TobyMac’s new CD has been a long time coming and it was definitely worth the wait in my opinion. He has improved from each album to the next and this is no exception. He also seems to keep changing his hip-hop style on each CD.
Here’s the breakdown.
Sound/Music
I love the music on this CD. From the upbeat pop rock sounds of Tonight to the retro style of Funky Jesus Music to the mellow-but-intense hip-hop of Captured there’s nothing not to like on this album. Toby truly keeps to his Diverse City philosophy with his music.
Lyrics/Message
As always, his lyrics are awesome. The only drop in quality I found was in Showstopper, which doesn’t seem to have a message like the rest of his music, but it’s still a fun song.
Favorite Songs
I love the entire CD, but my absolute favorite songs are as follows:
I found out about this album from the radio when I heard Death of Me. I ended up getting the CD for my birthday and love it.
Red’s music is of a genre I love, has powerful lyrics that I can relate to and evokes such emotion. I found them by accident a few years ago when I heard the song Let Go on their first album, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
There is a marked improvement in the sound of the music from End of Silence to this one. The quality of the recording is better, the sound is more refined and the sound of the lead singer’s voice is improved as well.
My favorite songs are Death of Me, Fight Inside and Confession (What’s Inside My Head)
My brother got this for me for Christmas. And unlike last year, I’m not mistaken about that.
Audio Adrenaline is one of my favorite bands in all of everdom, but unfortunately they are no more. That means no new music from them, just a chance to collect their old stuff. Like this CD. It’s a great album and I wish I’d have picked this up back when it came out, but oh well.
It’s a bit more rock than Lift and a bit more soft than Underdog. Great for easy listening (this is about as easy as my listening gets) and a few songs for the times you need to bang your head.
If you know me, you know I love hip-hop & rap. It started back in the day with dc Talk’s pre-Jesus Freak albums. Then there was John Reuben, Grits, dj Maj and KJ-52. Of those artists, KJ is the one I listen to the most nowadays. Albums like this are why.
Not only does KJ actually have Christ in every song, but he makes you think, laugh and even cry on occasion. Plus, in my opinion which is based on the hip-hop and rap I’ve heard, he’s a very skilled rapper.
My favorite songs on this album are Will You Ever Know, Do Yo Thang, It Ain’t Easy, Fanmail, and Always Here For You among others. That last one because when I first listened to the lyrics was after we found out that Ashley was pregnant with Caleb and the song is from KJ to his then unborn son.
It’s a great album, so be sure to buy a copy.
Also, the newer version of it has a link to download “The Missing Pages”, a collection of 13 additional songs and 2 music videos. There’s some great stuff on there, including Starbucks Takes All My Money, Stuck In The 80′s (which he just recently finished shooting a video for) and several remixes. It’s like getting 2 CDs for the price of one!
Ashley got me a The Missing Pages for Christmas this year! Booyah!
I know, they are not a Christian band. So what? Should I shun all things not Christian? Like the internet, maybe? My job? No.
Anyway, this has to be one of my favorite non-Christian CDs ever. It’s a good diversity of rock sounds and excellent vocals. The songs range from crazy to though provoking to introspective to hopeful. There’s not a song on this CD that I’ve not enjoyed at one time, and most of the time I’m enjoying them all.
A warning to the faint of heart, they do swear and some of the lyrics are suggestive. I still enjoy it and a lot of people will as well, just not everyone.
My bro gave me this CD before he left for his trip last March. I wasn’t too sure about it upon first listening to it, but now that I’ve given it a chance, it’s grown on me.
I guess I’m a sucker for a good beat.
Anyways, don’t look for strong lyrics or deep theology in these songs. They are all meant to do the same thing: get you to dance. You really can’t stand still to this music, unless you’re my dad. Then again, moving to another room would be considered movement, I guess.
Anyways, it’s good dance music, but it’s definitely not for everyone.
Wow. It’s been a while since I’ve posted a CD review. Let’s get to it…
I enjoy this CD from the first riff of The Feeling to the end of You. It’s a great CD.
It’s very much a Kutless CD, rock through and through, but unlike the difference between Sea of Faces and Hearts of the Innocent (there wasn’t much), there is a vast improvement on their sound in this album. It didn’t leave the car CD player for a few weeks after our trip to Seven Bays in July.
Relient K’s first Christmas CD, “Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hands,” was freakin’ sweet. This one is only a little better. It’s got all the same songs with a few more added on.
Let me say that most of the songs that they do benefit from the Relient K sound. Deck the Halls, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and 12 Days of Christmas for instance. Great Christmas carols and awesome songs on this CD. Throw in I’m Gettin’ Nuttin’ for Christmas with Relient K’s humor, you’ve got a great collection.
And it’s not just fast songs. A few slower ones mix it up a bit and add a bit of perspective. I Celebrate the Day and I Hate Christmas Parties are excellent examples.
It’s a great addition to your Christmas music collection!
Normally, I’m not a fan of Metal music like this, but I really enjoy Demon Hunter’s music. Not only is it good head banging material with some decent screaming, but they can do slower, more melodic music as well.
I love the sound of the music. It’s chaotic, but perfectly blended. The vocals vary from screaming to skillful singing. This CD is fast becoming one of my favorites now.
My favorite songs are Undying and Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck.
I didn’t even know about this CD until I went to tobyMac’s website and saw that he was touring with them. The flash animation played a TFK song I didn’t recognize and showed the CD cover for The Flame in All of Us. I checked it out d found out this CD was coming out soon. I bought it through Rhapsody when with money I got from my birthday.
This CD is awesome! Not much change in the way they sound, but excellent CD nonetheless. It starts off with the title track and continues for four songs with some sweet rock then moves into a slower song called What do We Know then right back into three more rock songs. The last six slow down the beat and move into more melodic songs.
My favorite parts are the intro to My Own Enemy and the verses of Inhuman. My favorite songs are Falls Apart and New Drug.
My parents got me an unexpected CD for Christmas. I thought that Audio A’s last CD would be Adios, but apparently I was wrong.
It’s a good CD and a great one to go out on. It’s got a good collection of their music from the beginning to the end of their career and a DVD (which I have yet to watch). This is one of those few CDs that doesn’t have a song I don’t like.
I would have to say that We’re a Band and Mighty Good Leader are my favorites on this CD. It’s a great one for any fan of rock and a must have for any Audio Adrenaline fan.
Yeah… I know. That’s a crappy Viewtiful Joe reference. Deal with it.
Ashley picked up this CD about a week before the concert, so we’d know the songs they’d be playing there. Newsboys is a bit lighter than I normally listen to, but this CD is awesome. It’s still pop, but unlike some pop CDs, this one is worth buying.
My favorite songs on the CD are Wherever We Go, Something Beautiful, Your Love is Better Than Life, and I Am Free, but I listen to the entire CD because the whole thing is good. And of course, it’s a good message in the music because it’s Newsboys: they’ve been putting out good Christian music for almost (if not) 20 years now.
This CD is definitely worth picking up. I give it a 4.5 out of 5.
NOTE (2011): This was originally part of a group of posts I called the “Quad Shot”. This was “Quad Shot Part 3: Newsboys a Go-go, baby!”.
This CD is a lot more laid back in it’s style than any previous tobyMac CD. I kept waiting for songs like Yours or The Slam to come up and the closest there are to those are Boomin’ and Ignition – and they are far less rock than either of their predecessors. That does not mean that they aren’t great songs from a great CD, however.
The almost overwhelming theme of Portable Sounds is Love. You hear it in just about every single song. From Made to Love to Suddenly to Feelin’ so Fly, it’s all about Love. It’s a theme that may seem overdone, but it is much needed. In a world that waters love down until it means nothing at all, we need to hear what Love really is – powerful, real, healing, unconditional and unchanging. Portable Sounds brings this to us in a way that you can listen to in your easy chair or get up and dance to.
The music is a perfect blend of styles so just about anyone can listen and enjoy it. I know there are some people who can’t stand the way most of my music sounds (reading this dad?), but I think even they could enjoy some of the music on this CD. In fact, at least two songs from this CD will be in Ashley’s and my wedding reception later this year. Made to Love and No Ordinary Love for those who are curious.
Anyways, it’s a great CD and anyone who likes tobyMac or just plain good music will enjoy it. My favorite songs are Boomin’, No Ordinary Love, Ignition, Suddenly, Feelin’ So Fly and Hype Man. Gotta love the interludes, too. “Man who told you about my rash?” “Don’t add paint to a masterpiece.” “You so crazy Toby.”
My brother let me borrow his copy of Skillet’s newest CD, Comatose. Freakin’ awesome CD. It’s not quite as hard as Collide is, but it’s lyrical message more than makes up for it.
My favorite songs are: Comatose, Falling Inside the Black, Whispers in the Dark, and Looking for Angels. Why?
Comatose: The chorus sealed it for me. “I don’t wanna live; I don’t wanna breathe, unless I feel you next to me. You take the pain I feel. (Waking up to you never felt so real.) I don’t wanna sleep; I don’t wanna dream, ’cause my dreams don’t comfort me, the way you make me feel. (Waking up to you never felt so real.)”
Falling Inside the Black: I’ve always liked songs that describe the struggle we have with our habitual sins. Maybe because I’ve struggled with some myself, maybe because I feel they are describe the way I feel when I am stuggling – I don’t know. I do know that I love this song.
Whispers in the Dark: The opening line got me on this one. “Despite the lies that your makin’. Your love is mine for the takin’. My love is just waitin’ to turn your tears to roses.” And the chorus hooked me. ” No, you’ll never be alone. When darkness comes I’ll light the night with stars. Hear my whispers in the dark. No, you’ll never be alone. When darkness comes you know I’m never far. Hear my whispers in the dark. Whispers in the dark.”
Looking for Angels: I like songs like this one: powerful message, spoken lyrics, hard driving background music. Awesome freakin’ song.
Saturday was Audio Adrenaline’s final concert in Washington. With this being their last tour, that’s how it has to be. It was a good concert, but I felt sorry for Mark Stuart, whose vocals are the reason AA is breaking up. They are doing it a lot better than some bands by releasing a Greatest Hits album and doing one final tour, both appropriately named Adios. It’s a good CD so pick it up if you get a chance.
Wow. His first record was a bit lacking in the anything department, but KJ-52, who’s oft compared with Eminem, has put out an excellent second CD. It’s fun, has a message and easy to listen to.
The range of songs is wide. You have the lighthearted “ABC’s and 123’s” and “Nursery Rhymes” on one side of the spectrum, the more serious “Wait for You” in the middle and the downright, goosebump-giving song, “Where Were You?” on the other side.
One of the best things about this CD is the fact that almost every song has another emcee in there along with KJ. John Reuben, Pigeon John, Golden Child, and Rob (lead singer of Pillar) are among the list of collaborators.
Another of the things I love about this CD is the fact that halfway through he stops the music and lays out his feelings about where the industry has gone. You have to hear it to understand exactly what I mean, but just know that the songs “Fifth Element” and “Industry” are the ones I’m talking about.
This is probably one of the best Hip-Hop CDs I know of and I would recommend you find and get it.
NOTE: There’s two secret songs on this CD! The first is halfway through, right after “Revenge of the Nerds.” It’s called “The Mullet Song” and is hilarious. The second is even more funny. It’s about an ill fated trip to the fast food restaurant and is aptly titled “Coke, Fry and Cheesburger.”
I’ve been a fan of Linkin Park since I had a chance to just listen to them and hear that their lyrics were clean. That was a year and a half ago. Since then, I’ve been able to get a copy of each of the CDs (except the Hybrid Theory EP and all the singles). Here’s what I think of Meteora.
This CD it seems that LP has identity issues. From songs like Don’t Stay Figure.09 to Somewhere I Belong and Numb, they seem to be singing about taking control and finding out who they are.
Most of the songs are very LP-ish: hard guitars in the background with almost screamed out lyrics. A couple of them seem to be different for LP, like Faint and Breaking the Habit. Those two have a faster beat and are more dependant on the drums than the guitars.
There’s really on one song on the CD I don’t care for and that’s Easier to Run. The music of the song is the main reason, but the lyrics do contribute a little. Saying it’s easier to run from problems is something I just can’t sing about without feeling like I’m conveying a wrong message.
Session is probably my second least favorite track though. It’s just music, and it’s not that great of music. If it was more like Cure for the Itch, I’d probably like it.
My personal favorite is Hit the Floor. The song seems directed at those who are arrogant and can be very nasty to those “below” them. Basically, one minute their on top, the next they’ve “Hit the Floor” is the message.
Over all it’s a very good CD. The lyrics are clean and most of the songs are easy to get into.
For a second CD, this was a pretty good one, but it suffered from a lack of original content. All of the songs are remixes of previous LP songs (from Hybrid Theory and Hybrid Theory EP) with only one new song that wasn’t even done by LP!
The overall feel of the CD is very hip-hop and rap-like. The remixes of Forgotten and In the End are slowed down, have pumped up bass, and very rap-like style lyrics. Some songs, however, are very similar to the originals. For example, Pts.Of.Athrty is almost exactly the same as Points of Authority, but with different music, as is With You, One Step Closer and By Myself.
The one new song is one that I both like and dislike. I like the beat and style of music it has, but at the same time, it’s also one of the two songs whose lyrics aren’t 100% clean. The other is the High Voltage remix.
Even so, I still feel it’s a CD worth getting. If you don’t like hip-hop and/or rap, you may not like it, however.
This being the first CD of LP’s it’s also the first I’ve listened too. I have to admit that the first few times I heard Crawling, I hadn’t grown into liking the hard rock style that LP has so it just turned me off. Then I was on my way to a college preview, and I heard the CD in it’s entirety. That’s when I was hooked.
After listening to the songs a while, I noted that there’s not even any real bad themes in the music. Some of them I could really relate to. For example, when my first girlfriend broke up with me, A Place for My Head’s first verse was about the gist of what she said to me (fortunately, her and I are still friends, just not in a romantic way).
Anyways, I would recommend this CD to anyone who likes some good hard rock and wants it clean enough to listen to around kids.
The Newsboys went back and remixed some of their songs from their last 4 CDs and this is the result.
The first remix is of It Is You. They made it longer, but I’m not sure if they made it better. Don’t get me wrong, I like this version of it, but it’s not any better than the original.
Next up is a remix of Joy. I have about the same opinion of this one as the last one – longer but not really better.
The next remix is of Lord (I Don’t Know). I actually like this version better than the original. It’s got a little bit faster beat, but keeps the original feel.
Million Pieces follows up with a beat that, to me, sounds like it is building to something, but that something doesn’t come. It’s still a good song, but sadly the remix isn’t as good as the original.
Beautiful Sound gets mixed next. The original was one of the only 3 songs I liked from Love, Liberty, Disco, so I wasn’t expecting much from the mix. But the Aussies did an excellent job with it. I think the remix actually fits the song better than the original.
A Thrive mix is next and they gave it a “facelift.” The new version has an almost techno beat to it that’s not persistant enough to take away from the feel of the original song.
A mix of the Love, Liberty, Disco song Good Stuff is next – another of the few I liked from that CD. This time though they totally messed it up. It’s gone mellow and almost sounds like elevator music. Blech.
A Fad of the Land mix is up next. This mix should have been the original version – it rocks!
Now the next mix disappointed me. If you have this CD and have the Entertaining Angels Advanced Pre-Release (released before the Step Up to the Microphone CD) then you probably shared my disappointment. This song has been available for almost a few years already. And of all they re-released the Alternate Light mix.
If you think re-releasing one already available song is bad, then you’ll agree that more is terrible. There is actually three re-releases on this CD and this is the second of them. This remix of Shine is from the Entertaining Angels Advanced Pre-Release CD (which came out only months before Step Up to the Microphone).
Now this next remix was available before, but I’m not sure if it was a leak or something because I got it by downloading it. But it’s a good remix of Love, Liberty Disco.
The Rescue remix is the last non-re-released remix (try saying that ten times fast ) on the CD and the second to last track on the CD. It’s a pretty good one that maintains the original’s sound, but is at the same time obviously a remix.
And the last song is the same last song as Shine – The Hits: the Mega-Mix.
While it’s disappointing about the re-releases, the CD still sounds good and is mostly fun to listen to. If you see it, you should get it.
