Customer Reviews

Train

5 star:		(132)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

This is one of the best new albums I've heard in a long time. I bought it because it satisfied my "two good song" rule: Any band can come up with a one-hit wonder, but a CD with TWO good songs on it is worth purchasing. And so, after hearing "Free" and "Meet Virginia" on the radio, and decided that Train was worth a try. Plus, I had seen them in concert with Ben Folds Five and had been quite impressed with their live show. Well, the rest of the CD doesn't disappoint. My suspicions that they have an affinity for the Allman Brothers (an affinity which this homesick Southern boy shares, by the way) were proven correct by the CD. Nothing like a little bit of guitar-driven rock to shake me out of my MTV-induced doldrums. Couple that with inspired lyric-writing and lead singer Patrick Monahan's sublime vocal stylings and you've got an album that will keep me listening for a long time. Train's self-titled debut is a worthy buy for any true rock-and-roll fan.

This band can take you from an excellent high to an awesome low... great lyrics, good sounds.. all around they rock, they are great live, and this is a great cd to take on a road trip to get some space.. I recommend to any music fan.

"Meet Virginia" is a good, traipsing pop rock song about a dying relationship. That said, everyone in the world has heard the song too much.

Forget that song, there are 12 others on the disk. "I Am" is a powerful country-rock ballad about a man filled with self-doubt preparing to close a chapter of his life. No song in modern rock can equal the baggage this song carries with it. "If You Leave" is that cynical rock love song that makes people cringe or think. "Homesick" is another country rock ballad about coming home. A nice, pretty, harmless tune. Then "Free" comes, a rock song about loneliness and freedom. It is a special moment on the CD. All the songs are surpisingly stong though, especiall the first half of the album. "Blind" is a heart-rendering ballad about dying love. "Rat" is a great song for all the graduates out there.

Train pulled off an eye-opening record. The songs are catchy, well-crafted, smart, and good. Oh yeah, the album cost $22,000 to make and it's platinum. At times the underproduction comes out a bit more raw and that much better. All in all, Train did the impossible, make a good rock record in the second half of the 1990s.

This CD took a few listens, but each times I got farther and farther into the music. I've had this CD in my 5-CD shuffle since September, and still love it today. Here's a breakdown: Meet Virginia - believe it or not, the one song you can get sick of - but great fun to listen to I Am - Very energetic, will put you in a good, mellow mood If You Leave - Very easy to relate to, great fast alt.rock music Homesick - Slower, more mellow music with small-town remiscent lyrics Free - Pure, bonafide fun to listen to, medium tempo that speeds up and slows down to accomodate any mood Blind - A gorgeous slower song that is in my top 10 prettiest ever Eggplant - Great love song that is less about sex, more about the worship part of relationships than what you generally hear Idaho - More rock than any song on here, different theme than anything i've heard before except maybe Tori Amos' "China" (who else personifies a state/country?) Days - Gentle song to listen to for a mellow mood or to sleep to Rat - Great entertaining music, lyrics can be a bit lacking a times but an overall pretty good song Swaying - Another more bluesy slow song And there's two hidden tracks which add to the CD. The vocalists voice adds to the beauty of the CD, which might be less than satisfactory without him. Definately worth the money, and give it time to get used to it!

I purchased this CD after having heard "Meet Viginia" on the radio and after a complete listen I was amazed. Great lyrics set with awesome music. Nice ballads and fun bar rockers. The song "I Am" made the biggest impact on me because of the singers reflective look at his life thus far, something I can relate to at age 35. "Free" just flat out rocks and makes me believe that I can dust off my acoustic guitar and play right along (doubtful! ). I classify this as deck music with the gang or good road trip fare. Buy Listen Enjoy!

Train's self-titled first album is definately their best. This cd, independantly released in 1994 then re-released under the Sony label a couple years later, features a good, honest, acoustic southern rock style. This album is probably more comparable to Counting Crows' "August and Everything After" and is equally as good, but Train's classic rock influences from bands such as Led Zeppelin and The Beatles definately shine through. The songwriting is excellent, and lead singer Pat Monahan's lyrics are meaningful and heart-felt. Guitarists Jimmy Stafford and Rob Hotchkiss show off their talent by adding a mandolin and harmonica respectively, which add to the musical depth of the songs.

The single "Meet Virginia", probably the most pop friendly song on the album, launched Train onto the radio waves and began their journey which would eventually lead them to the Grammys with "Drops of Jupiter". There isn't a single bad song on this album, but the highlights for me have to be "I Am" - a simple classic rock song, "Free" - one of the more rocking songs on the cd, and "Train" - a driving bluesy goroovy kinda tune.

This cd stands out as the best of their work in my opinion, because unfortunately the later albums progress to more radio recycled pop. Train (the cd) was written vby Train (the band) back when they were a struggling club band in San Francisco in the mid 90's when it was all about the music. So if you've only heard "Drops of Jupiter" or any of their later stuff, and aren't too thrilled with them, give this one a chance, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Train's debut cd is great. "Meet Virgina" has probably made you aware of who & what Train is. It is looking beyond & seeing outside the square that is the key to enjoying this album. Track 2 "I am" is beautifully done as is "Homesick", "Free" & "Rat" among the other tracks. To enjoy this cd you need paitence & purely just not care about what's cool & what everybody esle is buying & listening to. Do not be afraid to be different. Another thing that helps is if you're in the right frame of mind to listen to this record. Good times are mornings, after a hard days work or while you are going to sleep or just laying in bed. Beautiful effort & I look forward to getting the new album by them "Drops of Jupiter" & believe it will be just as good if not better.

The first time I ever heard of train, I was riding in a car with a friend, when i realized that I really was enjoying the bluesy, ballad like music that was playing. She then skipped the CD back to "Meet Virginia", where I finally realized that I had heard the group before. So I went out and bought it. Overall, the CD is a good one for road trips, relaxing,or if you just don't feel like constantly skipping songs, or changing CD's. The nice thing about it is that there really is a good mix of tracks, although they are all parallel in their style. The popular "Meet Virginia" is in serious danger of being nautiously overplayed on the radio, which could mean the death of it. However, I truly hope that this is not the case, as Train have put out a really good CD. Hopefully,everyone that reads this and buys the album realizes that there is so much more than just "Meet Virginia." "Free" gets my nod as the best all around song on here, followed closely by "Blind", a fantastic ballad, and "Meet Virginia". Because the album sways, rocks, and blues' it up all in one setting, it is well worth the cash, and the listen. Cheers to Train.

I have to say when I purchased Train's cd, I never realized I'd love every song! It is just one of those cd's you can't shut off. The music is so emotional and spiritual in its own way. Patrick has the most awesome voice to blend in with the lyrics perfect. This is an incredible cd and if you don't own it, you are missing out!

Before I purchased this CD, I read some of the reivews on Amazon.com to see whether it was worthy of buying. I must admit, most of the reviews led me away from buying this album. But after putting it off further and further, I knew this band had to be more than just "Meet Virginia". I finally purchased it, and came back to Amazon.com to check the reviews again. I was simply appalled. How an album this good can get such bad reviews is beyond me.

If it's simple pop rock that gets on your nerves, simple enough - don't listen to it. But train is not a talentless band by any stretch of the imagination. Every guitar line and acoustically strummed chord is beautifully rendered and laden with vivacious color and musicianship. Songs like "I Am", "Blind", and "Free" are some of the best songs I have heard in a long time. "Blind" is a song that hits close to home (even though I am still 18) as it talks about getting older much too fast, and things lose their color and brilliance. A very sad and touching song, but beautiful all together. Almost every song on this album is beautiful and touching. It's certainly much more than what people crack it up to be.

Just like Radiohead's "Pablo Honey", I can't figure out why there are so many negative reviews. Both albums are brilliant (maybe not compared to later albums, but still in their own right) but get bashed constantly.

Give this album a chance and you'll know what I'm talking about.