Editorial Review

With a majority of the songs on Read more

Reviews (915)

6.5/10
Reviewgium - Volume I, issue V
dr.gonzo
tool is weird because it takes all the sounds I was alredy hearing in my head and is able to make it into a song. when I am coming down,(thanx hofman) that whole whine changing pitch is alredy in my head before I even herd this song. so Its getting a chance to reveb in my head. You dont just listine to it. there is an interaction there. it also amazes me how they get that sound. you can challange every band to make new material and you still wont be able to get that sound and it just wont happen. I also like when they try to put tool in a genre. tool should be its own classifacation until further justifacation on this revelation and plausible hesitation w/o retaliation or condemnation............tion

Not the best from Tool, but still leagues ahead of anyone else...
Tool are, of course, one of the greatest bands on the planet, and are therefore held to a higher standard than other ordinary 'rock groups'. I think its safe to say they've achieved cult status in the course of their career, and each new release is examined by the legions of Tool freaks like some mysterious artefact discovered on a distant planet. 10,000 days was highly anticipated (to put it mildly), and took its own sweet time getting here. Like many other Tool fans, I bought it immediately upon its release, and... was not disppointed. It doesn't cut as mercilessly as Lateralus, but after repeated listenings, I feel I am only beginning to penetrate its mysteries. A measure of its brilliance when most rock albums these days grow tired within a week or two. The band are incredible on this thing, particularly the guitarist, Adam Jones, who we can now consider as the leading master of the instrument. Maynard is Maynard, and does his thing like only he can. The songs are long, yes, but so what? A band this great needs room to explore and that's exactly what they do, taking us along for a wild ride in the process. Although it doesn't quite reach the heights of Lateralus (what does?) 10,000 Days is a fantastic album (in a really cool package) and no Tool fan will be disappointed. The only niggle I have is that there is a bit of filler on the album which shouldn't be there. Not after five years of navel-gazing and rumination (or were they actually working on their tans on the beaches of Majorca?). If there were two more great songs here instead of the noodling bits, this album would get 5 stars, no problemo. Let's just pray the next one comes a bit quicker... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Metal    2. Experimental Rock    3. Heavy Metal    4. Pop    5. Progressive Metal    6. Rock   

Reviews (17)

ONLY 1 CD
This is only 1 CD.If you want both CD's don't buy this.I thought I was getting 2 CD's.I feel ripped off.

Not the 2 CD collection
This is the best of the 2 CD collection. One of the better compliations out there.

not too satisfied
I misunderstood when I bought this album I thought I was getting both discs. What a bummer! Anyway, the disc I got wasn't too bad. It is fun to go back a few years and remember special moments from high school. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Alternative Pop/Rock    3. Pop    4. Post-Grunge    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop Collections    7. V/a Compilations   

Editorial Review

One of the few contemporary bands to land a decidedly roots-rock song on the charts with 2004's Grammy-winning "Heaven," Los Lonely Boys solidified their status as youngsters with an established sound on their first disc. On this highly anticipated studio followup, all talk of the sophomore jinx dissipates with the opening soul-drenched riff rocker "My Way." Although horns are added for extra drama, the three Garza brothers nail this groove as Henry's Stevie Ray Vaughan-fortified guitar powers one of the boys' most fiery performances. Supporter and mentor Willie Nelson joins on the wah-wah driven, Waylon Jennings-styled "Outlaws," as does the brothers' musician father Enrique Sr. Tough midtempo ballads such as "Home" and the very Santana-ish "I Never Met a Woman" follow in the footsteps of "Heaven" as candidates for slow dance song of the year.Read more

Reviews (37)

One of the Best Records Since Texas Flood
I just recently purchased this reocrd and it blew me away.Then as a bonus I got to see then perform live, also spectacular.The Boys are amazing musicians and singers. If you close your eyes and listen Henri at times he sounds just like Stevie Ray.
A Gem
This album is a pearl, a gem, a diamond. It has one great track after another. There are 13 in all, and you can flip a coin to determine the best cut. LLB's harmonies are sensational, guitar-playing just right. There's a perfect blend of horns, B-3 Hammond, harmonica, sensual tones done in English and Spanish. Sometimes I close my eyes, listen to this disc, over and over again, and think, "how could music sound any better." It can't. I've always felt that reviews are a road map, that buyers should listen to the cuts and determine for themselves. Anyone who doesn't give this 5 stars is deaf to tone and lacks a total understanding of the broad spectrum of music, composition, style and substance. I also caution reviewers to compare artists to one another. I often see other musicians appear in reviews as comparisons. To me, this is nothing more than looking for a needle in a haystack. This cd is a big time winner, just check out the Billboard Charts, not how much you could buy a used copy for. If that was the case, Springsteen's Born to Run (and many, many, many others) are pieces of [...], given they on the net for pennies. My gosh. LLB are mega-talented and Sacred showcases that they will be a major player in the biz for years to come.

Los Lonely Boys SACRED
They don't let the music get in the way of the music.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock & Roll    4. Rock/Pop    5. Roots Rock    6. Tex-Mex    7. United States of America   

Editorial Review

The Who's mighty catalog of beautiful, poignant, and often silly pop songs bashed out with Cassius Clay finesse has suffered in the past at the hands of multiple, butcher-shop best-ofs and horrible packaging. But this thrilling band--undeniably one of ye classicke rocke's greatest--gets the career-spanning entry-point compilation it deserves with the double-disc Read more

Features

• Limited Edition
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (166)

WOOWHO!
A great collection of music. 35 of The Who's best songs it's got em' all from "Won't Get Fooled Again" to my personal favorite "My Generation". This is a great greatest hits album. By one of the most talented bands ro ever come out of the UK. These guys are great. Buy this album NOW!

overrated
don't get me wrong, there's some great stuff here: Behind Blue Eyes, Substitute, Bargain, Won't gGet Fooled Again, Baba O'Reilly, a few others.But if the Who are going to be in the co. of the all time greats, there shouldn't be any filler on a 2 disk set anthology.They're the most overrated band in rock history. tried to be rockin' and rollin' rock and roll while at the same time putting a lot of effort into concept albums, didn't get the mix right.Pink Floyd mastered the concept album 'per se', David Bowie gave us the concept album that really wasn't (rise & fall of zig strdst & spdrs frm mrs), while tommy, 4ophenia, and the one that was aborted (I forget the working title)fall short, somewhere in between. Just as the Who fall short, somewhere in between the Beatles, Stones and Led Zep. Daltrey as a great frontman? gimme a break; not worthy of shining the shoes of Jagger or Plant, not even Ozzy (in his prime with Sabbath) or Ian Gillan (Deep Purple). He doesn't even sing on some of their most famous songs, and he didn't write any of them (to go by the liner notes that came with this disc, anyway).Many of their songs are described as quirky. 'silly' is closer to the mark. How 'bout just 'dumb'?The Stones declared that 'time was on their side' and marched defiantly in the face of all obstacles, including time itself . The Who promised that they would die before they got old, on the other hand, and failed to deliver. This was my last attempt to 'get into' a band that I USED TO feel guilty for never having 'gotten into'

Easily one of the most talented groups to come out of UK
This album demonstrates the musical mastery of the legendary Who. It's also interesting how today's groups like Green Day and Limp Bizkit don't even close to the Who. And to Orion, a reviewer on this forum, you're a sad case, my friend. I sincerely hope that you successfully seek out the psychological help that you so desperately are in need of. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Paul McCartney's new "classical" oratorio is called Read more

Reviews (9)

Classical Music From a Class Act
After years traveling down his Long & Winding Road that led to this collection, it was well worth the wait.Paul McCartney has turned his travails into triumph; his challenges into championships.
Just Beautiful
I've never been a fan of classical music, but I've really enjoyed this cd. You can feel the spirituality in the music. Paul McCartney is a rare talent! I love this CD!

Great classical McCartney effort.
I am a Mccartney fan. I liked his other classical work. But this is something different. It's much better. More flowing sounds. Coherent. It was 9 years in the making.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Chamber Music & Recitals    2. Choral    3. Choral Music    4. Classical    5. Classical Composers   

Editorial Review

If the voice sounds familiar, that may be because a couple of tracks have been featured on Read more

Features

• Content/Copy-Protected CD

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Electronic    3. Indie Pop    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Enhanced
• Content/Copy-Protected CD

Reviews (158)

its ok, but its not the best
its not bad but its not the best.i used to love 30 seconds to mars when their second cd came out, but by the time i had listened to it a couple of times i was awfully tired of jared leto being so loud on the songs' choruses.he just gets so monotonous.
Absent the space odessy this album still rocks.
When 30stm released their debut album I immediately fell in love with it. Call me a dork but I loved all the crazy lyrics about the life on Mars and being on Jupiter.
best band out there today!
i listened to the first album n thought that it was a good sound coming from a band who has a movie star for a lead singer.... but this album changed my entire perspective on 30 seconds to mars..... THEY R F'N SICK ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Neo-Prog    2. Pop    3. Post-Grunge    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Few bands of the 1960s retained as much a sense of the roots of rock and roll as did Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their music is rife with country, rockabilly, and R&B influences, a combination that produced several hit singles--most of which are present on this collection. These include "I Heard It through the Grapevine," "Lodi," "Up Around the B ," "Who'll Stop the Rain," and of course "Bad Moon Rising." This is an excellent greatest-hits collection, and a perfect introduction to the music of a band that has been enduringly influential. Read more

Reviews (207)

Blues Rock n Roll at its best
This is awesome stuff by Creedence Clearwater Revival I have been wanting to buy this for quite some time. And I don't know why I procrastinated so much because this is defintely worth every penny.

Why a review?
Why should I write a review for a CD that has 20 songs by Creedence Clearwater Revival!! Seems like a waste of time to me. 5 Stars.

True Blue Rock-n-Roll!
They're all here on this CD.Every one of the great hits that defined one of the most talented rock groups in history.It's really strange to hear what passes for great music today, when you listen to this.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Country-Rock    2. Pop    3. Pop/Rock    4. Rock    5. Rock & Roll    6. Rock/Pop    7. United States of America   

Editorial Review

When an indie-rock band as intimately and fiercely loved as Death Cab for Cutie makes the inevitable major-label jump, it often telegraphs a painful death. Witness Husker Du, the Replacements, Nirvana--hell, even R.E.M. After a successful four-album run on tiny Seattle imprint Barsuk, however, Death Cab for Cutie just might buck the trend on its Atlantic premiere. Yes, you can grumble about the production (a little too slick), the proportion of ballads (a little too many) and the overall feeling of restraint (a little too much), but ultimately the album delivers everything the group does best in emotional, experimental songs such as "What Sarah Said" and "I Will Follow You into the Dark," which both blend stark lyrical details with acoustic guitars and soft-focus electronics. In "Soul Meets Body," meanwhile, songwriter Ben Gibbard has come up with the kind of blissful, beatific pop song that's capable of disarming even the harshest skeptic. "A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere," he sings. Read more

Reviews (250)

Remarkable
"Plans" is a subtle but crucial development for Death Cab For Cutie. While the songwriting approach is recognisable from their previous albums, their production has opened up - the music sounds wider, richer, and their palette of sound is far wider.
A heart-breaking disappointment...
I'm not going to say I'm a long-time Death Cab fan, but my fondness for the band has led me through their entire catalogue, from Transatlanticism all the way back to You Can Play These Songs With Chords, my personal favorite being We Have The Facts... I tend to prefer lo-fi indie rock, though the sheer strength of Death Cab's songwriting kept me a fan up through Trans.
Transatlanticism wasn't as good as this...
DCFC has really peaked with this one.A solid performance through and through, this one is more enjoyable from start to finish than their last album was.They received a lot of radio airplay for a couple of the songs off of this one and it was well-deserved as they finally received national attention. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Dream Pop    3. Indie Pop    4. Indie Rock    5. Pop    6. Rock    7. Rock/Pop    8. Twee Pop   

Reviews (2)

Great Guitar Duo
This is a fabulous, very high energy, instrumental album. Rodrigo and Gabriela combine their metal roots with latin melodies, and use the guitar as a percussion instrument in a way I've never seen before. See them live if you can. They grew up in Mexico city trying to make it playing in a metal band, and are now living in Ireland with this album that hit the top of the Irish music charts.

AMAZING.
This is an unbelievable album, and I definitely recommend it. Rodrigo y Gabriela are two amazingly talented musicians. The way they mix so many different genres is incredible and makes the music they create unique, fun, and exciting. A friend recommended them to me, and I was a bit skeptical at first as I've never even really thought about listening to a guitar album, but now I'm completely hooked. I've found it's great to have on in the background in my dorm, and everyone that's heard it in my room has loved it as well. To sum things up, BUY THIS ALBUM! It is well worth it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

While Read more

Features

• Live
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (84)

I REMEMBER JOHNNY
I am a Johnny Cash fan from the very first time I heard RING OF FIRE played on a juke box.I have looked over and listened to the samples on this recording and all I have to say is WOW!!!! GREAT, GRAND, GLORIOUS.I've Gotta Have THIS CD also.I also have his other CDs.Love them all.

A flash from the past
I grew up on Johnny Cash's music, and this CD held great memories!It arrived in perfect condition as well.
NOW it makes Sense!!
This was one of the first albums I owned on Vinyl, and I loved it but there were parts that didnt make any sense.Now with the full concert on CD, with no censorship of the dialogue, it all makes sense and is just as enjoyable an album. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Country    2. Country & Western    3. Country-Pop    4. Guitar    5. Pop    6. Progressive Country    7. Rock & Roll    8. Rockabilly    9. Spirituals    10. Traditional Country    11. United States of America    12. Vocals   

Editorial Review

Proving yet again their willingness to dice 'n' slice their burgeoning legacy into new--if not exactly fresh--product, the Fab Four Minus One have released this single-disc compendium of their No. 1 hits. Though obviously superfluous to the faithful (who may also find themselves quibbling over the precise definition of "No. 1 hit" and the exclusion of seeming contenders like "Please Please Me" and "Strawberry Fields"), newly arrived visitors from the Pleiades star cluster and other neophytes will find it a concise and generous (nearly 80 minutes) single-disc introduction to the band's career-spanning, unparalleled dominance of pop music in the 1960s. But beyond being a mere trophy case of commercial success (and it won't be hard to find critics who'll argue that these singles aren't even the band's best work), it's also a Read more

Reviews (1078)

the idiots ruined it for themselves
these idiots ruined it for themselves. Hello dearest friends, yes that's the title of my review. Why, you ask? Well that's a hard one.
parents beware!!! rock music sucks!
parents beware. One moment it is I wanna hold your hand and the next it is forceful sex. One moment it is from me to you and the next it is a shrapnel wound. On Monday it is Can't buy me love and on Friday it's a harem and a broken marriage.
An apt title.
I understand why the Beatles are the top sellers in rock music as they suck. They only made about two decent songs in their "Hey Jude" a pretty song, and "Ballad Of John And Yoko". The sixties was a horrible decade of rock music. I would have to be said that only very few good songs came out in the sixties, which one of them is Neil Young's "Down By The River".
Read more

Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Britain    3. British Invasion    4. British Psychedelia    5. Folk-Rock    6. Merseybeat    7. Pop    8. Pop/Rock    9. Psychedelic    10. Rock    11. Rock & Roll    12. Rock/Pop    13. Singer/Songwriter   

Editorial Review

This is the first attempt to consolidate all of Sir Elton's hit singles, from three labels, in one collection. It once would've required at least four CDs to own the best stuff here. Many think the legendary performer was at his best in the early to mid-'70s, and the incredible string of singles that ran from 1970's "Your Song" through 1977's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" remains mighty impressive. But in retrospect, as they're presented here, '80s hits like "I'm Still Standing" and "Sad Songs" add much to an already amazing legacy. Three Disney tunes, the lush "The One," and two from Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (181)

From what I can tell, Disc 1 should have been 2 discs.
I'm an old Elton John / Bernie Taupin fan. That time was Elton's most creative period, and where the most hits came out (both on AM and FM radio). Disc 1 has a lot of great hits, but has a lot missing (including entire albums). On a minor point, there is nothing from Empty Sky (this is OK - it wasn't that great of an album, but should have been represented by something). On a major point, nothing came from (the incredibly great) Tumbleweed Connection. That album had (at least) 4 great hits (Amoreena, My Father's Gun, Country Comfort, and Burn Down The Mission). With those 2 omissions, lets go through the rest of the John / Taupin library.
Amazing!
I simply LOVE this album.Elton John is a phenomenal artist.His lyrical flow soothes my soul.This album is definitely my comfort music when I'm sad, and my fun music when I'm happy.I pop in my cd while I'm driving down the road and it feels as though I'm taking a stroll down memory lane.These songs fill my heart with wonderful memories and I find myself putting certain songs on repeat.I recommend this CD to anyone who wants to hear some good music.
The Best Elton Collection available today.
There's no way you can reduce Elton John's career to one cd and do it justice. So we have this beautifully remastered collection of hits on two cds. The first cd is devoted exclusively to Elton John's Greatest Hits from the 1970s. This is all right, because many of Elton's long time fans will agree that this was his most creative and prolific period. You get Bennie and the Jets, Crocodile Rock, Honky Cat, Good bye Yellow Brick Road, Philadelphia Freedom, and much more.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

Features

• Live

Reviews (6)

Not their best, but not horrible
I have every album these guys have put out, and I must admit I was a but dissapointed when I listened to this concert. The thing about DMB is that they are always changing and trying new things. The addition of Rashawn Ross is great for the new songs, but hearing him play on the old songs takes some getting used to. Out of all the songs my favorite would have to be "Break Free." It is by far their best new song in a long time. Another problem with this show is that they made separate tracks for some of the songs that lead into other songs. I like to hear "Pantala Naga Pampa" go right into "Rapunzel" and "So Much to Say" go into "Anyone seen the Bridge." If you have it on an MP3 player it doesn't flow all that well. If you want a really good concert pick up "Live at Central Park," it's their best live album outside of the Live Trax Series.

nice collection of songs, but...
it just doesn't sound quite right.I am a big fan of being able to hear the crowd reaction on live albums and for the most part you would never know anyone was there.Of the live DMB performances I have, this has to be my least favorite.

Disappointing
This is a pretty poor set from DMB.While the rest of the band is, for the most part, in fine form, Dave's voice has never sounded more brittle.He is painfully off-key at times, in almost every song.Sad to say but I would recommend every other live album the band has released (and there's a lot) before recommending this one.A set for completists only.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Adult Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Trad Rock    3. Jam Bands    4. Pop    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop    7. United States of America   

Reviews (58)

But.....I Like It
In 25 words or less...interesting music by great musicians..they continue to break the mold....and challenge our ears...bravo MV...

Amputate some songs...
If someone were to ask me the answer to today's Pink Floyd, my response might be The Mars Volta. With 2003's Deloused in the Comatorium, the galactic battlefield that is Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez's guitar work ripped apart the common man while the saucy vocals of one Cedric Bixler Zavala put it all back together again. Their music was weird, trippy and, for the most part, frighteningly original.
Humans as ornaments
This is the first disc I've heard by The Mars Volta (TMV) and I can understand why this could be a negative experience for some. Piercing dissonant guitar tones that could shatter glass, odd time signatures and weird changes during a song usually turn most people off. Adding creepy shrieking sax playing and falsetto vocals that can warp your eardrums and sound Chipmunkish at times, and you have a difficult listen indeed. For me, TMV sound like a combination of Faith No More, King Crimson, and Santana. All songs on this disc, less the beginning and final track, are intriguing and the simple groove of "Meccamputechture" is infectious. The production suffers at times from audible distortion and the drums are buried in the mix, but these are only minor issues to an otherwise solid release. Definitely makes me want to check out more of their discs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Post-Hardcore    3. Post-Rock/Experimental    4. Progressive Metal    5. Rock    6. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

It's been nearly a decade since Loreena McKennitt's last studio album, Read more

Subjects:  1. Jazz    2. Pop    3. Rock   

Features

• Limited Edition
• Original recording remastered

Reviews (8)

"DEEP BLUE" FINALLY AVAILABLE!
MY REVIEW WOULD'NT BE ANYTHING OTHER REVIEWS HAVE'NT SAID (THE EXTRA DVD WAS EXPENSIVE, HAVE NEW TRACKS ON BOOTLEGS.........)BUT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR A DECENT VERSION OF "DEEP BLUE" FOR YEARS. BACK ABOUT 1971 LOCAL SAN ANTONI0 RADIO PLAYED IT LIKED CRAZY. FOR YEARS ALL I'VE HAD IS A WORN 45 WHICH I'VE TRIED TO DIGITALLY RESTORE FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS. BUT NOW IT'S FINALLY ON CD! (TO HIS SURPRISE GEORGE WAS TOLD BY AN INTERVIEWER IT WAS A BIG JUKEBOX HIT IN THE STATES).JUST WANTED ADD MY 2 CENTS.

Brillante continuacion despues de "All things must pass" con una gran remasterizacion
Despues de lanzar el sobresaliente "All things must pass" y el exito rotundo de "Concert for Bangladesh" en el Madison Square Garden, George Harrison lanza este disco que en mi opinión personal, es una excepcional saga despues de esos discos.
Spriritual George
Living In The Material World is a solid follow up to George Harrison's All Things Must Pass. Mr. Harrison was easily the most spiritual Beatle and he's never been afraid of preaching his beliefs. Songs like "The Light That Has Lighted The World", "The Lord Loves The One (Who Loves The Lord)", "Who Can See It" and the number one hit "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" all expound on Mr. Harrison's spiritual beliefs. Despite all the love, Mr. Harrison can wield a sharp pen and that always when he's been most interesting. On songs like "Sue Me, Sue You Blues", the title track and "Try Some, Buy Some" he looks at the Beatles' on going lawsuits, the commercialism of the day and other things with a harder edge that he peace and love songs. The album was a big hit, going all the way to number one, the last time he would reach the summit on the album charts.The remastered version adds a great depth of sound to the original cd edition.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Those dismissing the self-titled Read more

Features

• Explicit Lyrics

Reviews (203)

Everything old is new again
A friend introduced me to two songs from this group and I got hooked and ordered a few CDs.I've listened to this one over and over again and while I like some songs more than others it was definitely money well spent.
Oldtimer likes it too
I've been a fan of Pink Floyd since the 70's.I never much cared for the whole disco movement in the 80's, so why do I like this album so much?Maybe it's just that good.

Good stuff.
Don't pay attention to people leaving one star reviews, all they have to say about the album is that they can't believe that anyone has the nerve to cover Comfortably Numb this way.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Club/Dance    2. Pop    3. Pop/Rock    4. Rock    5. Rock/Pop   

Editorial Review

Pop's rush to raid the cradle continues with this promising debut by 25-year-old Canadian singer Michael Bublé. And while the young vocal star's good looks are smart enough for a boy band, his muse seems to have sprung from a more sassy and compelling musical era. Mentored by Paul Anka (whose '50s hit "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" is covered in dreamy, cabaret fashion here), Bublé sings in the orbits of Darin and Sinatra, covering swing epoch gems ("Come Fly with Me," "The Way You Look Tonight," "That's All") and rock era standards (Van Morrison's "Moondance," "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" by the Brothers Gibb, Queen's "Crazy Little Ting Called Love") with equal aplomb. David Foster's production is typically slick and played to the back row of the bleachers, but it's informed by smart contexts provided by such arrangers as Johnny Mandel, Randy Waldman, and Mike Melvoin. If the choices of material are sometimes staid and predictable, they also give the singer a crucial framework for building toward something more challenging; his is a bright future.