Break Out

Soulive | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 13, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Concord Records
• ASIN: B000A7DVN6
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,839 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A disappointing effort., October 7, 2005

By 

R. Markert - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Break Out (Audio CD)

Let's be honest: this is not a great Soulive CD. It isn't even a particularly good one. This is especially disappointing if, like me, you've grown to really like this band and know what they're capable of doing. With few exceptions the instrumentals are weak and uninspired. They simply weren't trying very hard on this one folks, and it shows. There's so little rhythmic variation among some of the tracks I wonder why they bothered to stop one tune and start the next, since the objective seems to be a kind of stupifying mid-tempo modal continuum. The unmemorable vocals are too numerous and mostly sound like quickly-prepared filler material. Overall there's simply precious little of the originality and fire for which Soulive is deservedly known. You have to wonder who let this one out the door. I'm just glad I downloaded it (legally) at emusic.com instead of paying ordinary retail. If after reading this you still want it, I strongly suggest you do the same.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Slight Change In Direction, November 26, 2005

By 

John Terry "musiclikerguy" (Kansas City, Mo) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Break Out (Audio CD)

Regarded as a "jam band", Soulive would like "Breakout" to be marketed to a soul audience. I'm not quite sure what made them a "jam band" anyway. Certainly, Medeski, Martin and Wood are placed into the same category too. I'm not sure what makes them like Phish and The String Cheese Incident. Maybe "jam band" fans just have a broad definition of what they like. Anyway, this album took a little while to grow on me. The funky jams are there but they have more of a seventies soul sound than ever before. Which is a little more subtle than the "acid jazz" category I placed them in. We have labels for everything, don't we? This is another one of those "and friends" efforts with standout efforts by soul royalty Chaka Khan and Ivan Neville, Reggie Watts and steel guitar virtuoso Robert Randolph. Give it a chance, they're still your Soulive and one of the tightest bands out there.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now This Is What I Was Lookin' For!, December 2, 2005

By 

Chicago Music Fan "jbkprod" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Break Out (Audio CD)

I have been a fan of Soulive since I first read a MODERN DRUMMER interview with Alan Evans in '01. After I read the article I decided to check out the "Doin' Something" CD and wasn't disappointed. I loved the sound of the band and couldn't wait for future releases. Welllll... the material that they recorded before (but released after) "Doin' Something" was a little raw but had excellent material, but I didn't count that as "new" stuff". "Next" really let me down- material wasn't quite as sharp, production was too glossy sounding for my taste and drums sounded weak. Then there was a live album and a remix album- both good, but I wanted something from the studio that would hit me like "Something". Finally it came with "Break Out"! It hit me from beginning to end, maybe even a lil harder than "Something". The material was fresh and on-point, had very good guest vocals, and there was definitely a different plan in mind (to my ear) as far as the production. The organ sound seemed a just a little further back in the mix, guitar and horns (most notably the trumpet) took a more prominent lead, and the snare had a little more body to it. Overall, a great sounding CD that shows some growth of the Soulive sound. Personal favorites: Reverb (too funky!!), Break Out, Take It Easy, Vapor, and What Can You Do. Pick this up if you are a fan!!