Customer Reviews

Going Somewhere

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

 

 

Although I LOVE his voice, I didn't want to take a chance on this one as there are no samples above and I hadn't heard any of his music since the late 80's. I read somewhere that it was an attempt to capture "the feel" of his live performance which also scared me. Luckily in this case,that doesn't mean a lot of audience clatter, sing-a-longs, and poor sound mixing. It is strictly acoustic which means that you actually hear real talent on the guitar (how unique)and the quality is absolutely excellent.

The songs are beautiful and meaningful and I promise that you will find yourself singing them to yourself at work and in the shower. Don't let the lack of tracks above set you off. I made the decision to buy the album when I heard him sing My Brilliant Feat on an on-line radio broadcast out of one of the M states up North (sorry, they don't teach Texans geography).

If you still have doubts, check out his official web site for sound bytes.

I bought this album out of curiosity. Now it is one the favorites in my collection. Colin Hay provides thought provoking and wonderfully entertaining lyrics. Listen closely and you will hear an impressive vocal range. Colin's acoustic guitarwork also stands out by itself. There is plenty of diversity in tone and subject matter while also maintaining a cohesive and unique style that can only be Colin Hay. If you are a fan of Men at Work this album will be a change of pace but definitely a must buy. If you want an acoustic album with great lyrics and a distinctive style, this album is for you even if you never heard of Colin Hay before.

I saw Colin a few months back at a small (100 folks, maybe?) show in NYC. He was great! Fantastic vocals and acoustic playing. This disk pretty much captures that experience, save for all the cool and funny stories he told inbetween the tunes. A couple of the tracks are a little hokey in the lyrical department, but Colin's voice more than makes up for that.

Really, I don't understand why he doesn't have more of a following...cause, this guy is the real thing.

I live in Australia and other than hearing 'Down Under' on the radio we haven't heard boo of Colin other than some guest appearnaces on talk shows. It is a disgrace that our local stations don't play his fantastic music! That's enough sooking. I heard "Waiting for my real life to begin" on a 'Judging Amy" episode and after much web searching got the name of the album and ordered it (hesitantly) from overseas on his website. And, boy am I glad I did. Every track is just stunning, and I've been a long time lover of music, singer/songwirters, and the acoustic style of this album just blew me away. 'Maggie' is just beautiful and quite emotional, 'Lifeline' is another great track, and my personal favourite "Waiting for my real life to begin" just tugs at the ole' heart strings - which is where it all began for me. Colin is a genius, and his expressive voice and lyrics carries this album as well as his excellent guitar playing. Do yourself a favour - buy this album if you love acoustic work. And petition Aussie radio stations to play him!
Go Colin! Aussie Aussie Aussie!

This stirring CD is stripped of all but a voice and a guitar. And for the final song, there is the voice alone. A friend of mine was amazed anyone could sing like that. From the playful "Beautiful World" to the tragic "Maggie", the music is a spectrum of emotions. I think this would be a perfect choice for those who like accoustic guitar work and "unplugged" albums. For Men at Work fans who are just finding out Colin Hay has a solo career, this would be a good place to start.

If you've never been lucky enough to see Colin Hay in concert - this is the next best thing. For acoustic lovers, it's a must! His story weaving in "Maggie" is just superb. If anyone is longing for Colin's unique vocal talents, he includes an acapella selection "I Don't Know Why". Colin is truly one of the best singer/songwriters today!

Colin Hay's latest CD, "Going Somewhere," is worth the price of the album for tracks 7 (Waiting for My Real Life to Begin) and 9 (Lifeline) alone. Highly recommended for the wit and intelligence of the lyrics, with excellent guitar work. This man is truly one of the best singer/songwriters around. Great for pensive moments and introspection, "Going Somewhere" also holds up as a great cd for all occasions. Buy it, and see this man in concert if you can! Also recommend "Topanga" and "Transcendental Highway," by the talented Mr. Hay.

If you've seen Colin perform on his club tour and appreciate his solo vocals & guitar, you will enjoy this CD immensely. This represents all the dynamics of his live performance, minus the dolt sitting next to you trying to get the waitress' attention for another beer.

How could the CD be better? If Colin included some of the humorous stories told in-between songs. Perhaps he could write a book....

After Men At Work's big splash many years ago, I sometimes found myself wondering what had become of Colin Hay. One recent day, I wandered thru the e-stacks here at Amazon, clicked on "Going Somewhere" because I liked the cover photo, and discovered to my great pleasure and surprise that he has aged gracefully as a man and a songwriter. A lovely piece of work this is, quiet, wry, bittersweet, unsentimental, mature. Nice.

Great showing from the former frontman of Men at Work (MaW). I was a bit surprised to find this CD in a major outlet -- the Best Buy in Annapolis, Maryland in July, 2001 -- so I snapped it up as soon as I laid eyes on it even though I had no idea what Colin had been up to musically around that time.

The first thing that surprised me was that the whole thing is just Colin and his guitar, except for the last track which is an acapella number that sounds like it was recorded at an intimate club environment.

Colin is in fine form here. If you liked his vocal and songwriting styles from his MaW days, you won't be disappointed here. He sounds a little more raspy than he used to and his voice has dropped to a slightly lower register than the old days -- à la Geddy Lee and Sting of late -- but I still love his vocal stylings. He can still write and sing in a sometimes off-kilter, vaguely humorous way but he also handles the more introspective numbers equally well.

His acoustic playing on this set is great. He also uses some non-standard tunings (check "Children On Parade" and "Don't Wait Up") and plays a couple on a twelve-string guitar as well. His facility in playing a non-standard tuned 12-string is great and actually reminds me of Leo Kottke's My Feet Are Smiling at times. Three or so of the tunes have a folky vibe to them owing to him using a capo well up on the neck and they definitely show his Scottish roots with the airy drone quality he gets by using the low string as a pedal point while he chords over it.

I have listened to this CD regularly for the last four years and even managed to turn a few other people on to it even though they weren't the MaW fan I am. If you're looking for something new in a quiet vein, this is a great buy. I also highly recommend it to people who like Colin's singing style. Although his range isn't as varied here as on the MaW albums, you know it's Colin Hay from the first track.