Hootie & The Blowfish - Hootie & The Blowfish
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Free Music Notes for Hootie & The Blowfish
Free Music Review: They Set, They Shoot, THEY SCORE!!
Hit: 5 Stars
After a four year hiatus, and shaking off the relative disappointment of "Musical Chairs," Hootie re-collected themselves, dusted off their writing skills and have returned with what should be the album of the summer.And maybe it isn't "cool" to be a Hootie fan anymore, but I maintain that if you keep making great music, your real fans will stick around. And I think it's true that Hootie is the best bar band in the world.
There's not a weak track on this terrific collection of songs; if I have anything negative to say about this album, it does lean toward ballads and slower-tempo tunes, but with songs of this quality, ("I'll Come Running," "Show Me Your Heart," "Woody") this is certainly a minor offense.
That's not to say the band ignores good ol' rock and roll. The free-spirited "Space," and especially "Go and Tell Him (Soup Song)" and the funky "Little Brother" are instant sing-alongs. The rock-a-billy "Little Darlin'" intentionally dances around Ricky Nelson's "Hello Mary Lou" and sounds like it was a blast to record. It is this kind of variety that makes this band, and this album, so enjoyable.
By the way, don't forget to keep listening after track 12--the hidden track, (I guess it's called "Alright") is one of the best on the album. This would have been a great opener for the album!
The first single "Innocence" is one of the best songs written by the band, and I dare say it is worth the price of purchase alone. The song reflects intelligent, heartfelt lyrics, terrific vocals (Darius Rucker continues to prove why he has so many imitators) and an undeniably infectious chorus, but I've yet to see the video for "Innocence" played once on VH1, VH1 Megahits, MTV or MTV Hits. Did they even make a video for it?
It is a shame that we are in an age where an artist's success relies so heavily on television. You are dead in the water if you are viewed as yesterday's news by program directors. This is a travesty to music.
But true fans of music can make themselves very happy by picking up a copy of this fantastic release.
As other reviewers have suggested, this IS the perfect album to roll down the car windows and blast this summer. It's Hootie at their best. And that's not bad. Not bad at all...
Free Music Review: As good as ever
Hit: 5 Stars
I have to begin by saying that I am the biggest Hootie fan in the upper Midwest. Like all other dedicated listeners I have been anxiously awaiting the new release, and for the most part it did not disappoint. The one problem I have with this album is that it doesn't have anything on it to really pick you up and get you going like "I Will Wait," "Bluesy Revolution," and the "Old Man and Me" that they have had on previous albums. That being said I find myself constantly singing "Little Brother" and "Space" so it isn't like this disc is nothing but ballads. When it comes to those ballads,however,there is no one better to sing them than Darius. As far as I am concerned he is the anti-punk voice that everyone can appreciate. What makes Hootie so good is that every song has so much power and substance to it that you can't help but stop and listen. The guys bring this quality to the self-titled effort in songs like "Show me your heart," When She's Gone," and the first single, "Innocence". Then there are the three tracks on the album that really stand out in my opinion. "I'll come runnin" is the perfect anthem for all those with loved ones being called to duty, and the emotion that Darius brings to the soulful "Tears Fall Down" makes it one of the best on the album. The best track on the album is "Woody" This incredibly moving track about friendship, choices, and tragedy is one of the best Hootie tracks of all time. It is one track on the album that you can really call a Hootie song. In closing then I will tell you that if you are a true Hootie fan you will like this album and if you are hearing them for the first time you will be pleasantly surprised by their refreshing sound and I suggest buying their other albums as well.Free Music Review: Musicality
Hit: 5 Stars
Rock & Roll Will Never Die...and neither will Hootie & the Blowfish. This no-nonsense group lays it all out there for you. Listening to this CD is like gathering in your friend's garage for a night of local fare. Listen to this CD more than once...you have to, because there is no slick formula or staged production from these fellows. Just four friends who got together and made some music.Given that Darius Rucker has a tremendous voice and these guys write catchy tunes, HBF approaches this CD in a manner similar to their last CD, "scattered, smothered, and covered." Basically, this means that writing and playing good music will not be influenced by industry popularity. While there are a couple of tunes that will be heard on the radio, such as "Innocence," most of these songs will not be heard on AM radio. For those of you who grew up in the '60s & '70s, they call it album rock.
There are gems: "Deeper Side" is good old fashioned rock& roll, "Innocence" has a somber melody, and "Little Darlin'" has a country influence. The surprise of the CD comes at the end of track 12, the last song. Let your player run and at approximately 5:52 you'll hear perhaps the best track on the CD. This "hidden" track is called "All Right" and is not listed on the CD cover or liner notes. HBF has not written a catchier tune since "Only Wanna Be With You." Look for this track to be a single.
My reason for enjoying the music of HBF? When I want to listen to something that's not too loud, not too pop, not too slickly produced, not too rough... I simply turn on some Hootie & the Blowfish and know that "everything will be all right."
Free Music Review: Musicality
Hit: 5 Stars
Rock & Roll Will Never Die...and neither will Hootie & the Blowfish. This no-nonsense group lays it all out there for you. Listening to this CD is like gathering in your friend's garage for a night of local fare. Listen to this CD more than once...you have to, because there is no slick formula or staged production from these fellows. Just four friends who got together and made some music.Given that Darius Rucker has a tremendous voice and these guys write catchy tunes, HBF approaches this CD in a manner similar to their last CD, "scattered, smothered, and covered." Basically, this means that writing and playing good music will not be influenced by industry popularity. While there are a couple of tunes that will be heard on the radio, such as "Innocence," most of these songs will not be heard on AM radio. For those of you who grew up in the '60s & '70s, they call it album rock.
There are gems: "Deeper Side" is good old fashioned rock& roll, "Innocence" has a somber melody, and "Little Darlin'" has a country influence. The surprise of the CD comes at the end of track 12, the last song. Let your player run and at approximately 5:52 you'll hear perhaps the best track on the CD. This "hidden" track is called "All Right" and is not listed on the CD cover or liner notes. HBF has not written a catchier tune since "Only Wanna Be With You." Look for this track to be a single.
My reason for enjoying the music of HBF? When I want to listen to something that's not too loud, not too pop, not too slickly produced, not too rough... I simply turn on some Hootie & the Blowfish and know that "everything will be all right."
Free Music Review: Hootie & The Blowfish "UNCOMPROMISED"
Hit: 5 Stars
Hootie & The Blowfish have been on a roller coaster ride their entire career. From playing at frat parties and dive bars in South Carolina, to having their debut album, "Cracked Rear View," sell over 16 million copies just in the United States, to being ridiculed for making music that was too "middle of the road." This album is perhaps the best collection of songs that nobody has heard. From the catchy pop rock opener "Deeper Side," to the raw sounding rock anthem "Go And Tell Him (Soup Song)," this album is sold from top to bottom. The only real disappointing song on the album would have to be the goofy, country flavored "Little Darlin'." Standouts on this album are the rock ballad "Innocence," the R&B groove "Little Brother," and the lyrical masterpiece "Tears Fall Down," Darius Rucker's voice never sounded so good. There are a couple average songs, "Show Me Your Heart" in particular, but they are spread out enough that you don't notice. Is this album groundbreaking? No. But if you're looking for a CD that you can play in your stereo over and over and over again, this is a MUST have. Just like every Hootie & The Blowfish album before, this album is the kind of music Hootie & The Blowfish want to make. Music that is....UNCOMPROMISED!!!!