Customer Reviews

Tommyland: The Ride

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Having never heard a Tommy Lee solo record, I thought that I would try this one out. It just seemed to appear out of nowhere. I just happened to see "Good Times", the lead single on MTV one day and I asked myself, I didn't know that Tommy Lee was coming out with another solo record. I am glad he did because this one is definitely worth while.

While there is nothing innovative or truly outstanding here, this is a good album that is definitely above average. There are several good tracks on this albums with good contributions from Lee himself as well as several guest artists. Flaws are that this album sometimes seems overproduced and towards the end specifically, it loses the steam that it had developed at the beginning. The perks of this album are that it is just the right length, 38 minutes only, and that it isn't a dull listen. It spans hard rock as well as punk/emo and even a little more of an adult contemporary/adult rock type feel on "Good Times". Here is a rundown of the tracks:

1. "Good Times"- This track has a nice fresh punk/emo type feel. Production here is very well done. The guitars are nice and enthusiastic sounding. Great way to start of the album. I like the grit within the vocals; it is just right for this type of song and this specific song. Very well done. My very favorite track featured on the album.

2. "Hello Again"- nice sounding arrangement with driving guitars. The guitars may just be a bit over enthusiastic (too driving) here, but overall I love to sound, or at least the concept of this song at the least. Sometimes the vocals get lost within the arrangement due to the driving guitars.The bridge is a bit overdone, but that is only a minor flaw. Definitely another decent listen if not the slightest bit over the top.

3. "Tryin' To Be Me"- slightly overproduced on this track; just a bit too guitar heavy. Despite that, I do like the overall effect of the guitars and the sound-- it gives you the whole rock & roll atmosphere. It is just a bit over the top. This song is just ok. I think that it is trumped by "Good Times" and "Hello Again". This sounds more Motley Crue-esque where the sound is concerned. Average.

4. "Sister Mary"- Very nice chord changes and nice arrangement here. By this point, you see that Tommy Lee leaves alone the adult-contemporary feel that was such a success on the opener "Good Times". He opts for his heavy-driven guitar roots. However, it works better here than "Tryin' To Be Me". Nice catchy track here. Very well done.

5. "The Butler" [interlude]
6. "Tired"- Again, Tommy Lee goes for punk/emo. Again, he achieves it very well. To be his age, and being a veteran hard-rocker, Tommy Lee pulls off this style very, very well. The driving guitars and the effects here are nearly flawless and the vocals with Joel Madden from Good Charlotte are awesome. Great chords, arrangements. One of the best tracks on this album. This one really rocks!!!

7. "I Need You"- Nice synths and drum programming here. Nice rhythmic feel overall here. With Andrew McMahon here, a great upper register of vocals as well as falsetto are demonstrated. He pulls it off very well here exploiting the smoky quality of his vocals (is Tommy or Andrew singing?). Either way, this is another good track.

8. "Make Believe"- from the opening of this track, I could tell this was more filler material than anything. Nothing stunning or new here and compared to tracks before it, it is probably the weakest track as of yet. It's OK, but nothing stunning.

9. "Makin' Me Crazy"- nice electric piano opening. Nice contrast of timbre, etc. Good collaboration here, overall. Again, nothing incredibly innovative, but ok. Nice break in this song.

10. "Watch You Lose"- not bad. Not my favorite, but still a solid listen.

11. "Say Goodbye"- average.

12. "Hello Again"- nice acoustic take on this song here.

Overall, while this album might not be the next greatest innovation in music or specifically rock music, it is a good solid album that is worth a listen. 3.5 stars.

I think it's great when an artist goes out on a limb and shows the world different aspects of their talents. Lenny Kravitz, Prince, U2, Sting, and Bowie just to name a few have all explored their versatile musical sides. I know many of the ol Crue fans will be upset or turned-off because this album has a commercial feel. Well, let's go back and think about it for a minute. Motley Crue was an 80s hair-band that rocked, however, they were commercial. This album's arrangements and vocals are excellent. Although it's "cross-over" the songs come off like classics. My Favs are "Make Believe" and "I need You." Tommy well done. Now we know you can rock, rap, drum, write, produce, sing, and arrange. Most of the selections are very original and appeal to a wider audience. This is a must have, run to the record shop.

This is a great CD! I loved some of the tunes on Tommy's first solo Cd "Never A Dull Moment", but this CD is even better.

"Good Times" is such an addictive jam to me. I've listened to it over and over. Great to just crank up in the car while smoking a cigarette. That song alone is worth the price of the CD.

"Hello Again" has grown on me after a couple listens. Both the regular and the acoustic versions are nice.

"Watch You Lose" is a phenomenal song, though one that might get overlooked by many. Be sure to check it out. My second favorite after "Good Times".

"Tired" is a unique and fun song... just goes to show you that no matter how great things might appear for some well known people, they still can end up feeling miserable at the end of the day.

"Tryin to be Me" is on the same theme. According to Tommy, fame and fortune aren't as "painless" as they might seem. Reminds me of Lindsay Lohan's "Rumors"...the message being "Leave me alone tabloid reporters and let me live my life!"

"Say Goodbye" is a nice ballad. I didn't realize Carter was singing with him on that. That's cool.

"I Need You" is a great song-- eerie sounding and another standout on the record.

All in all, you gotta get this Cd if you're a rock fan. He features different vocalists and artists on it, but... the best part overall is the songs themselves and Tommy's singing, which to me is fantastic just as it is. I'd give it 5 stars, but, when I think five stars, I think Def Leppard "Hysteria" or something, so that's why I give it 4.

I picked up this cd after hearing "Good Times" on the Pamela Anderson roast. I though it was a decient song and i decided to get the album in August of 2005, it's now April of 2006 and i'm still not sick of it.

1.Good Times: A decient radio friendly song, kinda pop, kinda Californian.

2.Helo, Again: Nice mellow slow song.

3. Tryin to be me: A heavy, nickleback-ish song, not bad.

4. Sister Mary: Unique rock song, hard to describe, one of my favorites.

5. The Butler: Just a ansering machine recording

6. Tired: Awsome song, even better chorus, used to be my favorite.

7. I Need You: Another kinda wierd slow song, give it a chance>

8. Make Believe: One of the best songs of all time, listen to a few times you will be amazed. ( Note the background vocals, there are two guys harmonizing, not just one singing)

9. Makin Me Crazy: A really cool song, very unique.

10. Watch You Lose: Amazing song, the chorus is so heavy. Perfect melodic, heavy rock song.

11. Say Good-bye: Decient song, kinda pop, not bad.

12. Hello, Again ( Acoustic Version): Cool slow version of Track number 2.

To sum it up this is one of the best "chill" albums of all time, it is perfect to sit and relax to. It is up there with my top 10 favorite albums of all time. It's far from musical genius, but it is perfection in it's own right, give it a try.

i'd like to give this disc a better review, but the best song on the cd, tired, has a huge beep editing out an F word about 22 seconds in!!! what's the point? either change the word or use a different type of censor. it ruins the track completely. track five "the butler" and six "tired" have this nuisance. either put out two versions of the disc (one edited and one not) or just let the word happen. geeez! i had a download of the entire album, but figured the original disc wouldn't be edited. my mistake. i could've used that eight dollars on blank discs... i looked all over the internet for some mention of the disc being edited or censored, but couldn't find anything, and that's why i decided to write this review.

Never a fan of Motley Crue, but caught the tune "Hold Me Down" years back and really loved it. Prompted me to pick up "Never A Dull Moment", which I thought was a great CD. Synchronicity prompted me to pick up his previous CD "Methods Of Mayhem", which I also really enjoyed. Having heard Tommy perform "Good Times" live on some show, I picked up this album as well. I have to say, it's a really well made and performed album. I still don't know how much Crue I could listen to, probably not much, but Tommy can keep on releasing these albums and I'll keep buying them. His performance chops [guitar, drums, and I think some keyboards] and production skills are great, his vocals gritty, coarse and right on target. Best cuts in my opinion are "Make Believe", "Try To Be Me", "Making Me Crazy" and "Good Times", in no particular order. Give it a spin - I think many people will be pleasantly surprised.

I recommend this CD 100%. If you like rock sometimes, and some powerful rock ballads, than this CD is it. It greatly has both. The first time I listened to the whole CD I immediately put the ENTIRE CD on my MP3 player. It is the best. And with guest like Dave Navarro, Chad Kroger, and Benji Madden playing the guitar, and Joel Madden and Nick Carter with background vocals and many more, this CD has it ALL!!

I wasn't a big fan of Tommy before i heard his song on the radio. Now i have gotten the album and i can't get enough. I hope you will be the same way when you buy it!

I really wasn't a fan of Tommy's before this CD. Now I can't get enough! He's great! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND picking up this CD! "Good Times" is the highlight of the CD, in my opinion. Great CD from a great artist.

I first heard his single "Good Time" and really liked it but suprised that is was pretty mellow and not as hard rock as his Motley Crue days. I was skeptical that it was just an old rocker's attempt to still make it in the pop world. But it is actually a talented mix of songs. The rest of the cd is just as good as the single and it has some very creative collaborations. Very unique sound and voice and pairs himself with other artists not necessarily known for their solo careers. Awesome cd! worth the buy.