Customer Reviews

Getaway

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

 

 

With the release of Getaway, Reef's fourth full CD, they have continued to evolve. Building on a foundation of the classic rock sound of Replenish and their masterpiece, Glow, along with the pop sensibilities of Rides, Getaway is a somewhat logical, albeit commercial step for the band. Gary Stringer's vocals are the most restrained of his career, and depending on how you feel about his unique vocal stylings, this is either good or bad. The CD kicks off with the one two punch of Set The Record Staright, a rocker that US radio could dearly use and then the riffy sounding Superhero. Next up is the brit-pop sounding title track, which chronicles the bands likeness for traveling. After a few other stand out tracks like Saturday, Solid and All I Want (which makes me want to get out my lighter and hold it up in power ballad glory) the CD ends with a bang. Pretender comes close to rivaling the most rocking tunes on Glow, while I Do Not Know What They Will Do is a sonic noise fest that would make Soundgarden proud. Add to this the plentiful b-sides that accompany each of their releases and Reef fans can rejoice in 2000!! Now if only US audiences could be exposed to this great band once again...c'mon Sony, release this CD here!!!!

Place Your Hands" & "Consideration were the songs that got me into this band back in 1997. I Quite enjoyed that CD (also after the purchase of "Glow" I bought thier "Replenish CD) & then came "Rides" that further impressed me & now they give us "Get Away" that completes my Reef collection for the time being.

This Cd should be a Definite Must. I love Stringer's Voice & that is the sort of voice that Rock Music should have & deserves. It kind of reminds me of Brian Johnson's vocal style from AC/DC (another SUPERB ROCK N' ROLLING BAND).

The Cd is filled with something for everyone & it sure is Catchy so come on in & join along in the fun that Reef continues to provide with yet another superb Rockig Album.

Standouts: Set The Record Straight, Superhero, All I Want, Hold On, Saturday (This will so go off at a Concert) & Levels.

So do yourselves a favour & get this Cd, It will be a worthy addition to your Cd collection.

Rock and roll is dead? not so. that is what the record companies desperately want you to believe. REEF is alive and making some of the best rock and roll, straight up rock and roll, since the late seventies and the reason no one thinks they are is because the main media outlets don't lift it to the level that they do for britney spears and the backstreet boys. We've become, that would be the record buying public, expectant to have all the music delivered to our door. REEF is worth seeking out and delivers with this album. This is one of the most stripped down and to the point rock albums of the past ten years. This band continues to flourish in a world that doesn't seem to notice or care. And they will continue for years to come. Especially with that dam riff making factory they are running.

Simply put, this CD is the best Reef CD besides "Glow." The songs are catchy and well written. Vox are incredible and the musicianship is tight. Reef is an incredible band with very little recogition (at least in the US). This album proves them to be one of the best out there, an in my opinion, ever!

Reef's 4 studio album could be considered by some an exploration into american-seudo-pop-rock-music by some or an effort to finally have a huge comercial hit by others, yet this classifications fall only short of what "Getaway" really represents.
Yes, this cd does have catchy tunes, and Yes most of the songs are radio friendly, but this doesnt mean that reef has compromised any of its music to sell out. No, this is just the logical step up from their previous album.
Here every musician plays their original instrument (unlike "Rides" where everyone played different instruments)
therefore creating more solid and concise music. The music is clearly inspired by american blues and grassroots music, for several songs contain blues type choruses or melodic riffs that set the pace of the song.
One thing that is clear in this album is its production. Everything sounds very clean, in comparisson to their previous albums, but for reef it may be a little too clean. Most of the songs lack that scratchy sound the instruments made on previous albums, stringers voice is not pushed to higher limits, and most of the songs lack that extra punch that makes you dance to the music.
But do not be mistaken, this is a great album, maybe not the bands best, but a well made effort that could have been an international breakthrough for the band.

Most notable on this cd are "Set the record straight" a rock song that compares to "place your hands" and "naked"

"Levels" is a beautiful ballad, maybe the best that the band has written, "getaway" another catchy rock song, and "all i want" another great soft track.

It is still a stompin' album. If you're a reef fan, then yes you'd notice it sounds a weee bit different to the earlier stuff, but so what? This guy above obviously doesn't have a clue. If you like rock 'n roll, the album is a must for ya. It blends all sorts of rock and the album varies in the tones of songs, as they have managed earlier, which makes it unrepetetive and never dull. Buy it!

I've no idea why this band doesn't get a bigger push stateside; not only are thy better than tripe like Creed, they're even better looking, so why doesn't the US get it? In any case, Reef has continued to refine their sound on this record; they still haven't quite paid their debt to Led Zeppelin, but a broader sonic palette brings to my mind no band quite so much as Jane's Addiction, Stringer's much deeper voice aside. It's true that you can definitely see Gary's vocal outbursts getting more and more controlled with each release, but I think it's unfair to pin it on a conscious desire to be more mainstream; he remains a unique vocal talent and while more directed, he's hardly less energetic. The songs 'All I Want' and 'Levels' are particularly good, and more than any other Reef record so far, I find the songs sticking in my head. So perhaps they have found a better pop formula, but the rocking is none the worse for it and where previous efforts were too shallow overall to really resonate or not catchy enough to stick, Reef seems to find their balance here.

someday america will suddeenly realise what they have been doing wrong they will stop listening to limp bizcuit and their kin(linkin park being an exception) and start burning all the american punk bands(the exception this time being the terrific alkaline trio) and british bands will start to get some credit.feeder as and reef will become massive and my how they will have deserved it.oh by the way this cds top notch.

The thing I like about Reef first and foremost are the uplifting lyrics. It is a big plus that the music rocks and the lead singer has a great voice filled with emotion. Life rules, Reef rules. Buy this album. Peace.

I'm one of the biggest ReeF fans around and i've been following the development of this album closely; I wonder that while making this album why did the producers insist on Gary Stringer's unique, one-in-a-million, vocals be controlled? Why did they insist on the trademark bass riffs be trimmed down to a measly backing instrument? Better yet, why did the prodecers insist on the guitar solos be backed by a ... a ... KEYBOARD?? Maybe their next step should be changing "Reef" into "The 5th regiment" ???

Hearing "Set the record straight" - the first track - it becomes obvious the energy in Reef is forced and controlled, not at all how it leaks through every band member in "Glow" where every instrument shines with amazing compatability, something bands like "Filter" and "SR-71" are still working on. Songs like "All i want" are un-neccesary power ballads which trim down any sort of enthusiasm produced by songs like "Superhero". In the end ... you're wondering if you feel like jumping - or sitting - or crying because of the wreck this album is!!

The producers wanted an album everyone can enjoy ... they produced an album which i doubt anybody can...