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Track Listings
| 1. How Far We've Come |
| 2. I'll Believe You When |
| 3. All Your Reasons |
| 4. These Hard Times |
| 5. If I Fall |
| 6. Can't Let You Go |
| 7. Long Day |
| 8. Push |
| 9. 3 am |
| 10. Real World |
| 11. Back 2 Good |
| 12. Bent |
| 13. If You're Gone |
| 14. Mad Season |
| 15. Disease |
| 16. Unwell |
| 17. Bright Lights |
Product Description
Review
Confidence can take you a long way. Matchbox Twenty have the self confidence of mainstream American pop rock, and twenty eight million album sales to show for it. For this music the rules have been laid down by Springsteen, U2 and INXS. The emphasis is on craftsmanship, 'classic' songs with bridges and middle eights, big gestures and bigger emotions.
This collection of hit singles contains 6 new songs. For these the band have slimmed down to a four piece and are writing collectively, rather than just being a vehicle for singer Rob Thomas' material. To my ears, these changes have done them a power of good. 'How Far We've Come' springs out of the traps like a sleek and hungry greyhound. It boasts a powerful hook and a tightly written and convincing lyric. 'I'll Believe You When' and 'If I Fall' are bright, sixties-style pop, 'All Your Reasons' combines punchy rock with memorable harmonies. The writing and arrangements are polished and detailed. Steve Lillywhite's clean, well-lit production gives the band character and drive.
However, the already released material is a decidedly mixed bag. Some songs like 'Long Day', and the funky 'Disease' have good hooks, with original touches here and there, like the banjo in 'Unwell'. But the production is pretty ordinary and so are some of the songs, which too often plod along. Thomas substitutes long-winded lyrics and trembling vocal rhetoric for real emotion on the irritating and unconvincing 'Push'. 'Real World' is limp, finger pointing and tuneless. it's hard to believe a song as ordinary as 'Bent' was a number one in the US.
So the new songs are better than the old ones. Surprisingly for a greatest hits package, Exile On Mainstream suggests Matchbox Twenty's best music could be in their future, not their past. --Nick Reynolds
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Exactly what BOBSTER was expecting from a greatest hits package is beyond me...I was expecting a CD full of greatest hits and thats exactly what I got. He says it doesn't say anywhere that this is a greatest hits CD yet the amazon review for this album alone clearly states that its a 'retrospective package that contains their biggest singles to date along with several new tracks'. The only problem with this compilation is that it would need to have at least one more CD in it to fit on all their great tracks. If you liked this album you must buy their previous offerings, and if like BOBSTER you feel this is a CD single with filler tracks im sure you will find it to be the best CD single in your collection. This is top notch stuff and i hope Rob and the boys bring out a brand new album soon.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
A lot of artists seem to release their Greatest Hits albums with a few newbies thrown in. I think it's to get the die hard fans to buy the thing just to get those tracks irrespective of the fact they already own more than half the album! That said, if you do want a collection of great rock songs you've come to the right place. It's a shame MB20 didn't just make a proper Greatest Hits album because there are several more shakers that didn't make the cut. Probably a good starting place for people who haven't bought any of their albums before but like what they've heard so far. You can't go too far wrong with this one.
The newer songs are a bit different with a little less angst. Not classic MB20 but I do like the faster, upbeat tempo of 'How far we've come' and am totally hooked. The others have grown on me too.
So all in all a cd worth having folks!
The newer songs are a bit different with a little less angst. Not classic MB20 but I do like the faster, upbeat tempo of 'How far we've come' and am totally hooked. The others have grown on me too.
So all in all a cd worth having folks!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I remember being excited at the thought of a new Matchbox Twenty album, only to discover that it would only include 6 fresh new songs. However, being a fan of their music I went out and bought it, and I'm glad I did. To me this album sounded like the closing of one musical chapter in the band's history and at the same time the opening of a door to a new one which sees them now as a four piece after the departure of Adam Gaynor. All their greatest hits from their previous 3 albums are there including the brilliant Push and Bright Lights. As for the new ones, there are a mixture of uptempo and slower songs, among the latter These Hard Times is the best. A thoughtful and rather introspective piece on which Rob's voice shines. How Far We've Come is a great song to start the album with, full of energy, it's just one of those songs that you just want to sing along to. Although it's about how far humanity has come, it also feels like a statement about how far the band and their music have come. Overall I think it could have used a couple more new tracks, but not a bad album nonetheless. I can't wait for their next one.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
My fave album from Matchbox Twenty
I am a fan of Matchbox Twenty and I have most of their albums. This is my favourite by far as it contains the best songs from all their other albums. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Saki Yamato
Matchbox Classics
Admittedly, it is quite an odd combination of old and new tracks, but a must for any MB20 fan. While mainly a greatest hits album, Rob and the gang have treated us to 6 new songs... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Slightly Hazy
Good album
I was a little disappointed, my own fault really, I hadn't realised this was a greatest hits album, so I already had the majority of the tracks on previous albums! Read more
Published on 13 July 2009 by Vixey
Don't you people read!
All you people that are whining about it being a best of albulm, ok so it doesn't specifically say that that is the case. Read more
Published on 30 Sep 2008 by E. Turner
Bit of Both really
I have to admit I completely forgot this album had come out! however I went to the Matchbox twenty concert at Wembley in May and it reminded me, Overall good and bad, I can see... Read more
Published on 19 May 2008 by M. Buck
Disguised Greatest Hits
I must admit that the new tracks didn't grab me but if I'm honest, MB20 tracks have always grown on me. And believe me I'm a massive fan, having seen them live 3 times in the UK. Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2007 by Mr. P. A. Barratt
Not sure what the boys are up to here?
After such a long time with nothing, the news of a new album was very pleasing. Unfortunately this is billed as a 'best of' with a few extras thrown in. Why? is the question? Read more
Published on 10 Nov 2007 by D. J. Moore
Long Live Matchbox !!
Forget all this 'greatest hits package' stuff, buy this for the new tracks alone! Absolutely fantastic tracks, every one of them, been stuck in the hifi for weeks! Read more
Published on 2 Nov 2007 by R. Chatterjee
Best of Rip Off
6 New songs, 10 songs off all the old albums. Try finding this little fact advertised anywhere. This is not a new album, it's a new cd single with 10 old songs as total filler. Read more
Published on 25 Oct 2007 by Bobster
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