I've had the album for ten months. It has sat on the shelf.

Today, I took the CD down and gave it a listen. Seemed like a good idea.

It sounds like he had gone full circle. It sounds like For You/Prince and some of the 94East material. It sounds like a person rediscovering themselves. It sounds like a new fruitful age was about to come. The Piano and Microphone Tour hinted at this further.

I am glad that Prince's artistic journey was ongoing. HNR P1 was shitly shittington. But, I started looking at it again and thinking that actually, perhaps it was the more experimental/throwaway piece that simply went along with HNR2... I don't know. I'm not sure how to reconcile the artist who recorded one then the other... I know Prince has always been a mass of confusion - perhaps he was just trying shit out...who can say?

Anyway. Hit'N'Run Phase 2 - I enjoyed. A good album.

SimonCharles said:

I've had the album for ten months. It has sat on the shelf.

Today, I took the CD down and gave it a listen. Seemed like a good idea.

It sounds like he had gone full circle. It sounds like For You/Prince and some of the 94East material. It sounds like a person rediscovering themselves. It sounds like a new fruitful age was about to come. The Piano and Microphone Tour hinted at this further.

I am glad that Prince's artistic journey was ongoing. HNR P1 was shitly shittington. But, I started looking at it again and thinking that actually, perhaps it was the more experimental/throwaway piece that simply went along with HNR2... I don't know. I'm not sure how to reconcile the artist who recorded one then the other... I know Prince has always been a mass of confusion - perhaps he was just trying shit out...who can say?

Anyway. Hit'N'Run Phase 2 - I enjoyed. A good album.

Josh Welton was Prince's co-producer, co-arranger and mixer on HitnRun Phase 1--that might explain it.

purplethunder3121 said:

SimonCharles said:

I've had the album for ten months. It has sat on the shelf.

Today, I took the CD down and gave it a listen. Seemed like a good idea.

It sounds like he had gone full circle. It sounds like For You/Prince and some of the 94East material. It sounds like a person rediscovering themselves. It sounds like a new fruitful age was about to come. The Piano and Microphone Tour hinted at this further.

I am glad that Prince's artistic journey was ongoing. HNR P1 was shitly shittington. But, I started looking at it again and thinking that actually, perhaps it was the more experimental/throwaway piece that simply went along with HNR2... I don't know. I'm not sure how to reconcile the artist who recorded one then the other... I know Prince has always been a mass of confusion - perhaps he was just trying shit out...who can say?

Anyway. Hit'N'Run Phase 2 - I enjoyed. A good album.

Josh Welton was Prince's co-producer, co-arranger and mixer on HitnRun Phase 1--that might explain it.

To an extent - yes. I also think it was an example of Prince chucking ideas out...perhaps he had a series of these ideas up his sleave...this second one actually sounds like a man actually about to launch into a new burst of vital creativity...

I think has active collaboaration on the wonderful horn arrangements is another sign of his creativity to the very end.

The HIt N RUns were just different vibes of his world, he has been doing mixed bags on albums for a really long time.

I listen to the heck out of that album. My favorite since TRC. In fact, my go-to rotation for the past year or so has been the One Night Alone (Live), The Rainbow Children (those last two go hand-in-hand) and HnR Phase II.

Oh, and The Scandalous Sex Suite, just because his game is so strong.

For example

"It's warm in here"

"Let's go into the bedroom"

"What's in there?"

"A window"

"It's dark in here"

"I can see you fine"

"How do I look?"

"Overdressed"

"How about now?"

wow. Just wow.

[Edited 3/26/17 9:56am]

SimonCharles said:

I've had the album for ten months. It has sat on the shelf.

Today, I took the CD down and gave it a listen. Seemed like a good idea.

It sounds like he had gone full circle. It sounds like For You/Prince and some of the 94East material. It sounds like a person rediscovering themselves. It sounds like a new fruitful age was about to come. The Piano and Microphone Tour hinted at this further.

I am glad that Prince's artistic journey was ongoing. HNR P1 was shitly shittington. But, I started looking at it again and thinking that actually, perhaps it was the more experimental/throwaway piece that simply went along with HNR2... I don't know. I'm not sure how to reconcile the artist who recorded one then the other... I know Prince has always been a mass of confusion - perhaps he was just trying shit out...who can say?

Anyway. Hit'N'Run Phase 2 - I enjoyed. A good album.

As soon as I heard this when it came out, I knew it would become a favourite just b/c of the organic arrangements, all the horns and uniformity of the sound (for Prince, it seemed to horns theme throughout). This one, like Sign O The Times, was him cherry picking great songs from the last few years and presenting together. I think this is why it was so solid all the way through.

I just love this album and the quiet greatness off it seems so ...perfect, as this was his last album. All of this, the piano album, songs like the Breakdown, Way Back Home, June....a personal Piano and Mic tour...all of this, seems like it was a call a final wrap up. I can not help but feel sad again.

If there is a movie, I really hope they start at the end and tie it all together.

JoeyCococo said:

SimonCharles said:

I've had the album for ten months. It has sat on the shelf.

Today, I took the CD down and gave it a listen. Seemed like a good idea.

It sounds like he had gone full circle. It sounds like For You/Prince and some of the 94East material. It sounds like a person rediscovering themselves. It sounds like a new fruitful age was about to come. The Piano and Microphone Tour hinted at this further.

I am glad that Prince's artistic journey was ongoing. HNR P1 was shitly shittington. But, I started looking at it again and thinking that actually, perhaps it was the more experimental/throwaway piece that simply went along with HNR2... I don't know. I'm not sure how to reconcile the artist who recorded one then the other... I know Prince has always been a mass of confusion - perhaps he was just trying shit out...who can say?

Anyway. Hit'N'Run Phase 2 - I enjoyed. A good album.

As soon as I heard this when it came out, I knew it would become a favourite just b/c of the organic arrangements, all the horns and uniformity of the sound (for Prince, it seemed to horns theme throughout). This one, like Sign O The Times, was him cherry picking great songs from the last few years and presenting together. I think this is why it was so solid all the way through.

I just love this album and the quiet greatness off it seems so ...perfect, as this was his last album. All of this, the piano album, songs like the Breakdown, Way Back Home, June....a personal Piano and Mic tour...all of this, seems like it was a call a final wrap up. I can not help but feel sad again.

If there is a movie, I really hope they start at the end and tie it all together.

There was such a flow of music at the end... I haven't listened to HitnRun 2 in a year... I bought the CD but it has remained unopened. I think that's what I'm going to do on April 21st--open the CD and play it loud for the first time...

I love this album. Its not edgy (except for its black pride themes that pop up throughout) but its warm, charming, funky, soulful and melodic. Sexy without being embarassing. Dirty in a suggestive way rather than creepy. HOpeful with sentiment without being corning or manipulative.

Its a super underrated album in my opinion like much of his later work. but unfortunately, it will remain underrated and irrelevent (sadly) unless his estate and Universal gets on the ball and releases this album and others from the past 20 years on streaming devices so that writers etc can stop making assumptions about the quality of his later work.

I know I harp about this alot and those of you guys who find his later work disappointing compared to his 80's output have a right to feel that way. But i think many people don't realize the travesty it is to have that much a man's career (and hard work) buried beneath technicalities, bureacracy (for a lack of a better word), simplistic narrative, and personal aversion to Prince's later image. He is no doubt inconsistent in his later years, but his work is not poor.

I just read a review for SOTT in an Irish Newspaper...they are of course drooling over SOTT. But the guy also said that LoveSexy is decidedly disappointing and "much" of his later work is "poor". Much of it? Really? At most half of it...not many critics who actually reviewed his individual later albums gave him glaringly poor reviews. (they usually average 3 to 4 out of five stars. )

Post warner brothers Prince songs IMO are 1/4--poor/mediocre, 1/2--solid, good, 1/4--as good or better than the 80's highlights.

Sorry about the soapbox...Damn, I wish they would re-release his later work pronto. Critics and writers are always more appreciative relatively soon after someone dies especially if they are hearing music they haven't heard in years and that wasn't readily available.

[Edited 3/26/17 20:20pm]

purplethunder3121 said:

JoeyCococo said:

As soon as I heard this when it came out, I knew it would become a favourite just b/c of the organic arrangements, all the horns and uniformity of the sound (for Prince, it seemed to horns theme throughout). This one, like Sign O The Times, was him cherry picking great songs from the last few years and presenting together. I think this is why it was so solid all the way through.

I just love this album and the quiet greatness off it seems so ...perfect, as this was his last album. All of this, the piano album, songs like the Breakdown, Way Back Home, June....a personal Piano and Mic tour...all of this, seems like it was a call a final wrap up. I can not help but feel sad again.

If there is a movie, I really hope they start at the end and tie it all together.

There was such a flow of music at the end... I haven't listened to HitnRun 2 in a year... I bought the CD but it has remained unopened. I think that's what I'm going to do on April 21st--open the CD and play it loud for the first time...

I was minded to do that too, but life has moved my schedule somewhat. I'm glad it did. This is a really wonderful album in oh so many ways. As I say, though, the overwhemling feeling I got when listening to this was of a man about to launch into a period of creative and innovative music. It's easy to say that, obviously, but, other than possibly LotusFlow3r, not for quite some time had I heard Prince album and thought that...and even LotusFlow3r was marred by the MPLSound debacle that accompanied it...even Art Official Age - terrific album that it is - did not make me think we were on the verge of sustained brilliance. This album, the tour and the Black is the new Black concept indicates we may have been this time.

purplerabbithole said:

I love this album. Its not edgy (except for its black pride themes that pop up throughout) but its warm, charming, funky, soulful and melodic. Sexy without being embarassing. Dirty in a suggestive way rather than creepy. HOpeful with sentiment without being corning or manipulative.

Its a super underrated album in my opinion like much of his later work. but unfortunately, it will remain underrated and irrelevent (sadly) unless his estate and Universal gets on the ball and releases this album and others from the past 20 years on streaming devices so that writers etc can stop making assumptions about the quality of his later work.

I know I harp about this alot and those of you guys who find his later work disappointing compared to his 80's output have a right to feel that way. But i think many people don't realize the travesty it is to have that much a man's career (and hard work) buried beneath technicalities, bureacracy (for a lack of a better word), simplistic narrative, and personal aversion to Prince's later image. He is no doubt inconsistent in his later years, but his work is not poor.

I just read a review for SOTT in an Irish Newspaper...they are of course drooling over SOTT. But the guy also said that LoveSexy is decidedly disappointing and "much" of his later work is "poor". Much of it? Really? At most half of it...not many critics who actually reviewed his individual later albums gave him glaringly poor reviews. (they usually average 3 to 4 out of five stars. )

Post warner brothers Prince songs IMO are 1/4--poor/mediocre, 1/2--solid, good, 1/4--as good or better than the 80's highlights.

Sorry about the soapbox...Damn, I wish they would re-release his later work pronto. Critics and writers are always more appreciative relatively soon after someone dies especially if they are hearing music they haven't heard in years and that wasn't readily available.

[Edited 3/26/17 20:20pm]

We can only sit and wait and hope that a deal to bring this later, more obscure work to the general public will happen, I suppose.

luxuryyaht said:

I listen to the heck out of that album. My favorite since TRC. In fact, my go-to rotation for the past year or so has been the One Night Alone (Live), The Rainbow Children (those last two go hand-in-hand) and HnR Phase II.

Oh, and The Scandalous Sex Suite, just because his game is so strong.

For example

"It's warm in here"

"Let's go into the bedroom"

"What's in there?"

"A window"

"It's dark in here"

"I can see you fine"

"How do I look?"

"Overdressed"

"How about now?"

wow. Just wow.

[Edited 3/26/17 9:56am]

It's funny you should mention Scandalous...I've not been much of a music listener this past year - but SEX has really hooked me quite recently. I've always enjoyed this song but the It-esque minimalism has spoken to me of late.

SimonCharles said:

It sounds like he had gone full circle. It sounds like For You/Prince and some of the 94East material. It sounds like a person rediscovering themselves. It sounds like a new fruitful age was about to come. The Piano and Microphone Tour hinted at this further.

I am glad that Prince's artistic journey was ongoing. HNR P1 was shitly shittington. But, I started looking at it again and thinking that actually, perhaps it was the more experimental/throwaway piece that simply went along with HNR2... I don't know. I'm not sure how to reconcile the artist who recorded one then the other... I know Prince has always been a mass of confusion - perhaps he was just trying shit out...who can say?

Anyway. Hit'N'Run Phase 2 - I enjoyed. A good album.

It makes more sense when you know that Phase 2 was pieces of the scrapped 2011 album Welcome 2 America and a handful of previously released songs (outside of Baltimore/Stare)

purplerabbithole said:

gandorb said:

rogifan said:

gandorb said:

I'm not a big fan of the first song Baltimore but I love the rest of the album. My favorite since 3121.

...and how SEXY is Revelation?

Revelation is an outstanding song. That song alone warrants some respect for that album. I also love Black Muse and When She comes.

paisleypark4 said:

...and how SEXY is Revelation?

yukoncornelius said:

I feel like Hit n Run 1 is the creative crazy pop flavor, and Hit n Run 2 is the traditional old school musicianship flavor.

I know I harp about this alot and those of you guys who find his later work disappointing compared to his 80's output have a right to feel that way. But i think many people don't realize the travesty it is to have that much a man's career (and hard work) buried beneath technicalities, bureacracy (for a lack of a better word), simplistic narrative, and personal aversion to Prince's later image. He is no doubt inconsistent in his later years, but his work is not poor.

803 said:

purplerabbithole said:

I know I harp about this alot and those of you guys who find his later work disappointing compared to his 80's output have a right to feel that way. But i think many people don't realize the travesty it is to have that much a man's career (and hard work) buried beneath technicalities, bureacracy (for a lack of a better word), simplistic narrative, and personal aversion to Prince's later image. He is no doubt inconsistent in his later years, but his work is not poor.

I agree with purplerabbithole....there is so much good music out there that people have no idea exists....not all albums are consistently good but there are some real gems hidden away on albums...for example, today when I picked a friend up, "when the lights go down" was playing on my radio...she went nuts...she looked at the screen and couldn't believe that this was a prince song. She kept saying how good it was and insisted that I immediately download the album for her...she kept repeating that it is such a shame that people only know him by the unflattering image that was created ...and this comes from someone who couldn't name a single Prince song when he died. This album is available but prh is correct..there is so much good stuff that isn't available..or is unknown ....it is truly a shame. Hopefully, at some point, someone will take control and create the narrative and publicity his music deserves.

I suppose we just have to give it time. The music will appear...but, to be frank, it's not the end of the world if some people never hear some of Prince's music. There are gems true, there are a few turds too...it'll all come out in time, and there will be an audience for it. The size of that audience will fluctuate as tastes fluctuate. We're just lucky to have caught the bug.

SimonCharles said: