Customer Reviews

Sugar Ray

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Ever since I bought this CD the day it came out I've been listening to it non-stop! I was so glad to hear bassist Murphy Karges say that this CD was the best representation of the band, because it's my favorite. The band carries on their reggae tunes but have also included sounds of ska and punk. Track listings:

1. Answer The Phone- simple song with killer guitar riffs; great for blasting the volume and jamming.

2. When It's Over- favorite single of many; great song for fans of their other hits like "Someday," "Every Morning," and "Fly."

3. Under The Sun- remembering the good times, it's the band's tribute to 80's groups like Run DMC, Culture Club, The Clash, and Men Without Hats; great riff from Murph's bro.

4. Satellites- classic rock song with incredible beats from Stan on the drums and Rod on the electric guitar; make sure to catch the clip after the song.

5. Waiting- great guitar riffs (again!) especially at beginning and end; nice love song about waiting to get the girl.

6. Ours- slower song about a manege-a-trios; comic story line.

7. Sorry Now- awesome guitar riffs; upbeat song that you'll want to listen to full blast.

8. Stay On- amusing duet of Mark McGrath and 311's Nick Hexum; sounds of ska influences.

9. Words To Me- fun summer song with a great beat that encourages you to "Get Up!" and have a good time; cool sounds from DJ Homicide.

10. Just A Little- nice song with great guitar riffs; far from what you'd expect from the band because of it's country(!) sound.

11. Disasterpiece- awesome 80's sounding rock song with great guitar riffs; complete with shouts of "oohahoo!" and a harmonica, not surprising since the band wrote the song after they were on tour with the Goo Goo Dolls.

This is a great CD that will never bore you because all of the songs are completely different. And it's also probably the only CD that I've bought that I love to listen to all the way through. If you're like me, you'll never want to stop listening to it. It is definitely worth the money!

YOU GUYS ROCK!!

To call these guys "frat boy rockers" and their latest album "dumb fun" would be too harsh. Both are more than that. Their music is more like a guilty pleasure to most of us. We don't want to admit it, but if you put us under the interogation lamp long enough, we'll admit to singing along to them in the car when their latest hit comes on the radio.

Sugar Ray's fourth, self-titled studio release is fun. In a society where all of our television, music, and movies are tending to become more and more meaningless, it's nice to see some guys putting out an album that it sounds like them enjoyed making. Too much of our "popular" music is either far too angry or far too dark right now, so that's why this album is so appealing. "Sugar Ray" is fun, catchy, and speaks of many things that we can all relate to.

"Answer The Phone" sounds heavily influenced by Third Eye Blind, second track is radio-friendly "When It's Over," "Under The Sun" has some very cool guitar work, "Just A Little" was stuck in my head all day yesterday, and album closer "Disasterpiece" almost gets into the area of a Rolling Stones song.

Heck, I'll admit that I listen to this album and enjoy it. And you didn't even have to put me under the interogation lamp to get it.

Radio listeners got their first spoonful of Sugar Ray with the irresistible, reggae-tinged single "Fly" in 1997...unfortunately, most of the two million people who bought the album "Floored" were probably disappointed to discover the commercial pop tones of the song were the exception, while tepid metal/pop was the rule. The band came back stronger in 1999, however, with the energetic and impressive "14:59," offering up unstoppable singles in "Every Morning" and "Someday" alongside a particularly strong lineup of album cuts. Another two-year break between records and one has to wonder, "what does Sugar Ray have left?"

A whole hell of a lot, apparently. Sugar Ray continues to fine-tune their skills at writing sunny, catchy pop seemingly created solely for summertime and lead singer Mark McGrath's straightforwardly sexy vocals. This is obvious enough with the first single, "When it's Over," another acoustic-guitar-over-funky-drum-loop outing that will no doubt satisfy fans of the band's previous hits; "all the things that I used to know/are gone out the window" is such a singable hook you may well croon it without intending to. Another hit will no doubt be found in the nostalgiac, hip-hop flavored "Under the Sun," where Mark reminisces about "all the good times that we had on the beach," "making out in the sand," and makes any 80's teenager take a fond look back when he name-drops Run DMC and Culture Club. But even their harder-hitting material is bursting at the seams with catchy riffs, as even the cranked guitars on "Satellites," "Waiting," and "Sorry Now" can't hide the commercial appeal of some carefully-constructed pop tunes.

But what really stands out on this self-titled release is the mature songwriting efforts that one might not have expected from the group a few years back. "Just a Little" offers a Beatle-flavored dose of country/pop, "Disasterpiece" utilizes a Rolling Stones influence and yet another killer chorus (not to mention a significantly strong vocal from Mark), and "Stay On" builds on the reggae-pop roots of "Fly" but is just as much about hook and song structure as it is about groove. The album's crowning moment, however (and arguably, the band's overall finest moment to date) comes on the ballad "Ours"; Sugar Ray is completely in their element amidst richly-chorded acoustic guitar, smooth vocal harmonies, and quirky lyrics about a relationship with a two-timing female that was "like a Springer episode." Warning: the "she was your woman but she was my girl" is another hook that sneaks up on your subconscious.

Filled with enough commercial appeal to guarantee them plenty of airtime on MTV and enough strong musicianship and writing to lure fans over the age of consent, "Sugar Ray" proves that their hits to date were not flukes but a taste of what is yet to come. Guitar-driven pop doesn't get much more slickly produced, appealingly sung, or repeatedly enjoyable.

I personally have loved sugar ray from the beginning. This album self titled "Sugar ray" is full of radio singles i believe. Although Mark Mcgrath and co. have grown to be a more "pop" culture band, they've proved they are here to stay by this album. 1. Answer the phone- Great lyrics, catchy hook. one of personal favs. 2. When it's over- Although with alot of radio play, the hook is great and its in your head all day. 3. Under the sun- Very fun song, almost reminds you of past summers and friends. 4. Satellites- Not one of my personal favs, but still a good song. 5. Waiting- This is a great song. It starts off acoustic then into the harder guitar riffs. Good lyrics too. 6. Ours- This song sort of sounds like a re-make of a older song, but it's really not. not bad though. 7. Sorry now- One of my persanal Favs. Nice guitar riffs, Marks vocals are great in this one. catchy hook too. 8. Stay on- More of a laid back track. again a great song. 9. Words to me- This sounds like its almost hip-hop influenced sorta. Makes you want to dance! 10. Just a little- Has this country twang to it. not one of my personal favs though. Not a bad listen. 11. Diasterpiece- This song is great! This is the kind of song you can go cruisin to on a hot summer day.

All in all, Sugar rays self-titled album is great for the "pop" culture, i think if youre looking for more harder stuff, stick to there album "Floored", but personally i enjoy this album, hopefully you will too!!

Well seeing all the reviews on here and being a former fan of sugar ray along with being bored to death at work I've decided to write my own review. I believe sugar ray had something special with the first two albums as well but as time went by they have gradually gone from ultra-hip, I just wanna drink beer and cause trouble types, to oh so sappy songs about love and how heart break sucks, nothing that hasn't been told a thousand times over. When I first hearsd Sugar Ray back in 97 I thought their sound was revolutionary, I bought Floored and liked all the tracks and soon found myself buying the first album, then the third, fourth, and fifth albums came out, the third one was alright i bought it for the songs that weren't radio friendly such as Glory, Personal Space Invader, and Burning Dog; And with the release of their fourth album I bought it as well, hoping that they would get back on formula; Yes as you might of guessed i was delusional; their music had seemed to had gotten worse as predicted.....Now with the release of their fifth album, they had already lost me as a fan so therefore, I give all three of the most recent albums of theirs a 1/5 stars for lack of originality.

This new Sugar Ray self titled album is their best effort to date. I once read an interview with Mark McGrath in which he said he didn't know if he and his band had the talent to keep on writing good songs. Well, obviously they do. Every song on this record is great. From the opening chords of "Answer To The Phone" to the last distortion guitar on "Disasterpiece", this album satisfies the listener. In a world with only the extremes on the current music radar (Bubble Gum Pop or Hip hop), Sugar Ray has released an album full of enjoyable songs. "Under The Sun" would remind anyone of their childhood, "When It's Over" may be their catchiest single to date, "Waiting" is a truly lyrically touching song from guys who usually write about light fun stuff, "Satellites" has a great refrain, and "Words To Me" is the most fun song I've heard in a long time. There is something for every music fan on this album, so go out and buy it. You won't be dissapointed.

At first listen, this may sound like a typical effort from Sugar Ray. The sound is very similar to "14:59", but without all the sound effects and sometimes non-sensical lyrics. This album is most likely the most mature of all Sugar Ray's albums, including its most recent predesessor. This album has songs any heart can relate to, fun beach tunes, and heartbreak songs that aren't sad or depressing. McGrath's vocals should sell the album, if not the high-energy guitar accompanying him. This cd leaves one with the feeling of being on top of the world, without the side effects of drugs. This is a very complex album that contains beatiful sentiments conveyed realistically. Whether you're a huge fan, looking for a cd to rock the car, or want a collection of realistic songs conveyed in a fun manner, BUY THIS ALBUM! You may not be a fan now, but this album is awesome and you can't resist it!

What can you say bad about Sugar Ray? I mean, they have it all. Cool beats, a good vocalist, and deep meanings in all of their songs. This album combines awesome guitar riffs, hip island beats, and a little touch of classic rock n' roll on "Disasterpiece". Any band that can combine all of these elements of music has to have outstanding talent. who else out their can mix reggae and rock together and make it sound good? I am betting a lot of fans out their didn't expect Sugar Ray to pull of another hit album like "14:59" and "Floored". Boy, did they ever prove them wrong! I bet anyone out there all the money in the world that "When it's Over" will be one of the big summer hits of 2001.

On a final note, Sugar Ray is not dead by far...and the same goes to ROCK in general. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND BUY THIS ALBUM!

[I know it's a low rating, but it's an honest one. Just please read the review before you hit the "no" button.]

Maybe I just don't like Sugar Ray. Yeah, "When it's Over" was good for awhile, and upon buying the CD I happened to find a few more good songs on here too - Answer the Phone, Words to Me and Stay On. Everything else on here is just not intersting at all. I do consider more than three good songs on one CD worth it, but the difference here is none of these songs have much staying power for me, partially due to the sound of the stereotypical mainstream pop beats in a few of the songs, which is just a sound that doesn't appeal to me. That doesn't mean it's not "REAL" music or whatever. No notable, ear-catching material at all on this CD except for the three songs mentioned above, which get played in my stereo once every couple of months so I feel like I got a little more of my money's worth. But that mean it's not music? Of course not. It's just music that doesn't appeal to me. Even if guitar-driven, radio-friendly (ugh, i HATE that term), pop-glazed rock doesn't sound very good to you, give it a chance anyway, listen to the samples with an open mind and decide for yourself if you like what you hear. That's what they're there for.

What do you do after three hits, that to put it mildly were huge? Well, you do what the boys of Sugar Ray did. Stay The Same. The Singles of the Album, "When It's Over", "Ours" are produced by Sugar Ray Production veteran "David Kahne although the album is produced by Don Gilmore. They haven't grown into a "different" level but, they have certainly gotten better. The epynomous 4th album fines them returning back to their "Floored" roots while still keeping that "every morning, somedays" sound throughout most of the songs. They even dab into country on this album. This is definately a great cd, so I encourage you to buy it to add to your collection.