Customer Reviews

Beautiful Soul

5 star:		(158)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(61)

 

 

Beautiful Soul is one heck of a wonderful album by Jesse McCartney. This kid's got more talent in his pinky finger than more artists have in their entire blood stream! The songs are really very good and this makes a fine introduction to the artistry of Jesse McCartney. The quality of the sound is awesome and the artwork is very well done, too.

"She's No You" is a great song with an edgy type of pop that I really like. Jesse sings this with a lot of feeling and that's wonderful! The melody is very well arrangement considering how complex it is; and "She's No You" makes a great starter song for this album. This is anything but elevator music! "Beautiful Soul" has to be one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard from today's young artists--ever. Jesse McCartney sings this with all his heart and soul and just one listen proves it. Indeed, Jesse delves deep into this song to make it really shine and he accomplishes this very nicely. Good work! The electric guitar work also fits in perfectly with the arrangement.

"Get Your Shine On" truly sounds as if it WAS influenced by Michael Jackson's writing a few lines; but make no mistake about it--this is Jesse's song and he performs it flawlessly. "Get Your Shine On" really is pleasing to the ear and it makes for a huge highlight on this album. Jesse's voice is clear and his uncanny sense of timing make songs like "Get Your Shine On" all the better. "Take Your Sweet Time" is a sensitive ballad that proves just how well Jesse can deliver a love song with panache; Jesse sings of how he loves his woman so much that he wait for her to come around and finally see that loving him is the right thing to do.

"Why Don't You Kiss Her?" is another rather tender ballad about a love affair and the fact that not everything always goes smoothly as people want them to go. Jesse sings "Why Don't You Kiss Her?" with all his heart and soul and his style makes this a fantastic tune. I really like "Why Don't You Kiss Her?" and I think you're going to like this song, too. "Come To Me" has a very pretty melody as Jesse sings of how he wants to have the joys of being loved by the one he already loves; and he sings with passionately. "Come To Me" is a very sweet song and it's another major highlight of this CD.

"What's Your Name?" returns to that type of edgy pop that Jesse handles just as well as he handles sensitive love songs; and "What's Your Name?" works very well. The music that accompanies Jesse as he sings fits in perfectly with the lyrics, too. "Why Is Love So Hard To Find?" has a mellow feeling to this pop ballad; and the backup singers harmonize well, too. The CD ends strong with Jesse McCartney performing "The Stupid Things." "The Stupid Things" has an excellent piano arrangement and Jesse sings this without a superfluous note--great!

Jesse McCartney is here to stay and there's just no doubt about it. This is a great album for his fans and it's also a fine introduction to his talents.

Jesse is an artist with way more talent than he's given credit for. The most common comparison is to Aaron Carter. But This album more than proves that he is just about the farthest thing from the Aaron Carter-type popstars he's compared to. Jesse has a great voice that shines through on every track- especially ballads like Take Your Sweet Time and Because You Live. He can shine just as well on fast tracks, and that proves just how much this kid has got. So I urge you to give him a chance and buy this cd. It's full of "soul-infused pop", as it has been called, and now people are starting to compare him to artists like Craig David. So buy 'Beautiful Soul.' I promise you, you will not regret it.

Jesse McCartney's solo debut album is absolutely amazing! I'll admit, I was skeptical when I heard about him at first, I figured he would be just another over produced, untalented boy band type of artist. But when I heard "Beautiful Soul", the title track to this album, I was completely blown away. I had to have the album, simply for that song. So I bought it, and let me tell you, I have no regrets. This CD is definitely one of the best CDs of the year. With the smooth pop rock music and Jesse's equally smooth, amazing vocals, the sound is beautiful and unique. And the lyrics are equally wonderful, they deal with issues all teens go through, but all the songs are written in a different way than all the other ones out there, and they give a fresh perspective.

Here's a rundown of the album:
1. She's No You- 9/10- This song is really cool, fast guitar music and absolutely filled with lyrics. Really rocks!
2. Beautiful Soul-10/10- Title track to the album. This is my new favorite song, the lyrics and music are totally awesome. I especially love the part in the middle where the guitar comes in, 2 thumbs up, Jesse!
3. Get Your Shine On-7/10- Cool song to dance to, not much more to say about that one. One of my least favorites on album. (Still cool though)
4. Take Your Sweet Time-8/10 I love this song, it's so sweet, and it really shows off Jesse's range, going from low to high.
5. Without U- 10/10- One of my favorites, the lyrics are awesome and the musical arrangement is really unique. Again, shows off Jesse's amazing voice to an advantage.
6. Why Don't You Kiss Her?- 8/10- Really sweet song about a guy wondering whether he should tell his best friend that he loves her or not. Sweet and simple.
7. That Was Then- 8/10- Cool song, full of lyrics.
8. Come to Me-6/10- Cool song, just not one of my favorites. Kinda slow and boring at times.
9. What's Your Name?- 10/10- I love this song, it totally rocks! Great beat and lyrics, this song will really get you moving!
10. Because You Live-7/10- Sweet love song, but kinda standard. Almost every artist sings a song that pretty much says this same thing. But cool music and Jesse's vocals turn this one up a notch.
11. Why Is Love So Hard To Find?-9/10- Seriously cool song, and so true. The lyrics really hit home, all about how everybody searches for love, and the music is cool too.
12. Stupid Things-7/10- Definitely not one of my faves, but still cool.

In closing, buy this CD, you will not regret it, I promise!

First off, I just wanted to say that Jesse McCartney is NOTHING like Aaron Carter. Nada. Just because they both have shaggy blonde hair, are around the same age, and sing doesn't mean they're the same. And just because you heard of Aaron before you heard of Jesse, DOESN'T mean that Jesse's an Aaron poser.

Yes, Jesse writes songs. He co-wrote 4 or 5 tracks on the album, (even though he didn't write Beautiful Soul) one of which is She's No You and personally, I think it's a great song.

This is the ONLY album I own that I can play all the way through, which is saying something. Especially since I'm really picky with music :) Jesse's got a great voice and he's learning how to use it to his advantage. I listen to it at least partially every day. It's addictive! Hehe.

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She's No You - Upbeat and fun, has a lot of meaning to it. Great song.

Beautiful Soul - I love the tune of this song. The opening guitar riffs are simple but effective. The lyrics are cute (but I didn't like the video too much!) I love the guitar.

Get Your Shine One - I didn't like this one too much. The tune is good for dancing, though.

Take Your Sweet Time - My favourite ballad. It's slow and it's a nice slow-dance track. It's really meaningful and deep.

Without U - Hmm, this track is ok, I personally don't think the tune really flows together much and the chorus is a bit weird.

Why Don't You Kiss Her - Another slow ballad. The lyrics are really sweet.

That Was Then - I liked all of this song. It's funky and upbeat, but I don't think the tune really goes with the lyrics.

Come To Me - A good remake of "Let Me Be The One" (Can't remember who sang it) I love the chorus. The intro is a bit funny, Jesse should tone down on the headvoice. My friend's little sister thought it was a girl.

What's Your Name - Fastpaced and upbeat. A great song to scream along to in the car. Especially when your tongue gets tied, hehe. The lyrics are cute. It's about this guy who sees this girl everywhere he goes and he wants to get to know her, but she keeps on disappearing.

Because You Live - My second favourite after Beautiful Soul. Ha, I'm soooo predictable. I love the tune of the chorus. This is one of the few songs that opens with piano chords, while most of the others open with the guitar. It's a pity though, the piano is overriden by the drums and guitar until the end. It could have been a bit louder. Nevertheless, a great song. It flows together nicely.

Why Is Love So Hard To Find - The lyrics in this one are sweet and it also has a really fun tune.

The Stupid Things - A song that's a bit more broody. "Just charge it to my account, I hope I haven't gone over my limit..." I dunno why, that cracks me up every time I hear it. I always think of Jesse is a dark suite, swinging drunkenly on a bar stool when I hear this song. It's a slower song but it's really good.

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A great debut album - Jesse's got a lot of potential and is doing very well for someone of age. It's also great that he sees himself as a rolemodel and he makes sure he always carries himself well.

A fantastic addition to any CD collection. Great job Jess!

"Beautiful Soul" is well produced, the songs are tight and upbeat. My daughter is a Jesse fan, and I have to admit that I'm hooked on this CD now as well. It's got a great pop/R&B feel without being sugary or shallow. He's extremely talented and has a bright future as a singer, actor and even songwriter.

After listening to this CD numerous times I think the most impressive aspect of the entire album most is that the songs are very respectful of girls. Most the songs are romantic songs with various twists to the theme. It's refreshing to hear lyrics that don't put down or treat girls as objects. He's a great role model for teenage boys. I'm happy my daughter enjoys listening to these songs as it reinforces the message that she should expect a boy to treat her respectfully. I'm gratified that his song "Beautiful Soul" reached the top 10...how many songs do you come across nowadays that say how you look doesn't matter, it's who you are inside that counts.

Looking forward to more great music from Jesse...

I have to say I was impressed. Unlike most teeny-bopper type singers, Jesse has a very, very good voice and doesn't rely on over-done ornamentation to impress people. This CD was also very well produced. Didn't love all the songs (Get Your Shine On being the worst) but Jesse sang them all very well. I especially loved Beautiful Soul. Most people seem to be comparing him to Usher, and I can see why. He has the voice to match the presence. He has a bright future ahead of him.

Jesse McCartney is young, handsome, and an actor on TV. All the ingredients that usually go into garbage music. Surprisingly, the material here is appealing to all ages. My daughter is 15 and loves it. She also loves Justin Timberlake, Usher, Christina A., but wouldn't have touched Aaron Carter, or teenbopper-pop with a ten foot pole. I grew up with James Tayor, Earth Wind and Fire, and the pop of the 70s and 80s.
My daughter wanted to buy this CD and I relented. Listening with her in the car, I was surprised at how much better this is than I thought it would be. In fact I really love it.
What's even more surprising is that Jesse McCartney can actually sing. Many of these actor/singer's voices sound manufactured by computers but you can tell McCartney has got real chops. My favorites on this album are "The Stupid Things," a soulful heartfelt love song, and "Get Your Shine On" an homage to off-the-wall vintage Michael Jackson.

I was just reading some of the reviews, and I noticed that the majority of the reviewers have pretty strong reviews. They either love it, or they hate it. My advice to people thinking about buying this album would be to try listening to the sample clips they offer here at Amazon.com. This will give you an idea of what the music is like. If you are still unsure, I myself would highly recommend buying it. If taking my recommendation still leaves you less than sure of whether you should buy this album or not, you might consider some of the following; what kind of music is this? I would say this is like a R&B/Pop mix with a pinch of Jesse's own style (it is his first solo album- you have to consider that too) If this is just not your kind of music at all, than this isn't the album for you. If this sounds like your kind of music, then I encourage you to try it!
Even if this doesn't sound like your kind of music- I encourage you to try it out anyway!
Thank you so much for reading...

Being a huge fan of Jesse McCartney, I picked up BEAUTIFUL SOUL without hearing any songs other than Why Don't You Kiss Her? and Beautiful Soul...I loved it from the start.

Highlights of the CD are:
She's No You - The opening track on the CD, I love it. It's one of my favorite faster songs, and its a great opening.
Take Your Sweet Time - This is the first slower song on the CD. It's soooo pretty. Definately one of my favorites.
Why Don't You Kiss Her? - This song is the reason I wanted to buy the CD. Yes, just this one song is worth the $10+. My absolute favorite. Everything about it's wonderful, it's such a sweet song.
What's Your Name? - This song makes me laugh. It's fast paced and it's really cute. I love the lyrics, because it's definately something that you can relate to.
The Stupid Things - Originally, my thoughts about this song were "What the heck is this?!" The lyrics are stupid, but the vocals are great.

Every song on this CD is awesome (especially Because You Live, also on the Princess Diaries 2 soundtrack). I recommend it to anyone. There are tons of different types of music on it - ballads, rock, R&B-ish stuff, etc.

Overall grade - A+

She's No You - 10/10
Beautiful Soul - 8/10
Get Your shine On - 9/10
Take Your Sweet Time - 10/10 - Best Song
Without U - 10/10
Why Don't You Kiss Her - 4/10
That WAs Then - 10/10
Come to Me - 7/10
What's Your Name - 7/10
Because You Live - 9/10
Why Is Love So Hard To Find - 7/10
The Stupid Things - 10/10
Good Life - 10/10