Customer Reviews

Up to Now

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Snow Patrol's career compilation is a great introduction of their chiming melodic-but-melancholic Rock sound to new listeners as it contains their hits and then some, but is also a delight to fans as it contains live versions of a couple of recordings ("Run" - which some think Leona Lewis did first, and "Chasing cars"), but also some rarities like "Signal fire" from the Spider-man 3 soundtrack, B-sides like their interesting cover of Beyoncé's "Crazy in love" (with a spoken delivery from Gary Lightbody: Kind of tough imagining him shaking his tush like B though) and "PPP" (Post punk progression), and 3 new recordings; "Just Say Yes" (a UK top 20 hit), "Give Me Strength" and "Dark Roman Wine".

Not a greatest hits as such (though quite a number of their hits make the cut; "Chocolate", "Run", "Set the fire to the third bar" with Martha Wainwright and the Grammy-nominated "Chasing cars"), and spread over 2 discs, the 30 songs cover all 5 Snow Patrol albums - singles and album tracks included, as well as a couple of songs by Lightbody's side project Reindeer Section ("Cartwheels" and "You are my joy"). Also included is a Lightbody solo version of "An Olive Grove Facing the Sea".

The only tiny complaint one may have is that the songs are not chronologically arranged, allowing us to see the musical growth of the group, but still, this is a career retrospective with a difference. Essential!

I first discovered Snow Patrol in 2004 when "Spitting Games" became an alternative radio hit. That prompted me to buy its parent album, Final Straw, and I was enough of a fan to also buy the follow-up, Eyes Open, which contains my favourite Snow Patrol song to date, "Hands Open." I decided to purchase Up to Now for a few reasons. Firstly, the lead single and one of three new tracks, "Just Say Yes," is great. Secondly, it allowed me to hear some of the material from their albums prior to Final Straw. Thirdly, it collected some cool non-album tracks, including the soundtrack single "Signal Fire" and such b-sides as "Post Punk Progression" (listed as "PPP" here) and "Crazy in Love."

I say all of this to explain why Up to Now is a five-star compilation. It isn't just because the music contained on these two discs is great, but also because it serves its purpose very well. For the curious who may only have heard a few songs and not own any albums, this set acts as an excellent overview. For casual fans like me, who own some of their prior releases, this collection acts as a good supplement. For big fans, the three new tracks are of such a high caliber that they will not disappoint, standing up well against some of the other highlights of Snow Patrol's catalogue featured here. Therefore, whether this would be your first Snow Patrol album, one of a few, or one of many, I can safely say it is a worthwhile purchase.

This is a great compilation for any Snow Patrol fan. It's not necessarily a "greatest hits" collection, but a great mix of well-known as well as more obscure songs, along with a few songs from the Reindeer Section. I have the CD/DVD deluxe version of Up To N0w, which includes the two CDs as well as a DVD with video documentaries, the full-length The Lightning Strike video that was used in their Take Back The Cities concert tour, and live concert footage of various songs. Well worth every penny, and a must for anyone who loves Snow Patrol.

Seeing how Philadelphia received a record amount of snow this winter, it seems fitting that reviewing this 30 song compilation by Ireland's Snow Patrol should be posted. Not just for the historical amount of white stuff dumped on my neighborhood, but for the cool music this double disc set contains. There's some deep talent to be found here. And I, for one, did not realize that Snow Patrol was almost a 15 year old group.

Those in the USA who came to Snow Patrol via their worldwide breakthrough "Chasing Cars" will be surprised by the artier songs that date prior to 2000. The band very quickly evolved into a slick alternative outfit and by 2003, the UK hits started coming off of Final Straw. The first song on "Up To Now" is the melancholy "Chocolate," which found lead Patrolman Gary Lightbody going for the lush world of "Coldplay." He also started writing stronger ballads, as "Run" will attest.

After that, Lightbody started swinging for the bleachers. The sound got noticeably bigger on Eyes Open, with both "Shut Your Eyes" and "Chasing Cars" making Snow Patrol now sounding more like band than the sum of their influences. There's also much more atmosphere than before, allowing the epic guitars to chime. When 2008's A Hundred Million Suns appeared, the band began hitting the kind of heights U2 often does, like "Take Back This City," Snow Patrol's hardest rocking single to date. However, frontman doesn't have the mammoth ego of Bono, nor Chris Martin's sometimes exasperating over-eagerness.

That's even more obvious on one of "Up To Now's" new tracks; a cover of Beyonce's "Crazy In Love." Keyboardist Tom Simpson is apparently a pretty cool DJ (who knew?). The other is a brilliantly produced "Give Me Strength," which plays right into the band's considerable...err...strengths. It's a slow building anthem that rises to a chorus of rejuvenation. Snow Patrol is a band that wants the stardom, but isn't afraid of getting heroes like Martha Wainwright to sing on "Set The Fire to The Third Bar" or name dropping Sufjan Stevens in "Hands Open." "Up To Now" is the portrait of a modest band that is now making terrific music.

First off, I am a massive fan of Snow Patrol - I have all their albums on CD, and even OHMS on vinyl. I wasn't too thrilled about picking up a greatest hits for a few new tunes, but I figured it would be worth it to complete my discography.

One thing I have always disliked, however, is the horrible mastering their albums receive. OHMS, in particular, is awful (even on vinyl) - muddy and compressed, overall. But, as I gave this new compilation a spin, I could hear definite differences - "Chocolate", particular, was very obvious to me (my favorite track from them). "Signal Fire" also sounds a bit improved, and I believe "Take Back the City" (which really sounds very compressed on OHMS).

That's not to say that the sound quality is significantly improved - it's not. But it is noticeable for those of us who've listened to these songs over and over again.

`Up to Now', as the title suggests, is a selection of tracks from Snow Patrols's career up to the date of this albums release. You get a wide range of their music across two discs from well known tracks like `Chocolate', `Chasing Cars' and `Run' to live tracks, covers (Beyonce's `Crazy In Love' originally played for BBC's live lounge) and three new tracks for this collection. On listening to this CD you soon notice just how many of Snow Patrols songs you know and their music has obviously slipped into your consciousness without you even realising it. They manage to carry off light rock and ballads with equal aplomb and this showcases the best of their music in one place. A good introduction to the band or if you want a taste of what they offer without buying the entire back catalogue.

Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

Excellent, I recommend anyone who likes good music ...

I am Brazilian and imported this item because here in Brazil had already worked out a special edition with the dvd and I was very anxious to see it. The cd I had the DVD but I do not know and love. Thanks just the price paid and also the time I waited to be delivered. The deal was the perfect salesman utmost confidence and agility. Thank you all, especially to Snow Patrol and Amazon.com.

the reason i wanted this cd was for "Just Say Yes", but it turned out there were several old and now new favorites! now im looking forward to the new forthcoming Snow Patrol cd. i will say the on. 1 disc is my favorite.

Got this for my wife for Christmas and she really seems to like it. Music is a personal opinion, but we like it and it has quite a few songs on the two disc album.

While it would be easy to label this album a "greatest hits," it's important to note that the track selection here allows it not to be. Indeed, Up to Now contains several singles, radio-friendly hits and generally popular songs; however, it also contains tracks from the band's earlier albums, before they hit commercial success. Says vocalist Gary Lightbody, "We climbed a hill and now we're looking back and taking in the view for a bit. It's nice to show people that we didn't just arrive overnight."

Disc one opens up with two of the band's biggest hits to date, "Chocolate" and "Chasing Cars," while "Crazy in Love" is an interesting cover of the Beyonce original that fans will surely appreciate being included on this compilation. Personally my favorite tracks were the melodic "Making Enemies," the rocking "Hands Open" and the lullaby "Cartwheels," which was actually performed by Gary Lightbody's side project, The Reindeer Section.

Disc two contains a live version of "Chasing Cars," (from Union Chapel) which is severely dogmatic in comparison to the original. A solo rendition of "An Olive Grove Facing the Sea" is worth the listen, along with "Fifteen Minutes Old," a song off of 1998's Songs for Polar Bears that sounds more like Sunny Day Real Estate than Snow Patrol, but in a good way.

FULL REVIEW HERE

[...]