Customer Reviews

On My Way

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is easily one of the most aptly titled albums in recent memory. While Kweller's 2002 debut Sha Sha was oodled over by critics everywhere for it's youthful passion and innocent persona, retreading that same ground too many times would never establish him any real respect as a mature capable musician. Kweller realizes that, and on his second release he is doing his best to mature and grow while still respecting and conserving elements of his quirky youthfulness. So while he hasn't completely evolved and grown up yet, he displays on this release that he is undoubtedly On His Way.

On Sha Sha Kweller skirted between tongue in cheek humor and emotional depth all while demonstrating extroidinary musicianship and creativity. Combine that with his giddy innocence and you had package that was extremely believable and easy to connect with. There was nothing fake about him, and you could tell. The biggest concern in his maturation is whether or not this connection would be lost.

Thankfully it wasn't. Kweller has managed to grow as a musician and develop his sound and style while still retaining the sense that everything he is doing is sincere. Upon listening it is apparent that he hasn't so much changed his style, but rather he's just grown within what he has previously established. There is a greater influence here from the recent surge of "rock saviors" (i.e. Strokes, White Stripes), opposed to his last run-around which was a largely Weezer influenced affair. However, though these influences have grown tedious over the past several months, Kweller feels genuine and fresh. Again he feels real, not part of the bandwagon.

As a general rule the lyrics are a more serious affair this time around. However, serious themes do not mean that he has lost his sense of humor, as many tracks still maintain a certain element of dry jest within these more mature subjects. The hooks are a little more obvious this time, and everything flows together significantly better. Any innocence lost has been replaced by better song writing abilities and are more than welcome.

Journalists in all types of music publications are quick to dub Kweller as the next Ben Folds, and rightly so. This album contains a good number of piano driven numbers, and typically they are his strongest moments. "Living Life" and the ridiculously Beatles-esque closer "Different But The Same" are definite stand outs here and more than establish Ben as a strong man vs. piano musician. Those tracks, along with the great "Believer" also show a drastically improved knack for dramatic build ups and epic crescendos. With these three tracks he has turned the corner from a catchy pop musician to a powerful mature artist, and are hopefully foreshadows of what he is going to deliver in the future.

Ultimately this album is a tremendous step for Mr. Kweller and he is making all the right decisions. He is growing up and not afraid to show that. However he realizes the power he holds within his youthful mannerisms and doesn't completely abandon them either. He is slowly working himself forward and establishes full confidence that he will eventually evolve into one of the most substantial musicians of his generation. Absolutely recommended.

"Sha Sha" was quite a revelation for me. It was heavily promoted in 2002 and I was immediately turned off-- for the amount of advertising dollars spent on it, I couldn't imagine the record was halfway decent. I was blown away, however, when I did wind-up listening to the entire record after hearing "Wasted & Ready."

I don't see this record as such a massive departure for Kweller, either. Someone likened him to Weezer's Rivers Cuomo. The comparison holds up, but I don't see it as negative as Cuomo summarily gave up writing emotional, heart-felt pop songs, to pure, formulaic, polished diddys. In essence, Kweller fills the gap Cuomo left by turning commercial.

"On My Way" is certainly more sparse than Kweller's first album. Things start out well and good with "I Need You Back" and "Hospital Bed." Kweller turns a bit more introspective in "My Apartment." Then the record begins to fall flat as we reach the title track, "On My Way." Without a melody and singing lyrics that seem well out of Kweller's own experience, "On My Way" lacks the same genuine honesty as its precursor, "My Apartment."

A few more tracks help to salvage the album-- including "Down" and "Believer." "Living Life" seems like a dishonest hold-over from Sha Sha, and it shows. "Ann Disaster" is probably the worst song that Kweller has written-- or, at least, released.

More than half the album is vintage Kweller and worth owning, but buyers should be ware that "On My Way" is not the pop masterpiece, from start to finish, that Kweller fans would expect after his debut "Sha Sha."

I wanted to give this 5 stars, I really did. I think if I could give it 3.5 stars I would, but I'll round up just because I love Ben so much.

It just doesn't...gel quite as well as Sha Sha did. I'm not really sure the way they recorded this was the way to go. Ethan Johns is famous for his "1960's" studio recording techniques whereby no one in the studio is wearing headphones, everybody is just in one big room with all the amps, and it results in a more live, raw sound. Ben has said he couldn't hear himself singing at all while they were recording - sometimes his voice is off-key, and he chalks it up to a "passion before pitch" approach that has worked for the likes of Bob Dylan (or maybe even Nina Simone). I'm sorry Ben, but you're not Dylan. It just doesn't quite work as well.

Overall the songs just kind of plod along (except maybe "The Rules"), and BK's not quite as sharp lyrically as he was on Sha Sha. For people who've never heard him before I would definitely suggest Sha Sha over this.

Normally I wouldn't stick my foot in and write a review like this, but I gotta disagree with the folks that are dissing this album by saying it's not as good as Sha Sha. This album is gorgeous, chock full of catchy hooks and low-key singing.

Kweller's pipes are thin and whiney, but sounds almost cute in the context of the self-deprication that fills his lyrics, and his band completely rocks out in the backing tracks.

Every track is catchy, and the sparse production allows this thing to feel like a simply-recorded 4-track hometape (although with none of the scratchyness that would come with such a recording).

No pretention, no rock-stadium ethos, no let down.

I'd seen Kweller's name mentioned amongst power pop folks I like so I borrowed this CD from our local library. While there's definite power-pop influence here (and at times he sticks to the formula) he strays from it often it enough that I can't really stick it in the same category as Jellyfish and Big Star overall. At times Kweller DOES sound a bit like a less produced Weezer (the "loud" sections of "Hospital Bed"), at others he makes me think of Todd Rundgren at his poppiest. ("Different but the Same")

HIGHLIGHTS:
Far and away "I Need you Back" is the gem of the batch. Zippy, guitar charged pop with an indelible "HEY! Hey, I need you bah-uh-ah-uh-ah-aaack!" hook. "Hospital Bed" combines a bouncy piano section that apes the Beatles "When I'm 64" that morphs into an organ infused chorus that's closer to "96 Tears" (though not as manic vocally). Strange word imagery (a la Beck) distinguishes the title track. ("I wanna kill this man but he turned around and ran/I'll kill him with karate that I learned in Japan...I wouldn't use a bullet cuz a bullet's a disgrace...") It's set to a laconic acoustic guitar that's somewhat Dylanish. "The Rules" finds Kweller ambivalent: rebellion or conformity? ("Show me all the rules, girl, I just want to get along...show me all the rules, girl, I just want to get 'em wrong") Musically, it sounds like a collision of the Kinks' harder stuff and Matthew Sweet.

LOWS:
"Down" is shackled by a half-baked chorus. ("When I'm in your arms/nothing can bring me down/When I'm in your arms, girl/nothing can bring me down") "Living Life" sounds derivative of the slower section of Billy Joel's "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant". The sugar level in "Believer" threatens to make me diabetic. ("When you're hurt, you heal others/When you're in need, you give/Because of you I am living the most that I can live").

BOTTOM LINE:
Stylistically, it's a mixed bag so there's stuff for singer-songwriter enthusiasts, power pop fans, and just a touch of straight pop. Though it's not great as a whole, there is definite growth from the much more power pop leaning SHA SHA (ASIN B000060P7P). If you like 60s influenced pop, listen to the samples and see what you think.

3 1/2 stars

Ben's 2002 release of "Sha-Sha" may always be the gem of his career (it certainly is of my cd collection). His rock/pop/folk mix flowed surprisingly well throughout the album. Tracks like "Commerce, TX" and "Wasted and Ready" stood out as the catchy and head-banging alternative/rock anthems he so desperately wanted to put out, but he was able to tone it down via his piano skills with songs such as "In Other Words" and "Falling". In his follow-up album, "On My Way" Ben is exactly that -- on his way to a new place in his musical career. Don't expect this album to sound anything like "Sha-Sha", but don't let that turn you away. With this album, Kweller experiments with a "raw" studio sound, blasting out love rock ballads whose lyrics might be misinterpreted as corny if it weren't for the catchy guitar riffs and power chords bakcing them. Tracks like "Rules", "I Need You Back", and "Ann Disaster" provide us with Kweller's rock side, while "Living Life" tones it down with Ben's signature flowing piano melodies. The title track seems like an afterthought of a song thrown onto the cd, but nonetheless is a good song. After it's all said and done, this album won't blow you away as "Sha-Sha" did, but it does provide for a great listen and stands as evidence of Kweller's maturation as a musician and willingness to try new things. Expect Kweller's popularity to continue its rise.

Hey Guys!!!! If you thought Sha Sha was good then Ben Kweller has just got better with this album. I've had it for a couple of weeks now and I just can't seem to put anything else on my stereo.

It's another album of simple pop songs with straight-forward but meaningful lyrics. Track 1 through to track 11 are brilliant especially the title track, My Apartment, The Rules, Down, Hear Me Out... I could go on!!!

I urge you to give this CD a listen. You won't be disappointed!!

I cannot get enough of ben kweller. First off, if youre not sure if you want to buy this cd or not because of the added rough rock thats in it, don't worry. With the exception of The Rules, All of the songs are either equal to the greatness of sha sha, or they surpass it entirely. this is Honestly in my opinion one of the greatest albums of the year. Please buy it, it truly is wonderful.

This album grows on you. "Living Life" is a beautiful ballad that has a haunting melody and after you listen to it a few times you can't help singing along with him. I enjoy this album more every time I hear it. We can all relate to "My Apartment" because our home is a place of refuge from the stress of the world, a place where we can relax and be ourselves. Ben expresses all the feelings of wanting to get home, from work or whatever, so perfectly.

I first heard of Ben Kweller a couple of years ago, when his first major album Sha Sha was released. I picked it up and immediately fell in love with his unique, distinctive sound. I suppose I had high expectations of his new album based on this, and it certainly does not disappoint. The catchy hooks, the gooky and off-the-wall yet somehow still thoughtful lyrics, and Ben's undeniable musicianship are all still there, and Ben manages to add to the appeal with the new rockier sound. If you liked "Harriet's Got A Song" and "Wasted and Ready", you'll adore the whole of the new record, especially the standout rock of "The Rules" and "Hospital Bed". That's not to say there aren't still some more lower tempo, smoother tracks. "On My Way" gives light to a new, countrier sound most comparable with "Lizzy" on the last album, while "Living Life" is like what "Falling" should have been. Altogether, if you're into Ben already, you'll love the new direction this album has taken. If you haven't heard him before, you should definitely check him out if you like Moldy Peaches, Adam Green, Ben Folds Five, Weezer, Kings Of Leon, Death Cab For Cutie or Brendan Benson.