Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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47 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Review for the Adult Readers, July 17, 2007
If you're an adult music listener reading this review, heres the deal. You could do much worse than this. Yes, this is music sung by a 14 year old girl who is obviously being marketed toward the tween audience, but its not very different from Ashley Tisdale or even Avril Lavigne.
For those of you who don't know what the big deal is about, Miley Cyrus sounds like a younger Avril Lavinge, but with more varied musical tastes. Much of her music is straight-forward pop-rock (evoking some of the new Kelly Clarkson), and some of it is decidedly experimental (Latin & Reggae tunes on a couple of tracks). Its evident they wanted to make a record that everybody would love, and yes, I can guarantee that much of this is juvenile and really quite repugnant.
However, if theres one thing that stands out - it's the voice. Miley Cyrus has a raspy, throaty voice that is really unlike most pop-queens. Listening to her voice makes you realize just how thin and boring Lindsay Lohan sounds on record. I think Cyrus has a musical future in front of her - I would just like her to record an album of jazz standards, and it would actually work. Yes, shes that good, but the music isn't exactly groundbreaking.
Listen, theres a market for this. But I must say that for all the hype, Cyrus DOES have something. If you look beyond the insanely pink jackets she wears and the hair extensions that change every day, she has a really unique voice, and you might want to get this just to check that out.
If its any help, this is definitely better than both of Lindsay Lohan's albums.
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
No. 1 With a Bullet. :), July 13, 2007
The two-disc _Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus_ release is a worthy successor to her no. 1 album of last year (see: the _Hannah Montana_ soundtrack album, 2006). As of this writing, at least seven of the songs from that first album have cracked the top 100 (Billboard). Additionally, the _Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus_ album placed no. 1 on the Billboard charts during its first week of release.
My family and I thoroughly enjoy this collection. There are twenty songs (ten by Hannah Montana and ten by Miley Cyrus), and the styles represented are quite eclectic. There appears to be a humble maturity occurring in her vocals and in a number of the 'Miley' texts being set to music; indeed, some of them are philosophical, while others are retrospective and (speculatively speaking) apparently prophetic, to a degree. Although the album is enjoyable to hear and digest on its own merits, in the opinion of this writer a number of tracks require repeated listenings in order to grasp some of the more subtle nuances, both musical and textual. Perhaps it is this aspect of the double-CD album that is most impressive: the quality of the work presented here by Miley and her entourage of writers is musically engaging and challenging to the listener.
The tunes on this double CD set, like those included on the initial soundtrack release, are again cleverly written. Among the genres and styles covered are ballads ("One In a Million" and "Make Some Noise"), rock, techno-pop, and a smidge of hip-hop, as well as songs containing both Spanish ("Let's Dance") and reggae ("Clear") elements. There are also some tracks (e.g. "Old Blue Jeans" and "See You Again," among others) which incorporate slightly more complex harmonies--harmonies that should keep those whom are musically inclined engaged and attentive. Among the ballads represented, it is pleasing to note that not all are about the all-too-common subject of love (e.g., "Make Some Noise").
Some semi-technical musical aspects:
The transition (from Hannah to Miley) I spoke of when reviewing her first album is deliberate on this stylistically-diverse collection. The new 'Hannah' tunes are as energetic and forward-moving as any of the power-rockish songs on the first album, while the cuts recorded by Miley continue to be imaginative and thought-provoking musically, especially with regard to the harmonic progressions being used. The melodies contain a relatively balanced mix of conjunct and disjunct movement, with some being diatonic (e.g., "Start All Over") and others encompassing more angular intervals (such as with the pronounced agogic accents that articulate the opening of "Life's What You Make It"). Particularly engaging and memorable to this listener, at least, is the unfolding locrian-esque ascending melodic line (built upon the third degree of the mode in which the tune resides) of "Start All Over" and the rhythmic movement accompanying the embedded pair of descending perfect fourths (F-C and C-G) included in the instrumental and vocal opening to "Life's What You Make It."
There is a decidedly less preponderant use of E major on this album, with keys such as C-sharp minor ("Nobody's Perfect"), G major ("Life's What You Make It"), A major ("Right Here"), A minor ("See You Again"), C major ("Clear"), G minor ("East Northumberland High"), and F-sharp minor ("Let's Dance") being used. {It must be noted that it was for me difficult to determine the precise key a given tune was written in as the tracks often sound a half step higher or lower depending upon the medium (DVD player, radio, or television) or format (CD or DVD) being used. But the relative, if not the absolute, pitch of the keys used is extremely varied.} The 'signature' E major framework is not entirely absent, however, as it is used on a couple of songs, one of which is "Bigger Than Us," a tune first heard by this writer performed in a different iteration (and in a different style and tempo) by Billy Ray Cyrus on the hit television show, "Hannah Montana." Speaking of which, another of the tunes on the 'Hannah' portion of this most recent effort, "Rock Star," is a trademark song of hers stylistically, and is sure to make its way to the television series as have several others to date.
As was the case with her first album, I again noticed--and appreciated--how different the vocal timbre of Miley Cyrus can be depending on the key being employed. Significantly, there are a few times where she cautiously extends her vocal range upward, and in so doing continues to attack her notes with excellent intonation and with what I perceive to be a modicum of ease. I am still hopeful that we will one day hear a more extensive (and melodically protracted) use of her lower range; the vocal quality is markedly different and may lend itself to a plethora of styles not yet represented on either of her first two albums.
The performances of "Nobody's Perfect" (the melody was heard initially as the "Bone Dance" on the television show, albeit with a different and more script-specific text) and "Life's What You Make It" are particularly engaging. It seems to me that both tunes (with a nod to "Make Some Noise" in 6/8 meter, and the harmonically compelling "Old Blue Jeans") are among the most imaginative and ambitious of any performed by Hannah thus far. Interestingly, "Make Some Noise" is the second tune of Miss Montana to use the barcarolle-like 6/8 meter; the first being the jointly-performed (with her father) "I Learned From You," the final cut to grace her premiere album, and a song which is interesting for its well-positioned use of syncopation at the level of the sixteenth note. {N.B.: The songs by Miley are perhaps even more ambitious than those of Hannah Montana, with such gems as "See You Again," the dark (dare I say sardonic?) "East Northumberland High," and the somewhat flamenco-esque "Let's Dance" residing within and/or flirting tenuously with the minor mode; tangental cuts such as "Right Here" and the reggae-like "Clear" employ the unlikely melodic interval (performed vocally) of the ascending major seventh(!), while another track, "We Got the Party," includes a couple of well-placed blues notes that provide a degree of melodic variety.} Curiously, and yet refreshingly, Miss Cyrus in some of the repeated sections of the pointedly melancholic "See You Again" chooses to vacillate between the raised (and eventually lowered) leading tone degree. The tension produced by the (albeit protracted, depending on one's musical memory) cross-relationship makes the tune somewhat modally ambiguous. Combined with her judiciously placed upward and downward slurring occurring on several of the phrases, and with the performance of the beginnings and endings of these segments being spot on with regard to pitch, the result tends to drive the music forward with a measured tenacity, which in the opinion of this writer is one mark of musicality occurring on the album. It is also noteworthy to mention that the first three tracks on the final CD--"See You Again," "East Northumberland High," and "Let's Dance"--each occupy a minor mode sound world.
Although I have given a cursory review of "Nobody's Perfect" elsewhere, it is important to reiterate that the tune is performed remarkably well, with Miss Montana's stage presence and accompanying rhythmic synchronizations (hand gestures and choreography) augmenting an already intriguing piece of writing. The track may interest those who enjoy relatively uncommon chord progressions in pop music. It begins and ends in C-sharp minor, but meanders effortlessly through a B minor/D major framework, eventually gravitating toward E major. The combination and succession of pitch centers--and especially the harmonic tension created between the opening and closing key of C-sharp minor and the B minor/D major/G(!) major constructs within which the second major section of this work vacillates--provides a stark yet musically engaging contrast.
I continue to appreciate the image Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus has thus far portrayed as well. As a father of several children (including four daughters, each of whom loves her music), it is gratifying to see a positive role model (with talent to burn) coming out of the Disney stable. I and my family wish her all the best in the years to come.
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35 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Look out Ashlee Simpson, because here comes Miley!, July 2, 2007
Who would have thought that the follow up album to the catchy but not-so-serious Hannah Montana soundtrack could be such a solid release, a solid DUAL release at that. Miley's two personas combine to deliver a power-pop fusion of rockin' tunes that span styles of pop, rock, and even a slight touch of country and reggae. Miley's raspy girl-next-door voice will certainly please Ashlee Simpson fans (if you don't believe me sample the track "As I Am"... she sounds just LIKE Ashlee), and some tracks deliver a good enough punch to draw even an Avril crowd. So what is the difference between these two personas?
Hannah Montana certainly is more teen power-pop, and Miley Cyrus has a slightly more refined, mature sound. Which is better? Both. I'll admit that I was drawn to the Hannah Montana album first, but now the "Meet Miley" album has caught my attention. Fun songs like "East Northumberland High" whose infectious chorus reminds teens that there is life after high school as Miley sings, "You're my type of guy I guess if I was stuck in East Northumberland High for the rest of my life but people change thank God I did." Miley (Destiny Hope) actually wrote most of the songs on the "Meet Miley Cyrus" CD, which is refreshing to know, and quite an accomplishment for this 14 year old. She happened to write a very notable cut, "Let's Dance," which has a Spanish-influenced vibe in its rhythm and guitar arrangements.
If you are looking for the "next Hilary Duff" look no more, yet I think Miley has more personality and spunk. This dual CD release should not be taken lightly nor seen as a Disney-star release. Miley Cyrus is the next... Miley Cyrus. Look out folks, she's here to stay, and this album proves it through and through.
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1.0 out of 5 stars
garbage in it's lowest form.
A britney crack whore story waiting to happen. Miley Cyrus, Billy ray, Camp Rock, High school musical, Pink, Britney, Christina, Duff, Lohan, jessica, ashlee, johnas brothers,...
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Published 7 months ago by Deimos
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