Mad Season [ENHANCED]

Matchbox Twenty

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 23, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 23, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Atlantic / Wea
• ASIN: B00004SVM8
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (514 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,199 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sell 10 million copies of your debut album and you might find yourself putting on a few airs. Evidence that it's happened to matchbox twenty can be found in the new, spelled-out format of their all-lowercased name and the pretentious insertion of that name into the title of this, their sophomore set. The level of popularity achieved by their 1996 debut, Yourself or Someone Like You, posed a more profound problem, though--should they follow in the footsteps of that smash effort, or strike out in a different direction? To their credit, the Orlando quintet puts their massive popularity on the line by opting mostly for the latter course: there are no obvious retreads here of earlier hits such as "Push," "3 a.m.," and "Real World"--or of "Smooth," the multiple-Grammy-winning Santana hit penned and sung by matchbox frontman Rob Thomas. Instead, the album sports a nice mix of material that is catchy, but may take a little longer to settle into your memory banks, such as the moody yet intense "Bent," the horn-driven rocker "Black & White People," and several songs examining various aspects of relationships, "If You're Gone," "Rest Stop," and "Bed of Lies." Whatever the members of matchbox twenty want to call themselves, these guys may yet be able to have it all--artistic growth as well as massive sales. They're not headed for Hootieville just yet. --Daniel Durchholz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not What I Expected......But Still Great!, May 26, 2000

By	Polly (Buffalo, NY USA) - See all my reviews

When I first listened to "mad season by matchbox twenty" I felt like all the songs kind of ran together and sounded the same. After a few more runs through the album I have found that my first impressions of the album while driving down the highway were wrong. What is on this album is a CD full of interesting songs, great harmonies (far better than the first album), and wonderful lyrics. As far as the criticism that it is over produced, well, four years can do that to an album. At first I felt the horns were a mistake, but they grow on you. They give the songs a richness that wasn't present on the first album. "Last Beautiful Girl" and "Rest Stop" are very touching songs and "Black and White People" perks you much the same as "Real World" did, without rehashing the same sound. If there is only one thing to say about this album it would be that it certianly dosen't feed back the same songs that were on the first. As a die hard fan, I was a little confused when I first heard it, but upon further inspection I would have to give this album two VERY enthusiastic thumbs up. If there are any similarities between this and the first album it would be that this, like the first, is great to turn up in the car and rock rock down the highway with. I would recomend it to any pop/rock, modern/rock fan. BUY BUY BUY!

66 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this. Buy this now., June 5, 2000

By	Corinne (Israel) - See all my reviews

After four year the boys are back! But did they live up to their earlier success? Consider Mad Season to be as assorted as a wedding..a little old (Angry, Crutch - doesn't sound much different from their last album, "Yourself or Someone Like You", but that's not to say it's a bad thing), a little new ("Black and White People", "Bent" and the strong-vocaled, jammin' "Last Beautiful Girl") a little borrowed ("Rest Stop" sounds like early 90's Bon Jovi) and a little blue ("Leave, "You Won't Be Mine" and "If You're Gone: - all break-up songs dedicated to the loved and lost among us).

Matchbox Twenty (yes folks, unlike the last album cover, the "20" has been spelt out for us just in case we weren't sure about its correct wording) has proven that great song-writing skills and strong vocals *can* come together in one package, harmonizing isn't only reserved for the teeny-bopper boy bands anymore and rock isn't dead..it's been redefined. This album may be a bit more "popish" than "Yourself or Someone Like You", but who's to say you shouldn't evolve with time?

While most albums focus on one element of life (mainly love), Rob Thomas has written and co-written a variety of tunes that appeal to a mixture of feelings all at once. "Bent" and "Mad Season" remind us that we often feel incomplete and unsure of where we stand in the world. "Black and White People" leaves you thinking about the hypocrisy that people often show. "Angry" is great to play when you want to vent about certain frustrations in your life. "Stop" and "Crutch" talk about one-sided relationships. "Rest Stop" "Last Beautiful Girl", "Leave", "If You're Gone", "You Won't Be Mine" and the soft-sung "Bed of Lies" all deal with break-ups.

Mad Season won't disappoint you, and will offer much food for thought. After listening to it at least once, you'll come up with a conclusion; Hey, BEEN there..

75 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mad Season's the perfect name for this record, June 13, 2000

By	Bob Waskiewicz (Wintersville, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

First of all,this CD is going to be my summer record.I Love it. The first three songs really get moving,with fantastic horn driven sounds blasting out your speakers.The harmonies are wonderfull.There's only a couple of songs I don't care for,"Mad Season"being one of them,but its starting to grow on me."Crutch," is unbelievable.With words like,"I think you got a piece of my heart on your face."Its ashame to let it go to waste.How does it taste?"Man,this guys in pain.Most of the songs are about being in a terrible relationship.I can relate to that. I love Matchbox twenty's style,the stopping and starting of the music,and the fast singing,almost like a rap by Rob Thomas.After playing the CD,I didn't think it could get any better untill I got to "You Won't Be Mine." The Piano starts off slow,like being at a night club,then the adventure begins,with a classic orchestration that stops without warning,back to the soft,jazzy Piano played by Rob. This song wants you to start all over again and play "Mad Season" from the begining.I haven't heard a great record like this one in ages.