Last Beautiful Girl - Matchbox Twenty, Serletic, Matt
If You're Gone
Mad Season
Rest Stop
The Burn
Bent
Bed Of Lies
Leave
Stop
You Won't Be Mine
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 ... more »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« less
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
Amy T. (simplyamy) from DAKOTA DUNES, SD Reviewed on 11/3/2007...
I can't love them enough!!!
0 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
CD Reviews
An amazing improvement on Yourself or Someone like You
Jay Anastasio | Phish Land | 06/01/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"well they've done it. These guys in MB20 have amazed me. Yourself or Someone like You was a very very very good CD. But their was something about it that always bothered me, and i didnt know what it was untill i bought mad season by matchbox TWENTY (yes that is the title). Their debut album was very unshaven sort of ragged around the edges if you can catch my drift , the mixing wasnt up to the level it should hae been and hell , the guys were new at this. They've obviously taken lessons for this CD is a tight well polished CD. Lets go to the review. 1.)Angry- a great starter song with a wonderful blend of accoustic guitar at the beggining with electric guitar and angst ridden lyrics. 2.)Black and White People- easily one of the strongest tracks , its a crazy pepped up song that makes u feel good even though the message isnt a really uplifting one (horns are great 2) 3.)Crutch- Every CD has to have its black sheep , its not that good , its not terrible but its rob thomas trying to rap? thats not Matchbox 20 but it gets alot better with the next song , alot! 4.)The Last Beautiful Girl-The best track on the cd its just an amazing song very beautiful balladry mixed with hard edged rocking its great! 5.)If you're gone- a nice ballad where we get to hear rob's voice and its very nice its a beautiful song 6.)Mad Season- Its the title song and pretty much the middle of the cd the guys go crazy in this really up lifting peppy song that u just want to sing along to 7.)Rest Stop- A very sad song witha great melody and the violins add to this bittersweet beauty of a song 8.)The Burn- It starts out with Whoo-Whooing which is a great opening for another great song and the chorus s incredible , its another bittersweet song but the chorus has an amaxing harmony between the music and Rob's voice 9.) Bent- You have all heard it and you know its really good. A very sort of angry and sad song that has and awesome back to it . its great 10.)Bed of Lies- takes a while to get really good but its worth it , a great sad ballad its great yet not as good as Rest Stop yet a welcome addition all the same 11.)Leave- The best ballad another mellancholly song that is great with an amazing melody (i smell the compition between this and black and white people for next single) 12.) Stop - very upbeat and good , wat Crutch should have been. 13.) You wont be mine- A sad and unconventional way to end the album but a good one all the sameAll in all this is a fabulous worth the money for all the great listening experiences u will recieve. Good Job guys! You did it."
Great CD
Jay Anastasio | 06/12/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Matchbox 20 followed up "Yourself" with another great album. Rob Thomas was once again brilliant. He sings from the heart and is a true artist. Mad Season has a lot of great songs. Bent, Last Beautiful Girl, If You're Gone, Rest Stop and The Burn are all excellent. As well as Angry, Leave and Crutch. Every song is unique, tells a story and keeps you listening."
Another winner for Matchbox Twenty
pontmarie | SF Bay Area | 05/23/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I got my copy of Mad Season this morning and am driving the people at work nuts by playing it over and over and over. I am so glad that they band hasn't copied their previous hit songs, these songs are different, with the style we've grown to love. Most notable so far are Bent, Black and White People, Bed of Lies, but anything with Rob's lyrics and that wonderful voice of his is just amazing. The band is sharp and obviously growing as artists and there is a song for just about every mood here."
Brilliant
valor7 | 06/17/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Bent was my first encounter with this CD and gave me doubt about MB 20 for the first time in five years. Everything they've ever done (including their Tabitha's Secret [does it get any better than Dear Joan?]) is phenomenally great, and I was not disappointed with Mad Season. Bent, I thought, was all right, a decent song but not at the level of some of their past songs. The album, though? Where do you begin? How did they cram so much emotion on that little, tiny piece of plastic? Just phenomenal. I found myself mouthing along to Bed of Lies as I walked to work this morning. This album isn't quite as hard-driving as the last one, but then again it is in an entirely different way. Sometimes you can blow people away, and sometimes you just stick with them and make them think. Sometimes you can do both, and that's what Mad Season does. It takes a few listens, but it grows on you and in you, and it gets you right where Rob Thomas (who is just possibly the greatest human being in the music scene right now) wants. It gets in your soul and stays there, and given just enough time, you find that it is quite simply one of the best CDs you own. Because it's about exploration and discovery, and while it may make a mistake here and there, it has the courage to do so. It is a definite success, and perhaps the small missteps here and there (Why not include You and I and I as a track instead of requiring Internet access) are like the flaws in an emerald, only serving to make it that much more valuable. You know it's real. One last note: the name change (from Matchbox 20 to matchbox twenty) might seem either superfluous or pretensious, but it is neither. I agree with Thomas that he needed to separate from truly mediocre bands like Eiffel 65 (God help us all), Blink 182, and 98 degrees. They're not doing what matchbox twenty is doing, and the band wants to separate themselves from all that. They are making music, not playing songs, and the distinction is about as subtle as the power of Mad Season. It's funny, too, because while matchbox twenty takes its music seriously, they surely don't take themselves seriously. If you can't separate matchbox twenty from Blink 182 or Eiffel 65 (or hey, how about 3rd Eye Blind), mad season probably isn't for you. If you know music when you hear it though, this is one to have."
Another Mega Release for MB20
Babushka | Long Beach, CA | 06/06/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"To my surprise, MB20 has not lost its originality since their debut release a couple years ago. This latest release, Mad Season, has sustained that quality again and the band is acclaimed to be one of the front runners at its own right in the 21st century. During the past Memorial day weekend, this CD rock the charts and will be remembered by a lot of rock enthusiasts as it kicks off the beginning of the first summer of the millennium. For the Class of 2000 and graduating seniors alike, this CD is dedicated to you, too. The smash hits "Bent" and "Black & White People" are perfect themes for these great moments. In appreciation of this MB20 release, I'm so stunned by the lead vocals performed by Rob Thomas, who amazes me with his genuine vocal character & style with the unique blend of acoustics & percussions. Adding to the muti-talent praise, he is an accomplished songwriter, whose lyrics on every track are perfectly symmetrical, combined with the MB20 pulsating rhythm without regard to poetry rhymes. To Karaoke fans, this is a perfect challenge for you. "Crutch" is a notably fine example of that fast-paced lyrical that Thomas did so excellent. "If Your Gone" is a follow up of the song "Back to Good" from their debut album. This refreshing but melancholy ballad kicks off with a mellow start and jumps back to their pulsating rhythm on the refrain. "Bed of Lies" is similar to a Bon Jovi rock ballad and is great. "Rest Stop" and "Leave" are other awesome tracks that Thomas puts more depth with the emphasis of his unique vocal style. The CD finishes up with "You Won't Be Mine", a turbulent, sorrowful and haunting ballad, which I find it to be "out-of-place" with the other tracks. This 10-minute track is orchestrated with piano, string & cello percussions, which makes it quite unconventional from the others.All in all, the dedication that is put on making of "Mad Season" is superb. With this success, MB20 can be ranked among the best compared to their other rivals like Collective Soul, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Counting Crowes. The limited edition CD is worth the purchase that includes not only these amazing tracks but also bonus online features, which would include free AOL hours and a special bonus track & video of "You & I & I"."