Blender [Enhanced]

Collective Soul | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 10, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 10, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Atlantic
• ASIN: B00004YMJQ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (129 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #47,105 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

blender [audio cd, enhanced]collective soul# audio cd (october 10, 2000)# original release date: october 10, 2000# number of discs: 1# format: enhanced# label: atlantic / wea----

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't let a fan think of the title next time, May 8, 2001

By 

30-year old wallflower "Eric N Andrews" (West Lafayette, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blender (Audio CD)

It's great to have prolific bands like Collective Soul around in a day and age where people prefer to take years in the studio crafting an album. Within 6 years, Collective Soul has released 5 albums of music that's been more influenced by Bad Company than Nirvana. Their debut HINTS, ALLEGATION AND THINGS LEFT UNSAID (1994) found a home with both pop and modern rock radio, with "Shine" even becoming a #11 hit. The 1995 self-titled follow-up showed a more subdued sound with hits in ballads like "December" and "The World I Know", proving Collective Soul wasn't all about turning up the guitars. But DISCIPLINED BREAKDOWN (1997) not only didn't conquer the charts like their previous albums, it indicated that the band was suffering from the same-old, same-old syndrome. Then came DOSAGE (1999), along with shorter haircuts and a slightly more modernized sound. Collective Soul seemed to be tapping into a fresh vein of creativity. Even with a throwback sound, the band still knows the meaning of quality. But by now it seems quantity is more important than quality for Collective Soul, because their latest BLENDER seems like it left the studio a bit too soon. The album's 40-minute length, which while is quite welcome, only further hints at this album rushed's production. I'm a sucker for a short 3-minute song as much as top 40 radio is, but BLENDER's songs still sound like they were in embryonic form as they were given the final mastering. Just as soon as you're turning up the volume on songs like "Skin", "You Speak My Language", the proto-ballad "Why Pt. 2" and the Prince-derived "Vent", it's all over too soon. I think maybe Ed Roland was trying too hard to combine 5 minute-long ideas into 3-minute singles. Some songs are just plain wonderful like the sweet-but-not-saccharine ballad "10 Yrs. Later" and the duet with Elton John on "Perfect Day", while the rest sound too much like works in progress to be taken as full songs. When I heard that the title of this album was BLENDER, I expected it to be just that, a diverse selection of various styles. But it turns out to be anything but, and that BLENDER was tht title suggested by a fan that Collective Soul thought sounded great. BLENDER comes only 18 months after the creative recharging that came along with DOSAGE. But whereas that album breathed some new life into what seemed like a stagnating Collective Soul, BLENDER seems to indicate the band needs to again take stock of what they're doing right now, and decide if this is really what they think their music should be about. BLENDER doesn't really indicate a shortage of ideas, just a dearth of what to do with those ideas.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasing / A Good Pop Effort, June 16, 2005

By 

sdwagle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blender (Audio CD)

I didn't come into this album as a fan. In fact, I thought this band had kinda disappeared after the early 90s! Of course now I'm starting to realize how much music they did put out.

This CD doesn't seem to be as loved by the fans on here as their earlier works, and I'll agree it sounds slick and "poppy".

Still, this is a good "car album". I'm kinda impatient, and if there are more than a few klunkers on a CD, it's not worth loading into the player. But only track #7 (Speak My Language) gets the finger.

Sometimes you have a few CDs in your collection that are kinda commercial-- but still listenable and better than the tired singles on the radio. I place this one in that category.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something for everyone...give it a try!, November 13, 2000

By 

N. Roberts "disc wizard" (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blender (Audio CD)

As a ridiculously devoted Collective Soul fan, I'm always a little apprehensive when a new CD comes out. Will I like it as much as the last one? Will they stay true to their style but also take a chance artistically? With Blender the answer is a resounding YES!! From the first track to the last, there is something for everyone.

I don't think you can get two songs on one CD more different than the catchy "Perfect Day" (w/Elton John) and the driving, intense "You Speak My Language." It's like pitting a piano against a guitar...and not being sure which should win. There's the first trio of songs "Skin," "Vent" and "Why pt.2" that go by so fast I always want to rush the CD player to play them again. "Boast" is lyrically the simplest, most repetitive track...which just means it stays in your head longer. And I can't help but favorably compare "10 yrs. later" to Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here." And as things start to wind down with the soothing "After All" and "Over Toyko," the boys from Atlanta come back with one last classic, guitar-driven rock song "Happiness" that makes you realize why their fans are so devoted.

My only complaint about the entire CD is that it's so short. And if you're like me, you could use a whole lot more than 40 minutes of music like this.