Customer Reviews

Spin

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I am a huge Steve Cole fan and eagerly waited for his new album. It's great to see an artist grow and develop from project to project rather than just doing new albums that sound like all the others. This album has it all - awesome sax tracks with that distinctive Cole sound, great writing and catchy hooks, and who knew that Steve was such a fantastic producer! This CD is well worth a careful listen -- there's truly something for everyone here, yet I find that I'm listening straight through every track on the CD - something I haven't done on other CDs in a long time. Yes, it sounds a bit different than his previous records, but it is undeniably the Steve Cole that we all love and I am blown away by it!

I was eagerly awaiting Steve Cole's new CD as I have thoroughly enjoyed his previous work. I heard the title cut on our local jazz station and immediately went out to purchase it. Whereas, the title cut is reminiscent of the Steve Cole I love, many of the other tunes had more of a "folk" or "country western" flair. The smooth jazz cuts sounded much like the generic easy listening music CDs you find at Target like "Smooth Sax" or "Coffee Break." Don't get me wrong, I like some of those CDs, but I really expected more. It is an OK CD, but if you are new to Steve Cole, don't judge him on this CD alone. Try "NY LA" or "Between Us"... Now that's what I'm talking about!!!

On first listen, I was not impressed after being spoilt rotten by Steve's first 3 albums, but after a couple of listens I am hooked !!
To you good folks giving poor old Steve Cole just one star, I urge you to listen to it a few times. DEFINATELY a grower !

I first heard the tune Serenity on Jazztrax.com and I decided to check out the CD. Yes, this is a very different sound than we have grown used to from Steve Cole. He says that his musical tastes and influences have changed and that is obviously reflected in the music on Spin. Most of the tunes have an acoustic pop/country flair that some of Steve's fans may not find to their liking at all. However, an artist needs room to grow and change, so perhaps as fans we can give the music on Spin a chance to grow on us. By the way, the track Serenity,and the hidden track 30 seconds after the end of Confounded, are perfect examples of Smooth Jazz Chill. They are my favorites on the CD!

I got this CD expecting to hear that Chi-town funk that is Steve's trademark sound. Its needless to say I was shocked upon hearing the first track. This is a true departure from the music that Steve's fans are used to hearing, and is actually reminiscent of Dave Koz's efforts on his "Off The Beaten Path" release. This is somewhat of a jazz-pop album, not the jazz-r&b he's known for.

After getting over my initial shock, I managed to pay closer attention to what I feel his intentions were, and, well, the only thing I can say is that he remained true to whatever he was doing. :-/

I'm somewhat disappointed, because the little musical interludes he's known for are missing from this CD, with the exception of one constant: he still maintained the two-part final track he's known for that fades in and out.

Some of his fans may take some comfort in tracks 10 and 7, since they seem to hint at his more familiar musicial style, but then again, all they really do is hint, and leave the listener wanting what they didn't get this time around. I will say though that track 5 (dedicated no doubt to his wife) is a beautiful ballad-like instrumental perfect for relaxation.

Overall, I would say this CD is simply "OK," and for a CD by Steve Cole, that isn't the best assessment. My advice to any new listener wanting to get into his music is to pick up his first three albums, to familiarize themself with what he SHOULD sound like, perhaps skip this one, and hope and pray that he returns to what made us adore his music so much to begin with.

I found this cd boring, all 3 other steve cole cd's were great this was not even jazz it was well-played rock.

I own four of his albums (all?) I was disappointed with this one. I usually do not buy a CD w/o listening to it or having it recommended. Prior to Spin, Steve Cole could do no wrong... I do not know what happened here. Since everything a person does can't be a winner, I will give him a chance in the future, as he had three awesome CDs prior to this one (however there will be no carte blanche, I will need to sample the cuts first) but my sincere and humble advice is to wait for the next album.

I love this album! It's the best Steve Cole album yet. It's a real toe tapper - upbeat, with a great sound. I have all of Steve's albums and this one is my favorite. The first four songs gets your toes tapping and chases away the blues. The next song - "A letter to Laura" soothes the listener with a mellow love song and is followed by more fast paced jazzy songs. This is just a great album. Way to go Steve!

Wow, I also shared the anticipation of cruising down Lake Shore Drive, (Or Sheridan Rd. in the NorthShore) listening to the SMOOOOOTH sounds of Steve Cole. I can listen to "Stay awhile","Love Letter","Where the Night Begins"..etc all night long with the top down. Unfortunately, this album is all but smooth, it's too folksy, countryish..

Why didn't I check the reviews? Why didn't I sample the CD before buying it???? Because I was counting on Steve Cole to deliver the Smooth Jazz and the Funk! What happened here? This is definitely Steve Cole less everything that's needed in this compilation. Maybe Steve Cole never played on this CD....BUYER BEWARE.