Average Customer Review:
 ( 166 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 26 found the following review helpful:
 "The past'll be presented, recast and reinvented.."Dec 24, 2004
By spiral_mind
You could almost say that a pop band over a decade old has no right to be releasing such a strong and [shudder] mature album as Everything to Everyone. Or you could just be glad they're still capable of doing what they do so well. After all it's only a small step from silly to cartoonish, or witty to overblown, or sugary/catchy to fluffy. BNL have assembled one of the most impressive pop catalogues around not only by having a knack for funny radio-friendly singalongs, but by usually walking that line without tipping too far to the wrong side. The lyrics are clever and often humorous, but only cross into self-parody if it's intentional. They can be serious and they can be wacky.. but most of all they can laugh at themselves right along with the rest of us.
After their last two offerings Maroon and Stunt (which are also mostly strong picks) the Ladies put a good helping of time and effort into E2E, and it shows. The result is that intriguing rarity: a strong pop record that benefits from being grown over time with good attention to detail. It's got enough hooks and irresistible choruses that it'll snag your ears right away, but there's a freshness & staying power underneath the hummability. The usual goofiness that's been a BNL trademark since "If I Had $1000000" coexists nicely with the likes of "War on Drugs" and "Have You Seen My Love," which are lovely ballads almost as simple and honest as you could ask for.. a skillful balance that only the best pop (think Ben Folds or Kevin Gilbert) achieves.
The sound is nicely varied without losing the sense of fun. "Another Postcard" is a semi-fast chant that's almost half rap (all the more silly considering that such lyrics aren't usually about, say, chimps in swimsuits). "Upside Down" is driven by a sinuous middle-eastern melody on accordion, which would be nutty enough to fit the absurdist lyrics even if they didn't toss in some screwy odd time changes. "For You" has a tinge of country; "Next Time" would almost be a sweet 60s-style waltz if the words weren't so cynical; "Shopping" shoots directly for the realm of mindless synth/techno and then overshoots, becoming something even more ridiculous. And for that song it's precisely what belongs.
Any one of their last three offerings is a great choice, whether you're new to the band or not, but I say this is the pick of the bunch. Who knew maturity could still be so much fun?
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
At Long Last!Nov 01, 2003
By Mark Holt
I must admit, I thought there would never be a great Barenaked Ladies album again. After the wildly popular, but mostly soulless and derivative "Stunt" and the better, but not terribly interesting "Maroon" it had looked increasingly like it was time to play Taps for what had been, in this reviewer's opinion, the best band of the 1990s. I bought this new album with great trepidation, expecting to be disappointed yet again, and have been listening to it constantly ever since. The 14 tracks on this new album represent everything that is truly great about this band: Witty, and yet sometimes strangely touching, lyrics. Tight vocal harmonies. Completely effotless swings between the wildly frenetic and the slow, nostalgic balladeering that is, at once, both out of place for a pop band, and somehow perfect for this one. And underneath it all, a core of rock solid musical integrity. Steven Page's voice is the best in the business and it is a deep pleasure to hear him using it to its full potential again. "Everything to Everyone" is BNL's best work since "Born on A Pirate Ship" and over time I will probably come to regard it as better, for I think there are fewer poor songs on this new album than there were on that uneven masterpiece. It will never rival their 2 truly great contributions "Gordon" and "Maybe You Should Drive" but it is still one of the best albums of the year and a great relief to the true Barenaked Ladies Fan.
A note: Buy the special version with the DVD. It is worth the money. A bonus song, the entire album mixed in Dolby 5.1, interview segments, and a great acoustic concert where BNL premiered 11 of its new tracks in front of a very small audience in the recording studio. Some of those versions are better than the album versions, and showcase why the Ladies are one of the best live bands out there.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Yeah, I love it.Oct 27, 2003
By Buzzipper
"Buzzy"
I didn't expect to like this CD as much as Maroon, which I thought was a terrific album, especially in the wake of the commercial onslaught of Stunt. And I didn't expect to like this CD as much as Born on a Pirate Ship, which has always been my favorite BnL album, as it was the first one I bought and the one I cut my teeth on. Now, of course, I have all their albums, including the live one and the greatest hits package. So I sat down with my copy of the NEW BnL, with a plate full of high expectations, and a half-hearted smile, not daring to love it too much, not daring to laugh at it too much. But after listening to it, I'm quite sure that they've made their best album, maybe not because it's all brand new and wild like Gordon, or subdued and solemn like Maybe You Should Drive, or as experimental and eclectic as Pirate Ship, or as commercial as anything since, but because, I think, they are finally making music that is based on everything they've done, with the satisfactory smirk that says now they can do whatever they want. Can't wait until the next greatest hits package. I think they'll be around long enough to warrant a boxed set.
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
Doing what they do best - Having Fun!Nov 16, 2003
I'm one of the unfortunates who was a fan of BNL long before they became popular. Therefore I'm initially disappointed with each new album. This one started out the same way, but by half way through I stopped hoping BNL would finally release another album like Maybe You Should Drive. Instead I found myself genuinely enjoying this album for what it is. With Maroon, they were trying to write a follow-up album to solidify their popular appeal in the US and it just didn't enjoy the creative freedom of their other albums. By contrast, Everything to Everyone is much more relaxed. BNL is back to having fun and you can feel the excitement in some of the new things they're doing with this album. A little country, folk, and the inclassifiable Shopping. The whole album gets better every time you listen to it.My one disappointment is that with the CD+DVD set is that unlike the regular CD, this CD doesn't have the bonus tracks. Instead the bonus tracks are only on the DVD. The DVD is extremely impressive though. It contains the entire album, an acoustic version of the album, an extra bonus track, and a bunch of great video. The 5.1 Surround Sound on the DVD is amazing and it really shows off what we can expect someday when all albums are released in 5.1. It's a terrific example of what to do with a DVD and I hope other artists follow suit. It's definitely worth the extra money for this DVD.
29 of 34 found the following review helpful:
"Everything" is ExcellentNov 15, 2003
By John
OK now after 'Gordon' the Barenaked Ladies took a long time to get back on track. Don't get me wrong, 'Maybe You Should Drive' may be one of their best albums, and 'Born on A Pirate Ship' is remarkable as well, but neither album got the band where they wanted to go. 'Stunt' got them back on tack, followed by 'Maroon', enough to get them to a Greatest Hits record. Now, three years after 'Maroon', and eleven years and four albums after 'Gordon', the Barenaked Ladies may have recorded their best album yet, and here's why: Celebrity (9/10)- a great way to start the album in my opinion, serious yet humorous at points. this is a great way to show what most of the songs on the album are like Maybe Katie (10/10) - best song on the album? possibly. same deal as 'Celebrity,' it is both serious and humorous, and has a catchy tune and strong chorus. ten/ten, nice job. Another Postcard (8/10) - things were going well, but this song i just don't get. the problem that BNL has is that their label chooses the dumbest singles. i think it's a funny song, so it is quite entertaining, and the beat is quite catchy. decent song, but they could do better, and they did. Next Time (9/10) - a perfect song to follow 'Another Postcard' because of the line: you can always get it right next time". indeed they did, and thank god the album doesn't have 14 Postcards in it, or 'Everything' wouldn't be anything but decent For You (8/10)- not as good as Next Time, but good nonetheless. not much to say except it won't be on the repeat button too much, even though it beats 'Another Postcard.' Shopping (9/10) - catchy tune, funny lyrics = good BNL song Testing 1,2,3 (10/10) - one of the best on the album. serious, classy, and funny lyrics. i'm lovin this one Upside Down (9/10) - i like the background especially, and the lyrics and vocals are superb. the album seems to keep going uphill. War on Drugs(10/10) - dark, deep, mysterious, serious. those four words don't usually fit with BNL, but this song is nothing short of stellar. Aluminum (9/10) - not much to say. sounds like a lot of their usual stuff, but i still seem to enjoy it. Unfinished (9/10) - maybe it was unfinished, because it could be better. i see so much potential in this song, especially if they could fix the chorus. Second Best (10/10) - the opening lines make this song worth the whole CD: "everything's a lie. we're all gonna die. before we say goodbye let's attack" GREAT song. Take it Outside (8/10) - i've given three Eights so far, and i think this one is more of an 8.5 of 8.6, but that's not what i do here. still a good song, but needs work. Have You Seen my Love? (7/10) - not a bad way to end an album, if you're trying to put me to sleep. i like everything BNL does, but this is just my all-time least favorite. 7 isn't bad for my least favorite song though ; ) totals: 125/140 = 8.9/10 on aaverage
See all 166 customer reviews on Amazon.com
|
based on 166 reviews
