Customer Reviews

Always Got Tonight

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After over 15 years, we know what to expect from Chris Isaak: a few midtempo numbers, a couple of heartbreaking ballads, and an occasional rocker with all of the lyrics about love, longing and loss. The trick is, no one really knows how to do it any better than Chris. Combining Roy Orbison's voice, Neil Diamond's sensitivity, and Elvis Presley's hair, Chris is the original American Idol.

ALMOST GOT TONIGHT doesn't stray too far from the template although there are a couple of surprises that sets this one apart from the rest of the Chris Isaak catalog. Songs like Let Me Down Easy, Courthouse, I See You Everywhere and One Day are surprisingly upbeat sounding, even if the lyrics are not. The heartbreakers, like Worked It Out Wrong and Life Will Go On, aren't given the country-twang treatment he usually gives his ballads. Then Chris gets downright funky on songs like Always Got Tonight, Notice The Ring and his theme song American Boy. My personal favorite is Cool Love, which starts off slow, shifts into a jangly beat, throws in a few breezy Burt Bacharach ba-ba-ba's, then soars into a chorus of "I'm never gonna let you down" that begs you to sing along. Great stuff.

The end result is one of Chris's better albums, right up there with HEART SHAPED WORLD, FOREVER BLUE and BAJA SESSIONS. It's immensely listener-friendly, whether you want to cry in your beer or take off down the highway for the sunny skies ahead.

As a long time Chris Isaak fan and proud owner of his past works, I was very excited to hear about this new album. Even though I had heard the single "Let me Down Easy", this was a CD I would buy regardless of hearing anything on it prior to purchasing.

After listening to it for the past several weeks, I am giving this CD 4 stars. I have to concur with many other reviewers in that there are many melodies, rhythms as well as lyrics that are recognizable from Chris's prior albums. However, there is some material on this album that makes it a very good listen. I rather enjoy "One Day", "Notice the Ring", "Cool Love", and the catchy theme song from his television show "American Boy". Everything else I'm inclined to say I've heard before.

Here's my bottom line: Baja Sessions will always be my favorite Chris Isaak CD (and in my opinion his best work to date), but "Always got Tonight" is enjoyable enough that it will be in my CD player for many months to come.

Chris Isaak may very well be the last of the lost-love, love-found, melancholy singer/songwriters who remains cool. An exceptional vocalist, and his "Roy Orbison meets Dick Dale in a smokie lounge" persona is absolutely contagious. Always Got Tonight is my 8th album from Issak, and amazingly, this man has not released a disappointing collection yet. His songs of love gone bad, or a new love going good, are never sappy nor silly. When he chooses to rock out, he does so with flair and grit and genuine abandon. A gifted artist, in every sense of the word, this man has been persistant in doing things his way, and that is greatly appreciated by his fans. When one buys a Chris Issak album, they're gonna get a "Chris Isaak" album, not whatever the current trendy music fresh from the assemby line may be. I applaud his consistancy, his talent, and his attitude. Thanks for a great body of music (including this album) that has provided years of enjoyment.

I consider myself a casual fan of Chris Isaak's music. I always did enjoy listening to him crooning. Chris is truly the modern day Roy Orbison with that gorgeous voice of his. It wasn't until I heard "Let Me Down Easy" so many times on the radio that I decided to pick up his latest album. I haven't been able to get enough of "Always Got Tonight". Chris Isaak couldn't sound any better than he does on his long-awaited album. "Always Got Tonight" is a collection of infectious pop/rock songs that are simply irresistable to listen to. "One Day" is a perfect opener to "Always Got Tonight". It is one of my favorite tracks on the album. Compared to "Let Me Down Easy", "One Day" is a rocker while the "Let Me Down Easy" is a ballad. A lot of ballads on this album but Chris' voice is well suited to sing ballads. His voice is ideal for that type of song. "Always Got Tonight" is a wonderful cd which I cannot stop listening to.

I've been a fan of Chris Isaak since "Heart Shaped World." While I did not think the experimentation of "Speak of the Devil" suited him well, "Always Got Tonight" is a welcome return to form. Some may call it a retread, but Isaak still does not sound like anyone else out there today, and I think that's to his credit. He knows where his strengths are, and plays to them -- which means great music for diehard fans. Cuts like "Notice the Ring" and "Cool Love" are retropop at its best. "I See You Everywhere" is one of the most beautiful songs he's committed to record. The album's standout is "American Boy," a high-energy dance song that rocks in inimitable Isaak fashion. If you've never heard or bought a Chris Isaak CD before, start with this one: it's some of his best work to date.

Don't be put off by the editorial staff's review. If your a die hard Chris Isaak fan, you know the whole cryin', lyin', dyin' schtick is what Chris does best, and that's just fine. The album's first single, "Let Me Down Easy" is great with a bit of a Sugar Ray beat. Other tracks like "Notice The Ring" and "Always Got Tonight" have a similar modern feel while maintaining the classic Isaak sound. All in all, it reminds me of "Forever Blue" with a modern edge. An excellent effort which will no doubt be my driving soundtrack for the next few months.

This album is a departure for Chris...in more ways than one. He opted for a new producer, a few more instruments, and a shiny new blue jacket...to accompany his shiny new sound. After all, he's a tv star now!!

Yet despite his best efforts to try and be cool ("Cool Love") funky ("Notice the Ring") and slick ("Always Got Tonight"), Isaak is still at his finest when he is blue. No one does woe-is-me like him, as is evident in the heart wrenching "Life Will Go On" and the hopeful first single "Let Me Down Easy".
The sounds are more lush, the style slightly varied, and the packaging is a little fancier, but deep down, he is still the King of the Broken Heart.

I haven't taken this cd out of my player since I got it. The ballads are melodic, sad, sweet and memorable. There are a couple of tracks that help break up the mood, and they're timed well. I think you'll enjoy the cd more if you play the tunes in order - don't use shuffle/random play. I haven't heard a bad album out of Chris, but I've always been bothered with one or two throwaway tracks on his previous albums. This cd doesn't have any. Every song is well-crafted and worth a listen. And as usual, Chris sounds great and his band is spot-on. If you're a Chris Isaak fan and aren't hopelessly obssessed with "Heart Shaped World", then you should love the album. If you're not a fan, you will be after you hear this album.

"The Chris Isaak Show" was giving Chris Isaak a wider audience than his music had for quite some time, and four years after "Speak Of The Devil," he must have decided to give them an album that fans of the show were likely to have expected. The resulting "Always Got Tonight" is more pop oriented than any album in his discography, yet likely Isaak's most riskiest. By jettisoning longtime producer Erik Jacobsen, Isaak removed one of the key architects to his individualistic sound. If you are used to the deep and dark tones of heartbreak ala "Heart Shaped World" or "Forever Blue," they are not readily in evidence here.

What you find in their stead is still heartbreak and hormones, but tinted from a slightly different colorbox. "Cool Love" is the obvious single, as it captures all of Isaak's past glories well, and the insanely catchy "American Boy" (the theme to his TV show) is killer rock-a-billy with a great hook. The main difference is that none of this feels threatening or desperate, like "Please," "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" or "Heart Shaped World" did. On the other hand, "Notice The Ring" is an interesting foray into jazz, and the ballad "Worked it Out Wrong" will sure please fans of Isaak's Orbisonesque croon.

"Always Got Tonight" is Isaak's Hollywood CD. If you can deal with the fact that he's shooting at a far broader target than usual, you'll find plenty to enjoy. If not, you can always slip "Forever Blue" back into the disc tray.

With multitudes of artists releasing multitudes of music these days, Chris Isaak has somehow found his own niche; it has no simple definition yet remains unique, and has a certain cult appeal. Rockabilly? Blues? Pop? Country? No. And yes.

However defined, he is sorely under-appreciated by the masses. If they chose to look past what they are delivered to via radio, they would discover a truly great artist creating music with heart, mind, and awesome lyrics. This is true for his other CD's, as well as this one.

One of its biggest appeals is that it's not highly commercial, and doesn't try to be. Chris is his music without pretense or sell-out. It isn't cool to like Chris Isaak (neither is it uncool), but Chris Isaak is cool nonetheless.

I think I share similar opinions with other fans in that since he is not overly commercial, his music is even more appreciated because it is personal. He is a talent too good for what the public normally wants or expects.

The fans know what he and his music are all about. He's a down-to-earth, back-to-basics musician, a great performer, with great songs, and feels like a friend. He easily ranks as one of my favorite artists who's music I never get tired of listening to.