Customer Reviews

All Sides

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I can't honestly sit here and say "Yeah man, 10 years ago I was starting high school, smoking pot, and rocking out to some high school kids from Rockville, Maryland in this band called O.A.R." It took a while before I truly got turned onto O.A.R. When that happened they sort of turned into crack for me. I couldn't get enough. I spanned the entire catalog, all the way back to The Wanderer till Stories of a Stranger. I read that lead singer Marc Roberge went on a cross-country drive with his wife and dogs before this album was completed. The album title, " All Sides," is a fair and pretty accurate description of what to expect on this album. From the beginning till the end of the album I feel that all aspects of O.A.R.'s creativity and brilliance is delivered.
I truly hope people don't expect the O.A.R. from The Wanderer or Risen or any of the great older albums. That was ten years ago and the guys in O.A.R. are pushing close to 30 years old. Yet, what I find when listening to this album is a matured, progressive, and still fun and catchy band playing music they love and writing introspective and meaningful lyrics.
The first radio single off of "All Sides" is "Shattered (Turn the Car Around). It's a piano-laden, truly radio-friendly pop song, but I really find it hard not to sing along. I was slightly concerned with the first three songs being released early because I did not hear any of the traditional saxophone that makes O.A.R. great. Yet, I was not to be let down, as "Whatever Happened" starts in with a conga type intro soon to be followed by the catchy soulful saxophone of Jerry DePizzo.
With this release O.A.R. spans a lot of genres of music. "All Sides" contains bits of radio-friendly pop singles ( and why not, the band deserves some recognition besides the crazy cult following), funky saxophone reggae inspired jams, and slow, melodic, and emotional tunes belted out only as Marc Roberge could. When the man sings, as a listener, you can truly feel the emotion trying to be conveyed.
In short, "All Sides," is a great release for a great band. The boys have grown up to men and they have put out a great all encompassing album that any O.A.R. fan will enjoy, new or old. I truly hope not to hear crys of "sell-out," because it would be an injustice to great songwriters. I'm excited to see the guys this summer on their "All Sides" tour, and I strongly recommend this album to any O.A.R. fan, or music fan in general.

I agree with some of the other reviews here in that this is a dramatically different sound for OAR. I find it entertaining and enjoyable, though. Maybe they want to break through on more of a commercial level as this album has a much more pop-sounding feel to it. Or maybe they just want to expand their horizons with something a little different. Either way, I have no problem with it. I see some parallels between this move and when REM came out with Document after being a "college radio" band for several years.

Some fans were upset with this, but REM kept their own sound and integrity through it all (and still has, check out their recent release, Accelerate, for the awesome proof) ... and I expect OAR will, too. You cannot fault a band for exploring their creativity. As a fan and admirer of OAR's immense talent and gifts, I wish them all the best with this release.

What we have here is the last new from OAR.
Many people consider this a to commerial album with too many radio friendly songs.
There is indeed a little less reggae and jam but through the songs you hear what they made in the past.
They have grown and i realy like this album, i rate it a 8 because of the quality songs and the great production.

MY FAVES

The first song THIS TIME has a really catchy melodie and you will notice that you've been whisteling this tune for days.
SHATTERED is a great lead singel, with again a sticky melodie.
WHAT IS MINE has that groovy reggae feel to it, feels like a hot summer day.
ONE DAY is a really great, great feelings in the voice and lov the chorus of the song.
The rest of the songs are also good, but these were my favorites.

I think the band's sound has definitely matured, as well as their writing. They are probably tired of playing the same (amazing) songs after 10 years. "War Song" and "What is Mine" are, in my opion, firmly in the top 5 of their best songs to date. If you liked "Living in the End" from Live at Madison Square, you will love this cd. Much more mellow than their early songs, but the build up in the songs is just rediculously good. Each song finishes different than you'd expect from a studio album, if that makes sense. They have always been a much better band live than in studio, but this cd is great. Wont be disappointed.

All Sides (2008, Atlantic) O.A.R.'s fifth studio album (eighth overall album). ***1/2

You have to admire O.A.R. Not many jam bands are capable of making quality studio albums, and even fewer have been able to do it once. Like all jam bands, the studio stuff isn't always a great as their live albums, and neither compares to the actual experience (even if you don't like the style) of actually being at a concert. Still, for those who don't have the means to make it to a concert or don't want to listen to the mindless whirlings of live albums, All Sides is a suitable companion.

O.A.R. isn't an original band in any sense of the word. All jam bands have to have the same certain elements, and O.A.R. borrows from Dave Matthews generously, but unlike their contemporaries - or influences, for that matter - they're able to make songs that are begging to be fleshed out into concise four minute bursts. All Sides is overflowing with anthemic rock, from the blast of the opener "This Town," or the stuttering "Living in the End." And, of course, there are the random but expected reggae-inspired bits such as "What is Mine." But there are more heartfelt moments, such as DMB-heavy (and even U2, who would have thought?) "Whatever Happened," and while it serves fantastically as a radio-friendly single, it could easily be torn wide open into a stomping fifteen-minute opus. That's what's great about All Sides, the songs sound fine the way they are, but for fans, when they hit the stage with them, it'll be a grand affair. In the end, All Sides is a tad too much, with several songs blending together in the middle of the album. Certainly all of it is fun, but few cuts are very memorable. The ones that are, though, should be cherished. (Whatever Happened, On My Way)

O.A.R. is a band that should be heard live. As a result, any studio album is sure to disappoint. This album is no different. But, overall this album delivers something for every type of listener.

The first single "Shattered" has a piano ostinato that is unusual for the band. Yep, it's "pop"-ish and clear designed for the radio audience. It's a fun song though. And, knowing O.A.R., they will have a great twist on it when you hear it live.

"This Town" is something that ESPN listeners have been hearing a lot already. I'm not too excited by this rather mundane crowd suck up piece.

Those O.A.R. fans that appreciate the "Untitled", "About Mr. Brown" or "52-50" or something more obscure still can find great gems on this album. "War Song," which despite its name is not a political commentary, is one of the best All Sides has to offer. "Dinner Last Night" is another great song for the hard core fan.

Overall, the album is great. The tracks are exciting for fans looking for something else to round out the concert tour set list. After all, there is only so many times you can hear the band open with "Wonderful Day" and close with the triad of "City on Down," "That was a Crazy Game of Poker" and "Love and Memories."

EDIT: Alright, it's been a few weeks since I wrote this review, and I've listened to the album many more times. After all that, I've decided that this is probably one of the best (if not the best) studio album ever released by O.A.R. The songs are all over the place (hence the All Sides moniker) in terms of style. It's a well-rounded release with a few pop-type songs and a few good jam numbers as well. Amazon wouldn't let me change, but I'd re-review this 5-star.

I just finished listening to this for the first time and I was shocked at the departure from the funky, upbeat tunes that I am used to hearing from O.A.R. The album sounds like the music was written using a formula rather than instinct. Mark seems to me missing his slightly naughty, tongue in cheek, humor in this album. Perhaps they are growing up; perhaps they are trying to rediscover themselves after 10 years of playing.

Yes, all of us long time O.A.R. fans were hoping for a return to their "Island Vibe Roots Rock" sound with the new album, All Sides. We did not receive such an album. O.A.R. did however deliver an impressive release that shows a lot growth for the band, particularly in Marc Roberge's song writing. In addition, All Sides really feels like an album. Where Stories of a Stranger, released in 2005, felt more like a collection of songs clumped onto a disc.
You could call the majority the songs pop/rock, but there are certainly some exceptions. "What is mine," is more reggae influenced, "Living in the End" has an infectious bouncy feel to it, and the guitar on the funky track called "Something Coming Over" seems to be straight out of a 1970's Doobie Brothers album. "This Town" is a song for the fans. O.A.R. performed this song at Summerfest not too long ago and the energy that went with it was incredible. I have no doubt that in short time it will become a staple at all of their shows. "War Song" is my favorite. It's like nothing O.A.R. has ever written. Roberge sings with such raw passion over one of the catchiest guitar licks I've ever heard from the band. Jerry then comes in wailing on his sax and the song opens up to be an unbelievably intense six minutes.
The bottom line is that longtime fans of O.A.R. should buy this because it has the same genuine feel and passion that the band has always had. Casual fans will find songs on that album that they enjoy. And to those unfamiliar with O.A.R., if you are into acts like Matt Nathanson and Ari Hest, then you will love All Sides.

As a die-hard fan I'm thrilled with this new release. The great news is, I'm confident not only die-hards like myself, but casual fans and those new to O.A.R., will get a lot out of this CD as well. It's great to see them have some mainstream success. So much talent in this band. Marc's vocals are amazing and Jerry's sax - well, there's nothing better.

I'm old school....I still buy whole albums because I'll hear one song on the radio or somewhere. And most times, I'll find a song better than the one I bought the whole album for. This CD no exception. Some good hooks on some of the songs. Sure, a couple of duds but in general a very good disc.