Customer Reviews

All in

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When I first bought this, I was like many of the other reviewers and thought it was pretty lame. However, upon repeated listenings, I have to say this is a pretty good record. Not as good as " Nasty Little Thoughts" or "Rip It Off" but still worth it for fans. While its obvious they were shooting to get some radio air play with a poppier sound there some pretty clever songs. I really enjoy "Abandon Confusion" & Faux Gucci Girl." So give it a few listenings and enjoy!

I for one was looking forward to another Stroke 9 CD everytime I logged onto Amazon, and ordered "All In" on faith that it would deliver as the band's first two releases had. After reading a few customer reviews complaining that this latest CD isn't just like the others that came before it I felt compelled to put my two cents in. I will agree that "All In" varies from what I had come accustomed to hearing from these guys, but then again, so was "Rip It Off" from "Nasty Little Thoughts". Now that I've been playing this one for a while I can tell you that it DOES deliver. My personal favorites for those interested are: "Stop Saying Goodbye", "Set You Free", "How Am I Going To Know", "Words to Live By" and "Part'e" (in that order). The lyrics have ingrained themselves in my memory already - and that is what Stoke 9 cnmtinues to produce: Fun songs that get right into us. Never mind the "unfamiliar" arrangements -- they are only unfamilier because it is NEW. Do we really want carbon-copy re-hashes of what is already out there? Ugh! I hope not. Being in my thirties I have lived through a few different rock trends and have heard the same complaints given to any band (Rush and Yes are perfect examples) that has had any longevity: "It's not their sound" -- what is? Stroke 9 is evolving, and so is their creativity. I look forward to seeing where it goes in the future. The music that is coming out today seems to hold more promise than that of when I was growing up. Bands such as Third Eye Blind, Eve 6 and yes Stroke 9 are bands I am looking at to become long-lived and prolific artists. And if I'm wrong, well, I'll watch to see the evolution of where the individual players go. (FYI - Former 3EB guitarist/songwriter Kevin Cadogan puts his had in on "Set You Free") Try it, you'll like it. -Bob

It's been a couple years since we last heard from Stroke 9 with their album "Rip It Off," a faster paced album compared to 1999's "Nasty Little Thoughts," and a highly unnoticed one at that. "Kick Some Ass" was featured in Kevin Smith's most well-known movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, which promoted the band a little bit, but otherwise stayed low-profile compared to their first album. On November 9th, 2004, they released a fully independent album entitled "All In" that features some very experimental - and quite catchy - music. The lyrics are also quite witty, and this album is a great addition to my collection.
The songs resemble those from "Nasty Little Thoughts" more than "Rip It Off"'s did, but aren't quite the same. Some might say it's right in between the two previous albums, an out of place stepping stone. They had no record label telling them how to do everything, so they had freedom they deserved and did something incredible with it. Song by song review, anyone?


1.) How Am I Gonna Know- Definitely radio-friendly and radio-deserving. Would make a great single. Starts out nicely and has an absolutely beautiful chorus that is quite catchy. The song strongly resembles those of their first album, varying between quick speeds and then becoming a bit softer and slower, then fast again. Features Jens Funke on bass.

2.) Run Away- More fast paced than the first song of the album. I love the music they play right before the chorus. It's catchy and not like anything we've heard from them previously. Finely written lyrics, too.

3.) Set You Free- Starts off like a classical song, a violin or instruement of that nature providing a soothing feel, then it kicks into the guitar/drums/bass/singing that we so desire. It features Greg Gueldner (Stroke 9's original bassist) on bass. The chorus is very catchy.

4.) Stop Saying Goodbye- A slower song, but still upbeat, a signature of Stroke 9. Great message and lyrics in the song, once you listen to it you'll enjoy it a lot. The music suits the words quite well.

5.) Faux Gucci Girl- Witty lyrics and a catchy beat. This song makes me laugh a little bit. The bridge type part is my favorite part. Overall a fun song.

6.) Rod Beck- It's been said before, but I'll say it again. This is a song you'd expect to hear playing during a movie, most likely a comedy knowing Hollywood these days. The verses are basically Luke talking, but the chorus starts and you feel like it's a song once again. There are some great guitars in this
song.

7.) Words to live By- Wow. One of my favorite songs, a lot of people don't seem overly fond of it. It starts out with some neat guitars, then some strange vocal effects. I wonder if Luke went dumpster diving and found some old synthesizer. The song consists mostly of odd questions with an interlude of "yeah" between each question, which might seem annoying at first, but I quickly grew fond of it. The chorus is amazing too. Very experimental for the band, but it turned out well. Very well indeed.

8.) Abandon Confusion- A slower song with great lyrics. It kind of hides, stuck along with "My Advice" between to of the more upbeat songs. A song worth listening to.

9.) My Advice- Possibly the slowest song on the album, it's quite relaxing to listen to. Both the chorus and the verses are enjoyable,much calmer and soothing than the other songs on "All In"

10.) Part'e- I absolutely love this song. It starts out with what sounds like a record playing backwards, then some type of keyboard or something kicks in. The lyrics are very funny, a total party song that's named appropriately. Almost every college guy in America can relate to this song. The music is extremely catchy and the lyrics are genius. Another of my favorite songs. I think this could also be found in a party type movie.

Overall, "All In" is a very experimental album with some music we're not accustomed to, but Luke, John, and Eric certainly made it work for them. For anyone who has listened to the bay area band over the years, this is a must buy album. If you can't afford it, sell your leg. It's worth it. Trust me.

Well, maybe a couple toes. You'd need your leg to get to the store and buy it. Thanks for the great album, guys.

ok, so yes this new album is very different from nasty little thoughts and rip it off, but i frankly admire the fact that they dont get stuck in one place. each of their albums are so unique and offer something different. i really respect the fact that they are willing to go out on a limb and try something new. yes, i dont think i can listen to this album all the way through like the past two, but "how am i gonna know","stop saying goodbye" and "parte" keep up the fun to listen to poppy sound while "runaway" and "rod beck" bring in a new flavor (esp. that solo in rod beck. sweet) so i say job well done stroke 9 and keep experimenting. i look forward to your next achievement.

Stroke 9 has become one of my favorite bands. I have close to 300 CD's and Nasty Little Thoughts and Rip It Off are still picked first for a spin! This is the third album and the first of theirs that has a few songs on it that I skip over. But it's still a great CD and this is still a great band. For those of you who are looking for carbon copies of NLT, this isn't it and that's a good thing. This band is constantly evolving and trying new things and you can't help but respect that. So many bands just play the same thing over and over again and they get boring really fast! Abandon Confusion is my favorite track on this CD. If you don't have any Stroke 9 CDS, start with Nasty Little Thoughts or Rip it Off (my personal favorite of the three), but still keep this one in mind. It's a keeper!

Giving it 4 stars b/c the album only has 10 songs, with probably 1 bad one if you're not really accustomed to stroke9. Here's my take on the tracks:

#1: great opener that is radio-friendly. Probably single-potential.

#2: My personal favorite b/c there's nother other alt. band out there that can sing a really rock-out song and sound like they are having alot of fun singing it. Very infectious chorus. Love the keyboard interlude.

#3: My other favorite just because I'm a big Kevin Cadogan supporter and it's good to hear his song remixed again. If you like violins mixed with a great rock riff, this is one of the ultimate songs to listen to. Another good single-potential.

#4: Nice slow song with a strong melody. Soaring guitar solo, reminds me of a solo I heard by Kevin Cadogan on one his really old songs. BTW, kevin caodgan and Stroke9 are old good friends.

#5: This is a cool song, a little experimental for the band. I have to say, Stroke9 really has this talent to make "cool" rock songs and yet not sound cheesy. Which is why I love this band today.

#6: wow, this song is infectious. Has a "pimp" style to it, very very funny lyrics. Again, the violins bring it to life. Freaking awesome guitar lead-in. Has a disco-feel to it. Another song that takes advantage of artistic freedom.

#7: This may be my least favorite, but it's not so bad. Starts out as a "Queen" hymn, then does this weird robotic/mechanical voice, then has a really gorgeous chorus. VERY EXPERIMENTAL for the band.

#8: think of Linkin Park when you hear this song. Again, artistic freedom does strange things.

#9: Santana-feel or Maroon5-type song, especially the guitar approach. Otherwise, wonderful singing and lyrics. Good song.

#10: seems to be a fan favorite from the message boards. I can see why. Probably vintage Stroke 9.

I hope this helps. Overall, the album shows off the new independence they have and it clearly shows. I think the evolution shows in this band, especially with alot more emphasis on musical artistry. Guitars sound more polished and mature. Lyrics and singing still strong as ever.

But the album is way too short. Leaves you wanting for alot more .

Stroke 9 burst onto the scene in 1999 with the hit song "Little Black Backpack". The song sky rocketed them up the charts and may have set the goals of their record label much too high for a radio world that was highly over plagued with "Nu Metal" at the time. The next time anyone really heard from them was the song "Kick Some Ass" which was featured on the Jay and Silent Bob Strike back film and soundtrack. The song drew really good praise for the band. Shortly after the release of "Kick Some Ass" Universal records fired the man responsible for the promotional work for Stroke 9. This kind of left the band up the creek without at paddle as their second CD "Rip it Off" (An awesome HIGHLY overlooked and underseen album) came and went without a trace. Universal quickly dropped the band from the label and many don't even know that they are still together.

Well they are. Their album "All In" was released on Tuesday, November 9 completely independant and distributed by Sixth Man Records (a record label that caters to the independant scene). It really proves what they are truly all about. I would call it a cross between The Counting Crows and something a little more upbeat (not really but it's the closest I could come to. It doesn't really sound like anyone else) There are no big name record labels coming in to tell them what they should strive for and what you get is Raw and VERY GOOD stuff. Below is my song by song review....

1.) How am I gonna Know?- The first single. Very good opener. Song contains multiple parts that are all equally effective to the song. The chorus is infectuous and will stick in your head the minute you hear it. A song that really teaters between slow and upbeat. The two types really mesh together well.

2.) Run Away- A really weird song that really has an old school feel. The song is fun and I'm sure it would be even more fun live. It's an interesting song. Hard to find anything to compare it to. Maybe a "White Stripes" type feel. Fun song.

3.)Set You Free- I love the begining. It opens with some really mesmerizing slow classical music. Then the drums kick in and we get a mix of electric guitar and classical. The song is really easy to listen to. It almost has a "Beatles" feel to it. It's another very catchy song. It's upbeat but not overly fast and that works well.

4.) Stop Saying Goodbye- This track is a slower song with some awesome string work on the guitar in the begining. It's a mix of acoustic and electric guitars. When it starts into the chorus it's really addictive. It all flows really well. Good "mood piece".

5.) Faux Gucci Girl- Really interesting guitar work in the begining. The lyrics to this song are AWESOME. It has some good words. This song isn't my favorite on the album but it really doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard which makes it really awesome. If you can find a song that this reminds you of then more power to you.

6.) Rod Beck- Interesting song. The begining singing part is spoken which makes it seem kind of poetic in a way. It's a good story telling song. The words are excellent. It really has a "soundtrack" feel to it if you get what I'm saying. The chorus is just as interesting as the rest of this song. I could really see it turning up in a movie.

7.) Words to Live by- This song contains a really weird vocal effect in the begining which I'm not too fond of but it's a really different song. The actual verses start and it's an awesome song. The chorus is really awesome. It's another that'll stick in your head. This song also has a movie type feel to it.

8.) Abandon Confusion- I really love this song. It's a moody song and has an interesting feel to it. It's one of those songs that would really fit with an event in your life and you'd always remember it when you associate the song with it...You just have to hear it to understand what I'm saying. Very good words.

9.) My Advice- Some more really good guitar work in the begining. Slow song and a very good one at that. Probably my favorite track on the CD. Very emotional. Once again the lyrics to this one are powerful. The singing on this one is top notch and it really fits the words. Awesome song

10. Parte- If I drank...I would listen to this song while I drank. It's such a fun song. Needs to be played at any party. It's exactly what it's about. So fun. Another stand out track and the lyrics are very funny and work well. This song just flat out makes you feel really good inside.

The only bad part about the whole album is that I felt it could use another song or two. It's not that big of a deal as I firmly believe in quality over quantity.


I highly recommend that you guys check out this CD. At least listen to the clips here on amazon and go from there. Awesome stuff.

This Stroke 9 cd is different than the others. It seems a bit more pop-ish than the previous albums, but it still a great work by the band! The songs are, as always, very catchy and you will find yourself singing along to them and justt singing them when the cd isnt even on! Stroke 9 is one of the best bands out there! Buy their cd, you will be satisfied!

Great Self-Produced Album from this band! Amazing lyrics and great guitar! If you are a fan of entire albums, not just singles, like Radiohead "The Bends" and The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper & The Lonely Heart's Club", then you will love this album! Something different from start-to-finish. Guaranteed to please! Tracks 1-4 get things started just right. You will immediately fall in love with "Runaway", "How Am I Gonna Know", "Set You Free", and "Stop Saying Goodbye." This album is very diverse the entire way through, with each listen you will take something else away from it, and I am sure with each listen you will grow quite attached to "Part'e", "Rod Beck", and "Words to Live By."~Faith Rinker

In Stroke 9's last two albums they provided great songs from start to finish, complete albums if you will. "All In" their newest release is not quite as complete as the previous two. This does not by any means make it a bad album. There are some stand out songs on here that mirror classic Stroke 9 songs; Parte(by far the best song on the album), How am I Gonna Know, Stop Saying Goodbye, Abandon Confusion and Set You Free. When you can find an album where half the songs stand out right away that means its a pretty solid album. Like I said before this is not a complete album but it is still very good and I recommend it highly.