Customer Reviews

Big Room

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Ok, let see... Im one of those type of guys who dislike Pop music. I usually go to Virgin Megastore and pick out albums I have never even heard of. When I was there looking at albums, I ran into this one M2M "The Big Room"! The thing that appealed to me was the album cover. The two girls are very beautiful. At first I was skeptical... I was like blah! Another Pop group. But it's not, it's a duo! (A Talented one too) SO I bought it (I like experimenting with albums) I got home and popped it in... and my JAWS TOTALLY DROPPED! My money was well spent, I am telling you! THINK ABOUT IT!! These young girls play and write their own music! When was the last time you have ever came upon artists like that?? I mean WOW!! This album is AMAZING! I cannot stop saying it! I bet all of you would LOVE this album! I love Punk music and New Rock... and me listening to this? HAH! But PLEASE DON'T mistake M2M as just dumb POP! They are soooo acoustic and drums its really UNBELIEVABLE!! You want to know how their sound is like? Its almost like DAVE MATTHEWS BAND with a mix of MICHELLE BRANCH! And its just amazing. This album is full of ballads and hardcore rock! I played this album like 10 times all the wat through yesterday and I'm stopping! Trust Me!

Here is my review!

1. Everything - This is their single right now in the US! Very Very Very energetic and fun! This song can lure you in JUST LIKE THAT! The best part of this song is the chorus! VERY CATCHY! Its like a very FUN version of Natalie Imbruglia and Michelle Branch! 4 Stars

2. Jennifer - This is by far my second favorite song on the album! I mean who writes a song about jealousy??? At least these girls admit they are JEALOUS of Jennifer... Its so ironic and thats the good thing about this song! The sound is mellow with guitar strings at first, and the chorus becomes really powerful and upbeat! GREAT SONG!! I AM TELLING YOU THE TRUTH!!! 5 Stars

3. Don't - Super DOOPER SONG!!! Very pushy and angry! The lyrics dont go with the beat of the song but when they sing the chorus, it seems very emotional... it actually seems real.. but its still very acoustic with the guitar!! 4 Stars

4. Payphone - Whats so bad about this song? People don't like this song but its like SOOOO GOOD! Its a little slow but still upbeat with the piano and drums, just everything like that! To tell you the truth, almost all the chorus of EACH SONG ON THIS ALBUM is good! LIKE I MEAN GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! 4 Stars

5. What Do You About Me - This is one DEMANDING SONG.. meaning hte lyrics are soo enticing it scares me! These girls write the most coolest HIPPEST yet mature lyrics EVER! They speak their heart and it just makes me feel week in the knees! This song is as upbeat and OUT THERE like "Everything"! Wonderful song! 4 Stars

6. Love Left For Me - WOW!! Really nice ballad!! The verses are hte best of this song!! Nice breathing technic!! 5 Stars

7. Miss Popular - ... This SONG IS SOOOOOOO POWERFUL ITS MY MOOOOOOOST FAVORITE SONG ON THIS ALBUM!! I AM TELLING YOU!! IF YOU WANT SOME DISSING OF SOME DITSY POPULAR GIRL THEN LISTEN TO THIS SONG!!... here is an example of the lyrics from this song... "everybody hates you, poor miss popular, no one feels a bit sorry for you" 10,000 STARS!!

8. Wanna Be Wheere You Are - This is by far the slowest song on this album... Its with the piano, how cool is that?? Marion's voice is like the light of this song... her voice stands out so much, the beats dont even exist... really great song.. 3 Stars

9.Leave Me Alone - Isnt that one BAD ...title?? WOW I mean, WOW!! The song is really infomartive! If you want someone to leave you alone, dedicate this song to them!! 4 Stars

10. Sometimes - Wow very strong beats and melodies... The guitar stings sound so angry and violent! This song TELLS ALL ABOUT A GIRLS LIFE!! Girls, take a listen to this song nad I KNOW YOU WILL AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THEY SAY!! This is my third favorite song on this album!! WOW!! 5 Stars

11. Eventually - OK THIS SONG IS TIED BETWEEN BEING NUMBER 1 with me! But i dunno yet... this is song is real slow, really heartfelt.. but its good, it espresses her feelings well! love this song! 10,000 Stars

IM TELLING YOU GUYS!! THIS CD IS A MUST!! DON"T BUY THOSE BRINTEY CDS (unless you are a hardcore fan) BUT GIVE THESE GIRLS A CHANCE!! THEY DESERVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IF YOU WANT A TASE OF GIRL VERSIONS OF INCUBUS, DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, COLDPLAY THEN GET THIS ALBUM!! TRUST ME YOU WILL LOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT!!

Whoa, what a difference 2 years can make on a bands sound! If your expecting to hear the same cheerful glossy M2M as on Shades Of Purple then you will be very dissapointed! Not this fan though! I think that this album is even better than their first! The songs are much better written on this trek than on SOP and they have a higher level of maturity to them. No more sweet candy-coated Pretty Boy's here! Instead you'll find songs like Leave Me Alone which boasts the sour-hearted lyrics "I'm not your girl/Not even your friend/What makes you think I wanna try again?".Once again, M2M manage to break the mold of traditionally ... pop albums with a stand-out CD! One listen and you'll know what I'm talking about! Don't get me wrong the album is still very pop and very M2M, but the sound is more rock-based(which is probably why I like it this much!). The only complaint I have is that they've censored the word ... on the song Sometimes!So, if you like M2M, but have grown past such cutesy songs as Don't Say You Love Me and Pretty Boy then I definately recommend this album!

First off, I'm nearing 20 years old, and my music collection consists mainly of rock-based music, although I do listen to a little bit of pop in the form of John Mayer, Jack Johnson, and other singers/songwriters. I heard a few tracks from Shades of Purple, and I was like, "Eh, just another pop group." But after hearing "Everything" for the first time, my reaction was, "Wow, these girls are for real." Now, I'm not a big pop fan, but in trying to expand my music collection, I decided to give this album a whirl. So I decided to pick up The Big Room after sampling a few more songs and liking what I heard. I had trouble finding it in stores so I bought a copy off Amazon. I was impressed with the songwriting abilities of Marit and Marion, especially because of their age when this came out. Here's my take on the songs:

1 - Everything - Catchy tune and chorus, not to mention that addicting guitar riff throughout the song.

2 - Jennifer - Nothing special about this song, but the guitar solo is very good, and the girls' vocals harmonize very well in this song.

3 - Don't - Very good acoustic song.

4 - Payphone - Again, nothing special, but Marit's guitar and Marion's piano go together well.

5 - What You Do About Me - One of my favorites. I am still trying to figure out how to play that guitar riff.

6 - Love Left For Me - Maybe my least favorite song on the album. No comment.

7 - Miss Popular - Energetic and catchy pop rock at its finest.

8 - Wanna Be Where You Are - Marion delivers a beautiful piano and vocal performance, and that electric guitar solo is just phenomenal.

9 - Leave Me Alone - A slow song. The instrumental break reminds me of "Let It Be" for some odd reason.

10 - Sometimes - A nice fast-paced acoustic song with a rocking guitar solo. Did they have to mute the "S"-word in the lyrics, though?

11 - Eventually - Slow acoustic song, a great pick to end the album.

It's a bummer that M2M isn't around anymore; I think they would have had a lot more success had this album gotten some more publicity. This album was very under-rated. It's a great album, it just wasn't given a chance to really make an impact.

M2M,the pop duo from cold Norway,is back with their 2nd offering.The duo composed of Marion Elise Raven,17, and Marit Elisabeth Larsen,18, have put their personal touch on this 11 track collection they called "The Big Room".I must say the duo have shown more maturity since their Shade of Purple days both lyrically and musically.They caught more upbeat notes and dropped the silly pre-puberty lyrics.The result is 11 pop songs you wouldn't be ashamed to play next to Jewel or Lisa Loeb.The best song in the album is "Don't", whose intro might remind you of the Eagles' "Love Will Keep Us Alive" ,is about a heart torn between two lovers.Then there's "Everything",a very catchy song about an unfruitful relationship with disco rock chorus."What You Do About Me",another love triangle song and "Miss Popular",a song about a self proclaimed queen, both have good guitar playing."Sometimes" is their version of angry girl rock while "Wanna Be Where You Are" is a very good rock ballad with notable piano playing.Other songs are "Eventually","Payphone","Leave Me Alone","Jennifer" and "Love Left for Me" are still good songs which low quality pop groups would envy so much.

M2M's much anticipated album follow up to 2000's hit Atlantic Records debut Shades of Purple, finds the Norwegian teen pop sensations returning with their most effervescent and emotional collection to date. The girls Marion Elise Ravn and Marit Elisabeth Larsen have again teamed with producer/musician Jimmy Bralower and the result is truly captivating collection fit to burst with passionate pop songs of remarkable craft and confidence. Self penned songs with irresistible lyrics and of course Marion and Marit's trademark harmony vocals.

Marit and Marion released their last album Shades of Purple at the age of 17 and 16, Their new released album The Big Room amply displays just how much M2M has grown since first stepping in the world of spotlight.

The Big Room still has the same pop music format but more improvements, at first Shade of Purple use synthesized elements and dance beats in their musical arrangement, songs like Don't Say You Love Me, The Day You Went Away, Mirror Mirror, and part of BeeGees' lyrics Too Much Heaven in Our Song and others.

This time M2M focused more on creating natural based guitar pop sound and it is more on live drums, piano, and acoustic guitar format and dance beats with songs like Everything and What You Do About Me and a little bit of synthesized elements but you can feel the vibe of a live acoustic and pop rock performance, they also wanted to create music in a beatles like traditional way.

M2M wrote 95% of the record while traveling all over the world, the maturity of writing songs and the way they play their music have come a long way, what I liked about the songs is that it's all about teen life experiences and situations like Love, Jealousy, and Break-ups, I can actually hear what M2M is trying to say.

The Big Room was recorded at the legendary Bearsville Studios in Bucolic Woodstock, New York. The album takes its title from the main space at the renowned recording facility, a lot of hit records have been recorded there, by many, many famous artist such as Bob Dylan, The Band, REM, Ozzie, Silverchair, Will Smith, Dave Mathews, Ours, and the list goes on.

The album contains 11 tracks: 1.) What You Do About Me 2.) Everything 3.) Wanna Be Where You Are 4.) Miss Popular 5.) Jennifer 6.) Don't 7.) Love Left For Me 8.) Payphone 9.) Leave Me Alone 10.) Sometimes 11.) Eventually and they are all my favorites but if you ask my personal favorites it would be Sometimes, Don't, Everything, Eventually, Miss Popular, and Jennifer.

All I can say is that it is a great album and a must collection for M2M fans, as for the others give yourself a try to listen to this album and I guarantee your money's worth buying this album.

On The Big Room, M2M lives up to the potential I knew they had when I first heard Shades of Purple. I'm 26 years old, and I'm not a fan of teen pop music. M2M, though, transcends all the trappings synonymous with the "Backstreet Britney's" of the world.(In other words, Marit and Marion play instruments, write their own songs, and actually perform them live.)

Although I grew up on a steady diet of punk rock, I always had a weakness for melodic hooks (i.e. Cheap Trick, Redd Kross, Enuff Z'Nuff, ect..) It was obvious, when I first heard Shades of Purple, that M2M had the gift of writing melodies that will stick in your head for days. Marit and Marion have beautiful voices and sing perfect harmonies. While their debut album was rather teeny-pop oriented, I knew these girls had the potential to deliver a more rock oriented pop gem. With The Big Room, they did.

Their more organic approach to recording their sophmore effort is apparent on the first single "Everything". This is a straight forward pop rock song that is superior to any of the garbage that MTV has shoved down the public's throat in recent years. As the album continues, there is rarely a dull moment. Marit and Marion have matured as songwriters, and most importantly, they deliver their songs with sincerity. Other hot spots on the album are "Don't", "Miss Popular", and "Sometimes". The album as a whole is more guitar driven that their previous release, and is a wonderful listen from begining to end.

There are always different albums that you like for different reasons. The Big Room is one of those rare records that just makes you feel good when you listen to it. If you are a serious music fan and enjoy GOOD pop, don't be afraid of M2M, they are the real deal.

M2M'S much-anticipated follow-up to 2000's hit Atlantic Records debut, SHADES OF PURPLE, finds the Norwegian teen pop sensations returning with their most effervescent and emotional collection to date. The girls, Marion Raven and Marit Larsen, have again teamed with producer/musician Jimmy Bralower (Donna Lewis, Jennifer Paige) and the result is a truly captivating collection fit to burst with passionate pop songs of remarkable craft and confidence. Self-penned songs like Miss Popular and Everything sparkle with irresistible melodies, smart and sassy lyrics, and of course, Marion and Marit's trademark harmony vocals. THE BIG ROOM amply displays just how much M2M has grown since first stepping into the world spotlight.
"It's two years later and a lot has changed," the 17-year-old Marion says. "When we made our first record we were all about finding who we were. Now, the second album really shows us growing up, as artists and as people. Some of our fans will be surprised, but also I think they knew it was going to happen."

"Our fans are growing up too," Marit, 18, says, "and I hope they've grown with us. We write songs about what we experience now, and what we've gone through since the last record. They've probably gone through a lot of new things too. It's very important that we show people that we've evolved. We never want to make the same record twice."

THE BIG ROOM was recorded at the legendary Bearsville Studios in bucolic Woodstock, New York. The album takes its title from the main space at the renowned recording facility, as well as the fact that the songs were written while the girls were traveling the planet ý for M2M, the world became "The Big Room" as well. The duo took up residence at the studio for six chilly mid-winter weeks in early 2001.

"We were there in January and February, living in the houses there," Marion recalls. "It was very quiet and nice, you could really concentrate. It's so much better than being in a loud studio in the middle of a city."

The sessions saw M2M accompanied by an extraordinary backup combo comprised of Tom "T-Bone" Wolk (bass, acoustic and electric guitar, organ, synthesizer), Jimi K. Bones (electric and acoustic guitars), and Kenny Aronoff (drums, percussion).

"It was pretty awesome," Marit says. "We did 11 tracks in the first six days! We did all the basic tracks live in the studio, the old Beatles way of doing it, you know: One, two, three, four, let's go! It was cool, because we got the opportunity to capture the energy that is missing on most records right now. Everything is so computerized, they want everything to be so perfect they forget the energy that's already there within the music."

The goal for THE BIG ROOM was to create a natural guitar-based pop sound reminiscent of personal M2M inspirations like Joni Mitchell, Sheryl Crow, and Jewel, as well as such alternative favorites as Counting Crows and Travis.

Track List

01. What You Do About Me
02. Everything
03. Wanna Be Where You Are
04. Miss Popular
05. Jennifer
06. Don't
07. Love Left For Me
08. Payphone
09. Leave Me Alone
10. Sometimes
11. Eventually

This is my favorite album from M2M. It shows how mature they are and that they really know how to write some good songs. All the songs on here are well written, have a wonderful melody, and are sang so beautifully. Its a shame that M2M broke up because they were the real thing.

My ratings on the songs:

1.) Everything: 5/5 Their 1st single and the best fast song on here. I love the way they sing the chorus.
2.) Jennifer: 5/5 A song many can relate to. Its about your boyfriend liking this girl who is so perfect. You want to hate her but you just cant because she is so nice and so you are telling your boyfriend about how you feel about this.
3.) Dont: 5/5 One of my fav songs on here. The guitar and the way the girls sing is so beautiful. I love the 1st verse really.
4.) Payphone: 10/5 My favorite song on this album. The music in here is so wonderful and I love it when they say " I know you cant just smile those tears away"
5.) What You Do About Me: 5/5 Nice song and I really love the video to this song. I love the way the piano is played on here.
6.) Love Left For Me: 5/5 Such a beautiful song. My favorite part is the chorus.
7.) Miss Popular: 5/5 A song everyone can relate to. Not that many people like to touch on issues like this, but Im glad the girls did. Love the beat and the bridge.
8.) Wanna Be Where You Are: 5/5 This song is really nice. Its about a girl missing her boyfriend desperatly and she wants to be with him.
9.) Leave Me Alone: 5/5 Love this song because its finally time for the girls to tell the guys they dont want them.
10.) Sometimes: 5/5 Every girl can relate to this song. Its about having a bad day and the chorus here is really cool. I know I feel like that sometimes.
11.) Eventually: 5/5 A perfect song at the best. I love the guitar because it is so haunting.

This album is the best and worth every penny. So go out there and buy it and you wont be sorry.

Aside from the fact that these women are absolutely beautiful, their music stands on its own. These women write their own songs and play their own instruments! I first saw them while flippin through the TV channels one day on the Disney channel. I was very impressed by how talented they were, and of course, no lip-synching whatsoever, their voices are just as good live as they are on the album.

Being a musician myself (not professionally, mostly for therapy :) ), and playing piano since 3 years of age, guitar for almost 10 years and writing my own material, I can say from a musicians standpoint, that the writing on this album is phenomenal and very clever. Their use of space within the music and overall sense of timing is right on the money. Both Marion's and Marit's voices complement each other perfectly.

For those of you thinking that M2M music is just for the younger audience, I am in my late 20's, also listen to U2, Sting, Sarah McGlaughlan, Sheryl Crow, No Doubt, etc...the list goes on, and I can honestly say that I enjoy this album more than all the aforementioned at the moment.

All the songs on the album could be hits within themselves, but in particular, my favorite is Wanna Be Where You Are, written by Marion Raven. All I can say is WOW, what a voice. The pure emotion that she conveys in this song is amazing, I can feel it every time I listen.

Other Favorites:
Payphone: the na na na na na na na part in the background is just too cool. You will understand when you get the album :) The guitar and piano meld here better than melted cheese on a ham sandwich.

Everything - what a jumpin number, if this doesn't get you on your feet, or at least your head and shoulders movin, nothin will! :)

Don't - Even though the title is telling me not to do it, I am gonna keep listening to this tune, the harmonies and lyrics are great, and the vocal ability of Marion and Marit are really shown off here.

Overall and most importantly, this album just makes you feel good :) With all the depressing events that are taking place in our world at the moment, getting lost in this album puts a smile on my face every time.

Take care and happy listening everyone,

Scott

PS Marion, If you're still single, call me :)

The Big Room was released in 2002, and its first single was Everything. They were planning to make a tour with Jewel to promote this album. The fans received the bad news during the tour: M2M broke up. The second single was What You Do About Me. This wasn't a very successful album, not many people bought it. Still, it has some very good songs. There's also a big change in their voices, but we don't hear Marit a lot. The track list is:
Everything: Almost everyone heard this song. It was played in the radio a lot. It talks about a guy who never called Marion, and she was getting obsessive about it. It was written by Marion and Marit.
Jennifer: One of the fans favorites in the album. It's about a girl (Jennifer) that's really pretty, nice, sweet... and a girl's boyfriend keeps talking about Jennifer, so the girl gets jealous. But she can't really hate Jennifer because she's so nice with her. It's written by Marit and Marion. Why Jennifer? It's simple. Marion said at her Message Board that almost every Jennifer is pretty and that it sounded well with "I hate her".
Don't: It's a very good song. It's very relaxing. It talks about a girl who loves her boyfriend, but then she meets a new guy and falls in love with him, so she is really confused. It's also written by Marit and Marion.
Payphone: A song written by both girls, it's about somebody that's alone and it's about needing somebody else, someone that she can talk to and be herself. The song it's pretty relaxing and it makes you think about friendship.
What You Do About Me: A pretty good song. It talks about this girl who likes a guy who is in a relationship and he tells her she likes her too. So the girl wants him to break up, because she isn't going to let him cheat on his girlfriend.
Love Left For Me: It's about this guy that didn't pay attention to his girlfriend so he dumped her, and the girl gets really hurt and hopes he has some love left for her. Cool song, but the Acoustic version is better. It's written by Marion.
Miss Popular: A great song, one of the best in the album, and also one of the fan's favorites. It's about the typical popular girl who disses everyone and thinks she's the best. So everywhere she goes, people are whispering and looking at her. They say "Now you know how it feels to be all alone". They tell her that she is now feeling how the others felt when she treated them badly. It's written by Marit and Marion.
Wanna Be Where You Are: It's the Girl In Your Dreams of The Big Room. It's written by Marion and she talks about her relationship when she works, that she has to fly so she can't spend much time with him and she misses him. Great lyrics and Marion sings awesome but where's Marit?
Leave Me Alone: It's written about Marion. It's about a the same guy in Love Left For Me! But now he wants her back and starts stalking her. And she just wants him to leave her alone, because he hurted her so much and she doesn't feel like he deserves to be forgiven.
Sometimes: Great song about the typical bad day in a girl's life. Nothing goes fine. But it seems that they could get a good song out of it! It's written by Marion and the music was made by both. The music is great!
Eventually: It's the extra track in the CD. It was written in Chile while they were on tour. It's a really soft and sweet song. It talks about a love relationship, when they are both feeling the same way. Also written by both.