Customer Reviews

Light (Special Edition with 3 Live Bonus Tracks)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

My favorite Matisyahu album has always been and will always be the Live at Stubbs album. When a musician explodes into the public eye and people start listening, they become attached to that sound because that's what they fell in love with. When an artist puts out something new and ventures from that beloved sound, people automatically dismiss the new record. We all do it, especially with artists we love.

Light is different, there is no denying it. It's less reggae and much more rock and hip hop. Smash Lies is a stark contrast to what most people are used to from Matisyahu. It's a very layered song, littered with piano, hip hop beats and just about everything else but the reggae sound most Matisyahu fans are accustomed to. But it's not a bad song just because it's different.

The first four songs are some of the best songs I've heard in a long time. When Matisyahu puts out a greatest hits album, I expect Smash Lies, We Will Walk, One Day and Escape to be on there.

We Will Walk and One Day are very radio friendly, very rock and roll/pop and very uplifting and catchy. It's almost as if they were put out by a different artist. Perhaps they were. Perhaps Matisyahu is growing and changing. People change. Musical styles and tastes change. Just about everything changes. It's a natural part of progression. Stagnation exists when progression is absent. The reggae isn't gone. Listen to the last half of the album, especially Motivate, Darkness Into Light, On Nature and Thunder. That initial sound that most of us fell in love with isn't gone, it's just been built upon, the way a house is built upon a foundation. What's missing isn't as important as what is present in this record.

Light may not be as good as his other records, it may not have the same sound, but it's still a fabulous record full of spirit, heart and enjoyable music, something that seems to be an anomaly these days. All good artists grow and change, Matisyahu is no exception.

Matisyahu said in an article published a few months ago that he was tired of being known as the Jewish rapper. That's how people came to know him, that's how I first discovered him. I play Live at Stubbs for people and tell them about how I saw Matisyahu in Louisville, KY back in December and that it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. They ask me who Matisyahu is and I respond, "that Jewish rapper that has a reggae rock band" and they go "oh yeah, that guy."

He said in the article that he would rather be known as a human being. As fans, we put labels on artists. He became that Jewish rapper. There is no room for growth when you are a Jewish rapper. Eventually, you're going to run out of Old Testament and Torah to rap about. Then what? A human being is allowed to grow. There is room for growth and change as a human being. Light is different from Live at Stubbs and Youth and Shake off the Dust for a reason. Matisyahu is growing and changing, breaking out of the mold that had encased him over the years.

I do not like this cd at all.

It is not that it is bad, on the contrary, it is more bold, experimental and different from his other outings.

Matisyahu acquired a lot of his fans by hitting the festival circuit. If you are a big "jam band" fan then you would have crossed paths with this artist. Live, he is absolutely a "jam band". I am a "jam band" guy.

I have no problem with Matisyahu going commercial (which he obvoiusly is), trying styles that I may not agree with or the overpreachy/cheesy lyrics. What really kills this work is how overproduced every song is. I like my music raw, stripped down...and in the genre of reggae, dub or hip hop, with lots of space between the instruments. This stuff is way too processed.

When you see him live, he has a smoking hot band but you would never know it from this work. Many of his songs, live, are beautifully drawn out and developed, but not on this shmaltzy work. His songs would venture into deep grooves, but not on this album.

This cd makes Matisyahu sound like an "American Idol" contestant rather than the very experienced performer that he is. It took a long time to release this and now I see why.

NOTE, he probably will pick up new fans with his new sound but you shouldn't totally eliminate what successful formula took you this far.

I was eagerly waiting for this album to come out, but after listening through several times, I found myself disappointed. Matisyahu's earlier albums had a nice reggae/hip-hop beat, but this album relies almost entirely on the hip-hop feel. I felt like I was listening to Matisyahu's Dance Party. Matisyahu barely gets any solos in the songs and he is overshadowed by beats and backup, which is a shame because he has an incredible voice. This album reminded me of Chris Cornell's Scream album. Another great artist whose album was ruined by beats and overproduction. I still think you should purchase the album to support Matisyahu and you may enjoy it, but if you hate hip-hop like me you will only enjoy a handful of tracks.

For someone who achieved rapid fame with the impressive album "Youth," Matisyahu seemed to forget what made him so popular: the novelty of Hebrew Reggae artist who was dedicated to his art, but more so to his faith. He's lost that vibe in this album: it's more of a hip-hop blend, with little to no Reggae elements. The songs are well done, but not necessarily anything above the ordinary in today's music scene.

I am a big Matis fan, and absolutely loved "Live at Stubbs." I went to see him in 2006 here in Phoenix, and the show was awesome. I really appreciate the fact that his lyrics are positive and spiritual, and the fact that the music was good too was a big positive.

I was not very impressed with his second album, "Youth," and to be honest, listen to it very rarely.It's not that it's a bad album, it just seemed a little over produced, and none of the songs really seemed to grab me. Of course, he is not the first artist to fall to the "sophomore album curse," and given the freshness and vibrancy of "Live at Stubbs," it is hard to imagine that any studio album would be satisfying.

So when I got "Light," I wasn't sure what to expect. I had read some of the reviews here on Amazon, and was somewhat hesitant, but because I love what he stands for, and consider him a great musical artist, I picked it up. And I have to be completely honest - upon first listening, I did not like this album. It seemed that he had gone completely to the other end of the spectrum - a pop sound, a lot of production, and hip hop beats. But when I listened to the lyrics, they were still positive and uplifting.

But a funny thing happened as I kept listening to this album - I started really, really liking it. There are still some soungs that capture the reggae sound that people first came to love him for, like "Struggla"; there are some very beautiful songs that say extremely positive and hopeful things, like "One Day" (which should be the global national anthem, one of the best songs ever made by anyone), and the more tender song "I Will Be Light." I also like "We Will Walk" and "Thunder" very much, and all of the other songs are good as well.

And the more I listen to it, the more I like it. To me, that is often the mark of a truly great album - I don't like it at first, but it keeps growing on me. I do hope that he will cut back on the production a bit his next album, but I understand too that he has something to say, and he is trying to reach a wider audience than just those who like reggae. And I don't think we can fault him for that. This is a very good album, and if you like Matis and like positive music, pick it up - and be sure to listen to it several times before deciding whether you like it or not.

This album pushes Matisyahu to a new level and gives reggae and hip-hop a serious blur while including other noteworthy sounds like ska and folk. It took a few times to get use to this CD but after that, i really enjoyed it. I recommend you listen to it with an open ear and behind the additional musical sounds, you will still find his positive messages.

This is not for all Matisyahu fans for sure.... but if your CD collection features more than just that awesome reggae sound, this might be a nice addition. Its nice to see an artist evolving without losing his message. My favorite song on here has to be "One Day" which, ironically, is more what I am used to with him, but I still respect the rest of this CD. I have no regrets buying this CD and I am glad it has pushed my point of view of Matisyahu outside of my square box.

I'm redoing my review because I feel like I really didn't give it a chance before. With me, it takes time for some music to grow on me. There are some great songs here, although there are some I really don't like, although I'm still getting used to Youth and all it's songs. Some of his songs turn me off at the beginning with all the weirdness, but after listening a few times, these songs start to get better and better. I was calling Matisyahu a sellout and a fake, but now that I actually have the whole album and have listened to it multiple times, I see what he was trying to do and he worked really hard on this work of art. I'm still getting used to his new sound, but it's not all completely different, just some of it. There are some outstanding songs on here, like We Will Walk, One Day, Darkness into Light (my favorite), and So HI So Lo. Smash Lies is another great song with a great beat and sound to it. I will be Light and On Nature are good as well. So, overall it's not a bad album, even though I was convinced of it before when these songs first hit my ears. Escape is another decent song. I read in some article that One Day was a last minute addition to the album, and it shows. It doesn't have the same tone as the rest of the album. That is a song that could have been on Youth or Shake Off the Dust...Arise. This is a whole new level of music for Matisyahu, although I wouldn't say it is his best work, but it is definitely his most interesting. I might edit this review once I get an even better understanding of this album and how I relate to it. This album is not so much reggae as it is hip-hop, but it is still really good. And I'm not really a fan of hip-hop, save for a few older artists. Nice work.

This album is very mainstream sounding, but I think it was only a matter of time before Matisyahu broke into a more mainstream vibe. I think it is high quality, and still has inspirational lyrics and some really catchy songs, although I liked the overall sound of Youth and Live at Stubb's better. But it is still very listenable from song one to song 13, and it a nice new library of songs from one of my favorite white reggae artists. Highly recommnded.

Matisyahu and his touring band recorded live in a Louisville studio at the end of their tour these same songs and they are phenomenal. They capture what we all know and love about Matisyahu live. For some reason it's only available in digital form on iTunes, but well worth seeking out. They should have made the whole album this way.

Matisyahu possesses an immense amount of musical ability. His previous albums have been tremendous. I bought his latest album, "Light," without any reservation. I have listened to it about a dozen times now, and my conclusion is that it is his weakest release to date. I can appreciate that he is attempting to take a new musical direction with this latest album, with some vestiges of his past music. However, the new direction is not a good one. What has made Matisyahu special is the organic and heartfelt feel of his music. It has a unique sound.

Unfortunately, "Light" does not allow for Matisyahu's great vocals to be showcased as they should be. There are certainly several songs on the album that are very good. Unlike past albums, though, "Light" has a good many mediocre tracks. I don't know why he chose to take the direction that he takes on this album. Perhaps someone told him that this direction would be more commercially successful. He and his band are capable of doing so much better. People who have seen them live in concert know that they can play dynamic and impressive music. I hope that the next album gets back to the dynamism exhibited prior to "Light."

I bought this album day one as I already had the Shattered EP and enjoyed the songs from that album. This album is one that really has to grow on you. The reason is because I was expecting more of 'Youth' but what I ended up with was something completely different. Like others have said, the album is over-produced. There's too many electronic beats than real instruments and lyrics. One of my favorite things about 'Youth' and 'ARISE' was the verses were long and fit well with the music. There were a lot of rap lyrics with his original albums that fit in the reggae. 'Light' tends to feel more like a pop-album in some songs, a club song in a few, and then like Matisyahu in a few other. Some of the songs also rely too much on the bass, which interupts Matis' terrific voice.

One song, as overly done as it was, Struggla, was a pleasant song that is a prime example of what to expect and what will have to grow on you. The beats are completely electronic, as well as some of the voicing, but if you get into it, the song is pretty good. The album is all together good, but it's just not the same Matisyahu. I know some say it's good for an artist to advance, which I agree with, but an artist still needs to stick with something he's known for.