His best CD to date
This is without question Colin Hay's best CD. The brilliance and quirkiness of his songwriting and his masterful acoustic guitar work give this collection a depth not found on most of his other CDs. The songs range from celebratory to heartbreaking, and the latter are particularly strong in this all-acoustic format. It's hard not to tear up over "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You," and "My Brilliant Feat" is a wonderfully moving piece about remembering past fame from a new place in life. This a deeply reflective and soulful CD from a singular artist who deserves to be heard much more than he is today. Highly recommended.
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An underrated songwriter
After a friend introduced me to Colin Hay by letting me listen to some of his music from the films "Scrubs" and "Garden State", I was an instant fan. I'm known for being partial to singer songwriters rather than bands, and yet Colin Hay shows a little bit of both. His style of music would make you think you're listening to a fully fledged band instead of a solo artist. Now this third solo album is a little different from the rest, being completely accoustic, just the man and his guitar. But that's the beauty of this one. Simplicity. The songwriter really comes out here.
The first track is clearly the best, being known a little more than the rest, perhapse due to its inclusion in the "Scrubs" soundtrack. "Beautiful World" is unique in a lot of ways. Being the best written song, it displayes the funny kind of cynicism widely known to be posessed by Randy Newman. That's why I've tagged this product as such. I'm a big fan of Mr. Newman, and I couldn't help but be reminded of his distinct style when I listened to this. A five star track if there was one, and very versatile as well. The second track is also a good one, "Looking For Jack". Nice tune, nice lyrics, and Hay plays the guitar to perfection just as in the rest. "Going Somewhere" is deserving of title track status, however I can't help but feel that some of the other material on this disc is filler. Maybe because of the similarities due to total acoustic guitar as being the sole form of sound apart from Hay's voice, I don't know. But the next two songs seem a little bit bland. If you skip down, the next really good song is "My Brilliant Feat" recognized for its chords which seem to stand out above the tracks surrounding it. The full 5.46 min. version of "Waiting For My Real Life To Begin" is heartfelt, and sometimes seems to be the story of my own life. It sounds real, like Hay really meant it. Also included is the radio edit of this track, but the uninterrupted version is the one you want to hear. Among the remainder of this album, those that stand out are "Lifeline", "Circles Erratica" and of course a new radio version of "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You". This is the first Colin Hay song I was introduced to, and the one that really hooked me. It also sounds true and shows the man in his true songwriting brilliance. 5 star.
This is a very good album, but I do wish it had one or two more really good songs on it to inflate it to a 5 star listen. Most of Colin Hay's best songs are included in movie productions like the ones I've mentioned. Unfortunately these songs were spread out over his first three studio albums rather than on one convenient disc. Of the first two I would recommend Colin Hay, "Man at Work", and for a version of Hay that's got more 'pop' to it, try Men At Work "Business As Usual". Hay has also released a fourth solo album just recently called "Are You Lookin' At Me?" which I sampled, but it doesn't seem to be as good as this one.
Try them both.
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Colin Hay is exquisite!!
Colin Hay's voice is soothing and mature, and lyrics are exceptional. This CD will change your life for the better!! Colin gives insight and experiences to learn from through his music. He's come a long way since "Men At Work", the 80s band he was the frontman for. Buy this CD first, "Man At Work" second, and his new CD "Are You Looking at Me" which is due April 24th, 2007.
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