Continuation of Part I thread - which is here:

http://prince.org/msg/7/418602

* Discussions About Individual Songs *

1. Million $ Show (featuring Judith Hill) http://prince.org/msg/7/418682

2. SHUT THIS DOWN http://prince.org/msg/7/418734

3. Ain’t About to Stop(feat. Rita Ora) http://prince.org/msg/7/4...?&pg=1

4. 4. Like a Mack (feat. Curly Fryz) http://prince.org/msg/7/418715

I like it more than my first review. It's getting to me. Still quite disapointing.

June is a very good song. 1,000 X's and O's is very good. Shut This Down is good. Hardrocklover is good. The rest doesn't do anything for me.

After 3 days I like Million $ show,1000 xo's and June.

I can't stand Aint about to stop.

the rest is ok but over produced.

I just spent a looooong time writing up my in depth review (in the original thread) hit Post Response, and it's gone.

Yeah....I dunno. I've been spinning this thing for a couple of days now and, while I don't HATE it, it's just not that exciting. I'm one of the few here who actually likes Prince's forays into hip-hop, rap, effects and electronica but something's missing here and I can't put my finger on it. I think it's just basic songwriting.


I keep comparing what Prince is doing here with some of the stuff off of Chocolate invasion and Slaughterhouse (I like both those albums) and it's falling short somehow. I like the layers and a lot of the noisy studio trickery he does from time to time but I'm finding a surprising lack of depth here. The hooks and the basic makings of a song are missing from so many tracks. Several of them don't even have a proper bridge that leads into a chorus. Too many guest spots too.


Of course it also hurts that "HardRockLover" and "X's Face", two of the stronger tracks on the album, have been beaten to death and that "This Could Be Us" and "Mr. Nelson" are both rehashes. There's a good record in here somewhere but I'm having trouble finding it. Swapping out "Stare" and "Baltimore" has helped it some but I prefer AOA by far. It's not terrible it's just all over the place, unfocused and sort of boring.

Lastly, when I said that albums like "Around the World in a Day", "Parade" and "Lovesexy" were initially off putting, challenging and somewhat impenetrable, I wasn't putting this record in the category of those albums. I was just saying that having to get used to a new prince record dates all the way back to the 80's. This one's impenetrable too but, unlike those albums i mentioned, seems to be going in the opposite direction for me; instead of finding more layers to the onion I'm finding there's nothing inside.

It's really just the songwriting, the same thing that doomed Planet Earth. Maybe I need to bust out a bow and some headphones, light a candle and let the thing run from end to end.

dodger said:

djThunderfunk said:

3 out of 5 stars

My gripes

Not enough raw instrumentation

Lacking on funk

Corny lyrics

Songs I Dig

Fallinlove2nite

Hardrocklover

1000 X’s

-Sadly, this is one Prince Album that I won’t buy once it’s available in stores. On to Phase II.

KingSausage said:

KingSausage said:

djThunderfunk said:

I just spent a looooong time writing up my in depth review (in the original thread) hit Post Response, and it's gone.

I recovered it for you: "MASTERPIECE!"

How did you know?

Really though, kind of sucks because my review really was a masterpiece. It would have had you all throwing at me and acknowleging mine as the wisest and wittiest opinion on the org. Oh, well...

I'm obsessed enough to spend over an hour writing an in-depth thoughtful review but not obsessed enough to do it twice. So, instead:

Million $ Show 5/10

Shut This Down 8/10

Ain't About To Stop 8/10

Like A Mack 6/10

This Could B Us 5/10

FallInLove2Nite 5/10

X's Face 10/10

HardRockLover 9/10

Mr. Nelson 7/10

1000 X's & O's 7/10

June 8/10


Overall 7/10

In my-not-so-humble opinion of course...

KingSausage said:

June is a very good song. 1,000 X's and O's is very good. Shut This Down is good. Hardrocklover is good. The rest doesn't do anything for me.

Woah, woah, woah, that's 36% of the album which you say is at least good. That's not being a hater, you're practically kCool.

TheEnglishGent said:

KingSausage said:

June is a very good song. 1,000 X's and O's is very good. Shut This Down is good. Hardrocklover is good. The rest doesn't do anything for me.

Woah, woah, woah, that's 36% of the album which you say is at least good. That's not being a hater, you're practically kCool.

Ha! Busted KS! lolololol

It’s been a few days, and I’ve given HITNRUN a few spins now. While it has grown on me very slightly, I still find the first half of the album embarrassing. HITNRUN for me does not start until, “The X’s Face,” but the punch of that and, “Hardrocklover,” lost their punch because we’ve had access to them for a while now.

I don’t even mind, “Mr. Nelson,” and if it did not have the, “Clouds,” references, it’s a great instrumental track on its own.

The album ends strong with, “1000 X’s & O’s,” and, “June,” This half of the album there is traces of Prince. The first half of the album I do not hear Prince.

I thought AOA did a great job of making Prince sound current, but HITNRUN tries too hard and it sounds like Prince lost his way. My opinion only!

terrig said:

KingSausage said:

I guess I like as many songs on HITNRUN as Planet Earth and MPLSound. But the lows are much lower IMO. But I just really hate electronic pop. So maybe it's just me.

Funny you put those albums together. I think in the last 10 years those are his 3 worst albums...

sheilaE4eva said:

KingSausage said:

terrig said:

Ha! Busted KS! lolololol

[img:$uid]http://i59.tinypic.com/ngy4p0.jpg[/img:$uid]

KingSausage said:

terrig said:

Ha! Busted KS! lolololol

[img:$uid]http://i59.tinypic.com/ngy4p0.jpg[/img:$uid]

Eye'm glad has christened ALL NEW,youthful.energetic, fans, through his MEGA multi million dollar Tidal deal. lBecuz the majority on this site have COMPLETELY lost it!!!

Now back to my pasta

samt said:

I've got it on heavy rotation, can't quite put my finger on why I like it so much as it doesn't sound like a Prince album. Seriously I ain't skipping any of the tracks! I'll shut up now as I know I am clearly in the minority!

I'm with you, absolutely loving it. Played it loads and also don't skip anything.

TheEnglishGent said:

samt said:

I've got it on heavy rotation, can't quite put my finger on why I like it so much as it doesn't sound like a Prince album. Seriously I ain't skipping any of the tracks! I'll shut up now as I know I am clearly in the minority!

I'm with you, absolutely loving it. Played it loads and also don't skip anything.

Only 1 I am skipping is Mr Nelson so I guess that says a lot for the album

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

KingSausage said:

terrig said: [img:$uid]http://i59.tinypic.com/ngy4p0.jpg[/img:$uid]

Eye'm glad has christened ALL NEW,youthful.energetic, fans, through his MEGA multi million dollar Tidal deal. lBecuz the majority on this site have COMPLETELY lost it!!!

Now back to my pasta

Please post links to any evidence you have that Prince's deal with Tidal is in the "multi-million dollar" range.

.

I'm sticking with my review in the other thread. This album is more of a showcase of sound effects and voice tempo shifts than a showcase of songwriting or musicianship. If Tidal paid millions for it then could we please pay Josh a release fee and wish him well?

.

Million $ Show 5/10
Do not like the previous album opener samples. They're a further reminder of what an album opener should sound like. Judith Hill is fine on vocals, but there is plenty of material on HER album with Prince that's better than this.

.

Shut This Down 7.5/10

It rightfully gets the "My Name is Prince" comparison, but isn't quite as good. Still, it's relative fun, and harmless.

.

Ain't About To Stop 4/10

The slowed down vocals and repetitive "Ain't About To Stop" is a chore to listen to.

.

Like A Mack 4.5/10

Hard to think of a song that's a better example of Prince on cruise control.

.

This Could B Us 0/10

I want to use a pumpkin carving kit to dig out my own brain. This is the most dreadful Prince album track in 20 years, maybe more.

.

FallInLove2Nite 5/10

Better with Zoe gone, but average Prince at best. And old. It's a puzzling inclusion here after being released as a single two years ago, but then again, it's Prince.

.

X's Face 6.5/10

Sounds like U Know part 2 to me - I'm OK with it, but it's not spectacular.

.

HardRockLover 7.5/10

One of four highlights on the album. Nice job, good single. Too bad no one will ever hear it.

.

Mr. Nelson 1/10

Not even a song - waste of space on 10% of an already short album. Tempo change is jarring.

.

1000 X's & O's 8/10

Top highlight on the album. Josh's touch is much lighter on this one, and it shows in a big way.

.

June 7.5/10

Agree with many other who compare it with Reflection. Nice cut.

[Edited 9/9/15 15:03pm]

My review is this: I think this album sucks. It's horrible. Listening to it depressed me. I don't ever want to hear anything from it ever again.

I need a very strong drink. Several, perhaps.

RodeoSchro said:

My review is this: I think this album sucks. It's horrible. Listening to it depressed me. I don't ever want to hear anything from it ever again.

I need a very strong drink. Several, perhaps.

XxAxX said:

RodeoSchro said:

My review is this: I think this album sucks. It's horrible. Listening to it depressed me. I don't ever want to hear anything from it ever again.

I need a very strong drink. Several, perhaps.

Yep. It honestly depressed me. The only other album I've ever heard in my entire life that depressed me like that was Gary Numan's "The Pleasure Principle".

I really do want to get drunk and happy. Ugh.