Rating:  -
The standout tracks, in my opinion, are the first three - soaring and very well-written - and also "Michael Jordan," which is completely different from the rest of the album in a very good way. Besides those four songs, though, the album tends to drag with repetitive and unoriginal material. "Out of Love," "Love Song," "Boat Parade," and "Alright" have all been done before, and done better. If you think "Superman" is the best song ever written, then you might enjoy the whole album. Otherwise, you will get tired of it after the first 3 cuts.
Rating:  -
What a boring album. The lyrics are trying too hard to be smart, and are filled with tired cliches that nearly everyone has heard and have also grown out of years ago. I have a hard time believing that this singer even believes what he's saying. The guitars are just backround, minimal, monotonous, and quite awful too. Save your money, and if soft songs dealing with relationship is what you're looking for, look somewhere else, it's not hard this day in age.
This album is just a prime example of filler.
Rating:  -
Not being a big fan of most of the music on the radio now, I bought this CD solely on the basis that the two songs I did hear -- "Easy Tonight" and "Superman" -- were damn good songs. I didn't realize until after I bought it that this was a solo artist in disguise (the introspective male singer/songwriter solo artist apparently isn't in vogue these days).
The rest of the album matches the quality of the two radio singles. John has a great voice, and most importantly, he knows what to do with it -- being able to convey the right emotion with the right inflection pretty much for the whole album. I was afraid that there might be a sameness to the album, i.e., all of the songs would be soft and quiet. But he does rock out on some songs, with "Boat Parade" coming into the neighborhood of Pearl Jam, with lyrics that match the intensity (There's a hole in the hat/where the captain kept his dreams). It's diverse enough musically to keep your interest throughout the album.
The theme of the album marks a protest against cynicism and indifference, and the quest for heroes (in addition to "Superman", there's a wistful tune called "The Last Great American" which laments the funeral of, well, virtue I guess). This album is over a year old, and given what's happened recently in current events, the theme might have become a little bit outdated. We have found some heroes in the meantime.
The one song you might not hear on the radio, but is worth listening to, is "Love Song", which is sung from a child's point of view and highlights the differences in perspective of a an impending divorce between a parent's and child's point of view. In a lesser musician's hands, the song could have become a maudlin lament. But there's enough finesse to make all of the right touches hit home.
Rating:  -
I first fell in love with "Superman." I just kind of put myself in the shoes of him and seeing that it was not all great being superman. I than fell in love with 'Easy Tonight'.
This is the type of cd that you listen to when you want things to be mellow. Great cd!
Rating: -
There are things about this album that I don't agree with. It seems at times as though this is part of the new left's "What's Wrong with America" campaign, with lyrics that certainly come across as left of center. That being said, these are some of the most well-written songs of the last year and a half. I flipped over the song "Superman" when I saw it on a music tribute following the September 11th attacks. While that song is appropriate for this day, the rest do seem a little out of place in the wake of what's happened. But when the writing shifts away from the political (with the title track and "The Last Great American" the prime examples), and becomes introverted ("Easy Tonight", "Something About You", "Love Song," and "Alright",) John Ondrasik shows his skills as a writer of beautiful songs. It would be nice if these songs were getting the air play that "Bootylicious" and "Oops I Did It Again" have had. It's so nice to hear songs that make you actually think about something beyond a girl's thrill at being a vamp.
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