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Editorial Reviews
Jewel Box, 12 tracks
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
141 of 157 people found the following review helpful
By C. York 33
Format:Audio CD
First let me say that I am a huge, diehard Killers fan. Sometimes that may make it hard for me to be objective, so let that be a warning to anyone that reads this.
As with all Killers' fans (Victims), I had huge hopes for this album. This was the album that I hoped would end the debate on which Killers' album is the best. This was the album that I hoped would bring The Killers the attention and respect that they deserve in America. This was the album that I hoped would bring back a rock revolution and put a damper on the teen pop that has a chokehold on today's radio. So when I got in my car, cranked the volume, pressed play and started with Flesh and Bone and didn't stop or skip all the way to the end.......guess what I heard? The album that would just do what I'd hoped. Battle Born totally blew away all of my expectations. Upon first listen, I enjoyed every single song. I cannot say that about any prior Killers' album. On past albums, it would take several listens for many of the songs to grow on me. Eventually something would "click" with me, a line, a riff, something that I missed on all of my prior listens and then I would feel like an idiot for not liking or "getting" the song to begin with. That was not the case with Battle Born at all.
So after my excitement of hearing what I thought was the best Killers album ever, you can imagine my disappointment as I started reading the reviews. I started with reading professional reviews. Of course all of them were just brutal. "Well the critics have never liked The Killers," I thought. Why would I think Battle Born would win them over? So, then I checked out what the "people" were saying about this album. It was even worse. Rolling Stone, which has always been hyper-critical of The Killers, gave a better review than most posts I've seen on Amazon and Itunes. Have I lost all sense of what is "good music"? Or am I listening to a different album than everyone else???
I will take some time to explore what I've seen as the most common complaints about Battle Born and give my opinion. Once again, maybe I have just gone off the deep end, but if you've snubbed Battle Born for one of these reasons below, I believe you need to give it another listen.
1. "Battle Boring, No Energy, Too Many Ballads"-----By my count there are 3 ballads on this album, "Here With Me", "Heart of a Girl", and "Be Still". Which I will say that is a lot for a Killers' album. Now, I define a ballad based on the tempo of the song. All of the other songs on Battle Born, in my opinion, are either mid-tempo or upbeat. "Miss Atomic Bomb" may start off slow, but by the 2nd verse it sounds like it has hit the same beats per minute as "Human". If you define a ballad based on the subject matter of a song; busted up relationships, the state of the world today, the trials and tribulations of your faith or the music industry, then yes Battle Born has a lot of ballads. In fact every single song would be considered a ballad by that definition. Actually, every single song The Killers have ever written would be a ballad.
My thoughts on the ballads: "Here With Me" is a classic 80's Journey/Reo Speedwagon power ballad. You will either love it or hate it. "Heart of a Girl" is a gospel-tinged song that reminds me of "Romeo and Juliet" meets "On the Floor". I don't think Brandon ever gets too preachy with his lyrics, and as a person of faith I certainly appreciate that he incorporates that into his writing, but if it's not your thing then this song may turn you off. "Be Still" is my least favorite song on the album, but still resonates with me more than "Everything Will Be Alright" or "My List" from previous albums.
I don't know how others are measuring "energy", but if it is by tempo of song, this album has energy. If people are referring to the energy that The Killers play with, then I would say YouTube any of their performances of "Runaways" or "Miss Atomic Bomb". Clearly to me, the guys "believe" in these songs as much as anything they've done before. And as someone who has seen them live recently, I was blown away by their energy and excitement when they played their new songs.
2. "It sounds like Flamingo 2.0"----This is a puzzling critique to me. Primarily, because when Flamingo came out, all I can remember people saying is that it sounded too much like The Killers. Given that Brandon is the voice and lyricist of The Killers of course you are going to hear similarities between the two. This is why I feel that lead singers should not release solo albums, but that is another story.
3. "I wish they would just go back to their Hot Fuss sound"----I hate to say this people, but Hot Fuss 2.0 will probably never be produced. And if it ever was to be made, everyone would complain about how they just copied themselves and were not original enough. Each album The Killers have released manages to show a different side, but yet still kind of sound like The Killers. I'm still amazed that everyone else continues to be surprised by this phenomenon. It's just what they do. However, with Battle Born I didn't hear any curve balls. No saxophones or disco, just pieces of all of their work before. From Hot Fuss to Flamingo, all of those ingredients are used to create Battle Born.
4. "No Guitars"----Really??? Really?? You can't hear Dave? Does he crank out a solo at the end of every song? No. Can we at least agree that there are more guitars on Battle Born than on Day & Age? Yes. The guitars are certainly more prominent on Sam's Town, but I couldn't argue that there are more or less guitars on Battle Born than Hot Fuss. If Hot Fuss is the gold standard, then everyone should be happy with the level of guitar work put in by Mr. Keuning.
5. "Bad Lyrics"----This is the band that gave us "Somebody told me you had a..........", "Are we Human or are we Dancer?", or "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier". Brandon's lyrics have always been up for debate - this is not new to Battle Born. "I don't want your picture on my cell phone" will probably be this album's most picked on lyric. To me, The Killers have never been about coming up with the best prose in 4 minutes, but being able to create an emotion or paint a picture that is somehow connected to your life but yet still seems like a scene from a movie. I will say Brandon's lyrics are more linear on this album than past. I don't think that is a good or bad thing. In the lyrics I hear stories and I hear some ambiguity on Battle Born. Just like all the other albums.
6. "All the songs sound the same/blend together"----You can't have it both ways. Either their sound is constantly evolving or it isn't. There are too many ballads or there is not enough. Regardless of what they do, people never seem to be happy. I'm frustrated as hell about this, and I didn't even make this music. I can't imagine how Brandon, Dave, Mark or Ronnie would feel. I guess they are just used to it by now.
To me this album is a must-own for any Killers' fan. If you are not a fan already, I don't know if this album will change your mind about them, but hey give it a shot. I will end by saying this: Don't be too surprised when the next Killers' album is released if you read people complaining that it doesn't sound enough like Battle Born.
As with all Killers' fans (Victims), I had huge hopes for this album. This was the album that I hoped would end the debate on which Killers' album is the best. This was the album that I hoped would bring The Killers the attention and respect that they deserve in America. This was the album that I hoped would bring back a rock revolution and put a damper on the teen pop that has a chokehold on today's radio. So when I got in my car, cranked the volume, pressed play and started with Flesh and Bone and didn't stop or skip all the way to the end.......guess what I heard? The album that would just do what I'd hoped. Battle Born totally blew away all of my expectations. Upon first listen, I enjoyed every single song. I cannot say that about any prior Killers' album. On past albums, it would take several listens for many of the songs to grow on me. Eventually something would "click" with me, a line, a riff, something that I missed on all of my prior listens and then I would feel like an idiot for not liking or "getting" the song to begin with. That was not the case with Battle Born at all.
So after my excitement of hearing what I thought was the best Killers album ever, you can imagine my disappointment as I started reading the reviews. I started with reading professional reviews. Of course all of them were just brutal. "Well the critics have never liked The Killers," I thought. Why would I think Battle Born would win them over? So, then I checked out what the "people" were saying about this album. It was even worse. Rolling Stone, which has always been hyper-critical of The Killers, gave a better review than most posts I've seen on Amazon and Itunes. Have I lost all sense of what is "good music"? Or am I listening to a different album than everyone else???
I will take some time to explore what I've seen as the most common complaints about Battle Born and give my opinion. Once again, maybe I have just gone off the deep end, but if you've snubbed Battle Born for one of these reasons below, I believe you need to give it another listen.
1. "Battle Boring, No Energy, Too Many Ballads"-----By my count there are 3 ballads on this album, "Here With Me", "Heart of a Girl", and "Be Still". Which I will say that is a lot for a Killers' album. Now, I define a ballad based on the tempo of the song. All of the other songs on Battle Born, in my opinion, are either mid-tempo or upbeat. "Miss Atomic Bomb" may start off slow, but by the 2nd verse it sounds like it has hit the same beats per minute as "Human". If you define a ballad based on the subject matter of a song; busted up relationships, the state of the world today, the trials and tribulations of your faith or the music industry, then yes Battle Born has a lot of ballads. In fact every single song would be considered a ballad by that definition. Actually, every single song The Killers have ever written would be a ballad.
My thoughts on the ballads: "Here With Me" is a classic 80's Journey/Reo Speedwagon power ballad. You will either love it or hate it. "Heart of a Girl" is a gospel-tinged song that reminds me of "Romeo and Juliet" meets "On the Floor". I don't think Brandon ever gets too preachy with his lyrics, and as a person of faith I certainly appreciate that he incorporates that into his writing, but if it's not your thing then this song may turn you off. "Be Still" is my least favorite song on the album, but still resonates with me more than "Everything Will Be Alright" or "My List" from previous albums.
I don't know how others are measuring "energy", but if it is by tempo of song, this album has energy. If people are referring to the energy that The Killers play with, then I would say YouTube any of their performances of "Runaways" or "Miss Atomic Bomb". Clearly to me, the guys "believe" in these songs as much as anything they've done before. And as someone who has seen them live recently, I was blown away by their energy and excitement when they played their new songs.
2. "It sounds like Flamingo 2.0"----This is a puzzling critique to me. Primarily, because when Flamingo came out, all I can remember people saying is that it sounded too much like The Killers. Given that Brandon is the voice and lyricist of The Killers of course you are going to hear similarities between the two. This is why I feel that lead singers should not release solo albums, but that is another story.
3. "I wish they would just go back to their Hot Fuss sound"----I hate to say this people, but Hot Fuss 2.0 will probably never be produced. And if it ever was to be made, everyone would complain about how they just copied themselves and were not original enough. Each album The Killers have released manages to show a different side, but yet still kind of sound like The Killers. I'm still amazed that everyone else continues to be surprised by this phenomenon. It's just what they do. However, with Battle Born I didn't hear any curve balls. No saxophones or disco, just pieces of all of their work before. From Hot Fuss to Flamingo, all of those ingredients are used to create Battle Born.
4. "No Guitars"----Really??? Really?? You can't hear Dave? Does he crank out a solo at the end of every song? No. Can we at least agree that there are more guitars on Battle Born than on Day & Age? Yes. The guitars are certainly more prominent on Sam's Town, but I couldn't argue that there are more or less guitars on Battle Born than Hot Fuss. If Hot Fuss is the gold standard, then everyone should be happy with the level of guitar work put in by Mr. Keuning.
5. "Bad Lyrics"----This is the band that gave us "Somebody told me you had a..........", "Are we Human or are we Dancer?", or "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier". Brandon's lyrics have always been up for debate - this is not new to Battle Born. "I don't want your picture on my cell phone" will probably be this album's most picked on lyric. To me, The Killers have never been about coming up with the best prose in 4 minutes, but being able to create an emotion or paint a picture that is somehow connected to your life but yet still seems like a scene from a movie. I will say Brandon's lyrics are more linear on this album than past. I don't think that is a good or bad thing. In the lyrics I hear stories and I hear some ambiguity on Battle Born. Just like all the other albums.
6. "All the songs sound the same/blend together"----You can't have it both ways. Either their sound is constantly evolving or it isn't. There are too many ballads or there is not enough. Regardless of what they do, people never seem to be happy. I'm frustrated as hell about this, and I didn't even make this music. I can't imagine how Brandon, Dave, Mark or Ronnie would feel. I guess they are just used to it by now.
To me this album is a must-own for any Killers' fan. If you are not a fan already, I don't know if this album will change your mind about them, but hey give it a shot. I will end by saying this: Don't be too surprised when the next Killers' album is released if you read people complaining that it doesn't sound enough like Battle Born.
40 of 45 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Really wish people would stop moaning about how this isn't like Hot Fuss...
September 23, 2012
By ddai
Format:Audio CD
...and just accept that The Killers change their sound drastically album to album.
Personally I love their old albums and although Battle Born is really, really different I like it a lot as well.
Brandon Flower's voice is majestic as ever and I dig the new instrumental sounds too.
Personally I love their old albums and although Battle Born is really, really different I like it a lot as well.
Brandon Flower's voice is majestic as ever and I dig the new instrumental sounds too.
64 of 76 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Disclaimer: This is my favorite band of all time so please, take everything I say with a grain of salt. That said, I admit that though eventually I was able to find enjoyment from DAY & AGE I can understand why it got such criticism as it did. I love HOT FUSS but I consider SAM'S TOWN to be the essential album of The Killers. I have good news. Though BATTLE BORN may not be as good as SAM'S TOWN, it is definitely a worthy sequel. It's great to have the band back.
BATTLE BORN is a "dustland fairytale" to the core. This is a complete and total "blue jean serenade" of layered, polished, and refined music. The production value is excellent but it is important to remember that The Killers can actually perform this live. This isn't just studio magic. This band is a premium act.
BATTLE BORN is much more SAM'S TOWN than it is DAY & AGE but there is still some of that disco-glam-dance influence to be found. BATTLE BORN is primarily heartland rock, infused with a dose of country (a la Brandon's solo album FLAMINGO). It's an interesting blend and it's not for everyone. I know there are those who lament the band's departure from HOT FUSS but I personally appreciate the dynamic range of The Killers. I'm not going to discuss every song for once, just my absolute favorites. But enough introduction, on to the music!
"Flesh and Bone" - At the moment this is my favorite track on BATTLE BORN. This is a rousing battle hymn if I've ever heard one. Brandon on synth and Dave on guitar are the driving force of the song but it is the lyrics that really give this song punch. I'd bet money that this is the next single released from the album.
"Runaways" - This will always hold a special place in my heart as the first new song of the reunited Killers. From Ronnie's galloping percussion to the soaring vocals and reverberating guitar this track screams arena rock. This is a BIG song that is barely contained by the limitations of digital recording.
"Matter of Time" - The way this track starts reminds me of HOT FUSS, with the heavier pace and the background vocals ("whoooa-ooo-oooo"). It's has a distinct "Somebody Told Me" flavor to it, with a hint of SAM'S TOWN. As another great arena rock song this will be fun to sing along to live.
"Deadlines and Commitments" - I wasn't really digging this song at first. Like, at all. After listening to it a couple times it has really grown on me. At various times of the day I found myself singing, "If you should fall upon hard times..." An unexpected hit this one.
"Miss Atomic Bomb" - I liked this one. And then I really listened to it. And then I fell in love. This is decent...until you realize that it is the prequel to "Mr. Brightside" and it totally blows your mind. This probably has some of the best lyrics of the entire album and in true Killers fashion it tells a beautiful, sad story. It sort of reminds me of "Dustland Fairytale" one of my all time favorites.
`The Rising Tide" - There is some awkward lyrical delivery on this track, the first line for instance, "the streets of persuasion, are plated with gold, your heart's in the right place but you traveled down the wrong road..." But once you get past some of the unwieldly lines (think "Swallow It" from FLAMINGO) it really is a good song. Plus there is a wicked sweet guitar riff courtesy of Dave near the end.
"From Here On Out" - This isn't heartland rock so much as it is country but you know what? I can dig it. This is also reminiscent of Brandon's solo album, kinda makes you want to throw on some cowboy boots and square dance.
"Battle Born" - Here it is, the theme song of the album. It opens with ascending keyboard and guitar. This track is certainly an inspirational anthem. I love the guitar and drums but best of all is the vocals as Brandon reminds us all, we are battle born.
Overall BATTLE BORN is a great album, just the return I have been waiting four years for. The Killers are back and in fine form. There are tracks that don't carry the same youthful enthusiasm and impressive scope that I so admire ("The Way it Was" and "Here With Me") and I can't stand "Heart of a Girl" but all in all this is a Grade A album. I highly recommend obtaining the two bonus tracks, "Carry Me Home" and especially "Prize Fighter." If you are among The Victims rest easy, the band is back together and making music just as memorable as ever.
BATTLE BORN is a "dustland fairytale" to the core. This is a complete and total "blue jean serenade" of layered, polished, and refined music. The production value is excellent but it is important to remember that The Killers can actually perform this live. This isn't just studio magic. This band is a premium act.
BATTLE BORN is much more SAM'S TOWN than it is DAY & AGE but there is still some of that disco-glam-dance influence to be found. BATTLE BORN is primarily heartland rock, infused with a dose of country (a la Brandon's solo album FLAMINGO). It's an interesting blend and it's not for everyone. I know there are those who lament the band's departure from HOT FUSS but I personally appreciate the dynamic range of The Killers. I'm not going to discuss every song for once, just my absolute favorites. But enough introduction, on to the music!
"Flesh and Bone" - At the moment this is my favorite track on BATTLE BORN. This is a rousing battle hymn if I've ever heard one. Brandon on synth and Dave on guitar are the driving force of the song but it is the lyrics that really give this song punch. I'd bet money that this is the next single released from the album.
"Runaways" - This will always hold a special place in my heart as the first new song of the reunited Killers. From Ronnie's galloping percussion to the soaring vocals and reverberating guitar this track screams arena rock. This is a BIG song that is barely contained by the limitations of digital recording.
"Matter of Time" - The way this track starts reminds me of HOT FUSS, with the heavier pace and the background vocals ("whoooa-ooo-oooo"). It's has a distinct "Somebody Told Me" flavor to it, with a hint of SAM'S TOWN. As another great arena rock song this will be fun to sing along to live.
"Deadlines and Commitments" - I wasn't really digging this song at first. Like, at all. After listening to it a couple times it has really grown on me. At various times of the day I found myself singing, "If you should fall upon hard times..." An unexpected hit this one.
"Miss Atomic Bomb" - I liked this one. And then I really listened to it. And then I fell in love. This is decent...until you realize that it is the prequel to "Mr. Brightside" and it totally blows your mind. This probably has some of the best lyrics of the entire album and in true Killers fashion it tells a beautiful, sad story. It sort of reminds me of "Dustland Fairytale" one of my all time favorites.
`The Rising Tide" - There is some awkward lyrical delivery on this track, the first line for instance, "the streets of persuasion, are plated with gold, your heart's in the right place but you traveled down the wrong road..." But once you get past some of the unwieldly lines (think "Swallow It" from FLAMINGO) it really is a good song. Plus there is a wicked sweet guitar riff courtesy of Dave near the end.
"From Here On Out" - This isn't heartland rock so much as it is country but you know what? I can dig it. This is also reminiscent of Brandon's solo album, kinda makes you want to throw on some cowboy boots and square dance.
"Battle Born" - Here it is, the theme song of the album. It opens with ascending keyboard and guitar. This track is certainly an inspirational anthem. I love the guitar and drums but best of all is the vocals as Brandon reminds us all, we are battle born.
Overall BATTLE BORN is a great album, just the return I have been waiting four years for. The Killers are back and in fine form. There are tracks that don't carry the same youthful enthusiasm and impressive scope that I so admire ("The Way it Was" and "Here With Me") and I can't stand "Heart of a Girl" but all in all this is a Grade A album. I highly recommend obtaining the two bonus tracks, "Carry Me Home" and especially "Prize Fighter." If you are among The Victims rest easy, the band is back together and making music just as memorable as ever.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not quite living up to the hype
After all of the 5 Star ratings and rave reviews, I felt a little let down. I don't think that this album was terrible, but not nearly as good as their previous albums.
Published 3 days ago by Jason C. Max
5.0 out of 5 stars
great lyrics and classic Killers sound
glad I bought it going to see them again in concert this year If you like high energy and good singing you must see this band
Published 4 days ago by Luis Napoles
4.0 out of 5 stars
battle born
Less electro pop rock than past albums, good story telling and overall good sound. Its like a slightly more grown up killers.
Published 19 days ago by killers fan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Killers CD
If you have one CD of The Killiers, this must be it. We have played it over and over again. Every single song is excellent!!!
Published 22 days ago by Dynasys
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Is A Winning Must!
After taking there two-year absence from the spotlight, The Killers made their
fabulous return to the music charts in 2012 with this highly versatile tour de force
as... Read more
fabulous return to the music charts in 2012 with this highly versatile tour de force
as... Read more
Published 27 days ago by RH
3.0 out of 5 stars
Lackluster
Title says it all. The album is fine, but it is nothing that I want to listen to over and over.
Published 27 days ago by Eamon
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great.. unexpected
I was a little nervous getting this album, because I haven't listened to the Killers is forever, but i decided i would go for it and i am SOO glad i did they have a new, refined... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sadie Brown
3.0 out of 5 stars
Another Solid Album from The Killers
I enjoyed this album from start to finish as I have with all of the band's previous works. Despite some changes from album to album they maintain a certain kind of sound that I... Read more
Published 1 month ago by J.J. Dyn-O-Mite!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Album!
It took me a while to start really appreciating it, but now I'm hooked. My favorites:
1) Flesh and Bone
2) Runaways
3) Battle Born
1) Flesh and Bone
2) Runaways
3) Battle Born
Published 1 month ago by Stefano E.
5.0 out of 5 stars
DIFFERENT SOUND....
The Killers finally returned ! felt like the band was away for more then 2 years. On Battle Born The Killers do sound a little different then any of their previous albums and we... Read more
Published 1 month ago by MUSICFAN89
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