Customer Reviews

Stories of a Stranger

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

For those of you who have never heard of O.A.R, they are a great band who really started their musical careers while at school at Ohio State. The type of music they played was really perfect for a college bar setting. It was easy to sing along with, good lyrics, strong beats..... great music to listen to while you were out having a few drinks. It wasn't a surprise that they quickly gained in popularity. Now with that being said, O.A.R has been around for a while and they have been out of school for a few years now. It is really no surprise that there music has matured a bit as I'm sure they have.

While I highly recommend you buy all of there albums you really can't go wrong with Stories of a Stranger. It still has that nice little reggae sound that makes O.A.R unique. The songs are well produced and Mark's vocals are as powerful as ever.

O.A.R is an easy band to listen to, which is why I think they appeal to a lot of different people. This album is a little more mature then some of there previous work, but it still makes great music to have in the car on a sunny day.

If you're not sure, buy "Wonderful Day" on iTunes and give that a listen. If you like that song then I think you'll like this album.

If I had never listened to O.A.R. before this CD I probably would have given this CD 5 stars rather than 4. The CD hasn't left my player for weeks and has a really great mix of different songs and styles. However, they do seem to have less "energy" on this CD versus their previous releases and not all of the songs have that funky O.A.R. sound. Still, a solid CD to add to your collection - don't buy into the hype that O.A.R has sold out - think of it as a maturing process!

I imagine a number of O.A.R. fans who have given scathing reviews of "Stories of a Stranger" would repent of their comments given opportunity. I admit that I too was a little "shocked" by this album upon first listen. It is different, particularly the first couple tracks. But after several listens, I think "Stories" ranks as one of O.A.R.'s better albums.

The production value on this album is first rate. Some "purists" will consider this a problem because it is certainly a departure from O.A.R.'s earliest output. I personally enjoy a well polished recording and appreciate a fuller lush sound as a good thing - not the only thing, but a good thing nonetheless. Whether you like the material or not, and whether it is representative of what we appreciate about the band or not, it "sounds" good. The one problem with the new production value for O.A.R.'s albums is that it will make it harder for new fans to appreciate their older stuff.

Though doubtless they will not be, the first couple tracks could be pop standards. I think this is why most long time fans bash the record. I am unsure why pop appeal is necessarily evil. I find the tracks to be quite catchy after allowing yourself to get accustomed to a new sound. They aren't "Poker"... but they don't have to be. The third track, "Wonderful Day", was featured on 34th & 8th and is classic O.A.R. The fourth and seventh tracks, "The Stranger" and "Nasim Joon", are just okay and are probably tracks many long time fans will not quickly warm to. Tracks eight and nine, "Tragedy in Waiting" and "Daylight the Dog", are more upbeat or up tempo songs, but they are nothing remarkable. Track eleven, "Dakota", is more reflective and mellow. If this is to your taste, it's a quality song.

For my money, tracks five, six, ten, and twelve (in addition to tracks one through three) make this album worthwhile. They remind me of classic O.A.R. They are captivating. You will jam to "Lay Down" and "Program Director", and settle into a groove with "One Shot" and "52-50". As far as I'm concerned, my O.A.R. collection would not be complete without them.

This is not top to bottom a greatest hits collection. Of course, favorites will vary according to taste. But do not be quick to accuse the band of drastic change or "selling out". By and large, this is a great recording. It is very representative of who and what the band is and has been. And, for me, that's a band that produces fun, groove-filled music with lyrics that are frequently contemplative or meaningful. I for one like it... a lot.

I'm a longtime fan, I understand some of the complaints with this album, but if you take it for what it is on its own and try not to compare it to their other albums, it is a great album. The AC/DC reference in an earlier review had it right on. O.A.R. is not a popular enough band to stick to the "Risen" sound (my favorite album by the way) over and over for every single album and expect to maintain longevity in the music business. You have to change it up, progress, and unfortunately for some older fans, take on a more polished sound, which is what they do on this album. If you can't ever see that, take solace in that their live shows only get better with time, even if their new CD's have more radio friendly songs. A lot of bands do this, 311 is one that comes to mind. I would rather have polished poppier cd's from my favorite band than nothing at all because they break up if they can't increase their fan base by sticking to the exact same sound.
1) Heard the World 4/5 Sounds almost like a Matchbox 20 song. Very slick sounding though, would have been a good first single to get wide airplay.
2) Love and Memories 3/5 Not the best song, I was shocked when I heard it the first time, the opening sounds nothing like any other O.A.R. song from the past. Fairly catchy chorus.
3) Wonderful Day 5/5 Sounds better in this version than the live version, which is rare for O.A.R. Kind of a poppy song, very easy to listen to, very catchy. Sounds like older O.A.R.
4) Stranger 3/5 Not a very exciting song, weird accompanying vocals. Great sax work though at the end.
5) Lay Down 5/5 Great song. Easy to listen to. Reggae edge to it. Very catchy.
6) Program Director 5/5 Another great song. Also has a reggae/ska edge.
7) Nasim Joon 5/5 This is a slow ballady type number. Great sounding song. I tend to like the faster O.A.R. songs, but this is a very tight song, well produced.
8) Tragedy in Waiting 3/5 An OK song.
9) Daylight the Dog 3/5 This REALLY doesn't sound like classic O.A.R. Almost sounds like an 80's song. It is catchy though
10) One Shot 5/5 This song is kind of cheesy, but I think it sounds great, is easily digestible, and fun. Sounds like a ska song with hints of reggae.
11) Dakota 4/5 Another slower song, but down really well. Easy to listen to.
12) 52-50 5/5 Very powerful song, great solos, a great ending song to a great album

Ah, yes, another bad pun. Anyway, although the guys in O.A.R. garnered enough interest through time to move from independent work to a major label, they still may not be the most recognizable band in regards to obscurity. But that doesn't really matter because they still show their skills on Stories of a Stranger.

This is another one of those situations where I looked at the one-star reviews and now I'm wondering if those are the kind of reviewers that think one star and five stars are the only options. There are plenty of good songs on here, but my favorites are the first three: "Heard the World", "Love and Memories" and "Wonderful Day". But "One Shot" and "The Stranger" are also pretty listenable.

"Program Director" and "Lay Down" are pretty okay (as is the obligatory end-of-album way-too-long-song "52-50"), but everything else is fine. Maybe it doesn't sound quite like old O.A.R., but you still shouldn't mind sitting through some stories of a stranger.

Anthony Rupert

Let me be one of several to say that I can appreciate putting out an album like this because O.A.R. is growing up, just like many of the fans that have followed them from late high school through college and now in the post-college life. I think that's the one reason why this album hits some people as being "sell-out" and "MTVish," not only because it deters from their earlier jam-band-esque origins to a mature sound that you might (and will) hear on the radio, but because it represents a growth in OAR and its original, core fans that have followed this band throughout their young adult lives.

But enough deepness. I really do hope that new OAR fans do not take OAR as a rip off as Dave Matthews Band or Switchfoot with this album, because they are so much more than that and we all know it. Hopefully some that have never heard "Hey Girl" or "Black Rock" or "About an Hour Ago" can pick up Any Time Now and gain an appreciation for the evolution of their band.

However, I hope in the grand scheme of things OAR doesn't lose that originality that comes with taking on a style like this. One thing that I worry about is that as they walk down this line of production their live shows will suffer immensely. As I'm sure any of us can attest to, you can't appreciate the sound of OAR until you've heard them live. To abandon what brought them to the dance and to only play this new material live would be to deprive longtime fans of a great original band, and to deprive new fans of the evolution of a great band.

I was mad when I first heard "Stranger" on the radio, because I though "OAR has sold out, if OAR has sold out, who won't sell out next." But I have to admit I love "Love and Memories" (no pun intended). "One Shot" is great. "Wonderful Day" is a nice inclusion for longtime fans and new fans alike. Its not like we couldn't see the direction that OAR was heading from "In Between Now and Then" to "34th and 8th" to "Stories Of A Stranger."

I give this three stars because I still prefer the old O.A.R. albums more than the new sound. I can't seem myself popping this in, like I pop in "Any Time Now," to play some poker, drink some beers, or just hang out with my friends on a warm summer night. I don't think I'll sing along to these songs like I did with "Poker" or "Destination." There's no "City on Down" or "I Feel Home." But its still OAR, and I'll at least stay on the ride long enough to see what comes next.

OK, im not the average OAR fan--Im not a frat guy or a stoner--but I am an OAR fan nonetheless. This review is to let you other true OAR fans know whats up with this album. You wont hear me say: "whats up with the random reggae beats?" Any one who actually owns a CD would know that they have a distinct reggae sound that prevades most of their work and as featured on a each and every album.

For sure, this album is markedly different than their recent work (ie since the addition of Jerry D). It has a much finer production quality that some may find annoying, but is pretty much industry standard when you hit the big time like these guys have. I was just at a show last night and they played a few of these songs, which sounded pretty good. Although I must admit, with the exception of Dakota and 52-50, the newer songs were kinda poppy and definately not crowd pleasers. but def fgo see them live--still a great show!

The first 2 tracks, Heard the world and Love and Memories, are poppy tunes that would fit in nicely on the pop radio station...which means that most OAR folks probably arent crazy about them. I honestly had to check the CD in the tray to make sure that it was in fact OAR when I heard love and memories. Different, distinct, yet still catchy.

Wonderful day--great, upbeat tune in the style of "Risen." In fact, it may be almost too much like it...just listen to the lyrics

The stranger--this is where the album really falls into its own groove. this track captures some of their classic style, but the new sound prevails. Check out the addition of some new vocals helping out Roberege in the chorus. nice song

Lay Down--cool track, more what you would expect from the OAR you know and love. but perhaps Roberege's lyrics are growing a bit trite...

Program Director--not my favorite reggae tune of thiers, especially when stacked up against some of their live reggae stuff. worst song on CD, no question

Nasim--here is another that makes you scratch your head and say, "who is this?" still good, but just so different

Tragedy in waiting--GReat track, great lyrics, and great instrumentation. a powerful song. prob the 2nd best on the CD

Daylight the dog--huh? what is this. maybe "The Stranger" is referring to the people claiming to be OAR on this track

One shot--much better shot at the reggae vibes, but still a bit too gimicky. I dunno if Im being too harsh...

Dakota--awesome song. this displays their versatility as artists. if you have seen a show, you know Roberege's talenta nd emotion on the slow, acoustic driven songs that typically dont make it onto CDs. this is one of the better ones Ive heard...

52-50--stange name, great freakin song. just wait until you hear the guitar solo at the end--phenomenal. I cant wait to see this one live. also one the tracks that conforms more to what you expect to hear. probably the best song on the CD.

Like many, I wasn't sure what to expect from a new O.A.R. album. However, I have to say, if you appreciate good, fun, music, with some deep lyrics here and there, you'll enjoy this album.

It's tighter than their previous studio album, "In Between Now and Then", and that is not a bad thing. This tightness actually allows them to capture some of their live sound -- something that's amazing, as it's their live shows that make O.A.R. who they are. 52-50 by itself is reason enough to buy this album; it distinctly reminded me of tehe 52-50 performance O.A.R. did at Bonarroo 2005.

Yes, this is different than previous O.A.R. work, but that is not bad. I think this is a strong step forward for the band, and I really can't wait until I see them live again -- as awesome as this CD is, I can only imagine how much more awesome these songs sound live.

Overall, this is a CD worth buying, and listening to many times over, enjoying it more every time.

Like a lot of people, I was worried about how the band's sound will progressed. And I admit, I wasn't thrilled at first. But I got over it. I played the CD in my car for a week or so, and ya know what? I don't care who the band is, or what their sound should be, its a damn good CD. It just is.

'Love and Memories' is probably going to be huge. And even though it's not 'O.A.R's sound' its okay. Most of the CD is. Is it over produced? I think so. But it could be worse. And if you're looking for the most "O.A.R." songs, they are definitely 'Wonderful Day' and 'One Shot'.

Also, no one else has mentioned that 'Dakota' is about John Lennon. I mean, seriously people, how has no one written about this yet?

i've been an oar fan for around 7 years now, and i've been to 5 or 6 concerts.....they are the greatest live act i've ever seen....hands down.

this new cd is extremely different from everything else they've done....on the one hand, i can understand their desire to put something out that's more "radio friendly" because they've been waiting to break out for a couple of years now. on the other hand, this cd is so vastly different from everything else that it is almost a shock to listen to it....it honestly sounds like a totally different band. don't get me wrong, i like it, but it's like listening to o.a.r. for the first time all over again.

marc roberge's voice is WAAAAYYYY too processed (he sounds especially hollow in one shot) he only sounds like himself in maybe 2 songs....in all of the other songs, he sounds like a different singer....plus they have backup singers on a couple of songs....WTF??? what happened to his raspy voice that we're all familiar with? his raspiness gave his voice character, now he sounds more like a generic lead singer. i can honestly say that most of the songs on this album sound like they should be on a no doubt cd. you could sub gwen stefani in for marc, and this would be just another no doubt cd.

in my opinion, the only song that even REMOTELY resembles o.a.r. is the last song, 52-50....and the reggae beats that are on this cd sound totally manufactured. usually, o.a.r. will just slip into the reggae beats out of nowhere.....but you see them coming a mile away on the new cd.

love and memories is a good song....it's an obvious plea for airtime, but it's still good. this song might be the best example of my point....o.a.r has NEVER EVER put out a song even remotely similar to this. it's a totally new sound from them.

i think heard the world is the best song on the album....they played it in concert over the summer, and it really caught my attention then.....it's good on the cd, but the live version had more energy.

if they want airtime, they have a good 1-2 punch with love and memories and heard the world....if these songs don't break them out, they'll never break out.

i know it sounds like this has been a long negative rant, but i guess i'm still in shock. this cd is good....but for the first time, i've caught myself skipping over certain songs....i've never done that before on an o.a.r. cd. i'm still a fan, and i still love o.a.r., but this cd has me bopping my head and scratching my head at the same time.

pick it up and judge for yourself...and make sure to buy ANY TIME NOW and GO SEE THEM IN CONCERT!!