Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 148
 Incredible album!!!! September 6, 2010
kloewent (Petaluma, CA USA)
Wow, there are so many great songs on this album. I can't recall a record that has so many wonderful songs since Graceland.
Mood lifting!!! August 13, 2010
Marie (Bluffton, SC, US)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I haven't tired of this CD since I purchased over a month ago. We listened to it going and coming on a recent trip to Florida. It sounds silly but I play it in my head when I'm not listening to it on my player. Lifst my mood and makes for a happy day. Love Zac Brown Band.
Great Music August 5, 2010
Mary Beebe (Garden Grove, CA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I reallyenjoy this CD. It is made up almost entirely of hits. Great choice of songs.
This album is, in a word, GREAT! August 2, 2010
Andrew Ellington (I'm kind of everywhere)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Easily one of the best albums I've purchased recently, The Zac Brown Band really has a lot to offer. A solid mix of Southern Rock sentiment, Hillbilly chaos and Beachtastic swagger (think Jimmy Buffett meets Lynyrd Skynyrd meets The Avett Brothers), `The Foundation' lays quite the foundation for much more musical enjoyment.
Seriously; let the good times roll!
The beach vibe kicks off the album with `Toes', a song that starts with the words "got my toes in the water, (rear end) in the sand, not a worry in the world a cold beer in my hand" and instantly I'm transported to Mexico and I'm happy. Everything about this `Margaritaville' inspired jingle is perfection, and really lets you know what this band is all about. This is happy music, music designed to entertain and console you. Zac Brown and his band continue to layer these tracks with smooth influence, calling to mind Jack Johnson on songs like `Different Kind of Fine', which slinks all over the listener with slick confidence and catchy rhythmus. While some of the songs seem to play into one another (the vibe of both `Different Kind of Fine' and `Where the Boat Leaves From' are very similar), it is a welcomed similarity because it bleeds with such earnest serenity. `Where the Boat Leaves From' is stunningly great, pulling you in with every bounce in the rhythm.
The Southern Rock side of the band is equally compelling, maybe even more so. `Free' is beautifully constructed to call to mind that rustic and raw appeal of the genre. Zac Brown has vocals so soft and smooth they defy his burly physique, and his voice works wonders all over this album. `Highway 20 Ride' can easily bring a grown man to his knees and induce countless tears (the video made me bawl, and the song itself brought my Uncle to tears just this past weekend...so moving). It is such an honest song about the love a father has for a child, despite difficulties.
`Whatever It Is' is probably my favorite track here. The lyrics are simple yet so meaningful, and the love shown in each word uttered shows itself in the ease with which the song sits on the ears (despite the fact that "you got whatever it is" is a mouthful considering the song structure).
It's beautiful.
And then you have the hillbilly fun of songs like `Chicken Fried' that just sink right into their country roots without any hesitation. Barnyard fun is what I call it, and fun certainly describes these tracks. `It's Not Ok' is also a load of fun, especially when you factor in the spoken word casualty of the verse structure, and that closing track (`Sic' em On a Chicken') is just brilliant. `Mary' is really the only song here that I don't entirely care for. It just seems rather generic, despite some nice moments.
I do want to mention that `Jolene' is simply genius. The original song (sung by one of my favorite artists, Ray Lamontagne) is beautiful and so signature to Ray's style. What I love so much about what Zac does here is that he completely makes the song his own. While some may balk and say `you can't make the song unrecognizable', for me that only counts if you are in a competition relying on votes, not when you are constructing your own album. They reconstructed the song to feel like a Zac Brown Band song, and it fits their album perfectly. It is a different song altogether, yet it maintains the same emotional connection as the original.
Bravo!
So, as far as recommendations are concerned...HECK TO THE YES I RECOMMEND THIS ALBUM! Really, this is a solid album that represents the band well and only gets me more and more excited for more and more music. This was a great find and one you can't go wrong with.
The Zac Brown band is for real. July 9, 2010
mikeh
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
An outstanding accomplishment for this relatively new group. This is one you can hear over and over without becoming tired of the sound.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 148
|
