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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Perfect Album, November 5, 2007
With the anticipation of a child at Christmas or a never before tasted Italian red wine, I delved into the new disk and was justly rewarded. The music starts off almost improvised, almost a jam session type of feeling, getting warmed up finding their chops, before taking us on a ride we will never forget. The emotional range is intense as each song elicits a different sense, a different place in time, a different countryside, basking under the autumn sun, fighting a wind-swept rain, or dining at an Italian cafe across from the one you love, sipping wine and indulging in chocolate.
The album is complex like the red wine the first time it tingles your taste buds. You smile at the same time trying to figure out what this masterpiece is, because it is so unique and such a new experience. You take it slow and easy at first, not rushing, not wanting this to end, enjoy each and every second, each tug at the senses, your mind and body electrified.
This is a perfect album. I've been a Maktub fan for 5 years, have each album, have Reggie's solo album and have been graced with two live performances of the band. They have captured the spirit and energy of engaging the crowd with pure music, emotional music, and have taken the best of Subtle Ways, Khronos, and Say What You Mean, thrown it into a mixer and out came Start it Over.
Music's purpose is to engage, enthrall, elicit emotions, take you some place else, electrify the body and mind, and bring you back to where you started, the same place, but not the same person. Start it Over does this.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Okay, I'm in the band ... but I've got a story to tell you about this album, November 6, 2007
I'm Daniel -- the keyboardist. Where to start? We recorded Start It Over somewhat under the radar (without management or fancy pants music people influencing us) and we made it for all the right reasons. Reggie, Thaddeus, Kevin, Davis and I love making music together. And we're at our best when we record quickly -- the whole album was written and recorded in 6 days in May 2007 of Seattle. We united the mixologists (Steve Fisk & Stuart Hallerman) behind our first two records, Subtle Ways and Khronos. 200 fans rallied to fund the entire album and it inspired us to be our best for the people that have supported us for years. The whole thing just felt righteous and the recording sessions were truly awesome. We all walked away thinking we'd done something worthwhile and in alignment with the nature of Maktub as a band. That is, quick recording without too much time to overthink things. I think that comes through on this album.
I hope everyone enjoys the tunes and we look forward to busting out a new record in 2008. Rock on people!
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Project, Despite the Flaws, November 15, 2007
THE QUICK & DIRTY: Maktub's "Start It Over" is a great mix of loose, moody tracks with a righteous blend of rock, soul and ambiance.
THE LOWDOWN: It took me a while to put down my thoughts on "Start it Over" because I think that maybe I knew too much (via the band's up-to-the-nanosecond recording process updates). But, after removing myself from the process and giving the project time to marinate, I think I have a grasp of "Start it Over" as its own animal, as it were.
Make no bones about it, this is a good piece of work. Not stellar, but good. From the feel-good throwback light soul of "Know Your name" to the eerily dark "Give Me Death" (the latter complete with super-synthesized, almost demonic, vocals in the 2nd verse) Maktub touches on everything that makes them a great live band: tight, energetic drums, wailing guitars, atmospheric keys, outstanding vocals, and great song placement (not too many periods of down-tempo material before we are back up again). And, the band offers up some things we've not heard from them before, such as the punk-influenced funk of "Wantchu" and the mellow, sentimental Otis-Redding-like ballad "So hard to Let You Go". The songs are well thought-out with pleasing arrangements, even when they fall a little short on the music theory side.
What keeps this project from crossing the line into stellar territory are a few things. First, the mix on a few songs is a little off (too much mids on the beautiful opening track, vocals too low in many spots, barely any kick on others, and guitar solos jumping out from nowhere, it seems, way too up in the mix). Second, there are some musical phrases that are more than a little reminiscent of existing songs by other artists (the first few bars of the guitar line on "Let's Stay Out All Night" is very close to the synth line of the 80's classic "Let The Music Play", and the transitional guitar phrase heading into the chorus of "Leave A Little" feels like a slower version of a prominent line of Prince's "Diamonds and Pearls"). Now, I could just be nitpicking, but it's taken me repeated listenings to get past the reminiscent qualities of those parts and into the enjoyment phase of the songs. Also, and this really puzzles me, Reggie uses the exact same vocal phrase (just in a different key) on both "Start it Over" and "Words Are not Enough". I'm sure there's a reason for it, but I just don't know what it is.
And, although Reggie is a bonafide prodigy when it comes to vocal delivery and synth & sampling, I think he fell back a little too much on the effects wizadry and didn't let his natural talent shine through clearly enough.
THE BOTTOM LINE: "Start it Over" is, for me, the second-best Maktub album (behind "Khronos"). It is a really entertaining listen and will keep anyone who's a fan of music engaged from beginning to end.
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