Customer Reviews

Hardcastle 2

5 star:		(7)
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I really dig Paul Hardcastle. The multi-instrumentalist best known for the hit song "19" is a master blender of smooth jazz, pop, and soul. It's perfect music to cruise down the highway with or chill out at home to. "Hardcastle 2" is my personal favorite from Paul. Song for song it is irrisistibly catchy. With guest vocalists like Helen Rogers, Paul weaves a smooth aural tapestry in groovy songs like "Livin' In The Shadows," "Got To Be Love," "Star Of The Story," and "You Are The One." Paul also serves up cool instrumentals like "Bird Island," "Peace On Earth," "Jokers Wild," and "Warm Glow." "Look To The Future" is a truly special song about...well, looking to the future, featuring Paul's young daughter Maxine on spoken-word lead vocals. In light of the 9/11 tragedy, this song certainly takes on a whole new meaning. And, for the coup de grace, Paul includes his brilliant, smooth-jazz interpretation of the Pink Floyd classic, "Money," featuring cameos by Sir Laurence Olivier & Bob Hoskins! It's wonderful.When I need music to chill out to, there's nobody better in the world to listen to than Paul Hardcastle. The man's a musical genius. I strongly recommend that you buy his *entire* catalog of excellent albums, but you can't go wrong by beginning with "Hardcastle 2," arguably his greatest work to date. Paul, you are hip! :-)

Great melodies, catchy beats, saxy sax, great vocals (Helen Rogers has such a sultry voice! Imani is incomparable on "Got to be love", Steve Menzies is great on Livin' in the shadows (which is a song that will hook you on Hardcastle right away - and it is track number one! - great lyrics, and terrific arrangements! First time i heard Hardcastl was on WPLM (in the Boston radio market). It was some tune not on this album. I loved it and had to have it in my smooth jazz collection. I rushed to find the CD at Tower Records. They didnt have it. But they did have this album and Jazzmasters One and Two. I bought all three, taking a chance that they were good. Within a week I was completely hooked. I listened to Hardcastle probably everyday for two years! I am a DJ and occasionally play him during cocktail hour time and people always ask me "who is this? it is great!" You want soothing, relaxing, sultry vocals, saxy sax, and a catchy beat...this is for you.

I was driving and listening to the radio (KKSF) when I heard "Bird Island" by Paul Hardcastle. When his name was announced after the song, I thought, I have got to have this CD. I went searching the next day until I found and purchased it. I can say it is truely a great arrangement of fine music.

Riding high on the heels of the spectacular First volume in the "Hardcastle" album series, Paul Hardcastle returns two years later with the second entry in the "Hardcastle" album series and it is a great and very different sounding album altogether. The overall sound is more of a brighter and more R&B influenced style and less of the New Age tinged pop of old and a greater emphasis on R&B and a jazzier sound on tracks like "Living in The Shadows", "Acoustic Dreams", "Star of The Story" and "Got To Be Love". The only track that harkens to the more New Age jazz of the 1994 "Hardcastle" album is "Bird Island" which is a wonderful instrumental classic. The CD is very diverse and has plenty for almost everyone. Highly recommended!

This CD proves that Paul knows how to appeal to a mass audience. Hardcastle 2 is saturated with bouncy tunes that will keep the listener grooving to the beat. Get this CD!!!! It's well worth the money.

Paul Hardcastle's music is just out of this world. I listen to this disk all the time. Like being in another quiet place. His arrangements and sounds are wonderful. I wish he had more disks out. The vocals are great too. This is just ideal music.

This was my first Paul Hardcastle CD and I have since bought more. I really like the clean, funky sound. This CD always helps me mellow down after a tough day.

As a Pink Floyd fan the thought of a cover of "Money" worried me a little, but it is excellent!