Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pop Perfection, May 22, 2001
After a two year wait since their last non-holiday project, Avalon has returned to breathe some much needed "oxygen" into the Christian pop scene again. Tempo-wise, OXYGEN is a bit of a departure from IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT and A MAZE OF GRACE--both of which are more driving in their sound and generally very upbeat. OXYGEN has a lot of mid-tempo cuts, which gives the album a different feel. But "Testify To Love" fans shouldn't fear, because the pop cuts here are all quite good. With Brown Bannister back at the production reigns, what else would you expect.The first two tracks are solid; I really like the groove and the hook of "The Best Thing," and "Wonder Why" is a good high-energy opener. "By Heart, By Soul" is a departure for the group, which teams with Aaron Neville to produce some gorgeous results. His SOUL blends perfectly w/ Avalon's harmonies and this ends up as one of their best-ever sounding songs. "Never Givin Up," another mid-tempo cut, just soars on the chorus with the men on lead vocals. "Undeniably You" and "Make It Last Forever" are the two big pop productions. "Undeniably," has a great hook and perhaps best typifies the traditional Avalon-pop sound, with layers of programming and an underlying rock edge. "Make It Last Forever" pours on the production even thicker, veering ever-so-close to boy band territory. Listening I still get flashes of Backstreet Boy's "The Call" in my mind, but I doubt we'll ever see Avalon bust into choreographed dance when performing it. The song speaks of how a relationship with God is better than any high that a drug could give and lasts an infinity longer. Boy band fan or not, this is a fantastic and production-wise ranks with Avalon's best. "I Don't Wanna Go" doesn't work for me quite as well as Avalon's previous big ballads, but it's not bad. "The Glory," on the other hand, is one of the best ballads that I've ever heard. This song was actually recorded by Truth a few years back, and I was skeptical when I first heard Avalon had covered it. But when I gave the song a chance it seduced me with it's perfect production and powerful message. Lyrically, the song refers to the blood that Christ shed on the cross: "when I close my eyes I can see Him hanging there/the precious wounded Lamb of God/and all the majesty in this world cannot compare to the glory." Cherie shines on lead vocals and there is enough of an Avalon spin here (with a powerful performance by the backing rhythm section) that by now I've come to think of this as the definitive version of the song. A true tour de force, and now one of my all-time Avalon favorites. The title track's message reminds me of Out of the Grey's "Love Like Breathing." Musically, it's a bit different from anything you've heard from these guys before, but it grows on you. "Love Remains" has a really cool groove on the chorus, and "Come & Fill My Heart" is one of the most worshipful songs that the group has ever recorded. On the whole, OXYGEN is a great pop album that contains some extraordinary high points. Is it better than AMOG and IADL? It's certainly different. AMOG really first defined the Avalon sound. IADL built upon that. While I would've loved to hear AMOG Part III, I certainly respect that they didn't do it and tried a few new things. OXYGEN, to me, is Avalon showing some maturity and branching out of their well-defined niche by not relying solely upon high-energy/produced pop. The results are quite good, and fans of the group as well as people who simply want some great pop music should be well pleased. FOUR 1/2 STARS.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Awsome CD!!, October 8, 2002
This CD is definately one of Avalon's best! All the songs are awsome. Here is my overview on each of them.Wonder Why - This song is so cool! The tune is great and the lyrics are catchy.
Best Thing - This is my favorite song on the CD. The lyrics are so beautiful and really thought-provoking. By Heart - This song is really nice and Aaron Nelville sings on it also. Undeniably You - This is my 2nd favorite song. It's a great song and it's also good to dance to. I Don't Want To Go - I love this song! The lyrics are slow, but awsome. Never Given Up - I like this song, but it isn't my favorite. Still, it's really good. Make It Last Forever - Unlike the other songs on the CD, this song is a little more popish. It's tons of fun to dance to and it's a song you want to play over and over again! The Glory - This song is soo beautiful! It's the most worship-like song that Avalon has ever done. Oxygen - This song is also a slower song, but the tune is really cool and fits it perfectly. Love Remains - Another worship song. But this one isn't nearly as good as Glory. Come And Fill My Heart - This song is a great way to end the CD. It is so pretty and the lyrics are great, especially the chorus. All in all, this CD is great! To me, it's probobly tied as #1 with Maze of Grace, which is also a wonderful CD. It is different from Avalons normal, but I still love it!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Job Well Done!!, July 17, 2001
By A Customer
I now own all four of Avalon's non-holiday albums, and I can honestly say they have never disappointed me. One thing I like about their music is that you never get "the same old, same old" Each of their releases seems different from the previous. This one has just the right mix of upbeat and ballads, though a couple of the ballads, in my opinion, drag just a bit (My music tastes are more on the upbeat side). But I can honestly say I do like every song here. While reading some of these reviews, however, I was surprised that many think they're drifting into the pop scene. The first time I listened to this I didn't get that message at all, it was very clear who they're singing these songs to. You don't have to mention God in every sentence to get your message across. I highly recommend this album, I think this group is showing incredible improvement each time.
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