Reel Life, Vol. 1: Music From Hollywood

Wild Colonials | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 21, 2000)
• Original Release Date: January 25, 2000
• Label: Chromatic Records
• ASIN: B00004L8CR
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,377 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. It's Not Unusual

2. This Misery

3. Friend

4. Anything But Love

5. The Battle Won

6. Brokendown Palace

7. Cure

8. Coy [New Mix]

9. Route 15, 4:30am

10. If by Chance

11. I'm Leaving

12. Day Ditty

13. Evil

14. Shadows [Edit]

15. Victim [Instrumental]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Amazing band; decent album, March 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Reel Life, Vol. 1: Music From Hollywood (Audio CD)

I'm a little disappointed by the latest from the Wild Colonials. I discovered them when their second album came out, and I've been in love ever since. I've been hoping for a new album, and I was starting to think the band had broken up, so I was thrilled when Reel Life came out. A lot of this album is good, but there are enough duds (and reruns) to make me a little disappointed.

My first complaint is the inclusion of three songs from the first two albums. It seems to me that nearly everyone who would purchase a compilation like this is already a fan of the band. So why include songs we've heard before? Also, while the instrumental songs are nice, I'm not a huge fan of non-vocal music. As far as I'm concerned, Angela's voice is too wonderful to let go to waste! Finally, a couple of the remaining songs are a little annoying. The Dr. John duet is just plain awful, and "Cure", while nice, is too repetitive to bear repeated listening.

The rest of the album is good, though. And the CD was worth buying just for the AMAZING cover of "Brokedown Palace". It's one of the band's best songs to date, and probably one of the loveliest songs I've ever heard.

I look forward to the Colonials' next offering, but I really hope it's a "real" album, and not Reel Life Vol. 2.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very nice compilation, October 7, 2000

By 

"emiah" (Fon Du Lac, Wi USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reel Life, Vol. 1: Music From Hollywood (Audio CD)

Being a big fan of this band after hearing their first two cd's, I had some pretty high expectations. Fortunately, I was not disappointed as this cd is very entertaining and offers another fine example of how good this band really is. What is really interesting about this cd is how diverse these musicians are and Angela in particular. From the bluesy "Anything But Love" (where Angela's voice compliments Dr. John's perfectly) to "Brokedown Palace" which offers a touch of gospell flavor, to the folksy "If By Chance" there is alot to appreciate. The 5 instrumentals are really good and give the listener an opportunity to enjoy the talent of the other band members without McCluskey. The instrumental version of "Victim" in particular offers a different perspective on this great song. Overall, this cd is a big winner and it continues to amaze me how such an outstanding band can continue to be so unrecognized.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diverse, Skillful and Engaging, February 29, 2000

By 

Gary D Nickerson (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Reel Life, Vol. 1: Music From Hollywood (Audio CD)

From the moment I first heard "The Cure", a hauntingly eerie song from the cable TV movie "Cabin by the Lake", I had to find out who did it. After tracing it to Wild Colonials, I bought this CD and have enjoyed listening to it for hours. The group is hugely talented, and Angela McCluskey's distinctive vocals are unforgettable. The 15 tracks -- all from recent movies -- offer a broad cross-section of the group's musical styles -- from alternative, rock, and folk to near-classical.