Customer Reviews

Free

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

On his third album, Gavin Degraw breaks free of the controllers who had molded and shaped his image and persona on the second album. Free is such a very personal album that listening to it is almost like reading a diary. Over the years, our girl Gavin has seen many personal and professional ups and downs and many of them are explored on the album. The songwriting and song production are excellent and Gavin's powerful voice is full of emotion, and that makes this album one of the best. This album is definitely a creative leap forward for Gavin. On this album, he sounds more comfortable, more self-assured than ever. A perfect example of his apparently newfound confidence is the track "Waterfalls." The track is the audio equivalent of an intimate evening your significant other. It just oozes true love, and Gavin's strong, powerful vocals on the song are realization of the potential that he displayed on his first two albums. Whether choosing an up-beat tune, a slow love ballad, Gavin does them all equally well. One of the first songs "FREE", is a great ballad and you can tell that he is on a mission to improve himself and nothing is going to stand in his way. Another track with an outstanding vocal performance is the album's first single, "Stay" "Why don't you stay, I need you here with me. When you're away, all others disappear." So for those who have followed Gavin Degraw through some, most or all of his career, the good news is: FREE is definitely his best album so far. Gavin also picked two great ballads with fan favorites "Dancing Shoes" and "Glass." They aren't his previous live records but listening to them, the pure essence of the meaning of the songs shine through. "Indian Summer" is a song I've heard covered by several artists, which was originally recorded by Chris Whitley. No matter who does it, it is a great love song. It's evident by this album that Gavin is still growing as an artist, and as long as he continues to grow and evolve, he'll eventually rise to the top of his field.

This album is going to be one of Gavin's greatest works, and all done in two weeks! I don't have my physical cd yet but I have listened over and over on iLike
I love that Gavin recorded Glass and Dancin' Shoes as these are two of the songs that I felt in love with as a new Gavin fan several years ago.
Dancin' shoes- Gavin really pays homage to his original recording of this song. He sounds more mature and more soulful but the innocence of the song isn't lost. Beautiful.
Stay- This is one of my all time favorite songs how. From the first time I heard it, I knew....this is Gavin at his BEST! I love that it sounds a bit country and "vulnerable" as I've heard it described.
Indian Summer-I know this is just a cover but Gavin was born to sing it! Chris Whitley would be proud!! Gavin's voice and the way he delivers these great lyrics is just phenominal!
Free- Free feels exactly that. FREE! Gavin seems to have opened himself up to just create amazing music outside of the box of s*** rock and pop radio.
Mountains to move- This somber tune showcases Gavin's deep writing....i'm still trying to figure it out :)
Glass-LOVE LOVE LOVE- my only quam is that I wish he ended it the same as in the Virgin records store recording....but of course I would want that having only heard this song from that video for three years.
Lover be strong- When I first heard the name of this song I thought it was going to be oh so cheesy....but it's soooo not! I love everything about it.....the melody the beat, gavin's delivery of the vocals, the lyrics....it's a winner! This will be one of Gavin's greatest hits I'm sure of it.
Waterfall-This is the most sensual song I've ever heard from Gavin-It sounds like a hot steamy love making session! Talk about baby making music hehe. I really love Gavin's " Smokey Robinsonesque" vocals.
Why do the men stray- This is another case of Gavin's deep writing and unwillingness to conform to popculture, right on Gavin!!!

When I heard the teaser track "Stay" I wasn't too impressed and a little a disappointed since it seemed like the style of this album wasn't any different from his previous ones. But listening to it I was proven wrong, it's definitely more cool calm collective and the songs are very intense even though there aren't as many big choruses but man, this record goes under your skin!
My favorite tracks may be "Mountains To Move" and "Why Do The Men Stray", but also "Lover Be Strong" and "Glass", that was also heard on episode 6.18 of One Tree Hill, are sheer amazing.

With this record Gavin proves that a record doesn't need a lot of songs but that quiet sounds, a nice and very unique voice and good lyrics might just equal a really great album, that's intense, beautiful to listen to, definitely timeless and a piece of art.
Well done, Gavin DeGraw!

this guy is awesome! was just scrolling thru some music and came upon gavin degraw's album "free". i'd never heard of him and decided to listen to samples of his music - was not expecting to be totally "wowed" but i was! there was only one song i wasn't wild about but i love all the others (actually, it was "free", which is the album tital).
if you like "bluesy" type music, you'll love this.
dinah m.

This album is Gavin DeGraw showcasing his most raw natural talent. The album is brave and honest as he goes back to basics and brings his soulful style and his raw voice to the lyrics of love and loss. Every song tells a story about what he is feeling and his voice changes from an angry rough and randy character, into his beautiful falsetto and back to his gravely sexy sound. It is amazing to listen to the characters that emerge from song to song. Buy it, it will be money well spent. I personanlly LOVE it!

If, like me, you prefer "Chariot (Stripped)" to "Chariot" produced, then you'll like this album. I knew the first time I listened to it straight through that I had a new favorite Gavin DeGraw album.

I have not one complaint about any of his albums. But, I am going to speak comparatively here. This is his BEST album since Stripped. I prefer the earthy and soulful feel of this album to the more produced numbers. Every song has a personality of its own. I would even play this album in a Yoga class. It's very groovy and soothing.

Sarah Wetherby

When I first listened to Free, I was glad that it doesn't follow the same formula as his self titled 2nd album. However, I'm a bit dissappointed that it is not as easy to fell in love with and not as catchy as Chariot. Free takes more time to get attached to, something you listen with your eyes closed and get soaked into the feelings and what he's trying to say. After listening to the album for the 4th and 5th times, I feel the album is as Gavin said Honest, it comes from the heart and its calmer, and composed, and I LOVE IT, but in a different way than Chariot. The easiest song to fell in love with is Lover Be Strong, but soon I found myself humming to Why do men stray, Montains to move, and of course my all time favourite, Glass. I guess Gavin has grown and changed, and if this is the direction he is taking, then I'm supporting him all the way. I think I'm gonna give Free 4 star, can't give a 5; 5 star is only for the amazing Chariot and its stripped version. I mean, Chariot is like a drop dead gorgeous guy...and Free is more of a "be your best friend first and fell in love later" kinda album :)

I have been a fan of Gavin's voice for years and years but have not always loved the production of his records. 'Chariot Stripped' was the album that showed me his potential, but he completely lost me when he released his self titled album 'Gavin Degraw'. My interest in his music halted and I didn't even bother to find out when he was releasing a new record. He has a voice that oooozzzzeeesss soul and I get right royally vexed when it sounds like it has been put through a synthisizer. I remember going to a concert of his with a friend, who on the strengh of the gig brought his album 'Chariot' but couldn't understand how he sounded so completely different (read: better) live in comparison to the CD.

I do not count myself as a musical snob that can't appreciate a good produced pop song - I can - but when the tone of a voice is lost and the production takes over, I just don't see the point for an artist like DeGraw. Tone of voice and innotation is one of the many things that attracts me to an artist and on this record I think Gavin gets a lot closer to the mark.

Based on the above, I am very late coming to this record. It was released in 2009 in the UK, and here I am half way through 2010 having only had the album for just under a month. That is how much I had distanced myself from him, and the fact I am bothering to write a review for amazon is how much he has drawn me back in.

I personally like the laid back, almost melancholic tone of the album. Lyrically I also think it is great but this is probably because he sings like he believes in the words. Get someone to sing the same thing without the passion and belief and I would think they were rubbish. That's the thing with lyrics - you need the right person to make them mean something and come alive.

'Mountains to Move' for me showcases his voice perfectly. He uses the lower tone of his range which I think he sometimes neglects.

Then, to totally contradict myself, 'Waterfall' is sung at the higher end of his register and sounds soooooo good. I think this is down to the simplicity of the recording and how close it comes to the sound he gets at concerts.

I'm not going to go through an analysis for each song but I will say that if you are in a kind of reflective mood, stick this album on and close your eyes. It really is a stunning showcase of what he is capable of. I think and am hopeful that this release will draw some additions to his fanbase and I know that many of my friends who have turned their nose up at him before, are now asking me to let them know when he will be touring here again.

To me, this album is such a HUGE step for Gavin and whilst I am not completely dissing some of his older songs (to the reviewer who claimed to sing 'Chariot' at the top of their lungs in the shower - I do it too and I bloomin' love it!), but I am dissing the recording of some of them and they do seem VERY mediocre now I can compare it to the sound of this record. That's what has always annoyed me about being a Gavin fan ... knowing just how talented his voice is but not having the recordings and production to showcase how it should be.

The only thing stopping me from going to his next UK concert whenever that may be is the constant screaming girls that punctuate ... constantly punctuate his music. Call me an old woman even if I am still in my mid 20's but I just ain't down with that and it kind of ruins the gig for me. Don't get me wrong, I all for a 'whoop' here and a 'hell yeah' there but peeps, this is a musical performance, not a strip show. I do not see however how on earth you can scream to the songs on this album, so maybe, just maybe, I'll shell out some pennies and make the trip.

Well, this has turned out to be more of a lyrical waxing about my musical relationship with DeGraw rather than the CD release itself, but I hope you will give it an unbiased listen and make up your own mind whether you are a non fan, lapsed fan, or completely new to his music.

Gavin Degraw's newest cd Free is incredible. Definitely buy the entire album but the tracks to listen too would be Stay, Glass, and Mountains to Move. Gavin keeps his same, incredible sound with new and fun lyrics. It is definitely a must-have! Five stars!