Customer Reviews

Blender

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Collective Soul remind me of the best days of "Cheap Trick", the best material by "The Cars" and other good 1970's bands. WIth their hard-edge guitar and vocal sounds, also sound a litle like Poison, Ratt, Warrant, and other 1980's metal bands (but without the outrageous hair). The guitar riffs bump and grind, lyrics are simple but that makes them memorable (and there's the added advantage of minimal electronic aural reprocessing, which means that you could do a decent cover version if you want). The drumming is fierce and propulsive, and the bass lines give the mix a 'larger than life' feel. Like The Goo-Goo-Dolls and the present Bon-Jovi lineup, they can cut it live on stage, too.

This CD features a good blend of power ballands, flat out rockers, a few punky/new wave sounding cuts, and a few variations that enhance the overall mix. By sticking to what they know, Collective Soul's experiments succeed, rather than falling flat because they were ill-conceived.

The best cuts here are "Skin", "Vent", "Why Pt.2", "10 Yrs Later", "You Speak My Language", and "Perfect Day"--featuring Elton John, an unlikely collaborator.

The packaging on the CD is probably the only mistake: it screams "Boy Band" (based on looks), and suggests that the CD is full of lame 'bubble-gum' and 'teenybopper' music. I doubt that Collective Soul's fans were put off (they know the band is not going to sell out and do shlock), but the music probably put off the girls who buy "boy band" CD's and the cover art probably caused a lot of potential fans to avoid the CD because it made Collective Soul look too much like the "Backstreet Boys", or "WestLife".

MTV and VH-1, both of which have fallen into a pit of musical supidity lately (playing total rubbish for hours on end), ignored this CD completely (just as they ignored "Dosage", the previous CD). The collapse of ratings for both of those cable stations might bring new management and programmers, who understand that you can't force an audience that cares about music to sit and watch really lame "pop" or really dumb "rap" videos.

This is defintely one of the best CD's from 2000.

Collective Soul continues to do what they do best: create good, solid, well-rounded albums. Blender is no exception. After 3 amazing releases(Collective Soul, Disciplined Breakdown, and Dosage) you'd think they wouldn't be able to keep making incredible albums. Blender, however proves that theory wrong. The album has 11 songs that perfectly mix creative songwriting, guitar licks, and emotion. There are ballads such as 10 Years Later and Turn Around, moderate rockers like Skin, Boast, and Why,Pt.2, and for those w/ heavier taste: all out rockers like You Speak My Language and Happiness. Creativity adorns in songs like Over Toyko(w/a spoken Japinese part) and the many rifts and bridges of Happiness. In Blender, Collective Soul proves they are having no lack of creativity and probably won't for a long time to come.

I was really surprised to hear that Collective Soul would be coming out with a new album in 2000, the follow up to the 1999 release Dosage. Being an ardent Def Leppard and Bon Jovi fan, I am not used to bands putting out albums so quickly, so I was not sure as to whether the album will be noteworthy.
It turns out I was wrong, this album is one of the best if not the best rock albums ever!! Each and every song could be released on radio and would become a hit.

So here is Collective Soul's fifth release "Blender". Another meticulously well produced effort by the band's frontman Ed Roland. I suspect that since their last cd, 1999's "Dosage", was ignored by radio and MTV/VH1, that the same fate will befall "Blender". That's fine. As long as Collective Soul remains an underground fan's band I hope they continue to bring us great music like they have over the past seven years. On "Blender" the band is in top form on songs like "Skin", "Vent", "Why Pt.2", "10 Yrs Later" and "Perfect Day"--a duet with a most unlikely source, Elton John. Collective Soul, or Ed Roland, creates a seamless, short song list on "Blender" that makes listening to this disc a pleasure. The band has already explored the more home grown elements of rock on their earlier cds and now they appear to be heading into a more futuristic and sharply produced realm of rock and roll. At times, "Blender" sounds like The Cars, which is very respectable. The band also has a few harder edges on this cd than they've had on their past outings. Listen to the guitars crunch on "Why Pt.2" or the punk of "You Speak My Language". There are fewer ballads this time out with "10 Yrs Later" and "Perfect Day". "Blender" takes the band forward into this century in style.

Blender is my favorite Collective Soul CD. There honestly is not one bad song on this CD.

Skin: Great way to start the cd, very catchy, sing-a-long song. 4/5

Vent: Bouncy yet somehow smooth and flowing. Good song but the worst on Blender. 4/5

Why Part 2: Catch-filled chorus, great distorted guitars, and a nifty guitar solo. Simple song yet catchy. 5/5

Ten Years Later: Kinda reminds me of "Compliment" from Dosage but slowed down a bit. Ed's voice sounds great on this track. 5/5

Boast: Sing a-long rocker. Catchiness probably makes it a little too simplistic. Great electric and acoustic guitars though. 4/5

Turn: My third favorite song off the album. Just love the questioning chorus and the laid back verses. 5/5

Speak My Language: Biggest rock song on the album. Love the drums on this song, they're just smashing the whole way through. A little too repitive but fun nonetheless. 4/5

Perfect Day: Another catchy sing-a-long song. Sir Elton John does a great job on his verses. A lot more funky guitars on this song too, I like em. 4.5/5

After All: My favorite song on Blender. This song is just poetic. Just a sad song. "We know there's no longer shine on this burnt out rainbow." Love the repeated "After All" outro. 5/5

Over Tokyo: Another sad song but a little more rockin' and hook-filled from the guitars to the lyrics. "There's no memories over Tokyo, and there's no hurting over Tokyo." Second favorite Blender track 5/5.

Happiness: Great rocker to end the cd. Love the kooky bleeps and bloops during the chorus just to be replaced with some catchy guitars. Remember "Happiness is more than a kiss you know." 4.5/5

I love Blender. It isn't rockin too hard which might upset fans of their earlier work, but it has a fun, funky, relaxed and comfortable feel to it all.

"Blender" is an amazing album, but there is only thing that is wrong with it...it's too short! Sure, it's a lot different than Collective Soul's previous albums, but why does that have to be a bad thing? I love what they've done on this album and I'm excited to see where they go from here.

This is great 70's classic rock in the year 2000. It's great, full of funky rhythms, guitar riffs in one ear and out the other when the next one pushes its way in, bomming drums and pounding beats. And of course, the various sounds and piano are highly commendable and Elton John's appearance is a real class act.
Skin is good, the guitars are great, good effect. Vent, just kind of skip past that one. Why Pt. 2 is the best song onhere and one of their best, nice homage to the 70's. 10 Years Later is really good, showcasing Ed Roland's wonderful voice. Boast is good, another of those repeating words, but rocking out thought, because the words don't matter, the music does, kind of songs. Turn is good, a nice little ballad-ish tune, I enjoy the reformation it portrays.You Speak My Language just thumps. Perfect Day is great, just great, I'm so glad Elton John decided to tag along. After All and Over Tokyo are gentle and subtle kind of tunes, though very stylistic. Happiness is the guns a blazin' play out that reminds you about the beginning of the album, so then you hit repeat and play it all over again. It gets my highest recommendation.