Customer Reviews

In Light Syrup

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Toad the Wet Sprocket had a sound all their own--similarities to Gin Blossoms and early REM, perhaps, but much better, in my opinion.

What's surprising is that this is a collection of B-sides and other normally forgettable tracks. These songs are great!

"Good Intentions" you might recognize from the show Friends, but the song "All Right" is truly astounding! Slow and haunting, with subtle and cerebral lyrics...truly a masterpiece. Along with the catchy "Brother" (from So I Married an Axe Murderer), "Little Heaven", and "All in All", the whimsical rears its head in the hilarious "Janitor" and "Hobbit on the Rocks".

There are depths here worth mining. Lately I've found subtle beauty in the guitar rhythms of "Are We Afraid" and "So Alive".

Even with this relatively unsuccessful commercial release, the talent of this band is evident. Listen to this CD and see what made the breakup of Toad the Wet Sprocket such a sad event for many.

Most honestly 3.5 stars if I could...

When I bought this CD, I have to admit upon first listening I thought "Oh man, I just wasted 12 bucks..." But after another listen or two, I completely ditched those feelings.

This is a pretty good CD afterall. Toad the Wet Sprocket has become one of my favorite all time bands. The lead vocals are just too good to reject... the sound just grows on you.

There are a few weak songs.... most notably in my opinion #5 (are we afraid), #11 (hope), and #12 (all she said). These are relatively slow songs, and two of them were apparently just experiments of Toad.

Just about all the rest of the songs are very listenable and enjoyable, sometimes depending on your mood. I especially like the catchy hit, #3(Good Intentions), and a song they call "the silliest thing we've ever recorded" #4(Hobbit on the Rocks). The lyics and beat of Hobbit may be a little quirky, but this band can make even what they would call "silly"....sound like real serious musical work.

This is definitely not as good as "Dulcinea" perhaps Toad's best album. But if you like any of Toad's music(Before "Coil"), you'll probably like "In Light Syrup" after giving it a fair chance. This is such a cliche, but it's too bad this band broke up..... and they ended on what I'd call a low note with "Coil". Looking forward to hearing Glen Phillip's solo album though....

I'd really recommend their past CDs, "Dulcinea," "Fear," "Pale," and the 5 track single "Acoustic Dance Party" is great also.

Just one fan's take..

David

One of the things that never ceases to amaze me about this album is how great it is. It lacks a little cohesiveness because the songs come from different stages in Toad the Wet Sprocket's career, but the songs are still wonderful.

"All She Said" is better than all except maybe two of the songs on "Pale," the album it was dropped from. It's fascinating how it builds from a cappela to full band through the first verse, and it never lets up after that. "Hope" is one of the most ethereal Toad songs, and Todd Nichols' vocals are perfect for it. "Janitor" and "Chicken" are quirky but fun. "Are We Afraid" and "All Right" are great songs along Toad's signature vein of mellow, minimalist melodies. "So Alive" is about as close to a guitar riff as Toad ever gets, and "Little Heaven" has great overlapping vocals. "Brother" should be required listening for anyone with fraternal siblings, and its music carries the lyrics effortlessly. "Good Intentions" explores the dichotomy of inner and outer being, and how it causes people to relate to each other. "All in All" exhibits stellar drumwork from Randy Guss, along with exquisite countermelody between Glen Phillips and Nichols. My favorite, though, is "Hobbit on the Rocks," a delightful, offbeat, catchy ditty about "an old Virginian vibraphone," "a man who thinks he's Al Capone," and, of course, a "hobbit on the rocks." Must be heard to be believed!

Good CD, but doesn't measure up to "Fear". The songs are the usual strong melody and lyrics, but for some reason "Good Intentions" is somewhat redundant in the ways of "college speak" with hollow lyrics, but it makes sense that it ended up on the Friends show soundtrack. Crappy song for a fantasically crappy show, but don't let that throw you. The rest of the songs make owning this one worthwhile. This is a good "lay back and enjoy" CD that doesn't reek of flashiness, but sincerity which Toad has always pulled off...except for "Good Intentions". Pick this one up.

but the real gem is the final track "All She Said." Lyrically challenging and succinct, Toad abandons the verse/chorus format and slowly works up to an emotionally charged full-band effort. Although I can understand why it was left off of Pale, fans everywhere should be glad it was finally released, as I feel that it displays what Toad will leave as their legacy--concise, well-stated emotion.

I own five Toad albums, and of these I would definitley say that this album is the best. With songs like All Right, All She Said, and Little Heaven... how can you go wrong? I reccomend this album to anyone who likes emotionally stimulating music. This is a wonderful album... BUY IT!!!!

This is a great cd to listen to when you are stuck in rush hour traffic and you need something to take you somewhere else. The lyrics in songs such as "Are We Afraid, So Alive, and All Right" are emotional tunes that have a different meaning for each listener. And then you have a good dose of humor to boot with "Hobbit On The Rocks and Janitor". When you consider that this cd is basically a collection of songs that were left off other cds for one reason or another, it's really amazing that it turned out so enjoyable. My favorite song on the cd is "All Right". I love the way it starts out real quiet and slow and gradually builds in intensity and then slowly fades in the end. It gives me chill bumps.

I will concur with the last reviewer. All Right is fantastic. Somewhere around the fiftieth time you listen to it, you recognize where it is you've heard it before. It was in your heart, waiting to come out. I love how the same pattern is repeated endlessly in the song. It's like you need to hear it over and over again to soothe you. One day, God inspired Glen Philips to create this masterpiece. It's especially good to hear when you feel very down about something and you can tell yourself that it's going to be all right. I did a search and the lorelei is actually a big rock that used to make singing noises from a waterfall. There's this strange little guitar noise at the end of the song. I don't know if it's a mistake because I can't play guitar but it's so lovely to hear. I thank God I can hear when I listen to this stunning song.

Brother is pretty good but the rest are only worthy of b-sides I guess.

This album is a must-have for any Toad The Wet Sprocket fan! A steady-paced blend of less-known Toad songs, its best track is number 3, "Good Intentions" (from the TV show "Friends"), an easy-to-follow hymn of apology and self-explanation which anyone can relate to at some point in time. Tracks 1 and 4, "Brother" and "Hobbit On The Rocks" respectively, are also fairly simple in lyrics, beat and melody. The album is not quite as dark as most Toad albums, although the songs "Little Heaven" and "All She Said", among others, do carry the usual Toad undertone of melancholy and self-pity. Overall, it's not as easy to listen to as "Fear", but still a great mixture of pleasant soft-rock tunes to fill one's ears with, and an album well worth the money!

I have to be honest. I'm only 4 tracks into the album at the moment. But if it ended now, the purchase of this album would still be one of the best musical decisions I've ever made.

This is the first TtWS album I've ever bought, although I'm familiar with all of their most well-known songs from youtube. I bought it for the song "Good Intentions," but the album (so far, starting the 5th track now) more than holds up to my expectations. I already have 2 more TtWS albums and a Glen Phillips album ordered and in the mail.

Highly recommended.