Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 25
 Adams Consistent with "11" March 30, 2008
T. Yap (Sydney, NSW, Australia)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
Prime Cuts: I Thought I'd Seen It All, Tonight We Have the Stars, We Found What We Were Looking For
"11," Bryan Adams' 11th eleven album containing 11 tracks, may not break any creative bounds but it's still consummate Adams. Perhaps lethargy is the rearing its head for this 48-year-old vegan rocker, this new release finds Adams charting the same territory of rock anthems and love ballads, a tuff he has had been loitering for the last 25 years. Even though these are newly composed paeans, the lack of originality is apparent in its worn-and-out overused song titles "Walk on By," "We Found What We Were Looking For"(think U2), "Mysterious Ways" (U2 again), "Broken Wings" and "Oxygen." Further, cliches abound, "she comes to me like rain falls down my window," "the world is full of mysteries/full of magic and of wonder," and "we found our wings and now we fly above the wind." Nevertheless, with all that said, why in the world would Adams re-invent himself after all this success he has garnered? His stadium rock has the youth come out in droves, his rugged gravel voice has the girls hanging on every syllable, and his cinematic love ballads have their mothers hooked. And for those who are looking for all of that, these are the materials that make up "11."
While many middle-aged rockers are reticent to sing about starry-eyed romance, Adams is not shy to indulge in the ecstasy of romantic love. Case in point is "Tonight We Have the Stars," a slow simmering ode to everything a romance novel is made of: California red, staring at the stars and an amorous declaration of forever love. Beginning with an incessant bass line before exploding into a romantic celebration of new love found, "We Found What We Looking for." Adams' sand-hued vocals with its seasoned sensibilities is what grounds this ballad from being to sugary. However, if a sweet tooth is what you are looking for, the stately rockish ballad "She's Got a Way" details Adams admiration for his paramour with some unembellished cantor. Lead single "I Thought I'd Seen Everything," a co-write with Robert "Mutt" Lange aka Mr. Shana Twain, is squarely a typical Adams' single. Jangly guitars, heart pounding drums and a gorgeous melody are what make Adams so enthralling.
As far as the rockers are concerned, "Oxygen" may not have the most innovative lyrics, but it's just 4 minute of guitar-driven fun. Moving away from the theme of romance is the intriguing story-song "Flower Grown Wild." A story about a hooker strolling the streets of Hollywood for patronage, Adams tells her biography with sensitivity and a sense of sadness, especially in the repetition of the phrase "she's somebody's baby." With a nod to his country roots, "Walk on By" is a plaintive ballad about how a dad feels seeing his own daughter leave home. The wailing of the steel guitar and the mournful sounds of strings, make this a tearful moment for Adams. On the other hand, the messy over-the-top rocker "The Way of the World" deals with politics that is quite easily forgettable.
Harsher critics may have lots to pick here with Adams' new CD. And they are spot-on here: there's nothing here that really re-invents the wheel. Many of these themes have been surfacing on Adams back catalog for years. Conversely, for constancy, Adams can be counted on. For admirers of Adams' soft rocking balladry and his indulgence in romance, there's aplenty here. And maybe he's so good at what he does that it doesn't bore despite repeated listens.
another great CD from Bryan April 10, 2008
mel
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Bryan's voice has never sounded better. This is a great CD, a mix of upbeat and laid back songs. My favorites are Tonight We Have The Stars, I Thought I'd Seen Everything, Mysterious Ways, and Walk On By. If you have enjoyed his last few albums, you'll like this one too!
Another pop gem by Bryan Adams April 28, 2008
Chris Kaiser (Billings, MT United States)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
First off, why isn't Bryan Adams still a staple on the radio or pop charts? This import CD has everything we all know and love from Adams. Jim Vallance even pops in with some song writing help and makes this a real piece of art. Bryan doesn't really rock out anymore but this CD is full of great pop rock songs and I enjoyed all of it very much.
The Best Since Waking Up The Neighbours June 20, 2008
Jim Perry (New Albany, IN United States)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
That title is likely an incindiary one, considering some of the bile being spewed in the less than complimentary reviews. I don't begrudge people's opinions, certainly, and for folks who grew up on Reckless and Cuts Like a Knife, things may be different.
I was not an Adams fan until Waking Up The Neighbours came out. It was the Robin Hood song that hooked me, I'll admit, but also the videos at that time. I was fourteen, okay? Waking Up the Neighbours, arguably his greatest single release of his career, launched him into the stratosphere of Rock legend.
I've seen it written here that Adams has never taken a risk in his career, and that is a baldly false statement on its face. I submit that he did take a career risk and got burned for it. Adams toured the ENTIRE WORLD for four straight years with his already extensive catalog, not to mention his Guinness record-breaking Everything I Do. Adams' staple has always been his live performances, and so with his extensive touring, he continued to establish himself as one of the best live acts around.
Somewhere around 1995, A&M records threw a temper tantrum and started cleaning house. One of the greatest travesties in the history of the Music Industry was the idea that the contract for one of the best-selling rock musicians of all time should be moved to Hip-Hop label Interscope, directly on the heels of his multiple-platinum record-breaking release.
It is perhaps poor timing on Adam's part that 18 Til I Die was an experiment in grungy rock star behavior. With catchy tunes like the title single, It Ain't a Party (If you can't come round), and the Don Juan DiMarco tune Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman, the album also featured departures from Adams' typical shtick. The song Star quietly appeared in the Robin Williams vehicle Jack, containing an atypical profanity. I Wanna Be (Your Underwear) was an experiment in writing a love song with tongue planted firmly in cheek, and We're Gonna Win was a rare sports-themed anthem.
The liner art identified with the Spanish/Caribbean-themed Don Juan DiMarco film, also reflecting the culture local to Adams' equatorial Villa hideaway where he recorded the project. It also contained some ultimately pretentious photos of Adams, and he admitted in an interview that the entire album was intended as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the pretention and angst of the rock star shtick of the mid-nineties.
Adams DID take a risk, and with the travesty done to him by A&M, his career and exposure was set back to a great degree. On a Day Like Today was a Euro-pop inspired turn back from the previous venture. Also very different from his former output, more internally focused and a little more relaxed. Room Service was yet another experiment, recorded entirely in his hotel rooms, as well as this new album, 11.
Admittedly, Adams was never a deep lyricist, having rarely opined on political or social things ala Springsteen and Mellencamp, but he's always made a name on having fun. These songs are written to be performed live, and they've never been intended to be some sort of high-minded artistic expression of deeply-held sentiment and thought-provoking treatises on the state of affairs in our world. Who needs that crap?! I want my music to be fun to listen to, and as a musician, fun to play and sing.
Why do people complain that there are tracks reminiscent of other eighties hits, like Mysterious Ways, We Found What We Were Looking For, Broken Wings and She's Got a Way? Is there some statute of limitations for song titles that Adams has violated here? Can songs stand on their own? They do.
These tunes are more melodic that they were on On a Day Like Today. The lyrics aren't Shakespeare, but they are perhaps more heartfelt than they have ever seemed in the past. Adams and his crew have taken greater care in ensuring the instrumentation gives the best sound possible, and even the chord progressions themselves seem more tasteful than they have in a long time.
I have waited seventeen years for Adams to return to the Hard-Rocking, almost Def Leppard-like sound of Neighbours, and he's still not quite there. Perhaps when he returns to the studio again we will see something more aggressive.
But it's been over twenty years since Reckless. Adams is a mature adult now, not a young rock star. Despite his age, he still sounds the same, looks the same, and rocks just as hard live as he ever did, unlike certain other aging rock stars from his era. Forgive him if he's mellowed out a bit. I'd rather see that then an attempt to revive something that just isn't there, hello Rolling Stones?
 Love it! April 8, 2008
Trici (NJ)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Just got this CD as a birthday gift and I love it! The ballads are wonderful! It reminds me of his CD "18 till I die"!
I love every 11 songs equally! Great album....Thank you, Bryan!
Trici
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