Customer Reviews

Are You With Me

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If the measure of a cd's greatness is the amount of time it spends in the player, this one's amazing. If the measure of its greatness is the ease with which its songs stick in the mind, this one's incredible. If the measure of its greatness is the memories that cling to the songs, this is one of the best cd's in the world.

I'm hard-pressed to come up with anything to say about this album except for how much I love it. My favorite tracks are "How Do You Tell Someone?"--a song which has been one of my favorites for the last four years; "God Makes the Rain"; and "Laughable". The evocative and unexpected lyrics, the fullness of the music, and the buoyancy of the entire cd make it invaluable to me, and a great cd for anyone to own.

Never in my life has a CD made such an impact in my life. Are You With Me?'s phenomenal musicianship and fun loving, emotional, and deep lyrics add an element to Cowboy Mouth that makes every song unforgettable. This CD was the first Cowboy Mouth CD that got me hooked and there are not enough words to describe how much this CD means to me. This CD will always be my all time favorite...I HIGHLY recommend it! Long live the Mouth!!

This CD is excellent! Down-to-earth music that hits home for everyone. Full of energy, several singers to keep things interesting--a rock and country combo flavor. Buy it today!

Cowboy Mouth never fails to give all they can, whether on a CD, or a live show. I have converted my whole office to CM fans, with no complaints. They always make you feel good. This album is full of their typical energy, and you will be rocking along with them before you know it.

Because I don't have a clue what I was thinking! Maybe my musical taste has matured since then, or maybe this album just grew on me, but either way, this album is freaking fantastic. Without a question, this is the only album in my collection (with the exception of other Cowboy Mouth releases) that is like this. And by that I mean that I have no other album of any kind of music like this; just look at my other reviews-how much do Killswitch Engage and Rise Against have in common with Cowboy Mouth? And that my friends just shows you just how great these guys are. I actually have a pretty diverse taste in music (or at least what would be considered "rock" music) anyway, but believe me when I say that this album can be appreciated by anyone from a diehard metal fan to a laid back country fan. It's that good, and it is this quality that helps this album to defy labels. What genre would you call it? Rock? Country? Alternative? Hillbilly? Who knows? And who cares-it's good music and that's all that matters.

Musically this album is quite diverse, as I already pointed out. Odds are if you're looking at this it's because you heard the single off of it, "Jenny Says." That is without question a great song, but there really isn't a worse representation the rest of the music on this album. However, a song needed to be released to radio, and it is almost the only song on here that would fully fit in with mainstream radio stations, and therefore I understand-it is all good. Though when purchasing this album, I went on the assumption that the rest of the songs would be like "Jenny Says," and while I have now come to love the rest of the album, I was gravely mistaken then. "Love of My Life" is probably the song closest in style to it, but other than that the songs are a lot more laid back and more country, softer alternative influenced. So, in conclusion here, if you are thinking about buying this album based on that one single, give the other ones a listen first to see if you dig them as well.

My personal favorite tracks on this disc are "Jenny Says," just because it was my intoduction to the Mouth, "God Makes the Rain," "Man On the Run," and "Peacemaker." I don't know why some people don't like "Peacemaker," I think the second vocalist (sorry, I don't know his name) does an excellent jobs on mellower songs and he really shines in this one particularly. The greatest amount of country influence you could find on here lies within the track "Light It On Fire." That was actually the second song I heard off of this record, after only "Jenny Says," and while I generally despise most country, I really like this song. It really does amaze me how much I like this guys in spite of their coutry influence. I don't like country, and hate the current state it's in these days even more, but when these guys throw in some more elements and mix things up a little bit, it makes for a truly magnificent result.

This is without a doubt my favorite CD in my collection to just chill out to. Whenever I need a break from heavier side of things, nothing hits the spot better than this album. Don't come in with a narrow mind; give this record a chance, and you just might end up finding that your musical taste is even more diverse than you thought it to be. After all, just look at me.

As usual, confessing i've known Fred since 1986, when i saw him sing "Jennie Says" for the first time in public (as drummer in Dash Rip Rock, who you also ought check out).

When Fred formed the Mouth, i was Right There -- this is an INCREDIBLE live band, and no CD has yet succeeded in capturing all of their power and drive... but all of their albums are worth owning.

As their major label debut, it was obligatory to put "Jennie" on this album, it's third waxing that i can recall (on DRR's "Ace of Clubs", on CM's indie debut, "Word of Mouth" and here) -- it's still a painfully well-drawn portrait of Fred's time with a girl friend who didn't understand anything about him.

Also making a second appearance (previously on their third indie, "It Means Escape") "How Do You Tell Someone" is a somewhat-different take on trying to End It.

"The Love of My Life", yet another love-gone-wrong song, is about the last stages of a relatioship with a woman who has become so intensely self-centered that "... she's not the love of my life anymore ..."

The fourth really outstanding song on this one is rhythm guitarist Paul Sanchez's "Laughable", a bouncy ballad of indecision and self-disgust.

I've been a Cowboy Mouth fan for 10 years, and this is by far the best CD they've put out. You'll even notice that subsequent albums have cuts from this very CD!!! This is the classic CM sound that most fans remember and love - the great acoustic sounds, the phenomenal lyrics. If you've never heard of Cowboy Mouth before, buy this CD and then buy all the others to compare and enjoy. If you've only seen Cowboy Mouth Live, yes you could just buy the live album to reminisce, but this is where it all got started (respects, of course, to Mercyland). And if you're like me, and have owned 2 other copies of this CD and have loaned them out over the years only to never see them again...buy this one again so that you can remember how much fun it was to listen to the first (two or three) time(s).

Few albums make me happier - and more nostalgic - than this pearl from New Orleans' favorite band (sorry, Better than Ezra!) Even though nearly every song addresses his infamously nasty breakup, drummer/singer/songwriter Fred Leblanc manages to cover the full gamut of emotions, from anger ("Jenny Says") to sadness ("God Makes the Rain"), dark vicious humor ("Love of My Life") and heartbreaking nostalgia ("New Orleans").

Two songs are especially outstanding: the uniquely objective "How Do You Tell Someone," which somehow manages to convey the pathos of breaking up without casting judgment on the parties involved, and the light-as-air "Louisiana Lowdown," whose witty lyrics and laissez-faire attitude make it the only song in history that brings an immediate smile to my face, no matter what.

There are some weak spots. I'm not the biggest fan of "Fire," and there's way too much country in "Man on the Run" and "Peacemaker," although John Thomas Griffith gets to shine on "Laughable," at least.

Still, a great album from one of the most funny, energetic, and life-affirming bands out there. Can't wait to see them live again.

I just LOVE this cd!!! This was my first of many Cowboy Mouth cd's and it just got me hooked. Some of my favorites on Are You With Me? are: Laughable, New Orleans, and God Makes the Rain. Anybody who has never seen Mouth live, it is a must!!! Really a great, high energy show that will leave you wanting more.

I have seen Cowboy Mouth live more times than I can count. No CD will ever capture the fun that a live show of theirs is, but this is my favorite! I put it in whenever I miss New Orleans (I relocated after Katrina), whenever I want somethings to sing along to, whenever I want some cheering up etc.

If you're new to the Mouth, start with this one- then start collecting the rest! And see them live any chance you get!