Customer Reviews

Naveed

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Interestingly enough, I found Naveed to be OLP's strongest album, and Clumsy to be their worst. Don't get me wrong, Clumsy was a 5 star album, but simply because it was Our Lady Peace. If I had to rate it on its merits alone I'd give it a 3.5 because there were one too many tracks that I skipped over. Naveed, on the other hand, is a stellar album, though far different in sound when compared to Clumsy and Happiness...

The musicianship is brilliant (as always). Moreover, I found Raine Maida's vocals to be better than I've heard lately in Happiness... Maybe it's the tone and tempo of Naveed, but he sounds a lot more passionate, whereas in Happiness... and Clumsy he's more subdued. That isn't to say though that Happiness...was bad, because it's a beautifully complex, layered, album. Naveed just happens to be a solid, rock album that reaches levels other bands can't get to. My favorite song is Denied, the range in Maida's vocals is amazing (I find it incredibly hard to believe that some people can't stomach his singing), the album is worthy for that song alone.

For those who are only recently discovering OLP, Naveed is a good place to start. Either way, I think you have to be a true, unbiased OLP fan to shift from album to album (like myself. I've already preordered their 4th album!), or else give them all plenty of time to sink in. I've found that those who start with Happiness... or Clumsy are disappointed with Naveed because they think it's too "different" or else a clumsy (no pun intended) debut. And, those who loved OLP from the beginning, with Naveed, have trouble moving into Clumsy and Happiness...as they move into different grounds musically. Whatever the case, Our Lady Peace is a band to check out.

"Hopelessly a man starts to feed your day"...the introductory line to Our Lady Peace's music as well as this album. The song itself, The Birdman, is one of the strongest on the album, with completely BLISTERING vocals and guitar line. It is an energy that OLP would never again revisit (although their following albums were just as strong if not stronger than this one). The album, produced by OLP wizard Arnold Lanni, is strongly based on the grunge movement of the early nineties. It's not to say the entire album is purely based on those roots however. Supersatellite has a funky feel, while Starseed and Dirty Walls have a more classic rock feel (almost Zeppelin-esque on the former). Most of the songs on Naveed are great strong rockers mixed with a few clunkers (Is It Safe?, Neon Crossing). But prominently, the album is great music, the strongest track being Naveed, which is a sweeping fit of emotion after emotion that leaves you thoroughly blown away. Other highlights include the aforementioned The Birdman and Starseed, Dirty Walls, the eerily Mother Love Bone-like Hope and Julia. Under Zenith is a track worth mentioning because of it's original song structure and dazzling vocal performance by Raine Maida. Denied, though not a bad track in any way, is however a little duller than most of the other material, but obviously influential to more up and coming bands. Listen to any one song on The Nixons self titled album, and it in some way reflects Denied.

In short, Naveed is a great album and a must-buy for Our Lady Peace fans. Although the style on this album was almost completely dropped in later releases, it represents a point in time of the music of Our Lady Peace, and has songs that can hold their own amongst the best in OLP's vast musical library. Enjoy this record, and as always, thanks for reading.

Dan

"Naveed" is truly a legendary debut from one of the best bands to come out of Canada. While different from "Clumsy" in many ways, this album has a whole different feel to it with songs like "Denied" and "Hope" that are very emotionally driven. This is before Raine (OLP lead singer) started experimenting with high falsetto style vocals so the songs are not as abrasive as some of the tracks on "Clumsy". This album is a must buy for all rock and alternative fans.

Wow. I had never heard of Our Lady Peace, until I saw them open for Van Halen. I was immediately taken by the innovative guitar work and unique singing. Yeah, they wear their infuences on their sleeve (Pearl Jam), but it's not copy cat. It's unique and innovative. They delve into minor keys and dissonecence with style. This is not new expiremental territory to them, they are masters of the underappreciate tones. Clumsy, was mainstream alternative, but Naveed is raw. Vocaly they have equaled this with Spiritual Machines, but the guitar work here steals the show, and they have never equaled it since.

Out of my opinion...
the best OLP CD is Naveed. I own Clumsy, Happiness, Gravity, Naveed, and Spiritual Machines. I just think that nothing after the CD quite lives up to Naveed. It was by far their most innovative and angsty CD.
I definetly agree that OLP and Raine Maida are acquired tastes... but don't discard them totally. You'll be glad you tried them...
In my humble opinion, I'd spend more money on this CD than any of the other ones!

Many folks here in the states have no idea who this band is. Shame on you. Our Lady Peace encompasses thrilling lead vocals with guitar riffs so awesome that you know other bands are likely to copy. The drums are completely awesome. Jeremy Taggert is the best drummer I have ever heard or seen. The songs on Naveed are in depth hard core music. Each song with its own unique feel and meaning (my faves are Starseed and Dirty Walls). The fact that you can hardly find these albums in a regular record store is a shame. Give these Canadian boys some credit. In a time here in the good ol' US of A that is full of pop artists, shut them out by blasting Naveed by Our Lady Peace.

From the opening track The Birdman to the last Neon Crossing each track on Naveed boils with an intense energy that most rock bands are lucky to reach on one song. Guitarist Mike Turner cuts loose with some wicked laser sounding guitar solos and Raine Maida's vocal performance can only be summed up in one word: passion. While OLP may have tempered their sound on Clumsy and Happiness... in order to hit the mainstream, anyone who considers themselves a fan of the band knows its trademark moment comes on the title track as a rumbling bass line leads into a cathartic call for freedom. A portrait of a young band bursting with energy.

Our Lady Peace's first album, NAVEED, is a terrific album, with some odd textures, but for the most part, refreshing melodies. Although this album's sound was in line with the grunge movement of the 90's, it stood very well on its own, selling over 500,000 copies in the U.S., and nearly 2 million in Canada. The lead single and catchy rocker "Starseed" began all of it, but the good stuff doesn't stop there.

The disc begins with rousing rocker "The Birdman", which would have definitely caught attention on the radio. Then comes the funky and textured "Supersatellite", leading to the single "Starseed". "Hope" and "Naveed" blend pleasant melody and charging guitars and earnest vocals. From there, "Dirty Walls" broods with angst; "Julia" kicks the tempo up a notch; and "Under Zenith" demonstrates the musicianship of these four Canadian rockers even more. The album closes with the interesting "Neon Crossing", with it's charged grungy feel and it's impeccable lyrics.

In closing, NAVEED offers listeners a beginner's tour through the evolution of Our Lady Peace, and from there they would evolve and grow, expanding their sounds to new heights...and taking you along for the ride. To us Our Lady Peace fans, NAVEED was only the beginning of what was yet to come.

This CD is a nice collection of awesome hard-rock songs. This is the heaviest OLP disc out there and the tracks don't disappoint. Best Cuts:Naveed,Neon Crossing,Birdman,Starseed

Our Lady Peace, most people will recognize this name due to either their Clumsy album or their Happiness...Is Not A Fish You Can Catch album. However this is the one that started it all. People who love the newer OLP albums will maybe find this one a bit different but in this case different in a good way. The lyrics are well thought out and the sound is immediately identifiable only as OLP. If you liked either Clumsy or Happiness then you should invest your money in this superb album, even for those not familiar with OLP this album is worth every cent.