Customer Reviews

Always Be

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

 

 

I'll have to admit that I purchased this CD exclusively for Mr. Gaines' rendition of Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes. I heard the song on a road trip several weeks ago and couldn't get it out of my mind.

Surprise! The entire album is wonderful. Soulfull, emotion evoking, origional music (for the most part). I thought it was a terrific break from the pop and rock that seems to be sweeping today's culture. The music is beautiful, and will add another diverse piece to your collection.

The Amazon reviewer must have listened to this album once and then judged it. Jeffrey isn't trying to be Elvis Costello at all, and in fact is a much more soulful, meaningful singer. On this album Jeffrey focuses on relationships and love, and does use some simplified lyrics. its perfect - a better, more refined version of Galore. His 2 versions (studio and live) of In Your Eyes blow away Peter Gabriels - and its the weakest song on the album. a must buy.

I believe that this cd will put Jeff on the road to major success. This is a wonderful cd loaded with the type of music from his first cd and also contains songs that will be requested on the radio. I hope he wins his grammy next year. It will be well deserved. I have been following his career since 1993 and this is his finest cd (for the masses). If you prefer only acoustic ballads, his first is one of the best you could buy. PS-The first time ever I saw your face sends me somewhere else...it is absolutely mesmerizing.

Where do I start? First off, in all fairness, I wish Amazon's Andrew Hamlin would have done a bit more research and true listening before posting his editorial review. This review is, unfortunately, the first review that the searcher will see. I know that everyone is entitled to an opinion, but education commands that a review is more than just opinion...

To even compare Jeffrey to Elvis Costello is...well...ignorant and downright bogus. I hear no parallel in vocal style between these two voices!!! Elvis is a nasal singer and, frankly, quite annoying after a few listens. Jeffrey sings with his heart, not through his nasal cavity. When I read this, I had to constrain myself from vomiting. Gaines is soooooo much more than Elvis will or could ever hope to be. Sure, Elvis Costello is more widely known than Jeffrey Gaines...but, Gaines is no sell out to a genre of music or to a money hungry corporate entity.

One can only scratch their head when they go through the thinking and emotional journey that is Gaines' music, and come to the fact that he is not a household music figure worldwide?

This is Jeffrey's most prolific and diverse work to date. I never thought he could top his self-titled effort. But, overall, this is a much more mature Jeffrey at play. His vocals are stronger than ever before. One listen to "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" will send you on an emotional rollercoaster. I've never experienced such a strong relationship with a song since Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" - Gaines reaches to us, the listener. He has a subtle, yet powerful, way of singing and writing songs that we, ourselves, write in our hearts and minds...they're kindred!

Jeffrey should reach a larger audience with this effort; God knows he more than deserves it. It was smart to include his remake of Gabriel's thought-provoking masterpiece, "In Your Eyes" - This is the first single, and should do well, indeed. However, I sincerely hope his PR folks will not stop here. I personally feel that the tune "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is "THE" song that will place Jeffrey in the bright lights; if it's released as a single and promoted feverishly. This would be a perfect fit as a love song on a Soundtrack to a blockbuster movie. Just think of the possibilities...

Musically, "Always Be" takes us back to Jeffrey's acoustic roots on his self-tltled disc; only he's surrounded by a much more gifted cast of musicians. The music here moves, and weaves nicely around Gaines' beautiful melodies and choruses. There's alot of nice little spicings that trigger an array of moods...Lyrically, it's a bit more simple than his first three efforts, but what's so wrong with that? The lyrics are still real and experience-driven - it's all here folks!

Also, this effort seems to define itself as a "come full circle" presence. Gaines' first song on his first cd is the incomparable "Hero In Me" and now a beautiful acoustic version of this song seems to have found a place as the last tune on this cd....hmmmmm...I sure hope this isn't Jeffrey's way of saying this is my "Final Stand"...Almost to say that if there's no success, that it's time to call it quits, as far as the devouring music masses of popular music are concerned. I believe that know matter what, Jeffrey will always make music - For all of us that our his admirers and have been with him form his beginnings, and wondered... Let's get this guy his glory. I can only pray that Jeffrey will not be like so many other genius's...who aren't discovered until after their earthly death...

Jeffrey Gaines deserves the "BEST" of everything. A better website, a better PR campaign, a more note-worthy record company, like Atlantic, who should have the decency and guts to get "real" music in the mainstream again. I'm so very tired of this teeny-bob schtick, violent rap, and what some call today's metal (which I call pure garbage). If you like to "feel" and "think" this music is for you. If you succomb to peer pressure and buy what everyone else is buying just because it's "cool" and "in"...than, guess what? - this music is for you too, because Gaines' music can alter your life - it's spiritual and moving. Please take the time to be moved and to come to know that there's a Hero in you...

Although I prefer the more 'pure' and less produced live acoustic versions of his songs, this CD clearly illustrates the lyrical and vocal mastery of Jeffrey Gaines. He is articulately soulful.

Gaines is a master story teller, creating characters rich in emotion and deeply engaged in living and loving life with all its joys and sorrows. There is something for everyone to relate to in his stories which resonate great emotional intensity.

"Shake it Off" is a great tune which sounds like a fusing of Elvis Costello with a tinge of Seal and a mellow Lenny Kravitz.

Although many have come to know Gaines from his cover of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes", and his music reflects a diversity of influence, he clearly forges his own vocal identity and can stand on his own two feet. See him live if you can.

I love this album. I listen to it regularly. It gets only 4 stars, because it has 2 versions of "In your eyes". The acoustic live version rocks, but the studio one is unneccesary(actually, the live version is on "Galore" too). Also "Hero in me" is borrowed from his first classic album and cleaned up nice and pretty, but even Jeffrey Gaines should not mess with classic Jeffrey Gaines. The sound quality of "Always be" is amongst the cleanest and best sounding albums I have ever heard. The title song starts the album with a powerful crisp acoustic sound... Wow! I look forward to his next album, because there will be incredible soul-felt gems to enjoy.

First things first. I don't even own this cd. Second, I've seen JG 2x's and he is a fantastic artist and wonderful human being. He and I talked for some time after the show over a couple beers and I found him to be a very genuine, warm, caring and humurous individual. I have his debut cd which I consider a 5 Star recording and his 2nd release which I consider a 4 Star (Beatle - Esque) recording. The 2nd one definetly takes more time to grow on you, but is well worth the time. The 1st time I saw JG he opened for Melissa Etheridge, just him and his guitar. "Tremendous" would be a word I would use for this show back in '92. He finished his set w/ his cover of PG's "In Your Eyes." He certainly does the song more than justice. Here's my question for people that find it easier to see the negative in things than the beauty. Do you really think an industry icon like PG would allow JG to perform his song if he didn't "Understand" it? I think some of you need to direct your critical mindset toward yourself and your own life not some musician who's doing what so many of us only wish we could do. The second time I saw JG was in support of his second release in a Blues Bar. He had a full band with him this time around (Bass, drums, keys and guitar) and again he was fantastic. His ability to re-produce his original studio recordings is outstanding. All said & done, JG is a top notch musician and I look forward to buying this cd and his other 3 (including the one due for release on 2/11/03) and enjoying them as much as the other open minded listeners do.

I recenently and accidentally had the chance to see J. Gaines live. He did a solo accoustic set and I instantly became a fan. It was my experience that he is an average professional guitarist, but a highly talented song-writer and lyricist. In addition, he has many positive messages in his songs. So, I had to buy a CD on the spot, and I have listened to this many times in the few short weeks I have owned it. I have also played it at a party I hosted. Very soulfull voice and melow rock groove. I give this album 4 stars, but you have to appreciate that it is the rare and truely extrodinary CD that I can give a 5 star rating....so this is right up there with many of my favorite and frequently played CDs. My last two comments: (1) I have never appreciated having the same song on a CD twice and wish that "In Your Eyes" was only on once (no matter how cool it is); (2) I enjoyed his live solo performance more than I do this studio recording which has back-up supporting instruments. I look forward to buying Gaines' live CD. In closing, I was surprised that there were not more recent reviews than 2004. I was hoping to see a lot of activity signifying that Gaines is catching on and growing.

I love this CD. It is one of the ones that I frequently come back to when I want to listen to something truly wonderful. Every track is great!

Tremendous new album by this under-appreciated artist. Fans that have followed Gaines' career from the beginning with his Chrysalis Records debut in 1990, all the way to his masterful Rykodisc release 'Galore,' will find something to enjoy. Select radio stations around the country are already adding his brand-new, full-band rendition of Peter Gabriel's 'In Your Eyes.' Interestingly, the classic 1992 live acoustic version of that track has been included with this record, along with an acoustic version of his breakthrough single,'Hero In Me.' It's all good.