Customer Reviews

Things in the Game Done Changed

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I originally heard Dave Hollister on "Before I Let You Go" on Blackstreet's debut CD, I knew that he had the potential to have a solo career. Out of the more than 20 songs that were on the CD, "Before I Let You Go" was definitely one of the stand out songs. On his 1st disc, "Ghetto Hymns" it seemed as if he was trying to bring the thug image to r&b. He first single, "My Favorite Girl", dealt with a woman that Dave was creepin' with during his marriage that was trying to be #1 in his life. Dave carefully informed her that no matter what happend, his wife will always be his favorite girl. The song was an impressive one, but people may not have been expecting that from Dave. His next single, "Baby Mama Drama", was just about that. He broke down how he had to deal with the situation and you were able to get things from a man's perspective. "Ghetto Hymns" was a good CD, but I knew Dave could do better. He proved me right with "Chicago '85.... The Movie". After listening to his 2nd CD, you can tell that Dave put his heart and soul into this CD. You can feel the lyrics and emotions with each song and the production is Grade A. Songs like "We've Come To Far", "Destiny", "Doin' Wrong", and "I'm Not Complete" remained in heavy rotation for a long time, as well as, his 2 singles: "One Woman Man" and "Take Care Of Home". With every great r&b CD though, there comes a time where there is pressure to live up to what you have already released. Dave switched labels from Dreamworks to Motown and what comes from that is his 3rd disc, "Things In The Game Done Changed". His original 1st single, "Keep Lovin' You" is featured on the Steve Harvey r&b compilation CD and his new disc includes a remix of the song with AZ. The origial version does not appear on this CD. His current single, "Baby Do Those Things" is reminiscent of the nice slow jams that were on "Chicago '85" and is defintely one of the better songs on this CD. The rest of this CD is filled with midtempo and slow jams. The best songs being the slow jams: "Tell Me Why" and "What Should I Say" both have the potential to be a single and the midtempo jams "One Addiction" and "Tonite" as well. Tank shows up to produce 3 songs: "Love/Hate Relationship" is what most Dave Hollister fans are used to hearing but this is a nice track and on "I'm Wrong", Dave admits his faults and wants to work things out. What happens sometimes, in my opinion, is that once r&b artists made a high quality CD, the rest of their releases will be measured up with that high quality CD. While "Things In The Game Done Changed" is a good CD, it doesn't measure up to "Chicago '85... The Movie", in my opinion. The writing is high quality as usual, but the overall production is not as good on the few uptempo songs and some of the midtempo songs. So while things may change to some people, alot of times they really remain the same. Dave Hollister has a nice 3rd disc on his hands though. If you appreciate r&b music without the bling bling and the songs that talk about hookin' up with shorties at the club, Dave Hollister is the artist for you. If you already own "Ghetto Hymns" and "Chicago '85... The Movie", "Things In The Game Done Changed" is a welcome addition to your Dave Hollister collection.

James' Top 5

1) Baby Do Those Things
2) What Should I Say
3) Tell Me Why
4) I'm Wrong
5) Tonite

ONCE AGAIN DAVE HOLLISTER BRINGS FORTH AN ALBUM JUST TO CHILL TOO. THE BROTHER HAS COME A LONG WAY SINCE HIS BLACKSTREET DAYS AND WHILE NOT HAVING THE BEST VOICE IN THE WORLD, THE BROTHER KEEPS IT SIMPLE.....

THIS IS HOW I RATE THE TRACKS:

1. Things in the Game Done Changed, 4-5. SHOULD HAVE BEEN FULL
2. It's Okay, 4-5. NICE LIL GROOVE TO RIDE TOO
3. What's a Man to Do, 4-5. I KNOW THE PAIN OF THIS ONE. NICE!
4. My Everything, 4-5. WILL MAKE YOUR TOES...AFTER THE 2ND TIME
5. Baby Do These Things, 4-5. THE DAVE SLOW LOVE CUT TO HIS WOMAN
6. For You, 3-5. COOL SONG BUT THE CHORUS GETS TO YOU AFTER A WHILE
7. One Addiction, 4-5. JUST A NASSSY LIL GROOVE
8. No Ordinary Love (Interlude),4-5. ONCE AGAIN SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FULL SONG
9. Love Hate Relationship, 4-5. LIKED IT CAUSE I HAVE BEEN THERE
10. Tell Me Why, 4-5. OH YEA....TELL US WHY WOMEN!
11. What Should I Say, 4-5. NICE TRACK.
12. I'm Wrong, 4-5. WE CAN BE WRONG TOO
13. Tonite, 3-5. A NICE TRACK TO CHILL TOO...COULD HAVE BEEN DEEPER
14. No One Else, 3-5. BACK TO THE UPBEAT....NICE.
15. We Gonna Make It (Mama E's Song),4-5. THIS IS MY JOINT
16. Keep Loving You [Remix] - Az Izz, 2-5. LIKE THE ORIGINAL BETTER.

WELL THATS MY TWO CENTS....ONELOVE

I've always been a fan and this guy never seems to let me down. I really can't get over him. you should really listen to "i'm wrong" it blows me away. the whole album it's fantastic and it's worth your record collection. ooh , i love me some dave.

First off, I'm going to disagree with one of the reviewers who insinuated that Dave Hollister doesn't have the best voice in the world. I know it's a matter of opinion, but in my personal one, there is no one who can touch him right now! Dave has the most soulful voice I've heard in the industry! He is truly and sadly underrated!! Donny Hathaway made my toes curl - Dave Hollister does the same thing for me!!

Now, about the record. THINGS IN THE GAME... is the only CD that I can play all the way through. I love R&B and Soul. The kind of music that makes you actually FEEL something. The songs on this album make me feel a full range of emotions - LOVE, ANGER, JOY - reminiscing and relating to the situations that Dave, the writers and producers intended you to feel when they put it together. CHICAGO '85 was good - I still throw that in and pretend I'm Dave's background, but THINGS IN THE GAME... is a more mature album. Dave's music evolves with every album and I hope that he is around for a long time to come.

Buy this album :)

Few male R&B artists in recent years have had a voice as strong and soulful as Chicago native Dave Hollister, yet no one on his level has endured the kind of drama this former Blackstreet member continues to experience in trying to get to the top. Though each of his previous efforts have gone gold, Hollister has remained entirely unnoticed by an audience who'd flip if only they knew he existed; Things in the Game finds him on his third label in as many albums, and still looking for a way in.

For the uninitiated, Hollister's music is squarely mainstream R&B, but his vocal style is second to none: He brings the smooth delivery of a Donny Hathaway or the Gap Band's Charlie Wilson to the modern, pulsating beats of urban soul. There's an old school undercurrent to everything he does, though, a focus on honey-sweet melodies over street bravado.

Love calls like "Love Hate Relationship" and "Tonite" find the perfect meeting place between Luther Vandross and R. Kelly, and the uptempo tracks ("My Everything," "We Gonna Make It") recall the best of new jack swing with their call-and-response choruses and simple grooves. Hollister's songs here are the strongest he's had; he digs deep on the pleading ballad "I'm Wrong" and smokes the silky, Fender-enhanced funk of the title track -- further proof that the best kept secret in R&B keeps getting better.

Dave, let me know if things in your game changes and you need a shoulder... I'm in love...

laritaraine@growthspurts.zzn.com

I love me some Dave Hollister..I hate I waited so long to buy this CD..but I had heard a few tracks from somewhere and I was like I need to go get that..but anyway..Its off da chain..Dave can sang..I love the music..the arrangement..you can basiclly let it play all tha way through which is big..cause you cant do that too often..but the ones I'm feeling are
Tell me why...thats my favorite song..
Its ok...makes me want to go get my "swing out" on..
I'm wrong....nice smooth ballad
those are my favorties..but I really like all them..man its not too late go get this..is tha jam fa real..

After buying Chicago 85: The Movie.. i didn't Dave could comeback with a stronger CD.. but i ended up listening and buying "Things In The Game Done Changed"... i was wrong.. With the lead single "Baby Do Those Things" Dave will give the critics something to think about when it comes to Dave Hollister.. My current favorite is the song "It's Okay".. that song has a nice beat and I think it should be the next single.. Still to this day Dave Hollister has to be the most UNDER-RATED artist ever... he is very talented and he really doesn't get any credit for it.. If this album doesn't go Platinum I will be upset.. Dave Hollister thank you for making another Classic album..

Notable Tracks:
It's Okay (My Favorite)
Baby Do Those Things
Love Hate Relationship
For You
I'm Wrong
Keep Lovin' You (Remix)
What's A Man To Do

Bad Tracks:
NONE

I bought this CD because I LOVE Baby Do Those Things, but nothing else stood out to me. I've loved his voice ever since 'Before I let you go',and I looked forward to hearing him solo. Now don't get me wrong, I love how he sounds on this album, but I think that if he switched up on his writing/production team he'd have a better album. I'm not saying that I want it to sound more mainstream, because I love when artists have an album that goes against the grain; but I wasn't a fan of Things in the Game...

Let me give you some insight on this man. Listen to this man and all that he has to say on his songs. All that love and pain, it is something because we all in one point of time will go through it with someone. I am truly feeling him and his music. "Things in the Game Done Changed" only shows us how he can make us feel when we listen to different tracks. Each song gives us a different taste of his life and what he is feeling. Listen to "My Everything" and how the love of his life was there by his side. Listen to "For You" and it gives you a different vibe, but a good feeling and it is different than "My Everything". Now after you listen to those two tracks and go to "Tonite" compare all three and you will have to say wow they are different, but they make you feel good, but he shows us this great feeling of his lady in three different ways. Listen to "What Should I Say" and "Tell Me Why", those two songs let you feel the pain, but they are good too. So when you listen to all of his tracks you will like each song. When I purchased this CD when it first came out I loved it then. His "Chicago 85" was great too along with his "Ghetto Hymns". This man is very talented and he too along with a host of others do not get the credit and people want to listen to that garbage of today. I like good music and appreciate the talent that some overlook because when you are physically more appealing it sales. I think that Dave Hollister is cute, just like Gerald LeVert and some others and those are the people I want singing to me in my car or in my crib. I miss Keith Sweat who knows that he can beg, but it sounds good (he is amazing in concert too!). I miss Keith Washington, Johnny Gill and all those people who can hold a note, a beat and make people say OH. I don't have Dave's last album because it didn't get enough publicity from ads, commercials and the industry. Like Carl Thomas's last album he did not get enough play either. Some folks just be hatin' too much for me and messing up what the music really is. Cop Dave's album and I hope that this review helps people feel this man's energy.