Prince HITnRUN Phase One Album Review

This review of legendary singer Prince's latest album HITnRUN Phase One is up a little later than I had initially anticipated due to the fact I tried to get a copy of the album on its release date however, the music shop I visited in Glasgow for whatever reason didn't have it out on display in its designated area. Perhaps, I went in too early but considering it was release day, you'd expect them to have it out on display wouldn't you? After that, I didn't get a chance to pop into my local HMV to pick up a copy until just over a week or so ago. But all that matters is that I managed to eventually get a copy of the album and have finally written a review! I've listened to this album in full on a good few occasions now to really get a flavour of it before actually sitting down and writing my thoughts and opinions about it. So here it goes.....

Prince's latest album comes almost a year to date since the release of his previous solo album Art Official Age and his band 3rd Eye Girl's long awaited release PLECTRUMELECTRUM. I actually can't quite believe it's been a year since the release of both albums as I remember dragging my Mum out to HMV after tutoring to purchase the albums I'd waited so long to finally hear! And, an entire year later I find myself sitting here writing about yet another Prince album that an entire year ago I had no idea would even exist 12 months later. HITnRUN Phase One shares the same name of Prince and 3rd Eye Girl's HITnRUN tour last year which saw them tour the UK in early February 2014 and perform a selection of last minute gigs. The reception of Prince's new band 3rd Eye Girl in the UK was a success leading to a further set of arena tour dates in May and June of last year, one of which I was lucky enough to actually attend! What a night!

If you read one of my latest blog posts on the subject of music streaming you will probably recall that I mentioned that Prince would be releasing his new album HITnRUN Phase One exclusively on a streaming named Tidal ahead of the physical album release last month in September. So what are my thoughts on this new release? Well let me begin.....

The opening number, a song named Million $ Show features a singer named Judith Hill who was a backing vocalist on Michael Jackson's This Is It and was also seen as contestant on The Voice in the US. The song begins quite gently before the listener is subjected to a blast from the past, a sample of Let's Go Crazy from the 1984 Prince album Purple Rain. It then transforms into a more upbeat R&B duet between Prince and Judith Hill featuring a similar flavour to Prince's previous solo album Art Official Age.

As it begins to fade we are introduced to another number named Shut This Down. This is followed by a duet called Ain't About 2 Stop with Rita Ora, who can be seen as a judge on this years X Factor here in the UK. This song in my opinion features a range of genres including R&B, Funk, Rap and there's even a slight hint of rock which just wouldn't be the same without Prince's incredible guitar playing skills. Like A Mack comes next featuring a duo named Curly Fryz whom I have never heard of here in the UK. The actual lyrics are performed as more of a rap; a genre of which I am not a fan of whatsoever, however this will of course appeal to so many and I like the fact that because this genre is more popular with my generation it could potentially introduce the world of Prince to othersnof my age group. What I will say about Like A Mack is that the actual music itself most definitely has a taste of the funk and soul genre.

This Could B Us comes next on the album. Now if you're an avid Prince fan and keep up to date with the fan sites, you like me will probably be familiar with this song title as it's popped up by name from time to time in different articles about Prince's up and coming music for well over a year or so now. Perhaps even longer, but I've only really been keeping up with the Prince fan sites since early 2014 so that's one fact I'm not 100% per cent sure of. This Could B Us slows things down quite a bit, although this song isn't quite what I'd describe as ballad. It has a significant piano riff throughout most of the song and of course one of Prince's amazing guitar solos! He is in my opinion such an underrated guitarist and deserves much more credit than he receives in that field.

Fallinlove2nite is a more upbeat, dance track which was actually released last year as single with actress Zoey Deschannel sharing vocals with Prince. Prince actually premiered this number when making a guest appearance on an episode of the hit TV show in the US called New Girl. However, the album version of Fallinlove2nite only features Prince on vocals. This is then followed by a shorter song named X's Face.

Probably my favourite track on the entire album, a song named Hardrocklover soon follows. Basically, just as it says in the title, this song features a more rockier sound which appeals to someone like myself. At the same time, it features the distinctive funk sound that I personally love and admire Prince for! And, of course there's no forgetting the amazing guitar playing throughout the track which is of course, right up my street! Brilliant!

No sooner than Hardrocklover begins, it then comes to an end going straight into a track named Mr Nelson (Prince's surname). This stays in a similar style to Prince's previous solo album Art Official Age featuring samples of a song named Clouds from the same album. Mr Nelson also features the voice of an artist that you may recognise and that is Lianna La Havas who's recently received alot of radio airplay here in the UK with her new album Blood. A song named 1000 X's & O's which I read somewhere was actually an older piece written by Prince and intended for an artist he used to work with named Rosie Gaines (I don't know how true that is, so don't hold me on that one! This of course, was followed by June which brings the album to a close.

My thoughts on this album? Well, what I really love about what Prince is doing of late and particularly in this album is featuring other strong, up-and-coming artists and performing with them. Like I said this album is the perfect example of that with the likes of Judith Hill and Lianna La Havas, I personally think that they will go far in the music industry. And, of course there's no forgetting the fact that he has also collaborated and shared the producing credits with a gentleman named Joshua Welton who is actually married to Hannah Welton, drummer of Prince's band 3rd Eye Girl.

I think I mentioned somewhere above in this review that this album features a strong flare of R&B alongside funk, rap and even a little rock in the mix. Now, I'm not particularly fan of genres such as R&B and rap so not every song really appealed to me; however, I personally appreciate that each song is of an extremely high standard and sounds great for its particular genre. I'm definitely more into the rockier numbers and anything with a bit of funk I love! So overall it's a great album, I'm not a huge fan of every single song I must admit, however that's my own personal opinion, perhaps some of those songs may even grow on me overtime. I definitely think this album is worth checking out and I believe it's currently available in HMV stores for £9.99. 

Pink Floyd "The Dark Side of the Moon" Album Review

During the past few weeks I've been brainstorming new ideas for my music blog so I can attempt to keep it updated on a more frequent basis. And I came up with this idea that I'm about to put into fruition by writing this post. So I've written a couple of album reviews in past but have decided on a new concept when reviewing albums as writing the long spiels that I usually do take forever meaning that I can't update my blogs as often as I'd like to. With that in mind I thought I'd write a little about the album I'm reviewing and its history/back story and then have specific questions I answer with my thoughts and opinions of its contents. For newer releases I think I'll try write in a little more detail like I have with my previous reviews however, I thought having a strategy would allow me to review albums and update my blog more frequently. I thought in order to introduce myself to new music I'd purchase a couple of new albums every so often that perhaps I like the name of, or I liked the cover art etc. By doing this I might discover some new bands and you lovely people might too! So to start us off I thought I'd write about an album I picked up a few days ago. I know it's a classic album and a lot of you will know it well but perhaps I might introduce some of my generation to this band/album by writing this review!

Anyway, today's album is by the legendary classic rock band Pink Floyd who formed in the city of London in the year of 1965, I believe. Initially the band consisted of members Syd Barrett, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright all whom of which were just students at the time. The band gained popularity in London's underground music scene and by the year of 1967 has released a successful debut album called "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and two charting singles. Later that year David Gilmour joined the band and just a few months later in 1968, Syd Barrett left the band. Over a period numerous band members left and re-joined, touring until the year of 1994. They did however reunite for a final performance at Live 8 back in 2005 and have since been said to have no plans to reunite for any further live performances which is a shame for young fans like me. However, it would never quite be the same without the full line-up as unfortunately some of the band members have since passed away, so I suppose I'll just have to enjoy video footage and hope someone invents a time machine!

According to my research Pink Floyd has over 250 million records worldwide which is absolutely incredible! I mean seriously, how cool would it be to say you're a part of a band that has sold as many albums as that over the years?!

 

Album Name:

The Dark Side of the Moon

 

Release Date:

1st March 1973

 

Genre:

Rock

 

How Much It Cost Me:

£5.00 from Sainbury's (a great bargain if you ask me!)

 

My Favourite Song in the Album:

I know this may sound a little cliché considering this is probably the most famous song on the entire album however; I have to say "Money" is an outstanding song and is currently one of my favourite songs to jam along to on my bass guitar. But seriously, there's no denying it; it's an incredible song!

 

My Least Favourite Song:

On a lot of albums there's at least one song that I don't warm to however, there isn't really a song on this particular album that I dislike. They're all in their own right amazing pieces of music and I'd be lying to say I disliked any of the songs.

 

What Made Buy This Album?

I've always been familiar with Pink Floyd's music ever since I was little; I suppose you could say I was brought up around it alongside so many other amazing bands. However, I was flicking through my music books a few weeks ago deliberating what song to learn next on my bass guitar. I came across "Money" by Pink Floyd and out of all the songs in my book that one really stuck out at me so I decided to give it a shot. I spent hours on end teaching myself "Money" from start to finish and listened to it over and over again until I got it right. I really fell in love with that song and decided to go check out "The Dark Side of the Moon" album. The music instantly caught my attention and I NEEDED to buy myself a copy of the album. So we were in our local Sainsbury's store picking up a few bits and pieces when I went for my annual look round the Entertainment isle. My eyes soon fell up that distinctive album cover; yes, that was of course "The Dark Side of the Moon" album cover! Coincidental! Without a doubt I had to buy a copy of the album particularly when it was only £5! An absolute bargain in my opinion! So my friends, that is the story of how I came to buying Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" album.

 

Do I Regret Buying This Album?

Absolutely not! It's filled with some amazing songs/pieces of music by such a legendary band and of course I got a great bargain when buying it too!

 

5 Random Facts about This Album:

1. The band's iconic album cover was designed by an artist named Storm Forgerson (brilliant name!) who was a friend of Pink Floyd's guitarist David Gilmour as teenagers and was best man at David's wedding to Polly Samson in 1994. Storm's design for the album cover featured a prism which apparently was inspired by the lighting used during the band's concerts. 

 

2. Throughout the ten tracks in the album a range of voices and laughing can be heard. These voices were actually recorded by a number of different people including roadies, the band's road manager Peter Watts and even Abbey Road Studio's doorman Gerry O'Driscoll. I also heard somewhere that one of my all-time favourite singers Sir Paul McCartney and his wife Linda were interviewed however; their voices did not make the final cut.

 

3. The album was originally meant to be called "Eclipse: A Piece for Assorted Lunatics".

 

 4. The sound engineer who worked on "The Dark Side of the Moon" album was a gentleman named Alan Parsons who also worked on another classic album which just so happened to be The Beatles' "Abbey Road" album. He was actually nominated for a Grammy for the Best Engineered Recording, Non Classic for his work on The Dark Side of the Moon album.

 

5. The Dark Side of the Moon album to date still holds the record for the longest running LP on the Billboard 200. The album remained on the Billboard 200 for over 800 week straight-incredible stuff if you ask me!

 

Overall Thoughts:

Overall, Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" album is in my opinion absolutely amazing and lives up to all the raving reviews I've heard people say about it! It's filled to the brim with some outstanding tracks which are completely unique in comparison to other music I've listened to. I know a lot of my older readers will no doubt have this album in their collection or at least have heard it but to all my younger readers out there, who haven't discovered this legendary album go out and buy it! You NEED to hear this incredible album!

Prince & 3rd Eye Girl: PLECTRUMELECTRUM Review

 

 

Despite being released almost six months ago, I've decided to write a review on PLECTRUMELECTRUM, Prince and his new band 3rd Eye Girl's debut album. On the exact same date last September, Prince also released a solo album named Art Official Age. After months of wishing for the chance to see Prince in concert, I actually got to attend one of the shows during his Hit & Run tour of the UK and Europe last year! As you can imagine; the entire show from start to finish was incredible!

 I really admire the talent and high standard of playing that each of the musicians in 3rd Eye Girl bring to the band as both live performers and on their album. I absolutely love the fact that Prince has chosen an all female band to play alongside. Personally speaking, I don't think that there is enough women in the music industry so I really grasp onto the ones such as the ladies in 3rd Eye Girl that I come across. Their music really inspires me to work hard when learning bass and perhaps one day I'll be able to play at as high a standard as them!

With this in mind I want to share with you all 3rd Eye Girl's debut album PLECTRUMELECTRUM. PLECTRUMELECTRUM is a brilliant rock album, with a few flares of other genres flowing through a selection of tracks.

3rd Eye Girl consists of music iconic Prince, Donna Grantis on guitar, Hannah Ford on drums and of course, Ida Nielsen on bass. What I really love about this album is that it really brings out each members own unique flare and personality within each of the tracks. Since discovering them I've spent a lot of time watching interviews and listening to other material that each of girls have worked on prior to 3rd Eye Girl. From that it's evident that their latest work really depicts each of them as an individual.

The album has a bunch of tracks featuring some absolutely stunning guitar solos performed by both Prince himself, who is a completely undated guitar player (seriously you need to check out some of his solos-they'll blow you away!) and Donna Grantis. If you're a rock fan definitely check out the opening number WOW, which features one of those excellent guitar solos! I also recommend, Fixurlifeup which also happens to happened to be one of the singles which was released a months in advance of the album's release.

PLECTRUMELECTRUM, the title track is a brilliant rock instrumental piece which if you are a guitar fanatic like me you'll absolutely fall in love with. I'm unsure who exactly takes lead on guitar during this track-perhaps it's both Prince and Donna together. Nevertheless it sounds incredible and proves just how awesome 3rd Eye Girl really are!

Following PLECTRUMELECTRUM, a gentler rock ballad named Whitecaps begins to play. Whitecaps just so happens to be another of my very favourites from the entire album. Hannah Ford, the band's drummer performs on lead vocals throughout the song. I must say, Hannah has the most amazing voice; it's simply stunning! Her vocals flow well with the track and completely captivates the listener.

Alongside the range of heavy rock tracks with the much loved guitar solos, PLECTRUMELECTRUM features a hip-hop feel in a song named Boytrouble. Again, this song really gives 3rd Eye Girl's bassist, Ida Nielsen the opportunity to bring her personality to the album. I've checked out some of Ida's solo albums and I can see her style shining through each song. Staying true to her hip-hop/R&B style she brings her own unique flare to the album and more particularly Boytrouble.

The final track of the album is named Funknroll, which is most definitely in my top three songs from the album. Funknroll also featured on Prince's solo album Art Official Age which was released last September with a different mix. Just as it says in the song title this particular track feature that funk sound that was used throughout his earlier albums. It's one of those songs that you can't really sit still whilst listening to it!

Overall, this is another great album from Prince and of course an excellent debut album from the ladies of 3rd Eye Girl. It has a great live music feel which I absolutely love! I really hope that there is lots more to come from 3rd Eye Girl in the near future! If you're looking for some new music to listen, I totally recommend that you go buy their album! You never know, they might become your new favourite!

Orianthi: Heaven In This Hell Album Review

I've been deliberating for the past little while on what album I should choose to write my first ever review on. Eventually, inspiration struck and I finally decided upon reviewing one of Orianthi Panagaris' albums, Heaven in This Hell. Both her music and incredible talent has played a huge part in my life by inspiring me to learn guitar and more recently bass. Seeing Orianthi play on Michael Jackson's This Is It film for the first time back in 2009 really blew me; I was in awe and immediately wanted to play guitar just like her. Last year one of my dreams came true and I actually got to meet with Orianthi before one of her shows with former Bon Jovi member, Richie Sambora! Perhaps I might write about meeting them both sometime in the not so distant future.



Orianthi & I last year

As a solo artist I'd love to see Orianthi recieve more recognition, particularly here in the UK. With that in mind I decided to write my first review on her latest album named Heaven in This Hell which was released back in 2013.  

Orianthi's previous album titled Believe which was released in 2010 featured a more mainstream pop/rock sound. Believe had some really catchy songs including "According To You" which (I think!) was really popular in the US and Australia. The album also included a guitar instrumental track; a duet with Stevie Via named "Highly Strung".

Heaven in This Hell on the other hand has a more heavy rock/blues sound flowing through the album. Each track showcases Orianthi's amazing guitar playing which of course, I just can't get enough of!

My favourite tracks from Heaven in This Hell consists of songs such as You Don't Wanna Know, which I heard Ori perform live on tour with Richie Sambora last year, Frozen and Better With You.
The album starts off with it's title track Heaven in This Hell, a heavy rock song with one of those outstanding guitar solos as it approaches the last two minutes or so. You Don't Wanna Know then follows as the second track in the playlist. Like I said above this is one of my favourite tracks on the album. I love that this particular track has a strong acoustic sound throughout it. Previously, I'd never actually heard any of Ori's solo material live so hearing it performed on tour last year was absolutely brilliant!
Next on the album is "Fire" which just so happened to be one of the first songs from Heaven in This Hell that I ever heard. "Fire" is another heavy rock track filled with some awesome riffs and guitar solos. It was released on an EP a good few months in advance of the album's release date featuring four new tracks from what was at the time soon to be released album.
If You Think You Know Me is another great song from this fantastic album. I read an interview from around the time "Heaven In This Hell" was released and Orianthi mentioned that the track was one that she wanted to be able to play live. Believe it or not, the very first time I listened to that specific song, that was one of the first thoughts that came to my mind. I could completely imagine it being performed live. There are just some songs out there that you hear and know would sound great in concert.

As the album goes on How Do You Sleep?, a blues inspired track begins to play. As someone who plays bass guitar, I'd say that blues is definitely one of my favourite styles to play. Blues in my opinion is one of the most relaxing genres to play, it really gives the musician the opportunity to portray emotion in their music.
One of my favourite songs in the album, Frozen just so happens to come next. Frozen is a great rock song, which I love to sing along to (as you do!). If you love to listen to Orianthi's amazing guitar solos, then you'll definitely love this song!
Following the loud, heavy rock sound featured in "Frozen" we have the opportunity to wind down after the rush of adrenaline and excitement from the pervious tracks. "Rock" is a relaxed, country number that reminds me of warm summer days. I must admit I'm not the biggest fan of country music but this track is most definitely an exception. I really love how songs/music such as "Rock" can take you to another place and help you forget the craziness of the world around you for a little while.
The album continues with a ballad "Another You" which features a powerful guitar solo approaching the end of the song. I love listening to guitar solos, particularly solos performed by Orianthi. So as you can imagine; I just can't get enough of her music!
"Heaven in This Hell" draws to a close with the final three tracks which are named "How Does That Feel?", "Filthy Blues" and "If You Were Here With Me". However, a Deluxe Edition of the album was also released on iTunes which had a couple of bonus tracks. The bonus songs include the brilliant rock track "Sex E Bizarre" a duet with rock legend and lead singer of Aerosmith, Steven Tyler. Then of course there is one of my favourites "Better With You" a pop song which I just can't help but love! "Better With You" is another of those catchy songs that you find yourself singing along without thinking. Finally, there is also a radio mix of "Another You" included.
Overall, "Heaven In This Hell" in my opinion is a great album featuring some brilliant songs. The album includes a wide variety of genres and style so there's something in there that'll appeal to almost everyone! I'm pretty sure her music and guitar playing has and will continue to inspire young girls out there to pick up a guitar and rock out!