Customer Reviews

April Uprising

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As someone who wasn't happy when John Butler announced he was changing up his band, April Uprising completely blew me away. The album may possibly be one of John Butler's most diverse albums to date.

While there's a lot of criticism floating around that he's "sold out to the man", the album is more an exploration of himself than an attempt at becoming commercial. He hasn't hidden the fact that the last two years or so were a time for upheaval for him and re-discovery (or possibly, just discovery), and this album is a travel log of that journey.

The new line-up is absolutely fantastic and its obvious that all three of them bring different elements to the creative soup. They've allowed John to really experiment with some different sounds - the album ranges from his more traditional sound (Revolution, Gonna Be A Long Time, Ragged Mile), to pop-rock (One Way Road), to dance (Close to You) and even a dabble at punk (C'mon Now). And you can really tell they're having a complete ball playing around with music.

At first listen, yes, the album comes off as a complete 180 from the previous records but I'm not someone who compares or judges new albums to old ones. Part of being an artist is breaking boundaries, dabbling with new sounds and colours, taking the unknown path - and that is exactly what he does here. You also get to hear how John has really grown as an artist: the sound is much tighter, the lyrics are more condensed without losing their meaning. He's still singing out his message of social consciousness but he's no longer wandering through rambling sentences. The inspiration, the originality and the cause are all still there. Even songs like Close to You are an example of this - I don't know why we've never been told/That the life we're living it is made of gold/Spend our whole damn lives trying to make IT; IT's sold/Boy, don't worry, don't worry, don't worry now"

All in all, its a great album. The band is currently touring and having seen JBT concerts with the previous lineup and the current one, their live performances have only gotten better. Nicky Bomba absolutely electrifies the crowd and Byron Luiters enchants them with bass riffs and shy smiles. Byron has also added the sounds of a didgeridoo to Treat Yo Mama and in one word: WOW!

Gold stars all around.

I have been A JBT fan since I first heard Sunrise Over Sea. I think with every cd, JB trys something new. Some people like it, some people do not. Hey, thats their prerogative, isnt it? I think its health that artist experiment with their music, art, etc. Who wants to be stuck in a rut. This is a great cd, from beginning to end. Who cares if it does not sound like the others Its still great, but , again, hey, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

I checked out what some of you have said and I understand that April Uprising is different from some of John Butler's last albums. We can all probably agree that Grand National was pretty much a greatest hits album. That being said why does it have to be the same sound as what we are used to. John Butler Trio is an incredibly versatile group and the album starts on a tear with Revolution.

Incredible musicians and their sound is growing as they do.

See them live if you have any doubts!

I first heard the lead single One Way Road a few months back and was surprised by how different of a sound it had, even compared to Grand National. When Grand National came out, fans began thinking that John Butler was getting too commercial and mainstream. While that may be the case, I saw Grand National as more of a progression of their everchanging sound, and although Im still not sure if I prefer it to either of the earlier albums, Grand National still holds it's own as a great album and remained true to JBT's sound and messages. I cant say the same for April Uprising.

What initially drew me to JBT and had them become one of my favorite current bands was the originality of the music, the inspirational lyrics, and the power of John Butler making you believe in the message of every song. On April Uprising, all of that is nearly non-existent. The musicianship is more simple & less unique than its ever been, the lyrics feel generic and uninspired, and on only a handful of songs does Butler's soul feel like it is attached to the music. That might sound odd, but that's how it feels when listening to all of his first 3 albums, and much of this album almost feels like JB singing other people's songs without that fire and passion. On To Look Like You, Butler says "Gonna sell right out to the great white dream 'cos I too want to be a beauty queen." Only JB knows if he actually sold out, but despite the mostly cliched content of this particular track, Butler has some of the best lyrics on the album with "just a teenage girl sitting in my room with the bullet for a mirror looking for a broom".

Although the foundations of the house that the John Butler Trio built are still apparent at times, this remodeled version - on multiple levels - is not as good as the original. Instead of Funky Tonight, there's Close To You. Instead of Peaches & Cream, it's A Star Is Born. There's no Treat Yo Mama, but there is One Way Road. Instead of What You Want, this album has Steal It. On this album, To Look Like You takes the place of Good Excuse. Instead of Hello, there's Johnny's Gone. JB has another ode to his wife with Fool For You, but it's certainly no Daniella. The themes of some songs on April Uprising we've heard before, but all of them have been done better previously. There's a reason I couldn't compare any songs from April Uprising to any on JBT's debut Three: it's because JB has become so lyrically removed from that album, they're incomparable. The human behaviors, environment, and politics that Butler has made a career singing about are rarely seen on April Uprising, and when they are, they usually dont ring as true.

For all the negatives Ive described about this album, they mostly come from the high standard JBT has set, so I still think April Uprising deserves 3/5 stars. Revolution seems like a better closing song than opener (especially since they cut what sounds like a mounting jam off at the end), but its still one of the best songs on the album and one of the few times Butler sings like he has personal interest in what he's saying. Like Revolution, it's not surprising the other highlights - Take Me, Ragged Mile, I'd Do Anything, Gonna Be A Long Time - are the songs where JB sings with passion and have that sound that is undeniably JBT. Despite sounding like the Red Hot Chili Peppers had a cameo track on the album, JBT pull off Dont Wanna See Your Face with ease and make you wish this album had more songs like it. However, outside of Johnny's Gone and One Way Road, the other 6-7 songs are disappointing, generic, and forgettable. The fact that none of JBT's previous albums had more than 1 song I didnt really like, yet on this one it's nearly half of the album, is quite alarming. If you have yet to get the album, I recommend getting it on iTunes because the 3 bonus tracks they offer - Gone, Only You, and Satisfy - are all better than the 6-7 forgettable songs on April Uprising, and make me wonder why they werent included on the actual album in the first place. Some have complained about the production of the album, but I think it sounds fine and would hardly call the album overproduced. I know some people will like this album more than me, but in no facet is April Uprising near as good as any of JBT's first 3 albums (Three, Sunrise Over Sea, and Grand National), and that is just the plain truth.

Like Ben Harper, another of my favorite musicians whose career until recently revolved around lap slide guitar, John Butler's classic slide guitar is noticeably missing on much of April Uprising. I think both artists are getting away from something that made them so special, unique, and separated them from the "musical pack" in the first place, but Harper has proved his last few albums that he can still make very good albums without much slide guitar, which is something I cant say John Butler accomplished on this album. If you asked me 5 years ago that on a day when a new John Butler Trio album was released it wouldnt be my favorite album, I would've called you crazy, but that happened on April 6th, 2010 because the other album I picked up (and highly recommend) was Dr. Dog's Shame, Shame. It's my favorite album so far in 2010, something I had hoped I could say, but sadly cant, about April Uprising.

A great album. John Butler reportedly replaced the members of his trio for this album to keep it fresh. The album still has his signature sound, but the new feel is nice. Lots of vocal harmonies, a bit of a country feel and a dynamic selection of songs. For fans and new listeners a like, worth it.

I have to disagree with the negative reviews of this album. Yes it's different from his previous work, but not that much. Each of his past records had a song or two that are what this one is prevelant with, and I find it works quite nicely. As with any JBT recording, you have to get past some of the simplistic and cheesy lyrics, but the ultimate effect is fantastic. I came into this listening expecting it to be mainstream radio rock that is falls flat, but I was very surprised when I first sat down and gave it a spin. While I don't love it as a whole, I do like it a lot. With that said, there are some gems on here that can't be missed. Revolution, Johnny's Gone, Take Me, and To Look Like You (yes, lyrics are somewhat cheesy, but this song works!) are on par with his best work. I do think the album takes a downturn with the last 4 songs; the closeout is quite weak (well, Gonna Be a Long Time is decent).

So, I suggest listening to it with an open mind. This reminds me more of Ben Harper with JB's sound mixed in, and I appreciate his tour into the more rock driven genre. I like that he isn't confining himself to one sound, and it makes my anticipation for his next CD that much greater.

How uprising is part of the title is beyond me. Huge disappointment. There is no flow to this album. I just don't get what jbt was trying to accomplish here. I sure hope they follow this up with a much better effort. Bring back the inspiring music we were accustomed to with your previous efforts.

LOVED this new album. John Butler Trio have been one of my favorites since the moment I heard 'em. They really changed things up a bit with April Uprising. I was a bit skeptical when they changed the line up again but I am extremely impressed with everyone! I am so excited to see that they are playing at All Good Music Festival this July. It'll be good to see the new guys play with John. They are phenomenal live! I think my favorite song on this album is Don't Wanna See Your Face. I absolutely can't wait to see them again! I would highly recommend this album.

While I will admit I did not know anything about JBT prior to hearing this album I think that is a good thing in this case. A friend gave me this CD as a birthday gift and from the moment I first popped it into the player I have been hooked. It is one of my favorite albums and one of the best I've heard in years. As much as I appreciate the opinions of the people giving negative reviews on here, I think it's obvious that they are biased towards this band's prior recordings and apparently do not like the new changes. I can respect that, there have been many bands that have changed away from my taste, but to say that this CD is no good or not worth buying is only one persons opinion. I for one say buy it right now and you might as well buy another pair of shoes while you're at it because you're gonna wear out the souls on the ones you're wearing now!

First of all, I try my best to never compare someones new album to their old albums. I believe doing that gives the listener an initial negative opinion of the new album, which is unfair to the artist who changed up their sound. Artists need to change their sound to present their new creativity and ability, and it is not fair to judge their new material in terms of their old. But sometimes when an artists' transformation is so terrible, it is impossible not to look back and regret what an artist has become. Now after saying that, I hate April Uprising and it is very hard not to compare it to the impressive albums that he has made in the past. The creativity is missing, the progressions are identical to Third Eye Blind's hit singles (which is a embarrassing thing for John), and the lyrics are comical. Songs like One Way Road, C'Mon Now, Close To You, and To Look Like You lack emotion and are just overall terrible. They show many similarities with today's mainstream music and completely lack everything that drew me into John. There are a few highlights of the album, but they are somehow mixed in with the garbage. Revolution, I'd Do Anything, and Take Me are good songs, but they still lack the previous emotion and unique guitar playing that I loved about the Trio. The album lacks direction, a story line, and emotion and is not worth purchasing.