Customer Reviews

Here Comes the Bride

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Okay, let's get something straight right from the beginning. This album is not anything like their previous ones. It is nothing like Pocket Full of Kryptonite. Just get over it, and listen to Here Comes the Bride with an open mind and the understanding that it may take some getting used to. If you can do that, then I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I myself first approached this album with great skepticism, but the new sound quickly grew on me. The highlights of this album are Vampires in the Sun, Gorilla Boy, Siren Dress, Diamond, the Man, and Tomorrow Can Pay the Rent (a real gem). The most obvious change is that some of the songs have a strong reggae flavor to them, but fortunately the Doctors pull it off quite well. Ivan Neville's keyboards also bring a whole new dimension to the band, and Chris Barron's singing style often diverges from their earlier material as well. Another marked change is that some of the songs seem to have a lot more soul to them. Fortunately, they haven't lost the funk, as Gorilla Boy is evidence of. A couple of tracks---Dodging Assassins and Waiting for the Blow---are bit difficult to get used to, but I'm beginning to like them as well.

Here is a band that is definitely not afraid to try something new. The Spin Doctors are ARTISTS, not some lame, sell-out group that just spits out more of the same soulless, poor-quality hooks that dominate the radio these days. Artists have can't stay the same forever, especially when they've been through as much turmoil as this band has. They have to change, to grow, to evolve. Look at REM. Here Comes the Bride is a refreshing blast of fresh air amid the stagnant smog which is most of today's popular music. Give this album a fair chance, and you'll like what you hear.

Sadly, Here Comes the Bride has been overlooked by the vast majority of listeners, and that is quite a shame, because this is a wonderful album. After their meteoric rise and equally swift fall from the limelight, the Spin Doctors remain a superb band, a bastion of top-notch music among the corporate-product boy / girl groups and the pop-punk band adolescent songs that have come to dominate the American music scene. A word of warning: if you are hung up on Pocketful Of Kryptonite, this may not be an album for you --- it is different for them, and somewhat experimental. But if you are willing to give this album a fair chance, you will be most pleasantly surprised. The title song starts off the album. HTCB is really not much of a song, but don't let it turn you off from the rest of the album. Actually, it has a good, funky sound too it, it's just the lyrics aren't worthy of note. Still, it is infectious. and it kind of grows on you. The 2nd song, Vampires In The Sun, is one of the albums real treats (great lyrics and singing it has kind of a reggae feel to it). Waiting For The Blow has somewhat of a punk sound to it, yet Chris Barron's lyrics still give it that Spin Doctors feel. The Man is a sort of semi-rap song, and isn't for everyone, but if you don't like the Man or working for him (and most of us don't), it has an appeal. Gone Mad is a bit weak, but the next song, Wow, is a reggae-influenced gem and a very fun song, as is Siren Dress. Gorilla Boy is extremely goofy but extremely fun, with a very funky groove that makes it hard to sit still. Fisherman's delight, another reggae-influenced song, is very strong lyrics, sound, singing, you name it, and the horns really add a lot to it. The Bigger I Laugh, the Harder I Cry is a pop song that with a west coast guitar sound. It was the single from the album, and although it is not what one would call a strong song, but its sound is so good that it is thoroughly enjoyable. Dodging Assassins is an electronic, experimental song with allusions the Wizard of Oz, of all things. It takes a little getting used to, but is very good once you do. Diamond is the closest thing to the old-style Spin Doctors songs on here. It has that familiar funk-rock-blues feel, and yet it is different. It is a really beautiful song too. Tomorrow Can Pay the Rent is just Chris Barron singing and playing the guitar while the drummer backs him up a little (it is like some of his solo stuff, which, btw, I highly recommend), but it is another of the albums most enjoyable songs. Now I'm sure you are wondering if an album this diverse can actually be good, but believe me, the Spin Doctors pull it off. Chris Barron's generally upbeat, hippie self shines through as usual. Ivan Neville, the new keyboard player (yes, he's one of THE Nevilles), really added a lot to this album, as did the horns that were used in some of the songs. This album is so different from the earlier stuff, and it was a really bold move on their part to release it. More importantly, it sounds GREAT, and it proves that in spite of all their losses and all the hell and changes they have been through, these guys still have it. So if you appreciate quality music and don't mind trying something a bit different, give this album a chance. It is money well spent.

...that they showed on Pocket Full of Kryptonite (their debut). They've gone to a new label, gotten some new members (which I personally don't think is necessarily a good thing), and have seemingly gotten their groove back after the slump following Turn It Upside Down (the sophomore entry). Unfortunately, their bassist Mark White (one of the best at what he does) only plays on about half of the songs here. Aaron Comess (the drummer) covers bass for the rest. The best tracks on the album are: the ultra-funky Gorilla Boy, the biblical Key to the Kingdom, The Bigger I Laugh the Harder I Cry (the single), and best of all is Here Comes the Bride. The Docs prove that they haven't lost the funk and begin what should have been a comeback. Unfortunately, following this album's release, Christopher Barron has been diagnosed with a rare vocal paralysis. It is unclear whether or not the band will continue. It is my sincere hope that they do, because with Here Comes the Bride, they have begun the comeback that could launch them back onto radio and into people's homes everywhere. Final word: though still unable to measure up to the standard they set with their debut, the Spin Doctors put out an excellent album in Here Comes the Bride. Great for many casual listeners, a treasure for fans of the Spin Doctors.

This album diverges from anything they have done before. Not only are they back, they are moving forward. They still have a great grass-roots sound, but this time they have put their finger on the pulse of "what is hip". I simply mean, their influences are broadening, their minds are expanding, and their music is growing in the ways it needs to for any band to stay "fresh".

I've never really listened to the Spin Doctors, but thought I'd take a chance w/ this CD. Great choice!

This CD has off-beat songs that are a terrific alternative to the overplayed radio garbage. Great instruments, arrangment - only real knock is wordiness. They jam too many words into each song.

"Pay the rent" sounds a lot like one of Paul Simon's slower songs. If you like it, Simon's "duncan" or "american tune" will rock your world.

I swear I have listened to this CD more than 100 times and now, I love every track on the entire album! Sure it's not another Pocket Full of Krytonite, but the Spin Doctors are still writing great music. So if you're getting kind of iffy on wether you will buy it or not just give it a try. Listen to it with an open mind and don't expect another "Two Princes" I garentee you'll love this CD over time. If you don't, maybee you just like the "music that blows you away the 1st time you hear it" kind of music.

HERE IS THE BOTTOM LINE:

The Spin Doctors aren't a band that you listen to for three weeks and forget about it. The Spin Doctors aren't those " cool for 15 minutes " bands. The Spin Doctors are brilliant musicians who make music that will be good forever, not music that will be cool for a while.

I've been a fan since the beginning. The doctors had started to fade on me -- the vibe was gone, the jams were gone, the gutarist was gone. But, this release is a refreshing blast of originality and the sort of "freedom" that comes from a band who does it for themselves rather than for The Man. Lots of hits on this one. Big hits. Nice work guys.

I first picked this up not knowing what to expect - my last SD CD was "Pocketful". Anyway, at first listen I was disappointed. Yet I kept it in my CD and now I really love it. It doesn't have the same pop sound as "Pocketful" yet its still a really good CD with some catchy tunes "Here comes the bride", "vampires in the sun", "wow", "siren dress", "tomorrow can pay the rent" could all be hits in my book. The rest are still great songs too.

Spin Doctors have always been a great band and I have all of their cds, and I would give all of them 5 stars. Still this is one of the best.