Customer Reviews

Tabitha's Secret

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This CD is truthfully one CD you will never regret buying. It's not one of those cds where you like maybe 4 or 5 songs from it and thats all. Every single song is good. A song for every mood. My personal favorite song is "Here Comes Horses" The melody and Robs voice are so relaxing. You will definatly be glad you ordered this if you decide to. I am a die hard Matchbox Twenty fan, and if you are too, this is a must. Even if you aren't, I'm sure you'll love this cd. Enjoy. :)

I'm a pretty big matchbox20 fan (have been since '98 or so) and have been into Tabitha's Secret for awhile. I was on the board when Jay Stanley (former TS guitarist) released the Live CD, and when they released this one. And it's not that the songs aren't good.. I love the Tabitha's Secret songs, probably more than anything matchbox20 has done since then, but this is utter crap. All Stanley did was "remaster" the old songs by bringing in a long list of studio musicians and making them more palatable to the pop audience. And they weren't that bad quality to begin with! My advice to you is to go buy Don't Play With Matches, to hear what the songs are supposed to sound like. Then if you like that, you can buy this to see what he did to them-- though it might be unpleasant to hear.

If you're a huge Matchbox Twenty fan, this is a CD for you. The band Tabitha's Secret? came together in Orlando, Florida back in the early 90's and played in small bars. After a couple of gigs, they became real popular and in high demand. Rob, Paul and Brian eventually left to go on as Matchbox Twenty due to "musical differences" between Jay Stanely and John Goff in Tabitha's Secret?. I was so desperate to get a hold of this CD, I got it off of ebay for like 10$ from France. Anyways, my favourite songs on this CD are: And Around, Unkind, Here Comes Horses, Paint Me Blue and Forever December. This CD is excellent and I encourage you to buy Don't Play With Matches as well. Definately for hardcore Matchbox Twenty fans!

This is a cheesy remix of the album "Don't Play With Matches" in which they tried to capitalize on the MB20 success by making it sound more like the recent albums.

DPWM are the songs in their original form and are VASTLY BETTER.

I have been a Tabitha's fan almost as long as I've been into Matchbox, and I can honestly say that no artist is in my CD player more often. Tabitha's pure, unprocessed sound and lyrics with Rob's unmatched vocals make this album the catalyst of a complete music collection. Rarely can you turn to an artist's roots and find material of an such incredible calibre. If you love Matchbox, then relinquish yourself to Tabitha.

Since I got this album 10 days ago, it has not been off the CD player! Even the worst 1 or 2 tracks are better than most other performers have. 3am and Dear Joan for me are the standout tracks but all are very good. If you like Matchbox 20, you will love this.

After falling hard for the first MB20 CD, I was curious about their beginnings, and, at the same time disappointed with their second CD. Kept hearing these songs on the digital channel that had this hauntingly familiar sound, and, lo and behold, the Secret is out!!!!!! The original MB20 CD brought out so many feelings for me, both happy and sad, and T's Secret does the exact same thing. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to see how MB20 got to the point of putting out their first release. I can only hope they some day revisit that place again....

Recorded prior to Matchbox Twenty's breakthrough hit Yourself or Someone Like You, Tabitha's Secret could actually be considered the band's debut album. Vocalist and song writer Rob Thomas, bass player Brian Yale, and drummer Paul Doucette are here, joined by original guitarists Jay Stanley and John Goff.

While some may argue that Tabitha's Secret is not a "true" Matchbox Twenty album, it is really every bit as much a Matchbox Twenty album as Switchfoot's early albums (in which there were 3 musicians as opposed to the current 5) and The Wallflowers self-titled debut (which features only 2 original members) are considered albums representative of those bands. There's a difference, but all the elements that make Matchbox Twenty great are here.

So how does Tabitha's Secret compare to Yourself or Someone Like You, Mad Season, and More Than You Think You Are? Well, it combines the rocking energy of Yourself or Someone Like You with the slow, piano ballads of Mad Season. "Tired" could have easily been on Yourself or Someone Like You, while the beautiful "Dear Joan" would have been right at home on Mad Season. There's little from this album to compare to More Than You Think You Are, though.

I confess that I'm finding myself liking Tabitha's Secret more than any of the other three albums (yes, that's right - even more than Yourself or Someone Like You!) The songs don't feel as "forced" as the ones on that album. They seem better thought-out and developed - more "genuine". You might find that unbelievable, but wait until you hear it. It's truly a shame that Tabitha's Secret is not as well known as the others. Former guitarist Jay Stanley remastered and remixed these songs in 2001, giving them a fresh, contemporary sound. I highly recommend Tabitha's Secret. Buy it and you'll discover a lost masterpiece that when compared to the other three albums really rises above them all.

I have to disagree with those who bad mouth this CD. Sure, they went back and updated the songs with the MB20 sound, but that's a GOOD thing. This is far and away my favorite version of "Forever December" and the other songs sound good, too. That doesn't mean I don't like Don't Play with Matches--I just like this one a bit more.

This CD reveals the raw young sound of Rob Thomas who no sooner heads the very band that carries the awesome talent of his reflective, soulful song writing and some haunting rock melodies. A familiarity of Matchbox tunes are present, yet Tabitha's album is a little more fresh from the garage. Definitely in my favourites list, and a must have for Matchbox fans.