Customer Reviews

Everything You Want

5 star:		(278)
4 star:		(79)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

OK. I admit it. When I first heard the new VH album, I was EXTREMELY disappointed. The band that hooked me with Call It Even and Lines Upon Your Face threw me for a spin when I listened to Everything You Want in the new music display-thingamabob (what are they called, anyway?)at the local Wherehouse music store. I talked my compatriot who first turned me on to VH and she expressed similar sentiments. Nice try, but not very good. Four months later, driving around in Boston I hear this song on Kiss108 FM, and it stays in my head for a couple of days. I heard it two more times on the same station, and left Beantown determined to buy the CD by this phantom group with the catchy song. At first I thought it was Jars of Clay, because the lines 'he's everything you want, he's everything you need, he's everything inside of you that you wish you could be' - made me think 'he' was of divine origin. Maybe it had to do with the spirituality of the holiday season, I don't know. But I digress. After endless searching for a song called 'Don't Know Why', I discovered that the song was actually called 'Everything You Want', and then I remembered listening to it in the Wherehouse 4 months earlier! (Long story of how I discovered my new favorite song was by VH, but it's a good one...) So off I rushed to the Wherehouse and sure enough, Vertical Horizon was still in the display thing. After confirming EYW was indeed the song I heard in Boston, I bought the CD and put Track 3 on repeat for an hour. Damn I love that song, and I can't believe I didn't like it when it first came out. I attribute my initial dislike to the album's diversion from what made me like the group in the first place. As I said at the beginning of my review, I really dug Call It Even and Lines Upon Your Face. 9 times out of 10, a group I dig will go in a new direction and lose me. Witness Jackopierce, Indigo Girls, and Jars Of Clay. Vertical Horizon is the exception to the rule. I scoffed at the comments by Keith or Matt (can't remember who, specifically) on the index card behind their CD in the Wherehouse display. The band was explaining their new sound by saying something like: "...there comes a time when you've said all you can say with an acoustic guitar. Sometimes you need to turn up the volume and just rock." Apologies to the band if I screwed that up, but that was the gist of what they said. "What pompous punks!" I thought to myself, and I left the store unhappy with their new CD. Well here I am, 4 months later, admitting I was wrong. DEAD wrong. This is one the best CD's I have heard in a long time. Everything You Want, You Say, You're A God and Miracle are absolutely incredible. If you look at this disc for what it is rather than as a sell-out by a group that used to be folksy, you will like this record. Sometimes you just want to sing along to a record, or blast your favorite song. As much as I like Call It Even, Sunrays and Saturdays, and Lines Upon Your Face, you just can't blast them. Nor can you sing along with them at the top of your lungs. But once again, I digress. In summary, this is the best overall album of 1999. You can listen to it from Track 1 to 11 and you will be thoroughly satisfied. The lyrics are still tight and the harmonies remain. VH deserves to blow up big time with this outstanding effort.

If you enjoyed Robbie Williams THE EGO HAS LANDED album, then you'll love this cd. Sandwiched between the not so good opening and closing tunes are 9 radio friendly, truly memorable, catchy, well-crafted alterna-pop songs. The lyrics are fun and intelligent and you can sing along after one listen... much like you do while hearing EVERYTHING YOU WANT single on the radio. Stand-out tracks are YOU'RE A GOD and FINDING ME. I've managed to turn 20 people on to this album and they tell me it has not left their player for months. At a time when full albums by Filter or Foo Fighters may let pop music fans down because they're a bit too hard (much harder than their radio singles) the VH album is for those who like their rock stars to sing their melodies with a driving, not overwhelming, track. Simply, they rock! And I predict a HUGE future.

Vertical Horizon has the most appropriately titled album of 1999. Fortunately, for this band, EVERYTHING YOU WANT is also an outstanding musical performance. Vertical Horizon combines the masterful lyrics of lead singer Matt Scannell with the talented musicianship of Keith Kane, Ed Toth, and Sean Hurley. Everyone knows about the hit single, "Everything You Want", but the most beautiful song ( lyrically ) is, "Best I Ever Had ( Grey Sky Morning ). From the first note, the song grabs you and leaves you breathless, but begging for more. "Finding Me" makes you want to jump up and dance as the beat is addictive. Don't overlook the haunting final song: "Shackled". It sounds different than the rest of the album because it is written and sung by Kane. His voice is as exceptional as his song-writing talent.

If you like this album, go back and pick up their idependent releases; especially, RUNNING ON ICE, and LIVE STAGES. Vertical Horizon is one of the most crowd-pleasing bands on the road right now. There isn't one song that their loyal fans don't sing along to. It's great to see these hard working guys begin to have some success. You can be sure it won't change them one bit!

After listening to the first five songs, I am convinced that this cd is going to the top. Vertical Horizon is going back to the basics of great music, lyrics as well as music. You just want to listen to it over and over again. I am not sure if Vertical Horizon was trying to target a specific age group, but I was listening to the cd with my 13 year old nephew and we both thought it was great. I am 43 years old and this cd definitely breaks the so called generation gap. After listening to the "Everything You Want" cd, I bought two other Vertical Horizon cd's, "There And Back Again" and "Running On Ice" and even though both of those are good, "Everthing You Want" tops them. I am looking forward to the next release which I think should be "We Are". Great job guys, keep it up!

I buy a lot of CDs, and this has to be the best one I've purchased in the last five years. I haven't been able to stop listening to it since July. This is the first album I've ever purchased where every single track on the disc is fantastic (except maybe the last, which is very palatable). Most CDs, you're lucky if you get three or four good songs. Not here. It's a home run. This is entirely out of character for me, but I've even gone to the point of buying five or six extra copies from Amazon and given them as gifts to friends and family. 100% praise. Whoever doesn't own this CD is missing out, big time. This band combines a nice hard edge with great melodies. Can't help but sing along.

Normally, I am not drawn toward the lighter side of rock. The lightest I have ever gone is Matchbox20, who I deem as having real talent. Then I bought Vertical Horizon's album. Damn, was I blown away. The songs really speak to me, having a somewhat Christian attitude, but subtle enough that it's not preaching at all. Coming from a guy that is into the hard rock scene (Korn, Slipknot, Finger11) this CD has really gotten me interested in Vertical Horizon. You can call it pop if you want, but I call it music thats damn good for the soul. Take a listen and you won't be dissapointed.

I am extremely impressed by the album "Everything You Want" by Vertical Horizon. It certainly lives up to it's title, and then some. Every single song begins with an infectious hook that makes you stay glued to your CD player to hear. And the infectious hooks stay through the entire song to make them all incredibly catchy songs that will stay in your head all night. There are slow songs on the album, such as my personal favorite, "Give You Back", a melancholy song about being mixed up in love, and "Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning)" which could easily become a classic with it's sad guitar hooks. Matt Scannell, the lead singer, has a voice very reminiscent of Peter Gabriel, which I think is a very good thing. This group writes all of their songs, and it's obvious that they do that very well. Some of the catchy tunes on the album are single-destined "You're A God", "Finding Me", and of course the hit "Everything You Want". This is pop music with a lot of rock thrown in. It's the first CD I have heard in a long time that does not try to incorporate rap or R&B into it. This group just tries to be themselves, and after being around for 9 years, I'm glad they got the break they deserved. If you don't have it yet, go out and buy "Everything You Want". I promise, it's worth every cent!

This CD is really the Best I Ever Had! I bought this CD because I liked the song "Everything You Want", and I'd heard a few other songs by Vertical Horizon which sounded great. When I listened to the CD, I was just amazed. There isn't one song on this CD that I don't like. I love that fact that they are not all about love and heartbreak and the sort; the lyrics have real meaning. Also, the voices are strong, and the acoustics are terrific... Sometimes I'll even find myself singing along without knowing it. People of all ages can listen to this CD!

1. "We Are" --- This song really just makes you want to jump up and rock along with the music! It has an excellent beat that stays consistent through the whole song. I recommend this song if you're in the mood to move along with the music.

2. "You're A God" --- One of my favorites. I love the lyrics. This song is a very sing-along-able song, with great volume changes and a cool beat.

3. "Everything You Want" --- Probably the most well-known song on this CD. It's also one of my favorites, because the lyrics are excellent and definitely unique! The music's tune is really catchy and the background music makes it even beter.

4. "Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning)" --- This song is one of the slower songs on the CD, and it has sweet lyrics and a calming tune. The instrumentals in the beginning and in the background really help to set the mood, and it's not hard at all to actually imagine a grey sky morning while listening to this song. This is more of a vocal song, with quieter background music. I love this song, as it is a change from the louder and more acoustic tracks.

5. "You Say" --- Another one of my favorites. I especially love the chorus, which is incredibly fun to sing along to. This song has a great rhythm and a terrific beat to tap your fingers to.

6. "Finding Me" --- I think almost everyone can relate to the lyrics of this song! This one also has an excellent beat, and there are some rather high notes hit in this song, which are great to play in your mind.

7. "Miracle" --- This song is probably my favorite on the whole CD. The lyrics are quite moving and the tune is very acoustic. I love the volume differences, and how the rhythm remains about the same throughout the song. The chorus stands out, because it's louder and stronger. The lyrics often repeat the word miracle, which makes the song sound very cool.

8. "Send It Up" --- This is another song with a constant repeat, this time with send it up. The chorus is fun, because it's accented clearly. This song is ideal if you're in the mood to just listen and feel like you're floating on relaxing waves.

9. "Give You Back" --- The volume in this song rises and falls, which keeps it interesting and different. This song has great lyrics and a really powerful sound.

10. "All Of You" --- The beginning of this song immediately caught my interest, since it had a strange kind of tune. This is a short but cool song, and it has an excellent echo sound.

11. "Shackled" --- This is definitely a different song than the other ten songs on this CD and it's one of my favorites. The song's message is clear, and although it's pretty dark and angsty, the lyrics are really powerful. There's no other song quite like this one.

"Everything You Want," Vertical Horizon's fourth album and their first on the RCA label, does, indeed, have everything you want! Amazing lyrics and incredible music combine to make this disc one that deserves a permanent place in your CD player. Matt Scannell, Keith Kane, Ed Toth, and Sean Hurley have poured their hearts into this album, and it shows...all 13 songs reach out and draw you in as soon as you hear them.

Growing from their acoustic roots, VH has turned out an album that hits all the right notes at all the right times. Many new fans were probably hooked by the title song, an appealing tune that captures the struggle of offering everything you can to someone...and still never making headway. "He says all the right things at exactly the right time, but he means nothing to you and you don't know why." Who among us hasn't been on one side or the other of a relationship like that?!

The album is a great mix of hard-edged, driving rock and heartfelt, introspective songs. "Send It Up" is just as catchy as "Everything You Want," and the current single, "You're A God," is blazing it's way up radio charts everywhere...you can't help but sing along. "Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning)" is a slower-paced song with lyrics that are insightful and raw, in a good way..."And it may take some time to patch me up inside, but I can't take it so I run away and hide." "Finding Me" is particularly relevant song, I think...the experience of finding yourself is something that so many people can connect with. The last song on the album is "Shackled," which provides an interesting contrast to the rest of the disc musically and contains some of the most intense lyrics.

Matt Scannell has encouraged fans to develop their own interpretations of the songs, which allows each listener to bring their experiences and emotions to the album and connect in a very powerful way to the songs. Vertical Horizon is a phenomenal band with so much energy...if you ever get a chance to see them live, don't pass it up! I love this album for so many different reasons and on so many different levels. I think that no matter what your taste in music generally runs to, there's something on "Everything You Want" for everyone. :)

I purchased this album after hearing "We Are" on KKZN in Dallas. I was shocked to recently hear "Everything You Want" on local Top-40 radio here in Kansas City. Vertical Horizon has a sound that is becoming quite rare in today's mix of teen-pop and rap-rock. (read: good) Although it's good to finally hear good music on the radio, "Everything You Want" is far from the best song on the album. "Miracle", and "Shackled" are particularly brilliant.

In all honesty, I was initially disappointed in Everything You Want. However, after spending some time really listening to it and reading the lyrics, I've grown to love this album. The insightful lyrics and superb musicianship are a welcome change from everything else that's out there right now.