with little originality or soul, his cover of Watchtower sucked, wake up Gavin.

You guys are looking at this all wrong. Yea, Prince hasn’t had a huge hit since Purple Rain. But the bottom line is he rocked at the Halftime show!!! The music was great, his guitar work was amazing, and over-all he did an amazing show! When his last big hit was has nothing to do with the fact that it was the best halftime show ever.

its too bad so many on this board equate chart success with quality. Prince has cotinued to release fantastic albums. Also he had a number of “hits” in the early nineties…”Diamonds and Pearls” anyone? As a diehard fan I would have prefered a different set list but I’m sure the network had some say in what was played…Believe me though go to a prince show and you will learn he is far past the purple rain catalog.

Am I hearing people say that Prince is ineffective and not influential?! Prince, the man who influenced any pop music between Michael Jackson and Madonna? Possibly one of the greatest guitarist of the 80’s, next to Slash and Van Halen?! Do you mean that supposedly un-influential Prince?! Unless you’re talking about the Little Prince (or the Prince of the Punks), then you are disgustingly wrong.

i was in a pretty noisy bar but could still tell that he (prince) sounded/played really good. he was pretty much the only cool thing about the entire affair. i also liked that he steered clear of playing his most famous pop hits. and what about billy joel?! “… the microphone smells like a beer” lmao.

That reminds me: Did anyone else notice Billy Joel on the national anthem? Best anthem since I heard a recording of Marvin Gaye singing at some sporting event or other. He made the anthem sexy! how do you manage that?

I had commented before that halftime show that I was disappointed in the selection of Prince for the entertainment. I used the phrase “no longer relevant has been”. I was wrong. In spite of the driving rain, I thought he put on a great show and the set list was inspired. Amazing. U2 performed in front of a back drop listing the names of people that died on 9/11 while they played a song about Martin Luther King. I hardly think that’s a fair comparison. Seriously?! needs to get out of his parents’ basement and find work. A job, a life – go for it !

who cares about these hype driven stars such as prince, madonna,micheal jackson, ect… I do not know anyone who listens to this music and I have a very wide array of friends. This is another instance of the media telling us what we like and creating hype for an artist who is not that impressive. Prince is an outstanding musician but his material is not.

Billy Joel sang the national anthem?!? Shit, I missed that!!

Prince, oh my gosh was he the shit last night…I wanted more Prince, screw the game! I loved his versions of Watchtower and Best of You, he truly is a great showman.

I love how people are knocking Prince’s performance last night. It was pouring rain, and it still rocked!

As for singing Purple Rain, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate moment than in a stadium lit purple with the rain coming down.

By the way, I saw the Musicology concert a few years ago. It was 3 hours of pure genius with Prince wailing on the guitar LIVE! He’s as good as Eddie Van Halen and Hendrix. I’d even go so far as say he’s better. There. My rant is done. Have a nice day!

billy joel sounded off key to me at times. Prince rocked, but Proud Mary? Hmmm….Gotta give them both kudos for sticking it out in pouring, if not purple, rain – you could see the water beading on Joel’s keys. did anyone else notice that CBS’ overall camera work was about the worst ever? They seemed completely unprepared to deal with the weather.

A lot of you are pure funny to me. I hope I have some true musicians in the house like I am who understands the circumstances under which Prince played. Look, for some of you non-musical idiots…play guitar and hit the notes on a dime, sing in tune while listening to the monitors to make sure you’re on the right beat, move around and keep eye on the conductor for FAMU’s band for their playing on the field away from the stage….now, all this…during a rainstorm and wind!! Thank God, Prince was performing or we would have been in trouble. Look, I like U2 and the Stones also but I bet if you ask any of them, they would tell you that what Prince pulled off last night was amazing considering the circumstances. Fortunately, Prince is a true musician and could limit the moving around on that wet stage and let his guitar sing to us. C’mon people..If there are any TRUE musicians or persons who TRULY know what I’m saying, please back me on this

exactly…he is a true musician on top of being an amazing performer…and like i said earlier, nearly every artist has a few songs that they are obligated to play….there are many many examples i could use but i’ll let it be for now.

Gavin….Great job of understanding the circumstances under which Prince performed.

Agreed, great article.

Last night’s show was outstanding, but given the post 9/11 context (come on, the Patriots even won the game!)the 2002 U21 show was the best the Super Bowl has seen. I watched it in a crowded sports bar, and by the time U2 was finished everyone was quiet and there was hardly a dry eye in the room.

Abso-freaking-lutely Theresa! The amount of expertise it took to pull off a flawless performance like that is staggering. Besides that, for the first time ever, a Super Bowl half-time show didn’t seem like it was canned music coming out of the stadium’s PA with dancing puppets. It actually felt like you were at a concert for 20 minutes. Bravo!

AWESOME… and he can really play the guitar. considering it was raining he pulled it off

KUDOS

for starters i cant decide what was the worst superbowl of my memory: the stones, or Aerosmith/spears/nelly/n*sync.

U2 was good, and i hate U2. We needed their help back when the world’s opinion mattered to Americans.

But how fantsastic was Prince? Singing “Best of You” finally without David Grohl’s constipated howl! Not to mention it was the third song in a gorgeous medly kicked off by the best song on the Batman soundtrack (showing he has a taste for rarities) that dove straight into “Rollin’ on a River” by fuckin… CCR?!

It was genius and more importantly it showed his artistry– he didnt just get up there and play his hits to distract everyone from Nipplegate (i.e. McCartney). No other Superbowl act in history has shown that much balls.

Everybody I talked to today seemed to despise Prince’s halftime show and I think that is ridiculous. I’m tired of people calling Prince a shitty musician. Doesn’t anyone see the genius? Under the circumstances of the weather he kicked ass. I didn’t watch the superbowl at all except for the halftime. I would’ve payed the superbowl ticket just to see the 20 minutes he was playing.

and you have to admit the stones sucked. which is fine, i remember reading a live album review in RS by David Fricke that quoted Keef saying that they always end up choking when they’re recorded and that no one should judge them by that.

Then again i never really understood that cuz I’m a fan of Get Yer Ya-Yas Out. But that superbowl half time sucked, not to mention the game was boring as well.

McCartney was OK… but he was susceptible to what critics of his 2002 and 2005 tours said– he abandons all true artistry and just plays “Hey Jude” and “Live and Let Die” to sell seats.

I’ll give him credit for Live 8– he tried “Helter Skelter” and tho it had the volume he didnt really rock it out– he had the same dopey friendly disposition he had when he does “All My Loving”.

Stones had balls tho they played a few off Bigger Bang… they just sounded incoherent and aged.

Never was a Prince fan. Was skeptical of his selection. The outfit and certain gestures I could do without…but his guitar-playing *was* live, and he displayed really tasty chops. Great tone, great phrasing, I was happy he elected to go the guitar-route–makes much more sense w/ a football audience. His job was to entertain a huge crowd of beer-swilling football fans…and so his song selection/medley was well-suited. I don’t care if he has recent hits, I don’t care if I like more beatles songs…as an act, for what he was asked to do, he entertained, he displayed musical ability, and he did it LIVE in a monsoon. Give credit where credit’s due. He rocked, guitar playing, band, singing, etc. But yeah, color-blind people shouldn’t be allowed to dress themselves.

Best halftime show ever.

“Baby, I’m A Star” is my favorite Purple Rain song, thus for it it felt like a wise, strategized choice.

His covers were a random hodgepodge but he nailed every one. He brought an aching melancoly to “Best of You” that gave me chills.

I’m 40 years old, i never was a Prince fan, i was part of that group of people who used to laugh at him couse the way he looks, in fact i never give his music a try, after last night i regret it.

I understand his all clean up now, can’t think how cool might have been to see him on the underground circuit back on the days.

It was the best live performance i seen on tv.

Okay, how about these possibilities for next year:

The Police (a reunion is planned)

or

Bowie.

Bo th have enough big hits in their catalogs and appeal to a broad cross-section of viewers.

Am so over this whole thing about Janet Jackson people it was like 4 fucking years ago who gives a fuck about it now I really do not see the big deal let it die rolling stone GOD! I mean does everyone have to reference it! And the way pple gave her so much shit for her Breast showing, it was a joke even if u do not like her or the music! Well I bet she will not be performing there ever again!LOL

I love how Rolling Stone praises Prince as being one of the “most underrated guitar heroes” yet the didn’t have the common courtesy to give this “hero” a spot on their 100 greatest guitarists of all-time list. Of course he will never be near the level of joan jett or kim thaylil who were both on the list.

Prince has been putting on the best live show out there for the past 20+ years. The closest I’ve seen to his execution and energy (and yes, I’ve seen U2, the Stones, etc) was Springsteen on ‘Born in the USA’ tour, and that was when the Boss was at the peak of his power (*and* it was at Giants Stadium – Bruce’s fortress – at that). Nobody puts it all together – the skills, the showmanship, the sound quality, the songs – like Prince. The only reason the Stones and U2 are in this conversation is because halftime shows are inherently made for tv, and the Stones and U2 have learned how to look/sound relatively good on tv. But go see them live, and the difference is like night and day. Nobody comes close to Prince.

The people who are knocking Prince are examples of what’s wrong with the music industry. You believe that an artist is no good because they don’t have a recent hit. Is money all you care about? How many number one’s did Hendrix have? Did The Who win any Grammys? Did any of you even listen to his performance last night. You look at most of the acts today and they suck because they’re more concerned with making money rather than being good musicians. Choose quality over money.

You can’t really compare U2 and Prince. U2’s greatness comes from their cohesion as a band. Prince is a solo artist par excellence… on the piano or on guitar he changes bands to bring out different sounds that he has in him… Bono commented on that fact a while ago if I remember correctly, saying how some people are much better working alone than they are in collaborative settings and vice versa. I think Prince would agree with that. The Stones show btw kinda sucked, and I wanted them to sound good cuz I like them. McCartney almost put me to sleep…

For those wondering why some of Prince’s solo seemed off, remember the Janet Jackson deal caused the network to institute a 7 second delay in broadcast.

I see Rolling Stone deleted my comments on calling them HYPOCRITICAL & PHONY, which makes them even MORE hypocritical & phony

PRINCE needs to ROCK a hell of a lot MORE!!! The R&B stuff is okay, but, there too much of that out there as it is, on all fronts. He was incredible last night. What the hell was that thing on his head though?

U2 is the best! All of you are on crack. CRACK. 2001 was the best half-time EVER you crackheads.

marnr67 is an idiot

First off, Prince did not do any songs from the Batman soundtrack

Second, the CCR song is called “Proud Mary” not “rollin on a river”

Christ!

Prince’s performance WAS the best Superbowl halftime show! True Prince fans (like myself) have always appreciated his greatness.

He rocked, he simply rocked. But I did wonder how he was playing in the Rain so well.

since U2 seems to get a very divided opinion, i personally thought they are one of the best live bands i have ever seen…the 10/31/07 show i saw on the ‘POPMART’ tour could be the best show I EVER saw….yes, on halloween….U2 has enormous passion and still do 25-plus years into their recording career.

hey what’s wrong with playing “Baby I’m a Star”? It’s not like he played “Computer Blue”!

Prince rocked. His jam “All along the Watchtower” was no doubt a reference to his new found faith. I heard you loud and clear, Brother.

yeah, i’m not even a prince fan and i was extremely impressed last night. he managed to both sound fresh and reference much of the history of american music. his quick little james brown yowl was beautiful, both in its execution and its intent. i have a newfound respect for an artist i had previously been indifferent to.

That boy is fashionable.

And he can play that geetar with such ease.

It was genius from moment one. In a performance that didn’t flag for a heartbeat, Prince delivered a clinic on guitar playing and performance, setting the bar for all Super Bowl shows to follow.

His performance gave a respectful nod to his own genius, evidenced on the 3 1984 singles he sang, but also to the spectrum of rock and roll with “Proud Mary” and “The Best of You.”

My friend and I just looked at each other as he started into “Best” and agreed that Dave Grohl’s jaw had to be on the floor. Give the Foo Fighters 1000 performances and they’ll never, ever do the song the kind of justice Prince did it last night.

In 11 minutes Prince staked his claim to the kingdom, giving a musical performance that no one in contemporary music is capable of delivering. All the things Prince has ever been, all in one place: funky, sexy, exciting, rocking, the master of ceremonies. There is none better. As last year’s “3121″ proved, Prince still has it – perhaps better than ever.

Anyone else feel there’s been a noticable uptick in quality of Superbowl half-time shows since Janet’s wardrobe malfunction?

U2 has enourmous passion, my ass – they haven’t been passionate in almost 15 years.

The main point is you had a guy who can sing and Play live, IN SHITTY conditions, not through off the Marching band and still pull off Playing the guitar the while rain is getting in his frets . I have seen the guy play with Miles Davis, Santana, and members of the Rolling Stones live and he did just fine .There was a time when you had to be able to do these things in order to get signed this is why were now stuck with Fergie
I find it sad that people are not united for artists who can play and the” Key word is play” an entertain I am sick of all the Wacko Jacko Rip offs so shut it with the comparsions keep in mind Prince can Play Start me UP, I seen him do it with the Stones in Europe. The guy comes from an era when in order to be a working musician in MN?!! You had to rock out or you aint eating so if you dont understand what it takes to play in front of a crowd then keep it quite .

It was a great performance, but I wonder how he was able to play. I mean, rain is not the greatest thing for pickups, and it is nearly impossible to do precise hammer-ons with soaked strings. And he showed no fear of electricution, even though he was playing something supposedly electric in very heavy rain. That might have had something to do with the fact that he switched guitars every 30 seconds, but I just can’t figure it out. He is either one heck of a guitar player or a great faker, but either way, it was a very good performance.

Ugh. You people. Prince sucked, just like he usually sucks, nowadays.

The halftime show with Prince was awful! The guy is such a has been. I guess CBS must have been desperate to have someone like him perform. I was not impressed one bit. Proud Mary? Watchtower? Best of You? Who does that guy think he is, a human jukebox? U2 and the Stones, the two greatest bands in history, were the definitely the best halftime shows.

Wanna see an awesome example of Prince’s guitar mastery? Watch his solo st the R&R Hall of Fame ceremony on the cover of George harrison’s ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’. Awesome!
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ILDGkKqFLoI

Sexyback?!?!? It never left. Thanks for the great performance P!!

Being that I’m completely biased, I won’t comment on the show. It’s a given. What I want to comment on is how there are those stating that he wasn’t playing live. Prince is a live show man. He’s is the live show. Nobody on this planet gives a live show like he does. NOBODY. I’ve been to countless shows, rock, rap, r&b, country and I still haven’t seen anything like his show. He’s not a lip-syncer. He’s lip-synced on shows like, Solid Gold, American Idol and show of like, but that’s how those shows are/were setup. I’ve seen him him live. He plays the fret a lot to get a cleaner sound. He’s a genius. Nothing about his play last night was synced. Not the vocals, not the guitar. Prince is one of the most talented MUSICIAN GENIUSES alive. His music will be alive longer after we are gone. No matter how much you hate the man, his talent cannot be denied. He’s phenomenal. PERIOD. Any of you doubters try playing in the rain. He’s honed his craft, that’s what makes him PRINCE!

I don’t know, there seeems to be alot of discussion about whether he was playing alot of the solos last night, if you didn’t notice he was doing alot of hammerons, which don’t nesseralily involve picking, but then again if he wasn’t playing, it was probably because of the rain. His talents are unmistakeably real.

I’ve enjoyed the Stones, U2 and Paul McCartney over the past few years, and thought Prince did a great job of putting on a crowd pleasing performance without being predictable. Regardless, we should all just be grateful that thanks to Nipplegate, MTV will never again produce a halftime show. The Aerosmith/’N Sync collaboration was an unmitigated disaster, while the Janet/Timberlake/Kid Rock/Diddy/Nelly performance featuring a random assortment of acts doing brief snippets of 10-year old songs with the main goal to be to squeeze in as many people as MTV owed favors to as possible was even worse. Whoever’s in charge of the shows now, keep them on. Even if it’s not a favorite of mine or an electrifying show, it’s at least artists that keep me from shoving a pencil in my ear.

Prince came in a very close second to U2’s incredible 2002 performance at Super Bowl XXXVI. Prince acted a damn fool, that was a treat, but I don’t think anything can or will top that U2 performance.

Check Prince live to remove all doubt. An incredible talent.

I am disappointed two years straight from two of the best live acts on the planet. U2 still blows everyone away when it comes to doing halftime shows. Macca is in second.

“Prince has been putting on the best live show out there for the past 20+ years. The closest I’ve seen to his execution and energy (and yes, I’ve seen U2, the Stones, etc) was Springsteen on ‘Born in the USA’ tour, and that was when the Boss was at the peak of his power (*and* it was at Giants Stadium – Bruce’s fortress – at that). Nobody puts it all together – the skills, the showmanship, the sound quality, the songs – like Prince. The only reason the Stones and U2 are in this conversation is because halftime shows are inherently made for tv, and the Stones and U2 have learned how to look/sound relatively good on tv. But go see them live, and the difference is like night and day. Nobody comes close to Prince.”
Amen

Best halftime show ever, and i wasn’t a Prince fan, now I’M.

In response to Boss Named Mr. McGee’s post:

Bowie would be killer for next year… I can see a setlist including Heroes, Suffragete City, and Under Pressure with Justin Timberlake singing Freddie Mercury’s part (some might laugh at that, but think about it for a minute..)

I was blown away by Prince..I had no idea he could jam like that..Id love to hear him put out a rock style cd…I thought he looked great sounded great and I couldnt believe he didnt get electricuted…

Calling Prince an underrated guitarist is ridiculous. He totally shreds, but he’s barely shown it in the past two decades. It’s his own fucking fault if he’s underrated.

Prince sucks. He’s a great rock guitar player when he wants to be, but then he ends up releasing horrible poppy r&b music throughout his entire career, and he’s undeservingly arrogant even in his declining years. There are plently of “lesser talented” guitar players who surpass Prince based soley on song-writing chops and utilizing proper blues-rock guitar on their official releases. I’m sure this will raise the ires of the sad sad army of Prince fans out there, so feel free to waste your time and energy on concocting a retort, I won’t read it anyways.

Define underrated. Prince gets to play music for a living, has sold millions upon millions of records, is revered for his songwriting and guitar playing, plays to packed houses everywhere he goes (even when he was putting out less than stellar albums for awhile), etc. What’s underrated about that?

He’s good no doubt, but I think it would be a mistake to compare him to Hendrix. Hendrix was in a league of his own.

Everyone is welcome to their opinions, I suppose, but to dog out U2 is just plain stupid. When was the last time your band wrote a ‘One’ or a ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’? That’s what I thought.

Playing a foo fighters cover, and legato runs makes you a guitar god these days? good call rolling stone.

C’mon people, here’s the gig even Jon Bream of Mpls fame missed. Proud Mary = New Orleans
Watchtower = Choose your war
Best of You = John Kerry
People, this was Prince making his subtle but effective take on America today. Read they lyrics, it is all there.

“U2 has enourmous passion, my ass – they haven’t been passionate in almost 15 years.
”

i saw U2 last year, and it was the most passionate and emotional concert i have ever been to. for both the fans AND the band.

Prince did what Prince does. And he did it well. Not a fan.

Paul McCartney set the standard for great halftime shows. A lot of critics said “too safe” or “too old.” The fans at the game and watching on TV didn’t agree. Paul just went out and played HIS own great music (not covers) in a flawless performance in ‘05.

Boy, there are some true idiots on this site. If you don’t like Prince that is cool, but to diss his musical genius and undeniable talent is beyond ignorant.

It is obvious that some of you have NEVER played an instrument before and/or lack the requisite knowledge of music to even have an intelligent discussion about Prince’s performance. There isn’t a musician alive who can sing and play as well as Prince does live – no one. I just saw his show in Vegas and it is unbelievable. His guitar playing is phenomenal as well as his bass playing and singing. His showmanship is unparalleled today. Anyone who doubts his songwriting ability needs to take the time to listen to his output for the last 29 years. He is music – he cannot be confined to just rock, pop, r&b, funk, soul, jazz – whatever.

Also, if you think that he wasn’t playing live, you are mistaken. That show was most definitely live. He often makes the remark “Can I play this guitar” before a monster solo. That has nothing to do with him not playing live. The only time Prince has ever not performed live was on televised shows that did not accomodate a live performance. I am a musician and I have seen him live many times – he always brings it like a consumate pro! Like a real musician – something the “music” industry is lacking these days.

It was a charasmatic star
performance from someone who we seem to overlook,given his amazing talents,because he’s been
around so long..as far as song selection,what do you expect him
to play in a staduim full of football loving meatheads!! tour
de force show

Not that it matters, but “Proud Mary” was the first “real” song Prince learned to play.

After the ‘Batman’ theme from the old television show…which also explains ‘Batdance’.

Have a nice day.

Oh, he’s up for 6 grammy’s for 3121.

No hits since Purple Rain?

Raspberry Beret
Kiss
U Got The Look
Alphabet Street
Batdance
Thieves In Temple.
Nothing Compares To You.
Diamonds and Pearls
Get Off!
7
The Most Beautiful Girl In the World
Pu**y Control (club favorite)

You get the idea…

Truth, you do not even know what you are talking about. You also do not know what was going on with the dispute he was having with the Sony Warner Bro, recording label. SO, unit you know the facts. You really should not being knocking any one and are you a true muscian the can do what Prince just did. If, so you should be up for a Grammy.

RealMusicFan, I totally agree with you there are not real true musicians out there these days, as you can see most songs done today are remakes. Totally agree.