Okay, so just went to the local used wrecka stowe, have bought many a Prince items there, and wanted to see what they had on their shelves. Mostly depleted, which usually when I visted they may have 20 or 30 titles today they had 10. A Purple Rain DVD, Rave concert DVD, a couple of copies of Prince, For You, one copy of Around the World and a Prince Ultimate CD for 19.99. I almost bought that one because of course I've listened to it a million times but don't have a copy of Ultimate but then I saw one copy of HitnRun Phase 2 up front and I bought that instead. Heard it on Tidal many times but haven't seen any physical copies around. And to be honest, most of my heavy Prince listening has been done in my car over the years. I don't have a man cave and I can only listen to it so loud at work. So I bought that and once I got to my car I went completely blank. I stared at the cover, Prince with the blindfold on, and I didn't know if I wanted to listen to it, bury it in a time capsule, or find some other way to enshrine it. This was going to be the last Prince release when he was alive. I looked at the copyright date, 2016, and it sent chills up my spine. Like with many of you, it kind of keeps hitting me, this is real, this is serious. Ain't no coming back from this. And then I looked at the cover again and the blindfold hit me. I started thinking about Bowie's video from Blackstar where he has the bandage over his head and metal buttons for eyes. Why would both of these legends, known for taking on different personas and forms, play with imagery of covering up their eyes on their last CDs? Except the thing is, Bowie knew, his last album was recorded with the sense of finality that he didn't have much longer. "Blackstar" is a kickass concept, a bold statement about acceptance but also denying the power of death. "HitNRun Phase 2" is not something a man as creative as Prince would name his last CD ever, it indicates seemingly that will be a Phase 3, Phase 4. If Prince knew he was dying, I would think he would call his last CD something visionary; therefore he either didn't know he was dying (didn't have a major illness) or was in serious denial. Either way, I still don't know what to do with this CD.

[Edited 5/30/16 10:29am]

Art Offical Age is his equivalent.

ufoclub said:

Art Offical Age is his equivalent.

I get that and I have read the threads; "Way Back Home" certainly does sound like a farewell song and the Affirmations can certainly be read into. But a lot of "Art Official Age" shows no red flags or obvious signs that it is from someone who knows they are dying. But see that's the thing, we read so much in life from hindsight. When AOA came out 2 years ago, more of us were talking about the pancake meme than whether it was indication that Prince was sick. Was it there in front of us and we couldn't see it or was is not there and we're reading retoractively into it?

Junglehop said:

I enjoyed reading that… thanks. As for HitNRun Phase 2, you need to take a long drive alone, somewhere where you can cruise along uninterrupted by traffic jams etc. - and you need to play that CD and turn it up! Listen to it from start to finish then listen to it again. Let whatever feelings you experience wash over you, feel the music, and even if it's sadness and joy both are valid - I guarantee in time that CD will bring you some comfort and much joy.

Very solid advice. I work through this a little bit differently every day, still making up rules. This morning I was getting ready fro work and I'm like "I will never in my lifetime have a musician I will follow like I followed Prince." The finality to that thought, the finality to listening to a last official album. I have been back and forth on this but if you ask me today, I don't know if I care to hear what comes from the vaults (will probably feel differently tomorrow). It's not even depression or sadness, this whole thing is just freaking weird.

Another memory from this particular used record store...remember when Prince had that contest with 3121 where like 5 lucky fans could win a golden ticket or something and go see him at Paisley. I bought my copy of 3121 from there and was just convinced I would open it up and be running down the street like Charlie when he opened up the Wonka Bar. Sadly was not meant to be but me and this record store go back to when I was in college, not sure if I will be visiting many times more from now on.

GottaLetitgo said:

ufoclub said:

Art Offical Age is his equivalent.

I get that and I have read the threads; "Way Back Home" certainly does sound like a farewell song and the Affirmations can certainly be read into. But a lot of "Art Official Age" shows no red flags or obvious signs that it is from someone who knows they are dying. But see that's the thing, we read so much in life from hindsight. When AOA came out 2 years ago, more of us were talking about the pancake meme than whether it was indication that Prince was sick. Was it there in front of us and we couldn't see it or was is not there and we're reading retoractively into it?

I did feel that he was writing about death and moving on, but not from the sense that something was imminent ("It's just around the corner"), but rather that he was conscious of becoming older and that it was a new mindest, to see an endpoint in the distance, and a limit to ambition and glory here. It seemed he was opening up to realizing his limits. Even referring to himself as Mr. Nelson and not putting his voice answering back. It seemed like he was really opening up an intimate space to his audience, his mind, his perspective.

Another random, somewhat related memory and then I will let this thread move on. When I was in college, record stores actually existed. Places like Peaches where I bought quite a few Prince 12 inchers and another called Traxx that was close to my dorm. But I always kind of liked the used record stores. There were two of those close to campus as well and one of them was called New Clear Days. The owner was a really pale white haired guy who was personal friends (and had pictures to prove it) with Yoko Ono. Dude screwed me over on so many deals, he knew I was a Prince fan and whenever he would get a bootleg in he would let me know and see if I wanted to trade. A trade would often involve some cash and like 8-10 of my CDs for one boot. I was in college, it made sense at the time, and to get a live double CD bootleg was a big deal, no matter the cost. It's memories like these that cannot be replaced. These are times in our life that are gone and now they seem really gone.

GottaLetitgo said:

Another random, somewhat related memory and then I will let this thread move on. When I was in college, record stores actually existed. Places like Peaches where I bought quite a few Prince 12 inchers and another called Traxx that was close to my dorm. But I always kind of liked the used record stores. There were two of those close to campus as well and one of them was called New Clear Days. The owner was a really pale white haired guy who was personal friends (and had pictures to prove it) with Yoko Ono. Dude screwed me over on so many deals, he knew I was a Prince fan and whenever he would get a bootleg in he would let me know and see if I wanted to trade. A trade would often involve some cash and like 8-10 of my CDs for one boot. I was in college, it made sense at the time, and to get a live double CD bootleg was a big deal, no matter the cost. It's memories like these that cannot be replaced. These are times in our life that are gone and now they seem really gone.

I'm from Atlanta, I remember Peaches very well. I was too young to buy things for myself, but I would go in there with my mom....also Record Bar. I worked at Turtle's Records and Tapes during my college years. We only had a small vinyl selection by the time I started due to the overtaking of cassettes and eventually CDs, but it still had the wrecka stowe feel. Fun memories.

[Edited 5/30/16 20:25pm]