Customer Reviews

Message for Albert

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

 

 

America Town is the album that people know Five for Fighting for, and really his song "Superman (It's Not Easy)" is what people really remember; however, before that John Ondrasik released Message for Albert, and too bad few ever got that message.

Five for Fighting was mixed in a stew of melodies and notes, as sometimes Ondrasik would hint at with the later Superman. For example, many times this album seems more like an early Dave Matthews, minus many of the instruments of course, while at others this is reminiscent of Billy Joel.

Yet the character is in the delivery as well as the message; thus power with quality is socked to the listener as they go from beginning to end. So much so, that I seriously believe this is another one of those few albums without filler, and although you might not like all of the songs, you should understand that few could achieve an album such as this that will captivate the audience for the whole listen.

Thankfully, as we have now seen recognition has been granted for the sounds of Five for Fighting. However, I just would like to highlight the often-overlooked first released album, and how good it really was (or is).

Piano-driven rock is on the rise with the popularity of bands like Ben Folds Five and their smash hit Brick.

If you take Ben Folds Five and subtract the juvenile pop sound for their music, add a thick dose of emotion, beautifully arranged songs, and a scratchy voice, you've got Five For Fighting. This cd, being a debut, definitely surprised me. It is a very bold and HIGHLY underrated peice of excellent music.

Mostly slow, soulful southern-piano rock, ...Message for Albert... exemplifies everything that is great (and all too often lacking)in rock and roll.

The best song is 2 Frogs. Don't be fooled by the offbeat lyrics "I sing above my vision. I sing above my face. A fat old amphibian speaker for the dead. Gather round ye animals. Gather round this lake." This song has great depth. I think it's an anthem that reflects pure Americana.

Do yourself a favor. Buy this cd. I can't express how great it is. Imagine yourself sitting on a porch swing on a late spring day in a quiet countryside, drinking a beer, and staring off into a beautiful sunset. This cd will give you the music to accompany that vision.

Once again I'm frusterated at Amazon's rating system. Four stars for this album seems just a little low, and yet it's not quite flawless, so I'm not entirely comfortable with giving it five.

At any rate, this is the debut album of Five For Fighting. It came out in '97, but has been out of print from just after its original release. I just saw it in a record store last weekend, so it seems it's been rereleased finally.

The album is very similar to its successor, 'America Town'. Just as good as, if not better than, that album. Engaging lyrics, lush arrangements, and catchy melodies are the norm. All in all, a great album.

One tidbit worthy of mentioning as a footnote is that two of the songs on this album were recycled for the follow-up. I, personally, prefer the recordings on this album.

This is, in my opinion, the best album that FFF has put out to date. "The Battle for Everything" recently came out, and it really exudes the gritty sound that the band had on this album. "America Town" is also very similer to this album, so if you liked either of the other Five For Fighting albums... GET THIS ONE.

I was very contempt with America Town, but after buying Message for Albert was blown away by it. It containted a strong orchestral energy, and unique sound that i have never heard. If you are unsure of whether to buy this album or not, then listen to BELLAS B-DAY CAKE, 2 FROGS, AND 10 MILES FROM NOWHERE!!!!! This album also contains songs from America Town that I believe were recorded to sound even better on this album than America Town including: Last great american- ( great song), and Love Song,. If you want to add five for fighting to your collection, definitely purchase Message for Albert.!!!!!!!!!!

This cd definatly has some great songs. Note that I say great, not just good.

White Picket Fence, 2 frogs, and 10 miles from nowhere are the best. There are however, some songs that I could do without. I recommend that you buy their other album "America town" because a lot of the songs on it are great. Still, this is a good album and definatly worth it.

I found this CD in a pile of my friends music. I put it in and haven't taken it out. That was six days ago! This CD is unreal. It is very rare you find an album you can listen to from begining to end and enjoy every song. I haven't found music this good in a long time. Buy it! You will not be disappointed.

This is an excellent CD from a sorely underated band. If you've only heard Bella's B-cake, don't be fooled. It's probably the poppiest song on the album but not nearly the best. This band's diversity results in the perfect meld of piano, guitar and YES! string orchestration. Do not pass this album up. The genius is unparalleled!

this is a really good cd. i first heard of them on the SURGE drink compliation about a year ago. the single was "Bella's Birthday Cake" and that hooked me right away. i finally got the cd in california later that year and am glad i did. the songs are mostly slow, but there are some up tempo songs as well. the songs are very well written and the cd is one of my favorites and i hope that they will come out with another one soon.

Picked this one up a couple of weeks ago after thoroughly enjoying "America Town". I had no idea that he had a CD out back in 1997, but this one is so good it really should have gotten tons of publicity back then. What a great CD! If you like Five For Fighting's newest album make sure to get this one as soon as you can. You certainly won't regret it.