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Roxette album reviews - take it how you like
9 replies
davidc4 said on September 13, 2006 15:37:
heres my short summary of all 7 Roxette albums what does everyone think of the way i see them and what are your opinions?
1.Pearls Of Passion 1986 - for me pearls of passion is a very experimental sounding album thats never quite sure what it should be...its slightly dated today but still can be played without being too embarrassing....Neverending love is still a great song..although sadly a few songs should be forgotten about..namely Voices which is appallingly dated now
2.Look Sharp! - 1888 - of course the album that made them big its a good album and an improvement on Pearls but only the singles from this really stand out today...even though the rest of the album is good Cry is one song that has dated very badly...the look however sounds wonderful still after 18 years.
3.Joyride - 1991 - an almost perfect album and their biggest selling which is no surprise..this is an album that fans should be proud of hardly anyhting lets it down though Watercolours in the rain should have been nearer the end.exceelent
4.Tourism- 1992 - hmmm this shouldnt have worked but turned out to be amazing in a sense...its got everything...chilled guitars to rocky pop songs to cheese to ballads and live tracks......its a unique album.cant say more
5.Crash! Boom! Bang! - 1994 - an album that saw them crash and burn in the US though it should have outsold Joyride as its so good...stand out tracks include Run To You and the criminally ignored Fireworks....a quality album which is only let down by Vulnerable which doesnt quite seem to fit in with the vibe.
6.Have A Nice Day - 1999 - a muted comeback for Roxette which saw Wish I Could Fly hit UK #11 and Stars bomb at #56...this should have done alot better but it seems that the albums dance feel put people off and Roxette just werent cool anymore or were they ever...let down again by one track You Cant Put Your Arms Around Whats Already Gone.Saved however by Crush On You,Stars and Wish I Could Fly.also has the best closing track of any Roxette album with Beautiful Things.
7.Room Service - 2001 - This is the album that has a bit of every other roxette album mixed into one perfect compilation.it has ballads,pop,cheesy pop,rock and other things which make the Roxette sound what it is....only Make My Head Go Pop was unpopular with fans even though it makes a reference to feeding ducks with a bun.....all fun.....
marcusvandeursen said on September 13, 2006 17:51:
1.Pearls Of Passion 1986/1997 - But of this, bit of that... missing some really outstanding single. One album-only track though makes the album; the wonderful ballad From One Heart To Another. Funny enough, this is the only song to which Per Gessle doesn’t fully own the rights.
2.Look Sharp! - 1988/89 - Still some of the best material Roxette recorded, among which their breakthrough hit ’The Look’, their 2nd US no. ’Listen To Your Heart’ plus outstanding album tracks such as ’[I could never] give you up’ and ’Sleeping single.’ Downers? ’Cry’ could have been left out.
3.Joyride - 1991 - Roxette’s biggest hit - but worst album at the same time I think (I know some people will probably hang me for saying this, but just can’t stand some songs anymore). Features some of their outstanding songs like ’Spending My Time’, ’Fading Like A Flower’, ’Excited’, ’Watercolours in the Rain’, ’Things Will Never Be The Same’ and ’Perfect Day’. Unf., I think, each of these great tracks is mixed with some of their worst material; ’Joyride’, ’The Big L’, ’I Remember You’, ’Small Talk’. Might just have heard it too often over the years, but it’s actually my least favourite album if taken as a whole.
4.Tourism- 1992 - Great variety of all kinds and styles, actually very surprising after hearing the previous albums; Must-haves include ’How Do You Do’!, ’The Rain’, ’Queen of Rain’, ’Silver Blue’, ’Keep Me Waiting’ and ’Fingertips’. 3 singles outtaken were also all great choices. Simply love it.
5.Crash! Boom! Bang! - 1994 - The second best album. Absolute toppers are all the singles, esp. Vulnerable and SIMC., ’What’s She Like? (Marie at her best), ’Love Is All’ and ’Go To Sleep’
6.Have A Nice Day - 1999 - best album by Roxette so far, only did bad single choices (the bring-anyone-to-sleep ’Anyone’ and the beautiful but unf. too less commercial and too less promoted ’Salvation’ kill it). Except for ’Anyone’, each and every track is just amazing. Standing out most of all? ’WICF’, ’Stars’ (best single! from the album), ’Staring At The Ground’, ’Crush On You’, ’It Will Take A Long Long Time’
7.Room Service - 2001 - a good album with great singles. However, it’s too short and contain - in my opinion - some obvious downers; Jeffersson, Try and Make My Head Go Pop (the most awful uptempo Roxette track one can think of’. Best single? All three outstanding. MATAH is one of their best ballads ever.
8 The Ballad Hits & Pop Hits 2002/03, Roxette Hits 2006 (new tracks) - All 14 new tracks are just superb. Good old powerpop in a great lively modern jacket (’Little Miss Sorrow’ / ’One Wish!! (their best up-tempo single since HDYD and SIMC)combined with great tamed-down ballads of a quality that stands great next to their US no’s 1 and no.2’s (A Thing About You / Breathe / The Weight Of The World / Every Day / See Me) . If these 14 track would have been released on a new album instead of on 3 Greatest Hits - and with proper promotion - I think it could have been a huge success. Anyway, hope to hear more like this in the future...
chrisjankunas said on September 15, 2006 12:40:
1.Pearls Of Passion 1986 - An interesting start with some interesting songs “I Call Your Name” . “Surrender” and “From One Heart To Another” Tribute most be paid to this album also for paving the way for the future versions of “Soul Deep” and “So Far Away” Fantastic !
2.Look Sharp! - 1988 - The hits are here, no doubt about that. but the rest of the album - barring “Sleeping Single” , “Chances” and “Shadow Of A Doubt” today sound quite dull at times. The original Dressed For Success sounds horrible and is mssing the sharp guitar that the US / Single version has. A dated album really.
3.Joyride - 1991 - A fantastic album - completely of hits so it comes as no surprise that Roxette had difficulty picking singles - releasing 5 and considering a “(Sixth!)” one. Church Of Your Heart becomes a moderately underrated hit however - that irritates me.
4.Tourism- 1992 - What this album accomplishes is diversity for the Rox fans - at least one song on this album will be adored by all Rox fans whether they like Rox’s punk, rock, pop, ballads, etc songs. A fantastic acoustic Rock sound that really suits Roxette !!
5.Crash! Boom! Bang! - 1994 - A fantastic album - although not an instant favourite - with every mood experienced over a long period of time does a fan discover just how good this album is. Don’t really like “Lies”, “I’m sorry” very much though. Love “Place Your Love”, “Run To You” and “First Girl On The Moon” More of Roxette’s acoustic sound !! More of that please !! Would have been perfect to include Almost Unreal on all vesions of the album.
6. Don’t Bore Us - Get To THe Chorus (New Songs)
What can I say about the four new songs (and Almost Unreal and It Must Have Been Love) Fantastic songs that show Roxette at their best and comfort. You Don’t Understand Me is the weakest song I think with the weakest melody. However it is quite touching and is fantastic in the right mood. Almost Unreal is their best song :D Fantastic mix of guitars and synthesizers.
7.Have A Nice Day - 1999 - Ai yai yau - what happended here? Quite a good album, but home to most over and under-rated songs in Roxette history. Crush On You is ok at best but pretty mediocre - Anyone, Salvation, Staring At The Ground and Pay The Price remain, to me, some of Roxette’s best material yet most fans seem to ignore them ! Wish I Could Fly rose expectations but was very untypical of the album. you Can’t Put Your Arms Around What’s Already Gone is fantastic - a great pop song - not for a single though.
7.Room Service - 2001 - Hmmm. Some say they perfected their techno sound with this album but, barring Entering Your Heart, It Takes You No Time To Get Here and Bringing Me Down To My Knees - I have to disagree. Real Sugar and The Centre Of The Heart both sound better live - particualrly the promo versions which included a guitar solo for TCOTH. Songs like Looking For Jane, Fool hint at a return to form but overall a mixed album that becomes weak as a whole.
8 The Ballad Hits & Pop Hits 2002/03, Roxette Hits 2006 (new tracks) Fantastic stuff from 2003 / 2004 - a return to Roxette’s best. Perfect pop stuff and perfect ballad - Although both album tracks (Breathe, Little Miss Sorrow) beat the singles (A Thing About You, Opportunity Nox) The bonus songs are heaven !!! Bla Bla Bla .. remains one of my favourite Roxette songs. Same with Weight Of The World.
The new songs I am mixed over - One Wish is quite good but my disappointment reagrding lack of SOAP, Min BAsta Van etc sound is starting to get to me. The funky keyboard is quite good but takes too much of the song. Reveal is quite good and almost as good as breathe but not quite. The “real” sound of the song improves it quite alot.
NickNL74 said on September 15, 2006 13:04:
@ superbullie > I guess it must be a very rare version of Look Sharp! ;-)
I was roling over too when I read 1888.. lol!
chrisjankunas said on September 15, 2006 13:12:
Well the copy I have has the newspaper date at “Wednesday, October 19, 1988” so I hardly see why it is funny.
Duh ! Now I see - 1888 ! i just copied the original post and deleted the reviews. Why I had it.
Santi said on September 15, 2006 13:31:
@davidc4: About Watercolours in the Rain being closer to the end, you gotta take into account that in 1991 vinyl was still much more popular than CDs (CDs started being popular by 1993, if I don’t remember badly, when people could actually afford those laser players), so the tracklist is designed for a LP vinyl release.
And in that tracklist, Watercolours in the Rain is actually the last track of the A side. So it’s right at the end!
pwbbounce (moderator) said on September 15, 2006 13:40:
Pearls of Passion 1986 - I hardly ever listen to this album anymore. Can’t even remember the last time I did listen to it. Sounds very dated, there’s no typical sound, and I find Marie’s voice is a little too high in some songs. Standout songs for me: Secrets That She Keeps, Surrender, Call of The Wild and Pearls of Passion
Look Sharp! 1988 - I love this album. Yes it does sound old, but the songs are still good. Marie sounds better than PoP. Standout songs for me: Paint, Dance Away, Chances, I Could Never....
Joyride 1991 - What I consider to be their most commercial album. They HAD to make a big album at that time, and this is probably the very best that they are ever going to do. It’s not my personal fave though. Standout songs: Hotblooded (amazing!!), Do You Get Excitied?, Things Will Never.. and Perfect Day
Tourism 1992 - Again, not really in any sort of direction. The live tracks are cool, and studio songs are good, but I feel that the whole album is slightly too long. There wasn’t really a need for the country-fied version of IMHBL really. Standout songs for me: The Rain, Keep me Waiting, Silver Blue, Never Is A Long Time
Crash! Boom! Bang! 1994 - Probably my fave Rox album ever, and their best sound. It hasn’t been dated by the passing 12 years. The vocals from both of them were amazing. I do prefer guitars to keyboards so this is obviously gonna be my fave one. Standout song: Sleeping In My Car, What’s She Like?, Lies & Love Is All
DBU-GTTC (New tracks) 1995 - Out of the 4 news ones, June Afternoon was my least fave one. It sounds like a step back from the CBB sound, whilst SDLHA is the right way to be going. Marie sings IDWTGH amazingly.
Have A Nice Day 1999 - The Big Debate!!!! Amazing album opener. Crush On You is amoung my fave Rox songs ever. At first, I didn’t like this album, and was so dissapointed. Over the years though is grew on me. Don’t listen to it often now, but when I do, I love it. Standout songs: COY, WICF, Anyone, Pay The Price, Beautful Things (amazing track)
Room Service 2001 - I think I’m the only who likes this album. I like the sound, Marie sounds clearer than on HAND in my opinion and Per sings a ballad!!!! Standout songs: Real Sugar, Jefferson, Fool, My World.....
Ballad Hits 2002 (2 new songs) - I remember hearing Breathe for the first time and thought WOW. Something fantastic has happened in Rox world. Then we all heard the terrible news.... A Thing About You was released at totally the wrong time, should’ve been huge!!
Pop Hits 2003 (2 new sogns) - I love Opportunity Nox. Great to drive fast too. Little Miss Sorrow should’ve been the single though. It was more radio friendly.
My fave out of the new tracks from the Ballad/Pop hits is Everyday. I adore this song so much
Roxette Hits 2006 (2 news songs) - Who’d have thought it? Roxette back in 2006 with 2 new songs, which are actually pretty damn good!! One Wish is fresh, upbeat, different to most things on the radio at the moment. Could be big. Reveal is lovely. Marie is sounding clearly than ever. Just missing the big last chorus.
Oh well, you can’t have everything!!!
coyboyusa said on September 13, 2006 17:07:
1.Pearls Of Passion 1986 - I didnt hear the whole album through until it was re-released and thnakfully its one of their best albums...it showed where they were headed as a group and had alot of fantastic duets something they worked away from after the years
2.Look Sharp! - 1888 - 80’s music at its best but emi usa’s tratment of the album would signify problems later on...still some of the best marierl they ever recorded
3.Joyride - 1991 - the album didn’t age well, and for every great track theres at least 2 bad ones, still roxette in their hey day
4.Tourism- 1992 - a bit of overkill perhaps, some tracks better left for a new album, who knows. They needed a break and the album kinda proved it but still great tracks
5.Crash! Boom! Bang! - 1994 - right album WRONG time..at least in the usa. The music scene had changed, emi usa was in shambles, if cbb came out when tourism didi they would have been huge again
6.Have A Nice Day - 1999 - the album alot of fans were craving , an updated sound that kept the classic rox alive this album had a hunger in it they have failed to recapture since...flubbed single selection killled it tho...freakin emi
7.Room Service - 2001 - eh this is a bit of a sour apple, too short, mixed production values, for every good song there was a little girl or make my head go poo......the only 2 stand out tracks were a hand left over that became huge and milk n toast one of their most airid and sunny ballads which ironically if it didnt get somewhat of a rewrite by marie would have been a lyrical disaster