can be compared to watching an promising quarterback turn into a star in the midst of a game. I am very impressed with this album. If possible, it seems more confident and comfortably assured than his debut album. You can hear his suspected influences -- primarily Prince, but also Sly, Stevie, Shuggie, a little of the Clash, among others -- but in the context of his own unique sound. His songwriting has always impressed me, but his skills in that department have also grown noticeably.

My other favorite albums released this year are good indeed -- Prince, Fagen, Ghostface -- but those artists cover little new ground. Van is really coming into his own. This is my early choice for album of the year.

namepeace said:

I dig it too. What up with that being the only new release that was NOT on sale at Best buy?

Graycap23 said:

Insane.

Tower Records, once one of the more infamous price gougers, is pretty good now about discounting new releases by up-and-comers like Hunt. DotJF was on sale there.

Listening to it right now, and all i can say it's brilliant - same league as Amp Fiddler's "Return Of The Ghetto Fly", better than the hard-to-beat "Return of Jack Splash" Album by Plantlife and definately an album Prince should give a listen...

P.S. Just had to add what a great song "Mean Sleep" (Duet w/ Nikka Costa) is - give it a listen, it's a classic in my book already !
[Edited 4/6/06 13:03pm]
[Edited 4/8/06 7:06am]

Maybe I shouldn't but I can't help but compare Van Hunt's latest effort to 3121. I listened to them back to back and Van gives you that feeling Prince used to. You can hear the fire and ambition on Van's album and Prince sounds like he is just going through the motions.


We could chalk it up to age however, Paul Mcartney David Gilmour and EWF and Stevie all came out with great albums that stayed true to their own original sound and vision. I want to hear this same passion in Prince’s studio work again.

Meloh9 said:

He is a young hungry cat...prince is an older fat cat.

beatz01 said:

I tried so hard to like Ghetto Fly. Maybe I should take another listen.

Graycap23 said:

I know! I went to Best Buy because there were two other new releases this week that I wanted that were on sale, but the new Van Hunt album is hidden in the CD racks with the other catalog stuff--and not even under 'V' but under 'H'. I almost walked out the store without finding it. That ain't right. I put a few copies up front in the new urban releases section before I left.

sextonseven said:

That was weak of them.....I don't get that. I thought ALL new releases were on sale on the 1st Tuesday?

Graycap23 said:

Target didn't have it either. We don't have a best buy.

Graycap23 said:

Me too, especially after a friend of mine played the "You Bring Me Vibes" track he did with Only Child. I'll try again though.

From what I hear Van Hunt is really not that "young" at all, some rumours seemed to be going around about his true age. The birthdate given is 1977, meaning he would have been in his teens when he wrote hopeless. Why didn't the record company see VH as a young prodigy.

Btw,

here's a vid of a live session he did yesterday at the KCRW Music "Morning Becomes Eclectic" show:

http://www.kcrw.com/smil/...n_Hunt.ram

Really worth watching !
[Edited 4/6/06 14:56pm]

At The End of a Slow Dance.



damn. that is my favorite cut on the cd. niiiiice

van is one bad mofo
this is what musical progression is aboutand what black music SHOULD be (diversity)
he is a young cat with a lot 2 say
just like prince did back in the day
he wears his influences and musical diversity well
(i am impressed that there's even a little lenny in him)
2 bad he will never b heard!!!

namepeace said:

Yep you hit the nail on the head. He sounds like Prince, Lenny, Sly..nice blend. Hes not as strong a singer as any of them and for me thats the only negative. He clearly is on his own journey...gotta love that. Mean Sleep is a song that Lenny K and Cree Summer did about 6 years ago on Summers (outstanding and sadly) lone solo CD. I also understand that Van Hunt co wrote a ton of Rahaun Patersons stuff. If ya'll don't know about Rashaun...then find out
[Edited 4/6/06 15:50pm]

check this out...


http://news.yahoo.com/s/n...N5bmNhdA--

LoveAlive said:

Fantastic article, his description of Van as a star, albeit with easily identifiable influences, is spot-on. In all likelihood, writers covering Prince shows in the early 80's made many similar observations.

I really don't think Prince's, Stevie's, or Sly's phenomenal runs can be repeated.

But Van can be his own phenom if, like those others, he can step into a breach at the right time. Maybe he can. I hope so.

damn i gotta get this, i feel like i'm missing out!!!

Meloh9 said:

I was thinking the same thing when I was listening to 'OTJF'. And trying hard not to. Cause ultimately it's not fair to Prince. He's really in a different place now. And he's conquered the ground Van Hunt's treading now. And it's not like Prince isn't doing worthwhile music anymore.

But I still couldn't help thinking it...

violator said:

Well I was one of the folks that didn't really dig 3121, I like energy passion and soul when it comes to music. By the time the album got to the studio version of fury, I was like damn why couldn't he bring that same energy to the album that he does live. Like on SNL.

But I know what you mean. VH is ambitious and still has a lot to prove to the mainstream, so the fire is in him. Like Prince Dirty Mind era.

revolution75 said:

-----

Yes, Van is a bad dude but,a lot of you forget that even P was not always getting love from urban audience back in the day for being different.

beatz01 said:

nice

thanks for posting

it's pretty good,but I didn't get the same feeling I felt after hearing Love For Sale for the 1st time...

sextonseven said:

The Best Buy here in ATL had it on an end cap, but then Van's based here so taht might be why. But it wasn't on sale either! Completely wack, but the album's definitely worth the $13.99 I paid for it.

Graycap23 said:

Damn straight! I caught a secret club show Van did a couple weeks ago here in ATL and he works his band just like Prince used to. They even jammed on "Joy In Repetition" in the encore. His new band is great, great players, and a couple of real fine ass females in it too! Van is one of the cats that is gonna keep great music alive, it's just too bad he can't get much play on R&B stations next to the likes of Ursher.

guitarslinger44 said:

he's been here all month. (I ran into him @ Guitar Center last Friday.)
his band is always tight.
My problem is, he is a live artist, not a studio artist.
He fails to capture the same feeling as he gives on stage.
I still support him though.

my

mochalox said:

I think maybe it's just because the gig I caught was sort of a rehearsal for the tour, but they didn't quite have it yet. It was a great show and they played well, but it wasn't quite there yet. I think he's good on the albums but it's just a different vibe live like you said. Not necessarily better, just different. But then, most artists go thru the problems of trying to capture that live vibe in the studio.

guitarslinger44 said:

And you did NOT alert me? Come on now.....

Graycap23 said:

You're in ATL? Sweet! He played a couple of shows around the city in mid-March at places like 10 High and Drunken Unicorn to rehearse the new band. They weren't well publicized, I only found out looking at a 10 High handbill and seeing a poster in EATS on Ponce. I even know some of his people and I didnt know until a few days before!