Sabotage Catalog # SAB 308-309 Release Year 2008   2CD Length 77:30 / 36:52 (Audio) & 81:33 (Video) Date/Venue Indio 26th April 2008 & 25th April 2008 Source Audience Recording Quality EX-

(Video Content) THE BIRD / JUNGLE LOVE / SANTANA MEDLEY / CONTROVERSY (Including HOUSEQUAKE) / LITTLE RED CORVETTE / PRINCE AND THE BAND / CREEP / ANGEL / 7 / COME TOGETHER / COACHELLA VARIOUS I / COACHELLA VARIOUS II


Comments
A joint audio/video release from Sabotage containing the complete Coachella Music & Arts Festival performance audio along with around 80 minutes worth of video recordings of the show culled from the internet in DivX format (playable on PC or Mac). All current circulating audio releases are sourced from the exact same audience recording which was released in 16-bit and 24-bit (24, obviously being the higher quality) by the taper, and Sabotage claim in the booklet notes this is sourced directly from the original 24-bit master recording. After Sabotage's "mastering", it's certainly a step-up from the original fan release, and I'd go as far as to say it's also an improvement over both the Eye Records release and the 4DaFunk release. The sound is more powerful and the show has more sharpness, however the slight downside to this is with a more powerful recording comes a more powerful audience, and whilst their input is extremely minimal, they are really rather loud during Prince's first appearance on stage, and on the odd occasion during the show - nothing major, but certainly audibly louder than on any of the other 3 releases of the show circulating. And that, my friends, is where personal taste once again comes into play regarding the age-old "which is the best version?".

For me, I'd say if you have either 4DaFunk's or Eye's release, then you should be happy enough - unless of course you want the video extra's on this particular one. There really is very little for me to say with regards the show/recording that hasn't been already said on here before - not the best show of his career, but certainly one that grows on you with repeated listens, and I have to admit that I've turned from an outright hater of the show in the beginning, to someone who still is unimpressed, but can see the magnificence in moments such as 'Little Red Corvette' and 'Creep'. Disc 2 also contains around an hour of audience filmed video recordings from the show which appear to have been swiped from the internet and both the sound quality and picture quality vary from VG to VG+. The fact these haven't been pressed onto a DVD release by Sabotage to accompany the audio should tell you something about the quality, and whilst they are watchable and at times very enjoyable, don't expect anything too special.

Overall the fact this is sourced from the original 24-bit master doesn't really sway it for me as the audible benefits really aren't that major to what we had before - a sharper recording, no doubt....but better....? A 14 page booklet stuffed with pictures from the show along with a review culled from a few sources is pleasing to the eye, but the artwork isn't their finest hour (black is so uninspired, bitches). So yeah, far from a legendary release, but fills a whole in one's collection. My hope now is that this is the last audio release of this show - after 4 releases in 4 months from the same recording, I simply couldn't stomach another.