Customer Reviews

Waking Up

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

To be honest, I'm not sure what made me buy this album. I guess I'd heard "All the Right Moves" and dug the overall sound [heavy on the drums, touches of cello, etc.]. I don't own "Dreaming Out Loud", but of course I've heard the singles from it [Apologize, Stop and Stare, All I Need] many times on the radio. I wasn't *quite* sure what to expect when I bought the follow-up, "Dreaming Out Loud". After I listened to it the first time, I needed a few days to let it sink in before I could form an opinion.

Well, after owning and listening to this album for several weeks now, I am absolutely in love with it. It's like one of those great movies that you can watch over and over and discover something new about it every time. One Republic blends everything good from the history and various genres of music and creates work that is both current and catchy, while being complex, touching and [ultimately] classic. I'm struck by how their songs can be simultaneously funky and symphonic, inspirational, and achieve a depth that you would NEVER, EVER find on the vast majority of pop albums out today. They leave "artists" (and I use the term lightly) like Britney Spears and Black-eyed Peas in the dust, and rise to the ranks of true musical icons like U2. In fact, the title rack "Waking Up" could FLAWLESSLY slip into a place on any U2 album and fans of either band would not be disappointed.

What I'm noticing with the [few] people who don't care for this album and gave it only 1 or 2 stars is they are likely used more mainstream "pop" albums, and "Dreaming out Loud" (based on the singles released) was a little more of the radio-ready/traditional/safe type of music people are accustomed to hearing. However, "Waking Up"(in my opinion) goes deeper and further than that, and really shows off what Ryan Tedder and the group are capable of, which is nothing short of musical genius. What you have here is a band whose success is not anchored by having a hot lead singer or hot single you can blast at your next party - they are the real deal, they understand music as a whole (as evidenced by the vast variety of artists Tedder has produced songs for), and I hope they stay around for a looooong time, because they deserve to.

Favorite tracks:

Good Life - you can't listen to this song and not feel happy

Secrets - one of those classic power ballads that will get stuck in your head

All This Time - sweet and emotional love song that builds to a BEAUTIFUL instrumental break towards the end

Marchin' On - inspiring, great beat, gets me to push a little harder on the treadmill

Everybody Loves Me - funky, Southern-rock infused ditty satirizing self-absorbed people

An Intricate & Captivating Masterpiece!

When I heard "Apologize" for the first time on my stereo I was immediately blown away. I haven't heard such a beautifully, elegantly orchestrated song before in my entire life, or at least for a very very long time. I can't recall such an experience in the last couple of years.

Needless to say, I purchased "Dreaming Out Loud" on a whim because it was on sale for eight bucks and an album can't be that awful, contain fifteen songs, and be hideous for that price. I ended up discovering probably one of my favorite new bands of all time and discovering music on a level unexplainable.

Ryan Tedder is music producer talent extraordinaire. He has been on the map for the last few years being behind the scenes, but his duet with Timbaland really put this superstar on the map. Lyrics and production by Ryan for "Bleeding Love" just really put him on the map and it only went uphill from there when "Halo" was released. The boy just excels, but I digress.

Dreaming Out Loud was constantly being rotated on my Zune and its one of the few albums that I listen to on a daily basis. With each listen I found something new to love, or noticed something in the lyrics that wasn't there before and just fell more in love with OneRepublic. I always thought in my head that if time came for their next album that it would just be a big feat to topple the mass appeal that was DOL. I have to say after listening to "Waking Up" that OneRepublic has done just so. If you loved DOL then you will love their latest effort "Waking Up". It's a CD full of new great material from an amazing band. The album is definitely more alternative and a bit different from the first, but it's still got the OneRepublic magic touch. Ryan has such a wonderful way of using words, so intricate and captivating. The album is a feel good album and just gives you the feeling of hope and the sentiment emotion to want to leave earth a better person.

My favorite track is SECRETS. When the song starts and I heard those violins playing, I knew I was in for a treat and it was nothing bit a sweet treat. The sound of those violins were beyond hypnotic and Ryan plays and blends the lyrics and the chorus so seamlessly that it's nothing but stellar. Profound music on a cosmological level.

The only down side is that there are only eleven tracks. I was hoping for fifteen again. Get the album and enjoy what a real masterpiece album is about.

I'm really loving this album. I loved their first one, and love this one just as much, if not more. Each and every song is an extraordinary musical experience. To get the full effect of the album though, it really helps to listen to it all in sequence. Each song helps strengthen the others. It's almost like a live show more than a CD. Awesome job OneRepublic!!!

I was introduced to OneRepublic by a friend of mine who lent me their first CD. I wasn't overly impressed at first, but as time went on, I appreciated it more and more. I also realized I had heard of the frontman Ryan Tedder waaaaay before Timbaland got a hold of "Apologize" (which, imo, he gets too much credit for - the original's not much different from the remix) and I was thrilled he'd finally gotten his break. This kid is CRAZY talented (vocalist, producer, songwriter, and he plays 4 instruments!) and that kind of talent can't stay secret for too long. Before I knew it, I was playing "Dreaming Out Loud" constantly and it's still on regular rotation. So it was with little hesitation that I picked up their latest effort, and I was not disappointed. The group has managed to retain their signature sound while still demonstrating growth. While there were a couple of tracks on "Dreaming Out Loud" that sounded too similar, here, each tune is distinctive. Every time I listen to the CD, I have a new favorite (today it's "Good Life") and I love that it continues to surprise me. "Made For You" opens the CD and I knew it was a hit when I was walking around singing it after only one listen! "Secrets," "Everybody Loves Me," "All The Right Moves," and "All This Time" are also standouts, but I can't say there are any truly weak tracks. It will suit your mood - regardless of what your mood is. Overall, I am VERY happy with my purchase. This one will remain in rotation for quite a while as well. Can't wait to heare the new songs live. Bravo!

I'm not that big on the music industry, especially since the industry has converted to hip hop and the last decent group that I jumped into were groups like Train and Owl City. However, I'll be the first to admit that Rock and Alternative Pop looks to be coming back. While OneRepublic's debut album wasn't all that great, they managed to kick it up a few belts and produced one of the best albums I have heard in a long time.

OneRepublic's "Waking Up" has more than a few good songs on it. With such tracks as "All the Right Moves," "Secrets," "Good Life,"
Fear" and "Made for You" are all good tracks that deserve a listen to.

If you're looking for an album to purchase and one that doesn't have the obligatory 2 good songs and the rest are crap then give this album a try. It's rare that an album that comes along and features more good songs on it than bad songs. If you're a fan of groups like Train, Owl City and Five for Fighting, then give these guys a try. It's well worth it.

I really like OneRepublic. I remember when I first heard `Apologize' and I was instantly hooked. I love their style and their sound and Ryan Tedder's voice is magic to my ears. He has the perfect falsetto, yet he never comes off as anything less than masculine in his delivery. Lyrically, they have a nice repertoire, and just when I think that they can't one-up themselves I hear the next track and I'm engaged all over again.

All of this said, they have yet to produce an album as universally complete as I know they are capable of.

In parts `Waking Up' is a great album. Sadly, OneRepublic winds up tied down by the one thing that makes them so unique; their sound. When you hear any of the songs on this album it is instantly obvious that it is a One Republic song. Even before Ryan starts serenading us, we know that his voice is about to be broadcast. OneRepublic has a signature sound that they drench each and every track on this album with to the point where their songs start to run into one another.

It's a shame, I know.

The eleven tracks on this album range from great to mediocre, with only really one song standing out as unappealing to me, but then again only three stand out as truly amazing to me.

The album opens with a gigantic bang, the first three songs basically setting the bar SO high that the only way to go from there was down. `Made For You' is a fantastic opening track, perfectly fusing the pop beats with the soft piano and that chorus is just hauntingly hushed yet loud with emotional merit. `All the Right Moves' keeps the energy high with a chorus so energetically engrossing you can't help but become a part of the song. Still, `Secrets' is even better. The musical opening is stunning and instantly grabs the listener. The lyrical content is pure and poignant. When the songs snaps into attention less than 40 seconds in with that stunning chorus you know that you have found this bands opus.

And then the album starts to spiral away from itself.

`Everybody Loves Me' is rich with satirical content, but it just doesn't manage to be anything more than a Beck soundalike. `Good Life' is `happy-inducing' but it is also a tad lazy. It just sounds so familiar for them, with no real newness to it. That said, I really like the song. In fact, I really like the entire album, it just doesn't wow me like I expected after that one-two-THREE punch right off the bat. `Marchin On' has grown on me, if not for the fact that it shows true ambition. It can feel a tad long, but no where near as long as the title track, `Waking Up', comes off as. In fact, that song is the one that I just DO NOT LIKE. It is just really bland and it carries on for far too long. `Missing Persons 1 & 2' is nice and subtle, yet it doesn't leave a major impact. It is pretty to listen to, but Ryan's voice does seem to strain in parts. I do like the haunting quality to the song, but it just doesn't live up to potential. The shift in song structure is also odd. Why didn't they separate this into two tracks? `All This Time' sounds like something they've already done, with no real spark or anything to remember. In fact, it actually sounds a tad dated. `Fear' is simply forgettable. It almost feels like an afterthought.

The closing song `Lullaby' would have been less disappointing had the rest of the album been more impressive. It isn't a bad song at all, and it would generally be a great way to end an album (soft, sweet, serene) but instead it just becomes another seemingly dull song.

In the end, I still give this album a B and recommend it if you are a fan of the group. Ryan Tedder is going to stick around (highly in demand as a song writer and producer as well) so I don't expect this band to go away anytime soon, which is a good thing. I want them to release an album that lives up to what I know they can create. They have the goods and they have a unique and signature sound that I really wish they would use to the full instead of allowing it to defeat them by rendering them seemingly `one-note'.

Here is my ranking for those interested:

1) Secrets
2) Made for You
3) All the Right Moves
4) Good Life
5) Marchin On
6) Everybody Loves Me
7) Lullaby
8) Missing Persons 1 &2
9) All This Time
10) Fear
11) Waking Up

After a very tough year and a sequence of accidents and incidents that finally made me crash emotionally, I was recently diagnosed with depression. Feeling lonely and helpless I struggled for over 4 weeks to shake it off, reason with myself and get myself back to normal again.

I received this CD in the mail yesterday from a mystery friend who seemed to have noticed me from a distance that I had shut myself out from the world but needed help. There was no note, no name of the sender but the music and lyrics said it all... touched my heart heart, and uplifted my sprits. For the first time in months, I woke up feeling positive, hopeful and ready to open myself to world and find the joy and love for life again. I had never heard of this group before, but this is music that touches the soul. It made me feel loved and really woke me up to a world full of love, kindness and beautiful souls - just the way I knew it before.

I hope my mystery friend reads this and knows how thankful and deeply moved I am. The holiday season is upon us and amidst all the celebrations there are many who a lonely and have no one to celebrate with. If music is one of their passions, this CD is just the perfect way to pay it forward and make someone feel loved. I am awake now and ready to spread the love and the joy of music again. Having experienced the healing with this precious gift of soul stirring music, the only way I can truly thank my mystery friend is by pay it forward. I hope anyone who has read this review will feel inspired to do the same after reading this... if it did we are "Marching on...". Love n peace to all.

This is an excellent cd. It bothers me when a band comes out with a new cd and people say it doesn't sound like their last cd. It shouldn't sound like their last cd (GOOD GRIEF). Music is suppose to expand with greater heights. One Republic is not afraid to do something different and not lose their style. If you like their last cd, than you will like this one.

This album is simply amazing!
If you liked "Dreaming Out Loud", you will love "Waking Up." It is one of the few albums in which every song is exceptional. This record completely surpassed my expectations. It's beautifully written, filled with emotion, and gorgeously recorded.
Some of the stand-outs include: "Everybody Loves Me," "Good Life," "Made for You" & [arguably their best song so far] "Secrets" (soon to be their second single.)
Definitely buy it. You won't be disappointed.

I don't usually review music on amazon, but I recieved this cd in the mail yesterday and can't stop listening to it! There is no feeling like disovering an album for the first time, it's like falling in love. And I am in love!It is seriously the album of the year. Every single song is so good...I can't decide which I like best. Listening to the track 'Waking Up' I was crying it was that good! Please don't put off buying this cd another day.