Third time is a charm. Record reviews!
Records are streamed one time over the fabulous Internets of Syrinx. Reviews are a first impression and could possibly change with multiple listens but really who has time for that anymore?
Because of overwhelming complaints (ok it was just one person) my review rating system is being simplified. There will no longer be review ratings below zero. I’m told that a negative rating is as easy to understand as the reason that Snookie is a beloved superstar. So with this review I will be using a typical zero to five scale. Or maybe a not-so-typical zero to five scale.
0 soft puppy noses – The record is awful just like a life without soft puppy noses.
1 soft puppy nose – Better than nothing but probably not worth your time and energy.
2 soft puppy noses – Now we are talking. Two give you more of a reason to play.
3 soft puppy noses – The record is worth your time but probably won’t knock your socks off.
4 soft puppy noses – This is getting so good that it might even be too much of a good thing.
5 soft puppy noses – You have died and gone to Music Heaven or Doggie Heaven. Not sure.
Bruce Springsteen “The Promise” 3 soft puppy noses. Cute and playful but just not as good as it gets.
I have never listened to a Bruce Springsteen record from beginning to end. “The Promise” is the first one and it’s not technically a new album. Well it is but not a proper one. “The Promise” is the new album that features 21 previously-unreleased songs from the Darkness recording sessions. So this may be a bit overwhelming for someone who is not a true Springsteen fan but I’m working my way through it anyways. Some highlights so far include a version of “Because the Night” which is a Springsteen classic, “Gotta Get That Feeling”, and “Wrong Side of the Street”. For every slow boring song (“One Way Street”) there are at least three or four rockers. “Ain’t Good Enough for You” is one of the best rocking standouts. It has an old-school feel but Bruce makes it feel new and fresh. The new version of “Fire” however does nothing good for the classic tune. Sax solos are few and far between. Most of the instrumental parts are simplistic and a lot of the songs seem to fade out early giving this project a bit of a throw away feeling. In the end I believe this is a worthwhile release. There definitely seems to be enough good songs to keep any music fan interested. Just don’t stay too far away from the skip button. You will need it for a handful of songs.
Norah Jones “…Featuring Norah Jones.” 2 soft puppy noses. Slow and pretty but just this side of sleepy.
This is another collection album by an artist I like but I haven’t heard much from before. Norah Jones is a talent. She has a great voice. My first thought when seeing this new album was why isn’t it Norah Jones featuring all these other artists? They have it backwards. But I’m guessing they released it this way since most of the songs are songs by these other artists and she is simply the featured vocalist or singing a duet with the artist. If you are a Norah Jones fan you are definitely going to like this collection. However when listening to this I had to keep reminding myself that she is a jazz singer and not a pop singer. Her vocals on the Foo Fighters’ song “Virginia Moon” are so breathy that they are barely audible. Her duet with Willie Nelson on “Baby It’s Cold Outside” just feels plain wrong. Willie has a great voice but it’s out of place on this classic tune. The songs that she is more prominent on are by far the best songs on the album. This is not a great Norah Jones album but if you want a chill collection of some interesting songs this would be a pretty good buy.
Mason Jennings “The Flood” 3 soft puppy noses. Could be good but is probably really only ok.
The menu for today seems to be full of compilations. “The Flood” is an album of old songs that Mason Jennings fished out of his old cassette demos and re-recorded them in the studio mostly with just his acoustic guitar and his vocal. It’s not bad. “Between the Lines” reminds me a bit of Jackson Browne. “So Many Ways to Die” has a Lou Reed feel. The guitar playing is fairly simplistic and there are no background vocals but the simple approach works with this folky collection.
Because of overwhelming complaints (ok it was just one person) my review rating system is being simplified. There will no longer be review ratings below zero. I’m told that a negative rating is as easy to understand as the reason that Snookie is a beloved superstar. So with this review I will be using a typical zero to five scale. Or maybe a not-so-typical zero to five scale.
0 soft puppy noses – The record is awful just like a life without soft puppy noses.
1 soft puppy nose – Better than nothing but probably not worth your time and energy.
2 soft puppy noses – Now we are talking. Two give you more of a reason to play.
3 soft puppy noses – The record is worth your time but probably won’t knock your socks off.
4 soft puppy noses – This is getting so good that it might even be too much of a good thing.
5 soft puppy noses – You have died and gone to Music Heaven or Doggie Heaven. Not sure.
Bruce Springsteen “The Promise” 3 soft puppy noses. Cute and playful but just not as good as it gets.
I have never listened to a Bruce Springsteen record from beginning to end. “The Promise” is the first one and it’s not technically a new album. Well it is but not a proper one. “The Promise” is the new album that features 21 previously-unreleased songs from the Darkness recording sessions. So this may be a bit overwhelming for someone who is not a true Springsteen fan but I’m working my way through it anyways. Some highlights so far include a version of “Because the Night” which is a Springsteen classic, “Gotta Get That Feeling”, and “Wrong Side of the Street”. For every slow boring song (“One Way Street”) there are at least three or four rockers. “Ain’t Good Enough for You” is one of the best rocking standouts. It has an old-school feel but Bruce makes it feel new and fresh. The new version of “Fire” however does nothing good for the classic tune. Sax solos are few and far between. Most of the instrumental parts are simplistic and a lot of the songs seem to fade out early giving this project a bit of a throw away feeling. In the end I believe this is a worthwhile release. There definitely seems to be enough good songs to keep any music fan interested. Just don’t stay too far away from the skip button. You will need it for a handful of songs.
Norah Jones “…Featuring Norah Jones.” 2 soft puppy noses. Slow and pretty but just this side of sleepy.
This is another collection album by an artist I like but I haven’t heard much from before. Norah Jones is a talent. She has a great voice. My first thought when seeing this new album was why isn’t it Norah Jones featuring all these other artists? They have it backwards. But I’m guessing they released it this way since most of the songs are songs by these other artists and she is simply the featured vocalist or singing a duet with the artist. If you are a Norah Jones fan you are definitely going to like this collection. However when listening to this I had to keep reminding myself that she is a jazz singer and not a pop singer. Her vocals on the Foo Fighters’ song “Virginia Moon” are so breathy that they are barely audible. Her duet with Willie Nelson on “Baby It’s Cold Outside” just feels plain wrong. Willie has a great voice but it’s out of place on this classic tune. The songs that she is more prominent on are by far the best songs on the album. This is not a great Norah Jones album but if you want a chill collection of some interesting songs this would be a pretty good buy.
Mason Jennings “The Flood” 3 soft puppy noses. Could be good but is probably really only ok.
The menu for today seems to be full of compilations. “The Flood” is an album of old songs that Mason Jennings fished out of his old cassette demos and re-recorded them in the studio mostly with just his acoustic guitar and his vocal. It’s not bad. “Between the Lines” reminds me a bit of Jackson Browne. “So Many Ways to Die” has a Lou Reed feel. The guitar playing is fairly simplistic and there are no background vocals but the simple approach works with this folky collection.
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