Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Louisville Music Review, 16 Nov 2004
By A Customer
Mom, Dad, if you're reading this, you have to by this album. Write if down: "Better Than Before", by The Singles. I say this because I want to give back to you what you gave to me as a child. When I was growing up, I heard Buddy Holly, Elvis and the Beatles blasting out of your Sears and Roebucks speakers. I didn't fully understand it at the time, but it was a priceless gift you gave me. My musical tastes were off in numerous different directions after that, but I always cam back to what got me there in the first place: melody. And hooks. And artistic precision. The band The Singles are a bunch of youngsters from Detroit, which has asserted itself as the capital of garage rock in the early 21st century. But these kids are playing the same kind of stuff their parents no doubt gave them - fun, basic rock songs using the same chords you grew up with. Remember that "Hold Your Hand" song with all the claps? That's the kind of stuff The Singles play. "I'll Be Good To You", had it been released on Decca Records in 1963, would have been huge. HUGE. You would have bought it and passed it on to me. And "Until You Came Along" - let's just say when you hear it, you'll wonder if that Buddy Holly guy hasn't been reincarnated. What's great for me is that some of these tunes break through the formula. The single (by The Singles), "He Can Go, You Can't Stay", is the perfect homage to both old and new - it's early '60s-style pop with a modernistic punk energy and edge. So it's not a throwaway throwback - not at all. Maybe you won't pick up the disc. Parents don't always listen. That's why they made rock 'n' roll music in the first place. At the very least, though, I bet you could drive your folks nuts with this album. That in itself is worth the 15 bucks. Right?Kevin Gibson - Louisville Music
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Cavern - Liverpool, 21 Sep 2004
By A Customer
One litter of young lions emerging from that seemingly never ending well of Detroit garage bands, but unlike most of those would-be-Barbarians, The Singles haven't forgotten that there ain't no law against melody! The 14 songs on their new CD, Better Than Before, are all inspired by a combination of British Invasion elements made all the more remarkable when you consider that singer/songwriter Vince Frederick, as well as every other member of the band, are barely old enough to vote! The Cavern Liverpool
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
RollingStone.com, 29 Jan 2004
The Singles are no mere Detroit garage band, they're capable rock historians. Wearing 1960's pop/rock influences proudly on their sleeves, this Vincent Frederick-fronted combo nods to everyone from Buddy Holly ("See You Again") to the Zombies ("Until You Came Along") to the Who circa '65 ("I'm In Love With You"). These originals may not be that original, but skillfully constructed, Byrds-derived pop like "Since You've Been Gone" is impossible to resist. And "It'll Never Be the Same Again" pilfers the guitar hook from the Flamin' Groovies staple "Shake Some Action" with exemplary results. Still, the centerpiece of Better Than Before, produced by White Stripes vet Jim Diamond, is "I'm Coming Home to You," a gorgeous lament that's also the least derivative tune here. The Singles aren't breaking any new ground, and at times the retro material gets a bit redundant, but rarely has a history lesson been this fun.
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