Who I Am

Nick Jonas & The Administration, Nick Jonas | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 2, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hollywood Records
• ASIN: B002YICN74
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,693 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rose Garden

2. Who I Am

3. Olive & An Arrow

4. Conspiracy Theory

5. In The End

6. Last Time Around

7. Tonight

8. State of Emergency

9. Versper's Goodbye

10. Stronger (Back On The Ground)

Editorial Reviews

JONAS NICK & THE ADMMINISTRATION WHO I AM (F)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Pleasant Surprise, February 9, 2010

By 

David Prochnow (Reston, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Who I Am (MP3 Download)

After several listens, I have to admit, somewhat reluctantly, that "Who I Am" is a great album. I purchased it on a lark when Amazon offered it at a special price on its release date. I'm not a fan of boy bands, and I certainly don't fit their target demographic-- I'm over 30 years older than Nick Jonas -- so I didn't expect any more than to explore some new music and perhaps find a few tracks that were keepers. Despite my initial bias, I can't help but love this album.

This is an impressive debut by the 17-year-old. The musicianship on the album is superb, Jonas' vocals are solid, and the songs themselves are full of strong melodies and good hooks. The standout tracks are "Rose Garden," "Who I Am," "State of Emergency," and "Vesper's Goodbye."

The comparisons to John Mayer and to early Stevie Wonder are inevitable, but there is nothing wrong with being influenced by some great musical artists. Compared to John Mayer, Nick Jonas & The Administration has a bit more of a pop feel. The similarity to Stevie Wonder is most obvious on "State of Emergency," where at times you almost expect to hear Stevie belt out "Very superstitious ... writing's on the wall ..."

It will be interesting to see how well this album does. "Who I Am" is not teen pop. Instead, it fits into the adult contemporary genre. As a result, it may not be received well by the younger set. On the other hand, some of the more mature set may be hesitant to try out an album by one of the Jonas brothers, with the possible exception of parents who have grown to like music that their kids are listening to.

My advice, stealing an album title that George Michael used when he wanted to change his musical identity, is to listen without prejudice.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very pleasantly surprised., March 29, 2010

By 

Rich Rogers "Rich" (Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Who I Am (Audio CD)

Before I caught Nick and the Administration on the Jay Leno show a while back, all I knew about the Jonas Brothers is that they are cute Disney popsters who produced generic Top 40 material. But that encounter sent me out to buy the album, and it's a good investment.

The real key here is that Nick is smart enough to surround himself with a band built of musicians with far more experience than he has. (Whether that was his choice or that of his label, I don't know but it's a smart one, and he should keep listening to wherever those ideas are coming from.) Instead of Top 40 pablum, Nick moves toward blues-based rock, which is a more lasting sound. He's got a guitarist here who really knows how to make the instrument sing, and does some decent slide guitar riffs, and his keyboard player knows his way around a Hammond organ. For an old rocker like me, those are always good signs. All these things give the album a suprising heft that goes beyond Nick's 17 years.

(For the record, I'm more than 30 years his senior, and I prefer blues, classic rock and heavy metal, generally. But this is a smart album.)

Some here make the comparison to John Mayer. I'm not much a fan Mayer fan, and for me the most irritating thing on the album is Nick's tendency toward the breathy Mayeresque vocals. I think, however, that may be a function of his age, and his voice not having fully matured yet. There are other places on the album where Nick's voice shows some real grit.

Some here have been dismissive of Nick because he's only 17, and how can a 17 year-old really have the chops for good rock? All I have to say is that Neal Schon, one of the co-founders of Journey was touring with Santana when he was 17 and still in high school. Age has nothing to do with talent.

If Nick continues on this road he could turn into a serious musician. We'll see what the future brings.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This kid has got some serious skills!, February 7, 2010

By 

JFlo "JFlo" (Pasadena, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Who I Am (Audio CD)

I'll keep this real simple. I've never been or real Jonas Bro fan or even paid attention to the type of music they put out but this Nick Jonas kid has some serious skill for his age. It amazes me that a kid this young can write, play and sing at this level. This kid has some serious feeling and soul behind his music! Great album, the first of many that I'm sure will follow. He very much reminds me of a young John Mayer and will only get better with age and experience which is scary considering how good he is already!