Varsity Blues (4DF) CD

Varsity Blues CD

4DaFunk
Catalog # 4DF 034
Release Year 2006
CD Length 59:02
Date/Venue Texas Southern University, Houston 16th January 1985
Source Audience Recordings
Quality EX-

Rating 4.5/5.0

Track Listing
Special Invitation Concert
Texas Southern University, Houston 16th January 1985
1. Let's Go Crazy 2. Delirious 3. 1999 4. Little Red Corvette 5. Take Me With U 6. Free 7. God 8. When Doves Cry 9. Baby I'm A Star 10. Purple Rain

Comments
Fink's Comments (rates this release 4.5/5.0)
Previously circulating on the fan release 'Texas Southern University' the difference between this release and the previous couldn't be any greater. It's practically impossible to believe they are from the same recording and they are worlds apart. The previous fan release was echoed, distant with an extraordinarily loud audience level and a number of serious problems which marred the recording.

This 4DaFunk release is taken from the same audience recording (although not sourced from the fan release) although the source of this recording is either the original tape or from a very high generation copy - with the result that the show is far clearer and fresher. No longer am I straining to listen above the constant panty-wetting wailing of the crowd - in fact there are large portions of the show where they are inaudible.

It's not without a few problems and the opening 'Let's Go Crazy' has a few minor glitches - however considering the vast improvement they are easily overlooked as the remainder is so impressive. The show itself can be viewed as an abridged Purple Rain show with a few slight changes. The opening 5 tracks ('Let's Go Crazy' through to 'Take Me With U') are performed as normal (with the exception of the "Wanna lay me"? lyric being dropped for the young audience). 'God' is performed without the spoken conversation and the song segues in to 'When Doves Cry' (complete with drum machine malfunction) which is followed by a brief interlude before 'Baby I'm A Star' and an 11 minute 'Purple Rain' close the show. This is the only one of a small number of "Invitation Only" concerts circulating from the Purple Rain era which makes this rather special.

Having it in the quality of the previous fan release was cool enough as the show was something of a rarity - however having it in this quality is a real treat. Once again I have to come back to the fact that the difference between this version of the recording and the previous one is so massively different you could almost be listening to a different show as they are at opposite ends of the scale.