nigel1013 said:

First off I do not review albums with a detailed track by track rating system. I judge an album by seeing if any of the songs seem out of place (is the album cohesive), do I have to skip any tracks and lastly the overall quality of the music. That being said. I like "Hit n Run" It is cohesive, I don't have to skip tracks and I give it a 7.8 rating. It is a solid album. Prince takes you on a musical journey if you let me. For all of the fans waiting for Prince to release Purple Rain part 2 you are going to be greatly disappointed. So either buy another copy of Purple Rain or become a fan of another artist.

After listening to it nearly non stop in my car, I revise my rating to 8.8. The more I listen the more I like it!

Hit post twice.

[Edited 9/22/15 14:19pm]

dodger said:

dadeepop said:

I had a dream last night that Prince dropped a surprise album, a la Beyonce. It was titled Chicken Grease & Squirrel Meat: Vol. 1 -- with all songs in the vein of "Stare," "The Gold Standard" and "Time."

Okay, I didn't actually have that dream. But this is how desperate I am for a whole album of Prince giving us what we really want.

I want this album, what a title. I hope you've copywrited it

Actually I did copyright it. But I'm willing to give it to Prince if he'll simply provide the songs.

dadeepop said:

[img:$uid]http://i.imgur.com/syQdrQE.jpg[/img:$uid]

Dr. Joshua Welton has his Ph.D. in Whooshology.

whoa, now THAT will definitely see 120 degrees!!! and then some

mrsquirrel said:

dadeepop said:

[img:$uid]http://i.imgur.com/syQdrQE.jpg[/img:$uid]

Dr. Joshua Welton has his Ph.D. in Whooshology.

whoa, now THAT will definitely see 120 degrees!!! and then some

That 120° shit actually works! At first I dismissed it. But then I slowly turned my head 120° from the incident device and *BAM!* the album sounds even better.

#120°

dadeepop said:

KingSausage said:

dadeepop said:

That 120° shit actually works! At first I dismissed it. But then I slowly turned my head 120° from the incident device and *BAM!* the album sounds even better.

#120°

I heated my head up to 120 degrees. Oops. The album still blows.

Haha...you witty, sexy SOB. Does the whole album blow, or just the tracks other than 1000 X'S & O'S and HARDROCKLOVER? (and possibly a couple of more)

dadeepop said:

KingSausage said:

dadeepop said:

Haha...you witty, sexy SOB. Does the whole album blow, or just the tracks other than 1000 X'S & O'S and HARDROCKLOVER? (and possibly a couple of more)

Honestly, here's my take: Awesome: June, 1000 X's and O's, Shut This Down Pretty good: Hardrocklover, Mr. Nelson (that bullshit has grown on me) Meh: TCBU remix, X's Face Launch it into the sun, quick: Million $ Show, Ain't About to Stop, Like a Mack, Fallinlove2nite, anything I'm missing

I agree with all of this except for X'S FACE. I was lukewarm to it at first, but now it's my jam -- as the Lovesex saying goes.

Oh, and also MR. NELSON. To paraphrase Brokeback Mountain: I wish I knew how to quit it.

.

OK, after many times listening to it I can confirm that to me 3 of the tracks are up to P usual quality level:

.

- Hardrocklover

- 100 Hugs (the real pearl buried in HnR, it's better any more listening)

- June

.

"The X's Face" is slowly climbing on me, but at this time I'm not full convinced of it.

.

The rest is from average to really bad.

.

JMO

.

At best I'd give it a 3 out of 10. Not one great song, production that sounds dated and mostly bad songs with not very talented women/girls singing on them. I expect more from Prince. Much more. Like PE, great idea, terrible execution.

dadeepop said:

Oh, and also MR. NELSON. To paraphrase Brokeback Mountain: I wish I knew how to quit it.

Yeah, what is it with that track? I'm really liking it but feel like I shouldn't. I think part of it is that each section goes on for just enough time that it doesn't get repetitive. And I love the ending section.

KingSausage said:

Meh: X's Face

c'mon now. the monkey/banana elevates it

starkitty said:

TheEnglishGent said:

dadeepop said:

Oh, and also MR. NELSON. ...

Yeah, what is it with that track? I'm really liking it but feel like I shouldn't. I think part of it is that each section goes on for just enough time that it doesn't get repetitive.

This. It feels like a breezy segue. Prince has an annoying habit of mucking up good albums with goofy segues (Symbol, Exodus, Rainbow Children) but this one sort of fits in so maybe it's a matter of it simply not being annoying.

TheEnglishGent said:

dadeepop said:

Oh, and also MR. NELSON. To paraphrase Brokeback Mountain: I wish I knew how to quit it.

Yeah, what is it with that track? I'm really liking it but feel like I shouldn't. I think part of it is that each section goes on for just enough time that it doesn't get repetitive. And I love the ending section.

My thoughts exactly. And I like how it segues into 1000 X'S & O'S. One of my favorite transitions in some time.

KingSausage said:

dadeepop said:

Haha...you witty, sexy SOB. Does the whole album blow, or just the tracks other than 1000 X'S & O'S and HARDROCKLOVER? (and possibly a couple of more)

Honestly, here's my take: Awesome: June, 1000 X's and O's, Shut This Down Pretty good: Hardrocklover, Mr. Nelson (that bullshit has grown on me) Meh: TCBU remix, X's Face Launch it into the sun, quick: Million $ Show, Ain't About to Stop, Like a Mack, Fallinlove2nite, anything I'm missing

I agree with your ranking of the songs but would swap X's Face with Mr Nelson (although I get the guilty pleasure aspect of that one - the last minute with the guitar motif is pretty great, but as a whole it is a bit shite).

Tokyo said:

an interesting piece that looks at Prince's music in the round. Www.cocoadiaries.com Cocoa Review: Prince’s HitNRun – (not just a record, it’s a creative approach). The phrase HitNRun was first used by Prince as a label for concerts on the 1986 Parade tour (think “kiss” and “raspberry beret” era). These were notable for being announced relatively last minute and creating additional excitement in the process. Prince has continued to look for that sense of excitement and spontaneity with potential listeners over the last 30 years, both onstage and in the studio, with varying results. The other challenge for fans of Prince, or those looking to purchase his music, has been the increasingly fragmented nature of when and where that music appears (he tends to pop up in quite a big way, think “21 nights” at the O2 in London, then disappears for long periods). Again this is more than likely a deliberate ploy to maintain the sense of mystery around his various career twists and turns. The latest twist is signing up with Jay Z’s subscription based Tidal.com service, the rapper and music mogul’s attempt to elevate artists (and give them increased royalty rates) while taking on the likes of iTunes and Spotify. You can see why Prince is on board. For HitNRun the album, he’s proudly enlisted Joshua Welton as the producer (and creative partner in crime). Welton is the 25 year old husband of his 3rd Eye Girl drummer Hannah, and their partnership kicked off in earnest on last year’s Art Official Age, producing some of Prince’s most promising moments in recent years. One of Art Official Age’s best, the old school ballad “this could be us” is remixed for this project. At first listen it seems like a pointless exercise, but further examination reveals hidden depths. The album opens with snippet samples of classic 80s Prince as a tease (1999 and lets go crazy’s “dearly beloved!”) and This could be us, as it appears here, is Prince treating his music as something fluid that isn’t fixed. The suggestion is that his tracks are a template that can be bent and shaped into new forms, and the outro to a number of tracks in the first half of the album feature bass solos reminiscent of his best concert moments with 3rd Eye Girl. On recent tours he’s elevated classic album tracks and B sides into showstoppers in the set list, breathing new life into songs such as Something In The Water and She’s Always in My Hair, turning them into extended workouts with moments of light and shade. In the spirit of his challenging his listeners, but more likely in the spirit of challenging himself, Prince has made not only his most commercial sounding record but also one of his most marmite. Prince fan boards online are red-hot with many of the faithful rating his latest effort 1/10 and dismissing it as trend chasing throwaway pop, and beneath someone of his age and musical stature. On first listen the first four tracks seem so brazenly commercial that they wouldn’t be out of place on a Rita Ora album, so it’s no great surprise to hear her duet on one. The track Like a Mack is light and fluffy fare (as is the segue track ‘Mr Nelson’), but there’s no doubting how catchy the opener Million Dollar show is, driven along by another purple protege, Judith Hill, star of American X Factor and documentary 20 Feet from Stardom. I found myself chuckling at the audacity of it, but also admiring the risk taking involved. How many recording artists or musicians 38 albums old, with an international reputation and legacy to protect, would give an untested producer the reins and allow them to guide their sound? The results are actually quite satisfying if you get over pre conceived notions and go with it, as Prince succeeds in refreshing his sound and allowing it to morph into something else. While his fanbase continue to crave the release of seemingly hundreds of unreleased gems from his 80s heyday from the fabled “Vault” in Paisley Park, he seems to be saying with this latest release that he’s still around, still vital and isn’t finished yet. HitNRun is a breezy 37 minute pop record which will make kids dance, giving a big head nod to lovers of electronic dance music, but also provides some great funk bass and classic Prince moments – the X’s face and 1000 hugs and kisses being two examples of those. You will find yourself singing along to it in your head when it’s not playing, which is surely the mark of a good record. In trying to figure out why someone as musically revered as Prince is, would make a record like this at this stage in his career, I looked in more depth at the music he’s been uploading to the Tidal service. In the week of the album’s release the first thing you saw on their homepage was a video exclusive of a Prince & 3rd Eye Girl acoustic track called ‘Indifference’. This home-made sounding recording, shot in turquoise blue and psychedelic Thai dye is either a pastiche or a tribute to some of the best Bob Dylan moments of the 60s and 70s. The song is a witty and acidic brush off to a lover who is equal parts frustrating and boring, but the track has groove and is played for laughs. What strikes you is how easy it all looks, and how brilliantly different it is to the electronic music on HitNRun. Prince is close to creative nirvana in that he has created a situation where he could be almost all things to all listeners, balladeer, rock god, popstar, producer, Svengali and multi instrumentalist. Who else could release an almost shameless commercial set which plays with their own classic sound, while simultaneously having one of the best rock groups around touring venues worldwide? Then when you consider the endless great pop, jazz, soul and funk records he has to draw upon at will, the phrase embarrassment of riches is surely justified. Here is one 58 year old who doesn’t want to be canonised and won’t be pigeon-holed into heavy rotation on retro radio stations, or treated as a legacy artist. You have to admire him for that.

.

Well said.

I've now listened to this cd 3 times, so here's my review.

The first 4 songs are garbage. They make me cringe! I don't like Mr. Nelson either.

The rest of the cd is ok. I really like 1000 X's & O's, June is good and I also like fallinlovetonite.

On a scale of 1-10, I would give the entire cd a 5.

Million $ Show (8/10) - Funky lil pop song. Has a "let's go crazy" vibe to it. I could imagine myself letting loose to this, very danceable and engergetic. Judith is tight as usual. I enjoyed her solo album so for me this song acts as a nice bonus track / b-side for me.

Shut This Down (7/10) - The synths were a bit much, kinda over powered the guitar at times. This one is funky though, especially the verses. Bass is tight. I'm feeling his flow. I like it. My Name is Prince 2.0.

Ain't About to Stop (3/10) - Okay. I felt the production was a bit cluttered. Probably one of my least favourite tracks. Maybe it'll grow on me. Sorry.

Like a Mack (9/10) - My favourite. This song really stuck in my head the most after listening to the album. I like Curly Fryz, cool to see Prince give these girls some exposure (Check out their song Feeling Good). The horn section in the chorus is tight! I'll be blasting this one loud when I cruise down the highway. This one will be on repeat for a while!

This Could Be Us (6/10) - I like the chorus of this version over the AOA version. More texture to it. I still like the subtly of the orginal verses but the new one adds more complexity. I guess there's now there's two different versions I can listen to dependant on my mood.

Fallinlove2nite (6/10) - Been jamming to this for a while. Still like it. It's simple and catchy, nothing revolutionary. Good song to get down to at a roller skating rink. Kinda cool we get to hear a solo version of this song.

X's face (6/10) - Love me a quirky lil Prince tune. Sexy vocals. Simple, nothing mindblowing but an enjoyable tune.

Hardrocklover (7/10) - A song like this leaves me wanting more guitar solos from Prince. Nice contrast between the subtle verses and the hard choruses. Wish it was longer.

Mr. Nelson (4/10) - Meh. Okay but the change halfway though was kinda confusing. More like a transition song. Something I would probably skip. Side note, I recommend checking out Lianne La Havas solo work, her album Blood is quality stuff.

1000 X's & O's (8/10) - Smooth smooth smooth. Has a nice laid back 90's R&B vibe to it. Simple compostion, not too many instruments and sounds, which can get too distracting at times. Good balance. This would go well with some strawberry champagne while lounging at a fancy bar.

June (7/10) - Nice sequel to Way Back Home. Dreamy and spacey. A sweet little ending to the album.

Best tracklisting to me for HitNRun AOA: 1 Mr Nelson, 2 Art Official, 3 Clouds, 4 Breakdown, 5The Gold Standard, 6 X's Face, 7 U Know, 8 This Could Be Us, 9 Hardrocklover, 10 Affirmation I&II, 11 Way Back Home,12 1000 X's and O's, 13 Funknroll,14 Affirmation III, 15 Ain't About2Stop, 16 June

Just my Opinion and my tracklisting. Might be lame, but the songs roll much smoother this way. Anywhoo what works I'll keep it to myself next time. But I do think the cd might have gone gold with that lineup. Too late now and i don't think i'll be getting any calls on a tracklisting (haha)

Did he already get dropped from the WB roster???? Just curious. Seems like he's a legend in his own MIND and is heading in the same direction Lauryn Hill has been headed for years. Not 2 mention, the album titles and "cheap" artwork (minus Art Official Age) don't seem 2b doing him any favors either. The quality just isn't there anymore and it's perplexing. "H&R's" oKAY, but far from being the masterpiece he would have created back in 1987. Even AOA wasn't really THAT amazing.

this is my favorite Prince record in decades... there is amazing foresight on this record by the purple one. Blending cirrent hip hop, techno, edm, house, rock, jazz and and making it all his own is something P hasn't done in quite some time. This is the first record I can listent to all the way thought by P since the early 90's. This is a masterpiece

[Edited 10/4/15 18:29pm]

[img:$uid]http://i62.tinypic.com/kd31y0.jpg[/img:$uid]

whitechocolatebrotha said:

Did he already get dropped from the WB roster???? Just curious. Seems like he's a legend in his own MIND and is heading in the same direction Lauryn Hill has been headed for years. Not 2 mention, the album titles and "cheap" artwork (minus Art Official Age) don't seem 2b doing him any favors either. The quality just isn't there anymore and it's perplexing. "H&R's" oKAY, but far from being the masterpiece he would have created back in 1987. Even AOA wasn't really THAT amazing.

I try not to compare Prince's new stuff to his old stuff anymore. But I do compare it to the last 20 years. That being said, it is not bad. But not great either. There are sometimes a few gems on his albums. Hardrocklover approaches gem status in my opinion, but that is about it for this album. Wish he would have waited to do SNL and then done this one kinda like he did Fury a while ago.

http://www.popmatters.com...hase-one1/

Prince's New Album Is a Huge Miss

By Chris Gerard
9 September 2015

There are few artists that can create as much excitement with a new release as Prince. After all, the mercurial genius has been churning out classic albums for over 35 years now. Although his masterpieces of the ‘80s will always be considered his artistic peak, Prince has been on a rather torrid streak over the last 15 years. Several of his more recent albums—particularly 3121 (2006), Lotusflow3r (2009), and last year’s Art Official Age—have been important and quality additions to his peerless discography. When news hit a few months back that Prince would be issuing an all-new studio album exclusively to Jay Z’s new Tidal streaming service, fans were understandably torn between excitement over the prospect of new music, but frustrated over its limited access and the uncertainty about any physical release (especially on vinyl).

But after hearing the new album, HITNRUN Phase One, it’s doubtful many fans will care one way or another about a physical release. Prince has slammed the brakes on his hot streak with this one. In fact, one could make a strong argument that HITNRUN Phase One is the single worst major studio album of Prince’s legendary career.

Read more here:

http://www.popmatters.com...hase-one1/

After many listens, 7/10, better than the naysayers said. It flows well as an album and you have to realise he's trying a new genre, EDM, with this so you can't really compare easily to his other work. I also think it's more likely to appeal to the young as we have had more exposure to EDM previously. Thankfully it doesn't have the irritating monologue tracks like in TRC and AOA - which you just have to skip on repeat listens, perhaps this is also why it flows well. Would have ideally liked for it to be longer and include 'Free Yourself' and 'Stare' but maybe they will surface later! Best tracks for me are the last 3 as well as the fun and surprisingly catchy Like A Mack.