Most die-hard Prince fans didn't like it. In fact, I think I've read more negative comments about this record online than any of his previously. On the other hand, those of us who enjoy innovation and experimentation were pleased to see him branch out and try something new. Let's face it, with a musician of Prince's caliber, there's not a lot of ground he hasn't covered. Hearing him commit to a sound like this was interesting and exciting.
"HITnRUN Phase Two"... Well, that's a different story altogether. At this point in his career, Prince is the undisputed king of funk. Even funk pioneers like George Clinton stand in his shadow. With the passing of James Brown, the godfather of soul, Prince takes his place at the head of the pack when it comes to Funk/Soul/R&B... He's so good at what he does, funky ditties roll off the cuff. He can record a track in a single day funkier than almost anything any current artist could produce with years of effort. It's just that easy for him.
In light of this, releasing an entire album of groovy tunes seems almost effortless. It's almost a love/hate relationship. Fans want to hear the masterful Prince doing what he does best, but then go on to judge him for being stuck in a rut and lacking innovation. In so many ways, "HITnRUN Phase Two" fits this description. It gives the fans the funky jams they were looking for on "HITnRUN Phase One", but doesn't branch out into unknown terrain.
Personally, I love both records. And I could't be happier with the direction I feel this project is going.
I've had a digital copy of this album for quite awhile now. I only just received my physical CD. Considering how long this music has been playing on my iPhone, I think it's appropriate to discuss my opinions. So here goes...
Right off the bat, the album starts with a track previously released online. 'Baltimore' is a song Prince released in response to the Freddie Gray incident. Gray was a young man in Baltimore who was arrested for possession of an illegal weapon. He died while in police custody and fueled the current crisis in the US about police brutality and prejudice. There's a lot of hostility and anger brewing among Americans who view events like his death as a great social injustice that needs to be addressed. Obviously, this young man's death struck Prince deeply and he expressed his opinion through song. You would expect a protest song. A call to arms. Something radical and angry. Instead, you get a mid-tempo groove with a simple melody calling for peace and understanding. He's hurt by the injustice... He wants change... But he wants a peaceful change. One motivated and fueled by love rather than anger or hatred. No doubt many will view this song as weak or ineffective. For someone like me, it mirrors my own point of view and I'm glad he chooses this path. The older I get, the more I realize LOVE really is only solution. The only answer. Oh, and I love the song.
'Rocknroll Loveaffair' is next and this song is similar to many previous Prince grooves fueled by a rhythmic guitar line. It bursts forth in a blaze of horns and settles into a solid beat. This track reminds me of 'When You Were Mine' and 'Little Red Corvette'. It's all about a romance and tells a story almost like a fairy tale. It's another strong track and also one that saw an earlier release as a one-off internet cut. Still, it's a good one! '2 Y. 2 D.' is number three and is the first on the record that didn't have a previous release. However, it did make appearances during live sets for a couple of years prior to this disc. Still, you wouldn't know that unless you were A) at the show and heard it there or B) you had a bootleg of a show and heard it there. It features a fuller band sound with the NPG Horns in full effect. This one is a tight example of how Prince has assumed the place of James Brown. Those soul horn blasts are the kind of punctuation only Brown was capable of using effectively. And P just swaggers through the track with all the confidence of an heir apparent. I think this is a phenomenal number, but it's not my favorite on the record. If I had to choose the order of my favorite songs to my least favorite, this one would be on the least favorite end of the list.
'Look At Me, Look At U' starts off with a delicate flute line. When the full band blends in, the song settles into a semi-slow tempo and kinda floats along at this pace. It's a lovely number. I think it gets washed away by the previous number. If you listen to it by itself and not in the order of the record, it's more enjoyable. The smooth jazz feel is mellow and sheer ecstasy from start to finish. It's another new track and as far as I know, it wasn't played live prior to this release. It's followed by a more aggressive and rockin' track called 'Stare'. Sometimes, I dislike songs like this one just because I find the subject matter tedious, but on this one, the beat is infectious and Prince doesn't preen or come across as pretentious. He creates another strong groove and settles in to paint across the current making all kinds of musical pictures for the listener to admire. A strong track. 'Stare' did have an internet release prior to showing up on this album. It was part of the additional music you could hear if you bought phase one from Tidal music subscription service. However, you only got snippets. Three in all I think. This is where you hear the song in its entirety.
"HITnRUN Phase One" included an updated version of a popular and well circulated Prince outtake. "HITnRUN Phase Two" does as well. Track number six is 'Xtraloveable'. This track was previously released as an internet only cut. However, its been around since 1982 or 1983. The original version is radically different than the version appearing here. It's hard to say which is better. Initially, I thought I'd lean toward the original because I've always associated it with that era and sound. Yet, the more I listen to the updated released track, the more I prefer it. This is a strong funk workout and it lives up to its reputation.
'Groovy Potential' is next and like most of the album, this was previously available online as a single track. In fact, I remember buying this one among others from the 3rdeyegirl website. This tune starts off so laid back and unassuming... You just glide along with it and sink into the rhythm. The beat jumps at the chorus but quickly settles back down. Just when you think this will be a languid bit of groovy funk, the song builds and erupts. This tune is absolutely amazing! It swells and ebbs like it has a life of its own. Simply put, this is my favorite track on the album. It's pure heaven!!! There's not enough I can say about it. You have to experience it for yourself.
'When She Comes' is a bluesy new number. These sort of blues cuts have appeared on recent Prince albums with alarming frequency. It's OK, but I'm not a huge fan of this kind of blues and I often find these tracks hard to listen to. I'm not a huge fan of the subject matter either. Suffice it to say, my favorite number on the album is followed by my least favorite. 'Screwdriver' is a rock track in a similar vein to 'Peach' and 'Guitar'. These guitar driven rock out's are another specialty of Prince's and I think it's actually a 3rdeyegirl cut. It's another previously released internet single. I won't get too deep into it. The play on words is obvious and even though I like the song, I'm not in love with it. 'Black Muse' is another new tune and it incorporates a strong early Minneapolis Sound vibe. This is another funk workout Prince can generate almost at whim. It's a song that would be easy to dismiss, but if you don't and give it a chance, it's actually quite amazing!
'Revelation' starts off sounding like another blues ballad, but then it evolves into a jazzy heartbeat that settles over you like a warm blanket on a cold night. P has a way with ballads and this song demonstrates why his slow music can be so powerful. It's lovely. It's also a new song. The final track on the album is also new to release, but it was played live with the full NPG line-up quite a few times in the two or three years building up to this release. 'Big City' is a retro-sounding funk number including horns, back-up vocalists and just about everything but the kitchen sink thrown in for good measure. But guess what??? It's brilliant and another incredible track!
This is a solid, strong record for Prince! It has some of the best material he's done on it and I'm excited about it and subsequent phases. I can't wait to see what he'll do next. I'm also happy to have so many of these tracks included in an album and on a physical CD format I can take with me wherever I go.
There's not much more I can say other than I love virtually everything about this project. I love the artwork, I love the overall musical themes he's choosing and the diversity of the material he's releasing. Probably my biggest complaint was the CD release. It wasn't widely publicized and actually hard to find online. The first place I looked was sold out already. People who did find it were buying up copies and selling them on eBay for double even triple the cost. I hate that kind of thing. Otherwise, this is the perfect release. My final words: 2ND IN A SERIES I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WITH MORE AND MORE EXCITEMENT. A BRILLIANT RECORD!
PRINCE - HITNRUN PHASE TWO
01. Baltimore
02. Rocknroll Loveaffair
03. 2 Y. 2 D.
04. Look At Me, Look At U
05. Stare
06. Xtraloveable
07. Groovy Potential
08. When She Comes
09. Screwdriver
10. Black Muse
11. Revelation
12. Big City
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