Customer Reviews

Awake Is the New Sleep (Dig)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

having spent a few months with this record i feel ive had an adequate amount of time to give it a fair review. ive ben a fan of bens work for the last ten years and have followed him from record to record, style to style. i love all of his records in their own regard, however...

this record is by far the best thing that ben has ever recorded. by far. the production and arrangement of the songs are perfectly suited to the songs, their emotion - and what i feel is their message...their lessons. bens voice has never sounded better - his vocals on this record amaze me with every listen. laras keys throughout the record help give the songs a sparkle that brings the songs home.

highlights on the record to me are - begin and no right angles. i think those are the strongest tracks and the tracks that are best produced. i have an emotional closeness to ache for you, gamble everything for love and into the dark. the spiritualized journey of 'light' - the joy and VIBE in we're all in this together and catch my disease is infectious as it comes through your speakers. the addition of the crowd in this track does nothing but make you smile. :]

so the bottom line. if you're a ben newbie - buy this. if youve gone to a show and gotten the infectious inspiration drug he doles out, get this record. if you're a long time fan that is hesitant - dont be. this is ben at his best.

the future looks bright. and thats the way i like it.

After reading your review of Ben Lee's `Awake is the New Sleep', I was so taken aback by its stupidity and short-sightedness that I had to write a response.
I don't think it is valid to criticize music purely on the grounds that it doesn't conform to "certain rules of songwriting and music in general that must be obeyed". Should we be calling the police?
For your information HMC, good music ignores what it popular, what it expected and what is safe. Luminaries from Mozart to The Beatles to Eminem defied expectations on what music should be and as a result, changed the face of music for the better.
If we don't have artists who break these "rules", either by trying to fit five words where only four will fit or using non-scale notes and chords or fusing discordant styles of music, nothing changes and as a result music becomes stale.
Don't criticize an artist for trying something different, for trying to be individual.
And what's all this about non-western scales sounding strange to our ears? How is this relevant?
"Hmm, I was thinking of buying the new Ben Lee CD but after reading all this about non-tonal pentacostic scales, I think I'll buy something by an accomplished artist". Please. This seems to me as someone may have taken a music course at community college and wants to show off.
Awake is the New Sleep is a solid pop-rock album that is evidence of a songwriter not scared to wear his heart on his sleeve. It is sure to please Lee's solid fanbase. For new listeners, it won't change your life but it does have its moments.

I'm gonna go ahead and disagree with everyone that says this is Ben Lee's best work, that's pretty ridiculous...Breathing Tornados and Something to Remember Me By were both much more creative and interesting albums. That's not to say I dislike this album- my problem with it is that it has a couple of really amazing songs and quite a few mediocre ones. Apple Candy and Begin are my two favorites, both of which are strongly reminiscent of the Breathing Tornados production style. They both start soft and simple and build towards the end, layering effects and drum tracks...Almost of all of the other songs fall victim to mindlessly repeating the title of the song, which makes them sound very very similar to one another. The mostly slow, methodical tempos do little to differentiate them from one another.

I hope that this review does not make me come across as anti-Ben Lee, because I am a huge fan and eagerly awaited this album...For some reason, it just feels as though he didn't care much in its construction, and I know that he can do, and has done, much better.

Certain artists carve out their own unique style without trying to be different. Take for example, this summer's "Odd Man Out" tour featuring Ben Lee, Rufus Wainwright, and Ben Folds. Each has a different style, they are all incredible songwriters and are talented piano/guitar players. I went to the show at the Wiltern in Los Angeles and arrived early enough to see Ben Lee and his performance was so incredible (and understated) that I had to get this album.

Songs like "Get Gotten" and "Gamble Everything For Love" show a melancholy side to Lee while still holding onto a cockeyed optimism that seems to be present in all of his songs. "Catch My Disease" is such a fun and catchy tune, I am not surprised at all that it landed on the "Deuce Bigilo: European Gigilo" soundtrack (not to imply that Ben Lee fans should see that movie...nobody should).

He has a sweet and almost naive view of the world and of love, but that is one of the things that make this album so endearing. And his soft boyish voice just add to the "everyman" appeal. I'd give this album more stars if I could, you definetely will not be dissapointed with this one.

Gamble Everything For Love, Apple Candy, and No Right Angles are my favorites, but the whole album is great. Mellow, but catchy. Relaxing, but doesn't put you to sleep. The lyrics are quirky and intelligent--I just wish they came printed with the CD. Buy it--it'll make you happy. =)

Ben Lee's new album is absolutely worth buying, even if you've never heard it. If you like pop, this will be your new favorite cd. The cd contains both upbeat (catch my disease) and more melancholy (begin) tunes, but each song is sure to inspire you. There will always be one song on this album that you can relate to at any moment in time.

my favorites are:
"We're All in This Together"
"Close I've Come"
"Gamble Everything for Love"

and according to my brother who has booked Ben Lee, he's a real nice guy. Buy his album. you won't regret it.

I just saw Ben Lee in concert. He was the warm up act, but when he was done the line to buy his CD's was the longest I've ever seen at the venue (Wolftrap). Some of the songs on this CD were on prior CD's, but I think they sound better on this CD. Today music is as much a producer's medium as the artist's. Try it. You'll like it. If you've tried it before, you might want to give it a listen once more. If you go to see Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright in concert this summer, go early enough to catch Ben Lee. You'll be glad you did.

Bouncy. Challenging. Witty. Light-hearted. Perfect summer listening. Definitely not for pompous critics who take themselves and music too seriously. AND THAT"S THE WAY I LIKE IT..AND THAT"S THE WAY I LIKE IT.

I heard Gamble Everything for Love when Ben Lee performed on a late night talk show and on the strength of that one song, I bought the CD. Glad I did, because there are a lot of songs worth hearing. I don't have a longterm perspective on this particular singer and haven't bought other CDs of his but I'd strongly suggest getting this one. I admit that I didn't love every single song. One was overly long and another one (Whatever it is, yes that IS the actual name of the song)just didn't grab me.

But that's just my personal taste. The lyrics on nearly every song stand on their own and that is pretty amazing right there, when so much music has either a good melody but terrible lyrics- or vice versa. This time around, there is a perfect blend of lyrics and harmony. Thank goodness!

let me tell you, my addiction happens to be buying cds, so i go through a lot of money and PLENTY of music. but this is by far the best cd i've bought all year. the lyrics will blow you away- ben lee has a bunch of previous cds, but (correct me if i'm wrong) he went to africa... or something just moved him... and that's what inspired him to write this cd, so the lyrics are really fresh and engaging. they just make you want to think. "catch my disease" is, in my opinion, the best song on the cd, but "begin" and "whatever it is" are both gorgeous.

"i'm thinking about the city, it's living proof that people need to be together..." it's lyrics like that that just make me smile. a good cd should be able to make you look at the world in a completely new perspective, and this cd does that and will just make you so, so happy.

this is the best 14 dollars you will ever spend. definitely, definitely buy.