The Madding Crowd

Nine Days

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 16, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 16, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00004TB79
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (159 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,940 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Long Island-based Nine Days' major-label debut will most likely be remembered for the track "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)." Prominently showcased on TV's Dawson's Creek, the song's mindless but infectious hook was almost guaranteed to hit its mark in yearning young adults. Even without the visual aid, Nine Days' sound works best when they're going for universal emotion instead of quirky wordplay and, though definitely not original, the songs on The Madding Crowd are well-produced and competently executed. While the band claims Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan among their influences (hence the track "Bob Dylan"), they're not far from Third Eye Blind ("Absolutely") or even Bon Jovi ("Sometimes") thanks to vocalist/guitarist John Hampson's raspy voice. The group's mixture of folk, rock, and essential emotional bombast comes naturally to them, even if it seems like the band could be doing so much more. --Jason Josephes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great new band, great new album!, May 19, 2000

By	Charles Mcdougald "Paranormal Novel Enthusiast" (O-town, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was absoloutly in love with absoloutly when I first heard it so I had to go out and by the Madding Crowd. Just to tell you, if you think that song is catchy, just wait till you hear the rest of the album. All their songs are more up tempo and the words are understandable so you can sing along with each and every one of them. My personal favorite song on the cd is "If I am." All in all though, every song is good in it's own special way, and if you are into these kind of pop rock bands such as Third Eye Blind, Matchbox 20, or Vertical Horizon pick this one up for your collection. And, just on a side note, if you like all these bands mentioned AND Nine Days, check out a band called Super Deluxe right here on Amazon. Listen to the song bits they provide, trust me, they're good.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome CD, May 20, 2000

By	Kathryn (Washington, USA) - See all my reviews

This CD is perfect for all you Third Eye Blind, Vertical Horizon, and Matchbox20 fans. Oh, and you Dawson Creek Fans. Anyway, if you're thinking about getting this CD because you like Absolutely (Story of a Girl), the rest of the CD is great too! You can't go wrong with this.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Feel-Good-Slash-Sappy Band with Heart, August 15, 2004

By	Dan Solera (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

Ok, ok, ok. Yes, I know. I was also annoyed by their "Absolutely" song ("This is the story of a girl, who cried a river and drowned the whole world..." Remember that? Yeah, me too). I will admit, I was reluctant to pursue a further interest in this band because this song was deterring me from doing so. It was annoying and I didn't like it. But I knew that there was something in the way it was made that made the song likable. It was the song you hate to love, but just can't quite love to hate.

So I downloaded "If I Am". A change of opinion was in order.

The following claim may be a little drastic, given that they are a pop-rock band, and are therefore limited to rock clichés and primordial musicianship (which is a pretty harsh statement to begin with). I wish to say that they are very varied. "So Far Away" will no doubt remind you of bands like Eve6 and Weezer, "If I Am" may prompt a Toad the Wet Sprocket feel, and "257 Weeks" will be the closest these guys will go to sounding like Ben Folds Five. Then there are songs like "Bob Dylan", which provide for a wealth of possibilities. The lyrical variety is amazing, giving the listener the impression that they have a different singer for each song (which, given the circumstances, is very possible).

They have their slow, soul-searching, moody songs. "Bitter" and "Wanna Be" will no doubt be songs that you will listen to while you're sad... only to make you much sadder than you already are. "Back to Me" and "End Up Alone" will make you feel low, used, and beaten, while that Bob Dylan song will make you want to kiss someone. And then there's "257 Weeks", which is just... something else. It's empowering to a certain degree (and that's a strong claim to make for a pop-rock band). I am afraid, however, that these claims of mine can be a bit biased because I find them very similar to Athenaeum (and we all know how much I love Athenaeum). So you don't have to take my word for it. Nevertheless, give 'em a listen. If you don't like one song, don't be quick to judge. The variety runs through the entire album, and a piano in one song can be a screaming guitar in another. It all comes down to the fact that, unlike bands like Dezeray's Hammer and Course of Nature (whose songs may sound all very similar), no two songs are alike. Open ears and open minds. Go for it.

Recommendations: "So Far Away", "If I Am", "Bob Dylan", "Bitter", "Wanna Be", "Back to Me"